Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: World's Largest Religious Gathering Begins | LIVE

Former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, accused in several cases arising out of the February 2020 riots, can file his nomination papers from jail itself, the Delhi High Court was told on Monday.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, while responding on behalf of the police to Hussain's plea seeking interim bail in a riots-related murder case, said there were instances when inmates completed the process of filing nomination for elections from prison.

"Latest precedent is of Amrtipal Singh," the law officer said.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna also orally observed that Hussain could file nomination papers while sitting in jail.

 Forest officials in West Bengal are on their toes again after a tiger crossed into Jhargram district from the neighbouring Jharkhand a day ago, a senior forest official said Monday.

The fresh pug marks have been spotted around two weeks after a tigress from Odisha was captured in Bankura. The tigress had strayed into West Bengal from Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Z-Morh tunnel in J-K's Sonamarg. LIVE

The contractual employees of a private operator hired by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking went on a flash strike at one of the depots in Mumbai early Monday morning, partially affecting the BEST bus services.

While BEST did not disclose the reason for the strike, sources said it was triggered by the alleged mistreatment of a pregnant woman conductor by officials of the private operator.

A BEST official said the services were affected on a few routes as the strike was limited to the Pratiksha Nagar depot, while a union leader claimed more than 100 buses of the private operator remained off the road.

There was no let-up in cold weather conditions in Punjab and Haryana on Monday with Amritsar recording the lowest minimum temperature of 4.7 degrees Celsius.

Among other places in Punjab, Ludhiana recorded a minimum temperature of 8.8 degrees Celsius, according to a meteorological department report.

Faridkot recorded a low of 5.3 degrees Celsius, Pathankot 5.6 degrees Celsius, Gurdaspur 6.5 degrees Celsius, Bathinda 6.8 degrees Celsius and Patiala 7.6 degrees Celsius.

In Haryana, the mercury settled at a low of 8.8 degrees Celsius.

Minimum temperatures dropped across Kashmir as the skies cleared up with Pahalgam being the coldest place in the valley at minus 8.4 degrees Celsius, the meteorological department said on Monday.

The valley is likely to witness mainly dry weather over the next few days, it said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 5.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, down from the previous night's minus 3 degrees Celsius, according to the meteorological department.

North Kashmir's tourist resort of Gulmarg, known for skiing, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.5 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night's minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.

 Two students were injured after a portion of a glass panel on the fourth floor of a school building collapsed in South Kolkata on Monday morning, officials said.

The school authorities said one of the injured students was discharged after being administered first aid, while another has been sent to a private hospital.

The incident happened around 7 am as the students were entering the school premises when a large glass panel along with its frame fell from the fourth floor, injuring the two students, the officials said.

A section of parents, however, claimed that two students suffered serious injuries and another received first aid before being discharged.

They also alleged that no ambulance was available to take the injured to hospital.

A 10-year-old girl was injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday evening on the outskirts of Timmapuram village under Chintalnar police station area, a senior police official said.

As per preliminary information, the girl inadvertently stepped over the pressure IED, triggering the blast, he said.

The girl suffered injuries and was shifted to a hospital, the official said, adding her condition was reported to be stable.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch "Mission Mausam", which aims to make the country a "weather-ready" and "climate-smart" nation, here on Tuesday as part of the events marking the 150th foundation day of the India Meteorological Department.

He will also release the IMD Vision-2047 document for weather resilience and climate change adaptation. It includes plans for weather forecasting, weather management and climate change mitigation, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

One more child in Puducherry tested positive for Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) and is undergoing treatment in the centrally administered JIPMER here, a top official said.

Director of Health for Puducherry, V Ravichandran, in a release on late Sunday said that the girl child complained of fever, cough and running nose. She was admitted in JIPMER a few days ago and has been under treatment.

He said that the child was recovering well and all precautionary measures had been taken.

A thick blanket of fog could not blur their vision, the cold breeze failed to reduce their energy levels and the bone-chilling water of river Ganga in Sangam area could not dampen their excitement, as lakhs of devotees from different walks of life took the holy dip on the occasion of 'Paush Purnima' on Monday.

The Maha Kumbh 2025 commenced here amid chants of bhajans and slogans.

The excitement was clearly visible in the Sangam area as the pilgrims and devotees --- mostly in groups --- walked towards river Ganga and took a holy dip chanting 'Jai Ganga Maiyya'.

"Till 9.30 am, around 60 lakh pilgrims had taken dip," the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.

The state government also said that a large number of devotees from India and abroad were seen at the Sangam Ghat.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his greetings on the occasion of 'Paush Purnima'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate on Monday the 6.5 km long Z-Morh tunnel in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir that will make the Sonamarg tourist resort accessible throughout the year.

The prime minister landed at the Srinagar airport at around 10.45 am and is on way to Sonamarg for the inauguration of the strategic tunnel that is important from the defence perspective as well, officials said.

Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari reached Srinagar on Sunday for the function.

Modi will also be joined for the inauguration ceremony by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Two Myanmar nationals were arrested in south Mizoram's Siaha district while allegedly attempting to smuggle foreign currency notes worth around 1.48 crore, the Assam Rifles said in a statement.

The duo was apprehended on Friday after the Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police launched a joint operation, following intelligence reports regarding cross-border smuggling activities, it said.

Two mobile phones and a motorcycle were also seized from their possession, the statement said.

A student of IIT-Kharagpur was found dead inside his hostel room, an institute official said on Monday.

Shaon Malik, a third-year student of Electrical Engineering, was found hanging inside the room by his parents who had come to meet him on Sunday.

His parents and institute personnel had to forcibly open the door of the hostel room after he did not respond to repeated calls, the official said.

Malik had spoken to his parents over phone the previous night and “things seemed perfectly normal”, according to the official.

A man hailing from Maharashtra's Thane city and currently residing in the US, has been cheated of nearly Rs 1 lakh by fraudsters posing as officials of a piped cooking gas supply company, police said on Monday.

The victim, who has a house in Thane and is currently employed in New Jersey, received calls from two different numbers on his phone on December 20, 2024.

Maha Kumbh Mela DIG Vaibhav Krishna says, "Around 50 lakh people have taken a holy dip so far. Official figures will be released soon. All the arrangements have been taken care of. Crowd regulation is going on. We have enough space for the parking of vehicles. Central and State police forces are deployed here and we are ready to tackle any kind of situation..."

A 7-year-old girl has been mauled to death by a leopard in Gujarat's Amreli district, prompting authorities to set up cage traps in the area to catch the big cat, officials said on Monday.

The leopard attacked the girl while she was accompanying her parents working at a cotton field in Chitrasar village on Sunday evening, Range Forest Officer, Rajula, GL Vaghela said.

The girl suffered serious injuries on her neck and died after being taken to a hospital at Jafrabad in the district, the official said.

A BSF jawan sustained injuries when his service rifle went off accidentally during routine patrolling in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said.

Constable Manish Meghwal was hit by the bullet at Old Town Baramulla, the officials said.

The injured jawan was rushed to a hospital where his condition is stated to be stable, they said.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday extended greetings on Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Magha Bihu and Pongal.

These festivals, each uniquely celebrated across India's diverse landscapes, represent its age-old tradition of honouring the harvest season, he said.

A senior woman Naxalite, carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on her head, and her associate have been arrested from Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, a police official said on Monday.

Malti alias Raje (48), a divisional committee member of Maoists, and Shyamnath Usendi, who had given her shelter in his house, were arrested on Saturday from Koyalibeda police station area, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said.

Raje's husband was apprehended last year, he said, terming the couple's arrest as a crucial development in the anti-Naxal operation in the state.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday extended his greetings on the commencement of Maha Kumbh, which he described as a confluence of cultures and a message of unity in diversity.

Earlier on Monday, that marked Paush Purnima, Maha Kumbh started on the banks of Sangam - the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, with around 40 lakh pilgrims taking a dip in the initial hours of the day.

"Greetings on Paush Purnima. The world's largest spiritual and cultural gathering 'Mahakumbh' is starting from today in the holy city of Prayagraj," Adityanath posted on X.

As Maha Kumbh began in the holy city of Prayagraj on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a very special day for those who cherish Indian values and culture, saying the massive religious event embodies India's timeless spiritual heritage.

"A very special day for crores of people who cherish Bharatiya values and culture! Maha Kumbh 2025 commences in Prayagraj, bringing together countless people in a sacred confluence of faith, devotion and culture. The Maha Kumbh embodies India’s timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony," he said on X.

Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: By 7.30 am today, 35 lakh people have taken a holy dip in Triveni Sangam: Uttar Pradesh Government.

As cold waves grip the national capital, some flights are delayed at IGI Airport due to fog. 

The Maha Kumbh Mela commenced at Sangam --- the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers --- on Tuesday with more than 40 lakh people from different walks of life taking the first holy dip.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the Maha Kumbh to be held from January 13 to February 26 will elevate India's ancient cultural and religious traditions to global prominence.

The Chairperson of the Karnataka Legislative Council, Basavaraja S Horatti, has taken exception to the CID probing the episode involving BJP MLC C T Ravi allegedly using foul words against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar inside the council in Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on December 19 last year.

In a letter to state Home Minister G Parameshwara on January 10, Horatti underlined that he has already given his verdict on the episode, which is final.

The letter was shared with the media on Sunday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three more persons in the alleged Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) recruitment scam, a lawyer representing two of them said.

Sahil Sonwani has been nabbed from Darjeeling in West Bengal, while Shashank Goyal and his wife Bhumika Katiyar have been apprehended from New Delhi, the couple's lawyer, Faisal Rizvi, said on Sunday.

"The three were brought to Chhattisgarh on Sunday. The court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Kriti Kujur remanded them in the CBI's custody till January 13," Rizvi said.

Ayodhya: Devotees continue to arrive for the grand three-day celebrations of the first anniversary of Pran Pratishtha at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.

PM Modi to Inaugurate Z-Morh Tunnel, Jammu Kashmir at 12:15 PM today. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah conducted a comprehensive review of the arrangements at the project site in Sonamarg.

Uttar Pradesh police built a special floating police chowki to help devotees as the 45-day Mahakumbh2025 begins with the auspicious PaushPurnima.

An aarti was performed at the Sangam in Prayagraj to offer prayers for the peace of the souls who lost their lives in the devastating earthquakes that struck Tibet and Nepal on January 7.

President of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, Swami Chidanand Saraswati said that he prayed for the people who died and lost their houses in the earthquakes that struck.

"Today, I prayed on the bank of Sangam - for those people who suffered as many houses were destroyed and lives were lost in Tibet and Nepal due to a disastrous tragedy (earthquake).

As Sant Morari Bapu has said, we all should help those 126 affected families - and we will be sending some financial help to all of them through ITBP.

Those amounts and the money are just a symbol, a token - as India believes in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. All of India is with them. The relation between India, China and Tibet continues to flourish and we continue to peacefully co-exist - today's aarti was dedicated to that cause as well..,"Swami Chidanand Saraswati told ANI.

Under the leadership of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mahakumbh 2025 is all set to offer new and exciting experiences to the visitors.

One of the main highlights of the 45-day grand event is the helicopter ride, which would cost just Rs 1,296 per person, which has been significantly reduced from the earlier fare of Rs 3,000.

Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh mentioned that the seven to eight-minute helicopter ride would begin today with a digital launch.

Tourists and devotees would get an unparalleled aerial view of the grand Mahakumbh area, soaring above Prayagraj's majestic landscape.