Home Blog Page 5895

VVIP chopper scam: ED files supplementary charge sheet against Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri

OpIndia Staff
-
0
VVIP chopper scam: ED files supplementary charge sheet against Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed a supplementary charge sheet against Ratul Puri, the nephew of Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, pertaining to a money laundering case linked to the AgustaWestland chopper scam. The charge sheet was filed before a special judge Arvind Kumar in Delhi Court.

The money laundering case was filed against Puri after the alleged irregularities in the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers from Italy-based Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary, AgustaWestland came to the fore.

On July 29, 2019, the ED had informed the Delhi court that Puri had received a certain amount in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam. As per the ED, Puri’s role came to the fore after Sushen Mohan Gupta, an alleged defence agent was arrested and Rajeev Saxena, another accused in the AgustaWestland case was deported on January 31 from UAE.

The report suggested that Puri’s foreign entities have directly benefitted from the proceeds of Interstellar Technologies Limited. Investigation reveals, he received funds from both money laundering chains involved in the case. The investigation points out to different incriminating ‘material evidence’ to establish the complicity of Puri whereas Gupta’s diary and emails recovered from Saxena exhibit that Puri received the proceeds of crime.

Read: Ratul Puri spent over $1.1 million in a single night at a pub, including lavish stays in various hotels: ED

ED also claimed that Puri received the proceeds of crime from alleged middleman Christian Michel.

Puri had fled the ED office when he was being questioned in connection with the Agusta Westland chopper scandal. Puri escaped the agency’s office in Delhi on the pretext of using the washroom.

In a separate money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a charge sheet against MP CM Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri and his company Moser Baer last month for alleged money laundering and bank fraud. As per reports, the ED charge sheet states that Puri and his company laundered money and misappropriated funds worth Rs 8000 crores.

Ratul Puri, his father Deepak Puri, and his mother Nita Puri (Kamal Nath’s sister) were booked by the ED in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case in connection with a bank fraud case filed by the Central Bank of India. The ED case was based on the August 17 CBI FIR against Puri.

After terrorists attack non-locals, Mamata Banerjee govt bringing 131 Bengali migrant workers back from Kashmir

OpIndia Staff
-
0
After terrorists attack non-locals, Mamata Banerjee govt bringing 131 Bengali migrant workers back from Kashmir

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that she would be facilitating the return of a total of 131 workers who have been identified as Bengal locals working in Kashmir to their home state.

Nine people are being brought back from Srinagar, the remaining from Baramulla and other parts of the Valley, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday. These people who are being brought back with the help of the state government mostly belong to Murshidabad, Dinajpur and Malda in West Bengal.

According to reports, after the terrorist attack on October 29, which killed five labourers and left one wounded in Kulgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, these workers had got in touch with the state government seeking help to return. Two senior police officials from Bengal are being sent to Srinagar to oversee arrangements for their return, she said. The Bengal government has arranged for a special train coach for the workers who want to return.

Read: Kashmir: Terrorist attacks on non-locals create fear, apple traders and truck drivers hit

On October 29, five migrants workers were killed by armed terrorists in Kashmir and according to intelligence sources Pakistan based terrorist organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammad could be behind the brutal attack.

However, going by her penchant of blaming the Modi government for everything under the deep blue sky, Banerjee, on Thursday, had targeted the Central government over the killing and said, “Now, entire Jammu and Kashmir administration is in the hands of the central government. With all the precautions in place when EU parliamentarians were visiting Kashmir, how were the labourers killed?”

Prior to this incident, recently there have been other incidents where terrorists have targeted non-locals in Kashmir. After India took the bold decision to withdraw Kashmir’s autonomy, it put the region under a preventive lockdown. However, after the administration has been gradually easing the restrictions in the Valley, an isolated Pakistan due to its desperation to internationalise the issue has been attempting to incite violence in the valley to disrupt the normalcy.

A day ahead of EU delegation’s visit to Kashmir, terrorists lob grenades at bus stop injuring 20 civilians.

Read: Special Police officers who left the force to join Hizbul behind the orchard killings in Kashmir

Moreover, Pakistani terrorists have been killing non-local workers, traders and truck drivers to instil fear amongst the civilians in the Valley. With Pakistan trying to meddle in Indian internal affairs, several non-local truck drivers, apple traders and labourers have been shot dead by Islamic terrorists.

In August, terrorists had shot and killed a 65-year-old shopkeeper for defying their diktat and keeping his shop open. On September 7, three fruit traders and a toddler were shot by terrorists in Sopore.

Itawa, Uttar Pradesh: Man arrested for abusing Kshatriya community, Lord Ram and threatening to kill CM Yogi Adityanath

Jinit Jain
-
0
Itawa, Uttar Pradesh: Man arrested for abusing Kshatriya community, Lord Ram and threatening to kill CM Yogi Adityanath

A case has been registered against youth from Itawa, Uttar Pradesh for abusing and threatening to kill Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The threatening video, replete with expletives was uploaded on Facebook and Whatsapp, in which the youth can be seen vituperating CM Yogi Adityanath, along with Lord Ram and Kshatriya Thakor Sena, Karni Sena and Rajputs.

A case was filed against the youth at the Bakver police station on the order of the ASP when the Kshatriya community lodged a complaint against him for uploading a sinister video against them.

Kshatriya Swabhiman Manch President Vikas Singh Bhadauria and senior advocate Ashwani Kumar Singh Chauhan met the Additional Superintendent of Police along with other officials and registered a complaint against the youth. Additional Superintendent of Police, Rural Omvir Singh said that the case has been registered and the accused has been arrested by the police.

In the viral video, a young man who describes himself as a Rajmani Tiwari of Baheda is seen insulting UP CM Yogi Adityanath and threatening to shoot him. He has also accused Yogi Adityanath of killing Hindu Samaj founder Kamlesh Tiwari, who was recently murdered in his house in Lucknow by indoctrinated radical Muslims, for his offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad in 2015.

Read: All you need to know about the Kamlesh Tiwari murder investigation so far: Jihad, a well-hatched plan and plain brutality

Besides, the man also abused Kshatriya and Brahmin community, threatening them of dire consequences if they did not reign in themselves. He also slighted Lord Ram, the Hindu God, with vulgar profanities, saying that the king of Lanka-Ravan was far greater an individual than Lord Ram. He also berated Rajputs, Karni Sena and Kshatriya Thakur Sena and warned them that if they slighted Parshurama, he along with his friends would eliminate them.

ISRO will definitely attempt another landing on the moon’s surface: K Sivan

OpIndia Staff
-
0
ISRO will definitely attempt another landing on the moon’s surface: K Sivan

Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) chief Kailasavadivoo Sivan on Saturday stated that the organisation is working on to attempt on a second landing attempt of the Vikram Lander.

Putting all the speculations to rest, the ISRO chief said that ISRO would definitely attempt another landing on Moon’s south pole. Sivan, who was in Delhi to attend IIT-Delhi 50th convocation ceremony said: “We want to demonstrate the technology for Vikram Lander landing. We are working on a plan of action about how to go ahead for Vikram Lander landing.”

Read: Chandrayaan 2: ISRO crosses a major landmark, successfully injects the spacecraft into the lunar orbit

The bold effort by Indian scientists to soft-land on the lunar south pole had suffered a glitch on early hours of September 7 after Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram module lost the communication with ground stations, just 2.1 km from the lunar surface during its final descent.

Read: There are no failures in science, only efforts and experiments: PM Modi to ISRO scientist

Had it been successful, India would have been the fourth country to land a spacecraft intact on the Moon’ surface.

Through this ambitious mission, India attempted to discover the dark side of the moon. The mission was to land at the south pole of the moon. While ISRO had managed to successfully place the Chandrayan-2 orbiter in its place, the Vikram Lander had lost contact with the ground stations at the last moment.

Vikram Lander was to launch India’s first moon rover ‘Pragyan’ at the lunar surface.

As explained by ISRO, the mission was to use the moon as a laboratory to better understand Earth’s history. The moon was believed to have been a part of the Earth at one point in time. The water held at the south pole of the moon might be 3-4 billion years old, containing clues of the atmosphere during the earlier days of the solar system.

Besides this, the water may also serve a utilitarian purpose as well in the distant future. Reports also suggested that ISRO would have hunted for Helium-3 as well.

However, the ambitious Chandrayaan 2, ISRO’s most challenging space mission till date, had already made India and its citizens proud. As a collective mission, Chandrayaan 2 had achieved 95 per cent of its objective.

PDP MP Nazir Ahmad Laway expelled from the party for attending swearing-in ceremony of Jammu and Kashmir LG

OpIndia Staff
-
0
PDP MP Nazir Ahmad Laway expelled from the party for attending swearing-in ceremony of Jammu and Kashmir LG

Rajya Sabha MP Nazir Ahmad Laway has been suspended from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) citing anti-party activities. According to the party spokesperson, the disciplinary action was initiated against Ahmad after he subverted party leadership by attending the swearing-in ceremony of GC Murmu, the newly appointed Lieutenant Governor (LG) of the Jammu and Kashmir union territory. The PDP has been at loggerheads with the Union Government of India ever since the latter abrogated Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its separate status.

The spokesperson informed that the basic membership of Rajya Sabha MP Mr Nazir Ahmed Laway has been cancelled following Mr Laway’s participation in the Srinagar event was in violation of the party’s stand about the current political situation and annulment of Article 370. GC Murmu was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of the newly carved out union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Read: As Radio Kashmir becomes All India Radio, remembering Lassa Kaul, Doordarshan director who was killed by JKLF terrorists in February 1990

Many opposition leaders and trouble makers were put under preventive custody following the August 5 order of repealing Article 370. Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP chief, too was held under detention, as a part of security arrangement to contain the possible anarchy caused by the move. Other opposition leaders such as Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Hurriyat leaders were also put under house arrest to control the backlash in the state.

This is not the first time that Laway had acted against the party directives. Prior to this, Laway had once again gone against the top leadership of the PDP when he abstained from voting on the controversial Triple Talaq Bill, which passed through opposition-dominated Rajya Sabha. Mehbooba had expressed her disappointment at her MPs failing to vote against the bill that sought to end the draconian practice of Muslim men instantly divorcing their wives by uttering “talaq” thrice.

Read: Intelligence reports reveal ISI is planning to disrupt peace by killing non-residents in Kashmir

Laway had also torn a copy of the Indian Constitution along with PDP MP Mir Mohammad Fayaz, on August 5, after the Indian Home Minister Amit Shah tabled the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in the upper house.

Hapur, Uttar Pradesh: Severed head and other parts of dead cow found in drain, situation tense as police investigates

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Hapur, Uttar Pradesh: Severed head and other parts of dead cow found in drain, situation tense as police investigates

A tense situation occurred in Hapur district, Kotwali Zilla, Rampur road village of Uttar Pradesh on Friday after the villagers of Rampur found the severed dead body of a cow in the drains, reports Jansatta.

According to reports, the villagers found the severed head and other parts of the cow in the drain on Thursday evening. As news spread regarding the dead body being found in the drains, many villagers soon assembled at the spot leading to a tense situation.

Read: Cow has become the cause of terror for some: Abhisar Sharma’s deranged rant on cows is also factually incorrect

The villagers also stated that there has been an increase in cow slaughter activities near the Rampur village and accused the police officers of being mute spectator despite villagers raising complaints against illegal cow smuggling.

Jai Bhagwan Sharma Pintu, the village head of Rampur also stated that the villagers have raised several complaints against illegal cow slaughter but police have not taken any action against it.

Read: Baghpat: While one village remains tense after the discovery of cow carcasses, Muslim family of the cow-smugglers attacks police team in another

Meanwhile, SP Yashvir Singh has said the incident of cow slaughtering is worrisome. Following the incident, an inquiry has been initiated against Chowki in charge Sarvan Gautam and a notice has been issued to Mahavir Singh Chauhan for their negligence.

SP Singh stated that the villagers have accused the police officers of being involved in the cow slaughtering mafia. He stated that a police team headed by Additional SP Sarvesh Kumar Mishra will be set up to investigate into the issue.

Maharashtra: Govt formation drama extends, while some Congress leaders want Sena alliance, Sena changes tune, again

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Maharashtra: Govt formation drama extends, while some Congress leaders want Sena alliance, Sena changes tune, again

As the tussle between Shiv Sena and BJP continues in Maharashtra over the government formation and CM chair, the Congress party seems to have sensed an opportunity to form a government as senior leaders from Maharashtra met party chief Sonia Gandhi in the national capital on Friday.

According to the reports, the Congress party is likely to adopt a ‘wait and watch’ policy as negotiations between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena over power-sharing in the state appeared to have hit a roadblock.

Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar will also be meeting Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on November 4, where the issue of supporting a Sena-led government will be discussed.

The Congress state leadership are reportedly keen to form an alliance with the Sena and have alerted their leadership that they should be prepared with a response to scenarios that may arise soon. The Congress top leadership, however, is not currently keen to wade into the row between the BJP-Shiv Sena tussle.

A report in Times Now stated that some Congress leaders in Maharashtra have written a letter to Sonia Gandhi favouring an alliance with the Sena.


Reportedly, if Sena and BJP fail to reach a compromise, some of the state Congress leaders wants the party to form an alliance with NCP and Sena. However, some other leaders think it is for Sena to make the first move in this regard. Till now, Congress has not engaged with Sena, but its partner NCP has met some of Sena leaders.

Earlier, Shiv Sena had also hinted of an alliance with NCP-Congress alliance. Sanjay Raut, leader of Shiv Sena after his meeting with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, had said that the kind of situation that is prevailing in Maharashtra, all political parties are talking to each other, except Shiv Sena and BJP.

The Congress has been keeping its cards close to its chest. To discuss the political developments, Maharashtra Congress leadership on Friday met with party chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence 10 Janpath in New Delhi. The meeting held at Sonia Gandhi’s residence was attended by Ashok Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Manikrao Thackrey, Vijay Wadettivar, Prithviraj Chavan, KC Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge.

“We are waiting and watching the political drama in Maharashtra. Congress has not put forth any claim. Sena has not given us any proposal, nor has there been any dialogue with it,”  former CM Ashok Chavan said. Interestingly, Chavan pointed fingers at only BJP for the deadlock as he said BJP was responsible for this situation and said the BJP is apparently not fulfilling the promises it made to Sena.

Mumbai leader Milind Deora said, “Congress will not allow itself to be used as a bargaining tool. We have been given the mandate to sit in the opposition and will fulfil that mandate.”

The Congress party prefers that Pawar should take the lead to stitch an alliance in the state. Sharad Pawar is in open contact with Sena leaders, a situation that Congress cannot afford. Another senior AICC leader said that Congress has to be ready for any situation, but a partnership with Sena only meant that NCP and Sena will form the government, with outside support from Congress.

On Friday, Shiv Sena took a U-turn and refuted reports that suggested that it may join hands with NCP-Congress alliance. Sanjay Raut stated that the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance has fought the elections together as a coalition and will abide by the alliance till their last breath.

Pakistani singer Rabi Pirzada’s sex videos leaked a day after she criticised their army spokesperson Ghafoora on Twitter

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistani singer Rabi Pirzada’s sex videos leaked a day after she criticised their army spokesperson Ghafoora on Twitter

Pakistani singer Rabi Pirzada’s private nude videos have been reportedly leaked soon after she had criticised Pakistani Army spokesperson Asif Ghafoor on Twitter.

Rabi Pirzada is the Pakistani singer who had gained social media attention in India by claiming to release snakes and crocodiles on PM Modi after the abrogation of Article 370 and recently had worn the popular Pakistani costume, the ‘suicide vest’ to ‘threaten’ PM Modi. She is apparently a pop singer with a considerable fan following in Pakistan.

Read: Pakistani singer Rabi Pirzada threatens snake attack against Indians, especially PM Modi, for the abrogation of Article 370

As per a report in India Today, Pirzada’s nude photos and videos were leaked in the early hours of Friday. Interestingly, Pirzada had criticised Pakistan Army’s spokesperson (DGISPR) Asif Ghafoor, popularly known on Twitter as ‘Ghafoora’, over the latter’s defence of a much-trolled item song in Pakistan Army sponsored movie ‘Kaaf Kangana’ by Pakistani actress Neelam Muneer.

The item song of the Pakistan Army sponsored movie was heavily criticised for its content and lyrics. However, Asif Ghafoor had come out in defence of the song claiming that in the movie’s context, it is an Indian girl dancing.

Asif Ghafoor on Twitter

Though it may sound extremely confusing to Indian readers as to why the official army spokesperson is funding, making and defending item songs in a movie, it is notable here that such things are usually what the Pakistani army does because they seem to have outsourced their actual jobs to Islamist terrorists.

Read: ‘Pakistani ‘pop singer’ Rabi Pirzada uploads picture wearing ‘explosives’, expresses her wish to ‘suicide bomb’ PM Modi

Nevertheless, the reptile-loving singer Rabi Pirzada apparently did not like the DGISPR’s style of defending cheap item songs and had posted on Twitter about it.


Pirzada had posted this on Thursday. However, early on Friday morning, her nude and intimate videos had apparently flooded Pakistani internet. Many of Pirzada’s fans and supporters had requested social media users not to share or discuss the nude videos. There were claims that since she had criticised DGISPR, Ghafoora may be behind the ‘leak’.

Via Twitter

Some users also expressed outrage wondering that how can Ghafoora leak videos of a woman who had been ‘doing his bidding’ all these years.

Via Twitter

However, very soon, Pakistani Twitter users also started claiming that the videos were leaked from Pirzada’s mobile phone by her ex-boyfriend who apparently had her iCloud password. Some handles were also claiming that she had sold her phone recently which contained some private videos and the leak might have come from there.

Via Twitter

Pirzada has, however, maintained silence over the issue so far.

Kerala Church feud: Children made to write ‘Sathyam’ in own blood by Jacobites to protest against Orthodox faction

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kerala Church feud: Children made to write ‘Sathyam’ in own blood by Jacobites to protest against Orthodox faction

The feud between the Jacobite faction and the and the Orthodox faction over the ownership and entry into Church in Kothamangalam in Ernakulam, Kerala seems to now have taken a distressing turn with the involvement of children. Reportedly, small children were allegedly forced to write “Sathyam” (truth) in blood as part of its protest against the Orthodox Church allegedly by the Jacobite faction.

Children made to write ‘Sathyam’ with blood

Around 25000 Sunday school students from various parishes across the state had gathered at Kothamangalam to pledge their allegiance to the Patriarch of Antioch. Reportedly, the children’s index finger was pricked and rubber bands were tied around their finger to allow more blood to flow so they could use their blood as ink.

Read: Kerala: Orthodox-Jacobite Church fight over burial ritual, family donates body to Ayurveda medical college

This protest by the Jacobites has shocked and angered child rights groups. The Child Rights Commission has asked for a report from the District Administration, District Child Protection Officer, and the police chief about the incident where children were made to write ‘Sathyam’ in blood. “It is an offence if the act has been committed by children below 18 years of age. We have registered a suo motu case based on the news reports and action will be taken against organisers if any compulsion is reported,” said P Suresh, chairman of the Child Rights Commission. Based on the direction from the Commission, Ernakulam Rural SP K Karthik has sought a report from Muvattupuzha DySP about the incident.

The Vicar of the Jacobite Church, though, has resorted to obfuscation. The Jacobite vicar of the Kothamangalam church Fr Jose Paruthuvayalil said that the children were not forced to write in their blood and whoever did so, did so voluntarily.

Read: Kerala: Daughter blackmailed to join the Orthodox Church to ensure decent burial ground for Jacobite Christian mother

“Out of over 25000 students, only some were engaged in writing with their blood. We did not force anyone, they voluntarily came forward in pledging their allegiance to Patriarch of Antioch. People have several ways of expressing their faith, there are even those who are ready to sacrifice their life for the faith”, the Vicar said, as reported by the New Indian Express.

Read: Kerala: Feud between Orthodox and Jacobite factions over ownership of church heightens as police try to implement SC verdict

While the Vicar would have people believe that little children volunteered to write “Sathyam” in blood to protest against the Orthodox faction, it seems a little far-fetched that children came up with this idea on their own and even executed it.

The Kerala High court had in September directed the police to arrest the supporters of the Jacobite faction who had blocked the police the previous day from implementing the controversial Supreme Court 2017 verdict regarding the Church’s management. The supporters belonging to the Jacobite faction, under the leadership of a few Metropolitan priests, had locked the gates and assembled inside the St Mary’s Church in Ernakulam district’s Piravom in Kerala, barring supporters of the Orthodox faction to formally take over the administration of the church as instructed by the Supreme court in its 2017 verdict.

Read: Two Christian factions in Kerala fight over a Church, HC directs arrest of Jacobites preventing Orthodox entry

In a landmark judgement delivered on July 3, 2017, the Supreme Court had ruled on a centuries-old dispute between Jacobite and Orthodox factions of Kerala’s Malankara Church. The SC had ruled that 1100 parishes and their churches under the Malankara Church, which were until then controlled by the Jacobite faction should be controlled by the Orthodox faction, as per the 1934 Malankara Church guidelines.

The dispute between the two Christian factions are not new, in fact, it is about a century old. Last year, the situation at the Piravom Valiyapalli remained tensed after one member of the Jacobite faction threatened to jump off the Church building, while others poured kerosene over their heads and threatened to set themselves alight, as police then too tried to implement the SC verdict.

Essentially, the feud between the two factions is an ownership and property dispute. The dispute, if resolved, will decide who gets the ownership of about 1000 Churches – the Jacobite faction or the Orthodox Church.

Pune: Hand grenade found near Railway station parking facility, sent for forensic analysis after being destroyed by bomb disposal squad

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pune: Hand grenade found near Railway station parking facility, sent for forensic analysis after being destroyed by bomb disposal squad

A hand grenade was found near the parking facility of Pune railway station on Friday afternoon. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was immediately rushed to the spot, who destroyed the grenade, police said.

According to the reports, an employee working in the railway station alerted the Pune police after he saw a grenade near the premises. The Pune police soon informed the bomb disposal unit, who carried out the operation for over four hours. The object was taken to the nearby RPF Ground and neutralised and then sent to the forensic laboratory for further tests.

The activity was carried out in a subtle manner to make sure that passengers did not panic after the grenade was found.

“We got a call at 12 noon after which the area was evacuated and the BDDS was deployed. We have intimated defence establishments in the vicinity to see if they can provide further information on the grenade-like object,” the police official added.

Read: 36 sexually assaulted students rescued from Pune Madrasa, Maulana arrested

Railway Protection Force’s Assistant Senior Inspector Santosh Bade said, “After spotting the hand grenade we immediately vacated the entire parking space and covered the area. We further called the bomb squad and handed over the operation to them. The case is now being followed up by the officials of Bund Garden Police Station and will have better details about the same”.

Reportedly, the hand grenade was found to be a dangerous one and it has been sent to the forensic laboratory by the bomb disposal squad. The Pune police have started their investigation to nab the culprits. So far, both the RPF and the police have no leads and are talking to people around the station for any information there was no CCTV at the railway station.

1...5,8945,8955,896...7,573Page 5,895 of 7,573