Hyderabad, Sep 14: A minor girl was drugged, abducted and sexually assaulted by nine people over a span of three days in Medchal Malkajgiri district near Hyderabad.

All the accused were booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and arrested after the victim escaped from their clutches and lodged a complaint at Alwal Police Station under Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate.

The 16-year-old girl, a Class 11 student, was sexually assaulted on various occasions by the accused including those known to her, at different places including in a car, during a train journey and in a hotel room.

According to police, the victim came in contact with one J. Varun when she was in 10th class. A few months ago, the accused sexually assaulted her in his car after giving her a chocolate laced with sedatives. Another youth Romala Varun, who was introduced to her by J. Varun, also sexually assaulted her after making her a cigarette, liquor and Ganja addict.

Preliminary investigation by police revealed that the victim had earlier came in touch with one David Varun through Instagram. The accused had made her consume liquor and misbehaved with her.

Suspicious over her behavior, the girl’s father admonished her on September 9. Angry over this, the girl left the house and reached Bollarum Railway Station, where a person Neeraj met her. He called his friend Vicky and they sexually assaulted the victim after giving her some intoxicated substances.

Later, Vicky along with another friend Nikhil took the girl to a OYO room in Dulapally. Vicky and Nikhil along with two others sexually assaulted her. On the night of September 9, Vicky brought her his house in Bollarum and confined her here.

The next day she managed to escape and reached Bollarum Railway Station. Vicky along with his friend Ganesh reached there and forcibly drugged her. They took her to Medchal Railway Station. From there, they took her to Malkajgiri and on the way sexually assaulted her in the train. After reaching Malkajgiri, they boarded an autorickshaw. However, she managed to escape and reached her house and with the help of family members approached police.

On a complaint by the victim, police registered cases under POCSO Act and various sections of BNS against the accused.

The police have also arrested manager and owner of OYO hotel for admitting the minor and allotting a room without proper verification.

Srinagar, Sep 14: Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore area arrested a drug peddler with psychotropic substances while two others were arrested in Shopian district with heroin and charas on Monday.

Police said continuing its sustained drive against the drug menace, Sopore Police arrested a drug peddler and recovered 240 capsules of Spasmo-Proxyvon Plus along with Rs 47,000 in cash.

During naka checking at Amargarh Crossing, in the jurisdiction of Police Station Tarzoo, a truck bearing Registration No. JK05H-4164, driven by Jahangir Ahmad Dar son of Nazir Ahmad Dar resident of Patoosa, Rafiabad, was intercepted and subjected to checking.

During the search, 240 capsules of Spasmo-Proxyvon Plus and Rs 47,000 in cash were recovered from the possession of the accused and seized in accordance with due legal procedure.

Accordingly, FIR No. 125/2026 under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Tarzoo and investigation has been taken up to ascertain the source and wider linkages involved.

Sopore Police reiterates its zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and remains committed to sustained action against drug peddlers to safeguard youth and society from the menace of narcotics.

Police have arrested two persons in separate operations in Shopian district and recovered substances suspected to be heroin and charas from their possession, officials said.

During naka checking at Kiloora Crossing, a police party from Police Station Imamsahib intercepted a person after noticing his suspicious movement, officials said.

A personal search led to the recovery of around 1.210 grams of a heroin-like substance. The person was identified as Murshid Ahmad Malik, a resident of Krawoora, Imamsahib.

Police have registered FIR No. 64/2026 under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Police Station Imamsahib and taken up investigation into the case.

In a separate operation, cops from Police Station Zainapora intercepted another person during naka checking at Babapora Zainapora crossing, officials said.

A search resulted in the recovery of around 18 grams of a charas-like substance. The accused was identified as Muneeb Ahmad Thoker, son of late Shamem Ahmad Thoker, a resident of Beibagh, Yaripora, Kulgam.

An FIR, numbered 120/2026, has been registered at Police Station Zainapora under relevant provisions of the law, and an investigation has been initiated to determine the source of the suspected contraband and other circumstances of the case, officials said.

The two cases are being investigated separately. The recovered substances have been described by police as heroin-like and charas-like material pending further legal and forensic procedures.

New Delhi, Sep 13: The Congress on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, questioning his government’s approach to bilateral ties and also the “mismatch” in walking the talk on matters pertaining to the neighbouring Asian giant.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a detailed press note, accused the Modi government of ‘calibrated capitulation’ before China.

Ramesh, also the Congress in-charge of Communications, questioned PM Modi’s 2020 remarks on India-China border skirmishes and claimed that India had given up traditional patrolling and grazing rights in parts of eastern Ladakh to China.

He asked whether the Prime Minister’s June 19, 2020 remarks that no one had entered Indian territory had weakened India’s negotiating position following the Galwan Valley clashes.

He also raised concerns over China’s purported territorial advances in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

“There have been reports of Chinese encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh, including loss of India’s access to patrolling points and fresh standoffs. China’s posture on Arunachal Pradesh has only hardened: renaming towns, reasserting claims to what it calls “South Tibet”, and pushing ahead with its 60,000-MW Medog mega-dam on the Brahmaputra’s Great Bend, a project that gives it a stranglehold over the water security of our entire northeast,” the Congress leader claimed.

Ramesh’s remarks come a day after PM Modi conveyed to the Chinese President that peace and tranquillity along the frontier remains an ‘essential component’ of building better ties between the two nations.

The Congress leader further questioned the Modi govt over a “softening of position” onChina’s alleged backing of Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and asked whether this was part of a strategy to change the atmospherics before hosting the Chinese President.

“On July 4, 2025, Lt. General Rahul Singh, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, had publicly spoken of the military establishment’s assessment of the deep and pivotal role of China in assisting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. But all of a sudden, on August 25, 2026, the former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan took a completely different position in a lecture at the VIF – with which the National Security Adviser has himself been closely associated,” the Congress leader contended.

Ramesh also came down on the government over India’s rising trade deficit with China.

“Why have you allowed the trade deficit with China to reach record levels? India’s trade deficit with China hit a record $112.6 billion in 2025/26, destroying large sections of our industry, especially MSMEs. The dependence on China for critical raw materials, manufacturing components and intermediates has reached dangerous levels,” he stated while also asking the government about its roadmap for bringing about a change in this unacceptable situation.