Vande Mataram Played At J&K Film Festival; Omar Abdullah & Farooq Abdullah Stand In Attention

A 54-year-old Meitei musician and music teacher from Manipur, Songtham Vikram Singh, died after being brutally assaulted outside his house in Delhi. The incident occurred when Singh objected to shouting and nuisance created by delivery workers and dhaba staff. After confronting them, he was assaulted with fists and blows and later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Police have arrested eight accused, including a juvenile, with CCTV footage capturing them leaving the scene. Manipur Chief Minister Khemchand Yumnam expressed condolences over Singh's demise, highlighting his contribution to music and culture. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised the central government over the safety of Northeast families living in the national capital and demanded stringent action against the culprits.

A major security incident was thwarted at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in BKC, Mumbai, ahead of an event scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mumbai Police and security personnel detained two individuals after an accused, identified as Rohan Parekh, attempted to gain access to the Global Fintech Fest using a forged Prime Minister's Office (PMO) identity card. An individual accompanying him as a bodyguard was also found carrying an unauthorized firearm. The suspects were intercepted at the entry gates after security officials raised suspicions over the credentials presented and conducted cross-checks. Both individuals were subsequently arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch and are set to be produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court. Multiple units, including the Crime Intelligence Unit, are investigating the background of the accused, the origin of the forged PMO card, and the motive behind attempting to breach the high-security venue.

A building collapse in South Delhi's Satya Niketan has led to widespread student protests and intensified scrutiny over civic negligence. Ahead of the DUSU elections, students demonstrated seeking accountability, compensation, an audit of South Campus PGs, and adequate university hostel facilities. Following the incident that claimed seven lives, police registered an FIR naming owner Hariram Gupta, his wife, and son under BNS sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash acts endangering lives, and negligent construction. Investigations revealed illegal floor additions on a 40-to-50-year-old weak foundation for extra rental income. Ground reports also highlighted that no action had been taken since a similar under-construction building collapsed in the area four years earlier.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognizance of the alleged suicide of a Sangrur resident linked to harassment over the unchecked sale of synthetic drugs. Notices have been issued to the Punjab Chief Secretary, DGP, District Magistrate, and SSP Sangrur, demanding an action taken report within two weeks along with copies of the dying declaration, inquest report, and postmortem records. The incident has triggered a political showdown between the opposition and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government. Opposition parties, including the BJP and Bikram Majithia, have raised questions about drug menace in Punjab and demanded a CBI probe along with the arrest of Harpal Cheema, while AAP stated it would support justice for the victim's family.