PUNJAB AND HARYANA

Karnal, Haryana: A love marriage in Karnal’s Nirmal Vihar area has taken a legal turn after it was revealed that the groom is a minor. Authorities have filed a case against the bride, the officiating priest, and other involved parties. The bride is reported to be 22 years old. The incident dates back to January 13, when the couple approached the Sitamai police station, claiming that they had married in a local temple. Upon verifying documents, the police discovered that the groom was under 21 years of age, rendering him legally a minor. Both the bride and the groom were subsequently produced before the Protection and Prohibition of Child Marriage Officer. According to statements, the bride insisted that the marriage was conducted with her consent according to Hindu rituals. The cerem...

Gurugram/Delhi: The first rainfall of the season in Delhi-NCR on Friday brought respite from the winter chill but caused major disruption on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway. Commuters returning from offices over the weekend were caught in severe traffic jams, with vehicles lined up for several kilometers, creating scenes reminiscent of a citywide gridlock. The rainfall, which began in the early afternoon, impacted both Delhi and surrounding NCR areas. While the showers were expected to clear the air, they created a significant hurdle for travelers trying to return home during peak hours. The India Meteorological Department attributed the sudden change in weather to the region’s first intense Western Disturbance of the season. Police Advisory Issued Ahead of Republic DayGurugram traffic p...

Faridabad: In a shocking incident in Faridabad, a four-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly beaten to death by her father because she failed to write numbers from 1 to 50 correctly. Krishna Jaiswal (31) was arrested on Friday after his wife lodged a complaint with the police. The incident took place in Jharasantali village under Sector-58 police jurisdiction, where the family was living on rent. The tragedy came to light when the parents took the unconscious child to BK Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Father Attempts to Conceal CrimeIn an attempt to cover up the incident, Krishna allegedly told his wife over the phone that their daughter had fallen down the stairs and lost consciousness. However, upon reaching the hospital, the mother noticed visible injuries on the chil...

Chandigarh: The controversy over former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi’s alleged remarks on Guru Tegh Bahadur and the video shared by BJP leader Kapil Mishra has escalated between the Delhi Assembly and Punjab Police. The Delhi Assembly had issued notices questioning the FIR filed against Kapil Mishra in Jalandhar, claiming it violated legislative privileges and citing that Atishi’s video had been doctored. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav has now responded to the Assembly’s notice, clarifying the legal position. The reply, sent on January 21 via the Punjab government’s Home Department, stated that the Jalandhar police had acted strictly according to the law. Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Dhanpreet Kaur, also submitted the response in line with the DGP’s statement. FIR Filing Within Police ...

In a shocking incident, two men allegedly kidnapped a delivery boy and brutally assaulted him over a financial dispute involving ₹6.5 lakh. The Gurugram police have arrested the two accused in connection with the case. The suspects, identified as Jaybir and Aman, reportedly planned the kidnapping to recover the money. Jaybir, who runs a transport business in Hisar, claimed that the victim was an old acquaintance. The incident occurred near the Southern Peripheral Road in Gurugram. According to police, the assailants, along with a few others, beat the victim with kicks, punches, and wooden sticks before forcibly placing him in their vehicle. The attackers threatened to kill him while driving away. Police emergency response teams arrived at the scene and apprehended the two main suspec...

Chandigarh: With just six days remaining for the Chandigarh mayoral election scheduled on January 29, political activity has intensified in the Union Territory. The key question dominating political circles is whether Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will once again come together to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is aiming to retain control of the mayor’s post. Currently, the mayor’s chair is held by the BJP, while the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor are with Congress. As the election date approaches, backchannel discussions and strategic calculations have picked up pace among opposition parties. The BJP has deployed its trusted national general secretary Vinod Tawde to manage the party’s campaign and ensure that it retains the mayoral position....

Chandigarh/Mohali: The Punjab government on Thursday rolled out one of the country’s most ambitious public healthcare initiatives, ‘Chief Minister Sehat Yojana’, under which 65 lakh families will receive free medical treatment worth up to ₹10 lakh per year. The scheme was formally launched in Mohali by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Addressing a large public gathering, Kejriwal said the government had fulfilled its promise of providing free and quality healthcare to every family in Punjab, without any conditions or discrimination. “Now even the poorest citizens will be able to get treatment in the same top-class hospitals where the rich go,” he said, calling the scheme a historic step in India’s healthcare journey. ...

Chandigarh: The weather took a sudden turn in Haryana and Punjab on Friday morning as widespread rainfall accompanied by thunder swept across several districts, bringing back cold conditions after two days of bright sunshine. The rain began around 2:00 AM in many areas and led to a noticeable drop in temperatures, intensifying the winter chill once again. In Chandigarh, light to moderate rain started in the early hours of the morning and continued intermittently until around 6:00 AM. The city had experienced strong sunshine over the past two days, but the rainfall has once again made cold conditions more pronounced. Weather Conditions Over the Past Day On Thursday, residents in both states experienced warmer daytime conditions, followed by a return of cold weather by evening. Acco...

Chandigarh: Ahead of the upcoming urban local body elections in Haryana, the reservation status for mayoral and chairperson posts has been finalized. On Thursday, a draw of lots was conducted to determine reserved and open positions for three municipal corporations, one municipal council, and three municipal committees across the state. According to the draw results, the mayor’s posts in Panchkula and Sonipat Municipal Corporations will remain open, allowing candidates from any category—men or women—to contest. In contrast, the Ambala City Municipal Corporation mayoral post has been reserved for a woman from the Backward Class-B (BC-B) category, ensuring that Ambala will have a backward class woman mayor. The entire draw process was conducted transparently and videographed in full. A...