Bengaluru: The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has received permission from the Karnataka government to host Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket matches, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) confirmed on Saturday.

According to a report by The Hindu Sportsstar, the approval was granted by the State Home Department, allowing the venue to resume hosting high-profile matches, subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions laid down by the government and concerned authorities.

Quoting a statement from the KSCA, the report added, “We are pleased to announce that the Home Department, Government of Karnataka, has granted permission to the Karnataka State Cricket Association to host international and IPL matches at the iconic venue. The permission is subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the government and concerned authorities.”

Cricket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium had been suspended since June last year following a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title celebrations, in which 11 people were killed and several others injured.

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Bijapur (PTI): Security forces on Saturday gunned down four Naxalites, including senior cadre Dilip Vedja, in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police said.

The gunfight broke out in the morning in the forested hills of the district’s northwest region, where a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav said.

He said that personnel belonging to the Special Task Force and District Reserve Guard, both state police units, and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) -- an elite unit of CRPF -- were involved in the operation, which was launched based on inputs about the presence of Vedja, a divisional committee member, in the area.

“During the search, the bodies of two Maoists were recovered from the encounter site by noon. Subsequently, bodies of two more Maoist cadres, including a woman, were recovered in the evening,” Yadav said.

Weapons, including AK-47 rifle and .303 rifle, have also been recovered from the spot, he said, adding that a search operation is underway.

One of the neutralised Naxalites has been identified as Dilip Vedja, who was active in the national park area committee of Maoists and had been involved in several attacks, the official said.

Preliminary information suggests the three other killed cadres belonged to the same area committee, though their identity was yet to be ascertained, he added.

On January 3, as many as 14 Naxalites were gunned down in two encounters in the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.

A total of 285 Naxalites were killed in encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh last year.

The Centre has set the deadline of March 31, 2026, to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism in the country.