IAF to conduct major exercise in Rajasthan from July 23; NOTAM issued
According to sources, the Indian Air Force is set to carry out a major military exercise in Rajasthan, covering areas from Barmer to Jodhpur.
'The exercise is scheduled to take place in Rajasthan near the International Border, is part of the IAF's regular operational readiness drills. It could be between two or three commands of IAF. We keep issuing NOTAM during such exercise to keep airspace cleared of any civilian aircraft,' said the official.
The intensive drill will including frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Mirage 2000, and Sukhoi-30 aircraft, along with air-defence system and support systems. The drill will also involve preparedness during night operations.
The drill comes amid heightened alertness at India-Pakistan border where India Air Force is focusing on strategic preparedness and enhancing air defence capabilities.
The region witnessed Pakistani drone and missile intrusions during Operation Sindoor, where Pakistan launched 413 drone attacks targeting Rajasthan's Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Sri Ganganagar districts. All of these aerial attacks were foiled by advanced air defence system deployed by Indian defence forces.
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The Hindu
3 hours ago
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Nearly two decades ago, on July 11, 2006, Mumbai was shaken by a coordinated series of bomb blasts that left an indelible scar on the city's collective memory. Within a matter of minutes, seven explosions ripped through suburban trains on the Western Railway line during the peak evening rush hour, killing 189 people and seriously injuring 824. According to the Mumbai Police, the bombs had been assembled using pressure cookers and strategically planted to cause maximum devastation during the city's busiest commute hours. In the immediate aftermath, the Congress-led Maharashtra government handed over the investigation to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Eventually, 13 individuals were put on trial in connection with the blasts and 17 others, including Pakistani nationals, were named in the ATS chargesheet. Why did the High Court set aside the convictions? The prosecution's case rested primarily on eyewitness testimonies, the recovery of explosives, and confessional statements. 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The court concluded that without his testimony, the approval for invoking MCOCA lacked legal validity. Destruction of evidence A key point of contention was the call detail records (CDRs) of the accused. Although the defence repeatedly sought access to them, the prosecution claimed the records had been destroyed. The court found this deeply troubling, noting that the CDRs were crucial for establishing the accused's whereabouts during alleged conspiracy meetings and for verifying or refuting claims of contact with operatives in Pakistan. It concluded that the destruction of such potentially exculpatory evidence appeared deliberate and amounted to the suppression of material facts. This, the court held, cast 'serious doubts over the integrity of the investigation' and constituted a 'grave violation of the right to a fair trial.' 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