National News
All preparations fully completed for Bihar polls: DGP Vinay Kumar
Patna, Nov 5: A day before the first phase of voting for the Assembly elections, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar on Wednesday said that all preparations for the upcoming polls have been completed to ensure the polls are conducted peacefully and smoothly across the state.
DGP Vinay Kumar said the state police and administration are fully committed to maintaining law and order during the election process. He also appealed to the youth of Bihar to strengthen democracy by actively exercising their right to vote.
Speaking to Media, DGP Vinay Kumar said, “All preparations for the elections have been completed to conduct the polls peacefully. I also want to urge the youth of Bihar to come forward and make democracy stronger by using their voting rights responsibly.”
The DGP warned that anyone found involved in creating violence or any kind of disturbance during the polling process would face strict legal action.
“If anyone is found involved in violence or undesirable activity, they will not be spared. FIRs are being registered against all such offenders because no one is above the law,” he told Media.
Kumar further urged young voters not to be misled by anti-social elements.
“I request the youth not to fall into the trap of those who want to disrupt peace. Strengthen democracy by voting. The administration stands firmly with the people. If anyone faces any problem while casting their vote, they can directly contact us. Our helpline numbers have been made public for this purpose,” he added.
When asked about the FIR filed against Union Minister Lalan Singh for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct, the DGP said, “The Model Code of Conduct is known to everyone. If anyone disobeys it, an FIR is filed against them. The entire police and administrative team are working to ensure its strict implementation.”
Highlighting the preventive measures taken by the police, Kumar said, “If anyone attempts to create an undesirable situation or engage in violence, they will be arrested under preventive detention laws and released only after signing a bond. This year alone, around two lakh people have been arrested under such preventive measures.”
He added that special attention has been given to ensuring adequate deployment of security forces.
“Earlier, 1,500 companies of security personnel were allotted for the two phases of the elections. In the past six to seven days, an additional 150 companies of police personnel have been deployed, mainly in the districts going to polls in the second phase. The Dial 112 emergency service will remain fully functional, and citizens facing any issues can reach out immediately. Our social media monitoring cells are also active to track and counter misinformation,” he said.
The DGP also revealed that the police have taken strong action against those involved in criminal activities related to the elections.
“Anyone involved in criminal acts that attempt to disrupt the election process will face a speedy trial. In the past 25 to 30 days, around 800 accused individuals have been arrested. We will ensure that their cases are prioritised and convictions are achieved within two months. The Election Commission of India has also directed that such cases be given top priority,” he noted.
Reiterating his appeal to voters, Kumar said, “I appeal to every voter in the state to come out and vote without fear. Bihar is the mother of democracy, and it is our responsibility to protect its dignity. The youth must play a leading role in maintaining peace and harmony. If anyone notices anti-social activities, they should inform the authorities immediately. Strict action will be taken against those trying to disturb peace or spread violence.”
He further added that a few incidents of disturbances had been recorded, and the CID was investigating them.
“Such anti-social elements are being identified through videography. After the election, they will be sent to jail. Those who misuse weapons will face strict punishment. No one will be spared if they think they can escape by indulging in such acts,” Kumar added.
The voting for the Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases — November 6 and November 11, and the counting is scheduled for November 14. After the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the 243-member Assembly, the Model Code of Conduct is currently in force across the state. Polling will be conducted in 121 constituencies in the first phase and 122 constituencies in the second phase.
Business
Banks raise $72.8 billion in forex inflows till Aug 21, FCNR(B) deposits reach $65.4 billion: RBI

New Delhi, Aug 22: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday said that authorised dealer banks have raised a massive $72.848 billion in forex inflows till August 21, and a major chuck came from FCNR (B) deposits at $65.397 billion.
External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) and Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) under Reserve Bank’s Swap facility helped raised another $7.451 billion till August 21.
RBI had introduced a special USD-INR forex swap facility covering FCNR(B) deposits, ECB and OFCB inflows on June 8, 2026.
“As already announced vide Press Release dated August 14, 2026, the Scheme is open till August 31, 2026 for FCNR(B) deposits, and up to December 31, 2026 for ECBs and OFCBs,” The Research Bank said in a statement.
The massive foreign inflows arrive as Indian banks have stepped up their efforts to attract FCNR(B) deposits by offering higher interest rates after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suddenly cut short the deadline for its dollar-rupee swap window to August 31, from September 30.
The swap facility, announced in June to boost the inflow of dollars amid a weakening rupee, was originally available until the end of September, but the RBI abruptly shortened this by a month due to the “encouraging response” to the facility, which resulted in the required amount of foreign exchange flowing into the country.
While there may be valid reasons to justify an early closure of the RBI’s FCNR(B) deposit scheme, the most likely reason could be that the target for dollar mobilisation has already been achieved with inflows at $57 billion, and another $25-30 billion could easily flow in the remaining days of August, taking the total collections to around $85 billion, an SBI Research report said earlier this week.
According to the SBI report, “we don’t believe that the cost of swap could have been a constraining factor”.
“Our estimates show that the cumulative cost would amount to around 15 per cent of the corpus, or $10.5 billion. While this appears sizeable in absolute terms, it needs to be viewed against the scale of India’s foreign-exchange reserves rather than the FCNR(B) corpus alone,” the report argued.
Meanwhile, foreign exchange reserves jumped $9.905 billion to $716.90 billion during the week ended August 14, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. The latest increase comes a week after the country’s forex reserves had surged by $14.1 billion to $707 billion, marking their highest level in the current financial year.
The rise in reserves was supported by inflows under the RBI’s FCNR(B) deposit scheme, which began to reflect in the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
National News
CJP vs villagers: Rajasthan school shifted within 24 hours in Jaipur

Jaipur, Aug 22: A day after a dispute between the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and villagers of Rampura over an inspection of a government school in Jaipur escalated into allegations of assault, intimidation and a law-and-order breakdown, the government school was shifted to a building about 50 metres away, within 24 hours of Friday’s clash.
After the confrontation, CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke had warned of an escalation stating that he would sit on a dharna in Jaipur if steps weren’t taken within 48 hours to improve the condition of the school.
The Rampura government school was shifted to a house in the village on Saturday morning. More than 16 children were present at the new location along with two teachers.
The room being used for classes had previously operated as a grocery shop. At the time of inspection, some children were also seen studying outside in the Sun.
A blackboard had been placed outside one of the rooms, while the room itself contained a storage chest and other belongings.
Children also reported that the ceiling fan inside the room was not working, leaving them uncomfortable in the heat.
On Saturday morning, both sides filed complaints against each other at Shivdaspura police station, accusing one another of assault and creating a ruckus.
Both parties have also alleged that police personnel are putting pressure on them.
CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that party workers were assaulted in the village on Friday and that their clothes were torn. He demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Ranka further alleged that people from outside the village were brought in for the attack and claimed that some of those involved were later seen with local BJP MLA Kailash Verma. He described the incident as a “pre-planned attack” and alleged that stones were used with the intention of causing serious harm.
According to Ranka, police personnel were not present at the spot despite repeated attempts to contact them. He said the CJP has made videos of the incident public and demanded an impartial investigation by the Rajasthan Police.
Ranka also alleged that Pratap Nagar police were intimidating him and putting pressure on him. He claimed police personnel were questioning CJP workers about him and his family.
In their complaint to the police, villagers alleged that the CJP had disturbed the atmosphere in Rampura.
They claimed that the arrival of a large number of people, allegedly carrying weapons, created fear in the village and that children were now frightened to attend school.
The villagers have denied the allegations made by CJP workers and sought action over what they described as intimidation and disorder.
Villagers said they want the government to reconstruct the school building at the earliest so that classes can resume properly within the village.
Reacting to the developments, Ranka said the CJP would not be intimidated and would continue its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign over the condition of government schools.
He alleged that Education Minister Madan Dilawar would face embarrassment over the condition of Rajasthan’s schools and said he would personally visit schools again.
Ranka also said the CJP’s demand could now extend beyond school-related issues to seeking Dilawar’s resignation.
Meanwhile, Dilawar posted on social media that continuous efforts were being made to strengthen government schools in Rajasthan, including infrastructure development, construction and repairs, smart classrooms, laboratories and other essential facilities.
The allegations made by both sides have yet to be independently established.
The police investigation and the FIRs filed by the two parties are expected to determine the sequence of events and responsibility for Friday’s clash.
Crime
‘Give her to us’: Adobe techie Vinay Gupta’s mother, sister allege pre-planned murder by in-laws in Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 22: The mother and sister of 31-year-old software engineer Vinay Gupta, who was allegedly beaten to death by his in-laws in outer Delhi Nihal Vihar area, on Saturday alleged that the killing was pre-planned and demanded strict punishment for those responsible.
Speaking to reporters, Gupta’s mother alleged that her daughter-in-law had orchestrated the murder and deliberately called her relatives to their home.
“Give her to us, and we will punish her with our own hands. She orchestrated his murder and left,” she said.
According to her, the incident occurred early in the morning when her daughter-in-law allegedly called her brothers to the house. “We were preparing to serve them water, thinking that relatives had come to visit. But they did not want water. They grabbed him by his hands, choked his throat, jumped on his chest and killed him right before my eyes within five minutes,” she alleged.
She further claimed that when she tried to save her son, she too was assaulted. “When I rushed to save him, they beat me. When his father tried to rescue him, they assaulted him as well. Everything went dark before my eyes. There was no one else in the house. She had the CCTV cameras switched off,” the grieving mother stated.
Calling the incident pre-planned, she said there had been no major dispute before the attack. She claimed that six people were involved, of whom four had reportedly been detained while two are absconding.
Gupta’s sister, who was at her in-laws’ home at the time of the incident, also alleged that the killing had been planned in advance.
“My parents and my brother were alone at home. In the morning, she had an argument over something and stormed out of the house. Within just 10 minutes, she returned with six men from her family. She led them upstairs,” she said.
“My mother was preparing to serve them water, thinking that guests had arrived. But they refused the water, grabbed my brother by his hair, choked his throat and killed him. Before leaving the house, she had intentionally switched off the CCTV cameras,” she alleged.
She questioned how the relatives could have reached the house within 10 minutes when their residence was allegedly around 30 minutes away.
“It was completely pre-planned. Everything was orchestrated in advance,” she said, adding that her elderly parents were unable to save her brother.
The sister also alleged that Gupta’s wife frequently fought over minor issues and threatened the family. “There were six people who killed my brother,” she alleged.
The deceased was a resident of Laxmi Park and worked as a software engineer with Adobe in Noida. He had married his 31-year-old wife, a homemaker, around three-and-a-half years ago. The couple have twin children — a son and a daughter — who are about four-and-a-half months old.
According to the victim’s family, an argument broke out between Gupta and his wife in the morning over a matrimonial issue. Following the dispute, the woman allegedly contacted members of her parental family, who later arrived at the couple’s residence in Nihal Vihar.
The family alleged that Gupta was subsequently attacked and severely beaten by his wife’s relatives. Gupta was later rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
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