Bhubaneswar, Oct 1: In a shocking incident, an unknown masked miscreant allegedly sexually assaulted a 26-year-old woman engineer at gunpoint in an apartment under the Nayapalli police station area in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday night, the Commissionerate Police said on Thursday.

The cops launched an investigation after registering a case on the basis of the complaint lodged by the victim.

Police sources stated the victim, who reportedly hails from Jagatsinghpur district, is working as an engineer with a private company in Bhubaneswar. She was staying along with her elder sister in an apartment in the Nayapalli area of the city.

After receiving the information about the incident, senior police officers, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar, Saravana Vivek M, rushed to the spot and started the investigation.

“Last night, a 26-year-old woman reported at the police station that when she was in her rented apartment, an unknown person came there and raped her. The victim lives along with her elder sister, and the owners live on the first floor. The accused allegedly showed a gun/toy gun,” the twin city police said.

A senior police official said that the victim’s statement has been recorded, and her medical examination is being conducted. Police have also been examining CCTV footage from the spot and adjoining areas in Nayapalli.

Meanwhile, the locals also expressed shock over the incident and demanded that the police and local administration arrest the culprit at the earliest and ensure stringent punishment. They demanded increased police patrolling in the locality to prevent such crimes from recurring in the future.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, in his response to a query in the assembly, recently informed that 1606 rape cases have been recorded in the state between January 1 and July 31 in 2026.

According to the data shared in the assembly, as many as 21,069 cases in connection with various crimes against women have been registered across the state during the said period.

Gandhinagar, Oct 1: Gujarat government is set to honour Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar with the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’ for his courageous role in helping avert a major tragedy aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced on Thursday.

Patel said Machchhar, despite being wounded and bleeding following the attack, displayed extraordinary courage and helped save the lives of all 174 passengers aboard the flight.

In a post on social media platform X, Patel said the world is saluting the captain’s courage and described his actions as “extremely inspiring and commendable”.

He said Machchhar, who is of Gujarati origin, had brought pride to Gujarat and the country through his bravery.

“To honour his extraordinary bravery and act of humanity, the Gujarat government will honour Captain Smit Machchhar with the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’,” Patel said.

He added that the entire state is praying for Machchhar’s speedy recovery.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi also announced the award in a post on X, saying that despite being “gravely injured” in the attack, Machchhar displayed extraordinary courage and saved 174 lives.

“Gujarat honours Captain Smit Machchhar with the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’,” Sanghavi said, adding that the world saluted his bravery and Gujarat is proud of its “brave son”.

Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed to media that the state government has also announced a Rs 25 lakh cash reward for Machchhar in recognition of his actions.

The announcement comes a day after Machchhar was involved in a dramatic incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit.

The aircraft subsequently experienced a sharp descent before being diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landing safely.

Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and help subdue the attacker.

Two passengers then helped take control of the aircraft, which was safely landed in Tabuk.

The incident has drawn international attention, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu among those publicly praising Machchhar’s actions.

PM Modi on Thursday also spoke to Machchhar’s family and described the injured pilot as a “hero” whose courage helped avert a major tragedy.

Machchhar has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and nearly 9,750 flying hours.

He joined Flydubai as a captain in June 2022 after spending more than 11 years with SpiceJet, where he served as a commander and line training captain. Machchhar is currently recovering in Saudi Arabia following the incident.

The circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack and the motive of the co-pilot remain under investigation.

Flydubai has confirmed that an altercation occurred in the flight deck and that the matter is being investigated.

New Delhi, Oct 1: All BJP MLAs from Haryana, including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and state BJP President Archana Gupta, are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on October 3.

The meeting is expected to take place on Saturday evening and is likely to focus on key political and organisational issues concerning Haryana and the neighbouring states.

Sources said discussions are expected to include preparations and the political situation ahead of the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, as well as the Opposition’s narrative around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The meeting assumes significance as the BJP continues to review its organisational preparedness and electoral strategy in poll-bound states. The party leadership is also expected to discuss how its state units should respond to the Opposition’s allegations and campaign on SIR.

All BJP MLAs from Haryana are expected to attend the meeting, along with Chief Minister Saini and state BJP President Archana Gupta.

The interaction with the Prime Minister is also likely to provide an opportunity for the party leadership to take feedback from Haryana legislators on political and organisational issues and discuss the BJP’s preparations for upcoming electoral challenges.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of the Opposition INDIA Bloc’s offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR issue.

Meanwhile, as per the recent organisational reshuffle in the BJP, former Union Minister Smriti Irani has replaced Satish Poonia as the party’s Haryana in-charge.

This also comes at a time when the BJP has intensified its political activities in Punjab, with the drug menace emerging as one of its principal campaign issues ahead of the Assembly elections.

The party has been targeting the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government over its handling of the drug problem, law and order and the security situation in the state.