Top News: A super spy op, militant recruitment peaks in Kashmir, and a cow sanctuary
Also read about what happened in the Supreme Court hearing on section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, how peace and militant recruitment may be linked and more.
Representational image of security personnel. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
The Indian Express features an exclusive and must-read report on how Indian agencies nabbed an Afghan Islamic State operative that planned to target New Delhi. Also read about what happened in the Supreme Court hearing on section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and how peace and militant recruitment may be linked and more.
You must read…
In an operation that is likely to inspire a spy thriller, Indian investigating agencies tracked, infiltrated and finally nabbed an Islamic State-linked Afghan suicide bomber sent to Delhi. Revealing the details of a secret operation that took place in September 2017, Ritu Sarin reports on how investigating agencies tracked the IS operative, who was posing as an engineering student. The Indian ‘plant’ from security agencies not only arranged for his accommodation but even supplied the terror operative with explosives– without triggers — before nabbing him.
The Quote
“The question here is whether Section 377 is ultra vires or not. Let us get out of this maze first,” CJI Dipak Misra said.
The Supreme Court will continue hearing petitions challenging Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises homosexuality, and its own earlier judgment upholding it. But the highest court has said won’t deal with questions about gay marriage just yet.
The Investigation
The number of youths recruited by militant groups in the Valley rose after the Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir ended. Sushant Singh has gleaned data from J&K’s Multi-Agency Centre to find that 27 youths were recruited by militant groups in June. Security establishment fear this could be the worst year ever in terms of local recruitment of militants in the Valley.
Read the exclusive report here
How the Thai cave rescue act was carried out
Multiple reports describe how divers worked to rescue all the 12 boys and their coach who were trapped in a cave in a Thailand for more than two weeks. A Washington Post report says divers compared it to mountain climbing, “but in tight, pitch-black spaces and buffeted by swirling floodwaters, towing a child”. And while the rescue effort finally ended successfully, The Guardian reports that it might have ended in a disaster “with water pumps draining the area failing just before the last boy was evacuated”.
ICYMI
France’s Samuel Umtiti celebrates scoring the only goal in the World Cup semifinals against Belgium. England face Croatia in the second semifinal on Wednesday. (Reuters photo)
India gets a cow sanctuary
Most states have sanctuaries for endangered species of animals and Himachal Pradesh has one for cows. The Chief Minister has inaugurated the state’s first cow sanctuary that will let cows roam free — unlike gaushalas and other cow shelters where they are kept indoors.
The think pieces
Is China really a more meritocratic country? Its gaokao examination is a national event, but its system despite seemingly more impartial isn’t the most meritocratic. Ashutosh Varshney explains why India does better, despite criticism about how it does it.
How did India manage to get a more favourable international opinion on its stand on Kashmir in the 1990s, when militancy was at its peak? Former bureaucrat Vappala Balachandran writes on what the Narasimha Rao government did to swing international opinion in its favour, and what the Modi government could have done.
No, this really happened
It was like any other wedding in Delhi until the groom was arrested. A woman turned up at the mehendi ceremony claiming that the to-be groom had cheated her and several other women claiming to be a pilot. In fact, she turned up because she got an invite to the wedding via WhatsApp.
What followed was a suicide threat from the groom, the bride being taken to hospital and an arrest.
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