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The Wire’s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan has been summoned by the Crime Branch in Guwahati in a case about an article on Operation Sindoor. The summons, issued on August 12, came even as the Supreme Court granted Varadarajan and members of the foundation running the news outlet protection from arrest in another first information report filed by the Assam Police.

Ankur Jain, the joint commissioner of police in Guwahati, told Scroll that the summons had been issued as the Supreme Court order had come in relation to a case filed in “some other district”.

The cases follow the publication of an article about Operation Sindoor titled “‘IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pak Because of Political Leadership’s Constraints’: Indian Defence Attache”.

The cases relate to acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. The new summons includes sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections pertaining to promoting enmity between different groups, publishing false or misleading information and criminal conspiracy.

In the latest notice, Varadarajan has been directed to appear before the investigating officer at the Crime Branch Police Station in Panbazar on August 22 at 11.30 am. The earlier case against him was registered at Morigaon police station on July 11. Read on.

The Election Commission has published the names of 65 lakh voters removed from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar during the special revision exercise. The list is available on the website of the Bihar chief electoral officer.

On August 14, the Supreme Court had directed the poll panel to publish a district-wise list of the voters whose names had been deleted from the draft list along with the reason for each deletion such as death, migration or double registration.

The court had said that sharing the list as well as the reasons for deletions would improve “voter confidence” in the institution.

The draft roll published on August 1 showed that 65.6 lakh names were removed from the list. Of these, 22 lakh were due to deaths, 36 lakh were of people who had permanently shifted or were untraceable and seven lakh were duplicate entries, the Election Commission had said. Read on.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Mumbai and its suburbs for Monday and Tuesday amid heavy rainfall. Residents have been advised to avoid stepping out unless necessary.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had announced that all schools and colleges in the city would be closed after noon on Monday. Waterlogging was reported in several areas and suburban train services were also delayed.

In Delhi, meanwhile, the Yamuna river crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Monday.

The IMD also issued a red alert for three districts in Telangana and sounded an orange alert for one district. Separately, a red alert was issued for several districts in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Read more.

In photos: Mumbai on red alert amid heavy rainfall

The Supreme Court has upheld a Bombay High Court order quashing a case against Dadra and Nagar Haveli administrator Praful Khoda Patel and others in connection with the death of independent MP Mohan Delkar in February 2021. The bench dismissed the appeal filed against the High Court’s September 2022 order.

Mohan Delkar, a seven-time parliamentarian from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, was found dead in a Mumbai hotel room on February 22, 2021. A 14-page suicide note was recovered from the room, which alleged that he had taken the step due to political pressure.

On March 9, 2021, the police registered a first information report after his family filed a complaint on behalf of his son, Abhinav Delkar. The FIR alleged that the MP faced harassment from the Union Territory administration, purportedly at the behest of Patel.

However, in September 2022, the Bombay High Court quashed the FIR, ruling that it was a misuse of the process of law. Read more.

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