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SC asks Swamy to establish maintainability of his plea in Sunanda Pushkar death case

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SC asks Swamy to establish maintainability of his plea in Sunanda Pushkar death case

Delhi High Court had earlier rejected BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s plea for a SIT probe in the case and termed it a political interest litigation

The Supreme Court, on Monday (January 29), asked BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to establish the maintainability of his petition that seeks a SIT probe into the mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

The court would entertain Swamy’s plea, which had earlier been dismissed by the Delhi High Court, only after he is able to establish its maintainability and his locus standi in the case.

On Monday, as Swamy’s special leave petition (SLP) came up for hearing before a bench of Supreme Court Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, the judges made it clear to the BJP leader that, “we need to be satisfied regarding the maintainability of the petition, considering the opinion expressed by the High Court.”

It may be recalled that on October 26 last year, the Delhi High Court had rejected a similar petition filed by Swamy while also strongly reprimanding him over it. Dismissing his public interest litigation (PIL) that sought a court-monitored SIT probe into Pushkar’s death, a Division Bench of Justices S Muralidhar and IS Mehta of the Delhi High Court had asked Swamy to “be extremely circumspect in placing such a petition in the public domain even before it is properly considered by the Court”.

The Delhi High Court had dubbed Swamy’s petition as a “textbook example of a ‘political interest litigation’ dressed up as a PIL” and taken a dig at the BJP leader in its order, stating that he “likes to be thought of as a veteran PIL petitioner”.

“The Court should be careful in not letting the judicial process be abused by political personae for their own purposes… That is not to say that no political person can file a PIL. It is only that, in such instances, particularly where the principal allegations are against political opponents, the Court should be cautious in proceeding in the matter,” the Delhi High Court had said in its order.

On Monday, it was these strong observations made by the Delhi High Court against Swamy’s PIL that seemed to weigh heavily on the mind of the Supreme Court Bench as the BJP leader’s petition was moved before it.

“I was arguing the PIL regarding the mode of auction of the IPL media rights by the BCCI when the death of Ms. Pushkar in such mysterious circumstances caught my attention. It took (the Delhi Police) one year to file a FIR in respect of the death despite the autopsy and the post-mortem report confirming that it was an unnatural death. Even the FIR claimed it as a murder”, Swamy told the apex court bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy.

The Bench asked the BJP leader: “What is the conclusion of the police on this? Do they say it is an unnatural death?” to which Swamy responded by saying: “That is what even I want. I want the police to file their reply.”

Expressing concern over the maintainability of Swamy’s petition, the SC Bench said: “the investigation is still going on” while it also sought to know what was the locus standi of the BJP leader in the case. Swamy responded: “I have even appeared in the Jayalalithaa case as a politician. This is a matter of public interest”.

The Bench, while refusing to issue any notices to the Delhi police against Swamy’s plea at the moment, asked the BJP leader to first argue on the issue of maintainability of his petition. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing in 3 weeks.

India News

Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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