New Delhi, June 18: A proclaimed offender who was allegedly involved in an illegal arms trafficking case and had been evading arrest, was nabbed from Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district, police said on Thursday.

As part of its ongoing drive against proclaimed offenders and habitual criminals, the Special Staff team of the national Capital’s Shahdara district was actively gathering Intelligence regarding absconding accused persons wanted in various criminal cases.

On June 16, credible secret information was received that the proclaimed offender, identified as 35-year-old Punit alias Punjabi, was present in Khurja, in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

Verification of records revealed that the accused had been declared a proclaimed offender by the Patiala House Court in New Delhi, in connection with a 2013 case.

Upon receiving the information about the accused, a dedicated police team was constituted comprising SI Rajkumar, HC Nitin, Ct. Rudrapratap and Ct. Shekhar. The team functioned under the leadership of Inspector Ashish Kumar, I/C Special Staff, Shahdara District, under the close supervision of ACP/Operations, Shahdara District and overall supervision of DCP Shahdara.

The team immediately proceeded to Khurja in Bulandshahr and conducted sustained surveillance and field verification. Through meticulous efforts and strategic deployment, the team successfully located and apprehended the proclaimed offender.

According to investigators, the accused was taken into custody and legal proceedings under Section 35(1)(D) BNSS were initiated. He is being produced before the court for further legal action.

Officials revealed that the accused Punit alias Punjabi is a notorious and habitual culprit with a long criminal history. In 2013, he was arrested by the Special Cell, Delhi, in a major arms trafficking case wherein 10 illegal pistols along with 10 spare magazines were recovered from his possession.

Investigation at that time revealed his involvement in trafficking illegal firearms from Munger in Bihar to Delhi. The accused had subsequently absconded from legal proceedings and was declared a proclaimed person by the court.

The arrested accused was previously involved in eight criminal cases, including offences under the Arms Act, Attempt to Murder, House Trespass, Criminal Intimidation, Assault, and Dowry Prohibition Act.

Nagpur, June 18: The Nagpur Police have arrested a cleric who was allegedly involved in the forced religious conversion of a 24-year-old woman, the wife of an Indian Air Force officer. The accused, identified as Hazrat Maulana, was apprehended in Madhya Pradesh and brought into custody for questioning.

The case, which surfaced earlier this week, has attracted widespread attention due to the serious allegations made by the woman. In her complaint, she accused a former classmate and his several associates of sexual assault, blackmail, coercive religious conversion, and performing rituals claimed to be linked to black magic.

The controversy intensified after a video circulated widely on social media. The footage allegedly showed a man holding the woman by the hand while reciting religious verses. The video sparked outrage and led to increased scrutiny of the case.

According to NDTV, the principal accused, Ayaaz Madare (26), and his associate, Ameen Shaikh, are already in police custody. Investigators believe the arrested cleric played a significant role in the alleged conversion process and the conduct of a purported marriage ceremony.

As detailed in the FIR, the woman alleged that on February 8, 2025, she met Ayaaz at a hotel where he allegedly mixed an intoxicating substance into her drink. She claimed that after losing consciousness, compromising photographs and videos were taken without her consent. The accused allegedly used these materials to threaten her, warning that they would be shared with her husband and posted online. The woman further alleged that she was repeatedly subjected to sexual assault and forced to hand over nearly Rs 4 lakh.

In the viral video, the woman can reportedly be seen crying and pleading to be released while the accused recites verses and performs rituals. She claimed that following the incident, she was told that she had been converted against her will and that further attempts were made to sexually assault her.

The complainant also alleged that Ayaaz regularly forced her to consume a liquid from a plastic bottle. After drinking it, she claimed he would chant in Urdu, blow on her face, and describe the process as hypnosis or black magic before assaulting her.

Another incident mentioned in the complaint allegedly took place on May 31, when the woman was taken to Kalmeshwar by the accused and his associate. There, Hazrat Maulana allegedly conducted religious rituals and compelled her to utter “qubool hai” against her wishes. She stated that the cleric subsequently declared her conversion and performed a nikah ceremony with Ayaaz.

Police officials said further details are expected to emerge during the cleric’s interrogation. Investigators are now seeking documents related to the alleged marriage and examining whether additional individuals were involved. Authorities are also exploring whether similar incidents involving other women may have occurred.

New Delhi, June 18: Ahead of the NEET (UG)-2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that nearly 16 lakh candidates have successfully downloaded their admit cards. The admit cards were released on June 14 for candidates appearing in the retest.

The NTA stated that it had received requests from several candidates who were unable to complete their account details due to various reasons and sought direct access to download their admit cards.

In response, the agency has decided to provide all candidates with the opportunity to download their admit cards for NEET (UG)-2026 through the official website, using their login credentials and selecting one of the available options.

Candidates may either choose to download their admit card immediately and complete the review and confirmation of their bank details for the examination fee refund at a later stage, or review and confirm their bank details first and then proceed to download the admit card.

The NTA has advised candidates facing any difficulty in downloading their admit cards to contact the agency through its helpline numbers, 011-40759000 or 011-69227700, or email their concerns to (neetug2026@nta.ac.in).

Candidates have also been urged to regularly visit the official websites of the NTA and NEET for the latest updates and announcements related to the examination.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has transported question papers for the NEET-UG 2026 retest to 18 locations across the country as part of extensive security arrangements ahead of the examination.

The move comes amid heightened efforts by authorities to ensure that the re-examination is conducted smoothly, securely, and without any irregularities. Officials said the use of Air Force aircraft is intended to ensure the safe and timely delivery of question papers to designated distribution hubs nationwide.

The NTA, in coordination with other government agencies, has implemented a multi-layered security framework for the re-examination. Security personnel, local administration officials, and law enforcement agencies have been deployed to oversee the transportation, storage, and distribution of examination materials.

In addition, sensitive examination centres will be placed under enhanced surveillance. Authorities have introduced strict monitoring mechanisms to prevent any attempts to tamper with question papers or disrupt the examination process.

The NEET-UG 2026 retest will be conducted on June 21 for candidates affected by issues identified during the earlier examination process. The examination remains one of the largest entrance tests in the country and serves as the gateway for admission to undergraduate medical courses across India.