The SC asked the Election Commission to draw up an action plan within one week on ways and means to check criminalisation of politics in the country. A bench comprising Justices RF Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat was hearing a contempt petition filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay and NGO Public Interest Foundation against the poll body for failing to check criminalisation of politics.

The Indian establishment suspects Pakistan's hand in a fake letter 'signed by members of the Indian community in Iran' and addressed to foreign minister Jaishankar ahead of Tehran visit. The letter claimed that the community was concerned over the Citizenship Amendment Act and protests in India and wanted to meet Jaishankar to voice concerns.

Nepal confirmed the first-case of deadly coronavirus in the country identifying the infected person as a Nepali student who recently returned from the Chinese-city of Wuhan, local-media -reports said. The 31-year-old man, who is doing his PhD in Wuhan, had returned from the Chinese-city on January-5. He had visited a hospital complaining of respiratory problems and was admitted on January-13, the Kathmandu Post reported.