India news: Cockroach party demands Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of undermining the country's democracy
• Dipke called Kumar "the biggest threat to India's democracy" and demanded his resignation
• Fire on sleeper bus kills nine outside of Delhi
• SIT files chargesheet in Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case
• Three arrested over alleged gang rape of minor girl in New Delhi

Here are some of the major headlines from India on Thursday, September 24: 

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Skip next section Three arrested over alleged gang rape of 17-year-old girl in New Delhi

September 24, 2026

Three arrested over alleged gang rape of 17-year-old girl in New Delhi

Authorities have arrested three men accused gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in southeast Delhi.

The girl had been visiting a temple with a male friend on Monday evening before the two went to a nearby park, where the suspects allegedly intercepted them. The men posed as police officers to intimidate the minor and her friend.

One of the men reportedly restrained the girl's friend while the other two assaulted her.

The suspects allegedly threatened the pair with arrest if they reported the incident, according to police cited by The Hindustan Times.

On Wednesday, ​hundreds of students protested in Delhi, demanding better safety for women. The alleged assault occurred barely 2 km (1.2 miles) from Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College, one of the country's top women's colleges.

India has a high rate of reported sexual violence against women and girls. National Crime Records Bureau data shows that more than 80 rape cases are reported to police across the country each day.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NBtY

Skip next section SIT files chargesheet in Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case

September 24, 2026

SIT files chargesheet in Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case

An investigation team probing the alleged embezzlement of donations and offerings at the Ram Temple in the northern city of Ayodhya has filed a chargesheet against eight arrested suspects, media reports said on Wednesday.

The police filed a 74,000-page chargesheet before a local court. All eight accused are in judicial custody.

The Special Investigation Team's (SIT) status report documented 105 instances of theft captured by CCTV cameras at the temple premises.

The controversy over alleged embezzlement  forced authorities to appoint an Indian Air Force veteran, Jeetendra Mishra, as the chief executive officer of the temple earlier this month.

The construction of the temple, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024, was a longstanding political issue and a key commitment of Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It built at the site of the Babri mosque, which was demolished by Hindu nationalist mobs in 1992.

Devout Hindus believe that the god Ram was born there more than 7,000 years ago, but that the Babri mosque was built over his birthplace by a 16th-century Muslim emperor.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NBdy

Skip next section Fire on sleeper bus kills nine outside of Delhi

September 24, 2026

Fire on sleeper bus kills nine outside of Delhi

Nine passengers were killed late on Wednesday after an overnight sleeper bus caught fire outside of the national capital, New Delhi, according to media reports.

A police report, cited by the media, said the bus' air conditioning unit caused the fire while on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida.

Police added that the bus driver and conductor managed to escape the fire and are detained by the authorities, according to The Times of India newspaper.

A passenger who managed to escape the tragedy told ANI news agency that the bus was packed with passengers.

"I was sleeping when someone woke me up saying the bus had caught fire, and we all scrambled to get out," the passenger said. "It was not an easy situation to escape, there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out."

The police are investigating the incident.

This is the latest in similar incidents of deadly fires on buses:

• March 2026: At least 13 people died in a bus accident in Andhra Pradesh
• October 2025: At least 20 people died after a bus caught fire following a collision with a motorcycle in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
• October 2025: A bus fire in Rajasthan killed at least 20 people and left around 16 others seriously injured
• April 2025: At least 25 people died and eight others were injured after the bus they were traveling in caught fire on an expressway in Maharashtra

https://p.dw.com/p/5NBAS

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

September 24, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Hi, this is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi studio bringing you the latest updates from across India.

Nine passengers were killed late on Wednesday when their overnight sleeper bus caught fire just outside Delhi.

Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed a nearly 70,000-page chargesheet against eight people arrested in connection with the Ram Temple donation embezzlement case on Wednesday.