Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Home Blog Page 2887

Excise policy scam: A timeline of the controversy, political war-of-words and CBI probe

Dibakar Dutta
-
0
Excise policy scam: A timeline of the controversy, political war-of-words and CBI probe

Amidst allegations of corruption against Manish Sisodia in connection to the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came to the defence of his party leader.

In a statement on Monday (August 22), he claimed that Sisodia must be felicitated with the country’s highest civilian award instead of being held accountable for financial irregularities.

“Manish Sisodia reformed govt schools which other parties could not do in 70 years. Such a person should get Bharat Ratna. The entire country’s education system should be handed over to him, but instead, they conducted CBI raids on him,” Kejriwal remarked.

While his bizarre comments have drawn ridicule from several quarters and rightly so, it has taken away the public discourse from the matter at hand i.e. the estimated loss of ₹900 crores to the exchequer and allegations of corruption through the implementation of Excise Policy 2020-2021 by the Delhi government.

Here is how the controversy unfolded:

September 4, 2020: Expert committee constituted by the Excise Commissioner floats a new excise policy.

November 17, 2021: Delhi government implements Excise Policy 2020-2021. It changes the manner in which alcohol is sold in Delhi. Introduces private players in the market and marks the exit of government-owned liquor vendors.

May 2, 2022: Proposals such as home delivery of liquor, allowing liquor vendors to offer unlimited discounts, opening of stores till 3 am are tabled before the Delhi Cabinet.

July 8, 2022: Naresh Kumar, who was appointed the Chief Secretary of Delhi in April 2022, finds irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy. He prepares a report and seeks the response of Manish Sisodia on July 8.

July 22, 2022: Incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, orders a CBI probe on the recommendation of Naresh Kumar.

July 29, 2022: Delhi government makes a U-turn on its new excise policy. Manish Sisodia issues official direction to revert to the old regime of excise policy for the following 6 months.

August 17, 2022: The Central Bureau of Investigation names Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, ex-Only Much Louder (OML) CEO Vijay Nair and 13 others in an FIR for irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2020-2021.

August 19, 2022: CBI raids the residence of Manish Sisodia. Besides, 20 locations across 7 States were searched by officials of the central agency.

While dismissing allegations levelled against him, Manish Sisodia claimed, “CBI had come to our house. They are welcome. We (he and his party leaders) are extremely honest. We are building the future of millions of children.”

He added, “It is very unfortunate that those who do good work in our country are harassed in this manner. That is why our country has not yet become number 1 in the world.”

August 20, 2022: AAP leader Manoj Nagpal resigns from the party, and accuses it of corruption. “AAP today has become a corrupt party. AAP’s excise policy boosted the youngsters to consume more alcohol and furthered their addiction”, he said.

August 21, 2022: Manish Sisodia claims that a Look Out circular (LoC) has been issued, CBI denies the allegation.

August 22, 2022: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister cries foul, alleges that the BJP asked him to abandon Aam Aadmi Party in exchange for dismissing all cases. Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, declared that Sisodia should be felicitated with the Bharat Ratna.

Reportedly, Manish Sisodia waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the coronavirus pandemic. He also caused loss to the Excise Department and benefitted liquor licensees by waiving the import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case.

All these changes were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993. The CBI had therefore registered a case against Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister.

‘Inform police if you don’t know the Imam coming to your village’: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma after arrest of suspicious Islamic clerics in Assam

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Inform police if you don’t know the Imam coming to your village’: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma after arrest of suspicious Islamic clerics in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that if an Imam visits a village and the residents do not recognise him, they should immediately alert the police and this should be an accepted Standard Operating Procedure.

Talking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said, “We have made some SoP that if any Imam comes to your village and you do not know him, immediately inform the Police Station, they will verify, only after that, they can stay.” “Our Muslim community of Assam is helping us in this work,” he further added.

“We’re also making a portal for Imam & other people who are coming to madrasa from outside the state. Those who are from Assam, do not need to register their names in that portal, people from outside will have to register their names in the portal,” Sarma went on to add.

These remarks from the Assam Chief Minister follow after two Imams were arrested in Assam by the Goalpara Police as part of a larger anti-terror operation against the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and the Islamic terrorist outfit Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent. Jalaluddin Sheikh (49), the imam of Tilapara Natun Masjid, and Abdus Subhan (43), the imam of Tinkunia Shantipur Masjid, Mornoi, were both arrested after being questioned by police for several hours.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier stated that five modules of the terrorist organisation Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) had been disbanded with the cooperation of other investigating agencies in the past five months.

The CM stated that jihadi activities in Assam have become a significant concern as a result of the police breaking various Islamist modules comprised of Bangladeshi immigrants. A number of jihadi and terror modules have also been disbanded by police in other jurisdictions.

After Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt says, “don’t like me, don’t watch me,” ahead of the release of her movie Brahmastra

OpIndia Staff
-
0
After Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt says, “don’t like me, don’t watch me,” ahead of the release of her movie Brahmastra

Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt, who is busy promoting Brahmastra, her upcoming movie with husband and co-star Ranbir Kapoor, recently asked audiences to not watch her movies if they did not like her.

Following in the footsteps of Bollywood heavyweights such as Kareena Kapoor Khan and Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt recently said in an interview with Mid-Day: “I can’t keep defending myself verbally. And if you don’t like me, don’t watch me. I can’t help it. That’s something I can’t do [anything about].”

The actor made the remark when she was asked about the alleged trolling she faced for being a star kid. Bhatt added, “People have something to say. Hopefully, I will prove to them with my movies that I am actually worth the space I occupy.”

“What the hell is this nonsense? Why is this happening for no reason?,” the actress exclaimed when asked about the nepotism controversy in the Indian film industry.

It is pertinent to mention here that back in 2020, Kareena Kapoor Khan had also stated during the nepotism debate that it is the people who have made the stars and that nobody is forcing people to go and watch movies. She then said, “The audience has made us, no one else has made us. Same people pointing fingers are the ones who have made these nepotistic stars right? Aap Jaa Rahe Ho Na Film Dekhne? Mat Jao. Nobody has forced you. So I don’t understand it. I find this whole discussion is completely weird.”

Kareena Kapoor Khan was, however, not the only one to make the arrogant remark. Following the release of his 2014 movie ‘PK’, Aamir Khan also snubbed his fans for objecting to the Hinduphobic nature of the film. While speaking about the matter, he snobbishly remarked, “Mujhe lagta hai ki ya ek democracy hai aur haar aadmi ko apna vichar samne rakhna ka adhikaar hai (This is a democracy and everyone should have the right to express their opinion).

“Agar kisiko film nahin pasand aayi toh usko nahin dekhni chahiye (If someone does not like the movie, then, he should not watch it),” Aamir Khan had said then.

What is more interesting here is that after Kareena Kapoor Khan and Aamir Khan starrer movie Lal Singh Chadda failed miserably at the box office with social media users calling for the boycott of the movie, Kareena Kapoor reversed her position, begging that people not boycott the film.

Drying rivers, forest fires and more: Climate Change threat looms over Europe as drought-like conditions break centuries-old record

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Drying rivers, forest fires and more: Climate Change threat looms over Europe as drought-like conditions break centuries-old record

No one in history has ever recorded the River Loire of France being dried up. However, the extreme drought conditions in the country have changed history forever. River Loire is famous for the hundreds of castles across its shores. It is a shallow-water river and one of the major attractions in the country. However, the tourists are unable to see it in its glory due to the unprecedented drought conditions.

The Loire ends its journey into the Atlantic Ocean. Water has now been missing even 100 KMs before the final destination point. Sandbanks are visible everywhere. Earlier, people used to walk between the shores using little Islands in the river, but the situation has changed, and they just walk through the dried-up river.

Notably, Loire valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site with majestic chateaux such as Chambord, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau attracting tourists from across the world. Eric Sauquet, head of hydrology at France’s National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE), told Reuters that this year’s drought should be a wake-up call for the people and the authorities.

He said, “The Loire’s tributaries are completely dried up. It is unprecedented. We have to worry about the Loire.” Speaking about the marine animals living in the river, he pointed out that low water levels are disastrous for the fishes as it lacks oxygen and makes it easier for the predators to kill the fish. He said, “Fish need water to live, cool water. When water levels get this low, their environment shrinks, and they get trapped in puddles.”

Nuclear plants and the water crisis

There are four nuclear plants on the shores of the river. France made dams at Naussac and Villerest in the 1980s to ensure water supply to these plants that are located at Belleville, Chinon, Dampierre, and Saint-Laurent. With a combined capacity of 11.6 Gigawatts, these plants are responsible for a fifth of the French electricity production.

The authorities have not released waters from the two dams owing to the requirements of the nuclear plants. However, the delay in releasing water is causing further damage to the river’s ecosystem.

In recent times, the wildfires, torrential rain that damaged Paris metro, and storms that his southern France, the country has seen how disastrous Mother Nature could be. On the contrary, the villages in the south faced a tough time arranging waters as natural springs have dried up. The residents have to rely on the water tankers for consistent supply.

Sauquet said, “Climate change is underway, it’s undeniable… All users will have to re-think their behaviour with respect to water resources.” Météo-France, the nation’s meteorological service, in its bulletin, mentioned that July was the driest on record, with only 15 per cent of the average rainfall received this year.

The drought situation is spreading quickly across Europe

The extreme drought is gripping Europe quickly. As per a Washington Post report, thousands of people have died due to heat waves and massive wildfires. The temperatures are at an all-time high, and Europe is quickly feeling the heat of extreme drought.

There has been below-average rainfall, and the temperatures are above what Europe faces in general. As the conditions continue to remain the same, the region is facing the worst drought in recorded history. Drought is causing further damage as dried-up land and vegetation are catching fire more easily, and crops are dying amidst the lack of water.

European Drought Observatory has issued ‘warning’ conditions for almost hand of Europe that including severe drought and major soil moisture deficit. Apart from that, around 17 per cent of Europe is seeing vegetation getting dried up or thinning. Farmers are among the most affected people in Europe as they are unable to get the required amount of water for their crops.

Sky News quoted senior scientist at the European Drought Observatory Andrea Toreti saying that the present drought conditions could be the worst in the past 500 years. The autumn and winter went dry, resulting in lower groundwaters for spring and summer. Furthermore, ‘human-caused’ climate change added up to the temperature.

Reports suggest that during July, southern parts of Britain, including London, received only 10-20 per cent of the average rainfall. In some areas, the rainfall was next to nothing. On average, London gets around 45 mm or 1.77 inches of rainfall, but this time it was reduced to mere 0.04 inches.

Sattelite images show how draught has gripped London. Source: Washington Post

Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are facing acute water shortages. The Rhine and other rivers in Germany have become shallow, worrying the experts. Notably, the freight shipping costs on the Rhine have been increased by four times, and large vessels crossing the river have been ordered to carry 30-40 per cent less than their capacity; otherwise, they may run aground.

The Rhine plays a vital role in the shipping industry across Europe, and any disturbance affects the whole ecosystem. Because of the shipping hurdles, the experts believe that Germany may see a fall of up to 0.5 percent in the GDP.

Po River in Italy is facing similar problems, and the Prime Minister of Italy has described it as the “most serious water crisis in 70 years”. In early July, Italy declared a state of emergency in five of the most affected regions. Notably, 30 per cent of Italy’s population lives in the river’s basin. According to AccuWeather, the present conditions have taken a toll on the agriculture and the fishing industry across the region.

Due to the water scarcity in the Po River, the farmers are unable to get the required water supply resulting in rising problems for over three million cattle and six million pigs. The crop yields have decreased by 30 per cent due to weather conditions. Above all, the war in Ukraine has also impacted the cost of harvesting and steaming.

Due to lack of water, shrinking reservoirs, low rainfall, and high temperatures, wildfires have become common in Europe. Recently, 10,000 people were evacuated on Thursday in France near Bordeaux after a wildfire broke in the region. Over 1,000 firefighters had to participate in controlling the blaze.

Patna ADM KK Singh brutally thrashes protestor demanding jobs for CTET-BTET qualified candidates: Video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Patna ADM KK Singh brutally thrashes protestor demanding jobs for CTET-BTET qualified candidates: Video goes viral

On Monday, August 22, a video of Patna ADM KK Singh brutally thrashing a CTET and BTET qualified candidate who was protesting against the Bihar government at Dak Bungalow Chowraha in Patna went viral on social media.

Taking cognizance of the incident, BJP’s Amit Malviya Tweeted in Hindi that roughly translates to, “Bihar police, working at the behest of Nitish Kumar, who spoke about giving 20 lakh jobs, beats up a teacher candidate who was protesting in Patna in an inhuman way. The Bihar government and its officials not only thrashed the teacher but also insulted the tricolour. This is the real face of JDU-RJD government…” 

As evidenced by the video, the incident occurred in broad daylight, in the presence of numerous police and CRPF officers. The youth in the video sat on the road with a tricolour in his hand and began hurling insults at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He complained about being unemployed for the past four years.

He then attempted to speak the to reporters present there, when suddenly ADM KK Singh appeared from behind. He grabbed the youth by the hair and dragged him down the road. One of the police officers is heard saying that the youth has been performing the drama for quite some time.

ADM KK Singh re-appeared with a long baton and began to mercilessly beat up the youth, who is seen lying on the road with the Indian flag in his hand. A police officer, at this point, snatched the flag from the youth’s hand, while ADM KK Singh continued to assault him.

According to reports, this youth was amongst the 5000 job aspirants who have been protesting at Dak Bungalow Chowraha in Patna. These candidates, who have qualified the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) and Bihar Teacher Eligibility Test (BTET) are demanding permanent teaching jobs by staging a protest in Patna, Bihar.

Protestants are demanding teaching jobs in primary and secondary schools. CTET and BTET qualified candidates have been waiting for over three years to get recruited for the jobs they have qualified for.

Bihar TET, which should ideally be held once a year, has only been held twice since the first BTET in 2011. It was held in the state for the last time in 2017. The BTET-qualified candidates are still waiting to be hired. Later, the students petitioned the Patna High Court, demanding that the BTET be held on a regular basis. The HC directed the state government to investigate their request.

Now, the CTET, BTET-qualified candidates have now taken to the streets to stage massive protests in the state, demanding employment and raising their voices against the state Education Minister. The Bihar police, meanwhile, have resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protestors.

Tejashwi Yadav pushes all responsibility for job creation on Nitish Kumar

OpIndia recently reported how days after Nitish Kumar severed ties with BJP and formed an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), party leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is now the deputy CM in the new Nitish Government in Bihar, has passed the buck of employment generation on the Bihar Chief Minister.

In an exclusive interview with Zee News on Thursday (August 11), when Yadav was quizzed about his pre-poll promise of providing 10 lakh jobs to youth in the State, the RJD chief first blamed the Central government for supposedly ‘eating away all jobs and shutting down factories. “Unemployment is the biggest challenge not just in Bihar but across the country,” he claimed.

Yadav further pointed out, “I stand by my commitment. But, I had said that 10 lakh jobs will be provided once I become the Chief Minister. I will only be holding the position of Deputy Chief Minister in the current government.”

Kerala engineer ‘Abu Bakr’ who was killed fighting for Islamic State in Libya, appears in IS magazine, security agencies on alert

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kerala engineer ‘Abu Bakr’ who was killed fighting for Islamic State in Libya, appears in IS magazine, security agencies on alert

Security agencies in India have swung into action after the images of a Kerala engineer who was supposedly killed while fighting for the Islamic State (IS) in Libya appeared once again in the IS propaganda magazine Voice of Khorasan, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

The recent issue of Voice of Khorasan, the Islamic State’s mouthpiece in Afghanistan and surrounding regions, had a story about Abu Bakr Al Hindi, “who was born in Kerala in a Christian family.” The agencies have now contacted engineers’ associations in Bengaluru and Kerala to gather more information about this individual. Unfortunately, the inquiry has been hampered by lack of information concerning Abu’s true identity as well as data about his family.

The Keralite was mentioned in an IS document titled ‘Know your martyrs,’ which stated that Abu Bakr Al-Hindi was a Christian who converted to Islam while working in the Gulf. According to the paper, he is the first Indian ‘Istishhadi’ (suicide bomber) to be killed in the African continent.

According to the article in Voice of Khorasan, Abu was drawn to Islam after reading about ‘Prophet Isa and his mother Maryam’ in material supplied by a bookstall. He was recruited to the IS after hearing the lectures of Anwar al-Awlaki, the dreaded preacher executed in a US drone strike in 2011. According to the magazine, Abu’s repeated attempts to relocate to IS-controlled territory in Yemen failed owing to logistical obstacles, but the chance to join the Libyan module eventually came up with the support of his Gulf connections.

Abu received military training in Sirte after arriving in Libya. The current issue of the magazine mentions, “Brother Abu Bakr joined operation istishhadi (suicide attack). When the apostates reached gate 40, he was selected and carried out istishhadi operation on the murtaddin and attained martyrdom.”

Another Kerala engineer ‘Najeeb’ died in a suicide attack in Afghanistan

OpIndia reported in March of this year that ISKP featured another engineering student from Kerala in its magazine Voice of Khorasan. The Indian fighter’s identity was given only by his assumed name, Najeeb Al Hindi, in a story reporting his death, and he was identified as a 23-year-old “engineering (M.Tech) student from Kerala.” The article provided no other information on Najeeb, nor did it specify when he died or the circumstances surrounding his demise.

According to the ISKP mouthpiece, Najeeb was only interested in fighting for Islamic State and did not want to marry, but at the persuasion of friends, he married another jihadi female from a Pakistani household. The ISKP propaganda magazine compared Najeeb to Hanzala Ibn Abi Mair, one of Prophet Mohammad’s companions who was killed in a fight on his wedding night.

ISIS connection to Kerala

As early as 2014, the Islamic State established roots in Kerala, with modules encouraging religious conversions and aiming to attract professionals to join its troops in Afghanistan and Syria. Plenty of Kerala men and women are said to have joined the ISKP in recent years.

The United Nations warned in its 2020 terrorism report that there are a substantial number of ISIS terrorists in the Indian state of Kerala, stating that the ISIL Indian affiliate (Hind Wilayah), which was declared on May 10, 2019, has around 200 members.

Furthermore, a National Investigation Agency’s chargesheet filed in July 2020 in connection with the murder of Special Sub Inspector Wilson revealed a strong association between ISIS terrorists active and growing in the state.

‘Dhyan Chand can wait’: Netizens agree as Kejriwal says Sisodia be given Bharat Ratna, had earlier announced Padma Vibhushan for Satyendar Jain

Nirwa Mehta
-
0
‘Dhyan Chand can wait’: Netizens agree as Kejriwal says Sisodia be given Bharat Ratna, had earlier announced Padma Vibhushan for Satyendar Jain

Delhi Chief Minister and Magsaysay awardee Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal today announced that his deputy and Delhi’s Education Minister Manish Sisodia should get a Bharat Ratna, highest civilian award in India, for his ‘work’. Sisodia is accused no. 1 in the recent Excise on liquor scam that has rocked the national capital.

Kejriwal said that while the government should be appreciating his work, they are instead conducting CBI raids on him. Again, the CBI raids are in connection to an excise on liquor scam where Sisodia is one of the accused.

Netizens immediately took to Twitter to agree with Kejriwal that there is no one else in the country as deserving as Sisodia to be conferred with such an award.

We agree with scientist and author Anand Ranganathan that it would be an honour for the Bharat Ratna to be conferred upon the great Manish Sisodia.

Author and self-declared ‘handsome man’ Rahul Roushan took it up a notch and said how nothing less than Mahatma as title would work for Manish Sisodia. As a fan of alliteration, (hint: read his own name), Rahul Roushan suggested Sisodia be known as Mahatma Manish from now. Roushan is also CEO of OpIndia, but he has informed this correspondent that his above tweet is in personal capacity.

Usually to give befitting replies with facts and logic, The Skin Doctor was at total loss of words.

One Twitter user Amar pointed out that the last time Kejriwal announced such an award for one of his ministers, that minister landed in jail.

In June when the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Satyendar Jain in alleged hawala scam, Kejriwal had announced how he should be given a Padma Vibhushan instead of inquiries by law enforcement agencies.

Jain is currently in jail and last week Delhi High Court had dismissed plea filed by Congress worker that Jain be declared a person of ‘unsound mind’ after he had claimed that he was suffering memory loss after having been infected with COVID-19.

While both these ministers with allegations of corruption are given clean chit by Kejriwal and also insisted they get the Bharat Ratna and Padma awards, his former minister, Sandeep Singh, who was involved in sex scandal, has not been given any such privilege. In fact, the former Social Welfare Minister of Delhi was earlier sacked by Kejriwal after receiving an ‘objectionable’ CD in which he was purportedly shown in a compromising position with a woman. Kejriwal had then stated that Kumar had betrayed the faith of AAP supporters and therefore deserved sacking. Kumar, in his defence, claimed that a plan was hatched up against him because he was a dalit.

Nehru-Gandhi family has frequently given awards to themselves

While on topics of awards, we cannot not talk about the Nehru Gandhi family and the awards they have conferred upon themselves, just because they think they’re awesome.

In 1951, after his initial ’embarrassment’ wore off, Nehru accepted that his birthday be celebrated as ‘Children’s’ Day’ in India, not because ‘he loved children’ as it is widely propagated, but because drawing inspiration from Queen Elizabeth II, whose birthday is celebrated as Flag Day to raise money for Save the Child Fund. In fact, back in 1955, when then President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was also a Congress leader, before retiring from Congress party politics, conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, to Nehru, he did not say no. 

Dr Prasad had done so using his discretionary powers and without consulting the Cabinet. Nehru, instead of declining the honour while the Prime Minister from his own government, just accepted that he was awesome. Like father, like daughter, they say. In 1971, when Indira Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna while being in office of Prime Minister, she, too, did not say no. Rajiv Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously and he could not really have said no.

Uttar Pradesh: Son of JDU leader abducted from Greater Noida, ₹5 lakh ransom sought by kidnappers

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttar Pradesh: Son of JDU leader abducted from Greater Noida, ₹5 lakh ransom sought by kidnappers

On Monday (August 22), the son of Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Mehraj Khan was abducted in broad daylight from Pari Chowk in Greater Noida in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

As per reports, Khan is the former President of JDU in the Banka district of Bihar. Following the abduction of his son Dilwar, the kidnappers sought ₹5 lakhs in ransom.

According to the police, it was the victim’s first trip to Delhi and Noida. The cops analysed the CCTV footage and launched a manhunt to nab the accused. It is being speculated that the kidnapping was carried out at the behest of Dilwar’s acquaintance.

The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of ₹5 lakhs. Earlier this year, Dilwar contested Panchayat elections in his home State. Kidnappings of people from Bihar are becoming a regular occurrence, recently, even a senior journalist from Bihar, Kanhaiya Bhelari, confessed to executing two kidnappings on live TV.

During a debate on ABP News moderated by journalist and anchor Rubika Liyaqat on the appointment of kidnapping accused RJD MLC Kartikeya Singh as a minister, Bhelari said he had kidnapped two people allegedly to recover the pending dues. He further said as no case was filed against him and that he was never accused of kidnapping.

 “I confess today that I have kidnapped two millers. No case was filed against me, so I did not become a ‘kidnapper.’ They owed me money. One owed me 12 lakhs, and the other owed me ten lakhs. I kidnapped them. If there had been a case filed against me [I would have been called a kidnapper],” he announced.

Bhelari added, “It is normal. This is the way things work. Even banks have hired goons. It happens across the country.””

Dubious procedures, morphed medical documents: Are fraud campaigns making their way into Ketto and Milaap?

Anurag
-
0
Dubious procedures, morphed medical documents: Are fraud campaigns making their way into Ketto and Milaap?

On August 7, Garima Upadhyay logged into her social media account while sipping her Sunday morning tea. She noticed a post she was tagged in about a fundraiser campaign for a child suffering from cancer. Garima, who works as a manager in a reputed import-export firm, donated Rs 5,000/- and Retweeted the campaigning urging her small but close-knit circle on social media to help the child.

One of her friends, Abhishek, noticed the post and raised red flags as the medical documents attached to the campaign looked dubious. When Garima called the hospital numbers, they were disconnected. Upon little research about the doctor who signed the documents, she got his number. The doctor informed her that he was no longer associated with the said hospital and left the institute five years ago. Though Garima took immediate action, thanks to Abhishek, and got her money back, the case is not the same for the donors.

The story mentioned above is based on true events, though the names have been changed. The scams happening on fundraising platforms are very real and may have much deeper consequences than petty crimes. Donating without verifying is one of the most common mistakes donors make on fundraising platforms like Ketto, Milaap, and others. There are countless such allegedly fake fundraisers on these platforms that collect small amounts and vanish without leaving a trace. Every now and then, they use photographs from Google and other fundraisers to create fake fundraisers and collect money from innocent and technologically-less learned netizens.

A doctor issued a warning about the fake fundraiser on Twitter

On August 22, Dr Alok Gupta raised the alarm about an alleged fraud fundraiser running on Ketto. He wrote, “Dear all. This is a *warning message*. This person has photo-shopped my estimate letter given to a patient and started a *FRAUD fundraiser* at Ketto. Please beware of such frauds.” Dr Gupta published the tweet on behalf of Dr Prachi Jain, who is a Pediatric Oncologist at Max Hospital, Vaishali, and Patparganj.

As Dr Jain is a Pediatric Oncologist, it is obvious that she deals with patients under the age of 18. However, the fraudster who morphed her estimate letter mentioned that her sister for whom he was seeking funds was 24 years old. This would be the first red flag that a donor must look for while checking the authenticity of the fundraiser. Apart from that, the stamp of Dr Jain was also cut from the bottom, which possibly has her number.

Since the expose, either Ketto or the fundraiser creator deleted the fundraiser page from Ketto. We have contacted Ketto about the possible fraud fundraisers on their platform and waiting for their reply. Meanwhile, we looked on Twitter to see if Ketto has published any warning for its users about the same, but we could not find any.

Fundraiser scams on Milaap

Ketto is not the only platform that is facing the problem of fake and fraudulent fundraisers. Another popular fundraising platform Milaap is also facing criticism for a large number of ongoing scams. Dr Prashant Mishra raised the issue on Twitter recently. On August 20, he pointed out that fundraisers on Milaap were dubious, and they were seeking more money than required for the treatment.

In one of the screenshots he shared, the campaign raised Rs 22,32,000 while the required amount was Rs 10,00,000. However, the doctor said the cost of the treatment for renal calculi Rt was only between Rs 10 lakh to 15 lakh.

Interestingly, in another screenshot he shared, the amount raised was exactly the same Rs 22,32,000, while the disease and requested amount was different.

He further shared another screenshot of a campaign seeking Rs 10 lakh for renal calculi Rt, just like the first campaign.

Earlier, Dr Mishra had shared more screenshots where high amounts were collected, but the campaign completely disappeared from the platform. Generally, these platforms should close the campaign and stop the collection of payments once the target has been achieved, but deletion of the pages raises doubts about the authenticity of these platforms and moreover raises questions if any illegal activity has been happening on these platforms.

Following the questions raised on Milaap, the platform issued a statement on August 21 where they washed their hands from any wrongful activities on the platform and said they “try to confirm the credential and genuineness” of the campaign before publishing it. However, things are not likely to get verified as they claim to be.

Twitter user The Hawk Eye also raised questions on the campaign where Rs 20 lakhs were sought, but Rs 33 lakhs were raised instead. The platform had a stamp on it that it was a genuine campaign. The patient named Sharmin was suffering from a “Gall Bladder.” Gall Bladder what? It is not a disease in itself, but anyway.

Now coming to the amount that it had raised. A total of Rs 33 lakh came only from 6 supporters, which is highly unlikely. Sharmin himself donated Rs 10,00,000. An anonymous user, yes… you read it right, an anonymous user donated another Rs 10 lakh, and Milaap being a good samaritan, matched three payments and contributed Rs 1,16,000 thrice.

In reply to the said campaign, Milaap said the campaigns were created recently, and it appeared that contributions came from a close circle of the campaigner to “maximize the benefit from matching donations” that Milaap donates for campaigns to “encourage” other donors. The campaigns, according to Milaap, were paused, and the donations were reversed.

The alleged fundraiser fraud by Rana Ayyub

This is not the first time questions have been raised over fundraising campaigns. Alleged journalist and Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub has been accused of raising funds in the name of Covid and allegedly using the money for personal use. The case against Ayyub is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate, and a plea is being heard in Delhi High Court filed by Ayyub, where she has sought the release of the funds that ED had attached during the investigation. Ayyub was also stopped by the authorities from travelling abroad because of the ongoing case, but a Delhi Court allowed her to travel.

China shuts down borders with Nepal citing Covid, containers worth billions of rupees remain stranded

OpIndia Staff
-
0
China shuts down borders with Nepal citing Covid, containers worth billions of rupees remain stranded

China has, once again, shut the Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi border points between Nepal and China, citing an increase in the number of Covid cases in the cities near the transfer points. Nepali customs officials say that the Tatopani border is closed since Wednesday whereas the Rasuwagadhi point is shut since last weekend. This decision comes as a big setback for Nepalese traders who will be incurring losses worth millions of Nepalese rupees ahead of the famous Nepalese Dashain festival.

Nepal’s Dashain Festival, the Nepali version of the Hindu festival Vijay Dashmi is the biggest and longest festival celebrated in the Himalayan country. According to the Nepali calendar, the festival falls from 10 to 19 Ashwin 2079 BS. This year, the festival will be celebrated from 26th September to 5th October 2022.

According to reports, more than 300 Nepal-bound container trucks with goods worth billions of rupees, imported for the upcoming Dashain festival, have been stranded at the checkpoints on the northern border for the last two weeks as China had declared lockdowns in different cities citing a surge in Covid cases.

This is incidentally, the third consecutive year the Nepalese traders will be missing out on the Dashain shopping season as China has been imposing an undeclared blockade on Nepal for the last two years. Under the guise of preventing the spread of Covid-19, this blockade has been in place since early 2020, posing significant challenges for Nepali traders and negatively impacting their livelihoods.

In fact, Nepalese traders had, at the end of January 2022, also staged a protest in Rasuwagadhi against the same. According to reports, businessmen carried placards that read, “Ensure smooth movement of containers, ensure the safety of Nepali living at the border, abide by international law and end undeclared blockade”, amongst others. Locals at Tatopani in Sindhupalchowk district had also earlier staged a protest on China’s blockade.

Nepal govt report says Chinese encroachment along border areas

Notably, in February this year, a memorandum was handed over by the Rashtriya Ekata Abhiyan to the United Nations, informing them about the land encroachment in Humla, Nepal, by China. The Nepali civil society group has urged the international community to intervene in the issue pertaining to land grabbing by China in neighbouring countries.

The Rashtriya Ekata Abhiyan has been launching campaigns against the Chinese encroachments. In the memorandum submitted to the UN, the group has called for China to withdraw the encroached land. It has urged the Nepali and Chinese governments to initiate border inspection under the supervision of the international community and urged all stakeholders to keep GPS records of all border posts.

Reports suggest China has encroached on land not only in Humla but also in Gorkha, Darchula, Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk. The group has submitted copies of the memorandum to the US Embassy European Union Representative. Russian Embassy, Indian Embassy and Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

1...2,8862,8872,888...7,561Page 2,887 of 7,561

Contact: infoopindia.com

About us

News and opinion website that brings you reports and narrative from a perspective often ignored or suppressed by the mainstream media of India.

Follow us

© OpIndia.com