In Udaipur, Rajasthan, internet services were suspended for 24 hours on Friday following communal violence in the city, as reported by HT. Authorities also issued orders banning public gatherings in response to the unrest.

The violence erupted after a mob threw stones and set several cars on fire, according to police reports. To prevent further escalation, markets in areas such as Bapu Bazar, Hathipole, Ghanta Ghar, Chetak Circle, and nearby locations were shut down by evening.

The situation deteriorated when stones were thrown at a shopping mall, causing damage to the glass entrances of several shops, according to PTI. Additionally, hundreds of people gathered outside the government hospital, but police eventually dispersed the crowd.

The violence in Udaipur was triggered by an incident at a government school where a Class 10 student was reportedly attacked with a knife by a classmate. Members of some Hindu organizations gathered at Madhuban in the city to protest the assault, leading to further violence.

Udaipur district collector Arvind Poswal stated that the administration received a complaint about a fight between two students earlier that morning. “The incident occurred in the early hours today. We received information about a fight between two children, in which one child was attacked on his thighs with a knife. The wound was deep, and the child was immediately taken to the hospital,” Poswal was quoted as saying by ANI.

Poswal added, “I have met the child, and his condition is stable now… The person who attacked with a knife has been arrested, and his father has also been taken into custody,” reported ANI.

A meeting was held over the issue, attended by Rajya Sabha MP Chunnilal Garasia, Lok Sabha MP Mannalal Rawat, MLAs Tarachand Jain and Phool Singh Meena, Divisional Commissioner Rajendra Bhatt, Collector Arvind Poswal, SP Yogesh Goyal, and other public representatives.

On Friday, the Calcutta High Court characterized the mob violence at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as a total breakdown of state machinery in West Bengal. The court ordered both the police and hospital authorities to submit affidavits outlining the details of the incident.

Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, who led a division bench, expressed astonishment that police intelligence failed to detect the gathering of 7,000 people at the hospital early Thursday morning, as stated by the state’s lawyer.

“This is a complete failure of state machinery. There was a police force present at the location. They couldn’t even protect their own personnel? This is a dire situation. How are doctors supposed to work without fear?” the Chief Justice remarked, sharply criticizing the West Bengal government.

“You invoke section 144 of the CrPC at the drop of a hat. With so much chaos, you should have secured the area,” he added.

“7,000 people don’t just appear out of nowhere,” he noted.

The court ordered the police and hospital administration to file separate affidavits detailing the true state of affairs before the next hearing on August 21. The bench, which also included Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, asked the police to document the events leading to the vandalism.

Additionally, the CBI’s investigating team was instructed to submit an interim report on their progress regarding the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor on August 9, which sparked a work stoppage by junior doctors in state-run hospitals.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused opposition parties of orchestrating the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She stated, “The police are investigating the incident. I have no issues with students or protesting doctors, but certain political parties are attempting to create unrest. The videos will reveal what actually happened.”

Mamata Banerjee criticized political elements, particularly the Left and the BJP, accusing them of inciting trouble. She claimed that around midnight, approximately 40 individuals pretending to be protesters entered the hospital, vandalized the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store, damaged CCTV cameras, and ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been protesting since August 9, following the alleged rape and murder of a woman postgraduate trainee and demanding workplace security.

On Wednesday, the government appointed Rahul Navin, the acting chief of the Enforcement Directorate, as the full-time director of the anti-money laundering agency for a two-year term.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet confirmed Navin’s new role in a statement dated August 14. His appointment as Director of Enforcement will take effect from the date he assumes charge and will last for two years or until further notice.

According to the DoPT statement, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Rahul Navin, IRS (IT:93074), Special Director, ED as Director of Enforcement in the Directorate of Enforcement for a period of two years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”

Navin, a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, is currently serving as the acting Director at the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Prior to this, the 57-year-old served as the Special Director of ED since November 2019 and took on the role of acting Director following Sanjay Kumar Mishra’s departure on September 15, 2023.

Mishra, who was initially appointed as ED Director in 2018 for a two-year term, had his tenure extended multiple times through procedural changes. He resigned in September 2023 following a Supreme Court-mandated deadline.

Navin is recognized as an expert in international taxation. During his acting tenure, he oversaw high-profile cases, including the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in separate money laundering investigations.

The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary agency responsible for investigating financial crimes under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA), as well as civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Following the Kolkata High Court’s directive, the CBI assumed control of the investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at a state-run medical college in Kolkata on Tuesday. Here are the top ten updates:

Upon taking over the case, the CBI promptly completed all necessary formalities as per the High Court’s order, which mandated the state police to transfer the case documents to the central agency. In accordance with procedure, the CBI has re-registered the FIR initially filed by the Kolkata Police. When the CBI takes over a case from state police, it starts by registering the original FIR as its own case, PTI reported.”

“A team of CBI officials from Delhi, accompanied by forensic scientists and medical experts, is scheduled to visit Kolkata on Wednesday. The experts are expected to review the autopsy report and any associated videography, as well as visit the crime scene where the woman’s body was discovered. The agency may also inspect the doctor’s residence and seek court approval for custody of the accused arrested by Kolkata Police on Saturday.

On Tuesday, the West Bengal Doctors’ Forum wrote to the CBI, alleging that evidence tampering might be occurring due to ongoing construction work near the crime scene at a Kolkata hospital. The body of the post-graduate trainee doctor, who had severe injuries, was found on Friday in the seminar hall of the chest department at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The preliminary autopsy indicated she had been violently sexually assaulted.

The letter, signed by Dr. Koushik Chaki and Dr. Sanjoy Holme Chowdhury, expressed concerns about the impact of the construction work on the investigation: ‘We have come across reports of sudden civil reconstruction works in and around the scene of crime at the same institution. We are extremely apprehensive about the motive behind such an effort and we think that this might hamper the investigation by tampering with important evidence.’

On Tuesday, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose directed vice-chancellors of state universities to enhance campus security. During a virtual meeting with approximately 30 vice-chancellors, Bose expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by the Kolkata Police and emphasized the need for increased protection for female students, as well as teaching and non-teaching staff. The governor’s instructions came after a critical review of the incident and the police’s response.”