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Entertainment Home News and Gossip Vijay Deverakonda FINALLY breaks silence on betting apps case; ‘These are completely…’ The Kingdom star Vijay Deverakonda finally spill beans on betting apps case. Here’s what he said. Vijay Deverakonda appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the endorsements linked to illegal betting platforms. The South superstar Vijay has finally broken his silence over the same issue. The Kingdom star was spotted leaving the ED office in Hyderabad on Wednesday afternoon and spoke to media that he was not involved in anything illegal. Vijay Deverakonda spoke about betting apps Deverakonda argued that gaming apps and illegal betting apps are different, and he said that one must not confuse them. He even claimed that the apps he was endorsing are completely legal and licensed by the government. Vijay Deverakonda summoned by ED? An FIR was filed in Hyderabad against 25 celebrities, including Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi, Praneetha, and Nidhi Agarwal, among others for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps in March 2025. The complaint read, “Thousands of lakhs of rupees are involved in these illegal platforms and it is also leading many families into distress, especially those of the middle-class and lower middle-class”. Actor Prakash Raj admitted that he appeared in one such ad in 2015 but had opted out of it within a year. Rana Daggubati’s team had also issued a clarification that his endorsement deal was compliant with the law. Rana Daggubati is expected to appear before the ED on August 11, while Manchu Lakshmi has been called in for questioning on August 13. On the work front, Vijay has been part of films like Arjun Reddy, Dear Comrade, Kingdom, Kushi and Liger, among others. The actor made his debut in 2011 and worked in South cinema. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment “I’ll never come close to playing like Jerry Garcia. But if I can somehow get you closer to him – and to the spirit he created 60 years ago – then I suppose I’ve done my job,” wrote the singer Bob Weir and John Mayer perform in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2025. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images Dead and Company celebrated 60 years of the Grateful Dead with concerts in San Francisco over the weekend — and John Mayer couldn’t be more honored to be part of the festivities. In a sweet Instagram post, the guitarist thanked fans for accepting him as he honored the band’s legacy. “Night 3 in Golden Gate Park celebrating 60 years of @gratefuldead will be a one we’ll never forget,” he wrote, also thanking Graheme Lesh, son of Grateful Dead’s late bassist Phil Lesh, for joining the group for all three nights. (Founding member Phil Lesh died in October 2024, his son performed “Morning Dew” with the band on Saturday.) “No matter how many shows we play as a band, I will always be a guest in this musical world, and I’ll never lose sight of what is the great honor of my life,” Mayer said. “Happy 60th, Grateful Dead, and long may you run, @bobweir, @mickeyhart, and @billkreutzmann.” Mayer ended his post by acknowledging the legacy of Jerry Garcia. “It must be said… I’ll never come close to playing like @jerrygarcia,” he wrote. “But if I can somehow get you closer to him – and to the spirit he created 60 years ago – then I suppose I’ve done my job. Thank you for accepting me.” Mayer also celebrated performing with Phish’s Trey Anastasio during the shows. The Phish member joined Dead and Co. for performances of “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain” during the Golden Gate Park show Sunday night. The Trey Anastasio Band also served as the warm-up act for the shows. “Beyond the full-circle moment of it all, the lock we had going was instant,” Mayer wrote. “Trey’s ear-to-fretboard data transfer time is unparalleled. I’m still blown away.” In December 2024, the Dead were honored at the Kennedy Center and were celebrated as MusiCares’ Persons of the Year in January in Los Angeles. Just before Phil Lesh died last fall, Bobby Weir told Rolling Stone the band was considering reuniting for the anniversary. “I think when Phil checked out, so did that notion, because we don’t have a bass player who’s been playing with us for 60 years now,” he said. “And that was the intriguing prospect. … I think you need somebody holding down the bottom. Phil had all kinds of ideas that were pretty much unique to him. I grew up with Phil holding down the bottom in his unique way.” From Rolling Stone US. Read More

Entertainment Bruno Mars, Rosé, Ariana Grande, and the Weeknd are all up for multiple prizes as well The nominations for the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are here, with Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and Sabrina Carpenter among this year’s most-nominated artists. Gaga led all contenders with an impressive 12 nominations, thanks largely to her collaboration with Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile,” which is up for Video and Song of the Year, as well as Best Collaboration. Gaga is also nominated for Artist of the Year, while her latest LP, Mayhem, is up for Album of the Year. Meanwhile, the eye-popping visual for Gaga’s Mayhem single “Abracadabra” racked up a slew of creative and technical award nominations, including Best Directing, Cinematography, and Choreography. Meanwhile, Lamar notched 10 nominations, most of them for his smash, Grammy-winning Drake diss “Not Like Us,” though he’s also up for Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration for “Luther,” featuring SZA. And Carpenter, who won her first VMA last year for “Espresso,” earned eight nominations, including Video of the Year for her recent single “Manchild.” In Video of the Year, Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” and Carpenter’s “Manchild” will compete against Ariana Grande’s “Brighter Days Ahead,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Rosé and Mars’ “APT,” and the Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless.” Artist of the Year boasts Gaga, Lamar, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift, and the Weeknd.  And the opening slate of nominees for Song of the Year includes Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” Rosé and Mars’ “APT,” the Weeknd and Carti’s “Timeless,” Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Ed Sheeran’s “Sapphire,” Gracie Abrams’ “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” Lorde’s “What Was That,” and Tate McRae’s “Sports Car.” This crop of songs will be narrowed down to six nominees by Aug. 18, with voting continuing through Sept. 5.  Fan voting for all 19 gender-neutral VMA categories is open now and will end on Sept. 5. Only voting for Best New Artist will continue into the show itself, which is set to air live, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.  Other highlights from this year’s VMAs are first nominations for a slew of artists, including Rosé, Warren, Lola Young, the Marias, Gigi Perez, and Damiano David. Mac Miller earned his first VMA nomination posthumously, with his “Baloonerism” visual up for Best Long Form Video. The 2025 VMAs will also see the introduction of two new categories, Best Country and Best Pop Artist.  2025 MTV Video Music Awards Nominations Video of the YearAriana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile”ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” Artist of the YearBad BunnyBeyoncéKendrick LamarLady GagaMorgan WallenTaylor SwiftThe Weeknd Song of the YearAlex Warren – “Ordinary”Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”Doechii – “Anxiety”Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”Gracie Abrams – “I Love You, I’m Sorry”Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile”Lorde – “What Was That”ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”Tate McRae – “Sports Car”The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” Best New ArtistAlex WarrenElla LangleyGigi PerezLola YoungsombrThe Marías Best Pop ArtistAriana GrandeCharli xcxJustin BieberLordeMiley CyrusSabrina CarpenterTate McRae MTV Push Performance of the YearAug. 2024 – Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”Sept. 2024 – Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song”Oct 2024 – Mark Ambor – “Belong Together”Nov. 2024 – Lay Bankz – “Graveyard”Dec. 2024 – Dasha – “Bye Bye Bye”Jan. 2025 – KATSEYE – “Touch”Feb. 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – “KEHLANI”March 2025 – Leon Thomas – “YES IT IS”April 2025 – Livingston – “Shadow”May 2025 – Damiano David – “Next Summer”June 2025 – Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song”July 2025 – Role Model – “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” Best CollaborationBailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)”Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “luther”Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile”Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – “Pour Me A Drink”ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd” Best PopAlex Warren – “Ordinary”Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile”ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” Best Hip-HopDoechii – “Anxiety”Drake – “NOKIA”Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “Watch Kno About Me”Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”LL COOL J ft. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux”Travis Scott – “4X4” Best R&BChris Brown – “Residuals”Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – “MUTT (REMIX)”Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous”PARTYNEXTDOOR – “N o C h i l l”Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman”SZA – “Drive”The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” Best AlternativeGigi Perez – “Sailor Song”Imagine Dragons – “Wake Up”Lola Young – “Messy”mgk & Jelly Roll – “Lonely Road”sombr – “back to friends”The Marías – “Back To Me” Best RockColdplay – “All My Love”Evanescence – “Afterlife (From the Netflix Series “Devil May Cry”)”Green Day – “One Eyed Bastard”Lenny Kravitz – “Honey”Linkin Park – “The Emptiness Machine”twenty one pilots – “The Contract” Best LatinBad Bunny – “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”J Balvin – “Rio”Karol G – “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”Peso Pluma – “LA PATRULLA”Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – “Khé?”Shakira – “Soltera“ Best K-Popaespa – “Whiplash”JENNIE – “like JENNIE”Jimin – “Who”JISOO – “earthquake”LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again”Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom”ROSÉ – “toxic till the end” Best AfrobeatsAsake & Travis Scott – “ActiveBurna Boy ft. Travis Scott – “TaTaTa”MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)”Rema – “Baby (Is It A Crime)”Tems ft. Asake – “Get It Right”Tyla – “PUSH 2 START”Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – “Piece Of My Heart” Best CountryChris Stapleton – “Think I’m In Love With You”Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – “I’m Gonna Love You”Jelly Roll – “Liar”Lainey Wilson – “4x4xU”Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?”Morgan Wallen – “Smile” Best AlbumBad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToSKendrick Lamar – GNXLady Gaga – MayhemMorgan Wallen – I’m The ProblemSabrina Carpenter – Short n’ SweetThe Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow Best Long Form

Entertainment The highly anticipated new season of the Netflix series has it all — from Bruce Springsteen to piano renditions of the Cranberries NETFLIX ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 – Global Premiere Afterparty – 30/07 StillMoving.Net/Netflix After three long years, Wednesday is finally back. Part One of Season Two drops on Aug. 6 (naturally, that’s a Wednesday), and ahead of the release, Netflix has revealed all the songs featured in Part One, exclusively with Rolling Stone. The four episodes of Part One (just like Season One, they each have titles that play off the word “woe”) feature a variety of music genres, curated by music supervisors Jen Malone and Nicole Weisberg. There’s classic rock (Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”), Latin artists (Pedro Vargas, Chavela Vargas), and classical (Wagner and Mozart). There’s also renditions of Nineties classics, like GnusCello’s take on R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” and a piano version of the Cranberries’ “Zombie.” And let’s take a moment to appreciate the inclusion of soft rock classics, like Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself” and Gary Wright’s “Dream Weaver.” Check out the full list below. In addition, Part One’s original score (composed by Chris Bacon) and soundtrack have been released, both via Milan Records. The Vol. 1 soundtrack includes a rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising,” performed onscreen by the cast, as well as the original song “Nevermore Alma Mater.” Part Two will have its own original score and soundtrack, dropping alongside the episodes on Sept. 3. Netflix unveiled the first six minutes of Season Two back in June, which features Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) and Haley Joel Osment as a serial killer, dubbed the Kansas City Scalper. Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated appearance won’t happen until Part Two, when she plays Rosaline Rotwood, “a legendary Nevermore teacher who crosses paths with Wednesday,” Netflix said. For now, let’s enjoy the spooky selection of songs in Part One; here’s hoping we get another meme-heavy dance scene. Episode 1: “Here We Woe Again”“My Favorite Things” by The Lennon Sisters“Un Mundo Raro” by Chavela Vargas“Tropical Island” by Barry Lipman Singers“Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer“Um Oh Ah Yey” by MAMAMOOProkofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Op. 64, Act 1: Dance of the Knights“No Time To Cry” by Sisters of Mercy“Nevermore Alma Mater” by Pitch Slaps“Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen Episode 2: “The Devil You Woe”“You Really Got Me” by The Kinks“The Marriage of Figaro” by Voi Che Sapete (Pantheon Classics)Verdi’s “Dies Irae” (Pantheon Classics) Episode 3: “Call of the Woe”“La Cumparsita” by Roberto Alagna“I Walked with a Zombie” by Roky EricksonWagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries”“Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival covered by Cast“Besame Mucho” by Pedro Vargas“Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. covered by GnusCello Episode 4: “Hyde and Woe Seek”“I Want To Know What Love Is” by Foreigner“Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” by Dean MartinSymphony No. 34 in C Major K.  338 – Adante di Molto by Mozart“Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright“All By Myself” by Eric Carmen“Zombie” by the Cranberries (Piano Cover)Scene D’Amour by Bernard Hermann From Rolling Stone US. Read More

Entertainment The director was scheduled to undergo a long-planned surgery, but reportedly suffered atrial fibrillation before entering the operating room Honoree Francis Ford Coppola attends the AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony honoring Francis Ford Coppola at Dolby Theatre on April 26, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images Award-winning director Francis Ford Coppola “is fine” after he was taken to a hospital in Calabria, Italy, on Tuesday morning ahead of a previously planned procedure. “Da Dada (what my kids call me) is fine, taking an opportunity while in Rome to do the update of my 30 year old afib procedure with its inventor, a great Italian doctor – Dr. Andrea Natale!” wrote the filmmaker. “I am well!” According to the Italian news outlet Repubblica.it (via Reuters), Coppola suffered atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat, before entering the operating room. “Mr. Coppola went in for a scheduled update procedure with acclaimed Dr. Andrea Natale, his doctor of over 30 years, and is resting nicely,” a source close to Coppola told Rolling Stone earlier on Tuesday. “All is well and he appreciates everyone’s concern.” Coppola was in town to present a screening of his film Megalopolis and had been staying in Italy this summer to scout locations for his next film. Coppola released Megalopolis last year, after the film spent decades in development hell. He first attempted to produce the film in 1989 and then again in 2001 before finally getting to make the final version. The film was polarizing and bombed at the box office, making $14.3 million total, losing over $75 million. Over the course of his long, storied career, Coppola has won five Oscars. Three of his statues were for just The Godfather Part II. He is the patriarch of the extensive Coppola family tree, with children Sofia and Roman going on to be filmmakers as well. Sofia won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for her film Lost in Translation, and her daughter Romy Mars has launched a successful social media and pop career. Coppola is also the uncle to actors Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman. Last year, Coppola’s wife Eleanor died. She was 87. The two had been married since 1963. From Rolling Stone US. Read More

Entertainment Beyoncé at the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in June 24. Edward Berthelot/Getty Images Upon releasing Renaissance in 2022, Beyoncé let it be known that it was the first of a three-part musical reclamation series. The first album celebrated the Black, queer origins of dance music, fusing disco and house into a celebratory LP dedicated to her Uncle Johnny, who helped make some of her earliest stage costumes. Act II was Cowboy Carter, a country and Americana opus that was born out of the backlash she received in 2016 for performing her Lemonade-era country song “Daddy Lessons” with fellow Texan singers the Chicks at the CMAs. For the past three years, fans have surmised that one of the albums would be rock. Beyoncé has a long history with the genre, and its often erased and less financially successful Black roots have been reclaimed by her before, on the Lemonade track “Don’t Hurt Yourself.” As her Cowboy Carter tour comes to a close, the Bey Hive is buzzing with all the hints indicating that a rock reclamation is coming soon from the star. Here are some of the signs that Act III will have a rock & roll edge. Her latest Levi’s ad Beyoncé kicked off Cowboy Carter with a Levi’s partnership — smart, since she pays tribute to the brand in a song on the album. Her latest ad is called “The Denim Cowboy” and has Beyoncé riding her white horse to a laundromat (with a sign advertising Uncle Johnny’s Fine Tailoring inside). After winning a game of pool at the local dive, she ends up riding off into the night on a motorcycle. Leaving behind the steed that’s been so integral to her country era makes it clear Beyoncé is heading into a new direction, and no other possible genre exploration matches the biker lifestyle. https://youtube.com/watch?v=LwojYvqomhU%3Ffeature%3Doembed She dressed as Betty Davis last Halloween Over the past year, Beyoncé has rarely stepped outside of her cowboy hats and denim. But when she has, her fashion choices have been pretty uniformly teasing the same shift. The most explicit was her decision to dress as Betty Davis last Halloween. Davis is known as the Queen of Funk, and she was trailblazing artist in the Seventies known for her taboo-smashing music and performances as well as influence on former husband Miles Davis, especially after introducing him to her friends Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. There are parallels between Davis and country star Linda Martell, who was featured on Cowboy Carter. Both had careers cut short in the Seventies, after being shafted by their labels and the industry at large. Their music was almost universally forgotten until the past decade, after minor resurgences, stories or documentaries helped enlighten younger generations to their small but brilliant discographies. Her controversial rock nomination at the Grammys “Daddy Lessons” wasn’t the only Lemonade cut to shake up people’s perceptions of who belongs in what genre. While her country song was rejected from the country categories at the Grammys in 2017, “Don’t Hurt Yourself” did nab a nom for Best Rock Performance. Disurbed frontman David Draiman made controversial comments about how “strange” Beyoncé’s nomination was. “It definitely stands out — like, one of these things is not like the other, you know? But what are you going to do?” Draiman said at the time. Disturbed were up against her in the category, for their Simon & Garfunkel cover. Given the impact her CMAs reception had on Cowboy Carter, it’s not unlikely that that comment stuck with her. Similarly, her husband, Jay-Z, has faced backlash from rock bands for being on “rock” territory. In response to the rapper’s headlining slot at Glastonbury in 2008, Oasis’ Noel Gallagher made a quip that hip-hop does not belong at the festival. In response, Jay-Z picked up a guitar and covered “Wonderwall.” A long-documented history of covering rock songs live Beyoncé is clearly a student of rock history and a huge fan of the genre. Tina Turner is one of her biggest influences and someone she has paid tribute to countless times onstage and offstage. Same goes for Prince, whom she performed with and also covered live, specifically her rousing rendition of Purple Rain track “The Beautiful Ones.” During festivals and tours, Beyoncé has tackled a large number of rock hits: the Doors’ “Five to One,” Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire,” Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.” Even on Cowboy Carter, she tackles the Beatles with her version of “Blackbird.” From Rolling Stone US. Read More

Updated on: Aug 06, 2025 01:20 am IST Drone crashes near Varanasi railway station, cops suspect could belong to content creator Varanasi, A camera-equipped drone crashed late Tuesday evening near platform number 7 of Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station, prompting a swift security response, officials said. Drone crashes near Varanasi railway station, cops suspect could belong to content creator Authorities suspect it belonged to a content creator filming for social media, although its owner has not yet been identified. RPF in-charge Sandeep Yadav said that teams from the Railway Protection Force , Government Railway Police Force , and a bomb detection and dog squad rushed to the site immediately after being alerted. The area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched to rule out any potential threat. “Preliminary investigation suggests the drone may have been used for filming reels or short videos. The device did not carry any suspicious payload,” Yadav said. The RPF has taken the drone into custody for further investigation and identification of its owner. The incident comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh is witnessing heightened surveillance and stricter enforcement of drone regulations following a directive from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In a high-level videoconference earlier this week, the Chief Minister instructed all district magistrates and senior police officials to clamp down on unauthorised drone operations amid rising concerns about misinformation, public panic, and misuse of drone technology. According to officials, 17 FIRs and 29 arrests have been made across the state in recent weeks for drone-related offences, including the circulation of false videos and rumours. Adityanath warned that any misuse of drones to spread fear or disinformation could attract serious charges under the Gangsters Act and even the National Security Act . “Technology must not be misused. Unauthorised drone use will not be tolerated,” the Chief Minister said, also directing police to increase ground patrols and involve village security committees. Several districts, including Ayodhya, Mathura, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, and Bijnor, Shahjahanpur have since issued blanket bans on drone flights without written permission. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Read More

Updated on: Aug 06, 2025 01:09 am IST Himachal HC quashes Section 163-A of state’s Land Revenue Act Shimla, In a major setback to encroachers on government lands, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday struck down the section 163-A of Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act 1954, allowing regularisation of encroachments on government lands, terming the section as unconstitutional. Himachal HC quashes Section 163-A of state’s Land Revenue Act A division bench of the High Court consisting of Justice Vivek Thakur and Justice Bipin Chander Negi ruled that the “Section 163-A of HP Land Revenue Act is manifestly arbitrary and unconstitutional and as a consequence the section and the rules framed there under the said section are quashed”. Putting an end to long litigation, the judgment directed the state government to initiate eviction proceedings expeditiously against all such encroachments that were to be covered under the section 163A, preferably on or before February 28, 2026. The dimensions of the encroachments can be measured from the reply of the government which said that there were approximately 57,549 cases of encroachment covering an area of about 1,23,835 bighas of government land. The encroached government land is about 10,320 hectares and in terms of the rules framed under the impugned provision, 1,67,339 applications were received for regularisation up to August 15, 2002 and taking into account the magnitude of encroachments, the high court directed the state government to consider an amendment in the law pertaining to “criminal trespass”. The high court clearly stated that any stay granted against removal of encroachment shall stand vacated and also directed the government to make suitable changes in law by amending the relevant Act and rules appropriately to assign duty on the office bearers of Nagar Panchayat, Nagar Parishad and Nagar Nigam as well as executive officer/commissioner concerned to report the encroachment for taking action to remove of encroachment. The HC also instructed the advocate general to transmit the copy of the judgment to the chief secretary of the sate government and all concerned with immediate compliance. Since 1983, successive governments issued various notifications for regularisation of encroachments and the July 4, 1983 notification permitted regularisation up to five bighas on a nominal fee of ₹50 per bigha. Section 163-A was introduced in 2002 during the first tenure of the then chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to frame rules for regularising encroachments, with the stated objective of helping small and marginal farmers. However, the High Court on Tuesday ruled that the provision was violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before law and attempted to legitimise illegal acts. “The impugned provision is in fact legislation for a class of dishonest persons and equality cannot be claimed in illegality,” the judgment said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Read More

Gonda , A 22-year-old newly-married man was allegedly beaten to death over a ₹200 loan dispute, sparking protests from family members who placed his body on the Gonda-Lucknow highway, police said on Tuesday. Man killed over ₹200 loan dispute in UP, FIR lodged for ‘inhumane’ treatment with corpse Gonda police have registered a case against 27 people, including 15 unidentified persons, for blocking a national highway, inciting a crowd and showing “inhumane behaviour” with a dead body during a protest, a senior officer said. The deceased Hriday Lal, a mason from Laxmanpur Jaat village, had lent ₹700 to a villager, Ram Anuj. A heated argument broke out between them on August 1 when Lal demanded ₹200 back. The dispute turned violent, and he was allegedly attacked with sticks by Anuj, his brother Ram Kishore, son Jagdish, and nephews Pankaj and Chandan. Lal, who was taken to Lucknow for treatment, succumbed to injuries on Monday. When the body was being brought back from Lucknow in an ambulance on Monday evening, the family tried to block the Gonda-Lucknow highway at Balpur by keeping the body on the road. Police deployed from four local police stations intervened, cleared the blockade using mild force, and ensured the body was taken to the village. Initially, the family refused to conduct the last rites, demanding strict action and “bulldozer action” on the homes of the accused. The cremation was eventually conducted late Monday night under police supervision, Kotwali Dehat Station House Officer, Sanjay Kumar Singh said, adding all named accused have been arrested and booked under relevant BNS sections. Post-mortem was conducted in Lucknow, and further legal action will follow based on the report, he added. Police force has been deployed in the village to maintain peace. Lal had been married just a month ago, his family members said. Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal said on Tuesday that the incident occurred when the body of Hriday Lal, who had died during treatment after being allegedly beaten by local strongmen four days earlier, was being brought from Lucknow to Gonda. Before the body could reach the deceased’s village, a crowd of around 50-60 people had already gathered near the highway, intending to stage a protest with the corpse, he said. According to the SP, as soon as the ambulance carrying the body arrived, the police team on site instructed the family not to remove the body from the vehicle and to take it directly to the village. However, the family members, along with the ambulance driver, placed the body on a stretcher and quickly moved it forward. About 20 metres ahead, they threw the body onto the road along with the stretcher. The incident was captured on mobile phones by local residents and later went viral on social media. The SP said a case has been registered under serious charges for disrupting public order, inhumane handling of the corpse and attempting to incite unrest. He added that strict legal action would be taken against those trying to disturb the law and order situation. Police are also identifying others involved in the protest using the viral video. Legal proceedings have already been initiated against those who have been identified, he said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Read More

Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday urged the Centre to utilise the waters of the Chenab River to resolve the water-sharing dispute between his state and Haryana and sought the scrapping of the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal project. Utilise Chenab river water, shelve SYL canal issue: Punjab CM to Centre Mann participated in a meeting called by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil in Delhi over the SYL canal issue, in which Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also present. The Punjab chief minister said in the last meeting held on July 9, the Union government informed that the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan has been suspended and it opens up an opportunity for India to utilise water from the Chenab River, one of the western rivers earlier given to Pakistan under the treaty. An official statement quoting Mann said the Centre should now divert Chenab’s waters to Indian dams like Ranjit Sagar, Pong, or Bhakra, adding that to carry this extra water, new canals and infrastructure would be required, which would be built in Punjab. Mann said these canals and infrastructure can be first used to meet the needs of the state, and after Punjab’s requirements are met, the water can be supplied to Haryana and Rajasthan through the same canal system. He said using Chenab water will reduce Punjab’s dependence on groundwater, revive surface irrigation and support the farming community, which is the backbone of the state’s economy, besides saving groundwater of the state for future generations. Punjab, which is currently facing groundwater depletion, must be prioritised in any future strategies for the usage, diversion, or allocation of these river waters, he said. Mann also said the waters of the western rivers should be allocated to Punjab on a priority basis, adding that new storage dams upstream of existing Bhakra and Pong in Himachal Pradesh should be constructed, which will significantly enhance the storage and regulation of western river waters. Seeking the shelving of the SYL project, Mann unequivocally said that the Sharda-Yamuna Link for transfer of surplus Sharda River water to the Yamuna River and diversion of Chenab water to Beas River through the Rohtang tunnel should be done to eliminate the need for the SYL canal. He said the long-conceived project of Sharda-Yamuna Link should be taken up on priority and surplus water be transferred to the Yamuna River at a suitable location. Mann said the additional water available could offset the balance water requirement of Haryana from the Ravi-Beas system, apart from addressing the ever-growing drinking water requirement of Delhi and the availability of the Yamuna water to Rajasthan. Batting for the Yamuna-Sutlej Link canal, he said that the memorandum of understanding of May 12, 1994, of allocation of Yamuna waters between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan is to be reviewed after 2025. Therefore, Punjab should be included as a partner state in the allocation of Yamuna waters, and 60 per cent of the surplus water of the Yamuna River should be considered for the state, he said. Haryana has enough scope to get additional water from other sources, which also needs to be accounted for, said Mann. He said that Haryana is also receiving 2.703 million acre-feet of water from the Ghaggar River, Tangri Nadi, Markanda River, Saraswati Nadi, Chautang-Rakshi, Nai Nalah, Sahibi Nadi, Krishna Dhuan, and Landoha Nalah, which has not been accounted for so far when deciding the water allocations between the states. Mann reiterated that the SYL canal is an “emotive issue” for Punjab and its construction could trigger “serious” law and order challenges in the state and escalate into a national crisis, with neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan also feeling the impact. The total water requirement of Punjab is 52 MAF, and water available with the state of Punjab is only 26.75 MAF , said Mann. Talking to reporters in the national capital after the meeting, Saini said a significant step forward was made on the ongoing dialogue over water-sharing between Haryana and Punjab. The talks were held in a cordial and cooperative atmosphere. The issue has been under discussion for a long time, and earlier deliberations held on July 9 had already indicated a positive shift, he said. This time, we have moved a step further. The discussions were held in an even more constructive environment, Saini added. Saini asserted that Haryana will present its case in a “positive and solution-oriented” manner before the Supreme Court on August 13 and expressed confidence that a fair and favourable resolution will be achieved. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Read More