Himachal: Light rain, snowfall forecast at higher reaches from Dec 31; orange alert for fog
Shimla (PTI): Following a continuous dry spell for more than a month, the mid and high hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh are likely to receive light rain or snowfall between December 31 and January 2, as a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayas, the Met office forecast.
It also issued an orange alert on Saturday, warning of dense to very dense fog over parts of the Bhakra dam reservoir area in Bilaspur district and areas in the Balh valley (Mandi district) on December 28 and 29.
Light rain or snow is likely at isolated places in mid and higher hills from December 31, 2025, to January 2, 2026, as a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region from December 30, the local meteorological station said.
Dry weather is likely to prevail during the remaining days of the week and minimum temperatures are likely to rise by 2-4 degrees Celsius during the next two or three days, it said, adding that minimum temperatures are likely to fall gradually by 2-5 degrees during the rest of the week.
Meanwhile, maximum temperatures rose by few notches at most places, with Una recording the hottest day temperature of 24.2 degrees Celsius while state capital Shimla, Bhuntar, Manali and Kalpa recorded maximum temperatures of 19.2 degrees Celsius, 20.5 degrees Celsius, 15.5 degrees Celsius and 12.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The minimum temperature hovered near freezing point at many places, with Kukumseri the coldest at minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Tabo at minus 3.9 degrees Celsius.
The state received 99 percent deficit in rainfall during December so far and all districts except Lahaul and Spiti witnessed 100 percent rainfall deficit.
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EC hands over probe into gherao of seven judicial officers in Bengal's Malda to NIA
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission of India on Thursday handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, following a Supreme Court directive.
Observing that West Bengal was the "most polarised state", the Supreme Court delivered a stinging indictment of the state administration after seven judicial officers engaged in SIR exercise were held hostage by protesters in Malda district and directed a CBI or NIA probe into the incident.
In an April 2 letter to the National Investigating Agency, the poll body referred to the apex court's order and directed it to probe the Wednesday incident.
Talking to PTI, a top official of the poll body said the NIA team would reach West Bengal on Friday.
Slamming the state administration for its "complete failure" and inaction over the "deplorable" gherao and attack on the officers during the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of the voters list, the court also asked the EC to "requisition adequate Central Forces and deploy them at all places where judicial officers are adjudicating the objections".
West Bengal will have a two-phase poll -- on April 23 and 29.
The Supreme Court further said the incident was a "brazen attempt not only to browbeat the judicial officers" but also amounted to a challenge to the authority of this Supreme Court.
The top court gave the order after it took suo motu cognisance of a letter from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court detailing a harrowing night where the judicial officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive by a mob for over nine hours without food or water.
The incident occurred during the SIR exercise in the Kaliachowk area of Malda district, and as per the order, seven judicial officers were gheraoed by "anti-social elements" at a BDO office starting at 3:30 PM on Wednesday.
The officers were rescued by security forces around midnight on Wednesday after they were gheraoed over the alleged deletion of names from the electoral rolls, officials said.
