
‘Cowardly attempt on our resolve': Delhi CM Rekha Gupta in first response after attack
Rekha Gupta on Wednesday described the attack on her during a
public hearing
at her Civil Lines residence as a 'cowardly attempt' to weaken her commitment to serve the people, while assuring that such incidents will not deter her.
'The attack on me during this morning's public hearing was not just an attack on me, but a cowardly attempt on our resolve to serve Delhi and work for the welfare of the people,' Gupta said in a statement.
She added that though she was initially in shock, she was now feeling better and urged supporters not to crowd her residence. 'I request all my well-wishers not to trouble themselves by coming to meet me. I will soon be seen working among you again,' she said, asserting that she would continue public hearings with the same seriousness and commitment.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
People Born 1945-1985 Could Apply For This Benefit
yourseniorsaving
Undo
— gupta_rekha (@gupta_rekha)
Gupta also expressed gratitude for the 'immense love, blessings, and good wishes' she received after the incident, vowing to return to her duties 'with even more energy and dedication than before.'
Live Events
According to PTI, the 35-year-old accused, identified as
Rajesh Khimji
from Rajkot, Gujarat, first handed some papers to Gupta during the
Jan Sunvai
and then allegedly attacked her. He was overpowered on the spot and taken into custody at
Civil Lines police station
. Police are verifying his identity and address.
Delhi BJP president
Virendraa Sachdeva, who met Gupta after the incident, said her condition is stable. 'The CM is strong. It seems she suffered a light blow to her head… The slap or stone-throwing stories are fabricated. Such incidents in politics are condemnable. Jan Sunvai will continue,' he told reporters.
Delhi Congress chief
Devender Yadav
also condemned the attack, saying it highlighted broader concerns over women's safety. 'If the CM of Delhi is not safe, how can a common man or common woman be safe?' he asked.
The weekly Jan Sunvai allows citizens to directly present their grievances to the Chief Minister, and Gupta has said the programme will continue uninterrupted.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
28 minutes ago
- News18
US court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Trump
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New York, Aug 22 (AP) A New York appeals court has thrown out President Donald Trump's massive financial penalty while narrowly upholding a judge's finding that he engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades. The Thursday's ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years. Trump, in a social media post, claimed 'total victory" in the case, which stemmed from a civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 'I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State," the Republican wrote. James, a Democrat, focused on the parts of the decision that went her way, saying in a statement that it 'affirmed the well-supported finding of the trial court: Donald Trump, his company, and two of his children are liable for fraud." The ruling came seven months after Trump returned to the White House, his political fortunes unimpeded by the civil fraud judgment, a criminal conviction and other legal blows. A sharply divided panel of five judges in the state's mid-level Appellate Division couldn't agree on many issues raised in Trump's appeal, but a majority said the monetary penalty was 'excessive". A lower-court judge, Arthur Engoron, had ordered Trump last year to pay $355 million in penalties after finding that he flagrantly padded financial statements provided to lenders and insurers. With interest, the sum has topped $515 million. Additional penalties for executives at his company, the Trump Organisation, including sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr, have brought the total to $527 million with interest. 'While harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award" to the state, Judges Dianne Renwick and Peter Moulton wrote in one of three opinions shaping the appeals court's ruling. They called the penalty 'an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution." Both were appointed by Democratic governors. Engoron's other punishments, upheld by the appeals court, have been on pause during Trump's appeal, and the president was able to hold off collection of the money by posting a $175 million bond. Donald Trump Jr celebrated the decision by mocking James, who had periodically posted a running tally of the fraud penalty, with interest. Over a post from James in February 2024, when the tally was nearly $465 million, Trump Jr wrote: 'I believe you mean $0.00. Thank you for your attention to this matter." The five-judge panel, which split on the merits of the lawsuit and Engoron's fraud finding, dismissed the monetary penalty in its entirety while also leaving a pathway for an appeal to the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals. In the meantime, Trump and his co-defendants, the judges wrote, can seek to extend the pause to prevent any punishments from taking effect. While the Appellate Division dispatches most appeals in a few pages in a matter of weeks, the judges weighing Trump's case took nearly 11 months to rule after oral arguments last fall and issued 323 pages of concurring and dissenting opinions with no majority. Rather, some judges endorsed parts of their colleagues' findings while denouncing others, enabling the court to rule. Two judges wrote that they felt James' lawsuit was justifiable and that she had proven her case but the penalty was too severe. One wrote that James exceeded her legal authority in bringing the suit, saying that if any lenders felt cheated, they could have sued Trump themselves, and none did. Another wrote that Engoron erred by ruling before the trial that James had proven Trump engaged in fraud. In his portion of the ruling, Judge David Friedman, appointed by a Republican governor, was scathing in his criticism of James for bringing the lawsuit. 'Plainly, her ultimate goal was not market hygiene' … but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump's political career and the destruction of his real estate business," Friedman wrote. 'The voters have obviously rendered a verdict on his political career. This bench today unanimously derails the effort to destroy his business." Trump and his co-defendants denied wrongdoing. At the conclusion of the civil trial in January 2024, Trump said he was 'an innocent man" and the case was a 'fraud on me". The Republican leader has repeatedly maintained the case and the verdict were political moves by James and Engoron, both Democrats. Trump's Justice Department has subpoenaed James for records related to the lawsuit, among other documents, as part of an investigation into whether she violated the president's civil rights. James' personal attorney Abbe D Lowell has said investigating the fraud case is 'the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president's political retribution campaign". Trump and his lawyers said his financial statements weren't deceptive, since they came with disclaimers noting they weren't audited. The defence also noted bankers and insurers independently evaluated the numbers, and the loans were repaid. Despite such discrepancies as tripling the size of his Trump Tower penthouse, he said the financial statements were, if anything, lowball estimates of his fortune. During an appellate court hearing last September, Trump's lawyers argued that many of the case's allegations were too old and that James had misused a consumer protection law to sue Trump over private business transactions that were satisfactory to those involved. State attorneys said that while Trump insists no one was harmed by the financial statements, his exaggerations led lenders to make riskier loans and that honest borrowers lose out when others game their net worth numbers. The civil fraud case was just one of several legal obstacles for Trump as he campaigned, won and segued to a second term as president. On Jan 10, he was sentenced in his criminal hush money case to what's known as an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction on the books but sparing him jail, probation, a fine or other punishment. He is appealing the conviction. top videos View all And in December, a federal appeals court upheld a jury's finding that Trump sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and later defamed her, affirming a $5 million judgment against him. The appeals court declined in June to reconsider. Trump still can try to get the Supreme Court to hear his appeal. Trump also is appealing a subsequent verdict that requires him to pay Carroll $83.3 million for additional defamation claims. (AP) SCY SCY (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 22, 2025, 04:45 IST News agency-feeds US court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Trump Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...


Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
In Ghaziabad, vehicle thefts peak at noon, chain snatchings after dark
Ghaziabad: They say time is money. Criminals in the district have taken it to another level — setting aside certain crimes for sunset and before that. Police data says while most chain-snatching cases take place after sunset, vehicle thefts are usually carried out before that. According to a TOI analysis — covering the period from April 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025 — about 59% of chain snatching incidents happened at night across the district, totalling 240 cases. A senior police officer said that so far, more than 450 snatchers were arrested this year. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida | Gold Rates Today in Noida | Silver Rates Today in Noida From 6am to 6pm, 99 chain snatching incidents were reported. After sunset, between 6pm and 6am, the number increased to 141. Peak incidents occurred between 10pm and midnight. Between 10pm and midnight, the number of incidents peaked at 51 over the past year. During the same period, a total of 2,212 vehicle thefts took place in Ghaziabad and the analysis shows that maximum vehicle thefts took place between 12 noon and 4pm, with 450 incidents, including 376 two-wheelers. However, vehicle thefts peak between afternoon and midnight hours. A total of 430 vehicle thefts, including 366 two-wheelers, occurred between 8pm and midnight. A total of 410 vehicles, including 346 two-wheelers, were stolen between 4am and 8am and 234 vehicles, including 197 two-wheelers, were stolen between midnight and 4am. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo During the time periods of 4pm to 8pm and 8am to 12 noon, 344 vehicles, including 282 two-wheelers, were stolen each time. As for chain snatchings in Ghaziabad after sunset, there was a noticeable increase in robberies after 6pm. In the morning, from 4am to 10am, when most residents went for morning walks, the gym, or to offices, 24 chain snatchings occurred. Most of the robberies during this time occurred near parks, gyms and victims' houses. Previously, it was found that snatchers targeted individuals in the morning due to a lack of police presence on the roads and lower foot traffic. However, a new trend has been observed from 12 noon to 4pm, with 66 people becoming victims of chain snatching incidents in just four hours. After sunset, criminals became more aggressive and exploited the darkness, targeting more people. The number increased every hour. A total of 23 chain snatching incidents took place from 6pm to 8pm, increasing to 47 from 8pm to 10pm and reaching 51 from 10pm to midnight. Indirapuram was the hotspot for chain-snatching incidents, with a total of 66 cases reported over the past year (April 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025). This is about 27% of the total such crimes registered during the period across the district. Kavi Nagar and Kaushambi shared the second position on the list, each recording 20 incidents. Nandgram ranked third as the area with the highest number of chain-snatching incidents, where 17 incidents took place. Masuri and Bhojpur, with just one snatching case, were found to be the safest for residents and pedestrians. This was followed by Niwari and Tronica City, with only two incidents each. Surprisingly, 1,845 two-wheelers were stolen out of the 2,212 vehicles: 83% were two-wheelers, while 10% were four-wheelers and 7% were three-wheelers. The maximum number of vehicle lifting cases comes from Indirapuram, with 235, followed by Kavi Nagar with 228 and Loni with 153. In May this year, thieves made off with a Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle from the State Tax Building, Collectorate Compound, Raj Nagar, under the jurisdiction of Kavi Nagar police station. Police officials identified the motorcycle owner as Surendra Kumar, who serves as chief assistant in the state tax department. In May this year, another vehicle theft of a motorcycle occurred at the Govindpuram Sunday market under the jurisdiction of Kavi Nagar police station. The police identified Pradeep Kumar, a Meerut resident, as the victim. He reported that he parked his HF Deluxe motorcycle (UP15 CX0224) at the weekly market whilst shopping. Upon returning an hour later, his vehicle vanished. Nimish Patil, DCP of Trans-Hindon, said that in 2024, there was a 25% decline in snatchings in the Trans-Hindon area, while this year, a 15% decline has been seen. "A few steps were taken, like more CCTV cameras were installed. A team of police inspected all the shops in the market and put an eye towards the road and helped the shopkeepers and people to install the cameras with proper guidelines," he said. "We made a hotspot for snatchings and vehicle thefts in the Trans-Hindon area, like there are seven hotspots in Indirapuram, five in Shalimar Garden, four in Sahibabad and three in Kaushambi and Link Road. A police team is deployed at these points for 24 hours and we also deploy police officers in civil dress in local markets," he said. A senior police officer said that the district has a total of 120 PRVs and 240 cheetah bikes patrolling the city. "Every police station in Ghaziabad has its own PC mobile vehicles. We have also increased our visibility on the roads. We have identified the hotspots of street crimes and will deploy teams accordingly. We also plan to form a special team in every police station to tackle such crimes," the officer said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.


Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Jails in Noida & Ghaziabad bursting at the seams
Noida: NCR jails are overcrowded, with inmate occupancy at a staggering 200% of the sanctioned capacity. In Noida, Luksar prison currently houses 2,760 inmates, which is 276% more than its capacity to hold 1,000 inmates, while Dasna jail in Ghaziabad houses 3,910 inmates against its capacity of 1,704. Various efforts under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) through respective state legal service authorities and district legal service authorities are ongoing for the release of undertrial prisoners, but it has not yet made a notable difference in the crowding of NCR jails. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida | Gold Rates Today in Noida | Silver Rates Today in Noida On Aug 15, 36 inmates — 28 from Dasna jail and eight from Luksar prison — were released. But 15 new inmates were sent to Dasna jail and one to Luksar the same day. Administration of both jails did not confirm any special drive to release inmates as per the recommendation of the Sentence Review Board on Independence Day this year. According to a report by NLSA, a majority of the prisoners lodged in various jails of the country are undertrial prisoners. As of Jan 2025, of 84,810 prisoners in jails of UP, 65,010, corresponding to nearly 77%, were undertrial prisoners. Last Sept, MHA urged chief secretaries and prison department heads nationwide to urgently implement Section 479 of the BNSS to address prison overcrowding. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here's what a microbiologist says CNA Read More Undo This provision allows undertrials, who have served at least half of their potential maximum sentence, to be released on bail. Additionally, first-time undertrial offenders with no prior convictions may be considered for release on a personal bond if they have served at least one-third of their potential maximum sentence. The initiative aimed to alleviate the burden on the prison system by facilitating the release of eligible undertrials. ADJ-cum-secretary, DLSA (Ghaziabad) Kumar Mitakshar said, "Legal aid in the form of free counsel is provided to the under-represented inmates through a special scheme of the Legal Aid Defense Counsel System so that their cases are heard and decided at the earliest." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.