Former Indian cricket captain Azharuddin sworn in as minister in Telangana cabinet

Faridabad: A 19-year-old college student in Haryana’s Faridabad died by suicide after being allegedly blackmailed with obscene, AI-generated images and videos of his three sisters, police said on Sunday.

The victim, identified as Rahul Bharti, a second-year student of DAV College, had been visibly distressed for nearly two weeks before his death. His father, Manoj Bharti, said Rahul had withdrawn socially, stopped eating properly, and spent most of his time in his room.

According to the family, unknown persons allegedly hacked Rahul’s phone and used artificial intelligence to create morphed obscene visuals of him and his sisters. The accused, identified as ‘Sahil’ in Rahul’s chat records, demanded ₹20,000 to delete the material and threatened to circulate it online if he did not comply.

In the final chat exchange, ‘Sahil’ allegedly goaded Rahul to end his life, even suggesting ways to do so. Distressed and fearful, Rahul reportedly consumed poison around 7 pm on Saturday. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he died during treatment.

“Someone sent obscene videos and photos of my daughters to Rahul’s phone and threatened to make them viral. My son couldn’t bear the harassment and took his own life,” said his father, breaking down.

The family suspects the involvement of another man, Neeraj Bharti, who had spoken to Rahul just hours before the tragedy. Rahul’s mother, Meena Devi, alleged that Neeraj—her brother-in-law—along with a woman, conspired to torment the family following a domestic dispute six months ago.

Based on the family’s complaint, the police have registered a case against two accused.

“Rahul had consumed poison and died during treatment. A case has been filed on his father’s complaint. The mobile phone is being examined, and further action will be taken based on the investigation,” said Investigating Officer Sunil Kumar.

In a revolutionary move to boost transparency and fix accountability, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that key details of contractors and officers overseeing National Highway (NH) projects will soon be made public. 

Commuters will be able to access this information, including names and mobile numbers, via QR codes placed on project signboards.

The Minister's announcement, made at a conference organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), aims to empower citizens and ensure quality control on India's vast highway network.

"If people are paying toll, they deserve international-quality roads... We need ownership, sincerity, and a positive approach. Roads must be good, and they must stay good," Gadkari stated.

The technology-driven initiative ensures that in case of any road defect or inconvenience, the public will know "who are responsible for this," thereby eliminating excuses and making contractors and supervisory officers directly accountable.

This move reinforces the government's commitment to continuous monitoring through performance audits, promising strict action against those found negligent. The ultimate goal is to align India's road infrastructure with the Minister's vision for 'People, Prosperity, and Planet'—focusing on commuter comfort, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed all government departments to strictly adopt eco-friendly practices by replacing plastic water bottles with sustainable alternatives in offices and official events across the state.

In a note issued on October 28, which was released to media on Friday, the CM emphasised the state's commitment to environmental responsibility and promotion of indigenous products.

The directive aims to make government functions more sustainable while supporting local enterprises.

Siddaramaiah said, "Instructions had been issued earlier to use eco-friendly materials instead of plastic water bottles for drinking water in all government offices and official meetings across the state. Necessary steps should be taken to strictly implement this measure."

Further, the chief minister directed all departments to "mandatorily use Nandini products of the government-owned Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF)" during meetings and official programmes, including those held in the Secretariat.