Delhi BJP chief president Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday took a dip in highly polluted waters of Yamuna as a mark of protest against the AAP government’s failure to clean the river. Hours after the innovative protests, he suffered several skin ailments and had to visit a hospital for treatment.
As per a Tweet by Delhi BJP, Virendra Sachdeva visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after experiencing red rashes, itching and mild difficulty in breathing after taking the dip. The party posted the prescription from the government hospital, showing that he has been prescribed medications by a dermatologist to treat the conditions.
दिल्ली भाजपा अध्यक्ष श्री @Virend_Sachdeva ने आज दिल्ली सरकार के 8500 करोड़ रुपए के Yamuna सफाई घोटाले को उजागर करते हुए यमुना मईया में डुबकी लगा कर दिल्ली सरकार की गलतियों के लिए क्षमा प्रार्थना की थी।
The prescription states that he has generalised itching all over the body, and has been prescribed Levocetirizine tablet and a lotion to be used for 3 days. The doctor mentioned ‘exposure to water’ as the cause for the condition, and advised some tests.
“Delhi BJP President Shri @Virend_Sachdeva today exposed the Rs 8500 crore Yamuna cleaning scam of the Delhi Government and took a dip in the Yamuna River and sought forgiveness for the mistakes of the Delhi Government,” Delhi BJP said in the tweet.
Sachdeva on Thursday went to the ITO Ghat and staged a protest against the AAP government for failure to curb pollution in the river. He took a dip in the Yamuna and “sought forgiveness” for the “corruption” of the Delhi government, alleging that AAP govt looted ₹8500 crore allotted by the centre to clean the river.
प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री @Virend_Sachdeva ने गंदे यमुना घाट पर डुबकी लगा कर माँ यमुना से क्षमा मांगी की दिल्ली की अरविंद केजरीवाल एवं आतिशी मार्लेना सरकार ने यमुना सफाई फंड के 8500 करोड़ रुपये लूटकर खा लिये पर यमुना जी की सफाई नहीं की। pic.twitter.com/boUzyeWOPG
He challenged Chief Minister Atishi and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to visit and inspect the condition of the river. Sachdeva said, “We have arranged a red carpet as people who used to live in ‘Sheesh Mahal’, they are accustomed to the red carpet as they are ‘Shahi’ people. We have arranged two chairs as this tradition was initiated by Atishi herself, so if she comes, she will need two chairs. And if Arvind Kejriwal comes, we will be happy. Although he is on bail, he was the chief minister of Delhi. We will wait for some more time if they come.”
He further said, “They should give an account of Rs 8,500 crores that was given by the Central government to clean the Yamuna.”
Notably, soon after coming to power in Delhi AAP government had promised to clean Yamuna River. But the condition of the river is worsening every year, with the water covered with toxic foam. Now days before Chhath festival, in which devotees took a dip in rivers, the matter of the condition of Yamuna water has again become a matter of debate.
While opposition parties are targeting AAP for failure to keep the promise of cleaning the river, AAP is blaming neighbouring states of releasing pollutants in the water.
Reverend Azad Marshall, President Bishop of the Synod, the Church of Pakistan, has written a letter to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari expressing his concerns regarding remarks made by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik about the Christian community and their beliefs during his recent visit as a state guest to the country.
Naik’s visit, which concluded last week, included several public speeches and private discussions, as reported by Dawn.
In the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Marshall states, “Dr. Zakir Naik’s public addresses have caused significant distress within our Christian community, as he openly questioned the authenticity of our faith, discredited our sacred texts, and made statements that undermine the beliefs of Christian pastors and scholars.”
The letter emphasises that Naik’s remarks not only caused “religious offence but also undermined the national pride of all Pakistanis, regardless of their faith.”
The letter also criticises the Pakistani government for failing to formally express regret regarding Naik’s comments, which has “further intensified the sense of marginalization” felt by the Christian community, despite the government’s repeated assurances of upholding religious harmony and mutual respect for all.
In his letter, Marshall urges the government to take immediate and effective steps “to prevent such divisive and harmful” incidents, especially those occurring under state sponsorship, from happening in the future.
According to the report, he references Quaid-e-Azam’s significant speech to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in 1947, asserting that Naik “disrespected” the founding father’s vision during his public events as a state guest.
“Dr. Zakir Naik made his remarks in public forums where our pastors and scholars were not given the opportunity to properly respond or clarify the misinformation stemming from his misguided views,” Dr Marshall added.
He further stated that, as citizens of Pakistan, the fundamental rights of minorities are guaranteed under Article 20 of the Constitution, which asserts, “Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion.”
He also referenced Article 36, which “requires the state to protect the legitimate rights of minorities.” Dr Marshall called on President Zardari to take serious measures to ensure that these constitutional rights are upheld and not infringed upon by anyone.
The plight of minorities in Pakistan has been worsening in recent years. Reports highlight severe issues, including religious violence, with accusations of blasphemy often leading to violent repercussions.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The leftist ‘liberals’ and the Islamists keep on targeting the Hindu community alleging them of creating communal tensions and cornering the minority communities for their religion. Several times in the past, the Islamists have stated that Hindu leaders allegedly assaulted the people belonging to minority communities and forced them to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. However, several times, it has come to the fore that the Islamists have shared doctored videos to deliberately target the Hindu community.
In one such case, a 15-year-old school student named Danish lied about his ‘kidnapping’ from Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh as he claimed that he had been abducted and beaten by Hindu leaders who also allegedly forced him to chant the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan. The boy claimed that he had been taken by the Hindu group leaders in a van where they allegedly assaulted him for belonging to the minority community. As per his previous claims, the leaders also forced him to say ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
Every other case of ‘kidnapped and forced to chant Jai Shri Ram’ turns out to be fake. People like @zoo_bear have circulated such false stories too
However, it has now been found that the boy had been lying and that he had been falsely accusing the Hindu leaders of alleged assault. Hardoi Police addressed the issue on Monday, 21st October, and confirmed that Danish had been hiding in a vacant building close to his school and had hurt his hand by striking a blade. Later he claimed to his family that he had been abducted by Hindu leaders who forced him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
“Danish initially claimed that the Hindu leaders had abducted him and assaulted him. He said that they took him to some location and later dropped him back near his school. However, the police launched an investigation into the case and found that the boy had been lying. He studies in class 10 and that day he had not finished his homework and didn’t want to go to school. But his mother forced him to go anyway. After the school was over, he hid in a nearby vacant building and cut his hand on 3-4 places using a blade. He then went home and claimed that he had been kidnapped by Hindu leaders,” the police stated.
Hardoi police added that the boy apologised after the truth came out. Given that he is a minor and keeping his future in mind, he was let go after counselling, and no action was taken.
Earlier also, in August this year, a video was made viral by Islamists claiming that a Muslim man was allegedly assaulted by Hindu leaders for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Later it was found that the video in question was old and that it was erroneously being spread on social media to target the Hindu community. Also, the sound of the video was altered to erroneously show that the Hindus were allegedly assaulting the Muslim man.
In the given case, the police have issued a warning to Danish and no action has been taken against him. Danish meanwhile also confessed that he had lied as he claimed that he was kidnapped by the Hindu leaders.
An app developer’s bid to obtain Rs 1 crore from Reliance Industries in return for the “JioHotstar” domain has taken a wrong turn as the Mukesh Ambani-owned company rejected his demand. According to the Delhi-based techie who calls himself a “Dreamer”, Reliance is also contemplating legal action against him.
In 2023, the app developer bought the domain name “JioHotstar.com” in anticipation of an expected merger between Reliance’s JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. The anonymous app developer signed his letter as “a dreamer,” and approached Reliance Industries with a proposal that Reliance Industries would fund his higher education in exchange for the domain.
The Delhi-based techie has dropped an update on the JioHotstar webpage informing that an executive from the Reliance Industries Ambujesh Yadav reached out to him. The techie said that he “requested” that the company pay him £93,345, which is approximately Rs 1 crore. He claimed that this money would go as his tuition fees for EMBA program at Cambridge University, however, his request was denied.
“An Executive from Reliance reached out – Ambujesh Yadav Ji, AVP, Commercials. A request was made for £93,345, which represents the tuition fees for the EMBA program. The request has been denied. Reliance will proceed with legal action. I hope they will reconsider this kind request. I wish such a large group could help,” the update shared by the app developer reads.
Further, the techie defended his act of buying the JioHotstar.com domain in 2023 saying that JioHotstar was not even in existence at that time and that nobody had JioHotstar trademark at the time he made the domain purchase.
“I don’t have the power to stand against Reliance. I don’t feel I infringed any trademark when I bought this in 2023, since JioHotstar was not even in existence at that time. No body had trademark for JioHotstar when i bought it. I might automatically lose access of this domain in few hours. If any legal professional could help, I would be grateful,” the techie said.
Did the app developer hypothesise Jio and Hotstar merger or was it deliberate cybersquatting?
In his letter, the developer said that he purchased the domain in 2023 after reading news about Disney+ Hotstar’s dwindling viewer base following the loss of IPL streaming rights, as well as Disney’s apparent plans to sell or merge Hotstar with an Indian rival.
“I am an app developer based in Delhi, currently working on my startup. In early 2023, while scrolling through social media, I came across a news piece stating that Disney+ Hotstar was losing daily active users after losing the IPL streaming license, and Disney is considering selling or merging Hotstar with an Indian competitor,” the letter reads.
While the techie claimed to have “hypothesised” Reliance Industries’ Viacom18 and Hotstar merger since Sony and Zee were pursuing their merger. He thought that only Reliance-owned Viacom 18 is the major competitor left with enough resources to acquire Disney+Hotstar.
“This led me to hypothesize that, since Sony and Zee were pursuing their own merger, Viacom 18 (owned by Reliance) is the only major player with sufficient resources to acquire Disney+ Hotstar. This reminded me of when Jio acquired the music streaming service Saavn, they rebranded it to JioSaavn, and changed the domain from Saavn.com to JioSaavn.com. I thought, “If they acquire Hotstar, they might rename it to JioHotstar.com.” I checked for the domain, and it was available. I was excited, as I felt that if this happened, I could fund my goal of studying at Cambridge,” the techie said in his letter addressed to Executive of Reliance Industries.
About his Cambridge dream, the developer said: “In 2021, I was working on a project that was selected for the Cambridge University Accelerate program. It was a transformational experience for me. I couldn’t crack IIT and always wanted to learn from the best, coming from a Tier-II college, being selected for this program was an incredibly valuable and practical experience. The startup program taught me many valuable lessons and provided insights into the ins and outs of startups for free, which was amazing. However, it was limited in scope – after all it was just a startup program.”
Speaking about his intention behind buying the said domain, the techie said: “When I saw this domain become available, I felt things might just fall into place. My intention of buying this domain was simple: if this merger happens, I might be able to fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge.”
The Delhi-based techie’s letter leaves the reader with the impression that he bought the JioHotstar.com domain much before the news of a potential Reliance Industries’ Viacom18 and Hotstar merger emerged. However, upon checking, OpIndia found that the anonymous techie with a Cambridge dream had bought the JioHotstar.com domain on 20th September 2023, the very same day the news about merger talks between Reliance Industries’ Viacom18 and Disney+Hotstar came up.
The facts of the matter suggest that it anonymous app developer’s move might have been cybersquatting and not mere result of a hypothesis. Notably, cybersquatting is the act of registering or utilising a domain name that is identical to a brand, company name, or personal name in order to profit from them.
Interestingly, the techie was also quite audacious to suggest a branding approach to Viacom 18, saying that since the JioCinema and Hotstar merger talks are likely to materialise, only one site would be retained either JioCinema or Hotstar, they should go with JioHotstar.com. “I believe JioHotstar.com would be a very fitting brand name for the merged entity. It maintains the brand equity of both brands and provides a rational transition for the current users of both sites,” the techie said.
While the techie claims that this branding strategy might effectively blend the brand strengths of JioCinema and Hotstar, delivering a seamless experience for customers switching between the platforms, it is quite likely that Reliance would have gone for JioHotstar.com as the brand name for the merged entity much like its previous merger with music streaming application Saavn which post-merger became JioSaavn.
Notably, as per the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, abusive registration of domains including cybersquatting can be challenged in court. Elaborating on the same, UDRP says: “Under the policy, most types of trademark-based domain-name disputes must be resolved by agreement, court action, or arbitration before a registrar will cancel, suspend, or transfer a domain name. Disputes alleged to arise from abusive registrations of domain names (for example, cybersquatting) may be addressed by expedited administrative proceedings that the holder of trademark rights initiates by filing a complaint with an approved dispute-resolution service provider.”
Reliance Industries is yet to issue a statement if it is indeed initiating legal proceedings against the techie. However, his act was in bad faith, and even with the heart-touching “fund my education” story, cybersquatting and in a way extorting money from a company is unethical and illegal.
Speaking candidly about her conversion to Islam following her Nikah to Bollywood screenwriter Shahrukh Mirza’s son Farhan Mirza, TV actor Chahatt Khanna revealed in an interview with Telly Talk India on 22nd October that she was “thankful” to go back to her roots following the divorce. She was famous for her stint in the popular show “Bade Acche Lagte Hai.” Chahatt revealed, “Yes, in a way, yeah, I would say that. But I don’t know for their good or my good, but that is why I said, thankfully, I am back home,” when asked if she was brainwashed into converting to Islam.
Chahat also talked about her ‘religious’ family. She added that numerous individuals advised her against converting and that she was subjected to numerous limitations after doing so. “A lot of people did not want me to convert but I did because I wanted to do nikah (Islamic wedding ceremony). Not that I was forced to convert but I did. After that I was definitely told ‘Don’t worship your god, probably that is not the correct way, this is the correct way’ and I being a lost child followed that way. I think it was fine, it was not that bad. But then, I am happy, I am in a much happier space, I have more wisdom, I know what I am doing. I know what is correct and what is not, and I am living a very conscious life,” she expressed.
Chahatt married Farhan in 2013 and the couple got divorced in 2018 after she accused him of sexual and mental harassment. He was her second spouse. They also have two daughters together. “After my divorce, it took me a lot of time to come back to my originality. It took me 4-5 years to believe in Islam too but thankfully when I got back to my roots of the Sanatana Dharma I realised the greater truth behind a lot of things,” she stated.
On Wednesday, 24th October, a former army personnel was defrauded of Rs 83 lakh in an intricate scheme to ‘digitally arrest’ him. According to the police, Maj Gen Prabodh Chander Puri, 85, a resident of Sector 20, Panchkula, received a call from an unknown number on October 15th stating that his mobile phone was being used extensively and would be turned off within two hours. He was routed to customer care, who warned him that a mobile number registered in his name was being used to threaten people in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
Puri was assured he would be linked to the police department, and one claimed sub-inspector (SI) Mishra notified him of the phone’s usage and said he would connect him to the cyber cell. In an attempt to trap Puri in the fraud, another caller claimed SI Roshan informed Puri that his phone was used to launder money worth Rs 80 lakh and to allegedly threaten individuals.
He then received a video call from ‘SI’ Roshan, who had a Delhi Police cybercrime profile image. He instructed Puri not to hang up the phone and to remain in front of the camera until a police officer arrived. Another individual then contacted him and identified himself as Kashyap from the CBI. They inquired about his and his wife’s financial situation, and the call continued throughout the night. Puri then was compelled to provide his wife’s phone number as well. They threatened him not to tell his son, who is also in the army. They assured him that he would be digitally arrested and then released after a few procedures.
On October 16th, they sent him a picture of a man arrested for using his phone number. They forced him to withdraw all of his savings under his wife’s name. He was instructed to withdraw his fixed deposits and provide the receipts on call. They sent him an account number and instructed him to send over the funds, stating that they would refund the funds in six hours to his wife’s account. They also mentioned that they would suggest an award from the Centre for their assistance in solving the crime.
This is notably, not just one case in which the accused has posed as an authority figure to dupe people for money. Trapping people using the internet and phones and then looting them for crores of the sum has become a new normal, termed ‘Digital Arrest’.
In the given case, Puri filed a police complaint against the accused who posed as sub-inspector (SI) Mishra and SI Roshan to loot him of Rs 83 lakhs. The complaint has been filed under relevant sections, 316(2), 318(4), 336 (3), 338, and 340 of the IPC.
In today’s highly connected digital world, cyber threats are evolving at an alarming rate, fueled by advancements in AI and machine learning. This has also empowered fraudsters, increasing their chances of success in various scams. Despite growing awareness around the term ‘Digital Arrest’, linked to several fraudulent activities, the number of citizens falling victim to such schemes continues to rise. According to media reports, over 200 cases are reported each month in the National Capital Region (NCR) alone. A ‘Digital Arrest’ scam typically involves fraudsters posing as law enforcement officers on video calls, threatening fake arrests to extort money.
Ahmedabad police discovered a Taiwanese connection to ‘Digital Arrest’ scam
On 14th October, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police announced it had detained four Taiwanese nationals out of 17 accused of ‘Digital Arrest’. While two of them were arrested from Delhi, the other two were arrested from Bengaluru.
The alleged racket involved a sophisticated scheme in which the accused impersonated officials from multiple government agencies, including the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Mumbai Crime Branch of the Maharashtra Police, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The scam also involved fraudulent claims linked to a Mumbai court, as well as the misuse of an Aadhaar card and bank account.
Indian Express
The gang ‘digitally arrested’ a senior citizen for 10 days, monitoring him through video calls and coerced him into depositing Rs 79.34 lakh as a ‘refundable’ processing fee to resolve a fabricated RBI issue. Police stated that the senior citizen had filed a complaint after individuals posing as TRAI, CBI, and cybercrime branch officials accused him of involvement in illegal transactions through his account.
Another such case reported from Ahmedabad on 24th October revealed that an elderly man was tricked into transferring Rs 1.26 crore in a digital arrest scam where the accused impersonated high-ranking officials, including the Chief Justice of India.
The accused posed as Chief Justice, CBI official to loot through internet
On October 10th, a victim from Delhi received a video call from the accused, who posed as a police officer, a CBI official, and the Chief Justice. They falsely informed him that his bank account was connected to a money laundering case, citing a Rs 2 crore transaction. The fraudsters threatened the elderly man, warning that he could face a five-year prison sentence.
Using intimidation, they convinced him that if he submitted a written request, they could ask the Supreme Court to prioritize his case and prevent his arrest. They offered to conduct a ‘digital investigation’ via video call, during which they kept him under constant surveillance. During this so-called investigation, the accused pressured the victim to break his fixed deposits and transfer the funds for ‘verification,’ assuring him the money would be returned within 48 hours. To support their claims, they even produced a fake Supreme Court certificate.
After the victim transferred the cash, the accused cut all communication, leading him to recognize that he had been duped. After detecting the fraud, the man reported it to the Cyber Crime Cell, which initiated an actual inquiry leading to four arrests.
Mobile phone users put under ‘digital arrest’ for 3-4 days before fraud
On 22nd October, a UP woman was duped in a similar ‘digital arrest’ scam for Rs 2.9 lakhs. The woman in the complaint said that she had received a call from an unknown number on 9th October and was asked to press 9 on the keypad after which her call was transferred. The lady was then informed that a man had been arrested for committing fraud of Rs 38 lakh using her phone number. The woman then was put under digital arrest and was forced to pay Rs 2.9 lakh for release.
On 19th October, a retired government official in Noida was duped of Rs 1.19 crore after being put under ‘digital arrest’ for four days by cyber criminals acting as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) personnel investigating a chit fund fraud of Rs 300 crore.
Image- Deccan Herald
Vijay Kumar Gautam, station house officer (SHO), cybercrime branch Noida, confirmed the crime and said that on September 11th, the victim got a call from an anonymous number. The caller described himself as a bank representative and informed him that Rs 1.9 lakh was due on his credit card issued in Mumbai. When the victim denied having anything to do with the credit card, the suspect moved his call to ‘Mumbai Police’ to register an online FIR.
The victim was later informed that his Aadhaar was used in a Rs 2.56 crore fraud involving a bank. He was told over the phone that the CBI was investigating this case, and the call was transferred again to someone impersonating a CBI investigator. “When I spoke to a CBI official, he said Rs 300 crore has been taken out from the bank, and more than 300 people have been cheated through a chit fund scam, and that my ID has been misused,” the FIR said.
The suspect assured the victim that if he cooperated with them, his name would be cleared and that everything had been looked into by the Supreme Court of India. During his digital arrest, he was allowed to carry out personal tasks.
“The victim then was asked to declare his financial status, and on the pretext of tracking a digital code to nab the real culprit, they made him transfer Rs 1.19 crore in three installments,” the head of the investigation stated. “He was placed under digital arrest from September 11th to 14th. When the victim did not obtain any clearance, he realized he had been tricked,” the officer explained.
Digital Arrest: What it is? How is it growing?
‘Digital arrest’ is a method used by cybercriminals to confine victims to their houses to defraud them. The perpetrators create fear in the minds of internet users by making audio or video calls, often impersonating law enforcement agents with AI-generated voices or visual technology.
In most situations, the fraud starts with an apparently innocent phone call from a claimed courier firm, cellphone provider, telecom department, or bank. These calls can be either live or automated, urging the recipient to enter a number for more information. Once connected, the victim chats with someone professing to be a support agent, and the misery begins.
The fraudsters often have some personal information about the victim, such as Aadhaar (or the last four digits), PAN, or bank details. Using this information, they convince the victim that their Aadhaar, PAN, mobile number, or bank account has been linked to alleged illegal activities. The victim is then connected to individuals impersonating law enforcement officers from agencies like the police, customs, ED, or CBI, who conduct a fake interrogation over video conferencing and issue a bogus arrest warrant via call or WhatsApp.
A ‘Digital Arrest’ involves the virtual confinement of the victim, including restricted access to bank accounts and digital platforms, prevention of online activities, live monitoring through video calls, and periodic check-ins, all of which continue until the scammers extort money. The scam typically escalates by taking the victim to a fake virtual court via Skype while they are under ‘digital arrest.’ The victim is then persuaded to transfer their bank balance to another account for ‘verification,’ with promises that the funds will be returned within 30 minutes. Fake documents, including letters and receipts on counterfeit letterheads of various authorities, are issued to further deceive the victim.
Advisory issued by I4C (Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre)
In light of the rising incidences, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which is linked with the Ministry of Home Affairs, issued advice asking civilians to stay calm. The Ministry also stated that no one had the authority to arrest anyone online and that people needed to stay alert.
The advisory issued by the I4C read, “Don’t Panic, Stay Alert. CBI/Police/Custom/ED/Judges DO NOT arrest you on video call.”
The advice included logos for social media networks such as WhatsApp and Skype, stressing how scammers frequently used these services to make bogus calls. These platforms have indicated before that they are collaborating with government cybersecurity organizations to improve user protection from such threats.
Cases of sextortion emerging from Mewat, a hotbed of cybercrime
As reported several times by OpIndia, the Mewat region in Rajasthan and Haryana has become a hotbed of such cyber crimes. Several people residing in the area use technology to trap innocent internet users for money. In June this year, OpIndia reported about ‘Operation Anti-virus’ in Rajasthan during which police raided several locations in Mewat arresting several young individuals involved in looting people monetarily using the internet and fake calls.
As reported, thousands of SIM cards, mobile phones, swipe machines used for fund transfers, and cash counting machines were also been seized from the fraudsters. The Police arrested several individuals one of whom was identified as Abid. The accused had posed as a military man ‘Anil Kumar’ and made fake calls to loot people for money.
As per the police Mewat region in Rajasthan has become a hotbed for cyber crimes. More than 500 cases are reported daily from the region and more than 150 FIRs have been filed for cybercrime in 2024 alone. These accused persons deceive people through investment allurements, fake digital arrests, threats of disconnecting utilities, and sextortion. They call people, introduce some investment schemes, and ask people to make initial monetary deposits for future benefits. However, later these people are lured and forced to make further deposits. On refusal, they are threatened with ‘digital arrests’, scaring people to follow them.
In several cases filed of sextortions, a similar pattern has been observed by the police. As per the authorities, the accused persons make video calls to innocent people from unknown numbers and then play some sex videos. The call is deceptively recorded in which the targeted individuals are recorded watching pornography or sexual content, giving it an impression of involvement. The victims are then threatened and asked to deposit money if they have to avoid ‘police action’ or ’embarrassment’. The victims often get intimidated to deposit hefty amounts that are transferred and routed to many bank accounts before the final withdrawal.
The police say that these accused persons employ and train youngsters on salary and operate a huge nexus of call centers to lure and loot innocents monetarily. The ’employees’ are expected only to make fake calls from fake mobile phones and initiate conversations leading to massive loot by the experienced fraudsters. As per the reports, several villages in the Mewat region are engaged in such fraud.
It is believed that 18% of the total cyber crime cases happening in India are reported from the Mewat region. A huge nexus operates here in which some are responsible for arranging fake SIM cards, some for making calls, and others for actually executing the loot. The fake SIM cards are supposedly arranged from the states of West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.
A similar raid was reported in April 2024
In a major crackdown against cybercrime, the Nuh police in April this year arrested 42 cyber criminals from various parts of Nuh, Mewat in Haryana in two days concerning several cyber fraud cases registered nationwide. The arrested accused were identified as Deen Mohammad, Asif, Arif, Sarfaraz, Saqib, Ijaz, and Munajir among others.
During the operation, a total of 50 cellphones, fake Aadhar cards, over 90 SIM cards procured with forged documents, cash, and several ATM cards were seized from the possession of the arrested accused. This was supposed to be the biggest crackdown on cyber criminals since April last year. Back then, the police had arrested 66 cyber criminals from 14 villages in a wide-scale operation that involved several police stations and dedicated teams of police personnel that included hundreds of cops.
Despite numerous news reports and awareness campaigns from various agencies, fraudulent ‘Digital Arrests’ and extortion schemes continue to persist. The best way to avoid falling victim to such scams is to stay alert, openly discuss any concerns and fears with friends and colleagues, and seek assistance from information security teams if in doubt.
The users need to always verify the identity of callers before participating in a conversation. Some more basic steps can be adopted to stay alert like being skeptical of sponsored ads on Facebook, Instagram, or Google that promote investment groups on WhatsApp or Telegram. People also should avoid providing sensitive financial information, such as bank details or login credentials, to unknown entities. They shall avoid clicking on strange links or also downloading unauthorized files.
As a preventive measure, the government recently launched the Chakshu portal under the Sanchar Sathi initiative by the Department of Telecom. Chakshu enables citizens to report suspected fraudulent communications intended to deceive telecom users through calls, SMS, or WhatsApp for cybercrime, financial fraud, impersonation, or other misuse. In the event of falling victim to cybercrime, complaints should be filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), while financial cyber frauds can be reported by calling the National Cybercrime Helpline at 1930.
On 13th October a Muslim mob attacked a procession of Durga idol immersion which resulted in the brutal killing of Ram Gopal Mishra and several injuries in Maharajganj of Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh. 45-year-old Santosh Tiwari who is the neighbour of prime accused Abdul Hamid was also among the injured. The latter was the mastermind behind the brutal assault on Hindus. Santosh was so severely thrashed that he needed to go to Lucknow for his treatment. His bike was also set on fire by the rowdy crowd. He spoke to OpIndia about the occurrence.
The roofs of the houses of Santosh Tiwari and Abdul Hamid are adjacent to each other. He has a shop of online services named “Tripathi Digital Seva Kendra” where he does printing and typing to financially support his family members. He has a wife and a minor daughter at home whose rooftop is adorned by a saffron flag. He stated that his entire family keeps fast for 9 days during Navratri. On the day of the incident, he was distributing prasad to the devotees participating in the procession when a commotion took place and violence broke out. Upon witnessing the chaos, he went inside his place and shut the gate. Someone then shouted that his bike had been set ablaze.
Santosh further narrated that he came outside to investigate and saw that his two-wheeler was burning intensely. He proceeded to save his vehicle when a Muslim throng with sticks and sharp weapons surrounded him and attacked him. He ran towards his house, but they dragged him and started beating him mercilessly. He mentioned that he had no personal animosity or acquaintance with any of his attackers who were also raising “Nara e Takbeer” slogans. Stones were also being pelted from the roofs, during this time. He conveyed that he fainted due to the vicious assault and the Muslims left believing him to be dead.
His family eventually pulled him inside the house and more police force arrived at the location after some time following which an ambulance was called. He was wounded in many places including his head. The Hindus took him to the local hospital from where he was sent to the district medical college. The doctors there referred him to Lucknow Medical College due to his critical condition.
Santosh Tiwari (Source: OpIndia Hindi)
According to Santosh Tiwari, he would have died if he reached Lucknow late. He also had a head injury, which was revealed during treatment. He also shared several pictures of him taken during his treatment with OpIndia including one with an oxygen mask on his face. He has returned home after treatment but is still very scared due to the anti-Hindu riot. He is worried about the future of his family. His house is right in front of the mosque, which many Hindu victims and eyewitnesses have accused of making announcements to incite the members of the Muslim community.
बहराइच में मस्जिद के आगे भीड़, भीड़ के आगे आग में जल रहा सामान… और आत्मरक्षा के लिए चिल्लाते हिंदू, वीडियो में बंदूक लिए पुलिस वाले भी
बहराइच में 'मस्जिद से हमला' की मीडिया रिपोर्ट को नकार रही वहाँ की पुलिस… इस नए वीडियो के आने के बाद क्या दोबारा जाँच करेगी UP पुलिस? pic.twitter.com/x1ZkLuMOfw
Something is seen burning in front of the mosque, in a viral video online. Some people on social media suspected that it could be Santosh Tiwari’s bike.
For many decades, India has been plagued by the menace of love jihad as well as grooming jihad where Muslim men lure non-Muslim girls, especially from the Hindu community including minors by concealing their real identities and then proceeding to exploit their targets sexually. These matters often escalate to assault, harassment, torture, forced conversion, blackmail and even murder. All the states have also fallen victim to this pandemic and are witnessing a startling rise in such cases. The severity of the issue is demonstrated by the recent instances alone. In the first case, Adnan Khan trapped an underage tribal girl from Jharkhand. In the second one, Mohammad Matloom tricked a Hindu woman from Madhya Pradesh. In the third incident, Mohammad Javed duped a young Hindu woman and in the third occurrence, Zafar deceived a minor Hindu girl. All three cases are from Uttar Pradesh.
Grooming Jihad in Jharkhand
Jharkhand’s tribal regions are deeply affected by the growing threat of “grooming jihad” which is demonstrated by the recent instance where Adnan Khan (19) used social media to entrap a 15-year-old Hindu tribal girl, reported Organiser. He befriended her through Instagram. According to the complaint submitted by her family, he interacted with her on the app. “Adnan_khan_aaa” is his Instagram handle. He persuaded their daughter to elope to Delhi by gradually seducing her to fall in love with him. They filed a missing report on 13th October and charged that the accused had coerced her into accompanying him to Delhi.
He subsequently contacted her parents and told them that he was deeply in love with her and that her friends Taruna and Diksha could provide them with further information about him. The girl’s mother is currently employed as a maid at the house of Ambika Rai, the head of a non-governmental organization (NGO) that assists in rescuing girls who are either trafficked or held by Islamists. Organiser spoke to the latter and she disclosed that the police officer, who was reportedly Muslim, declined to register the parent’s complaint. He later registered a complaint but did not provide them with any form of access to it. Ambika Rai added that he only launched a complaint and handed over a copy after she spoke sternly with him.
She unveiled that Adnan was in contact with other girls in the family and claimed that they were like his sisters. He somehow persuaded the victim to come to Delhi as they had known each other for a while. When he later learned that the police were pursuing him, he called the girl’s parents and threatened to stop them from taking legal action against him. He boasted that he is well-connected and that they could not do anything to him.
However, the offender was contacted after the complaint was submitted and his mobile number was located. He then promised the complainants that he would return their daughter to Jharkhand and would also go to the railway station with her. He was apprehended by the railway police, who were also accompanied by female police officers when he went to the Anand Vihar railway station in New Delhi to drop the girl off. They couldn’t discover the girl at first, but as the cops became tough with Adnan, he told them that she was inside the train. It turned out that the girl was concealing her true identity by donning a hijab.
The girl was then brought for counselling. The perpetrator had made her speak to the family and her sisters had advised her to return because her mother’s health was deteriorating. According to Ambika Rai, he had also been to Delhi’s red light district. Members of another NGO who were following him stated that he had arrived at the location late at 2:00 am. Jharkhand police departed for the national capital to arrest him. Ambika Rai voiced that the case needs a thorough probe as Adnan is merely a minor player in a larger scheme to either traffic Tribal Hindu girls or trap and convert them to Islam.
Love Jihad case from Hamirpur district
A case of “love jihad” surfaced from the Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh, where Mohammad Matloom masqueraded as Raju Thakur to seduce a Hindu woman from Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, according to a report in Organiser. He tricked her into marrying him and embracing Islam. She managed to escape his clutches and filed a formal complaint after being threatened and sexually abused. On 16th October a First Information Report (FIR) was launched at the Biwnar police station after the victim’s complaint which revealed that she met him on Facebook, where he had presented himself as Hindu.
Matloom persuaded her to travel to Hamirpur after weeks of chatting by promising to marry her. She learned that the man she had been talking to was actually Muslim when she arrived at Hamirpur on 25th July. She was also pressured by his father Mehboob and another unnamed person to convert to Islam and then they forced her to have nikah (Islamic wedding ceremony). “When I opposed, the unknown person and Mehboob threatened me with a pistol and said they would chop and throw me into the jungle. They locked me in a room. At night, Matloom, the son of Mehboob, raped me multiple times. He physically assaulted me and threatened to shoot me when I resisted,” she narrated her ordeal.
She was able to get away and reach her home the next morning. However, her suffering didn’t cease there as Matloom and the unnamed accomplice persistently called her and her family. They used derogatory language about her mother and sisters and threatened to harm her or abduct her family members. She unveiled that the fact that no instant action was taken despite her repeated pleadings to the authorities had given the culprits more confidence. Sections 64(2)(m), 127(2), 352, and 351(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act have been invoked against the accused.
Love Jihad case in Pilibhit
In the second incident, a young Hindu woman was tricked by Mohammad Javed who forced her to convert to Islam and have nikah and threatened to leak her leak intimate photos and video if she didn’t obey him. The matter came to light on 14th October when she filed an FIR at the Sungadhi Police Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit which stated that he initially pretended to be Rahul and befriended her on social media. Their conversations began and he traveled to Pilibhit soon after Holi where the two met. He took Lakshmi to a nearby pizzeria, where he sexually assaulted her and captured the incident on camera. He utilised the recordings to blackmail her and threatened that he would release them if she didn’t agree to his demands for more meetings.
The incident intensified at the Pilibhit Dussehra fair when the accused tried to take her by force. He exposed his true identity and brutally attacked her and even choked her when she refused. “My real name is Javed, and now you will have to convert and marry me. If you refuse, I will release all the videos and photos, making sure no one else will want you,” he declared. She raised an alarm, worried for her safety and honour. As soon as locals arrived on the scene, he was forced to escape. She reported the incident to her family right away, and they went on to lodge an official police complaint.
The cops arrested him and a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 64(2)(m), 115(2), and 351(3) was filed. “We have arrested the accused, Javed, who had been operating under a false identity to trap the victim. The charges are severe, and we are committed to ensuring that justice is delivered in this case,” the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Pilibhit highlighted.
Love Jihad case from Kanpur
In the third incidence, Zafar made friends with a 17-year-old girl in 11th grade in the Bidhanu police station area of Kanpur by posing as Raj. He even forced her to consume a cold beverage contaminated with alcohol while driving her to an unidentified location under the guise of dropping her off at home from school. He then began blackmailing the girl after making a pornographic film of her. He shared the video on social media after she stopped talking with him. Afterwards, he put pressure on her to become a Muslim. She informed her family members about the occurrence after the video went viral online and they lodged a police complaint. The authorities then initiated their investigation and began looking for the accused.
The interim government in Bangladesh has banned Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of Awami League, under the terrorism act. The home ministry issued a gazette notification last night, stating that Chhatra League has been banned with immediate effect.
The govt invoked section 18 (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009 to ban the organisation, and listed it as a banned entity. The section reads: “For the purposes of this act, the government, on reasonable grounds that a person or an entity is involved in terrorist activities, may, by order, enlist the person in the schedule or proscribe the entity and enlist it in the schedule.”
The notification claims that BCL has been involved in different conspiratorial, subversive and terrorist activities against the state since the fall of the Awami govt on 5 August. It calls BCL a brotherly organisation of Awami League, and accuses it of being involved in crimes like murder, torture, and oppression of students.
The govt alleged that Chhatra League took money for dormitory rooms for students, manipulated tender, raped and sexually harassed women, and committed other crimes, particularly in the last 15 years during the rule of Sheikh Hasina.
“At various times since the independence of Bangladesh, especially during the last 15 years od dictatorial rule, the Bangladesh Chatra League, the fraternal organization of Bangladesh Awami League, has been involved in various public security-related activities including killings, torture, harassment in common rooms, trading of seats in dormitories, gangs, rape and sexual harassment”, said the order issued by Bangladesh home ministry.
“Documentary information regarding these have been published in all the major media of the country and in some terrorist incidents, the leaders and workers of the organization have also been proved in the criminal court”, the order added.
It adds that BCL members attacked the students participating in the anti-discrimination movement in July this year, killed and injured hundreds of students and other people. The gazette notice says, ‘there are evidence that there are charges of conspiratory, destructive and provocative acts against the nation along with various terror activities against Chhatra League leaders even after the fall of Awami League government’.
This comes amid increasing demands from the student groups who toppled the Sheikh Hasina government to ban the student group. The student groups had threatened to take to streets if Chhatra League is not banned within a week.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, the group that led the movement against reservation in jobs and then against Sheikh Hasina govt, announced a five-point demands, including the resignation of Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin. The demands also included banning the Bangladesh Chatra League.
Hundreds of students were demonstrating in front of the Dhaka University vice chancellor’s office demanding the ban. The received the news of the ban there and cheered the decision.
Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League have condemned the interim govt for the decision. Notably, there are also demands to ban the Awami League, and the govt has announced that the party won’t be allowed to contest elections.
In a first public disclosure of the combined wealth of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra, Priyanka has declared assets worth Rs 12 crore while her husband owns assets worth Rs 66 crore. This information was disclosed by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in her affidavit while filing her nomination as the Congress candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls.
According to her election affidavit, her total financial assets are worth Rs 12 crore. In her nomination papers, she stated a total income of Rs 46.39 lakh for the fiscal year 2023-2024.
Priyanka Gandhi owns movable assets totalling Rs 4.24 crore, including deposits in three bank accounts, investments in mutual funds, PPF, a Honda CRV car provided by her husband Robert Vadra, and approximately 4400 grams (gross) of gold worth Rs 1.15 crore.
Priayanka Gandhi Vadra’s immovable assets are valued at more than Rs 7.74 crore including two inherited half-shares of agricultural land in Mehrauli, New Delhi, as well as a half-share of a farmhouse. In addition, the affidavit states that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has a home in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, that is currently valued at more than Rs 5.63 crore.
Furthermore, Priyanka has liabilities totalling Rs 15.75 lakh, which she is challenging following reassessment proceedings filed by the Income Tax Department for the 2012-13 tax year. The affidavit reveals that the appeal is still ongoing before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals).
Meanwhile, Robert Vadra’s wealth greatly outweighs that of his wife. He has a Land Cruiser worth Rs 53 lakh, a Mini Cooper, and a Suzuki motorcycle worth Rs 4.22 lakh. According to PTI, his mobile assets are worth Rs 37.9 crore, while he owns immovable properties worth Rs 27.64 crore. Robert Vadra’s commercial interests include partnerships in limited liability companies such as Blue Breeze Trading LLP, North India IT Park LLP, and Sky Light Hospitality LLP. He has total holdings of Rs 35.5 crore which includes a Rs 31.93 crore balance in Sky Light Hospitality.
Vadra’s Gurugram real estate portfolio, estimated at Rs 27.64 crore, was first purchased for Rs 2.78 crore, with a further expenditure of Rs 3.62 crore for development. Robert Vadra has liabilities amounting to Rs 10 crore.
The affidavit states that on the 28th of March 2023, the Income Tax Department commenced assessment processes for Vadra’s tax returns from 2010 to 2021. The overall demand raised is Rs 80 crore, with the highest amount of Rs 24.16 crore for the 2019-20 evaluation year. In the affidavit, Vadra has appealed the demands, and the proceedings are currently pending.
In addition to the financial details, the affidavit mentions that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has two FIRs filed against her and one notice from the Forest Department. The FIR, filed in Madhya Pradesh in 2023 against Priyanka alleges cheating and forgery under sections 420 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), following a complaint about deceptive tweets. The second FIR, filed in Uttar Pradesh in 2020, accuses Priyanka of violating IPC sections 188, 269, and 270 during her protest over the Hathras incident. Priyanka and her brother, Rahul Gandhi, were charged for breaking prohibitory orders and the Epidemic Diseases Act during the COVID-19 epidemic while attempting to meet the family of a rape victim.
