Mumbai 'Rent A Garba Partner' Ad Sparks Row; BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay Urges Police Probe

Delhi Police have arrested an accused, identified as Asif, following an encounter in Southeast Delhi's Amar Colony area in connection with the gang rape of a 17-year-old minor. According to the police, the incident occurred at Astha Kunj Park opposite Kalkaji Mandir, where three men posing as police personnel threatened the victim and her male friend with a pistol and a knife before assaulting her. Based on CCTV footage and descriptions provided by the victim, police tracked down the primary accused. When intercepted early in the morning near the DM office lane in Amar Colony, the accused opened fire at the police team, prompting retaliatory fire that left him injured. The police recovered a firearm from the spot, and forensic teams were deployed to collect evidence. Authorities have launched raids across multiple locations to nab the remaining two absconding suspects.

The Karnataka finance department has advised the state government to exercise caution and remain realistic regarding spending and the announcement of new schemes amid a cash crunch. The financial strain is currently affecting expenses, salary disbursements, and subsidy payments. In addition, ongoing monsoon deficits and drought across Karnataka are estimated to impose an extra burden of 4,000 to 5,000 crore rupees on the state exchequer for power generation and drinking water supplies for farmers. The department emphasised generating new revenue streams before allocating funds for additional projects.

Punjab Police has issued a security advisory directing police personnel in border districts to avoid wearing uniforms and displaying police symbols while traveling between home and duty. The advisory, issued by the Inspector General of Police Border Range to Senior Superintendents of Police in Amritsar Rural, Batala, Gurdaspur, and Pathankot, comes after the killing of Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh in Amritsar. The directive instructs personnel to travel in civil clothes and strictly follow security protocols. The step follows targeted attacks on police personnel across the Border Range, including the killings of Assistant Sub-Inspector Joginder Singh in Majitha and two personnel in Gurdaspur.

The Tamil Nadu government has launched the expansion of the breakfast scheme, renamed the Perundhallaivar Kamaraj Breakfast Scheme. Previously covering primary school students from classes one to five, the initiative now extends free morning meals to middle school students in classes six to eight across government and government-aided schools. The expansion is set to benefit over 15 lakh additional students across more than 15,500 schools, with an additional allocation exceeding 200 crore rupees. The total expenditure for the overall breakfast scheme is estimated to cross 500 crore rupees. The primary objective is to ensure no student remains hungry and to encourage school attendance. The menu primarily features vegetarian South Indian dishes such as pongal, idli, vadai, and upma, with strict emphasis placed on hygiene and nutritional quality. Additionally, a proposal to introduce chicken biryani in midday meals to boost protein intake remains under consideration following hygiene and pilot testing.