National

Supreme Court Issues Notice Regarding Delay in Sukhdev Yadav’s Sentence Remission in Nitish Katara Murder Case

Published

1 year ago

March 17, 2025

On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a contempt of court notice to the Principal Secretary of the Home Department of the Delhi government for failing to address the remission plea of Sukhdev Yadav, also known as Pehalwan, who was convicted in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case.

A bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Principal Secretary to appear via video conferencing on March 28, the next scheduled hearing date, and asked him to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.

The contempt notice was issued due to the Principal Secretary’s failure to make a decision on Yadav’s remission plea despite having provided an undertaking to the court. Justice Oka expressed disappointment over the delay, emphasizing that the government did not even seek an extension of time for the decision. He stated, “You did not even have the courtesy to apply for an extension before the bench. You made a solemn statement that you would decide within two weeks, and the Sentence Review Board (SRB) has yet to consider it.”

The bench remarked that the government often fails to comply with court orders unless confronted with the threat of contempt. Justice Oka noted, “We have observed that without an extension, this government will not comply with orders regarding remission. We see this in every case. Previously, they claimed the Chief Minister was unavailable.”

Sukhdev Yadav is seeking remission after completing a 20-year sentence without any granted remission in the case. The Supreme Court, in its order, reiterated, “A solemn statement on guidance from the state government was recorded. Now we are informed that the Sentence Review Board is to consider the petitioner’s case today. The state government hasn’t even taken the elementary step of providing an explanation for delaying the application for an extension of time.”

The court issued a notice to the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, asking him to explain why action under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, should not be taken against him, with the notice returnable on March 28, and directed him to be present via video conference.

An advocate representing the Delhi government informed the bench that the Sentence Review Board would meet that day to discuss Yadav’s case. On March 3, 2025, the Supreme Court had documented the state’s assurance that Yadav’s remission request would be reviewed and resolved within two weeks, which was accepted by the court.

In a verdict delivered on February 6, 2015, the Supreme Court had sentenced Yadav to “life imprisonment comprising 20 years of actual imprisonment without remission.” He, along with Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal, was convicted for their involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Katara. They abducted Katara from a wedding party on the night of February 16-17, 2002, and subsequently killed him over his alleged relationship with Vikas Yadav’s sister, Bharti Yadav, who is the daughter of Uttar Pradesh politician D.P. Yadav.

National

Delhi Techie Found Dead During Honeymoon Trip

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

National: A 27-year-old IT professional from Delhi was found dead at a homestay in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The woman, P Radha Gayatri, had gone on a honeymoon trip with her husband.

According to police, the couple checked into a homestay on June 14. Her husband said they had consumed alcohol and went to sleep late at night.

The next morning, he found Gayatri unconscious on the floor. Police said she was lying in a pool of urine, and blood was coming from her nose. She was declared dead at the scene.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Police are investigating the case and waiting for the autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

National

Pakistan Ranked World’s Most Polluted Country in 2025

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Islamabad: Pakistan has been ranked as the most polluted country in the world in 2025, according to a new report released by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQ Air.

The report found that Pakistan’s average PM2.5 pollution level was 13 times higher than the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). PM2.5 refers to tiny harmful particles in the air that can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems.

IQ Air said that only 13 countries and territories met the WHO air quality guideline of less than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air in 2025. This was an improvement from seven countries in 2024.

The report also revealed that 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO standard.

Bangladesh was ranked as the second most polluted country, while Tajikistan secured the third position. Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2024, ranked fourth in 2025.

Experts said that Chad’s lower ranking may be linked to missing pollution data. In March 2025, the United States ended a global air quality monitoring program due to budget cuts. The program had collected pollution data from US embassies and consulates around the world.

Christi Chester Schroeder, the lead author of the report, said that the loss of data makes it difficult to know the true pollution levels in some countries.

Because of data shortages, Burundi, Turkmenistan and Togo were not included in the 2025 report.

The report also identified Loni in India as the world’s most polluted city. The city recorded an average PM2.5 level of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter. Hotan in China ranked second with 109.6 micrograms.

According to the report, the 25 most polluted cities in the world were all located in India, Pakistan and China.

Only 14 percent of cities worldwide met the WHO air quality standard in 2025. This was lower than the 17 percent recorded in the previous year.

The report noted that large wildfires in Canada increased air pollution levels across the United States and even affected parts of Europe.

Countries that met the WHO air quality guideline in 2025 included Australia, Iceland, Estonia and Panama.

Meanwhile, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia reported significant improvements in air quality. Experts said wetter and windier La Niña weather conditions helped reduce pollution levels in these countries.

Mongolia also recorded a 31 percent drop in average PM2.5 levels during the year.

Overall, 75 countries reported lower pollution levels in 2025, while 54 countries experienced an increase in air pollution, according to the IQ Air report

National

Indian Air Force AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dispur: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday. The aircraft caught fire after the crash.

According to reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the premises of the air base. A fire broke out immediately after the accident.

Rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the spot and launched an operation to control the flames. The fire was brought under control after their prompt response.

The exact cause of the crash is not known yet. Authorities are investigating the incident.

So far, there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries. The Indian Air Force has confirmed the accident and said that more details will be shared after a complete assessment of the situation.

Further information is awaited.