Election Commission of India defends Form 6 declaration for Special Intensive Revision citing Supreme Court nod; sets up expert panel to review ECINET compliance. (ECI)The Election Commission on Saturday said the Supreme Court upheld the declaration attached to Form 6 for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). For non-SIR periods, the EC will use the forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The EC said field officers have role-based access to ECINET based on their statutory powers. A committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent IIT/IIIT expert will review ECINET’s compliance with relevant laws and rules.
Three persons were arrested by forest officials for allegedly catching and consuming a python in Mannamangalam, Kerala. Officials said the accused allegedly caught the snake after it was spotted near their house, cut it into pieces, cooked it and consumed the meat. They were later remanded in judicial custody.
Delhi woke up to cloudy skies on Saturday, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting light to moderate rain in parts of the city and issuing a yellow alert. The minimum temperature at Safdarjung was 23.2°C, while the maximum is expected to be around 33°C. The city’s AQI stood at 71 at 9 am, in the ‘satisfactory’ category, according to CPCB data.
The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has issued notices to the Jhansi district magistrate and senior superintendent of police over media reports that a 19-year-old woman died by suicide after six people, including three minors, allegedly gangraped her.
The rights panel has sought a report within two weeks on the status of the investigation and any compensation paid to the woman’s family. The NHRC said the woman allegedly consumed poison after being threatened by the accused with the circulation of a video of the alleged assault.
Patna Police registered a case against a Bihar CM office employee after a photo of a minor Jamui harassment victim and her family was shared on Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s X account. The post was removed within minutes, but police said it could compromise the victim’s privacy and identity.
The Centre has agreed to include a Union minister or group of ministers in Naga peace talks, meeting a longstanding NSCN-IM demand; the outfit called the move “encouraging” and welcomed Ajit Lal as interlocutor. The development comes amid renewed efforts to advance negotiations that began in 1997 and have stalled over key issues.
TMC and CPI(M), long-time rivals in West Bengal, have opened talks amid Opposition concerns over the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise, with Mamata Banerjee urging an early INDIA bloc meeting. The move follows The Indian Express investigation revealing that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times in 10 months to SIR-related decisions.
The deadline for filing suggestions and objections in Maharashtra's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been extended to October 12.
Over 1.18 crore notices have been issued against 1.22 crore flagged and unmapped electors. In all, 3.29 crore electors have either been left out of the draft roll or are under a separate notice process.
A 32-year-old man, Sagar Chandra Rawat, was arrested for allegedly killing his wife, Anusuya, following a financial dispute and dumping her body at a vacant plot in Bengaluru, police said.
The woman's highly decomposed body was found on September 2. Police identified her using a mall tag on her clothing, a Ganesha pendant and technical analysis.
According to police, Rawat allegedly strangled Anusuya on August 11, kept her body at home for three days and later dumped it at the vacant site. He was arrested after investigators found discrepancies in his statements.
(PTI)
RJD workers staged a protest at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi on Saturday and burnt an effigy of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protesters demanded his resignation and accused the Election Commission of giving the BJP an “unfair advantage” in elections. The demonstration followed an Indian Express report on objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over aspects of the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
(PTI)
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that party leaders were kept under “house arrest” and prevented from attending a rally in Serampore. She claimed BJP workers had taken over the route to the venue and accused the police and administration of turning a “blind eye” to attacks on TMC leaders and workers. Banerjee said she would attend the rally, which she said had court permission.
(PTI)
A Punjab Police inspector posted with the Counter Intelligence wing was arrested in Ferozepur with 3.35 kg of heroin, six pistols, 17 rounds and six mobile phones, police said. Inspector Baldev Singh was arrested on the Ferozepur-Moga road after police stopped his vehicle at a checkpoint. The checkpoint was set up following a tip-off about his alleged involvement in drug smuggling.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has announced a joint public march with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on October 4, 2026, to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In a post on social media, Raj Thackeray said the march would be organised under the banners of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena, but stressed that it would be a public movement aimed at raising concerns over the electoral roll revision process.
The two leaders alleged that the SIR exercise was being used to undermine the electoral process and called on citizens to unite to protect democracy and the Constitution.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party founder-president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressex concerns over the rift in Election Commission exposed by an Express investigation report. "Democracy can stand only when people have complete confidence in constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission. National media reports that two Election Commissioners raised objections on several occasions to decisions, electoral rolls and the management of ECINet have led to serious questions and doubts among the public," he wrote on X.
Democracy can stand only when people have complete confidence in constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission. National media reports that two Election Commissioners raised objections on several occasions to decisions, electoral rolls and the management of ECINet have led to serious questions and doubts among the public. Rather than an exchange of allegations, the public needs clarity on what objections were recorded, what action was taken on them, and how transparently the system functioned, be it for adding, deleting or restoring names on electoral rolls. Steps are needed to give people confidence on these matters. Ultimately, we must strengthen public trust in the electoral process, protect every citizen’s right to vote, and strengthen the systems that allow people to exercise that right without fear. In a democracy, transparency should not only prevail but should also appear to have prevailed. The very bill (Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 ) which had our support then, should be revisited now in the current background. The Central government (Ruling Party) should come forward, set the normal in place dispelling this fear. An amendment to the bill be brought forward where the election commissioner is appointed by the three member committee which has Leader of Opposition (LoP), Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Prime Minister as members once again. Student appointing the examiner is always prone to allegations even though the examiner is thoroughly honest and it is always better replacing the process with someone neutral. This move would definitely regain the esteem and the confidence in the Election Commission This is especially important because, during the SIR process in Andhra Pradesh, the party in power misused its authority. On many occasions, our appeals went unheard. In the local body election process too, our objections as an Opposition party to the manner in which divisions were redrawn were brushed aside. Such actions undoubtedly weaken public confidence in the electoral process. Transparency and accountability are the true measures of how any institution functions in a democracy, and safeguarding them is that institution’s primary duty. @ECISVEEP
— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) September 25, 2026
Two fishermen went missing along with their boats after being swept away by the strong currents in the Subarnarekha river in Jamshedpur on Friday evening.
A 19-year-old man was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl whom he had befriended through Instagram, police said on Saturday.
According to Tambaram City Police, the accused allegedly took the girl to an agricultural field near Old Nallur on Thursday night and sexually abused her. He was arrested within an hour of the complaint lodged by the girl’s mother and sent to judicial custody.
- With PTI Inputs
A special eKYC biometric verification camp will be held at fair price shops across Tamil Nadu on Saturday to ensure 100 per cent Aadhaar authentication of public distribution system beneficiaries.
The Civil Supplies Department said 96.57 per cent of priority cardholders have completed eKYC so far. The camp will be held from 9 am to 5 pm, except in areas covered by by-elections in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies.
- With PTI Inputs
Three persons were arrested by forest officials for allegedly catching and consuming a python in Mannamangalam, Kerala. Officials said the accused allegedly caught the snake after it was spotted near their house, cut it into pieces, cooked it and consumed the meat. They were later remanded in judicial custody.
- With Inputs from PTI
One person was killed and another seriously injured after a speeding white i20 allegedly hit an auto-rickshaw and a rickshaw near Sukhdev Vihar Metro Station in southeast Delhi on Saturday, police said.
The car driver allegedly fled the spot after abandoning the vehicle. Police are examining CCTV footage to identify the driver and ascertain the sequence of events. The injured person is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.
- With PTI Inputs
At least 19 people have died allegedly after consuming suspected spurious liquor in Nagaland, with eight deaths reported in Mokokchung and 11 in Tuensang over the past two days, police said.
A Special Investigation Team has been formed to trace the source and supply chain of the suspected adulterated liquor. Police have arrested 19 people and seized nearly 3,000 bottles, while samples have been sent to Guwahati for forensic examination.
- With PTI Inputs
The Supreme Court has held that the absence of a train ticket from a deceased passenger cannot be grounds to reject a compensation claim, restoring an Rs 8 lakh award to the parents of a man who died after falling from a moving train in Gujarat in 2017.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and AS Chandurkar said the deceased could be treated as a bona fide passenger based on the evidence, including his father’s statement, and that the Railways had failed to rebut it. The court directed that the compensation awarded by the Railway Claims Tribunal be paid to the parents within 30 days.
- With PTI Inputs
Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, led a beach clean-up drive at Mumbai’s Juhu Beach on Saturday, a day after Ganesh immersion processions.
Organised by the Divyaj Foundation with the BMC and Mumbai Police, the drive was attended by actor Ajay Devgn, civic chief Ashwini Bhide and state minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha. The initiative aimed to raise awareness about marine pollution, post-festival waste management and protecting Mumbai’s coastline.
- With PTI Inputs
Delhi woke up to cloudy skies on Saturday, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting light to moderate rain in parts of the city and issuing a yellow alert.
The minimum temperature at Safdarjung was 23.2°C, while the maximum is expected to be around 33°C. The city’s AQI stood at 71 at 9 am, in the ‘satisfactory’ category, according to CPCB data.
- With PTI Inputs
The Chintamani Ganpati idol procession arrived at Girgaum Chowpatty on Saturday morning as large numbers of devotees gathered for Ganpati visarjan, marking the culmination of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
The multi-armed idol was carried on a decorated platform through crowded streets as devotees waved, filmed the procession and took part in the festivities. Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations began on September 14 this year.
- With ANI Inputs
The Meteorological Department has issued an alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall across most districts of Uttarakhand on September 26 and 27, prompting the state government to advise people to avoid unnecessary travel and follow weather updates and official advisories.
In Uttar Pradesh, schools in Varanasi, Lucknow, Prayagraj and Kanpur have been ordered shut on Saturday due to heavy rainfall warnings. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to monitor relief and rescue operations and ensure compensation for rain- and lightning-related losses is assessed and disbursed within 24 hours.
- With ANI Inputs
A 59-year-old woman from Thane was allegedly duped of Rs 1.1 crore by cyber fraudsters who lured her into investing through a fake share trading application promising high returns, police said.
The woman allegedly deposited the money into multiple bank accounts between August 4 and September 10. When she tried to withdraw it, the app showed purported profits of Rs 13.67 crore and demanded additional payments. Thane Cyber Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
- With PTI Inputs
The Kerala Forest Department has launched ‘Operation Makhna’ to capture a wild elephant that has repeatedly entered human habitations at Aralam Farm and allegedly attacked people, officials said.
Two trained Kumki elephants, Vikram and Bharath, have been brought to Aralam, while another, Unnikrishnan, is expected from Wayanad. Officials said KM-1, a tuskless male elephant, was last spotted deep inside the forest. Once located, it will be driven towards the residential boundary and tranquilised, with the operation expected to begin by Monday or Tuesday.
- With PTI Inputs
A fire broke out at a plastic moulding manufacturing unit in Delhi’s Samaypur Badli Industrial Area early Saturday, leaving three people with minor injuries, officials said.
The blaze, reported around 12.30 am, was brought under control by 3.15 am after 15 fire-fighting units were deployed. The injured — Dharamvir, Mohammad Sarukh and Amit — were taken to Ambedkar Hospital, where they received first aid before leaving.
- With PTI Inputs
IndiGo cancelled 24 flight movements at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport on September 25 due to adverse weather conditions, affecting 12 scheduled flight rotations comprising 12 arrivals and 12 departures.
The cancelled services connected Ranchi with Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Patna and Delhi. An Air India Express Bengaluru-Ranchi-Bengaluru flight was also cancelled due to operational reasons, while its Delhi-Ranchi and Ranchi-Delhi services were delayed.
- With ANI Inputs
