Ministry of External Affairs has sought provisional arrest of jeweller Nirav Modi by the Hong Kong government in billion dollar fraud case, informed Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh on Thursday.

Singh's written reply to the Rajya Sabha came after he was asked about the whereabouts of Modi and his partner and maternal uncle Mehul Choksi.

The duo is prime accused in the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank scam.

The minister also revealed that the request in this regard was submitted on March 23.

Earlier today, the Central Bureau of Investigation questioned four Reserve Bank of India officials in connection with the case.  -- ANI

Mumbai police has released its traffic advisory in view of Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah's rally on Friday at Bandra Kurla Complex.

Warning likely traffic congestion on approach roads from Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway towards BKC, the police has advised commuters to 'avoid SCLR, Surve junction on LBS Road, Sion junction, Dharavi T-junction, Hansbhugra Marg, CST road, Nehru Road till Ambedkar Junction, Sharadadevi Road as far as possible'.

Alternate roads available for commuters in eastern suburbs JVLR, LBS Road and Eastern Freeway, while that for commuters western suburbs are SV Road and Linking Raod.

A Bharatiya Janata Party Dalit MP has written to Prime Minister Naredra Modi, complaining against Uttar Pradesh party leaders and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who, he said, 'scolded' him.

Chhotelal, 45, who represents Robertsganj in Lok Sabha, expressed his anguish after his brother was voted out as the head of a block and claimed that it happened with the collusion of a BJP leader after the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party brought a no-confidence proposal against him.

His 'sin' was that he had helped his brother get elected from an unreserved seat, according to his letter to Modi.

To 'save my honour', he met state BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey and general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal among others but in vain.

He met the chief minister twice but was scolded and forced to leave, Chhotelal said.

Naming a rival, the Dalit MP alleged that he was threatened and abused in the name of his caste and asked Modi to 'restore' his honour.  -- PTI

While sentencing Salman Khan to five years in jail, the judge pointed out the fan following of the superstar, saying he is a 'popular actor whose deeds are followed by people'.

"The accused is a popular actor whose deeds are followed by people. Despite this, the accused hunted two blackbucks," Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri said in his written judgment.

The defence had argued that Salman has not been convicted in any case earlier and that he has always appeared before the court on given date.

The defence counsel also said Salman was under the custody of forest department for five days and he should be given the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act.

But the court refused to give Salman the benefit citing the circumstances of the case and gravity of the offence, according to a copy of the judgement.

"...considering the rising number of cases of illegal hunting of wildlife animals, looking at the circumstances of the case and gravity of the offence, giving the benefit of Probation of Offender Act does not appear justified," the judge said.

The defence also said the accused is an actor and his sentencing will affect the livelihood of several families.

Opposing this, the prosecution said the actor has committed an offence of serious nature.

The prosecution also mentioned the hit-and-run case against him in Mumbai and other cases while requesting for the maximum punishment.  -- PTI

Yoga guru and co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved Baba Ramdev today announced that his company would foray into the garment manufacturing business next year.

"People are asking me, when are you launching jeans of your company in the market. So, we have decided to launch garment products, including ethnic wear, catering to kids, men and women next year," the 52-year-old yoga guru told the professionals during the ongoing 'Goa Fest 2018' organised by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).

Ramdev also announced that his company, which is already in the business of cosmetic and food products, will also launch garments for sports and yoga.

Last year, he had announced plans to enter into garment manufacturing with a 'swadeshi' line of clothing.  -- PTI

Jodhpur DIG (Jail) Vikram Singh says:

Salman Khan was made to undergo medical test and has no medical issues.

He hasn't made any demands. We'll give him jail uniform tomorrow.

Multiple-layer security has been put up for his ward.   -- ANI

Photograph: Stringer/Reuters

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweets:

'I am being treated for kidney related problems and certain infections that I have contracted.

'I am therefore currently working from controlled environment at home.

'The future course of my treatment would be determined by the doctors treating me.'

In Jodhpur Jail, Salman Khan will be prisoner no. 106. He will be sharing the barrack with jailed godman Asaram Bapu.

He will be served food according to jail menu and will not be allowed to get food from outside, Indian Today reported.

The police said that all security arrangements in the jail are in place.

Salman will be lodged in a high-security cell.   -- Agencies

Photograph: PTI Photo

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday mocked the religious leaders, who have been given Minster of State status in the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government.


Rahul shared a news link and tweeted that the saints used to say that they would expose Narmada River scam but now 'uncle' (Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan) knew what their destination was.


The Madhya Pradesh Government granted Minister of State rank to five religious leaders, namely Baba Narmadanand, Baba Hariharanand, Computer Baba, Bhaiyyu Maharaj, and Pandit Yogendra Mahant in the state cabinet.


On March, 31, these five leaders were appointed as members of a special committee formed for raising awareness about water conservation, cleanliness, and aforestation near Narmada River.


The order issued by the state secretariat shall be effective from the date of its issuance, which is April 3.


The Opposition parties of Madhya Pradesh cornered the Chouhan government for fixing a deal with the saints who had threatened to expose the government by launching Narmada Scam Rath Yatra.


Jogendra Mahant, who was conferred with the status of the Minister of State in the Special Committee with Computer Baba, was the convener of the 'Narmada Scam Rath Yatra'.


However, after receiving the status of the Minister of State, Mahant also said that the Yatra was cancelled because the state government fulfilled the demand for the creation of a committee to save the Narmada river. ANI

Salman Khan's lawyer Anand Desai says the judgment in the blackbuck case came as a surprise. He said the acquittal of the four others in the case means Salman was out alone hunting in the night in Jodhpur. The prosecution had asked for six years, the maximum punishment in the case, saying Salman was a habitual offender.

Dressed in a black shirt with sleeves rolled up and jeans, the actor will be spending the night in jail. His manager and Shera, his bodyguard, are now taking supplies to the Jodhpur Central Jail where the actor is lodged to make his stay a little comfortable. 

The bail hearing is at 10:30 am tomorrow.

Salman also had a jail stint in Mumbai when he was also involved in a hit and run. His white Toyota Land Cruiser allegedly crashed into American Express Bakery at Hill Road at Bandra in Mumbai, killing one person and injuring four on September 28, 2002. He was acquitted in the case but the Maharashtra government has filed an appeal.

We are happy for us but we are disappointed for Salman Khan. Justice has not been given properly in this case. I am feeling bad for him: Samir Soni, actor and husband of actress Neelam, who was co-accused in the case. 

Salman Khan in his new home, at least for tonight, at the Jodhpur Central Jail. 

Following the footsteps of Australian skipper Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft, former Australian vice-captain David Warner too has accepted his 12-month suspension imposed by Cricket Australia for his involvement in massive ball-tampering scandal.


Announcing the same, Warner took to his Twitter account and said that he `fully accepts` the sanction levelled on him before once again issuing apology for his wrongdoings.


"I have today let Cricket Australia know that I fully accept the sanctions imposed on me. I am truly sorry for my actions and will now do everything I can to be a better person, teammate and role model," he tweeted.


Earlier, former skipper Smith and Bancroft had confirmed they were not going to appeal against their suspension from international and domestic cricket imposed on them by Cricket Australia for their role in an attempt to scuff the ball during the third Test of the recently-concluded four-match series against South Africa, which the hosts went on to win by 3-1.


However, there was earlier uncertainty over how Warner would respond to his ban and the prospect of never again holding any leadership role within the national team for the remainder of his playing career, cricket.com.au reported.


The opener, however, is free to play Premier Cricket as well in overseas domestic competitions, subject to a No Objection Certificate (NoC) granted by Cricket Australia.The three erring cricketers were earlier given time till April 11 to decide whether to appeal against the Cricket Australia penalties or not. -- ANI

Ajun Rampal @rampalarjun The law takes its course. Can't argue it. But at this point in time I just feel helpless and my heart goes out to @BeingSalmanKhan and his family. Reason, cause the last thing @BeingSalmanKhan is, is a criminal.I feel this is too harsh. I do hope he gets the relief he deserves.

I feel bad. He should be given relief. He has done a lot of humanitarian work: Jaya Bachchan, Rajya Sabha MP on Salman Khan's sentencing.

Rajasthan: Members of the Bishnoi community celebrate outside Jodhpur Court after the court pronounced a 5-year-jail term to Salman Khan.

First reactions from the film industry: Filmmaker Subhash Ghai @SubhashGhai1 I am extremely shocked to hear @BeingSalmanKhan being convicted by session court but also having full trust in indian judiciary which has many other doors to appeal for final justice whatsoever. Since He is most loved person by industry N people for his human reasons too.

Salman Khan arrives at the Jodhpur central jail from the Jodhpur rural court where he was sentenced to five years in jail. The roads along the way to the jail are lined with people cheering the verdict. Reports say the actor's eye welled up in tears the sentencing, even though he was calm during the sentencing. His sisters Alvira and Arpita were with the actor in court.

His lawyers have filed the bail application in the high court and it will be heard at 10:30 am tomorrow. This means he will be spending the night at the Jodhpur Central jail.

Salman's medical examination will be carried out inside the jail where he has now arrived.  He will get the same food as that is served to others.

Unruly Salman Khan fans lathi-charged outside jail.

The Reserve Bank today kept the key policy rate unchanged at 6 per cent for the fourth consecutive time since August last year in view of uncertainties around inflation. The Monetary Policy Committee, headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel, had last reduced the benchmark lending rate by 0.25 percentage points to 6 per cent last August, bringing it to a 6-year low.


"The MPC decided to keep the policy repo rate on hold and continue with the neutral stance. The MPC reiterates its commitment to achieving the medium term target for headline inflation of 4 per cent on a durable basis," said the first bi-monthly monetary policy for 2018-19.


The repo rate, at which the central bank lends short-term money to other banks, will continue to stay at 6 per cent. The reverse repo, rate at which it borrows from banks and absorbs excess liquidity, will remain at 5.75 per cent.


The headline inflation after surging to a concerning 5.2 per cent in December last year, cooled off to 5.07 per cent in January and further to 4.4 per cent in February. RBI has been asked by the government to target inflation at 4 per cent, plus or minus 2 per cent, and its rise beyond the comfort zone will put pressure on the central bank not cut interest rate (repo rate). -- PTI

Salman Khan's conviction in the blackbuck case has come as a shock to his family. Minutes after the verdict, Salman's sisters Alvira and Arpita, who were in the courtroom with him, were seen looking numb.


"I guess it is a price you have to pay for being Salman Khan," says a close friend of Salman, who is also a top producer, adding, "Right now, I am too dazed to say anything."


While Salman's father, the legendary screenwriter Salim Khan, was told about the verdict immediately after it was pronounced, his mother has not been informed. Read the report here


File pic of Salman with his mother Salma Khan

Salman Khan sentenced to five years in jail in the blackbuck poaching case. He was also fined Rs 10,000 in the case. 

Salman will be sent to the Jodhpur jail immediately after the order was read in court. While his lawyers are applying for bail, it has to be from a higher court. For now, at least for today, he will be sent to jail.

Earlier today, a Jodhpur court convicted the Bollywood star for killing two blackbucks in October 1998 but acquitted his colleagues Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, a prosecution lawyer said. A fifth person, Dushyant Singh, a local from the area, has also been acquitted, Mahipal Bishnoi, the prosecution counsel, told reporters.



Salman was found guilty of killing the blackbucks, from the antelope family, in Kankani village near Jodhpur on the night of October 1, 1998 during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain".


While the media waited outside the heavily guarded court premises, arguments for the quantum of sentencing were continuing inside the courtroom, lawyers said.


Salman, who has been held guilty under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, faces a maximum punishment of six years behind bars. Final arguments of the case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved his judgment.


All the actors were in a Gypsy that night with Salman, 52, in the driving seat. He spotted a herd of blackbucks and killed two of them, the lawyer said. Dressed in a black shirt, Salman reached the court earlier in the morning with his bodyguard. The other actors, some of them accompanied by their family members, were also in the courtroom when the verdict was read out. PTI

The last rites of a 21-year-old army jawan, killed in shelling by Pakistan, were performed at his village in Maharashtra today with full military honours.


Sepoy Shubham Suryakant Mustapure was killed after Pakistani troops fired mortar bombs at forward posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.


The soldier's mortal remains reached his village Konerwadi in Parbhani district early today from Aurangabad. The flight carrying the remains landed at Aurangabad airport last evening, from where they were taken by road to the village for the last rites. The soldier's cremation was performed with full military honours. -- PTI

And a feel-good story while you dig into your lunch.


Clad in spotless khaki and armed with a baton, six-year-old Dudekala Ishan, a terminally ill patient, on Wednesday strode into the Rachakonda police commissioner's office at Gachibowli with elan to be the top cop for a day. After police officers gave him a ceremonial welcome, Ishan reciprocated by raising his baton and saluting them. He got down to business immediately.


"I want to ensure the city is safe for women and, in order to do so, we will increase the number of SHE Teams in the force," Ishan, a cancer patient, whose wish was to become the police commissioner, said. Read more

Ahead of the Reserve Bank of India policy today, there is little hope of a cut in the key policy rates from the apex bank in its first bi-monthly monetary policy for the new fiscal 2018-19, owing to hardening global crude oil prices.


The six-member Monetary Policy Committee, headed by RBI Governor Urijit Patel, will today announce its first bi-monthly monetary policy today, after its meeting on April 4 and 5 in Mumbai.


RBI has maintained status-quo on the key short-term borrowing rate or repo rate in its last three policy meets.


Earlier on February 7, the MPC had kept the policy rate stable at six percent with a neutral stance.Also, the reverse repo rate remained unchanged at 5.75 percent.


The benchmark lending rate was reduced by 0.25 percentage points to six percent last August, bringing it to a six-year low.The apex bank is expected to target key concerns such as high global crude prices, inflation, and rising bond yields, among other things. ANI

Arguments on the quantum of sentence for Salman Khan is over and the judge Dev Kumar Khatri hs said he will pronounce the sentence after lunch. The prosecution has asked for the maximum jail term of six years under the Wildlife Protection Act. Salman's co-accused in the blackbuck poaching case -- Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu, Neelam -- were all acquitted in the case and have left the Jodhpur court. 

Just in: The quantum of sentence for Salman Khan has not yet been pronounced; it is expected to be pronounced after lunch. If he is sentenced to less than three years he can apply and get bail immediately.


A Jodhpur court today convicted the Bollywood actor in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case but acquitted his colleagues Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, a prosecution lawyer said.


Salman has been held guilty of killing two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur in October 1998 during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain". A fifth person, Dushyant Singh, a local from the area, has also been acquitted, said Mahipal Bishnoi, the prosecution counsel.

In other news: The Delhi High Court today refrained from ordering an interim stay on trial proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by a former aide of Congress leader Sheila Dikshit.


Justice A K Pathak refused to pass any interim stay order in view of a Supreme Court direction that such matters needed to be decided within a year.


The court, however, issued notices to the state and the complainant Pawan Khera, seeking their stands on Kejriwal's plea that the complaint was not maintainable as the person affected has not approached the trial court.


The complainant had filed the defamation case over Kejriwal's alleged remarks against Dikshit during power tariff hike protests in October 2012. Khera had said that the AAP leader had used objectionable language against the erstwhile Chief Minister Dikshit in a television show.

The Bishnoi Sabha decides to appeal against the acquittal of the four co-accused in the blackbuck poaching case. Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre were acquitted in 20-year-old poaching case even as Salman Khan was found guilty of killing two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur in October 1998 during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain".


A fifth person, Dushyant Singh, a local from the area, has also been acquitted, said Mahipal Bishnoi, the prosecution counsel.


Final arguments of the case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved his judgment.


Salman was facing charges under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. All the actors were in a Gypsy car on the night of October 1, 1998 that night, with Salman Khan in the driving seat. He spotted a herd of blackbucks and killed two of them, the lawyer said. PTI


Image: Saif Ali Khan in a still from the film, Bullet Raja.

@IndiaHistorypic shares this advertisement from the 1950s by the Government of India inviting foreign tourists for tiger hunting.


May be Salman was caught in a time warp.

Salman Khan was convicted under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. This is what the act says.

The court is now hearing the quantum of sentence in the case. Salman's lawyer is pleading for a minimum sentence or probation. The maximum punishment in the case is six years, the minimum, one year.

If he gets under three years, he can apply for bail immediately.

Just in: Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (48kg) wins India's first gold medal of 21st Commonwealth Games, smashes Games record. 

Actor Salman Khan has been held guilty in the blackbuck poaching case.


Co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu have all been acquitted in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.


All the actors were present in court when the verdict was read out. Salman's sisters Alvira and Arpita were also present in court.


Final arguments in the case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved the judgment to be pronounced today.


Salman Khan, 52, was charged under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the other actors have been charged under Section 51 read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. Maximum punishment under Section 51 is six years.


The actors are accused of hunting down two black bucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in village Kankani near Jodhpur on the intervening night of October 1 and 2, 1998.


The actors were in the city for the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Public Prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati said there was sufficient evidence against the actors. Refuting these allegations, H M Saraswat, the defence counsel for Salman Khan, said there are many loopholes in the prosecution's story and the prosecution has failed to prove the case beyond any doubt. "Prosecution has failed to prove allegations against the accused and has engaged in tampering and fabricating evidences and documents as well as roping in fake witnesses to prove the case. It has even failed to prove that black bucks were killed by gunshots. Hence such investigation cannot be trusted upon', said Saraswat.


The case also involved two more accused Dushyant Singh, who had allegedly accompanied them during the alleged poaching incident, and Dinesh Gawre, said to be an assistant of Salman Khan.

Saif Ali Khan arrives in court.

Accused Sonali Bendre and Tabu arrive in court. All the accused except Salman had to walk from the police barricade to the court. Only Salman's car was allowed in.

Just in: Salman Khan drives in to the Jodhpur court in a SUV with his two sisters Arpita and Alwira. The verdict is expected any time now. Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu are also in court today.


​If convicted today, Salman Khan and others will be taken to Jodhpur Central Jail.


Final arguments in the case have been completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved the judgment to be pronounced on April 5.


 Salman Khan, 52, is facing charges under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the other actors have been charged under Section 51 read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. Maximum punishment under Section 51 is six years. The actors are accused of hunting down two black bucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in village Kankani near Jodhpur on the intervening night of October 1 and 2, 1998.


The actors were in the city for the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Public Prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati said there was sufficient evidence against the actors. Refuting these allegations, H M Saraswat, the defence counsel for Salman Khan, said there are many loopholes in the prosecution's story and the prosecution has failed to prove the case beyond any doubt.


"Prosecution has failed to prove allegations against the accused and has engaged in tampering and fabricating evidences and documents as well as roping in fake witnesses to prove the case. It has even failed to prove that black bucks were killed by gunshots. Hence such investigation cannot be trusted upon", said Saraswat. The case also involved two more accused Dushyant Singh, who had allegedly accompanied them during the alleged poaching incident, and Dinesh Gawre, said to be an assistant of Salman Khan.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who has been suffering from a kidney ailment for a while now, is likely to undergo a kidney transplant soon.


It is believed Jaitley is so unwell that his treating doctors did now allow him to take oath of office at the Rajya Sabha. Reports say he has been told to work from home to minimise the risk of catching an infection.


The Union minister suffers from acute diabetes and had undergone bariatric surgery for weight reduction in 2014 almost immediately after the BJP government came to power at the Centre.


Jaitley is not the first union minister with a kidney condition. In December 2016, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj underwent a kidney transplant at AIIMS.


Manohar Parrikar, the chief minister of Goa was diagnosed with a pancreatic ailment in February and is currently undergoing treatment in the United States.

Delhi: Sonia and Rahul Gandhi join a joint opposition protest in Parliament against the government over the bank scam issue, farmer crisis, no-confidence motion, SC/ST Protection Act and disinvestment of Air India among other issues.

The Budget session of Parliament ends tomorrow.

Police personnel have been deployed outside Jodhpur court ahead of the verdict in the blackbuck poaching case.


The verdict in the 1998 black buck poaching case involving actors Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu is set to be pronounced by a Jodhpur court today.


The actors' lawyer said that if they are found guilty then there is equal punishment for all. Maximum punishment will be for six years and  minimum one year, he said.


Final arguments in the case have ben completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved the judgment to be pronounced on April 5.


All the actors have already arrived the city and will be present in court during pronouncement of the verdict.


Salman Khan, 52, is facing charges under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the other actors have been charged under Section 51 read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. Maximum punishment under Section 51 is six years.


The actors are accused of hunting down two black bucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in village Kankani near Jodhpur on the intervening night of October 1 and 2, 1998. The actors were in the city for the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.

A group of suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists barged into the house of a man in the Hajin area of Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district and kidnapped him and his son.


The terrorists barged into the residence of Abdul Gaffar Bhat at around 11:45 pm on Wednesday and fired at him. They thrashed him and abducted him along with his son Manzoor Bhat.


While Abdul Gaffar managed to flee his son is still being held captive. Gaffar has been admitted to a nearby hospital. A massive manhunt to trace the abducted person has been launched. -- ANI

Domestic equities staged a strong comeback today with the BSE Sensex rebounding by nearly 400 points and the Nifty reclaiming the 10,250-mark on receding fears of a US-China trade war. Investors were also awaiting RBI's monetary policy outcome, scheduled later in the day. The 30-share Sensex spurted by 393.60 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 33,412.67 in opening trade.


The gauge had lost 351.56 points in the previous session. All the sectoral indices, led by metal, realty and auto stocks, were trading in the green with gains of up to 2.26 per cent. -- PTI

The probe into the leak of Central Board of Secondary Education class 10 maths and class 12 economics question papers has led the police to believe that the leak happened between the time the papers were in custody of board officials and when those were kept in banks, a senior official said.

With the arrest of three men, including two teachers of a private school in Bawana, police claimed to have busted a module in which the teachers had shared WhatsApp images of the economics paper one-and-a-half hours prior to the exam.

However, when it comes to the trail of handwritten papers that were circulated a day or two before the exam, police are sure that the leak happened either at the board level or the time when they are kept in the banks, the police officer privy to the probe said.

Since it is suspected that the leak might have happened from outer Delhi or Haryana, police have started scanning CCTV footages from the banks in certain areas to see whether there was some suspicious activity around the time the papers were kept there.

The police are also probing the roles of CBSE officials. So far, no CBSE official has been questioned so far, the police officer said.

Meanwhile, the police are yet to take a decision on whether to book the principal of the school, whose two teachers were allegedly involved in the economics paper leak.

"There was laxity on his part since he allowed the question papers to be opened before time and even informed students about some of the questions in advance but so far, we have not found anything to indicate that he received a share of the money the accused got for leaking the paper," the police officer claimed.

The Delhi Police has lodged two cases over the CBSE question paper leak.

The first case related to the leak of economics question paper was lodged on March 27, while the other pertaining to the leak of mathematics paper was lodged on March 28, following a complaint by the board's regional director. The examinations for the class 12 economics papers and class 10 mathematics were held on March 26 and March 28, respectively.  -- PTI