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India’s very own Olympic hero, Neeraj Chopra, is all set to feature in a one-day javelin event in May 2024. The event, to be held in Bengaluru, is being organised by JSW Sports, on the name of the ace athlete, with some of the finest javelin throwers all across the globe being invited. In a chat with reporters on April 21, Neeraj confirmed that he has sent an invite to some of the finest javelin throwers he has competed with, including Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem.

Neeraj and Arshad share both a rivalry and friendship, having competed alongside each other for years at different global events. However, Arshad’s participation in India for an international event could turn out to be a little complicated.

“Yes, I have spoken to Arshad Nadeem”, Neeraj told reporters on Monday. However, Arshad hasn’t yet confirmed if he will be able to participate. “He said he would discuss it with his coach and confirm. But as of now, he hasn’t confirmed. Once the athletes confirm, I’ll be able to share the final list. Every top athlete has been invited, and Arshad has also been invited. (If he competes), it will involve the government, so once everything is confirmed, we will know the final list.”

Rohit Yadav is among 3-4 Indian athletes who will be participating in the event, including Neeraj, the Paris Olympics silver medal-winner, has confirmed.

Among the top athletes from whom Neeraj has already received the nod, the names are, Anderson Peters (a two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist) Thomas Rohler (a former Olympic champion), Yulius Yego (an Olympic medallist and former world champion), Curtis Thompson( the world leader from the USA), etc. A number of other top performers from Europe and other parts of the globe are also in line to participate in the one-day event.

A conversation between Neeraj and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already taken place on the subject. Neeraj only spoke to the media after receiving positive confirmation from the Karnataka CM.

Chopra also confirmed that the event was originally planned to take place in his native state, Haryana, at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula. But it will now be held in Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

Explaining the reason behind the change of venue, the javelin star said, “The stadium in Haryana does not have adequate lighting required for the broadcasting. It was 600 lux (in Tau Devi Lal Stadium) but we needed more. There was not enough time to get it fixed on time.”

Former Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Om Prakash’s wife on Monday was arrested in connection with his murder at his residence in Bengaluru, police said. 

Prakash’s wife Pallavi (64) was arrested under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. 

The developments came as the Bengaluru police Commissioner Dayanand ordered the transfer of the high-profile murder case to the Central Crime Branch (CCB). The CCB is set to officially assume charge of the investigation from tomorrow. A local court later remanded Pallavi in judicial custody for 14 days.

Sixty-eight-year-old Prakash was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife at their residence in HSR Layout on Sunday evening. His body was found with multiple stab wounds to his stomach and chest. 

Sources say Pallavi is the prime suspect, with her son Karthikesh saying she had threatened to kill his father.

In his complaint, Karthikesh said in view of the threats, Prakash had left home to stay with his sister. Two days before he was allegedly killed, his daughter Kruthi visited him and coaxed him to return. She brought back Prakash following which a case was registered.

Karthikesh also alleged that Pallavi and his sister, Kruthi, have been suffering from mental health issues. “My mother, Pallavi, and my sister, Kruthi, have been suffering from depression and used to fight with my father frequently. I strongly suspect that they are involved in the murder of my father,” he said. 

Sources said the investigation also found that Pallavi is suffering from schizophrenia and other mental health issues. She had created a ruckus several times in the IPS Officers’ Quarters Residential Complex where the couple lived and ran into other homes shouting insults.

What Happened On Sunday Evening

According to Karthikesh, he was at the Karnataka Golf Association in Domlur in the evening when he received a call from a neighbour. The neighbour told him his father was found lying in a pool of blood with multiple injuries. A broken bottle and a knife were found the next morning.

Karthikesh alleged that his father suffered a head injury a few months ago when Pallavi hit him with a stone.

How The Murder Came To Light

Sources said a preliminary inquiry revealed that Pallavi allegedly threw chilli powder at Prakash, tied him up, attacked him with a glass bottle, and stabbed him to death. After stabbing him to death, his wife confessed to another policeman’s wife about the crime. This woman informed her husband, who alerted the cops about the murder.

Reports suggest the former DGP and his wife had an altercation over a property that turned physical and led to the murder. The cops are also investigating whether Kruthi played a role in the murder.

Prakash, originally from Bihar, held a Master’s Degree in Geology. He became the Director General of Police of Karnataka in March this year. Earlier, he had served as the chief of the Fire and Emergency Services and Home Guards.

Ex-Top Cop’s Wife Claimed He Poisoned Her

Meanwhile, Pallavi claimed she suspected Prakash of poisoning her and said she was a “hostage” in her own house and that the top cop’s men kept an eye on her movements.

NDTV has accessed messages Pallavi sent to multiple WhatsApp groups she was part of. 

In one of the messages to an IPS officers’ group, she sought urgent action against her husband, a 1981-batch IPS officer. She said Prakash’s revolver must be seized immediately. “I am a hostage. Always in surveillance by Omprakash’s agents wherever I go,” she said.

She also alleged the former top cop was poisoning her. “I have been asking him to live separately for years, but to no avail. Wherever I go on my own, the same food and water poisoning starts.” 

In one of the messages, Pallavi said even food deliveries were “adulterated” on her husband’s instructions. “Money makes everything so easy. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” she said.

Bhaiya, sorry. Sorry bhaiya. Bhaiya, bhaiya, bhaiya, please. A shaken biker, with folded hands, keeps on repeating, as if stuck in a never-ending loop. A man, who appears he works out big time, goes about assaulting him, shows a disturbing video from Gurugram.

The hulked up man, with a tattooed forearm and sporting a beard, thumps the biker’s chest. Then grabs him by the face of the helmet and gives him a vigorous shake even as the biker pleads, the video shows.

At this point another man, in a red vest, holds him by the helmet and gives him a sharp smack. Then he goes to the other side, and knocks him on the head, shows the video, the helmet glass flies out.

“The incident occurred on Sunday when a group of bikers were heading from Ambience Mall to Pataudi for breakfast. A resident of Gurugram has filed a police complaint at Sector 37 police station. A heated argument broke out on the Dwarka Expressway due to rash driving by the Scorpio occupants, which escalated into violence. An FIR has been filed,” said Gururgam police.

“The accused in the video have been identified and will soon be arrested,” said the police.

In another video, the man can be seen hitting the biker with the baseball bat, which hits him on the helmet. No one intervenes as the men go about assaulting the man in full public view, shows the video.

In another clip, the men can be seen targeting the superbike with the baseball bat. Going at it again and again, with full force, mouthing expletives directed at the biker.

Curious onlookers hang around, but then move away. Cars stop briefly, and some passersby but no one helps.

Mark Mobius said that India needs to swiftly reduce bureaucratic hurdles in investment and trade processes.

India is not decoupled from Donald Trump’s tariff risks but it is in a good spot to take over the supply chain from China, says Mark Mobius, chairman of Mobius Emerging Opportunities Fund. The veteran investor believes that India needs to act quickly to take advantage of the global supply chain shift away from China.
In an interview with ET, Mobius said that India needs to swiftly reduce bureaucratic hurdles in investment and trade processes.

Asked whether India can remain protected from the trade war, Mobius said, “Everybody is in the same soup. Nobody can generally escape. India will be entangled more in the global trade war because it will become a major supplier going forward.”
“India is in a very good spot. It is in a position to take over the supply chain from China. But India has got to move quickly to liberalise the system for investment and also liberalise its trade system,” Mobius said.
Also Read | Elon Musk’s Tesla eyes India to diversify its global supply chain; in talks with CG Semi, Micron
According to Mobius, for companies to engage in exports, they need seamless access to import machinery and essential components. Currently, the complex bureaucratic procedures in India make this process challenging for businesses, he opines.
Simplifying these administrative processes would attract international corporations like Apple to establish manufacturing facilities and commence production operations in India, he added.
Global Stock Market & US Economy Outlook
Regarding market uncertainties stemming from Donald Trump’s inconsistent tariff policies, he said that the situation remains complex. “He (Trump) has got a pile of trade deals to sort out before his 90-day timeout on some tariffs runs out. And let’s face it, when you are negotiating, you have to give something to get something. People who have worked on trade deals in the past say this kind of rushed timeline brings all sorts of complications and roadblocks.So, brace yourself, the market is likely to get even shakier,” he warned.
Regarding the US economic outlook, Mobius said that a recession appears likely, particularly due to insufficient money supply growth. However, this downturn is expected to be relatively brief, lasting approximately one quarter. The Trump administration will likely implement measures to prevent a prolonged economic decline, he said.
Also Read | Apple looks to manufacture more iPhones in India as Trump’s tariffs hit China harder: Report
‘China in big trouble’
According to Mobius, China is in ‘big trouble’. He is of the view that China faces significant economic challenges at present. The nation has developed remarkable infrastructure throughout the country, yet finds itself vulnerable due to its heavy reliance on US trade relations, he cautioned.
“They are trying to get around it by transhipping to other countries like Vietnam and even India. The US realises that and is cracking down on China’s behaviour. Internally, China also has its own set of challenges, particularly between China and Taiwan, adding to the uncertainty. We are cautious about China because of the trade war, and the geopolitical tensions only make the outlook more uncertain,” he said.

Former Karnataka Police chief Om Prakash, who was found dead at his Bengaluru home yesterday, fought with his wife Pallavi in the afternoon. During this fight, she allegedly threw chilli powder at him, tied him up and then stabbed him to death, sources have said. The 68-year-old was also attacked with a glass bottle.

After the murder, the retired officer’s wife spoke to the wife of another cop and told her that she had killed her husband, the sources said. The woman she called told her husband, who informed the cops. On reaching the crime scene, police detained Pallavi and their daughter. The mother and daughter have now been questioned for about 12 hours.

The wife, Pallavi, according to sources, is the prime suspect in the shocking murder of the former police chief. Om Prakash’s body has multiple stab wounds on the abdomen and chest.

According to reports, Om Prakash and Pallavi had an altercation over property he had transferred to a relative. This quarrel turned physical and she is suspected of having stabbed him. Police are investigating whether his daughter played a role in the murder. A case has been registered based on a complaint by Om Prakash’s son.

Bengaluru Additional Commissioner of Police Vikas Kumar said police were informed around 4 am about the retired officer’s death.

Om Prakash was an Indian Police Service officer of the 1981 batch. He was appointed Director General of Police in March 2015. Before that, he also headed Fire and Emergency Services and Home Guards. Originally from Bihar, he held a Master’s degree in Geology. 

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, “Retired Director General of Police On Prakash has been murdered. Preliminary information indicates his wife committed the crime, but it’s under investigation. We have to wait. He worked with me when I was Home Minister in 2015, he was a good officer and a good human being. This shouldn’t have happened. Investigation will reveal everything.”

Chennai Super Kings in action during IPL 2025© AFP

Karnataka’s former police chief Om Prakash was found dead at his Bengaluru home on Sunday. He was 68. There was blood everywhere on the floor where his body – with multiple stab wounds to his stomach and chest – was found, the police said.

His wife, Pallavi, daughter and another family member were in the house at the time of the incident, sources said. All three have been detained and are being questioned. The police control room received a call from another person, informing about the body, sources said.

An FIR has been registered based on a complaint by the son of the former top cop.  

As per sources, Prakash and his wife often used to quarrel.

Bengaluru Additional Commissioner of Police Vikas Kumar said it appears a sharp weapon was used to attack the retired police officer.

“Today afternoon around 4-4.30 pm, we got information about the death of our former DGP and IGP Om Prakash. His son has been contacted and he is giving a complaint against the incident, and based on that, an FIR will be registered,” Mr Kumar had told reporters.

“After the case is registered, a detailed investigation will be carried out… Immediately, there are no arrests. Initial investigation suggests that things might be internal in nature… It seems that some sharp weapon has been used, which caused so much blood loss that it led to death,” he said.

The former top cop lived on the ground floor of his three-storey house in Bengaluru’s HSR Layout.

The police said they suspect the involvement of a family member, news agency PTI reported.

The body has been sent for autopsy.

Om Prakash was an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1981-batch.

He was appointed Director General of Police in March 2015. Before that, he also headed Fire and Emergency Services, and Home Guards.