Author Archives: TARIQ ABDULLAH

MAX

Shillong 25.0

Sohra 24.3

Umiam 29.4

MIN

Shillong 17.3

Sohra 19.4

Umiam 19.8

RAIN

Shillong 0.6

Sohra 50.0

Umiam 6.2

FORECAST

Moderate rain is likely to occur at most places.

Source: IMD Shillong

News Capsule

The Jt. Director of Health Services (SS), Shillong Civil Hospital, has informed that a male patient named Sanjay Das (50), C/o PAB, Shillong Medical College-Civil Hospital (brought by police, reportedly found lying at Umkaliar on May 15) was admitted in the Male Medical Ward-I, Bed No.3 on the same day at 11:04 pm. He, however, passed away at 6:30 pm on May 20. In this regard, all concerned relatives, etc have been asked to identify and collect the body from the hospital morgue within three days.

(IANS)

IMPHAL, May 22: Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), one of the apex bodies of the Kuki tribal community, on Thursday extended the ongoing shutdown across Kuki-Zo inhabited areas by another 48 hours to protest the continued detention of 14 members of their community by rival groups since May 13.

KIM Information and Publicity Secretary Janghaolun Haokip said that the extension of the shutdown became necessary due to the continued detention and hostage-taking of Kuki-Zo individuals in Naga-dominated Senapati district.

“The unconditional and immediate release of all hostages remains of utmost importance and continues to be our primary concern. Despite the disturbing developments and rising tensions since the barbaric killings of three Kuki-Zo church leaders on May 13, the Kuki-Zo community has continued to exercise maximum restraint and responsibility in the interest of peace and coexistence,” Haokip said in a statement.

He stated that even after reports emerged regarding the abduction and detention of Kuki-Zo civilians, the community ensured free and safe passage to more than 200 Naga individuals as a humanitarian gesture and in the spirit of maintaining communal harmony.

The statement further said that the President of the Maralui Karalimei Swijoikang (Maram Students’ Union) was also released on humanitarian grounds as a goodwill gesture, reflecting the Kuki-Zo community’s commitment to de-escalation and peaceful understanding between the two communities.

Haokip also recalled that during the Litan imbroglio in Ukhrul district on March 11-12, 2026, the Kuki-Zo community facilitated the safe release of 21 Tangkhul Naga hostages, even though two Kuki-Zo individuals were killed and two others were brutally assaulted during the incident.

He added that on May 14, five Naga individuals were released by the Kuki-Zo side along the IT Road as another gesture aimed at preserving peace and preventing further escalation of tensions.

PTI

IMPHAL, May 22: Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Friday appealed to the people of the state to come forward for talks and not to resort to bandhs or blockades.

Singh was speaking at the inauguration of a bridge at Akham Makha Leikai in Imphal West district.

Addressing a gather-ing, Singh said, “Enforcing bandhs and blockades out of anger toward the government only leads to hardship, par-ticularly for the daily wage earners.”

He also said, “I have been to Jiribam twice. First, I visited the district by heli-copter and second by road, during which members of Kuki, Paite, Hmar and Meit-eis gathered together at the grassroots level and inter-acted. All are having cordial relations.”

“The day after I returned from Jiribam, a bomb attack at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district killed two small chil-dren in April cauing much grief to all of us. The inci-dent caused disruptions to the economy of the state due to shutdowns and bandhs,” he said.

Singh appealed, “To the people to come forward for talks to reach a mutual un-derstanding whenever there is any frustration or anger towards the government, as bandhs cause hardships, particularly to families of daily wage earners.”

Later, in a social me-dia post, Singh said “I am pleased to inaugurate the RCC Bridge over the Nam-bul River at Akham Mayai Leikai in Lamsang Assem-bly Constituency today, in the esteemed presence of MLA Lamsang AC S Rajen Singh.”

He also said, this vital infrastructure project will strengthen connectivity be-tween key areas, facilitate the movement of people and goods, support local markets, and contribute to economic growth and inclusive devel-opment.

“The government remains steadfast in its commitment to enhancing road connec-tivity and building quality infrastructure for the welfare and progress of the people of Manipur”, he added.

Ministry of Ayush

CBC 17201/11/0003/2627

Government of India, Ministry of Ayush Applications/nominations are invited from Ayurveda experts for the National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Award 2026. The award has been instituted by the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, to be conferred on Ayurveda experts possessing recognized qualifications as per the provisions of the National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine Act, 2020, or the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970, and having a profound contribution in the field of Ayurveda.

The awardees shall be felicitated with the award on the occasion of 11th Ayurveda Day to be celebrated on 23rd September 2026. The details may be accessed on the National Awards Portal, http://awards.gov.in, Ministry of Home Affairs. Accordingly, applications/nominations may be submitted by 30th June 2026.

PTI

NEW DELHI, May 22: India on Friday successfully test-fired short-range ballistic missile ‘Agni-1’ from the integrated test range at Odisha’s Chandipur, the defence ministry said. The launch validated all operational and technical parameters, it said.“The test was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command,” the ministry said.The Agni 1 to 4 missiles have ranges from 700 km to 3,500 km and they have already been deployed.

PTI

NEW DELHI, May 22: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to two Delhi riots accused Abdul Khalid Saifi and Tasleem Ahmad while justifying denial of bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam earlier this year, saying it was done not because Article 21 was considered subordinate but because, upon an accused-specific evaluation, the material did not justify overriding the statutory embargo.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale granted interim bail of six months to Saifi and Ahmad, and imposed certain conditions on them, including that they will not speak to media or make social media posts about the case.

“Bail was declined to two appellants not because Article 21 was treated as subordinate to Section 43D(5), but because, upon an accused-specific evaluation, the court found that their role, the prima facie material attributed to them, and the attendant concerns of trial integrity did not, at that stage, justify overriding the statutory embargo.

“Even in respect of those two appellants, liberty was reserved to renew the prayer for bail upon completion of examination of protected witnesses or upon expiry of one year, whichever was earlier.”

“That course itself shows that the judgment treated Article 21 as a continuing constitutional check and not as a spent or excluded consideration,” the top court said about the January 5 verdict, denying bail to Khalid and Imam.

Justifying the verdict, it said the decision in Gulfisha Fatima case requires to be understood as it proceeded on the very premise that the KA Najeeb case of the 2021 verdict binds all benches of lesser strength as it is an authoritative pronouncement of a three-judge bench of this court.

“It expressly recognised that Article 21 occupies a central place in the constitutional scheme; that the right to speedy trial is a facet of personal liberty; and that pre-trial incarceration can- not, by mere passage of time, assume the character of punishment.

It further recognised the KA Najeeb case as a constitutional safeguard against unconscionable detention and recorded that there can be no second opinion on the proposition that statutory restrictions must yield in an appropriate case,” it said.

The bench said the ratio of the KA Najeeb case, therefore, is neither a charter for indefinite incarceration under the cover of Section 43D(5) nor a mathematical command that the mere pas- sage of time, divorced from all surrounding circumstances, must automatically result in bail.

The bench headed by Justice Kumar, whose January 5 judgment denying bail to Khalid and Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case came under severe criticism by another bench earlier this week, said that the question of law on whether prolonged incarceration and delay in trial can override the statutory restrictions on bail needs an authoritative pronouncement.

“The controversy raises a broader question concerning the manner in which constitutional courts are to approach bail where prolonged incarceration is asserted in prosecutions governed by special statutes imposing restrictive bail conditions.

“In this background, it would be imperative or, in other words, necessary for the appropriate bench that may be constituted by the Chief Justice of India to clarify or expound the position of law laid down in the KA Najeeb’s case.

Particularly in the back- drop of the rigour of 43D(5) which imposes restriction consciously and has received the assent of Parliament, which obviously was brought in keeping in mind the valuable right enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” the bench ordered.

NEW DELHI, May 22: A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 30-year-old man here, who apparently recorded the act and later blackmailed her with the clips, subjecting her to repeated sexual assault, police sources said on Friday.The accused was arrested after the victim’s family lodged a complaint on May 21, with police registering an FIR under charges of rape and provisions of the POCSO Act.“The victim had recently shifted to a rented accommodation with her family. The girl’s family alleged that she came in contact with the accused as the latter frequently visited her sister, who lived in the same building where the girl stayed earlier,” the source said. (PTI)

(PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 22: The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has decided to bring back some people, who were earlier deported to Bangladesh, to India and would then verify their claim of Indian citizenship.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant that keeping in view the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case and by not treating it as a precedent to be followed in other matters, the government has decided to bring them back.

“The government would bring them back and thereafter examine their status. Depending upon the outcome, we will take steps accord-ingly,” Mehta told the bench, which also comprised Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi.

The top law officer said that it may take 8-10 days to bring these persons back to India.

The bench posted the matter for hearing in July.

The top court was hearing a plea of the Centre challenging a Septem-ber 26, 2025 order of the Calcutta High Court by which it had set aside the central government’s decision to deport Sunali Khatun and oth-ers to Bangladesh and termed it as “illegal”.

On December 3 last year, the top court allowed on “humanitarian grounds” the entry of Khatun and her eight-year-old child into India, months after they were pushed into Bangladesh.

It had asked the West Bengal government to take care of the minor and directed the chief medical of-ficer of Birbhum district to provide all possible medical assistance to pregnant Khatun, including free of cost delivery.

On April 24, the apex court grant-ed last opportunity to the Centre and asked its counsel to take instruction and get back to it on the issue.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde, appearing for Kha-tun’s father Bhodu Sekh, had said it was a “bit unfair” on the part of the Centre which has not apprised the court about its views in the matter.

Earlier, the top court had noted the submission of Mehta that the competent authority had agreed to allow the woman and her child into the country purely on humanitarian grounds without prejudice to rights and contentions, and they would be kept under surveillance.

Sekh alleged that the families, working as daily wage earners in Sector 26 of the Rohini area in Delhi for over two decades, were picked up by police on June 18, last year on suspicion of being Bangladeshis and subsequently pushed across the border on June 27.

On September 26 last year, the high court quashed the Centre’s de-cision to deport Khatun and Sweety Bibi, residents of Birbhum district in West Bengal, along with their families to Bangladesh after terming them as “illegal immigrants”.

The high court had directed the Centre to ensure that the six deported citizens are brought back to India within a month and rejected the gov-ernment’s appeal to grant temporary stay on the order.

The high court had passed two orders in connection with a habeas corpus petition filed by Sheikh, who claimed his daughter along with her husband Danesh Sheikh and five-year-old son were detained in Delhi and pushed to Bangladesh.

Another petition from the same Birbhum neighbourhood by Amir Khan made a similar claim stating that his sister Sweety Bibi and her two children were detained by Delhi police from the same area and pushed to the neighbouring country.

The deportees were then report-edly arrested by Bangladesh police.

The high court had noted that the Centre stated in its affidavit that FRRO (Foreigner Regional Registration Office), Delhi being a civil authority, has been repatriating illegal migrants of Bangladesh as per instruction dated May 2, 2025 issued by the Union home ministry in a memo.

Detailing the protocols to be fol-lowed for deportation, the memo states that in respect of Bangladesh/ Myanmar nationals identified to be staying in an unauthorised manner in any particular state or Union ter-ritory, an inquiry will be conducted by the state government or Union territory concerned, following which the process of deportation would be taken up.In its order, the high court had observed that “the proceeding for deportation was conducted in hot haste” by the authorities and in viola-tion of the provisions of the memo.

“The detainees have their rela-tions residing in the State of West Bengal…the kind of overenthusiasm in deporting the detainees, as visible herein, is susceptible to misunder-standing and disturbs the judicial climate in the country,” the order had stated.

NEW DELHI, May 22: The NDA is likely to lose one Rajya Sabha seat in the biennial elections for 26 seats in 12 states across the country, while the Congress-led opposition is set to gain three.

The Election Commission on Friday announced elections for 26 Rajya Sabha seats on June 18 following the retire- ment of incumbents, including former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Con- gress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Digvijaya Singh, besides two Union ministers Ravneet Singh and George Kurian.

In a statement, the EC said the elec- tions for the Rajya Sabha seats will be held in 10 states where 24 incumbents are retiring on different dates beginning June 21 to July 10.

Of the total 26 seats where elections are being held, the NDA currently has 18 and the Congress four while one seat is with the JMM and three are with the YSRCP.

The NDA is likely to get 17 seats in these elections, while the Congress will get five, the JMM two and the TVK one.

The NDA currently has 149 MPs in the upper house while the opposition has 78 and non-aligned regional par- ties have 17 MPs in the 244-member house.

The Rajya Sabha elections will be held in four seats each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka, three seats each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, two seats in Jharkhand and one seat each in Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

Besides, one seat each in Maharash- tra and Tamil Nadu will also go to the polls on June 18.

The last date for filing of nomina- tions is June 8, according to the EC.

In a separate notification, the EC also announced by-elections to fill the vacancies created by the NCP’s Sunetra Pawar in Maharashtra and the AIAD- MK’s C Ve Shanmugam in Tamil Nadu following their resignations after they were elected to the state assemblies.

While the NDA is set to bag Pawar’s seat, going by its strength in the state assembly, the TVK is likely to get the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu going for a bypoll.

The tenure of Pawar’s seat will be till July 4, 2028 while that for the Tamil Nadu seat will be till June 29, 2028.

In Andhra Pradesh, the TDP will win all the four states for the Council of States and the BJP will bag all four seats in Gujarat.

In Jharkhand, the JMM-Congress alliance is likely to win both the seats, but the BJP which has 21 seats of its own may try to bag one seat with the help of cross-voting by four opposition members.

In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Congress will get one seat each while the BJP will win two seats in each of the states, going by their cur- rent numbers.

In Karnataka, the Congress will win three seats and the BJP will get only one seat.

Among those who are retiring from the Rajya Sabha are Gowda, Congress president Kharge (both from Karna- taka), Union ministers Ravneet Singh (Rajasthan) and George Kurian (Mad- hya Pradesh), former chief minister Digvijay Singh, and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil.

Besides Ravneet Singh, the members whose tenure is ending in Rajasthan are Neeraj Dangi of the Congress and Rajendra Gehlot of the BJP.

Rajasthan has a total of 10 Rajya Sabha seats.

The BJP and the Congress currently have five members each. Given the present strength of parties in the 200- member Rajasthan Assembly, the BJP is expected to win two of the three seats, while the Congress is likely to secure one.The BJP has 118 MLAs in the Assembly, while the Congress has 67 members. The BSP has two MLAs, the Bharat Adivasi Party, the Rash- triya Lok Dal one, and Independents eight. (PTI)

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PTI