Meerut, Sep 30: The verdict in the sensational Saurabh Rajput murder case, which made headlines, is set to be delivered by a Meerut court on Wednesday. Ahead of the judgment, the victim’s family reiterated its demand for the harshest punishment for the accused.

Saurabh’s elder brother Rahul spoke to media and said, “We just want one thing: whatever they did to my brother, the same thing should happen to them.”

“Since the beginning of this case, we have been hoping to get justice. We have just demanded one thing — whatever they did to my brother, the same should happen to them. The least they get should be a death sentence.”

Speaking about the case, he said, “It is more than 17-18 months. My business has come to a standstill because of this case. We used to leave for court at 11 in the morning and return only by 5 in the evening.”

He added that he was summoned to court on 11 days, and his mother had to appear nine times. Rahul said 22 witnesses gave testimony. “If the accused is awarded anything less than the death sentence, we will approach the High Court or the Supreme Court,” he said.

The case has seen 126 hearings and testimonies, with the prosecution and defence presenting their arguments before District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra.

Saurabh’s wife, Muskan Rastogi, and Sahil Shukla, whom the prosecution has described as her alleged lover and co-accused, are standing trial in the case. The prosecution has sought the death penalty for both, while the defence has argued that there was no eyewitness to the murder and has sought leniency for the accused.

The case was brought before the court on 17 March 2025, while Muskan and Sahil were sent to Meerut jail two days later. The trial was transferred to the district judge’s court in July 2025, with arguments continuing for around 13 months.

The prosecution alleges that the murder was premeditated and that the accused purchased a knife, razor, cement, sand and a large blue drum before committing the crime. Police and forensic witnesses told the court that the body was recovered from the drum, while post-mortem evidence recorded injuries allegedly inflicted with sharp-edged weapons.

Reportedly, Saurabh’s mother, Renu Rajput, also accused Muskan and Sahil of killing her son. She told the court that Saurabh had married Muskan despite opposition from his family and alleged that Muskan kept meeting Sahil even after the marriage.

Anand, Sep 30: Five people were killed and five others injured after a private luxury bus collided with a truck on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway in Gujarat’s Anand district at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, police said. Reacting to the news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths of the five people in the accident and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the mishap.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in a mishap in Anand, Gujarat. Condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

The bus collided with the truck on the expressway when the bus was attempting to overtake the truck.

Anand Superintendent of Police, G.G. Jasani, said the bus was carrying around 30 to 40 passengers when the collision took place.

The Sai Darshan Travels bus had departed from Surat for Rajasthan and was travelling from Anand towards Nadiad when it collided with the truck. Most of the passengers were asleep at the time of the accident.

The impact left several passengers trapped inside the damaged bus. After receiving information, police personnel and local residents reached the spot and launched rescue operations.

The injured were pulled out of the bus and shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. The bodies of the deceased were sent for autopsy following the necessary inquest proceedings.

One of the injured passengers, Dhanesh Jadhav, said he had boarded the bus in Surat and was asleep when he was suddenly jolted awake by the sound of the collision.

“Panic and confusion spread among the passengers immediately after the crash,” he said.

The accident also disrupted traffic movement on the expressway for some time. Police cleared the damaged vehicles from the road and restored traffic movement.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to the collision, including the bus driver’s attempt to overtake the truck.

New Delhi, Sep 30: BJP National Media In-charge Ashish Usha Agarwal on Wednesday questioned Rahul Gandhi’s leadership of the INDIA bloc as the opposition alliance meets in the national capital, suggesting that differences within the grouping could become more visible during the discussions.

In a post on X, Agarwal said that even before the meeting, questions were already being raised about Gandhi’s leadership.

“The meeting hasn’t even started, yet questions are already being raised about Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” Agarwal said earlier.

He further claimed that the meeting would reveal which leaders or parties within the opposition alliance would distance themselves from Gandhi.

“Who all will distance themselves from Rahul Gandhi will become clear today in the INDIA bloc meeting,” he said.

Agarwal also suggested that any change in the positioning of the INDIA bloc leaders could raise questions about their relationship with Gandhi, using a Hindi couplet to make his point.

“And if faces appear changed, then for Rahul Gandhi, it’s just this much…‘There must have been some compulsions, no one becomes unfaithful just like that…’”

He concluded by framing the issue as one extending beyond the immediate meeting and into questions surrounding Gandhi’s leadership of the opposition alliance.

“Now the question is no longer just about the meeting, but about trust in Rahul’s leadership,” Agarwal said.

The BJP leader’s remarks come amid the INDIA bloc’s meeting, where opposition parties are discussing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and their concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission.

The meeting is being held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. The agenda was finalised following discussions among opposition parties and is expected to include the SIR exercise and the Election Commission.

The Congress Working Committee has also passed a resolution demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc is expected to discuss a coordinated political response to these issues.

The meeting assumes significance amid differences among alliance constituents over strategy and participation, with opposition parties seeking to work out a common approach on electoral-roll revisions and related concerns.