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Kerala HC Orders Fresh Oath for Thiruvananthapuram Councillors. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Breaking News Live Updates:  The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed 20 councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to retake their oath of office after finding fault with the manner in which they had sworn in. Hearing a petition challenging oaths taken in the names of various deities, martyrs, Justice P V Kunhikrishnan instructed the State Election Commission to make necessary arrangements for the councillors to take the oath again in accordance with the prescribed legal format within four weeks.

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Express Investigation: 2020 audit predicted Ram mandir donation row

An Indian Express investigation reveals that a 2020 audit flagged the absence of standard operating procedures around Rs 3,500 crore in cash donations received by the Ram Mandir trust — six years before the current SIT probe into alleged fund irregularities. The audit firm’s report, submitted in November 2020, had recommended devising an SOP for each level of transaction, data management, staff and other resources to fix responsibility and accountability — a warning that went unheeded until the matter became the subject of a formal investigation.

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Bangalore metro disruption

Bengaluru Metro services on the Purple Line returned to normal on Wednesday after a technical fault at Cubbon Park Metro Station caused disruption during Tuesday evening’s peak hours. The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said its Operations and Maintenance team had successfully rectified the issue, allowing services to resume as per the regular timetable from 5 am. The disruption began around 6.32 pm on Tuesday when a train developed a technical snag at Cubbon Park station, leading to overcrowding at several stations, including Cubbon Park and MG Road. Thousands of office-goers were stranded, with many forced to seek alternative transport such as autorickshaws and app-based cabs amid severe traffic congestion across the city, according to PTI reports.

Bhagwant Mann bribery case

Gurgaon Police have arrested two men accused of issuing allegedly fabricated forensic reports linked to a controversial video allegedly involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday. Investigators said the accused were contract employees with the NIA and Haryana’s Parivar Pehchan Patra programme but were not associated with any recognised forensic laboratory. According to police, the duo issued separate reports concluding that the person seen in the video was not Mann. However, the laboratories they claimed to represent, Cypher Sentinel in Jind, Haryana, and Cyber Yaan in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar, were found to have no official existence in government records. The arrests were made following a complaint by forensic expert Jaspreet Singh, who alleged that he was pressured to obtain favourable opinions and paid Rs 10 lakh for the reports. Police said they have gathered evidence regarding the money trail and are also probing allegations involving two senior Punjab Police officers.

US Senate votes to halt Iran war

The US Senate on Tuesday approved a war powers resolution calling for an end to US military involvement in Iran, according to Reuters reports. The measure, which had already cleared the House of Representatives, marks the first time since the 1973 War Powers Act that both chambers of Congress have passed legislation seeking to withdraw US forces from hostilities. Although the resolution is unlikely to have immediate legal effect and is expected to remain symbolic, it reflects growing bipartisan unease over a conflict that public opinion polls suggest is increasingly unpopular. Four Republican senators joined most Democrats in backing the measure, while Trump dismissed the vote as “meaningless” and accused supporters of undermining his administration. The move comes as lawmakers prepare to scrutinise future funding requests for the war and any potential peace agreement with Iran.

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