India News Highlights, 29 September 2026: One dead, two injured as house under renovation collapses in East Delhi

An Assam Rifles jawan was killed and four others were injured in a suspected militant attack along the India-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district, said officials, according to news agency PTI.

AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said he filed a complaint seeking an FIR against Delhi Police personnel over alleged assault and illegal detention of women.

"Formal Complaint to Commissioner of Police, Delhi and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for Registration of FIR against Delhi Police personnel including SHO Ghanshyam Kishore and ACP Nirmal for criminal assault, destruction of evidence, illegal detention of women, attempt to murder by choking me and molestation of women," he said in a post on X.

He then shared a video on his social media handle stating that he was heading to the Delhi Police Commissioner’s office and denounced what he described as a new culture of political intimidation amid the Parvesh Verma slapping row.

"It's not about one Parvesh Verma slapping one 22-year-old Gen Z. It's about this new culture of politics. Look around and identify the local goondas in your colony, the people who r abusing and intimidating residents. Which party are they associated with? Do you see a pattern? The police and government should ensure justice. If the government deliberately wrongs its citizens, they will take to the streets to protest peacefully and democratically seek their rights. Don't force people onto the streets," he said.

Hina Rohtaki from Chandigarh reports that a female student in Chandigarh lost control of her SUV late Monday night, striking a motorcycle and subsequently hitting a transformer pole in Dhanas. One of the two youths on the motorcycle, Ansh, sustained severe leg fractures and is currently receiving treatment, leaving him unfit to provide a statement. According to local police, the driver, who was detained by bystanders at the scene, claimed she panicked and pressed the accelerator instead of the brake; authorities have ruled out alcohol influence and will register a case once the injured victim's condition improves.

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Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray announced an October 4 protest march against the Election Commission of India in Mumbai.

"The protest march will start from Byculla, and we will walk to BMC headquarters. The public rally will be held in front of BMC headquarters. There will be no political party flags in the rally. We are going to walk against the ECI and welcome the ruling parties to join us as well. There are multiple protests ongoing in the country and state. We all have a common aim," Raj said.

Uddhav said that he supports the CJP’s planned October 2 protest and that the INDIA front will meet tomorrow to discuss further action.

Kiran Parashar from Mumbai reports that a study by IIT Bombay, commissioned by Rithwik Projects, recommends integrating a new underground tunnel with an elevated corridor at Bengaluru’s Hebbal junction to mitigate severe traffic congestion, arguing that the two projects are complementary. However, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Sustainable Transportation Lab has strongly contested these findings, labeling the report as biased and scientifically flawed. IISc researchers argue that the study fails to account for reduced road capacity caused by flyover piers and lacks a scientific basis for specific design recommendations, such as the proposed 250-meter gap between structures.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at the Centre on Tuesday, stating that the Modi government “systematically hollowed out the strong democratic foundation that our forefathers built. Addressing a crucial meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Kharge said that rules regarding “Form 6″—which governs new voter registrations—have been altered illegally. “Names are being removed from voter lists as part of a conspiracy,” he said. He further alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has become a “puppet” of the Modi government. He said that Kumar has no right to remain in office and must be removed immediately. Lashing out at the prime minister, Kharge said that Kumar acted under PM Modi’s pressure and that he should himself resign on moral grounds.

"The two Election Commissioners have themselves termed the CEC's actions as 'arbitrary and unreasonable' and the entire nation now knows that he has been trying to help the ruling party. In such a situation, he does not have the right to be in his position and should be removed immediately," Kharge said. "Together with this, the prime minister should also resign on moral grounds for 'pressuring' the CEC," the Congress chief said in his inaugural address at the CWC. "We should take a pledge at the CWC meeting that there should be transparency in electoral rolls and the poll process should be impartial. Institutions should be independent, and the vote of every Indian should be protected," he said in his inaugural address.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition next week raising questions over decisions taken by the Election Commission of India under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The matter was raised before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh mentioned the matter before the bench and told them that according to the statutory scheme, decisions of the multi-member Election Commission have to be either unanimous or by majority.

"The way the Election Commission is functioning, there is serious doubt over whether the decisions are unanimous," he submitted.

Congress leader T S Singh Deo questioned the Election Commission’s functioning and raised concerns over Form 6 changes and the Special Intensive Revision process in Raipur during a protest.

"Today, the Congress party is holding protests in every district across the country to convey a message to the public about what is happening in the nation. This is not merely a matter of Congress versus the BJP; the very institution of the Election Commission is being hijacked... There were instances when election dates were announced from the BJP office before they were officially released by the Election Commission... Form 6 was altered, and two Election Commissioners declared this illegal... A press release issued just two days ago stated that the old form would be reinstated following the SIR process... The issue was not merely whether the three Election Commissioners were sitting together or not. The real issue was that two Election Commissioners had stated that Form 6 (the enumeration form) was illegal, and later all three members of the Commission agreed that the old form would be reinstated going forward... The two Election Commissioners had also pointed out that they were not receiving the agenda in advance and were not being presented with the minutes for approval before meetings," he said.

Two alleged members of the Vikas Kalia gang were apprehended by Delhi Police Special Staff/Central after an exchange of fire, officials said.

Both sustained gunshot injuries.

The accused were wanted in connection with the firing incident during the Sadar Bazar–Nabi Karim Shobha Yatra in mid-September.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla from Uttarkashi reports that all 19 trekkers stranded on the Kalindi Khal trek in Uttarkashi district have been safely rescued, bringing the rescue operation to an end, the SDRF said on Monday.

The trekkers had been stranded in the high-altitude Kalindi Khal area since yesterday amid difficult weather conditions, including heavy snowfall. The challenging terrain and worsening weather had initially made it difficult for the trekkers to move down or continue their expedition, prompting a multi-agency rescue operation.

Soham Shah from Pune reports that the city's residents were experiencing widespread confusion regarding "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) notices for voter rolls, as many are receiving alerts for "no mapping" or data discrepancies despite having previously completed enumeration forms. While the Election Commission of India (ECI) has mandated that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) collect documents from residents' homes rather than requiring physical hearings, inconsistent communication has led to residents unnecessarily rushing to designated centres, creating a disconnect between official directives and ground-level execution.

The Enforcement Directorate raided the premises of former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen and others on Tuesday as part of a money laundering probe, officials said.

The raids covered 15 premises in connection with alleged financial irregularities in an organisation that conducted Durga Puja preview shows, PTI reported.

Officials alleged that massArt (Mahanirban Road Mass Art Society), headed by Sen’s wife, collected large sums from the public by falsely claiming the money was meant for a UNESCO-sponsored entity. The funds were allegedly diverted for personal gain, they said.

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Police investigations into the violent flashpoints in Ujjain have revealed that miscreants circulated fabricated AI videos depicting the complete demolition of the historic Shahi Masjid, severely escalating local anxieties ahead of planned partial clearances for infrastructure expansion. While administrative efforts and community dialogues continue to restore calm, heavy security cordons remain active across sensitive zones.

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