Koraput: Odisha Police arrested a notorious criminal and invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against him, while also busting a major ganja smuggling racket in Koraput district, a senior officer said Wednesday. The police arrested five persons, including a wanted ganja trafficker, and seized two pistols and 350 kg of cannabis in an operation. Hrudananda Nayak alias...

LehJammu: Authorities Wednesday lifted the restrictions in Leh district of Ladakh, 22 days after they were imposed following violence during the statehood protests that left four people dead and over 80 others injured. The district administration had September 24 promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in Leh, banning the assembly...

Koraput: A transgender priest and a mason, suspected to be in a romantic relationship, were found hanging from a tree near a temple in Odisha's Jeypore town Wednesday, police said. The incident took place near Kanak Durga temple in Gopabandhu Nagar in Jeypore town police station area. The deceased have been identified as Raju Machh, a transgender...

Bhubaneswar: High drama unfolded before the Odisha Congress headquarters here after a jatra (traditional theatre) personality was denied entry to join the party. Ananta Narayan Dhal, proprietor of a jatra party, said he came to join the party after being inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das, however, said the party...

Baripada: Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district will reopen for tourists from October 18, an official said here on Wednesday. The tiger reserve was closed for tourists from June 30 due to the monsoon, the STR official said. According to the notification issued by STR Field Director Prakash Chand Gogineni, a maximum of 60 vehicles...

Berhampur: Odisha Police have arrested 684 gamblers and seized over Rs 28.32 lakh in a month-long special drive conducted in Ganjam district during the festival period of September 15 to October 14. Besides the cash, police have also seized 230 mobile phones and 35 motorcycles from the gambling dens during the period, a police officer said. All...

Bhubaneswar: BJD president Naveen Patnaik Wednesday announced that former minister and prominent woman leader Snehangini Chhuria will be the party's candidate for the Nuapada Assembly bypoll. I wish to declare that Snehangini Chhuria, a strong leader from western Odisha, has served in our BJD ministry in the past and also served in many important portfolios. She always...

Guwahati: Assam Police Wednesday resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse an agitated mob that hurled stones at vehicles carrying five accused arrested in the cultural icon Zubeen Garg's death case as they were being brought to Baksa Central Jail, police said. A few people, including a policewoman, were injured and glass panes of vehicles were smashed, while...

Karachi: A few people were injured when protestors clashed with police during a demolition and clean-up operation by Pakistan authorities in the Afghan Basti (village) or refugee camp on the outskirts of Karachi Wednesday. The drive is being carried out now because some 8000 Afghans who were residing in the camp had returned home and left behind...

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Wednesday raised strong objections over Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's phone conversation video with the Durgapur gang rape victim being made public. Senior leaders of Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD), the women's wing of the BJD, at a press conference in Bhubaneswar, alleged that making the video of the telephone conversation...