A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Chhattisgarh has sentenced three men to seven years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) each, along with a fine for supplying explosives and other material to Maoists for attacking the police force and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

They were arrested on March 8, 2023, from Belpocha village under Konta Police Station limits in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh.

The three men were apprehended when they were waiting for a person to supply explosive materials to cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) terror outfit in Chhattisgarh.

The accused, identified as Semal Deepak, Nara Bhaskar and Telam Mutta, all residents of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, have been convicted and sentenced by the court under various sections of the UA(P) Act and the Explosive Substances Act. All sentences will run concurrently, entailing seven years in jail for the accused, along with a Rs 500 fine against each.

The final rites of 33-year-old Neeraj Udhwani, who was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, were performed on Thursday at Mokshadham crematorium in Jaipur.

His elder brother, Kishore Udhwani, lit the funeral pyre, surrounded by grieving family members, friends, and a heavy police presence.

It was heart-wrenching to see Neeraj’s wife, Ayushi, who stood near his body with folded hands, unable to hold back her tears. Despite repeated attempts by family members to console her, she remained inconsolable with grief.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma visited Neeraj’s residence at Forest View Apartment in Model Town (Malviya Nagar) to pay his respects. The CM met Neeraj’s mother, Jyoti, who broke down upon seeing him.

The Chief Minister comforted her, wiping her tears and offering words of condolence. Several senior leaders and dignitaries, including Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, were present.

In a significant crackdown against Maoist insurgents, security forces in Chhattisgarh have launched a major operation in the Karregatta hills of Bijapur district. The operation has already resulted in the deaths of three Maoists, with their bodies recovered by the police.

The officials have reported the presence of a large number of Maoists in the area, which has been surrounded by the forces.

The encounter, described as fierce and intense, continues to unfold, with further details expected once the operation concludes.

Following intelligence inputs, this joint operation has been going on since Monday, involving the police forces of Telangana and Chhattisgarh, and is the largest of its kind to date along the border of the two states.

Approximately 150 Maoists have been encircled, and the exchange of gunfire has persisted for three days. Among those surrounded are high-profile Maoist leaders such as Hidma, Deva, and Damodar, each carrying a reward of Rs one crore.

One soldier was killed on Thursday in a gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district.

The Army said that based on specific intelligence, a joint operation with the Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched on Thursday in Basantgarh, Udhampur.

“Contact was established, and a fierce firefight ensued. One of our Brave hearts sustained grievous injuries in the initial exchange and later succumbed despite the best medical efforts. Operations are going on,” said officials here.

Further details of the soldier were awaited.

A module of the overground workers (OGWs) of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been busted in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district, said police on Thursday, adding that four have been arrested.

A police statement said, “Police received credible information that some OGW's affiliated with terrorist outfit LeT have hatched a criminal conspiracy on the directions of their handlers and are seeking a chance to attack Police /Security Forces and non-locals. Acting on this information, Bandipora Police launched a manhunt and special ‘Nakas’ were placed at different places in the district. Accordingly, a joint naka was established by Bandipora Police along with D-Coy 45 Bn (Battalion) CRPF and E-Coy of 13 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) at Kanipora Naidkhai Sumbal."

“During Naka checking, two persons identified as Mohammad Rafiq Khanday, son of Mohammad Afzal Khanday, resident of Khanday Mohalla Watalpira, Banyarai and Mukhtar Ahmad Dar, son of Mohammad Yousuf Dar, resident of Bunpora Mohalla S.K Bala, were apprehended," the statement mentioned.

As a precautionary measure following the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam, the authorities have directed the government employees engaged under the PM’s rehab package to work from home till April 27 in Kashmir

Orders issued initially by the district education officer, Baramulla, were later circulated by officials in other districts of the Valley asking PM package employees to work from home till April 27 and not attend their places of posting.

PM’s rehab package was announced by the erstwhile UPA government at the Centre for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to abandon their homes under threats from the terrorists in the 1990s.

The decision to allow the PM package government employees to work from home comes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 people, including 25 tourists and a local, were killed by terrorists in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam on April 22.

A massive operation to trace and hunt down the terrorists is underway. The operation is tech-assisted using drones, helicopters, surveillance electronic equipment and sniffer dogs.

A gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists has broken out in J&K's Kulgam district on Wednesday, hours after two terrorists were killed as the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid on the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Baramulla district.

Officials said that the security forces surrounded the Tangmarg area in Kulgam after getting intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists there.

"As the security forces closed in on the hiding terrorists, they fired, triggering an encounter, which is now going on. Additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area to ensure that the terrorists are prevented from escaping," an official said.

Earlier in the day, the Army's Srinagar-headquartered Chinar Corps posted on X that "approximately 2-3 terrorists attempted to infiltrate through the general area of Sarjeevan at Uri Nala, Baramulla" and "alert troops on the Line of Control (LC) challenged and intercepted them, leading to a firefight".

Following the deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the authorities have put Gujarat on high alert, an official said.

He said that in response to the heightened threat perception, the forces have rolled out extensive security measures across key religious sites, transport hubs, and border areas.

“Police and intelligence agencies in Gujarat have ramped up vigilance, initiating a series of preemptive actions to safeguard sensitive locations,” he said.

The official added that major pilgrimage centres such as Ambaji, Dwarka, Somnath, and Pavagadh are now under tight security cover, with special forces deployed and patrols intensified.

“We are vigilant and coordinating with central agencies to ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” the official said.

Security forces on Wednesday released a photograph and sketches of terrorists suspected to be responsible for the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed and several others were injured on Tuesday.

Three terrorists suspected to have carried out the dastardly attack have been identified as Asif Fuji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha.

The attackers, believed to be members of The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), opened fire on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam area, 6 kms away from Pahalgam town.

Security forces said at least five to six terrorists, wearing camouflage outfits and kurta pyjamas, came to Baisaran meadow from the dense pine forest surrounding the Baisaran meadow and opened fire with AK-47 rifles.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday advised commercial airlines such as IndiGo and Air India to increase the number of flights to meet the surge in demand from tourists stranded in Srinagar in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

The airlines have been urged to facilitate the return of the tourists to their home destinations across the country and not to charge cancellation or rescheduling charges for the flights.

The advisory issued by the DGCA said: "In the aftermath of the incident in Pahalgam, there is an unexpected demand from tourists seeking to return to their homes. In this regard, the airlines are advised to take swift action to increase the number of flights in response to the heightened demand and also to ensure uninterrupted connectivity from Srinagar to various destinations across India, facilitating evacuation of stranded tourists."