Chandranath Rath and Suvendu Adhikari (Image/Agencies)

New Delhi: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday described the murder of his close aide Chandranath Rath as ‘heart-wrenching’ and alleged that it was a ‘premeditated murder’ carried out after several days of surveillance. This happened as police continued to investigate the murder in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.Speaking to reporters after the incident, the officer said, “The murder of my colleague Chandranath Rath is heartbreaking; we condemn it. We appeal to everyone not to take the law into their own hands.”The officer also said that he was informed by senior police officers. “The DGP assured me that the police will investigate the brutal murder of my colleague Chandranath Rath. Apart from my colleague, one of our cadres was shot in Basirhat and another was stabbed in Baranagar.”He further alleged that the attack was carefully planned. According to him, both Home Minister Amit Shah and party president Nitin Nabin have been informed about the incident. “This is a pre-planned murder, and this is what the DGP has said. Recce was conducted for 2-3 days and the murder was completely planned. The police have started investigation… We are saddened and have no words to condemn this incident. Our entire leadership from Delhi has taken information about this. Union Minister Sukant Majumdar spoke to (the deceased’s) family and the police… Various leaders and elected MLAs have come here from their constituencies...Police have found some evidence and will investigate,” he said. Taking aim at TMC, Adhikari said, ‘This is the result of 15 years of Maha-Jungle Raj. BJP will start the work of eliminating goons here.Chandranath Rath, the officer’s executive assistant, was shot dead near Dohariya on Jessore Road in Madhyamgram area late on Wednesday night. Police said he was traveling in a car when assailants riding a motorcycle stopped the vehicle and fired at close range.He was taken to a private nursing home where doctors declared him dead.The incident caused huge political reaction with BJP leaders alleging that it was a ‘planned and targeted attack’.BJP leader Sujay Kumar Dey said, “As per our information, four to five people were riding on the motorcycle when they shot the victim… Moreover, four to five motorcycles were involved in the incident.”Read this also Chandranath Rath, close to Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram, West Bengal.He said it appeared that the chariot was specifically targeted: “Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant and driver were both present in the car; however, only his personal assistant was targeted and killed.”Another BJP leader Keya Ghosh alleged political motives, saying, “He was targeted out of anger and frustration.”

TMC demands CBI investigation, calls violence ‘unacceptable’

Trinamool Congress (TMC) has condemned the killing of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram and alleged that several violent incidents happened to its workers after the recent elections.In an official statement posted on Twitter, the party said: “We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram tonight, as well as the killing of three other TMC workers in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly by BJP-backed miscreants in the last three days despite the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.”Calling for strict action, the party demanded an investigation into the incident. The statement further said, “We demand the strongest action including a court-monitored CBI investigation in this matter so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without any delay. Violence and political killings have no place in a democracy and the culprits must be held accountable as soon as possible.”

Police recovered evidence, investigation continues

West Bengal DGP Siddha Nath Gupta said that the police have started a full investigation and have recovered evidence from the spot. “We have started investigating the case. We have seized the 4-wheeler used in the crime… We have recovered live cartridges and spent cartridges from the spot.”Officials said it appeared that the number plate of the vehicle had been tampered with and the CCTV footage was being examined. No arrests have been made yet.

Who was Chandranath Rath? Former Air Force officer becomes chief aide of officer

Chandranath Rath, a close associate of Suvendu Adhikari, was a resident of Chandipur in East Medinipur district of West Bengal. Before entering politics, he served for nearly two decades in the Indian Air Force, where he pursued a career in disciplined administrative and operational roles.After taking voluntary retirement from the armed forces, Rath worked in the corporate sector for some time before gradually shifting to political and organizational responsibilities in Bengal politics.Over time, he became a trusted aide of Suvendu Adhikari and became closely involved in the day-to-day coordination of the office of the leader of the opposition.Party sources said Rath was part of Adhikari’s core team and handled key backroom responsibilities including organizational planning, communication with local party workers and campaign logistics during key election battles in the state.He played an active role in high-level political campaigns, including constituency-level strategies, during crucial elections in West Bengal and was regarded as a reliable and discreet coordinator in party circles.

Bhopal: In a bizarre twist in the missing person case, a Satna man has alleged that the police’s “Goa search trip” to trace his 30-year-old wife, who has been missing since March 11, cost him nearly Rs 65,000. Acting on the complaint, Satna police have removed two constables from active duty and sent them to police lines pending investigation.The woman, a mother of three children including a 3-year-old child, was reported missing at the Civil Lines police station on March 12. Her husband claimed that despite filing a complaint, there was little initial progress. A few days later, he was reportedly told by a policeman that his location had been found in Goa, prompting a trip in the name of a search operation.According to the complainant, he bore the entire cost of the journey and spent around Rs 65,000, but neither his wife was found nor any concrete clue emerged. He further alleged that despite the failed attempt, he was being pressured again to arrange funds for another trip to Goa.The man has also lodged a complaint on the CM helpline, stating that he has been running from door to door, struggling to take care of his children in the absence of his wife.“Following the allegations, an inquiry has been constituted and the deputy SP has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report. Meanwhile, both the constables have been removed from active duty until the investigation is concluded,” SP Satna Hansraj Singh told TOI.However, police sources said that the woman’s location was found in Goa and the location of a minor girl, who was missing, was also found there. The teams were going in search of the minor girl when this woman’s location was also found nearby; Therefore, the complainant was asked to accompany them. He also took some of his relatives; However, the police team managed to find the missing minor girl and the youth who had taken her there the very next day and when they could not locate them, the team returned. Police department sources said that the complainant stayed there with his relatives for a few days and then returned.

ज्येष्ठ माह के प्रथम मंगलवार के अवसर पर अयोध्या जिले के तारुन ब्लॉक मुख्यालय के सामने भव्य भंडारे का आयोजन किया गया। इस कार्यक्रम में सुबह से ही श्रद्धालुओं की भारी भीड़ देखी गई. दूर-दूर से लोग यहां आए और भगवान हनुमान की पूजा-अर्चना कर सुख-समृद्धि की कामना की। पूरे इलाके में भक्ति और सेवा का माहौल था. कार्यक्रम में स्थानीय जन प्रतिनिधियों एवं कार्यकर्ताओं ने भी उत्साहपूर्वक भाग लिया।

मुख्य अतिथि ने कार्यक्रम का उद्घाटन किया
कार्यक्रम का शुभारम्भ अयोध्या के निवर्तमान सांसद माननीय लल्लू सिंह जी ने विधि विधान से भगवान हनुमान जी का पूजन कर किया। इसके बाद उन्होंने आयोजन की सराहना करते हुए कहा कि ऐसे धार्मिक कार्यक्रम समाज को एकजुट करने और लोगों में सेवा की भावना बढ़ाने का काम करते हैं.

पूजन के बाद भंडारा व प्रसाद वितरण हुआ।
हनुमान जी के दर्शन-पूजन के लिए सुबह से ही श्रद्धालु पहुंचने लगे। पूजा के बाद भंडारा का आयोजन किया गया, जिसमें बड़ी संख्या में लोगों ने प्रसाद ग्रहण किया. कार्यक्रम स्थल पर लोगों की लंबी कतारें देखी गईं और सेवा में लगे लोग पूरे उत्साह के साथ भक्तों को प्रसाद बांटते दिखे.

बुध मंगल का धार्मिक महत्व
स्थानीय मान्यताओं के अनुसार ज्येष्ठ माह के पहले मंगलवार को ‘बूढ़ा मंगल’ कहा जाता है। इस दिन हनुमान जी की पूजा का विशेष महत्व है। मान्यता है कि इस दिन सच्चे मन से पूजा करने से सभी कष्ट दूर हो जाते हैं और मनोकामनाएं पूरी होती हैं। यही कारण है कि इस दिन बड़ी संख्या में लोग पूजा-पाठ और सेवा कार्यों में भाग लेते हैं।

कई बड़े लोग सेवा में लगे रहे
इस कार्यक्रम में ब्लॉक प्रमुख प्रतिनिधि फयाराम वर्मा, जिला महासचिव राघवेंद्र पांडे, जिला उपाध्यक्ष राममोहन भारती, भाजपा युवा मोर्चा के जिला अध्यक्ष सुनील मिश्रा, विजय बहादुर तिवारी, केके तिवारी (मंडल अध्यक्ष हैदरगंज), महेंद्र मिश्रा (पूर्व मंडल अध्यक्ष), आईटी सेल जिला संयोजक प्रवेश मिश्रा सहित कई लोग मौजूद रहे। इसके अलावा शैलेन्द्र सिंह, पवन तिवारी, देवेश तिवारी, नरेन्द्र देव पाण्डेय, राजमणि तिवारी, प्रदीप गुप्ता, राम अरज वर्मा, चन्द्र देव सिंह, प्रेम वर्मा, मणीन्द्र शुक्ल, राम राज मिश्र, राज कुमार तिवारी, वैभव सिंह, दीप कुमार गुप्ता, राजेश तिवारी (प्रधान), अनुराग पटेल, उदयभान वर्मा, नरेन्द्र पाण्डेय व गुड्डु गुप्ता सहित बड़ी संख्या में लोग सेवा कार्य में लगे रहे।

(रिपोर्ट:अनूप कुमार अयोध्या)

A social media post by American entrepreneur James Blunt claiming that H-1B visa holders constitute less than 0.5% of the US workforce has triggered an online debate on immigration, tech jobs and data interpretation.Blunt shared a chart on He argued that concerns about foreign workers taking American jobs are exaggerated and driven by emotions rather than facts.“For perspective: Every dot is American workers. The small yellow group are H-1B workers <0.5% of the workforce. This is being framed as a 'crisis.' There is no Indian acquisition. No talented unemployed Americans are being replaced. This debate is being driven more by emotions than actual numbers,” he wrote.He also claimed that even in fields where H-1B workers are most common, such as STEM fields, they only represent about 5 percent of the workforce.However, Blunt’s post did not include any sources for the figures, leading to criticism from other users who argued that the data presentation was misleading. Some said the concentration in specific industries was overlooked when compared to the entire US workforce, while others raised concerns about visa categories and hiring practices.One response came from edtech entrepreneur Hany Girgis, who challenged the interpretation of the data, saying it underestimates the impact of H-1B workers in high-skill sectors.Haney replied on X: “James, lovely dot chart”He added: “You are comparing H-1B workers to the entire US workforce (160+ million people) and pretending this is proof there is “no crisis.” It’s like standing in the living room and saying “There’s no fire in the kitchen”.The majority of recent H-1B approvals have been in technical and IT roles, Girgis said, pointing to federal data. He also argued that in some engineering and software teams, H-1B workers could form a significant portion of the workforce.“The ‘little yellow group’ is concentrated exactly where the high-paying American jobs used to be,” he wrote. He further said that the real debate is not the overall workforce share but job distribution across key industries.He added: “It’s not ’emotion versus numbers’.” It’s a misleading chart versus numbers in the right field.”Girgis is the co-founder and president and owner of Skillstorm, an edtech and workforce training company. He has a background in engineering and consulting and works in technical skills development and job placement.The debate comes as the H-1B visa controversy is unfolding in the US, especially among the MAGA base, which claims visa holders are taking American jobs and replacing local workers in various sectors.

मई माह शुरू होते ही चारधाम यात्रा में श्रद्धालुओं की संख्या बढ़ने लगी है। प्रतिदिन दस हजार से अधिक श्रद्धालु मां यमुना के दर्शन के लिए यमुनोत्री धाम पहुंच रहे हैं। भीड़ बढ़ने पर यात्रियों को धाम के संकरे पैदल मार्ग पर जाम की समस्या से जूझना पड़ता है।

बुधवार दोपहर करीब साढ़े तीन बजे धाम के पास देवदेखानी स्थान से लेकर घोड़ा पड़ाव तक जाम लग गया। स्थानीय निवासियों के मुताबिक, वहां एक संकरी सड़क होने के साथ ही घोड़े-खच्चर खड़े रहते हैं और लाठियां रखी रहती हैं। इसलिए वहां हर साल जाम लगता है. हर साल यमुनोत्री धाम का पैदल मार्ग कई स्थानों पर संकरा हो जाने से पैदल यात्रियों के साथ घोड़े, खच्चर और छड़ी-गाड़ी लेकर जाने वाले मजदूरों का भी जाम लग जाता है। लेकिन अब तक प्रशासन व पुलिस की ओर से भीड़ नियंत्रण के लिए कोई ठोस योजना नहीं बनायी गयी है.

Panaji: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expanded the scope of its suo motu PIL on dead fish floating in Mala Lake to include the Mandovi river region to address water pollution.The court took cognizance of one times of India Report on qualitative and quantitative study of water in Mandovi of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The bench noted the “concerning findings” of the report.The court said that the main issue that needs to be addressed would be the very high amount of fecal coliform bacteria present in the river around the area where the casinos are operating.A bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar directed the Member Secretary, GSPCB, to conduct a similar quantitative and qualitative study and prepare a report on the water quality within the Mandovi, especially at the mouth of the river between Iffi Ghat and Mandovi bridges.“The study will particularly focus on collecting information about the water quality around each casino stationed there or any other marine vessel which is used for tourism purposes within that area,” the court said while directing the submission of the report on June 1.The high court also directed the GSPCB to initiate action on the basis of the report based on the data already available with them and place it before the court on June 1.On the Mala Lake issue, the joint site inspection report by the GSPCB, Water Resources Department and Fisheries Department has pointed to pollution of the water due to sewage discharge. Reports recorded that waste water (sewage) from residential areas along the western perimeter of the lake was seen flowing into the lake through storm water drains. “These observations highlight the fact that sewage is being discharged directly into the lake by residents on the western periphery of the lake,” the court said.It directed the CCP Commissioner to conduct a joint inspection of each residential house to find out the exact cause of the presence of faecal coliform bacteria and identify their sources.“If such discharge is actually found in a particular home-shed, the Commissioner shall take immediate action to seal or rectify the situation,” the HC said. He said that in case of environmental degradation and health hazards, no notice is required before sealing or taking action under the CCP Act and Public Health Act.During the hearing, the CCP told the court that there are 800 to 1,000 residences within 200 meters of the perimeter of the lake, of which 200 have been inspected so far and 31 show cause notices have been issued.The Sewerage and Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa told the court that it runs a pumping station where a part of the sewage is pumped to the STP at Tonka and the rest to the STP at EDC Patto. The corporation told the court that treated water from STPs at Tonka and Patto is not discharged into Mala Lake but into Mandovi.Corporation counsel Akshata Bhatt presented before the court a water analysis report of the STP at Patto, which showed that the water was completely treated before releasing it into Mandovi.

A high-profile legal battle involving JPMorgan and a sex scandal has taken a new turn, with new details revealing a huge gap between the settlement sought and offered before the controversial sexual harassment lawsuit became public.Former JPMorgan banker Chirayu Rana reportedly demanded more than $20 million from the bank before filing a lawsuit accusing senior executive Lorna Hajdini of sexual harassment, according to sources cited by the New York Post. The demand was made in June last year, months before the matter came to public notice.“He threatened to go public and demanded millions of dollars,” a source close to the situation told the NYP.According to the Wall Street Journal, JPMorgan later offered Rana $1 million to settle the case, a figure previously reported. The report also said that Rana’s current lawyer Daniel J Kaiser proposed a counter offer of $11.75 million.The lawsuit was filed last month in New York County Supreme Court under the pseudonym “John Doe.” It contains serious allegations against Hazdini, including claims that he drugged Rana with Viagra and forced her to have sex repeatedly, including racist abuse and humiliating demands. Hazdini and his lawyers have denied all allegations. Hazdini’s associates have also described the lawsuit as a written “fan fiction” or “novel”.JPMorgan has also rejected the claims, saying an internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. The bank said it reviewed emails, phone records and witness statements and found that Hajdini cooperated fully while Rana did not.Legal experts have weighed in on the dispute. New York lawyer Jason Goldman said: “Presumably, Rana sent Hazdini a shakedown letter, publicly threatening to file a lawsuit unless he bought his silence by paying an exorbitant fee for something he did not do. When he refused to bow down, Rana doubled down and pushed his name and reputation into the mud.Besides the sexual abuse claims, there are other layers to the case. According to the NYP, Rana told JPMorgan supervisors in December 2024 that his father had died, allowing him to take extended bereavement leave. However, his father was later found alive. When contacted, his father said, “I don’t know anything about this.” He is my son. He is a good boy.”Rana had filed an internal complaint alleging race and gender-based harassment in May 2025 before leaving the bank. He later joined private equity firm Bregel Sagemount but left the job in early April, just weeks before the lawsuit was filed.The central claim of the lawsuit has also been challenged by internal company structures. Rana and Hazdini reported to different managers and suggested they had no say over their pay or promotions. But Rana’s legal team says the allegations are genuine. His lawyer has said the claims will be supported by evidence as the case progresses.The lawsuit includes a series of detailed allegations. Rana claims the alleged harassment began soon after she joined the bank in 2024, including inappropriate physical contact and explicit comments. He further alleged that Hajdini threatened his career if his demands were not met. He has also accused the bank of retaliation and claims that following his complaint, he was sent on leave and his professional reputation has been damaged.Rana also says that he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the alleged events.Additionally, two new witness accounts in the high-profile case were reported by the Daily Mail. In one incident, a witness claimed that Lorna Hazdini, who was naked, asked him to “join her in the bedroom” in a New York apartment. Meanwhile, a second witness said he had heard Chirayu Rana say Lorna had made his life at work a “living hell”.

पश्चिम बंगाल में भारतीय जनता पार्टी की सफलता को लेकर अयोध्या नगर विधायक वेद प्रकाश गुप्ता ने बड़ा बयान दिया है। उन्होंने इस जीत को देश के शीर्ष नेतृत्व की मजबूत रणनीति और संगठन के प्रभावी काम का नतीजा बताया. उन्होंने कहा कि यह जीत सिर्फ चुनावी सफलता नहीं बल्कि जनता के विश्वास की जीत है. इस मौके पर विधायक ने पार्टी कार्यकर्ताओं और बंगाल की जनता को बधाई भी दी. उनके मुताबिक इस जीत ने देश की राजनीति को नई दिशा का संकेत दिया है.

मोदी नेतृत्व को बताया सफलता की बुनियाद
वेद प्रकाश गुप्ता ने कहा कि नरेंद्र मोदी के नेतृत्व में देश में जो विकास, विश्वास और सुशासन की लहर चली है, उससे बंगाल के लोगों के मन में परिवर्तन की भावना पैदा हुई है. उन्होंने कहा कि जनता अब विकास चाहती है और इसी सोच ने बीजेपी को मजबूत किया है.

अमित शाह की संगठनात्मक क्षमता का जिक्र
उन्होंने अमित शाह की संगठनात्मक क्षमताओं और राजनीतिक समझ की भी सराहना की। विधायक के मुताबिक, अमित शाह की रणनीति ने कार्यकर्ताओं में नई ऊर्जा भर दी और उन्हें जमीनी स्तर पर काम करने के लिए प्रेरित किया. इससे पार्टी को मजबूत आधार मिला.

सुनील बंसल के क्रियान्वयन को खास बताया
वेद प्रकाश गुप्ता ने भी सुनील बंसल के काम की सराहना की. उन्होंने कहा कि जिस तरह से सुनील बंसल ने बूथ स्तर तक संगठन को मजबूत किया वह एक बेहतरीन उदाहरण है. उन्होंने हर कार्यकर्ता को स्पष्ट दिशा-निर्देश देने और हर मतदाता तक पहुंच सुनिश्चित करने के लिए “मैन-टू-मैन मार्किंग” की रणनीति को सफलतापूर्वक लागू किया।

असंभव को संभव बनाने का दावा
विधायक ने कहा कि पश्चिम बंगाल को लंबे समय तक एक कठिन राज्य माना जाता था, लेकिन भाजपा की जीत ने साबित कर दिया कि मजबूत नेतृत्व, स्पष्ट रणनीति और समर्पित कार्यकर्ता किसी भी चुनौती को पार कर सकते हैं। उन्होंने कहा कि यह जीत राष्ट्रवाद, विकास और जनकल्याण की नीतियों पर जनता की मुहर है.

कार्यकर्ताओं और जनता को बधाई
अंत में वेद प्रकाश गुप्ता ने सभी कार्यकर्ताओं और बंगाल की जनता को बधाई दी और कहा कि यह सफलता आने वाले समय में देश की राजनीति की दिशा तय करेगी और विकास का नया रास्ता खोलेगी.

(रिपोर्ट:अनूप कुमार अयोध्या)

New Delhi: Road deaths due to negligence – speeding, careless or irresponsible driving – took 495 lives every day in 2024, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. It said around 1.81 lakh people lost their lives in such accidents, an increase of around 4.4% over the previous year.The number of deaths in 2024 is even higher than the figure shared with Parliament by the Road Transport Ministry, which was 1.77 lakh. The ministry has not yet published its report on road accidents in India. NCRB will also publish a separate detailed report on accidental deaths in 2024.According to the NCRB (under the Home Ministry), Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of road deaths (25,158) due to negligence in 2024, followed by Tamil Nadu (18,676), Karnataka (16,232), Madhya Pradesh (15,440) and Maharashtra (15,249). All these states recorded more road deaths than in 2023, indicating that Indian roads have become more unsafe.The NCRB report also shows that the number of people killed in hit-and-run cases is expected to increase from 55,334 in 2023 to 56,974 in 2024, with UP topping the list with 19,641 deaths, followed by MP (10,130) and Bihar (4,949). Among cities with a population of more than one million, Delhi had the highest number of hit-and-run deaths at 949, followed by Bengaluru (773) and Jaipur (744).India tops the list of countries in terms of road deaths with a share of more than 12% of all such deaths worldwide. Despite the government’s claims and efforts, deaths have not decreased in recent years and this remains a major challenge.