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The Pakistan government has repatriated India's Border Security Force Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw amid the India-Pakistan tensions. Reportedly, BSF Constable Purnam Shaw was detained on April 23, 2025, and was repatriated on Wednesday. The release of BSF Constable is surely a huge diplomatic win for India. PK Shaw, the BSF ranger, had accidentally crossed the border during his duty on April 23. Since then, Shaw has been in the custody of the Pakistan Rangers, as informed by a statement from the Public Relations Officer of the Punjab Frontier, Border Security Force. Today BSF Jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who had been in the custody of Pakistan Rangers since 23 April 2025, was handed over to India: BSF(Pic Source: BSF) pic.twitter.com/TVzagO0AhK — ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2025 As per the BSF statement, "Today at 1030 hrs Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw has been taken back from Pakistan by the BSF at Attari - Wagha border. Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistani territory while on operational duty in the area of the Ferozepur sector on 23rd April 2025 around 1150 hrs and was detained by Pak Rangers. With the consistent efforts of BSF through regular flag meetings with Pakistan Rangers and through other communication channels, the repatriation of BSF Constable has become possible," reported ANI. On April 23, Pakistan Rangers detained the BSF trooper after he unintentionally crossed the international border near Firozpur, Punjab. According to earlier reports by ANI, the trooper mistakenly entered Pakistani territory. The BSF had given a strong directive to its men to remain attentive and observant during border patrol operations. The BSF is the major force in charge of protecting India's 3,323-kilometer-long border with Pakistan, which runs through the states of Jammu and Kashmir (including parts of the LoC), Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. This particular region of Punjab is one of the most sensitive parts in the country, owing to historical hostilities, current India-Pakistan situations and continuing security concerns. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, had earlier, on May 5, also voiced her concern about one of the BSF constables from Hooghly who has been detained by the Pakistani Rangers. She also stated that Kalyan Banerjee, who is the leader of the Trinamool Congress, has been in contact with the family members. Furthermore, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing the issue of the detainment of Hooghly's BSF ranger, also expressed that "This is an extremely sad situation. His name is Sahu. Our party's Kalyan Banerjee is in touch with the family members. I want him to be rescued as soon as possible. We have clearly said that our party is with the government on the issues of internal and external security. We are not doing divide and rule here." (With ANI Inputs)
14 May,2025 12:42 PM IST | Amritsar | mid-day online correspondentJustice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice Gavai's oath ceremony was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at the ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The 52nd Chief Justice of India is the first Buddhist to hold this esteemed position. His oath ceremony was attended by some of the esteemed personalities of the nation, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and several other Union Cabinet ministers. #WATCH | Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu administers oath of office to Justice BR Gavai as the Chief Justice of India (CJI).(Video Source: President of India/social media) pic.twitter.com/3J9xMbz3kw — ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2025 Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and former President of India Ram Nath Kovind were also present at the Chief Justice's oath-taking ceremony. Who is Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai? Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was born on November 24, 1960, in Maharashtra's Amravati. He began his legal career as a lawyer on March 16, 1985. Notably, Justice Gavai was a prominent law practitioner at Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench. He worked with Bar. Raja S. Bhonsale, who is a former Advocate General and High Court Judge, till the year 1987. He was appointed Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Bombay High Court's Nagpur Bench in August 1992, and he served there till July 1993. On November 14, 2003, Justice Gavai was appointed as an additional Judge at the Bombay High Court. He subsequently secured a permanent position on November 12, 2005. He presided over a wide variety of cases at the principal seat in Mumbai, as well as benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji, during his tenure, as reported by ANI. Furthermore, on April 20, 2025, then-Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna formally recommended Justice Gavai as his successor, forwarding the proposal to the Ministry of Law as part of the appointment process. Chief Justice Gavai succeeds former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, who retired a day earlier, making way for his successor. CJI Gavai's tenure is expected to last for around six months. Justice Gavai is the second Chief Justice of India from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, following Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, who served between 2007 and 2010. As reported by ANI, the Government of India has recently issued an official notification confirming Justice Gavai's appointment as CJI. Whereas the Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also shared the appointment of Justice Gavai on his X account. While posting on X, he stated that the appointment was made under the authority granted by the Constitution of India. Justice Gavai, who was previously serving as a Supreme Court judge, will be officially taking on his new responsibilities on May 14, 2025. Justice Gavai was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003, before securing a permanent position on November 12, 2005. Throughout his tenure, he presided over a diverse range of cases at Mumbai's principal seat as well as benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. (With ANI inputs)
14 May,2025 11:55 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentWelcome to Mid-Day's Top News at this hour! We bring you a curated selection of the most significant and compelling news from around the globe. Stay informed with the latest developments in the nation, Mumbai, entertainment, sports, and more. Let's dive into the headlines shaping our world today. Markets bounce back in early trade as inflation cools to 6-yr low in April Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade on Wednesday as retail inflation eased to a nearly six-year low of 3.16 per cent in April, creating enough room for the Reserve Bank to go for another round of rate cut in the June monetary policy review. Also, a cooling US April inflation data added to the positive trend in the equity markets. The 30-share BSE benchmark gauge Sensex climbed 281.43 points to 81,429.65 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went up by 96.65 points to 24,675. Mumbai: City’s first cable-stayed railway overbridge inaugurated at Reay Road The Reay Road bridge was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday evening. The work on the bridge began in 2022 and was completed in December 2024. The cost of the bridge, constructed by the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MahaRail), is Rs 266 crore. This is the first cable-stayed road overbridge (ROB) in the city, and it has been decorated with architectural LED lighting. Other bridges at Byculla, Dadar and Ghatkopar are under construction. Read more. Mumbai: Halfway through May, but Mithi river cleanup far from goal The second week of May has arrived, but only 37 per cent of the desilting work on the Mithi river has been completed. Progress on the desilting of minor drains stands at 38 per cent, according to civic officials, who nevertheless claim that the work will be finished on time. Read more. "Was he dropped or is it a personal decision?": Kapil Dev on Virat Kohli's Test retirement Former India skipper Kapil Dev is shocked by Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket and has demanded transparency on the reason behind this sudden call. Kohli, 36, announced his retirement from the longest format of the game with a touching Instagram post on Monday. Reports have suggested a multitude of reasons for Kohli’s unexpected departure. Read more. Sarzameen and Lahore 1947 under review as Bollywood drops Pakistan references amid rising tensions Even though a ceasefire is in place between India and Pakistan, the after-effects of the military conflicts can be felt across the board, including in Bollywood. The buzz in the industry is that several high-profile projects are being reviewed or undergoing significant rewrites to remove any references to Pakistan from their scripts. Read more.
14 May,2025 10:36 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe situation across several districts of Jammu and Kashmir has returned to normalcy after cross-border shelling and attempted drone attacks from Pakistan had kept the residents of the region on high alert for several days. Following the understanding of the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan on May 10, things have shifted to being normal, as reports of overnight drone attacks or cross-border firing and shelling have gradually stopped. The districts of Akhnoor, Jammu, Samba, and Poonch are particularly relieved to see a decrease in tensions, which were escalated following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. Residents now continue with their daily routines as the situation becomes stable, with no incidents of cross-border activity reported for the past two days. However, drone sightings in Jammu, Samba, Akhnoor, and Kathua were earlier reported in the intervening night of May 12 and May 13. Meanwhile, Residents of Samba expressed relief and appreciation for the Indian Army's efforts in maintaining security. Surendra Kumar, a local from Samba, told ANI, "All their (Pakistan's) drones were neutralised by our forces. So, the situation seems good now. It is peaceful. It is good if this continues." Another resident, Rai Kumar, praised the Army's role, saying, "What the Indian Army is doing is good... The Indian Army is zindabad. The Army has done a lot for us. We sleep at home but they protect us at the border... We have been seeing Pakistan for a long time; I am 50 years old... They keep sending terrorists to our side. They kill our jawans and civilians. They are not going to mend their ways... Something should be done..." This period of calm follows a tense phase after India's 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Pakistan's subsequent retaliatory actions, including drone attacks and heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border. However, the Indian Army's robust response, including neutralising Pakistani drones and causing damage to 11 airbases in Pakistan, has contributed to the current de-escalation. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 May,2025 10:29 AM IST | Jammu | ANIAmid the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, the Central government has enhanced the security cover of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar. The External Affairs Minister's convoy will now have an additional bulletproof vehicle, top sources said on Wednesday. S. Jaishankar, who currently receives 'Z' category armed protection from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), will now have an enhanced security vehicle for his nationwide movements. As per the inputs from ANI, the CRPF made this decision after a recent threat assessment linked to India-Pakistan tensions. These threats indicated that the need for increased protection for MEA's convoy is essential. In October 2024, the CRPF raised Jaishankar's security level from 'Y' to the 'Z' category. Amid the tense situation, it has come to light that the CRPF had taken over the charge of Jaishankar's security from the Delhi Police. The CRPF currently provides round-the-clock Z-category security cover for Minister of External Affairs Mr. S Jaishankar, 69. The foreign minister is currently being guarded by an armed team of CRPF personnel. This team includes over a dozen armed commandos during movement and his stay across the country. The CRPF provides VIP security to 210 people in India, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, the Dalai Lama, and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. However, the decision to strengthen EAM security occurred in the wake of increased India-Pakistan tensions following India's determined military reaction to the April 22 terror assault in Pahalgam, according to ANI. Operation Sindoor, started on May 7, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing approximately 100 terrorists linked with groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Following the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border, prompting India to launch a coordinated attack that damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres, and airfields at 11 Pakistani air bases. On May 10, an agreement to end hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. Since the ceasefire agreement between the two countries, situations have been on and off around the valley and the border regions. (With ANI inputs)
14 May,2025 09:42 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIndia on Tuesday expelled a Pakistani official working at the Pakistan High Commission for allegedly indulging in espionage. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the official was indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India and that he had been given 24 hours to leave the country. Hours after India's action, Pakistan's foreign office said it declared an Indian staffer at India's mission in Islamabad as a "persona non grata" on charges of espionage. It said the official and his family members had been asked to leave Pakistan in 24 hours. The actions came amid heightened tensions between the two countries following their four-day military confrontation. India also issued a demarche to the Pakistani Charge d'Affaires in New Delhi on the activities of the official. Though the MEA did not divulge the specific charges against the Pakistani national, it is learnt that they are related to a case of espionage being probed by the Punjab Police. "The government of India has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India," the MEA said. "The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. Charge d'Affaires, Pakistan High Commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today," it said. The Punjab Police on Sunday said it arrested two persons, including a woman, for their alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. Based on credible intelligence, a suspect was arrested for leaking sensitive information to a Pakistan-based handler regarding Indian Army movements, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav had said. The development came days after the Amritsar Rural police arrested two persons -- Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih -- for their alleged role in leaking sensitive information and photographs of army cantonment areas and air bases to Pakistan's intelligence agency, according local officials. Yadav had said the accused were receiving payments through online transactions in exchange for sharing classified information. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 08:57 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIJammu and Kashmir administration is actively assessing the damage and expediting relief efforts in border areas affected by recent shelling from across the Line of Control (Loc) amid the India-Pakistan tensions, the union territory's Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo said. "You saw that the shelling from across the Line of Control has targeted civilian areas. Many people have been injured, many have lost their livestock, and their houses have been damaged," Dulloo said on Tuesday. Heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, had caused damage to homes and religious sites in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, Uri, and Poonch. Despite this, locals vowed to stand with the Indian army. He added that the local administration is working to provide relief promptly. "Now, the local administration is working on quickly assessing the situation and providing relief as soon as possible." Providing an update on border safety infrastructure, Dulloo said, "There are around 9,500 bunkers across the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. But the demand for more bunkers still exists, so we will build more, and there will be no shortage of bunkers." On the extent of damage across the affected areas, he stated, "As for the entire district, how much loss has occurred, how many houses have been damaged, that assessment is currently underway." Earlier on Tuesday, the Indian Army managed to defuse unexploded shells in the residential areas of villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, CM Abdullah also inspected community bunkers in Tangdhar and visited the shelling-affected areas. After meeting residents affected by cross-border shelling in Kupwara, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the government will compensate the people after completing the damage assessment. "By God's grace, we haven't lost any lives here, but of course, there is a loss of public property like houses, shops, and a Madrasa. The District Collector is with us. They will do the damage assessment. The assessment will be completed by today or tomorrow, and then the government will compensate the people accordingly. The immunity bunkers were made, but we didn't need them for a long time. And, we will try to build individual bunkers around the border and LoC areas," Abdullah told mediapersons. The J-K Chief Minister visited the Pakistani shelling-affected areas in Tangdhar and said that the residents affected have shown "remarkable courage." "Visited the shelling-affected areas of Tangdhar and met families who have shown remarkable courage amidst deep pain. Their resilience is inspiring. The government stands shoulder to shoulder with them, their pain will not go unnoticed, and every possible step will be taken to help them rebuild their lives with dignity and renewed hope," the Office of J-K CM posted on X. After India and Pakistan came to an understanding of the cessation of hostilities, life slowly returned to normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 May,2025 08:48 AM IST | Rajouri | ANIIndia on Tuesday welcomed Russia's proposal for direct talks with Ukraine, describing it as an opportunity to address their concerns through dialogue and diplomacy. While addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has consistently advocated the need for engagement between Russia and Ukraine to achieve peace. "We welcome the direct talks that have been announced between Russia and Ukraine. The talks present an opportunity for both parties to address their concerns through dialogue and diplomacy. India has consistently advocated the need for sincere and practical engagement between Russia and Ukraine to ensure early and abiding peace," Jaiswal said. Jaiswal's remarks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called for resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine, urging that they begin as soon as May 15 in Istanbul. In a televised address shared by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Putin emphasised that the talks should take place "without any preconditions" and that Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, should once again serve as the host. "We suggest the authorities in Kyiv to resume direct talks, which they themselves interrupted in 2022," Putin declared. "We propose to start the talks without delay, next week, on May 15, in Istanbul." Putin had further elaborated on the choice of venue, noting, "I'm referring to direct talks without any preconditions, and we propose to start immediately next Thursday on the 15th of May in Istanbul. The venue that held them before. Well, it is well known that the Turkish colleagues organised, well, proposed their services to organise such talks, and President Erdogan did a lot to organise those talks in the past." Reflecting on previous discussions, Putin stated, "As a result of those talks back then, a draft of a joint agreement was prepared and initialled by the head of the Kiev negotiating teams, but upon the behest of the West, it was thrown into the little bin." He indicated that Western influence had disrupted the progress made during those negotiations. The Russian President stressed that the goal of these negotiations was to address the "root causes of the conflict" and achieve a long-lasting peace. "We are committed to holding serious talks with Ukraine in order to eliminate the root causes of the conflict to arrive at a long-lasting peace in the long run, in the long historical run," Putin said. Putin also addressed the possibility of achieving new ceasefires during these discussions. "I can't rule out that during those talks we will be able to negotiate and come to terms over new ceasefires or truces, real ones that would be respected not only by Russia but the Ukrainian side," he explained. The proposal came amid increasing international pressure for a ceasefire. Western leaders, including those from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Poland, recently stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, urging Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire or face severe sanctions. US President Donald Trump also weighed in, warning that "if the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions." Trump, who has made ending the conflict in Ukraine a priority of his administration, has dispatched his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow for high-level discussions. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 08:44 AM IST | New Delhi | ANISix years after the sensational Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case came to light, all nine men arrested in connection with the crime were convicted and sentenced to ‘life imprisonment till death’ by a Mahila Court here on Tuesday. Judge R Nandhini Devi who pronounced the quantum of punishment, ordered compensation of R85 lakh to the eight victims. The nine accused were brought to the court from the Salem Central Prison earlier in the day amidst tight security. All those facing the charges have been accused of criminal conspiracy, sexual harassment, rape, gang rape, and extortion, in the series of incidents including blackmail that happened between 2016 and 2018. The victims were mostly college girls and the incident came to light in 2019 after one of the affected women lodged a complaint with the police. The incident took place from the western TN town, about 550 km from state capital Chennai. CBI Special Public Prosecutor Surenda Mohan told reporters that all nine accused were convicted by the court and given “life imprisonment till death”, as sought by the CBI. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 07:33 AM IST | Coimbatore | AgenciesAs many as 17 people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Punjab’s Amritsar district, police said on Tuesday. They said six people have been hospitalised with complications caused by hooch. The deaths were reported in Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan and Therewal villages on Monday night, said officials. A police probe has revealed that methanol was procured in bulk online to prepare the hooch. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said those responsible for the deaths of innocent people in the villages in Majitha would not be spared. “These are not deaths, these are murders,” he said in an X post. DGP Gaurav Yadav said DSP and SHO in Majitha have been suspended for negligence, adding that nine persons, including the kingpin of the racket, and several local distributors have been arrested. The Amritsar district administration said it has deployed medical teams in the affected villages. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 07:29 AM IST | Chandigarh | AgenciesWith an S-400 missile defence system in the backdrop, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a firm message Tuesday from Adampur Air Base to Pakistan: Not only have you failed to harm any of India’s military installations but you will be annihilated if terrorism continues from your soil. Modi lauded the military for humbling Pakistan in the four-day engagement that resulted in the destruction of nine terror sites and damage to eight military installations. “Aapne jo kiya wo abhutpurva, akalpniya aur adbhut hai (What you have achieved is unprecedented, unimaginable and amazing),” he said. But the significance of the speech was immense as it was delivered from the Adampur base, merely 100 km from the Pakistan border, which Pakistan claimed to have destroyed along with S-400 missile launchers. Humbling the neighbouring nation, Modi, said, “Operation Sindoor has now drawn a clear ‘Lakshman Rekha’ for Pakistan.” “When our armed forces take the wind out of nuclear blackmail, our enemies understand the importance of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, Modi said Modi as he toured the base and greeted uniformed airmen. “The tales of your valour will be etched in history forever. I salute our Army, Air Force and Navy personnel,” PM Modi said. India and Pakistan agreed on May 10 to stop military actions. India has, however, made it clear it has merely paused its operation and its future actions will be guided by Pakistan's conduct. Three terrorists killed in J&K’s Shopian Top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Shahid Kuttay was among three terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of J&K on Tuesday, officials said. Based on a specific input about the presence of terrorists in Shukroo Keller, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there. Officials said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired upon the forces who retaliated. In the exchange of fire, three terrorists were killed, they said. A senior police officer said the terrorists belonged to LeT. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 07:14 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
