The Supreme Court has allowed both Hindus and Muslims to offer prayers at the Bhojshala Temple–Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar on Friday. Hindus can pray from sunrise to sunset as Basant Panchami falls on the same day. Muslims have been permitted to offer Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm. The court asked the Muslim community to submit a list of worshippers to the district administration. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant urged both sides to maintain peace and cooperate with authorities. The order came while hearing a plea seeking exclusive prayer rights for Hindus on the festival day. Security has been tightened in Dhar ahead of the prayers. (PC: NDTV)

A 38-year-old Meitei man was abducted by armed men in Manipur’s Churachandpur district and later shot dead, police said. The case came to light after a video showing the killing spread on social media. Police identified the victim as Mayanglambam Rishikanta, a resident of Kakching district. Officials said he was kidnapped on Wednesday evening and killed later the same night. The video shows the man pleading before at least two armed assailants before being shot. Rishikanta was married to a Kuki woman and had recently returned from Nepal on leave. Police have launched an investigation. The incident comes amid continuing ethnic violence in the state since May 2023.

Nearly 60 per cent of orders issued in the last three years by the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority cited breaches of its communal harmony code. Records show the NBDSA passed 54 orders between January 2023 and December 2025. Of these, 32 cases involved religious stereotyping or communal narratives. The regulator is set up by the News Broadcasters and Digital Association. Most penalties directed channels to remove content fully or partly. Financial fines were imposed in only six cases, totalling Rs 3.2 lakh. The review also found long delays in decisions, often over 11 months, leaving disputed content online during review. (PC: The Indian Express)

Sanjeev Khirwar, a 1994-batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer, has been appointed the new Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by the Union Home Ministry, succeeding Ashwani Kumar. Khirwar returns to Delhi after being transferred to Ladakh in 2022, following a major public row in which he was accused of clearing Thyagraj Stadium early so he could walk his dog, prompting outrage over misuse of public facilities. His appointment comes as the MCD prepares its budget and tackles administrative and financial challenges. Public reactions remain mixed given his past controversy. (PC: India Today)

A Korean tourist has accused a Bengaluru airport staff member of molestation during a baggage check. The incident occurred on January 19 at Kempegowda International Airport, after immigration clearance. The woman, Kim Sung Kyung, spoke to India Today TV and allowed her name. Police identified the accused as Afan Ahmed, an airport staffer. The FIR says he claimed a beeping sound in her check-in bag. He warned a counter check could delay her flight. He then suggested a personal check near a washroom. The woman reported the matter immediately to airport security. The accused was detained and handed to police, who opened an investigation. (PC: India Today)

A 32-year-old South Korean woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ground staff member at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on January 19 while attempting to board a flight home. The accused, identified as Mohammed Affann Ahmed, an Air India SATS ground handler, reportedly approached her after immigration checks, claimed her bag beeped and offered a separate “manual frisking.” Instead of taking her to an authorised security area, he led her near the men’s washroom, touched her inappropriately, hugged her, and then walked off, according to the complaint. The woman immediately reported the incident, and CCTV footage supported her account. The airport security detained Ahmed and handed him to police, who registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested him; further investigations are underway. 

In the early hours of Thursday, a private bus travelling from Nellore to Hyderabad suffered a tyre burst, lost control, jumped the median and collided head-on with an oncoming container truck near Shirivellametta in Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh. The impact caused a massive fire that engulfed both vehicles, killing the bus driver, the truck driver, and the truck cleaner, all charred beyond recognition. About 36 passengers were on board; several were injured, with more than 10 sustaining burn or jump-related injuries and taken to Nandyal Government Hospital. A passing DCM driver broke windows to help passengers escape safely. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. (PC: HT)

Assistant Commandant Simran Bala, 26, will lead an all-male Central Reserve Police Force contingent at the Republic Day Parade on January 26 in New Delhi. She will command more than 140 male personnel, becoming the first woman officer to do so in the force’s history. Bala hails from Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district and is the first woman officer from her district in the CRPF. She cleared the UPSC CAPF examination in her first attempt in 2023 with an All India Rank of 82. Senior officers selected her after parade rehearsals, citing her drill accuracy, confidence, and leadership. (PC: India Today)

An Indian Air Force trainer aircraft crashed into a pond during a routine training flight in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Wednesday. The incident occurred near the airport, prompting an immediate emergency response. Officials said both pilots were rescued safely.   Eyewitnesses said the small propeller aircraft appeared to lose control before plunging into the water. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the crash site as local residents moved closer to help. Fire tenders and National Disaster Response Force divers later secured the area. Visuals showed aircraft debris scattered near the pond. The aircraft has not yet been recovered. Authorities said rescue and safety operations were still underway, and further details were awaited. (PC: HT)

Documents show a Noida builder warned the authority in 2022 about severe drainage risks at a construction site. In a letter, director Anchal Bohra said collapsed sewer and main drain lines had flooded the basement. He warned of a “serious mishap” if repairs were delayed. The site later became the scene of a fatal crash. On January 17, 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta died after his car fell into a deep, water-filled pit in Sector 150. Records show the area has faced drainage problems since 2015. Police have arrested two builders. A special probe is underway. The authority says a long-pending drainage project will start soon. (PC: India Today)