India launches fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
New Delhi: As diplomatic tensions with Canada simmer, India has discreetly strengthened its maritime defense by launching its fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) at the Ship Building Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam. The new submarine, codenamed S4, was launched on October 16, bolstering India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Very Low Frequency Naval Station in Telangana just a day earlier, which will enhance command, control, and communication with India’s strategic naval assets.
This new SSBN is a significant upgrade, carrying 3,500 km-range K-4 ballistic missiles with vertical launch capabilities. It reflects India’s growing focus on indigenous defense manufacturing, with nearly 75% of the submarine’s components sourced domestically. Unlike the earlier INS Arihant, which carries K-15 missiles with a 750 km range, all successors—including the newly launched S4—are designed to deploy only the longer-range K-4 missiles.
The SSBNs, with virtually unlimited endurance constrained only by food supplies and crew fatigue, serve as a key element of India’s second-strike capability. Both INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, the first two in the series, are already on deep-sea patrols. The third SSBN, INS Aridhaman, is set to be commissioned next year, while a Russian Akula-class nuclear attack submarine will join the fleet on lease by 2028.
India's focus on enhancing its submarine-based deterrence reflects a strategic shift, especially against adversaries like China. With long-range Chinese missiles such as the Dong Feng-21 and Dong Feng-26 posing a threat to aircraft carriers, the Modi government has prioritized nuclear attack submarines and ballistic missile platforms over the construction of a third aircraft carrier.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) also recently approved the construction of two nuclear-powered attack submarines to reinforce India’s presence in the Indo-Pacific. Additionally, the Indian Navy is boosting its conventional fleet, with the sixth Kalvari-class submarine, INS Vagsheer, set to be commissioned in December. Plans are also underway to build three more advanced diesel attack submarines in partnership with the French Naval Group.
Given the presence of 10-11 Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean every month and with China’s carrier-based patrols expected to increase by 2025-26, India’s strategic submarines are poised to play a critical role in securing its interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
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UP man gets life term for electrocuting mentally challenged wife to death in Bareilly
Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A local court here has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his mentally challenged wife by repeatedly electrocuting her while she was tied to a cot, lawyers said on Thursday.
Additional district government counsel Harendra Singh Rathore said Additional Sessions Judge Avinash Kumar Singh on Wednesday convicted Vinod Kumar (45) for killing his wife, Satyavati, in Chaina village of Bareilly district and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on him.
According to the prosecution, he was allegedly frustrated with his wife Satyavati's mental illness and often assaulted her.
Rathore said the prosecution examined nine witnesses to establish the charges against him.
As per court records, on the night of May 1-2, 2022, when Satyavati was asleep, Vinod tied her hands and legs to a cot using ropes and then connected an aluminium cable to an electric board to repeatedly administer electric shocks to her.
"She writhed in pain, but the accused continued to electrocute her until she died," the prosecution said.
The court observed that the murder was carried out in an inhuman manner.
After committing the crime, the accused threw the rope and cable on the roof and left for work at a brick kiln around 2 am to create a false alibi.
He later tried to mislead the police and the victim's family by claiming that Satyavati, whose mental condition was unstable, had accidentally died by suicide after grabbing a live electric wire.
However, the victim's brother, Sanjeev, a resident of Shahjahanpur district, suspected foul play and lodged an FIR under sections 498A (husband subjecting wife to cruelty) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code at Nawabganj police station.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on the post-mortem report prepared by Dr Faraz Anwar, who stated that multiple electrocution marks found on different parts of the victim's body could not have been self-inflicted.
The police also recovered the rope and electric wire used in the crime on the accused's identification, officials said.
