Nithari Case Acquitted Accused Surendra Kohli Found Dead in Haridwar, Police Suspect Suicide

Surendra Koli, who was acquitted in the Nithari murder case, has died by suicide by hanging in the Bhupatwala area of Haridwar city Kotwali. Police have taken the body into custody and initiated an investigation, with a post-mortem currently underway. Koli, who had been running a tea stall near Lal Mata Mandir in Bhupatwala for the past few days after his release from jail, had previously spent over a decade imprisoned before being cleared of all charges by the Supreme Court. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident as medical reports are awaited to ascertain the definitive cause of death.

A speaker delivered a detailed critique of political history, recounting key moments involving leadership transitions, government dismissals, and party alliances across several decades. The address cited the 1969 presidential election controversy involving Neelam Sanjiva Reddy and Indira Gandhi, followed by later coalition developments involving leaders like Chaudhary Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda, and I.K. Gujral. The speaker also highlighted historical milestones, including the landmark 1994 Supreme Court ruling in the S.R. Bommai case regarding floor tests, the 1993 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case, and the dissolution of various state assemblies over the years. Concluding the address, the speaker referenced regional leadership shifts in states including Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab.

Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked near Batala in Punjab while he was en route to Pathankot for a party yatra. Bittu stated that his cavalcade was pelted with eggs and damaged by individuals allegedly affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party. He accused local MLA Sherry of dispatching individuals to obstruct his movement and claimed security personnel apprehended three people at the site. Bittu urged an immediate investigation and asserted that the Punjab Chief Minister and the Director General of Police would be held accountable for any security breaches.

The Election Commission of India has frozen the Trinamool Congress party name and its twin flower symbol for the upcoming by-elections in West Bengal, barring both the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the rebel faction headed by Ritabrata Banerjee from using them. Following the interim order, both factions were directed to submit alternative names and symbols to the poll panel. The Mamata Banerjee camp has proposed using her name alongside Trinamool Congress, citing her identity as the primary face of the party. Meanwhile, the rebel faction has suggested incorporating terms such as democratic or nationalist with the party name, contending that political leadership cannot be inherited. The interim decision comes ahead of by-polls in Rajarhat and Nandigram, with the commission reviewing the submitted proposals to allot temporary names and symbols to enable candidates to campaign.