Daily Briefing: US-Iran conflict deepens, Delhi’s expiry-date racket exposed, Railways battles massive linen theft

On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition. 👇

🚨 Big Story

An RTI-based report by The Indian Express has revealed that more than 1.27 crore bedroll items, including bedsheets, towels, blankets, pillows and pillow covers, were stolen from Indian Railways’ AC coaches between January 2022 and May 2026. The thefts, which have risen 56 per cent over the period, have caused an estimated loss of Rs 104.51 crore to bedroll contractors, with officials estimating that around one in every 1,000 AC passengers walks away with at least one linen item. Face towels and bedsheets accounted for the highest number of thefts, while the Bikaner division recorded the maximum losses.

Coach Mitra rollout

As linen theft continues in AC coaches, Indian Railways has stepped up efforts to tackle the problem through a mix of technology, tighter monitoring and passenger awareness. The measures include the rollout of the Coach Mitra app to digitally track the issue and collection of bedrolls, CCTV surveillance, surprise inspections, stricter monitoring by attendants and counselling passengers to return linen before reaching their destination. The Railway Protection Force has also intensified checks, warning that theft of railway property is a non-bailable offence, even as officials seek to curb losses that have run into crores of rupees.

⚡ Only in Express

An Indian Express investigation has uncovered an alleged food relabelling racket operating from Delhi’s Okhla Industrial Area, where expired food and beverage products were allegedly stripped of their original manufacturing and expiry dates and repackaged with fresh labels extending their shelf life by up to six months. The operation, exposed during a raid triggered by a child labour tip-off, allegedly involved popular brands including Thums Up, Fanta, Bournvita, Horlicks, Maggi, Paper Boat and ghee products. Investigators suspect the relabelled goods were supplied to warehouses linked to e-commerce platforms, raising concerns that they may have reached consumers across the country. Police have arrested seven people and seized products and counterfeit packaging material worth over Rs 20 lakh, while investigators are tracing the supply chain to determine the full scale of the racket and identify others who may have been involved.

📰 From the Front Page

Ram mandir probe: The Uttar Pradesh Police have widened their probe into the alleged Ram Temple donation theft, examining whether around 20 people linked to the eight arrested accused purchased land using the siphoned funds. Investigators are scrutinising property records, bank accounts and financial transactions to trace the money trail, while also probing the roles of two additional suspects. The investigation follows the arrests of eight people after CCTV footage from the temple’s counting room allegedly showed cash being concealed during the counting of devotees’ donations. Police are now attempting to determine the full extent of the alleged embezzlement and identify assets acquired using the stolen money.

Women’s quota push: The Modi government is set to make another push to secure Parliament’s approval for legislation paving the way for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies from the 2029 elections during the upcoming Monsoon Session. The Centre plans to reintroduce the constitutional amendment along with the Delimitation Bill after the proposals fell short of the required two-thirds majority earlier this year. The BJP is now reaching out to opposition parties in a bid to improve its numbers, with the outcome expected to shape one of the biggest political battles of the session.

📌 Must Read

More than 92 lakh beneficiaries have been removed from Maharashtra’s flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana following a state-wide verification exercise, according to government records reviewed by The Indian Express. The records show the number of deletions is significantly higher than the around 80 lakh beneficiaries the state government has publicly disclosed so far. Most of those removed failed to complete mandatory eKYC verification, while others were found ineligible because they exceeded the scheme’s income ceiling, were government employees, were receiving benefits under other welfare schemes, were above the age limit or, in nearly 29,000 cases, were men. The findings come as the Comptroller and Auditor General has flagged deficiencies in the financial management of the scheme.

⏳ And Finally…

It was a day to remember for Indian women’s cricket when Yastika Bhatia etched her name into the history books with a magnificent maiden Test century, becoming the first woman to score a Test hundred at Lord’s, as India tightened their grip on the one-off Test against England. Her composed 113 anchored India’s second innings and helped the visitors set England a daunting target, before the bowlers backed up the batting effort with a superb display to leave the hosts reeling at six down by stumps. With England needing a miracle on the final day, India stood just four wickets away from a famous victory at Lord’s, one that would crown a landmark performance built on patience, resilience and an unforgettable innings from Bhatia.

🎧Before you go, tune in to today’s 3 Things podcast With the government’s ethanol fuel programme under fire, The Indian Express’ National Business Editor, Anil Sasi, joins us to answer three questions: Why did the government start blending ethanol with petrol? Can E20 actually damage your vehicle? And what can India learn from Brazil, which made this transition decades ago?

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, 

Anupama