New Delhi, June 28: The Delhi Police, in pursuance of the zero tolerance policy against narcotic drugs and drug trafficking, arrested 16 accused and made recoveries of drugs during an operation launched under the ongoing ‘Operation Kavach-14.0’ to dismantle narcotics supply networks and curb the menace of drug trafficking.

Dedicated teams of Anti-Narcotics Squad (ANS), Special Staff and Police Stations of West District conducted sustained intelligence-based raids, surveillance and targeted operations against drug peddlers and traffickers operating within the district, said the police in a press statement on Sunday.

During the operation, 13 NDPS cases were registered, and 16 accused, including two women, were apprehended.

The operations resulted in the recovery of substantial quantities of narcotic substances, including 32.161 kg of ganja, 89.77 grams of smack, 9.8 grams of cocaine, and 6.62 grams of MDMA. Besides narcotic substances, one three-wheeler (Auto), one Scooty, one mobile phone, and Rs 1,450 in cash were also recovered.

The Anti-Narcotics Squad registered a case vide FIR No. 314/2026, under section 20(c)/29 of the NDPS Act at the Punjabi Bagh police station and arrested four accused persons, namely Mithun Kumar, Vikram Kumar, Sanjay Yadav and Md. Rizwan. A total of 23.160 kg of ganja (Commercial Quantity) was recovered from their possession.

The ANS registered a case video FIR No. 265/2026 U/s 22/25 NDPS Act, Rajouri Garden police station and arrested the accused Ram Kumar with the recovery of 6.62 grams of MDMA along with one three-wheeler (Auto).

Special Staff registered a case vide FIR No. 268/2026 U/s 21 NDPS Act, Rajouri Garden police station and apprehended one accused and recovered 9.8 grams of cocaine and one Scooty.

During the operation, four separate cases were detected with the recovery of approximately 89.77 grams of smack, leading to the arrest of four accused persons from police stations Tilak Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Khyala and Vikas Puri.

Apart from the commercial quantity case, several separate cases were registered involving the recovery of ganja from different police stations of the West District.

The police in the statement said that sustained action under Operation Kavach-14.0 reflects “the commitment of the West District Police towards eliminating the drug menace and dismantling narcotics supply chains through intelligence-led policing and coordinated enforcement”.

Further investigation in all cases is in progress to apprehend other persons involved in drug trafficking, the police said.

At least three children have died in the last 48 hours in the Potka block of the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand due to Cerebral (brain) malaria, officials said on Sunday.

This has created a serious health crisis in the region prompting the authorities to launch a mass scale survey.

Fresh cases are still emerging from affected villages, while more than 20 patients — many of them children — have been admitted to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College and Hospital in Jamshedpur. Several of them are said to be in critical condition.

In view of the severity of the outbreak, the health department has intensified surveillance, large-scale screening, and medical intervention across nine villages in Potka.

District Surveillance Officer Dr Asad said that with the onset of the monsoon, an unexpected spike in malaria and cerebral malaria cases has been reported across these villages. He also confirmed fatalities among children.

The deceased have been identified as Lakhkhi Sardar, a Class VII student of PM Shri Kasturba Gandhi Residential School; Rahul Sardar (8) from Daudrodia village; and Subola Sardar (8) from Kandar village.

Meanwhile, Subola’s one-year-old sister, Khushboo Sardar, has also contracted the infection and is currently on ventilator support in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at MGM Hospital.

During intensive screening drives, over 14 new cases have been detected, including three students from the Kasturba Gandhi school and a nine-month-old infant from the Sabar tribal community.

Health teams have so far screened over 600 residents in the affected areas through special medical camps.

Amid the crisis, the administration has sealed a private clinic in Potka following allegations of negligence in the treatment of Lakhkhi Sardar.

Investigations have revealed that despite clear symptoms of cerebral malaria, proper treatment was not administered. A show-cause notice has also been issued to the clinic operator.

A high-level team from the health department inspected the Potka Community Health Centre and expressed concern over inadequate resources. Instructions have been issued to ensure the immediate availability of additional spray pumps, rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits, and essential life-saving medicines.

The department has launched a mass fever survey, door-to-door screening, and mosquito-borne disease control measures across the affected regions.

Medical officials have urged residents not to ignore symptoms such as high fever, chills, headache, vomiting, unconsciousness, or seizures, and to seek immediate medical attention.

The health officials have advised people to use mosquito nets regularly, wear full-sleeved clothing, and prevent water stagnation around the places they live.

Mumbai, June 27: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday launched a scathing attack on senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and newly appointed Nagpur Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil, accusing him of compromising civil service neutrality by publicly praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In a strongly worded social media post, Thackeray questioned the high-ranking officer’s “dual loyalty” and bluntly suggested that if he harbours such deep affection for the right-wing organisation, he should resign from service and formally enter politics.

The controversy erupted after a video circulated showing the 1997-batch officer addressing a regional Hindu Sammelan. In his speech, Nangre Patil openly lauded the RSS and its founder, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, describing him as a farsighted nationalist.

While the organisers have framed these statewide gatherings as strictly cultural and apolitical, Raj Thackeray dismissed the claim, asserting that a cursory look at the organisers and their motives reveals deep-rooted political backing.

“A police officer’s loyalty must lie solely and exclusively with the duties of the police force,” Raj Thackeray stated. “We all fondly believed that the Khaki colour of Nangre Patil’s uniform represented the police department. It is only now we realise his Khaki mirrors the old uniform of the Sangh.”

“If you feel affection for the Sangh, keep it in your heart. If you want to speak about it publicly, resign from service and join the RSS or the BJP. After all, a rehabilitation guarantee scheme for disgruntled or favoured officers has been running for years—your rehabilitation will happen too,” he remarked.

Shifting his focus to the state’s top leadership, the MNS chief questioned whether the Chief Minister and the Home Minister condone such overt political alignment from serving bureaucrats. Warning of a dangerous slippery slope, Thackeray questioned the long-term precedent being set by the administration’s silence.

To emphasise his point, Raj Thackeray drew a direct historical comparison to a 2012 incident involving his own party. He quoted the 2012 precedent, saying that during an MNS protest march against the Raza Academy in Mumbai, a police constable had stepped forward to stand in solidarity with the police force and the protest’s stance. The government at the time promptly placed the constable on compulsory leave for abandoning professional impartiality.

Raj Thackeray demanded to know whether the current government would show the same administrative resolve in Nangre Patil’s case, or if rules are being selectively applied based on ideological alignment.

The MNS chief concluded his statement by connecting the officer’s actions to the broader political climate in Maharashtra, where lawmakers and MPs face constant political realignments. He warned that if even senior police leadership fails to remain fiercely impartial, citizens will lose all faith in administrative institutions.

Acknowledging Nangre Patil’s established track record as an efficient and capable officer, Raj Thackeray made a direct appeal: “If you run after the government or the organisations backing them, you are giving them exactly what they want. Do not pawn your sense of institutional propriety before political parties and organisations.”

Raj Thackeray’s statement comes days after the Maharashtra Congress launched a sharp offensive against Nangre Patil, expressing concerns regarding administrative impartiality and constitutional propriety.

The Congress party claimed that this is not an isolated incident involving a single officer, but a structural degradation of civil service integrity. It has placed the onus squarely on CM Devendra Fadnavis to clarify whether the state government tolerates active police leadership doubling as ideological ideologues, warning that such silent compliance establishes a highly destructive precedent for the future of administrative governance in Maharashtra.