State

New Delhi, Feb 4: Protests have intensified at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after the administration suspended five PhD scholars, including all four office-bearers of the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), over allegations of vandalism and disruption on campus. The university said the disciplinary action relates to an incident on November 21 involving alleged damage to facial-recognition access gates installed at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Central Library, along with violence and obstruction of academic and administrative functioning. The students’ union has denied the allegations. On February 2, the JNU administration rusticated JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, vice-president K. Gopika, general secretary Sunil Yadav, joint secretary Danish Ali, and former JNUSU president Nitish Kumar for two ...

New Delhi, Feb 4: The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has spent less than 60 percent of its ₹9,000 crore allocation for the 2025–26 financial year even after 10 months, raising the possibility of a budget cut in the coming fiscal year. According to officials, the revised expenditure is estimated at only 50–55 percent of the total allocation, meaning a substantial portion of the funds may have to be surrendered. The underutilization has prompted concerns over delays in key water and sewer infrastructure projects. Senior DJB officials said the budget included ₹250 crore for replacing old sewer lines, another ₹250 crore for upgrading supply lines from water treatment plants, and ₹50 crore for repairs to a branch of the Munak Canal. A major ₹200 crore project to lay a pipeline from Haryana to Delh...

New Delhi, Feb 4: The Union Budget has drawn sharp criticism from environmental experts after allocating less funding for pollution control than last year, raising concerns about the worsening air quality crisis in Delhi-NCR. Specialists say the budget fails to give adequate priority to air pollution, despite it being one of the region’s most pressing public health emergencies. They argue that no strong, dedicated provision addressing air quality is visible, calling it a major policy lapse. For 2026–27, the allocation for Pollution Control Boards and the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has been fixed at ₹1,091 crore — ₹209 crore lower than the revised estimate of ₹1,300 crore for 2025–26. Climate activists have reacted strongly to the cut, noting that not only has the allocati...

New Delhi, Feb 4: A 36-year-old businessman was allegedly beaten to death with a helmet following a minor altercation with delivery workers in Delhi’s Connaught Place, in a late-night incident that has shocked the capital. The victim, Shivam Gupta, a resident of Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi, had gone to a party with a friend on the evening of January 2. According to police, the assault occurred near E Block, close to Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, when Gupta reportedly asked a delivery worker for water, triggering an argument. Investigators said one of the delivery workers repeatedly struck Gupta on the head with a helmet, while two accomplices kicked and punched him before fleeing the scene. Around 1:30 am on January 3, the Police Control Room received a call about an unconscious, bleeding...

New Delhi, Feb 4: Dense morning fog and cold winds continue to grip Delhi-NCR, with the weather department forecasting no rainfall in the capital over the next six to seven days. A yellow alert has been issued for fog, while strong chilly winds are expected on February 6 and 7. The city woke up to another foggy morning on Tuesday, with cloud cover persisting until late morning before sunlight broke through around 11 am. Despite the sunshine, cold winds kept temperatures low. Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 22.5°C on Tuesday, about 0.2 degrees above normal, while the minimum settled at 9.4°C, one degree above the seasonal average. Humidity levels fluctuated between 49 and 100 percent. At Palam, the maximum temperature was 19.5°C and the minimum 8.6°C. According to the forec...

New Delhi, Feb 4: More than 800 people were reported missing in Delhi during the first 15 days of January 2026, with women and girls accounting for over two-thirds of the cases, according to official Delhi Police data. Between January 1 and 15, a total of 807 people went missing — an average of 54 per day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, while 298 were men. Police records show that 191 of the missing persons were minors and 616 were adults. The data indicates that around 572 people remain untraced, while police have managed to locate 235 individuals so far. On average, 13 children were reported missing each day during the period. Of the 191 missing minors, 146 were girls. Among the missing minors, 169 were teenagers, including 138 girls and 31 boys. Police have traced 29 girls...

New Delhi, Feb 3: A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of a chargesheet filed against Uttar Pradesh’s Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh, popularly known as Raja Bhaiya, in a case alleging cruelty toward his wife. The court observed that reviving decades-old allegations through criminal proceedings would serve no legal purpose. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar was hearing Delhi Police’s plea seeking cognisance of a final report filed under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty by a husband or his relatives toward a married woman. The magistrate said the court was not satisfied that the essential ingredients of the offence were made out at a prima facie level. “The court is of the view that the allegations raised by the complain...

New Delhi, Feb 3: Delhi Police have arrested two food delivery workers in connection with the fatal assault of a 36-year-old businessman in the Connaught Place area. A third accused remains absconding, and a search operation is underway. The victim, identified as Shivam Gupta, was allegedly attacked on the night of January 3 while returning home from a party. According to police, a minor altercation escalated into violence, after which three delivery workers brutally assaulted him with a helmet before fleeing the scene. Gupta suffered critical injuries and remained hospitalized for nearly 17 days. He succumbed to his injuries on January 19 during treatment. Following his death, police intensified their investigation and arrested two of the three suspects involved in the case. Poli...

New Delhi, Feb 3: Old Delhi’s long-awaited transformation is set to gain fresh momentum after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was appointed Chairperson of the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC). An official order confirming the appointment has been issued from the Chief Minister’s office. Emphasizing her government’s priorities, Gupta said the comprehensive redevelopment of Old Delhi, along with the preservation of its rich heritage, would be pursued on a priority basis. Through the SRDC, the historic walled city will be developed into a major tourist destination while safeguarding its cultural identity. After assuming charge, the Chief Minister reaffirmed her government’s commitment to reviving the historical and cultural grandeur of Shahjahanabad. She described Old Delhi not...

New Delhi, Feb 3: A Delhi court has acquitted six men accused in a case related to the 2020 Delhi riots, sharply criticizing the prosecution for failing to prove its case and accusing the police of filing a “fabricated” chargesheet and tampering with records. Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh acquitted Prem Prakash alias Kake, Ishu Gupta, Rajkumar alias Shivanya, Amit alias Annu, Rahul alias Golu, and Hariom Sharma. The case pertained to allegations that the accused were part of a violent mob during the riots. In an order dated January 31, the court observed that the prosecution had “badly failed” to establish the charges against the accused and acquitted them of all offences. The case was linked to incidents of arson, vandalism, and looting near the Aziziya mosque in Sudamapur...