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Saturday,15-November-2025
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Kerala temple says no to transgender wedding

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A transgender couple was left disappointed after the authorities of Kollengode Kachamkurissi temple, where they wished to tie the knot, denied permission.

Nilan Krishna and Advaika, both working in a local firm, approached the temple located in Kerala’s Palakkad district, with the request but it was turned down. They then got married at a nearby marriage hall.

The colleagues of the couple and the owner of the firm where they work were at the forefront to solemnise the wedding.

The temple deity venerated as ‘Perumal’, is Chaturbahu Mahavishnu, holding Sankhu, Chakra, Gada and Padma.

He is seen, seated on the coils of Ananta, in ‘Chakravarthy’ posture – akin to Sri Rama at his Pattabhishekam. Thus, devotees are known to have approached him over the centuries, both as Lord Narayana and as Sri Rama.

The temple authorities said that since it was the first time a request had come for transgender wedding, they were a bit apprehensive with regards to the people’s reaction. Hence, they decided not to give the permission.

Business

ED arrests real estate firm MD in PMLA case, accused sent to 14-day custody

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New Delhi, Nov 15: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Ocean Seven Buildtech Pvt. Ltd. (OSBPL) Managing Director Swaraj Singh Yadav after conducting searches at nine locations across Delhi-NCR and other regions in a money-laundering probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, an agency statement said on Saturday.

The action stems from allegations that Yadav diverted and laundered funds collected from homebuyers across multiple projects, including those under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

The searches on Thursday led to the recovery of Rs 86 lakh in cash, suspected to be proceeds of crime, along with incriminating documents and digital evidence.

According to the ED, Yadav orchestrated a large-scale diversion of homebuyer funds through fraudulent cancellation and resale of units at inflated prices, cash-based premiums collected outside banking channels, and misuse of escrow accounts.

He allegedly routed substantial sums into shell entities and concealed cash proceeds with relatives, the ED statement said.

Investigators also found a pattern of rapid liquidation of assets held personally and through company entities in Gurugram, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, which the agency believes was intended to secure illicit gains and evade legal scrutiny.

His wife and children have already relocated to the United States, the probe revealed.

The agency said Yadav operated a dual-payment mechanism in the resale of PMAY flats and even in the sale of parking spaces — routing only nominal amounts through banks while collecting the bulk in cash. These activities form part of a wider probe linked to multiple FIRs alleging cheating, forgery, and other predicate offences.

Following his arrest, Yadav was produced before the Court of ASJ-06 at Patiala House Courts on Friday, in compliance with Supreme Court directions.

After detailed submissions from both sides and a pass-over granted to allow him legal assistance, the court sent him to ED custody for 14 days, until November 28.

The agency has been directed to produce him before the court at 2 p.m. on the date of expiry of remand.

The ED said it is pursuing further investigation to trace, freeze, and attach assets acquired from the laundered funds, to ensure recovery and restitution to affected homebuyers.

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IndiGo to start flights from Navi Mumbai International Airport from Dec 25

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Mumbai, Nov 15: Low-cost airline IndiGo on Saturday announced flight operations from the newly-opened Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) starting December 25, connecting the airport to 10 cities across the country.

IndiGo will connect the future-ready airport to 10 cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, North Goa (Mopa), Jaipur, Nagpur, Cochin, and Mangalore, the airline said in a statement.

The airline said it plans to expand operations at NMIA progressively by adding direct routes to more destinations in due course.

NMIA, the second airport in the Mumbai metropolitan area, is designed to complement Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and meet growing demand for air travel from India’s financial capital.

NMIA is expected to enhance regional connectivity and support economic development in western India due to its strategic location.

By enhancing regional connectivity and supporting economic development in western India, the launch of IndiGo’s operations will connect the airport to its vast domestic network of 95 airports across the country, it added.

The Navi Mumbai International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month, as a major achievement in India’s economic development and “a symbol of Bharat’s aspirations”.

PM Modi said that Mumbai welcomed its second international airport, marking a significant milestone in its journey to becoming Asia’s premier connectivity hub. “Through this new airport, the farmers of Maharashtra will be able to connect with supermarkets in Europe and the Middle East as well,” he observed.

NMIA will ease congestion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and significantly increase India’s aviation capacity.

The Navi Mumbai International Airport Private is designed to accommodate both domestic and international passengers, featuring state-of-the-art facilities. It includes a 3,700-metre runway capable of handling large commercial aircraft, modern passenger terminals, and advanced air traffic control systems.

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Extended hearty congratulations to CM Nitish Kumar: Chirag Paswan after Bihar poll results

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New Delhi, Nov 15: After the announcement of the Bihar Assembly election results, Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Saturday met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and congratulated him on the NDA’s sweeping mandate.

Paswan posted on X to mark the occasion, stating, “After the Bihar Assembly Election results today, met with the Honourable Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar Ji and extended hearty congratulations and best wishes to him for the NDA’s resounding majority.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Chirag Paswan reaffirmed the solidarity and unity within the ruling alliance.

He said, “After meeting the Chief Minister, I came to personally congratulate him and extend my best wishes. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the NDA achieved a historic victory. As a representative of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), I met him to convey our congratulations and good wishes…”

Paswan’s remarks come at a time when the NDA has consolidated its position in Bihar with a powerful, near-landslide performance. Leaders across the alliance have hailed the results as a mandate for stability and continuity.

Adding to Paswan’s sentiments, LJP (RV) MP Rajesh Verma highlighted the party’s impressive performance in the state polls. He said, “It is quite natural that 19 MLAs from our party have won, and many of the seats allotted to us were tough seats. Despite this, the party won 19 seats with a large margin, and on 2–3 seats we lost by very small margins. With this massive mandate, the people of Bihar have clearly shown that there is no alternative to the NDA now. The condition and the numbers of the Mahagathbandhan clearly indicate that the Opposition has disappeared…”

In a decisive electoral outcome, the NDA surged far past the majority mark of 122 seats, tightening its hold over Bihar as the ruling coalition secured a commanding victory.

The alliance, led by Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), saw its numbers significantly boosted by a strong performance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the alliance bagged 202 seats.

In contrast, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties, suffered a severe setback.

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