Jammu and Kashmir: The Border Security Forces, or BSF, in the Samba district of Jammu discovered a tunnel below a border fence between India and Pakistan, NDTV reported. The tunnel, 25 feet below ground, was discovered after an area “caved in near a BSF outpost, due to rains,†according to the report.
Manipur: The state police are seeking the leaders of a gang involved in the poaching and smuggling of a rare reptile species, the tokay gecko, The Times of India reported. The million-rupee racket relies on heavy demand for the species in Malaysia and other Asian countries, where it is believed to have medicinal value, the report said.
West Bengal: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended an “open invitation†to the automaker Maruti Suzuki to invest in West Bengal, following the recent violence at the company's Manesar production facility in Haryana State, The Economic Times reported. The approach to a private company was “a marked deviation from her earlier stand that public sector undertakings can change the industrial map of West Bengal,†the newspaper said.
Rajasthan: Farmers in drought-stricken regions of Jaisalmer district have been forced to leave their homes and migrate to cities, Daily Bhaskar reported. “The village will be left with hardly any men if help from the government doesn't come soon,†a resident of Phulasar village told a news channel.
Maharashtra: On Wednesday night, four coordinated explosions struck a busy road in Pune, Hindustan Times reported. The bombs were low-intensity and only one person sustained injuries, which were minor. R. R. Patil, Maharashta's home minister, said investigative agencies would determine whether the blasts constituted an act of terrorism.
Andhra Pradesh: The families of three people who died in the Tamil Nadu Express train fire received the remains of their loved ones on Thu rsday, after DNA tests confirmed the identification of the deceased, The New Indian Express reported. Since Monday's tragedy, the bodies of 24 of the 32 passengers who died have been identified and returned to their families.
Karnataka: The state has asked for funds to cope with a drought that the chief minister describes as “unprecedented in the last four decades,†The Hindu reported.  On Thursday, the central government asked the Karnataka government to “modify†its proposal, which would then be reconsidered by a group of ministers in the coming days.
