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Bihar: Shabana Khatoon marries Abhishek Kumar, seeks police protection due to threats to her husband and his family from Islamists

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Shabana Khatoon marries Abhishek Kumar, seeks police protection due to threats to her husband and his family from Islamists

A Muslim girl from the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar has been receiving threats after she married a Hindu man. The girl named Shabana Khatoon, who is an adult, has alleged that there is a threat to her and her husband’s lives from the Islamists. The girl has stated that she wants to stay with her Hindu husband Abhishek Kumar. She had eloped with her lover 42 days back. Following this, the girl’s family members filed a kidnapping case against the Hindu man and five members of his family including his parents. 

Reportedly, the matter pertains to the Ahiyapur police station precinct in Muzaffarpur district, wherein a Shahbazpur resident named Shabana Khatoon stated that she had known Abhishek for four years, adding that Abhishek was her neighbour and the two soon became friends. Later, the two decided on getting married and told their families about their relationship. 

This, however, did not go well with Shabana’s father Noor Mohammad who opposed their relationship since Abhishek is a Hindu. He also stopped his daughter from meeting Abhishek. However, during the month of Ramzan, Shabana escaped to Delhi with Abhishek. After Shabana left, her family filed a complaint against Abhishek and five members of his family accusing them of kidnapping Shabana. On the basis of their complaint, police began searching for her. Meanwhile, Abhishek and Shabana had a court marriage at Delhi’s Tees Hazari Court. 

Speaking to the media, Shabana told that there is a threat to her life, that of her husband, and her family members and also demanded protection from the police. She said that she and Abhishek knew each other for 4 years, and after a relationship developed between them, they decided to marry. But her family didn’t agree as Abhishekh is a Hindu.

She said that after getting married at Tees Hazari Court in Delhi, she has approached the police station because the lives of her husband and his family are under threat, and therefore require police protection. She confirmed that the kidnapping case filed by her parents is false, and she went with the Hindu man of her own will.

Deputy SP Raghav Dayal stated that Shabana is an adult who entered into a court marriage with Abhishek of her own free will based on the information provided by the girl. According to the DSP, the girl in her statement under 164 of the CrPC given to the magistrate has stated that she married Abhishek of her own free will and wants to stay with him. The police added that she has finished documents proving that she is above 18 years of age and can marry on her own will.

Madhya Pradesh: Faizan Khan threatens to kill his Hindu girlfriend and her family for not converting to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Faizan Khan threatens to kill his Hindu girlfriend and her family for not converting to Islam

A new incident of love jihad has emerged from the Khajrana police station area in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The accused, Mohammad Faizan Khan son of Farid Khan, and resident of Haroon Colony Khajrana, befriended a girl who lives in Nanda Nagar, in a coaching class and engaged in physical relations with her on the pretext of marriage.

Later, Faizan started pressurizing the girl to accept Islam and when she refused, he started fighting with her. Faizan warned her of dire repercussions and threatened to kill her, her brother, and her mother. The police have already registered a case under sections of rape and the MP Religious Freedom Act.

The victim stated in the complaint that she first met Mohammad Faizan Khan in coaching classes around four years ago. He befriended her, coaxed her to change her house and when she started living alone, he established sexual relations with her under the pretext of marriage.

The victim reported that he started pestering her to embrace Islam after a few days. On May 18, he told her to tell him straight away whether she is going to accept Islam or not. He beat her and threatened to kill her if she didn’t become a Muslim. He also made death threats against her mother and brother. Now, a case has been lodged and an investigation is underway.

Another instance in the city’s Lasudia neighbourhood has also come to light. Here, a man by the name of Shahadat Mansuri abducted and sexually assaulted a minor. The victim’s father filed a complaint against the accused at the police station as soon as he learned about the incident.

The girl charged that the culprit first seduced her and then forcibly had sex with her. The offender was then identified by the police and the stringent section of rape was invoked against him.

Delhi doctor falls prey to cyber fraud, duped of Rs 4.5 crores: Read what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi doctor falls prey to cyber fraud, duped of Rs 4.5 crores: Read what happened

A Delhi woman doctor became a victim of what is being seen as the biggest phishing scam on an individual in Delhi to date. According to a report by TOI, some fraudsters claiming to be from Maharashtra Narcotics Department duped the doctor of Rs 4.47 crores.

The fraudsters posed as police officials from the Andheri police station, RBI officials, a DCP from Mumbai Police, customs sleuths, and Narcotics division cops in order to defraud the victim.

The 34-year-old woman doctor was told that a large quantity of MDMA drug has been detected in a FedEx courier linked to her. The fraudsters took the victim on a Skype call and a web of lies was spun around her to deceive her. She was coerced into ‘temporarily’ handing over the entire money in her account.

The woman who fell right into the trap laid by the fraudsters landed up losing a whopping sum of Rs 4.5 crores.

Narrating the sequence of events which led to her falling right into the trap laid by the fraudsters, the victim told TOI that it started with her receiving a call on May 5, Friday at 10.39 am from an unknown number regarding her FedEx parcel that had been ‘seized.’ She was asked to dial 1 to get more details about what actually happened.

The victim said that the caller claimed the parcel consists of her passport, two pair of shoes, bank documents, clothes, and 140 grams of MDMA. The fraudsters claimed that the parcel was to go from Mumbai to Taiwan and was booked on April 21, 2023, and a charge of Rs 25,025 plus GST was paid via an ICICI credit card.

The woman denied having any knowledge of the courier. The callers then asked her to register a complaint with the Andheri police station and directed her call to ‘Inspector’ Smita Patel from Andheri East Police Station. Since the victim was in Delhi, inspector Patil suggested she file a complaint online. She was asked to download the Skype app.

Scamsters intimidated the Delhi woman doctor by claiming her ID was used to open 23 bank accounts in Mumbai and was flagged for money laundering

The fraudster posing as Inspector Patil called the victim on Skype. The victim revealed how the so-called inspector pretended to talk to her colleague to find out whether her Aadhar was being misused.  The victim said she overheard the person on the other side claiming that her ID was used to open 23 bank accounts in Mumbai and was flagged for money laundering.

The victim recalled that the so-called inspector then threatened her saying that she would be investigated for multiple criminal offences. She told her that she would be put under arrest.

The victim was then ordered to provide screenshots of all her bank accounts with balances and to reveal all of her financial information down to the last rupee. Left completely flabbergasted and devastated by what was happening to her, she kept following the instructions and shared these screenshots via Skype.

The fraudsters then directed her to break her fixed deposits in order for them to be seized and verified. The woman first broke her FD worth Rs 1.15 crore and then was asked to go to the branch at Gopinath Bazar for breaking the rest. The woman was also told not to involve others, including her husband because they would be considered accomplices to the crime.

Following that, another cop claiming to be DCP Bal Singh Rajput took over the conversation and requested her to fill out RTGS papers. She was also routed to a new Skype ID allegedly belonging to the “Maharashtra narcotics division.” Another official, purportedly from the Reserve Bank of India, also joined in.

Scamsters sent complaint on the letterhead of the Mumbai Police to convince their legitimacy

The woman was told that the money in her account, which they said was the proceeds of crime, would be transferred to RBI and then returned after verification. Along with a letter from the RBI, she received a complaint on the letterhead of the Mumbai Police. The woman was then forced to make a Rs 1 crore RTGS transaction and share a screenshot with the swindlers. She later sent another Rs 90 lakh.

The woman was compelled to take her husband’s signatures, break the joint FDs, and then transfer the money to them. She was told to sit back and wait for the RBI to issue a clearance report on whether the money was legitimate.

The victim further stated that the fraudsters told her that they would grant her a new Aadhar ID because her old one had been permanently disabled. They also asked her to delete all of her Skype interactions.

The woman waited until May 9 convinced that the money was not drug money, but the “Mumbai narcotics division” never reverted. “RBI and Andheri police stations” also vanished from the scene.

Finally, the woman was given two “clearance certificates” confirming that her accounts were in order and that no unlawful activities had been identified.

Realising that she had fallen prey to cyber fraud, the woman doctor approached the Delhi police, which in turn, filed an FIR and started investigating the issue.

Online scams, often known as internet scams, have been an issue since the early days of the internet, but they have become more prevalent over time, with scammers constantly developing new ways to defraud people. Worryingly, our smartphones have increased our vulnerability to these attacks. In an attempt to collect financial or other vital personal information, cybercriminals may approach potential victims via personal or business email accounts, social networking sites, dating apps, or other techniques. Many effective online scams have the same outcome: the victim loses their money.

In January this year, we reported about a Twitter user Geetika Rustagi who also narrated how she fell prey to one such online scam.

“Only God can save Bathinda”: High alert in Punjab after letters threaten multiple blasts on June 7

OpIndia Staff
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“Only God can save Bathinda”: High alert in Punjab after letters threaten multiple blasts on June 7

Police stations in the Bathinda district of Punjab have been put on high alert after receiving six letters threatening bomb blasts in the district on June 7. SSP Gurneet Singh said that these letters have been sent to politicians, officers and traders through post. 

The handwritten letter also mentions the name of ten locations where the bomb blast will be carried out, namely, Quila, railway station, Adesh Hospital, SSP office at the mini secretariat, Bathinda jail, ITI flyover, Mittal Mall, new car parking, Nirankari Bhawan and the farmers’ protest site. The letter stated that the explosives for the attack have been deployed and only “god can save Bathinda”. It further read that the recent Amritsar blasts were just a trailer. SSP Singh said that an FIR has been registered and the persons who wrote the threat letter will soon be arrested.

Bomb threat letter (Image via Bhaskar)

SSP Singh has directed the police to search every nook and corner of the district. Every area, vehicle, and individual will be checked. Along with this, citizens have been urged to contact the police immediately if they notice anything suspicious.

Amritsar blasts

Earlier this month, a blast occurred at Heritage Street in Amritsar City of Punjab. Several people were injured after the explosion which occurred in a nearby gas pipeline on May 6. A nearby restaurant was damaged in the blast. Reportedly, a man sleeping on a bench near the restaurant was also injured after the glass panes broke into pieces following the explosion. Further, a group of 6 female tourists, who were present in the vicinity of the restaurant, also sustained injuries. 

On May 8, a second low-intensity mysterious blast was reported to have taken place on Heritage Street, located near the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The police had said that two blasts were caused by low-grade explosives without detonators. One person was injured in the blast and a car windshield was shattered due to the impact. Two 250 ml cans of the health drink “Hell” were packed with explosives, according to police sources, and were used to execute the two explosions on Amritsar’s Heritage Street.

A third low-intensity blast took place in Amritsar during the same week. The 3rd blast took place in the pathway and park around the Golden Temple, behind the Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas (inn) building.

Various run-ins between bureaucracy and Kejriwal govt led to the impasse which finally led to Modi govt bringing in the ordinance: Read what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Various run-ins between bureaucracy and Kejriwal govt led to the impasse which finally led to Modi govt bringing in the ordinance: Read what happened

Late at night on the 19th of May 2023, the Modi government promulgated an ordinance which essentially overturned the decision of the Supreme Court to give the power to post, transfer and appoint officers to the Delhi Government. While the AAP government held on to the power to appoint, post and transfer officials, the central government retained the power over police, order and land. The Centre has brought an ordinance notifying rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) which restored some of the power back to the central government as well.

Through the ordinance, a National Capital territory Service Authority has been established by the central government. 

The permanent authority would comprise of the Chief Minister of Delhi, the Chief Secretary of GNCTD and the principal secretary of the central home ministry. 

It is this authority that would make recommendations with regards to transfers of officials, posting, appointments and the vigilance authority.

The essential element of the ordinance is that it does give power exclusively to the central government and take away the power from the AAP government, however, it establishes a Service Authority where there would be a collaborative effort to recommend transfer, postings and appointments, essentially ensuring the central govt also has a say in such matters.

After the central government promulgated the ordinance, AAP has been on the warpath. Using their usual over-dramatic rhetoric, AAP has branded the move “treacherous”.

Delhi Education Minister Atishi said, “The ordinance brought about by the Centre is against the Supreme Court ruling giving the AAP government control over services in the National Capital. SC had ruled that an elected government should have the power to take decisions. This is called democracy. The ordinance has been passed as the Centre is fearful of the authority vested to AAP by the Supreme Court ruling”. She said that the ordinance says that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would not govern the Delhi government. “But the Centre will run it. It is clear that the Central government is fearful of the Aam Admi Party Government. Centre became fearful of the Supreme Court ruling. Therefore they have passed such an ordinance”.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj also termed the ordinance an “act of dishonesty and treachery”.”The Centre has done treachery with the ruling of the Supreme Court, Indian Constitution. With the people of Delhi. The people of Delhi elected Arvind Kejriwal three times. Today the Centre is saying that such a leader has no powers”. “Lieutenant Governor who has not been elected but rather imposed on the people of Delhi is being conferred with powers of posting and transfer. The ordinance shows disrespect towards the Supreme Court ruling,” the AAP leader said.

It is evident that the AAP leaders are not being honest. AAP has asserted that the power has been taken away from them, the elected representatives, and vested to an unelected individual – the LG. The Service Authority established by the ordinance would comprise of the Chief Minister of Delhi, the Chief Secretary of GNCTD and the principal secretary of the central home ministry. Therefore, the AAP government is equally involved in the process, contrary to what it is saying in its statements. In fact, since the Supreme Court in its order had specifically said that the central govt can amend the GNCTD Act if it wishes to modify the powers of the LG, itself notes that the central govt did not work against the Supreme Court order but in accordance with it.

Besides the shenanigans of AAP post the promulgation of the ordinance, it also becomes essential to understand why the central government had to bring in this ordinance in the national interest.

There has been a raging war between the bureaucracy and the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi, leading to several impasse. There have been several officers who have complained that they were being threatened by the minister of the AAP government and this decision was essential to ensure the smooth functioning of the national capital territory which is of paramount importance and the seat of India’s democracy.

Here are some of the officers who had complaint about being threatened by the Minister of the Arvind Kejriwal government

Ashish More

Hours after the Supreme Court verdict giving exclusive powers of appointment, transfer and posting to the AAP government, a senior official had said that he was being threatened by the minister of the AAP govt, Saurabh Bhardwaj.

Senior Beaurocrat Ashish More sent a complaint against Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj to the Chief Secretary and Lieutenant Governor alleging misbehaviour. More said that on the 16th of May, Saurabh Bhardwaj called him to his chamber, threatened him and misbehaved with him. The letter of complaint that More wrote asked for strict action against the minister.

In response to these grave allegations, AAP resorted to its juvenile tactics yet again, claiming that Ashish More was lying and that he was making these allegations due to a conspiracy by the LG. Bhardwaj at the time had said, “Services Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, instructed Services Secretary, Ashish More, to present a file for the transfer of a new officer to the post of Secretary of Services Department. However, Ashish More unexpectedly left the Secretariat without notifying the minister’s office, rendering himself unreachable while his phone also remained switched off,” a statement said.

AAP had also said that More was not “politically neutral” – which is a charge the levy against every bureaucrat that does not capitulate to their illegalities fully, thereby making it difficult for the UT of Delhi to function properly.

Special Secretary Vigilance YVVJ Rajasekhar

Special Secretary Vigilance YVVJ Rajasekhar, who was divested of his duties by Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj last week, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch and L-G office. The letter that in the wee hours of the night, his office was broken into and sensitive files related to the excise policy probe, renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence and those referred to central investigation agencies was photocopied. Room no. 403, Special Secretary (Vigilance) at Delhi Sectt, was broken into on the intervening night of 15th and 16th May at 3:00 AM. The letter also expressed apprehensions that his office might have been bugged. 

The letter, YVVJ Rajashekhar says is in continuation of his previous report which stated how the Minister (Vigilance), Saurabh Bharadwaj, had instructed Assistant Directors not to submit the files related to the corruption cases to the vigilance officer.

Bhardwaj had claimed that Rajashekhar was mired in corruption. Arvind Kejriwal had in turn claimed that a Delhi-based NGO had sent a legal notice to the Delhi government because of the corruption by Rajashekhar. Only yesterday, the NGO denied having sent any legal notice or accusing Rajashekhar of corruption. NGO’s chairperson, GK Gupta, wrote to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying, “Abhinav Samaj has neither issued a legal notice nor filed a complaint against any Delhi government officer.” Gupta, himself a retired Delhi government officer, told HT, “The organisation has not forwarded such a complaint.”

“I have never made a complaint against YVVJ Rajasekhar either individually or on behalf of Abhinav Samaj. I am retired from the government and have worked under him in 1999. After that I never met him… according to my experience, he has been an honest officer. The so-called complaint/notice is fake, fictitious and made with mala-file intention… If it is a legal notice, it must have been sent by an advocate. Please investigate him as well,” wrote NGO chairman GK Gupta.

Therefore, it is safe to assume that Arvind Kejriwal and his minister lied blatantly, accusing Rajashekhar of corruption and extortion, simply to remove him since he was probing allegations of corruption against AAP and Arvind Kejriwal himself.

Assault of Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash

In 2018, Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash said that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs at the residence of Arvind Kejriwal at midnight. In his complaint to the police in February, 2018, Prakash said that Kejriwal, Sisodia and 11 AAP MLAs assaulted him in a midnight meeting called by the CM’s advisor, VK Jain to discuss the release of the party’s advertisements related to the government completing three years in Delhi.

At that time, Bureaucrats were up in arms against the AAP government ever since news of the assault on Anshu Prakash broke out. They had announced a complete boycott of the AAP government and stated that they would maintain only a formal written contract with the Delhi government until the Chief Minister apologizes for the assault. The bureaucrats had also registered a silent protest outside their offices and the silent protest will continue every day for five minutes to make a “strong statement”.

After the assault of the Chief Secretary, Ex-IAS officer Dhir Jhingran had resigned as a member of the State Advisory Council for Education in Delhi in solidarity with the victim of assault, Anshu Prakash, who was his batchmate.

The retired IAS officer wrote, “This is to inform you that I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the reprehensible incident that took place on February 19 night at the residence of the Chief Minister where Mr Anshu Prakash, Chief Secretary, who is also my batchmate in the IAS, was assaulted.”

In 2022, while the court acquitted Arvind Kejriwal and others of charges of criminal conspiracy in the case, it did frame charges against AAP leaders Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal for obstructing a public servant on duty, assaulting him, and voluntarily causing hurt to Prakash taking note of the statement of the CM’s former adviser VK Jain.

Therefore, while Kejriwal was acquitted by a court of law, it is apparent that an IAS officer was indeed assaulted while on duty, in the residence of Arvind Kejriwal. This proves that the AAP government has been in constant turmoil with the bureaucracy.

AAP minister Kailash Gahlot accused of threatening IAS Varsha Joshi

In 2018, another incident had come to the fore. the Delhi Government Employees Association, in a statement on Twitter, said that a Delhi minister misbehaved with a female IAS officer and insulted her in front of subordinates. The statement also claims that the minister threatened to have the officer implicated in false cases.

The statement reads, “All the officers and staff of Transport Department are greatly pained over the misbehaviour of Shri Kailash Gahlot, Minister (Transport), Govt. of Delhi with Ms. Varsha Joshi, IAS, Secretary-cum-Commissioner (Transport), in the Conference Room of Transport Minister on 3.08.2018. In the said meeting, the Minister not only misbehaved with an honest and upright woman officer but also insulted her in the presence of more than 30 subordinate officers. The Minister also threatened the Secretary to implicate her in false case and directed his staff to stop the entry of Secretary to his room if she tries to enter his office.”

The IAS Association had also condemned the incident through its official Twitter handle.

AAP MLA caught on camera calling for assault of IAS officers

After the assault of Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, while Arvind Kejriwal brazened it out, his minister was caught on camera justifying the assault and calling for mob violence against IAS officers.

While addressing a rally in Uttam Nagar, AAP MLA Naresh Balyan says, ‘jo Chief Secy ke sath hua, jo inhone jhootha aarop lagaya, main to keh raha hu aise adhikariyo ko thokna chahye, jo aam aadmi ke kaam rok ke baithe hain aise adhikariyo ke sath yahi salook hona chahye.’.

Women officers claim harassment, say they were forced to come to work late at night

In 2018 again, the women IAS officers had said in a meeting with PMO officials (Dr Jitendra Singh) that woman IAS officers were harassed regularly by AAP MLAs. They said that they were not surprised by the assault of Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash because they go through this ordeal on a regular basis.

They claimed that female officers were called late at night and harassed by AAP MLAs. They said they were also forced to sign decisions that they did not agree with.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg. From these incidents alone, and there are many more, it is proved beyond reasonable doubt that the AAP government had a grouse with the bureaucracy and had assaulted, threatened and forced favourable signatures etc from several IAS officers. This historical tussle between the AAP government and the bureaucrats had only dampened the administration of an important UT. The decision of the central government, therefore, comes at the heel of such conflict where it became necessary to step in between the AAP government and the bureaucracy to ensure the smooth functioning of Delhi and to ensure that the people of Delhi would not suffer the consequences of a dysfunctional government.

NIA arrests two aides of Canada-based terrorist Arsh Dalla from Delhi Airport

OpIndia Staff
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NIA arrests two aides of Canada-based terrorist Arsh Dalla from Delhi Airport

On Friday, May 19, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended two close aides of Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, a Canada-based designated terrorist of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), after they arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport from Manila in the Philippines early in the morning. The arrested persons have been identified as Amritpal Singh alias Ammy and Amrik Singh, both belonging to Punjab.

An NIA court in Delhi earlier issued non-bailable warrants for both of the arrested persons in a case involving the illegal and violent operations of banned outfits in India. According to the NIA, Amritpal, and Amrik have many criminal cases filed against them in Punjab. NIA had filed a suo moto case on August 20, 2022, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, a press release issued by the NIA stated.

Following the arrest, the two were produced before a special court which remanded them to NIA custody till May 27.

According to NIA investigations, the accused engaged in a criminal conspiracy to generate funds for the banned terrorist organization Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) as well as smuggled weaponry, ammunition, and explosives for it from across the border.

The accused had also been working for the designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh to further the violent criminal operations of the KTF in India, according to the NIA. They had been implicated in smuggling weapons from Pakistan and recruiting youths to carry out acts of violence and terror in the country at the behest of the KTF, along with another notorious wanted accused, Manpreet Singh alias Peeta.

Furthermore, they were involved in an extortion racket to raise funds for the outlawed organization. The accused used to locate extortion targets, such as businessmen, and then threaten them into handing over huge amounts of money. “In case the identified targets refused, their homes and other premises would be fired at by the accused’s India-based associates,” the NIA stated.

It is notable that Canada-based Arsh Dalla has been designated as an ‘individual terrorist’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 9 this year.

NIA’s crackdown on Arsh Dalla’s terror network

On Friday, OpIndia reported that the NIA raided 324 locations in six states and two Union Territories, in collaboration with Punjab and Haryana police as a part of its multi-state crackdown on terrorist-gangster-drug-peddler nexus codenamed “Operation Dhvast”.

The NIA said that the day-long searches under Operation Dhvast were aimed at disrupting the terror network of Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist, as well as dreaded ganglords such as Lawrence Bishnoi, Chhenu Pehalwan, Deepak Teetar, Bhupi Rana, Vikash Lagarpuriya, Ashish Choudhary, Gurpreet Sekhon, Dilpreet Baba, Harsimrat Simma, Anuradha, and others.

The cases are linked to conspiracies involving targeted killings, terror funding of pro-Khalistan organizations, and extortion.

Adani-Hindenburg row: Supreme Court expert panel report finds no regulatory failure

OpIndia Staff
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Adani-Hindenburg row: Supreme Court expert panel report finds no regulatory failure

A panel of experts appointed by the Supreme Court (SC) to investigate the Adani Group has stated that it is difficult to determine whether there has been a failure in regulatory oversight concerning price manipulations. On March 2, the highest court directed the establishment of a six-member committee to investigate the accusations of stock manipulation against the Adani Group made by Hindenburg Research, a short-seller based in the United States. Based on the information provided by the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the committee came to the conclusion that there was no regulatory failure.

Adani Group has disclosed all beneficial owners

The committee concluded that the Adani Group has disclosed the information of all the beneficial owners of the business. The report also lists all the details of these beneficial owners as obtained from the SEBI. The report says, “SEBI has been suspecting 13 overseas entities of having links to the promoters of the Adani Group and thereby suspecting that the shareholding in the listed Adani stocks in the hands of these 13 overseas entities need not qualify as a public shareholding. If such holding is not public shareholding, the listed Adani companies would have violated Rule 19A of the SCRR. At this stage, each of the 13 overseas entities has provided the details of the beneficial owners to the respective reporting entities and to SEBI in compliance with Rule 9 of the PMLA Rules.”

The committee also underlined that the SEBI has not categorically rejected Adani’s declaration of these beneficial owners. The committee report said, “According to SEBI, there is no demonstration that the persons declared to be beneficial owners are not “beneficial owners” for purposes of Rule 9 of the PMLA Rules. Both the Adani promoters and the FPI’s beneficial owners appear to have affirmed on oath that the FPI investments are not funded by the Adani Group.”

SEBI can not make out any case

The committee further concluded, “In the instant case, it appears that SEBI is not able to make out a case, and such a position of the case not being made out is presented as a prima facie position, which cannot be confirmed unless more investigation is done. In any prosecution of proceedings, whether civil or criminal, the presentation of a “prima facie” case is the responsibility of the plaintiff or the prosecutor. Once a prima facie case is made out, the burden shifts to the accused.”

No allegation against Adani Group is proved

The committee also concluded that be it a suspicion of SEBI or a report by Hindenburg, it is nothing more than a row surrounding the Adani Group with allegations without any proof. The committee said, “The inversion of the process of proving a charge, leaves the matter in the realm of suspicion. It is trite law that suspicion, however strong, cannot replace proof. However, the publication of the Hindenburg Report has reinforced SEBI’s suspicion that perhaps there is something amiss and it desires to probe this further, and is seeking time.”

It added, “Even the fundamental rules of evidence would require a conclusion of whether an allegation is “proved”, “disproved” or “not proved”. At this stage, the factual matrix appears to place the matter in the realm of “not proved” – the regulator has not been able to prove that its suspicion can be translated into a firm case of prosecuting an allegation of violation.”

Extrapolation of Hindenburg report caused loss to Adani stocks

The committee said in its report, “The Committee is equally cognizant of the fact that the allegations in the Hindenburg Report are substantially based on publicly available information. However, the manner in which it has extrapolated the information and presented it has led to a serious nose-dive in the prices of Adani stocks. The prices have undergone a correction and have improved but not to the level as existing prior to January 24, 2023, the date of publication of the Hindenburg Report.”

The committee also questioned the legal position of the SEBI while investigating the matter. It said that just because the market took the allegations seriously, regardless of whether any law is violated, the stocks of the Adani Group underwent repricing. However, the committee also underlined that the retail shareholding of the Adani Group has gone up after the Hindenburg report was published. The committee also acknowledged Adani Group’s efforts to comfort their investors. The committee also noted that there were short-selling profits made by entities after the Hindenburg report was published. The committee also mentioned that this needs to be probed separately while it underlined that prima facie it does not see any violation of any existing law by Adani Group as per the SEBI’s investigations so far.

No regulatory failure around allegations of price manipulation of the Adani stocks found

The committee said in its conclusion, “The Committee’s remit is not to examine whether the price rise was justified, whereas its remit is to ascertain if there was a regulatory failure. It is apparent that SEBI was actively engaged with developments and price movements in the market. The Committee notes that all such investigations must be completed in a time-bound manner. At this stage, taking into account the explanations provided by SEBI, supported by empirical data, prima facie, it would not be possible for the Committee to conclude that there has been a regulatory failure around the allegation of price manipulation.”

The Adani Group has already trashed the Hindenburg Research report as a ‘malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations’. The Group stocks lost Rs 46,000 crores in market cap after Hindenburg claimed that the Indian giant had participated in a clear stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over decades. The report was published on 24th January 2023.

The Supreme Court said on May 13 it may consider granting three more months to SEBI for concluding its enquiry proceedings in the Hindenburg research report on the Adani Group of companies. Notably, on March 2, the Supreme Court directed market regulator SEBI to complete its inquiry proceedings in 2 months and submit the status report in a sealed envelope before the court within the stipulated time frame.

New twist in AAP vs LG fight: After SC gave power to appoint, transfer, post officials to Delhi Govt, Central govt brings ordinance to amend GNCTD act: What it says

OpIndia Staff
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New twist in AAP vs LG fight: After SC gave power to appoint, transfer, post officials to Delhi Govt, Central govt brings ordinance to amend GNCTD act: What it says

The Centre has brought an ordinance notifying rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the ‘transfer-posting, vigilance and other incidental matters’ in Delhi. Days after the SC verdict which said that the Central Government (LG) has the authority over order, police and land whereas the Delhi Government (AAP) has authority over the transfer, posting and appointment of officials, the Modi government brought in an ordinance amending the GNCTD Act.

Through the ordinance, a National Capital territory Service Authority has been established by the central government.

The permanent authority would comprise of the Chief Minister of Delhi, the Chief Secretary of GNCTD and the principal secretary of the central home ministry.

It is this authority that would make recommendations with regards to transfers of officials, posting, appointments and the vigilance authority.

The National Capital Civil Service Authority shall have the responsibility to make recommendations for matters related to vigilance and non-vigilance matters for the purpose of disciplinary proceedings and prosecution sanctions against all the Group ‘A’ officers, including the officers of the All India Services and DANICS, serving in the affairs of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi but not officers serving in connection with any subject matter.

It is pertinent to note that this amends the verdict of the Supreme Court substantially. The Supreme Court had ordered that all matters related to transfer, posting and appointment of officers was the sole authority of the Delhi Government and not the Central Government. With this ordinance being passed, the Central Govt has essentially changed to rules and the verdict to ensure that there is State and Center collaboration in such crucial matters.

This decision has been taken keeping in mind that Delhi is a Union Territory and the National Capital and the central government has to have an equal say in the administration of the territory.

Background of the case

In 2018, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court looked into the special provisions under Article 239AA of the Constitution for the National Capital Territory (NCT). The interplay of the peculiar status of the NCT, the powers of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, and the LG were debated during the hearing. The court said in its judgment that the LG could not act independently without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. It further added that LG has to work harmoniously with the elected Government of the NCT.

Based on the judgment by the Constitution Bench, appeals were placed before a regular bench of the apex court in regard to the individual aspects, including the services. On April 14, 2019, the 2-judge regular bench comprising Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan could not agree on the issue of the services under Schedule VII, List II, Entry 41 of the Constitution of India.

The Supreme Court verdict which now stands void after the GNCTD ordinance passed by the Central Govt

On May 11, a five-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud pronounced the verdict in the Government of NCT of Delhi vs Union of India. In the unanimous judgment, CJI said, “unable to agree with Justice Ashok Bhushan in the 2019 split verdict.” The court cleared that the Centre has power over only three subjects which are order, police and land and gave the Government of Delhi the power to create posts, appoint officials and transfer them. 

The matter reached the apex court over administrative control over transfers and postings of civil servants in the national capital. The bench comprising CJI Chandrachud, Justice MR Shah, Justice Krishna Murari, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice PS Narasimha reserved its verdict on the matter on January 18, 2023.

The apex court said, “The control over services shall not extend to entries related to public order, police and land.” The court added, “NCTD similar to other states represents the representative form of Government. Any further expansion of Union’s power will be contrary to the Constitutional scheme.” The CJI categorically said that the public order, police and land powers will remain with the LG. He added, “The NCT of Delhi is not similar to the other Union Territories.”

No ‘flip flop’ or ‘mismanagement’ around Rs 2000 note withdrawal, the signs were clear from day one. Read details

Raju Das
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No ‘flip flop’ or ‘mismanagement’ around Rs 2000 note withdrawal, the signs were clear from day one. Read details

On 19 May, the Reserve Bank of India announced that it is withdrawing the circulation of ₹2000 currency notes. RBI informed that it had stopped printing the ₹2000 notes in 2018-19, most of the notes have reached their end of life, and therefore the notes are being withdrawn in pursuance of the “Clean Note Policy”. The central bank also noted that the note is no longer commonly used for transactions, as its circulation has come down from 26.73 lakh crore in March 2018 to 3.62 lakh crore in March 2023.

The RBI has said that people can exchange the ₹2000 notes they may be having at banks from 23 May to 30 September. Only ₹20,000 can be exchanged at a time, which means taking notes in other denominations by depositing ₹2000 notes. There is no limit on depositing the ₹2000 notes in bank accounts. 

However, the usual suspects have started criticising the Modi government on the decision by the Reserve Bank of India. Arvind Kejriwal claimed that govt had said that corruption will end with the introduction of ₹2000 notes, and now govt is saying withdrawing the ₹2000 note will end corruption. Adding his familiar rant on PM Modi’s education, he said that this is the reason why he says that the PM should be educated, as anyone can say anything to an illiterate PM. He doesn’t understand. The public has to suffer.

However, nowhere the RBI or the government has said that the note has been withdrawn to end corruption. RBI has said that the note is not popular among people, its printing stopped almost 5 years ago, as a result, the small numbers of notes still in circulation are in bad shape. Therefore, it has been decided to withdraw from circulation as per the clean note policy.

Delhi’s AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that the concept of stopping the circulation of notes was started by PM Modi.

He claimed that the economy suffered due to the change in banknotes. However, that is a completely false claim, as the RBI regularly introduces new designs of banknotes, and gradually withdraws the old notes. For example, in January 2014, the RBI had withdrawn the circulation of all banknotes issued prior to 2005.

Similarly, the central bank has gradually withdrawn ₹1, ₹2 and ₹5 banknotes, and have replaced them with coins.

It is also being claimed that it is a ‘sudden’ decision, and it will cause trouble for people.

This is also a completely wrong claim, as there is nothing suddenness in the decision. First, the ₹2000 has already almost disappeared from circulation. It is not dispensed by ATMs, most people no longer used this note. Second, it is not that the note has been demonetised like the 2016 decision. The note remains a valid legal tender and will remain so till 30 September. Therefore, there are more than 4-month time to exchange or deposit the notes anyone might be having. However, the banks will not issue the note to customers from now on, as per the RBI order.

Moreover, it was already known that the issue of ₹2000 notes was a temporary measure, to reduce the impact of the sudden demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes in October 2016. With its printing stopped in 2018-19 and its dwindling circulation, it was just a matter of time before it was withdrawn. If there was no prior decision to withdraw the note, the RBI would not have stopped printing it just 3 years after introducing it. In 2018 it formed 38% of the total cash chest and in 2023, it is only 10.8%. It is evident that the notes were taken out of circulation in a gradual manner and therefore, the current move was in play for a long time before being announced, so as to minimise the trouble caused to the common public.

In 2020 itself, reports started to appear in the media about the disappearing ₹2000 notes. The media reports had said that the ATMs were dispensing only ₹500 notes. Anyway, not all ATMs were configured to dispense the ₹2000 notes after its introduction, limiting its distribution since the beginning. It was predicted the notes will be eventually withdrawn, as the RBI had already stopped printing it by then.

In September 2020, PM Modi’s former principal secretary Nripendra Mishra had written in the Times of India that PM Modi was not in favour of introducing the ₹2000 note after demonetisation but accepted the suggestion of officials who felt that speedy printing of the high denomination note would increase the availability of cash. However, PM Modi never blamed the officials for the same, even though he was criticised for introducing the high-value note.

Mishra had added that after the availability of notes of other denominations improved, PM Narendra Modi did a course correction by discouraging the printing of ₹2000 notes.

RSS advisor S Gurumurthy had said in 2016 itself, months after the introduction of the high-value note, that it was a stopgap arrangement. He had correctly predicted that it will be ultimately be withdrawn, but gradually.

The claims of the inconvenience of people are also questionable. The note is already almost out of circulation, which means most people don’t have it. For those who may be having the banknote, there is enough time for them to exchange them at any bank, or deposit them in their bank accounts. Moreover, the note remains legal tender for now, which means they can be used for regular transactions.

Therefore, it is not a sudden decision, but a widely anticipated one. From the beginning, most people had known that it was a temporary arrangement and that the note will be withdrawn later. And as the note started to disappear from circulation, it became clear to everyone that its days are numbered. It is unlikely that common people will face any harassment like demonetisation, as it is a completely different situation.

‘I beg you to please have mercy on me and my family’: Sameer Wankhede releases alleged chats with Shah Rukh Khan on Aryan Khan’s arrest in drugs case

OpIndia Staff
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‘I beg you to please have mercy on me and my family’: Sameer Wankhede releases alleged chats with Shah Rukh Khan on Aryan Khan’s arrest in drugs case

Sameer Wankhede, an officer of the Indian Revenue Service and a former director of the Mumbai zonal unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), who is facing corruption charges, has presented WhatsApp exchanges he allegedly had with Shah Rukh Khan in an effort to illustrate his innocence. Wankhede is accused of demanding Rs 25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan to not name Aryan Khan in the 2021 cruise ship drug case.

During a narcotics operation in 2021 that Sameer Wankhede oversaw, the NCB apprehended the Bollywood superstar’s son Aryan Khan, along with many others, and indicted him with drug possession, consumption and trafficking.

However, Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay High Court and was released after spending 22 days in jail. It was later revealed that no drug was found on him, and later NCB gave him a clean chit due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Wankhede faced several allegations of irregularities and corruption during his tenure at NCB, following which he was transferred and an internal inquiry was ordered for a few of his controversial cases. The NCB’s SIT (Special Investigation Team) had re-examined the Aryan Khan case, and gave clean chits to 6 out of the 14 accused, including Aryan Khan.

Last week the CBI filed a case against Sameer Wankhede, accusing him of demanding Rs 25 crore bribe in exchange of not naming Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in the drug case. The CBI further alleged that Wankhede, two former NCB officials, and some private workers had already collected Rs 50 lakh of the demanded Rs 25 crore bribe.

In a plea he submitted to a court in response to the lawsuit brought against him, he included a series of communications he said he exchanged with Shah Rukh Khan.

Sameer Wankhede submitted a petition arguing his innocence in response to the accusations made against him. It comprises attachments that appear to be screenshots of text messages and interestingly Shah Rukh Khan’s name is written at the top of the screenshots.

“Get your guys to go slow for God’s sake. I swear I will stand by you at all times to come and assist you with what all you are trying to achieve good. It’s a man’s promise and you know me enough to know I am good for it. I beg you to please have mercy on me and my family,” the celebrity allegedly begged the ex-NCB director.

He allegedly said that his son doesn’t deserve to be incarcerated like a seasoned felon, in the chats produced by the officer. “We are a simple set of people and my son has been a bit wayward, but he doesn’t deserve to be in jail like a hardened criminal. You also know that. Please have a heart man, please I beg you,” said the chat allegedly sent by the Shah Rukh Khan.

The pictures appear to show Shah Rukh Khan reportedly pleading with Sameer Wankhede, the NCB Mumbai Zonal director at the time, to prevent Aryan Khan from being imprisoned since it would wreak his spirit. “I beg you, man, please don’t let him be in that jail. He will break as a human being. His spirit will be destroyed because of some vested people. You promised you will reform my child not put him in a place where he may come out completely battered and broken,” the message said.

He even allegedly pledged to always remain indebted to Sameer Wankhede. “If in any way without losing your integrity as an officer of the law, you can help in whatever manner possible, please. I will always be indebted.”

The Pathaan actor also allegedly assured him of every possible assistance on behalf of his son Aryan Khan. “I don’t know the technicalities but if the department in charge feels all is ok and to your satisfaction. If then your authority furnishes a short reply with whatever conditions your team may have. I promise you whatever cooperation you would need from him will be done to the best of his abilities.”

“Just please consider this request favourably it will be a huge favour because the family just wants him home, and not get stamped with having been a convict in a notorious prison. It will really help with his future and that’s why I am making this, beyond reasonable request as a father. I hope you consider it please, for his sake,” the messages say.

Shah Rukh Khan also allegedly urged him to be gentle with his son and affirmed never to create any hindrance for the officer. The screenshots of the alleged messages say, “Please tell them to go easy man and let me get my son home. Please. There is nothing more I can say or do but beg you. You have noticed my behaviour through all this. You know I would never stand by anything against what you are doing. I believed it when you said you are thinking of Aryan as your own and want to make him a better person.”

“I haven’t done anything to not help my son get that reformation. I haven’t been in the press. I haven’t made a statement. I have just believed in your goodness. Please please don’t let me down as a father,” the message adds.

The actor allegedly added that the officer shouldn’t subject his son to such treatment because of certain self-centred people, but he didn’t identify them. “As a good man, why would you subject him to this for some selfish people doing what they are doing? I promise you I will go to them and beg them to not say another word in front of you. Will use everything in my power to make sure they listen and retract whatever they have said.”

“I promise you I will do all of it and won’t shirk away from begging them to stop. But please send my son home. You also know in your heart it’s been a bit too harsh for him by now. Please please I beg you as a father,” SRK repeatedly reiterated, as claimed by the screenshots.

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