The morning coverage focused on the Tirupati temple stampede investigation, revealing that opening gates for an unwell woman triggered the chaos that claimed six lives. Temple authorities faced scrutiny over inadequate crowd management and absence of medical facilities at token distribution centers.
In diplomatic developments, India's foreign secretary initiated first high-level Taliban engagement, while the Maldives agreed to maintain defense cooperation despite recent tensions. The Supreme Court rejected same-sex marriage review petitions without reconsideration.
Delhi's pre-election discourse intensified as Kejriwal approached the Election Commission with allegations against BJP's Parvesh Verma, leading to an official probe. The Opposition alliance showed further signs of disintegration as Omar Abdullah suggested winding up the INDIA bloc.
Evening brought news of a major industrial accident in Chhattisgarh, where a chimney collapse at a steel plant trapped multiple workers, with rescue operations continuing into the night.