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No ICU and equipment in hospitals, non-functional mohalla clinics, only 4% of promised rooms added, and others: CAG report exposes the reality of Delhi’s health infrastructure

OpIndia Staff
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No ICU and equipment in hospitals, non-functional mohalla clinics, only 4% of promised rooms added, and others: CAG report exposes the reality of Delhi’s health infrastructure

The Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) audit report tabled in the Delhi Assembly on 25th February laid bare Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled the report in the Assembly which revealed all the discrepancies in the healthcare system of the national capital.

Delhi’s poor health infrastructure and the reality of Mohalla clinics

The audit report exposed the reality of Delhi’s Mohalla clinics which were once hailed as a revolutionary step towards accessible healthcare. Some of the findings of the audit report regarding the healthcare infrastructure in the national capital are –

  • Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure suffered from a range of problems, including financial mismanagement, negligence and lack of accountability in the last six years. It also highlighted an acute shortage of medical equipment and healthcare staff and the underutilization of emergency funds. The doctors at the Mohalla clinics spent less than a minute on consultations with patients.
  • About 70% of the patients who visited the Mohalla clinics between October 2022 and March 2023 received consultations for less than a minute. Around 18% of the Mohalla clinics assessed were found non-operational for periods ranging from 15 days to 2 years. Out of the 74 clinics reviewed, none was found to have maintained the full stock of 165 drugs listed in the Essential Drugs list.
  • Several hospitals in Delhi were reportedly found to be lacking critical medical services. Out of 27 hospitals in the city, 14 do not have ICU facilities, and 16 do not have blood banks. 12 of the hospitals were found operating without ambulance services. The AYUSH dispensaries in Delhi also lacked essential facilities like toilets, power backups, and check-up tables. Many hospitals reportedly face staff shortages, with a 21 % shortage of nurses, a 38% shortage of paramedics and around 50-60% shortage of doctors.
  • The CAG report revealed that critical hospital infrastructure like operation theatres, ICU beds and private rooms were not at all utilised at Rajiv Gandhi Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospitals. Besides, the trauma centre did not have doctors for emergency care.
  • Under-utilisation of Covid emergency funds was also highlighted in the report. Out of Rs 787.91 crore allocated for the COVID-19 response, only Rs 582.84 crore were utilised. Rs 30.52 crore meant for healthcare workers and Rs 83.14 crore allotted for essential drugs and PPE kits remained unused.
    • The previous AAP government failed to expand bed capacities in hospitals. Out of the promised 32,000 hospital beds, only 1,357 (4.24%) were added. Moreover, several hospital projects were delayed in the national capital, resulting in cost overruns amounting to Rs 383.52 crore. This included hospitals like Indira Gandhi Hospital, Burari Hospital and MA Dental Ph-II.
    • Hospitals have long surgery waiting periods, for example, Lok Nayak Hospital has 2-3 months waiting for general surgeries and 6-8 months waiting for burn and plastic surgeries. The CNBC hospital has a 12-month wait for pediatric surgeries.

Massive losses incurred due to the Liquor Excise Policy

The infamous Liquor Excise Policy 2-21-22 introduced by the previous AAP government which led to the arrest of former CM Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was also exposed by the CAG audit report. As per the CAG audit report released on 11th January 2025, the Delhi government incurred a loss of Rs 2,002 crore in the formulation and implementation of the policy.

  1. The audit report revealed that the group of ministers responsible for overseeing the policy did not consider the recommendations of the Expert Committee without offering any justification. The infirmities pointed out by the Committee in the policy were ignored. “…cases of related business entities holding licenses across the supply chain and skewed distribution pattern highlighted the risk of exclusivity arrangements and brand pushing…Some retailers retained licenses till the expiry of the policy period, some surrendered the same before the policy period was over. As retail licensees were limited in numbers, it caused a disruption in supply because the policy did not contain any provision requiring the licensees to give advance notices before surrendering the license, “the report said.
  2. According to the audit report, a loss of another 941 crore was incurred by the government due to its decision to open liquor vends in non-conforming areas. “In spite of being aware that vends were required to be opened in non-conforming wards in order to achieve the objective of equitable distribution, the Department did not take timely action to work out modalities leading to non-achievement of the objective. It also resulted in loss of revenue of approximately Rs 941 crore due to exemptions which had to be given to the zonal licensees”, the report read. In addition, Rs 144 crore was reportedly lost due to an irregular grant of waiver to the licensees because of the COVID-19 pandemic-related closures.
  3. The report also highlighted that many liquor wholesalers did not submit mandatory quality tests verifying compliance with the norms of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Besides, the reports of quality, harmful ingredients, heavy metals, and methyl alcohol were not submitted by several brands.
  4. Financial irregularities were also found in the Excise Supply Chain Information Management System (ESCIMS). The report claimed that undue benefit of Rs 24.23 crore was given to the implementing agency. As per the contract, the implementing agency was entitled to payments only for barcode authenticated bottles at the Point of Sale (POS) during sales. However, it was found in audit that between December 2013 and November 2022, barcode authentication amounted to Rs 65.88 crore while the actual payment created was Rs 90.11 crore.

Two of the 14 CAG audit reports have been released by the Delhi government so far. Subsequently, the CAG audit reports will be examined by a Public Accounts Committee comprising MLAs from the BJP and the AAP. The committee will be empowered to call government officials and former ministers for questioning and submit its recommendations.

Insult to Hindu faith: UP Minister Nitin Agrawal slams opposition for questioning Maha Kumbh

ANI
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Insult to Hindu faith: UP Minister Nitin Agrawal slams opposition for questioning Maha Kumbh

Uttar Pradesh Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Agrawal on Friday criticised the opposition, particularly the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress, for questioning the recently concluded Mahakumbh, describing their comments as an “insult to Hindu faith and eternal traditions.”

“See, the opposition has consistently questioned the Maha Kumbh and made objectionable comments. This has been going on for forty-five days since our great festival began, and even before that, during the preparations. The Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties repeatedly raised doubts. However, under the guidance of the Honorable Prime Minister, the Honorable Chief Minister successfully conducted this grand event, setting a world record with over sixty-six Crores devotees taking a holy dip in the past forty-five days,” Nitin said.

He further emphasized that during the event’s conclusion, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to everyone involved. “Despite this, if the Samajwadi Party still raises questions, it is nothing but an insult to eternal traditions and Hindu faith. The people of Uttar Pradesh will answer the way the Samajwadi Party continues to disrespect Sanatan Dharma in the 2027 general elections,” he added.

Targeting Congress, Nitin questioned the absence of its top leaders from the Maha Kumbh. “Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi did not visit Kumbh. If some of their party members did, was it just for show or photo ops? If they didn’t go at all, does it mean they oppose the Mahakumbh? The Congress party must answer the people of this country. By boycotting this grand festival, they have boycotted Hindus and Sanatan Dharma.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised the state police for their exceptional role in ensuring the smooth and successful organisation of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.

UP CM Adityanath acknowledged the police’s dedication and teamwork, which enabled the safe and secure participation of over 66 crore devotees.

The Chief Minister also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the event’s success, highlighting the use of technology and the state’s efforts to ensure a safe and organized experience.

Addressing the gathering, CM Yogi Adityanath commended the police force for managing the complexities of the Mahakumbh, a large-scale event that saw a huge influx of devotees.

“The police force and jawans played a pivotal role in the crowd management and overall success of the Mahakumbh. I congratulate them for their dedication,” he said.

CM Yogi emphasised that the event’s success was a result of PM Modi’s vision, which provided a framework for organising a “Divya Kumbh Bhavya Kumbh”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

BBC makes son of Hamas terrorist ‘narrator’ in Gaza documentary, deliberately omits references to ‘Jihad’ and ‘jews’: What happened

Dibakar Dutta
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BBC makes son of Hamas terrorist ‘narrator’ in Gaza documentary, deliberately omits references to ‘Jihad’ and ‘jews’: What happened

On Thursday (27th February), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News issued a statement, distancing itself from an anti-Semitic, propaganda-laden documentary on Gaza.

The controversial programme was titled ‘Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone’ and was aired by BBC Two on 17th February 2025. It came under fire for featuring Abdullah Al-Yazouri, the son of a Hamas terrorist and omitting references to ‘Jihad’ and ‘Jews’

Almost 10 days after airing the documentary, a BBC spokesperson stated, “It (The BBC Board) has identified serious flaws in the making of this programme. Some of these were made by the production company, and some by the BBC; all of them are unacceptable. BBC News takes full responsibility for these and the impact that these have had on the Corporation’s reputation. We apologise for this.”

In a half-hearted ‘apology’, BBC News claimed that the publication of the documentary ‘damaged the trust’ of the audience.

“Although the programme was made by an independent production company, who were commissioned to deliver a fully compliant documentary, the BBC has ultimate editorial responsibility for this programme as broadcast,” it made a last ditch effort to defend itself.

BBC News claimed to not know that the narrator in the documentary had ties with Hamas. The propaganda news broadcaster, however, conceded thata ‘limited sum of money’ was wired to the wife of the Hamas terrorist Ayman Al-Yazouri for narration in the documentary.

It stated that a full audit of the expenditure of the production company (identified as Hoyo Films) as well as a fact-finding review was underway. BBC News claimed that Peter Johnston, the Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, would determine if any disciplinary actions were required.

It further added that issues raised surrounding the use of language and translation in the documentary would also be reviewed. Interestingly, BBC News announced that it would not broadcast the documentary again in its current form, hinting that it might see the light of the day again after re-modifications.

“We have no plans to broadcast the programme again in its current form or return it to iPlayer and will make a further assessment once the work of Peter Johnston is complete,” the BBC Board said.

Controversy surrounding the BBC documentary

The propaganda documentary by BBC News titled ‘Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone’ featured Abdullah Al-Yazouri, the son of a Hamas’ Ayman Al-Yazouri (who works as the ‘deputy agriculture minister’ of the terror outfit in the Gaza strip).

Abdullah was the narrator of the programme. The matter came to light following an expose by antisemitism researcher David Collier. Later, it was found that another girl featured in the documentary was the daughter of another Hamas terrorist.

One child in the programme was also shown posing with Hamas terrorists. BBC attempted to defend the inclusion of the son of a Hamas terrorist in the documentary.

“The film remains a powerful child’s eye view of the devastating consequences of the war in Gaza which we believe is an invaluable testament to their experiences, and we must meet our commitment to transparency,” it stated.

However, BBC News took down the programme on 21st February 2025 over widespread criticism.

British Daily ‘The Telegraph’ published a report on Tuesday (25th February) exposing how the BBC documentary deliberately omitted references to Jews (Yahud) on at least 5 different occasions and Gazans vowing to do ‘Jihad.’.

“The Telegraph can reveal that on at least five occasions the words Yahud or Yahudy – Arabic for “Jew” or “Jews” – were changed to “Israel” or “Israeli forces”, or were removed from the subtitles altogether,” it stated.

“An interviewee praising Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader, for “jihad against the Jews” was also mistranslated as saying he was fighting “Israeli forces“,” the newspaper further added.

It had also come to light that the cameraman involved in the production of the anti-Semitic documentary, Hatem Rawagh, had previously celebrated the killing of 1,139 Jews on 7th October 2023 in Israel.

Manipur: Meitei group Arambai Tenggol surrenders over 240 weapons as Governor’s deadline ends, Kukis dismiss gesture. What does it mean for the state

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: Meitei group Arambai Tenggol surrenders over 240 weapons as Governor’s deadline ends, Kukis dismiss gesture. What does it mean for the state

On Thursday, the last day of the 1 week time given by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to armed groups in Manipur to surrender looted arms from state armouries, the Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei organisation, came in a procession to surrender hundreds of guns.

The surrender took place on the grounds of the 1st Manipur Rifles (MR), with cadre of Arambai Tenggol arriving in trucks, including women members and supporters.

Arambai Tenggol puts certain conditions, seeks assurance that Kukis won’t attack Meiteis again

Arambai Tenggol had met Governor Ajay Bhalla on February 25, in which they agreed to surrender arms looted from the state government stores. The Arambai Tenggol, one of the larges Meitei organisations that has often been in conflict with the rival Kukis in the state, has stated that they have surrendered arms to the state wit the conditions that the State will ensure that there are no more attacks by Kukis on Meitei groups, and the State assures the protection of the lives and properties of Kukis.

In addition to asking security for Meiteis in the region, Arambai Tenggol is seeking a general amnesty for their members, including village volunteers, complete eradication of illegal poppy cultivations by Kuki groups, the completion of border fencing, and the implementation of NRC to identify illegal immigrants.

Additionally, Arambai Tenggol has stated that if the Kukis attack Meiteis again, resulting in the loss of civilian lives, they would take retaliatory action and the State should not try to restrain them at that time. The ST status for Meiteis, a controversial but long-standing demand from the Meiteis, was stressed again.

The demands were submitted in the form of a memorandum to the governor by the Arambai Tenggol. So far, there has been no official response on the demands from the government’s side.

What are Kuki groups saying

The Kuki-Jo groups of ITLF and COTU have issued a joint statement dismissing the mass surrender of arms by Meiteis as a move to garner sympathy. “The surrender of 300 weapons today by Arambai Tenggol is a mere gesture. It accounts for only 5% of the total looted arms in the Imphal Valley. It is a strategic attempt to improve their public image after meeting the Governor. They are responsible for killing more than 230 Kuki-Jo people.”

Looted arms in Manipur

As per official records, over 6000 weapons have been looted from state armouries and police stations over the months. After the Governor’s appeal, many weapons are being surrendered. In addition to the surrender of over 230 weapons by the Arambai Tengol yesterday, an additional 87 weapons were surrendered by the public in places such as Churachandpur, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Toubal, Kangpokpi, Jiribam and Imphal West.

The state has been in turmoil since May 2023. Multiple incidents of weapons looting have been reported. Armed militants often have attacked police stations and armories storage facilities with grenade and AK-47S, setting fire to the premises and absconding with the weapons.

The armed conflict between Kuki-Jo and Meitei groups has been rampant in the state for nearly 2 years, killing hundreds of civilians and rendering thousands homeless.

Poppy plantations and illegal drug trade in Manipur

One of the main factors in the ethnic clashes between Kuki and Meitei groups has been the illegal, often violent capture of vast stretches of lands by predominantly Kuki groups and using it for illicit poppy farming. The networks of the drug trade stretches from Manipur to Myanmar and beyond. The former Biren Singh government in Manipur has been asserting that the drug trade is the centre of conflict, both driving it, funding it, and fuelling it from within.

Hundreds of acres of poppy plantations have been destroyed by the government with the help of civilian groups so far. The Arambai Tenggol says that it is against poppy cultivations and wants to see the plantations destroyed. Raids and destruction of poppy farming have been going on a serious level comparable with the recovery of arms.

Though the arms surrender and action on insurgent groups have been progressing, the situation in Manipur is still fragile, and volatile. There are plenty of arms and ammunitions in circulation, including sophisticated weapons. The border with Myanmar remains porous, and amid the drug trafficking and violence between the ethnic groups, a permanent peace still seems elusive, even with the state being under the President’s rule.

Joined Islamic State after getting angry over Quran burning: German court sentences 2 Afghan terrorists who were plotting to attack Sweden’s parliament

OpIndia Staff
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Joined Islamic State after getting angry over Quran burning: German court sentences 2 Afghan terrorists who were plotting to attack Sweden’s parliament

A German court has sentenced two Afghan terrorists linked to terror organisation Islamic State to several years in prison for planning an attack on the Swedish Parliament and plotting to kill policemen. The two terrorists were plotting this to take revenge for the burning of the Quran in Sweden.

The Jena Higher Regional Court found both of them guilty of being members of the terrorist organisation Islamic State and plotting to commit murder. The court sentenced one of the accused to 5 years and six months in prison, and the other one to 4 years and 2 months in prison. The two terrorists were 30-year-old and 24-year-old respectively.

The accused can still appeal against the sentence. One of the two accused is named Ibrahim MG and the other is Ramin N. Both of them lived in Gera in Thuringia state of eastern Germany and knew each other beforehand.

Both these terrorists were radicalized through online Islamic State propaganda. Police arrested both of them in March last year. At that time, they were returning from Czech Republic where they had tried to get weapons for the attack.

According to the court, both Afghans were kept under surveillance for some time. German officials said that both these people were associated with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K). They had received orders to carry out attacks in Europe. The plot made by them included planning to kill police and others.

Pune Bus Rape: Crime Branch detains accused in the Swargate bus depot case

ANI
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Pune Bus Rape: Crime Branch detains accused in the Swargate bus depot case

Pune Crime Branch has detained the accused in the Pune rape incident at the Swargate bus depot from a village in Shirur Tehsil of the Pune district.

The accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade was absconding since the incident happened on Tuesday, when the rape survivor, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, which is located around 100 km away.

The accused allegedly approached her, falsely claiming that the bus to her destination was parked elsewhere. He led her to a MSRTC Shivsahi bus parked in the depot, where he allegedly raped her.

Meanwhile, State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered for an immediate security audit of all bus stands and depots across the state.

As per a release issued on Thursday, the minister has also instructed that all registered buses parked at bus stations and depots and vehicles seized by transport offices be removed by April 15.

Considering the rising number of female passengers, Minister Sarnaik emphasised the need to increase the number of female security guards at bus stations.

Additionally, he directed that a specific timeframe be set for removing unregistered buses from bus stand areas, with the process to be completed by April 15. He also called for the appointment of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to the vacant post of Chief Security and Vigilance Officer in the State Transport Corporation.

Leaders and workers of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SCP on Thursday staged a protest against the rape incident at the Swargate bus depot in Pune, calling for strict action against the accused.

The protesters demanded capital punishment for the rape accused and the safety of women.

Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik also ordered a departmental inquiry against the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager of the Swargate Bus Depot in Pune following the February 25 incident in which the 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a parked bus.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to table CAG report on health infrastructure in assembly on Friday, expected to expose the reality of health services in Delhi

ANI
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to table CAG report on health infrastructure in assembly on Friday, expected to expose the reality of health services in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who also oversees the finance department, will present the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services’ in the Delhi Assembly on Friday.

According to sources, this report will be based on the status of government hospitals and health services (2024) and will ‘expose’ the reality of health services in the national capital.

As per sources, this will be the second report of CAG, which will be presented in the assembly. The report will review the status of government hospitals, mohalla clinics and other health facilities of the Delhi government.

The CAG report will see how much difference there is between the claims made by the previous government and the ground reality. The availability of machines in government hospitals, supply of medicines, number of doctors and nurses and facilities provided to patients will be assessed.

The report may also reveal whether the budget allocated by the Delhi government in the health sector was spent properly or not. During 2022-23 and 2023-24, the government had made big claims for the health sector, but did the patients really get the benefit of it? Information on this will also be given in the report.

BJP had already started cornering the previous Delhi government and alleged that there is a huge lack of facilities in government hospitals, patients have to wander around for treatment and even medicines are not available.

Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh said, “The previous government was making big claims about health services, but the reality is something else. Everything will be revealed in the CAG report.”

Many questions have been raised earlier on the Mohalla Clinic scheme of the previous government. In many reports, it was claimed that there is a shortage of doctors in the clinics, essential medicines are not available and patients are not getting better treatment.

Earlier, on Tuesday, CM Rekha Gupta had tabled the CAG report on the Delhi Excise Policy.

The ‘Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi’ covers a period of four years from 2017-18 to 2020-21 and examines the regulation and supply of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and Foreign Liquor in Delhi.

Notably, Delhi Assembly session has been extended by two days till March 1.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Donald Trump announces additional tariff against Canada, Mexico and China will be enforced from 4 March over Fentanyl supply, reciprocal tariff starts from April 2

OpIndia Staff
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Donald Trump announces additional tariff against Canada, Mexico and China will be enforced from 4 March over Fentanyl supply, reciprocal tariff starts from April 2

United States President Donald Trump announced today that the proposed additional 25% tariff against Mexico and Canada will be implemented as announced if drug supply from these countries do not stop. He further announced an additional tariff of 10% against China, accusing it of making and supplying the drugs. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that drugs are still pouring into the Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels, mostly Fentanyl.

In his statement, Trump said that “Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels,” adding that “a large percentage of these Drugs, much of them in the form of Fentanyl, are made in, and supplied by, China.”

The US president said, “more than 100,000 people died last year due to the distribution of these dangerous and highly addictive POISONS,” further adding that millions of people have died over the last two decades. He added, “The families of the victims are devastated and, in many instances, virtually destroyed.”

Donald Trump announced, “We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled.”

As per the proposal, an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods and additional tariffs of 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports will be imposed from 4th March. He further added that the proposed reciprocal tariff will be enforced from April 2.

The statement cleared up some confusion over deadlines for the tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods earlier threatened by Trump over the fentanyl crisis and U.S. border security.

This announcement follows a Justice Department indictment earlier this year targeting China-based chemical companies accused of supplying fentanyl ingredients, underscoring the administration’s narrative that Beijing plays a central role in the crisis.

Punjab: Amritsar grenade attack kingpin injured during encounter with Batala police

ANI
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Punjab: Amritsar grenade attack kingpin injured during encounter with Batala police

The key accused in the Amritsar grenade attack Mohit was injured in a regulatory fire during weapon recovery, a policeman also sustained a bullet injury during the operation.

The accused Mohit opened fire on the police while he was been taken for weapon recovery. During the retaliatory fire, he sustained injuries and was shifted to Civil Hospital, Batala, for treatment, Punjab police said.

According to Batala police they have arrested Mohit and Vishal after solving the grenade blast cases in Jaintipur and Raimal. This marked a hundred percent resolution of all grenade blast incidents in Punjab.

On January 15, a grenade attack was reported at the residence of Pappu Jaintipuria in Amritsar. Following the attack on Pappu Jaintipuria’s residence, another granade was lobbed at the residence of a Punjab police constable in Raimal. Both the attacks were claimed by a US-based terrorist, Happy Pachhi, through social media posts.

The Batala police made relentless efforts and after a detailed investigation, they apprehended and arrested the key accused Mohit, who personally carried out the grenade attack at the Punjab police constable’s house followed by Vishal Bhatti. Other accused, Ravinder Singh and Rajbir, are yet to be arrested. Further investigation into the matter is going on.

The Punjab police have intensified their hunt for criminals in the state following the orders of DGP and CM Bhagwant Mann. On Tuesday, two miscreants were shot in the leg during an encounter with the Punjab police in Khem Karan of Tarn Taran. According to the police official Aditya Raj, the names of the two miscreants are Prakash Singh and Prabhjeet Singh, who were involved in two recent firing incidents. He stated that further investigation into the matter is going on.

“Two miscreants named Prakash Singh and Prabhjeet Singh have been injured… They were involved in two recent firing incidents… Further investigation is underway”, SP Aditya Raj, Investigation Tarn Taran police said after the incident.

Furthermore, SP Raj stated that CM Bhagwant Mann and DGP have given orders to take strict action against the criminals. He added that the police had signalled the miscreants to stop after they opened fire on the police.

The Taran Taran SP further added that the accused have been linked with gangster Prabh Dasuwal and one 32-bore weapon, three used cartridges and two live rounds have been recovered from the miscreants.

“Punjab DGP and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann have given instructions to take action against criminals…When our team signalled a motorcycle to stop, they (miscreants) opened fire on the police teams. In the retaliatory fire, they were shot in their legs. Two people named Prakash Singh and Prabhjeet Singh have been injured… They are involved in two recent firing incidents… Further investigation is on… They are in touch with gangster Prabh Dasuwal… One 32-bore weapon, three used cartridges, and two live rounds have been recovered…”, SP Ajay Raj said.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

ED seizes cryptocurrency amounting to Rs 17.20 crore across multiple wallets during raids in Haryana

ANI
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ED seizes cryptocurrency amounting to Rs 17.20 crore across multiple wallets during raids in Haryana

 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized cryptocurrency amounting to Rs 17.20 crore across multiple wallets during searches conducted at six locations in Haryana on Thursday, the agency said.

ED’s Chandigarh zonal office seized the amount during these raids conducted on February 24 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the Cryptocurrency scam case registered recently.

The cryptocurrency, amounting to Rs 17.20 crore across multiple wallets, was owned and managed by one Mahesh Kumar and his associates, said the ED.

“The search operations also resulted in the seizure of several mobile phones, which were found to have been used to access cryptocurrency wallets through multiple Apps installed on such mobile devices,” said the federal agency. “The same have been sent for forensic examination and expected to yield more incriminating material.”

As per ED, this cryptocurrency racket was being operated from a mundane and remote location in Haryana to dodge Law Enforcement Agencies.

ED initiated the investigation based on a First Information Report registered by the Haryana Police clubbed with a complaint received from a victim of the said illegal cryptocurrency investment scam. Mahesh Kumar from Hissar, along with three accomplices, all from Bhiwani, Haryana, are involved in the racket.

“All these in connivance with one another have lured several investors for investment into cryptocurrency promising exorbitant returns and duped them crores of rupees,” it stated.

ED’s investigation revealed that multiple cryptocurrency wallets were operated by mastermind Mahesh Kumar in active association with other co-accomplices.

Mahesh Kumar and his associates have orchestrated the scam with ill motive of generating the funds by cheating individuals by promising them high returns for cryptocurrency investment and thus, have generated Proceeds of Crime (POC), it said, adding “by adopting the said modus-operandi, Mahesh and his team not only generated POC but also layered it by investing into cryptocurrency wallets through decentralised exchanges.”

The agency said this discovery highlights the fast-expanding reach of cryptocurrency activities, posing new challenges for regulators and law enforcement agencies.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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