China’s largest property developer, Country Garden, said that it faced a loss of USD 7.1 billion in the first six months of the year, mounting pressure on the Chinese homebuilder already experiencing a financial meltdown, The New York Times (NYT) reported.
The losses suffered by Country Garden and the resulting cash crunch are the most recent evidence of the worsening crisis in China’s real estate market, where years of excessive borrowing have left many of the largest developers with mountains of debt they have been unable to pay back.
As China’s economy has slowed recently, the already slow real estate market has come to a complete halt, putting Country Garden, which has a total debt of over USD 187 billion, in peril.
Compared to a profit of 1.9 billion yuan in the same period last year, Country Garden’s net loss over the past six months was 51.5 billion yuan. This month, it issued a warning that it anticipated posting a significant loss, citing an “unprecedented difficult period” for China’s real estate market, as reported by The New York Times.
The company said that revenue increased in the first half, but it appeared to acknowledge that it had discounted properties in order to maintain sales volumes and a “smooth business operation.” The company had reported that contracted sales in July decreased by 60% from a year earlier.
Country Garden stated in a statement that it was caught off-guard by “the profundity and persistence of the market’s downtrend.” Additionally, it stated that the company had made disproportionate investments in real estate in smaller areas where the economic slump had been more severe.
“All these shortcomings have led to the most severe difficulty that the company has ever faced since its establishment,” Country Garden said, according to NYT.
The company earlier on Wednesday said that it would raise USD 34 million by issuing fresh shares.
Country Garden said it planned to issue 350.6 million shares at 77 Hong Kong cents apiece next week. The proceeds would go to a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Kingboard Holdings Limited, a materials and chemicals manufacturer with a property division to which Country Garden owes money.
Country Garden said it owed the Kingboard Holdings subsidiary around USD 200 million, to be paid in installments, with the final payment due in December.
About 1.3% of Country Garden’s current shares are made up of new shares. The shares are being offered at a 15% discount to Tuesday’s closing price. 67% of Country Garden’s shares have been lost this year. A deal to sell a 27% stake in a commercial and residential real estate development in Guangzhou, southern China, for USD 177 million was announced by Country Garden last week, NYT reported.
Previously lauded as a fortunate survivor in China’s turbulent real estate market, Country Garden has been the largest seller of homes in the country for the past six years. It had dodged the industry’s liquidity problem, which developed when the government in 2020 restricted developers’ access to credit in an effort to stop a real estate boom.
Numerous real estate companies have defaulted in the last three years, including Evergrande, the now-bankrupt developer that previously competed with Country Garden for dominance of the sector.
However, Country Garden is now the one attempting to avoid collapse. This month, it failed to make two interest payments to foreign bondholders. The company must pay those bonds by the end of the following week or it would be in default with its creditors. Additionally, it is attempting to delay the repayment of a domestic bond worth USD 350 million, which is due this next week, until 2026, The New York Times reported.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Two more persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of a senior manager with e-commerce giant Amazon and injuring his kin in northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura area, the Delhi Police said.
The arrested accused identified as Sohail and Jubair were apprehended on Thursday near Burari in the national capital, while they were trying to escape from Delhi to Punjab, the police said.
With the arrest of Sohail and Jubair, as many as four people have been arrested so far in connection with the case, the police added. One more accused namely, Adnan- a 19-years-old teen is still absconding.
Earlier, the Delhi Police arrested two persons- Maya and Bilal. Harpreet Gill and his 32-year-old maternal uncle Govind Singh were shot at around 11.30 pm on Tuesday in the Subhash Vihar area when the two were out on a bike. Gill was pronounced dead later at a hospital.
Another person, Govind Singh (32), the victim’s uncle, is being treated for a gunshot injury to his head. However, Govind has been discharged from the Hospital.
“He is recuperating in his home. His condition is stable. He has been cooperating in the investigation of this case,” the police added.
The two were on a motorcycle when the assailants on a scooter and a motorcycle intercepted them and opened fire at them.
On August 29, Bilal and his four other associates — Mohd Sameer alias Maya (18 years), Sohail alias Bawarchi (23 years), Mohd Junaid alias Biryani (23 years), and Adnan alias Don (age 19 years)—were at a party at Sameer’s house in the North Ghonda area of Bhajanpura, police said.
Around 10.30 pm on August 29, all five decided to step out for a ride, police said, adding that Sameer, alias Maya, was carrying a pistol.
Riding two motorbikes, they drove into the narrow bylanes of Bhajanpura, the police informed, adding that they stopped at a few places and finally drove into Gali No. 8/4, Subhash Vihar, Bhajanpura. The lane was so narrow that two bikes couldn’t pass without one squeezing to one side and letting the other pass through.
Incidentally, Harpreet Gill (36) and Govind Singh (32) were riding in from the other side of the narrow lane. Even as the three sets of riders tried to make space for each other, Bilal and his associates suddenly turned aggressive, police said.
Junaid got off his bike and slapped Govind Singh, the police informed further, adding that as the latter and Harpreet tried to speak with the youths, Mohd. Sameer opened fire from close range, shooting both Harpreet and Govind in the head.
The youths fled the spot as the two men fell to the ground, the police added. Further investigation into the case is in progress.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In continuance of the attack on the Adani group, today Financial Times and Guardian published a report by a group called Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) alleging that the Adani Group bought its shares to increase the share price. The report by Financial Times claimed that Gautam Adani’s brother Vinod Adani was behind this, and that the investment structures were “provided by an Indian financial group now called 360 One”.
However, 360 One has now come up with a clarification denying any links with the alleged transactions. 360 ONE made a filing with the BSE and NSE denying the claims made in the Financial Times report. The investment management company said that it manages two funds, Emerging India Focus Fund and EM Resurgent Fund, and none of them have invested in the Adani Group.
It added that in the past the funds had invested in Adani group companies, but all of them were sold in 2018 and at present there are zero investments in any shares of the group.
The firm said, “360 ONE Asset Management (Mauritius) Limited is the investment manager for Emerging India Focus Fund and EM Resurgent Fund; both of which are fully compliant broad-based funds registered with Financial Services Commission, Mauritius. In neither of these two funds, the Adani group or any of the individuals mentioned in the article, are investors.”
360 ONE further added, “These funds as on date have zero investments in any of the shares of the Adani Group. In the past among many other portfolio investments; the funds have had investments in shares of Adani Group companies; all of which were sold in 2018.”
Financial Times in its report had alleged that the ‘paper trail’ that links Vinod Adani with Nasser Ali Shaban Ahli and Chang Chung-Ling leads to a Bermuda fund provided by 360 One. It had also claimed that 360 One paid a Dubai subsidiary of Assent Trade & Investment to advise on investments of $100 million.
However, the report by FT claimed that Assent is a Vinod Adani company, and it bought shares of Bermudian Global Opportunities Fund. The money was then allegedly diverted to Asian Vision Fund, which made “diversified investments in stocks other than Adani.”
It is not clear what is the allegation here, as if the Vinod Adani company invested in stocks other than Adani, there is no question of buying Adani shares to inflate prices. It is also not clear why 360 One would pay money to an Assent subsidiary to advise on the investment. Ideally, it should get payment for investment advice.
The FT report did mention that lawyers of 360 ONE disagreed with the FT’s version of the events. It quoted the lawyers as saying that no 360 One entity and/or its employees in their official capacity has been involved in any wrongdoing generally and particularly in connection with the Adani Group.
The Guardian report, also based on the same report by OCCRP, didn’t mention the name of 360 One. It alleges that investments into Adani stock from two Mauritius-based funds were overseen by a Dubai-based company run by a known employee of Vinod Adani. It does not mention any involvement of any fund manager like 360 ONE.
Today Rahul Gandhi used the reports to resume his attack on PM Modi alleging links with Adani. He repeated already debunked lies, like the claim that Chang Chung-Ling is Chinese national when the fact is that he is from Taiwan.
Notably, just a few days ago, OpIndia had predicted that Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is planning a shakedown of India’s financial markets, following the footsteps of US-based short seller ‘Hindenburg Research’. OCCRP is funded by the likes of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF), the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, groups with history of funding anti-India activities.
After the Modi government has called for a “special session of Parliament” to be held from September 18 to 22, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that maybe it is an indicator of a ‘little panic’.
“I think maybe it is an indicator of a little panic. The same type of panic that happened when I spoke in Parliament House, the panic that suddenly made them revoke my Parliament membership,” a Congress leader said in Mumbai.
“So, I think it is panic because these matters are very close to the Prime Minister. Whenever you touch the Adani matter, the PM gets very uncomfortable and very nervous,” he added.
Targeting the BJP-led government over fresh allegations concerning the Adani group, Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of “being quiet” and said the least that should be done is a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe.
Addressing a press conference here, Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of “protecting one person” and asked “why he is he not forcing an investigation”.
Gandhi referred to the G20 Summit being hosted by India and the reports on the Adani group in two British papers and said the allegations impact perception about India.
“…It is very important that the Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi clears his name and categorically explains what is going on. At the very least, A JPC should be allowed and a thorough investigation should take place. I don’t understand why the PM is not forcing an investigation? Why is he quiet and people who are responsible are put behind bars? This is raising very serious questions for the PM just before G20 leaders come here…It is important that this issue is made clear before they (G20 leaders) arrive,” Rahul Gandhi said during his press conference in Mumbai.
Earlier today, the government decided to call a Special Session of Parliament from September 18 to 22 and it will have five sittings.
The information was given by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
“Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) is being called from 18th to 22nd September having 5 sittings. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” Joshi said on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).
He attached a picture of the old parliament building and the new building, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.
The monsoon session of parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building.
The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year.
The winter session of Parliament usually begins in the last week of November.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Punjab Police has made a breakthrough and arrested six supporters of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and associates of Pakistan-based gangster turned-terrorist Harinder Singh Rinda. Their names are Roshan Kumar, Saurab Kumar, Vikram Kumar, Amrinder Singh alias Billi, Arshveer Singh and Sunny and all are residents of Patiala.
Preliminary investigation reveals that arrested accused were planning to commit sensational crimes in the state. Seizure of 5 Pistols & 20 live cartridges@PunjabPoliceInd is committed to maintain peace and harmony in #Punjab as per vision of CM @BhagwantMann (2/2) pic.twitter.com/zJ6yQspLpu
All of them have been charged with a variety of crimes, including murder, attempted murder, extortion, dacoity and interstate trafficking in firearms. 20 cartridges and five pistols have been recovered from them. This is the third ISI-backed group caught in August. Two groups were apprehended earlier on August 15. Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police (DGP) for Punjab, provided the aforementioned information.
The accused intended to orchestrate a significant terror attack to create havoc in Punjab. He credited Mohali Police for the major development.
He informed six members of the Harvinder Singh Rinda alias Rinda gang had been nabbed. Arshveer Singh stabbed two youths to death in Patiala in April of this year and has been on the run ever since. They intended to commit more murders most of which were target killings.
The senior official mentioned, “One of the arrested persons was involved in a double murder case at Patiala in April ’23 and has been absconding ever since. Preliminary investigation reveals that the arrested accused were planning to commit sensational crimes in the state. Seizure of 5 Pistols & 20 live cartridges (was also done).”
The top cop further added that on the basis of credible information police teams from the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) working under the general direction of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Promod Ban caught all six while they were driving their Hyundai Verna car in the Zirakpur neighbourhood of the Mohali district.
According to Assistant Inspector General (AIG) AGTF Sandeep Goel, early investigations demonstrated that the accused were preparing to commit high-profile crimes in the state. Delhi Police Special Cell previously apprehended Sunny and Arshveer Singh in January of this year and 18 pistols were found on them. He revealed that after being released on bond both began engaging in illicit activities once more.
The Punjab police filed a new FIR on 27 August at Zirakpur police station under sections 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt, or restraint), 384 (extortion), 473 (making or possessing counterfeit seal), 148 (rioting), and 149 (offence committed in pursuit of common object) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25 (6) and 25 (7) of the Arms Act.
These terrorists who had escaped from Punjab to Pakistan are members of the Harvinder Singh Rinda Group and carried out terrorist acts in Punjab at its direction. Police came to know about them during the investigation of the double murder case in Patiala. A case has been registered against them in the Mohali police station of the Anti-Gangster Task Force. They would be presented in court and their remand would be sought.
Tarn Taran Police apprehended two associates of Harwinder Singh Rinda earlier in June as part of Punjab Police’s investigation into the gangster-terrorist nexus. Arshdeep Singh and his brother Wattandeep Singh, both residents of the village Kulla, were identified as the captured culprits.
In the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, a shocking case of love jihad and torture has come to the fore wherein a Hindu girl from Lucknow was converted to Islam by her Muslim man named Abu Hamid Ansari and after that, she was asked to become his father’s wife too after they had a Nikah. Upon refusing to give in to their bizarre demand, the woman was brutally assaulted by her husband’s family members and was thrown out of the house as well.
In a video statement posted by Sudarshan News, the victim alleged that her husband had assured her that she would not be harassed or tortured after she converted to Islam and performed Nikah with him in 2020. A Sudarshan News report also shows the Nikahnama of the victim and her husband. The family lived in Aligarh and then shifted to Bareilly. The woman said that her marriage was a case of love jihad and it was solemnised by deceit because she was lured into converting to Islam and marrying the Muslim man by assuring that she would not be harassed
However, after performing Nkah with the use of deceit, as claimed by the victim, her husband’s father Abu Huraira Ansari told her that he would not keep her at his home as his daughter-in-law but as his own wife. Her husband also forced her to become the wife of her father-in-law too.
She added that her father-in-law tried to force her to comply with his demands, however, she refused to become his wife. Following this, Abu Hamid’s family, including his father Huraira, brother Sayeed, whom the victim accused of being the mastermind, another brother Abu Sufiyan, sister Habeeba, mother Sayeeda Khatoon and others brutally thrashed her and expelled her from their home.
The victim also accused her in-laws and other members of the family of provoking her to commit suicide saying that she cannot not harm them.
“I told him that I belong to Hindu culture and in our culture we don’t have four wives or four husband type norms. After this, I was beaten up badly, by his (Abu Hamid) father, brother, and sisters, and I was mentally tormented beyond my tolerance levels. They asked me to go away, commit suicide but said we will neither accept you in our family nor will I be able to do anything against them and will just keep wandering door to door,” the Hindu girl said while revealing that all the ten members of the family were involved in financially, mentally and physically torturing her. She added that the two daughters-in-law belonging to the family suggested that they may have been cousins of their husband prior to their nikah.
According to the victim, she went to the clinic in Khushboo Colony owned by her husband’s brother Abu Sayeed Ansari, at around 9 p.m. on August 26, 2023, however, she did not enter the clinic, the victim claimed that a person named Mohammad Imran who worked at the clinic run by the Ansaris had followed her to Dohra Road as she was leaving, and threatened her saying that she has troubled his employers.
It is notable that Bareilly in recent times has become a hotbed of anti-Hindu crimes specially love jihad. OpIndia has reported numerous love jihad cases emerging from Bareilly. In most of such cases the pattern is similar, and involves Muslim accused pretending to be a Hindu and luring Hindu girls into marrying them, converting them to Islam and torturing along with blackmailing them with private videos etc when they refuse to fulfill their demands. In the abovementioned case, however, the accused not only converted the victim to Islam and performed nikah with but also allegedly tried to pressure her into becoming his father’s wife as if the Hindu woman is nothing more than an object of pleasure and a slave.
On Wednesday, August 30, several Hindu Netizens descended on the microblogging site X, formally Twitter, to express their vexation over the Shivling-shaped fountains installed at Dhaula Khan road in the national capital as part of the ongoing beautification of Delhi ahead of the G20 Summit.
Many X users expressed their outrage at the Shivling being utilized as a decorative item in the nation’s capital despite its enormous religious significance to Hindus. Several others compared it to the Gyanvapi Shivling, calling it a mockery of their faith and religion. They recalled how Islamists and the usual gang of leftist liberals had similarly disregarded the Shivling found submerged in the wuzukhana in Varanasi’s Gyanvapi by terming it a fountain.
Reacting to a video of the Shivling-shaped fountains installed at Delhi’s Dhaula Khan road by popular X user Megh Updates, a user going by the handle @rajasthan612627 wrote, “Is this symbolize in support of Muslim claim on Gyanvapi by calling the shivling there fountain? Watch out Delhi.”
Is this symbolize in support of Muslim claim on Gyanvapi by calling the shivling there fountain? Watch out Delhi
“Shivling is not a fountain……….unless of course you’re Muslim & fighting to keep Gyanvapi so you need to spread this lie!” wrote another angry X user @SaffronQueen_
Shivling is not a fountain……….unless of course you're Muslim & fighting to keep Gyanvapi so you need to spread this lie!
Another user @harish3912 also shared a similar opinion on how the decision to install Shivling-shaped fountains was an insult to Hindus and an affirmation of the narrative that was peddled by the Muslims and the liberal gangs calling the Shivling found in Gyanvapi a ‘fountain’.
And this is how government insults Hindus and confirms the narrative that the Shivling found in Gyanvapi are “Fountains” !! https://t.co/nWJAAem92U
X user @Kafir2424 also shared similar opinions. “This is intentionally done to mock Hindus and to prove narrative of Muslims claim that the Shivling found in Gyanvapi premises js a fountain,” he lambasted.
This is intentionally done to mock Hindus and to prove narrative of Muslims claim that the Shivling found in Gyanvapi premises js a fountain.
“Remove this abomination at once. The Shivling is not a decoration piece, its not a fountain, remember the argument at Gyanvapi.??”, wrote another irate X user named @govindam34.
Remove this abomination at once. The Shivling is not a decoration piece, its not a fountain, remember the argument at Gyanvapi.??
Shivling found in wuzukhana of disputed structure at Gyanvapi
It may be recalled that last year in the month of March, a Shivling was found submerged in the wuzukhana, the place where people who offer namaz, the Islamic prayer, clean their dirty hands and feet and gargle water as a cleansing ritual, inside the complex where the disputed structure called ‘Gyanvapi mosque’ is. The mosque was constructed after destroying the Hindu temple of Kashi Vishwanath. The centuries-old Nandi inside the new complex right next to the disputed structure also points towards where the Shivling was found in the wuzukhana.
Upon discovery of the Shivling, the judge ordered the sealing of the complex and forbade those offering prayer in the masjid from cleaning their dirty feet and hands where the Shivling had been found.
As reports emerged that a Shivling was found inside the controversial site, Hindus felt vindicated of their long-held belief about the presence of the Shivling inside the structure, while the left-liberals, Islamists expectedly suffered a huge meltdown on the microblogging site Twitter.
Besides suffering meltdown, the Islamists, ‘liberal-secular’ intellectuals indulged in making casual ‘Hinduphobic’ remarks and mocking Hindu deities in an attempt to discredit the recent discovery of the Shivling inside the disputed structure of Gyanvapi masjid in Varanasi. Many usual suspects, often having a notorious past of chiding Hindus for being unapologetic and proud of culture and heritage, took to X, formally Twitter to mock Hindus for celebrating the presence of Shivling inside the disputed structure.
G20 Summit
Meanwhile, the New Delhi G20 Summit, which will bring an end to a series of meetings over the course of the year, is going to be held in New Delhi on 9-10 September this year. The 43 Heads of Delegations- the largest ever in G20-will be participating in the final G20 Summit.
During the summit, representatives will engage in discussions about diverse economic reforms. The G20 presidency is a very important opportunity for India, as it gives India an opportunity to become a major player on the global stage. The summit will be concluded with the adoption of a G20 Leaders’ Declaration.
After a panel appointed by the Supreme Court found that there was no regulatory failure concerning alleged price manipulations in Adani stocks, more hitjobs have emerged against the Adani group claiming that there are ‘hidden investors’ in the group. Today global left-wing media houses like the Financial Times and Guardian claimed that the Adani family secretly invested in the Adani group shares, calling it a ‘family linked to PM Modi’.
Expectedly, Kerala MP Rahul Gandhi used these reports to directly attack PM Narendra Modi, alleging that the prime minister was directly involved in this ‘scam’, and asked PM Modi to come clear on the issue. He also reiterated the Congress party’s demand for a JPC probe in the alleged share price manipulations of the Adani group.
However, Rahul Gandhi repeated several lies that have been debunked earlier, including the falsehood that a Chinese national is involved in the price manipulations.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that Indian money is sent abroad and that is used to buy Adani shares, which inflates the share price. He further claimed that the conglomerate is using this ‘inflated share price’ to ‘buy infrastructure’ in India. Adani Group has won bids to operate airports and ports and develop the Dharavi slum in Mumbai, but according to Rahul Gandhi, this means Adani is buying those properties.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that Gautam Adani’s brother Vinod Adani is behind the ‘price manipulations’, and two foreigners, Nasser Ali Shaban Ahli and Chang Chung-Ling ‘from China’ are his business partners. The Congress leader asked how a ‘Chinese national’ is involved in Adani when the Adani group is infrastructure development and defence deals.
The Congress leader further made a grave allegation that a SEBI official was made the director of Adani-owned NDTV because SEBI gave a clean chit to Adani in price manipulation charges. He was referring to the appointment of Former SEBI Chairman UK Sinha as an Independent Director and Non-Executive Chairperson of NDTV.
He mentioned the words ‘foreign newspaper’ several times, implying that if foreign newspapers are claiming something, that must be true, even if SEBI and the Supreme Court-appointed committee find nothing wrong.
He made the bizarre claim that 1 billion Dollars went out of India, inflated Adani Group’s share price, and that price was used to buy infrastructure. Rahul Gandhi said that India’s reputation is at stack when the country is hosting the G20 summit, and alleged that PM Modi is protecting only one person and only one company is buying all of India’s assets.
Rahul Gandhi made several false charges during his press conference. The biggest lie was that a Chinese national was involved with the Adani group. The fact is, that Chang Chung-Ling is a citizen of Taiwan, and he is not a Chinese national. China claims Taiwan to be its territory, but the fact remains that Taiwan is a separate independent country. Calling a Taiwanese man Chinese is supporting the Chinese claim on Taiwan.
It is true that Chang Chung-Ling is involved in a company called PMC Projects, which has links with the Adani group. But as Taiwan has friendly relations with India, there is nothing wrong if a Taiwanese national on a valid visa works for an Indian company. Interestingly, the Financial Times mention that Chang Chung-Ling is from Taiwan, and the Guardian does not mention his nationality, but Rahul Gandhi kept claiming that he is Chinese.
Moreover, in the Hindenburg report, it was alleged that the PMC project did nothing and it was just a front of the Adani Group to route money. The report says that there are no signs that “PMC Projects does anything separate and apart from functioning as an arm of the Adani Group”. In fact, a probe by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2014 had also found that PMC Projects was a “dummy firm” used by the Adani Group. There is no evidence of any infrastructure work done by PMC, with which Chang Chung-Ling is involved.
A look into the works carried out by the Adani group also shows that PMC project is not involved with any infrastructure project. The company only had investments in mutual funds of an approximate value of Rs 6 crore in 2021, clearly not enough to win bids for any major project. But Rahul Gandhi has been alleging that the ‘Chinese-owned company’ has been building critical infrastructure like ports, airstrips, railway tracks and electricity lines, which is nothing but a big lie.
Rahul Gandhi’s claims that some Indian family used their own money to inflate the share prices of Adani enabling the company to ‘buy assets’ is also completely baseless and makes no sense. First, Adani Enterprises and its subsidiaries have not bought any assets, they have won bids to build and operate infrastructure projects. Plus, they have not won every project they bid for, they have lost tenders too, which is normal. For example, Adani had lost an important coal import tender by CIL, and another coal tender it had won was also cancelled. But Rahul Gandhi keeps talking about a few projects won by the Adani group outbidding others to claim that Adani is buying Indian assets.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that Former SEBI Chairman UK Sinha was made NDTV director because SEBI gave a clean chit to Adani. But UK Sinha retired as SEBI Chairman in February 2017, and there is no report of any clan chit given by SEBI to Adani during his term. Moreover, SEBI has not given any clean chit to Adani group, and it is still probing the allegations of price manipulations. It is SEBI that has got a clean chit from the Supreme Court-appointed committee, which concluded that there on failure on the part of SEBI. But for some reason, Rahul Gandhi is calling it clean chit to Adani, and then claiming that a former SEBI chairman who had nothing to with the probe was ‘rewarded’ for the clean chit that does not exist.
Notably, just a few days ago, OpIndia had predicted that Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is planning a shakedown of India’s financial markets, following the footsteps of US-based short seller ‘Hindenburg Research’. OCCRP is funded by the likes of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF), the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, groups with history of funding anti-India activities.
Interestingly, before the press conference of Rahul Gandhi began, OCCRP posted on X that Rahul Gandhi would be holding a press conference based on its report.
In response to our latest investigation, @RahulGandhi, a leader of India’s largest opposition party, will hold a press conference about the Adani Group, one of India’s top conglomerates. It is scheduled for 5 p.m. IST.
— Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (@OCCRP) August 31, 2023
The group tweeted, “In response to our latest investigation, @RahulGandhi, a leader of India’s largest opposition party, will hold a press conference about the Adani Group, one of India’s top conglomerates. It is scheduled for 5 p.m. IST.” with a link to YouTube link of the event.
On Thursday, August 31, the Delhi High Court ordered former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to pay Rs 1.5 lakh per month to his estranged wife Payal Abdullah as maintenance. The Court additionally asked him to pay Rs 60,000 per month for his son’s education.
This is after his estranged wife Payal Abdullah, who was Payal Nath before marrying Omar Abdullah, challenged the trial court’s order on April 26, 2018, which asked Omar to pay Rs 75,000 per month to Payal Abdullah and Rs 25,000 to their son till he becomes 18 in proceedings under the provisions of section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Payal stated that the maintenance granted was insufficient and that their sons were not old enough to take care of their own bills and must rely on their parents to fund their education and everyday living expenses.
Reportedly, Abdullah has filed an appeal with the Delhi High Court against this ruling. He contended that he has never shirked from the responsibility of his sons and has been paying for the maintenance of the children anyhow.
Omar Abdullah announced separation in 2011
The issue between Omar and Payal has been ongoing for several years now as the former claimed that their marriage had broken irretrievably and that the latter committed cruelty upon him. The saga began in September 2011 after the then Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah announced his separation from Payal Abdullah, to whom he had got married in the year 1994.
Amid the announcement, speculations were rife that Omar was planning to remarry or that his closeness to a television anchor had led to problems in his relationship with Payal. Ruling out the rumours then, Abdullah had said that the speculation about motives and about his future course of action was unfounded and untrue and that they had caused hurt to all concerned with the decision. “The stories about my remarriage are completely false and concocted. It is a pity that while repeating these lies, no effort was made to ask me whether any of this is true,” he added.
Omar and Payal met when they were employed at The Oberoi Hotel in Delhi. Omar was a young marketing professional in the same hotel chain at that point in time. On September 1, 1994, they got married under the Special Marriage Act and welcomed two boys, Zahir and Zamir.
Payal is a Delhi native with family roots in Lahore, Pakistan. Her father, Major General Ram Nath, was an army officer.
Payal and Omar Abdullah with their two sons (Times of India)
Omar filed for divorce based on the grounds of cruelty in marriage
Almost a year after the announcement of separation, Omar Abdullah in the year 2012 filed for divorce from Payal Abdullah based on the ground of cruelty in marriage. However, the woman contested the divorce plea with her lawyer Amit Khemka claiming that cruelty in marriage was a baseless argument.
A trial court in 2016 dismissed Omar Abdullah’s divorce plea saying that he failed to prove “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage” and his claims of “cruelty or desertion” by his estranged wife.
Eviction notice issued to Payal Abdullah
Later the Estate Officer of the Jammu and Kashmir government issued an eviction notice in June 2016 to Payal Abdullah asking her to vacate the sprawling bungalow on Akbar Road in Lutyens’ Delhi. The bungalow at 7, Akbar Road was first allotted to Omar Abdullah in 1999 by the Ministry of Urban Development when he was an MP from Jammu and Kashmir. He retained the house when he became the CM in 2009. But after his term as CM was over in 2005, he no longer had the right to stay in the house. But his wife, who had separated from him by that time, continued to live in the Lutyens bungalow and refused to vacate it.
Payal then approached a Delhi Court in July 2016 seeking a stay on the eviction notice. She contended that the said property was allotted to her husband by the central government and that the Estate Officer of the J&K government had no right to demand the eviction.
Payal’s lawyer Amit Khemka further said that if Payal and her sons are entitled to alternate government accommodation, the Centre shall not evict them until the same is provided to them. He also argued that the lady and both her sons had ‘Z’ category security and Z + security respectively and that it was impossible to accommodate around 100 security men deployed to guard the lady and her sons in a small apartment.
However, the trial court dismissed her appeal against the estate office of Jammu and Kashmir’s eviction order and ordered her to vacate the government house. After that, she challenged the verdict in the Delhi High Court. But she didn’t get any relief from the High Court also.
On August 17, 2016, the Delhi High Court ordered Payal Abdullah to vacate the Akbar Road bungalow. The court maintained that the said bungalow had been designated for the state Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister. “The entitlement of the petitioners (Payal and her sons) to retain this accommodation is wholly illegal. It is a government accommodation. Petitioners have no claim or right upon it,” Justice Indermeet Kaur said.
Payal had also contended that she might not get the same level of government protection in her small apartment in the city. However, the Center reported to the court that there was no imminent threat to her and that the protection was provided as a result of the general threat perceived by Kashmiri terrorists for being a member of the Abdullah family. The Centre also stated that the security threat was not as high in Delhi as in Jammu and Kashmir.
The estranged wife of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was evicted on August 23 that year. The Court also stated in the eviction order that government security would continue to be provided to Payal and her sons.
The eviction was executed in 2016
It is notable that during Payal’s court battle to retain the house, Omar Abdullah had said that he is no longer in occupation of the premises and the estate office is free to take whatever steps are considered necessary for taking the property over.
Court dismissed Omar Abdullah’s divorce petition, saying there was no evidence to prove that Payal had committed cruelty upon him
Meanwhile, the family court in Delhi on August 31, 2016, dismissed Omar Abdullah’s divorce petition, saying refusal to part ways does not amount to cruelty in marriage. The Court also stated that the politician failed to prove the ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’. It also noted that there was not even a shred of evidence to prove that Payal had committed cruelty upon him.
“The petitioner (Omar) has not been able to explain a single circumstance to show that the supervening circumstances have erupted which has made it impossible for him to continue his relationship with the respondent (Payal). Rather, evidence shows that they were in continuous contact till the filing of the divorce petition…there is not an iota of evidence in regard to the circumstances which have prevailed to prompt the petitioner to file the divorce plea,” then Principal Judge Arun Kumar Arya was quoted as saying.
Payal demanded Rs 15 lakh monthly maintenance
Post eviction, Payal Abdullah moved a city court seeking maintenance of Rs 15 lakh per month from her husband arguing that she and her children had become homeless and penniless after eviction from the government residence. She filed a petition demanding Omar to pay Rs 10 lakh in maintenance to her and Rs 5 lakh per month to her sons. She also added that eviction had made them vulnerable to security threats.
The petition further stated that she had been forced to shuttle to space at the home of her friends or aged parents post-eviction and that she had suffered a lot of torture and harassment. Payal also said that Omar’s unreasonable withdrawal from matrimony on absolutely unjustifiable grounds had caused her immense distress.
Payal noted that she was never interested in separation and alleged that she and her sons had been neglected by Omar since the year 2013. “He refused to maintain us in any form despite having sufficient means to do so,” the woman said demanding compensation for tarnishing her image in the public.
Omar refused saying Payal earned a significant amount to lead a lavish life
The case continued as Omar Abdullah refused to pay his estranged wife maintenance saying that she earned a significant income to lead a lavish lifestyle and therefore was not entitled to any maintenance. “She (Payal) has greater means than respondent (Omar) which has been tried to conceal,” Omar’s counsel stated in the Court.
However, refuting the claims, Payal’s counsel Jayant K Sud stated that Payal was completely dependent upon her father. “The allegations of Omar that she is a director of three companies are also false because they are lying defunct and were actually started by him. Payal always contributed her best to uphold the institution of marriage and was never interested in separation. She was hoping that he would come back and perform the responsibilities of a father and husband,” the counsel was quoted as saying.
Image- India Today
Trail Court awarded Rs 75,000 per month maintenance; Payal challenged
The trial court April 26, 2018, then awarded provisional maintenance of Rs 75,000 per month to Payal Abdullah and Rs 25,000 to their son till he turned 18 in proceedings under the provisions of section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Payal then challenged the order and stated that the maintenance granted was insufficient and that their sons were not old enough to take care of their own bills and must rely on their parents to fund their education and everyday living expenses.
Later in April 2020, the Court issued a circular demanding both parties in the case to agree to a final hearing in the case. Omar in November 2020 challenged the said circular claiming that his wife was not cooperating with the final hearing that had been pending from the year 2017. The Delhi Court dismissed the said plea and stated that lack of cooperation from his estranged wife was not a ground for challenging the High Court’s earlier order.
Due to the restricted functioning of the Court during the COVID-19 spread, the court issued a circular saying that the final hearing of pending matters would be entertained only if both parties agreed. But Omar alleged that the case was getting delayed due to a lack of cooperation from his estranged wife.
Court ordered Omar Abdullah to pay Rs 1.5 lakh monthly maintenance
The court eventually on August 31 this year directed the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister to provide his estranged wife a monthly maintenance of Rs 1.5 lakh. Justice Subramonium Prasad additionally ordered Abdullah to pay 60,000 per month for his son’s education.
Notably, Abdullah has again filed an appeal with the Delhi High Court against this ruling.
One of the five perpetrators who killed 36-year-old Amazon manager Harpreet Gill in the alleyways of Bhajanpura in northeastern Delhi on the evening of 29 August after an argument is the gang leader Mohammad Sameer aka Maya bhai. While the search for three other individuals continues, gang leader Mohammad Sameer was caught today along with one of his associates, 18-year-old Bilal Gani alias Mallu.
A look at the Instagram account of Mohammad Sameer, king_maya_302, gives us an insight into his criminal mind. He is seen flaunting weapons, alcohol and ammunition with pride on social media. Mohammad Sameer’s page points out his mobster mentality which he regularly glorifies through his posts and captions. His bio says- Naam – badnam, address – kabristan, umr – jeene ki, shauk – marne ka
Notably, he is charged as the prime accused in the murder of the Amazon manager as well as booked in four other murder cases before the age of 18.
Background of the Maya Gang
Mohammad Sameer adopted the identity “Maya” after being inspired by Vivek Oberoi’s portrayal of the character in the film ‘Shootout at Lokhanwala’. He had allegedly already committed four murders by the time he was considered an adult. He is the leader of the “Maya Gang” in Delhi which is mostly comprised of juveniles.
Sameer’s associates are involved in robberies, shootings, and even killings in the Bhajanpura area. Locals believe that despite frequently being imprisoned for their crimes, they manage to evade justice since they are under the age of 18. They had grown to be a nuisance to the public and the police over the past few years.
With 2,200 followers and the number 302 in his Instagram account, which is a reflection of the Indian Penal Code section for murder, Mohammad Sameer indulged in a blatant display of his criminal behaviour on Instagram.
His Instagram story highlights are replete with footage of him being arrested, police swarming his place and news articles about his infamous antics. He made the decision to ride out on two bikes on the night of August 29, while partying at a house with four of his gang members, Bilal Gani alias Mallu, Sohail alias Bawarchi, Mohammed Junaid alias Biryani and Adnan alias Don.
The gathering was apparently held to honour his recent birthday when he had turned 18 years old. He held a gun in his possession throughout.
When the gang and Harpreet Gill got into a heated altercation on a narrow road in Subhash Nagar in Delhi, the culprits opened fire and shot them in the head at close range. The two were taken to a hospital where the latter is receiving treatment but Harpreet Gill was pronounced dead by the doctors at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital.
According to the police, the other three assailants have been identified as 23-year-old Sohail alias Bawarchi, 23-year-old Mohammad Junaid alias Biryani and 19-year-old Adnan alias Don.
