Srinagar, Aug 24: Migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Valley under the Prime Minister’s package requested the UT government on Monday for enhanced security and protection in view of “fresh threats from the terrorists”.

In a letter addressed to the J&K Chief Secretary, the PM Package Employees Forum requested enhanced security and protection for them after the threats emerged.

“We wish to draw your urgent attention to a serious security concern regarding the safety of migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees serving under the PM Package in the Kashmir Valley. A fresh threat poster, purportedly issued by a terrorist outfit calling itself the United Liberation Council (ULC) and dated 23 August 2026, has surfaced on social media,” it said, adding the poster “reportedly contains threats directed towards migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees and mentions personal details such as names, addresses and vehicle numbers of certain individuals”.

Noting that the authenticity of the poster is yet to be verified by the police and security agencies, the employees forum, in its letter, said: “However, the repeated circulation of such threat letters and posters, particularly those containing sensitive personal information, is a matter of grave concern. The matter has reportedly been brought to the notice of the concerned Police and security agencies for verification and necessary action.”

“Sir, we have already witnessed the tragic loss of Kashmiri Pandit employees in targeted attacks. The repeated emergence of new threats every week has created a deep sense of fear and insecurity among employees and their families. Our elders and the entire community are extremely worried about their safety. In view of the prevailing circumstances, we respectfully request your good office to: Provide enhanced and adequate security cover to all PM Package Kashmiri Pandit employees posted in the Kashmir Valley.”

It sought “an immediate and thorough verification” of the fresh threat poster be conducted and those responsible for its circulation identified.

It also sought a review of the security arrangements at the places of posting, residential accommodations, and transit routes of PM Package employees.

“Take necessary preventive measures based on the latest security assessment and intelligence inputs. Ensure that employees whose names, addresses or vehicle details have appeared in such threats receive immediate protection and necessary security guidance.”

“We sincerely hope that the Government will treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and take immediate steps to ensure the safety and confidence of all PM Package employees”, the letter added.

A threat letter against the Kashmiri Pandit migrant employees appeared on social media, but the veracity of the threat or the authenticity of the so-called terrorist outfit is yet to be confirmed by the security forces.

New Delhi, Aug 24: After Indian agencies apprehended three absconding Indian gangsters in Malaysia, ensured their deportation to India, and handed them over to the police, the Union Home Ministry on Monday said that, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a safe and secure India, the agencies had facilitated the deportation of 51 hardened criminals in 2026 alone.

The Punjab Police, in coordination with central agencies, secured the deportation of three operatives of the Davinder Bambiha gang from Malaysia on August 19 in a major crackdown on transnational organised crime.

“Indian agencies got three absconding Indian gangsters apprehended in Malaysia, deported them to India, and sent them to police custody”, the Home Minister’s Office said in a post on its X handle.

“The fugitives, namely Jaspreet Singh, Ajay Singh, and Pawandeep Singh, are linked to the Bambiha Gang and are accused of multiple crimes, including extortion, cross-border arms and narco-trafficking, and a foiled grenade attack in Ludhiana. Under Modi Ji’s vision of a safe and secure India, our agencies have facilitated the deportation of 51 hardened criminals in 2026 alone.”

Earlier, the Central government said that India had successfully brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2019 and July 2026 as part of an intensified drive to ensure that offenders evading Indian law while staying abroad are brought to justice.

The achievement was made possible through stronger legal provisions, enhanced international cooperation, coordinated action among multiple agencies and technology-driven investigations carried out under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, it said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said: “Previous governments lacked the political will to bring back fugitives; the Modi government has made the extradition of fugitives a ‘national priority’… Amit Shah has described the issue of fugitive offenders as one that is intrinsically linked to the country’s sovereignty, economic stability, law and order, and national security.”

According to the Ministry, the government’s approach to tackling fugitive offenders has been built around three major pillars — global outreach, stronger coordination, and smart diplomacy.

The MHA said that the legal framework for pursuing absconding offenders has been significantly strengthened through the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, amendments to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019, along with provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which permit trials in absentia under Sections 355 and 356.

To strengthen international cooperation, the government launched BHARATPOL in January 2025, creating an integrated platform connecting more than 1,400 state and central law enforcement agencies with INTERPOL.

Dhar (Madhya Pradesh), Aug 24: Around 20 devotees were injured, some of them critically, when a tractor-trolley carrying Kanwariyas fell off a bridge in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Monday, police said.

The devotees were on their way to the Narmada River near Old Chikhalda to fetch water as part of the Kanwar Yatra on the fourth and final Monday of the holy Sawan month when the accident took place on a bridge around a kilometre from Kadmal village under the Nisarpur police outpost of Kukshi police station.

The tractor’s steering allegedly failed when the vehicle reached the bridge, causing the driver to lose control and leading to the tractor-trolley plunging off the bridge, police said.

On getting news of the crash, locals and police launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured to hospital after providing them first aid.

“Information was received about a tractor-trolley carrying devotees falling from the bridge. A police team immediately reached the spot and, with the help of local residents, rescued the injured and shifted them for treatment,” a police officer said.

Some devotees sustained serious injuries, while two of them, in a critical condition, were referred to Indore.

According to police, around 30 devotees were travelling in the tractor-trolley at the time of the accident.

Dr S.N. Patidar of the Barwani District Hospital told media that 20 injured people from Dhar had been admitted to the facility. “Six to seven patients are in critical condition. They have suffered injuries to their heads, waists, arms, and abdomens. Some of the seriously injured have been referred to Indore for advanced treatment,” he said.

Police said an investigation was underway to determine the exact cause of the accident and ascertain whether any other factor contributed to the accident.