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Due to worsening air quality in Delhi, primary schools will remain closed until November 10, with an option for grades 6-12 to switch to online classes. This decision comes after the city experienced ‘Severe’ pollution levels. Air quality, though slightly improved, remains a concern.

In response to the crisis, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has requested a ban on non-compliant vehicles and an emergency meeting with neighboring states’ environment ministers. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also called for immediate action and responses from the affected states to address the air pollution issue.

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— Gopal Rai (@AapKaGopalRai) November 4, 2023

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The Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau’s Gurgaon unit recently busted a drug smuggling operation that’s worth a whopping Rs 2.5 crore. Three men ended up in hot water after attempting to send the drugs to Israel using a courier service. Here’s the lowdown on the whole deal.

Back in August, ASI Sandeep, the man behind the mission, swooped down on a Udyog Vihar courier company. Inside a package destined for Ramat Gan in Tel Aviv, Israel, they discovered a stash of 512 grams of amphetamine. The drug bust went down on August 9, but it took a bit of detective work to track down the culprits.

Turns out, the three shady characters responsible for this illicit shipment are Zubair Khan and Rajeev Tripathi from Jaipur, and Ram Lal from Himachal Pradesh. Khan and Tripathi got nabbed on a Thursday, and they caught Lal on the following Friday.

The Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau’s Gurgaon unit isn’t done yet; they’re on the lookout for more folks involved in this operation. If you stumble upon any suspicious drug activity, do your part and call their toll-free number at 90508-91508.

According to ASI Sandeep, it’s becoming quite a common gig to discover drugs in courier company packages around these parts. They were tipped off by the company staff after an X-ray scan raised suspicions about one particular box. Lo and behold, it had an Israeli address on it.

When they cracked it open, they found a bedsheet, two pillow covers, and a wristband (the kind with Rudraksha beads in the middle). Hidden inside the bedsheet was a sneaky little polythene packet, which, you guessed it, turned out to be amphetamine. The whole shebang was enough to trigger the filing of an FIR under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act Section 21C/61/85 at the Udyog Vihar police station.

And just in case you thought this was an isolated incident, in October, they stumbled upon 155 grams of opium cunningly concealed under the soles of a pair of shoes intended for the US. This little surprise was uncovered at another courier company in Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon.

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Tragedy struck in North Delhi on a Saturday when two young guys, Gaurav Kumar, 20, and his buddy Sahil Singh, 21, lost their lives in a home explosion gone wrong. They were trying to whip up some firecrackers in their place at Tikri Khurd village in Narela.

The grim news unfolded when Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra (SRHC) Hospital dialed the cops on that fateful Saturday. The doctors there sadly confirmed that Gaurav and Sahil had already passed away when they arrived at the hospital late in the night.

The police rushed to the scene and checked out the addresses of the unfortunate pair. They discovered that both friends had sustained burn injuries and were hurried to the hospital by their neighbors and family members.

According to Ravi Kumar Singh, who’s the DCP for the Outernorth area, it seems Gaurav was known for setting up a stall during Diwali and other festive times. He sold items like lamps, cotton, oil lamps, and, of course, firecrackers. At his home, he had stashed some potash and sulfur for the upcoming Diwali celebrations. The explosion seems to have been triggered when these substances accidentally mixed.

Sahil had come over to Gaurav’s place to hang out on that Saturday, and they were busy working on packing materials when the tragic blast happened. Gaurav’s parents were outside the house when the explosion occurred. The police are also talking to family members to gather more information.

In response to the incident, the police are registering a case against unknown individuals under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 285 (dealing carelessly with flammable materials), 286 (handling explosive substances negligently), and 304A (causing death due to negligence).