A red alert has been issued for dense fog in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. A thick blanket of fog in the national capital has led to over a hundred flights being delayed. 

Yesterday, the Delhi airport reported delays in approximately 134 flights, both domestic and international, with 35 international departures and 28 international arrivals affected. Additionally, 43 domestic departures and 28 domestic arrivals experienced delays. The situation was no different at the New Delhi Railway Station, where 22 trains were delayed, leaving passengers stranded in the biting cold.

Delhi witnessed a marginal improvement in air quality today, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 356. Despite the slight reprieve, the air quality is expected to linger in the “very poor” category for the next two days.

INSAT imagery released by the Met department yesterday showed a dense fog layer over north India, affecting regions in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and northwest Madhya Pradesh. The impact was evident in low visibility conditions, leading to traffic disruptions and accidents.

The IMD extended its warning, predicting dense fog over Haryana, Punjab for the next five days. Uttar Pradesh is expected to experience dense fog for the next three days, leading the UP State Road Transport Corporation to issue guidelines for bus operations during low visibility conditions.

The Delhi Airport Authority issued an advisory, cautioning that flights not compliant with CAT III standards may face disruptions. The IMD also highlighted potential health risks associated with dense fog, emphasising the presence of particulate matter and pollutants that could adversely affect respiratory health.

The wife of a revenue official has filed a police complaint alleging that her husband, Ashish Gupta, converted to Islam, changed his name to Mohammad Yusuf, and married a Muslim woman in the southern Uttar Pradesh town of Maudaha.

The saga began on September 2 when Ashish Gupta assumed his role as Naib Tehsildar in Maudaha. For days, an unfamiliar figure was seen at the town’s Kachariya Baba Masjid, ardently participating in namaz. The town’s curiosity piqued, an inquiry ensued, revealing the man’s identity as Mohammad Yusuf, a self-proclaimed resident of Kanpur.

However, further probe by the people revealed that Mr Yusuf was none other than the Naib Tehsildar Ashish Gupta himself. Anticipating potential fallouts of the bizarre situation, the mosque’s cleric alerted the police.

A fresh twist emerged with the entry of Mr Gupta’s wife – Aarti Yagyasaini – who filed a case of forced religious conversion and ‘immoral’ marriage of her husband to a woman named Rukshaar. The complaint implicated individuals with unknown identities, adding a new layer of mystery to the story.

Ms Yagyasaini’s police complaint claims Rukhsaar’s father, identified as Munna, along with a cleric from the mosque and several others, orchestrated the conversion on December 24, before the alleged forced wedding.

It remains unclear whether Mr Gupta was forcibly converted to Islam or if he did it on his own accord to legitimise an affair with Rukshaar. All angles are being probed, the police said.

Salaar, helmed by Prashanth Neel and starring Shruti Haasan and Prabhas in pivotal roles, has been one of the most-anticipated films of the year. The film is a lavishly-mounted big-budget entertainer and the glimpses shared have been impressive.

Shruti Haasan took to her social media handle yesterday as she shared some BTS moments from Salaar. From camera clippings to posing with the cast and crew to the extensive locations where they shot. She captioned it with, “SALAAR memories. I truly had the best time working with these awesome awesome people, full of light and positivity. We had so much fun making this movie too Prabhas fed and cared for us so well, Prashant sir was so fun with his between-shots races and matches and Bhuvan sir made a whole entire music video with me! It makes me happy when good people get good things in life. I loved being in this movie and all the memories we made with so so so much hard work from every single person in the crew that worked tirelessly. Thank you Prashant sir for making me a part of your insane majestic world and Thankyou Hombale films and team too.”

The film opened up to mixed reviews and was released on December 21, 2023.