The US Department of Justice revealed that intelligence agencies had once intercepted conversation between Rana and David Headley after the Mumbai attacks, in which Rana had commended the 9 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that ‘they should be given Nishan-e-Haider’ — Pakistan’s ‘highest award for gallantry in battle’

Extradited terrorist Tahawwur Rana wanted Pakistan to give its highest honour ‘Nishan-e-Haider’ to 9 Lashkar terrorists who were neutralised during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was even heard saying “India deserved it” in an intercepted conversation with David Headley.

“After the attacks were complete, Rana allegedly told Headley that the Indians deserved it,” the US Department of Justice revealed through a statement.

Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, arrived in Delhi on Thursday after a lengthy legal battle in the US, during which he fought extradition on health and legal grounds. He is currently in NIA’s custody for next 18 days.

The US Department of Justice revealed that intelligence agencies had once intercepted conversation between Rana and Headley after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, in which the 64-year-old Rana had commended the 9 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that “they should be given Nishan-e-Haider”—Pakistan’s “highest award for gallantry in battle”, which is reserved for fallen soldiers.

The US, meanwhile, termed Rana’s extradition as a critical step toward seeking justice for the victims of the Mumbai terror attack which also included six Americans.

“These attacks resulted in the tragic loss of 166 lives, including six Americans, and shocked the entire world.  The US has long supported India’s efforts to ensure those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice. As President Trump has said, the US and India will continue to work together to combat the global scourge of terrorism,” the US State Department said.

Notably, India’s pending proceedings against Rana are not the first proceedings in which he has been accused of conspiring to commit violent acts of terrorism.

In 2013, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison following his trial conviction in Northern US District of Illinois for conspiring to provide material support to LeT and to a foiled LeT-sponsored terrorist plot in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Teams are conducting technical evaluation and search-and-rescue operations using modern equipment

The Indian Army has deployed robotic mules and nano drones in Myanmar to assist in damage assessment and search-and-rescue operations following the earthquake that struck the country on March 28.

The teams are conducting technical evaluation and search-and-rescue operations using modern equipment. The earthquake, measuring 7.7, claimed over 3,600 lives.

Under Operation Brahma, India has sent over 650 metric tonnes of relief materials via seven Indian Air Force aircraft and five naval ships. Additionally, a field hospital set up by India has provided medical aid to more than 1,300 patients.

These rescue tools, like robotic mules and nano drones, have been instrumental in navigating debris and locating survivors in Myanmar’s hardest-hit regions. The robotic mules, known as SAR Robo Mules (Multi-Utility Legged Equipment), are designed to traverse unstable terrain, enabling precise assessments of damaged structures. Meanwhile, nano drones are equipped with thermal imaging cameras, allowing rescuers to locate survivors trapped under rubble.

Videos shared by the Army showcase these machines in action, demonstrating their effectiveness in technical evaluations and rescue operations.

India has also provided food packets, medicines, water purifiers, solar lamps, and tents to affected regions.

An 80-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also conducted search-and-rescue operations before returning home earlier this week.

Decorated Indian Army Veteran Brutally Assaulted by Mob Over Phone Conversation on Waqf Bill – Calls Grow for Justice and Accountability

Lucknow, 6 April 2025:
In a shocking and deeply disturbing incident, Colonel Surya Prakash Singh (Retired)—a highly respected and well regarded veteran who is currently serving as the Zila Sainik Kalyan Adhikari, Kanpur—was brutally assaulted by a group of men in a premeditated, communally motivated attack in intervening night of 5th and 6th April 2025, while returning from an official event in Kanpur.

Col Surya Prakash Singh, 59, had just attended a Civil-Military Liaison function at the Station Officer’s Mess, Kanpur, and left for Lucknow in a private cab around 2245 hrs. During the journey, he was on a private phone call with a colleague, discussing the ongoing Waqf Bill—a topic of public and legislative discourse. The cab driver, agitated by the discussion, began verbally abusing the officer and secretly alerted a WhatsApp group, summoning 6-7 men from his community to carry out a coordinated assault.

The ambush took place in an area under Achal Ganj Police Station jurisdiction. The vehicle was stopped, and Col Surya Prakash Singh was violently attacked with blunt objects, sustaining serious head and body injuries. Despite being outnumbered, Col Surya Prakash Singh bravely resisted until he was pinned to the ground and rendered unconscious. His clothes were torn in the scuffle.

Before the incident escalated, Col Surya Prakash Singh had managed to alert his colleagues, who arrived on scene in approximately 20–25 minutes.

The officer was later taken to the police station and then escorted to the Zila Sainik Board, Kanpur, where he changed into fresh clothes. He finally reached his Lucknow residence at 0740 hrs on 6 April 2025—bruised, shaken, and traumatised, but not physically. It dawned upon him that the last thing he expected was to have his own countrymen attack him. Col Surya Prakash Singh has always had the utmost faith in his country’s democratic and secular ideals and has upheld them as well as fought for them all his life. So, this assault is also an assault on his beliefs.

While medical attention was provided, official medical reports are still awaited, and it remains unclear whether an FIR has even been registered.

This is a grave attack not only on Col Surya Prakash Singh, but on the dignity of every armed forces veteran who has served this country with honour. Col Surya Prakash Singh has spent his career in the most hostile and insurgency-affected zones in the Kashmir and North East and is widely respected in military and civil circles alike for his tolerant, inclusive, and accommodating nature.

The assault over a mere discussion on a parliamentary bill points to a dangerous rise in intolerance and silencing through violence. The fact that an armed forces veteran can be attacked in his own country over his views is an indictment of our civic safety and social harmony.

This case must not fade from the public eye and we as a nation must stand for him like he stood for us.

ColSuryaPrakashSingh| #VeteranSafety | #FreedomOfSpeech | #StandWithOurSoldiers

Fairness and transparency were the hallmarks of the Nanavatty duo

Julio Ribeiro

WHEN and how did Lt Gen Rostum Kaikhushru Nanavatty learn to “shoot straight”? He imbibed that quality and other outstanding ones from his father, Kaikhushru Nanavatty.

The senior Nanavatty retired as the Inspector General (IG) of Police, Maharashtra. I was in my mid-thirties when I was appointed the last Superintendent of Police (SP) of the city of Poona (now Pune). Rostum’s father was the head of the state police then. There were no DGPs in the 1960s. That nomenclature became prevalent in the early 1980s.

Looking back, I realised that it must have been Rostum’s father who recommended me for an appointment that was till then the prerogative of officers much senior to me in service. I had absolutely no idea of being shifted from my place of posting, Sholapur. I only learnt about the shift when I opened the dak (mail) that was sent to me by my office while I was inspecting the rural police station of Akalkot on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border.

The senior Nanavatty was fair and transparent in his dealings. He had no likes or dislikes, judged officers fairly and judiciously, expected high standards of honesty and competence and led from the front. So, when I read the book Shooting Straight — A Military Biography of Lt Gen Rostum K Nanavatty, I was not a bit surprised to know about the sterling quality of leadership that my beloved ex-boss’ son displayed as a soldier throughout his career. Rostum retired as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command at Udhampur.

The senior Nanavatty served as the Maharashtra IG from 1963 to 1966. Gentleman Cadet Rostum had joined the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun in July 1961. He passed out six months earlier than intended because of the exigencies of the India-China war of 1962. He won the Sword of Honour in the 31st Regular Course and was commissioned in the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles.

In October 1954, the regular recruitment batch of the Indian Police Service (IPS), to which I belonged, after passing out from the National Police Academy, was sent on attachment to three Gorkha Regimental Centres at Dehradun. The 37 IPS probationers were divided between the 39th, 58th and 11th Regimental Centres. I, along with others, went to the 39th centre.

The 58th Centre was commanded by a feisty Colonel with a typical Maratha surname, Parab. His daughter married Shivajirao Baraokar, a junior of mine in the Maharashtra cadre of the IPS.

Another tidbit that comes to mind is that in October 1999, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee took oath as the Prime Minister for the third time, he asked me to take on the responsibility of the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. I had promised my wife that my days of wandering away from our home in Mumbai were over. So, I declined. I remember that the Prime Minister himself told me that Army officers also wanted me in that role! The book made me wonder if the officers he spoke about included Rostum. But the latter became the GOC-in-C, Northern Command, with responsibility for counter-terrorist operations in J&K, only in February 2001.

Ever since I assumed charge as the Poona SP in June 1964, I have known the Nanavatty family. The values this family cherished were those that appealed to me also. The culture of a few Goan Christian families, whom the Portuguese depended on to administer Goa in colonial times, match those of Parsi families of the professional class. Hence, there was no problem of assimilation when one of my grand-daughters married a Parsi and another a part-Parsi.

Reading about Rostum in the book authored by Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam (retd), a renowned military historian, I have to confess that this is the first account of the life of a military leader that I have ever read. It was handed over to me by Arnavaz (Erna), Rostum’s elder sister, whom I have known since her teens. Erna has always been very proud of her younger brother. After reading Shooting Straight, I know exactly why.

This book should be read by IPS probationers also. By a quirk of fate, Lt Gen Nanavatty commanded troops sent to take on terrorists in J&K and insurgents in Nagaland and Manipur. His experience in that role is invaluable. Police officers detailed for similar roles can learn a lot from him.

The Parsi community is dwindling. That is a great tragedy. It was and is a community that punches well above its weight. Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was a Parsi. The Navy had Admiral Jal Cursetji as its Chief and the Air Force had Air Chief Marshal Aspy Engineer and Fali Major. The Maharashtra Government had Chief Secretary Burjor Paymaster, a man with the same qualities of fair play and justice as ex-IG Nanavatty.

The Parsis have also excelled in the legal and medical professions. Dr Farokh Udwadia, Mumbai’s leading physician, and legal luminaries Nani Palkhivala and Fali Nariman are names that everyone in that city recognises. But it is not the pinnacle they have reached but the strong moral and ethical values of truth, honesty and justice that define this tiny community.

One of my two great-grandsons is just four years old. His father is a Parsi. My younger daughter had two children from her marriage to a Parsi. Her daughter married a Shah, a Gujarati Hindu whose own mother was a Parsi who died when her sons were tiny.

My two great-grandchildren (grandchildren of my younger daughter) are one-fourth Gujarati Hindu, one-fourth Goan Christian and two-fourths Parsi. It is the Parsi genes in my three great-grandchildren that I am counting on, added to the other genes they have inherited, to become good citizens of our country and, above all, good human beings.

A recent news report about Alang, the graveyard of decommissioned ships in Gujarat, took me back to my days as an officer with India’s pioneering shipping company, Scindia Steam Navigation, in Bombay. As a ship aged and became economically unviable,…

A recent news report about Alang, the graveyard of decommissioned ships in Gujarat, took me back to my days as an officer with India’s pioneering shipping company, Scindia Steam Navigation, in Bombay. As a ship aged and became economically unviable, it would be declared ‘sea-unworthy’ and sent to Alang for its final journey. For every officer and crew member who had worked aboard such a ship, it was a deeply emotional moment. All that remained were the memories of a vessel whose name was etched in their minds, the unforgettable experiences they shared on board and the rhythm of the ship as it rose and fell with every wave.

Ship-breakers, however, can never truly understand the soul and story of each ship. To them, it is just a hunk of metal to be torn apart and sold to the highest bidder. Merchant Navy ships may not be comparable with naval ones like INS Viraat, which served the Navy for 30 years and was sent to Alang in 2020, but the attachment that their crews have to the ships they serve on is no less significant. For us, those ships were not just vessels; they were the very lifeblood of our livelihoods.

After many years in the Merchant Navy, I began considering shore-based job opportunities. One day, while travelling on a train from Bombay, a fellow passenger took a keen interest in my experience as a chief engineer. He introduced himself as the owner of a ship-breaking company and made me a tempting job offer at Alang. For a moment, I nearly accepted it. But then, a quiet voice inside me made me realise that I just could not do it. Ships had given me everything: my career, my livelihood, my chance to see the world, and sometimes even the opportunity to travel with my family. How could I now consider a profession that involved dismantling the very ships that had supported me all these years?

I could not bring myself to be involved in the business of tearing apart the ships I had spent my career maintaining and sailing. It would have been like a physician abandoning the Hippocratic oath and choosing to profit from harming a patient instead of healing them. And so, I declined the offer.

Even now, after retirement, whenever I hear of a ship I once served on being sent to Alang, it stirs a flood of memories. From my early days as a junior officer to my tenure as a chief engineer, every ship I served on was an important part of my journey. Alang will always be the final resting place for those ‘sea-unworthy’ ships, but it is always heartbreaking to know that they are being broken down.

Col SDS Batth (76) was declared the overall best gross winner of the Milkha Singh Memorial Golf Trophy played at Chandigarh Golf Club today. Baljinder Mangat won the ladies (above 75 years) 9-hole event with a score of 26 (Nett),…

Tribune News Service

Col SDS Batth (76) was declared the overall best gross winner of the Milkha Singh Memorial Golf Trophy played at Chandigarh Golf Club today.

Baljinder Mangat won the ladies (above 75 years) 9-hole event with a score of 26 (Nett), while Vijay Wadhawan claimed the second position. In the 18-hole event, Bindu Singh (73) and Babbles Singh (75) claimed the top two positions.

In the gents (above 85 years) 9-hole event, Brig Satjit Singh (22) and GS Ruppal (23) won the first two positions, while in the above 75 years category, Col KJS Khurana (24) claimed the first position, followed by Col MS Sidhu (25).

In the gents’ handicap (19-24), Sukhinder Sandhu (69) bagged the title, followed by Jagdish Kumar (72). In the handicap (10-18) event, Col PJS Atwal (67) claimed the top position, while Ankit Juneja bagged the second spot. In the handicap (0-9), Col IS Bains (70) and Tejpal Brar (71) claimed the first and second positions, respectively.

In the spot prizes, Gurpreet Singh Bakshi won the straightest drive followed by Col JS Ahluwalia. RS Sandhu bagged the closest to pin event.

In a significant move to de-escalate mounting tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian and Pakistani armies held a brigade commander-level flag meeting on Thursday at the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch district. The meeting, led by brigadier-level…

Arjun Sharma Our Correspondent

n a significant move to de-escalate mounting tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian and Pakistani armies held a brigade commander-level flag meeting on Thursday at the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch district. The meeting, led by brigadier-level officers from both sides, focused on issues related to ceasefire violations, infiltration attempts, and border management.

According to defence officials, the Indian Army issued a strong message to their Pakistani counterparts, urging them to uphold the ceasefire agreement that was renewed by both countries on February 25, 2021. This comes in the backdrop of recent incidents of cross-border firing and attempts by Pakistani troops to intrude into the Indian side, particularly in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch on April 1. The intrusion attempt was thwarted by alert Indian soldiers, triggering heavy cross-border firing and multiple intermittent ceasefire violations over the next two days.

While the defence spokesperson described the meeting as part of routine LoC and border management processes in accordance with the understanding between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both nations, sources familiar with the discussions said the Indian side lodged a strong protest. They accused Pakistan of facilitating infiltration attempts by violating the ceasefire, thereby increasing the risk of escalation along the border.

“The Indian side unequivocally informed their Pakistani counterparts that we reserve the right to retaliate to uphold the dignity of the nation,” an official stated. The Indian delegation also raised concerns about the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and recent infiltration bids by terrorists.

This was the second flag meeting held this year at Chakan-Da-Bagh, with the previous one taking place on February 21.

Tensions have been simmering in the region since the tragic killing of two Indian Army soldiers, including a captain, in an IED explosion near the LoC in Akhnoor sector on February 11. This was followed by a ceasefire violation on February 13, when Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing in the Poonch sector, drawing a strong response from Indian forces.

Despite the 2021 agreement bringing a significant reduction in ceasefire violations, the recent incidents have raised concerns about a possible deterioration in border stability. Both armies have reiterated the importance of dialogue and adherence to the ceasefire agreement to avoid further escalation.

Police say they have information that two-three ultras are hiding the middle of the dense jungle

Search and cordon operations were under way in the Marta village of Udhampur district after an encounter took place between security forces and suspected terrorists.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Udhampur, Amod Ashok Nagpure provided updates on the ongoing operation and stated that information had been received that two or three terrorists were hiding in the middle of the jungle.

“This is a very inaccessible area due to the high mountains, a river below and a dense forest. We have the information that two or three terrorists are hiding in the middle of this jungle. This search operation is going on in this regard,” said SSP Nagpure.

The encounter, which lasted for about two hours on Wednesday, involved security forces firing retaliatory shots.

Nagpure assured that despite the tough terrain, the forces’ morale remained high.

“Currently, all soldiers of all the forces and teams are fit and fine,” he added, emphasising the resilience of the forces involved in the operation.

According to officials, the encounter broke out during a search operation conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), along with other security forces, in the dense jungle area of Udhampur.

Security forces encountered a group of terrorists in the village of Jopher, located under the jurisdiction of PS Ramnagar in Udhampur, officials said, adding that initial reports suggest that two-three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area.

The area has been cordoned off to prevent the militants from escaping. Security forces are continuing their efforts to neutralise the threat and ensure the safety of civilians in the region, they added.