Delhi News Live Updates: Air quality turns ‘very poor’ as multiple zones cross 300 AQI

Police have found that the email address used to send explicit and threatening messages to an 18-year-old South Asian University female student who has alleged sexual assault was being accessed by one of her friends, an officer said on Thursday.

The first-year BTech student, who lives in the varsity hostel, has accused four people, including a security guard, of sexually assaulting her on the campus premises. She was found injured with her clothes torn on October 13, a day after being reported missing. — PTI

The Delhi government has mopped up Rs 4.5 crore under its late payment surcharge (LPSC) waiver scheme within three days of its launch, a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official said on Thursday.

The government aims to recover Rs 5,000 crore in pending dues of the DJB, waiving late payment surcharge amounts to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore. — PTI

The Delhi Traffic Police has busted a racket involved in preparing and circulating fake no-entry permissions (NEPs) for commercial vehicles, leading to the prosecution of 19 people and the registration of 11 criminal cases, an officer said on Thursday.

According to the police, the accused admitted to purchasing fake permits to operate their vehicles illegally in no-entry areas during restricted timings.

"Investigations are underway to trace the broader network behind the generation and sale of fake NEPs across the city," the officer said. — PTI

Delhi Police has issued a directive prohibiting all officers and personnel from visiting the residences of senior officers with or without gifts or flower bouquets on the occasion of Diwali, a police source said on Thursday.

The circular, issued on October 10, warned that any violation of the instructions would be "viewed adversely." "All officers or men are directed not to visit the residence of any of their senior officers with or without gifts or even flower bouquets on the occasion of Deepawali," the order said. — PTI

Tensions flared on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on Thursday during a general body meeting (GBM) of the School of Social Sciences, with the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-backed student groups trading charges of violence and disruption.

The JNU is gearing up for its students' union elections, likely to be held in November.

The university formally constituted a grievance redressal cell earlier in the month to oversee the process. — PTI

The Kartavya Path here would be lit with two lakh earthen lamps on October 18 and 19 as the BJP government in Delhi is all set to celebrate Diwali with fanfare, complete with a Ramayana-themed laser and drone show.

According to officials, the celebrations will be in line with the festivities at Ayodhya. — PTI

The Delhi Police has arrested seven people allegedly linked with an international cybercrime syndicate involved in duping people on the pretext of online trading, an official said on Thursday.

Police said the accused were arrested in a nine-day operation covering around 1,800 km across four states. — PTI

A married uniformed officer indulging in a relationship with another woman and sending her vulgar messages is "unbecoming of an officer of a uniform force", the Delhi High Court observed on Thursday.

The observation was made while the court upheld the punishment of a pay reduction imposed on a CISF sub-inspector, who faced allegations of sexually harassing a female colleague by sending her inappropriate messages and making harassing phone calls. — PTI

The Delhi Police on Thursday claimed a 20 per cent reduction in PCR calls related to street crimes over the last month in the Southeast Delhi district, attributing it to intensified night patrolling, vehicle checks and visible policing.

According to an official, around 500 people were apprehended under Operation Aaghat 2.0, a crackdown on organised crime, habitual offenders, bootleggers and drug peddlers. — PTI

The Delhi Fire Service has issued special instructions ahead of Diwali, ordering citywide deployment of additional fire units to prevent and respond quickly to fire incidents during the festive weekend. The move comes as part of annual preparedness measures taken by the department to handle the spike in fire-related calls typically reported during Diwali due to fireworks, diyas, and electrical decorations.

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The Delhi government is working on making the city the "creative capital" of the country, with plans underway to develop venues for mega events that can host lakhs of spectators, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday.

She also announced that in the next 70 days, 30 renowned artists will perform in the national capital. — PTI

In Noida, air quality was worse, with Sector 125 recording an AQI of 348 and Sector 116 at 325, compared to Delhi’s citywide average hovering around the ‘poor to very poor’ threshold. In Faridabad, most stations reported AQI in the ‘moderate’ range.

A comparison of data from the previous morning shows a steady uptick across the city. For instance, AQI at Anand Vihar rose from 335 to 362, Dwarka Sector-8 from 302 to 327, and Wazirpur from 323 to 330.

The Supreme Court has directed the police to constitute “patrolling teams to keep a vigil on the designated locations of sale” of green crackers over the three days beginning Saturday, and to ensure, with the district administration, that the use of firecrackers is confined to the identified windows in the morning and evening on the day of Diwali and the previous day. Senior police officers said flying squads would be constituted with officials from multiple domains, including those from the regional offices of the State Pollution Control Boards, as directed by the top court.

New police stations, police posts, staff quarters, and a women’s hostel are among a slew of projects announced by the Central Government for bolstering the infrastructure of the Delhi Police, according to a statement on Wednesday.

The Delhi Police stated that Rs 600 crore has been sanctioned for 26 new projects aimed at easing policing in the national capital.

“In a significant step towards strengthening the policing infrastructure in the National Capital, the Ministry of Home Affairs has accorded administrative approval and expenditure sanction amounting to ₹ 653.46 crore for the execution of 26 new infrastructure projects of Delhi Police,” the statement read.

A 30-year-old man was injured in a firing incident in Northeast Delhi's Karawal Nagar area on Thursday morning, police said.

The incident took place around 8.30 am, and when police reached the spot, they found a man, identified as Shrikant, a resident of Jauhari Pur, lying injured, they said.

He was rushed to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, where he is receiving treatment. His condition is stable, according to doctors, a senior police officer said.

-PTI

The AQI reading is categorised as Good (0-50), Satisfactory (51-100), Moderately Polluted (101-200), Poor (201-300), Very Poor (301-400), and Severe (401-500). Thus, higher the AQI reading, the unhealthier it gets to breathe.

The air quality in Delhi is now alarming with the AQI going well beyond the 200 mark, which is the lower threshold for it to be classified as ‘poor’. The real-time Delhi AQI at 5:30 am on Thursday was 233, as per the Early Warning System (EWS). The temperature at the time was 18.2 degrees Celsius. Multiple areas recorded an AQI above 300, which means the air quality in these localities has turned ‘very poor’.  Four more localities in Delhi are now in the ‘poor’ AQI category.

The three designated special courts at Rouse Avenue to deal with cases against MPs and MLAs under the POCSO Act will now also deal with cases against former MLAs and MPs, Raj Niwas officials said on Wednesday.

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has approved a proposal sent by the Chief Minister Rekha Gupta-led government, thereby increasing the ambit of this Special Courts at Rouse Avenue, they said. — PTI

Delhi's air quality remained in the ‘poor' category for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, with the AQI in some areas slipping into the ‘very poor' category at over 300, officials said.

A similar air quality forecast has been issued for the coming days, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.

On Wednesday, five out of the 38 monitoring stations in the capital recorded air quality in the ‘very poor' category.

Among them, Anand Vihar reported the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) at 345, followed by Wazirpur (325), Dwarka Sector 8 (314), and DU North Campus and CRRI Mathura Road (both at 307), according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. — PTI

Two adjoining cardboard factories were gutted after a fire broke out in Delhi's Bhorgarh Industrial Area, officials said on Wednesday.

Police said the factories were owned by a person named Ashish, and were engaged in the manufacturing of cardboard.

"Due to a short-circuit, a fire broke out in the basement area of one factory on Tuesday evening. A call was made to the police by a labourer named Gulsher, following which the owner, firemen and an ambulance reached the spot," DCP (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said. — PTI

Delhi Police has apprehended three juveniles in connection with an attempt-to-murder case in central Delhi's Patel Nagar, officials said on Wednesday.

According to police, the attack was reportedly the fallout of a rivalry between two local gangs -- the 'Bhagat Singh Gang' and the 'Sarkar Group'.

Police said the incident took place on October 10 when an altercation broke out among a group of boys in the Baljeet Nagar area. During the scuffle, one person was attacked with a knife and later admitted to the hospital, where doctors declared him unfit to make a statement, they said. — PTI

The Delhi government on Wednesday released Rs 108 crore as the third instalment of grant-in-aid for 12 fully funded colleges affiliated with Delhi University.

According to a statement issued by the office of Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, the funds will be used for teachers' salaries, building maintenance and other essential expenditures in 2025-26.

An additional amount of Rs 24 crore has been released separately for immediate expenses in these colleges, the statement said.

Sood said the release of Rs 108 crore reflects the government's commitment to ensuring that "no teacher or student faces a shortage of resources".

"With this, the Delhi government has so far released a total of Rs 325 crore in three instalments during 2025–26 for these 12 fully funded colleges," the statement said. — PTI

To expand the footprint of India's first regional rapid transit network, several states, including Karnataka, have approached the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) to prepare detailed studies for the new semi-high-speed Namo Bharat corridors aimed at boosting intercity connectivity.

The Karnataka government has approached the NCRTC for four semi-high-speed Namo Bharat corridors from Bengaluru to strengthen regional transport links across the southern state and its neighbouring regions, an official told PTI. — PTI

Upset over a family dispute, a 25-year-old drug addict climbed onto the roof of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Delhi's Mangolpuri area on Wednesday and threatened to commit suicide, but was rescued safely, officials said.

The man, identified as Rahul Mandal, has a history of substance abuse and had bruises all over his body. He was heavily intoxicated, drowsy and sweating profusely, making the rescue operation difficult as officers fear he may slip out of their grip when they try to pull him down from the six-storey building, the officials added. — PTI

he Delhi High Court on Wednesday modified the bail conditions imposed on Congress leader Karti Chidambaram, who's facing prosecution in the INX media corruption case.

Justice Ravinder Dudeja eased the bail condition, which directed Karti to seek trial court's permission before travelling outside India. Now Karti is required to give prior intimation to the trial court and the investigating agency two weeks prior to his travel abroad. — PTI

A man was apprehended from Lucknow hours after he allegedly kidnapped a four-year-old boy from outside his home here after the child's mother refused to marry him, the police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Sunday.

The accused, Sudhakar Singh (24), a flower seller from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended at Lucknow railway station while he was travelling with the child on Suhaildev Express, the police said. — PTI

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa Wednesday said that pilot training for cloud seeding has been completed.

"If the weather conditions are apt in the coming 2-3 days, then with the IMD's approval, the government will conduct the exercise for three hours," Sirsa said.

"We are happy to inform you that even with over-aged vehicles on road...we were able to get clear skies for most number of days this year," he added.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court's order allowing green crackers in Delhi this Diwali.

"Firecrackers have remained banned for a long time in Delhi... There were several questions raised on why there has to be restrictions imposed on only one religion and why only in Delhi-NCR?... Now, under the CM Rekha Gupta's leadership we presented our points before the Supreme Court... I welcome this order."

Reading out the SC order, Sirsa said: "The court has in fact given SOPs to departments. I want to urge the residents of Delhi to keep in mind the SC's directions and only burst green crackers... This order is temporary but with residents' participation, we will be able to continue this in the coming years..."

"The Delhi government will ensure that SC's directions are followed word-by-word and line-by-line."

He also announced that the government will hold its first meeting with retailers at 3 pm today over this matter. Following the meeting, the Ministry will hold a second meeting with different departments for enforcement of guidelines for green crackers.

The Delhi High Court granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) the “last and final opportunity” on Tuesday “in the interest of justice” after recording that the department has sought nine adjournments in its plea challenging the bail granted to former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Justice Ravinder Dudeja also recorded Kejriwal’s objection to the request for adjournment. The ED sought adjournment as Additional Solicitor General S V Raju was held up at the Supreme Court.

The ED is seeking the cancellation of bail granted to Kejriwal by a trial court on June 20 last year. It had arrested Kejriwal on March 21 last year in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday protected the personality and publicity rights of Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan and directed removal of certain objectionable posts against him on social media, news agency PTI reported.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said it was not passing any ex-parte directions, at the interim stage, for removal of certain fan pages, adding that an order would be passed after hearing them, the report stated.

The court was hearing a plea by Roshan seeking to protect his personality rights and restrain online platforms from illegally using his name, images and AI-generated inappropriate content.

Earlier, Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, filmmaker Karan Johar, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, "Art of Living" founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and journalist Sudhir Chaudhary also approached the high court seeking protection of their personality and publicity rights and the court granted them interim relief.

The right to publicity, popularly known as personality rights, is the right to protect, control and profit from one's image, name or likeness. (PTI)

As the Supreme Court allowed the conditional sale of green crackers in Delhi-NCR, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed gratitude to the court for granting permission at the special request of the Delhi government.

She posted on X: “This decision respects the sentiments and enthusiasm of the public during sacred festivals like Diwali, while also reflecting a balanced approach towards environmental protection.”

The Supreme Court Wednesday said that offline sale of green crackers will be permitted from October 18 to October 21. Crackers being sold should have QR codes.

Delhi will witness mainly clear skies on Wednesday, with the minimum temperature dropping to around 18 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature is likely to be around 32 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has assured the people of Delhi that froth over the Yamuna surface will not be seen during the upcoming Chhath festival, asserting that fast-paced work is underway for the rejuvenation of the polluted river.

Gupta underlined that the existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) were beign upgraded, along with tendering of new ones and drone mapping of drains to tap their untreated discharge.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in National Capital Region (NCR) worsened alongside Delhi on Wednesday.

The AQI in Noida reached 369 at 7 am, jumping from 228 at 5 am today. A layer of smog could be seen enveloping the city.

Ghaziabad was in the 320-325 range between 5 am and 7 am. The Faridabad AQI steadily rose from 252 at 5 am to 267 at 7 am.

Owing to the rising air pollution in Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas has imposed Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-1).

Residents in polluted zones are advised to wear masks and stay indoors as much as possible.

Health experts have advised people to avoid outdoor walking, jogging, or exercising due to the presence of toxic pollutants in the air.

Air pollution in Delhi is rising significantly each day, with no relief in sight.

The AQI in Delhi at 5.30 am on Wednesday, October 15 remained in the ‘poor’ category, with the reading pegged at 201.

Anand Vihar retained the top spot, recording the worst air quality at 347, followed by Wazirpur at 296.

The EWS forecast stated the Delhi AQI will reach 346 on Friday evening.

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