In key developments, a Meghalaya honeymoon turned tragic as Sonam Raghuvanshi was accused of plotting her husband’s murder with her lover and others. In Muzaffarnagar, a woman was killed by her father and brother over a live-in relationship. Suspended IPS officer Vikash Kumar challenged his suspension over the Bengaluru stampede. Russia’s drone strikes on Kyiv and Odesa killed one and injured four. In the US, Trump’s plan to deploy Marines to LA drew criticism from California’s governor.
Meghalaya honeymoon horror: Wife accused of killing husband with lover’s help, three others helped

Police allege that Sonam Raghuvanshi, a 24-year-old newlywed, plotted the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. She is accused of orchestrating the killing with the help of four men, including her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, who worked in her father’s business. None of the accused had a criminal record. The case came to light when Sonam, missing for 16 days, was found disoriented at a highway dhaba in Uttar Pradesh, nearly 1,200 km from the site where her husband’s body was found in a gorge on June 2. Read full story

Father, brother arrested for killing woman over live-in relationship; strangled and set on fire in hometown

Days after a charred body was found in a Muzaffarnagar forest, police arrested Rajveer Singh and Sumit Singh, father and brother of 23-year-old Saraswati Maliyan, who confessed to killing her over her relationship with Amit, a man from their village. Saraswati, who worked for an e-commerce firm in Gurgaon, had left a forced marriage and was in a live-in relationship with Amit, which her family opposed. Police say she was strangled and her body set on fire during a visit home. Read full story

IPS officer Vikash moves tribunal over suspension in Bengaluru stampede case, accused of crowd control failure

Suspended IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash on Monday approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), challenging the government’s decision to suspend him for alleged dereliction of duty during the June 4 stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He is one of five officers suspended in connection with the incident. The suspension, issued under Rule 3(1)(a) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, accuses Vikash and the others of failing to implement adequate crowd-control and safety measures despite having prior knowledge of the public celebrations. Read full story

One killed, four injured as Russia strikes Kyiv and Odesa in fresh drone attack

Russia launched a drone attack on Ukraine early Tuesday, targeting Kyiv and striking a maternity facility in the southern port city of Odesa, regional authorities reported. A 59-year-old man was killed and four others injured, according to Odesa Governor Oleg Kiper. The overnight assault followed Monday’s massive drone barrage, the largest so far, as Moscow intensifies its strikes, claiming they are in retaliation for recent Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory. Read full story

Trump to deploy 700 marines to back National Guard in riot-hit LA, governer calls it ‘sovereignty breach’

The Trump administration is planning to deploy around 700 Marines to support National Guard troops already on the ground as protests intensified in California late Monday. California governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move, calling the federal mobilisation a “serious breach of state sovereignty.” The protests began after Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out dozens of arrests, claiming to target gang and cartel members in LA. Read full story