A power line worker was shot dead by armed men in Lasan village of Manipur’s Tamenglong district early Wednesday, officials said. Paongam Chongloi was repairing a power line when he came under attack, according to local villagers, and his body was later brought to Kangpokpi district hospital.
The Committee on Tribal Unity said Chongloi’s mortal remains would not be claimed until those responsible were brought to justice. Separately, several kutcha houses were allegedly set ablaze in Makui Khuman and Makui Thanamba villages in Kangpokpi district, officials said, while the Kuki Civic Action Committee sought an impartial probe and alleged the involvement of armed Naga groups in the killing.
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A major fire broke out at a luxury car company’s workshop in Jaipur’s Sitapura area on Tuesday night, damaging several vehicles, accessories and costly spare parts, police said. No casualties were reported in the blaze at Balaji Market. More than 50 new and old cars were parked at the workshop when the fire broke out, with around eight vehicles gutted. Firefighters deployed around 10 fire tenders to bring the blaze under control, while several cars were moved to safety. A short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire, police said.
TMC alleges attack on IT wing head, car vandalised by BJP workers
The Trinamool Congress alleged that its IT cell head Upasana’s home was attacked and her car vandalised by BJP workers in Kolkata. The party also claimed that workers in Wards 78 and 109 were targeted.
In a post on X, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien shared four pictures from the incident and alleged that they showed “the brutalities unleashed on our party colleagues by intoxicated BJP thugs”. He claimed that Upasana was “beaten/molested” and that former MLA and senior police officer Humayun was wounded. The TMC IT cell also alleged in a separate post that Upasana’s home was attacked and her car vandalised by “BJP4Bengal goons”, adding: “We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated.”
Express exclusive: Election Commissioners objected 14 times in 10 months to ‘illegal, unauthorised’ poll panel moves
An Indian Express investigation has found that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised 14 on-record objections over 10 months to steps taken by ECI chief Gyanesh Kumar — flagging moves they described as “unauthorised” and “illegal,” including changes to Form 6 for new voters, additions and deletions in electoral rolls, and concerns about centralisation of voter software systems. The commissioners specifically objected to the Form 6 change that asked new voters to provide details of their parents under the SIR exercise. An analysis of what the rift reveals about the conduct of the ECI raises deeper questions about institutional independence ahead of upcoming state elections.
Trump at UN: ‘Drive Iran into hell’ — but hints at deal after midterms
Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly that the US would “drive Iran into hell” if the conflict continues, while simultaneously suggesting he believed a deal with Tehran was possible — and that it might come after the November midterm elections, a framing that has drawn attention for making a potential diplomatic resolution contingent on domestic US political timing.
Supreme Court: No one can be penalised for not singing Vande Mataram
The Supreme Court has ruled that no individual can be penalised for choosing not to sing Vande Mataram — a significant constitutional clarification that came in the course of a hearing involving Carnatic singer TM Krishna, and that reinforces the line between patriotic expression and compelled speech.
IIT Bombay suicide: Parents regret telling Sahil to ‘ignore casteist remarks’
The parents of Sahil Wakode, who died by suicide at IIT Bombay, have said they regret advising their son to ignore the casteist remarks he faced on campus — a confession of helplessness that has deepened the grief around a case that has put institutional discrimination at India’s elite engineering colleges back in the centre of public debate.
CPM’s Kerala reset complicated by probe into Pinarayi Vijayan
The CPI(M)’s attempt to reset its Kerala operation ahead of the 2026 assembly polls has been complicated by a money laundering investigation into Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan — a probe that has constrained the party’s ability to project a clean break from the controversies of its current term.
A power line worker was shot dead by armed men in Lasan village of Manipur’s Tamenglong district early Wednesday, officials said. Paongam Chongloi was repairing a power line when he came under attack, according to local villagers, and his body was later brought to Kangpokpi district hospital.
The Committee on Tribal Unity said Chongloi’s mortal remains would not be claimed until those responsible were brought to justice. Separately, several kutcha houses were allegedly set ablaze in Makui Khuman and Makui Thanamba villages in Kangpokpi district, officials said, while the Kuki Civic Action Committee sought an impartial probe and alleged the involvement of armed Naga groups in the killing.
- With PTI Inputs
The Kerala Cabinet has decided to provide Rs 8 lakh financial assistance to the families of those who died in recent rain-related incidents in the state, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Wednesday. He said five people died and one went missing in a flash flood in Malappuram, while two each died in Idukki and Kottayam.
The Cabinet also decided to launch a state-wide campaign to reduce road accidents, involving awareness programmes and stricter punitive action, Satheesan said. It also approved renaming the Elderly Welfare Department as the Department for Senior Citizens.
- With PTI Inputs
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday met a 15-member delegation of journalists from Tamil Nadu at Jan Bhavan in Lucknow and briefed them on initiatives in education, healthcare and public welfare. The delegation was led by PIB Chennai Deputy Director Vijayalakshmi.
Patel highlighted initiatives including improved facilities at around 75,000 anganwadi centres, an HPV vaccination drive and the state’s TB elimination campaign. She also spoke about programmes for women, children and prison inmates, and said the Samarth portal had improved transparency and resulted in savings of over Rs 200 crore.
- With PTI Inputs
Tamil Nadu Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu on Wednesday clarified that no decision had been taken to include beef in government student hostel menus, after his remarks on considering a request from students triggered a political row. Puthiya Tamilagam president K Krishnaswamy opposed the proposal, saying it would hurt cultural sentiments, and announced protests on September 30.
Arasu said students from rural areas had requested beef as a non-vegetarian option alongside chicken and mutton, and the government would consider the representation after consultations with officials and students. He said the decision would be taken collectively by the government and not by him individually.
- With PTI Inputs
The Telangana Human Rights Commission has sought a detailed report from the Bhadradri Kothagudem district collector over the alleged torture of an elderly woman on superstitious grounds in Jinkalagudem village. The commission took suo motu cognisance of a report alleging that the woman was taken to an isolated field, made to climb a tree and beaten with whips on suspicion that she was possessed by an evil spirit.
The report also alleged that nails were driven under her hands and feet and that she was beaten until she became weak and lost consciousness. The HRC has sought details of the woman’s present condition and medical treatment, action against those allegedly involved and measures to prevent such incidents, with the matter posted for October 27.
- With PTI Inputs
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday alleged that the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process was “illegal” and accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of running the poll panel “single-handedly”. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal cited the Indian Express report and claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections over orders being issued without the approval of the full commission.
Kejriwal demanded that the SIR process be scrapped, changes made to voter lists over the past two to three years be reversed and the voter list from three years ago restored. He also demanded Kumar’s arrest and prosecution, and called for fresh elections in Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, alleging that recent elections had been affected by “vote-chori”. These are allegations made by Kejriwal and were not independently established in the press release.
Students of Delhi University's Lady Shri Ram College for Women staged a solidarity march outside the college on Wednesday following the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl near Aastha Kunj. The students raised concerns over inadequate CCTV surveillance and patrolling in the area, saying security issues had existed even before the recent incident.
Carrying posters and raising slogans, the protesters demanded improved safety measures around the college and surrounding areas. Students also said incidents of stalking and harassment near the college's back gate had been repeatedly reported to the administration.
- With PTI Inputs
The Supreme Court on Wednesday requested Chief Justice of India to explore the possibility of constituting a permanent five-judge bench to hear cases involving constitutional issues, flagging the “inordinate delay” in resolving references to larger benches. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma said pendency of references for five to 20 years or more was a matter of “grave concern”.
The observations came after the judges gave split opinions on whether pleas challenging the 2023 law excluding the CJI from the selection panel for the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners should be referred to a larger bench. The bench said the matter should be placed before the CJI on the administrative side for constitution of a bench of appropriate strength.
- With PTI Inputs
A Delhi-bound IndiGo Boeing 787-9 aircraft returned to London Heathrow early Wednesday after facing a technical issue, according to a source. The flight, 6E4, had been airborne for around an hour before turning back and landed safely at Heathrow.
The aircraft took off at around 12.40 am IST and returned to London at around 2 am, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. Specific details of the technical issue and the number of passengers onboard could not be ascertained, and IndiGo had not issued a statement.
- With PTI Inputs
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has responded positively to Telangana’s request to release water from the Almatty and Narayanpur reservoirs to save crops in downstream areas, Telangana Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said on Wednesday. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy thanked Shivakumar for agreeing to the request, calling it an example of cooperation between the two states.
A Telangana delegation met Shivakumar in Bengaluru for the second consecutive day and sought the release of 5,000 cusecs of water for a month for crops cultivated across around 5.5 lakh acres under the Jurala, Nettempadu, Bhima and Koilsagar projects. Separately, Telangana Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari directed officials to release water from the Jurala project, following which water was released, according to an official statement.
- With PTI Inputs
Kerala Railway Police have arrested 48 people in connection with thefts on trains and recovered stolen articles worth more than Rs 30 lakh during a month-long special drive, officials said on Wednesday. The accused were arrested from various parts of Kerala and outside the state and remanded in judicial custody.
The recovered items include 54 mobile phones, two laptops, gold ornaments, Rs 90,000 in cash, chargers and other electronic devices. Police said the accused targeted passengers sleeping on trains and platforms at night, as well as those travelling on crowded trains, and that the recovered mobile phones and laptops would be returned to their owners after identification.
- With PTI Inputs
The Kerala government will organise ‘Festival Kerala’, a series of events in major cities across the country, to mark the state’s 70th formation day and showcase its tourism and investment potential, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Wednesday. The festival will be held in Kerala, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, featuring indigenous art forms, discussions and investor meets.
Satheesan said a cabinet sub-committee headed by him and convened by Cultural Minister P C Vishnunadh has been formed to oversee the festival. The programmes are scheduled to begin on November 1, coinciding with Kerala’s formation day, while the government will consider taking the festival abroad during its second edition.
- With PTI Inputs
Former Union minister Smriti Irani has been appointed BJP in-charge for Haryana and Chhattisgarh, while Harish Dwivedi has been given charge of Bihar and Karnataka, and Tarun Chugh has been made in-charge of Gujarat, according to the party.
Baijayant Jay Panda has been appointed BJP in-charge for Maharashtra, with Amit Malviya, Sadanand Tanawade and Kamaljeet Sehrawat named co-in-charges, according to the party.
- PTI
Four Intermediate students were killed after being run over by a train near Tekkali in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday directed a safety audit of all city parks and deployment of Pink Police personnel around their premises following the gangrape of a teenage girl at a park in southeast Delhi’s Kalkaji area.
Sandhu issued the directions during a meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner, MCD Commissioner and DDA Vice Chairman, the LG Office said in a post on X.
He directed that a comprehensive safety audit of all parks in Delhi be completed within a week, with a focus on adequate lighting, security, regular patrolling and cleanliness.
The Delhi Police was also asked to strengthen beat patrolling and deploy Pink Police personnel around park premises, the LG Office said.
The 17-year-old girl from Faridabad was allegedly gangraped by three men at Ashta Kunj Park near the Kalkaji temple on Monday evening. All three accused have been arrested, police said.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) national general secretary Virendra Singh Solanki said the organisation’s victory in three of the four DUSU seats reflected what he described as younger students’ belief in nationalism and confidence in ABVP’s work on campus. In an interview with PTI, he also credited the organisation’s sustained ground-level engagement and its work on issues raised in election manifestos.
Solanki said ABVP’s report cards on manifesto implementation had helped build trust among students. He also cited its work on campus safety and infrastructure, including demands for CCTV cameras and women-only safety facilities, while claiming that more than 1,000 CCTV cameras had been installed in Delhi University.
On the JNU Students’ Union elections, Solanki said the contest was different because of the presence of groups opposed to ABVP’s ideology, but claimed the organisation had increased its vote share over the past decade. He also said ABVP was demanding the restoration of student union elections in states where they have not been held.
Eight MLAs of Meghalaya’s United Democratic Party (UDP) joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders, including Union minister Kiren Rijiju, at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The MLAs who joined the BJP are Lahkmen Rymbui, Pius Marwein, Kyrmen Shylla, Mayralborn Syiem, Matthew Kurbah, Ollan Singh Suin, Balajied Kupar Synrem and Synshar Kupar Roy.
Welcoming the MLAs, Rijiju said they joined the BJP after being impressed by what he described as the progress of the Northeast and Meghalaya under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
“It is an extremely important political development, not only for the northeast but the entire country,” Rijiju said at a joint press conference.
BJP MP Sambit Patra, the party’s coordinator for northeastern states, announced the names of the eight MLAs and said the BJP had been in talks with them.
Heavy rain lashed southern and coastal Odisha on Wednesday as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal moved towards the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast, prompting authorities to evacuate at least 5,000 people, officials said.
Semiliguda in Koraput district recorded the highest rainfall of 230 mm in the 24 hours till 8.30 am, followed by 161 mm in Jeypore, also in Koraput, an IMD official said. More than 16 places in the state recorded rainfall of over 10 cm.
The deep depression was moving towards the coast at 5 kmph and lay centred about 150 km south of Gopalpur and 240 km south-southwest of Puri at 8.30 am, according to the IMD. The weather system was expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy rain in southern Odisha on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Gajapati district, 5,000 people, including pregnant women and elderly persons, were shifted to cyclone centres and temporary relief camps as a precautionary measure. Authorities have identified 140 landslide-prone areas in the district and are monitoring them closely.
Rain-related incidents, including water entering houses, uprooted trees, collapsed houses and muddy water flowing down hills, were reported from several districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur.
The IMD issued a red alert for Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur, forecasting more than 20 cm of rain in the next 24 hours. Squally weather with winds of 55-65 kmph is expected until Thursday evening, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.
The Odisha government mobilised 33 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and ordered the closure of educational institutions and Anganwadi centres in 10 districts. Government officials' leaves were cancelled, while hospitals in vulnerable areas were asked to stock emergency medicines and authorities were directed to move pregnant women from low-lying areas to safer facilities.
Two brothers were killed after the motorcycle they were riding crashed into the boundary wall of a building in south Mumbai in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.
The accident occurred around 5 am on the northbound lane of Nanabhai Musa Marg in the Colaba area. Sumit Satwan Valmiki, 22, was riding the TVS motorcycle with his 15-year-old brother Sanju when he allegedly lost control of the vehicle.
The motorcycle rammed into the boundary wall of Gangotri Building, leaving both brothers with severe head injuries. They were declared dead, an official said.
The brothers were residents of Ganesh Murti Nagar in Cuffe Parade and hailed from Pipri in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district.
Police registered an accidental death case and sent the bodies to the state-run GT Hospital for post-mortem. A forensic team visited the crash site and collected samples as part of the investigation.
A 47-year-old tribal man was killed in a wild elephant attack near Panniyar in Kerala’s Idukki district in the early hours of Wednesday, forest officials said.
The victim, identified as Vijayan, was returning home when he encountered the elephant, officials said. Locals said he tried to flee after coming face-to-face with the tusker, but the elephant chased him and killed him.
Forest officials identified the elephant as ‘Chakkakomban’, a tusker known to periodically venture into inhabited areas of the region.
Following a protest over Vijayan’s death, officials assured locals that ‘Chakkakomban’ and two female wild elephants, which are also known to enter inhabited areas, would be relocated from the region.
A major fire broke out at a luxury car company’s workshop in Jaipur’s Sitapura area on Tuesday night, damaging several vehicles, accessories and costly spare parts, police said on Wednesday. No casualties were reported.
More than 50 new and old cars were parked at the workshop in Balaji Market when the fire broke out. Police and fire personnel managed to move several vehicles to safety before the flames spread further.
Around eight cars, along with accessories and costly spare parts, were gutted in the blaze. Fire officer Usha Sharma said around 10 fire tenders were deployed to bring the fire under control.
Electricity supply in the surrounding area was also disconnected as a precaution. A short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire, according to the preliminary investigation, police said.
Two people were arrested after police recovered a live bomb and five cartridges from near the Sheetala Mata temple in Patna on Wednesday, officials said.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided the spot and recovered a bomb resembling a hand grenade and five cartridges from the two accused, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Raj Kishor Singh said.
The accused were detained and arrested after questioning, the officer said. A bomb disposal squad was called in to defuse the explosive.
“Police are investigating the matter further and trying to nab their associates,” Singh said.
At least five people, including three minors, drowned in the Koel river in Jharkhand’s Palamu district on Wednesday while immersing a tree branch worshipped during the tribal festival of Karam, police said.
The incident took place at Bokaya village under the Chainpur police station limits. The five had gone to the river to immerse the Karam branch as part of the festival’s concluding ritual.
Jharkhand celebrated Karam, one of the state’s biggest tribal festivals after Sarhul, on Tuesday. The festival traditionally concludes with the immersion of the Karam tree branch worshipped during the celebrations.
Palamu Superintendent of Police Kapil Choudhary said all five bodies were recovered from the river and sent for post-mortem.
The main accused in the Sagar hooch tragedy case was apprehended after a brief encounter with police in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district early Wednesday, an official said.
The accused, Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant Thakur, carried a reward of Rs 30,000 in connection with the deaths of 20 people who allegedly consumed spurious liquor in the district earlier this month.
A police team cornered Lodhi and his accomplice Ashish Sahu around 3 am at Noniya Sesai Road Valley, about 50 km from Sagar. According to Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania, the two opened fire at the police team, following which personnel retaliated in self-defence.
Lodhi was shot in the leg, while Sahu, who allegedly tried to flee, suffered a hand fracture. Both were admitted to hospital for treatment, the official said.
Police recovered two country-made pistols, five empty cartridges and a baseball bat from the spot. So far, 35 accused have been apprehended in the spurious liquor case, while efforts are underway to arrest another key accused, Siddharth Kushwaha, and others wanted in the case.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said the Global South is at the “front row” of global crises but remains in the “back row” of decision-making, calling for greater solidarity among developing countries.
Addressing a High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South Countries and Friends on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar said the world was facing considerable uncertainty, marked by conflicts, geopolitical tensions, disrupted supply chains, trade barriers, fragmented investment flows and climate shocks.
“The Global South today may be in the front row of the global crisis, but is in the back row of decision-making,” Jaishankar said, arguing that institutions created for a different era continue to reflect the power structures of that period. He said the Global South should have a greater role in decision-making structures on issues directly affecting its future.
Jaishankar said reform of the United Nations and multilateralism was essential to address the priorities of developing countries. He also called for greater cooperation among Global South nations on energy and food security, fair trade, industrialisation and protection of maritime routes.
On artificial intelligence, Jaishankar said the technology should not create new divides and called for sharing indigenous-developed tools and frameworks among Global South countries. He also said platforms such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure could contribute to climate action.
Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings with officials from Uganda, Italy and Trinidad and Tobago on the sidelines of the UNGA. Discussions covered bilateral cooperation, development partnerships, the Gulf situation, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the Ukraine conflict.
The Congress on Wednesday shared a statement by party general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh questioning the Centre’s approach to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Ramesh raised concerns over different states framing their own versions of the UCC and cited the 2018 Law Commission consultation paper on family law.
In the statement, Ramesh also referred to UCC laws passed or introduced in several BJP-ruled states and questioned the differences between them. He alleged that the Centre was pursuing the issue without adequate consultation and public debate.
A 21-year-old woman has alleged that two men on a motorcycle stalked and harassed her before ramming their bike into her scooty in south Delhi, leaving her seriously injured, police said. The incident allegedly took place on the intervening night of September 11 and 12 near Panchsheel Park metro station in the Hauz Khas area.
According to her complaint, the men followed her while making objectionable remarks before hitting her scooty, causing her to fall and skid for around 100 to 150 metres. She suffered deep cuts and extensive injuries and was later shifted from a hospital in Saket to Medanta Hospital in Noida, where doctors advised plastic surgery.
Police said the initial PCR call was about a road accident and that investigators could not trace the alleged incident in available CCTV footage. An FIR was registered on September 15 after a complaint was received through a lawyer, and police are now trying to verify the allegations and identify the accused.
A man accused of shooting dead his wife and two priests at his home in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh was killed in a police encounter early Wednesday after a nearly seven-hour standoff, officials said. The accused, Arvind Singh, had allegedly locked himself inside a room with his three children after the shootings and threatened to kill them.
Police said Singh also fired at the children, injuring one of them who was admitted to hospital in serious condition, while the other two were out of danger. An ATS team was called in around 12.20 am as efforts to persuade Singh to surrender continued.
According to police, Singh opened fire when they were preparing to enter the room. Police used stun and tear-gas grenades before Singh allegedly fired five rounds at the police team. The police then opened “controlled fire”, injuring him. Singh was taken to hospital but died during treatment around 3.30 am, officials said.
A fire broke out in the meter box room of a three-storey residential building in Maharashtra’s Thane city shortly after midnight on Wednesday, gutting 14 electricity meters, officials said. No injuries were reported.
The blaze was reported around 12.20 am at Patrakar Society in the Kopri area, following which fire brigade and emergency personnel rushed to the spot. Firefighters brought the fire under control by 1 am and prevented it from spreading to the residential floors.
A short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire, though the exact cause is under investigation, officials said.
The Trinamool Congress alleged that its IT cell head Upasana’s home was attacked and her car vandalised by BJP workers in Kolkata, while claiming that party workers in Wards 78 and 109 were also targeted. The party also alleged that former MLA and senior police officer Humayun Kabir was attacked and wounded.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien shared pictures of the alleged incidents on X and accused BJP workers of attacking party colleagues. He alleged that Upasana was “beaten/molested” and that Humayun Kabir was wounded. The TMC IT cell separately alleged that “BJP4Bengal goons” attacked Upasana’s home and vandalised her car.
In another post, the TMC described the alleged assault on opposition leaders as the “#newnormal” under BJP4Bengal and called on West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to protect citizens regardless of their political affiliation. Referring to the alleged attack on Humayun Kabir, the party said it “will never be forgotten” and questioned Adhikari over what it called the deteriorating situation in the state.