Row Over Slow MP LAD Fund Spending at Mandi Disha Meeting as Work Lags

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted inside a moving sleeper bus travelling approximately 47 kilometres from Pari Chowk in Greater Noida to Kashmiri Gate in Delhi. The incident occurred after the minor boarded the vehicle seeking a lift to Noida amid heavy rain. Delhi Police arrested the bus driver, Kuldeep, and conductor, Sandeep, seizing the vehicle in Timarpur. Forensic investigators recovered fingerprints and physical evidence from the bus, while DNA test reports remain awaited. The families of the accused have claimed innocence. The incident has raised questions regarding inter-state police coordination and vehicle regulatory oversight, as the bus had accumulated 11 traffic violations within 11 months. An investigation into private sleeper buses revealed critical compliance lapses, including non-functional CCTV cameras, inconsistent GPS tracking, and absent emergency panic button systems, exposing safety gaps in public transport safeguards introduced after the 2012 Nirbhaya case.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over student issues, challenging him to visit Telangana and listen to local youth. Speaking at a public meeting in Karimnagar, Rama Rao questioned the delivery of election assurances, including two lakh jobs annually, the job calendar, unemployment allowances, and fee reimbursement. He also targeted Chief Minister Revanth Reddy regarding governance and unfulfilled commitments.

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption concluded searches at the residences of a former Tamil Nadu minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislator in Tiruchirappalli and Chennai. The anti-corruption agency initiated the action based on a new complaint regarding tender irregularities linked to the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department during the previous administration. Searches were also conducted at the premises of the legislator's brother and personal assistant. The party termed the operation an act of political vendetta and an attempt at political intimidation, while the state government maintained that the raids were conducted strictly on the basis of evidence.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected regions along the Varuna and Ganga rivers in Varanasi to review the ground situation. Affected residents from submerged residential colonies were shifted to safe locations, including government schools. Relief material distribution is being organised for impacted families. While water levels in the Ganga and Varuna rivers have receded below the danger mark over the past two days, waterlogging persists in residential areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with Varanasi's District Magistrate and Mayor to review ground conditions, promising central government assistance for flood management and ongoing relief operations across the district.