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Tuesday,11-November-2025
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SC to hear today plea for verification of EVMs used in Haryana

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New Delhi, Jan 24: The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Friday a plea filed by Congress leaders seeking verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used during the Haryana Assembly polls.

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan will take up the matter for hearing on January 24.

Earlier on December 20, for the second time in a row, a bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar opined that the plea seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to lay down a memorandum for the checking and verification of the original burnt memory/microcontroller of the four components of the EVM should be taken up for hearing by a bench headed by Justice Datta in January 2025.

Before this, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P.B. Varale opined that the fresh plea should be placed before the same Bench which had passed directions on EVMs in April 2024.

The Justice Nath-led Bench said that the fresh petition related to the interpretation and implementation of the previous judgment of the apex court and therefore, the registry should place the papers before the CJI, who is the master of the roster, for passing appropriate orders as to whether the petition should be listed before the previous Bench.

In order to strengthen the integrity of the election process in the country, a Bench of Justices Khanna (now CJI) and Datta, in April 2024, passed a direction for checking and verification of the burnt memory/microcontroller in 5 per cent of EVMs for any tampering or modification on a written request made by candidates securing second and third highest votes in an election.

The checking and verification exercise was directed to be undertaken by a team of engineers from the manufacturers of the EVMs, with the candidates and their representatives having the option to remain present at the time of such an exercise, it said.

The latest petition filed by Karan Singh Dalal, a former 5-time Congress MLA, said that the ECI has not issued any procedure for checking and verification of the original burnt memory/microcontroller of the four components of the EVM (Control Unit, Ballot Unit, VVPAT and Symbol Loading Unit) in terms of the SC judgment.

The plea sought directions to the poll body to lay down a memorandum for checking and verification of the original burnt memory/microcontroller of the four components of the EVM (Control Unit, Ballot Unit, VVPAT and Symbol Loading Unit). It further sought that the above exercise be undertaken within eight weeks and be made applicable to the EVM checking and verification forms dated October 14, 2024, submitted to the ECI. The petition, filed through advocate Neha Rathi, said the issue raised in the petition requires to be authoritatively decided by the apex court owing to significant public importance and ramifications across the country.

“The matter affects the functioning of the democracy in the country and elections being held across the country in various states, and therefore needs to be urgently and authoritatively decided,” it said. The absence of any procedure for verification of burnt memory for tampering shows reluctance on the part of the ECI to subject the original burnt memory microcontroller from any scrutiny whatsoever, the petition contended.

Crime

Mumbai Customs Foils Smuggling Attempt, Seizes ₹14 Crore Worth Of Hydro Ganja At CSMIA

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The Mumbai Customs Department has seized 14 crore rupees worth of hydro ganja and smuggled gold in five separate operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport between November 6 and 9. Officials from Zone 3 of the Customs Department carried out the operations, which led to the arrest of multiple passengers arriving from Bangkok, Phuket, and Nairobi.

The first seizure took place on November 6, when a passenger arriving from Bangkok was found carrying 2.87 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis valued at Rs 2.87 crore. The next day, two more passengers flying in from Phuket were caught with nearly 4 kilograms of hydro cannabis, worth approximately Rs 4.2 crore.

On November 8, Customs officials intercepted more passengers arriving from Bangkok and Nairobi, recovering additional hydro cannabis and smuggled 22-carat gold bars weighing 358 grams. The estimated value of the gold is Rs 3.7 lakh.

In total, 13 kilograms and 84 grams of hydro ganja and 358 grams of gold were confiscated over three days. Customs officials stated that strict surveillance measures are being maintained at the airport, and all attempts to smuggle narcotics or gold will be firmly dealt with.

Hydroponic cannabis, often called hydro cannabis, is grown without soil using a nutrient-rich water solution. Common in Thailand, this method enables cultivators to precisely control growing conditions, resulting in faster growth and higher yields. These plants are usually grown indoors under LED or HPS lights, with regulated temperature, humidity, and nutrients. The increasing production of hydro cannabis in Thailand has led to rising smuggling attempts into India.

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National News

‘Shameless’: BJP on Congress ‘politicising’ Delhi blast

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New Delhi, Nov 11: A day after the terror attack near Delhi’s Red Fort, the BJP on Tuesday hit out at the “shameless” Congress for “working against national interest”, deprecating the Opposition parties’ bid to “politicise” the tragedy in which eight people were killed.

“If being shameless and working against national interest had a face, it would look exactly like the Congress,” said BJP leader Amit Malviya.

“The problem with our Opposition and the loony far-Left ecosystem is that they simply do not know how to stand with the country in times of need,” said Malviya, incharge of BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, on X.

“Soon after Pahalgam, they whined endlessly, demanding retribution. But the moment Operation Sindoor crushed terror networks, they began croaking for ‘peace’ – some even discovering newfound ancestral ties to Pakistan,” said the BJP leader.

“And now, instead of standing with India, they’re busy politicising the Delhi blast, questioning the government even as evidence points to a massive crackdown that has busted several terror modules, averted major strikes, and led to the arrest of dreaded operatives. Our intelligence agencies are hot on their heels,” he said.

Malviya said, “While top government functionaries are monitoring the situation closely and reassuring the nation, the Leader of Opposition and his sister, the second-in-command in Congress, are reportedly on yet another foreign leisure trip.”

The BJP leader’s stinging criticism of the Congress and its allies coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, while speaking in Bhutan, assured action against the conspirators behind the blast.

He stated that Indian agencies will get to the bottom of the conspiracy and assured that those behind the blast “will not be spared”.

In his remarks at Changlimethang Ground in Thimphu, PM Modi said that India and Bhutan have shared a deep spiritual and cultural bond for centuries.

He said, “Today is a very important day for Bhutan, for the Bhutanese royal family, and for all who believe in world peace. India and Bhutan have shared a deep spiritual and cultural bond for centuries. And therefore, it was India’s and my commitment to participate in this important occasion.”

“Today, I come here with a very heavy heart. The horrific incident that took place in Delhi yesterday evening has deeply saddened everyone. I understand the grief of the affected families. Today, the entire nation stands with them. I was in touch with all the agencies investigating this incident throughout last night… Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy. The conspirators behind this will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought to justice,” he added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also chaired a meeting at his residence with top officials regarding the car blast near Red Fort Metro Station.

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Business

Tomato Prices In Mumbai Surge – Know What Are The Current Rates

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Navi Mumbai: The APMC wholesale vegetable market saw an increase in tomato prices by over 30 percent in first week of November as compared to the prices in October 2025. According to the report, prices of tomatoes in October were sold in APMC at Rs 16 -20 per kg and have now increased to Rs 20-28 per Kg.

The supply of tomatoes have also reduced on Monday, as report by Loksatta stated that only 2238 quintals of tomatoes arrived in the APMC Market.

According to the report, traders said that cold weather and imbalance production of tomatoes led to the increase in price, adding that in the last few days, the supply of goods from Nashik, Pune and Nagar areas also reduced.

According to the report, farmers have cautioned about crop damage caused by unseasonal rainfall and the current cold weather, stating that there is a significant chance that the produced crop’s flowers and buds will fall.

Several other reports added that the price of green peas, cluster beans have also gone up. Price of green peas increased to Rs 280 per kg, cluster beans reached Rs 200 per kg while that of Tinda (Indian round gourd) have rised to Rs 50 for 250 grams.

According to Regional Meteorological Center,Mumbai, the climate in Pune, Nashik is expected to see dry climate till November 15. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai scientist Shubhangi Bhute added that, “there are no signs of unseasonal rainfall currently. With the northeasterly winds prevailing, the temperature will drop. The weather will be dry and skies will be clear.”

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