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Making it clear that communication with Pakistani nationals or dissemination of sensitive information was not prima facie established, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted regular bail to a YouTube vlogger accused under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

.Justice Bhardwaj also took note of 10 months of actual custody period already undergone and his clean antecedents. The order came on the regular bail plea filed against the State of Punjab and other respondents in an FIR registered on June 3, 2025, at State Special Operations Cell police station in Mohali.

The FIR was registered on allegations that Jasbir Singh of Ropar district, stated to be a YouTube vlogger and running a channel “Jaan Mahal”, had visited Pakistan on multiple occasions and was allegedly in contact with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

It was further stated that Jasbir, in connivance with certain unknown accomplices at the behest of ISI agents, was engaged in passing sensitive information relating to activities within India, including movements of the Indian Army. It was also alleged that he maintained contact with several Pakistani nationals and was carrying out such activities under the guise of operating his YouTube channel.

Petitioner’s stand

Appearing before Justice Bhardwaj’s Bench on the petitioner’s behalf, senior advocate P S Ahluwalia and counsel Deepinder Singh Virk contended that he was arrested on June 3, 2025, and had undergone actual custody exceeding 10 months. It was argued that he was a vlogger regularly uploading content on his YouTube channel and Instagram page, and the initiation of proceedings arose out of content posted on his YouTube channel “Jaan Mahal”.

Court’s findings

Justice Bhardwaj asserted the State could not dispute that the petitioner had been operating a YouTube channel with a substantial number of travel and vlog-related videos uploaded over time. “From the retrieval of the petitioner’s mobile data, no chats, messages or communication have been recovered, at this stage, as would reflect that he was in contact with any Pakistani national,” the court observed.

Justice Bhardwaj added that the State also did not dispute that the uploaded content did not pertain to any classified or restricted material. The court observed that “prima facie, the videos in question appeared to be of locations and subjects that are accessible to the general public and no material has been placed on record to demonstrate that the petitioner had access to, or disseminated any sensitive or confidential information.”

Bail granted

The petitioner was ordered to be released on regular bail, subject to furnishing bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court. The court, however, imposed a condition that the petitioner “shall not extend any threat and shall not influence any prosecution witness in any manner directly or indirectly,” and clarified that the observations would not affect the merits of the trial.

he Trump administration seemed unlikely Tuesday to accept Iran’s offer to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on the country.

The proposal would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, something that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out in a Fox News interview Monday.

“We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point,” he said of the proposal, which was delivered to the US by Pakistan.

The White House said US President Donald Trump’s national security team discussed the offer and Trump would address it later.

Pleased to engage with Russian leadership: Iran foreign minister

April 28, 2026 1:44 pm

Moscow: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that he was pleased to engage with the Russian leadership “as the region is in major flux”, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks aimed at resolving the war in West Asia. This comes a day after Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg in Russia and met President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty. Reuters

Trump not happy with latest Iran proposal to lift Hormuz blockade

April 28, 2026 1:44 pm

US President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal on resolving the two-month war, a US official said, dampening hopes for a resolution to the conflict that has disrupted energy supplies, fuelled inflation, and killed thousands. Iran’s latest proposal would set aside discussion of Iran’s nuclear program until the war is ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved. That is unlikely to satisfy the US, which says nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset, and Trump was unhappy with Iran’s proposal for that reason, a US official briefed on the president’s Monday meeting with his advisers said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

China prioritises energy security, tech edge as Iran war fallout spreads

April 28, 2026 1:40 pm

Beijing: China’s top leadership on Tuesday pledged to strengthen the country’s energy security while pursuing rapid technological development and greater self-sufficiency, as the economy is beginning to be affected by the US-Israeli war on Iran. The world’s second-largest economy grew 5.0 per cent in the first quarter, at the top of its full-year target range of 4.5 per cent to 5.0 per cent, showing higher resilience than many other countries to the conflict, thanks in part to ample oil reserves and a diversified energy mix. Reuters

Iran willing to share defensive capabilities with Asian partners, says deputy defence minister

April 28, 2026 1:33 pm

Dubai: Iran is ready to share its defensive weapons capabilities with “independent countries, especially members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)”, Deputy Defence Minister Reza Talaei-Nik said on Tuesday, according to Iranian state media. Reuters

Rubio says preventing Iranian nuclear weapon remains ‘core issue’

April 28, 2026 12:20 pm

Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked in a Fox News interview about Iran’s latest proposal, which would postpone discussions on its nuclear programme but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade and ends the war. “There’s no doubt in my mind that at some point in the future, if this radical clerical regime remains in charge in Iran, they will decide they want a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said. “That fundamental issue still has to be confronted,” he said. “That still remains the core issue here.” AP

Iran war is latest blow to Somalia’s malnourished children

April 28, 2026 12:15 pm

Nairobi/Geneva: For Somalia’s malnourished children, already suffering the twin catastrophes of looming famine and radical cuts in foreign aid, the US-Israeli war on Iran means more than soaring petrol pump prices; it is a matter of life and death. Shortages of lifesaving therapeutic foods exacerbated by shipping disruptions are forcing clinics to turn away severely malnourished children and ration supplies, Reuters reporting shows. Almost half a million children under 5 suffer from “severe acute malnutrition” or “wasting”, the most life-threatening form of hunger, and the delays are worsening the effect of the aid reductions. Reuters

Latest Iranian plan would set aside nuclear issue until after war ends

April 28, 2026 8:09 am

Dubai/Washington: Senior Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the proposal carried by Araqchi to Islamabad over the weekend envisioned talks in stages, with the nuclear issue to be set aside at the start. A first step would require ending the US-Israeli war on Iran and providing guarantees that the US cannot start it up again. Then negotiators would resolve the US Navy’s blockade of Iran’s trade by sea and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran aims to reopen under its control. Reuters

The ministry, in its RFI, said the three helicopters are needed on lease to meet IAF’s operational requirements

The Ministry of Defence is looking to lease three specialised ultra heavy-lift helicopters for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

A request for information (RFI) — the initial step to seek bids from vendors and start the tender process — was issued today.

The ministry wants a helicopter that can lift 20 tonnes and operate at high altitude in the Himalayas. This effectively narrows the field to the Russian Mi-26, the only helicopter in the world capable of lifting such loads across mountains.

IAF had a fleet of four Mi-26 helicopters procured in the late 1980s. One of the helicopters crashed in 2010 near Jammu, and the remaining three were progressively grounded by 2017.However, in October 2024, a deal was signed with Russia to overhaul these machines.

The bidding process for leasing three more such ultra heavy-lift helicopters is separate from the overhaul of the older Mi-26s.

The ministry, in its RFI, said the three helicopters are needed on lease to meet IAF’s operational requirements. The lease will be for an initial period of two years, with an option to purchase the assets thereafter.

IAF wants the helicopter to operate at 5,000 metres (18,000 ft) above sea level, with the ability to drop supplies or personnel at several high mountain peaks in the Himalayas.

The helicopter must carry at least 45 fully equipped troops and be capable of modification to an ambulance version with at least 20 stretchers. It should also operate in temperatures ranging from minus 40 to 60 degrees Celsius.

For effective operations, the IAF is seeking the latest equipment, including a weather radar and a digital moving map display.

For protection, the helicopter must have an electronic warfare suite, including a radar warning receiver (RWR) and a missile approach warning system to detect and display threats, along with a countermeasure dispensing system

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh pays floral tribute at Victory Square during his visit to Bishkek to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Kyrgyzstan. PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh pays floral tribute at Victory Square during his visit to Bishkek to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Kyrgyzstan. PTI

Referring to the last year’s skirmish with Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said Operation Sindoor was India’s resolve to demonstrate that “epicentres” of terrorism are no longer immune to “justifiable punishment”.

Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, he underlined the need to forge a unified front to tackle the “evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism by eliminating havens and rejecting any political exceptions.

He asserted that the sight of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism which attacked the sovereignty of a nation must not be lost as there was no place for double standards. The minister, in an obivious reference to Pakistan’s abetment to terrorism, said: “SCO should not hesitate in seeking appropriate action against those who abet, shelter and provide safe havens to terrorists”. Pakistan is a member of the SCO.

Rajnath went onto add that by tackling terrorism, separatism and extremism without exception, regional security was transformed from a challenge into a cornerstone for peace and prosperity.

Describing counter-terrorism as a foundational principle of SCO, he said the organisation had condemned such acts and ideologies in a common fight against the menace.

He recalled last year’s Tianjin Declaration which brought out India’s firm and collective stance against terrorism, terming it as a testimony to the country’s zero-tolerance outlook towards terrorism and its perpetrators. “The real test of collective credibility remains in consistency. We must not forget that terrorism has no nationality and no theology. Nations must take a firm & collective stance against terrorism,” he added.

He highlighted the significant role being played by the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO, stating that the joint statement of the Heads of State on ‘Countering Radicalisation leading to Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism’ issued during India’s Chairmanship symbolises shared commitment in this regard. He further said, in view of the present global uncertainties, SCO held a pivotal role as today’s world view appears fractured and countries are becoming increasingly inward-looking.

The Defence Minister added that it was the responsibility of SCO to ensure regional as well as global peace and stability.

Strategic move aims to boost flexibility in oil production amid global energy market volatility

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced its exit from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the broader OPEC+ grouping from May 1, marking a significant shift in its long-term energy strategy.

In an official statement, the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said the decision followed a comprehensive review of its production policy, current and future capacity, and was aligned with national economic priorities.

The move comes at a time when the UAE has been trying to leverage its own foreign policy in West Asia, diverging from some positions of OPEC’s de facto leader Saudi Arabia, as the world grapples with an energy shock caused by the ongoing US-Iran war.

The statement said the decision reflected the country’s evolving energy profile and increased focus on expanding domestic production while maintaining a “responsible, reliable and forward-looking” role in global energy markets.

The UAE emphasised that its exit did not signal a retreat from global energy cooperation. Instead, it aimed to enhance flexibility in responding to market dynamics while continuing to contribute to stability. “Our policies will be guided by responsibility and market stability, taking into account global supply and demand,” the statement said.

Acknowledging more than five decades of association, the UAE said it valued its longstanding cooperation within OPEC, which it joined in 1967 through Abu Dhabi and continued after its formation in 1971. It expressed appreciation for the role of both OPEC and OPEC+ in maintaining market balance.

The statement highlighted that global energy demand was expected to grow steadily despite short-term volatility, including disruptions in the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and underscored the need for a flexible, reliable and affordable supply system.

After the exit, the UAE said it would continue investing across the energy value chain — including oil, gas, and renewables, and low-carbon solutions — and bring additional production to markets in a gradual and measured manner aligned with demand conditions.

Reaffirming its commitment to global market stability, the UAE said it would remain actively engaged with international partners while pursuing economic diversification and long-term energy transition goals.

Numberdars warn protest may extend to Assembly, Lok Sabha elections if 64-km road linking Attargu Mud to Kinnaur remains unbuilt after 25 years

Fourteen villages in the Pin valley of Lahaul & Spiti have decided to boycott the Panchayati Raj elections scheduled for end-May, because the district authorities have failed to build a 64 km-long road that connects Attargu Mud in Pin to Bhaba Nagar in Kinnaur district for several years.

Fed up with the delay, the numberdars of the 14 villages held a meeting under the leadership of the Kothi Numberdar, SP Bodh, a few days ago, to pass this resolution.

“We have decided to deny entry to political parties to even campaign in the area. We have been seeking a road for so many years. We have been patient, but nobody listened to us. We believe that such strong measures are necessary to draw attention to our plight and compel authorities to act,” Bodh told The Tribune.

Kunzang Gatuk, another resident, asserted that the road was not merely a development project but a lifeline for local residents who continue to face severe hardships due to the lack of connectivity.

“We have submitted a memorandum to the state government through Additional Deputy Commissioner Kaza for urgent consideration,” Gatuk told this reporter, adding, “A collective decision had been made after consulting villagers across their respective panchayat areas to boycott the upcoming Panchayat Raj elections if no immediate action was taken with regard to the construction of the road.

“The people have warned that the protest could extend to future Assembly and Lok Sabha elections if the government continued to ignore our demands,” he remarked.

Besides SP Bodh and Kunzang Gatuk, Numberdars Sonam Paldan, Chhewang Gatuk and Lobzang Dorje have also urged the administration to treat the matter with urgency and initiate immediate steps toward the construction of the proposed road.

According to official sources in the Public Works Department, forest clearance is awaited for the construction of this road project, which is why it is delayed. A detailed project report of Rs 99 crore has already been prepared for the purpose.

Lahaul and Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana told The Tribune that the road project was hanging fire for the last 25 years. She said that she had raised this issue twice in the Vidhan Sabha, and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had assured her that he would provide the budget for the construction work.

“A part of this project falls under Kinnaur district, where forest clearance is awaited. The state government is trying to get forest clearance but hasn’t succeeded yet,” she said.

Rana said the project was strategically important and plans were afoot to transfer the project to Border Roads Organisation. “The completion of this project will reduce over 100 km distance between Pin valley and Shimla. It will definitely improve transportation service to the region, which will give impetus to the tourism industry here,” the MLA said.

Shikha Simtia, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kaza, confirmed that she had received a memorandum from the area residents regarding their demand. “I am scheduled to meet these people on April 30 to find a solution to their problem. Every possible effort will be made to persuade them to ensure their participation in the PRI elections,” she told The Tribune.

Brig G Atreya takes over as commandant BEG& Center, Roorkee from Brig KP Singh

The military awaits a fair deal

Officers filing writs in settled matters to pay costs from own pocket, warns HC

IAF dismisses Corporal for gay relation with Australian, AFT grants partial relief over ‘peculiar’ facts

NFU DENIED: GOVT SAYS SOLDIERS ARE TOO COSTLY, ADS ARE NOT

THE FIRST UNRESTRICTED WAR: RED IS THE WINNER(Maj Gen Harvijay Singh, SM)

Army Havildar Nitin Gupta sets new Asian record in 5 km walk for juniors

ran’s new, wild card — Houthis on the Red Sea

India, Pak military budget up post Op Sindoor

Ladakh gets five new districts ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit

When courage knew no age: A teen soldier’s heroics in Congo

What theaterisation could look like: Rotational CDS, three-star theatre commanders in initial years

British Sikh London Marathon runners raise thousands for charity

US reaffirms defence commitment to India, eyes stronger Indo-Pacific security

Rajnath to raise terrorism issue at SCO meeting

I wish to place on record the good wk done by Brig KP Singh as the Comdt BEG & Centre. Wishing him the very best ahead.

I also welcome Brig G Atreya as the new tiger and wish him a professionally invigorating tenure at the helm.God bless Bengal Sappers

from

Lt Gen SS Dhaiya Col Commndt Bengal Sappers

Either dispense with NFU for all Services, or give it to all, including the defence forces

Admiral Arun Prakash retd

Salaries & allowances : The status of the armed forces has been kept vague and undefined. PTI

ACCORDING to media reports, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court recently. Citing the findings of a “high-level committee” constituted to review the demands for salary upgradation of armed forces personnel, the MoD informed the court that “…the complexities in implementation, possible legal complications and significantly large financial implications do not favour the grant of NFU (non-functional financial upgradation) to armed forces personnel.”

Given that one of the signatories to the affidavit is a serving Major General, the unstated acquiescence of the military must be assumed, and no dissent should emerge from our disciplined armed forces. However, NFU has played a major role in distorting the relativity between the civilian Services and the armed forces, and has become an irritant in civil-military relations. There is good reason, therefore, for retired Army officers to seek redressal from courts.

The professional hierarchy that drives the government’s administrative machinery — all recruited via the Union Public Service Commission — is three-tiered. The first among equals are the three All-India Services which serve at the Centre as well as in states: the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). At the next rung are the Central Group ‘A’ Services, that include the Foreign, Revenue, Audit, Postal and other Services. The third tier is occupied by the technical/specialised services, providing expertise in medicine, engineering, science, etc.

Most of these Services have distinct cadre rules and are formally classified as Organised Group ‘A’ Services (OGAS). This categorisation assumes significance since it has come to form the basis of decisions taken by the 10-yearly Central Pay Commissions (CPC) in deciding salaries and allowances of Central government employees. Since the status of the armed forces has been (deliberately?) kept vague and undefined, successive CPCs, maintaining that they do not fall into any “recognised category”, have employed whimsical logic to depress the emoluments and, consequently, the status of the military relative to the Civil Services.

At the heart of the NFU contention lies the “remunerative edge” granted to the IAS and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) by the 4th CPC (1986), which manifests as additional increments across three senior grades. Other Central Services agitated against this “edge”, terming it discriminatory, and argued that this preferential treatment was iniquitous since all candidates were recruited through a common UPSC examination and contrary to the principle of “equal pay for equal work.”

Consequently, NFU was introduced in 2006 by the 6th CPC in order to address the disparity between the IAS and other Central Group ‘A’ Services. Whenever an IAS officer (the benchmark) is empanelled for a particular grade at the Centre, all officers of the OGAS would automatically be granted the same pay scale after a delay of two years, regardless of whether a vacancy existed for their actual promotion. Initially, the government granted NFU only to the OGAS. However, following representations, it was extended to the IPS and IFoS in 2010. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) then approached the courts (2012-19), and after a protracted legal battle, the apex court held that the CAPFs met all criteria for “Organised Group ‘A’ Services” and directed the government to grant them NFU retrospectively from 2006.

The armed forces, even though aggrieved by all these decisions, had no avenue for seeking redressal till the convening of the 7th CPC in 2014 offered them a rare opportunity. In the Joint Services Memorandum (JSM) presented before the CPC, they stated that by extending NFU to the OGAS, but denying it to the military, the 6th CPC (2006) had created a severely anomalous situation.

Commenting on the JSM, a member of the CPC stated that he “…agrees with the view that exclusion of Defence Forces from NFU has been unfair. The gap between career progression in the Defence Forces in comparison with 49 Organised Group ‘A’ Services and IPS/IFoS, which was already large, has been stretched beyond reasonable limits… there is no basis for denying them NFU simply on the ground that they are not classified as an Organised Group ‘A’ Service…This has undermined the status and morale of the Defence Forces, and has been a matter of concern for them for the past decade.”

The JSM had further pointed out that such changes, by downgrading them relative to the IAS, IPS and the CAPFs, had undermined the status of military commanders. Moreover, civilian personnel of organisations such as the Border Roads, Military Engineering Services and Naval Armament Services — created to support the armed forces — having overtaken their military superiors in terms of pay grades, were now demanding an altered relationship.

Then, as now, the MoD seems to have acted as a “spoiler” and its negative intervention served to torpedo the JSM. Against this backdrop, a striking aspect of the 7th CPC report is the discussion (and dissonance) that emerges between the Chairman and two members of the commission, Vivek Rae (an IAS officer), and the economist Dr Rathin Roy, regarding NFU.

In the Chairman’s considered opinion, “…since NFU has been in existence for the last ten years and is being availed by all the Organised Group ‘A’ Services, it should be allowed to continue. The same will be available not only to all organised Central Group ‘A’ Services but also members of CAPFs, ICG (Indian Coast Guard) and Defence Forces.” The two members of the commission have, however, recorded their dissent with this opinion.

Elaborating on the case for withdrawal of NFU from Organised Group ‘A’ Services, Rae said, “In the view of the undersigned, it was a mistake to grant NFU to 49 Organised Group ‘A’ Services, IPS and IFoS till HAG (Higher Administrative Grade) level on untenable grounds of parity with IAS. Exclusion of Defence Forces and CAPFs only aggravated the mistake.” Dr Roy, strongly supporting the case for withdrawal of NFU, said: “I join the dissent of my colleague Mr Vivek Rae and recommend that NFU at the Group `A’ level be completely done away with.”

In March 2023, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal had granted pensionary benefits to several soldiers on the basis of similar cases decided earlier, which was later challenged by the Centre

Observing that the Central Government is filing writ petitions against orders passed in favour of defence personnel by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), even in cases where the law has been settled, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has warned that officers responsible for filing such appeals would be liable to pay costs from their own pockets.

“Though we wanted the present petition to be dismissed with costs to be paid by the concerned officer who decided to file the said writ petition, we refrain from doing so on the repeated requests of the learned counsel for the petitioner. In case the same trend continues in future, costs will also be imposed in such cases,” the Bench of Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi and Justice Deepak Manchanda said in its order dated April 22.

“It may be noticed that the petitioner, Union of India, has started filing writ petitions on a question of law which has already attained finality and the relief has already been granted to similarly situated employees, which is not appreciated,” the Bench ruled.

The said action is also contrary to the Litigation Policy as well as the settled principle of law that once a question of law has been settled, it should be made applicable to all similarly situated employees, the Bench pointed out.

“However, the petitioner has continued filing writ petitions on such settled principles. Hence, the present petition, filed after a period of three years from the order dated 21.03.2023 passed by the Tribunal, not only raises an already settled issue but also reflects that the concerned soldier has not been granted the benefit despite having the order in his favour for the last three years,” the Bench said.

In March 2023, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal had granted pensionary benefits to several soldiers on the basis of similar cases decided earlier, which was later challenged by the Centre.

The government counsel contended before the High Court that while passing orders in 2023, the AFT had missed the instructions issued by the government in 1987, according to which 10 months’ service in a particular rank prior to retirement was mandatory for fixing pension in that rank, whereas the respondent’s service was six months.

The Bench observed that the same issue had come up before the Principal Bench of the AFT and in 2017 it was held that the benefit of pension is to be granted keeping in view the last wages drawn in the same rank by the concerned officers or soldiers before retirement.

The judgment has already been implemented by the Union of India.

“Once a similar benefit has already been extended to other officers/soldiers, the challenge to the grant of such benefit by the Union of India after a period of three years is liable to be rejected, and the same is accordingly rejected,” the Bench ruled.