ED raids six locations in Kolkata, seizes Rs 7 crore 2
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out search operations at six locations here with respect to an investigation relating to the Mobile Gaming Application. During the search operation, the ED said, it was noticed that the entities linked to the case were using dummy accounts.
“So far, huge cash (more than Rs 7 Crore) has been found at the premises and counting of the amount is still under progress,” the ED said. The raids are continued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The case was registered on the basis of the First Information Report (FIR) in February 15 last year at Park Street Police Station in Kolkata against one Aamir Khan and others based on a complaint filed by Federal Bank authorities, in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Calcutta. Amir Khan launched a mobile gaming application namely E-Nuggets, which was designed for the purpose of defrauding the public, the ED said.
During the initial period, the agency said, the users were rewarded with the commission and the balance in the wallet could be withdrawn hassle-free. “This provided initial confidence among users, and they started investing bigger amounts for a greater percentage of commission and a greater number of purchase orders,” the probe agency said.
It said after collecting a handsome amount from the public, all of a sudden, the withdrawal from the App, was stopped, at one or the other pretext such as system upgradation, an investigation by law enforcement agencies.
“Thereafter, all data including profile information was wiped off from the App servers and only then the users understood the ploy.
A man was arrested here for raping and impregnating a 12-year-old girl, police said on Saturday. The family members came to know about the incident after the girl became pregnant, they said.
Sadar area Circle officer (CO) Rahul Pandey said the rape survivor is eight months pregnant. He said the girl stays at her maternal uncle’s house in a village under the Pannuganj police station area.
The accused, who was friends with her maternal uncle, used to visit the house. The man reportedly seduced the girl and raped her.
On coming to know about the incident, the maternal uncle of the victim lodged an FIR against the accused.
On the complaint of the girl’s maternal uncle, the police registered a case against the accused Sarfaraz under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested him, the CO said.
An 85-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide in Latur in Maharashtra reportedly over distress at not getting adequate compensation or other forms of relief post land acquisition for a power infrastructure project.
Raosaheb Shivram Ghodke allegedly hanged himself from a tree in Shindala village in Ausa tehsil on Friday morning, a police official said.
His kin said five hectares of his land had been acquired over a decade ago by two state-run firms to set up a wind power project, adding that Ghodke was unhappy over the compensation and other forms of relief offered.
Several farmers have been protesting at the empty site of the wind power project, which was later scrapped in favour of a solar facility, they said.
An official from Bhada police station refused to comment on these allegations and said no suicide note had been found.
“The exact reason why he took this step is not known, so probe is underway. An accidental death case has been registered,” he added.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday said India needs to build resilience among people living in coastal areas with the changing climate across the globe.
India’s coastline is of immense strategic, economic and social importance to the country, he said.
Addressing the first National Conference on Sustainable Coastal Management in India here, the minister said, “With the changing climate, we need to build the resilience of communities living in coastal areas.” A programme on enhancing climate resilience of coastal communities is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the initiative is integrating ecosystem and community-based approaches to adaptation into coastal management and planning.
Spanning 7,500 kilometres, India’s coastline is the seventh longest in the world, and is home to 20 per cent of the country’s population, he said.
“Three of our four metropolitan cities lie on the coast. There is a great diversity of ecosystems within our coastal regions that support more than 17,000 species of plants and animals,” Yadav said.
The minister also stated that the conference is being held at an important time as India has submitted its revised NDCs and seeks to create multi-sectoral partnerships to meet the targets.
Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The objective of the conference is to bring officials from all 13 coastal states of the country under one roof to focus on three interrelated themes of coastal and marine biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation and coastal pollution, an official said.
The endeavour is aimed at creating a vibrant network of stakeholders so that they continue to engage with each other on various topics and themes such as coastal governance, technologies and innovation as well as domestic and international finance, he said.
Data-driven policies and management frameworks, participatory conservation models, and convergence among stakeholders are the key pillars for effective coastal management, the official added.
Prince Charles is now King Charles, proclaimed as Britain's new monarch 7
King Charles-III was proclaimed as the new monarch of England on Saturday after his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday.
King Charles Philip Arthur George paid tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and spoke of the “great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty.”
“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty which have now passed to me. In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these Islands and of the Commonwealth Realms and Territories throughout the world,” King said soon after being proclaimed Britain’s new monarch at the Accession Council at St James’s Palace in London.
Dressed in a formal black tuxedo, Charles, 73, has been proclaimed the new King of England. With the new development, his wife Camillas Parker Bowles will now be England’s Queen consort.
On Friday, Charles, the longest heir to the throne, Camilla arrived at Buckingham Palace in London and met mourners, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Buckingham Palace was swarmed with waves of mourners held back by barriers as Charles met the crowds.
The royal dignitary received a warm reception as he passed the crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Charles was offered bouquets of flowers and even a kiss on the cheek as he shook hands with those who had gathered to see him arrive.
He was by his mother’s side at her beloved Scottish Highlands home as her health deteriorated, and returned to the capital to hold his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Born on November 14, 1948, he was the first child of Elizabeth and Philip, then the princess and prince. At the age of 19, he formally became the Prince of Wales on July 1, 1969.
He married Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981, and became the first royal heir since 1660 to marry an English woman. In August 1996, Diana and Charles went their separate ways and got legally divorced.
After Diana’s demise in a car accident, Charles remarried Camilla Parker Bowles in April 2005. Soon, the couple got the royal title of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.
A woman went missing and 28 houses in Khotila village in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district were inundated after a cloudburst triggered a flashflood in the Kali river in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.
The cloudburst occurred past midnight in Bangabagar village across the India-Nepal border, causing a flashflood in the Kali river whose raging waters mixed with debris gushed into 28 houses in Khotila, a village on the Indian side of the border, Pithoragarh District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said.
One woman went missing in Khotila village but there are no reports yet of any casualties, he said.
The affected area on the Nepal side received 132.2 mm of rain, the DM said.
Pithoragarh District Disaster Management Officer Bhupendra Singh Mahar said some animals belonging to the villagers have also been lost.
The administration of the border town of Dharchula is running rescue operation on the spot with the help of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police personnel, Mahar said.
The extent of the losses will be known after some time, he said.
A 55-year-old man was killed after a car driven by a policeman ran over him in south Mumbai, police said on Saturday.
The police constable who drove the car was arrested on Friday for the offence registered against him at Tardeo police station, an official said.
The accident took place around 8.46 pm on Thursday near Mahalaxmi race course, where Vakil Salim Ansari was mowed down by the speeding car while crossing the road, he said.
The accused policeman has been booked under sections 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving) of the Indian Penal Code, he added.
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Saturday said that fruitful discussions had been held over the course of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Ministerial meeting to bring together a group of like-minded, rules-based, transparent countries with a shared interest in an open Indo-Pacific region.
Highlighting that India had engaged very exhaustively in all the various streams of discussion, Goyal in an official statement said that on three out of four pillars related to supply chains, tax and anti-corruption and clean energy, India was comfortable with the outcome and text and has joined the declaration.
On one pillar, which deals primarily with trade, the Minister said that the contours of the framework – particularly on commitments required on environment, labour, digital trade and public procurement — are still emerging.
“We have to see what benefits member countries will derive and whether any conditionalities on aspects like environment may discriminate against developing countries who have the imperative to provide low cost and affordable energy to meet the needs of our growing economy, the Minister, who is in United States, said in a statement.
Goyal also underscored that India was in the process of firming up its own digital framework and laws, particularly regarding privacy and data and said that therefore India, while continuing to engage with the trade track in the IPEF, will wait for the final contours to be energe. In the meantime, officials will be participating in the discussions with an open mind and in the best interest of the people and businesses in India, he added.
Responding to a query, the minister said that certain responsibilities of the developed world should also be an integral part of any such agreement and that is a matter that will require deeper engagement.
Goyal also complimented all the member countries for the speed with which, from launch in May to first ministerial laying down the broad contours of future engagements have been drawn up in September.
The Minister also complimented the US and both the US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai for their unwavering commitment in making IPEF a success and for the inclusive nature of discussions.
“They have both been very supportive to India throughout the discussions and negotiations,” he said in the statement.
The Minister expressed confidence that together this group of 14 countries will define the rules of trade among countries which believe in fair play, transparency and rules-based trading in the future.
Goyal also met Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell on the side-lines of IPEF meet in Los Angeles on Saturday.
“Our trade and investment ties have strengthened with the signing of Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. Discussed ways to further boost bilateral trade & cooperation under the IPEF”, he tweeted.
The Minister interacted with Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs of Indonesia, Airlangga Hartarto on the side-lines of the Ministerial meet.
“Discussed expanding bilateral trade & investment under IPEF, giving further impetus to economic cooperation between India & Indonesia,” the Minister tweeted.
Goyal also visited the Los Angeles Port, one of the busiest seaports in the world.
“It is the right time to invest in India’s ports sector that is being expanded & upgraded to strengthen logistics. India & US look to deepen trade & investment ties & build resilient global supply chains”, he tweeted.
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) was launched jointly by the USA and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo.
More than 38,000 idols of Lord Ganesh were immersed in various water bodies across Mumbai till Saturday morning following the conclusion of the 10-day festival a day ago, while immersion processions are still on at some places in the city, an official said.
The idols were immersed in the Arabian sea off Girgaon Chowpatty (beach) in south Mumbai, in artificial ponds and some other water bodies. While Girgaon Chowpatty is one of the major spots for immersion of popular Ganesh idols like Lalbaugcha Raja, Ganesh Gully and others, idols are also immersed at other beaches across the city, including Shivaji Park, Bandra, Juhu and Malad. The immersion processions had begun on Friday morning.
The 10-day festival was celebrated with special fervour and pomp this year as COVID-19-related restrictions had played spoilsport in 2020 and 2021.
As many as 38,214 Ganesh idols were immersed in the metropolis till 9 am on Saturday. Of these, 31,259 were household idols, 6,647 ‘sarvajanik’ (those installed in public pandals), while 308 idols were of Goddess Gauri, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said.
Of the total, 9,751 idols, including 796 ‘sarvajanik’ ones, were immersed in artificial ponds, they said.
The idol of Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh, one of the biggest draws of the festival in the city, was immersed around 9.15 am, nearly 22 hours after its procession had started on Friday. Its procession reached the Girgaon Chowpatty early this morning. A huge crowd gathered at the immersion point to bid adieu to Lalbaugcha Raja.
“No untoward incident reported during immersion processions,” the BMC official said.
Another BMC official said that immersion at Girgaon Chowpatty got almost ended after the Lalbaugcha Raja, but the process is still in western suburbs and it may take a few more hours.
The civic body had arranged barges and motorboats at the beaches for the immersion of tall idols in the deep waters. Several roads were closed for traffic to allow immersion processions.
More than 20,000 police personnel including 3,200 officers were on the streets of Mumbai to keep vigil. Eight companies of the State Reserve Police Force, one company of Rapid Action Force and 750 home guards too had been deployed, officials said.
The BMC had provided immersion facilities at 73 natural and 162 artificial water bodies and about 10,000 civic personnel were on duty.
The civic body had set up 188 control rooms, as many first aid centres and kept 83 ambulances ready besides deploying 786 lifeguards at various immersion points.
At least 173 cases of lumpy virus have been found among cattle in Delhi, mostly in south and west districts, Development Minister Gopal Rai said on Saturday.
He said 45 cases of lumpy virus have been detected in Goyla dairy area, 40 in Rewla Khanpur area, 21 in Ghumanhera and 16 in Najafgarh.
Addressing a press conference, Rai said the Delhi government has deployed two mobile veterinary clinics and set up 11 rapid response teams to collect samples.
Four teams have been created to create awareness, he added.
The city government has also set up a special control room with helpline number 8287848586 for queries related to lumpy virus.
An isolation ward is being set up in Rewla Khanpur in southwest Delhi for abandoned cattle suffering from lumpy skin disease, Rai said.
Lumpy skin disease is a contagious viral disease that spreads among cattle through mosquitoes, flies, lice and wasps by direct contact, as also through contaminated food and water. The disease causes fever and nodules on the skin, and it can be fatal.
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Thursday said the outbreak has spread in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
He said around 57,000 cattle have died till now (Thursday) due to lumpy skin disease and told states where cases have been reported to boost vaccination efforts.
