National News
Sambhal mosque chief Zafar Ali’s arrest: Advocates stage ‘pen-down’ protest

Sambhal, March 24: Advocates in Sambhal staged a ‘pen-down’ protest on Monday against the “unlawful” arrest of Shahi Jama Masjid Committee chief and senior lawyer Zafar Ali by the Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Ali was arrested in connection with criminal conspiracy for November 24 violence in the city, which left four people dead and several injured.
The police have accused Ali of inciting rioters and fabricating evidence to cause wrongful conviction, among other charges.
A couple of lawyers at the Sambhal court voice strong opposition to his arrest and also led a procession through the market, raising slogans against the police administration.
Speaking to the reporters, Advocate Shakeel Ahmad said, “Zafar Ali has been wrongfully arrested. There is no FIR against him, and the charges are baseless. He is our senior counsel, and all advocates are standing with him. If this oppression continues, protests will spread across Uttar Pradesh and the entire country.”
Ahmad further claimed that Ali had been arrested to prevent him from giving a statement against the police in court in Lucknow on Monday.
The lawyers also staged “pen-down” protest, refusing to carry out legal duties until Ali is released.
Advocate Amit Uthbal stated, “The entire advocate community is united against the police. We stand with Zafar Ali and will continue our protest.”
Following Ali’s arrest, heavy security has been deployed around Shahi Jama Masjid, with Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel stationed in the area. The administration is monitoring the city using CCTV and drone surveillance to maintain law and order. A flag march was also conducted as a precautionary measure.
Sambhal Circle Officer (CO) Anuj Chaudhary told IANS, “The route march is a routine procedure to ensure peace and order. Lawyers have the right to protest.”
Ali has been arrested under multiple penal provisions, including rioting, obstructing public servants, endangering public safety, and causing property damage. His arrest is linked to one of 12 FIRs registered against 159 individuals following the Sambhal riots.
According to police sources, Ali played a key role in planning the violence, which erupted after he was informed about a proposed survey of the historical mosque by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). His role in inciting locals to oppose the survey, which was abruptly halted on November 19, 2024, is also under investigation.
During the violence, rioters allegedly used illegal foreign-made firearms, and incidents of gunfire, stone-pelting, and arson were reported in Nakhasa Tiraha, Kotgarvi, and Hindupura Kheda.
In the aftermath of the riots, several families fled the area, and around 300 properties remain locked. The police suspect that panic selling of properties occurred due to rumours of demolition, and individuals with criminal backgrounds took advantage of the situation to seize properties.
National News
‘Agar Hai Tumhari Aukat…’: AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj Slams Surya kumar Yadav, BCCI Over Pakistan Game In Asia Cup 2025

Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj slammed Suryakumar Yadav, BCCI for playing match against Pakistan In Asia Cup 2025. He even challenged them to donate the money earned from the India-Pakistan match to the widows of the martyrs in Pahalgam attack.
Speaking at a press conference, he said, ” Suryakumar Yadav agar tumhari aukat hai, tumhari BCCI ki aukat hai aur tumhari ICC ki aukat hai toh tumhe dusri chunati bhi dete hai. Jitna paisa tumne iss broadcast rights se kamaya hai, advertisers se kamaya hai aur iss pure dhande cricket se kamaya hai dedo uss shahido ki vidhwao ko uss 26 aurto ko. Hum bhi maan jayenge tumne dedicate kiya hai.”
(If you have guts, if your BCCI and ICC have guts, whatever money you earned from broadcasters and advertisers, give it to the widows of the martyrs)
Suryakumar Yadav during the post match interview that his team stands in solidarity with the Pahalgam terror attack victims and dedicatd the win to the Pahalgam victims and armed forces. He said, “Perfect occasion, taking the time out we stand by the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile,”
There was a lot of chatter surrounding the India-Pakistan match, with social media being flooded with messages to boycott the match. The terror attack in Pahalgam in April saw 26 tourists lose their lives. In May, India retaliated with Operation Sindoor.
A day before the match, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also stated that his players are aware of the sentiments of the people back home and know their emotions. The beginning of the contest between India and Pakistan on Sunday saw no handshakes between Suryakumar
India registered a comfortable 7 wicket win over Pakistan on Sunday. However, the Men in Blue have now qualified for super 4 stage after Oman were eliminated by United Arab Emirates. Pakistan needs to beat UAE to have chance to play India once again.
Business
Sensex, Nifty open higher as India-US trade talks set to resume

Mumbai, Sep 16: The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday amid mixed global cues, as US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch arrived in India to resume trade negotiations between the two nations.
As of 9.25 am, the Sensex was up 184 points or 0.23 per cent at 81,970, and the Nifty was up 47 points or 0.19 per cent at 25,117.
The broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices, as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 0.26 per cent, and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 0.70 per cent.
Kotak Mahindra, Axis Bank and Hero Motocorp were the top gainers on NSE Nifty 50 index. Titan Company, SBI Life Insurance, Asian Paints and Tata Consumer Products weighed on the Nifty 50 index.
Among sectoral indices, Nifty Media, the top gainer, jumped 1.08 per cent. Nifty Auto (up 0.65 per cent) and Nifty Oil and gas (up 0.57 per cent) were the other major gainers. Except Nifty FMCG and Nifty PSU Bank, which were marginally down, all other indices were in the green.
Analysts said that, from a technical standpoint, a sustained move above the 25,160 level could pave the way for a rally toward 25,250 and 25,500 zones. The immediate support lies at 25,000 and 24,900 zones.
“The bold reforms – both fiscal and monetary – implemented this year have started yielding results and is likely to gather momentum in near future. An India-US trade agreement without the penal tariffs can be a shot in the arm for markets,” said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.
Major US indices ended firmly in the green zone overnight as the Nasdaq rose 0.94 per cent, the S&P 500 gained 0.47 per cent, and the Dow advanced 0.11 per cent.
Most of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session. While China’s Shanghai index dipped 0.1 per cent, and Shenzhen inched down 0.26 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.54 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inched up 0.07 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 1.2 per cent.
The US markets are pricing in a 96.4 per cent probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut on September 17, with additional cuts expected through year-end.
On Monday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 1,268 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1,933 crore.
National News
Bandra Fair 2025: 12 Individuals Booked For Theft On Opening Day

Mumbai: Twelve individuals from Mumbai and the Thane region, including two 17-year-old boys from Amravati and three women from Pune were booked under nine FIRs at Bandra police station on Sunday, the opening day of the week-long Bandra Fair that will continue till September 21. The suspects, aged between 17 and 35, are from Amravati, Pune, Nirmal Nagar (Bandra East), Santa Cruz and Ambivli in Thane district.
According to the police, the accused had travelled to the fair posing as devotees to steal mobile phones, gold chains and pickpocket worshippers. The Amravati teenagers were caught attempting to steal mobile phones, while the three Pune women who already have theft cases against them for incidents during the Dagdusheth Ganpati festival were nabbed while trying to steal gold ornaments.
Assistant Inspectors Vikram Patil and Bajrang Jagtap led a 35-member team from police stations between Bandra and Versova, working under the supervision of DCP-zone 9, Dikshit Gedam. Around 50,000 devotees visited the first day of the 300-year-old fair, which also marked the reopening of the restored Mount Mary Basilica.
Mumbai Police said they are developing strategies to counter organised thefts by criminals posing as devotees. In 2018, Bandra police had similarly arrested three women chain-snatchers from Chennai during the festival, for whom an interpreter was arranged as they spoke only Tamil.
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