5 stories you must read today, November 23: From ‘Interstate’ terror module arrest in J&K to Kolkata hotel murder and more

Jammu and Kashmir’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) has made its first formal arrest in the Jaish-e-Mohammad–Ansar Ghazwatul Hind “interstate” terror module busted earlier this month. The arrested suspect, Srinagar resident Tufail Niyaz, allegedly supplied the AK rifle recovered from a locker used by one of the accused doctors at GMC Anantnag. Niyaz was initially detained by J-K Police before being handed over to the SIA. Three doctors — Muzamil Shakeel Ganai, Adeel Ahmad Rather and Shaheen Shahid — have already been arrested, while Umar Nabi died in the Red Fort explosion. Investigators say Niyaz received the weapon from a Pakistani handler. Read more

Kolkata Police on Sunday arrested two people — Dhruvo Mitra and Kamal Saha — a day after chartered accountant Adarsh Losalka, 33, was found dead in a Rajdanga hotel room with his legs tied and a head injury. Police said Saha met Losalka on a dating app and claimed an argument led to a scuffle in which he fell, after which she and Mitra tied his legs and fled. CCTV shows the trio checking in on Friday and the two suspects leaving around 2.30 am Saturday. Losalka’s phone and wallet are missing, and his social media accounts were deactivated after the murder. Read more

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar sparked controversy on Friday after telling voters in Baramati’s Malegaon Nagar Panchayat that development funds would flow only if they elected all 18 candidates from his Nationalist Congress Party. Pawar, who also handles the state’s finance portfolio, said, “You have votes, I have funds… If you reject, I will also reject.” The remark led to a political storm in the state with Shiv Sena (UBT) accusing Pawar of threatening voters, saying public funds come from taxpayers, not Pawar personally. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday termed the remarks as mere election-time rhetoric and suggested that it should not be taken literally. Read more

The BCCI on Sunday announced India’s squads for the ODI and T20I series against South Africa, with KL Rahul set to captain the 50-over side following Shubman Gill’s neck injury during the Kolkata Test. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retained their spots, while Jasprit Bumrah was rested. The ODIs will be played from November 30 to December 6 in Ranchi, Raipur and Visakhapatnam. The five-match T20I series runs from December 9 to 19 across Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. Gill has also been ruled out of the second Test, with Rishabh Pant leading India in his absence. Read more

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday insisted that Washington authored the 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine, incorporating input from both Russia and Ukraine, rejecting claims by some senators that the plan reflected a “Russian wish list.” Rubio wrote on X that the document is a “strong framework for ongoing negotiations.” A State Department spokesperson had earlier called the senators’ remarks “blatantly false.” The Trump administration’s proposal, which asks Kyiv to surrender territory, has been repeatedly rejected by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Senator Mike Rounds, however, said Rubio told lawmakers the US merely forwarded a proposal it had received, a claim later denied by the State Department. Read more