New Delhi, Sep 28: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated the Conference on ‘PRAHAAR – CT Policy and Strategy’ today in New Delhi. The Conference deliberated upon the seven pillars of PRAHAAR including Prevention, Response, Aggregating Internal Capacities, Human Rights, Attenuating Conditions for Terrorism, Aligning International Efforts and Recovery &Resilience through a whole-of-society approach.

The Conference was attended by Union Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Heads of CAPFs/CPOs, DGsP of 15 States, ATS Chiefs of all the States/UTs in person while other State DGsP and cutting-edge police officers joined the Conference virtually.

In his address, Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India has adopted a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy against all forms and manifestations of terrorism. He also stressed on the need for consistent efforts to strengthen and improvise the PRAHAAR strategy through a continuous analysis of terror incidents and establishing a strong and concrete PRAHAAR mechanism for the next 10 years. Focussing on percolation of the tenets of PRAHAAR up to the Thana level, he impressed upon adopting a proactive approach towards every aspect of the PRAHAAR initiative. Mentioning various steps undertaken for mitigating terrorist threats, he advocated institutionalising an automated counter terrorism response at every level of the framework. Impressing upon the necessity of result-oriented approach towards each pillar of PRAHAAR, he called for coordination among the stakeholders to prevent any delay in action.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, from 2019 to 2026, the Modi government successfully brought back 288 fugitive criminals to India from 36 countries.  As a result of better coordination among agencies, more than 40 modules of Shahzad Bhatti network involved in cross-border smuggling of weapons, explosives and narcotics were busted, more than 100 FIRs were registered and 350 individuals were arrested across 15 states. He said, at the same time, Modi Govt. declared Shahzad Bhatti network a terrorist organisation under UAPA.

Union Home Minister also launched a new Extradition Portal, which will synergise and expedite the efforts to bring back fugitives from abroad. He exhorted the State Police Forces to establish dedicated teams for working in tandem with the Central agencies to bring back fugitives from abroad.

New Delhi, Sep 28: The Supreme Court on Monday asked media outlets, journalists and publishing platforms to practise responsible, empathetic and restrained journalism while reporting sexual offences.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said sensationalist headlines, graphic or lurid descriptions of sexual violence, and insensitive phraseology fail to serve any public interest and risk causing severe secondary trauma to the victims and their families.

The top court took cognisance of the alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl at the Aastha Kunj Park in south Delhi, the alleged gang-rape and murder of a teenage girl in the Swaroop Nagar area of Delhi, and the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl inside a moving sleeper bus that the law enforcement agencies allegedly failed to intercept as it traversed more than 47 km from Greater Noida to Delhi.

“Before concluding, we find it imperative to observe that media reporting on sexual offences carries a profound constitutional and ethical duty. Media outlets, journalists and publishing platforms must remain deeply mindful of their solemn obligation to practice responsible, empathetic and restrained journalism in such matters.

“Sensationalist headlines, graphic or lurid descriptions of sexual violence, and insensitive phraseology fail to serve any public interest and risk causing severe secondary trauma to the victims and their families,” the bench said.

The top court reminded all print, electronic and digital media organisations of the strict statutory mandate under Section 72 of the BNS, as well as Section 23 of the POCSO Act, prohibiting the disclosure, whether direct or indirect, of the identity of any victim of sexual assault or minor child.

“Headlines and reportage must prioritise dignity, factual accuracy and institutional accountability over sensationalism, ensuring that the discourse remains centred on justice and safety.

“The district administration should call for an immediate meeting with the media houses to provide a dedicated column in the newspapers and a dedicated time in the electronic media to provide information on the protective devices and the telephone numbers, which could be accessed for immediate assistance in the event of a perceived threat,” the bench said.

The apex court said it was sure that the print and electronic media would rise to the occasion and provide a dedicated column/time, pro bono, including the phone numbers that could provide immediate assistance on such threats occurring.

“We appoint Liz Mathew, the learned senior counsel, to act as Amicus and assist this court on this burning issue. Registry shall provide one copy of this order along with the newspaper cuttings attached with it to the learned Amicus at the earliest. The Registry shall also inform the learned Amicus about this order at the earliest,” the bench said.

New Delhi, Sep 28: Continuing its sustained crackdown on organised gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a pan-India gold smuggling syndicate along with the seizure of 6.61 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold worth around Rs. 10.36 crore.

The syndicate operated through the courier network and had transported 318 kg smuggled gold worth Rs. 475 crore through courier channels in past nine months. Eleven persons, including one of the masterminds, have been arrested.

Acting on specific intelligence regarding regular smuggling of foreign-origin gold through the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam, followed by its transportation to different parts of the country through courier consignments, DRI mounted a coordinated multi-city operation on 23–24.09.2026. Simultaneous interceptions and searches were conducted at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Guwahati.

During the operation, live courier consignments containing smuggled gold, booked from Guwahati and Kolkata for delivery in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, were intercepted. Seven recipients of the consignments were apprehended, while simultaneous searches at the premises of the consignors/ shippers in Kolkata led to the apprehension of three more persons. In a swift follow-up action, one of the masterminds coordinating the dispatch and delivery of the smuggled gold was also apprehended in Mumbai.

The investigation revealed that the syndicate was splitting smuggled gold into multiple small courier consignments for transportation from Guwahati and Kolkata to different recipients in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad for disposal in the domestic market. The consignors/shippers and recipients were found to be paper entities/persons without any legitimate gold transactions, indicating the deliberate use of the courier network to conceal and distribute the smuggled gold.

A total of 6.61 kg foreign-origin gold in bar form, valued at approximately Rs. 10.36 crore, was recovered from the intercepted consignments and seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Eleven persons associated with the syndicate have been arrested.

Significantly, the preliminary scrutiny of documentary evidence has revealed the staggering scale of the syndicate’s operations: in just nine months of the current calendar year, approximately 318 kg smuggled gold, valued at around Rs. 475 crore, had already been transported and delivered through the same courier-based network. Further investigation is underway.

The operation highlights DRI’s continued focus on disrupting organised gold-smuggling networks at every stage of the supply chain, including the use of unconventional logistics and courier channels for distribution of smuggled gold across the country.