The Crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police, on Tuesday, arrested a former bank manager with four other persons in an alleged multi-crore loan scam, officials said.

A crime branch statement said that a case was registered in 2023 on a written complaint from Mohammad Shakeel, the chief manager of the supervision and control division of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank's Jammu zonal office.

"The complainant alleged that Saleem Yousuf Bhatti, a contractual employee of the Integrated Watershed Management Programme, Poonch, and others got the inactive accounts of the watershed committee in the bank's Lassana branch in Surankote activated."

Rajasthan Police on Tuesday intercepted a smuggler and seized 149.54 grams of MDMA drugs worth Rs 30 lakh and also confiscated the car used in the smuggling operation.

The arrested individual, Azam Khan (45), son of Aziz, is a resident of the Thana Kharakuan area in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh, said police officials.

SP Vineet Kumar Bansal stated that under the police teams, a check post was set up at Chupna-Kotdi Road Jambukheda Phanta on Monday night. During this operation, a car from the Ameo TDI company, travelling from Chupna Mowai Road, was spotted.

India’s preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy have been rocked by the loss of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to a back injury, but former Australian captain and ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind Arshdeep Singh as the ideal replacement.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting expressed confidence in Arshdeep’s ability to fill the void left by Bumrah, citing the young pacer’s skills with both the new ball and at the death as crucial assets.

“I would go with the left-armer and I'd go with Arshdeep (to replace Bumrah),” Ponting stated. “We know how good he's been in T20 cricket, and if you think about the skill set, he probably provides a similar skill set to what Bumrah does with the new ball and death overs. That’s what India will miss.”

A man was sentenced to death by a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court in Kolkata on Tuesday for raping a seven-month-old girl in November last year.

The accused, Rajiv Ghosh, 34, was convicted by the POCSO court on Monday. He was convicted under Section 137 (2) (punishment for kidnapping), Section 65 (2) (punishment for rape of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act, 2012.

During the hearing, the judge of the special court Oindrila Mukhopadhyay observed that although this particular case did not result in the death of the victim, it should be considered as the rarest of the rare crimes considering the manner in which a seven-month-old girl was subjected to rape.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 commences on Wednesday with the winners of the 2017 edition, Pakistan, taking on New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan enter the tournament as the defending champions, having beaten India in the final of the 2017 edition, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed. Fakhar Zaman was the Player of the Final for his imperious 114 off 106 deliveries, while Hasan Ali was named the Player of the Tournament for his tally of 13 wickets in five games.

However, Pakistan will not be getting overconfident in the build-up to the first ICC tournament taking place in the country since 1996 as they suffered two consecutive losses against New Zealand in the Tri-nation ODI Series in Pakistan in the build-up to the tournament.

Sakshi Rana scored an impressive goal on her senior international debut but India went down fighting 4-3 against Spain in the Women's FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday. Besides Sakshi (38’), Baljeet Kaur (19’) and Rutaja Dadaso Pisal (45’) scored for India, while Estel Petchame (25’, 49’), Sofia Rogoski (21’), and Captain Lucia Jimenez (52’) netted goals for Spain.

Sakshi and Jyoti Singh received their maiden senior international caps in the match, with the former scoring an impressive goal on her debut.

The first quarter was tightly contested. India had an early chance when Rutaja passed the ball to Sharmila Devi from the left, but her shot narrowly missed the post. Spain attempted to play their signature free-flowing hockey but struggled against India’s defensive press.

The Jharkhand government has announced a complete ban on the production, distribution, sale, and storage of gutkha and paan masala containing nicotine and tobacco within the state.

The state’s health department has issued a notification that this ban will be effective for the next year, starting from the notification date.

The authorities have stated that the ban period may be extended further based on a review of the situation.

In 2020, Jharkhand banned 11 brands of gutkha and paan masala, effective until June 2023. The ban lapsed for about one and a half years. This time, all types of paan masala containing nicotine and tobacco, in addition to gutkha, have been prohibited in the state.

According to the notification signed by Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department and State Food Safety Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh, this ban is imposed under Section 30(2)(A) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Regulations 2, 3, and 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011.

The government has directed the concerned department to disseminate this information through the media.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Shyamal Misra chaired a meeting with different departments to discuss various projects, to further resolve any on-ground hindrances, improve the civic services and accelerate the ongoing infrastructure development works being undertaken in the city.

The matter of incomplete connectivity of surface drains under NHAI with the master stormwater drains of GMDA was raised in the meeting.

GMDA officials said that storm water drains laid by NHAI along Iffco Chowk, Signature Tower, Jharsa Chowk, Manesar Bus Stand, and Hero Honda Chowk among other key locations are yet to be linked with the master drain of GMDA, in the absence of which waterlogging occurs during the monsoon season.

The Karnataka Cybercrime police have cracked a law exam question paper leak racket and arrested a three-member gang, including the Vice Principal of a law college. The accused have confessed to committing the crime for monetary gains.

The exams were being conducted in law colleges affiliated with the Karnataka State Law University (KSLU). On January 23, question papers scheduled for that day were leaked on Telegram and WhatsApp groups, causing distress among students.

Following this development, an associate professor from SJM Law Maha Vidyalaya and the Chairman of KSLU’s Vigilance Committee-2 filed a complaint at the Cybercrime, Economic Offences, and Narcotics (CEN) police station.

After registering the complaint, the police used technical analysis and intelligence gathering to trace the leak of the Contract Law-1 question paper to a Telegram group. One of the accused, a law student, was picked up from his residence in Anekal, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, on January 30.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in J&K’s Sopore town on Tuesday sentenced a notorious paedophile to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs one lakh.

Mir Wajahat, CJM Sopore passed a conviction order on self-styled spiritual healer, Aijaz Sheikh on Tuesday sentencing him to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 Lakh for repeatedly sexually abusing two victims over a decade.

Advocate Ayshia Zahgeer for the victims told reporters that the accused had been convicted yesterday.

The matter was reserved for arguments today on the quantum of the sentence.

The CJM Sopore sentenced the accused to seven years of rigorous imprisonment each for two victims in this case. The sentences will run consecutively, he will be in rigorous imprisonment for 14 years and a fine of Rs 50,000 for each of the victims. Rs 45,000 has been directed to be deposited as compensation and the CJM has also said that the victims are at liberty to approach appropriate forums for their compensation in their capacities.

Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh had been impersonating as a faith healer and victimised minor girls by exploiting the credulous parents. There was widespread joy and firecrack celebration in Mundji village of Sopore sub-division when the conviction of the paedophile was announced yesterday.