Fire at model house owned by Janardhan Reddy’s wife in Ballari; Eight including six minors detained
Ballari: A fire incident was reported at a model house owned by Aruna, wife of former minister Janardhan Reddy, at the G Square property in Ballari after a group of youngsters allegedly set fire while shooting reels and photographs.
Ballari Superintendent of Police Suman D. Phannekar said a detailed investigation is underway to ascertain all aspects of the incident. He stated that statements of all those taken into custody have been recorded and, so far, their versions are consistent with the physical and scientific evidence collected during the investigation.
Based on preliminary findings, police have taken eight persons into custody, including six minors. Scientific evidence was collected at the spot with the assistance of the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team, the SP said.
A case has been registered at the Ballari Rural Police Station based on a complaint filed by the site manager. Police visited the spot immediately after receiving information about the incident and carried out an inspection. Fire and Emergency Services personnel were alerted and they promptly brought the fire under control.
According to the police, the incident occurred when the group climbed onto the rooftop of the model house to shoot reels and take photographs and videos. Without realising the seriousness and consequences of their actions, two members of the group allegedly set fire, which later escalated into a fire accident.
Meanwhile, former MLA Somasekhar Reddy had earlier alleged before the media that the incident was linked to Ballari city MLA Nara Bharath Reddy. However, police officials stated that the investigation is ongoing and further action will be taken in accordance with the law based on the findings.
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Gill, Mandhana win top BCCI awards
New Delhi (PTI): Prolific batters Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were named the Best International Cricketers (Men's and Women's) at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 here on Sunday, recognising their outstanding performances in the 2024–2025 season.
Gill won the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award, while Mandhana received the award for the fifth time.
For Gill, it was his second Cricketer of the Year award after first winning it in 2023.
Former stars Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj were honoured with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the BCCI's highest honour, recognising their outstanding service to Indian cricket.
India's five trophy-winning sides (2025 ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, 2025 U-19 Women's World Cup, 2026 Men's U-19 World Cup, and 2026 T20 World Cup) were honoured as well on the occasion.
Gill enjoyed a stellar 2025 and established himself as one of the team's most dependable batters in the longer formats.
On the tour of England, skipper Gill led from the front in the five-Test series, finishing as the top run-getter with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries and a top score of 269.
Gill also played a pivotal role in India's Champions Trophy triumph last year, having entered the tournament as the No.1-ranked ODI batter in the world. He made an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in India's opening match, and finished the tournament with 188 runs.
Mandhana finished 2025 with 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 in ODIs, the most by any woman in a calendar year. In doing so, Mandhana became the first batter in women's ODI history to score 1,000 runs in a single calendar year.
Mandhana also made handsome contributions to India's maiden Women's World Cup title triumph, aggregating 434 runs in nine matches to end as the tournament as India's leading run-scorer and the second-highest overall.
Before the World Cup, the left-hander Mandhana smashed a 50-ball century against Australia in New Delhi to register the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batter, surpassing Virat Kohli's 52-ball effort.
Shafali Varma (Best Woman Cricketer Senior Domestic One-Day), Ira Jadhav (Best Woman Cricketer (Domestic), Harsh Dubey (Best All Rounder in the Ranji Trophy), and Ayush Mhatre (Best All Rounder in Domestic Limited Overs Competitions) too won awards for their strong performances across the 2024-25 domestic season.
