Kalimpong News

Myanmar’s Detained Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Speaks to Son for First Time in Five Years

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:51:20 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Bangkok: The son of Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Friday that when he finally got to speak with his mother, who has spent more than five years in detention in the Southeast Asian country, it seemed in some ways like not much time had passed at all.

“She sounds like herself, and still sounds strong,” said Kim Aris, adding that her voice was a bit croaky, like she had a cold.

Myanmar's military government on Thursday allowed Aris a 20-minute phone call with his 81-year-old mother, one of the world's most famous political prisoners. He spoke from Myanmar's embassy in London to Suu Kyi in her country's capital, Naypyitaw, where she's serving an 18-year sentence under house arrest.

Suu Kyi has been detained since February 2021, when Myanmar's army ousted her elected government. Held mostly incommunicado, she's serving an 18-year prison term on charges that supporters and rights groups say are bogus and politically inspired. It's not the first time she has been kept as a prisoner – she spent almost 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010.

Despite her ordeal and her son's worry for her well-being, Suu Kyi opened their conversation with a typical mother's concern for her child, Aris told The Associated Press. Kim is one of two sons Suu Kyi had with her late husband, British academic Michael Aris.

“The first thing my mother asked me was if I was looking after myself, so I reassured her on that, somewhat,” the 49-year-old Kim Aris told The Associated Press on Friday.

Aris has been campaigning vigorously for his mother's release, calling even for proof of life since information about her was so inaccessible. He completed an 81-kilometre (50-mile) skateboarding marathon in London this past June to mark his mother's birthday, highlight his campaign for her release and raise funds for humanitarian aid to Myanmar.

“I don't think she thought that skateboarding was the best way for her to stay fit, but anyway,” Aris said, in apparent reference to their conversation.

Suu Kyi's health remains an ongoing concern for Aris, and details about her condition left him unsatisfied.

“She said that her hand was in a lot of pain. I think she's got tendonitis in her right hand, so at points she's unable to use it,” he said. “Otherwise, she says she's in good health, but she gets six-month check-ups from military doctors, and I'm not sure how far I trust them.”

It's not even very clear how and where she's being held. She was held in prison for much of her detention before being officially moved to house arrest this past April.

“She's essentially been held in solitary confinement from what I can gather. People call it house arrest, but it comes with very few privileges,” Aris said, describing her presumed residence as having “a bit of scrubland which calls itself a garden. I don't know how much she goes out in it.”

On Monday, Myanmar's military-backed government said that it had delivered two books concerning gardening sent by UK King Charles III to Suu Kyi, along with a sealed envelope and diplomatic correspondence. That announcement and Thursday's phone call appear to be part of a charm offensive aimed at building diplomatic legitimacy.

President Min Aung Hlaing, who led the army's 2021 takeover, has sought to end Myanmar's international isolation, imposed after Suu Kyi was ousted, by trying to project a return to normalcy after holding an election earlier this year.

Rescuers Search for Survivors After Earthquake in Tibet

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:46:41 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Beijing: Rescuers combed through a remote area in the Chinese region of Tibet on Friday after a magnitude 7 earthquake killed at least 16 people, injured 76 and collapsed hundreds of homes, according to Chinese state media.

The disaster struck Nagqu, a city north of Tibet's capital Lhasa that is some 4,800 metres (15,748 feet) above sea level, on Thursday. At least 339 homes collapsed, and officials told journalists they were concerned about further building collapses from aftershocks, as well as casualties from rockslides.

China's national broadcaster CCTV aired footage on Friday showing collapsed houses and shattered stone walls in Nagqu.

More than 12,000 residents in the region were evacuated, with additional shelters under construction, China's official news agency Xinhua reported. No one was reported missing in Baqen County in Nagqu, where the earthquake struck. Search and rescue efforts are complicated by the geography and low temperatures, officials said.

As of Friday afternoon, rescuers had done three rounds of searches, going through each household and each village, said Dunzhu, the acting mayor of Nagqu city, at a news conference.

More than 5,000 people from three local counties were deployed for rescue efforts.

Supplies including 2,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,400 tents and 2,000 folding beds, as well as flashlights and winter clothing, arrived in the region.

The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 10:33 pm local time on Thursday, with its epicentre 191 kilometres (119 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu. It put the earthquake's depth at 18 kilometres (11 miles). The US agency recorded at least seven aftershocks with magnitudes between 4.3 and 5.2, all of them with a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), according to its website.

Xinhua said on Friday that communication in some areas hit by the quake was down. Local railway authorities have taken emergency actions to halt trains passing through the region.

The earthquake also caused rockfalls that have forced local authorities to close a section of National Highway 317, allowing only emergency, rescue and official support vehicles through as crews worked to clear debris, according to Xinhua. Intermittent snows are expected in the earthquake region over the next three days, Xinhua said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts in rescue operations and medical relief work, issuing instructions on Friday morning. The Chinese leader does so only in major disasters and accidents.

France Deploys Thousands of Police as Paris March Is Restricted to City’s Edge

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:43:27 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Paris: Paris braced for a fresh march by students and workers over school funding and soaring living costs Saturday, one week after violent unrest left shops looted and cars burned. The new march was restricted to the city's southeastern edge, away from the centre, as police deployed in force across France.

Scenes of looting, burned-out cars and attacks on public buildings left the impression that the government had lost control, as groups of masked vandals targeted businesses in Paris and other city centres. Police imposed the new route Friday between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes, replacing the planned march from Bastille to Nation.

The movement began last month over staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris. It now reaches well beyond the classroom. Students want more teachers, better school buildings and more university places. Unions are demanding higher wages and pensions to help people meet the cost of living.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said as many as 70,000 officers will be deployed nationwide, along with helicopters, armoured vehicles and water cannons.

In central Paris, a few dozen gendarmes were stationed beneath the Arc de Triomphe and along the nearby avenues. A massive turnout is expected again after more than half a million took to the streets last week.

Major museums, including the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais — where a major Cézanne exhibit is on display — are closed Saturday. Art Basel, one of the world's most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opened to the public Friday, but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organisers to cancel the weekend programme.

Parisian shopkeepers have been barricading their stores all week. Near the Saint-Lazare train station, Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician's shop.

“I got the call last night,” he said. “The owner seemed desperate. He said I was saving his life.”

Following the unrest, Paris police prefect Patrice Faure urged Parisian shopkeepers to hire security guards. He later clarified that protecting business owners and their establishments is the responsibility of the government.

Some 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted last weekend. Protest marches are scheduled in Paris and Marseille, but some other rallies, including in Lyon, Nice and Montpellier, have been banned by local authorities. In Lyon, French media reported that police used tear gas Saturday morning.

Cities outside Paris were hit hard by the unrest. Two suspects in the fire that nearly destroyed Limoges' 19th-century city hall were placed under formal investigation and held pending trial, French media reported. The probe includes the attempted murder of a public official.

Trade unions have criticised the bans, calling them violations of freedom of expression, which is protected by the constitution.

President Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, has entered the crisis in the final stretches of his term, with his popularity at its lowest since he took office in 2017. He has said that the measures are needed to protect city centres, businesses and public buildings.

Thousands of people gathered Saturday morning for an anti-far-right protest in the city of Orléans, about 110 kilometres (70 miles) south of Paris. It was organised on the sidelines of a two-day congress of Marine Le Pen's nationalist, anti-immigration party ahead of next spring's presidential election.

Amit Shah Reviews Delhi’s Law and Order Situation at Police Headquarters

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:37:27 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today chaired a meeting at the Delhi Police headquarters to take stock of the law and order situation in the national capital, officials said.

The recent protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the fight against drugs, action against gangsters operating from abroad and crimes against women figured in Shah's discussions with senior officers, police sources said.

Shah reached the police headquarters on Jai Singh Road around 3 pm, where senior officers briefed him on the force's performance, ongoing investigations and key law enforcement challenges, they said.

The visit comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Delhi Police over allegations of using excessive force against protesters during the CJP's 'Sansad Chalo' march in July.

The meeting reviewed the circumstances surrounding the protest, the police response and measures taken to prevent similar incidents in the future, the sources said.

The home minister's visit to the police headquarters was also expected to boost the morale of the force, which has been under fire of late over its handling of protests, they said.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the senior leadership to discuss operational challenges and outline the steps taken to maintain law and order in the capital.

Shah's visit marks his return to the Delhi Police headquarters after more than four years. He last visited the police headquarters on August 30, 2022.

The meeting focused on the government's key priorities, including curbing drug trafficking, dismantling criminal networks of gangsters based overseas, and strengthening action against crimes targeting women, the sources said.

Meanwhile, AISA president Neha Bora appeared before the special executive magistrate (SEM) at Mandir Marg Police Station on Saturday, a day after the Delhi High Court dismissed her plea challenging a police notice directing her to execute a Rs 10,000 "peace bond" with one surety.

During the proceedings, the magistrate, following the high court's directions, provided Bora's counsel with the documents that formed the basis of the police allegation that there is a likelihood of breach of peace and gave her time to reply by October 29, her lawyer said.

Advocate Abhik Chimni said the defence would examine the material before responding to the notice at the next hearing.

"The high court has dismissed the challenge to the show-cause notice. However, it has laid down important parameters, stating that all material relied upon to suggest a possible breach of peace must be provided to us. Today, we showed the judgment to the SEM, who gave us all the documents. We will examine them before the next hearing on the 29th," Chimni said.

"The court's findings are important as they uphold the right of detained persons to know the allegations against them and have a reasoned opportunity to reply," he added.

Video Shows Mid-Air Collision of Two Philippine Air Force Planes That Killed Four Pilots

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 17:31:07 +0000

The air force said it has temporarily grounded all its remaining SF-260s, which were acquired from Italy, as an investigation takes place

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Manila : Two Philippine air force planes collided during a training flight and crashed at an air base south of Manila, killing all four pilots onboard, Philippine officials said Saturday.

The two SF-260 aircraft collided while flying at a low altitude on Friday afternoon and then crashed at Fernando Air Base in Lipa city in the coastal province of Batangas, south of the capital. There were no injuries on the ground, the officials said.

The air force did not provide details of what it called an accidental crash. Two Philippine officials with knowledge of what happened said the two planes collided in flight. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter. One of the two-seater aircraft went down near the barracks of military personnel in the air base, a witness told The Associated Press.

The air force said it has temporarily grounded all its remaining SF-260s, which were acquired from Italy, as an investigation takes place. It did not say how many SF-260s were left in the air force.

The accident was a setback to the underfunded Philippine military.

It has long struggled to modernise its air force, navy and army due to financial constraints while dealing with decades-long communist and Muslim insurgencies and increasingly hostile territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.

5.3-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China’s Qinghai After 7.0-Magnitude Quake in Tibet Kills 16

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 17:20:55 +0000

The fragile Tibetan Plateau is prone to powerful earthquakes as it lies in a region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, generating significant seismic activity

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Beijing/Lhasa : A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck China’s Qinghai province on Saturday, two days after a powerful 7.0-magnitude temblor in neighbouring Tibet left 16 people dead and 76 others injured.

The latest quake jolted Zadoi County in northwest China’s Qinghai Province at 4.39 pm (Beijing Time), according to China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC).

The epicentre, at a depth of 10 kilometres, was monitored at 32.54 degrees north latitude and 93.97 degrees east longitude, the centre said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from Saturday’s earthquake.

The fragile Tibetan Plateau is prone to powerful earthquakes as it lies in a region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, generating significant seismic activity.

Meanwhile, rescue and relief operations continued after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu city of the Tibet Autonomous Region at 10.33 pm (local time) on Thursday.

So far, 12,489 residents have been evacuated, and rescue and relief operations, along with the resettlement of affected residents, are underway, the report said.

To assist the rescue efforts, China has deployed satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct emergency communication support and imaging of the quake-hit area, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said on Friday.

The affected area has so far experienced 834 aftershocks, including eight measuring between 4.0 and 4.9 in magnitude.

All 76 injured people were receiving medical treatment. Five of the 11 people initially classified as seriously injured had improved to mild conditions, according to Xinhua news agency.

Relief supplies and rescue personnel continued to arrive in the affected areas.

So far, 52,450 items or sets of disaster relief supplies have been sent to the quake zone, while more than 2,500 rescue personnel are engaged in relief operations.

The supplies include 4,651 tents, 2,000 prefabricated houses, 11,772 folding beds, 5,715 quilts and other cold-weather necessities.

Authorities have established 35 temporary resettlement sites in the disaster zone.

More than 1,600 personnel from Baqen County, 347 firefighters from the Nagqu fire and rescue detachment and 530 police officers from the Nagqu public security bureau have been deployed, along with vehicles and search-and-rescue dogs.

Medical treatment, public health and epidemic prevention measures are proceeding in an orderly manner, according to the rescue headquarters.

ED Moves Supreme Court Against Delhi HC Order Quashing Money Laundering Case Against NewsClick

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 17:13:52 +0000

ED contends that the High Court quashed its enforcement case information report without examining the PMLA case

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, New Delhi : The Enforcement Directorate has moved the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court order quashing a money laundering case against NewsClick, a news portal, and its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha on charges of violating FDI rules.

In its plea before the top court, the agency contended that the high court quashed its enforcement case information report (ECIR) without examining the PMLA case, and there was an inordinate delay of five months in the pronouncement of the judgment.

The matter is yet to be listed for hearing.

In a judgement dated May 29, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna of the high court said the continuation of an FIR registered by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) was “nothing but a gross abuse of the process of law”, and once the FIR under the predicate offence was quashed, the ED’s ECIR in the matter was also liable to be closed.

The EOW’s 2020 FIR alleged that PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd, NewsClick’s parent company, received foreign direct investment (FDI) of Rs 9.59 crore from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC USA during the financial year 2018-19, in violation of the foreign investment law, which caused a loss to the government exchequer.

It claimed that the investment was made by greatly overvaluing the shares of the company to avoid the cap of 26 per cent FDI in a digital news website, and that over 45 per cent of this investment was diverted/siphoned off as salary, consultation fees, rent, etc., for ulterior motives.

The ED subsequently registered a money laundering case against NewsClick, Purkayastha and others.

PPK Newsclick Studio sought quashing of the FIR, claiming that it was replete with vague allegations.

The high court, in its judgement, said the investment was an economic decision, which “did not spell out any criminal offence”, and as per the reply of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to a letter by the news outlet, there was no cap/restriction on receipt of the FDI in digital media at the relevant time.

The court held that the investment was as per acceptable practices, and the offences of cheating or criminal breach of trust, even if all the allegations were admitted, were not established.

It said that for the offence of cheating, there has to be a “cheated” person, which should be M/s Worldwide Media Holdings LLC in this case, but there was no such complaint, and instead the complaint was made by “merely an informant”.

The court also noted that a company in the business of digital print media was bound to incur expenses on payment of salaries, consultation fees, rent, etc., and the allegation of siphoning was therefore not tenable.

The court also rejected the ED’s attempt to sustain its money laundering case based on the offence of conspiracy under IPC, stating that the investigating agency must show the “illegal objective” or “means” adopted by NewsClick and others for the offence.

“Pertinently, extensive investigations were carried out by the ED for about a year and a half, and the petitioners as well as their employees have been summoned and examined many a times, but nothing incriminating till date has been found or placed on record.

“Aside from bald assertions of a criminal conspiracy, there is not a whisper of any incriminating allegation, which would even remotely suggest the commission of the offence punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA,” the court said.

“The FIR No. 0116/2020 and the ECIR bearing ECIR/14/HIU/2020 are, hereby, quashed,” it concluded.

The court also said that once the ECIR was quashed, the prayer for the supply of its copy was infructuous.

Tiger Shroff Shooting Case: Sonepat Man Arrested in Indore, Firearms Recovered in Surat

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 17:07:52 +0000

Police suspect that Pranjal Thakran provided logistical support and financial or operational assistance to the shooters and key conspirators involved in the attack

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Mumbai/Indore : A 22-year-old man was arrested in Indore on Saturday in connection with the shooting incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, while Mumbai police recovered two firearms from Surat that were allegedly used to target the actor’s car, officials said.

Police sources also claimed that the assailants who fled after opening fire at Shroff on October 18 were receiving real-time updates from their ‘handlers’ about the police probe via news channel coverage, enabling them to alter their escape routes.

A team of the Mumbai Crime Branch, with help from local police, nabbed Pranjal Thakran (22) in a joint operation in Indore, said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotia.

This has taken the number of persons arrested in the case to 11.

Thakran, originally from Sonepat, Haryana, had come to Indore five days ago for the treatment of his paralysed brother, he said.

Police suspect that he provided logistical support and financial or operational assistance to the shooters and key conspirators involved in the attack.

The suspect was being interrogated by a crime branch team, and formalities to arrest him and bring him to Mumbai on transit remand were underway, said a Mumbai police official.

On Friday, police carried out targeted operational raids at a hideout in Surat and recovered two firearms allegedly used in the shooting and ten live cartridges, an official said. Before that, police tracked the logistical trail of the weapons provided to the assailants.

The recovered weapons and ammunition have been sent for forensic examination and ballistic testing to match them with the empty shell casings retrieved from the crime scene.

At least two men fired gunshots at Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on the evening of October 18 before speeding away on a motorcycle. The actor escaped relatively unhurt, while his driver and a bystander were injured.

According to Mumbai Police, five to six rounds were fired at the car. A motorcycle, allegedly used by the shooters, was found abandoned in Andheri.

The three men directly involved in the shooting were receiving real-time updates from their ‘handlers’ about the police investigation via news channel coverage, enabling them to alter their escape routes, police sources said.

The trio, Phool Singh (18), Rehan Rahisuddin Ansari (18), and Rithik Mahto (22), were taken into custody from a train in Kota on October 19. They are currently in police custody until October 31.

As media outlets broadcast news updates, unseen handlers were relaying the information directly to the shooters through encrypted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) messaging applications, sources in the Crime Branch said.

According to the sources, at one point during the escape, when news channels aired visuals of the attack, one of the primary suspects received an urgent instruction on his mobile phone: “Tumhare chehre aa gaye hain, nikal jao waha se” (Your faces are out, get out of there).

The Mumbai Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act for attempt to murder and other offences. Eleven persons have been held so far from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

Police have named gangster Anil Pandit, who had claimed responsibility for the firing on Tiger Shroff, as a wanted accused in the case. Pandit is an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang believed to be operating from the US. He had claimed responsibility for the October 18 attack on the actor in a social media post.

Delhi Student Allegedly Sends Fake Bomb Threat Email to Get School Closed, Police Say

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 16:57:15 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, New Delhi : A teenage girl student allegedly sent a fake bomb-threat email to Air Force Bal Bharati School on Lodhi Road to get the institution closed for the day, police said on Saturday.

The student, who is a minor, was traced following a technical investigation into the threatening email received by the school on October 23, police said.

The email carried the subject line “Bombs Placed in Your Building”, prompting police to launch an investigation amid a recent spate of bomb-threat emails targeting schools in Delhi.

Police conducted a detailed technical investigation and examined digital evidence and linkages to identify the sender.

The investigation established that the alleged sender was a student of the same school, they said, adding that her motive was to get the school closed for the day.

Police said relevant legal action had been initiated against the girl in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Further proceedings are underway as per law.

Wangchuk Cites Administrative Delays in HIAL Land Lease, Says Five Appeals and 15 Visits Were Made

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 15:11:34 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Leh/Jammu : Education reformist and HIAL founding director Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday cited administrative delays in execution of the lease deed for land allotted to his institute in Leh, sharing an official communication from the Ladakh administration dated February 19, 2021, to support his claim.

The climate activist also said he had repeatedly approached the authorities for timely execution of the lease deed, claiming that five written appeals, 15 visits and 30 phone calls had been made in this regard.

Wangchuk’s statement comes after the Ladakh administration defended its decision to cancel the land allotment to the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), citing the activist’s “disregard for the law” and stating that the allotment had automatically lapsed due to unpaid dues and failure to execute the lease deed.

In an affidavit filed in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh recently, the administration maintained that the 40-year lease allotment covering 1,076 kanals and 1 marla of land at Phyang Thang had “lapsed by operation of law” on May 5, 2019, due to HIAL’s failure to execute a lease deed or deposit mandatory land premiums within the stipulated one-year period.

The affidavit, running into 136 pages, was filed by Leh Deputy Commissioner and CEO of LAHDC, Romil Singh Donk, in response to HIAL’s writ petition challenging the August 21, 2025, cancellation order of leased land to the institute.

“Whenever I raise my voice about injustices in Ladakh, the government media machinery gets activated to target me and our institute HIAL’s land lease. Please take the message, don’t kill the messenger,” Wangchuk said in a post on Facebook, sharing a letter issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, stating that the land deed was under process as the administration was awaiting finalisation of a new lease policy following formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“…in the wake of the formation of the new UT and the pandemic, the execution of the lease deed is under process as we are awaiting the New Lease Policy to be finalised. This delay is across board for all institutions, including several government institutions, however you may continue the construction activities of your institution on the allotted land,” the letter reads.

“A quick look at this letter shows their own delays, if not incompetence. In all, five written appeals, 15 visits and 30 calls were made appealing for timely execution of land lease,” Wangchuk said in his social media post.

The affidavit said the writ petition filed by HIAL in the court is “misconceived, devoid of merit, and barred by delay and laches” and made it clear that the original allotment order issued on May 5, 2018, was conditional and explicitly stated that the lease would be deemed cancelled if the allottee failed to execute the deed within a year.

Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo, HIAL co-founder, claimed that everything in the affidavit is a lie, just as the NSA claim against Wangchuk was a lie.

Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) following violence in Leh during protests in support of statehood and extension of the sixth schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh in September 2025, but was released in March 2026 after the Centre revoked the order.

“In the court, they (administration) said they wanted to change the facts and refile the affidavit. Maybe they realised they would be caught again. Everything is a lie,” Angmo said. “They are so incapable that they do not even have a lease policy in place.”

She said everyone in Ladakh has known Wangchuk’s contribution since 2007. “We do not depend on the administration or the so-called lieutenant governors who come and go every six months. In the last five years, we have had four L-Gs and six deputy commissioners (in Leh). They have no stake in the place apart from exploiting it.”

Angmo alleged that the administration wanted to clear the plot by spreading lies and creating a false narrative, as they have been doing in every case. “Then, when they are exposed, they scoot.”

Countering charges on circulation of provocative VCDs by his organisation, the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), and unauthorised occupation of 200 kanals of land under the guise of educational programmes, Wangchuk said this was part of a campaign to malign his name because “we are reminding the government of promises made to people of Ladakh. They are digging up matters that were settled long ago.”

“In 2007, there was similar high-handedness. They tried everything to put me in jail, but they could not. There are several letters from the erstwhile deputy commissioner alleging I had disturbed peace. As in this case, there was a national and global outcry in 2007 as well. Finally, President A P J Abdul Kalam intervened, and the deputy commissioner was removed prematurely.

“That is answer enough to show that we were on the right path and were fighting misuse of power. Now, in the school’s case as well, they are raising issues of the lease and other matters. Because we take political stands and raise issues, they are trying to derail the allotment of the school ground,” he said.

“We would rather die than submit to such high-handedness. We did not submit to it during the previous regime, and we won’t submit to it under the current regime,” he asserted.

“Cases were filed against me back then; the affidavit mentions all those matters. The court acquitted me. How can they bring them up again when the court has already given its verdict?” Wangchuk said.

Delhi Court Remands Content Creator Amir Shokeen in Five-Day Police Custody in Alleged Racial Abuse Case

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 15:07:01 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, New Delhi : A court here on Saturday remanded content creator Amir Shokeen in five days’ police custody in a case related to alleged racial abuse of a youth from Tripura in a video that went viral on social media.

Shokeen was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Shilpi Jain after his one-day judicial custody granted on Friday ended.

Police told the court that Shokeen needs to be taken to Ahmedabad for identification and arrest of other persons allegedly involved in the incident.

Delhi Police arrested Shokeen on Thursday after taking suo motu cognisance of the video, which allegedly showed a youth from Tripura being subjected to racial remarks and humiliation.

The case is being investigated by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police following a communication from the Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER).

According to police sources, the video was allegedly recorded in Ahmedabad around a month ago, and the roles of seven to eight people are under investigation.

The incident triggered widespread condemnation, with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha calling for action against those involved.

Saha had directed Tripura director general of police to coordinate with Delhi Police, while Rijiju said the accused would face strict action.

The Tripura Students Forum Delhi had also sought an impartial investigation and the preservation of electronic evidence, including the original recording, metadata, account details and upload history.

Bengal: BJP Invites Applications for Civic Poll Tickets Until October 26

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 14:27:52 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Kolkata : The BJP on Saturday said applications from aspirants seeking candidature in the upcoming civic elections in Howrah and Kolkata must be submitted by October 26.

The applications can be submitted in a drop box kept at the party office on Muralidhar Sen Lane in north Kolkata.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said aspirants seeking candidature from Kolkata and Howrah civic polls can drop their applications by 5 pm on October 26.

A candidate’s public image would be given priority while selecting nominees, he said.

Majumdar said the party was seeking applications from important personalities to ensure diverse representation.

The minister, responsible for the KMC elections for the BJP, said the party will release its candidate list in three days of the announcement of the civic polls.

Majumdar had earlier urged important personalities to participate in the development of Bengal.

Asked about a possible tie-up with the NCPI, Majumdar said the BJP would contest all 209 seats in KMC.

He did not rule out an understanding with the NCPI in the forthcoming elections.

“Nothing is impossible, but so far there is no news of any alliance,” Majumdar said.

The NCPI, a little-known political outfit, emerged as a new player in Bengal politics after 20 TMC MPs crossed over following Mamata Banerjee’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The breakaway MPs subsequently extended support to the BJP-led NDA at the Centre.

Majumdar, the Balurghat MP, said, “The party’s list of candidates would be made public within three days of the announcement of civic polls.”

He asserted that those who stood by the party during its difficult times would be kept in mind while choosing candidates.

Tiger Shroff Firing Case: Police Probe Alleged Real-Time Updates from Handlers to Shooters

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 13:47:59 +0000

Police are yet to establish who was relaying TV news updates to the shooters, which was done through a messaging app

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Mumbai : The three shooters who fled after firing at actor Tiger Shroff on October 18 evening were receiving real-time updates from their ‘handlers’ about the police investigation via news channel coverage, enabling them to alter their escape routes, police sources claimed on Saturday.

They were apprehended from a train in Kota on October 19.

According to sources in the crime branch investigating the case, at one point during the escape, when news channels aired visuals of the attack, one of the primary suspects received an urgent instruction on his mobile phone: “Tumhare chehre aa gaye hain, nikal jao waha se” (Your faces are out, get out of there).

The actor escaped relatively unhurt on October 18 evening after two shooters fired multiple rounds at his car in Mumbai’s Juhu area, prompting a multi-state investigation and the nabbing of ten individuals from Rajasthan, UP, and Haryana. Shroff’s driver and a vlogger sustained injuries.

The three key accused identified as Phool Singh (18), Rehan Rahisuddin Ansari (18), and Rithik Mahto (22) were intercepted and apprehended by the Kota Police in Rajasthan the following day and are currently in police custody until October 31.

Analysis of digital evidence showed that Rehan was in constant VoIP communication using internet-based applications such as Signal or Zangi, which do not require mobile numbers for registration, according to crime branch sources.

They further said that media reports detailing the recovery of the attackers’ motorcycle in Andheri and their subsequent train journey were immediately relayed to the shooters, allegedly by their handlers.

“This constant feed prompted the trio to frequently shift modes of transport, moving from a motorcycle to a train, followed by a cab, before planning to board a bus from Surat.

“The delay at the Surat bus terminal eventually led them to board another train, where they were apprehended by the Kota police following a prompt alert from the Mumbai Police,” they said.

The Crime Branch is conducting custodial interrogations to uncover the procurement chain of the firearms and identify all individuals involved in supplying weapons and providing logistical support.

Mumbai Police have named gangster Anil Pandit, who had claimed responsibility for the firing on Tiger Shroff, as a wanted accused in the case. Pandit is an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang believed to be operating from the US. He had claimed responsibility for the October 18 attack on the actor in a social media post.

SC Panel to Hear Evidence on Alleged Pellet Gun Use and Harassment of Female Protesters at Jantar Mantar

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 13:29:32 +0000

HPEC to hold a sitting on October 29 to hear the affected persons and record evidence on the alleged use of pellet guns and harassment of female protesters

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, New Delhi : The Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC), probing the alleged violence during the July Jantar Mantar protests, will hold a sitting here on October 29 to hear the affected persons and record evidence on the alleged use of pellet guns and harassment of female protesters, officials said on Saturday.

The panel will hold its proceedings from 11 am onwards at its office at Shiksha Sadan, 17 Rouse Avenue Institutional Area, they said.

Members of the public and anyone affected by the violence can walk in between 11.30 am and 3 pm on October 29 to submit complaints or representations, or present evidence, provided they carry valid identity documentation.

The committee will specifically examine the alleged use of pellet guns, targeted violence and harassment of female protesters, as well as instances of excessive force and property damage on both sides, the officials said.

Earlier, the officials had said that the hearing would be held over a period of two days—October 29 and 30—but later they clarified that it would be a day-long sitting on October 29.

Chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, the five-member panel was constituted by the apex court while hearing several petitions alleging police excesses against student protesters during the agitation spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), alongside counter-allegations of violence against police personnel.

The panel also comprises former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and retired Meghalaya Director General of Police L R Bishnoi.

To facilitate widespread participation and safeguard vulnerable witnesses, the committee has also launched an online portal, hpec.nic.in. Affected persons, witnesses, and stakeholders can access prescribed formats on the portal to upload statements, representations, and supporting documentary evidence.

“The online portal has been developed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions to safeguard the interests of vulnerable witnesses and facilitate the submission of material by affected persons and other concerned stakeholders,” a public notice issued earlier had said.

The top court has directed the HPEC to extend full protection to vulnerable witnesses, ensuring their identities remain confidential, while maintaining utmost secrecy regarding the statements and evidence submitted by them.

The CJP-led march to Parliament on July 20 saw violent clashes between security personnel and demonstrators, during which police used tear gas shells and baton charges to disperse the crowd.

Some students were admitted to hospitals with injuries arising from the possible use of pellet guns.

The student-led agitation, which commenced at Jantar Mantar on June 20 and spread across several cities, was called off on July 25 following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Two Tourists Die During Holidays in Darjeeling Hills

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 09:28:29 +0000

Amitava Banerjee, MP, Oct 24, 2026, Darjeeling : A 35-year-old senior executive of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) died while on a holiday in Darjeeling on Thursday. In another incident, a 48-year-old man from Barasat died in the high reaches of Tumling below Sandakphu in Darjeeling.

Nitesh Kumar Rajak, a resident of Hind Motor in Hooghly district, was staying at a homestay in Singamari, Darjeeling, with his wife and companions as part of a Sikkim-Darjeeling tour that began on October 16.

According to police sources, Rajak collapsed inside the bathroom between 8.45 am and 9 am on Thursday. He was rushed to Darjeeling District Hospital.

“An Unnatural Death (UD) case has been registered. The deceased was brought to the hospital in an unconscious state and was declared brought dead by the attending doctors,” said Sowhik Majumdar, inspector-in-charge of Darjeeling Sadar Police Station.

No visible external injuries were noted. The attending doctor reportedly suspected cardiac arrest as the cause of death.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Bubai Paul (48) from Barasat, North 24-Parganas, who was staying in a homestay at Tumling (9,700 feet), complained of breathing problems.

He was rushed to the nearest medical facility at Sukhiapokhri, around 20 km away, where doctors declared him dead.

Courtesy and Source: Millennium Post

NBMCH Records 127 Deaths During Puja Period, Up from 77 Last Year

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 09:21:31 +0000

Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, Oct 24, 2026, Siliguri : A total of 127 patients died at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) during the six-day Puja period from October 16 to 21. However, hospital authorities said the number should not be considered alarming, claiming that most of the deceased were critically ill patients referred from other hospitals and nursing homes at an advanced stage of their illnesses.

According to hospital sources, eight of the 127 patients died in the Emergency Department before they could be admitted.

The number of deaths has increased compared with last year. Last year, 77 patients died at the hospital during the Puja period.

The increase in the numbers has raised questions over the availability of doctors, particularly senior physicians, during the festival holidays.

A duty roster had reportedly been prepared in advance to ensure uninterrupted medical services during the Puja holidays. However, questions have been raised over whether an adequate number of senior doctors were present as per the roster.

Junior doctors have also expressed concerns, claiming that they were instructed to strictly follow their assigned schedules and were not allowed to exchange duties.

Dr Kaushik Ishore, the superintendent of the hospital, however, dismissed allegations of negligence or inadequate medical services.

“We all worked together at the hospital during the Puja days. There was no shortage of treatment or management-related lapses. I have looked into the matter in detail. Most of the patients who died had been referred from different hospitals and nursing homes in the surrounding areas in critical condition,” he said.

According to hospital sources, a large number of critically ill patients were referred to NBMCH from various hospitals and nursing homes during the Puja holidays.

The Medicine Department recorded a comparatively high number of deaths. Several patients suffering from severe kidney and liver ailments, as well as cardiac arrest, were among those referred to the medical college.

The superintendent claimed that, in some cases, patients could have continued treatment at the referring nursing homes but were instead sent to NBMCH.

Unpaid Puja Bonuses Trigger Protests Across North Bengal Tea Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 09:18:05 +0000

MP, Oct 24, 2026, Alipurduar/Jalpaiguri/North Dinajpur : Discontent over unpaid Puja bonuses has spread across tea gardens in North Bengal, with several gardens failing to pay the 20 per cent bonus and some struggling to clear workers' daily wages. The crisis has triggered protests, road blockades and the arrest of several tea garden managers, raising concerns over the industry's financial health and workers' livelihoods.

Ahead of Durga Puja, the state Labour Department issued a directive for tea garden workers across the hills, Terai and Dooars to receive a 20 per cent bonus. However, the announcement, made without consultation with garden owners or trade unions, raised concerns amid the industry's prolonged financial distress.

At least 50 to 60 ailing gardens are yet to clear the 10 per cent bonus due for the previous year.

At Jay Birpara Tea Garden in Madarihat, workers rejected a 9 per cent bonus offer citing financial difficulties and boycotted the payment.

On October 16, the police arrested the managers of Garganda, Dhumchipara, Huntapara, Birpara and Tulshipara tea gardens on charges of cheating workers by failing to pay their bonuses.

Bidyut Gun, general secretary of the Alipurduar and Cooch Behar Mazdoor Union, criticised the government for failing to ensure implementation of its directive.

“Several managers have been arrested, but they are merely employees. It is the owners who should have been arrested,” he said, warning that some gardens were struggling to pay wages.

He urged the state and central governments to formulate a comprehensive revival plan.

The situation is equally concerning in Jalpaiguri, where Bagrakote, Bamandanga Tundu, Nageswari and Kilcott tea gardens have reportedly failed to pay any bonus. Several others have paid only 10 per cent.

“No tea garden worker's household has any reason to celebrate this Puja. Workers in many gardens have not even received their daily wages for the past one to two months,” said Ramlal Murmu, joint general secretary of the Cha Bagan Mazdoor Union, Jalpaiguri.

He urged the government to provide immediate support rather than limit itself to issuing directives.

In North Dinajpur's Chopra, workers of Iron Tea Garden at Daspara staged a protest on Friday, demanding their pending 20 per cent bonus.

Worker Nazrul Islam warned of intensified agitation if payment was delayed further. Garden manager Jayanta Ghosh said the owner had assured workers that the bonus would be paid soon.

Alipurduar BJP MP Manoj Tigga, a senior leader of the BJP-affiliated tea workers' union, acknowledged that several gardens had failed to pay bonuses.

“We are fully aware of the situation in the tea gardens and are working towards a permanent solution. A list of ailing tea gardens has already been prepared, and the state government is considering them separately. We hope to resolve the problems facing the tea gardens within the next year,” Tigga said.

A Nepali Nurse’s Disappearance, a Ryobi Saw, and a Community Seeking Justice: The Naresh Bhatt Trial

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 07:01:21 +0000

Agencies, Manassas Va, October 24, 2026 : Inside a packed courtroom at the Prince William County Circuit Court, the high-profile murder trial of Naresh Bhatt has laid bare a chilling chronicle of alleged premeditation, deception, and destruction. Bhatt stands accused of the first-degree murder, concealment, and physical defilement of his 28-year-old wife, pediatric nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt, who vanished in the peak of summer 2024.

With Mamta's body still never recovered, the state’s prosecution team has embarked on building a rigorous circumstantial and forensic case, pulling back the curtain on how the horrific crime unfolded and the exhaustive steps taken to conceal it.

Background: Control and Fracturing Marital Ties

Mamta Kafle Bhatt was a vibrant, dedicated pediatric nurse and mother living in Manassas Park, Virginia. Behind closed doors, however, friends, coworkers, and the family’s babysitter testified that her home life was marked by escalating tension and control.

Testimony revealed that Naresh Bhatt exercised severe financial and personal oversight over Mamta, who had increasingly expressed a desire for independence, safety, and a future away from the relationship. Those close to her noted that she loved her infant daughter fiercely and would never have voluntarily abandoned her—making her sudden disappearance on July 29, 2024, an immediate red flag for those who knew her best.

The Premeditation and the Murder Incident

Prosecutors presented stark digital and physical evidence indicating that the crime was not a sudden burst of passion, but a calculated act:

The Knife Purchase: Crucial surveillance footage introduced in court showed Naresh Bhatt visiting a Walmart store purchasing knives just a day after Mamta was last heard from during a July 29 video call with her mother in Nepal.
Inside the Home: Investigators executing search warrants later uncovered extensive, damning forensic evidence, including large bloodstains and blood-spatter patterns matching Mamta’s DNA profile discovered in the primary bedroom and bathroom.

The Cover-Up: The Saw, the Babysitter, and Trash Dumpsters

With no body left at the scene, the trial’s most riveting testimonies centered on how Naresh allegedly disposed of the evidence:

The Ryobi Saw: Prosecutors revealed that on August 1, 2024, Naresh handed a Ryobi power saw to a local landscaper/contractor as payment for a day’s work. Weeks later, after media reports of the arrest broke, the landscaper realized the gravity of the situation and turned the tool over to authorities. Forensic analysts subsequently recovered human hair fragments and blood traces matching Mamta on the blade.
The Babysitter and Friends’ Testimony: The family babysitter took the stand to deliver gripping testimony, detailing an atmosphere of intense discomfort and pointing to erratic behavior from Naresh in the days following Mamta's disappearance—including dropping off the infant child unbathed and in dirty clothes. Friends and co-workers also testified about Mamta's hidden struggles, painting a picture of a woman trapped in an abusive environment.
Disposal Across Northern Virginia: Surveillance footage tracked Naresh over a multi-day span, showing him driving to multiple dumpsters and trash compactors across Northern Virginia—including a secondary apartment he had secretly rented in Falls Church. Video evidence captured him discarding heavy-looking trash bags into compactors, which prosecutors argue contained Mamta's remains.

Both Mamta Kafle Bhatt and Naresh Bhatt were immigrants from Nepal who moved to the United States to build their lives.
Naresh Bhatt imigrated to the United States from Nepal prior to meeting Mamta. Over the years, he established his life in Northern Virginia, serving as an automated logistics specialist in the U.S. Army Reserve from June 2017 to February 2024, and briefly training as a police recruit.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt was originally born and raised in Nepal, she completed her school education there before moving to Bangalore, India, to study nursing. After marrying Naresh, she moved to Northern Virginia to join him in 2021. She held a U.S. green card.
Mamta was a dedicated and hard-working healthcare professional. In the U.S., she worked as a registered pediatric nurse at the UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, Virginia. Colleagues and friends noted that she was passionate about patient care and was actively studying to further advance her nursing career and pursue American citizenship. She was also a devoted mother to the couple's young daughter.
Alongside his time in the U.S. Army Reserve, Naresh worked various jobs and lived in the Manassas Park area with Mamta. He had briefly attempted a career in law enforcement, entering the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy as a police recruit in 2020, though he was dismissed after 22 days for failing to meet role requirements.
Testimony presented during the trial revealed significant friction and marital discord between Mamta and Naresh prior to her disappearance.
Friends and coworkers testified that Naresh exercised severe financial and personal control over Mamta. According to witness statements, he restricted her access to money, turned off her cell phone, and prevented her from driving his car or owning her own vehicle.
Court testimonies highlighted instances of alleged domestic abuse. A close friend testified that Mamta had previously stayed with her for nearly two weeks following a severe argument during which Naresh allegedly struck Mamta, leaving a visible facial bruise. The injury forced Mamta to reschedule a traditional family ceremony for their daughter.
Witnesses stated that Mamta was actively trying to gain independence—seeking assistance to set up her own bank account and moving forward with her process toward full American citizenship—which further strained the relationship.
During the trial, crime scene investigators brought a massive, physical 8-by-10-foot section of the carpet harvested directly from the couple's primary bedroom into the courtroom. When investigators unrolled the heavy carpet in front of the jury, a large, dark red stain was visibly highlighted on the underside, providing jurors with tangible physical context alongside the chemical reagent tests.
Prosecutors heavily emphasized to the jury that when police searched the home, they found Mamta’s wallet containing three unexpired credit cards, along with her identification. The state pointed to this as a glaring indicator that Mamta did not voluntarily pack up and leave or travel out of state as Naresh initially claimed, since she left behind the essentials needed to survive or travel.
Surveillance footage played in court captured Naresh visiting local retail stores immediately following Mamta's disappearance, where security cameras recorded him purchasing items such as knives, heavy-duty trash bags, rubberized gloves, and cleaning fluids. Jurors also watched footage of him putting on gloves before handling trash bags while disposing of them in commercial dumpsters across Northern Virginia.
Beyond standard cell phone geofencing, investigators introduced Tesla tracking data connected to Naresh's vehicle. Combined with public records, the data mapped out suspicious travel patterns—including points where his vehicle's location data aligned with periods of phone inactivity or stops near waterways and secondary properties, tracking how he traversed the region during the cover-up phase.
Before his arrest, Naresh gave interviews to independent journalists and local reporters. Video clips of these pre-arrest interviews were played for the jury, showing him offering shifting, evasive explanations about why he delayed reporting his wife missing for days, which prosecutors used to contrast his calm demeanor against how a genuinely concerned spouse would act.

Mamta and Naresh share a young daughter who was an infant at the time of her mother's disappearance in July 2024.
Following Naresh's arrest and the involvement of child protective services, Mamta’s mother and brother flew from Nepal to the United States. Mamta's family was granted custody, and the child has been living with her maternal grandmother and uncle in Virginia.
The primary challenge in prosecuting Naresh Bhatt stems from a classic legal hurdle: it is a "no-body" murder case.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s remains have never been found. Without a body, the state cannot perform a traditional autopsy to officially determine the precise medical cause of death.
Because there is no body, the prosecution cannot rely on direct physical evidence of a homicide taking place. Instead, they must build an intricate, purely circumstantial case using digital footprints, security footage of trash disposal, blood-spatter and chemical reagent traces found in the home (such as Bluestar revealing hidden blood spots in the bathroom and bedroom), anomalies in household water usage, and forensic traces found on items like the Ryobi saw.
The defense has heavily capitalized on this gap, arguing that blood traces or missing-person timelines do not definitively prove that a murder occurred or that the defendant caused her death.
Presiding over the Prince William County Circuit Court, Judge Kimberly Irving is tasked with managing a complex, high-stakes trial while ensuring that both the prosecution and the defense receive a fair, legally sound proceeding. Her core responsibilities and actions during the trial include:
Enforcing Strict Rules of Evidence: Judge Irving must carefully police what testimony and materials are presented to the jury. For example, she has had to evaluate technical legal boundaries regarding hearsay and what witnesses can share—such as limiting certain second-hand recollections of domestic disputes if they do not strictly adhere to Virginia’s evidence statutes.
Early on, Judge Irving balanced massive local and international attention by ruling on media access. While allowing still photography and delayed video recording, she restricted live streaming to protect the integrity of the jury pool and prevent grandstanding, ensuring jurors would not be distracted or compromised by media pressures.
Over the multi-week trial schedule, Judge Irving oversees the introduction of dense technical evidence—ranging from cellphone geofencing and Tesla tracking data to chemical reagent reactions and public works water consumption metrics—making sure the jury receives proper instructions on how to weigh circumstantial evidence lawfully.
Based on the extensive forensic findings, digital data, witness testimonies, and the prosecution's opening layout in court, investigators and prosecutors have pieced together the sequence of how Mamta Kafle Bhatt was allegedly murdered and how the crime was systematically covered up.
Because Mamta’s body has never been found, this reconstruction relies entirely on physical traces left behind, digital footprints, and timelines built by the state:
The investigative report: Mamta’s last known contact was a video call with her mother in Nepal on the evening of July 29, 2024.
Following that call, her phone abruptly went dead/silent, and her constant presence on social media vanished. Prosecutors maintain that she was killed on or about July 30 inside the family’s Manassas Park home.

Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Naresh Bhatt took deliberate steps immediately before or after the killing.
Surveillance footage introduced in court showed Naresh buying items such as rubberized gloves, knives, heavy-duty storage bags, and cleaning supplies.
While an exact blow-by-blow inside the bedroom cannot be physically witnessed, forensic testing using reagents (like Bluestar) revealed massive, hidden bloodstains and spatter patterns. Evidence indicated a body had been dragged from the primary bedroom into the bathroom.
According to the state's narrative and witness testimonies, Naresh engaged in an intense effort to destroy evidence and eliminate the body:
Public works and utility experts testified that water usage inside the home spiked drastically—running "gallons and gallons" on the days surrounding Mamta’s disappearance—which prosecutors argue was used to intensely scrub away blood and forensic trace evidence.
On August 1, Naresh handed a handheld Ryobi power saw to a local landscaper as payment for a day's work. Weeks later, the landscaper turned the tool over to police, and forensic analysts found human hair fragments and blood traces matching Mamta on the blade. Prosecutors allege this tool was used to dismember her body.
Surveillance cameras across Northern Virginia tracked Naresh driving to various locations, including a secondary apartment he rented in Falls Church. Videos captured him disposing of heavy trash bags into commercial dumpsters and trash compactors, which investigators believe contained Mamta's remains.
The family babysitter and Mamta’s friends testified about Naresh's chilling demeanor in the days following the murder—including dropping off the couple's infant daughter unbathed and in dirty clothes while acting completely unfazed.
Naresh spent days giving shifting explanations to coworkers and police, claiming that Mamta had willingly abandoned the family or traveled to Texas/New York, even though she had no family in the U.S. and would never willingly leave her baby.

The Trial Today

Naresh Bhatt maintains a "not guilty" plea, with his defense attorneys arguing that the prosecution's case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence and pointing to the glaring absence of a physical body.

As the trial progresses in Manassas, the jury continues to weigh the mountain of digital data, witness accounts, and forensic traces against a defendant whose attempts to mask a tragedy have unraveled under the weight of courtroom scrutiny.

Additional Key Points of Mention From the Trial

The "Clean Home" vs. Chemical Reality: Investigators testified that while Naresh made efforts to superficially clean the home—wiping surfaces and trying to mask activity—the introduction of high-intensity forensic reagents like Bluestar revealed massive fluid cleanup zones that regular household cleaning could never erase.

The Defendant's Composure: Throughout the presentation of chilling physical evidence (such as the carpet stains and the saw analysis), courtroom reporters and observers noted Naresh Bhatt’s apparent lack of visible emotional reaction, which prosecutors contrast against his initial, shifting stories to police.

Impact on the Local and Expatriate Community: The case has heavily resonated across Northern Virginia and the broader Nepali-American community, drawing massive attention due to Mamta's dedication as a pediatric nurse and the tragic circumstances surrounding her young daughter.

With the trial well underway through its witness testimonies and presentation of physical exhibits, the proceedings are moving toward closing arguments and jury deliberations.

Once both sides rest, the jury will receive formal instructions from Judge Kimberly Irving and sequester to deliberate. Because this is a complex circumstantial "no-body" murder trial with substantial forensic and digital data to review, a final verdict can typically be expected within a few days to a week after deliberations begin.

If Naresh Bhatt is convicted or if legal errors occur during the trial, the case can move upward through the American and Virginia judicial systems.

If a guilty verdict is handed down, the defense typically files an appeal to the Court of Appeals of Virginia. This intermediate appellate court does not retry the case or hear new witnesses; instead, it reviews whether Judge Irving made significant legal errors during the trial (such as improperly admitting or excluding evidence, or erroneous jury instructions).

If the Court of Appeals upholds the conviction, the defense can petition the Supreme Court of Virginia (the state's highest court). The state Supreme Court chooses whether or not to hear the case, typically accepting only matters involving major constitutional questions or significant state legal precedents.

Once all state-level appeals are completely exhausted, a convicted defendant can sometimes file a federal habeas corpus petition in a U.S. District Court, claiming that their federal constitutional rights (such as due process or effective assistance of counsel) were violated during the state trial. Further appeals can theoretically reach the U.S. Supreme Court, though the high court accepts very few criminal matters of this nature.

Bay of Bengal Low-Pressure System Likely to Intensify into Cyclonic Storm, Landfall Expected on October 28

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:39:55 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Bhubaneswar : The low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is set to intensify into a cyclonic storm and is likely to make landfall on the morning of October 28 somewhere between the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts, the IMD said on Saturday.

The well-marked low-pressure area is expected to turn into a depression during the day, the India Meteorological Department said.

“It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a deep depression on October 25 and into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by October 26 morning,” the weather office said.

The weather system would continue to intensify and reach near the Andhra Pradesh coast around October 28 morning, it said.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the system is “likely to make landfall on the morning of October 28 somewhere between the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts”.

Odisha Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state government has already taken all precautionary measures to tackle the adverse weather conditions with its goal of “zero casualties”.

He said all departments concerned have been asked to remain alert.

The government has already cancelled leave of all its employees in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri and Khurda districts.

“We have asked all 30 districts to be on alert. Collectors of 16 coastal and southern districts have been advised to take precautionary measures,” Pujari said.

The district collectors have been authorised to take decisions on the closure of schools and colleges in their jurisdictions.

The puja committees in Cuttack have been asked to immediately remove the decorative bamboo structures erected on the occasion of Durga Puja, the minister said.

Owners of large trawlers and vessels have also been alerted, while fishermen who have ventured into the deep sea have been advised to return to the coast immediately, Pujari said.

The minister said, “Extra attention is being given to Puri, Ganjam and Gajapati districts where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely.”

Alerts for widespread rainfall have also been issued for Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Kalahandi districts, he said.

The minister said the National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and Fire and Emergency Services personnel have been kept on standby.

Contractor Arrested for Allegedly Diverting 11,000 Litres of Ghee Meant for Sabarimala Temple

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:22:38 +0000

PTI, Oct 24, 2026, Thiruvananthapuram : The VACB has arrested a transport contractor for allegedly diverting 11,000 litres of Milma ghee meant for the Sabarimala temple and replacing it with a cheaper product, causing an estimated loss of Rs 2.5 crore to the Travancore Devaswom Board, officials said on Saturday.

The arrested person is S S Binu, who was awarded the contract to transport the ghee to the hill shrine for the 2025 pilgrimage season, officials said.

This is the first arrest in the case, which is being investigated by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau's Special Investigation Unit following a Kerala High Court directive to probe alleged irregularities in the procurement and quality of ghee supplied to the temple.

Binu was summoned for questioning by the VACB team on Friday, following which he was arrested, officials said.

Milma is the brand name of the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF).

According to the VACB, the Travancore Devaswom Board had procured Milma ghee for preparing 'Aravana payasam', a sweet made with red rice, jaggery and ghee and offered as 'prasadam' at the Lord Ayyappa temple.

The TDB had directly awarded the supply contract to the Pathanamthitta Milma dairy without inviting quotations, following which the transportation contract was entrusted to Binu, officials said.

The VACB alleged that the original ghee meant for Sabarimala was diverted to two agencies in Tamil Nadu and replaced with a cheaper product supplied to the shrine.

Investigators suspect that Binu used forged documents, including fake invoices, to divert the original consignment to Sri Venkateswara Traders and Leo Traders, both based in Ottanchathiram in Tamil Nadu, officials said.

The VACB has estimated that the alleged diversion of the original ghee and its replacement with a cheaper product caused a loss of around Rs 2.5 crore to the TDB.

Further investigation is under way, officials added.

Bengal CM inaugurates nutrition support scheme for tribal families

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:55:10 +0000

PTI, Oct 23, 2026, Jhargram : >Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday inaugurated his government's nutrition support scheme for eligible tribal families, under which they would be provided rice, pulses, cooking oil and soya chunks every week.

"This special drive will be in addition to the ration scheme under the PM Annasurakhya Yojana, aimed at ensuring that no one from the tribal communities is deprived of nutritious food," he said.

The scheme to provide nutrition and food security to families belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) was announced by the state government in this year's budget. It would benefit 70,000 families in Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur districts, the chief minister said at a government event at Kalajharia, a village in Jhargram dominated by the Lodha-Sabar tribal community.

"We had announced a special drive in Jhargram to ensure nutrition and food security for families belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in the budget. Today, I am inaugurating it from here. There will be biometric verification to make sure that not a single eligible family is deprived of the scheme's benefit," Adhikari said.

He told the gathering that the monthly old-age pension for Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries had been increased to Rs 1,500. Moreover, two lakh students in Jhargram would receive Scheduled Tribe scholarships of Rs 800 each, he said.

Highlighting the government's development plans for the region, he said tribal universities would be set up in Bankura and Jhargram. Rs 342 crore has been allocated for Jhargram, and the district magistrate has been directed to ensure comprehensive development of the district within six months, Adhikari said.

Taking a swipe at the previous government, he alleged that it had not allowed the implementation of several Central government schemes, and claimed that the former chief minister had spent only Rs 6 crore on development work across the state's western region.

Adhikari said the 'Adivasi Mahila Samriddhi Yojana' would launch soon and assured people of 125 days of guaranteed employment. Those seeking job cards would be issued new ones, he added.

Maoist Couple Surrenders Before Kolkata Police, Hands Over Weapons

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:40:37 +0000

PTI, Oct 23, 2026, Kolkata : A Maoist couple, carrying a bounty on their heads, surrendered before Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand on Friday and handed over their weapons to the force.

The couple, identified as Mangal and Malati, hails from West Bengal but was active in Jharkhand, the Kolkata CP said.

The Jharkhand Police had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for Mangal's arrest, while Malati was carrying a Rs 2 lakh bounty.

"Mangal hails from Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district, while Malati is a resident of Gopiballavpur in Jhargram. They moved to Jharkhand and were involved in Maoist activities, mainly in the Saranda forest region," Nand told reporters.

Mangal was close to slain Maoist Mallojula Koteswara Rao, better known as 'Kishenji', and six to seven cases were pending against him in Jharkhand, he said.

"He joined red rebels in 2010 when the People's Committee was active in Salboni, and moved to Jharkhand after 2011-12," the Kolkata CP said. Mangal was initially active in the Dalma region before moving to Saranda, the police commissioner said, adding that Malati also left Jhargram and joined him there.

According to police, Maoists were finding it increasingly difficult to remain active in Jharkhand's Saranda and started leaving the area this year.

"Around 13 Maoists from West Bengal were among those who were active there. Several of them have been arrested," the officer said.

Mangal said, "Social transformation is not possible through armed struggle. We have decided to leave that path and return to the mainstream of society. That is why we have come forward to surrender before the West Bengal government."

The couple's surrender comes months after Maoist leader Pushpa alias Shakuntala surrendered before the Kolkata Police in June, and a red rebel Sradhya Biswas alias Bela was arrested in the Uttar Kashipur area in May.

India Says Chinese Patrol Deviations Disturb Border Peace, Affect Bilateral Ties

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:35:24 +0000

PTI, Oct 23, 2026, New Delhi : India on Friday said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns, asserting that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.

The remarks by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came in response to a question on comments by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) director general Shatrujeet Kapur that confrontations with Chinese troops continue to take place in a number of sites along the border in Arunachal Pradesh.

"As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns," Jaiswal said at his bi-weekly media briefing.

"Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)," he said. Jaiswal said the two sides have also agreed to discuss ways to improve understanding of LAC in appropriate areas for better border management.

"I would also like to emphasise that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations," he said.

In his remarks in Rajasthan's Alwar on Thursday, the ITBP director general also said that his force has raised drone platoons in all its border units and prepared a new 'Strike' course to better handle Galwan-like battles.

India and China rolled out a series of measures in the last over one year to rebuild their relationship after it came under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 and the subsequent military face-off that lasted for over four years.

In October 2024, the two sides firmed up a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok, the last two friction points in eastern Ladakh. Days after the agreement was finalised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan and took a number of decisions to improve the ties.

In August last year, Modi travelled to the Chinese city of Tianjin to attend the annual SCO summit. Modi and Xi held extensive talks on the sidelines of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) summit.

In the meeting, Modi said India is committed to taking forward its ties with China based on mutual trust, respect and sensitivity. Last month, Modi held bilateral talks with Xi on the margins of the BRICS summit in New Delhi. In the talks, Modi stressed that both sides must show sensitivity to each other's core issues and let relations be guided by the "three mutuals" — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.

16 Killed in Tibet Earthquake as China Deploys Drones to Search for Survivors

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:26:39 +0000

PTI, Oct 23, 2026, Beijing : China on Friday deployed satellites and drones to search for survivors after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a mountainous region in Tibet, killing at least 16 people and injuring 76 others, authorities said.

The high-intensity shallow earthquake, which struck at a depth of below 10 km at 10.33 pm on Thursday, caused widespread devastation and heavy casualties in the remote Baqen County of the city of Nagqu in China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

So far, 12,489 residents have been evacuated, and rescue and relief operations, along with the resettlement of affected residents, are underway, state-run Xinhua news agency reported from Lhasa, the regional capital.

To assist the rescue efforts, China has deployed satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to provide emergency communications support and imaging of the quake-hit area, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said on Friday.

The fragile Tibetan Plateau is prone to powerful earthquakes as it lies in a region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, generating significant seismic activity.

China has allocated 50 million yuan (about USD 7.5 million) in emergency disaster relief funds and earmarked another 30 million yuan for recovery efforts following the earthquake, according to Xinhua.

More than 330 houses collapsed or were damaged in the quake, and the extent of the damage is being assessed, according to earlier reports.

The detailed breakdown of the 76 injured, including the number of people seriously hurt, was not immediately available.

Passenger trains on the affected section of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway resumed operations at reduced speeds on Friday morning, China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group Co Ltd said.

State Grid Xizang Electric Power Co Ltd said electricity had been restored to 1,937 households in the quake-hit area of Baqen County as of 10 am local time on Friday.

Relief supplies dispatched by authorities at various levels have reached the affected area. These include 1,000 sets of prefabricated houses, 3,239 tents, 2,821 folding beds and 4,280 quilts, along with other essential items, according to Xinhua.

The area around the epicentre has an average altitude of more than 4,800 metres. Temperatures are expected to fall to minus nine degrees Celsius over the next three days, with intermittent snowfall forecast on Saturday in three townships near the epicentre, local weather authorities said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out search and rescue operations for missing people and prompt medical treatment for the injured.

In his instructions, Xi called for every effort to be made to minimise casualties. He also stressed the need to closely monitor seismic activity and weather conditions to prevent secondary disasters, given the high altitude and low temperatures in the affected area.

Xi called for proper accommodation for affected residents, swift repairs to damaged infrastructure and measures to safeguard people's lives and property.

Experts with the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) termed Thursday's quake an "extensional rupture".

Focal mechanism solutions show the event was basically consistent with regional tectonic characteristics.

"An extensional fracture, in simple terms, occurs when the crust is stretched horizontally and, under tension and gravity, faultage slides downward along existing faultage, forming fractures and rupture surfaces," said Han Yanyan, a senior engineer with the earthquake prediction department of the CENC, as quoted by Xinhua.

The CENC explained that the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates had caused the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, crustal shortening and thickening, and widespread plateau deformation.

These processes are the main dynamic mechanism controlling tectonic deformation in the western part of Tibet. "The epicentre is located within the Changtang block of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, about 2 km from the nearest fault, the Baqen-Riwoqe fault," Han said.

Since 1900, the block has experienced six earthquakes of magnitude 7 or above, including this one. The largest was a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Shuanghu on November 8, 1997. "Therefore, this earthquake was an energy release of the Changtang block," Han said.

Critics also point to China's massive construction of hydropower projects, including the construction of a USD 167.8 billion dam, stated to be the world's biggest over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, warning that they are placing additional strain on the ecologically fragile Himalayan region, often described as the 'Roof of the World'.

Dim Lighting and Narrow Lanes at Chorbagan Pandal Raised Risk of Mishap: SIT Chief

noreply@blogger.com (AK Rai) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:19:49 +0000

PTI, Oct 23, 2026, Kolkata : Dim lighting and narrow entry and exit lanes at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal made it apparent that a mishap could occur if a large crowd gathered there, retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, who heads the SIT probing the stampede, said on Thursday.

After inspecting the pandal, where 19 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede on October 17, Saraswati said the role of Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) would also be examined as part of the probe.

"It is obvious that an incident would happen if a large crowd enters," she told reporters after visiting the site at the same time of day when the stampede occurred.

Saraswati, a former Calcutta High Court judge and chairperson of the six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), said police officers informed her that an emergency exit was available at the pandal but had been closed at the time of the incident.

"The SIT would speak to everyone connected with the incident, including eyewitnesses and rescuers, and examine CCTV footage already seized as part of the investigation. It would also ascertain whether adequate CCTV cameras had been installed," she added.

The retired judge said the pandal would be kept in its existing condition until further orders to facilitate the investigation. The immersion of the idols could be carried out without disturbing the structure, she added.

Clarifying that the stampede did not occur inside the pandal but in front of its exit gate, Saraswati said the space available at the entry and exit points appeared inadequate in light of the huge crowd.

She said the SIT would also examine the role of the man who allegedly made an announcement over the public address system shortly before the stampede. The man, accused of telling visitors to leave the pandal because it was at risk of collapsing due to rain and overcrowding, was detained by police on Thursday.

Saraswati, accompanied by Disaster Management Department principal secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha and STF Director General Jawed Shamim, said the permissions granted by police and the fire brigade would also be scrutinised in view of the narrow entry and exit routes.

"A site plan is being made, which will be looked into," she said.

Earlier, some SIT members visited the spot and spoke to police and forensic officials.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has said the SIT's recommendations would be made public and action taken based on them. He said Kolkata Police and KMC officials had been excluded from the team to ensure an independent and impartial investigation.