New Delhi, June 23: A sudden spell of severe weather swept through Delhi and adjoining parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday afternoon, with intense dust storms and powerful winds disrupting normal life and prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a Red alert, expected to last for at least 3 hours.

The Weather Department warned that adverse conditions were likely to persist for at least three hours, with wind speeds potentially touching 100 kmph in isolated areas. It also forecast thunderstorms, lightning activity and light rainfall across several parts of the region.

The dramatic change in weather began around 2.30 p.m., when the IMD issued urgent advisories for Delhi as well as neighbouring areas of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Soon after, strong gusts of wind swept across the capital, significantly reducing visibility as thick clouds of dust enveloped roads, open spaces and residential neighbourhoods.

The weather event brought temporary respite from the intense heat that had prevailed across the region over the past few days. Meteorologists noted that above-normal temperatures had created favourable atmospheric conditions, leading to the build-up of energy that contributed to the sudden storm activity.

The IMD forecast that the dust storm would be followed by thunderstorms, lightning, and light rainfall as moisture-bearing winds interacted with the unstable atmosphere. The rainfall is expected to help settle dust particles and bring further cooling to the region.

The alert extended beyond Delhi to several districts in neighbouring states. In Haryana, areas including Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, and Charkhi Dadri were expected to be affected. In Uttar Pradesh, warnings were issued for Bagpat, Khekra, Pilakhua, and Sikandrabad, while parts of Rajasthan such as Alwar, Bhiwadi, Tijara, and Deeg were also placed under watch.

According to the IMD, dust storms followed by thunderstorms, lightning, light rain and gusty winds ranging between 50 and 80 kmph were likely to impact Delhi and the surrounding NCR regions during the afternoon.

Weather observers also indicated the possibility of moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in several parts of Delhi-NCR. However, conditions were expected to improve gradually, with dry weather likely to return by the evening.

New Delhi, June 23: The Delhi Police on Tuesday have arrested a cab driver in connection with the abduction, rape, and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Delhi’s Mehrauli area. Authorities managed to track down and apprehend the accused within six hours of the incident.

According to the police, the suspect abducted the young girl around 5:00 A.M. on Monday while she was sleeping on the pavement alongside her family.

Upon receiving the report, the Delhi Police immediately formed multiple specialised teams to locate the child. Following his arrest, the accused confessed to the crime and revealed that he had dumped the victim’s body along the Faridabad-Gurugram road.

The police have since recovered the body and booked the driver on charges of kidnapping, rape, and murder.

In a separate incident in the national Capital, a 36-year-old social media influencer has accused a man of raping her under the pretext of shooting videos, officials said on Monday.

Based on the woman’s complaint, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Burari Police Station on June 10, and a senior police officer confirmed that an investigation is currently underway.

According to the complaint, the victim, a resident of Burari, came into contact with the accused through a social media platform in 2022. She alleged that the man invited her to a local hotel in September 2022 under the guise of filming social media reels, where he subsequently sexually assaulted her.

The woman further alleged that the suspect later blackmailed and repeatedly assaulted her. She eventually distanced herself from him after discovering that his real name was different from the identity he had initially presented. Following this, she claimed she received threats from the accused’s brother-in-law and another relative.

Meanwhile, in Bihar’s Begusarai district, a 28-year-old married woman was allegedly gang-raped by five youths. The perpetrators subjected the victim to extreme brutality, inserting a live bullet, a stone, and a piece of wood into her private parts.

Although the assault occurred on the night of June 11, it was medically confirmed during an examination on Thursday. The survivor is currently undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital. In her statement before the court, she testified that the five men held her captive when she stepped outside to relieve herself, dragged her to a secluded location, tied her up with ropes, and assaulted her.

Patna, June 22: Bihar police cracked down on a racket of impersonators during the NEET-UG examination 2026 after cases of cheating and alleged manipulation of biometric verification procedures surfaced at multiple examination centres in different districts.

A total of 30 people have been arrested during checks, including the ones who doubled up ‘imposters’ and appeared at exam centres, in place of genuine candidates, in brazen violation of laid down rules and guidelines.

Police sources said that a student of Pawapuri Medical College in Rajgir was the alleged mastermind of the racket. According to investigators, the suspect organized a network involving medical students from different institutions who were recruited to take the examination on behalf of candidates.

The gang reportedly targeted aspirants seeking medical admissions and allegedly negotiated deals ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh per candidate.

Investigators claimed that the gang manipulated the biometric verification process at multiple examination centres.

According to preliminary findings, individuals associated with biometric verification were allegedly in cahoots, to facilitate impostors enter the examination centres.

Police are investigating the exact manner in which the biometric procedures were bypassed.

Police state that all nine alleged “solvers” arrested in the case are medical students. The 30 arrested individuals reportedly include medical students acting as solvers, personnel associated with the biometric agency, and other members of the alleged racket. Several additional suspects are currently being questioned.

Lakhisarai SDPO Shivam Kumar stated that preliminary investigations indicate that monetary deals worth Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh were made for each candidate.

An advance payment of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh was allegedly collected, and the remaining amount was to be paid after examination results and admission.

Police are examining bank accounts, mobile phone records, and digital transactions to trace the money trail.

The process of registering an FIR was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by Dinesh Kumar Bhagat, Acting Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Lakhisarai, who was serving as the city coordinator for the examination.

Police officials have stated that the investigation is being expanded and that the role of every individual connected to the alleged racket is being examined.

Authorities believe that further interrogation of the accused could reveal additional members of the network, financial transactions, and possible links to other examination centres.