The Congress today asked the BJP to make its stand clear on the Karnataka Cabinets decision to recommend religious minority status to Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat communities, after the saffron party accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of playing with fire for vote bank politics. Congresss communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said the issue should not be linked with elections or the political process. It is inappropriate to link the decision of Karnataka government viz-a-viz declaration of Lingayat Samaj as a minority community to the political processes, he told reporters. Surjewala asked BJP chief Amit Shah and the partys state unit president B S Yeddyurappa to clarify whether they are in favour of the decision or against it. You need to clarify and come out clearly. Do not hunt with the hare. That is why we have clearly said the sinister propaganda of BJP on this issue is condemnable. For, they do not want to speak for the fear of annoying vote bank, yet they are opposing the demand of Lingayat samaj. It is condemnable and we dare Shri B S Yeddyuruppa and Shri Amit Shah to clarify their position in the open, he said. Read Also: Lingayat community minority status: BJP, Congress…
Month: May 2017
ACB raids on labour court judge, assets worth Rs 3.57 crore
Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths today unearthed assets worth Rs 3.57 crore allegedly belonging to a judicial officer (district judge cadre) here after conducting simultaneous searches at his house here and other places in Andhra Pradesh. The searches were conducted at his residence and at the residences of his relatives in Hyderabad city and in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, an ACB release said. A case of disproportionate assets to the known sources of income was lodged against M Gandhi, Presiding Officer (Judicial Officer), Labour Court in Metropolitan Criminal Courts complex at Nampally here, the release said. It was registered on the orders of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The searches were conducted as part of investigations into the case. The release said, it was found that Gandhi acquired 18.22 acres of land in West Godavari district, two flats and one three-storied building in Hyderabad besides three cars. The ACB officials also found one kg gold along with four kg of silver at his house. They also recovered gold jewellery weighing about 1.5 kg from his bank locker, it said. During the searches, the ACB officials also found bank balance of…
Govt discusses handing maintenance of seized properties in money laundering cases to NBCC
The government is considering handing the task of maintaining, managing and earning revenue from immovable properties attached in money laundering cases to the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC), officials said today. The last meeting to discuss ways to better manage properties seized, frozen or confiscated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including those belonging to fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, was held on March 13. The meeting was chaired by Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, officials of the Ministry of Finance, Enforcement Directorate chief Karnal Singh and NBCC Chairman-cum-Managing Director Anoop Kumar Mittal. It discussed the maintenance, renting and auctioning of such properties, the sources said. The proposal to mandate NBCC to do the job was at the behest of the ED and mooted by the finance ministry about six months ago. It was felt that lack of proper maintenance led to decay of the properties and the agency had to continuously spend on their upkeep, officials explained. As of now, the ED manages the properties confiscated by it but does not have experience in how to do so and there is no provision under PMLA for rental to earn revenue, officials said. The proposal is to…
Watch: What this elephant does may make you jump off your seat
A short video of an elephant in Karnatakas Nagarahole National Park has surprised many experts across the globe. It shows an elephant ingesting a piece of charcoal, before blowing out ashes, making it appear like he is smoking. This video was shot by scientists of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in April 2016 but has gone viral now. As per the release issued by the WCS, this video was captured by Vinay Kumar, who is one of the scientists in the society providing insight into different or if one can say the unknown behaviour of the animal. Kumar, Srikanth Rao and three field staff, was involved in a project undertaking long-term monitoring of tiger and prey populations, The video is the first known video documentation of the wild elephant showing such behaviour, leaving may experts taken aback. According to Varun R Goswami, an elephant biologist and senior scientist with WCS India Program, the wild elephant may have tried to ingest wood charcoal, as she appeared to be picking up something from the burnt forest floor in the video, blowing away the ash and consuming the rest. The release also added that the charcoal consists of well recognised toxin-binding properties and even…
Bus collision kills 7 Indians in Kuwait; death toll reaches 15
Seven Indians were among 15 oil workers killed today in a head-on collision between two buses in southern Kuwait, Kuwaiti officials said. The Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) put the death toll at 15. It said the two buses collided head-on thus causing the high casualty figure, KUNA news agency reported. Firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue the injured. One of them was taken by an ambulance and the other by air to hospital. The firefighters had immediately intervened to help four individuals who were trapped in the wreckage of mangled metal. The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) said the buses were transporting employees of contracting firms that work for the company when the accident occurred near Burgan oil field. Seven of the victims were Indians, five Egyptians, three Pakistanis, in addition to two who were injured – one Indian and the other Kuwaiti.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Ambedkar Memorial, says Congress closed related files
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, inaugurated the Dr Ambedkar Memorial at 26, Alipur Road in the national capital, on the eve of the birth anniversary of the Father of the Constitution and said that the Congress party closed the files related to the project. In his speech during the inauguration ceremony, Modi said, Many governments came to power after independence but what should have been done much before has happened now, after decades. This memorial is a tribute to Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Earlier this month, Modi had blasted opposition parties for politicising Ambedkars legacy, blaming the previous governments for not paying due respects to the Dalit icon. Continuing on that note, he said, After Atal Jis government, when Congress came to power, they closed the files related to this project, when we were given a chance to serve people in 2014 we dug out the files and worked on it. Baba Saheb would not have imagined that after independence, a government with a working culture of latkana, atkana bhatkana will come to power. Our government is doing the due work to overcome decades of imbalance in our country, said the Prime Minister. Claiming that his government was following the…
Fake news row: Crackdown on press freedom no solution, says Amnesty International
Amnesty International on Tuesday welcomed the governments move withdrawing an executive order on suspending accreditation of journalists if accused of disseminating fake news, saying the threat was a brazen attempt to control the media. The withdrawal of the Information and Broadcasting Ministrys order is welcome. This appeared to be a brazen attempt to control the media under the fa The government should instead take steps to promote a free, independent and diverse environment for the media. He said several government spokespersons have been known to disseminate disinformation which they should know to be false, on social media and on television. This dangerous trend needs to stop.
Not possible to go ahead with SAARC under current situation: India
Citing continuing support to cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, India said today it was difficult to proceed with the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) initiative under current circumstances. The issue of organising the SAARC Summit came up for discussion during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli, who is in India on a three-day visit. The prime minister (Modi) mentioned that he very enthusiastically participated in the Kathmandu (SAARC) summit, but given the current state of play where there is cross-border terrorism – and this is a disruptive force in the region. It is difficult in such circumstances to proceed with such initiatives, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters. SAARC Summits are usually held biennially hosted by a member state in alphabetical order. The member state hosting the summit assumes the Chair of the Association. The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended by Modi. The 2016 SAARC Summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due…
Delhi University shocker! Kirori Mal College student beaten up, targeted for being ‘UP-Bihar wala’
In a shocking incident caught on video, a student is seen being beaten up by a group of students at Delhi Universitys Kirori Mal College. The brawl that happened on March 15 was caught on CCTV camera. As per an ANI report, the student said that he was assaulted for money. But what was more shocking is that he was allegedly targeted while being referred to as UP-Bihar wala. They used to ask me for money target me saying Tum UP-Bihar ke ho yahan tumhari nahi chalti, the student was quoted as saying by ANI. The victim also alleged that he wasnt helped by police either. When I complained to the police, they didnt take me seriously, he added. In the video, the victim is pitted against a wall at the college premises by 7-8 other students. As the fight escalates, the victim is slapped and thrashed brutally by the students. However, the students run away as soon as they see a guard coming. #WATCH: A student beaten up by group of students in Delhi Universitys Kirori Mal College. The student says They used to ask me for money target me saying Tum UP-Bihar ke ho yahan tumhari nahi chalti….
CJI Impeachment: Congress says opposition has all options open
The Congress today said opposition parties have all options open on the issue of moving an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal expressed concern over the issue of the independence of the judiciary and termed the matter as very serious. We believe that the option that is available to us is still open. The opposition parties have all options open before them, he told reporters when asked about the opposition proposal to bring an impeachment motion against the CJI. Asked why the opposition was dithering on the issue, he said it was a serious matter and needed to be deliberated upon. This is not instant coffee.We are dealing with an institution.We have to weigh. Thats why this is not instant coffee. This is a serious matter, he said on the delay in moving the impeachment motion against Misra in Parliament. Sibal, who is also a former law minister, said it will be a very sad day if the Opposition has to take that step. And, if the Opposition does do it, it will be with a very heavy heart. But that does not mean that the Opposition has foreclosed that matter, he said….
Telangana farmer thrashes Russian cyclist, reason will leave you surprised
In a bizarre incident reported from the state of Telangana, a Russian cyclist was beaten up by a farmer on the suspicion that the former was a thief. The incident was reported on Friday night from Kamareddy district, which is about 120 km from the state capital, Hyderabad. The cyclist, who is from Russia, is touring across the country. Bad weather forced the cyclist to take shelter in an agricultural field. When the field owner came to check for potential damage to the tent pitched in his field, he mistook the cyclist for a thief and started talking in Telugu. And before the cyclist could pull out his phone to use Google Translator to understand what the man was saying, the farmer started hitting him with the torch he was carrying. The Russian cyclist is a 44-year-old man identified himself as V Oleg. He tried to identify himself but the farmer, Mahender Reddy, overpowered him. After seeing Reddy thrashing an alleged thief, other locals joined in, to beat up Oleg. The cyclist suffered injuries on head, arms and jaw. Thankfully his condition is stable and he will be released from the Osmania General Hospital in a couple of days. Oleg…
Two Goans sentenced to 517 years in jail for running $13 million fake racket in Dubai
Two Goans were sentenced to 517 years of jail time by the Dubai Misdemeanours Court on Tuesday for running a fake investment racket worth more than $13 million in Dubai. Sydney Lemos and his senior accounts specialist Ryan de Souza were found guilty by the Court on Sunday but the verdict was announced today. Lemos firm Exential Group – a foreign exchange trading firm had promised to pay its clients a 120 per cent annual returns on their investment but failed to do so causing losses to the tune of 50 million dirhams to their clients. Their office was sealed by the Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai in July 2016 after a number of complaints were received from the duped customers. The investigation showed that the company initially paid the due profit to its investors but after the scheme collapsed in March 2016 the payment stopped and the office had to be shut down. Interestingly, Lemos had access to who He rose to when his company, FC Prime Markets (FC denoting forex and commodities), became the principal sponsor of FC Goa, the team Indian Super League (ISL) team. He was seen at a number of ISL matches, often sitting…
Did Pakistan abduct an Indian? Woman on pilgrimage ‘converts to Islam’; here’s what local media is saying
In a startling incident, a Sikh woman who was on a religious visit to Pakistan has not returned home in India. The reports reaching her family in Punjab have indicated that she has converted to Islam and married a Lahore-based Pakistan national. Speaking to media, Tarsem Singh, her father in law alleged that she could have fallen into the hands of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and may have been forced to convert and remarry there. The woman, Kiran Bala, who left as a part of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) delegation on April 12, allegedly went missing on April 16. Her Pakistan visa was valid till April 21. The matter is also reported widely in Pakistan media. Some reports said that the woman from Punjabs Hoshiarpur embraced Islam from Darul-Aloom Jamia Naeemia in Lahore on April 16 and later performed nikah (marriage) with Muhammed Azam. Azam is said to be a resident of Hanjarwal Multan Road in Lahore. However, suspicion grew as a womans name in her application for extension of the Pakistan visa is typed as Amna Bibi, while the signature has been done as Amina. A report in Daily Times said the woman sought extension of visa…
Rajya Sabha election: After UP bypoll shocks, Amit Shah looks back in game for sweet revenge
Rajya Sabha election 2018: In what may increase trouble for Mayawati, who is trying to send a Bahujan Samaj Party nominee to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh, seven Samajwadi Party MLAs surprisingly remained absent from an important meeting called for the polls. With not many days left for the Rajya Sabha polls, the absence of seven MLAs from the meeting doesnt augur well for Samajwadi Party and BSP, who had recently joined hands for Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections and defeated BJP. As many as 10 candidates are to be elected from Uttar Pradesh. With its current strength in the UP Assembly, BJP is confident of sending eight of its candidates to the Upper House and contest for the ninth candidate. The SP will also be able to easily send its candidate to the Upper House. However, the road ahead for Mayawatis candidate is full of troubles. BSP has just 19 MLAs and the party needs votes of at least 37 MLAs. The SP, which has 47 MLAs, had reportedly promised to pass over its 10 extra votes to the BSP candidate. With the support of Samajwadi Partys 10 MLAs, Congressseven and one MLA of Ajit Singhs party, the BSP…
‘Oye Rahul’: Read BJP’s reply to Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s ‘top secret video’
Apparently miffed by Rahul Gandhis jibe at Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday referred to Congress president as Oye Rahul. Tweeting from its official handle, the BJPs Karnataka unit said that Gandhi proved his silliness. You prove your silliness by wanting to base your campaign on a slip of tongue! Btw, unlike you we have no secrets, we believe in complete transparency Visit to know our star campaigner, gifted to us by Indias most corrupt dynasty Cheers! the tweet read. BJPs comment came in a reply to a Tweet posted by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Now that the BJP IT cell has announced Karnataka elections, time for a sneak preview of our top secret campaign video! Gifted to us by the BJP President, our campaign in Karnataka is off to a fabulous start. He says Yeddyurappa ran the most corrupt Govt ever. True. (sic), Gandhi had tweeted. Earlier on Monday, tweeting about a data leak row, BJP had referred to Gandhi as technically challenged. Mr. @RahulGandhi, you are technically challenged wont understand this kind of stuff. Yet well explain:1. Narendra Modi App is maintained by BJP. Hence its NaMo App, not PMO App 2. But CM Siddu uses…
SC told Ayodhya case more important than polygamy, should be referred to larger bench
A fervent plea was made in the Supreme Court to refer to its larger bench the Ayodhya land dispute case, saying the issue was far more important than that of polygamy among Muslims, which has been referred to a Constitution bench. The plea was made by senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who was appearing for a Muslim party, before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which said it will take a decision on referring the case to a larger bench after hearing all parties to the litigation. The Ayodhya land dispute is far more important than polygamy among Muslims and the whole nation wants an answer, Dhavan told the bench. The special bench of the apex court is seized of a total of 14 appeals filed against the high court judgement delivered in four civil suits. Earlier, the apex court had dashed the hopes of activists like Shyam Benegal and Teesta Setalvad to intervene in the sensitive Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute case, making it clear that only the parties to the original lawsuits would be allowed to put forth their arguments. A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had in 2010 ordered…
Defence, home ministry websites hit by outage, cyber security chief Gulshan Rai says not hacking
Over a dozen official websites including those of defence and home ministries were hit by an outage which was blamed on hacking but the national cyber security chief maintained it was caused by a technical glitch. Officials said tonight that efforts were underway to fix the affected sites. The National Coordinator of Cyber Security Gulshan Rai said a hardware failure was detected after some of the prominent Government websites that were hosted on the servers of National Informatics Centre(NIC) went down displaying an error message to visitors. The statement from Rai contradicts a tweet by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who had earlier claimed it to be a hacking incident. Action is initiated after the hacking of MoD website. The website shall be restored shortly. Needless to say, every possible step required to prevent any such eventuality in the future will be taken, she had said in her tweet. A Defence Ministry spokesman had said we are seized of the matter. The National Informatics Centre, which maintains the website, is trying to restore it. The spokesperson had claimed that there were chinese characters on the website, indicating the possible involvement of Chinese hackers. However, within hours of Sitharamans tweet, NIC tweeted…
Reservation in Indian Judiciary: Ram Vilas Paswan suggests this measure
Veteran Dalit leader and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday expressed his concern over the representation of members of SC and ST groups in the Supreme Court and high courts. The minister also suggested an all-India level competitive exam for effecting reservation in higher judiciary. While addressing reporters, the Union minister raked up the matter. There is not a single judge in the apex court while the number of judges in high courts is negligible (from SC and ST category), he was quoted as saying by PTI. While pitching for reservation in judicial services, Union minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said, Ideally, there should be a reservation in Indian Judiciary but if we demand this the Supreme Court will say it is unconstitutional, so Indian Judicial service should be set up. Let there be a competitive exam. The Union minister also advocated an all India judicial service for the appointment of judges in the higher judiciary. Paswan further said his Lok Janshakti Party would organize functions at the block level on April 20 to thank Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for extending Mahadalit benefits to the Paswans. On Nitish Kumar announcing extended benefits to the SC…
SEC date for Bengal panchayat poll not final: Calcutta HC
The Calcutta High Court today said that the State Election Commissions decision to hold the West Bengal rural polls on May 14 can be considered as a tentative date only and not the final one. The final decision on the election date will be considered by a division bench headed by the chief justice of the high court, Justice Subrata Talukdar said passing the direction on petitions by political parties challenging the SECs decision to hold the panchayat poll on a single day. Opposition BJP, CPI(M) and PDS had moved the court of Justice Talukdar claiming that his earlier directions on announcing the date\/dates for elections were also not complied with by the commission with regard to prior consultations with stakeholders. They also claimed that the commission, which had earlier announced the date for elections in three phases, has now notified that it would be done in only one phase thus raising issues of voters as well as candidates security. Justice Talukdar directed the SEC to place details on security arrangements for the elections before the division bench, which is scheduled to hear such matters on May 4. He had earlier too directed the SEC to submit a detailed report…
Kairana, Noorpur by-elections in Uttar Pradesh: Parties look to build and carry momentum to 2019
With less than a month for the bypolls to the Kairana parliamentary and Noorpur assembly constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh, political parties in the state are making all out efforts to win the seats and carry the momentum to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant due to the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in February, while the bye-poll to the Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident the same month. Both the bypolls are crucial for ruling BJP as well as opposition parties, as they may set the tone for the 2019 parliamentary elections. The BJP will make extra effort to retain both the seats to try and send a message to voters, party cadres – as well as opposition parties – that the drubbing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bye-elections were a closed chapter now, and that it was still strong in western UP. Opposition parties – the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Congress – are perceiving this as another opportunity to send a signal to the voters that the saffron fortress has…
Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping summit to have ‘heart-to-heart’ summit tomorrow to charter new course for Sino-India ties
After their first informal meeting at the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in Gujarat in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a two-day heart-to-heart summit from tomorrow at Wuhan, a favourite holiday spot of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. Xi will be hosting Modi for an informal summit where officials say the two leaders would spend most of time interacting with each other with one-on-one conversations focussing on global, regional and bilateral issues. The famous East Lake in the city where the two leaders would spend most of the time was a favourite holiday spot for Mao. The picturesque garden adjacent to the mighty Yangtze river is also where Mao used to enjoy his favourite pastime swimming. The place has iconic holiday villa of Mao, which is now a memorial where Xi is expected to take Modi round. At the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and its surroundings, Modi was Xis guide to introduce the essence of Gandhian thought, including his iconic Charkha where the Chinese leader, who has emerged as the powerful leader of the country with an unlimited tenure, tried his hand to operate Gandhijis most cherished symbol. It is now Xis turn at…
Yamuna expressway accident: A village mourns its ‘shining star’
Their shining star had slipped away to the skies above, a Gaigaon resident said today, echoing the grief of Dr Harshad Wankhedes family and others in the village as they prepared for the last rites of the AIIMS doctor killed in an accident near Mathura. That the young doctor was killed while on his way to celebrate his 30th birthday deepened the gloom in the small village of Gaigaon in Maharashtras Akola district. The senior resident doctor at Delhis premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences, who leaves behind his parents and a sister, was the pride of Gaigaon and its 5,000 people. Joining the Wankhede family in mourning the death of the young man, who born on March 17, 1988, were other villagers in Gaigaon. Wankhede began school at Gaigaon, about 250 km from here, and studied till Class 7 at the zila parishad school, said Vijay Mehre, a journalist from the village. It was from these humble beginnings that he rose to become a doctor at one of Indias most renowned medical institutions and became the first from the village to complete an MBBS degree. Wankhede was the shining star of the village, Mehre, who knew the doctors…
When Sushma Swaraj retweeted a Congress campaign cornering her on death of 39 Indians in Iraq; Here’s the full story
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is known for her prompt response on micro-blogging site Twitter to people seeking help from her Ministry, left many followers stunned on Monday when she retweeted a Twitter poll campaign posted by the Congress partys office handle @INCIndia. The poll campaign invited people to share their opinion on Swarajs handling of the Iraq crisis. The tweet by the Congress party was posted on March 26 at 10:49 am. Do you think the death of 39 Indians in Iraq is Sushma Swaraj The campaign, which is now over, offered two options to the respondents, Yes or No. A total of 33,879 people voted. Sushma Swaraj retweeted the Congress tweet here: Out of this, 76 per cent of the total voters said No and only 24 per cent choose the option Yes – meaning that a majority of the people who participated in the poll felt that Swarajs handling of the Iraq crisis could not be termed as her failure. In another tweet, the Congress party released a video of Sushma Swarajs past speeches in the Parliament and asked her to step down. The video shows Swarajs 2014 and 2017 speeches in which she can be…
Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti meets Rajnath Singh, discusses security situation in Valley
Amidst the recent spurt in violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him the security situation in the state and how to bring back normalcy, officials said. During the 20-minute meeting, the two leaders discussed the initiatives taken by the Centres representative Dineshwar Sharma in holding talks with a wide cross section of society. The chief minister briefed the home minister on the prevailing law and order situation and the steps taken to restore peace in the Valley. The situation along the border with Pakistan, which often witnesses attempts of infiltrations by militants and cross border firings, also came up for discussion, the home ministry official said. The meeting came in the wake of growing demands for a CBI probe into the gangrape in Kathua and incidents of militant violence and encounters with security forces. They also discussed how to ameliorate the misery of the civilian population, who often face firing from across the border, and the implementation of the prime ministers development package, another official said. There has been a spurt in the violence perpetrated by militants in the Kashmir Valley. As Last week, an officer of the…
No delay by MEA in revoking passports of ‘certain individuals’, says Modi Govt
The government today said there has been no delay on the part of the External Affairs Ministry in revoking passports of certain individuals who have fled the country, the government said today. The MEA had recently revoked passports of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, diamond merchants wanted for alleged banking fraud. The government has faced severe criticism after alleged economic offenders, including former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Choki fled the country. Replying to a question on whether certain individuals have fled the country due to the delay caused by the Ministry of External Affairs in issuing comprehensive warnings against such people and cancelling their passports, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh replied in negative. There has been no delay by the MEA in revoking passports in accordance with the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967 of certain individuals who have fled the country, Singh said in a written response to the question. He said that in accordance with the existing instructions, Look Out Circular (LOC) can be opened by the Bureau of Immigration with respect to Indian citizens and foreigners on the request of an authorised agency. In such cases where the LOC is…
United Kingdom national enters IGI airport on fake ticket, held
A British national has been apprehended at the Delhi airport here for allegedly using a fake ticket to enter the terminal area, official sources said today. B S Birdi was apprehended yesterday when CISF personnel intercepted him while he was leaving the Terminal-3 (T3) building of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, they said. He was stopped and questioned as exiting the terminal area is not normally permitted, the sources said. Birdi told the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel that he used a cancelled ticket to enter the terminal area to see off his wife, who was travelling to Birmingham, they said. He was subsequently handed over to the police, they said. Entering an airport terminal without a valid ticket is illegal under the aviation rules.
Crypto fraud: Delhi gang duped 2,500 people of at least Rs 100 cr; how they laid the trap
In what is believed to be the biggest cryptocurrency fraud in the national capital, the Special Cell of Delhi Police have busted a gang that allegedly duped around 2,500 people to the tune of at least Rs 100 crore. According to a report by TOI, the police have arrested two men – Kamal Singh, a DU graduate, and Vijay Kumar, an engineer by profession – in connection with the case. The police is now conducting raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to nab a co-conspirator codenamed Alagh, and his associate. The police have also searched the gangs office in Bhikaji Cama Place in south Delhi and seized documents. According to the details provided by the police, the accused had created a website bits2btc.com and had come up with their own currency named HBX and Mcap. There were reportedly running another website gainbitcoin.com with other associates and selling non-existent cryptocurrencies. The gang had promised extraordinary returns and payout twice a month. It held meetings in five-star hotels and lured the investors. When the investors started asking for their money, the gang told them that Bitcoins had been hacked but later went underground. A Punjabi Bagh-based businessman who had lost several crores,…
Jammu lawyer takes chauvinist jibe at lone woman SIT member probing Kathua rape. She hits back!
In an incident of brazen sexism, a Jammu-based defence lawyer has questioned the intelligence quotient of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shwetambari Sharma, who is the lone woman officer of Special Investigation Team (SIT) that has been probing the Kathua rape incident. Unperturbed by the remarks, the DSP has hit back at the lawyer over the chauvinist remark. It hurts when you are targeted and your intelligence is doubted just because you are a woman. What should I comment on such a chauvinist remark, the whole nation is there to comment on it, Shwetambari said. Remarks against Shwetambari were made by advocate Ankur Sharma. She said that initially she got disturbed but now she was fine. Shwetambari claimed that SIT has been facing a few hurdles in collecting evidence. She also said, Agitation was going on and going among the provocative persons to collect the evidence and take statements was not easy. However, the DSP hoped that the judiciary will provide justice to the victim. Our judiciary is capable enough to bring justice, dont doubt it, Sharma said. The trial in the Kathua rape and murder case against the eight accused men, who allegedly drugged, tortured and gang-raped an 8-year-old…
Emmanuel Macron wants France to be India’s best partner in Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said that France should be the best partner for India and the entry point to Europe. Macron, who arrived here on Friday on a four-day visit to India during the course of which he will co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he has three purposes for this visit. Speaking to media after being accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, he said the first one is to open a new era in the India-France Strategic Partnership in terms of defence and security, in terms of research and science, especially in terms of our youth, higher education and science. It is absolutely critical because our two democracies have common challenges regarding terrorism, a lot of common risks, a lot of threats, Macron said. The second purpose of this trip is to organise this International Solar Alliance (conference), he said. The third objective of this visit is to deliver the message that France should be the best partner for India, especially in Europe, the entry point for Europe. And I aim to have more and more Indian citizens coming to France studying, becoming a…
Arvind Kejriwal’s special secretary Prashant Kumar Panda transferred to Puducherry
Prashant Kumar Panda, special secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has been transferred to Puducherry following an order of the Union Home Ministry. The services department of Delhi government yesterday issued an order relieving the 2007-batch IAS officer with effect from March 19 after getting an approval from Lt Governor Anil Baijal. Last month, the Home Ministry had issued an order transferring nine IAS officers of Delhi government, including Panda. The relieving order of the special secretary to the Delhi chief minister came a day after V K Jain, Advisor to Kejriwal, resigned citing personal reasons. Jain had been questioned by Delhi Police in connection with the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. The Lt Governor is pleased to relieve (nine) IAS officers (including Panda) from Government of NCT with effect from March 19, 2018 to enable them to join their new assignments in pursuance of Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs order..dated 12.02.2018, an official order of the service department stated. There are around 70 IAS and 450 Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officers working with the Delhi government. Since the AAP government was formed, the Delhi government and bureaucracy have been at…