Veeramani POCSO Case: Co-Accused Sent To Custody; TTV Dhinakaran Seeks CBI Probe

A seventeen-year-old survivor has recounted the horrific gang rape she suffered on her birthday at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir in Delhi. The victim said three men accosted her and her male friend while posing as police officers, intimidated them, brandished a firearm, and held a knife to her neck before dragging her to a secluded spot. Delhi Police tracked down and arrested the three accused following an encounter. Forensic analysis is underway on the recovered clothing and mobile phones of the suspects, who allegedly attempted to delete search history and wash their clothes to destroy evidence. Investigators revealed that the suspects face stringent legal sections, including the POCSO Act, the Arms Act, and Section 70(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which carries penalties up to life imprisonment or capital punishment for gang rape of a minor. Police are preparing to seek remand following the test identification parade to probe past criminal involvement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual interaction with Seva Yatris who are undertaking an extensive bike rally covering over 35,000 kilometres in ten groups. The rally connects the Prime Minister's birthplace in Vadnagar, Gujarat, to his parliamentary constituency in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. During the interaction, participants traveling through districts including Lalitpur, Sagar, and Jhansi shared their field experiences, noting local public sentiment around development initiatives like the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Bundelkhand, women empowerment schemes, and rural transformation. The participants recounted their interactions with citizens, school students, and beneficiaries across various states. Prime Minister Modi encouraged the volunteers to actively document their observations, maintain service commitments, promote national awareness among communities along their route, and contribute towards the vision of building a developed nation.

A morning business bulletin covers key financial developments, policy updates, and corporate events. The central government has clarified that there is no proposal to rethink Merchant Discount Rate on the Unified Payments Interface, nor is there any proposal to exempt fuel from it, while efforts with the Indian Banks' Association are being explored to ensure costs are not passed to consumers. In corporate updates, Tata Sons has rejected Noel Tata's objections to the reappointment of N. Chandrasekaran, citing majority board validity and legal opinions from former Chief Justice of India U. U. Lalit and former Supreme Court Judge B. N. Srikrishna ahead of shareholder ratification. Meanwhile, domestic stock indices opened mildly lower with the Nifty near 23,054, amid fluctuations in IT and banking shares alongside commentary on Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India consultation proposals. Additionally, the bulletin touches upon Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's remarks on trade pact negotiations and a high-profile dinner hosted in Washington.

India secured its second gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 after the duo of Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet triumphed in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team shooting event in Japan. The pair demonstrated composure and focused shooting throughout the final round to finish at the top of the podium. This victory marks India's second gold medal at the ongoing Games, following an earlier gold medal triumph in cricket, adding to the nation's rising medal tally across sporting events.