Evening News Report: Court Grants Sharjeel Imam Interim Bail; Putin Offers Support to New Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and More Iran

Here are the top 5 stories of the day:

Sharjeel Imam, who was involved in the 2020 Delhi riots case, was granted interim bail for 10 days by the court

A Delhi court granted 10-day interim bail to student activist Sharjeel Imam in a case related to the 2020 Delhi riots, allowing him to attend his brother’s wedding. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai granted relief for the period from March 20 to March 30 while hearing Imam’s plea seeking interim bail for six weeks. Imam is one of the accused in the conspiracy case related to communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020 that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. A few months ago, the Supreme Court had rejected imam and activist Umar Khalid’s January 6 regular bail plea, stating that long jail terms and trial delays in cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) did not automatically justify bail. Read more

Putin congratulates Khamenei’s son on appointment as Iran’s new leader and pledges “unwavering” support

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran’s new supreme leader and pledged Russia’s “unwavering support” for Tehran amid rising regional tensions. Iran’s Assembly of Experts announced Mojtaba’s choice shortly after midnight on Monday following a change in leadership after Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S. and Israeli airstrike on Iran last week. Despite holding no formal government post, Moitaba Khamenei, long considered a potential successor, ultimately beat out other contenders including Alireza Alafi, Mohsen Araki and Hassan Khomeini. Putin said in a message reported by Reuters that Moitaba would carry on his father’s legacy and unite the Iranian people “to face severe tests.” Read more

Murmu-Mamata spat: BJP calls TMC a ‘fake news factory’, hits back with rule book to insult President

this bjp accuse All India Trinamool Congress Prime Minister Modi ran a “fake news factory” after Mamata Banerjee accused him of insulting President Droupadi Murmu during the Bharat Ratna ceremony conducted by veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani. Reacting to Banerjee’s allegation that Prime Minister Modi insulted the President by remaining seated while presenting an award to BJP leader LK Adavani, the West Bengal unit of the BJP said in a post on X that the claim was misleading and accused the TMC of spreading misinformation. The president was reportedly unhappy with the arrangements during Siliguri’s visit, where she attended an international tribal meeting where questions were raised over the change of venue and the absence of senior state representatives, including Bengal’s chief minister. Read more

Thousands gather in Tehran square to pledge allegiance to Iran’s new leader

According to an AFP reporter, thousands of people gathered in Tehran’s Enkhrab Square on Monday to swear allegiance to Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The crowd held Iranian flags and portraits of Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei. Khamenei was killed on February 28 in a US-Israeli attack. The rally was the first public show of support for Mojtaba Khamenei since he assumed the country’s top leadership post following the death of his father. Follow real-time updates

‘connect iran’s leadership Difficulties’: Jaishankar explains India’s stance on Middle East wars

India believes dialogue and diplomacy are crucial to easing growing tensions in the Middle East, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, telling the Indian parliament that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was closely monitoring developments as the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States intensified. Jaishankar said the government had earlier urged restraint and the Cabinet Security Committee met on March 1 to review the situation, especially the security of Indians in the region, where more than 10 million Indian nationals live and work in the Gulf countries. He said the embassy was assisting citizens, including relocating students from Tehran and facilitating travel through Armenia. The Union minister also noted that engagement with the Iranian leadership is currently difficult due to ongoing tensions. Read more