National News
Maha local polls: CM Devendra Fadnavis casts vote along with his family
Nagpur, Jan 15: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday arrived with his family to vote in the local body elections.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Fadnavis said, “Our democracy is a unit that can be considered the fundamental cornerstone of democracy. Therefore, voting in it is very important. I urge everyone who believes in India’s democracy to go and vote.
“I believe that voting is not only your right but also your duty. If we want good governance in a democracy, we must go and vote. That is why I have also voted. I appeal to everyone to vote in large numbers, and not stay at home. I urge all people to participate in this high spirit of democracy.”
Speaking to reporters, Amruta Fadnavis, the Chief Minister’s wife, urged citizens to exercise their democratic rights. “It is an important part of democracy to exercise our right to vote. I believe everyone should come out and vote,” she said.
She further said that voters should carefully consider their choices.
“People should think before casting their votes and decide who is best for development. It is important to see which party is working for development and delivering benefits to citizens at their doorstep,” she told media.
BJP spokesperson Asif Bhamla expressed satisfaction over the smooth conduct of the polling process. “I am happy to see that the electoral process is running smoothly. However, it is concerning that many people are not fully utilising this opportunity. As a Mumbaikar, I hope more citizens will participate as the day progresses,” he said.
The Opposition has accused the ruling alliance of unleashing money power and has also blamed the State Election Commission (SEC) for the mismanagement of voter lists
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Leader of Opposition in the state council, Ambadas Danve, alleged that the BJP was intoxicated with money power.
Danve, after casting his vote in Sambhajinagar, said, “I received calls until 4.00 a.m. about how the BJP has showered money across this city. The BJP is intoxicated and arrogant because of their wealth. BJP leaders talk grandly about development; if that is true, why do they need to rain down money? They should ask for votes based on their work, but that hasn’t happened.”
Meanwhile, polling for the 29 municipal corporations began at 7.30 a.m. and will conclude at 5.30 p.m.
While elections were originally scheduled for 2,869 seats, including 227 seats in the BMC, polling is now being held for 2,801 seats, as 68 candidates were elected unopposed. No voting will take place for these uncontested seats.
A total of 3.48 crore voters will decide the fate of 15,931 candidates, including 1,729 candidates in Mumbai alone. The counting of votes will take place on January 16.
According to the State Election Commission, arrangements have been made across 39,147 polling stations, equipped with 43,958 Control Units and 87,916 Ballot Units. In Mumbai, there are 10,111 polling stations with 11,349 Control Units and 22,698 Ballot Units.
Elections are being held in municipal corporations across major cities, including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Amravati, Akola, Latur, Jalgaon, Dhule, Jalna, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Nanded-Waghala, Panvel, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Malegaon, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Ichalkaranji, Ahilyanagar, and Ulhasnagar.
These elections are being conducted after a gap of more than six years, as the tenures of the municipal corporations ended between 2020 and 2023. Except for Mumbai, elections in the remaining 28 corporations are being held under the multi-member ward system, while Mumbai follows a single-member ward system.
Crime
Gurugram hit-and-run: Will law and order wake up only if biker dies, asks victim

New Delhi, Sep 15: Gurugram biker Sia, who was hit by a car on the Golf Course Road last week, has questioned the law and order situation, asking whether authorities would act only after a biker is attacked and killed, while also raising questions about the restrictions imposed on motorists in the city, when the four-wheelers continue to engage in “rash driving”.
She urged authorities to take action against motorists who drive rashly.
Speaking to reporters, Sia said, “Until a biker gets hit and dies, will law and order not wake up? If you put so many restrictions on bikers in Gurugram, then you should also look at those driving four-wheelers. What are you doing about the people who are driving so rashly?”
“I don’t know when he first saw me because, look, I ride in my lane and watch out for myself. I don’t pay that much attention to which car is moving around me, who is inside or what is going on. The first thing was that he sped past very fast, right next to my bike. That is when I noticed him. I thought, ‘Okay, fine, it might have happened. He might not have seen me, or perhaps that person was in a hurry,'” she said.
“But if you have sped past that fast, then just keep going straight ahead, right? What sense does it make for you to stop ahead, make gestures at me, and then come from behind, hit me and run away? When he rolled down the windows of the car, I saw two people in the front,” she added.
“As far as I could tell, there were two people in the back as well. The car had completely tinted black windows, so I couldn’t see clearly. I couldn’t look with complete focus either because I was riding my bike,” Sia said.
She added that wearing protective riding gear helped prevent more serious injuries.
“I had my riding shoes on and my riding gloves, which have a feature that allows them to slide if you fall. If I hadn’t been wearing my riding shoes and gloves, then the way my hand hit the ground first, my shoulder or legs could have broken. We ride with some safety precautions, and that’s why,” she said.
Sia further said the incident had been widely discussed since Monday, with people expressing concern over the alleged conduct of the car driver.
“He hit a human being and left them on the road to die, and walked away. Even now, that person is roaming freely, giving soundbites to news reporters and presenting his defence. How is he getting so much time? Why isn’t the police arresting him?” she asked.
National News
National Engineers’ Day: PM Modi pays tribute to M. Visvesvaraya, hails engineers as ‘Karmayogis’

New Delhi, Sep 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to legendary Indian engineer and statesman Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya on the occasion of National Engineers’ Day and lauded the contributions of engineers in building, innovating and creating solutions for a better tomorrow.
National Engineers’ Day is observed across India every year on September 15 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of the country’s foremost civil engineers and a celebrated statesman whose contribution to engineering and nation-building continues to be remembered.
Born on September 15, 1861, Visvesvaraya, also known by his initials M.V., is widely regarded as the ‘Father of Modern Mysore’. He played a significant role in the development of major public infrastructure projects and became an enduring symbol of engineering excellence in India.
Taking to X, PM Modi extended his greetings to engineers across the country and paid tribute to Visvesvaraya.
“Happy Engineers Day to all remarkable engineers, the people who build, innovate and provide solutions for a better tomorrow. Tributes to Sir M. Visvesvaraya, whose engineering genius and nation-building vision continue to inspire,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi also shared a video in which he highlighted the role of engineers in turning ideas and aspirations into tangible achievements and described them as ‘Karmayogis’ working towards the progress of the country.
“Engineers do not merely build machines; they are the Karmayogis who transform dreams into reality. I applaud and commend every engineer of India. India has been home to many such engineers who turned the unimaginable into the imaginable and presented feats that are hailed as marvels in the world of engineering,” he said.
In the video, the Prime Minister also recalled Visvesvaraya’s remarkable legacy and his contribution to India’s engineering heritage.
“In our proud heritage of great engineers, we were also blessed with a priceless gem whose works continue to astonish people even today — and that was Bharat Ratna Dr M. Visvesvaraya. In his honour and memory, September 15 is celebrated as Engineers’ Day. Following in his footsteps, the engineers of our nation have carved a distinct identity for themselves across the entire world. On this occasion, I respectfully salute all engineers and bow to their creative power of nation-building,” PM Modi added.
Visvesvaraya was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1955 in recognition of his monumental contributions to public projects, engineering and society.
He was instrumental in the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam in Mysore and also played a key role in designing and implementing complex flood protection systems.
The Government of India officially designated September 15 as National Engineers’ Day in 1968, in recognition of Visvesvaraya’s extraordinary contribution to engineering and nation-building.
Crime
Two apprehended for firing at house in Nand Nagri to create fear

New Delhi, Sep 14: The Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of North-East District Police worked out a firing incident reported under the jurisdiction of Nand Nagri Police Station by apprehending two accused persons who allegedly fired at a complainant’s house to create fear.
The accused were identified with the help of extensive CCTV footage analysis and technical investigation.
According to police, on September 4, two unidentified persons riding a scooty fired at the complainant’s house in the Nand Nagri area with the intention of creating fear and fled from the spot.
Following the incident, FIR No. 485/26 dated September 4 was registered at Nand Nagri Police Station under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act, and an investigation was initiated.
Considering the seriousness of the incident, the AATS team of North-East District was tasked with identifying and apprehending those involved.
A dedicated team led by Inspector Deepak Pandey, In-charge of AATS/NED, analysed numerous CCTV recordings and developed clues through technical investigation and other sources. Sustained efforts and detailed examination of the available evidence helped the team identify the suspects.
On September 12, acting on a specific tip-off, the AATS team conducted a raid in the Sunder Nagri area and apprehended Azim Khan. During interrogation, his associate Imran alias Rahul was also apprehended at his instance. Both accused were subsequently handed over to the local police for further legal proceedings.
Police said Imran alias Rahul, 25, son of Ibrahim and a resident of Bhopra Chowk, Siddqi Building, Uttar Pradesh, was previously involved in two theft cases.
Azim Khan, 36, son of Illiyas and a resident of Gali No. 1, Sunder Nagri, Delhi, has nine previous cases registered against him, involving murder, attempt to murder, culpable homicide, robbery, snatching, rape, kidnapping, theft and offences under the Arms Act. He is a Bad Character of Nand Nagri Police Station.
Further investigation into the case by the police is underway.
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