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Vijay Mallya called lobbyist Deepak Talwar’s aide asking her to ‘manage his case in ED’, lawyer of ED tells court

OpIndia Staff
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Vijay Mallya called lobbyist Deepak Talwar’s aide asking her to ‘manage his case in ED’, lawyer of ED tells court

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday revealed in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya spoke to Yasmin Kapoor last week asking her to manage his case. Kapoor is a close aide of aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar. Vijay Mallya is currently facing extradition proceedings in London.

The ED’s special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana made this remarkable revelation before CBI judge Anurag Sain at the Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. Vijay Mallya allegedly called her and asked her to manage his case in the ED. Nitish Rana was reportedly opposing Yasmin Kapoor’s anticipatory bail plea in the money-laundering probe related to Deepak Talwar’s NGO Advantage India. While Kapoor playing an important role in Money-laundering, it is alleged that the NGO received approximately 90.72 crores rupees under the CSR Scheme for carrying out social activities but diverted for other purposes.

Yasmin Kapoor was arrested earlier by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the last September, later she was taken into custody by ED but for different cases related to causing damage to Air India by favoring private airlines. After spending 3 months in jail, she was later granted bail on December 13.

Now ED is seeking to arrest Kapoor in the NGO Advantage India case as she might be a key link to unearth a larger conspiracy in Talwar’s deals. It is alleged that Kapoor is a shareholder or director in several shell companies created or controlled by Talwar.

While showing the case files including two-page transcripts of Kapoor’s conversation with Mallya to Judge on Friday, Nitesh Rana informed the court that Vijay Mallya made a phone call to Yasmin Kapoor asking her “if she knew ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra” and if she can help “manage the case”. Kapoor told Mallya that she has no acquaintance with ED director but she knows the “number 2” in the agency. Her phone was put under surveillance by ED.

A source said, “it appears that Mallya was in touch with Kapoor on more than one occasion. A female associate of Mallya was also calling Yasmin Kapoor”.

“Mallya’s call from London to Kapoor is strong evidence against him as well. We will convey to the UK high court in February, when his appeal against extradition comes for hearing, that he is trying to influence the investigation in India,” the ED officer Nitish Rana added.

Nitesh Rana asserted: “Yasmin Kapoor’s past conduct has also been questionable as she has tried to influence and destroy the evidence earlier as well. Since she came out on bail [in December], she has been trying to influence the probe”.

Kapoor’s lawyer and senior Advocate N Hariharan strongly objected against the surveillance of Kapoor’s phone and he termed it “unconstitutional”.

Questioning the permissibility of surveillance, N Hariharan said: “First of all, I don’t understand what they are trying to prove. Just for the sake of prejudice, you create something and place it before the court. How can an unrelated matter (Mallya case) be ground in another matter? When there is nothing against her in an unrelated case, is ED trying to say she can’t talk to anybody?”

Read- Prashant Bhushan and left-liberal cabal was actively helping Vijay Mallya in UK court by attacking CBI special director Rakesh Asthana

On it, Rana reverted that “tapping was done after following the due procedure” and that “if any evidence surfaces during the course of surveillance, it is my (ED’s) duty to place it [before the court]”.

Hariharan added that “ED has already questioned Yasmin Kapoor in the case. Why does it need her custody now? There is nothing in the case”.

A charge sheet was filed in Aviation case on November 30, 2019, against Kapoor, after ED alleged that they diverted a huge amount of worth approximately 144 crores. Deepak Talwar was deported from Dubai in January, after which he was arrested by ED; he was taken under the custody of CBI in July. He is currently placed in Tihar jail.

He is accused of receiving payments of approximately 272 crores during 2008-09 from private international airlines by the preference of securing favorable traffic rights using his contacts, allegedly causing huge damage to state-owned Air India.

Six Indians stopped by Chinese authorities from being evacuated amidst Coronavirus outbreak

OpIndia Staff
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Six Indians stopped by Chinese authorities from being evacuated amidst Coronavirus outbreak

At least six Indians have been stopped by Chinese authorities from boarding the special Air India flight that evacuated 324 nationals from Wuhan amidst the Coronavirus outbreak that has killed over 200 people in China.

Reportedly, the flight from Wuhan was delayed as immigration and Chinese authorities did not allow six Indians on board after they reported high temperatures during screening. Four students and two trainees from a Shenzhen-based Chinese electronics company were stopped at immigration during their medical screening just before they were to board the New Delhi-bound aircraft.

All six had symptoms of above normal or fluctuating temperatures during the screening and were immediately asked to step aside from the immigration line. Fever, cough and shortness of breath are three key symptoms of the novel Coronavirus, a previously unknown strain.

Soon after, they were taken away to another facility for further checkups. The local authorities felt that the six Indians may have been carrying symptoms of the virulent disease. They were told their return to India would be indefinitely postponed.

“As you are aware, yesterday at the airport you were not allowed to board the flight as the Chinese authorities felt that your body temperature was of concern. As a result, we have been advised that you may be placed under observation before you are considered for repatriation to India,” confirmed the Indian embassy in China.

Read: Kerala student tests positive for coronavirus, India’s first confirmed case

Two of the individuals speaking to the Hindustan Times have said that they were unaware that why Chinese authorities did not allow them. “I have been inside my dormitory on self-quarantine for more than a week. The slight rise in temperature could be for any reason. I don’t have any issue of cold and cough,” a company trainee said.

The trainee added that local Chinese officials have not shared any information about the number of days they have to be under observation. “What do we do next? What will I do for food? What happens if I actually contract the disease here?” the trainee asked.

“They said they cannot allow us to leave immediately. We need to stay in observation,” the second one among the six informed to Hindustan Times. “It’s not exactly quarantine but they will not allow us to go back to India early,” the person added.

A specially-prepped Air India Boeing 747, with five doctors from Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and an Air India paramedic, landed in the national capital on Saturday morning after evacuating Indians from China.

The Indians evacuated from Wuhan have been quarantined in special facilities in Haryana’s Manesar and Delhi. The Indians will be observed for signs of infection for two weeks by a team of doctors and medical personnel.

The deadly coronavirus has wreaked havoc in China, taking the death toll to 200 and the confirmed infection cases to nearly 11,000. Meanwhile, health experts have warned that the epidemic may reach its peak in the next 10 days resulting in large-scale casualties.

The Central Hubei province is the epicentre of the virus. The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak may reach its peak in one week or around 10 days.

Corporate tax cuts will improve revenue generation: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

OpIndia Staff
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Corporate tax cuts will improve revenue generation: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her second budget on Saturday. Ahead of the budget, there were great expectations from her to deliver on Narendra Modi’s vision of a $5 trillion economy. As such, the provisions in the budget regarding corporate taxes are crucial towards achieving that objective.

In tune with the Corporate Tax cuts announced in September 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced proposed reduction of tax rates on cooperative societies to 22 per cent plus surcharge and cess, from 30 per cent at present.

In addition, Nirmala Sitharaman also announced the abolition of Dividend Distribution Tax(DDT), pegging the revenue forgone due to its removal at Rs 25000 crores. The Finance Minister said that the removal of DDT will encourage corporates to invest more.

Defending the loss of substantial revenue due to corporate tax slashed in September 2019, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assured that the recent loss of government treasury will reap huge returns in due course. “Corporate tax cut and benefit derived by new companies, as well as improved GST collections will improve revenue generation & give the comfort to bring down fiscal deficit next year, with disinvestment too improving,” Sitharaman said.


The measures announced in the budget are consistent with the trajectory of the second term of the Narendra Modi government. In September, last year, Corporate Tax Rates were slashed by a significant degree in order to boost the economy. In a bid to give an impetus to the ‘Make in India’ campaign, a provision was inserted in the Income Tax Act with effect from 2019-20 which allowed new domestic company incorporated after 1st October 2019 to make fresh investment in manufacturing with an option to pay income tax at the rate of 15%.

Sitharaman had also announced that domestic companies can also pay income tax at the rate of 22% if they do not avail any incentive or exemptions. Following the move, the effective tax rates for these companies, including surcharge and cess came down to 25.17% from earlier 35%. To provide relief to companies availing of concessions and benefits, the FM had brought in a MAT relief by reducing it from 18% to 15%.

Maharashtra: Dr Rafiq Zakaria Women’s College in Aurangabad bans mobile phones on campus to ‘improve focus on studies’

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Dr Rafiq Zakaria Women’s College in Aurangabad bans mobile phones on campus to ‘improve focus on studies’

Dr Rafiq Zakaria Women’s College in Aurangabad, Maharashtra has banned the use of mobile phones inside the college campus during college hours. It said it had taken this action to help students improve their focus on studies.

Speaking to PTI, Principal of Dr Rafiq Zakaria Women’s College, Dr Maqdoom Farooqui said, “We were searching for measures to enhance the process of learning and we found that students could concentrate better when they are not allowed to carry their cellphones to classrooms.”

The women’s college which offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses and houses around 3000 students imposed this ban 15 days ago. The ban has not only helped students focus better in classrooms, but also improved their interaction with their peers, said Dr Farooqui.

Although students are not allowed to carry their own phones on campus, a couple of handsets are kept in the reading room for emergencies, he added.

The principal furthered that “Initially, the decision was taken as a punishment for overuse of cellphones, but now students and staff are cooperating in the effort to enhance the learning and teaching process.”

Students, who travel to the college from far away places, have to deposit their phones once they enter the campus and collect them on their way home, he added.

Coronavirus: Pakistan govt leaves over 150 of its citizens stranded in China even as India readies second aircraft for evacuation of Indian citizens

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: Pakistan govt leaves over 150 of its citizens stranded in China even as India readies second aircraft for evacuation of Indian citizens

Even as India readies to send second aircraft to safely evacuate its citizens from Coronavirus hit China, roughly 150 Pakistanis are stuck at an airport since January 27 in Ürümqi, China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region, reported Dawn. They include students and traders who are stuck at the airport either due to expiry of visas or due to the decision of Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority to suspend flight operations with China until 2nd February, owing to the Coronavirus outbreak.

A PhD scholar stuck in the airport, Tariq Rauf, said that the stranded Pakistani nationals were running short on money. They were forced to sleep on benches as they had handed over their hostel accommodation to the university administration. They were forced to buy food at their own expense. Several people, including children, have fallen ill due to the deplorable conditions.

Rauf pleaded, “We request the Pakistani government to evacuate us from here … this is our constitutional right.” He also highlighted that none of the stranded Pakistanis in Xinjiang was affected by the deadly novel Coronavirus, stating that the area is far away from Wuhan. He urged the Pakistan Government to evacuate them at the earliest.

After his plea went viral on social media, Rauf was reportedly contacted by the Pakistan Embassy which assured him of arranging hotel accommodation until the stranded citizens are evacuated. However, as per the report, no steps have been taken by the embassy after that.

Another 800 Pakistani nationals are stuck in Wuhan, China – the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak. Reportedly, the Pakistani government has snubbed its own citizens to show “solidarity” with China.


Dr Zafar Mirza who is the special assistant to the PM on National Health Services said, “We believe it is in the interest of our loved ones in China to stay there. It’s in the larger interest of the region, the world, and the country that we don’t evacuate them now.”

He cautioned that the Imran Khan-led-government cannot act irresponsibly by evacuating Pakistani nationals as the Coronavirus epidemic may then spread like wildfire all over the world. Mirza added, “That is the reason China has not allowed any foreigner to travel out. Only US diplomats have been allowed to fly out of China under the Vienna Conventions”.

The Pakistan Government is of the view that China is equipped with the requisite technology to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Read: Coronavirus crisis: Indian Army sets up quarantine facility at Manesar in Haryana for 300 Indians returning from Wuhan

India had yesterday evacuated over 300 citizens who were stranded in Wuhan after the virus outbreak. A special Air India flight was sent by the government and the Army was tasked with constructing an extensive and well-equipped quarantine facility in Manesar to house the people returning from Wuhan. Though none of them is said to be infected, they will be kept under observation for 2 weeks at the centre.

Second instance of firing in Delhi over anti-CAA protests, this time from Shaheen Bagh, suspect taken into custody

OpIndia Staff
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Second instance of firing in Delhi over anti-CAA protests, this time from Shaheen Bagh, suspect taken into custody

The second instance of firing in Delhi over the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act has been reported from Shaheen Bagh. The suspect has been identified as one Kapil, a resident of East Delhi. Reportedly, he fired three shots but no injuries have been reported thus far. He has been taken into custody by the Police.


While he was being taken into custody, the suspect said, “Hamare desh me kisi aur ki nahi chalegi, bas Hinduon ki chalegi (Only the writ of Hindus shall run in India, no one else’s).”


The incident comes only two days after a minor had opened fire near Jamia Milia Islamia University injuring one student in the process. In his Facebook post, Gulshan had declared that his crime was an act of revenge for Chandan Gupta, the 16-year-old Hindu boy who was shot at and murdered, by one Salim, following a Tiranga yatra by the ABVP, where people from a particular community had pelted stones which led to clashes in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj in 2018.

Read: ‘Rambhakt’ Gulshan shooting in Jamia: A well hatched conspiracy? Here are some questions that need answers

Recently, a gun was brandished by one individual at the Shaheen Bagh protests. After the media initially tried to pin the blame on the BJP, it was discovered later on that the gun belonged to one Mohammad Luqman with links to the Aam Aadmi Party. It still remains to be seen who Gulshan is and whether he is associated with any political organization.

“Lots of repetition and rambling, Budget speech was very long”: Rahul Gandhi’s ‘constructive’ criticism on Union Budget 2020

OpIndia Staff
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“Lots of repetition and rambling, Budget speech was very long”: Rahul Gandhi’s ‘constructive’ criticism on Union Budget 2020

Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi, who is on a verge making yet another comeback in politics on Saturday reacted to Union Budget – 2020. He said the Union Budget was all talk with lots of repetition and rambling. The former Congress President also attacked the Finance Minister for delivering a lengthy budget speech.

“There was no strategic idea or anything concrete in the Union Budget and said that the budget described the hollow approach of the government,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said shortly after the presentation of Budget by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.


The Congress leader said the budget was very long and it was probably the longest speech ever which saw tactical stuff but no central idea. He said that the speech was over two and a hours long, but there was no strategic issue.

“The main issue is unemployment. I did not see any concrete, strategic idea that could help our youngsters get jobs. There were redundant things in the budget and I did not see any central idea,” he said.

“It describes the government quite well. There is a lot of repetition, a lot of rambling and nothing concrete. It describes the mindset of the government, all talk and nothing concrete,” he added.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who also served as the Finance Minister, said that the budget speech was a long one and he is yet to absorb it. 

However, Gandhi-scion seems to have absorbed most of the speech within a very short span of time, who launched personal attacks on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman by claiming that she was rambling during her speech. The former Congress President chose to attack the government politically instead of criticising the Modi government on policy issues.

On Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled her second Budget in Parliament. Presenting the Budget 2020 in Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the budget is “to boost the income and purchasing power of people.”

Responding to fears of a recession in the country, Sitharaman said the fundamentals of the economy are strong and that inflation has been well contained. The budget 2020-21 will focus on three themes — Aspirational India, Economic Development For All and A Caring Society.” FM Sitharaman said.

The Modi government unveiled plans for India’s highways and railways, proposing Rs 1.7 trillion for transport infrastructure that includes the accelerated development of highways and plans to monetize 12 lots of highway bundles.

The farm and rural sectors were allocated Rs 2.83 trillion, while the agriculture credit target for next year is set at Rs 15 trillion. The government also announced the developing Bharat Net – a program to bring broadband to villages. The government plans to provide Rs 60 billion for the project by next year.

In a big relief to middle-class taxpayers of the country, the Modi government offered a sharp reduction in tax rates for those who do not avail of any exemptions. The Budget proposed the creation of a new income tax regime to simplify the process of calculating the tax on personal income.

Through her budget, Finance Minister Sitharaman outlined the Modi government’s plans to deal with the challenges posed by the downward spiral of the economy and achieve the Rs 5 trillion economy target by 2025.

‘Comedian’ Kunal Kamra threatens to leak phone numbers of Arnab Goswami and ‘BJP leaders’ in public because he is getting calls from unknown numbers

OpIndia Staff
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‘Comedian’ Kunal Kamra threatens to leak phone numbers of Arnab Goswami and ‘BJP leaders’ in public because he is getting calls from unknown numbers

Self-proclaimed comedian Kunal Kamra, who was recently in news for his attention-seeking stunt of heckling and bullying Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami on a flight to Lucknow, has had a meltdown as he took to Twitter to vent out his frustration against the Republic TV Editor-in-Chief and BJP leaders.

Kamra asserted that he has been relentlessly getting calls from unknown numbers to argue with him. He claimed that since unknown persons are now calling him and asking to debate, just as he had invaded Goswami’s privacy, he should leak Arnab Goswami’s number in public and his ‘debate’ with him should be public too.

In an elaborate thread, a seemingly unhinged Kamra threatened Arnab Goswami and ‘BJP leaders’ with making their contact numbers public, alluding that they had leaked his contact details, thereby triggering a barrage of calls to him from unknown numbers.

Kamra also claimed that he has many phone numbers of ‘BJP leaders’ who had requested him to be on his show in the past. He then threatened that he would leak those numbers to the public so that people who want to hold those leaders accountable can debate with them.


Kamra also added that he doesn’t care two hoots for liberal validation or the woke culture, neither is he interested in taking the higher moral ground. “If you want to fight it out with pigs, you need to get down in the mud,” he said. It is, however, notable here that many in the ‘secular liberal’ circles had celebrated Kamra heckling Arnab Goswami, supporting his acts.

Kunal’s recent meltdown comes on the heels of his antics seeking the attention of Arnab Goswami. In contravention to all the safety norms and DGCA rules, Kunal had heckled and bullied Repulic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami onboard the flight.

Read: After heckling in flight and holding a placard in front of Republic, Kunal Kamra sends creepy text to Arnab Goswami

Soon after his video of hectoring Arnab went viral, IndiGo put him on the no-fly list for a period of 6 months. Air India, Go Air and Spicejet followed the suit announcing they too have banned Kunal Kamra from flying until further notice. If this was not enough, Kamra tried to heckle Arnab once again while on the return flight inbound for Mumbai from Lucknow.

Kamra then took his antics up another notch and had stood outside the Republic TV premises claiming that he wants to ‘debate’ Arnab Goswami. He had also claimed that he had sent text messages to Goswami.

Karma has also sued Indigo for Rs 25 lakhs over the flight ban and ‘mental agony and pain’ that it allegedly caused him.

Govt clarifies Income Tax for NRIs, says only those NRIs who are not residents of any country will be taxed in India

OpIndia Staff
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Govt clarifies Income Tax for NRIs, says only those NRIs who are not residents of any country will be taxed in India

Clearing the air about new tax regime for NRIs, the government has said that only those NRIs will be taxed in India who are not residents of any other country, but still enjoy NRI status as they stay out of India for enough duration in a year that makes them eligible to become NRIs.

The budget for the financial year 2020-21 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam today also increased the number of days to be spent outside the country in a year to be eligible to become NRIs. Now Indian citizens who spent at least 240 days out of India will be considered NRIs are per the Income Tax Act, up from existing 182 days.

After the budget was presented, this new clause of taxing non-resident Indians had caused lots of outrage and confusion, as the provision was misinterpreted by people. It was reported that the new clause says “an Indian citizen who is not liable to tax in any other country or territory” will come under Indian tax net. This made people to assume that those Indians living in countries where they don’t have to pay any tax will have to pay income tax in India.


But this was a complete misinterpretation of the changes to the Income Tax Act. The relevant section of the Finance Bill presented by the Finance Minister says, “an individual, being a citizen of India, shall be deemed to be resident in India in any previous year, if he is not liable to tax in any other country or territory by reason of his domicile or residence or any other criteria of similar nature.”

 

The second part of this sentence was ignored, which had caused confusion and misinterpretation. The Finance Bill clearly says that if a non-resident individual is not liable to pay tax in any other country due to domicile or residential or similar reasons, then such individuals will be considered as Indian residents.


At a press conference after the budget was presented, revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan clarified the matter by saying that only those NRIs will be taxed in India who are not residents of any country. The revenue secretary said, “some people are residents of no country. They may be staying in different countries for certain number of days. So if any Indian citizen is not a resident of any country in the world, he’ll be deemed to be a resident of India and his worldwide income will be taxed.” This implies that Indians who are residents of any other country will not come under this provision, as they will be paying income tax in their country of residence as per laws of that country

There are many globe trotters who spend few days in different countries, but do not have residential status in any country. As a result, such persons are not liable to pay income tax anywhere. Now only such NRIs will have to pay Income Tax in India.

Budget 2020: Here is the list of exemptions that taxpayers will have to give up in the new optional tax regime

OpIndia Staff
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Budget 2020: Here is the list of exemptions that taxpayers will have to give up in the new optional tax regime

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget 2020 speech, announced a new optional tax regime for taxpayers of the country. It was announced in Budget 2020 that in the new tax regime, those earning between Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 7.5 lakh will pay income tax at the rate of 10%. Those earning between Rs. 7.50 and 10 lakhs will pay a 15% income tax. Those between Rs. 10 lakh and 12.50 lakh will pay a 20% income tax and the same for people earning between Rs. 12.50 and 15 lakh will be 25%. For those earning above Rs. 15 lakh in a year will be taxed at 30%.

The optional new tax regime announced in Budget 2020 also mandates that taxpayers will have to forego exemptions in order to benefit from the said declaration. These exemptions are concessions that taxpayers receive under the various sections of the tax code.

Exemptions that a person will have to forego in order to benefit from the new optional tax regime

The list of exemptions includes “Leave travel concession as contained in clause (5) of section 10”, house rent allowance, allowances to MPs/MLAs in clause (17) of section 10, allowance for the income of minor in clause (32) of section 10. Others include standard deduction, the deduction for entertainment allowance and employment/professional tax in section 16 and deductions under section 32AD, 33AB and 33ABA. Deduction under section 35AD and section 35CCC are included in the list as well.

Read: Budget 2020: Here is all you need to know about new optional personal tax regime where the govt foregoes Rs. 40,000 crores in revenue

Exemptions such as certain deductions for donation for or expenditure on scientific research and deduction from family pension under clause (iia) of section 57 and additional deprecation under the same clause are also included in the list. Exemption for SEZ unit contained in section 10AA will have to be foregone to avail of the benefits of the new tax regime as well. Any deduction under chapter VIA and section 80JJAA that can be claimed will also have to be relinquished. In total, there are fourteen such exemptions that a taxpayer seeking to avail the benefits of the new optional tax regime will have to be given up.

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