New Delhi: On Thursday, the Supreme Court quashed the criminal case against YouTuber Elvish Yadav, who was accused of using snake venom during video shoots and participating in drug-fueled rave parties, ruling the FIR legally unsustainable. Simultaneously, the court clarified that its order does not constitute a full exoneration, while allowing competent authorities to launch independent proceedings under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Elvish Yadav was charged in 2023 and taken into custody in 2024 over claims of using snake venom at a rave party. The bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh limited its examination to two key issues—the relevance of provisions in the NDPS Act, 1985, and the legitimacy of actions under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The court ruled the case, as currently framed, legally unsustainable on both counts. ALSO READ | ED seizes properties worth over ₹58 lakh belonging to Elvish, Fazilpuria. Addressing the NDPS Act first, the bench observed that the substance allegedly recovered from a co-accused was not listed in the schedule of psychotropic substances under the statute. The court acknowledged that the items recovered from the co-accused do not fall under the scheduled psychotropic substances. It also considered the argument that no recovery was made from Yadav—represented by advocate Raman Yadav—with the prosecution’s case relying mainly on claims that he placed orders via an associate. Without any contraband substance recovered and no direct seizure from the accused, the court ruled that proceedings under the NDPS Act could not be upheld. ALSO READ | Pankit Thakker: I am perplexed to see Elvish Yadav’s social media influence. Regarding the Wildlife Protection Act, the bench identified a more fundamental legal flaw. It emphasized that Section 55 of the Act requires prosecution to be initiated solely upon a complaint from a duly authorized officer. 

 On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with the leaders of Qatar, France, Jordan, Oman, and Malaysia, voicing concerns about the West Asia situation and calling for actions to de-escalate the conflict. He also denounced the assaults on the region’s energy infrastructure. In separate phone calls with the five leaders, the prime minister urged dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace. (AFP). The prime minister urged dialogue and diplomacy in separate phone calls with the five leaders to restore peace, security, and stability as soon as possible. He also addressed the importance of guaranteeing safe and unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Get live updates on the Iran-US war here.. ALSO READ | India directs oil and gas companies to share data during crisis, activates Essential Commodities Act. Prime Minister Modi holds discussions with leaders of Qatar, France, Jordan, Oman, and Malaysia. Qatar. In his discussion with Qatar’s Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the prime minister affirmed New Delhi’s support for Doha and strongly denounced the assaults on the region’s energy facilities. He expressed thanks for the attention and assistance given to the Indian community and wished for peace and stability in the area. He stated, “We support safe and unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz.” Follow live updates on Dubai news here. Jordan. 

 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan submitted his nomination papers on Thursday as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate for the Dharmadam Assembly constituency in Kannur district. (PTI) Chief Minister Vijayan, the first major party candidate to file nomination papers for the upcoming assembly elections, submitted them to Returning Officer Sachin Krishna at the Sub-Registrar Office in Thalassery around 8:03 a.m. He was accompanied by his Communist Party of India (Marxist) colleagues EP Jayarajan, AN Shamseer, KK Rajesh, and P Sasi. Incidentally, Vijayan filed his nomination papers on the 28th death anniversary of EMS Namboodiripad, Kerala’s inaugural chief minister and communist icon. Although the CPI(M) had initially scheduled a roadshow with thousands of supporters from the chief minister’s native village of Pinarayi to the sub-registrar’s office, Vijayan skipped it and went straight to the office. He stayed there for about 15 minutes before heading to Malappuram for party events marking EMS’s death anniversary. This marks the third occasion that Pinarayi Vijayan has submitted nomination papers as a party candidate in the Dharmadam constituency, following victories in 2016 and 2021. He has previously been elected MLA three times from Kuthuparamba and once from Thaliparamba. The two-term CM has disclosed movable and immovable assets totaling ₹1.01 crore in his financial declaration. In the affidavit submitted prior to the 2021 elections, his assets totaled ₹1.18 crore. Vijayan declared movable assets exceeding ₹45 lakh, which included bank deposits and shares in companies such as Malayalam Communications Limited (owner of Kairali TV) and Kannur International Airport Limited. The affidavit also lists immovable property valued at more than ₹56 lakh, comprising a residential property and 78 cents of agricultural land. He owns no gold or vehicles. His wife, Kamala Vijayan, possesses movable assets valued at ₹60 lakh, which include 80 grams of gold, along with immovable assets worth ₹36 lakh. Neither Vijayan nor his wife has any liabilities. CM Vijayan is facing six cases, including one under the Prevention of Corruption Act related to the SNC-Lavalin case and another under ED investigation concerning the masala bonds issued by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board. 

 On Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) overturned the transfer of two senior police officers in West Bengal and paused the transfer of three others, partially retracting its contentious directive to reassign 15 IPS officers from the election-bound state. West Bengal: ECI overturns transfer of two IPS officers, three on hold. The decision was announced on the same day that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the ECI of having “crossed all boundaries of decency and constitutional propriety.” On Wednesday night, the ECI nullified the alternative assignments arranged by the state government for 15 IPS officers. The Mamata Banerjee government reassigned these officers even after the ECI had already removed them from their original positions and prohibited them from performing any election duties prior to the assembly elections. “Murali Dhar, Police Commissioner of Bidhannagar, and Syed Waquar Raza, Police Commissioner of Siliguri, will remain in their current roles.” Three officers—Akash Magharia, Amandeep, and Praveen Kumar Tripathi—have been placed on hold, with a deployment decision anticipated by Monday, while the other officers will be assigned to Tamil Nadu and Kerala as poll observers,” stated a senior ECI official. Bengal will hold elections in two phases—152 seats on April 23 and 142 seats on April 29. Banerjee, in an X post, highlighted what she described as a blatant inconsistency in the ECI’s management of the officers. She wrote that while it claims removed officers should not be assigned election duties, the same officers were deployed as election observers within hours. She noted that appointing the Commissioners of Police of Siliguri and Bidhannagar as observers—without installing replacements—left two key urban centers effectively leaderless, and hasty fixes were made only after the oversight was exposed. Echoing the criticism, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien took to X to slam the Commission, labeling the incident as proof of “complete mismanagement” and questioning the Election Commission’s inconsistent rulings on officer transfers and election duties. The transfer dispute marks the latest escalation in the growing clash between the state government and the poll body. Following the announcement of the election schedule on March 15, the ECI has replaced the chief secretary, director general of police, home secretary, and Kolkata police commissioner, while reshuffling over 18 IPS officers throughout the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the primary opposition, has demanded the complete removal of all barred officers from Bengal, claiming their ongoing presence might sway the elections. In a separate development, the ECI has officially included five departments—Government Road Transport Corporations, Electricity Boards, Traffic Police, Fire and Rescue Services, and the Prison Department—on the postal ballot list for essential serv 

 In light of rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the worsening global geopolitical climate from the West Asia conflict, the government on Thursday unveiled a ₹497 crore relief package for exporters to cushion the short-term effects of logistics disruptions and protect jobs. Exporters to receive ₹497-cr package to counter war-related disruptions. The RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) initiative includes three complementary components that apply to consignments headed to West Asian countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen—whether for direct delivery or transshipment—the commerce ministry stated. The first component targets exporters who already hold ECGC credit insurance coverage. They will enjoy up to 100% risk coverage on top of the current protection during the eligible period (February 14 to March 15), offering added security at no extra cost, it stated. The second option targets exporters scheduling shipments over the coming three months. They will be incentivized to secure ECGC cover backed by government support for up to 95% risk coverage, in addition to the current ECGC cover, which will bolster exporter confidence and support ongoing shipment flows, it stated. The third measure targets micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Acknowledging that certain MSME exporters did not obtain credit insurance from February 14 to March 15 and are grappling with exceptional freight and insurance surcharges, RELIEF introduces a partial reimbursement option, it stated. “This assistance will be offered based on specified conditions, document checks, and set limits (up to ₹50 lakhs per exporter),” it added. These measures form part of the ₹25,060 crore Export Promotion Mission (EPM) 2026-31, designed to “alleviate short-term logistics disruptions, bolster exporter morale, avert order losses, and preserve jobs in export-related industries,” while underscoring India’s resolve to uphold “resilience and competitiveness” in international trade amid uncertainties, the ministry noted. “RELIEF is designed to deliver aid throughout the export process, encompassing shipments dispatched amid disruptions and future exports to the impacted areas,” the release explained. ECGC Ltd (previously Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd) has been appointed as the central agency for verification, claim handling, payments, and oversight under the endorsed scheme. ECGC Ltd, a state-owned entity, falls under the administrative oversight of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.