Two Assamese were detained in Imphal for operating an interstate cybercrime ring.

Manipur Police arrested two individuals from Assam in Imphal West district for their alleged involvement in an inter-state cybercrime racket. The arrests were made near Khuman Lampak locality on Friday. According to police, the duo, hailing from Barpeta and Chirang districts of Assam, was part of a criminal network specializing in the operation of mule bank accounts—accounts used to facilitate the movement of funds acquired through illegal activities. The accused were reportedly tasked with collecting sensitive personal and financial information, such as Aadhaar and bank account details, from unsuspecting individuals. Investigations revealed that the mule accounts used by the suspects were connected to economic offences across multiple states, as found on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.

Arunachal Pradesh: The newly built Gauwahati HC Itanagar Bench building will be inaugurated by the CJI.

Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai will inaugurate the new building of the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar Permanent Bench in Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh, on August 10, 2025. The modern facility, constructed at a cost of Rs 135.35 crore and featuring five courtrooms, marks a significant milestone in the state’s judicial infrastructure. The first proceedings will begin in the new building on August 11, while the last sitting at the current temporary location in Yupia will take place on August 8.

Though Arunachal Pradesh does not have its own high court and remains under the jurisdiction of the Gauhati High Court, the event is being hailed as a historic moment. The inauguration coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Itanagar Bench, raising hopes among legal professionals and residents for the eventual creation of a separate high court for the state.

Meghalaya: Due to the certificate vending delay, hawkers demonstrate at the Shillong Municipal Board

Street vendors under the Meghalaya Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers Association (MGSPHA) staged a sit-in at the Shillong Municipal Board office, demanding the immediate issuance of Certificates of Vending (CoVs) and transparency in the allocation of vending spaces. The protesters condemned delays in granting CoVs and denounced the relocation of vendors to allegedly cramped and unsuitable vending zones, particularly at the MUDA Parking Lot and opposite the SBI Main Branch.

Democratic rights activist Angela Rangad emphasized the urgent need to convene the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC), the only legal authority empowered to review vending applications and address grievances. Rangad criticized the Shillong Municipal Board for unilaterally handling the process and warned that bypassing the PTVC could lead to favoritism or corruption.

Vendors asserted that many eligible hawkers have been left without livelihoods for weeks, and they threatened to escalate protests unless the PTVC is urgently called into session and transparent procedures are followed. The sit-in will continue until the authorities respond to their demands and initiate due process as outlined by law.

Assam CM calls for action against USTM on forest land: demolish USTM and pray to God.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), of being built by encroaching on reserve forest land and claimed that a Supreme Court committee’s report confirmed this. He warned that “USTM may not exist two years from now” and called it a “hub for the commercialization of education,” expressing a wish for its demolition. Sarma linked USTM’s construction to recurring flash floods in Guwahati, blaming illegal hill-cutting and calling it “flood jihad.” The matter is under the Supreme Court’s purview, with a joint environmental survey recommended by the Central Empowerment Committee. Sarma also announced plans for Assam to approach the National Green Tribunal against USTM. Meanwhile, Meghalaya defends the university’s legitimacy, and USTM’s chancellor Mahbubul Hoque faces separate legal scrutiny over exam malpractice allegations, amid a highly polarized dispute between the states.

The High Commissioner of Bangladesh begins a three-day visit to Tripura.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, M. Riaz Hamidullah, arrived in Tripura on a three-day official visit, where he is scheduled to meet Governor N Indrasena Reddy and Chief Minister Manik Saha. During his visit, Hamidullah will inspect major border infrastructure projects, including the Agartala Integrated Check Post, the Akhaura Land Port, and the under-construction Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link. A key highlight of his visit is an inspection of Maitri Setu, the 1.9-kilometre bridge connecting Sabroom in India to Ramgarh in Bangladesh. Although Maitri Setu was inaugurated in March 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it remains non-operational due to political changes in Dhaka. The High Commissioner’s visit underscores renewed bilateral efforts to operationalize the bridge and boost cross-border connectivity between India’s Northeast and Bangladesh’s Chittagong port.

USTM, which was constructed on forest property, might disappear in two years: Biswa Sharma Himanta.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a press conference on Friday, levelled severe allegations against the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), and its chancellor, Mahbubul Hoque. Sarma claimed, “The university is on forest land, and whether USTM will be there after two years, no one can guarantee.” He further stated, “I keep praying to God that it be demolished as early as possible. It is not an educational institution but an institution that has commercialised education.” Sarma criticized the Meghalaya government for inaction, adding, “If it had been in Assam, I would have sorted this out a long time ago.” He also took aim at Hoque’s activities, saying, “He tries to poke his nose into everything.”

The Chief Minister’s comments come amid ongoing controversies involving Mahbubul Hoque’s arrests and the legitimacy of USTM. The Meghalaya government, however, has refuted these claims, maintaining that USTM is a legally recognized state university operating within government guidelines, and opposition leaders have characterized Sarma’s attacks as politically driven.