Afghanistan Taliban

Taliban Denies Threat Of Terrorism Still Exists In Afghanistan

Responding to concerns expressed by countries at the 77th UNGA session over the terrorism threat still emanating from Afghanistan, the Taliban said that the allegations were baseless.

“These concerns, based on incorrect information and sources, are being brought up as the relevant parties are yet to hand over the seat of Afghanistan at the United Nations to its rightful legal and political owners, the Afghan government,” read a statement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Some countries, including the United States and Pakistan, expressed concerns at the 77th session of UNGA that the threat of terrorism still exists in Afghanistan.

The Taliban further stated that if the group will be considered the legal and political owners of the Afghan government, it will open an opportunity to share ground realities of Afghanistan with the region directly and world countries and address any concerns.

“The Islamic Emirate once again rejects such assertions and reiterates its position to the world: the territory of Afghanistan will not be used against any other country, nor does any armed group currently have a presence in Afghanistan. Rather than raising unsubstantiated concerns and allegations, the world should engage positively with the Islamic Emirate by sharing their views and concerns directly, and not through the media or public statements,” added the statement.

The Taliban launched an offensive against the democratically elected Afghan government last year after the Biden administration announced the end of its military presence in Afghanistan.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance and gained complete control over the Afghan capital. Later in September, the Taliban declared a complete victory in Afghanistan and formed an interim government, which hasn’t yet been officially recognized by any country.

Since its ascent to power in Kabul, the Islamic group imposed policies severely restricting basic rights–particularly those of women and girls.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Taliban dismissed all women from leadership posts in the civil service and prohibited girls in most provinces from attending secondary school.

Taliban decrees prohibit women from travelling unless accompanied by a male relative and require women’s faces to be covered in public–including women TV newscasters.

The Taliban have also censored, limited critical reporting, and beaten journalists. Taliban forces have carried out revenge killings and enforced disappearances of former government officials and security force personnel. They have summarily executed people deemed affiliated with the Islamic State.

Armed groups linked to the Afghan branch of the Islamic State have carried out bombings targeting ethnic Hazaras, Afghan Shias, Sufis, and others, killing and injuring hundreds. (ANI)

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Kirpan At US Varsity

Sikh Student Detained For Wearing Kirpan At US Varsity

A Sikh student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was allegedly detained on the campus for wearing Kirpan, one of the integral parts of five Sikh Kakars, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa claimed, sharing a video of the incident.

The BJP leader shared a video in which it was shown that the US police tried to take the Kirpan from the Sikh youth and later detained him when he resisted.
“Despite numerous global campaigns to create awareness about Sikh Kakaars, it’s disheartening to see the Campus Police at the University of North Carolina detain a Sikh youth for his Kirpan at US Varsity.” I condemn the discriminatory attitude of university authorities towards Sikh students,” Sirsa tweeted.

He condemned the incident and demanded an apology from the Campus police and University Administration that detained the youth.

“We demand an apology from Campus Police and University Admin at @unccharlotte for detaining a Sikh youth for his Kirpan, a quintessential part of Sikh Kakars. “We are in constant touch with @IndianEmbassyUS and @MEAIndia to ensure the Amritdhari student is released with due respect,” Sirsa, a former legislator, said in a tweet.

“I must appreciate the Sikh student who explained the significance of Kirpan with such faith. We demand an apology from the @unccharlotte admin for this racial attitude. I also urge @DrSJaishankar Ji to address the issue of discrimination faced by Sikh students at the global level, “he added.

The video was initially shared by the student, who posted it on Twitter saying that the police handcuffed him for resisting letting the officer take his Kirpan out of the miyaan.

“I wasn’t going to post this, but I don’t think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte. I was told someone called 911 and reported me, and I got cuffed for “resisting” because I refused to let the officer take my kirpan out of the miyaan.”

The Kirpan is an integral part of the Sikh religion and Article 25 of the Indian Constitution allows the wearing and carrying of kirpans by Sikh persons. It is one of the five Kakars.

According to the World Sikh Organization of Canada, Kirpan is an article of faith that plays a role in the Sikh religion. The kirpan is worn by initiated (Amritdhari) Sikhs, both men, and women, and is one of five articles of faith, often called the 5Ks; Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kachhera, and Kirpan.

Sikhs wear them as a reminder of their commitment to the tenets of their faith, including justice, charity, morality, humility, and equality.

It is mandated to be worn always, it is an integral part of the Khalsa Sikh’s person, and not wearing the kirpan at any time, day or night, constitutes a grievous transgression for a Khalsa Sikh. (ANI)

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Kabul Mosque Blast

Kabul Mosque Blast Sparks Global, Domestic Outrage

A blast near the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul city on Friday sparked strong international and domestic reactions.

Taliban’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid on Twitter condemned the blast and said attacking mosques and targeting worshippers is a “major and unforgivable crime.”
Former President Hamid Karzai also “strongly” condemned the blast and called it a “terrorist act” against Islamic and human principles, reported Tolo News.

The US embassy for Afghanistan on Twitter said that Washington “strongly condemns today’s vicious attack on worshipers outside the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque in Kabul.”

“Such an attack against people professing their faith is unjustifiable,” the embassy said on Twitter. “We offer condolences to the families of the victims and hope those injured recovers swiftly,” reported Tolo News

The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet Another bitter reminder of ongoing insecurity and terrorist activity in Afghanistan – today’s explosion outside a downtown mosque in Kabul caused numerous casualties, including fatalities.”

On Friday afternoon a blast occurred nearby the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque, killing nine people and wounding 41 others, including children.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Abdul Nafay Takor, said that the blast was due to a car bombing, reported Tolo News.

According to reports, the explosion occurred when the worshipers were leaving the mosque, reported Tolo News.

Kabul has recently seen a surge in security incidents. Notably, the explosion comes days after a blast was heard near the Russian Embassy southwest of Kabul city.

The blast resulted in the death of two Russian Embassy staff and the injury of several locals, Taliban spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said in a tweet.

This explosion happened days after at least 20 people were killed in a blast that rocked a mosque in northwestern Afghanistan during Friday prayers. In recent months, a number of blasts have been reported in the capital city of Kabul, claiming dozens of innocent lives.

Earlier on September 8, one person was killed and four people, including women and children, were injured when a grenade that belonged to the Taliban members in the Faryab province of northern Afghanistan exploded recently.

The grenade explosion occurred in police district 2 of Maimana city, the provincial capital of Faryab, Khaama Press, citing the officials who also said that two people had been detained in connection with the grenade explosion

This series of blasts comes on the heels of one year of the Taliban’s brutal rule in Afghanistan. Rights groups said the terror outfit had broken multiple pledges to respect human and women’s rights.

After capturing Kabul in August last year, the Islamic authorities have imposed severe restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and summarily executed critics and perceived opponents, among other abuses.

Rights groups say that the Taliban’s human rights abuses have brought widespread condemnation and imperilled international efforts to address the country’s dire humanitarian situation. (ANI)

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Depp And Lawyer Joelle

Depp And Lawyer Joelle Are Dating But Not Exclusive Yet

Johnny Depp and his lawyer, Joelle Rich, are dating, but according to a new report by TMZ, the couple isn’t exclusive.

This week, it was revealed that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor had a romantic relationship with Rich, one of the defense lawyers who defended him in his libel case against the Sun in 2018.
The verdict in that trial, in which Depp’s attorneys argued that the Sun had defamed the actor by calling him a “wife beater,” came down in late 2020.

12 specific incidents of the “Edward Scissorhands” star physically abusing his ex-wife Amber Heard were deemed to be “basically accurate” by the court presiding over the case.

The appeal was quickly submitted by Depp’s counsel, but it was rejected in March 2021.

zRich wrote in a statement she gave to Deadline at the time that she “seriously questioned” the verdict. She nevertheless maintained optimism over Depp’s pending legal actions in the US against Heard.

“Complete, irrefutable evidence of the truth in the U.S. libel case against Ms. Heard where she will have to provide full disclosure,” she predicted the US trial would show.

Heard, who had a romantic relationship with Depp from 2012 until 2016, was required to speak about her experiences of abuse during that time even though it was Depp who had filed the cases that started both the US and UK court battles.

The US lawsuit took place in a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, during the course of April and May of 2022. It was based on the allegation that Heard had defamed Depp by referring to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse” in a 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post.

The jury infamously found Heard guilty of defaming Depp on June 1, 2022, and they ordered her to pay him USD 15 million in damages. In addition, they gave the “Aquaman” actress $2 million in restitution for Heard’s public defamation by one of Depp’s attorneys.

Although there was speculation that Depp had a love relationship with Camille Vasquez, one of his defense attorneys at the US trial, the lawyer categorically denied those reports.

Since then, it has been shown that Rich did in fact attend the trial at the Fairfax courthouse.

This isn’t Rich’s first encounter with internationally renowned figures while working in her field.

According to Page Six, the lawyer, a partner at the firm Schillings, successfully defended Meghan Markle in the Duchess’ 2019 case against the Daily Mail over the publishing of a private letter to her estranged father, winning on behalf of her client in 2021. (ANI)

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Ankita Bhandari Murder

Ankita Bhandari Murder: Locals Burn Down Aryas Resort in Rishikesh

The Vanatara resort in Rishikesh owned by expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son Pulkit Arya, who is an accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, was set on fire by angry locals on Saturday.

Anger over the horrific crime poured onto streets in other parts of Uttarakhand as well as locals jammed the bus station in Pauri. Protestors also gheraoed District Magistrate’s office in Pauri.

In Rishikesh, locals protested against BJP MLA Renu Bisht and vandalized her car. The MLA had to be escorted away by the police to safety.

Locals also set the Vanatara resort in Rishikesh on fire. The resort is owned by BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son Pulkit Arya. Three accused, including Pulkit, have been arrested in the murder case.

The body of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari who was reported missing a few days ago was also recovered on Saturday from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be formed to probe the case.

“The body of daughter Ankita was recovered this morning. This heartbreaking incident deeply pains my heart,” Dhami tweeted.

“In order to ensure the harshest punishment for the culprits, an SIT has been formed under the leadership of Deputy Inspector General of Police P. Renuka Devi ji and ordered an in-depth investigation of this serious matter,” Dhami wrote.

The development comes after three persons, including Pulkit Arya, were arrested on Friday after they confessed to having pushed Ankita into the canal after an altercation.

Additional Superintendent of Police Shekhar Suyal said today “The deceased’s brother and father were here and they identified the body. The body found at the barrage is of Ankita Bhandari.”

“The search operation was going on from 7 am, we took out the body of a woman, her relatives came here and identified it as the body of Ankita Bhandari. The body has been taken to AIIMS in Rishikesh,” said a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) official.

While talking to ANI, Chief Minister Dhami said, “Strictest action will be taken against all the culprits, regarding this, we have formed SIT under the leadership of DIG P Renuka Devi, which will get to the bottom of the whole matter, investigate it and work to bring the culprits to justice. The perpetrators will not be spared.”

On Friday Uttarakhand authorities had also bulldozed portions at the Vanatara Resort owned by Pulkit, where Ankita Bhandari was working as a receptionist.

CM Dhami said that district magistrates have been ordered to take action against all resorts inside Uttarakhand which have illegal construction. (ANI)

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Pak Zindabad Slogans

Pak Zindabad Slogans During PFI Protest, Fadnavis Promises Action

‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were heard outside the District Collector’s office in Maharashtra’s Pune City on Friday where Popular Front of India (PFI) cadres had gathered against the massive crackdown by multi-agencies led by National Investigation Agency on Thursday across 15 states.

Due to high ambience noise in the original video feed some parts of slogans were faint. Information about slogans was further corroborated by reporters at the spot.
Some PFI members were detained by Pune police and they were arrested this morning. Police have registered a case.

Joint teams of the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and police had conducted multiple raids across 15 states of the country against PFI on September 22 and arrested over 106 members.

Reacting to the sloganeering incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state Home Minister said stringent action will be taken. “We will take stringent action against any person raising Pakistan Zindabad slogans in Maharashtra”.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh Rane took to Twitter and warned those raising such slogans. He also sought a ban on PFI.

The largest-ever crackdown that was conducted against the Popular Front of India (PFI) members spread across 15 states was code-named “Operation Octopus”, sources said on Saturday.

The searches were conducted in connection with five cases registered by the NIA following “continued inputs and evidence” that the PFI leaders and cadres were involved in the funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organising training camps for providing armed training and radicalising people to join banned organisations.

A large number of criminal cases have been registered in different states over the last few years against the PFI and its leaders and members for their involvement in many violent acts.

Criminal violent acts “carried out” by PFI include chopping off the hand of a college professor, cold-blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, collection of explosives to target prominent people and places, support to Islamic State and destruction of public property. They have had a demonstrative effect of striking terror in the minds of the citizens.

The PFI had on Friday called for a 12-hour shutdown in Kerala, which turned violent in parts of the state. Stone-pelting was witnessed at various places, including at the RSS office at Mattannur in Kannur. Two police officials were also injured in the incident in Kollam.

The Kerala High Court initiated a suo motu case against PFI leaders who called for a strike in the state against the arrest of its members by the NIA.

As per a Kerala HC order on January 7, 2019, nobody can call for a bandh in the state without prior notice of seven days.

Taking cognizance of the matter, the court directed the police to ensure that “adequate measures are put in place to prevent any damage/destruction to public/private property of Government/citizens who do not support the call for hartal”.

“Adequate police protection shall also be granted to all public utility services that apprehend violence, at the hands of those supporting the illegal hartal,” the court added. (ANI)

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Hema Malini Kangana

Tomorrow Even Rakhi Sawant Will Become… Hema On Kangana Contesting From Mathura

Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini on Saturday reacted to the speculations that actor Kangana Ranaut could contest elections from Mathura, which is the Sholay actor’s parliamentary constituency.

“Good, it is good…You want only film stars in Mathura. Tomorrow, even Rakhi Sawant will become,” the BJP MP said.
Recently, Kangana Ranaut had visited the famed Thakur Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, where she along with her family offered prayers.

A crowd of devotees and locals were seen running towards her as she got down from the car on the VIP route heading towards the Banke Bihari temple. Tight security had to be arranged to make Kangana’s exit from the temple possible.

During her visit, the actor however avoided answering any politics-related questions.

When asked about the reported buzz over Ranaut taking the political plunge, Hema Malini said, “Good, it is good…what can I say about my opinion? My opinion is only up to God. You only want film stars in Mathura. If someone else wants to become an MP, you will not let him become because according to you only a film star should become MP from Mathura. Tomorrow, even Rakhi Sawant will become.”

Hema Malini was elected as the Member of parliament from Mathura twice, in 2014 and in 2019.

Kangana during promotions of ‘Thailavii’, which is based on Tamil actress turned politician Jayalalitha and was released in September 2021 had said that she would definitely love to join politics if her fans so desired.

She also said she was at presently focused on her acting career.

Meanwhile, on the film front, Kangana Ranaut will be next seen in director Sarwesh Mewara’s ‘Tejas’ in which she will be seen portraying the role of an Indian Air Force pilot. The official release date of the film is still awaited.

She also has ‘Emergency’ in which she is portraying the role of late prime minister Indira Gandhi. (ANI)

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Maharashtrian Thali

Kareena-Karisma Enjoy Maharashtrian Thali

The Kapoor sisters had a hearty Maharashtrian thali meal today and going by the pictures, it sure looks like a feast for food lovers!

Kareena and Karisma joined their nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar for a Maharashtrian lunch on Saturday.
Karisma took to Instagram to share glimpse of what their lunch looked like. Well, as mentioned by her, the ‘Thaali’ had typical Maharashtrian serves like Jhunka, Bhakri, Ambadi Bhaji, Kothibir Vadi, Sol Kadhi, and Bhopvyache Bharit.

In the photo, Kareena is seen wearing a white khadi co-ord set while her sister Karisma has donned a classic striped white kurta.

Karisma captioned the photo, “Maharashtrian thali meal day #Yumyum,” before adding the names of the dishes mentioned above.

Karisma also shared a photo on her story wherein she is seen seated on a dining table with Kareena and Rujuta, devouring the delicious meal!

Both Kareena and Karisma have had Rujuta as their nutritionist for years.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kareena was seen in ‘Laal Singh Chadha’ opposite Aamir Khan. She also recently wrapped up shooting her OTT debut project helmed by Sujoy Ghosh. The film is based on the Japanese novel ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’, which also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma in the lead roles.

She also has started preparing for Hansal Mehta’s film.

On the other hand, her sister Karisma is all set to come up with Brown, a project directed by Abhinay Deo of Delhi Belly fame. (ANI)

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Paris Club Creditors

Pak Seeks Debt Relief From Paris Club Creditors

Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has said that his country is seeking debt relief from bilateral Paris Club creditors in view of the devastating floods in the country which have claimed more the 1,500 lives.

However, he clarified that Pakistan is neither seeking nor does it needs, any relief from commercial banks or Eurobond creditors.
“Given the climate-induced disaster in Pakistan, we are seeking debt relief from bilateral Paris Club creditors. We are neither seeking, nor do we need, any relief from commercial banks or Eurobond creditors. We have a USD 1 billion bond due in December which we will pay on time and in full,” Ismail tweeted on Friday.

In a subsequent tweet, Pakistan Finance Minister said the country has serviced all its commercial debt and will continue to do so.

“Our Eurobond debt is only USD 8 billion due between now and 2051. That’s not a large burden. A significant portion of our debt is from friendly countries who have said they will re-roll their deposits,” he said.

This request for debt relief comes as Pakistan has sought relaxation in targets from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the existing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, The News International newspaper reported.

“Islamabad also made a request to the IMF for exploring possibilities to provide additional funding from other windows by jacking up the quota into the fold of the IMF,” top official sources told News.

Further clarifying the debt relief issue, the Pakistan finance minister said the country did not seek any debt cancellation from the IMF or the World Bank as it did not require it at all.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made a request to the Managing Director of the IMF for relaxing the IMF targets, reducing Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) and clubbing the 9th and 10th reviews and release of two or three tranches simultaneously,” he said.

Ismail said Shehbaz Sharif requested IMF to explore the possibility of more funds from the global lender from other available windows.

Following severe floods, he said that the macroeconomic situation changed altogether creating difficulties for Pakistan to manage its external financing.

The Pakistani newspaper said that the country may require more products from the agriculture sector such as wheat and cotton mainly because of the devastating effects of super floods.

The report adds that the recent floods had caused losses to the tune of USD 30 billion for the struggling economy of Pakistan at a time when the IMF had assessed that Islamabad required a USD 30 billion gross financing requirement in the pre-flood situation.

It further adds that the external sector might face more pressure due to increased pressures on the trade deficit and rising current account deficit. (ANI)

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Sharath

Sharath Withdraws From National Games

Veteran Indian table tennis star Sharath Kamal forfeited his quarterfinals match at the National Games 2022 eventually pulling out of the tournament on Friday.

Second-seeded Sharath Kamal had made India proud with three golds and a silver at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The table tennis events have started before the formal opening of the National Games on September 27 as the dates of the table tennis World Cup were coinciding with the schedule of pan-India games.

Kamal, leading 2-1 and 6-1 in the fourth game of his quarterfinal against seventh-seed Soumyajit Ghosh, pulled out and gave a walkover to his opponent after a back spasm restricted his movement. Even before the mandatory medical time of 10 minutes could be over, Sharath shook hands with Ghosh.

Tending his back with an icepack, Sharath said he didn’t want to aggravate it any further. “I wanted to participate in National Games, and my rhythm was nice but had to give up in the middle of the match,” he said as quoted by TTIF website.

Sathiyan, playing in his usual aggressive style, dominated except for the third game. Though Manav managed to extend him in the next two games, the top seed was never under any real threat. Local favourite Harmeet Desai, the fourth seed, simply toyed with Deepit Rajesh Patil of Maharashtra and won 4-0. But his teammate and left-handed Manush Shah, who trailed 0-2, came back strongly to beat Telangana’s SFR Snehit 4-2.

The Telangana boy, who began well, lost his touch with far too many unforced errors that helped Manush seize the crucial moments and points.

Top women’s seed Manika Batra dropped two games after opening positively but came back strong to beat Krittwika Sinha Roy 4-2 in her quarterfinal match. Suddenly she went into a shell when the Gujarat paddler raised her game to go 2-1 up. But an undeterred Manika levelled the score and finished in style, taking the fifth and sixth games. However, it was a cakewalk for second-seed Sreeja Akula into the semifinals with a 4-0 win over West Bengal’s Ayhika Mukherjee.

In the other two quarterfinals that went down to the wire, Sutirtha Mukherjee struggled before overcoming fourth-seed Reeth Rishya 4-1, causing an upset. However, the best match of the day was played between third-seed Diya Chitale and unseeded Suhana Saini.

The Haryana girl, showing her gritty side, matched every stroke of Diya and levelled the score after the Maharashtra teenager led 3-2. In the decider, however, the dice were loaded in favour of Diya, who led 5-1. Suhana did save a match point but Diya wrapped it up on her next.

Meanwhile, third-seeded Sanil Shetty, Anirban Ghosh, Anusha Kutumbale, Swastika Ghosh and Takeme Sarkar exited in the pre-quarterfinals.

Men: G. Sathiyan (TN) bt Manav Thakkar (Guj) 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 13-11; Harmeet Desai (Guj) bt Deepit R Patil (Mah) 11-3, 11-6, 11-2, 11-9; Manush Shah (Guj) bt SFR Snehit (Telg) 3-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9; Soumyajit Ghosh (Har) w/o Sharath Kamal (TN).

Semifinal line-up: G. Sathiyan vs Harmeet Desai; Soumyajit Ghosh vs Manush Shah.

Women: Manika Batra (Del) bt Krittwika Sinha Roy (Guj) 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4; Sutirtha Mukherjee (WB) bt Reeth Rishya (Mah) 11-9, 12-10, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9; Diya Chitale (Mah) bt Suhana Saini (Har) 11-5, 4-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9; Sreeja Akula (Telg) bt Ayhika Mukherjee (WB) 11-4, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4.

Semifinal line-up: Manika Batra vs Sutirtha Mukherjee; Diya Chitale vs Sreeja Akula. (ANI)

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