Very special experience: President Murmu after over 2-hour submarine sortie onboard INS Vaghsheer
New Delhi (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook an over two-hour sortie onboard the indigenously-built submarine INS Vaghsheer on the Western seaboard, signalling India's focus on boosting undersea warfare capabilities.
Murmu became the second President to experience a submarine sortie. In February 2006, APJ Abdul Kalam undertook a similar sortie onboard INS Sindhu Rakshak.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi accompanied President Murmu during the over two-hour sortie in the Kalvari class "silent sentinel" from the Karwar naval base in Karnataka, officials said.
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The President's office said she undertook a "dived sortie" onboard INS Vaghsheer and interacted with the submarine crew and witnessed the operational demonstrations."
The President is also the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.
Murmu, writing in the visitor's book later, said it was a "very special experience" for her to "sail, dive and spend time" with the sailors and officers onboard the submarine.
"The multiple successful firings and challenging operations carried out by INS Vaghsheer demonstrate the crew's exceptional preparedness and dedication, in accordance with its motto 'Veerta Varchasva Vijaya'," she wrote.
"Witnessing the discipline, confidence and enthusiasm of the Vaghsheer crew assures me that our submarines and the Indian Navy are combat-ready against any threat and under all circumstances."
The President's Secretariat said Murmu's embarkation onboard the submarine reflected the continued engagement of the Supreme Commander with the armed forces in operational settings.
In November last year, the President witnessed an operational demonstration by the Indian Navy onboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Murmu was briefed on the role of the submarine arm in India's maritime strategy, and the operational capabilities as well as contributions in safeguarding national maritime interests.
"She said that this indigenous submarine is a shining example of the Indian Navy's professional excellence, combat preparedness and unwavering commitment to national security," the Secretariat said on social media.
The President, donning a naval uniform, waved at naval personnel before entering the submarine.
People familiar with the sortie said it was a powerful reaffirmation of India's confidence in indigenous submarine construction and the centrality of undersea warfare in safeguarding national maritime interests.
The submarine sortie by the Supreme Commander is unique, as the underwater environment is defined by isolation, high risk, stealth and precision, and reflects the highest standards of operational readiness, they said.
The presence of the Supreme Commander on board the submarine reaffirmed the image of the underwater force as a cornerstone of credible deterrence and maritime security, they added.
Submarines operate unseen, unheard and often unacknowledged, yet their impact on national defence is decisive, said one of the people cited above.
This sortie would reaffirm the trust placed by the Supreme Commander in these silent sentinels operating in one of the most hazardous conditions in the world, the people said.
For the Indian Navy, the sortie is an opportunity to present its combat preparedness and operational prowess, while showcasing its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation's maritime interests, they said.
It would also serve as a clear demonstration of a force that is trained to the highest standards, capable of sustained operations and ready to respond decisively across the spectrum of conflict, they added.
INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene project, was commissioned into the Navy in January.
It is one of the most silent and versatile diesel-electric submarines in the world, according to Navy officials.
It is designed to undertake a wide range of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance, and special operations.
Armed with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and advanced sonar systems, the submarine also features modular construction, allowing for future upgrades such as the integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology.
The Indian Navy is developing the Karwar base considering India's long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean region.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
