Nagpur Police identify man behind series of airlines hoax threats; Kerala temple fireworks explosion leaves over 150 injured, and more

Top news updates from The Hindu on October 29, 2024

Police in Maharashtra’s Nagpur have identified a 35-year-old man from Gondia in the State as the person behind a spate of hoax bomb threats that triggered panic, caused flight delays and led to increased security at airports and other establishments, an official said. The Nagpur City Police’s Special Branch has identified the man as Jagdish Uikey, an author of a book on terrorism, who was arrested in 2021 in a case, the official said.

Over 150 people were injured when firecrackers stored at the Theru Anjootambalam Veererkavu temple at Nileshwaram in Kasaragod district of Kerala ignited during the Vellatam Theyyam ritual around midnight on Tuesday (October 29, 2024). The accident occurred as a crowd, including women and children, gathered to witness the Theyyam, unaware that stray sparks from the fireworks show would trigger an explosion. As many as eight persons who were injured are in critical condition.

On Tuesday (October 29, 2024) morning, the Indian Army killed two more militants in Jammu’s Akhnoor, where three militants made an abortive attempt to attack security forces. “After round-the-clock surveillance throughout the night, an intense firefight unfolded today morning resulting in a significant victory for our forces. Relentless operations and tactical excellence have led to the elimination of three terrorists,” an Army spokesman said.

Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee, who was suspended for a day from the joint committee of Parliament on the Waqf Bill for unruly conduct, on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) accused BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay of provoking him at the panel meeting last week and said he never intended to throw the broken glass bottle at the Chair. “The other day only I told the meeting that I had no intention to throw it at the chairperson and said I was sorry,” Mr. Banerjee told reporters in New Delhi.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPIM] leader and former Kannur district panchayat president P.P. Divya was taken into custody by police in connection with the death of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu shortly after her anticipatory bail plea was dismissed by the Thalassery Principal Sessions Court on Tuesday (October 29, 2024).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) hit out at Delhi and West Bengal governments for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of “political interests” and said he was pained that the elderly from these two states cannot avail free treatment under the expanded programme. The Prime Minister on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) extended his government’s flagship health insurance scheme to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above.

The Congress on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) levelled fresh conflict of interest charges against SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch, with Rahul Gandhi claiming a “Monopoly Bachao Syndicate” was at work, at the core of which was a “dangerous nexus” among the Adani Group, key regulatory bodies, and the BJP.