Morning Digest: CJI seeks details of guards at Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma’s house; Chennai Super Kings beats Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025 season opener, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on March 24, 2025

The Supreme Court’s publication of documents and visual material related to the inquiry into the March 14, 2025 incident of fire and alleged discovery of “sacks” of half-burnt currency notes from a storeroom on the residential premises of a Delhi High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, is a stride towards transparency even as the records raise further questions which the three-member committee constituted by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to probe the matter may examine. The Delhi Police Commissioner’s report to Chief Justice Upadhyaya said a security guard at the residence of Justice Varma saw “half-burnt articles” and debris being removed in the morning after the fire.

Shiv Sena on Sunday (March 23, 2025) demands the arrest of stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra over his stand-up in which he has allegedly referred to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a ‘Gaddar’ (traitor). Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde said, “Kunal Kamra’s upbringing seems extremely poor , he has been banned in airlines , is abusive and uncouth and police should take strong action against such habitual offenders.” Shiv Sena workers vandalised a hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area where stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s show was filmed, police said.

A major anti-militancy operation was launched on Sunday (March 23, 2025) evening after a group of militants were engaged in a firefight in a forest area of Jammu’s Kathua district. Preliminary reports suggested the security forces had received a tip-off about the movement of militants at Sanyal village, close to the Indo-Pakistan border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district. “During the combing operation of the security forces, a group of militants was spotted in a jungle area. The militants took cover of the undulating topography and dense green cover inside the forests,” officials said. Reinforcements were rushed to throw a multi-tier cordon around the area where militants opened fire on the security forces.

Heavy passenger congestion due to a delay in the departure of multiple trains led to chaos at the New Delhi Railway Station on Sunday (March 23, 2025) but there was no “stampede” or injuries as the police stepped in and managed the situation, a police official said. A source said large crowds had gathered on platform numbers 12 and 13 of the station due to the delay in the departure of the Shiv Ganga Express, Swatantrata Senani Express, Jammu Rajdhani Express, Lucknow Mail, and the Magadh Express.

Curfew was lifted from all areas of Nagpur district in Maharashtra on Sunday (March 23, 2025), restoring peace six days after communal violence grappled the district, officials said. “We have completely lifted the curfew. Normalcy has returned to Nagpur, and the situation is peaceful. A total of 13 cases were registered in connection with the incident, and 104 accused were arrested till Saturday (March 22, 2025),” Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal told The Hindu. According to officials, the curfew was lifted in a phased manner.

Israel’s military struck the largest hospital in southern Gaza on Sunday (March 23, 2025) night, killing one person, wounding others and causing a large fire, the territory’s Health Ministry said. The strike hit the surgical building of Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, the Ministry said, days after the facility was overwhelmed with dead and wounded when Israel resumed the war in Gaza last week with a surprise wave of airstrikes. Israel’s military confirmed the strike on the hospital, saying it hit a Hamas militant operating there. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas.

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday (March 23, 2025) called a snap election for April 28, 2025, saying he needed a strong mandate to deal with the threat that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs pose to the economy. Although the next election was not due until October 20, 2025, Mr. Carney is hoping to capitalise on a remarkable recovery by his Liberal party in the polls since January, when Mr. Trump began threatening Canada and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation. “We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Mr. Carney said.