I respect all religions, says CJI Gavai after comment on Khajuraho idol courts controversy

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, on Thursday, said he “respects all religions” after a comment he made during the hearing of a PIL caused uproar on social media. While hearing a PIL seeking the restoration of a Lord Vishnu idol in a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho, the CJI had orally observed: “ Go and ask the deity himself to do something.” The CJI-led bench had dismissed the PIL, calling it a "publicity interest litigation" and also noted that it was the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that has jurisdiction over the upkeep of the 7-feet-tall Lord Vishnu idol at the Javari Temple. Read more

Court sets aside order restraining journalists from publishing stories against Adani

A court in Delhi on Thursday quashed a gag order restraining journalists from publishing allegedly defamatory stories against Adani Enterprise Limited. While hearing the plea by journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, challenging the lower court order, District Judge Sunil Chaudhary of the Rohini court observed that the company did not appear to be sure whether they had indeed been defamed. When senior Advocate Anurag Ahluwalia, who appeared for AEL, pointed out an article published by Thakurta, the judge asked how it was defamatory and if AEL’s shares had dropped due to these posts. Read more

Dilip Khedkar trying to file for bail in truck cleaner ‘abduction’ case, says police

Dilip Khedkar, the father of the sacked trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, is trying to contact his lawyer so that he can file an anticipatory bail application, the Navi Mumbai Police said. Khedkar and his wife, Manorama, have been on the run since Sunday, a day after an abducted truck cleaner was rescued from their residence. The truck cleaner was abducted by Khedkar, a retired Maharashtra government official, and his bodyguard after a road rage incident on Saturday. Read more

Delhi YouTuber arrested for claiming Goa airport is haunted

The Goa Police on Wednesday arrested a Delhi-based YouTuber for a video that claimed the Manohar International Airport at Mopa is “haunted”. The YouTuber, Akshay Vashisht, was arrested over a video he posted on his Facebook page, RealTalk Clips, claiming that many “paranormal activities” have occurred at the Goa airport. According to police, Vashisht has 5.72 lakh subscribers on his YouTube channel, where he narrates “real horror stories and case studies”. Read more

France braces for mass strikes to protest against budget cuts

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has his work cut out, just days after being appointed, as all major trade unions in the country have called for strikes to denounce budget cuts. Unions are urging Lecornu to abandon draft budget measures proposed by his predecessor, which include social welfare freezes and austerity measures that many say will further erode the purchasing power of low-paid and middle-class workers. Unions also continue to denounce President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform that raised the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. Read more

5 stories you must read today, September 18: From CJI’s ‘ask your deity’ comment controversy to Adani defamation case and more

Read about CJI B R Gavai's clarification on his 'ask the deity' comment, Adani defamation case, missing Dilip Khedkar and more here.

By: Express Web Desk

September 18, 2025 07:00 PM IST

1 min read

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai (left). Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani. (Photo: PTI)

Good evening. Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Neeraj Chopra crashing out of medal contention in the World Athletics Championships javelin throw final dominated news headlines on Thursday, September 18. But much more has happened in the worlds of politics, business, technology, sport, and entertainment. Don’t worry, Express Catch-up is here to bring you up to speed.

01
I respect all religions, says CJI Gavai after comment on Khajuraho idol courts controversy
Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, on Thursday, said he “respects all religions” after a comment he made during the hearing of a PIL caused uproar on social media. While hearing a PIL seeking the restoration of a Lord Vishnu idol in a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho, the CJI had orally observed: “ Go and ask the deity himself to do something.” The CJI-led bench had dismissed the PIL, calling it a "publicity interest litigation" and also noted that it was the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that has jurisdiction over the upkeep of the 7-feet-tall Lord Vishnu idol at the Javari Temple. Read more
02
Court sets aside order restraining journalists from publishing stories against Adani
A court in Delhi on Thursday quashed a gag order restraining journalists from publishing allegedly defamatory stories against Adani Enterprise Limited. While hearing the plea by journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, challenging the lower court order, District Judge Sunil Chaudhary of the Rohini court observed that the company did not appear to be sure whether they had indeed been defamed. When senior Advocate Anurag Ahluwalia, who appeared for AEL, pointed out an article published by Thakurta, the judge asked how it was defamatory and if AEL’s shares had dropped due to these posts. Read more
03
Dilip Khedkar trying to file for bail in truck cleaner ‘abduction’ case, says police
Dilip Khedkar, the father of the sacked trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, is trying to contact his lawyer so that he can file an anticipatory bail application, the Navi Mumbai Police said. Khedkar and his wife, Manorama, have been on the run since Sunday, a day after an abducted truck cleaner was rescued from their residence. The truck cleaner was abducted by Khedkar, a retired Maharashtra government official, and his bodyguard after a road rage incident on Saturday. Read more
04
Delhi YouTuber arrested for claiming Goa airport is haunted
The Goa Police on Wednesday arrested a Delhi-based YouTuber for a video that claimed the Manohar International Airport at Mopa is “haunted”. The YouTuber, Akshay Vashisht, was arrested over a video he posted on his Facebook page, RealTalk Clips, claiming that many “paranormal activities” have occurred at the Goa airport. According to police, Vashisht has 5.72 lakh subscribers on his YouTube channel, where he narrates “real horror stories and case studies”. Read more
05
France braces for mass strikes to protest against budget cuts
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has his work cut out, just days after being appointed, as all major trade unions in the country have called for strikes to denounce budget cuts. Unions are urging Lecornu to abandon draft budget measures proposed by his predecessor, which include social welfare freezes and austerity measures that many say will further erode the purchasing power of low-paid and middle-class workers. Unions also continue to denounce President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform that raised the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. Read more