Crime
‘Quite shocking’: Shashi Tharoor On Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane’s EVM Remarks

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday condemned Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane’s remark on EVMs, describing it as “shocking” and contrary to the inclusive values upheld during India’s freedom struggle.
Stating that targeting any particular community is wrong, Tharoor asserted that everyone is an equal citizen of the country and that’s the only way for the country to progress.
Speaking to Media, Tharoor said, “This kind of thing is quite shocking. In our country, we really have to understand the basic lesson of the freedom struggle, which is that when one set of people said that religion is the basis of their nationhood. They went away and created Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi onwards, our leader said we have fought for the freedom of everybody. We will create a country for everybody, we will write a constitution for everybody, and everybody will live here with equal rights.”
“I must say that people picking on any one community, whether it’s against Muslims, Hindus, Christians, or any caste, that is all wrong. We are all equal individual citizens of India, and that is the only basis on which our country can progress,” he added.
This comes after Maharashtra’s Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane, addressing a Hindu Garjana Sabha in Sangli on Friday, reportedly made derogatory remarks saying, “EVM means, Every Vote against Mullah.”
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Brinda Karat also condemned the minister’s remarks and called for the arrest of Rane.
“This is a hate speech and this man should be arrested. This man is a threat to India as this is not the first time he has made such an outrageous communal statement… The fact that he continues as a minister is a reflection of the hypocrisy of the BJP and the RSS… Prime Minister talks of the Constitution and here his minister is destroying the basic foundation of the Constitution through this hate speech, so he must be removed from his post,” Karat said.
Crime
Blast on railway track in Assam’s Kokrajhar, train services disrupted

Guwahati, Oct 23: Train services were thrown out of gear after a powerful explosion ripped through a section of railway track between Kokrajhar and Salakati stations in Assam’s Kokrajhar district, officials said on Thursday.
The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday, according to officials.
As per the preliminary information, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated around five kilometres east of Kokrajhar railway station, causing extensive damage to the track and forcing the suspension of train movement on both up and down lines.
Railway authorities immediately halted traffic as a precautionary measure, stranding several trains at nearby stations and leaving hundreds of passengers stuck for hours.
Panic and confusion gripped travellers as news of the explosion spread, while emergency announcements advised passengers to remain calm and await further instructions.
Teams from the railway department, security agencies, and bomb disposal units rushed to the spot shortly after the blast. The site was cordoned off as experts examined the cratered track and collected forensic evidence.
Senior police and railway officials also reached the area to supervise repair work and oversee the investigation.
While no casualties have been reported so far, the impact of the explosion severely disrupted train schedules along the busy route.
Authorities have not yet identified those responsible for the incident.
Security has been intensified across Kokrajhar and adjoining districts, with patrols stepped up on key railway stretches as investigators work to trace the perpetrators and determine the motive behind the blast.
A senior police official said, “There was a blast on the railway tracks, which caused disruption in the train services. At least one metre of track suffered damage due to the blast. The track has been repaired and train services have resumed on the route. We have launched a probe to find the details behind this incident. At this point, we can not conclude anything about the blast, whether it was an IED or not. Once we complete the investigation, we will be able to provide further information.”
Crime
37 arrested in Greece over EU farm subsidy fraud

Athens, Oct 23: The Greek police have arrested 37 people in a nationwide operation targeting a criminal network accused of defrauding the European Union’s (EU) agricultural subsidy system, authorities said.
According to the Hellenic Police on Wednesday, the operation was carried out by the Organised Crime Division in Thessaloniki, Pella, Ioannina, Attica, and Crete.
The suspects allegedly obtained EU farm subsidies through false declarations submitted to OPEKEPE, a public agency responsible for managing and disbursing agricultural aid schemes funded by the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), in the course of the preliminary investigation, 324 individuals were identified as subsidy recipients, causing an estimated cost of more than €19.6 million to the EU budget.
Of these, 42 are believed to be involved in this case and are considered current members of the criminal group, the EPPO said.
Investigators estimate that the network illegally acquired between 5 million euros ($5.8 million) and 10 million euros out of more than 20 million euros in total subsidies.
Most suspects are not connected to farming, and the core group is believed to consist of about 10 individuals, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported.
The operation was conducted in cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which began investigating the case about 18 months ago, the report added. (1 euro = 1.16 US dollar)
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, under pressure due to his family’s political ties in Crete, vowed to imprison those guilty and recover the misappropriated funds.
He claimed the fraud began in 2016, before his 2019 tenure, and warned that Greece’s EU subsidies could be at risk if the issue isn’t resolved.
“Whatever the political cost, I am not backing down,” Mitsotakis told Skai radio.
Government Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis echoed the sentiment, stressing that public resources must not be embezzled for personal gain.
Several Ministers and Deputy Ministers have resigned over their alleged involvement in the scandal.
The EU has already fined Athens €400 million after finding evidence of systemic failings in the handling of farm subsidies from 2016 through to 2023.
Greece also risks losing its EU farm subsidies unless it provides an improved action plan on how it will stop funds being siphoned off into corruption.
The original deadline was October 2, but this has now been pushed back to November 4.
Crime
Maharashtra: 6 Held As Student Dies After Assault During Freshers’ Party At Latur College

Latur: A student died allegedly after being assaulted during a freshers’ party at a private college in Maharashtra’s Latur district, leading the police to arrest six pupils, officials have said.
The incident occurred on October 8 during the freshers’ party organised at the well-known college in the MIDC area of Latur, police said on Wednesday.
A minor dispute that began while dancing during the bash soon escalated into violence when the victim, Suraj Shinde, had an argument with a group of fellow students. In a fit of rage, the group allegedly attacked Shinde with sticks and fists, they said.
Shinde sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died during treatment. Following the incident, police registered a case of murder based on a complaint by one of the college goers and arrested four students till October 16, according to an official release.
Two more students were arrested on Tuesday (October 21) after their involvement in the assault came to light, taking the number of those nabbed to 6, stated the police.
All of them were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, causing grievous hurt using dangerous weapons or means, criminal intimidation and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, among others, they said.
Police Sub-Inspector Suresh Pogulwar is heading the investigation into the case.
-
Crime3 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News1 year ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime1 year ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report