Police track down ₹1crore jewelry bag mistakenly left in cab

The Noida police tracked down within four hours a bag containing jewelry worth more than ?1crore that a family mistakenly left behind in a private cab. A non-resident Indian from the United Kingdom, Nikhilesh Kumar Sinha, had come to Greater Noida West with his family a few days ago for his daughter's wedding. Since they did not have the cab driver's contact number, they contacted the police.

Rahul Gandhi to hold 'Jai Bharat' rally in poll-bound Karnataka

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold a Jai Bharat rally in Kolar, Karnataka, on 9 April ahead of the state?s assembly elections. The event will be the first public meeting for Gandhi since he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha. The election is critical for the national ambitions of both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Voting will take place in a single phase on 10 May, with results announced three days later.

AAP announces second list of 60 candidates for Karnataka polls

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has released its second list of 60 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. The party has given representation to all sections of society in choosing candidates. This follows the release of the party's "Karnataka guarantees" as part of its election preparations, which included zero corruption, 300 units of free electricity, employment guarantees for young people and a farmers' loan waiver. The party has fielded Rajesh GS from Varuna constituency, which is also being contested by Congress leader Siddaramaiah. The state has 224 assembly seats and the polls take place on 10 May.

Commercial LPG cylinder rate slashed by almost ₹92 in Delhi

Petroleum and oil marketing companies in India have reduced the price of commercial LPG cylinders by INR91.50 ($1.22) per unit, effective immediately. Commercial LPG cylinders now cost INR2,028 for a 19 kg unit in the national capital. Domestic LPG cylinder prices remain unchanged. The companies increased commercial LPG cylinder prices by INR350.50 per unit on 1 March and domestic LPG cylinder prices by INR50 per unit. The last reduction in commercial cylinder prices was on 1 September last year.

'Manipur ready to introduce NRC, but...': CM Biren Singh

The chief minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, has said that his government is ready to introduce the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, but that approval from the Indian government is required. Singh also said that the Manipur State Population Commission would be tasked with identifying immigrants in the state, and that a house-to-house survey would begin soon. Student groups have been calling for the introduction of the NRC to address the population of illegal immigrants in the state.

Man throws 'black magic' bundle inside Azam Khan's house in UP, arrested

The wife of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan has reported an unidentified man to the police after he threw a small bundle of articles, including clothes, into their home. Tazeen Fatma, a former MP, expressed fears that the bundle could be linked to "black magic". Police have arrested a mentally challenged suspect, and suspended four officers for dereliction of duty. Khan has served as both MP and MLA 10 times, but lost his assembly membership after a conviction for hate speech.

Gurugram metro showing significant revenue growth: CS

The 28.5km metro project connecting HUDA city centre to cyber city in Gurugram is at the advanced stage of final approval from the Union government and has been included in PM Gati Shakti projects, according to chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal. The projects are expected to provide an efficient and environment-friendly transport system and accelerate commercial development in Gurugram and other areas of Haryana. The Gurugram metro has reportedly shown significant growth in revenue in the last 11 months of the 2022-23 fiscal year. Kaushal also directed deputy commissioners to check and monitor illegal mining activities and deploy mining guards as per the requirement.

Haryana roadways to buy 375 electric buses

India's Haryana Roadways is set to add 375 electric buses to its fleet, as part of the state government's plan to provide cost-effective, safe and environmentally friendly public transport to citizens. Other items approved at the meeting of the high-powered purchase committee, headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, included 4.5 lakh streetlights for municipal authorities, 21 high pressure jetting-cum-suction hydraulic sewer cleaning machines, ductile pipes and an upgrade of a 66 KV sub-station at Sadhaura. Khattar said the purchases had been made in a transparent manner to save public money.

Fire ravages revolving restaurant in Panchkula

A fire broke out at the Aasma Revolving Restaurant in Amravati Enclave near Kalka-Shimla national highway in Panchkula, Haryana, on Friday morning. The blaze, which started in the false ceiling, was thought to have resulted from a short-circuit. There were no casualties, although the false ceiling and kitchenware were destroyed. Six fire tenders were used to control the fire within 30 minutes.

Mohali: Duo robs banker of ₹1 lakh at gunpoint through UPI transfer

Two masked men robbed a 52-year-old banker of ?1.2 lakh and his mobile phones at gunpoint after offering him a free car ride in Zirakpur on Friday. Threatening to kill him, the robbers first looted ?1 lakh through UPI?transfer, before forcing the victim to withdraw ?20,000 from an ATM, said police.

Panjab University submits self-study report for NAAC grade renewal

Panjab University has submitted a self-study report to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for the renewal of its accreditation grade. The university's NAAC grade expired in June 2022, but it was not ready to apply for a new one at that time. NAAC accreditation is a performance indicator for higher education institutions and is mandatory for applying for funds from central agencies. An NAAC grade 'A' is the eligibility criteria for even for the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) grant.

4th liquor vend auction also proves damp squib, only 7of 36 vends sold in Chandigarh

The Chandigarh excise and taxation department has sold only seven of the 36 remaining vends in its fourth auction, despite reducing reserve prices by up to 10%. The department earned INR36.38 crore ($4.9m) against the reserve price of INR35.89 crore. A further auction is planned, with reserve prices being decreased by a further 3% to 5%, although no date has been announced. Last year, the department held seven auctions but still could not sell three of the total 96 vends.

New fiscal rolls in with slew of changes in Chandigarh

From April 1, Chandigarh residents will face a 5% hike in water tariff and garbage collection charges, while sewerage cess on water has been reduced from 30% to 10%. The city's electricity department has requested the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission to approve a 10% hike in electricity tariff, while liquor vends will be open until midnight but will charge an extra INR10 ($0.14) for all beer brands. Public service vehicles must install tracking devices to improve safety, while door-to-door garbage collection will begin from commercial and industrial units, with charges depending on the size of the establishment.

Chandigarh: Another car break-in at Sukhna Lake, ₹1.95 lakh, laptop stolen

Thieves have stolen INR1.95 lakh ($2,670) in cash and other valuables from a car parked at the back end of Sukhna Lake, India, after smashing the vehicle's window. The incident was the second car break-in at the lake in a week. Police have urged visitors to the area to avoid keeping valuables in parked cars.

Sandeep Singh’s counsel seeks more time to reply on brain mapping in sexual harassment case

Haryana minister Sandeep Singh's counsel has sought more time to file a reply to the application by Chandigarh police to conduct his brain mapping in a sexual harassment case filed by a junior athletics coach. The hearing has been adjourned until 13 April. The police registered a case against Singh, who holds the printing and stationery department, under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code on 31 December 2022.

Ludhiana man arrested for firing at cops in Mohali

A resident of Ludhiana has been arrested by Mohali police for opening fire at a police party during a check post on February 2. The accused, Balkar Singh, quarrelled with the police, pulled out a firearm and fired at them before fleeing the scene. The vehicle used in the crime was also recovered, and the police are attempting to recover the weapon. The case has been registered under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Arms Act at the Sohana police station.