New Delhi: Citing the recent verbal duel between Congress’s Pawan Khera and BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma in the run-up to the elections, the Supreme Court said the allegations against the Assam CM’s wife and the allegations made by her appear to be politically motivated, reports Amit Anand Chaudhary.The court, while granting anticipatory bail to the Congress spokesperson, said that due to the situation, there is no need for custodial interrogation.A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar said that the right to personal liberty is a cherished fundamental right, and any deprivation of it must be justified at a high bar, especially where the surrounding circumstances may indicate the presence of political implications. Kheda was feared to be arrested by the Assam Police, which had unsuccessfully tried to detain him after Sarma’s wife filed an FIR against him accusing him of forgery and other things.Cannot look away from Himanta’s unparliamentary remarks: Supreme CourtCiting the verbal duel between Pawan Kheda and Himanta Biswa Sarma in the recent elections, the Supreme Court said the allegations against the Assam CM’s wife and the allegations made by her appear to be politically motivated rather than revealing a situation requiring custodial interrogation and granted anticipatory bail to the Congress spokesperson.A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar said that the right to personal liberty is a cherished fundamental right, and any deprivation of it must be justified at a high bar, especially where the surrounding circumstances may indicate the presence of political implications. It granted pre-arrest bail to Kheda, who feared arrest by the Assam Police, which had unsuccessfully tried to detain him after Sarma’s wife filed an FIR against the spokesperson alleging fraud and other things.However, it barred the politician from leaving the country without the court’s approval and directed him to cooperate with the investigation and attend the police station whenever required and informed.In a loud press conference, Kheda had accused Rinki of acquiring citizenship of other countries and running companies abroad. However, Rinki and her husband termed the documents that Khera had dramatically produced as fake and filed an FIR against him. Khera immediately left Guwahati and obtained transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court.The Assam government moved the Supreme Court saying Kheda had misled the Telangana High Court to seek relief. The top court agreed and asked the Congressman to seek relief from the Guwahati HC.Kheda moved SC after Gauhati HC denied him anticipatory bail.The court said that according to the prosecution, the passports which Khera had displayed, said to be those of the CM’s wife, were fake and this was done to defame the CM’s wife and damage her reputation. “However, in the main it appears that this statement has been made by the Appellant only to gain some political momentum in favor of his party. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the Chief Minister of the State, who is also the husband of the Complainant, has made certain unparliamentary comments against the Appellant in various press statements.”Though the apex court had earlier refused to grant him any interim protection to allow him to file a bail plea in the Gauhati HC, this time the scale of justice tilted in his favor as his counsel and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi highlighted various statements made by the Assam CM to convince the court that the state government was hell-bent on arresting him by any means. Even the court recorded those statements in its order.

राजधानी में क्रिप्टो-क्रिश्चियनिटी जैसी गुप्त धार्मिक गतिविधियों की आशंका ने लोगों की चिंता बढ़ा दी है. आरोप है कि जो महिलाएं कंवाली गांव में घर-घर जाकर हिंदू परिवारों को ईसाई धर्म अपनाने के लिए प्रेरित करने की कोशिश कर रही थीं, वे भी क्रिप्टो क्रिश्चियन थीं, जिसके कारण उन्हें देखकर यह अंदाजा नहीं लगाया जा सकता था कि वे किस धर्म से हैं।

New Delhi: Many parts of the country may not be warmer than normal due to ‘above normal’ rainfall this month, but some states, especially the Himalayan foothills like southern Himachal and Uttarakhand, the east coast and parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, are likely to face ‘above normal’ heatwave days (additional 3 to 8 days), according to the IMD’s May forecast released on Friday.The weather department has also predicted warm nights (above normal minimum temperatures) in many parts of the country, with IMD chief Mrityunjay Mohapatra saying the phenomenon is linked to climate change.The ‘above normal’ rainfall during the month is attributed to the favorable trough and increased frequency of western disturbances and thunderstorms due to upper air cyclonic circulation. Due to this, the day temperature is likely to be ‘below normal’ in some areas.

“Maximum (day) temperatures are expected to be below normal to normal over many parts of the country. However, temperatures are likely to be above normal over many parts of southern peninsular India, parts of north-east and northwest India,” Mohapatra said.On the other hand, minimum (night) temperatures are expected to be above normal in many parts of the country, he said. “However, minimum temperatures are likely to remain below normal over parts of Central India and adjoining areas of Peninsular India and southern parts of Northeast India as well as many areas of Northwest India.”The southwest monsoon is expected to reach Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 14-20. Its arrival in Kerala, which marks the arrival of monsoon over mainland India, is expected to be around May 15.The weather service has already predicted ‘below normal’ monsoon rainfall this year amid the threat of El Nino, an increase in sea surface temperatures over the central and eastern equatorial Pacific that is often associated with reduced rainfall over the Indian subcontinent.The increasing frequency of WDs – moist air and low pressure systems in the Mediterranean region that enter India and affect local weather – led to seven such events in April, causing thunderstorms, rain, winds and lightning over northwest and adjoining central and eastern India.Extreme weather events linked to WD killed 24 people last month. Lightning alone killed 10 people in Andhra, UP, Maharashtra and Odisha.

An Indian-origin tech professional working in the US shared an emotional story of not being able to see his dying mother, saying he was stuck in a choice situation due to visa delays. He calls it “the biggest regret of my life”.“Gautam Dey works in America H-1B visa And revealed on LinkedIn that his mother died of stage 4 lung cancer while he was trying to secure a visa stamping appointment to travel to India.He wrote, “Today I am writing this not as an engineer, not as an H-1B worker… I am writing this as a son.”According to American Bazaar, he said his mother was hospitalized for 17 days and he made repeated attempts to gain travel approval during that period.“My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She was hospitalized for 17 days. During that time, I was desperate to get a visa stamping appointment so I could travel to see her,” he wrote.Dey moved to the US in 2007 after being recruited by a multinational company for specialized software work. He said he has spent years working under the visa system, paying taxes and building technology products.He said, “I’m not here to take a pay cut. I’m brought in for my expertise, to solve a serious software problem and fix vulnerabilities that need attention.”But as his mother’s condition worsened, he said administrative delays made travel almost impossible. They said leaving the US without a visa appointment risks serious consequences, including losing their job and legal status.He said, “If I travel without an appointment, I could be stranded outside the US for months. I could lose my job, my legal status, and my family’s status.”He described making repeated attempts to secure an emergency appointment.He wrote, “I sent the hospital documents to the Consulate. I tried for 26 days to get an appointment. I fretted, waited, prayed and hoped. But time did not wait.”a painful decisionDay said he was forced to make a painful decision between staying with his mother or protecting his family’s future in America.He wrote, “So I was forced to make an impossible choice: stay with my dying mother. Or protect the future of my children. No human being should ever be put in that position.”Ultimately he was unable to reach India on time. His mother died before he could travel.He said, “I could only see her through the phone screen. I could only hear her voice on the phone. This will be the biggest regret of my life.”In his post, Day said he was not blaming any country or system, but rather demonstrating the emotional toll of immigration processes.“This is not a political post. It is not about blaming any country.” This is a human cost that is rarely talked about,” he wrote.He added, “But a dream shouldn’t be caged at a time when your family needs you most.”He also offered advice to young professionals considering working abroad.He wrote, “To every young professional dreaming of H-1B life: Please think carefully. India is changing… You don’t have to measure success just by leaving home.”His post concluded: “Because no amount of career dreams will ever put you in a position where you have to choose between your mother’s final moments and your children’s future. I have lost that choice. And I will carry that pain forever.”

उत्तर प्रदेश के मुरादाबाद जिले से एक गंभीर मामला सामने आया है, जहां 25 साल की एक लड़की ने एक जिम संचालक पर शारीरिक शोषण और ब्लैकमेलिंग का आरोप लगाया है. यह मामला सिविल लाइंस थाना क्षेत्र के हरथला इलाके का बताया जा रहा है. पीड़िता के मुताबिक, आरोपी ने पहले उसकी मदद कर उसका भरोसा जीता और फिर धीरे-धीरे उसे अपने जाल में फंसा लिया। बाद में आरोपी ने उसकी निजी फोटो और वीडियो बनाकर उसे धमकाना शुरू कर दिया। यह मामला सामने आने के बाद पुलिस जांच में जुट गई है और आरोपियों की तलाश जारी है.

मदद के बहाने बढ़ाई नजदीकियां
पीड़िता ने पुलिस को बताया कि कुछ समय पहले एक युवक उसका पीछा कर रहा था, जिससे वह काफी परेशान और डरी हुई थी. इसी बीच इलाके के जिम संचालक सुहैल मलिक ने बीच-बचाव कर उसकी मदद की और युवक को छुड़ाया. इस घटना के बाद लड़की को आरोपी पर भरोसा हो गया और दोनों के बीच बातचीत शुरू हो गई. धीरे-धीरे यह बातचीत दोस्ती में बदल गई और आरोपी ने इसी भरोसे का फायदा उठाया।

मामला दोस्ती से शोषण तक पहुंच गया
पीड़िता का आरोप है कि आरोपी ने हमदर्दी दिखाकर उससे नजदीकियां बढ़ाई और फिर प्रेमजाल में फंसा लिया। इसके बाद आरोपी ने उसके साथ शारीरिक संबंध बनाए। लड़की का कहना है कि इस दौरान आरोपी ने चोरी-छिपे उसकी आपत्तिजनक फोटो और वीडियो भी बना लीं. कुछ समय बाद आरोपी का व्यवहार बदल गया और वह इन वीडियो और तस्वीरों का गलत इस्तेमाल करने लगा.

वीडियो के जरिए धमकी और रंगदारी
शिकायत के मुताबिक, आरोपी लड़की को बदनाम करने की धमकी देकर ब्लैकमेल करता रहा। उसने इन वीडियो के जरिए लड़की पर दबाव बनाया और उससे पैसों की भी मांग की. डर और मानसिक तनाव के कारण पीड़िता काफी समय तक चुप रही, लेकिन जब स्थिति नियंत्रण से बाहर हो गई तो उसने पुलिस में शिकायत दर्ज कराई.

पुलिस ने कार्रवाई शुरू कर दी
मामले की जानकारी देते हुए पुलिस अधीक्षक नगर ने बताया कि पीड़िता की शिकायत के आधार पर आरोपी के खिलाफ संबंधित धाराओं में मामला दर्ज कर लिया गया है. पुलिस टीम आरोपियों की तलाश में लगातार छापेमारी कर रही है. अधिकारियों का कहना है कि मामले की गंभीरता को देखते हुए आरोपियों को जल्द गिरफ्तार कर आगे की कार्रवाई की जाएगी.

While Mamata Banerjee camped at the Bhawanipur strong room on Thursday evening, Suvendu Adhikari visited the complex on Friday

Kolkata: As Trinamool Congress and BJP traded allegations and counter-allegations over the security of EVM strongrooms on Friday, a delegation from CM Mamata Banerjee’s party met Election Commission officials and sought answers over the alleged CCTV blackout and sealed rooms being opened without party representatives.The BJP dismissed the complaints as a desperate search for an “excuse” by a party headed for defeat, setting the stage for a tense counting day on May 4.The sharpest allegation came from TMC’s Shyampukur candidate Shashi Panja, who told reporters after meeting Election Commission officials that her party had “reason to suspect” about the people captured on camera entering the strongroom of the Khudiram Anusilan Center in central Kolkata.“In the footage of camera number 17, we saw people inside the strongroom, which was sealed in the presence of our agents. If you are opening the door, all parties should be informed about it,” Panza said. He said pink postal ballot envelopes were visible in the footage and no political party representative was there when the seal was broken.Panja also questioned the Election Commission’s statement that all parties were emailed about the sorting of postal ballots to be held at 4 pm on Thursday. “If anyone from either party had been there we would not have said anything. No one was present. Then why did you break the seal and open that particular room?” He said. “The moment we, from TMC, saw human activity there, it became a kind of panic situation.”Panja, Mayor Firhad Hakim and Councilor Ashim Bose also sought a comprehensive report from the Election Commission on the alleged CCTV malfunction in strongrooms across Bengal, concise and unedited recordings with detailed logs of all disruption periods and unrestricted access of authorized representatives to the monitoring feed.The visit to the Election Commission office followed a meeting between Mamata and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at her Kalighat home. They had camped at the Bhawanipur EVM strongroom the previous evening, triggering a protest by the BJP, which culminated in a brawl with TMC members and supporters.Mamata and Abhishek called an emergency online meeting at 4 pm on Saturday with TMC counting agents from all the 291 seats where they have fielded their candidates.Leader of the opposition in the state, Suvendu Adhikari, who is also the BJP candidate from Bhawanipur, posted a CCTV footage of the area outside the strongroom of Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata on hisSuvendu visited the strongroom on Friday evening and described it as a “routine job” which did not require cameras following him.BJP’s Dilip Ghosh was blunt. He said, “TMC is now confident of its defeat. They are trying to shift the focus by staying in the strongroom. They are complaining about everything. This is a clear indication that TMC is losing.” Ghosh accused TMC of deploying goons to rig the elections.

ऑल सेंट्स कॉलेज की 12वीं कक्षा (आईएससी) की छात्रा सैयदा आमना कामरान ने 99.5 प्रतिशत अंक हासिल कर टॉप किया है। सांभवी साह 99 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ दूसरे और अनन्या गुप्ता 97 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ तीसरे स्थान पर रहीं। इंटरमीडिएट में सभी 58 छात्राओं ने सफलता हासिल की है. हाई स्कूल (आईसीएसई) में मान्या आशी 97.4 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ प्रथम, आकांक्षा अग्रवाल 96.4 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ दूसरे और आर्य अग्रवाल 95 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ तीसरे स्थान पर रहीं। हाईस्कूल के सभी 61 विद्यार्थी उत्तीर्ण हुए हैं।

शेरवुड कॉलेज का परीक्षा परिणाम भी शत प्रतिशत रहा। 12वीं कक्षा के विज्ञान संकाय में सजल गंगवार 97 प्रतिशत अंक प्राप्त कर प्रथम स्थान पर रहे हैं। सचकीरत ग्रेवाल और रूद्र नारायण गुप्ता 96.25 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ दूसरे और इशिता सिंह 95 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ तीसरे स्थान पर रहे। शेरवुड कॉलेज के शौर्यवीर गुप्ता ने 98.8 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ 10वीं कक्षा में उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन किया है। उन्होंने तीन विषयों में पूरे 100 फीसदी अंक हासिल किए हैं. दिव्यम अग्रवाल ने 97.6 प्रतिशत और यथार्थ सिंह ने 93.8 प्रतिशत अंक प्राप्त कर विद्यालय का नाम रोशन किया है।

सेंट मैरी कॉन्वेंट में भी छात्राओं ने उत्कृष्ट अंक प्राप्त किए हैं। 12वीं कक्षा में अश्लेषा साह 98.75 प्रतिशत अंक प्राप्त कर विद्यालय में प्रथम स्थान पर रहीं. युगांतिका 98 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ दूसरे और भूमिका गंगोला 96.75 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ तीसरे स्थान पर रहीं। 10वीं कक्षा में मैत्रेयी बिष्ट ने 98.60 फीसदी अंकों के साथ टॉप किया है, जबकि स्निग्धा शर्मा ने 97.40 फीसदी और प्रियांशी बिष्ट ने 95 फीसदी अंक हासिल किए हैं.

12वीं कक्षा में आशुतोष तिवारी ने 98.25 प्रतिशत अंक प्राप्त कर सेंट जोसेफ कॉलेज में टॉप किया है। धनंजय प्रताप सिंह बिष्ट 96.75 प्रतिशत अंक पाकर और मोहम्मद सुफियान सिद्दीकी 95.75 प्रतिशत अंक पाकर सफल रहे। 10वीं कक्षा में अरुणाभ गंगोला 94.8 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ प्रथम, मयंक रैक्वाल 94.8 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ दूसरे और सार्थक सिंह रावत 94.2 प्रतिशत अंकों के साथ तीसरे स्थान पर रहे।

Conceptual illustration of ‘Hindu Temple and Community Centre’

London: When a Hindu charity learned it could bid for a piece of land allocated for faith/community use in the new town of Northstowe in Cambridgeshire, the 150 Indian-origin Hindu families living there were thrilled because there is no Hindu temple for 40 miles, leaving them and thousands of Indian-origin Hindus living around Cambridge working in tech, science, in hospitals and universities, and had no place to worship.Aparna Nigan-Saxena, project lead at Hindu Samaj Northstow (HSN), was shocked when she moved to Northstow and found no Hindu temple in the whole of Cambridgeshire. Hindu families initially met in each other’s gardens to celebrate festivals and now rent space, but many do not allow Hindu customs.“There are generations who are growing up without a place of worship or a proper connection to their culture and roots. Some elderly people wish to have a temple before they die. We want to be able to visit local schools because they go to churches and mosques but never to temples,” Nigan-Saxena said.A 0.25 hectare plot of land next to the lake owned by the developer is being given to the Council, which will give a 999-year lease at peppercorn rents (nominal, extremely low, or zero-value payments) to a faith/community group.Two bids were received – one by HSN and one by Northstowe Church Network in association with Northstowe Muslims, its proposed anchor tenant. The church offers a church, a hall used for Muslim Friday prayers, an Islamic prayer room for Islamic classes and daily prayers, a café, community space and gardens.

HSN proposes an interfaith, community and wellness center for 79% of the space, which would include a kitchen, café, STEM, coding and yoga classes, etc. and two prayer rooms which can be used by people of all religions. “There will be no Hindu deities in those two rooms because we know some religions don’t allow iconography,” Nigan-Saxena said. Hindu temple will be built on 21% space.There are already many churches and mosques nearby, he said.South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet will decide in June who will be given the land. A public consultation, which has just concluded, will form the basis of their decision.But Nigan-Saxena is not happy with the assessment summary prepared by council officials which, he said, does not properly reflect the HSN proposal. Officials criticized HSN for failing to establish a financial track record, which they say would be impossible for a new organization like theirs. Officials also criticized HSN for not providing evidence of engagement with the broader community.Although three more plots of land will come up for bid in the future, HSN is intent on this. “For us, it’s really a wonderful piece of land because it’s located right next to a lake, which is auspicious.”“There is a real urgency behind our project. We don’t have close family here, so for small things like birthdays and anniversaries, it’s important for us to go to a place of worship,” he said.Revd Beth Cope, leading minister of the Northstow Church Network, told TOI that Hindus will be allowed to use its multi-purpose spaces for any purpose, including worship. “We celebrate that both organizations believe they are in a position to respond to the council’s tender opportunity,” Cope said.