Express daily briefing: J&K HC indicts Government for PSA arrests; impact of Saudi oil attack; and more

Paytm founder had accused her of nearly bringing down firm, she is back as V-P

Sonia Dhawan, a former employee of Paytm, who “played an instrumental role in building the brands since inception”, is back with the group as vice-president (corporate communications). But barely a year ago, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma had told police that she had allegedly stolen data that could have “destroyed” the company. Dhawan was in custody for four months, in the Rs 10-crore extortion case that took the corporate world by surprise last year.

How attack on Saudi oil facility could impact Indian and world economies

In the aftermath of the recent drone attacks on Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, crude oil prices have shot up by over 10 per cent. For India, an increase in oil prices by just one dollar would mean an increase of Rs 11,500 crore at the current exchange rate, weakening the rupee further against the dollar.

Editorial: Public? Safety?

The government’s decision to wield the Public Safety Act against former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah beggars belief. How the National Conference leader, Lok Sabha member from Srinagar constituency, former Rajya Sabha member and former Union Minister for Renewable Energy turned into a case for a law used against terrorists should be for the Centre to explain. The move shows arbitrariness — and a lack of plan to address the crisis in the state.

Rot runs deep: BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit’s busiest year ever

BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) officials have revealed several instances of players being approached for fixing games. Among those are a present India woman cricketer, eight players from TNPL, two from the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) and one from the Mumbai T20 League, making this the busiest year ever for ACU officials. Devendra Pandey reports. 

Delhi: This is the elephant police and wildlife officials are looking for

Delhi’s last elephant, Laxmi, was reported missing in July, triggering a nationwide alert. More than two months later, The Indian Express met the elephant’s owner Yusuf Ali, who has been hiding with Laxmi in Delhi all along, and says can’t give the animal up because of “emotional attachment”. 

Not a single Uttar Pradesh farmer has got PM-Kisan 3rd tranche, Finance Ministry concerned

Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for one out of every four farmers in the country, has not paid the third instalment due under the PM-KISAN scheme. It is crucial that the scheme’s funds reach farmer beneficiaries, who form the backbone of the rural economy.

And finally…

An Indian restaurant owner Neki Sumal helped Greek scientist Yannis Pitsiladis in his latest innovation: an electronic pill which will investigate the effect of extreme weather conditions on athletes in real-time using a smart wristband. The pill will be trialled at the World Championships in Doha this year.