Overview
- An ADG-led Special Investigation Team in Noida questioned authority, police, fire, SDRF and NDRF officials over rescue delays and safety lapses, with a detailed report to be sent to the chief minister.
- Police arrested builder Abhay Kumar in Palwal and a court sent him to one day of judicial custody, the NDRF recovered Yuvraj Mehta’s car days after the incident, and the Noida Authority CEO was removed from his post.
- Eyewitness Maninder, who first alleged two hours of inaction, later said teams were trying to rescue in heavy fog and stated police kept him at the station for about five hours, adding to scrutiny of the response timeline.
- In Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar, the Army reported Havaldar Gajendra Singh died after an operation that injured eight soldiers, and joint forces continue searches for two to three suspected terrorists.
- Bangladesh’s NCP and BNP publicly questioned the election commission’s impartiality ahead of the 12 February vote, while separate disputes in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh advanced with a Varanasi redevelopment denial citing AI-generated images, a notice to Swami Avimukteshwaranand over his Shankaracharya claim, and an Indore case in which family members contested official assertions pending verification.