Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh, posted at HAWS in Gulmarg, allegedly assaulted four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar airport on July 26 after being asked to pay for cabin baggage exceeding the 7 kg limit. Singh reportedly refused and attacked staff with a queue stand, causing a spinal fracture and jaw injury. One employee collapsed but was still kicked. CCTV footage has been submitted to police. An FIR has been filed, and the airline is pushing for a no-fly ban. The Army has acknowledged the incident, stating it awaits investigation outcomes while stressing its commitment to discipline. (PC: India Today)

A bulldozer operating to clear debris from National Highway 5 in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla region veered off a steep incline in heavy rain and plunged approximately 300 metres into a gorge . The driver was rushed to hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries . The accident occurred in Jabli (Kumarsain area), where heavy monsoon-triggered landslides and rockfalls disrupted roads and operations . The incident underscores the severity of ongoing rain‑related disasters in Himachal Pradesh, which, along with Uttarakhand, have reported widespread infrastructure damage and fatalities this monsoon season.

New testimonies in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala mass burial case have reignited outrage, with RTI activist Jayanth filing a formal complaint to the SIT. He claims to have witnessed the illegal burial of a young girl, stating her body was buried “like a dog” without following legal protocols. RTI documents reveal Belthangady police deleted all entries from the Unnatural Death Register between 2000 and 2015, coinciding with multiple suspicious deaths. Jayanth alleges key records of postmortems, missing persons data, and photographs were destroyed under routine orders. The SIT is expected to begin exhumation proceedings. The case has triggered demands for accountability amid fears of a systemic cover-up involving women and minors. (PC: India Today & The Indian Express)

A senior Army officer has been booked for a “murderous assault” on four SpiceJet staff members at Srinagar airport on July 26. The altercation erupted when the officer, carrying 16 kg of cabin luggage, well above the 7 kg limit refused to pay the excess fee and attempted to bypass boarding protocols. After being escorted back by CISF personnel, he violently attacked staff using punches, kicks, and a queue stand. One employee suffered a spinal fracture, another a broken jaw, and one collapsed unconscious but was still kicked. SpiceJet filed an FIR, submitted CCTV footage, and initiated a no-fly ban. The Army acknowledged the incident and is cooperating with the investigation.

A 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Odisha, who was allegedly set ablaze on July 19, succumbed to her injuries at AIIMS Delhi after battling 75% burns. Initially believed to be a case of abduction and assault by three unidentified men, Odisha Police now claim no third-party involvement, citing findings from a 15-day investigation. The girl’s statement was recorded before a magistrate, but no arrests have been made. Her death has sparked political outrage, with leaders across party lines expressing grief and demanding justice. The victim’s father urged against politicizing the tragedy, while calls for compensation and accountability continue to mount amid heightened security and public anger. (PC: Getty Images)

Controversy erupted in Ahmedabad after posters warning women to "stay home to avoid rape or gang rape" appeared across the city with alleged backing from the traffic police. These posters, placed in areas like Sola and Chandlodia, cautioned against attending late-night parties or venturing into isolated spots, sparking widespread outrage for promoting victim-blaming and reinforcing patriarchal norms. The Ahmedabad police swiftly disassociated themselves from the campaign, stating the posters were created without official consent by the NGO Satarkta. Senior officials, including DCP Neeta Desai, condemned the messaging, ordered their removal, and initiated an investigation into the unauthorized display.  

A groundbreaking study highlighted in the Asia Pacific Lung Cancer Policy Consensus, released on August 1, 2025, reveals that Delhi’s toxic air is increasingly causing lung cancer in non‑smokers . A long-term review by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Lung Care Foundation shows that in 1988, nearly 90% of lung cancer surgery patients were smokers—by 2018, that proportion dropped to 50%. Among patients under 50, 70% were non‑smokers; none under 30 had smoked . Experts warn that environmental triggers—PM₂.₅ exposure, industrial emissions, cooking fumes, and second‑hand smoke—are fueling this public health crisis. Doctors urge urgent policy action, expanded screening, and tougher pollution controls. (PC: ET)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Partha Sarathi Biswal, MD of Odisha-based Biswal Tradelink Pvt Ltd (BTPL), the first arrest in the ₹3,000‑crore alleged loan fraud involving the Reliance ADAG group . Biswal is accused of arranging a fake ₹68.2 crore bank guarantee to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) on behalf of Reliance Power, backed by forged SBI endorsements and spoofed emails . Investigators uncovered multiple undisclosed bank accounts and dummy directors used by BTPL to launder funds received for the fake guarantee . The ED also issued a lookout circular against Anil Ambani and has summoned him for questioning on 5 August. (PC: Bloomberg)

Former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, recently acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, claimed she was tortured by Maharashtra ATS officers and coerced into naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and others. She stated interrogators repeatedly told her: “Name these people and we won’t beat you.” Thakur alleged a political conspiracy by the then-Congress-led government to defame saffron ideology and the armed forces. She further accused deliberate neglect of her health while in custody. The court, however, dismissed her torture allegations citing lack of evidence. (PC: PTI)

The Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, operating from Ahmedabad to London, crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff on 12 June 2025, killing 241 onboard and 19 on the ground, with only one survivor . The AAIB’s preliminary investigation points to both engines losing power after fuel control switches were moved to “CUTOFF,” a highly unlikely event given safety locks . Cockpit audio features a tense exchange—one pilot asking why fuel was cut off, and the other replying, “I didn’t do it” . However, aviation experts argue the report ignored critical FADEC telemetry and omitted altitude data, sparking claims of narrative bias toward pilot blame. (PC: India Today)