The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested Manoj a.k.a. Chakki Shankarlal Salvi, a 21-year-old history-sheeter and a close associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, from Udaipur, Rajasthan. Salvi had been absconding for nearly three years following his involvement in an Arms Act case registered in 2022 by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

This is the state's crackdown on inter-state criminal networks linked to high-profile contract killings and illegal arms trade.

A major road accident occurred near Jihuli village under the Patahi police station area in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Wednesday when a passenger bus belonging to Baba Barfani Transport Company overturned while en route from Motihari to Sitamarhi.

The accident took place after the bus lost control due to a sudden steering failure, according to local police.

The vehicle was carrying 30 to 35 passengers at the time of the mishap.

Eyewitnesses said the bus overturned at high speed, leading to panic and chaos at the accident site. Around 15 passengers sustained injuries, several of them are in critical condition.

Local villagers sprang into action immediately after the accident. They broke the windows of the overturned bus to rescue trapped passengers.

Many were stuck under the vehicle and were pulled out with considerable effort.

Tension prevailed in Jagdishpur village in Bihar’s Gaya district on Wednesday after a man was lynched by a rival group.

The deceased, identified as Raushan Kumar (26), was later admitted to Magadh Medical College and Hospital in critical condition, where he eventually succumbed due to the injuries.

According to an official spokesperson of the Gaya police, Raushan had an altercation with some villagers, believed to be linked to an old enmity.

While the exact reason behind the scuffle remains unclear, suspicions of a pre-planned attack have been raised by the deceased’s family.

A bomb threat to the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on Wednesday sent security agencies into a tizzy, but after a thorough check, it was declared a hoax.

The police went on high alert after airport authorities received an email about the bomb threat.

Police said some unknown persons sent an email to the Begumpet airport informing about a bomb planted at the airport premises. The airport’s chief security officer immediately alerted the Hyderabad police.

Anti-sabotage teams and bomb disposal squads rushed to the airport located in the heart of the city and began a thorough search of the premises and its surroundings.

However, the police teams found no suspicious objects after extensive checks. The authorities declared it a hoax. Police said efforts were on to identify the persons who sent the email.

At least five people were killed and 15 others were injured in separate road accidents across Jharkhand on Wednesday, amid ongoing monsoon rains, officials said.

In Dhanbad district, two youths died after their motorcycle collided with a truck near the Kamalpur forest in the Tundi police station area around noon.

According to preliminary information, the bike skidded on the rain-soaked road, causing the rider to lose control before being hit by an oncoming truck.

Tundi SHO Umashankar and his team rushed to the spot and took the victims to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Their identities are yet to be ascertained.

The bodies have been sent to Dhanbad Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination, the police added.

In light of the heavy rainfall across parts of Gujarat, particularly in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, Water Resources Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya visited the Flood Control Cell at the State Water Data Centre in Sector-8, Gandhinagar. The visit was aimed at assessing preparedness for the ongoing monsoon and issue directives to prevent rain-related damage.

During the review meeting with senior officials, Minister Bavaliya emphasised the need for proactive coordination between departments to ensure timely alerts when water levels in local reservoirs rise due to upstream flow or local rainfall.

“When heavy rains occur, we must issue timely warnings — such as high alert, alert, or caution — and ensure they reach District Collectors and administrative units for local-level action. This is crucial to prevent loss of life and property,” he said.

The minister also reviewed updates via hotline calls with local authorities in Botad, Bhavnagar, and Rajkot districts, seeking real-time information on rainfall patterns and water levels in reservoirs. He provided specific instructions based on the local data received.

At least two people were killed, one remains missing, and three others, including a woman, were injured after large boulders rolled down from the mountaintop near Junglechatti ghat along the Kedarnath Yatra trekking route in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district on Wednesday.

The incident occurred around 11.20 a.m. Wednesday, when a landslide sent boulders crashing onto the pathway, striking pilgrims, porters, and palanquin operators amid heavy foot traffic on the sacred trail, rescue officials said.

Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the police swiftly reached the site to begin evacuation and medical assistance.

When Air India Flight AI-171 crashed shortly after take-off on June 12, the tragedy was not just India’s deadliest air disaster in recent memory — it was also major heartbreak for Diu and a small coastal village there, in particular.

While 14 people from Diu died in the crash, Bucharwada, a quiet hamlet in the Union Territory is mourning the loss of nine of its residents who were among the 241 victims aboard the London-bound Air India flight. The village is now preparing for their funerals.

All 14 of those who died had strong ties to Diu, a former Portuguese colony known for its diaspora that stretches from the Arabian Sea to Europe. Most had settled in the UK or Portugal over the years, acquiring foreign citizenship but never cutting ties with their homeland.

They returned frequently — to visit aging parents, celebrate weddings, attend festivals, or simply reconnect with their roots.

“The pain is unimaginable,” said Dinesh Bhanu, a panchayat member in Bucharwada.

A high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 2006.40 crore as Central assistance to Himachal Pradesh, for the recovery and reconstruction plan in the aftermath of flood, landslides and cloudburst incidents of 2023.

The committee, comprising the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog as members, considered the proposal for financial assistance to the state from the recovery and reconstruction funding window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

The financial assistance from the Centre will help the state in carrying out recovery and reconstruction activities, required due to the damage and destruction that occurred during the 2023 monsoon. Out of the Rs 2,006.40 crore that has been approved, Rs 1,504.80 crore will be the central share from the Recovery and Reconstruction Funding Window under the National Disaster Response Fund. Earlier, on December 12, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs had approved additional financial assistance of Rs 633.73 crore from the NDRF for Himachal Pradesh, which was affected by this disaster, according to the official statement.

Two labourers were killed in Juna Gadgadiya village of Ratlam district in Madhya Pradesh when the inner wall of an under-construction well caved in.

The incident happened on Tuesday evening, and the police extricated their bodies in the early hours of Wednesday.

Durgesh Armo, Additional Superintendent of Police, said, “The incident occurred around 7 p.m. as labourers were engaged in building a cement-concrete wall around a 40-foot-deep well. The victims, Vikram Singh (43) and Amar Singh (32), both residents of Kelukheda village in Tal tehsil, were working near the base of the well when the surrounding soil, loosened by persistent rainfall throughout the day, gave way and buried them under a heavy mass of earth. In fact, there were five labourers who had finished the day’s work and were about to leave when the incident occurred.”

The area had experienced continuous rainfall, which saturated the soil and made the structure unstable.