Survey inspector held for taking bribe in TN’s Parandur airport land compensation case

Chennai, Feb 11, 2026
A survey inspector attached to the Revenue Department in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram was arrested by the District Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) wing for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a farmer in connection with land acquisition for the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport project, an official said on Wednesday.

The accused, Sundara Vadivelu, 50, a resident of Tirukalimedu in Kancheepuram, was part of a joint verification team tasked with scrutinising land documents and processing compensation claims for property owners affected by the airport project.

The ambitious airport is proposed to come up across nearly 4,800 acres spanning 15 villages, including Parandur and Ekanapuram, where land acquisition proceedings are currently in progress.

According to DVAC officials, the complainant, Ranjith Kumar, a farmer from Kullappan Street in Kancheepuram district, had voluntarily offered 64 cents of his land for the project and submitted a petition seeking compensation from the government.

During document verification in Parandur ‘A’ Area 4, the survey inspector allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh to clear the file and facilitate the release of compensation.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the farmer approached the DVAC and lodged a formal complaint with Deputy Superintendent of Police Kalaiselvan.

Acting on the complaint, vigilance officials advised the farmer to agree to pay Rs 50,000 as an advance and assure the official that the remaining amount would be paid after the compensation process was completed.

Following standard procedure, the vigilance team treated the currency notes with chemical powder and arranged a trap.

Around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, when the farmer handed over Rs 50,000 to the inspector at the Chengazhu Neeroda area in Kancheepuram, officers who had been monitoring the exchange moved in and caught the official red-handed.

The accused was subsequently taken to the DVAC office in the Velligate area for further interrogation. A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and he has been sent to judicial custody.

Officials said further investigations are underway to determine whether similar bribe demands were made to other farmers whose lands are being acquired for the proposed airport project.(Agency)

Pakistan has structurally inadequate whistleblower protection framework: Report

Islamabad, Feb 11, 2026
Pakistan presents an interesting scenario, where whistleblower protections are inadequate, weak and only symbolic, thus showcasing longstanding failures in political accountability, contractual implementation and regulatory independence, a report has stated.

According to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Pakistan is ranked at the 135th spot among 180 nations, placed amongst the world’s most corruption-vulnerable states.

An opinion piece in The News International highlighted that transparency and accountability are important for any civilised and functioning society.

These are not merely slogans made during political speeches, it stated, but concrete pillars that fosters trust between the state and its people. Thus, a culture of whistleblowing is essential for upholding transparency and accountability and the absence of these fundamentals will spread corruption and facilitate the culture that rewards silence and punishes truth-telling.

“Pakistan has a structurally inadequate whistleblower protection framework. While the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Act 2019 exists, it lacks enforcement and operational power. Without guaranteed anonymity, a proper enforcement mechanism, and protection from retaliation, there can be no progress.

This can be addressed by aligning the current legal framework for whistleblowers with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC),” Sakib Berjees, political economist and public policy commentator, wrote in The News International.

While anti-corruption laws do exist in Pakistan, the government lacks the courage to implement them.

“Pakistan is at a crossroads, where decades of ineffective accountability have weakened institutions, eroded public trust, and driven both talent and capital flight. Pakistani professionals are not leaving because they have cast off Pakistan, but are leaving because Pakistan has rejected merit. Whistleblower protection is not an answer to the problems we are facing as a nation, but it is the substance upon which all serious reform rests,” wrote Berjees.

“Nations that commit to institutionalising accountability attract investment, talent and command legitimacy. Those who reject these notions and continue to live in a state of denial may survive temporarily, but ultimately cannot endure and will face the consequences.

If we protect our whistleblowers, then we will protect our future, but if we punish them, then surely, we will disqualify ourselves from modernity,” he further mentioned in The News International.(Agency)

Humayun Kabir lays bricks for proposed mosque in Murshidabad

Kolkata, Feb 11, 2026
Suspended Trinamool Congress leader and Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) chief Humayun Kabir on Wednesday laid bricks at the site of the proposed ‘Babri’-style mosque at Rejinagar in Murshidabad district.

The Bharatpur MLA stood at the foundation site and warned of a siege of the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) on February 14.

On Tuesday evening, the Bharatpur MLA alleged that the Murshidabad Superintendent of Police had hired a contract killer to eliminate him. Humayun Kabir, therefore, warned that one lakh supporters would lay siege to the SP’s office.

It may be noted that Humayun Kabir’s proposed ‘Babri’-style mosque is being constructed on 11 bighas of land. Lakhs of bricks, cement, sand and iron rods have been deposited at the site since the foundation stone laying ceremony was held in December last year.

Standing on the mosque premises, Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir reiterated his call for a march of one lakh supporters to surround the office of the District Superintendent of Police on February 14.

He said: “On February 14, the SP office will be surrounded from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. I will not give any notice. I will take one lakh people.”

Humayun Kabir also announced that he would take out a procession on Thursday morning. It is learnt that the procession will start from the mosque premises and proceed towards the Beldanga Barua intersection.

The work of constructing the mosque commenced on Wednesday. The suspended Trinamool leader said that it would take two years to complete the construction work.

Meanwhile, lorries carrying construction materials were halted along the National Highway from 9 a.m. District Superintendent of Police Dhritiman Sarkar said: “The lorries carrying goods were parked on the side of the National Highway in Berhampur. There was heavy police deployment. No untoward incident took place.”

Humayun Kabir was suspended from the Trinamool Congress after he decided to lay the foundation stone of the ‘Babri Masjid’-styled mosque in Murshidabad district’s Beldanga. The event was held on December 6 amid reservations expressed by the Trinamool Congress leadership.(Agency)

Pakistan presents Balochistan as global investment opportunity, treats it as permanent security threat internally: Report

Balochistan Liberation Front BLF in Balochistan

Quetta, Feb 11, 2026
The coordinated attacks conducted recently by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have once again exposed the fragility of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, a report has highlighted.

“Islamabad’s insistence on framing Balochistan solely as a security problem is proving increasingly short-sighted. Peaceful forms of dissent — from marches by families of the disappeared to student protests — have been met with arrests, media blackouts, and intimidation.

As long as the State refuses to acknowledge that the insurgency is driven by genuine political and social demands — control over resources, political autonomy, respect for identity, and accountability for human rights violations — it strengthens the argument that armed struggle is the only remaining option. In doing so, Pakistan risks transforming a political conflict into a permanent state of exception,” a report in EU Reporter stated.

In recent years, Pakistan has replaced governance with military management, presenting the political crisis as a security issue.

The downplaying of military casualties, continuous allegations of enforced disappearances and criminalisation of Baloch people is not collateral damage but part of a deliberate plan of control. By refusing to acknowledge the political and social roots of the insurgency, Pakistan deepens alienation and legitimises rupture in the eyes of people of Balochistan.

“If this trajectory continues, Balochistan risks following a familiar historical path: from an ‘internal security issue’ to a violent separation — a new Bangladesh, this time produced by Islamabad’s own choices, writes Dimitra Staikou.

The report details that this instability persists despite Balochistan’s immense mineral wealth and its strategic importance to both Chinese and American investment ambitions.

Instead of holding meaningful political dialogue with local residents, Pakistan has doubled down on repression and external blame and claimed that unrest is foreign-sponsored sabotage, resulting in Balochistan being presented as an investment frontier and governed as an enemy zone internally.

According to the EU Reporter, security operations, extensive deployment of forces and accusations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances have established a cycle of violence in Balochistan. Each operation presented as “restoring order” reinforces perceptions of occupation and promotes recruitment into armed separatist groups like the BLA.

“This longstanding conflict has now acquired a critical economic and geopolitical dimension. Balochistan lies at the heart of China’s investments in Pakistan through the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and is also central to Islamabad’s recent attempts to attract US capital into the mining sector.

The province’s vast reserves of copper, gold, coal, and gas have become central to Pakistan’s economic recovery narrative. Yet the state struggles to guarantee even basic security for heavily guarded infrastructure projects. Persistent attacks signal that militarisation has failed to create sustainable stability,” the EU Reporter stated.

Pakistan presents Balochistan as a “land of opportunity” while considering it as a permanent security threat internally at the same time. Balochistan controls Pakistan’s access to the Arabian Sea, borders Iran and Afghanistan and is the land corridor that connects China with the Indian Ocean.

Balochistan is the geostrategic core of CPEC for China. This geopolitical value of Balochistan results in Pakistan promising stability and development internationally while treating the region domestically with repression, casualty minimisation, and collective suspicion towards local residents, the report mentioned.(Agency)

Manipur CM urges violence-hit people to forget past, work together for peace & development

Imphal, Feb 11, 2026
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, on Wednesday, during a visit to violence-hit Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Jiribam district, urged inmates to forget past hostilities and jointly work towards peace and development.

In his maiden visit to the mixed-population Jiribam district, bordering southern Assam, the Chief Minister said: “Let us consider the last two years as a nightmare. Let us forget it and have the courage to move forward towards peace and development.”

He first visited the relief camp housing Meitei IDPs at the Jiribam Higher Secondary School campus, where he interacted with the inmates. Addressing them, Singh stressed the need for collective efforts to remove the trust deficit.

“Jiribam is the gateway to Manipur and has the potential to become a business hub. Just as Mumbai is India’s business capital, Jiribam can become Manipur’s Mumbai. But for business to flourish, peace must come first,” he said.

The Chief Minister later visited the Kalinagar relief camp, which shelters Hmar tribal IDPs belonging to the Kuki-Zo community. He requested the inmates to treat the past two years as a nightmare and move ahead with courage towards peace and development.

Referring to the Christian faith of the Hmar IDPs, Singh said Christianity teaches forgiveness and love for neighbours, including one’s enemies. He also visited Jarolpokpi Hmar village, which had witnessed violence in 2023.

This marked the second visit by Singh to Kuki-Zo villages since December 8 last year, when he visited a Kuki hamlet at Litan Saraikhong in Ukhrul district and interacted with Kuki IDPs.

“I feel that someone is trying to destroy the concept of being Manipuri. First, we are Indians, and then we are Manipuris. We can be Manipuri Naga, Manipuri Kuki, or Manipuri Meitei. We need to rebuild this collective identity,” he said.

The Hmar villagers expressed full support for the government and urged the Chief Minister to address local needs, particularly the construction of a school building.

Singh later visited Mongbung Meitei village and interacted with villagers, who requested repair of the existing village road. Assuring them of development, the Chief Minister reiterated that people from both communities must begin interacting to bridge the trust deficit.

“Since taking oath as Chief Minister last week, this is my first visit outside Imphal. I believe Jiribam is one of the most important places in Manipur and has immense potential to become a business centre. Peace is essential for this vision,” he added.

The Chief Minister told the IDPs that their concerns are being addressed by the district administration and said houses for homeless IDPs are under construction and expected to be completed by March.

During his interaction at the Jiribam Higher Secondary School relief camp, Singh also presented a wheelchair to an elderly woman under the Palliative Care Scheme.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the visit, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to a unified Manipur free from caste and community divisions.

On IDP resettlement, he said the process had begun during the President’s Rule and that his government remains committed to resolving the issue, though it was too early to announce specific timelines.

On arrival at the Bidyanagar Helipad, Singh was received by the district administration led by Deputy Commissioner Krishna Kumar, Superintendent of Police Prakhar Pandey, and officials from the district administration, district police, and central security forces.(Agency)

CBI arrests Delhi Jal Board employee, aide in bribery case

New Delhi, Feb 11, 2026
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) employee along with a private individual in a bribery case related to the settlement of a pending water bill, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Vinod Kumar, a peon-cum-assistant meter reader posted in Zone-VI, Seelampur, and Nitin Kumar, a private person.

According to the CBI, a case was registered on February 8, based on a complaint alleging that the DJB employee had demanded a bribe of Rs 12,000 from the complainant for rectifying and waiving off the pending water bill of the complainant’s house.

The agency said that out of the total demanded amount, the accused had already accepted Rs 5,500 from the complainant on February 3. He subsequently demanded the remaining Rs 6,500 for the final settlement of the bill.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on February 9. During the operation, the accused DJB employee and the private person were allegedly caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the remaining bribe amount of Rs 6,500 from the complainant.

Both accused were immediately taken into custody.

Officials said the role of the private person in facilitating the alleged bribery transaction is also being examined as part of the probe.

The CBI stated that further investigation is underway to ascertain the full sequence of events and whether any other individuals were involved in the matter.

The arrest assumes significance as the DJB has faced increasing public scrutiny in recent years over billing disputes, water supply complaints and allegations of irregularities.

Officials said such actions are aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in civic service delivery, particularly in departments that directly interface with citizens on essential services like water supply.(Agency)

Sunetra Pawar continues as Rajya Sabha member, clarifies Maha NCP chief Tatkare

New Delhi/Mumbai, Feb 11, 2026
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has not resigned as a Rajya Sabha member and there was no such issue during her visit to Delhi. This was clarified by Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare after he, along with the party’s working president, accompanied her during courtesy meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan.

Tatkare scoffed at rumours that Sunetra Pawar had resigned from her Rajya Sabha membership during the trip. However, he explicitly denied this, stating: “Sunetra Pawar has not resigned. The topic of resignation did not even come up.”

He dismissed the resignation rumours as baseless and emphasised that Sunetra Pawar’s Rajya Sabha status remains unchanged despite her expanding leadership role within the party.

Tatkare explained that her meeting with the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha was a courtesy call and a standard part of her visit. He clarified that even if an individual is to become a minister in the state or the Centre, they have six months to become a member of the required House. During that period, they can legally hold membership in another House.

He cited the example of Ajit Pawar in 1991, who remained a Lok Sabha member while serving as a minister in Sudhakarrao Naik’s Cabinet in Maharashtra.

Earlier, Sunetra Pawar on Tuesday took charge as the state Deputy Chief Minister at her office on the sixth floor of Mantralaya, saying that she would make an honest effort to uphold the legacy of her husband, late Ajit Pawar’s ideals, and to build a more capable Maharashtra.

She further stated that she would continue to work with unwavering loyalty and devotion for the welfare of Maharashtra.

In an emotional post on X, Sunetra Pawar said: “Today, as I take on the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, I am also filled with a sense of trust, duty and sacrifice. The lifelong dedication that Hon. Ajitdada has shown toward the people of Maharashtra in pursuit of development is the guiding beacon for me.

I will move forward on this path, drawing strength from Dada’s work style, his decisiveness and the deep bond he shared with the people. My foremost priority will be to fulfil his unfulfilled dreams and to do justice to the aspirations of farmers, women, youth and ordinary citizens.”

She further stated: “No one can take Dada’s place; but I will certainly make an honest effort to uphold the legacy of his ideals and to build a more capable Maharashtra. In this difficult time, the love, support and trust that the people have given me is my true strength. Today, before his memory, I make one solemn promise: that I will continue to serve the people of Maharashtra with sincerity, dedication and integrity.”(Agency)

Surbhi Jyoti says ‘Our greatest adventure begins’ as she announces her first pregnancy

Mumbai, Feb 11, 2026
Popular television actress Surbhi Jyoti has announced her first pregnancy with husband Sumit Suri with an adorable social media post.

Surbhi uploaded a sweet picture of her legs entangled in hubby Sumit’s feet with a white pair of tiny shoes placed in between.

The ‘Qubool Hai’ actress further informed through her Instagram post that they are expecting their little bundle of joy by June this year.

“Om, Our greatest adventure begins…Little Love arriving this June (sic),” she captioned the post.

As the couple made the happy announcement on social media, congratulatory messages started pouring in.

Actress Shweta Tiwari wrote, “Congratulations,” followed by a kissy face emoji.

‘Bigg Boss 13’ fame Arti Singh added, “So so so happy baby (red heart emoji) god bless you both.”

For those who do not know, Surbhi tied the knot with businessman Sumit Suri in October 2024. The lovebirds got married at a hill station. The wedding ceremony was preceded by vibrant pre-wedding festivities, including sangeet and engagement.

Surbhi had treated her InstaFam with glimpses of the festivities on her social media. Many prominent names from the television industry, such as Anita Hassanandani, Rithvik Dhanjani, Asha Negi, and Karan Wahi, were a part of the celebration.

Recently, Surbhi’s feed is full of fun snippets from her married life.

In October last year, the ‘Naagin’ actress wished her father-in-law on his birthday with a heartwarming video compilation of some precious family moments.

Thanking her father-in-law for being the most amazing person and a constant source of inspiration, she penned on the photo-sharing app, “Happy birthday to the most amazing person in the world.’ Thank you for being such an incredible role model and source of inspiration. I am so lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for being you. I love you so much.”(Agency)

‘No data sold, no compromises made’: BJP’s point-by-point rebuttal to LoP Rahul’s charges

New Delhi, Feb 11, 2026
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a forceful counter of Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi’s litany of charges, including selling out the nation, surrendering before foreign forces and compromising India’s interests. From BJP spokespersons to Union Ministers, the party has put out facts to puncture Rahul’s claims.

BJP’s chief spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Anil Baluni took to X to share a point-by-point rebuttal of Rahul Gandhi’s baseless and misleading charges on the India-US trade deal and also called out his “lies” on the nation’s people and data, which the Congress MP described as the most powerful asset of the 21st century.

Anil Baluni said that during today’s Budget discussion in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi chose theatrics over truth and thus misled both the House and the Nation.

“He did not merely critique the document. He misquoted it, misread it, and then built an argument on that distortion. Parliament deserves scrutiny grounded in facts, not selective readings and convenient misinterpretations. Deliberately misrepresenting the Budget weakens democratic debate and disrespects the intelligence of the people of India,” Baluni stated.

On Rahul’s claims that the government chose to give away data to the US, he termed it ridiculously false and informed that the Union Budget has proposed a tax break for companies setting up data centres in India until 2047.

“This will further India’s goal of data localisation. With more data centres in India, our IT companies will be able to deliver cloud and other AI solutions to clients in the West. More data centres in India equals more opportunities for our IT companies, and equals data localisation in the long run. The data of 1.4 billion Indians stays in India,” he asserted.

Rejecting Rahul’s claims that the Budget didn’t have any provision to fortify India’s supply chains in a globally volatile world, the BJP MP stated that there is a proposal for rare earths, a new semiconductor mission that will focus on all the levels of the value chain, and several critical mineral corridors running through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Puncturing Rahul’s assertions on digital service tax, Anil Baluni said that the agreement clearly states that a new set of digital rules will be negotiated between India and the US.

He further slammed the Congress MP for quoting from the “older version” of the fact sheet and categorically rejected any insinuations of India opening up its farming sector for US exports.

“One, the updated fact sheet of the US Government carries no mention of pulses. Two, India imports pulses worth more than $2 billion annually,” Baluni said.

He further stated that the Commerce Minister has repeatedly stated that we are not opening up our farming and dairy sector for the USA, and the same stance has been maintained by the Modi Government during its Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

Refuting Rahul’s claims of tariffs going up from 3 per cent to 18 per cent for India, he stated that it was an incorrect and incomplete assessment.

Baluni further accused Rahul of pushing forward his arguments on documents that no longer reflect reality.

“He is citing an older US government fact sheet that framed India’s proposed $500 billion purchases as a commitment. That language has since been corrected. By relying on an outdated fact sheet, Gandhi is presenting an inflated claim that the US government itself has walked back,” he wrote.

He also brushed aside claims of India receiving no commitment from the US on its exports and informed that since FY15, India’s trade surplus with the US has doubled from $20 billion to $40.9 billion in FY25.

Putting out facts to counter the charge, he wrote, “Our exports to the US have risen from $42.4 billion in FY15 to $86 billion in FY25. Since 2022, our electronic exports to the US have gone from almost zero to $20 billion in 2025.”

Rahul’s other big accusation against the Modi government was of the latter succumbing to US pressure and compromising its energy security interests.

Dismissing this charge, the BJP MP said that India has always prioritised its national interests and added that the imports from Russia rose from about 0.1 million barrels per day to nearly 2 million barrels per day in 2023. That was strategic autonomy, not surrender.

“The Modi government has shown that it will bypass Western pressure to secure India’s energy needs. Rahul Gandhi’s argument has already been disproven, and it is worth recalling that his own party opposed Russian oil imports at the time,” he stated.(Agency)

India’s rise, China’s structural slowdown reshaping balance of power in Asia: Report

Kuala Lumpur/New Delhi, Feb 11, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy, introduced in 2014, provides a strategic framework that has repositioned India as a vital Indo-Pacific power with an enduring interest in Southeast Asia’s security and prosperity.

Through deeper integration, enhanced connectivity and engagement in the future resilience and security support of the region, Southeast Asia has benefitted from a stronger counterbalance and India’s economic and security cooperation, a report said on Wednesday.

According to a report in the Eurasia Review, by re-centering ASEAN and the wider maritime stretch from the Andaman Sea to the Strait of Malacca, the policy underscores the importance of India’s strategic presence, offering reassurance to the region confronting renewed risks and tensions.

“India has long been overlooked in its power, strength, influence and role as the regional and global power and economic leadership equation, at the expense of the region and the world. The emergence now as a global economic powerhouse and a decisive balancing power in the Indo-Pacific has never been more pivotal, at the same time that China enters a prolonged period of economic deceleration and strategic friction,” the report detailed.

“For Malaysia and Southeast Asia, this transformation is not abstract, and India lies squarely at the forefront of their future economic and geopolitical net and interests, providing the pillar of stability and strength in economic resilience, security support, food and energy security, technology access, and strategic optionality,” it added.

The report emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia on February 7 and 8 is strategically significant for both countries, particularly for Malaysia as it offered Kuala Lumpur the opportunity to move beyond the traditional hedging approach and recognise India as a first-tier strategic partner for decades ahead.

It stated that India’s present and future role has never been more profound and integral, with its rise unfolding alongside China’s structural slowdown, thereby reshaping the balance of power in Asia.

“For Malaysia, the choice is not between India and others. It is between either preparing early for India’s ascent or adjusting late. Both nations share similar future challenges and potential,” the report stressed.

“Prime Minister Modi’s visit is a strategic inflection point in creating a new wave of resonating ties with interwoven benefits in a multi-faceted partnership based on history, trust and shared future aspirations.

Deepening ties with India in defence, technology, semiconductors, energy, food security, education, and culture is not merely prudent, but forming the key foundational essence for the region and Malaysia’s long-term prosperity, security, and autonomy,” it noted.(Agency)

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