'400 kg RDX to kill 1 crore people': Astrologer Ashwini Kumar arrested for terror threat to Mumbai police

Agencies
September 6, 2025

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A 50-year-old man has been arrested in Noida for allegedly sending a message to the Mumbai Police, threatening dozens of blasts to "kill 1 crore people" in the financial capital where Ganesh festival celebrations are underway.

One more person was also arrested for allegedly providing his SIM card to the accused to send the threat message to the Mumbai traffic police's WhatsApp helpline on Thursday. 

The message claimed 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered the city with 400 kilograms of RDX that was planted in 34 vehicles. The text sent the police into a huddle as the metropolitan force was making security arrangements for Anant Chaturdashi, which marks the end of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival with the immersion ritual, on Saturday.

Sources said the alleged sender was identified as Astrologer Ashwini Kumar, a resident of Patna. He had switched off his mobile phone and was arrested from Noida Sector 79 based on local intelligence, surveillance and CCTV footage obtained from a grocery shop. He was subsequently handed over to the Mumbai Police. 

The arrest came after the Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner CP Rajiv Narayan Mishra, on the basis of information gathered during the course of interrogation, contacted Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh for assistance in the case. Subsequently, a Special Weapons and Tactics team was formed to arrest the accused.

The Mumbai Police earlier said the sender mentioned the name of an organisation called 'Lashkar-e-Jihadi' in the threat message. 

"Traffic police have received such bomb threat messages in the past. There is no need to panic. Security has been beefed up at key locations, and combing operations are underway. Mumbaikars are urged not to believe in rumours and report any suspicious activity," an officer said on Friday.

The sources said the Anti-Terrorism Squad was also informed about the threat message. 

Prima facie, it seems a hoax, but police are investigating the source of the message with the help of technical analysis, the officer said. He also said the police are taking maximum precautions as there will be a high footfall on the roads on immersion day.

Following this, a case was registered at Worli police station against an unidentified person under section 351 (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sub-sections 2,3, and 4.

More than 21,000 police personnel have been deployed in the city to maintain law and order during idol immersions. Lakhs of people are expected to come out on the streets on Saturday as the city bids adieu to Lord Ganesh by immersing idols in the sea, other water bodies, and artificial ponds.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israeli forces have pushed over the Syrian frontier, erecting a checkpoint and stopping vehicles in the southwestern city of Quneitra, in yet another breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

The violation took place on Sunday, when the troops made their way across the border, setting up the outpost near the Ain al-Bayda junction in northern Quneitra, Syrian outlets reported.

According to the al-Ikhbariya paper, an Israeli detachment positioned itself at the junction, halting cars and conducting searches.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that three Israeli military vehicles then moved further into the northern countryside, deploying between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. The agency added that a separate Israeli unit mounted a new incursion in the central region, approaching the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf.

Residents said such activities have surged in recent months, pointing to Israeli advances onto farmland, leveling of extensive forested areas, arrests, and spread of mobile checkpoints.

The Israeli regime began markedly increasing its military aggression against Syria last year.

The escalation coincided with increasingly ferocious onslaughts throughout the country by the so-called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri terrorist group, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad had confined to northwestern Syria. The HTS, however, managed to overthrow the government as the Israeli attacks would pummel the country’s civilian and defensive infrastructure.

Various reports have shown that, during the escalation, the regime conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Syrian territory and over 400 ground raids into the south.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Tel Aviv also widened its grip over the occupied Golan Heights by taking control of a demilitarized buffer zone, in defiance of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Earlier this month, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the buffer zone, prompting expressions of alarm on the part of the United Nations.

The United States, the regime’s biggest ally, has, meanwhile, been fraternizing the HTS head Abu Mohammed al-Jolani amid the widely reported prospect of rapprochement with Tel Aviv.

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News Network
November 28,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 28: Karnataka Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday handed over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the severe distress faced by farmers due to crashing crop prices.

PM Modi arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport en route to Udupi, where Gundu Rao welcomed him and submitted the letter. The chief minister’s message stressed that farmers are suffering heavy losses because maize and green gram are being bought far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state urged the Centre to immediately begin procurement at MSP.

According to the letter, Karnataka has a bumper harvest this year—over 54.74 lakh metric tons of maize and 1.98 lakh metric tons of green gram—yet farmers are unable to secure fair prices. Against the MSP of ₹2,400/MT for maize and ₹8,768/MT for green gram, market rates have plunged to ₹1,600–₹1,800 and ₹5,400 respectively.

The chief minister has requested the Centre to:

• Direct NAFED, FCI and NCCF to start MSP procurement immediately.
• Ensure ethanol units purchase maize directly from farmers or FPOs.
• Increase Karnataka’s ethanol allocation, citing high production capacity.
• Stop maize imports, which have depressed domestic prices.
• Relax quality norms for green gram, allowing up to 10% discoloration due to rains.

The letter stresses that MSP is crucial for farmer dignity and income stability and calls for swift central intervention to prevent a deepening crisis.

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coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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