Chandrapur has been recording a maximum temperature above 40 degrees for the last three days. 

On Wednesday, the mercury had soared to 42.2 degrees Celsius in the district. 

Bramhapuri tehsil registered a maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius. Maximum temperatures on Thursday in other five districts of Vidarbha were as follows: Wardha -42.2 degrees Celsius, Amravati-41.4 degree Celsius, Nagpur-41 degrees Celsius, Yavatmal-40.5 degrees Celsius, Gondia-40.4 degrees Celsius and Akola-40.3 degrees Celsius. -- PTI

Party leaders said Shah will visit Birbhum in West Bengal on Friday followed by Bharatpur in Rajasthan on Saturday and Maharashtra and Goa on Sunday. 

He will lay the foundation stone of a party office and address a rally in Birbhum and address a meeting of booth presidents in Rajasthan, they said. In Maharashtra, Shah is scheduled to attend an event in Raigarh, where 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award will be given to Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. He will address a public meeting in south Goa on Sunday, BJP leaders added. -- PTI

Madhav through legal notice stated, "Malik made untrue and defamatory statements to stay relevant in a political circle." 

Ram Madhav, Rashtriya Karyakarini Sadasya of the Rashtriya RSS in legal notice stated, "You the addressee are well known in the political circles, however, lately owing your fading popularity and relevance, and to stay relevant in the social life of this country, for the sake of gathering public attention through sensationalism you have made certain untrue, defamatory, and incriminating statements on the said YouTube channel in an interview on 08.04.2023 in conspiracy with the interviewer of a Youtube channel." 

Madhav seeks immediate issuance of an open and public apology from Malik within 48 hours of receipt of this notice, for the mental agony and harassment faced by him. 

A legal notice sent through advocate Ayush Anand stated, "Malik deliberately and maliciously conspired to defame my client Ram Madhav." 

It stated, "In a conspiracy to defame my client the editors and interviewer have deliberately and maliciously defamed my client by imputing his involvement in some health insurance scheme." 

Madhav stated that the claim made by Malik are baseless, disgraceful, and utter falsehood. 

This is nothing but an attempt to influence, albeit maliciously, an ongoing investigation into the matter related to Hydel Power Project that the CBI is conducting. -- ANI

The families have challenged the Rajasthan high court's March 29, 2023, order, which acquitted the accused persons in the case. 

Rajasthan high court set aside the trial court order which convicted the accused person. 

The Special Leave Petition was filed by the families of the victims of the serial bomb blasts which took place at various public premises in the city of Jaipur on May 13 2008, which resulted in the death of 71 persons and injuries to 185 persons. 

In total 8 FIRs were registered out of which 4 FIRs were registered at Kotwali police station, Jaipur and 4 FIRs were registered at Manak Chowk police station, Jaipur. 

"The present appeal represents the plight of the huge numbers of innocent citizens and their families who were victims of serial bomb blasts and who have been left in a situation of facing grave injustice arising out of the impugned order whereby after waiting for justice for more than 14 years, the convicted accused persons have been acquitted on the basis of gross misapplication of the law by the high court," the petition said. -- PTI

Speaking at Tamil New Year celebrations at the residence of Union minister L Murugan in Chennai, Modi said Tamil is the world's oldest language and every Indian is proud of this. 

Dressed in traditional Tamil attire, Modi said Tamil literature is also widely respected and the Tamil film industry has given some of the most iconic works. 

"India is the world's oldest democracy, it is the mother of democracy. There are numerous historical references to this. An important reference is Tamil Nadu," Modi said. 

He said that in Tamil Nadu's Uthiramerur, there is an inscription 1100-1200-year-old where one gets a glimpse of democratic values of the country. 

"The inscription found there is like a local constitution for the gram sabha there. In this it has been told how the assembly should be run, what should be the qualification of members, what should be the process to elect the members. Not only that, in that era, they had decided how a member would be disqualified," the prime minister said. 

There has been a major political slugfest between the BJP and the Opposition parties after the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha following his conviction and sentencing in a 2019 defamation case. 

In his remarks, Modi said, "As a country it is our responsibility to take forward this culture and tradition but we all know what happened earlier. Now I have been given this responsibility." -- PTI

In addition to this, the company will be rolling out two new features, including device verification to help prevent malware from taking over the WhatsApp account and sending out messages without the user's knowledge or permission. 

"If you need to switch your WhatsApp account to a new device -- we want to double-check that it's really you. From now on, we may ask you on your old device to verify that you want to take this step as an extra security check. This feature can help alert you to an unauthorised attempt to move your account to another device," WhatsApp said in a statement. 

The move provides an extra layer of security to WhatsApp users. 

WhatsApp said that it is concerned about malware that infects a mobile phone in much the same way a virus infects a computer. 

"Malware is used to advance account takeover attacks that send messages without the user's knowledge or permission. In our ongoing effort to safeguard peoples' accounts and information on WhatsApp, we're introducing a new security measure -- called device verification -- to help prevent ATO attacks," the company said. -- PTI

Local functionaries of the Bharatiya Janata Party and some residents of the area had moved the HC, seeking that the rally should not be allowed as it would ruin the ground. 

A division bench of Justices AS Chandurkar and MW Chandwani said the rally can be held, but the Nagpur Improvement Trust must ensure that terms and conditions of its permission granted on March 31 are complied with. -- PTI

Inspector Dilipkumar Halarnkar of Pernem police station issued the notice to Kejriwal, the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, under section 41 (A) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 

Under the section, police can summon a person for inquiry if there is "reasonable" complaint or suspicion that he had committed an offence. 

"During the investigation of a case about defacement of property, it is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain facts and circumstances from you in relation to the present investigation," said the notice. 

Kejriwal should appear at the Pernem police station at 11 am on April 27, it said. 

A senior police official said that Pernem police are investigating a case against the AAP registered under the Goa Prevention of Defacement of Property Act for allegedly pasting election posters on public walls during the Assembly campaign. -- PTI

Modi also sought progress on the return of economic offenders wanted in India, they said. 

Pro-Khalistan protestors had recently smashed windows at the Indian mission in London and targeted the national flag as well. 

The two leaders reviewed the progress of a number of bilateral issues, particularly in trade and economic sectors, officials said. 

During the talks, Sunak reiterated the UK's full support for India's ongoing G20 presidency.

The list also includes US President Joe Biden, King Charles, Syrian-born swimmers and activists Sara Mardini and Yusra Mardini, star icon Bella Hadid, billionaire CEO Elon Musk and iconic singer and artist Beyonce. 

Khan's profile, written by fellow actor Deepika Padukone, said, "For someone who has known him intimately and cares for him deeply, 150 words will never do justice to the phenomenon that is Shah Rukh Khan.' Khan will be "known forever as one of the greatest actors of all time," Padukone said, adding, "But what truly sets him apart is his mind, his chivalry, his generosity. The list goes on...' Khan had won the 2023 TIME100 reader poll, in which readers voted for the individuals they felt most deserved a spot on Time's annual list of the most influential people, earning 4 per cent of the vote of the more than 1.2 million votes cast. For Rajamouli, actor Alia Bhatt wrote that the RRR director "knows the audience he's serving. He knows what beats to hit, what turns to take." "I call him the master storyteller because he genuinely loves the flair and abandon of stories. And he brings us together," Bhatt said.

The party alleged corruption in awarding the contract to the private waste management company, which is facing heat over the incident. 

Kochi and its surrounding areas were hit by huge air pollution last month due to the fire at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant, managed by the Kochi City Corporation. 

After visiting the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant, BJP Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar questioned the track record of the company selected for treating garbage. 

He sought to know why the Left government did not register a criminal case against the company in connection with the fire incident. 

"It is a fraud committed by the LDF government and the chief minister on the citizens of Kerala. 

The government must immediately ask for the CBI inquiry into it," Javadekar, who is a former minister for environment, forests, and climate change, told a press conference in Kochi. 

He alleged that there was no processing of waste or bio-mining at Brahmapuram, and the government, instead of punishing the company, was rewarding it. -- PTI

The 'traditional' rallies would be held in 45 places including Chennai, Vellore, Hosur, Salem, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Palladam, Karur, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai, an RSS spokesperson said. 

The police said the permission was granted following the dismissal of Tamil Nadu's appeals in the Supreme Court. 

Adequate security arrangements were in place, it added. 

Since last year, the RSS has been attempting to hold processions but could not do so. 

The government had refused permission and the matter also went to the Madras high court. 

When the RSS announced its route marches, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi opposed it and said it would hold a human-chain movement for social harmony. -- PTI

Una additional district and sessions judge Rekha Asodiya granted bail to Jamnagar-resident Kajal Hindustani on certain conditions, including remaining present at a police station near her residence twice every month till the chargesheet is filed. 

The court also imposed a condition that, except for appearing for hearings, she will not enter Gir Somnath district until the trial is over. 

Moreover, the court also took an assurance from the accused that she will not influence or intimidate the complainant or witnesses while out on bail. 

She was released from a jail in neighbouring Junagadh district on Thursday evening, after which she went to her residence in Jamnagar by road under police protection. 

Incidentally, some women and local residents showered flower petals on her vehicle en route. -- PTI

Solanki, who hailed from Ahmedabad in Gujarat and was a first-year student of the B Tech (Chemical) course, allegedly ended his life by jumping off the seventh floor of his hostel building located on the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay campus in suburban Powai on February 12 this year. 

While seeking further remand, the police told the Special Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe court that Khatri had threatened Solanki with a paper cutter after the latter allegedly abused his caste and religion. 

The prosecution said Solanki committed suicide due to Khatri's threats and, therefore, the statements of other students need to be recorded for details of the incident. 

The mobile phone used by Khatri had been sent for forensic examination and its analysis report was awaited, the prosecution further told court. 

Allowing the police's plea for extension of Khatri's remand, special judge AP Kanade said, "In my view, for further investigation the presence of the accused with the police is justified." -- PTI

Principal district and sessions judge Vinay Kumar Gupta issued notice to the ED on Jain's plea, and directed the agency to file a reply by May 4, when the court will further hear the matter. 

The court, however, refused to stay the proceedings before special judge Vikas Dhull, who is currently hearing the case, during the pendency of the application. 

Jain recently moved applications seeking the transfer of the trial proceedings in corruption and money laundering cases, being probed by the CBI and the ED respectively, to another judge alleging bias. 

Both the cases are currently being heard by special judge Dhull. 

In the CBI matter, the District Judge has stayed the proceedings before Dhull till May 4. -- PTI

Hardeep Singh (22) and Kuldip Singh (30), both brothers and residents of Rajpur Bhaian village were produced before a court which sent them to a four-day police remand. 

Their counsels Tanheer Singh Bariana and JS Bhutta said Hardeep and Kuldip, who work as labourers, were arrested under relevant Sections of 212 (harbouring offender) of the Indian Penal Code by the Mehtiana police station for allegedly harbouring Amritpal Singh. 

When Amritpal escaped from police after reaching Marnaian village on March 28, he met both the brothers who were loading sand in a tractor-trailer. 

They allegedly took Amritpal to their house where they fed him and gave him clothes, the police said. 

The police had last month launched a major crackdown against Amritpal and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De.' -- PTI

The leader had months ago said he would release on April 14, the Tamil New Year Day, documents on "corruption" related to DMK ministers. 

The state BJP chief, on his Twitter handle, said: "DMK Files April 14th, 2023 - 10:15 am." 

Also, he released a 10-second video which featured the photographs of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, Chief Minister M K Stalin and his extended family members, including former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran. -- PTI

Manjhi, a former chief minister, however, sought to quell any speculation and reiterated his assertion that Kumar has all the qualities to become the country's prime minister. 

He asserted that he has sworn to remain with Kumar and rejected any possibility of joining hands with the BJP, saying that it has spoken against the existence of small parties like his. 

The Dalit leader heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and his son is a minister in the RJD-JD-U-Congress government in the state. 

Manjhi's meeting with Shah was on his party's demand that Dashrath Manjhi, whose single-handed feat of digging a road through the mountains over two decades, immortalised in local folklore and on celluloid after his death, be awarded the 'Bharat Ratna' -- India's highest civilian honour. 

Following his meeting with Shah, he also rushed to meet Kumar to dispel any perception that he was again on the verge of a U-turn as the BJP seeks to win over smaller parties in Bihar as it readies for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. -- PTI

Unfortunately, over a period of time, out of ignorance or whatever one might call, there were certain policies which in 1960 tried to impose Hindi as a language. 

"Tamil is far more older than Hindi and if any language that can come closer to Tamil in its antiquity is Sanskrit not any other Indian language," the Governor said. 

"There's no question of imposing any other language on Tamil, as this created a distance," Ravi said in his interaction with Tamil language students of Banaras Hindu University during their "Tamil Nadu Darshan" at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai. 

"Tamil is a very, very ancient and rich literature. Until I came here, my knowledge of Tamil literature, history and culture was very limited. In my service, I didn't get an opportunity. But after coming here I found it so amazing, especially its richness of thought - the Thirukkural," he said. 

"Tamil Nadu is the soul of our country and it is a spiritual and cultural capital of our country, while Kashi is the centre of gravity," the Governor claimed. -- PTI

BJP MLA and complainant Purnesh Modi, in his reply filed earlier in the same court, opposed Gandhi's plea for a stay on conviction saying the Congress leader is a "repetitive offender" who is in the habit of making defamatory statements. 

 On Thursday, arguments from both sides commenced in the court of Additional Sessions Judge RP Mogera.

It is pertinent to mention that Eknath Shinde led a rebellion with over 40 MLAs in June last year which ultimately toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut further certified Aaditya Thackeray's claims, saying that "it is correct" and that Shinde had told him the same thing.

"Eknath Shinde cried after coming to Matoshree and said, 'If he does not go with BJP, he will be put in jail', Thackeray had claimed on April 11.

Raut also claimed that fear of Eknath Shinde being jailed was "clearly visible" in his "mind and heart".

"This is 100 per cent correct! Eknath Shinde had also said this after coming to me. I tried to make him (Shinde) understand.. But the fear of jail was clearly visible in his mind and heart. Aaditya is right," Raut tweeted.

Speaking to the reporters, the Uddhav Thackeray faction leader said that Eknath Shinde had told him that he did not want to go to jail and asked him to break the alliance with the Congress and NCP.

"What Aaditya Thackeray is saying is completely true, the present Chief Minister (Eknath Shinde) also said the same after coming to my house that I do not want to go to jail, you break this alliance. ...There is a pressure system going on all over the country but we need not fear. He (CM Eknath Shinde) said no, I am afraid that I will be put in jail, he was afraid of going to jail," Raut claimed.

Retorting to Thackeray's claims, Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar alleged that Aaditya Thackeray has a "professional team that teaches him how to lie".

"There is a team that teaches him to lie. This is what happens in politics," he said.

BJP leader Narayan Rane questioned Aaditya Thackeray to reveal when did Shinde visit Matoshree. "I will not speak on that. He says anything. There is childishness in him. When did Shinde go? When did he cry? In which year did he cry? This is all nonsense," he said. 

"Change is normal, it happens. We will persuade those who are upset. The discontent in the party is being rectified. The workers are strong, there will be no harm from this and the party's dissension will be eased in most parts," Bommai said. 

"The high command is talking to the disaffected. I have spoken to all the leaders. We are confident that the difference will be resolved soon. Savadi is a senior and has been in politics for a long time. There is also pressure from people for a place, it takes time," he added.

Claiming that Congress has no candidates for 60 to 65 constituencies, the Chief Minister alleged that the party is now mulling inducting leaders from other parties.

"Congress does not have a competent candidate, they will not come to power," he said.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director General of Police Jammu and Kashmir Dilbagh Singh and other senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Central Armed Police Forces attended the meeting.

Director Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, R&AW chief Samant Kumar Goel, National Investigation Agency DG Dinkar Gupta and Central Reserve Police Force Director General SL Thaosen also attended the meeting.

Yadav said that the BJP was trying to divert the attention of the people from the real issues plaguing the state.

Yadav said the BJP government did not believe in the courts and was taking the law into its own hands. He said it was not right for those in power to pass judgement on who was right or wrong and to decide who should live or die.

"With fake encounters, the BJP government is trying to divert attention from the real issues. The BJP does not believe in courts at all. Today's and recent encounters should also be thoroughly investigated and the culprits should not be spared. Those in power do not have the right to decide what is right or wrong. BJP is against harmony," Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son Asad and an accomplice, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday.

"I thank CM Yogi ji for serving justice and I appeal to him to give us justice ahead also. We have full faith in CM," said Shanti Devi, mother of Umesh Pal, the advocate who was killed in broad daylight in Prayagraj earlier this year. 

"This is a tribute to my son. I thank the Chief Minister and the police department which discharged their duties," Shanti Devi told reporters in Prayagraj.

Asad along with his associate Ghulam, both of whom were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in Jhansi today.

Jaya Devi, Umesh Pal's widow also thanked the chief minister. "I thank the Chief Minister who took such a decision. He gave punishment to the killers of his daughter's husband. It is justice. I expect that the Chief Minister will do good whatever he does. I express my gratitude to the Chief Minister who is like a fatherly figure," she said.

Both Asad and Ghulam carried rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads.

 He was replaced by Gavisiddappa Dyamannavar in Haveri (SC) constituency. Olekar claimed that thousands of BJP workers were resigning from the primary membership of the party. 

"We would wait for the opinion of our workers and we will take a decision (future course of action) based on the outcome of a meeting with them," he said. He added that he had an offer from the JD(S) and another party.

Asserting that the Prime Minister's job will remain with BJP leader Narendra Modi even after the general elections slated for next year, Singh claimed the country is scaling new heights under PM Modi's leadership. Everyone wants to become the Prime Minister. 

"People should know that the Prime Minister's post for 2024 is not vacant," he said while addressing a gathering at an event organised in Patna at the East Central Railway zone office at Mahendru ghat. 

 The Bihar Chief Minister and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in what is being seen as a bid to forge an alliance of opposition parties to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Kumar also met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal soon after the meeting with Congress leaders. 

 Without naming Nitish Kumar, Singh said, "Those indulging in appeasement politics can't think of providing employment to the people. The country is scaling new heights under PM Modi's leadership and special emphasis is being laid on generating employment."

Listing the achievements of the current BJP-led central government, the minister said that among other things is working hard to develop micro, small and medium enterprises which would generate large numbers of jobs and help make India a mighty nation.

Earlier this month, the Met office predicted above-normal maximum temperatures for most parts of the country from April to June, except parts of the northwest and the peninsular regions. 

 Above-normal heatwave days are expected in most parts of central, east, and northwest India during this period. 

 According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heatwave conditions are likely in isolated pockets of Gangetic West Bengal until Monday (April 17), north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha until Saturday (April 15) and Bihar from April 15 to April 17. 

 The maximum temperatures in central and north peninsular India are hovering in the range of 40 to 42 degrees Celsius at present. The weather department said maximum temperatures are three to five notches above normal in many parts of the western Himalayan region and northeast India, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. 

A heat wave is declared if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, at least 37 degrees in coastal areas and at least 30 degrees in hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 degrees. 

 In 2023, India experienced its hottest February since record-keeping began in 1901. However, above-normal rainfall in March kept temperatures in check. March 2022 was the warmest ever and the third driest in 121 years. The year also saw the country's third-warmest April since 1901. PTI

While speaking to ANI, Maurya said, "I congratulate UP STF for this action. Police fired in retaliation after they (Asad and his aide Ghulam) fired upon them." 

"It is a message to criminals that this is the new India. It is Yogi govt in UP, not Samajwadi Party in power which gave protection to criminals," he said.

Earlier in a tweet, Maurya said that the killers of Umesh Pal and police personnel had to meet this fate.

"Congratulations to UP STF, this was the fate of the killers of Umesh Pal Advocate and police personnel!" the Deputy Chief Minister tweeted in Hindi.

Earlier today, Asad was killed along with Ghulam, both of whom were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj. -- ANI

 IOC walked away with almost half of the 6 million standard cubic meters per day of gas sold in an e-auction on Wednesday while state-owned gas utility GAIL bought 0.7 mmscmd, Adani-Total Gas Ltd 0.4 mmscmd, Shell 0.5 mmscmd, GSPC 0.25 mmscmd and IGS another 0.5 mmscmd, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. 

 Reliance-bp on Wednesday held an e-auction for sale of gas from the MJ field in their eastern offshore KG-D6 block after incorporating the government's new marketing rules to give CNG-selling city gas companies first priority over supplies. 

 The bidding saw participation from 41 companies from various sectors including city gas, fertiliser, oil refinery, glass, ceramics and traders, sources said adding unlike previous auction Reliance did not buy any of KG-D6 gas. 

 The price was indexed to the global LNG market, JKM but will be subject to the government-notified ceiling price. Bidders were asked to quote variable 'V' in the gas price formula 'JKM + V'. 

 The final bid price came at USD 0.75 per million British thermal unit premium over the JKM price (JKM + USD 0.75 per mmBtu), they said. JKM price for May is around USD 12.6 per mmBtu and the implied price for MJ gas comes to USD 13.35. 

 But the bidders will only have to pay the ceiling or the cap price that the government fixes bi-annually for gas produced from difficult areas such as deep sea and high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP). The ceiling price for April to September is USD 12.12 per mmBtu, they said adding 29 bidders secured gas supplies for 5 years. -- PTI

 Another accused, Ghulam, was also shot dead during the encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, said Special Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prasahant Kumar. 

 "Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. They were killed in an encounter with the UP STF team," he said. 

 "The UP STF team was led by Deputy SP Navendu and Vimal. Sophisticated foreign made weapons were recovered from the accused. Further details are awaited," the officer added. Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder case of then BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year.

 Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, Asad, Ghulam and others. 

 The FIR was lodged under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Atiq Ahmad is also an accused in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case. PTI

 The Army said the death of the soldier on Wednesday afternoon has no connection with the firing incident. 

"A soldier died of a gunshot wound at approximately 4:30 pm on April 12 at Bathinda Military Station. The soldier was on sentry duty with his service weapon. The weapon and cartridge case from the same weapon was found next to the soldier. The gunshot wound was near the right temporal region," it said in a statement. 

 The Army said the soldier was immediately evacuated to the military hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.

The soldier had returned from leave on April 11. 

 "The case purportedly seems to be of attempted suicide," the Army said. However, a senior official said it could be a case of accidental firing as well.

"There is no connection whatsoever with the incident that took place at 4:30 am at Bathinda Military Station," the Army said. 

 Bathinda Cantt Station House Officer (SHP) Gurdeep Singh said they received information regarding the death of the soldier on Wednesday evening. "We were informed by the Army and a case has been registered. Prima facie it appears to be an accidental firing case, said the SHO. The deceased was identified as Laghu Raj Shankar, said police. 

 Police said a hunt for assailants behind Wednesday morning's firing incident at the station is underway We are in touch with the Army, said the senior police official. The four Army jawans, in their mid 20s, were sleeping when the firing took place around 4:30 am on Wednesday in their barracks near the officers' mess in the artillery unit.

 According to an FIR, a jawan saw two unidentified men in white kurta-pyjama, their faces and heads covered with cloth, coming out of the barracks after the firing. 

 One of them was carrying an INSAS rifle and the other an axe, the jawan said, according to the police FIR. The suspects, who were of medium height, went towards a forested area near the barracks on seeing the jawan, according to the police FIR. Subsequently, two Army officers went inside the barracks and found Sagar Banne (25) and Yogesh Kumar J (24) in a pool of blood. 

In another room, the bodies of Santosh M Nagaral (25) and Kamalesh R (24), were found. The bodies bore bullet marks, according to the FIR. Banne and Nagaral hailed from Karnataka, while Kamalesh and Yogesh were from Tamil Nadu, police had said. Postmortem was conducted on Wednesday evening, said police. 

 It is suspected that an INSAS rifle, which was reported missing along with 28 rounds earlier this week, was used in the firing incident. The Army said on Wednesday that a search team had located the INSAS rifle along with the magazine. 

 Police on Wednesday had said 19 empty shells of an INSAS rifle were found from the spot. The Bathinda military station is one of the largest Army bases in the country and it comprises a significant number of operational units of the force. PTI

 Observing that Lalit Modi is not above the law and institution, a bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar said it was not satisfied with the counter affidavit filed by him. 

 The top court directed the ex-IPL commissioner to tender an apology on social media and also in leading national newspapers. The apex court also directed him to file an affidavit before it tendering an apology and stating that in future no such posts be made in future which would tantamount, even remotely, tarnishing the image of the Indian judiciary. PTI

Taking to Twitter, Mika shared a video which he captioned, "Good morning. I felt so proud to be able to use Indian rupees whilst shopping at #Dohaairport in the @LouisVuitton store. You can even use rupees in any restaurant.. Isn't that wonderful? A massive salute to @narendramodi saab for enabling us to use our money like dollars." 

In the video, Mika could be seen inside a luxury brand store. 

"Hello, I am in Doha right now. And it is a very proud moment that using the Indian currency, we can shop. You can buy the things you want by using Indian currency. Thanks to Modi Ji. Salute to you. Because of you, this Indian currency will be accepted in the whole world, like it is accepted in Qatar," he said in the video. 

Soon after Mika dropped the video, fans flooded the comment section with red heart emoticons and praised PM Modi for his work. "Indian currency getting stronger," a user wrote.  -- ANI

In the last 24 hours, Mumbai recorded 14.8 mm rainfall, the highest precipitation so far in April, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The rainfall was a localised event and only western suburbs of the city received showers, IMD scientist Sushma Nair said. The Santacruz weather station received 14.8 mm of rainfall. 

This is the highest rainfall recorded in the city in April. 

Earlier, the all-time highest rainfall received by the city was 7.2 mm on April 22, 1974, Nair said. The Colaba weather station, which covers the island city, did not record any rainfall, she said. 

 The city witnessed heavy showers with lightning and thunder between 1 am to 2 am, civic officials said. The Malwani fire station and Goregaon recorded 21 mm rainfall each, Borivali fire station 19 mm, HBT Trauma Care Hospital (Jogeshwari) 17 mm, Marol fire station 14 mm and Kandivali fire station 12 mm, an official said. 

Due to intense rain for a brief period, there was accumulation of water in some low lying areas. The civic body said there was no complaint of heavy waterlogging anywhere in the city and suburbs.

Some citizens said thunderstorm and strong winds hit parts of Mumbai and as a result, trees and branches fell in some areas like Marol. The tin sheets of some houses were also blown away by the wind in Marol. -- PTI

 At least 10 police personnel including a woman cop were injured in the violence. However, police were yet to disclose the number of civilians injured in the incident. 

 The administration clamped prohibitory order under section 144 CrPC in areas coming under six police stations - Town, Dhanupali, Khetrajpur, Ainthapali, Bareipali and Sadar - in Sambalpur city. "The situation is critical and miscreants are circulating false and inflammatory messages through social media to disturb public order in Sambalpur district," the notification issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, DK Singh, prohibiting internet use and access in Sambalpur, said. 

 Singh said internet is suspended to prevent circulation of "inflammatory and motivated messages", which have the "potential to inflame communal passion". No access to social mediaWhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & . Suspension of internet/data services of all MSPs & ISPs and Broadband dial up system", the notification said. 

 Sambalpur SP B Gangadhar said that 43 people have been detained and 26 people have so far booked under different sections of the IPC. They will be forwarded to the court. The SP said 30 platoons of police force have been deployed in the area. Asked whether it was a conspiracy, the SP said: "We think it is a sporadic incident. Investigation is going on. The situation is now under control." 

 The SP said the policed have also seized petrol bombs from some people. He said police will soon conduct flag march in sensitive areas.

 While Atiq Ahmed was brought to Prayagraj via road from Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat for his production, his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf was brought from a Bareilly jail. Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year. 

 Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Ahmad, Ashraf, their family members and others. 

 The FIR was lodged under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Ahmad is also an accused in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case. PTI

The seizure followed a massive raid conducted by the ED sleuths at 15 locations in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on Wednesday. The documents pertaining to nearly 200 bank accounts and 50 shell entities, which were seized during these raids, the ED said were used for laundering of ill-gotten money generated out of extortion, land grabbing and other criminal activities.

"Documents of over 100 properties in the name of Atiq Ahmad's close associates and firms have also been found. These properties are suspected to be Atiq's benami properties," said the agency.

"Cash transactions worth more than 50 crores have also been unearthed in the searches. Documents of properties (forcibly) purchased from farmers apparently through criminal intimidation have also been found."

The agency on Wednesday searched the premises of Atiq and his relative Khalid Zafar, his advocate-cum-accomplice Saulat Hanif Khan, his associates Asad, Vadood Ahmad, Kali, Mohsin, chartered accountant Sabeeh Ahmad, chartered accountant Asif Jafri, Seetaram Shukla (accountant), real estate developers Sanjeev Aggarwal and Deepak Bhargav. -- ANI

 The three-time MLA said he will also be submitting his resignation as legislator to the Assembly Speaker soon. In the BJP's second list of 23 candidates announced last night, Deepak Doddaiah was named as candidate from Mudigere. 

Senior leader Laxman Savadi quit the BJP yesterday, MLA Doddappagouda Patil Naribol has also announced his exit. A minister, S Angara, has threatened to quit. All three have been dropped as candidates.

 Kumaraswamy hit out at BJP national General Secretary C T Ravi for not getting the ticket, and said he will decide on his next move after discussing with his supporters and people of his constituency. 

The MLA cited personal rivalry between him and Ravi as the reason for him missing the ticket. 

 Speculations are rife that the leader from SC community may join JD(S) or contest as an independent. "I have sent in my resignation to the party office and will hand over (resignation as MLA) to the Speaker soon. I will discuss with my supporters and voters and decide my next move in a couple of days," he said.

 "C T Ravi has ensured that I don't get a ticket due to personal reasons, he has that strength now as national general secretary. If I was in his position and he was in mine, I would have done the same thing," he said, and warned the BJP that Ravi will decimate the party. 

 Kumaraswamy said if veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa switches off his phone for a week, the party won't win even 50 seats. 

"Without Yediyurappa, people will not even come to BJP's meetings." He questioned the reason as to why he was denied the ticket. "I have age and ability on my side."

 Garhshankar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daljit Singh Khakh said the deceased were mostly residents of Mastan Khera in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. 

The area where the accident took place is a sub-mountainous region, police said, adding the driver lost control while negotiating a slope and hit the 17 pilgrims who were on foot. It was suspected that the brakes of the truck had failed, police said. 

 Khakh said the deceased were identified as Rahul, Sudesh Pal, Santosh, Angoori, Kunti, Geeta and Ramoh. Five of the critically injured persons were referred to PGIMER Chandigarh while the rest were admitted to Civil Hospital, Garhshankar.

 Pilgrims have been flocking Khuralgarh Sahib, a place associated with Guru Ravidas, in view of the Baisakhi festival. PTI

 Adding to the injury worries, CSK's South African pace bowler Sisanda Magala too suffered a split webbing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday night.

 "He (Dhoni) is nursing a knee injury, which you can see in some of his movement, hindering him somewhat. His fitness has been professional. He comes in months before the tournament starts. He does some nets in Ranchi, but his main pre-season is a month before he comes to Chennai," Fleming told reporters at the post-match press conference after CSK suffered their second defeat in four games this season. 

 Seamer Sandeep Sharma nailed a couple of perfect block-hole deliveries to earn a hard-fought victory for the Royals. Chasing 176, Dhoni (32) and Ravindra Jadeja (25) were on course requiring 21 runs off the last over. CSK's final score was 172/6 as Dhoni couldn't end his 200th game for CSK in a manner he would have wanted to on home turf. 

 Fleming, though, expressed confidence that the former India captain will manage his injury well and will continue to lead the side. "He works his way back into match form, and you can still see he is playing pretty well. So we always have confidence about how he manages himself. He always keeps himself up to speed," said Fleming, allaying concerns about Dhoni's fitness.

 IT counters took a beating in the morning trade which resulted in weak trend in the benchmark indices. 

 The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 164.66 points to 60,228.11 in early trade. The broader NSE Nifty declined 44.45 points to 17,767.95. Among the Sensex firms, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, NTPC, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Tata Steel were among the major laggards.

 The country's largest IT services exporter TCS on Wednesday reported a 14.8 per cent increase in March quarter net profit at Rs 11,392 crore but flagged worries from its key market of North America. Power Grid, Bajaj Finserv, Hindustan Unilever, Nestle, State Bank of India and Maruti were among the gainers. In Asian markets, Seoul, Japan and Shanghai were trading in the green, while Hong Kong quoted lower. The US markets had ended lower on Wednesday.

The jawan died of a bullet injury as his service weapon went off accidentally. "The deceased jawan has been identified as Laghu Raj Shankar," said Gurdeep Singh, SHO, Bathinda Cantt Police Station.

Unseasonal rain coupled with lightning and thunderstorm lashed parts of Mumbai in the wee hours of Thursday, bringing some respite from the hot and humid weather in Mumbai, civic officials said.

The island city and eastern suburbs received light rain, while the western suburbs witnessed heavy showers with lightning and thunder between 1 am to 2 am, they said.

The Malwani fire station and Goregaon recorded 21 mm rainfall each, Borivali fire station 19 mm, HBT Trauma Care Hospital (Jogeshwari) 17 mm, Marol fire station 14 mm and Kandivali fire station 12 mm, an official said.

Due to intense rain for a brief period, there was accumulation of water in some low lying areas.

The civic body said there was no complaint of heavy waterlogging anywhere in the city and suburbs.

According to some citizens, thunderstorm and strong winds hit parts of Mumbai and as a result, trees and branches fell in some areas like Marol.

The tin sheets of some houses were also blown away by the wind in Marol.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), there was no report of any injury due to the rain.

The public transport services, including the local trains and BEST buses, were running normally in the city and suburbs.   -- PTI

The national capital on Wednesday reported 1,149 new coronavirus cases, marking a sharp jump from Tuesday when 980 cases were reported, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department.

According to the Delhi Health Department, one death was reported in the national capital but the primary cause of death was not Covid. While the positivity rate stood at 23.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, the cumulative active cases in the national capital stood at 3,347.

It stated further that a total of 677 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,87,357.  -- ANI

This information was shared by BJP MLA from Nagpur East Krishna Khopde, who had earlier raised the objection against the rally. 

The 'Vajramuth' rally of the opposition MVA, which comprises the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress, is scheduled to be held at the playground in Darshan Colony. 

MLA Khopde said the petition was filed in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court by four residents of Darshan Colony under the guidance of BJP corporator and advocate Dharmapal Meshram. 

"The urgent petition is likely to be heard by the court on Thursday," the MLA said. 

The BJP legislator had earlier sent a letter to Nagpur Improvement Trust chairman Manoj Kumar Suryawanshi, urging him not to grant permission to hold the rally at the playground as it will spoil the premises. -- PTI

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Pawar said, "Many a time, Nana Patole says things that leads to differences in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. If he has any objection, then instead of the going to the media, he should raise it with Jayant Patil or Uddhav Thackeray."   

Patole denied the allegation saying he had conveyed his views to NCP state president Jayant Patil.      

"Ajit Pawar is seeminly not aware of facts. We briefed their state president Jayant Patil. If he did not tell, then it is his fault," he said.      

Patole further said an alliance between the NCP and the BJP will weaken and undermine the fight against the saffron party.      

"An alliance with the BJP will weaken the fight against the ruling party at the Centre and doesn't bode well considering the larger picture (2024 Lok Sabha polls)," he said.      

"I do not think Ajit Pawar will join the BJP," Patole added.      

Amid speculations around Ajit Pawar, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray called on Sharad Pawar at his residence on Tuesday. 

His daughter and Parliamentarian Supriya Sule, as well as Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut were also present at the meeting.      

Raut claimed the Opposition alliance was strong and will not break.      

"Maharashtra's alliance of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena are held together by Fevicol. It will neither break nor bend," Raut said.      

Speculations around Ajit Pawar started to gain ground after he that he had full faith in the Electronic Voting Machine and it was not possible to manipulate it. 

The remark marked a departure from the Opposition's line, casting aspersions on the efficacy of the EVMs. -- ANI

The party had last Sunday conducted sneha yatra, reaching out to Christians on the occasion of Easter. 

The decision to reach out to Muslims on the occasion of Eid was taken at the BJP's state core committee meeting held in Kochi on Wednesday, the source said in Thiruvananthapuram. 

At the meeting, the BJP's Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar congratulated the party's state unit for reaching out to Christians to greet them on Easter. 

He informed the meeting that Narendra Modi strongly believes that Indians are beyond caste, religion, and regional thinking, and directed them to work hard to realise the prime minister's idea of uniting everyone, the source told PTI. 

At the meeting, Javadekar directed the BJP workers to celebrate the "Vishu" with everyone on Saturday and also visit Muslim houses to exchange greetings on Eid next week, the source said. -- PTI