Highlights: 'Seized my computer, phone…we're not afraid', says Sisodia after CBI's 14-hour-long raid at his house ends

After 14-hour-long raid at his residence by the CBI, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that the agency seized his “computer and personal phone”. “We (his family) cooperated with them. CBI is being misused. It is being handled from above. We have not done any corruption and we are not afraid,” he added.

CBI officials leave Delhi deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia's house after a 14-hour-long raid there in the alleged excise policy scam. The federal agency has also name Sisodia along with 15 others in an FIR pertaining to the case.

Amid backlashes from the opposition over the Jalore incident where a nine-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly beaten to death by his teacher for touching a water pot, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Friday that the way “immediate action” is taken in the state, it does not happen anywhere else in India. “They (BJP) will call it 'Jungle Raj' but people understand everything and are supporting us,” he told ANI.

Delhi on Friday witnessed a dip in fresh Covid cases after 1,417 people tested positive for the virus as opposed to 1,964 from Thursday. Fresh deaths also dipped from eight yesterday to three in the last 24 hours, and so did the case positivity rate from 9.42 per cent to 7.73 per cent, according to the health bulletin data.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the situation in Ukraine in a phone call on Friday, the Kremlin said. Putin said about shelling in Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, and blamed the same on Kyiv, saying it created a risk of “large-scale catastrophe”. Both presidents agreed on the requirement for the International Atomic Energy Agency to send a team to the plant.

The Indian Navy carried out naval exercise with South America for the first time in last two decades. Indian warship INS Tarkash participated in an exercise with Brazilian Naval Ship ‘Uniao’. The two ships conducted multifaceted operations like cross-deck landing&replenishment at sea.

Maharashtra on Friday reported as many as 2,285 new Covid-19 cases and five fatalities, according to the state health bulletin data. The active caseload has grown to 11,733. On Thursday, the state logged 1,800 fresh Covid infections.

The central government has extended Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla's term by one year, news agency ANI reported.

The CBI has named Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and 14 others as accused in an FIR on the alleged excise scam, news agency PTI reported.

Haryana government has appointed a commission of inquiry to look into the circumstances that led to the murder of DSP Surender Singh in Nuh last month. Retired Justice LN Mittal of Punjab and Haryana high court has been appointed for the role. Singh was mowed down while conducting raid on illegal mining activities.

CBI officials leave from the residence of deputy excise commissioner Anand Tiwari in Delhi. The officials are conducting searches at 21 locations in NCR, including deputy CM Manish Sisodia's residence in connection with the national capital's excise policy case.

The Janata Dal (United) - JD(U) will hold its national executive meeting on August 29, ANI reported. The meeting will comprise discussions on the current political situation. This comes after the party's exit from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and forming a new regime with the RJD and others, in Bihar.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's helicopter made an emergency landing in Gaya on Friday owing to bad weather conditions, ANI reported. The CM went out to survey the drought situation in the state. Read more.

Kerala high court on Friday dismissed a petition by gold smuggling prime accused Swapna Suresh, seeking to quash two conspiracy cases filed against her. These cases were lodged on charges of provocation to cause a riot and criminal conspiracy, and one of them was registered on a complaint by CPI(M) leader KT Jaleel, ANI reported.

Two persons were arrested with ambergris or whale vomit worth ₹1.6 crore in Dombivili town of Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Friday.

Ambergris weighing 0.750 gm was seized from the accused, Nandu Kisandev Rai (28) and Arjun Harishchandra Nirmal (26), he said.

Seeing the public support & rising popularity of Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP & PM Modi are scared. They've unleashed agencies like CBI on our people & leaders. There is only one goal - finish Kejriwal: AAP MP Raghav Chadha

Today 10 crore rural households of the country have been connected to the facility of clean water through pipes. This is a big success of the govt's campaign to deliver water to each house. This is a great example of Sabka Prayas: PM Modi at ‘Har Ghar Jal Utsav’ being held in Goa

BJP has two hands, CBI and ED. They did the same in Bengal and Maharashtra. There were raids on Satyendar Jain as well. This is a tactic to suppress the opposition. Nothing has been found in the raids: TMC MP Saugata Roy on CBI raids at the residence of Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launches ‘missed call’ number - 9510001000 - to appeal to 130 crore people of the country to "join the mission to make India no.1".

The New York Times article lauding Manish Sisodia as the world's best education minister is a huge feat, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal says.

A close aide of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested in a sedition case, was presented in Islamabad court after being deemed "fit" by medical board.
Gill was arrested last week in Islamabad for allegedly making controversial remarks against the Pakistan Army on a private TV channel, local media outlet GeoNews reported. He was eventually booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.

Young striker Manisha Kalyan,20, has become the first Indian footballer to play at the UEFA Women's Champions League when she made her debut for Apollon Ladies FC in the European Club competition in Engomi, Cyprus.

The Congress on Friday said the “relentless misuse” of agencies against political rivals erodes their credibility and gives an opportunity even for the corrupt to get away.

Soon after CBI raids were conducted at the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the honest end up paying the price in such processes.

fficials of the Central Goods and Services TAX (CGST) commissionerate have arrested two proprietors of firms based in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly fraudulently availing Input Tax Credit (ITC) collectigvely worth more than ₹20 crore. 

The arrests were made on Thursday after the fraudulent activities of the two firms were unearthed, the CGST Bhiwandi commissionerate in Mumbai zone said.