VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html Rob Lowe says he was ‘the only person happy’ after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at Oscars; hoped incident would overshadow his own infamous 1989 Academy Awards performance Scientists engineered bacteria to make stronger silk fibres using mussel protein fragments, boosting tensile strength by up to 345% ‘American terrorist army’: Iran claims second US submarine seized in Hormuz ‘Productive discussion’: EAM Jaishankar, Canada FM Anand discuss taking bilateral ties ‘to a higher level’ ‘What is the point of UNPLEASANT ANTi SMOKING REELS?’: Sanjay Gupta slams smoking posters of ‘Animal’, ‘Dhurandhar’, ‘Love & War’ “How can you keep that hunger?”: Patrick Mahomes opens up on Kansas City Chiefs’ impressive start as quarterback eyes Super Bowl ahead of Week 3 clash In 2018, Jon Bon Jovi paid $10 million for a Palm Beach home, demolished it and rebuilt; two years later he sold the new mansion for $19.85 million and bought a $43 million estate Saudi airstrike kills 7 in Yemen; Delhi PWD minister seen slapping man A Saudi airstrike killed seven people and wounded 40 at a market in Yemen’s Taiz province as fighting intensified following a fresh Houthi offensive. Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif faced criticism on social media over a threat-like gesture he made towards an Afghan woman journalistDelhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma was allegedly caught on video slapping a man during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar, prompting AAP leaders to accuse him of assault.Tamil Nadu government withdrew its RTI exemption for the Public (Law and Order) Department after the move drew criticism from political leaders.The Trump administration is widening its H-1B fraud investigation, with the labour department warning of tougher enforcement and major changes to the programme.Here are the top 5 stories from the day:7 killed, 40 wounded as Saudi airstrike hits Yemen market amid fresh Houthi offensiveA Saudi airstrike killed seven people and wounded 40 others, including children, at a market in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province on Sunday, according to the Houthi-run health ministry and Houthi media. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said a Saudi fighter jet targeted the area. Three Yemeni government military sources said Houthi militants had recently established a military camp near the market. Read full story’Don’t go back like this’: Pakistan minister’s throat-cut gesture to Afghan journalist backfires – videoPakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif faced criticism after making a throat-cut gesture while responding to an Afghan woman journalist at the UN General Assembly in New York. The journalist had questioned him about Pakistan’s message to the Taliban over its policies towards Afghan women. Asif interrupted her, commented on her attire and made the gesture while saying, “Don’t go back like this over there”. Read full story’Oye maar kaise raha hai’: Delhi minister Parvesh Verma slaps man during road inspection; AAP shares videoDelhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma was allegedly seen slapping a man during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar on Sunday. AAP leaders shared a video in which Verma appears to pull down the man’s mobile phone before slapping him. The man, identified as Saheb, said he had come to the spot after the PWD department called for an inspection of the road’s condition. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesRead full storyTamil Nadu govt rolls back law and order department’s RTI exemption amid backlashThe Tamil Nadu government on Sunday withdrew its notification exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the RTI Act, hours after issuing it. The notification had classified the department as an “Intelligence and Security Organisation” under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act. The move faced criticism from political leaders, including Congress’s Karti P Chidambaram and BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan. Read full story‘We have handcuffs ready’: Trump admin warns of major H-1B changes as visa fraud crackdown widensThe Trump administration is expanding a nationwide investigation into alleged foreign-labour fraud, worker exploitation and potential human trafficking linked to the H-1B visa programme. Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said the foreign-labour visa system could look substantially different within a year. Investigators have issued dozens of subpoenas and executed search warrants, while visa applications involving Cognizant and Cloudera were suspended pending a criminal investigation. Read full storyGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorPranjal PandeyPranjal Pandey is a journalist with the editorial desk of The Times of India (Online). He looks at the implications of global events for India, with a particular interest in geopolitics and defence. You can sometimes find him looking at the world map, wondering what’s new.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosViolence Erupts at Punjab’s LPU As Students Protest Over Alleged Rape Case, Police File FIR‘Tried To Drag Me Out Of My Car’: TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh Alleges Second Attack In 24 Hours, Accuses BJP‘Go, Protest In Kerala’: Bengal CM Suvendu Attacks Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi Over SIR-EC Row‘Tried To Normalise Terrorism’: Jaishankar Hits Back At Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif In UNGA SpeechAlbanese Hails Modi’s Energy Push: ‘India Gave More People Access Than Anywhere In History’Delhi Skeleton Mystery: Skeleton-Like Structure Found During BJP Cleanliness Drive | Watch‘Padma Bhushan Is Small, Make Him PM’: Pawan Khera Mocks BJP’s Praise For Gyanesh KumarSkyStriker, HIMARS, Apache: India, US Showcase Firepower At Yudh Abhyas 2026 | WatchTibet Govt-in-Exile Reprimands Activist Sonam Wangchuk, Calls Comparison ‘Misplaced and Inaccurate’India’s Savage ‘Osama’ Reply To Pak PM’s UN Bluster; ‘Repeating Lies Won’t Make It True’123Hot PicksAsian Games India ScheduleBank strikeCJP ProtestIndian Medallists EarningOctober 2026 School HolidaysNaman DhirPunjab school holidayGoogle’s birthdayDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingChess OlympiadRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Sep 27, 2026, 18:47 IST Hiphop Tamizha Adhi’s ‘nepo kids’ dialogue in ‘Meesaya Murukku 2’, sparks indirect attack buzz on Sai Abhyankkar ‘He raised his hand against me’: Youth seen being slapped by Parvesh Verma recounts road-inspection row London designer turns waste mussel shells and local Thames sand into glass; wins £10,000 Design Museum prize | World News Sep 27, 2026, 18:48 IST India’s barrier-free tolling explained: No more stopping as FASTag & number plate recognition will help collect toll automatically Prince Harry’s documentary idea about Princess Diana met with a lot of backlash as Diana’s sisters backed away from the project Why do you sometimes remember something that never happened? In 2023, New York farmer Tony Emmi began turning 30 acres of good farmland into a solar field; three years later, he says the lease pays roughly $1,500 to $1,800 per acre each year In 1988, Ohio attorney Neil McKown secretly bought 155 neglected acres; 38 years later, the family farms nearly 500 acres and he declined a $400,000-$500,000 timber cut to keep the woods Sep 27, 2026, 18:05 IST ‘Ranabaali’: Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna starrer period action drama gets four-part ‘Never Forget’ documentary series ahead of release Chess Olympiad: Savitha Shri heroics bring medal; Arjun Erigaisi turns hero as India bag silver in open section FBI demotes 2 counterterrorism chiefs amid probe into threats against Trump aide Stephen Miller’s wife | World News Jason Sanjay reveals Dulquer Salmaan’s feedback on ‘Sigma’, recalls Vijay’s ‘Pokkiri’ and talks about Ajith Aurora Colorado Moving Trends: New homes, new jobs: Why this Denver-area ZIP code is drawing movers British woman shot dead by father after argument over Donald Trump; grand jury ruled death accidental, mother seeks fresh probe | World News (Representative image): CISF will carry out access-control and screening measures, including frisking with X-ray baggage screening machines and Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs). NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has tightened security around its examination work with 39 CISF personnel deployed at its New Delhi office. The force will monitor confidential areas, control access and screen staff and visitors. The move follows repeated questions over paper leaks and administrative lapses, including the handling of sensitive examination material.The CISF personnel have been deployed at entry and exit points of the confidential areas at the Government of India Press Building on Minto Road. They will carry out access-control and screening measures, including frisking with X-ray baggage screening machines and Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs).The NTA has also demarcated confidential areas within its new premises. Movement and operations in these areas will be closely monitored as part of efforts to prevent unauthorised access to examination material.”Confidential areas have been demarcated in the building where the movement and operations will be strictly monitored to ensure that a foolproof system is in place. The Home Ministry has approved Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security cover for the premises,” a senior official said.NTA shifts sensitive operations to new officeThe security measures come after the NTA moved its confidential and sensitive operations from its earlier office in Okhla to a new facility on Minto Road.”A dedicated over 55,000 square feet office space has been allotted in the Government of India Press Building on Minto Road. The fifth floor and parts of the fourth and sixth floors of the said building have been allotted to the National Testing Agency. Confidential and sensitive operations have been shifted in the last one month to the newly allotted building,” the official said.Other parts of the Government of India Press Building are already protected by the CISF. The NTA will now have a dedicated security arrangement for its examination-related confidential areas.The agency’s new security framework also includes tighter monitoring of examination-critical technology systems. The NTA is working on strict access controls, encryption standards, immutable logging and tamper-evident storage.”Arrangements are being made in mission mode for establishing strict access controls, encryption standards, immutable logging and tamper-evident storage for all examination-critical workloads.”Cybersecurity measures being strengthenedThe NTA is also reviewing the security of systems used throughout the examination cycle. These include candidate registration, fee payment, admit cards, computer-based testing, OMR processing, result systems and other examination-supporting infrastructure.”Running security readiness reviews of all examination-supporting systems before each examination cycle in coordination with NTA’s technology function and coordinating with NTA’s test-security function on the technical security of examination day workflows — including biometric authentication, face-matching, CCTV systems and live monitoring infrastructure — are among the action items being worked upon,” the official said.The agency is also preparing an examination-specific cyber-incident response system. It plans to have enhanced security operations centre monitoring and rapid-response capabilities on examination days.The NTA has designated a dedicated chief information security officer (CISO) to oversee information security.”The position of general manager and CISO has been advertised, and the selection process is at an advanced stage. Independent third-party cyber-security audits by CERT-In and C-DAC empanelled agencies continue to be undertaken,” the official said.Paper leak exposed gaps in confidential sectionThe latest security measures follow the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak, which triggered nationwide student protests and brought scrutiny on the NTA’s examination processes.A CBI chargesheet identified three subject experts as the primary sources of the leaked paper. According to the chargesheet, experts entering the NTA’s confidential section were not checked or frisked during entry or exit.The experts were allegedly able to take briefs from the question papers on small chits made from plain sheets provided to them for rough work and translation.The CBI also noted that the NTA did not have a dedicated CCTV live-feed monitoring control room in its Delhi office. This meant the activities of the three accused experts went unnoticed.The NTA was established in 2017 under the Ministry of Education to conduct fair, transparent and standardised examinations.Earlier reforms and fresh scrutinyThe 2024 NEET paper leak had also led to the setting up of a high-level committee headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan. The panel recommended stronger security controls across the examination process.Its recommendations covered question paper systems, candidate registration, fee payment, admit cards, computer-based testing platforms, OMR processing, normalisation engines and result systems.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesA separate high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani was also announced to recommend reforms to make the examination system leakproof. The panel was set up after the controversy and is yet to submit its report.Following the 2026 paper leak, the Supreme Court reprimanded the NTA, saying “it has not learnt its lessons”.The latest security overhaul therefore extends beyond physical protection of confidential material. The agency is now combining CISF security, tighter access controls, CCTV and live monitoring with cybersecurity audits and technical safeguards across its examination systems.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosViolence Erupts at Punjab’s LPU As Students Protest Over Alleged Rape Case, Police File FIR‘Tried To Drag Me Out Of My Car’: TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh Alleges Second Attack In 24 Hours, Accuses BJP‘Go, Protest In Kerala’: Bengal CM Suvendu Attacks Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi Over SIR-EC Row‘Tried To Normalise Terrorism’: Jaishankar Hits Back At Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif In UNGA SpeechAlbanese Hails Modi’s Energy Push: ‘India Gave More People Access Than Anywhere In History’Delhi Skeleton Mystery: Skeleton-Like Structure Found During BJP Cleanliness Drive | Watch‘Padma Bhushan Is Small, Make Him PM’: Pawan Khera Mocks BJP’s Praise For Gyanesh KumarSkyStriker, HIMARS, Apache: India, US Showcase Firepower At Yudh Abhyas 2026 | WatchTibet Govt-in-Exile Reprimands Activist Sonam Wangchuk, Calls Comparison ‘Misplaced and Inaccurate’India’s Savage ‘Osama’ Reply To Pak PM’s UN Bluster; ‘Repeating Lies Won’t Make It True’123Hot PicksAsian Games India ScheduleBank strikeCJP ProtestIndian Medallists EarningOctober 2026 School HolidaysNaman DhirPunjab school holidayGoogle’s birthdayDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingChess OlympiadRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Rani Mukerji’s mother Krishna Mukerji’s Chautha ceremony: Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Jaya-Shweta Bachchan and other celebs attend the prayer meet In 2017, four artists paid $95,000 to save Nina Simone’s deteriorating childhood home in North Carolina; eight years later, the three-room house where she learned piano was fully restored 20-year-old Azerbaijani woman allegedly drugged, gang-raped in Pakistan’s Lahore Tamil Nadu govt received backlash even from member of its ally Congress over the notification The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday withdrew its notification exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information Act, hours after issuing the Gazette notification that classified the department as an “Intelligence and Security Organisation”.The rollback came after the move drew criticism from political leaders, including Congress’s Karti P Chidambaram and BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan. The government, however, did not publicly cite a specific reason for issuing the exemption or explain why it was withdrawn. An official communication later confirmed that the order issued under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act had been rescinded, reported ANI.What was the notification?The original notification, issued by the Human Resources Management Department and published in the state Gazette, used the power available to state governments under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act. The provision allowed a state government to notify an organisation established by it as an intelligence or security organisation, thereby taking it outside the normal scope of the RTI Act.Tamil Nadu’s notification designated its Public (Law and Order) Department as such an organisation. Had it remained in force, routine RTI access to a broad range of records held by the department would have been restricted.The records covered included information relating to communal and caste clashes, political agitations, police action and custody, deaths of prisoners, police firing, inquiries into law-and-order incidents and requests for withdrawal of cases arising from political or communal tensions.The exemption was not absolute. Section 24 specifically preserves access to information relating to allegations of corruption and human-rights violations, subject to the procedure prescribed under the Act.The notification itself invoked Section 24(4) and classified the department as an intelligence and security organisation. The government has not, in the material available publicly gave a detailed explanation for why the Public (Law and Order) Department was brought under this provision.The department handles sensitive law-and-order and policing-related matters, which appears to be the basis on which the exemption was framed. But that is distinct from saying that the government officially justified the move on a particular security ground. The notification, as reported, simply exercised the statutory power under Section 24(4).The backlashThe proposed exemption would have affected access to records concerning issues such as police firing, custodial deaths, torture, communal and caste clashes and politically sensitive cases, prompting criticism that the move could reduce transparency.Karti Chidambaram initially criticised the decision, saying it “does not set a good precedent” and recalling that the RTI Act was enacted by the UPA government to strengthen democratic accountability.”The Law and Order Department handles crucial matters such as examining inquiry reports on police firing, custodial deaths, torture, and deaths of remand prisoners, security-related detention cases, communal and caste clash reports, requests for withdrawal of politically sensitive cases and matters relating to sanction of prosecution for defamatory articles, news items, and speeches. This crucial information is now being shielded from the public. Such rollbacks are not in line with transparent governance. RTI must be expanded, not restricted,” Chidambaram posted on X.After the government withdrew the notification, he welcomed the decision, saying: “My unsolicited & friendly advice to the TVK Government & CMO Tamil Nadu — don’t let bureaucrats set the tone, tenor & direction of the administration.”Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesBJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan also criticised the original notification, saying: “So they are afraid of meeting the press, they are afraid of meeting the people, and they are afraid of the legal procedures. If you are free and fair, why are you afraid of RTI?” She called the move “undemocratic” and said it should be “highly condemned.”With the withdrawal of the notification, the Public (Law and Order) Department is no longer covered by the newly created exemption.The RTI Act, 2005, establishes a legal framework for citizens to access information held by public authorities, subject to exemptions specified in the law.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. A keen reader with a strong interest in storytelling that adds context, clarity, and depth to complex issues.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosViolence Erupts at Punjab’s LPU As Students Protest Over Alleged Rape Case, Police File FIR‘Tried To Drag Me Out Of My Car’: TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh Alleges Second Attack In 24 Hours, Accuses BJP‘Go, Protest In Kerala’: Bengal CM Suvendu Attacks Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi Over SIR-EC Row‘Tried To Normalise Terrorism’: Jaishankar Hits Back At Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif In UNGA SpeechAlbanese Hails Modi’s Energy Push: ‘India Gave More People Access Than Anywhere In History’Delhi Skeleton Mystery: Skeleton-Like Structure Found During BJP Cleanliness Drive | Watch‘Padma Bhushan Is Small, Make Him PM’: Pawan Khera Mocks BJP’s Praise For Gyanesh KumarSkyStriker, HIMARS, Apache: India, US Showcase Firepower At Yudh Abhyas 2026 | WatchTibet Govt-in-Exile Reprimands Activist Sonam Wangchuk, Calls Comparison ‘Misplaced and Inaccurate’India’s Savage ‘Osama’ Reply To Pak PM’s UN Bluster; ‘Repeating Lies Won’t Make It True’123Hot PicksAsian Games India ScheduleBank strikeCJP ProtestIndian Medallists EarningOctober 2026 School HolidaysNaman DhirPunjab school holidayGoogle’s birthdayDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingChess OlympiadRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Updated: Sep 27, 2026, 17:33 IST ‘Salman Khan and I do very difficult steps’: Ajay Devgn takes hilarious dig at his and Bhaijaan’s dancing skills as ‘Drishyam 3’ stars join ‘Bigg Boss 20’ episode Virender Sehwag’s Gen Z kids feared his Rise And Fall 2 hosting debut would hurt his image, but he chose to try something new ‘We have handcuffs ready’: Trump admin warns of major H-1B changes as visa fraud crackdown widens Meet Christa Barfield, the former Philadelphia healthcare worker who switched careers after a 2018 trip to Martinique; she now runs a 123-acre farm in West Chester and is opening a food-and-medicine store Nayanthara-Vignesh Shivan love story in DETAILS: From secret romance on ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ sets to grand wedding and twin sons 2.5% deposit, £600,000 price cap: How UK’s new home-buying scheme will work | Raf Fairford Incident: Several arrested near UK’s RAF Fairford in explosives probe, US base on highest alert: Key details Suvendu Adhikari on Bengal’s ‘changed winds’ NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said the situation in the state had changed, asserting that people could now recite the Bhagavad Gita “fearlessly”.The first BJP chief minister of Bengal made the remarks at a Bhagavad Gita recital event in Kolkata, where around 11,000 people recited the scripture in unison.CM Suvendu said his government would protect ‘gaumata’ and take action against those who insult monks, while emphasising that “the winds have changed” in the state.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”Recite and distribute the Bhagavad Gita, distribute Hanuman Chalisa without any hesitation. Chant Hare Krishna mantra, blow conches; there is nothing to be scared of. The winds have changed (‘mausam badal gaya hai’),” he said.”The government of tika, sikha, dhoti, tulsi has arrived. The government to protect ‘gaumata’ is here,” he said.The chief minister also said his government “would imprison those who insult monks”.Suvendu urged people at the gathering to remain united and alert against what he called divisive forces.”We all have to remain united and alert against the tukde tukde gang who raise ‘Kashmir maange azadi’ slogan,” Suvendu added.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAbhishek MishraAbhishek Mishra is a Digital Content Producer at The Times of India, working with the news desk. He writes with a keen eye on foreign policy, defence developments, and the shifting currents of geopolitics-and yes, Indian politics always finds a way onto his radar too.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosViolence Erupts at Punjab’s LPU As Students Protest Over Alleged Rape Case, Police File FIR‘Tried To Drag Me Out Of My Car’: TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh Alleges Second Attack In 24 Hours, Accuses BJP‘Go, Protest In Kerala’: Bengal CM Suvendu Attacks Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi Over SIR-EC Row‘Tried To Normalise Terrorism’: Jaishankar Hits Back At Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif In UNGA SpeechAlbanese Hails Modi’s Energy Push: ‘India Gave More People Access Than Anywhere In History’Delhi Skeleton Mystery: Skeleton-Like Structure Found During BJP Cleanliness Drive | Watch‘Padma Bhushan Is Small, Make Him PM’: Pawan Khera Mocks BJP’s Praise For Gyanesh KumarSkyStriker, HIMARS, Apache: India, US Showcase Firepower At Yudh Abhyas 2026 | WatchTibet Govt-in-Exile Reprimands Activist Sonam Wangchuk, Calls Comparison ‘Misplaced and Inaccurate’India’s Savage ‘Osama’ Reply To Pak PM’s UN Bluster; ‘Repeating Lies Won’t Make It True’123Hot PicksAsian Games India ScheduleBank strikeCJP ProtestIndian Medallists EarningOctober 2026 School HolidaysNaman DhirPunjab school holidayGoogle’s birthdayDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingChess OlympiadRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Bank closure this week: When and where will banks stay shut from September 28 to October 4 ‘Nivin Pauly plays an immortal character who has lived for 8000 years,’ Ram reveals the intriguing story of ‘Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai’ ahead of October release Numerology prediction, September 27 to October 03, 2026, based on the first letter of your name Archaeologists have discovered a 1,700-year-old Roman-era pyramid tomb in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis; the small mud-brick monument combines Egyptian, Greek and Roman traditions and held a married couple In 1975, Bob Marley bought Kingston’s 56 Hope Road and made it his home; after his 1981 death, Rita Marley converted the property into a museum six years later, preserving his personal treasures Kosovo is preparing to remove its first dam; the Mirusha project aims to reconnect 35 kilometres of river habitat | World News ‘A person who is sixteen before the ceremony remains sixteen afterwards,’ said Justice Narula NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has refused to quash a POCSO case against a man who married a 16-year-old girl, holding that a marriage claimed to be valid under Muslim personal law cannot shield an adult from prosecution for sexual intercourse with a wife below 18.Justice Sanjeev Narula said the statutory age of 18 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) cannot be replaced by the concept of puberty under personal law. “Put simply, marriage does not advance a child’s age. A person who is sixteen before the ceremony remains sixteen afterwards,” he said, as quoted by ANI.The court was dealing with a petition filed by Bilal and another seeking quashing of FIR No. 189/2026 registered at Darya Ganj Police Station under Section 64(1) of the BNS and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. The petitioners had also sought disciplinary action against police officials and compensation for alleged false implication and harassment.According to the judgment, the girl was born on September 19, 2008, and married Bilal on December 20, 2024, when she was 16 years and three months old. Bilal was born on January 1, 1997 and was nearly 28 at the time. The couple subsequently lived together and the girl became pregnant. By May 2026, she was around eight months pregnant. Her age came to the notice of authorities when she visited a government hospital during her pregnancy.The foetus later died in utero and the girl delivered a stillborn child on June 6, 2026. The judgment records that an order was subsequently obtained from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate for exhumation of the child for DNA profiling and collection of evidence.The FIR was not based on an allegation made by the girl herself. She maintained that the marriage had taken place with the consent of both families, that she had married of her own free will and that physical relations began after the marriage. She also supported Bilal during his bail proceedings and expressed a desire to have him by her side during her pregnancy.The petitioners argued that under Muslim personal law, a Muslim of sound mind who has attained puberty is competent to marry and that, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, puberty is presumed after the age of 15. They contended that since the girl had attained puberty before the nikah, the marriage was valid and the subsequent sexual relationship could not attract criminal liability.The High Court rejected the argument, observing, “Personal law may determine whether a marriage has been contracted and the civil consequences that follow. It cannot supply an exception to a criminal law where Parliament has provided none.”The court clarified that it was not deciding whether the nikah was valid, void or voidable. Even if the marriage were assumed to be valid, it said, that would not take sexual intercourse with a person below 18 outside the scope of POCSO or the BNS. The court also rejected the argument that the girl’s consent or the absence of force and coercion could take the case outside POCSO.“POCSO does not confer such a power upon the child, her parents, or the Court,” it observed.The court further said that the age difference between the couple did not by itself establish guilt, but was relevant while considering whether the court should exercise its exceptional jurisdiction to terminate a POCSO prosecution at the threshold.The HC also rejected the argument that the FIR was unsustainable because neither the girl nor her family had approached the police, adding in this case, once doctors learnt that the pregnant patient was below 18, the statutory reporting mechanism was triggered, the court said.The court also rejected the petitioners’ reliance on constitutional freedoms under Articles 21, 25 and 26, holding that they could not create an exception to a generally applicable penal law enacted for the protection of children.“Constitutional liberty protects choice; it does not create an exception to POCSO or the BNS,” the judgment said.The court cautioned against an interpretation that would effectively introduce a marital exception into POCSO for children below 18.Justice Narula added that, “The statutory protection would then depend not upon the age of the child, but upon whether a marriage had been arranged before the sexual relationship was discovered. That would turn the legislation on its head.”“The conclusion is narrower: a marriage claimed to be valid under Muslim personal law cannot, by reason of that status alone, confer immunity from POCSO or BNS for sexual intercourse with a wife who was below 18 at the relevant time. Any other view would create, through judicial decision, an exception which Parliament has expressly excluded,” he added.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe court acknowledged that individual cases may involve “affection rather than violence, and relationships rather than predation”, but said such circumstances could not permit courts to rewrite the statutory definition of an offence.Dismissing the petition, the High Court held that a marriage claimed to be valid under Muslim personal law cannot, merely because of that status, confer immunity from POCSO or the BNS for sexual intercourse with a wife who was below 18 at the relevant time.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. A keen reader with a strong interest in storytelling that adds context, clarity, and depth to complex issues.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Tried To Drag Me Out Of My Car’: TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh Alleges Second Attack In 24 Hours, Accuses BJP‘Go, Protest In Kerala’: Bengal CM Suvendu Attacks Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi Over SIR-EC Row‘Tried To Normalise Terrorism’: Jaishankar Hits Back At Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif In UNGA SpeechAlbanese Hails Modi’s Energy Push: ‘India Gave More People Access Than Anywhere In History’Delhi Skeleton Mystery: Skeleton-Like Structure Found During BJP Cleanliness Drive | Watch‘Padma Bhushan Is Small, Make Him PM’: Pawan Khera Mocks BJP’s Praise For Gyanesh KumarSkyStriker, HIMARS, Apache: India, US Showcase Firepower At Yudh Abhyas 2026 | WatchTibet Govt-in-Exile Reprimands Activist Sonam Wangchuk, Calls Comparison ‘Misplaced and Inaccurate’India’s Savage ‘Osama’ Reply To Pak PM’s UN Bluster; ‘Repeating Lies Won’t Make It True’‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN123Hot PicksAsian Games India ScheduleBank strikeCJP ProtestIndian Medallists EarningOctober 2026 School HolidaysNaman DhirPunjab school holidayGoogle’s birthdayDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingChess OlympiadRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court New mobile recharge rules: 30-day plans, call-only options and more; TRAI rules explained Kashmera Shah stands by Sunita Ahuja, questions Komal Rani’s allegations amid Govinda affair rumours Kareena Kapoor Khan’s latest all-white look has a secret styling trick fashion girls will notice Weekly Career Horoscope, September 27 to October 03, 2026: Success, challenges, and breakthroughs; Know about your Career