India Star To Miss New Zealand Series Due To 12th Board Exam

Harmanpreet Kaur was on Thursday retained as India captain for the three Women's ODIs against New Zealand while the selectors also picked four uncapped players for the series starting October 24. Days after India's early exit from the T20 World Cup, questions were raised about Harmanpreet's future as captain after another failure in an ICC event. However, the selectors have decided to stick with her for the moment. The games against New Zealand in Ahmedabad will also mark the start of preparations for the ODI World Cup which India hosts next year.

Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, 21, was not available for the series as it was coinciding with her 12th standard board exams, said the BCCI in a statement.

Asha Sobhana was not considered due to injury while all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been rested.

The uncapped players who were part of the India A squad in Australia recently have been given an opportunity and they include Tejal Hasabnis, Sayali Satgare and Priya Mishra.

Pacer Saima Thakor, who has played in the WPL, is another uncapped member of the squad.

Smriti Mandhana, who was off coloured in the T20 World Cup, has been named vice-captain. Batter Uma Chetry, who has played four T20 Internationals, is also part of the team and could make her ODI debut in the series.

All three games will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedbad.

India's squad for the three ODI series against New Zealand: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, D Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Sayali Satgare, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Tejal Hasabnis, Saima Thakor, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil.

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Opinion: Nijjar Row: How US Backing Has Emboldened A Beleaguered Trudeau

Coincidences are rare in diplomacy. It may be significant to keep a note of that as the issue of the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar blows up between India and Canada. The timing of the allegations, each time, from Canada and the escalation of the row despite Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's domestic political troubles indicate that the actions may have been carefully thought through rather than being just a diversionary tactic, which it initially appeared to be. Here's why.

America Has Canada's Back

In the latest round of allegations, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly said about the Nijjar killing investigation that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) “gathered information that established linkages between the investigation and agents of the Government of India". It was this message that the Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing, Mark Flynn, wanted to communicate to his Indian counterpart last week. When the attempts were unsuccessful, he met with officials of the Indian government, along with National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA) Nathalie Drouin and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison over the weekend.

The Canadian government's decision to expel the diplomats has been based on the RCMP's findings and was taken within a day of the stated meeting, where the NSIA was present along with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, as reported by a US publication. What explains the hurry to present the evidence to India and then immediately act on it with expulsion? Could this have been prompted because the Indian enquiry committee looking into similar allegations by the US was visiting Washington DC just a day after Canada's action?

Now, turn the clock back to September last year when Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament that Indian government agents possibly had a hand in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Many were taken aback by the public announcement by Trudeau on a sensitive issue.

That Trudeau may have wanted to create a distraction from domestic issues only partly explained his action. What seemed more probable was the fact that he was possibly aware of the parallel investigations underway in the US. That Canada was sounded out by the US on the issue is now quite evident, even though what we know now is only that a Five Eyes country alerted Ottawa. Within 10 days of Trudeau's Parliament statement, the US released details of their investigations against Indian national Nikhil Gupta and an Indian government employee referred to as 'CC1' by the US Department of Justice, who plotted the foiled assassination bid on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, another Khalistani extremist who lives in New York.

The unfolding of the events in September 2023 and today should give a clear sense that there is much greater coordination on this matter between the US and Canada than what meets the eye. Having America's backing on the issue can explain the steps that Canada has taken and the ones it has indicated when Joly did not rule out sanctions by saying that “everything is on the table”.

Foreign Interference

India has repeatedly raised the issue of Khalistan with Canada as a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. With the killing of Nijjar, Canada is using the argument of sovereignty. The issue is also being conflated with the overarching concern over foreign interference.  As a result, the matter has gained traction not just with the public but also politically from an otherwise adversarial opposition, the Conservatives. Pierre Poilievre said, “Any foreign interference from any country, including India, is unacceptable and must be stopped.”

A Parliamentary Committee report identified India as the second most significant foreign threat to Canada following China. The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians report said, “In addition to interference against Canadian democratic processes and institutions by the PRC, India and to a limited extent Pakistan, other countries, notably Iran engaged in episodic foreign interference directed towards suppressing dissidents and critics in Canada. Known as 'transnational repression,' these activities represent one of the most egregious forms of foreign interference.”

The issue of foreign interference could be a prickly matter for any sovereign nation but more so for Canada and the US in the recent past with their concerns about China and Russia. Hence, this issue is one that generates fear or worry, and thus has the power to mobilise both public and political opinion around India.

Another Five Eyes country, Australia, had earlier reported about a "nest of spies" that was discovered by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization in 2020. Australian news channel ABC reported that “National security and government figures have now confirmed to the ABC that India's foreign intelligence service was responsible for the 'nest of spies', and 'a number' of Indian officials were later removed from Australia by the Morrison government.”

With these two broad factors – US backing and foreign interference – closely associated with the Nijjar killing, the Justin Trudeau government is making drastic and dramatic moves, but perhaps with the knowledge that any backfire will be cushioned.

(Maha Siddiqui is a journalist who has extensively reported on public policy and global affairs.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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Not Only Rain, Technology Ruined India vs NZ 1st Test Day 1 - Here's How

The rain played spoilsport in more ways than one on Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Consistent rain throughout the day led to play being called off without a ball being bowled or even the toss taking place on Day 1. However, even though the rain stopped at times, there was another technological issue that further held back play. The hawk-eye system – crucial in the working of the Decision Review System (DRS) – could not be formatted into the ground due to the rain.

As revealed by former India cricketer-turned-pundit Saba Karim on air, the hawk-eye system can only be implemented and formatted into the ground once the covers are removed. Rain prior to the game, as well as during Day 1, meant that the formatting process could not take place. The formatting takes about an hour and a half, as per Saba Karim. At no point during the day did the covers stay removed for such a long duration, making start of play next to impossible.

The inability to put in the hawk-eye system led to play being called off earlier on Day 1. While not much rain is predicted in the late hours of Wednesday, October 16, rain is expected to play spoilsport in Day 2 as well. At least two hours of rain is predicted by Accuweather.com at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, October 17.

Saba Karim made a comment on Jio just now.

A) Hawk Eye is not ready. Apparently they need to format it a day before the game. Since it rained yesterday, they didn't get time. So today, once the covers come off, they will require 90-120 minutes post that to start.

B) The super… pic.twitter.com/wSCbfeH7gb

— Kartik Kannan (@kartik_kannan) October 16, 2024

40% precipitation is expected, while cloud cover is predicted to be a constant throughout Day 2 as well. In fact, rain is predicted on all five days of the Test match.

India come into the three-match home series as firm favourites, sitting comfortably at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. New Zealand, on the other hand, are sixth, and have never won an away Test in WTC history.

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"Babar Sells Cricket, Sponsors Are...": Ramiz Raja On Star Batter's Axing

Babar Azam's removal from Pakistan's Test squad for the second match against England sent shockwaves across the cricketing fraternity. The superstar batter paid the price of a string of inconsistent performances as the newly constituted Pakistan Cricket Board national selection committee sprung into action. Pakistan great Ramiz Raja, however, isn't impressed with the selectors' decision, calling it a' knee jerk reaction'. For Ramiz, Babar's absence from the team makes no sense as he isn't just an important player for the team but also a brand which brings Pakistan cricket money.

"I think it was a knee-jerk reaction [by the] new selectors. The general opinion was that he needed rest and he was taken out of the squad completely," Ramiz said in a chat on Sky Cricket.

"We need to understand that he sells cricket for Pakistan. There's always this debate that is happening right now in Pakistan - whether there's going to be another failure for Babar Azam or whether he's going to make a comeback. And that keeps things interesting," he added.

Ramiz Raja Blackmailing PCB?

"Pakistan's cricket team relies heavily on Babar Azam's prowess to attract sponsors. Unfortunately, aside from him, there's a lack of marketable talent and superstar appeal in the current Test squad."pic.twitter.com/XpCvFI0CFp

— Imran Siddique (@imransiddique89) October 15, 2024

Babar isn't the only Pakistan star who was dropped, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah also suffering the same fate. In the trio's absence, Ramiz feels Pakistan's XI against England for the second Test doesn't even have a 'sellable commodity', which isn't a good thing from the sponsorship perspective.

"Right now, I don't see any sellable commodity in this Pakistan team ... sponsors are a little wary as well because a) Pakistan have been on the losing sequence and b) There are no real superstars playing in this Test match now."

At the time of toss in the second Test, Pakistan skipper Shan Masood also spoke about the three star players' absence, admitting that certain matters are beyond his control.

"I think firstly playing a Test match for Pakistan is a huge opportunity for anyone who wants to be a cricketer so we're all excited and there's some rejuvenated energy in the camp," Shan Masood said.

"There's stuff we can't control but we can control what we do on the field," he said on the team selection. We're very positive about this. We're happy the spinners have some conditions were we can show we have some decent spinners," he added.

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US Man Stuck In Denmark After Contracting 'Super Virus' On Cruise

A Colorado man fell seriously ill while on a cruise with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary after contracting a super virus. Guy Matlock, 64, was on a 14-day cruise in northern Europe with his wife, Adrien, marking their 37th wedding anniversary and their first time travelling outside the United States. Unfortunately, on the sixth day of the trip, Mr Matlock began showing flu-like symptoms that quickly escalated into more severe illnesses, according to his daughter, Moriah, who spoke to KDVR.

"They pulled into port as soon as possible... He was diagnosed with flu A, pneumonia, and sepsis, which essentially turned into a super virus that started attacking his major organs," Moriah said.

Mr Matlock soon went into cardiac arrest and suffered lung failure, which led to brain damage. He is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Copenhagen, where he remains partially conscious and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. Though he is stable enough to be flown back to the US, he is not yet fully conscious, Moriah added.

The family is now raising funds for a costly medical evacuation to bring him back home. The cost of such a medical evacuation can be as high as $150,000. Meanwhile, Adrien has stayed in Copenhagen to be by her husband's side, while their children, who had flown to Denmark on emergency passports, have since returned to Colorado.

"It's very isolating to be in a foreign country where you don't know the language and there are so many cultural differences," Moriah told KDVR.

"His brain isn't getting enough stimulation because he hears the different languages and isn't able to process them."

Describing the emotional toll, Moriah told WJTV, "No one can express the sorrow of seeing someone so strong in such a weakened state. A person who has always been your rock is now unable to even breathe on his own."

The family has set up a GoFundMe page, which had raised just over $47,840 by Tuesday.

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How Far Can Trudeau Go As Personal Electoral Gain Trumps Diplomatic Ties

It is not uncommon to see a country's election campaigns politicise various global issues, but what is rather unusual and perhaps unique in the case of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, is "how far he can go" for personal electoral gains. His attempts have reached a level where actual diplomatic relations are seeing a fallout over "the politics of vote-bank".

India and Canada are in the midst of the worst-ever diplomatic spat in the history of bilateral ties between the two nations. India has recalled its high commissioner to Canada and expelled six top diplomats from Canada yesterday. Canada mirrored India's move. The reason - Justin Trudeau's proximity to the Khalistan separatist movement and his sympathy towards declared terrorists and extremists who spread hate, violence, and extremism on Canadian soil - all to appeal to his vote bank.

Mr Trudeau, who is seeking another term as Canada's prime minister, but facing one setback after another politically in his country, has repeatedly supported the Khalistani separatist movement and allowed space for them to operate by calling it "freedom of speech" in his country.

The Prime Minister of Canada has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with terrorists, extremists and separatists by attending Khalistan rallies in Canada. By doing so, Canada's Prime Minister has directly violated India's national security concerns whilst also violating India's sovereignty and territorial integrity by supporting those who want another nation to be carved out of India - terming all this as "free speech in Canada."

"Celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilized society. Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression," India had said about Trudeau's attendance at the Khalistan rally.

Citing his concern over grave situation and rapidly deteriorating ties, while also seeing a rise in extremist elements in Canada, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said earlier this year that "By allowing political space to Khalistani separatist elements, the Canadian government (led by Justin Trudeau) is repeatedly showing that its vote bank is more powerful than its rule of law."

Speaking to Press Trust of India, Mr Jaishankar had said, "India respects and practices freedom of speech, but that does not equate with freedom to threaten foreign diplomats, extend support to separatism or allow political space to elements advocating violence and terror."

Mr Jaishankar had also wondered how people with "dubious backgrounds are being allowed to enter and live in Canada", referring to select Khalistani separatists among the Sikh migrants from Punjab.

"In any rules-based society, you would imagine that you would check people's background, how they came, what passport they carried etc," he said, adding that "If you have people whose presence there is itself on very dubious documents, what does it say about you? It actually says that your vote bank is more powerful than your rule of law."

| Watch: NDTV World Summit on October 21-22. Get All The Details Here.

TRUDEAU'S LATEST ATTEMPT

India and Canada have been dealing with an unprecedented diplomatic crisis after Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. India has rejected Canada's allegations, terming it "absurd" and "politically motivated."

Losing electoral ground fast in the last few months since key ally, Jagmeet Singh withdrew support to his party, Justin Trudeau has likely pacified his "vote bank" late on Monday as he doubled down on accusations of India "supporting criminal activity against Canadians" and "coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians".

In his latest allegations, Mr Trudeau called the Indian High Commissioner a "person of interest" in the "murder" investigation of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar. India trashed Mr Trudeau's allegations, describing them as "preposterous imputations."

On its part, India - which has yet to respond to these latest comments - has set up a high-level committee to investigate the allegation.

However, calling out "the political agenda of Justin Trudeau's government" in a strongly worded rebuttal, India issued a statement saying, "The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics."

"Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains," India's statement read.

"Prime Minister Trudeau's hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters," Centre's statement further read.

TRUDEAU'S POLITICAL SETBACKS AHEAD OF CANADA ELECTIONS

In the last few months, Justin Trudeau has faced a series of political setbacks. What has been alarming for him is that he has lost the support of his key ally, Jagmeet Singh's party. Singh openly professes for 'Khalistan'.

Doubts about the leadership of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intensified after his ruling Liberal Party suffered two humiliating losses in a special election, but despite that, the unpopular leader is determined to cling to office ahead of a looming national vote.

The loss, following a defeat in Toronto in late June, reinforced the perception that Liberal prospects in the next national election are dim. The mandate for Trudeau's minority government expires at the end of October 2025, but an early election has become increasingly likely.

Although polls indicate the Liberals will lose badly to the official opposition right-of-center Conservatives in the next election amid unhappiness over inflation, healthcare and a housing crisis, Trudeau and his closest aides say he is going nowhere and has time to help the party recover.

According to a survey by global market research and public opinion firm IPSOS, only 26 per cent people see Justin Trudeau as a good PM - he found himself to be 19 per cent less than Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party.

Facing being ousted from the post of Prime Minister, Mr Trudeau has made a series of allegations against India to polarise the electorate whilst catering to his vote bank in a desperate attempt to get all the support he can for him to remain prime minister.

THE INDIAN DIASPORA

The Indian diaspora in Canada is about 1.8 million strong and there are another one million Non Resident Indians residing in the country. The Indian diaspora, mostly of Sikh ethnicity, is considered an influential bloc in Canada's politics.

Ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
 

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Dawood Connection, Orders On Snapchat: Details Surface In Baba Siddique Murder

As police continues to search for the third shooter behind the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, sources told NDTV that the motive was gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's attempt to cause panic in Mumbai and to convey to fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim that the former is the city's don.

Siddique was fatally shot on Saturday outside his MLA son's office in Mumbai's Bandra. Police have so far arrested three persons - Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh -- both alleged shooters - and "co-conspirator" Pravin Lonkar from Pune. Suspected "handler" Mohammad Yasin Akhtar is also wanted in the case. Wanted accused Shivakumar Gautam, who is from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, is absconding.

Sources told NDTV that Singh, Kashyap and Gautam were on the spot at the time of the shooting. The shooters had reached Mumbai 28 days before the murder and had conducted a recce at the leader's home and office five times.

The conspiracy to murder Baba Siddique was hatched in June and was planned by Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar. Akhtar planned the murder from outside Mumbai, ensuring the delivery of weapons to be used in the crime to Mumbai from Punjab. It is also suspected that the operation was planned by Lawrence's brother Anmol Bishnoi, who is based in the US.

READ | Shootout At Bandra: Baba Siddique's Murder And Flashbacks From '90s

Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Pravin Lonkar dropped the three shooters to Mumbai, while his brother Shubham Lonkar paid them Rs 50,000 each. Gautam was getting orders from the gang on Signal, Telegram and Snapchat, which he would convey to Singh and Kashyap, sources said. After the murder, Gautam wanted to visit Omkareshwar near Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, where he had to meet a gang henchman.

Further, Siddique's security detail included two policemen. At the time of the shooting, they were changing duties, but the policeman present with the veteran politician did not fire, according to sources.

Mumbai Police seized two 9 mm foreign-made pistols, three mobile phones and the bike used in recce. The police also expressed shock that the crime was planned for the day of Vijay Dashmi, when there is tight security all over Mumbai. Cops also found that the shooters only planned to killed Baba Siddique and not his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique.

Meanwhile, police scoured places of worship in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain and Khandwa in their hunt for Gautam. The Mumbai Police have set up 15 teams which have fanned out of Maharashtra in search for individuals linked to the high-profile murder. They are verifying a social media post, attributed to a purported member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, owning up to the murder of Siddique.

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"Felt Like Cracker Burst On Feet": Man Shot At During Baba Siddique Firing

Raj Kanojia, the man who suffered a bullet injury in the leg on the day Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai, rues the fact that he will be out of action for two months. This, he says, makes it difficult for him to contribute to his sister's wedding in February.

Six rounds were fired on Baba Siddique, two of which hit the former Maharashtra minister on the chest, outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra between 9:15pm and 9:30pm on Saturday. A stray bullet hit the 22-year-old as he was returning from a fruit juice centre.

"Madad kya sir ab toh pair main goli lag gayi hai. February main shadi hai sister ki. Do mahine kuch kar nahi paayege hum (What help, sir. I have been shot in the leg. My sister's wedding is in February. I won't be able to do much," lamented Mr Kanojia, dressed in a white kurta, from his hospital bed.

"The atmosphere was such. It felt like crackers were being burst. I felt as if a cracker had exploded on my feet. When I checked, I found blood. Soon, chaos ensued. People started running everywhere. People shouted, there's been a firing, there's been a firing. Hobbling on one leg, I somehow reached the nearby temple. Some people took me inside and then I was taken to a hospital," said Mr Kanojia, fighting back tears.

The Mumbai Police suspects Baba Siddique was killed at the behest of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is incarcerated in Gujarat jail.  

Shooters Gurmail Baljit Singh and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap were arrested the night of the crime. A third shooter, Shiv Kumar, managed to escape.

Two of the three alleged shooters in the case - Kumar and Kashyap - are from Gandara village in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. From poor families, both had moved to Pune from their village after Holi to earn money. When NDTV reached out to their families, they said they had no information about why and when they went to Mumbai. The third accused, Singh, is from Haryana.

Alleged shooter Shiv Kumar had taken to posting online content in recent months, flaunting his "gangster" status.

"Yaar tera gangster hai jaani (Your friend is a gangster)," Kumar had captioned his photo post on his Instagram on July 24. The photo showed him on a motorcycle as a Haryanvi song played in the background.

The third accused in the case - Pravin Lonkar - was produced in a Mumbai court which remanded him in police custody till October 21. He is accused of enlisting two of the three alleged shooters who opened fire at Baba Siddique, who had crossed over from Congress to Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party in February.

The cops added that they were on the lookout for Pravin's brother, Shubham Lonkar.

According to the police, Shubham Lonkar posted on social media that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the murder. His brother Pravin gave shelter to both the arrested accused in Pune.

The Mumbai Police has set up 15 teams which have fanned out of Maharashtra in search for individuals linked to the high-profile murder.

A Mumbai police official said only one constable was accompanying Siddique when he was shot dead by three men who took cover of Dussehra fireworks to open fire.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, has assured that those responsible for Siddique's brutal murder will not escape justice.

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Baba Siddique Shooters Were Given Flex Banner To Identify Target: Cops

The plot to kill former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was hatched over 100 km away in Pune months ago during several meetings. The shooters were given Rs 50,000 as an advance, Baba Siddique's photo and a flex banner to "identify the target", the cops revealed. 

Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12 outside his son's office in Mumbai. Three shooters - Gurmel Baljit Singh, Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam from Uttar Pradesh killed - Baba Siddique. The cops have arrested Gurmel and Dharmaraj, the third shooter on the run.

Yesterday, the cops got a breakthrough when Pravin Lonkar - an alleged co-conspirator - was arrested. The initial investigation has revealed new details on how the plan to assassinate Mr Siddique was hatched.

Mumbai crime exposed the alleged role of Pune-based Pravin Lonkar and his brother Shubham Lonkar in the plot. "The motive behind the killing will be ascertained once the wanted accused are arrested," a police official said.

Meanwhile, sources told NDTV that the accused have claimed that they work for gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Bishnoi, who is lodged at Gujarat's Sabarmati jail, was also involved in the shooting incident outside the Mumbai residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who is known to have been a close friend of Baba Siddique.

Police said the Lonkar brothers are key figures in the crime. The duo allegedly financed the shooters, coordinated logistics, and orchestrated meetings leading up to the attack.

Pravin worked at a dairy owned by Shubham, where they recruited Shivkumar Gautam and Dharmaraj Kashyap, who had connections to a nearby scrap shop.

The conspiracy took shape over several meetings, with promises of substantial payment upon successful "execution of the plan". The shooters were given an advance of Rs 50,000 each. They purchased a motorcycle to monitor Mr Siddique's routine, officials said.

Pravin Lonkar is accused of drafting two shooters to target Siddique and identified by police as a "co-conspirator".

The cops are on the hunt to catch the suspected "handler", Mohammad Yasin Akhtar, and shooter Gautam, who allegedly fired at the senior politician.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the third accused in the Baba Siddique murder case will be arrested "soon".

The investigation disclosed that it was Gautam who called Kashyap to work with him in Pune three months ago, the police official said.

Subsequently, Gautam relocated to Vinoba Bhave Nagar locality in Kurla in Mumbai in September last year and started staying on rent. He roped in Singh in the conspiracy, he said.

All three shooters- Singh, Kashyap, and Gautam- were paid Rs 50,000 each upfront. Investigations have revealed that the three accused used to travel from Kurla (where they lived on rent) to Bandra every day, mostly in auto rickshaws, and recce the places Baba Siddiqui and his son used to frequent. These places included areas around their house, office, and the events they attended.

Gautam fired on Mr Siddique while Kashyap and Gurmel Singh stood behind him. Kashyap was carrying pepper spray which he used on Siddique after he was shot.

While Kashyap and Gurmer Singh were arrested from the spot in Bandra, Gautam fled.

In a purported post on Facebook, Shubham Lonkar attributed the attack to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. This post has since been deleted, but screenshots have circulated widely. The Mumbai Police are now coordinating with social media platforms to trace its origins.

The probe found that Shubham Lonkar gave the shooters guns and ammunition. He was incarcerated in a separate arms case registered against him in Akola district in January.

Police have confiscated two pistols, 28 live rounds, and four mobile phones from the suspects, which are being analysed for further insights into the conspiracy, the official said.

The crime branch is trying to identify the persons with whom the Lonkar brothers were in touch.

"We are investigating all possible angles, including the involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang," the official said, adding that the persons involved in the crime were assigned particular tasks.

On the possibility of Mumbai Police questioning Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in the Sabarmati Jail, the official said a proposal had been sent to the Home Department for his custody in a case registered earlier.

- With inputs from PTI

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Criminal Pours Hot Oil On Chhattisgarh Cop, Slaughters Family Of Another

Chhattisgarh's Surajpur has been engulfed in chaos after a brutal double murder - the victims were the wife and daughter of a Head Constable, Talib Sheikh. The incident, which has sent shock waves through the region and led to violent protests that included arson on the property of the accused. The matter escalated and the town shut down after a strike was called. 

Reports in the local media claim that Kuldeep Sahu, a known criminal of the area, had entered the house of Talib Sheikh in his absence and killed his wife and daughter with a sharp weapon. Their partially clothed bodies were later discovered in a field about five kilometers away. 

The violence started during a Durga idol immersion ceremony on Monday night, when Kuldeep Sahu reportedly poured a pan of hot oil on a constable during a dispute in the city's Chowpatty area, severely burning the officer. 

Head Constable Talib Sheikh attempted to catch Kuldeep at the time, but he escaped, and later targeted the policeman's family. When the police attempted to arrest Kuldeep, he opened fire at them and managed to escape, abandoning his vehicle.

Angry residents, incensed by the murders and the escape of Sahu, hit the streets. They called for a city-wide bandh and torched vehicles parked outside Kuldeep Sahu's house and warehouse. 

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the area, who had arrived with the police team to control the situation, faced the wrath of the mob. A video of the incident is being widely circulated. It shows the magistrate fleeing after being attacked by the crowd. The police had to intervene and rescue him. 

Four police teams have been deployed to catch Kuldeep Sahu. The cybercrime division is working to find his whereabouts. 

The brutal killings and subsequent unrest have drawn sharp political reactions. 

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed his outrage, stating, "What is happening in our Chhattisgarh? It seems that the rule of law no longer exists in this state, which was once called an island of peace".

He added that the incident highlighted a deep loss of public faith in law enforcement and governance.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Saw lashed out at the Congress, accusing them of contributing to the lawlessness in the state. 

"The Congress party need not worry about the law-and-order situation. The state government is taking strict action, and wherever negligence by officials is found, they are being held accountable," he said.

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"Never Pulled Out After Auction": Pat Cummins' Big Verdict On New IPL Rules

Australia captain Pat Cummins reaffirmed that playing Test cricket for his country is his No. 1 priority, adding that he is yet to decide his future in the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Cummins led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final of the IPL 2024 after being bought by the franchise for Rs 20.50 crore, making him the second-most expensive player in the history of the tournament. Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, the mega auction is set to take place later this year with each team can retain a total of six players (a maximum of five capped players including Indian and overseas and a maximum of two uncapped players) from their existing squad either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

With the important five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be played next month, Cummins is focused on playing for the country. However, the pacer is aware of the new IPL rules for overseas players that make them "ineligible to register in the following year's player auction" if they don't register for that season's player auction while the other rule bans players for two seasons if the player makes himself unavailable before the start of the season after getting picked at the auction.

“I'll work out in the next little bit what this season looks like. There's a bit of a tweak in the rules, but I don't know whether that would have affected me in the past, I've never pulled out after the auction. But it is one more factor to consider with the IPL," Cummins told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Test cricket is the absolute No.1 priority, world cups are right up there, and then I think you use them as your tent poles and work out what else makes sense around that.

“The calendar is never going to get any less busy, and I'm not going to get any younger, so these things have always been considerations, and moving forward will become even more so. But needless to say, playing cricket for Australia, particularly Test matches, is my number one job and priority," he added.

Cummins expect the upcoming home series against India will be another close-fought encounter after the visitors won the last two series in Australia.

“The couple of home series I've played against India there's always an element of attrition to them. The last series came down to the last session at the Gabba on the last day of the last Test match," he said.

“That's a good thing to keep in mind; it is a long series, and it might be tightly held until the last game, so you've got to manage your resources throughout," the Australia captain added.

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"Forever Grateful To Her": Mithun Chakraborty On The Zeenat Aman Factor

Legendary actor and recent recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Mithun Chakraborty, recently shared the challenges he faced early in his career. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he recalled a time when many female actors were hesitant to work with him, except for Zeenat Aman, who supported him during this difficult phase. The veteran star recalled that despite receiving a National Award for his first film, he experienced a significant lull in his career. He noted, "Bohot rukawatein bhi thi (There were many obstacles). I was going ahead in life at a great speed, so obstacles were inevitable."

He revealed that during this tough period, several actresses were advised not to work with him. "I didn't want to bow down to that lull, I had decided that if I had to lose, then at least I'll battle it out, that I'll not just give up," he said.

Mithun Chakraborty further revealed that Zeenat Aman played a crucial role in changing this situation. He explained, "Zeenat Aman helped me a lot. She was working on a film with Brij Sadanah and he had decided 'Mithun hi mera hero hai' (Mithun is my hero). So he went to her and said, 'See, there is this boy, I think he is very good,' so Zeenat ji said, 'he is a very handsome looking boy. He dances well, I will work (with him).'" She broke the cycle by working with me. After her, all the big heroines restarted signing films with me. I am forever grateful to Zeenat ji."

Mithun Chakraborty was born in Calcutta and made his acting debut in the 1976 film Mrigayaa, a performance that earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor. Over the years, Mithun received two more National Film Awards for his roles in Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998). Recently, he appeared in The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri. His son, Namashi Chakraborty, made his Bollywood debut in the film Bad Boy.

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Exclusive: How Air India Express Pilots Handled Mid-Air Scare Over Trichy

A report of hydraulic failure from a Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah Air India Express flight and its subsequent holding pattern for over two hours may have caused panic on the ground, but things were always under control inside the cockpit, senior sources from the airline have told NDTV. 

Flight AXB 613 took off from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu at 5.40 pm on Friday and landed at the same airport around 8.15 pm. 

Here's what happened in the interim:

The sources said that after the plane, a Boeing 737-800, was airborne, the landing gear was retracted normally. 

When the landing gear, or undercarriage, was stowed successfully, the cockpit master caution, which indicates a system malfunction, sounded. Sensors detected that oil had drained out of the hydraulic system which controls the undercarriage. 

The aircraft flew normally in all other respects, the sources said, adding that the 737-800 has redundancies built into the hydraulic system to deal with such situations. 

The pilots decided to return to the Tiruchirappalli airport and chose not to undertake an 'overweight landing' with full fuel on board. The aircraft maintained a holding pattern at a short distance from the city to ensure that the fuel was burnt off and the landing weight was acceptable for making a normal approach to the Tiruchirappalli airport. 

The undercarriage was manually deployed and locked into position at the first attempt, enabling the aircraft to make a normal landing. 

On the ground, meanwhile, preparations had been made for an emergency landing. Tiruchirappalli Airport Director Gopalakrishnan said that 20 ambulances and 18 fire engines were on standby. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had also asked officials to remain on alert and the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was coordinating. 

'Will Investigate Cause'

An Air India Express spokesperson said the cause of the snag would be investigated and the safety of passengers was their main concern. 

"We are aware of media reports related to an Air India Express flight operating on the Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah route. We would like to clarify that no emergency was declared by the operating crew. After reporting a technical snag, the aircraft circled multiple times in the designated area as an abundant precaution, to reduce fuel and weight considering the runway length, before making a safe precautionary landing," the spokesperson said.

"The cause of the snag will be duly investigated. In the interim, an alternative aircraft is being arranged for the onward journey of our guests. We regret the inconvenience and reiterate our commitment to prioritising safety in every aspect of our operations," the spokesperson added.

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