The special investigation team (SIT) probing the IMA group ponzi scam has arrested the deputy commissioner of Bengaluru urban district BM Vijay Shankar on Monday on the charges of receiving Rs 1.5 crore from absconding ‘halal’ investment group owner Mansoor Khan.
The IAS officer had allegedly taken the bribe to give a favourable report after the RBI asked the state government to probe the company’s businesses, confirmed the police.
This latest arrest by the SIT takes the total number of arrests related to the Ponzi scam to five.
Recently, the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Ponzi scheme had arrested Assistant Commissioner of Bengaluru North division, LC Nagaraj for his alleged involvement in the case. Nagaraj allegedly received a bribe of Rs 4.5 crore to give a favourable report for IMA, which was flagged by the RBI.
A corporator and a Bangalore Development Authority officer were earlier arrested in connection with the fraud.
Moreover, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the case simultaneously, tightened its noose on the IMA Ponzi scheme, more and more skeletons started tumbling out of the closet. Another Congress Karnataka minister, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan was summoned by ED for questioning in the case.
Prior to this, senior Congress leader and MLA Roshan Baig’s name had surfaced in the case after he was accused by the IMA founder of taking Rs 400 crore from the latter and not returning. The absconding ‘halal’ investment owner, Mansoor Khan had released an audio clip, in which he had accused Baig of arm twisting and refusing to return Rs 400 crore.
Congress legislator from Khanapur in Belagavi Anjali Nimbalkar’s husband and Karnataka IPS officer, Hemant Nimbalkar’s name had also surfaced in the investigation as he had also given a clean chit to Mansoor Khan.
Moreover, the ED which had attached assets worth Rs 209 crore in connection with the case, including 20 immovable properties and bank deposits, has also been in the process of issuing a Red Corner Notice against Mansoor Khan and examining the possibility of invoking of Fugitive Economic Offenders Act against him.
The IMA promoter has been charged with perpetrating the Ponzi scheme, which allegedly duped 40,000 investors to the tune of over Rs 2000 crore. So far, the police have received around 42,000 complaints from investors, since Mohammed Mansoor Khan absconded on June 7.
The BJP has demanded a CBI inquiry into the case.
Khan has, however, expressed willingness to return to India and cooperate in the probe. Recently, Khan uploaded the 18-minute long video where he had offered to surrender and vowed to expose big politicians after coming back to India.
Amidst multiple reports of mob lynching and violence emanating from different parts of the city during the protests over Tabrez Ansari’s death last week, the district administration of Ranchi has created different teams to launch a probe into the matter and ascertain the veracity of the claims made. Two people have reportedly sustained injuries in the ensuing violence and are admitted to a city hospital for their treatment.
A disturbing video from Ranchi had surfaced online in which a violent Muslim mob could be seen vandalising a bus and exhorting others to set the bus ablaze. The Bus carried students of an Engineering college.
When the Bus reached Rajendra Chowk, a violent Muslim crowd allegedly stopped the Bus and some of them started urging people to set it on fire. When some students pleaded to the mob that they were from the same community, they were taken down from the bus. The voices in the mob kept shouting “Kill them”, “Set the bus on fire” but fortunately due to intervention from some elderly men, a horrible atrocity was averted.
The Jharkhand high court on Monday asked the government to submit a comprehensive report on the alleged mob attack on Tabrez Ansari and his subsequent judicial death in the Saraikela Khaswan last month. The court had also directed the government to provide a detailed report by July 17 on the violence that accompanied the rally organised on Friday over Tabrez’s death.
The police have claimed that they are collecting evidence from various sources to identify those involved in violent activities. The police are also verifying the veracity of the CCTV footage that showed Muslims attacking a bus of an engineering college. The district administration has filed an FIR against 33 known accused and 300 unknown accused persons over incidents of mob violence in the city.
Troubles mount for Congress as the tremors of Karnataka crisis are felt in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has reportedly asked its supporting legislators to prepare themselves for a floor test should the BJP demand so.
However, the BJP has claimed that the Madhya Pradesh government will collapse on its own. “The BJP will not topple the Congress government but the fate of Congress like in Karnataka could not be ruled out,” said Leader of Opposition (LoP) Gopal Bhargava.
Congress, as it continues to fight for its relevance and existence at the national level, is struggling to keep the power in the states it had recently formed coalition governments in. In Karnataka, Congress and JDS MLAs have resigned and the unholy coalition is now staring at an imminent collapse.
Even as people continue to lose their faith in the Congress, Kamal Nath has urged the MLAs to keep their beliefs in the grand-old party. He has said that the BJP wants to topple the government but urged his MLAs to not fall prey to it. He also asked all the MLAs to be present in the current assembly session should the situation of floor test arise.
On Sunday, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was also present in Bhopal and held a meeting with Congress legislatures urging them stay away from the BJP ‘tactics’. The ministers are also assigned duties to keep the MLAs from resigning and jumping the ship.
India and New Zealand will take on each other in the World Cup semi-final on Tuesday. These two teams never played against each other in the semis although India will be playing its 7th semi-final in which India advanced to finals 3 times while New Zealand will be playing its 8th and advanced to finals only once.
Let’s look into the five most significant semis played by these two teams in the World Cup history.
India v England, World Cup Semi-final, 1983
India, for the first time in 3 World Cups, reached the knock-out round. Against the host nation England, India chased down a target of 214 in less than 55 overs, During those days in England, ODIs were 60 overs a side affair.
England, after winning the toss decided to bat first, couldn’t score a considerable score even though the openers gave them a solid start of 69 runs. Under those conditions, Indian bowlers were much more effective, especially the medium pacers. Kapil Dev (3), Roger Binny (2) and Mohinder Amarnath (2) took 7 out of 10 wickets fell in the innings.
India batted with grit and determination to chase down the modest total of 213. Every batsman pitched in with a useful contribution and a 92 runs partnership between Amarnath (46) and Yashpal Sharma (61), put India in control. A quickfire 51 off 32 by Sandeep Patil won the game for India with more than 30 balls left in the innings.
Mohinder Amarnath won the man of the match and India reached its first World Cup final. The rest is history.
New Zealand v Pakistan, World Cup Semi-final, 1992
New Zealand was playing at home, has won almost all the games before reaching the semis and were favorites to win the tournament but alas they couldn’t.
In-home conditions, New Zealand, opted to bat first against Pakistan at Auckland. They smashed 262 runs in 50 overs with the help of their captain Martin Crowe’s 91 runs innings. During those days anything above 250 was a winning total yet New Zealand lost the game. Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 60 in the semi-final scuppered New Zealand’s dream when the required run rate was over 7.
New Zealand’s captain Martin Crowe had to decide whether to rest in the 1992 semi-final against Pakistan or risk aggravating his injury (so that he can be fit for the finals). He chose to sit out and watched in agony as it all went to pieces. Pakistan went on to win the World Cup.
India v Sri Lanka, World Cup Semi-final, 1996
Quite an absurd result for a knockout game of such a big tournament, Sri Lanka was advanced to finals due to crowd trouble.
After winning the toss, India decided to bowl in pressure game due to the result of a group match in the tournament against Sri Lanka, where Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana blasted the Indian bowlers. In the semis, both Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana got out in the very first over of the match. All looked good for India, but Aravinda de Silva’s masterclass in batting stunned India, he smashed bowlers all over the park and scored 66 off just 47 balls. Sri Lanka made 251 in 50 overs.
India was cruising when Tendulkar (65) and Manjrekar (25) were batting together; the duo added 90 runs for the second wicket before Tendulkar was stumped Kaluwitharana off Jayasuriya. That’s where the collapse began, and from 98 for 1 India was reduced to 120 for 8. The crowd at Eden Gardens threw bottles on to the outfield and set fire to the seating. Match Referee Clive Lloyd awarded the match to Sri Lanka due to crow trouble. Sri Lanka won its first World Cup title a few days later.
The most anticipated match of the World Cup 2011, when the arch-rivals India and Pakistan faced each other in the semis at Mohali. Both sides Prime Ministers were present that day in the stadium to watch the match.
India after winning the toss decided to bat first and got off to a flying start as Sehwag scored 38 off just 25 balls. But the moment of the match was when Sachin Tendulkar was given not out by the third umpire after the on-field umpire declared him LBW. Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal is still clueless about the decision and has said that he is still not sure how Decision Review System (DRS) overturned on-field umpire Ian Gould’s lbw ruling against Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar (85) was dropped four times in the innings, which helped India to reach a respectable total of 260 in 50 overs. India bowlers bowled tight line and length to Pakistani batsmen, which didn’t let them score freely. Pakistan bowled out for 231 runs; all 5 Indian bowlers took two wickets each and India advanced into the finals of World Cup 2011.
New Zealand v South Africa, World Cup Semi-final, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzYBR6tWtrY
Another home semi-final for New Zealand. This time they were playing South Africa at the same venue where they played the semi-final of World Cup 1992. Both these two teams have been into semis but never advanced to the Final, so it was clear that one of them will play their first World Cup final.
Batting first, South Africa started well and were cruising to a massive total before the rain-interrupted the game in the 38th over of their innings. At that stage of the game, South Africa was 216 for 3, and the match was reduced to 43 overs a side. South Africa added 65 runs in the next five overs, thanks to Miller’s 49 off just 18 balls.
In reply, chasing 299 in 43 overs, the Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum went berserk by smashing 59 off 26 balls. South Africa made a come back when they dismissed Guptill and Taylor in the space of 4 overs, but Elliot and Anderson kept the nerves by adding 103 runs less than 16 overs. With six required in the last two balls, Elliot smashed the penultimate ball out of the stadium and won the match for New Zealand.
New Zealand thus advanced to the finals for the first time in World Cup history.
In a sensational incident, teak smugglers in Brahmanwada Thadi village of Maharashtra launched an attack on the local crime branch of the police that had come to arrest them. A policeman was seriously injured in the incident and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The police have arrested 6 teak smugglers- Sheikh Majid Shaikh Aziz (55), Mohammad Sadiq Sheikh Israel (47), Mohammed Fazil Mohammad Sadiq (19), Mohammad Asif Sheikh Younes (19), Mohammad Shahzad Mohammad Sadiq (20) and Naushad Ali Mohammad Ali (22) in this regard.
On Sunday, 7th July 2019, at around 10 pm the local crime branch squad went to Saudagarapura village of Brahmanwada Thadi village to initiate action against the teak smugglers. Assistant police inspector of rural police crime branch, Mukund Kawade, along with his colleagues, saw a suspicious vehicle moving past him. He decided to pursue it along with his colleagues. The vehicle stopped at a place, and when the police personnel surrounded the vehicle, at that very instance 12 to 14 people attacked them and flogged them with rods and sticks. Police officer Naik Gajendra Thakre was injured in the attack.
Following this attack, the police arrested the six assailants and four managed to flee from the situation. The police have recovered smuggled wood from the vehicle. Against all the ten accused, cases were filed under Section 353, 332, 294, 143, 147, 148, 14, 9, 186 of the Indian Penal Code. Smuggled wood worth Rs. 46,155 was also seized from the house of one of the accused. About a total of 1 lakh of smuggled wood has been seized by the police.
The four accused- Mohammed Nasir Sheikh Amir, Mohammed Javed Shaikh Hamid, Sheikh Hafiz Sheikh Amir, Mohammed Afgh Sheikh Amir (all residents of Brahmanwada Thadi) are on the run. The tensions in the region have heightened after the incident and hence a heavy deployment of police personnel has been ordered by the Brahmanwadi Police station in-charge Sachin Singh Pardeshi.
On July 7th, villagers in a village in Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh had caught several people smuggling cattle to Maharashtra. 25 people were caught smuggling 22 cows on 8 vehicles. The people in the village had tied the smugglers with a rope, made them to do sit-ups, hold their ears and chant ‘Gau Mata Ki Jai’, and had also paraded them to the police station for around 2 km. Around 100 villagers were involved in the incident.
Later police had booked the smugglers and confiscated their vehicles, the cattle they were transporting, and also other valuable items like cash and jewellery. Police had confirmed that they didn’t have any permission to transport the animals, neither they had documents of the same. A case against the villagers was also registered for vigilantism instead of bringing the smugglers directly to the police.
But in an attempt to further propagate the narrative of ‘mob lynching’ by Hindus, several media houses, journalists and politicians chose to hide the fact that the 25 people caught by the villagers were smuggling cattle. They have tried to create an impression that 25 innocent people were just transporting cows and the villagers caught and punished them for no reason.
Advocate and leftist activist Prashant Bhushan chose to link Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in this case of mob justice, while ignoring the reason why they were doing it.
100 Bajrang Dal goons tie up 25 men, parade them & make them chant ‘Gau Mata ki Jai’. In this growing Lynch mob Republic, we must all chant Modi/Shah ki Jai! https://t.co/4TPToaLZ2r
Many other media reports presented the news as innocent cattle traders were caught by cow vigilantes, which was shared by journalists, politicians and others
Another day in the life of the republic…On Video, 24 Thrashed, Forced To Say “Gau Mata Ki Jai” In Madhya Pradesh – NDTV https://t.co/9ejBGQ3WEm
In its report about the incident, Indian Express also tried to bring a Hindu-Muslim angle by mentioning that 7 of the 25 persons are Muslims. The fact that the rest are Hindus prove the fact that there was no religious angle to the incident.
Ever since Modi government came back to power, there is a desperate attempt by the left-liberal ecosystem to create a narrative that mob lynching by Hindus has increased in India. People in India often hand over instant justice when they catch thieves, smugglers, pick-pocketers etc. Although it’s not correct and legal, people tend to beat up such criminals before handing them over to police. But now media has taken the task of converting such incidents of into mob lynching whenever the people involved are Hindus and the criminal caught is Muslim.
Therefore, although it is illegal to take law in own hands, the context has to be reported to present a news properly. The villagers caught the people because they were smuggling cattle, this is an important detail which gives a completely different angle to the case, as against the angle that the media is trying to give.
The latest example of the same to grab national headline is the Tabrez Ansari who was beaten up by the public on the accusation of theft. He had died four days later in police custody due to cardiac arrest. But media kept the fact hidden that he was accused of theft, and a narrative of Hindus mob lynching a Muslim was created.
An overwhelming video surfaced on social media, in which the yatris en route to Amarnath are seen cheering the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel as they continue to brave shooting stones and form a human wall to ensure the safety of pilgrims near Kali Mata point on Baltal route.
#WATCH Jammu & Kashmir: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel continue to brave shooting stones, placing shield wall to ensure safety of pilgrims near Kali Mata point on Baltal route. #AmarnathYatrapic.twitter.com/jeAYZ5tNjm
On Tuesday, chants like ‘ITBP zindabad’, ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jai Bharat’ broke out as the Indo-Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) yet again stepped up and volunteered to ensure that the pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra have a hassle-free journey to the cave shrine.
In the video, the ITBP forces can be seen standing steadfast as they encounter a shower of stones and water. As the pilgrims crossed a narrow bridge near the Kali Mata point, the officers were seen forming a human wall to make sure that the pilgrims were able to cross the bridge unhurt.
However, the efforts of the ITBP personnel were not only confined to this. The officers have been stationed along the route of the Amarnath Yatra, keeping the devotees safe. On Sunday, ITBP personnel administered oxygen to over 50 pilgrims who were feeling breathless at 12,000 feet during the Amarnath Yatra.
ITBP personnel seen administrating oxygen to pilgrims, Courtesy: ANI
Snowed by the exemplary services provided by the ITBP jawans, pilgrims were seen saluting and cheering for them.
Pilgrims salute personnel for their exemplary work, Courtesy ANI
In another video, an ITBP personnel was seen helping a yatri cross a rocky bridge, at the foot of a waterfall in Baltal, en route Amarnath, with a shield in his hand.
The Amarnath Yatra is conducted every year during Shravani Mela, which starts from July and continues till August. This year the 46-day-long yatra began on July 1, the day of Masik Shivratri, and will conclude on August 15, the day of Shravan Purnima. Over 1 lakh pilgrims have performed the Amarnath Yatra during the past eight days.
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has put Prashant Kishor on her burning deck. Everyone connected with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would listen to the master poll strategist behind closed doors of Kolkata’s Nazrul Mancha auditorium on Thursday.
Just imagine: “Didi”, that giant slayer of Left in Bengal, would be all ears to a man who has lived fewer years than she has spent in politics. Not just she but all her generals—young or old, fair or dark, rural or urban—would look to know about their own Bengal from a man who wouldn’t move in Kolkata without a GPS. None of them is mindful that he, being a member of JD(U), is part of NDA-2 and thus from the enemy’s ranks. Who said politicians are cynical?
Mamata, like all of us, is beholden to Kishor’s track record. He drew Narendra Modi’s 2014 poll strategy and within six months had helped Nitish Kumar beat back the new Prime Minister from the gates of Bihar. He turned around Congress’ fortunes in Punjab as he has now done with YS Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh, taking care of upstarts (Arvind Kejriwal) and seasoned (Chandrababu Naidu) as hounds do, completely impartial to their prey. There, of course, is Congress and Shame of UP in 2017 but this can wait.
We are all beholden to this spectacle where politicians, with all their hubris and enmity, treachery and ruthlessness, sit on stools as lions do to the crack of this ringmaster’s whip, tail between their legs. This ringmaster had never walked into a (political) circus before, was pathetic as a student, a poor reader of books, a self-confessed black sheep of the family, never stuck to a job yet now has these political animals on a leash.
And he does it on his own terms. He would only deal with the bosses—not even Amit Shah—and everyone must submit to his charter, no questions asked. He is least enamoured of any politician and could walk out of a room without as much as even a goodbye. He calls out his own party head Nitish Kumar for not seeking a fresh mandate after dumping Lallu Yadav. He helped Capt Amarinder Singh only because he didn’t like Arvind Kejriwal mocking him in press. He would help Uddhav Thackeray and his Shiv Sena only if he is assured the security of migrant north Indians in the state of Maharashtra. He once didn’t answer the calls of DMK as he didn’t of political parties in Kerala.
It would surprise many to know that Prashant Kishor is almost disdainful of our governing class which includes both politicians and bureaucrats. It interests him little that he is snapped with high and mighty; that he is entrusted with hundreds of crores to put his plan in motion; that unlimited power could be his mistress.
What then drives this man?
We would have to go back to 2011 when a paper of his on malnutrition caught the eye of Modi’s government in Gujarat. He was invited to visit the state and correct his impression. One day, he contributed to a speech of Modi; another day he drew a sense of data and soon he was drawn into the inner circle. 2014 polls beckoned, he drew up a charter, and if you have heard of “Chai pe Charcha,” credit our man for it.
He left Modi because he wanted his dream of CAG (Citizens for Accountable Governance) to happen overnight. This CAG has now metamorphosed into I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee). It’s this I-PAC which is key to understanding our man.
Prashant Kishor is troubled by the fact that only 7-odd per cent in India’s parliament is below 40. Almost 70 per cent of this small percentage belongs to political dynasties. This leaves only 2-3 per cent of bold and beautiful to chart their own cut. He is upset that a health secretary, previously in transport and due to be a telecom secretary tomorrow, could decide on technical matters and overrule professionals who have spent a lifetime in mastering the issue. He credits five biggest reforms of independent India– food (M.S.Swaminathan), milk (Verghese Kurien), telecom (Sam Pitroda), space (Vikram Sarabhai) and atomic energy (APJ Abdul Kalam)—to the men who were not part of governance or bureaucracy.
I-PAC is one that dream where Prashant Kishor wants to draw tens of thousands of India’s young and competent, train them to take over panchayats, parishads, mahapalikas of the country, practically draw a parallel political ecosystem and transform India. It made him impatient with Modi; it makes him dismissive of coterie—“Can’t be mindful of what the ecosystem thinks about me”—and it made him reject Rahul Gandhi post-2017 UP debacle.
The UP debacle still singes Kishor. He had drawn up a 14-point charter for Congress but only two were implemented—Sonia Gandhi launching the campaign from Varanasi, and Rahul Gandhi’s yatra from Deoria to Delhi on farmers’ loan-waiver issue. “I have no option but to accept the blame since I didn’t quit on not being followed,” remembered Kishor in an interview. He feels let down when politicians use his charter but don’t implement them when in power.
There are all telltale signs that Kishor wouldn’t do politicians’ bidding any longer. He would remain with JD (U) because he wants Bihar to be a top state on all indicators of progress. Personally, Nitish Kumar has afforded him the freedom to nurture his I-PAC and make Bihar his political laboratory. So what accounts for his present engagement with Mamata Banerjee?
In all likelihood, Kishor might have been “loaned” by Nitish Kumar so as to send a not-so-veiled a message to Modi on denial of ministerial berths in the Union Cabinet. If Kishor could stop BJP’s juggernaut, it could lead to new alignments in Indian politics. It might allow Nitish Kumar to project himself as an alternative to Modi in 2024 polls.
In the last month or so, West Bengal has thrown up two rising political stars. New MP Nusrat Jahan, with her oath in the Parliament and participation in Jagannath rathyatra, has caught the eye even of Hindus. Then there is rabid Mahua Moitra who is lip-syncing Mamata Banerjee and appealing to Muslim and “pseudo-seculars” of the country. Both, without doubt, are acting on Prashant Kishor’s script.
How BJP would love to eavesdrop on the closed-door auditorium on Thursday.
In a statement released by the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the Head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The 46 years old Rahul Dravid, who worked as a head coach of under 19 and India ‘A’ teams, had played 164 Tests and 344 ODIs for India.
“Dravid will also work closely with the National Men’s and Women’s Head Coaches and Cricket Coaches for India Developmental teams – including India A, India Under 19, India Under 23 teams, in the identification of key training and development objectives,” the statement added.
“He will also be responsible for monitoring progress against these objectives for the developmental teams and provide necessary inputs on the same to the Senior Men’s and Women’s Head Coaches,” it further added.
India won the Under 19 World Cup under Rahul Dravid as a coach in 2018. Rahul Dravid also mentored IPL teams (Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals).
New Idols will be consecrated today at the Durga Mandir in Hauz Qazi’s Lal Kuan area in Old Delhi. The Temple was vandalized and the Idols desecrated by a Muslim mob on the night of 30th of June. Consequently, it had led to communal tensions in the area.
“There has been a lot of tension in this past week. Our Durga Mandir Street committee has come forward to help renovate the temple. New idols will be placed after the purification of the temple tomorrow and renovation work will also begin,” Tara Chand Saxena, the secretary of the Durga Mandir Street Committee, said on Monday.
According to residents, the Committee is bearing the entire cost of renovating the Temple. It is notable here that Muslims in the area had volunteered to pay for the reparations, however, Hindus had objected to it. A feast has also been arranged after the consecration of the Murtis.
Saxena added, “There are 35 families living in the street who donate money to the committee. It is now bearing all the expenses to renovate the temple. Not even a single penny has been demanded from any outsider”. A public feast has also been organised for the locals.
Security Forces continue to be deployed in the area and drones are also being used for aerial surveillance. More than 60 CCTV cameras have been installed to ensure that no ruckus is created during the ceremony. Snipers have also been deployed strategically at high-rise buildings. A Shobha Yatra has also been planned in this regard.
