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The Patna High Court has ordered the Congress to take down a video following a complaint alleging that it tarnished the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, Heeraben Modi. The 36-second artificial intelligence-generated video posted on September 10 depicted the prime minister dreaming about his late mother criticising him for his politics in Bihar.

The state is expected to hold Assembly elections in October or November. After a first information report was registered in connection with the video, the Congress had claimed that it had not disrespected the prime minister or his mother. Read more.

The Gauhati High Court has dismissed a petition seeking an investigation into the alleged custodial deaths of three men from the Hmar community in Assam’s Cachar district. They were killed in an alleged gunfight with the police on July 17, 2024, a day after they were arrested on suspicion of being militants.

Their families had moved the High Court in August 2024, seeking an investigation by police officers from outside Assam or those independent of the state police and government. In its order on Monday, the court said that the probe had been referred to the National Human Rights Commission and an additional superintendent of police in neighbouring Hailakandi district. It “cannot be pre-empted” that the investigation will be conducted in a partisan manner, the court said.

However, the National Human Rights Commission had disposed of the matter in March based on a magisterial inquiry conducted by an Assam Civil Service officer. This was contrary to the panel’s guidelines, which mandate a judicial inquiry into suspected custodial deaths. Read on.

Pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs For Justice has called for a 12-hour “siege” of the Indian consulate in Canada’s Vancouver on Thursday. The outfit urged Indian-Canadians to defer their visit to the diplomatic mission for their safety.

Thursday marks two years since Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister at the time, told the country’s Parliament that intelligence agencies were actively pursuing “credible allegations” linking agents of the Indian government to the assassination of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Read more.

Why are Sikhs abroad more pro-Khalistan than community members living in India?

The Supreme Court has asked the Commission for Air Quality Management to consider alternatives to a blanket ban on construction work during the winter season in Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region to tackle air pollution. Such action adversely affects the livelihood of daily wage workers, it said.

The bench directed the air quality panel to hold deliberations with the states about concrete plans to prevent pollution. It also directed Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to fill up vacancies in their pollution control boards within three months.

It further said that strict punishment, including arrests, may have to be imposed to deter farmers from stubble burning. Read on.

Not stubble burning, cars are the main villain in Delhi’s apocalyptic air pollution

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