India News, 17 September 2026: 3 Indians repatriated from Kenya after being kidnapped

Supreme Court to hear ED plea alleging obstruction by Mamata, Bengal officials during I-PAC search.

Four persons, including two children, crushed to death by truck in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, said local police. (PTI)

Three Indian nationals, who were rescued after being kidnapped in Kenya, have been safely repatriated from the East African country, the Indian mission in Nairobi said, was quoted as saying by PTI. “(The Indian) High Commission facilitated the rescue, safety and repatriation of three Indian nationals from Punjab kidnapped in Kenya recently,” the mission said in a post on X on Thursday.

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Two labourers were killed and 3 others, including 20-year-old Delhi University student, were injured after his Chevrolet Beat lost control and rammed into workers installing iron grilles near Shri Ram Chowk on the Dwarka Expressway. The student was seriously injured and referred to Fortis Hospital. Police have seized the car and launched an investigation, while eyewitnesses alleged that the roadwork site lacked adequate barricading and reflective warning signs.

Cloudy skies, light rain likely in Delhi

Delhi woke to cloudy skies with the minimum temperature settling at 25.2 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. The IMD forecast generally cloudy conditions with light rain or drizzle at isolated places during the day, while the maximum temperature is expected to touch around 35 degrees Celsius.

EC to hear rival TMC factions over party name, ‘Jora Ghas Phul’ symbol today

The Election Commission will hear the rival Trinamool Congress factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee over control of the party’s name, organisation and its ‘Jora Ghas Phul’ symbol today. The Ritabrata camp is scheduled to appear before the poll panel’s full bench at 3 pm, followed by the Mamata faction at 4 pm. The hearings come after both sides submitted documents and legal arguments, and a day after nominations closed for the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. Both factions have announced candidates for the two seats and claimed the TMC name and symbol, leaving the EC’s decision crucial to how they contest the bypolls.

Maratha quota activist ends 20-day fast, gives government 3-month deadline

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange called off his 20-day hunger strike after talks with a Maharashtra government delegation in Beed, but warned that he would take the agitation to Mumbai if his demands were not addressed within three months. Jarange, who was on his way to Mumbai, said the government must formally recognise historical records, including the Hyderabad, Satara and Aundh Gazettes, to enable Marathas to establish Kunbi lineage and claim OBC reservation benefits. “The government should give in writing that not a single ‘Kunbi’ record will be ignored. The chief minister should sign that paper,” he said. The delegation, which included ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Dada Bhuse, told Jarange that work was underway on his demands and sought three representatives from his side to monitor the process.

Karnataka Congress president B K Hariprasad on Thursday defended his description of jailed student activist Umar Khalid as a "nationalist", questioning the BJP's authority to label him an "anti-national." The remarks came amid criticism from the BJP over Hariprasad's comments on Khalid, who has been in custody since his arrest in September 2020 in connection with the larger conspiracy case relating to the February 2020 Delhi riots.

"This is an issue that should be viewed within the constitutional and democratic framework of the country. Who are the opponents of the Constitution? Who are the opponents of the Tricolour? Who are the opponents of the national anthem?" Hariprasad told reporters.

Two friends were killed and three others injured after their car overturned while they were trying to avoid a stray bull in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun district late Wednesday night. The five friends were returning from a tea stall when the driver swerved to avoid the bull near Kalyan Chowk, lost control of the car and hit a divider before crashing into a high-mast light pole. Two of them died at the spot, while the three injured were taken to Rajkiya Medical College, where two were in serious condition, police said.

The season’s first snowfall covered the higher reaches of Gulmarg and Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir today, while overnight rain lashed the valley’s plains. Snowfall was reported in Gulmarg’s Apharwat and Gondola Phase 2 areas, as well as Tulail Valley and Kabuli Gali in the Gurez sector. The Meteorological Department has forecast light rain or thunderstorms across J-K on Thursday, with mainly dry weather likely from Friday.

Yuva Sena (UBT) activists released stray dogs inside the office of Niphad Nagar Panchayat chief officer Dheeraj Bhamre in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, protesting alleged inaction over the growing stray dog menace. The protesters, led by district chief Vikram Randhave, said several residents had been bitten and warned of a larger protest if the issue was not addressed within two days. Bhamre said the civic body had floated a tender twice to tackle the problem.

The Odisha government has informed the Supreme Court that it has rejected the remission plea of Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence in connection with the 1999 killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons. Singh has said he will challenge the government’s decision.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis welcomed Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange’s decision to end his 20-day hunger strike, saying the government has already accepted 12 of his 13 demands and will fulfil the commitments made to the community. Fadnavis said the remaining demand involved judicial issues that had been explained to Jarange. He added that while decisions on the accepted demands had already been taken, some administrative processes were still pending and would be completed. Jarange had ended his fast earlier in the day, but warned that he would take the agitation to Mumbai if his demands were not addressed within three months.

A fire broke out at a commercial complex in Jaipur’s Tripolia Bazaar this morning, spreading across several shops and godowns. The blaze started in cartons kept outside a garment shop on the second floor of Sethi Complex and soon spread to nearby establishments storing garments, plastic items and bangles. Five fire tenders have been deployed to control the flames, while firefighters faced difficulties due to the congested location and inflammable material inside the complex. (PTI)

The Enforcement Directorate raided the residence, farmhouse and office of former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda today in Gurugram as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged real estate fraud involving Vatika Limited, officials said. The case relates to four commercial projects in which the company allegedly collected Rs 248.46 crore from 661 investors by promising timely possession, assured returns, lease rentals and sale deeds, but failed to fulfil the commitments. The searches are aimed at tracing the alleged diversion of funds from the real estate company to firms linked to Kanda, officials said.

The Managing Director of Malayalam news channel Reporter, Anto Augustine, was arrested by Excise officials in Kerala after 67 litres of liquor, allegedly above the permissible limit, was recovered from his ancestral home in Wayanad. The arrest came hours after the Special Investigation Team searched Augustine’s offices and residences in Kochi and Wayanad as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in the failed Argentina football event featuring Lionel Messi. Excise officials said a case was registered against Augustine under non-bailable provisions of the Abkari Act.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a two-day ‘Chintan Baithak’ of Union Cabinet ministers in New Delhi on September 23 and 24, with discussions expected to focus on reforms, governance and policymaking. Ministers are likely to make presentations on reforms undertaken by their ministries, while discussions may cover the implementation of government schemes, inter-ministerial coordination, public service delivery, time management and the roadmap ahead. It is not yet clear whether ministers of state will attend the session. (PTI)