Meghalaya Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) have dismissed reports from some Bangladesh media and police that two suspects in the murder of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi fled into India via the Haluaghat border and entered Meghalaya. According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the suspects — Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh — allegedly crossed the border with help from locals and reached Tura in Meghalaya. However, Indian authorities say no evidence, arrests, or verified reports support this claim, calling it a false and fabricated narrative. Both agencies stressed the need for verified information through formal channels and increased border vigilance. (PC: HT)

The Election Commission (EC) has halted hearings for voters marked as “unmapped” in West Bengal after identifying a technical issue linked to the 2002 electoral rolls. Officials said problems arose during the digitisation of old PDF records, which led to mismatches in the Booth Level Officer (BLO) app and triggered erroneous notices to legitimate electors. The EC has directed officials not to proceed with such hearings and instead rely on physical verification of documents using hard copies of legacy rolls. Once verification is completed, affected voters will be correctly mapped and included in the updated electoral rolls, ensuring eligible electors are not wrongly excluded. (PC: PTI)

A 24-year-old student from Tripura, Angel Chakma, died after fighting for life for 17 days following a violent attack in Dehradun, police said. The incident took place on December 9 near a roadside canteen in the Selakui area. Police said a group of men made racially abusive remarks at Angel and his brother. When they objected, a fight broke out. Angel was allegedly hit with a sharp weapon and a metal kada, causing serious head and back injuries. He was admitted to a private hospital but died on Friday. Three accused were arrested, two minors detained, and one suspect remains absconding. Murder charges have now been added. (PC: India Today)

The Congress is dealing with new internal tension after senior leader Digvijaya Singh made an online post seen as praising the BJP and the RSS. Singh said the BJP-RSS allows workers to rise from the ground level to top posts, sharing a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with L K Advani. He later said he remains opposed to the RSS ideology. Party leaders gave mixed reactions. Pawan Khera rejected Singh’s view, while Mallikarjun Kharge stressed that Congress does not do politics in the name of religion. Sachin Pilot said the party is united. Others backed Singh, saying his words were misread. (PC: NDTV)

Security agencies have flagged the presence of more than 30 Pakistan-linked terrorists operating in the Jammu region this winter. Officials say sustained pressure has pushed these groups into higher and middle mountain areas of Kishtwar and Doda, where civilian movement is limited. The Army has expanded counter-terror work since the start of Chillai Kalan on December 21. Forward winter bases and temporary surveillance posts have been set up in snowbound zones. Patrols are sweeping ridges, forests, and remote valleys. Operations are being carried out with the police, CRPF, and local defence groups using drones, thermal cameras, and ground sensors. (PC: India Today)

In Satna district, Madhya Pradesh, a woman has accused Ashok Singh, husband of a BJP councillor, of raping her at knifepoint, secretly recording the assault and then threatening her with the video to coerce compliance, according to her complaint to police. A viral clip shows Singh allegedly telling her, “Nothing will happen to me,” asserting influence and intimidating authorities, while the distraught woman talks about filing a complaint. She alleges ongoing harassment and fear for her and her family’s safety. Police are verifying the video and evidence and have begun investigation; no confirmed arrest yet. 

In Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai, a 30-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly strangling her six-year-old daughter, Mansi, driven by a preference for a male child, police said. Initially claiming the girl died of ill health, she took the child to a hospital; doctors alerted police after suspicious findings. A post-mortem revealed suffocation, prompting a murder case. During interrogation, the mother admitted to killing her daughter, also expressing unhappiness that the child spoke mainly Hindi and not Marathi and had speech difficulties. She has been remanded in custody as the investigation continues.

The Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognisance of the escalating controversy over its Aravalli Hills definition and mining issues, scheduling a hearing on Monday before a three-judge bench led by the Chief Justice. The move follows nationwide protests by environmentalists and citizens who fear the recent definition — which counts only landforms above 100 m as part of the Aravalli Range — could weaken protections and spur mining. Public outcry and ecological concerns prompted the apex court to re-examine the November verdict amid calls for stronger conservation measures. (PC: India Today)

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said two pollution rules under GRAP-4 will now be permanent. Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will not get fuel in Delhi until further orders. Sirsa also said vehicles from outside Delhi that do not meet Bharat Stage VI norms will not be allowed to enter the city. The decision was taken by the Delhi cabinet to curb air pollution. Officials said vehicular emissions are a major cause of poor air quality. Delhi’s air remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday, with AQI near 391. (PC: HT Photo)

The Election Commission of India has removed over 10.56 lakh names from Assam’s draft voter list. The clean-up was done through a Special Revision exercise ahead of Assembly elections. Officials said names were deleted due to deaths, migration, and duplicate entries. Nearly 4.8 lakh voters were found deceased. Over 5.23 lakh had moved away. Around 53,000 were duplicates. Assam now has 2.51 crore voters, excluding over 93,000 D-Voters. The revision followed door-to-door checks across the state. Voters can file objections till January 22. The final list will be released on February 10. (PC: Representative photo)