Browsing: India

Surat: Lalgate police detained two people after seizing 63,879 counterfeit Rs 500 currency notes that were similar to Rs 500 notes but bore the words ‘Children Bank of India’ on them. The seized notes had a notional face value of Rs 3.20 crore.The seizure occurred during night patrolling on Tuesday when a suspicious SUV with a Delhi number plate was intercepted. On inspection, officers found three large packets containing the fake currency, concealed under 112 genuine Rs 500 notes.Lalgate police inspector N M Chaudhary said, “We found 484 bundles of fake Rs 500 notes packed inside three boxes. The notes…

Vadodara: A video believed to be from Palestine, showing people holding a poster and a banner mentioning the Tandalja area of the city, has started circulating online. The video shows a woman at a community kitchen, taking the name of a group that helped them with the meals. The video that surfaced on Saturday is undated and mentions the name of Aashiq-e-Rasool, Tandalja, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. A woman is seen holding the poster in her hands with the banner put up in the kitchen behind her. She thanks the organization for its support in feeding people. Both the poster and…

Varanasi: Inspired by their remarkable contribution to Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, a Varanasi-based sari trader has designed special saris to honour the bravery of Col Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and wing commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force. Colonel Sophia, who addressed the media on May 7 following India’s retaliatory strikes, is a highly decorated officer in the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals. Born in Gujarat, she had earlier made history as the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent at a multinational military drill ‘Exercise Force 18′ in Pune involving 18 ASEAN Plus nations.…

A special MCOCA court in Thane acquitted three men accused of involvement in a 2018 copper robbery case, citing significant lapses in the investigation and procedural irregularities. THANE: After more than six years of legal proceedings, a special MCOCA court in Thane acquitted three men accused of being part of an organised crime syndicate allegedly involved in a high-profile copper robbery case from 2018.The accused — Wasim alias Rehan Ahmad Shaikh, Mohsin alias Rafik Ashraf Baloch, and Sarfraj Abdul Sattar Khan — were charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act…

T’puram: Revenue minister K Rajan convened a meeting of all the top revenue officials, disaster management authority and district collectors to review the rainfall situation in the state.This meeting observed that as theIMD advised general caution, people should be prepared for more than just an alert.Heavy rainfall is expected to continue at the onset of the monsoon, with a possibility of a low-pressure area developing. Rain may persist until June 1, with all districts experiencing heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday. The meeting urged people to avoid night travel as much as possible and to pay attention to the warnings…

Kolkata: After pavements, carriageways, and markets, hawkers have now turned their attention to the city’s places of worship. In central Kolkata, several historical shrines — cutting across faiths — are almost invisible behind the dense sprawl of unauthorised stalls, a canopy of plastic sheets, and stacked goods.Devotees say their access to these sacred spaces is increasingly hindered, and civic authorities remain largely unmoved.The problem is most visible around the Maghen David Synagogue, located at the junction of Canning Street and Brabourne Road. Once a prominent landmark, the synagogue is now hidden behind layers of illegal stalls selling bangles, cosmetics, and…

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) has told Bombay high court that family courts have not referred a single case to it for providing legal services to any child. “Till date, not a single case concerning custody, guardianship, or maintenance has been referred to the legal services units for children (LSCUs) by the family courts for providing legal services to a child under the scheme,” stated its reply to a PIL that seeks appointment of independent lawyers for children in custody battles between their parents.Petitioner advocate Shraddha Dalvi urged framing of guidelines for a child legal assistance programme…

New Delhi: Presenting the roadmap for ‘Viksit Delhi’ at the Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chief minister Rekha Gupta outlined her govt’s top priorities—cleaning the Yamuna, expanding infrastructure using a ‘4-S formula’, ensuring tap water for every household, and transforming the capital into the “most livable city in the world” by 2047.Gupta expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting her gov’s development vision. A statement from the CM’s office noted that this marked the first time a Delhi CM has participated in the Governing Council meeting since its inception in Feb 2015. Gupta described the experience as…

Bengaluru: What does it take to create music without seeing a single note or instrument? For visually impaired musicians, the answer lies in extraordinary hearing, memory, and relentless practice.Far from being limited by their lack of sight, these artists transform challenges into strengths, mastering complex instruments and rhythms through sound alone. Yet, despite their immense talent, visually impaired musicians often remain invisible in the mainstream music world, facing limited opportunities, deep-rooted stereotypes, and a lack of recognition.To challenge this, a Belagavi-based band of visually impaired musicians, Visionary Rhythms, is ready to rewrite the narrative with their debut performance in Bengaluru.…

Hyderabad: After the artisans of Andhra Pradesh’s renowned Madhavamala wood carvings and Palamner Terracotta, it is now the turn of the weavers of the state’s famed cotton Polavaram sarees to make a bid for a geographical indication (GI) tag for their unique handloom product.Woven by weavers in the Polavaram and Bandar regions of AP’s Krishna district, these sarees are made from high-count cotton yarns (around 80s to 100s count), which gives them a fine, soft texture and also makes them lightweight.Polavaram cotton sarees are also known for their cotton border that is embellished with intricate butta work (motifs) and jacquard…