Pakistan Army captain, 10 terrorists killed in encounter at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

On the Judges Panel, former Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Gupta and former High Court Chief Justice Sanjiv Banerjee deliberate on the Supreme Court's refusal to expedite hearings regarding Bengal SIR appeals ahead of upcoming by-elections. Addressing concerns over more than 37 lakh pending appeals and disenfranchisement, the panel examined whether judicial review is imperative to maintain transparent electoral rolls. Justice Sanjiv Banerjee emphasised that under the Constitution, every citizen is entitled to vote unless expressly disqualified, questioning the burden placed upon voters to verify their credentials. Justice Deepak Gupta noted that democratic safeguards require courts to step in rather than permit valid citizens to be excluded from voting, urging the judiciary to be far more proactive. Critiquing systemic anomalies and the executive's role in appointments to the Election Commission, the former judges warned that administrative overreach undermines public trust in democratic institutions.

The Supreme Court of India took suo motu cognisance of recent rape cases in Delhi, noting that five rape cases took place within five weeks in the national capital. The court issued observations addressing failures in law enforcement and civic administration, stating that living without fear is a fundamental right and public spaces cannot become high-risk zones. Pointing out lax police patrolling and poorly lit roads, the court drew a parallel to the Nirbhaya case and sought a status report on safety schemes while ordering an audit of vulnerable areas. The developments follow incidents reported from Kalkaji in Delhi to Jamui in Bihar. An India Today ground reality check across public spaces and parks in Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Bengaluru highlighted issues regarding non-functional streetlights, lack of CCTV camera surveillance, and absent police patrolling after dark.

Protests erupted across major cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Srinagar, and Hyderabad over the controversial Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties staged nationwide demonstrations demanding the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, leading to clashes with police in several states. While the ruling coalition firmly defended the commission and launched counterattacks, political parties escalated their agitation by announcing a nationwide movement from the second of October. The confrontation continues to intensify as political leaders raise concerns over the electoral revision process.

A power struggle escalates at the top of Tata Sons as Noel Tata makes a countermove following the Reserve Bank of India mandate on listing. Tata Trusts have proposed merging Tata Electronic Solutions and Tata Consulting Engineers into Tata Sons to shed its non-banking financial company status and avoid a public listing. The Tata Sons board had previously approved the listing recommended by the central bank, which Noel Tata opposed. The friction follows the approval and ratification of N. Chandrasekaran's five-year reappointment as chairman of Tata Sons, marking an ongoing tussle between the board and Tata Trusts over corporate restructuring.