Delhi News Highlights: AQI in Delhi turns poor, first stage restrictions under GRAP activated

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Talvinder Singh alias Zara, a wanted criminal and a key member of the Salman Tyagi-Saddam Gauri gang, has been arrested by the Delhi Police from Amritsar, officials said on Tuesday.

Singh, a resident of Delhi's Subhash Nagar, had been absconding since 2019 after being declared a proclaimed offender in a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) at Hari Nagar police station, an officer said. — PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the lone woman to hold the post among the 14 BJP-ruled states, will campaign in the Bihar Assembly polls and attend the nomination filing of the eastern state's deputy chief minister Vijay Sinha, officials said on Tuesday.

According to officials at Delhi CMO, she will reach Lakhisarai on Wednesday, where she will accompany Sinha for his nomination filing and will address a public meeting at KRK Ground there.

Later in the day, she will address a public meeting in Bihar Sharif in support of local BJP candidate Sunil Kumar. — PTI

Consumers with unauthorised water connections will be able to get regular connections by paying a small token amount till January 31, as against the higher penalties that are in place, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday.

At a press conference, Gupta announced the Unauthorised Water and Sewer Connection Regularisation Scheme, which will be in effect until January 31, 2026.

Under this scheme, significant reductions will be applied to penalties for unauthorised connections, she added. — PTI

Student activist Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots case, on Tuesday withdrew his plea before a court here seeking a 14-day interim bail to file his nomination and campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. Imam's counsel submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai that as his client's regular bail plea was pending before the Supreme Court, the interim relief would be sought from the top court.

Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim told the court that the plea was being withdrawn on technical grounds. — PTI

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it was granting a “last opportunity” to the Enforcement Directorate to argue its plea challenging the bail granted to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the 2021-22 excise policy-linked money laundering case, after the AAP supremo’s counsel objected to repeated adjournments.

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GRAP Stage-1 Actions

* Ensure proper implementation of dust mitigation measures

* Ensure regular lifting of municipal, construction and hazardous waste from dump sites and ensure no waste is dumped illegally in open areas

* Carry out periodic mechanized sweeping and water sprinkling on roads

* Intensify use of anti-smog guns and dust suppression measures

* Strictly enforce prohibition on open burning of biomass and municipal solid waste

* Strict vigilance and enforcement of PUC norms of vehicles

* Enforce complete ban on coal or firewood in Tandoors in Hotels, restaurants and open eateries

•Ensure use of only electricity or clean fuel gas-based applications in hotels, restaurants and open eateries.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it was granting a "last opportunity" to the Enforcement Directorate to argue its plea challenging the bail granted to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the 2021-22 excise policy-linked money laundering case, after the AAP supremo's counsel objected to repeated adjournments.

The court listed the matter for November 10 while noting the strong opposition of Kejriwal's lawyer, who said it is the "ninth adjournment" taken by the agency, "without any rhyme or reason". — PTI

Delhi University is witnessing one of its largest infrastructure overhauls, with more than a dozen major construction projects underway at an estimated cost of Rs 1,912.15 crore, according to officials.

The projects include new campuses, academic blocks, hostels, libraries and a cultural centre aimed at strengthening academic and residential facilities for students. — PTI

Police have busted a Rs 50 lakh investment fraud linked to a Chinese network and apprehended one person from Uttarakhand, an official said on Tuesday.

The case was registered on the complaint of Shikha Gupta, who alleged that she was cheated of Rs 2.9 lakh on the pretext of investing in a foreign company, he said. — PTI

In a major relief for Delhi residents, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced a complete waiver of water bill late payment surcharges running into over Rs 11,000 crore for domestic consumption till January 31 next year.

Addressing a press conference, the chief minister formally announced that domestic consumers will get a 70 per cent waiver on late payment surcharge (LPSC) after January 31 till March 31, 2026. — PTI

The South Asian University, following students' protest demanding the suspension of a warden after alleged sexual assault of a female student, Tuesday issued a solidarity statement, condemning the incident from its official handle on X.

The University wrote: “We the SAU community, Faculty, Staff and Students stand in solidarity in light of the alleged horrific act of sexual violence that has been reported on campus. The South Asian University condemns this alleged act of sexual violence, in the strongest terms and in one voice. We stand with our students, and assure them of our full support. SAU has a zero tolerance policy on Sexual Harassment and all forms of violence against women. We strongly condemn, and stand in support, and solidarity!”

For the first time in over four months, Delhi’s air turned ‘poor’ on Tuesday with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reading 201 at 10.30 am.

The last time the AQI was in the poor category was June 11 this year.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, a dip in wind speed has led to the accumulation of pollutants. 

According to a forecast from the early warning system, slight relief is expected during the day with the air getting slightly cleaner due to higher temperatures, but it will be followed by at least six days of poor AQI. 

Here are the AQI readings for different parts of Delhi, as of 11 am:

Students of South Asian University (SAU) are currently staging a protest on campus, demanding the immediate suspension of the warden following allegations of sexual assault on female student.

Protesters are also calling for the formation of an independent enquiry committee with student representatives included in the investigation process.

Large groups of students have gathered at the administrative block, raising slogans, insisting that accountability cannot be ensured unless students are part of the inquiry mechanism.

Delhi will experience mainly clear skies on Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures hovering around 33 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Air pollution in Delhi is rising yet again following the withdrawal of southwest monsoon and prior to the onset of winter.

The Delhi AQI on Tuesday breached the ‘poor’ category with the reading pegged at 200 at 5:30 am, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System.

Multiple localities of Delhi were observed to remain in the ‘poor’ air quality zone. Anand Vihar was the worst with the AQI shooting up to 374 (very poor).

The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 32.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below the average, on Monday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded the minimum temperature at 19 degrees Celsius, 0.6 notches below the season's average.

Monday was the fourth consecutive day when the minimum temperature was recorded below 20 degrees for the 2025-26 winter season. The relative humidity oscillated between 86 per cent and 49 per cent on Monday.

The IMD has forecast mainly clear skies on Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to settle around 33 and 20 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The Delhi High Court on Monday (October 13) agreed to hear an appeal against the order of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) Tribunal that upheld the Centre’s five-year ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI).

A division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela held that such a challenge is maintainable, and that it can be adjudicated upon before the High Court.

It issued notice to the Centre, asking it to respond within six weeks. The PFI will have two weeks after that to file its rejoinder. The matter has been posted for hearing on January 20 next year.

A Delhi court, while hearing the bail plea of self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati on Monday, observed that the gravity of the offence increased multifold because of the number of victims. Saraswati is in judicial custody in a case where he is accused of molesting 17 women students.

Additional Sessions Judge Deepti Devesh, who adjourned the plea to October 27, observed during the proceedings that no grounds were made at the present stage for the grant of statutory bail.

To the defence counsel's vehement insistence that Saraswati had been implicated in the case, the judge orally observed, "The gravity of the offence increases multifold because of the number of victims." Earlier, the accused's counsel said that his client was falsely implicated, and a false case had been lodged after the victim girls were threatened and induced that their scholarship would be withdrawn.

He was a Delhi University gold medalist. But he went from studying chemistry and law to committing armed robberies, said police. Deep Shubham (32), an M Phil in Chemistry from DU, was arrested on Thursday from Sohna in Haryana, ending a chase that went on several years and across states.

The Crime Branch’s team said Shubham, wanted for two jewellery heists that he committed in North Delhi’s Model Town in 2021, had been living quietly as an interior designer under a false identity in Haryana, changing homes and phones to stay under the radar.

Police said Shubham’s arrest marks the end of a pursuit that began in 2021, when he allegedly carried out two daytime heists targeting jewellery showrooms in Gujranwala Town. Even as he was arrested after the heists, he secured bail and did not appear for court hearings. This prompted police to declare him a proclaimed offender.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav reached Delhi High Court on Monday to attend trial against him and his family - wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav, in the IRCTC 'scam' case.

While all three of them pleaded 'not guilty' in the case, charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating have been laid down against them.

Prasad is accused of favouring a private company in awarding operation and maintenance contracts for two IRCTC hotels in lieu of prime land in Patna. The CBI filed a charge sheet against Prasad, Rabri, and their son Tejashwi, the current Deputy CM of Bihar, in 2018.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav pleaded not guilty on Monday as the Delhi High Court directed charges to be framed against him in the IRCTC 'scam' case. The trial is due to begin shortly.

Yadav and his family have been accused in a case pertaining to alleged corruption dating back to his tenure as Railway Minister.

He has been accused of favouring a private company in awarding operation and maintenance contracts for two IRCTC hotels in lieu of prime land in Patna.

The CBI filed a chargesheet against Prasad, Rabri, and their son Tejashwi, former Deputy CM of Bihar, in 2018.

Yadav's wife Rabri Devi as well as son, Tejashwi Yadav also pleaded not guilty in the matter.

Delhi recorded 199 days where the air quality has been below the poor range, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Sunday.

An overactive monsoon and rains continuing well into October have been the biggest drivers of better AQI this year, with the city receiving above normal rainfall between July and October so far.

“With nearly three months still remaining in 2025, Delhi has already recorded 199 clean air days this year — compared to 110 such days in the whole of 2016 — marking an almost 100% improvement and putting the city on track for its highest-ever tally,” Sirsa said.

In most areas in Punjab and Haryana, fields are either still waterlogged or the crop is damp, pushing the harvest further by at least a week. Punjab recorded one of the most devastating floods in several decades this September.

Here's what Sirsa said on Delhi's air quality.

A dip in wind speed coupled with an increase in farm fires in flood-hit Punjab is expected to drive Delhi’s air quality to the 'poor' category by the middle of this week, forecasts have stated.

The AQI will deteriorate to ‘poor’ category on October 15, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi remained in the ‘moderate’ category, recording an AQI of 185, according to private air quality monitor and forecaster AQI.in.

The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, however, pegged the AQI slightly lower at 166.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the air quality will remain in the moderate category on October 14.

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