YSRCP Alur MLA Virupakshi, son arrested following ‘attack’ on Dalit family

The High Court has also ordered the government to ensure the safety of the complainant and other witnesses. and the matter has been adjourned for further hearing on August 6. File. | Mhatre is a member of the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Dhuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad made the decision after considering the stage of the police investigation. The court noted that the original complainant, Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe, has not yet conducted the identification parade to confirm the identity of the accused. Additionally, the police are required to record statements from more witnesses and collect further evidence.The court has directed the state government to provide protection to the victim, Dr. Salunkhe, and other witnesses involved in the case. The bench clarified that the bail application will be heard next on August 6.In court, Senior Counsel Aabad Ponda, representing Mhatre, argued for bail. He stated that since his client is currently in custody, there is no possibility of pressuring the victim or witnesses. He also submitted that the investigation is largely complete. Ponda informed the court that Mhatre is willing to stay outside Maharashtra for four to six weeks, if necessary, to prevent any influence on the ongoing inquiry. He requested the court grant bail during the remaining investigation period.Opposing the bail plea, Senior Counsel S.U. Kamdar, representing the Dodian Medical Association, made a strong case against the relief. Kamdar argued that Mhatre’s actions have created a sense of fear among doctors at the municipal hospital. He further alleged that the accused has a history of securing acquittals in multiple cases by pressuring witnesses. Kamdar also claimed that attempts to exert pressure on the complainant and witnesses are still ongoing.Meanwhile, Advocate General Milind Sathe, appearing for the State Government, provided the court with the current status of the investigation. He stated that a Deputy Commissioner of Police is now leading the probe following a court order. The investigation has so far recorded statements from 26 individuals. Sathe informed the bench that critical procedures, including recording additional witness statements, collecting voice samples of the accused, and sending the victim’s video evidence for forensic analysis, will be completed in the next two weeks. He also gave an assurance that the identification parade for Dr. Salunkhe will be conducted under police security. Published - August 02, 2026 09:12 pm IST

Police took note of several posts in Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to the student protests that allegedly contained abusive and profane content. | The cases were registered following complaints filed by S. Aravind Reddy, a businessman, and T. Saikiran Goud, a Telangana BJP activist. The complainants alleged that while browsing Instagram they came across multiple morphed and digitally manipulated videos and images portraying the Prime Minister in an obscene, derogatory and misleading manner.According to the complaints, the posts were accompanied by comments containing abusive and indecent language directed at the Prime Minister and others depicted in the content. The complainants alleged that the material appeared to have been digitally altered or generated using artificial intelligence and was widely circulated on social media platforms. Meta India head Arun Srinivas. | Police also took note of several posts and comments linked to the student protests that allegedly contained abusive and profane content. An investigation is underway to identify those responsible for creating and circulating the material. No arrests have been reported so far. Published - July 31, 2026 10:41 am IST

The tipper lorry was allegedly being driven in a rash and negligent manner when it hit the pedestrians. | The deceased have been identified as Kumar, 34, and Manjunath, 38, both residents of Hampinakatte village in Hospet taluk. Both men succumbed to their injuries on the spot.According to a press release issued by Ballari Superintendent of Police Suman D. Pennekar, the accident occurred near agricultural land belonging to Seethabai on Venkatagiri Road, within the limits of Sandur Police Station.The tipper lorry was allegedly being driven in a rash and negligent manner when it hit the pedestrians.A case has been registered at Sandur Police Station under Sections 281 and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 187 of the Motor Vehicles Act. An investigation is under way.The police have taken the lorry driver into custody and initiated further legal proceedings.The Superintendent of Police warned owners of mineral transport vehicles to ensure that their vehicles and drivers possess all valid statutory documents. She said stringent legal action would be taken not only against vehicle owners and drivers operating without valid documentation, but also against mining companies that permit transportation of minerals without verifying the required documents. Published - August 07, 2026 07:28 pm IST

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Sheik Intiyaz Basha, 35, was allegedly murdered following an altercation with a group of friends in Kurnool town on Thursday night.According to the One-Town police, Intiyaz Basha, a resident of Old Basthi in Kurnool, had reportedly met some friends when an argument broke out among them. The altercation escalated, and one of the persons allegedly picked up a large stone and struck him on the head, killing him on the spot.The police shifted the body to the Government Medical College, Kurnool, for post-mortem. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway. As a precautionary measure, a police picket has been posted in the Old Basthi locality.Minister for Industries T. G. Bharat Gupta expressed shock over the murder of the TDP leader on Friday. Condemning the incident, he said the death of Intiyaz Basha was deeply distressing and assured the bereaved family of the party’s support. He said stringent action would be taken against those responsible for the crime. Published - August 07, 2026 06:57 pm IST

People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti. File | The PDP termed the FIR against the party leaders as “a blatant misuse of power and authority”.The name of former J&K Chief Minister Mufti has been mentioned in the FIR for taking out a rally on August 4 and August 5 in the city, on the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, “without prior police permission”, a senior PDP leader said, on the condition of anonymity.The FIR also mentioned the name of Ms. Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, who led a late-evening street protest in Lal Chowk on August 4 and was stopped by the police. The FIR against Ms. Iltija Mufti is lodged under Section 132 (assaults on a public servant), 121 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 191 (2) (political rallies and mob violence).Officials said a police party visited the residence of Ms. Mufti in Khimber in Srinagar, pertaining to the case on Thursday (August 6, 2026) evening.According to the FIR, the workers of the PDP, led by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti, started moving towards the main road (on August 4). “Police personnel requested them not to assemble on the main road, as such a gathering could disrupt the smooth movement of traffic. The request was not well received by the workers of the PDP. Instead, they turned aggressive and attacked the police party,” said the FIR.It said the PDP workers criminally used force against the police party, “obstructed them in the discharge of their official duties, and also resorted to pushing and manhandling”. “As a result, several police officials sustained injuries,” it added.Ms. Iltija Mufti said the FIR was “an attempt to intimidate the PDP to normalise abrogation of Article 370 like the National Conference (NC)”. “No rioting broke out at the site. We wanted to march to the city centre and peacefully organise a sit-in over abrogation of Article 370. A police officer Neha Jain dragged me and manhandled me in spite of being a woman herself. She goaded other police personnel to manhandle me,” Ms. Iltija.She said the police permission was a pretext to clamp down. “It’s unfortunate IPS officers from outside are imposed on people of J&K. Mere displaying placards with Article 370 on it is being treated as sedition. There is no freedom of expression. I have been protesting since 2019, but have never come across such a police officer or policing,” said Ms. Iltija. She accused the police of erasing the CCTV footage from the shops nearby. “If the police have nothing to hide, why was CCTV footage erased from nearby shops? The police should make the entire CCTV footage public,” she added. Meanwhile, a PDP spokesman said the FIR by the police against Ms. Mufti and Ms, Iltija Mufti on Article 370 “was a blatant misuse of power and authority”.“The woman police officer assaulted the PDP leader and used excessive force while preventing her peaceful protest. We have eyewitnesses to the incident and intend to place the matter before a court of law,” said the PDP.The party said such actions by responsible police officers are “illegal, disproportionate, and wholly uncalled for”.“We strongly condemn the conduct of the police personnel involved and demand appropriate action against those responsible for allegedly manhandling a political leader during a peaceful protest,” the PDP said. Published - August 07, 2026 08:17 am IST

Those arrested include Sourabh Rana, the prime accused, and his alleged associates Indermohan Singh, ⁠Harneet Singh, and ⁠Jappandeep Singh. | The group primarily targeted U.S. nationals, the agency said on Thursday (August 6, 2026).The CBI raided 10 locations across Punjab and Delhi, including a call centre operated from the premises of the main accused in Mohali in the intervening night of August 5 and 6, and arrested the accused. It seized communication devices, storage drives, cash, and details of cryptocurrency wallets.Those arrested include Sourabh Rana, the prime accused, and his alleged associates Indermohan Singh, ⁠Harneet Singh, and ⁠Jappandeep Singh. The agency alleged that they posed as representatives of Microsoft, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies to cheat victims.In one case, in 2022, the syndicate allegedly extorted $4.40 lakh from a Florida resident by threatening her that her personal and financial information had been compromised and that illegal material had been planted on her computer. She was coerced into making multiple transactions into a Bitcoin ATM. The funds were routed to a specific wallet address for further transfer to the accounts controlled by the accused. Another case was reported in 2023, in which a New Jersey resident was misled into believing that unknown entities had gained access to her banking details. She deposited around $1.30 lakh into Bitcoin ATMs.Explaining the modus operandi, the CBI said the accused sent pop-ups to the computers of prospective targets, displaying bogus warnings about serious technical issues. The pop-ups carried fake Microsoft toll‑free numbers that directly connected victims to fraudulent call centres run by the syndicate. The victims were then persuaded to make payments for repairing their systems.The syndicate also allegedly extorted money through cryptocurrency ATMs by convincing the victims that they had been implicated in serious crimes such as child pornography. The proceeds were routed through multiple cryptocurrency wallets and later laundered via operators based in Delhi. Published - August 07, 2026 04:31 am IST

Abaan Ahmed, the youngest son of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, was killed on Thursday morning (August 6, 2026) in a road accident on the Jhansi-Kanpur National Highway in Uttar Pradesh, the police said.The car in which Mr. Abaan was travelling lost control and hit the divider on the National Highway which falls under the Poonch police station limits in Jhansi district. He was on his way to meet his elder brother who is lodged in a Jhansi jail, according the the police.Another person who was with him in the car also lost his life in the crash. The deceased were identified as Abaan Ahmad, and Sonu, son of Raja.Two others, who were critically injured, are receiving treatment at the Montha Community Health Centre, the police said.“Upon receiving information about the incident, the Poonch police station and the Montha Circle Officer immediately arrived at the scene. The police carried out prompt relief and rescue operations and immediately sent all the injured to the Montha CHC for treatment. The bodies of the deceased were taken into custody and necessary legal proceedings, including the Panchayatnama, are being carried out as per the rules,” an official statement by the district police said.Peace and law and order are completely normal at the scene, it added.With PTI inputs Published - August 06, 2026 01:23 pm IST

BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Nettaru was murdered at Bellare in Dakshnia Kannada district on July 26, 2022. | The accused, Ummar Farook M.R., was arrested in Kochi, Kerala, during a targeted operation based on specific intelligence inputs. He had been absconding since the investigation began. He was wanted under a Red Corner Notice (RCN) and a non-bailable warrant. The NIA had announced a ₹4 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.According to the NIA, Ummar Farook had been chargesheeted under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. Investigators believe that he attended a meeting in the office of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Sullia before the murder.The agency said its investigation found that the accused agreed to provide his motorcycle to a co-accused for reconnaissance and identification of targets in Bellare village ahead of the killing. He is also accused of participating in an attempt to eliminate a protected witness in the case.The arrest follows the NIA’s operation in July 2026 in which two other absconding accused — Abdul Nasir P. alias Nasir and Naushad — were arrested from Kochi, Kerala, and Hosur, Tamil Nadu, respectively.Praveen Nettaru, a BJP activist in Dakshina Kannada district, was murdered on July 26, 2022. The murder sparked widespread outrage across Karnataka. The NIA, which later took over the investigation, has maintained that the murder was part of a larger criminal conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by cadres of the banned PFI.With Ummar Farook’s arrest, the total number of accused arrested in the case has risen to 25. The NIA said two accused are still absconding, and efforts are continuing to trace and arrest them to complete the investigation. Published - August 06, 2026 11:54 am IST

Udhayanidhi Stalin along with his supporters at his residence in Chennai as police officials arrive to arrest him, on August 4, 2026. | The complaints against him include allegations that he made indecent, double entendre remarks seeming directed at an actor during his speech. Based on the complaint, the Thanjavur East Police had filed a case against the DMK leader under Sections 196, 192, 352, 79, 296(b), 61 & 351(2) BNS, 4 of the TNPHW act and 67 of the IT Act.Tension prevailed outside Mr. Udhayanidhi’s residence in Neelangarai in Chennai after a police team from East Thanjavur, assisted by the Greater Chennai Police, arrived there on Tuesday (August 4) morning to execute the arrest.A large number of DMK cadres gathered at the residence and engaged in heated arguments with the police. Senior DMK leader Ma. Subramanian and Mr. Udhayanidhi’s wife, Krithika Udhayanidhi, were also seen arguing with police personnel.Meanwhile, a petition challenging the arrest and seeking legal relief on Mr. Udhayanidhi’s behalf has been filed before the Madras High Court. The matter is scheduled to be heard later in the afternoon. He is likely to be taken to Thanjavur. Published - August 04, 2026 11:18 am IST