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Three suspected Pakistani spies arrested from Rajasthan

OpIndia Staff
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Three suspected Pakistani spies arrested from Rajasthan

In two separate incidents, Rajasthan Police arrested three youths from Pali and Jaisalmer respectively for allegedly spying for Pakistan.

Suspect arrested from Pali was identified as Azharuddin Mewat. Nibab Khan and his associate Fatan Khan were arrested from Jaisalmer. Police are said to have recovered some incriminating documents from their possession.

On November 26, Army Intelligence caught Azharuddin Mewat while suspiciously roaming in the army cantonment area under Ras police station in Pali district. When questioned he said that wanted to meet General Manoj Mukund Naravane. While he was handed over to the police his house was also searched. Police confiscated his mobile phone. It was found that Azharuddin was regularly searching anti-national contents on his mobile phone.

Rajasthan police are learnt to have recovered some coded documents, maps, and diary from his house at Kishanjganj locality in Beawar. On the last page of the diary, he has written mission accomplished, besides there is information related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

During questioning, he identified himself as a native of Jaora in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh. For the last six years, he is settled in Beawar and sells vegetables.

Nibab Khan arrested from Jaisalmer is a suspected sleeper cell of ISI

In Jaisalmer police arrested Nibab Khan for allegedly spying for Pakistan. The suspect who runs a shop to sell mobile SIM cards, photocopy on Chandhan road was long spying for the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

DG (Intelligence) of Rajasthan police Umesh Mishra informed that Khan had visited Pakistan in 2015. Here he came in contact with an ISI handler who Rs 10,000 cash and 15 days of training.

Khan was passing on information related to movements and activities of the Indian Army to his ISI handler through media.

According to media reports, some of his relatives live in Rahimyar Khan locality of Pakistan. The suspect runs a shop at Chandhan in Jaisalmer of Rajasthan where the field range firing of the Indian Army is located. For the last year, he was under the constant watch of intelligence agencies.

Now on the basis of his disclosure Rajasthan police is learnt to have arrested one of his associates Fatan Khan of Barmer district. The suspect runs tyre tube repairing shop at Phalsund locality of Pokharan. Investigation disclosed that he too had visited Pakistan along with Nibab Khan. He used to get money from ISI for spying.

Sanjith murder case: Family of deceased RSS worker demands NIA probe, six accused still on the run

OpIndia Staff
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Sanjith murder case: Family of deceased RSS worker demands NIA probe, six accused still on the run

Days after the Kerala Police arrested an office-bearer of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in connection to the brutal murder of RSS worker A Sanjith, another accused was nabbed by the cops, reported Times Now. The development came even as the family members of the deceased had expressed their unhappiness over the slow pace of the investigation.

According to the kin of Sanjith, a total of 8 people were involved in the brutal murder while the police had arrested only two of them. As per Times Now, the second accused is also an office-bearer of the Islamist outfit PFI. The remaining 6 accused are still on the run from the law enforcement authorities. While a total of 3 people were directly involved in the crime, the other 5 provided financial support and access to weapons.

Sarath, the brother of Sanjith, lamented, “From our side what we can say is the police investigation is not proper. They are targeting only the people who are involved in that incident. They are not enquiring other people in this place. Be it any incident, it will never happen without the knowledge of the people who live here…”

He further added, “It is outsiders or anyone else, we don’t know the details. 2 people have been arrested other than that there is no update on the family side. 1.5 years ago in front of Sanjith, an incident happened to him. And also 2-3 times, Sanjith was attacked. 1.5 years ago, he had an injury in his hand.”

The Brutal murder of RSS worker, A Sanjith

On November 15, A Sanjith, an RSS worker from Elappully, Kerala, was hacked to death by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) goons. The incident occurred at Ellapully in Palakkad district at 9:30 in the morning. He was travelling with his wife on a motorbike when he was brutally attacked by the SDPI members. Reports suggest that the assailants came in a car.

They stopped his bike and attacked him in broad daylight in front of many people, including his wife. Sanjith was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. He later succumbed to his injuries. On November 18, Police had recovered blood-stained swords suspected to have been used in the murder of the RSS worker. On November 22, Kerala Police arrested an office-bearer of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in connection. The cops, however, did not disclose his identity.

Allahabad High Court grants bail to Sharjeel Imam in sedition case

OpIndia Staff
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Allahabad High Court grants bail to Sharjeel Imam in sedition case

On November 27, Allahabad High Court granted bail to Sharjeel Imam in the case of provocative speech against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Aligarh Muslim University in December 2019. Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh granted the bail. Detailed order of the bail is still awaited.

Imam was arrested in 2020 from Jehanabad, Bihar. He is a former Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and one of the key members of the group that organized Shaheen Bagh protests against CAA. Multiple FIRs were filed against Imam for a speech in which he allegedly asked the protestors to cut off Assam from India. FIRs were filed at Police stations in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. He also got bail in the cases filed at Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Imam was accused of making provocative speeches outside Jamia Milia Islamia University in December 2019 that led to violence outside the campus. In April 2020, he was charged with sedition by Delhi Police. According to the FIR, his speech promoted enmity between communities that led to the riots at the area where University is located.

Another FIR in the Jamia case was registered against Imam in the Aligarh district. Both FIRs were registered in January 2020 under Sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (promoting or attempting to promote disharmony or feelings of enmity on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever), 153B (making statements provoking breach of peace) and 505(2) (statements made which are alarming, false intention to create disharmony) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Delhi Court had denied bail

In October 2021, a Delhi Court had denied bail to Imam in the sedition case. Additional Sessions Judge Anuj Agarwal has opined that Imam’s speech at Jamia on December 13, 2019, was communal and divisive that could affect the peace and harmony in the society. The court said, “A cursory and plain reading of the speech dated 13.12.2019 reveals that same is clearly on communal/divisive lines. In my view, the tone and tenor of the incendiary speech tend to have a debilitating effect upon public tranquillity, peace and harmony of the society.”

Sharjeel to remain in jail

Currently, Imam is lodged in Tihar Jail, Delhi. He has also been accused in the case linked to the larger conspiracy in the anti-CAA Delhi Riots of February 2020. Though he has been granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in connection to the FIR lodged in the Aligarh district, he was unable to secure bail from the Delhi court last month.

Mumbai court grants bail to Hyderabad Techie accused of rape threat against Virat Kohli’s daughter

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai court grants bail to Hyderabad Techie accused of rape threat against Virat Kohli’s daughter

A Mumbai Court in a detailed order has recently granted bail to the 23-year-old Hyderabad techie Ramnagesh Akubathini who was accused of giving rape threats to Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s daughter on social media, according to reports. The court has noted that the rape threats were not directly addressed to Virat Kohli or his family.

Metropolitan Magistrate Komal Sing Rajput had said, “It is alleged that after the defeat of a cricket match by India against Pakistan, there was public outcry and people across India responded aggressively and criticized team members. The accused while responding crossed limits and made some sexually coloured remarks against the child of one of the members of the Indian Cricket Team.” He added, “If we perused the record and considered the remarks posted and phraseology used in its natural course, it appears that it is made in context of some other posts and may not be directly addressed to the cricketer or his family, even though as social media accounts are inter connected, it might have read/received by them.”

The Magistrate further noted that most of the charges against Ramnagesh Akubathini were of bailable offences and that “just because the matter was connected with a respectable Indian Cricket Team member,” the bail could not be rejected.

Notably, Akubathini was booked under Section 354 (A), 506, 500 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 and under Sections 67 and 67-B of Information Technology Act, 2000.

Akubathini’s Advocate Abhijeet Desai had said that the statements of his client were taken out of context and were made while responding to other posts on social media. Desai said that there was no direct reference made by Akubathini to Kohli or his family.

The judge had also mentioned the non-applicability of section 67B of the IT Act pertaining to electronic circulation of child pornography. The statement said, “The contents of the First Information Report and the whole record show that in response to certain social media post accused allegedly mentioned and posted message that he is in search of photos of a child for assaulting her. He has not either transmitted or published any material showing a child involving in sexually explicit act. Therefore, there is doubt whether of these offences made out or not? At least for the limited purpose of in vie grounds assigned this aspect cannot be ignored.”

Earlier, the Mumbai police had arrested Ramnagesh Akubathini for giving rape threat to Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s daughter on social media and was taken into custody on Wednesday, November 10 by the cyber cell of Mumbai Police.

“Delhi govt sends teachers abroad while Punjab govt sends them to top of water tanks”: Arvind Kejriwal joins contractual teachers protest in Mohali

OpIndia Staff
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“Delhi govt sends teachers abroad while Punjab govt sends them to top of water tanks”: Arvind Kejriwal joins contractual teachers protest in Mohali

The Aam Aadmi Party is leaving no stone unturned to win the upcoming Punjab elections. As part of the campaigning for the polls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined a teachers’ protest at Mohali and promised to regularise their jobs if his party comes to power in next year’s Punjab Assembly polls. During his visit to Mohali, Kejriwal backed the ongoing protests of the contractual teachers against the Punjab government. Arvind Kejriwal visited the protest site outside the Punjab School Education Board building, where temporary teachers have been protesting against for several months demanding regularisation of their jobs. 

During the protests, Arvind Kejriwal was seen urging some teachers who have climbed to the top of a water tanker to climb down. He commented that while his govt is sending teachers to foreign countries for training, Punjab govt is sending teachers to the top of water tanks.

Kejriwal said, ‘I have come here to say that I am ashamed of the whole society and the system that today our teachers should sit at the top of water tanks in protest.’ He then asked the contractual teachers who were at the top of water tanks, ‘For how many days have you been protesting?’. To which the teachers replied that they were protesting for 47 days.

Then Kejriwal continued, ‘…I have come here to request you that you climb down because you have fever…come down and I promise you that after our government is formed, like how we solved the problems of all the teachers in Delhi, you have heard about Delhi right?…good education is happening in Delhi, which was not done by us but the teachers. We have put our trust in the teachers, we provided all the facilities to the teachers in the Schools…’

The Delhi CM further added that the Delhi government has sent teachers abroad for training and said, ‘In Delhi, we have sent teachers to England, Sweden and New Zealand and it is sad to know that here, the Punjab government sends teachers to the top of water tanks.’ He asked the protesting teachers to give one chance to the Aam Aadmi Party to form the government in Punjab. “You give one chance. If we do not do it, then you can throw us out next time,” he said. 

“I came here today and I promise you that when our government comes, we will regularise you. But I want to assure you on this that I addressed issues of teachers in Delhi. Therefore, we will resolve issues in Punjab as well,” Arvind Kejriwal further added said.

The contractual teachers have claimed that the Punjab government have not listened to them for a long time and that they have been suffering from unemployment for the last 11 years. They want their services regularised as some of them have been working on contract since 2003.

Married Sikh woman who traveled to Pakistan as pilgrim converts to Islam to marry Lahore-based man in presence of Sikh husband: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Married Sikh woman who traveled to Pakistan as pilgrim converts to Islam to marry Lahore-based man in presence of Sikh husband: Details

A married Sikh woman who had traveled to Pakistan on the occasion of Gurupurab has gotten married to a Pakistani man after converting to Islam. However, the woman was sent back to India as she did not have a valid Visa. According to a report by Zee News, the Sikh woman was in touch with Lahore-based Muhammad Imran via social media.

As per the report, the Sikh couple is deaf and mute and so is Muhammad Imran. However, despite the marriage after conversion to Islam, the Kolkata based woman had to return to India with the Sikh Jatha. As per Zee News, the woman got married to Imran in the presence of her husband and her husband was aware that she was in touch with the man through social media.

The Sikh woman is reported to have divorced her Indian husband in a Pakistani Court before her nikah. Reportedly, the couple was the last to return at the Wagah-Attari border.

Intelligence sources were quoted as saying, “However, they didn’t tell anything to us but our sources have confirmed that she embraced Islam and married a Muslim man but Pak officials didn’t allow her to stay back in Lahore since she was traveling on a pilgrim Visa which had also expired, she is back with her Indian husband and she might apply for Pakistan visa again.”

SAD(D) president Paramjit Singh Sarna, former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, said that “in wake of a Bengali Sikh pilgrim converging and remarrying in Pakistan, we have appealed to jatha members traveling across the border to restrict their activities to ‘darshan and didar’ on holy Gurdwara’s”.

“Such acts can even lead to a ban on Sikh pilgrimage to Pakistan,” he added, saying that the matter had caused a huge embarrassment.

Govt accepted demands to decriminalise Jashn-e-Parali along with repealing the farm laws: Why the Centre should change rules of engagement

Jinit Jain
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Govt accepted demands to decriminalise Jashn-e-Parali along with repealing the farm laws: Why the Centre should change rules of engagement

Days after PM Modi announced the withdrawal of three farm laws, the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday said the Centre has also agreed to the demand of farmers’ organisations to decriminalise stubble burning or Jashn-e-Parali as it being mockingly referred to on social media.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Narendra Singh Tomar said, “Farmer organisations had demanded to decriminalise stubble burning by farmers. The Government of India has accepted this demand as well.”

It is notable that during negotiations with the farmer organisations during the protests, the central govt had already agreed to decriminalise stubble burning in December last year, along with agreeing to take back the Electricity Amendment Act. The govt had agreed to these compromises hoping that farmer organisations will relent in the three farm laws in return.

The minister also said that the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, will be tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament. “With the constitution of this committee, farmers’ demand on MSP stands fulfilled,” Tomar told media.

With regards to the withdrawal of cases against farmers during the agitation, Tomar said it is in the domain of the state government and not the Centre.

“Looking at the severity of the cases, the state governments have to take a call and the issue of compensation is also to be decided by them,” he said, adding that every state will decide as per their state legislations.

The spate of announcements came more than a week after PM Modi announced that the Centre would be repealing the three farm laws it had legislated last September.

PM Modi takes cognisance of contuing farmer protests, announce withdrawal of three farm laws

On the 19th of November, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi addressed the nation at 9 AM. Addressing the nation, PM Modi thanked the millions of farmers who appreciated the farm laws, which were introduced after due deliberation and with honest intentions. PM Modi made a startling announcement saying that the government had decided to, however, repeal the 3 farm laws that were passed for the benefit of the farmers.

PM Modi, addressing the nation said that by the end of this month, the Modi government would complete the process of repealing the three farm laws. He then appealed to the protesting farmers and middlemen to return to their homes on this Gurupurab and stop their protest. He further said that the government will form a committee to formulate laws for the benefit of the farmers.

He further said that the government had introduced the laws after due deliberation but perhaps it was the shortcoming of the government that they could not convince all farmers that the laws were indeed in their benefit. Further, he said that the past governments had deliberated on these laws as well but it was the Modi government that had implemented them.

Since last November, a section of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and some parts of western Uttar Pradesh, had been protesting against the enactment of the reform laws that granted farmers with more opportunities to sell their produce, greater transparency and eliminating the need for middlemen.

The government insisted that the previous mechanism will continue to remain in place, but this did not generate enough confidence among the protesters, who steadfastly squatted on public roads leading to the national capital, demanding the rollback of the three farm laws. With the protest continuing for about 12 months, PM Modi and the Centre gave in to the obstinacy of the protesters, who were arguably headed by a bunch of self-serving opportunists trying to remain relevant in the changing political landscape.

The primary bone of contention for the last 12 months had been the three farm laws. The farmers and the Centre were both ready to strike compromises on other fronts but on the issue of farm laws, either of them had remained resolute on their stand. Nevertheless, the government took cognisance of the continuing stalemate between the authorities and the protesters and grasped the nettle of withdrawing the farm laws after failing to convince the farmers of its benefits.

The invalidation of the three farm laws opened a pandora’s box, emboldening the detractors to pursue the policy of pressurising the government to accept their other demands. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait came up with another set of demands, including a guarantee on MSP, withdrawal of cases against protesters, inter alia and announced that the protests will continue so long as all their demands are not met.

After repealing farm laws, Centre accedes to farmers’ demands of decriminalising stubble burning

On Saturday, two days before the Parliamentary session is to begin, the Agriculture Minister said some of the demands made by the farmers are met. Among them, the most pernicious one is the decriminalisation of stubble burning or Jashn-e-Parali as it is pejoratively referred to as on social media.

With the farm laws repealed, the Centre demonstrated its willingness to go back on its reforms in order to accommodate the demands of a section of protesting citizens. The onus was now on the farmers to prove that they will hold up to their side of the bargain and end the anarchy and chaos that had characterised their protests ever since they began. Instead, emboldened by the Centre’s decision to repeal the three laws, the farmers pressed hard for others demands to be fulfilled as well.

And surprisingly, the government once again succumbed to the pressure. It agreed to decriminalise stubble burning, notwithstanding the fact that stubble burning by farmers in north India has been cited as one of the primary reasons for the unbreathable air in the Delhi-NCR region. Even the Supreme Court has asked the Centre to hold talks with farmers on stubble burning. Yet, the government agreed to farmers’ demand and decriminalised stubble burning. Imposing penalty or punishment for stubble burning was the only bargaining chip the Centre had in their discussions with the farmers that defied the government’s directives and continued burning stubble.

Until now, the criminalisation had served as a subduing effect to a certain extent in dissuading farmers from taking to stubble burning. However, now there is practically no incentive or legal precepts to stop the farmers from indulging in burning stubble or having talks over it with the Centre. They can continue their defiant actions and have a deleterious impact on northern India’s air quality without having to face any legal repercussions.

The need for the Centre to change the rules of engagement

This is certainly not how the government should be presiding over negotiations with a side that has shown utter disregard of the rule of law and has demonstrated no moral scruples to use coercion and intimidatory tactics to pressurise its opponents. The union govt had agreed to decriminalise stubble burning and withdrew Electricity Amendment hoping that farmer organisations will agree to the three farm laws. But that didn’t happen, and the central govt is in a lossing position now. It took back important legislations to convince protestors on the farm laws, but now have withdrawn the farm laws too.

Now that the government has taken back farm laws, should it not also take back all the concessions it had granted to the farmers in their efforts to win their support on the agriculture laws? Should it not revert to the pre-farm bills stage on all laws pertaining to farmers? Ideally, the govt should again criminalise stubble burning, and bring back the electricity amendment, as the farmers didn’t agree to any of the decisions of the central govt.

Negotiations are tough balancing acts, which are won when done from the position of strength. If the Centre thinks they are going to placate farmers by acceding to all their demands, they are in for a rude awakening. Their demands will continue to swell, regardless of the Centre’s generosity in humouring them. If the government is committed to abolishing hidebound agricultural practices and ushering the sector in an era of reforms, it needs to take tough decisions. And the first step towards it would be changing the rules of engagement with implacable holdouts, and not caving in to the pressure imposed by them.

As TMC continues to poach Congress leaders, it is disinterested in coordinating with Congress in parliament, may skip opposition meeting

OpIndia Staff
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As TMC continues to poach Congress leaders, it is disinterested in coordinating with Congress in parliament, may skip opposition meeting

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is unlikely to attend the opposition parties’ meeting called by the Congress on November 29, as the party is learnt to be disinterested in coordinating with the Congress. The Congress party has called the meeting to plan a joint strategy against the BJP led ruling NDA during the Winter Session of the parliament, especially on the issue of farmers’ protest.

But there is nothing unusual in such a refusal since barely a few days back Mamata Banerjee had given a blunt reply when asked why she did not meet Congress national president Sonia Gandhi.

TMC has announced to hold its national coordination committee meeting on November 29 at the residence of Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. TMC will coordinate with other opposition parties against the government during the winter session but not under the leadership and instruction of the Congress.

The TMC is likely to raise the issue of repealing farm laws, Maximum Support Price for agricultural products, the extension of tenures of ED and CBI directors, BSF’s increased jurisdiction, the alleged weakening of the federal structure, fuel prices and others.

The Bengal-based party headed by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been trying to replace the Congress to lead the opposition against the BJP.

The PTI has quoted TMC leaders saying that Mamata Banerjee will maintain distance with the Congress party. TMC has asked the Congress leadership to resolve issues within their party and then think of coordinating with other opposition parties.

“We are disinterested in coordinating with the Congress during the winter session. Congress leaders should first coordinate among themselves. They should set their own house in order and then think about coordinating with other camps,” a TMC leader was quoted saying.

However, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Congress will try to bring all opposition parties together in Parliament.

The Bengal victory has fueled the prime ministerial ambition of Mamata Banerjee and she has been trying to expand the footprints of her party beyond Bengal. She has poached on several Congress leaders.

In Meghalaya, former Congress chief minister Mukul Sangma and 11 other Congress MLAs joined the TMC. In Assam, Sushmita Dev deserted the Congress to join TMC. In Goa, Mamata Banerjee managed former Goa Chief Minister and Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro to join her party. President of Haryana Congress committee Ashok Tanwar recently joined the TMC along with Kirti Azad. All these have inflicted a heavy loss to the Congress party.

Snub to Sonia Gandhi and Congress

This is a clear indication that Mamata Banerjee is not going to accept the Congress and Sonia Gandhi as the face of opposition. Very recently TMC mouthpiece ‘Jago Bangla’ had said that not Sonia Gandhi but Mamata Banerjee is the face of the opposition parties.

When the Congress faced massive desertion in Meghalaya, the Jago Bangla called the Congress  ‘incompetent and ‘incapable’ of keeping its flock together. TMC has kept attacking the Congress and termed it a party indulged in armchair politics having no interest to hit the street against the BJP. It further said that the Congress party has limited itself to Twitter space and was not bothered about building strong opposition alliances.

On November 25, Mamata Banerjee visited Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But she did not meet Sonia Gandhi and when asked she didn’t meet the Congress president, she said that meeting Sonia Gandhi was not constitutionally mandated. “Why should we meet Sonia every time? It is not constitutionally mandated,” she had said.  

Bengaluru: Illegal firm run by Chinese nationals that gave loans charging exorbitant fees and interest busted, two employees arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Bengaluru: Illegal firm run by Chinese nationals that gave loans charging exorbitant fees and interest busted, two employees arrested

Karnataka Police have busted a loan racket run by two Chinese Nationals who were involved in fraudulent money transactions and gave loans to people at exorbitant processing fees and unreasonably high interest rates. The accused involved in the loan racket also harassed the customers after giving out large amounts of loans for violating ‘laws’. The cops have arrested two Indian employees of the firm in the matter.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Sandeep Patil informed on Friday that the Chinese Nationals were running a firm that gave out loans at high rates to people. The customers who took the loans from the Chinese Nationals were then harassed and told that they had broken ‘laws’.

Patil said that the investigation revealed that the Chinese Nationals running the racket had opened bank accounts using the names of their Indian staff. He said that the accused used these bank accounts with Indian names to make fraudulent transactions and transfer crores of rupees to China. The racket was run under the name of Licorice Technology Private Limited in Marathalli, Bengaluru. According to Zaubacorp, the two directors of the company are Shaik Abdul Rasheed and Ankita Karamchand Loya.

As per reports, Central Crime Branch (CCB) Economic Offences Wing had carried out a raid at the offices of Licorise Technology Pvt. Ltd. in Munnekolala and busted a network consisting of around 52 companies registered in benami names run by the Chinese Nationals. The two accused arrested were identified as HR executive Kamaraj More (25) and team leader Darshan Chouhan (21).

The firm used applications like Cash Master and Crazy Rupees to provide short-term loans and demanded large amounts as processing fees of the loans which were almost half the amount of loans being granted.

Further, the investigation revealed that the names of the employees working for the firm Licorise Technology Pvt. Ltd. were used to open bank accounts and then companies were registered in the name of those employees. The Chinese nationals had collected documents such as Aadhaar and PAN cards from the staff and had registered 5-6 companies in their names. As many as 52 companies were registered in the names of the staff and accounts were opened in private banks. The interest paid by the borrowers was credited to these accounts. Police said that as per preliminary investigation, crores of rupees have been sent to China through online transfers from these accounts.

A senior police official said, “The employees were given incentives to open an ‘account’ in their name, to which many willingly volunteered. But unknown to them, companies were registered in their names which in turn were indulging in illegal loan grant and recovery. A maze of firms registered in various benami names have been created to ensure the real owner, Chinese nationals, are hidden.” 

Reportedly, the companies acted as middlemen in securing those loans and had ties with RBI registered Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). The official said, “The companies do not even offer loans. They are only a middleman. They get loans granted from NBFCs, cheat the customers charging almost 50% as processing fee and later charge hefty weekly interest, barred by law. Thus on the loan principal provided by Indian NBFCs, the debtors are also cheated, harassed for recovery and the windfall is transferred out of the country to China.” 

Police said that while two persons have been arrested and 83 computers seized, efforts are on to nab the absconding Chinese nationals.

CCB will seek the help of the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department, Department of Goods and Services Tax, Reserve Bank of India and Register of Companies for further investigation of the case.

‘Outside the spirit of the constitution’: Caravan Editor declares democratically elected Modi Govt ‘unconstitutional’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Outside the spirit of the constitution’: Caravan Editor declares democratically elected Modi Govt ‘unconstitutional’

Caravan Editor Hartosh Singh Bal, speaking at the Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum’s event on Saturday, declared that the incumbent NDA Government is “unconstitutional”. While Hartosh Singh Bal did not elaborate on the reasons in any significant manner, the verdict appears to be largely based on ’emotions’ and ‘feelings’.

According to the Caravan Editor, the Government is “unconstitutional” even though it was elected democratically. Apparently, the Government is “outside the spirit of the constitution.”

Such declarations obviously carry dangerous implications. If a Government is unconstitutional and illegitimate, then the use of violence to remove it is justified. It is the logic that is regularly used by liberals to justify political violence. For instance, in the United States of America, liberals attempted to normalise ‘punching a Nazi’. A ‘Nazi’ was obviously any supporter of Donald Trump, which effectively meant any Republican.

Bal uses a similar tactic here, attempting to brand the NDA Government unconstitutional so that more and more drastic measures can be used to remove it from power. Such a mentality is also why Trinamool Congress has been able to persecute its political opponents with impunity without any condemnation from the mainstream media.

Social media did not receive his comments too kindly either. They slammed Hartosh Singh Bal for undermining the legitimacy of a government elected by the citizens of the country.

Bal’s bigotry is well documented. A few years ago, in 2017, Hartosh Singh Bal had said that Article 35A should be removed but ‘Twitter Brahmins’ should be left there without state security. Since then, Article 370 has been removed and this year, we have seen targeted attacks against the civilian population in Kashmir, something that Bal appears to have hoped for in 2017.

Bal also spoke on the role of the media. He said, “As a nation becomes surer of itself, the role of the media must become of questioning the government.” Unsurprisingly, the digital platform he is associated with has a history of spreading malicious fake news.

The Caravab had claimed that Republic Day rioter Navreet Singh had died due a bullet fired by the Delhi Police but it was later confirmed by a panel of doctors that he did not die due to a bullet. The rioter had died after a tractor had overturned, killing him in the process.

Another Caravan editor Vinod K Jose had falsely claimed that Coronavirus tests are not free in India. Thus, quite clearly, the digital platform Bal is associated with has a terrible relationship with truth. Frustrated with the electoral dominance of the BJP, he appears to have tasted blood with the repeal of the farm laws. Continuing in his trajectory, he has decided to declare the government itself as unconstitutional.

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