With just a day to go for Ram Navami, Ayodhya is witnessing extensive preparations for Shri Ram Janmotsav, with lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad expected to arrive in the holy city on Sunday.

Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure a safe and smooth celebration. The surveillance is being carried out through drones and an extensive CCTV network.

Inspector General of Police, Ayodhya Range, Praveen Kumar said: "CCTVs have been installed at all key locations, and drone surveillance is underway. City residents, including boatmen and vendors, are also playing a role in maintaining vigilance and reporting any suspicious activity."

In anticipation of large crowds and rising heat, arrangements are being coordinated with the health department and civil administration. “Everyone is working together in a spirit of teamwork to ensure crowd management and devotee comfort,” the IG added.

A Pakistani intruder was shot dead on Saturday on the international border (IB) by the troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jammu and Kashmir.

A BSF spokesperson said that the BSF foiled an infiltration bid on the IB near the Abdulian border outpost in the R.S. Pura sector of the IB in Jammu district.

“On the intervening night of April 4 and 5, the alert BSF troops saw a suspicious movement in the Jammu border area, and an intruder was seen crossing the IB," the spokesperson said.

“The intruder was challenged by the troops, but he paid no heed and kept on moving."

In the wake of intelligence alerts warning of possible tensions during Ram Navami celebrations in parts of West Bengal, the state and Kolkata police have decided to bring every procession under comprehensive camera surveillance on Sunday.

To bolster monitoring, additional CCTV cameras have been installed along key procession routes in the state.

Furthermore, police personnel deployed for security will be equipped with body cameras to ensure transparent documentation of events.

“In the event of any disturbance, identifying the instigators and perpetrators is our top priority,” said a senior state police official.

“With enhanced video coverage this time, it will be significantly easier to pinpoint those responsible for inciting or engaging in violence,” the official said.

One intruder was killed after the Border Security Force (BSF) foiled an infiltration bid on the International Border (IB) in Jammu, the force said on Saturday.

"In the intervening night of 04 April/05 April 2025, the alert BSF troops observed a suspicious movement across the IB in Jammu border area and an intruder was observed crossing the IB. He was challenged by the alert BSF troops but paid no heed and kept on moving," the BSF said in a statement on Saturday.

"BSF troops, sensing a threat, neutralised the intruder. The identity and motive of the intruder is being ascertained," the statement added.

The BSF further said that after its vigilant troops thwarted an infiltration attempt, a strong protest was being lodged with Pakistani Rangers.

There have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the recent past, in which many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated even as Pakistan is trying to step up infiltration at the Line of Control and send consignments of weapons.

In a tragic incident, five people were killed and 11 others were injured after a mini-bus rammed into a parked truck in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka in the early hours of Saturday.

The accident occurred near Nelogi Cross, close to Jevargi town.

The deceased have been identified as Wajid, Mehaboobi, Priyanka, Mehaboob, and one person whose identity is yet to be confirmed.

All the deceased were residents of the Navanagara locality in Bagalkot district.

The Kerala Police, on the lookout for the absconding male colleague of a woman IB official, who ended her life by jumping in front of a train 12 days back, on Friday included charges of rape against him.

This fresh development came after the 24-year-old woman IB official's father gave crucial evidence against Sukanth Suresh, presently working at the Cochin International Airport and with whom she was in a relationship.

Suresh has been on the run since March 24, when the woman official ended her life by jumping in front of a speeding train in the state capital, after completing her night duty at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport.

After her parents revealed that their daughter was close to a colleague, the name of Suresh surfaced, and later, it was found out that she used to transfer her salary to him.

A fake organisation which was “hiring” gullible job seekers for various posts in the Department of Rural Development has been prosecuted and its website blocked, the Parliament was informed on Friday.

Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, said that the Department recently came across a fake organisation of “National Rural Development and Recreation Mission (NRDRM)” impersonating as a government agency.

The fake organisation, through its website, had called applications from candidates for recruitment to various posts by using content like that on the official website of the Department, said the MoS.

Taking cognizance of the matter, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs was requested to take down the fraudulent websites of NRDRM. The I4C removed all the related websites of the NRDRM from the Internet.

In a major operation against Naxalites, the Gaya Police, in coordination with Bihar’s Special Task Force (STF), arrested seven Naxal operatives since March 30, recovering a huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession, some of which were previously looted from police teams.

Gaya SSP Anand Kumar stated that the crackdown is part of a continuous drive to dismantle Naxal networks in the district.

On April 3, the district police received Intelligence about Naxal activities in Gangti Bazar under the jurisdiction of the Imamganj police station area.

Accordingly, a special team, led by City SP Gaya, and comprising Bihar STF and district police, was dispatched to raid the location

The fragile peace in the Gadra village of Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj district suffered a new blow when three bodies were discovered in a house on Friday, deepening the turmoil already burdening local police authorities.

The grim discovery came to light after neighbours reported a foul odour emanating from the residence of one Auseri Saket. Upon their arrival, police entered the premises and found the bodies hanging.

Auseri Saket had been living alone with his two children following the demise of his wife. Authorities believe the bodies to be of Auseri and his children.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Ankita Sulya stated, “Three bodies have been recovered from Auseri Saket’s residence. While we suspect their identities, confirmation is still pending.”

She added that Saket's daughter had been reported missing before the incident.

Three persons have been arrested for their involvement in a broad daylight robbery at a jewellery shop in the Greater Kailash area of Jammu city in February this year, police said on Friday.

The three arrested persons, including a lawyer, revealed during questioning that they were inspired by a gold heist in Delhi's Samaypur Badli in 2023, the police said.

"The arrested persons include the mastermind, lawyer, Rahul Sharma of Lower Kana, Bishnah. The other two accused were identified as Sunil Sharma, 26 and Tushar Kumar, 22, who carried out the robbery," they said.

"Police have successfully solved the sensational Greater Kailash jewellery shop robbery case, bringing the culprits to justice. Three persons, including a lawyer, have been arrested," SSP Jammu, Joginder Singh told reporters.