India news Highlights, 4 August 2026: NEET paper leak accused seek case seek lie-detector, brain mapping tests

With the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly set to convene tomorrow, the arrest of Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin must be viewed as an attempt to suppress the voice of the Opposition and democracy itself.

Whatever the issue may be, instead of addressing it through legal means, it is in no way acceptable for the Tamil Nadu government to misuse its authority by deploying the police and resorting to abuse of power.

Therefore, I request the police and Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to immediately release Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and restore law and order by bringing under control the tense situation that has arisen in Tamil Nadu following his arrest.

TTV Dhinakaran

Sakshi Chand from Delhi reports that a Nigerian woman is currently hospitalised with serious injuries after allegedly jumping from a building balcony in South Delhi's Mehrauli area during a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raid late Monday night. During the operation, authorities apprehended two other Nigerian nationals and recovered suspected narcotic substances, with the investigation into the circumstances of the incident now underway. This occurrence follows a concerning pattern of similar incidents in Delhi, where suspects have jumped from buildings to evade arrest during anti-narcotics operations, including notable cases from 2017 and June of this year.

Air India confirmed that flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, experienced a brief turbulence-related event during cruise, causing a momentary change in altitude. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi, with no serious injuries reported. A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries were taken for precautionary medical assessment.

"There have been no serious injuries as of now. A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain Air India’s highest priority. We are providing all necessary support to those affected and are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities as part of the investigation," said an Air India spokesperson.

Syeda Firdos from Bengaluru reports that an 82-year-old Bengaluru resident, Parthasarathy, lost nearly Rs 3.5 lakh to a fraudster who impersonated an Election Commission of India (ECI) official on WhatsApp under the guise of voter verification. The victim was tricked into downloading an application form for a purported "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) and subsequently fell into a trap when attempting to pay a nominal Rs 5 fee, which led to multiple unauthorized transactions on his credit card. Following the incident, the Jeevan Bheemanagar police registered an FIR against an unknown person for identity theft and cheating, while urging the public to exercise caution and verify official claims directly through legitimate channels.

TVK workers in Chennai protest against DMK leader and LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin. He has been detained by police in Chennai following an FIR against him over his alleged defamatory remarks against Tamil Nadu CM Vijay.

Varinder Bhatia from Chandigarh reports that Neera Mehta, the 70-year-old wife of a retired Indian Army Captain, was allegedly murdered by her domestic help and the helper's son in Panchkula’s Sector 21. The incident occurred after Neera confronted the employee regarding missing jewellery, leading to a fatal argument where she was strangled to death. Following the murder, the accused hid Neera's body on the rooftop of a neighbouring house. The crime was discovered after Neera's husband, Chandramohan, returned from playing golf to find her missing and alerted the authorities. Both suspects have since been arrested and are currently in police custody as the investigation continues.

Tamil Nadu Assembly LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin has been arrested by Thanjavur East Police and is being taken to Thanjavur. He has been booked under sections 61, 79, 192, 196, 296(b), 351(2), 352 of BNS, Section 4 of the TN Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act, 67 of IT Actl.

Arun Janardhanan from Chennai reports that a political controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu following DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks during a protest in Thanjavur regarding the Cauvery water dispute. While criticising Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s handling of the issue, Udhayanidhi made a comment widely interpreted as a sexually suggestive reference concerning the Chief Minister's friendship with a prominent actor, drawing laughter from the crowd before he attempted to pivot back to the water issue. The remark has faced sharp condemnation across the political spectrum, with leaders from the Congress, BJP, and the ruling TVK calling the language vulgar, shameful, and insulting, prompting a police complaint filed by the TVK Women's Wing and overshadowing the demonstration's original political objective.

A massive fire broke out at the Gaurav Furniture showroom in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Tuesday morning. Efforts are currently underway to douse the blaze.

A massive fire broke out at an electronic chip manufacturing unit in Noida late on Monday, which claimed the lives of two firefighters and wounded three others, police said on Tuesday (Aug 4).

The incident occurred at the ILGIM company in the Ecotech-3 industrial area, where at least six fire brigade vehicles were rushed after information about the blaze was received, said a police spokesperson, according to news agency PTI.

The firefighters were making attempts to douse the blaze when a wall and an iron beam inside the factory suddenly collapsed and wounded five of them, said the spokesperson. The injured were immediately rushed to a hospital by ambulance, where Fireman Rohit Yadav and Head Constable Driver Tirathpal succumbed to their injuries, he said, according to PTI.

The condition of the other three injured firefighters, Head Constable Driver Rajpal Singh and Firemen Manish Kumar and Amit Kumar, is stated to be out of danger and they are undergoing treatment, said the spokesperson.