India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has said that new skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid are taking the Men in Blue in a fabulous direction. Karthik also hailed Team India’s victory over West Indies in the recently-concluded T20I series. India will now lock horns against Sri Lanka in the shortest format.
“What I enjoyed most was Rohit’s captaincy. I thought he led the team beautifully. Tactically very, very sound, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the team played in the last couple of series against West Indies,” Karthik said on ‘The ICC Review‘. “The new captain and there’s a new coach, I think they are taking the team in a fabulous direction. They’ve plugged small holes, which were probably there previously, and that has been the beautiful part about it. And along the way, in the journey, they’ve managed to become No.1,” he added.
After beating West Indies 3-0, Team India also managed to become the No.1 ranked side in the shortest format of the game. “Who doesn’t want to be world No.1 even if it is for some period of time? Because other teams will play matches and then India plays more matches post the IPL so that could change. But for the moment, knowing that Team India is the No.1 T20 team in the world is I think a very, very good feeling,” said Karthik. “I think it is the quality of players. When you talk about good teams over a period of time, they always talk about the fact that bench strength needs to be very important, and India has great bench strength,” he added.
Talking about Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer, Karthik said: “The guys coming in new have really grabbed on to their places. Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer. It’s just good to watch Harshal Patel – he has been an absolute revelation. So I think, the guys coming in are grabbing their opportunities with both hands and that’s always a good sign.”
EU says it will hold the Kremlin accountable for attack on Ukraine 3
The European Union will hold Moscow accountable for the “unjustified” attack on Ukraine, the chief of the bloc’s Executive Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Thursday.
“In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives,” she said on Twitter. “We will hold the Kremlin accountable,” von der Leyen added.
We strongly condemn Russia´s unjustified attack on Ukraine.
In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives.
Congress fully dedicated to interests of govt employees: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra 5
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday hailed the Rajasthan government’s decision to implement the old pension scheme, saying her party is fully dedicated to the interests of government employees.
In a major announcement in its budget, the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government decided to implement the old pension scheme from next fiscal for all employees appointed on or after January 1, 2004.
”The Congress government of Rajasthan has taken a big decision in the interest of government employees by implementing the Old Pension Scheme,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
The Congress party is fully dedicated to the interests of government employees, she asserted. ”We have worked in the interest of the people, will continue to do so,” the Congress general secretary said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot on Wednesday presented the Budget for the year 2022-23, with the main focus on sectors like health, education, infrastructure, social security and tourism.
Russia attacks Ukraine as defiant Vladimir Putin warns US, NATO 7
Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen”.
Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of a Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government.
US President Joe Biden pledged new sanctions meant to punish Russia for an act of aggression that the international community had for weeks anticipated but could not prevent through diplomacy.
Putin justified it all in a televised address, asserting the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine – a false claim the US had predicted he would make as a pretext for an invasion. He accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees and credulously claimed that Russia doesn’t intend to occupy Ukraine but will move to “demilitarise” it and bring those who committed crimes to justice.
Special PMLA court sends NCP leader Nawab Malik to ED custody till 3 March 9
A Special Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) court sends Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik to Enforcement Directorate custody till 3rd March, in connection with Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case.
“The court will hear tomorrow our applications seeking permission to allow Nawab Malik to carry his medicines and get food from his home during his custody, and the presence of lawyers during his custodial interrogation,” said Tariq Sayyed, Nawab Malik’s lawyer.
Earlier, ED had sought 14-day custody of the NCP leader from the court. He was arrested today by Enforcement Directorate.
According to the sources, Malik was not cooperating during the questioning. Soon after his arrest, the leader said that he is not scared and will fight and win.
ED had earlier today summoned Malik in connection with an alleged money laundering case related to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Last week, the ED on Tuesday conducted raids at the residence of Dawood Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case.
Searches were carried out by the ED at several places linked to people associated with the underworld in Mumbai, informed sources said on Tuesday. The ED had also conducted searches at 10 different locations related to late Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, in Nagpada.
The agency had also questioned Dawood’s nephew and Parkar’s son Alishah Parkar and Chota Shakeel’s henchman Salim Qureshi aka Salim Fruits.
Nawab Malik arrest - Maharashtra launched a scorching attack on the BJP 11
In a very dramatic way, the Enforcement Directorate reached Nawab Malik’s house, they picked him up without any notice or warrant and took him to their office. They questioned Malik in connection with its money laundering case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Malik’s name first cropped up in the intelligence inputs gathered by the agency in the hawala case. The 62-year-old NCP leader was patient and gave a statement to the media that he will not bow down but expose the opposition leaders.
Malik’s alleged links to some property deals are under the radar of the federal probe agency. On February 15, the ED had carried out raids at 10 locations including premises linked to Dawood Ibrahim’s late sister Haseena Parkar, brother Iqbal Kaskar and Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, brother-in-law of gangster Chhota Shakeel. The agency also took custody of Dawood Ibrahim’s brother.
Salim Qureshi also known as Salim Fruit, was in the past booked under the stringent MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) for extortion cases. He was supposed to contest from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Vidhan Sabha constituency in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. The seat is presently held by Samajwadi Party’s Abu Asim Azmi for the last two terms. He sought a ticket from Asaduddin Owaisi’s party AIMIM but somehow, he could not manage. Posters of Qureshi appeared in areas of Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, Mankhurd during Eid-Al-Adha and local residents alleged that Qureshi was planning to contest from the assembly seat.
In 2005 Malik resigned as a Minister after the Justice P B Sawant Commission probing corruption charges against Ministers passed strictures against him. Malik in his defence had claimed that the decision to favour the builder in the project was taken by the previous BJP-Shiv Sena government and not him. After joining the NCP, Malik subsequently went on to serve as a minister handling important portfolios including Higher and Technical Education and Labour in the Congress-NCP government.
Social activist Anna Hazare had then accused him and three other ministers in the Congress-NCP government of corruption. Hazare had alleged that Malik stayed the reconstruction of a chawl in Mumbai by Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority so that a private builder would benefit.
After a three-year pause, he was inducted into the Ashok Chavan-led cabinet that was sworn in in 2008 and made the labour minister. In 2009 when the Congress-NCP returned to power, Malik did not find a place in the Cabinet and was subsequently made a spokesperson of the party. Malik lost the 2014 elections by a margin of 1,007 votes and was confined to play an organisational role in the NCP as a spokesperson.
Malik is one of the few Muslim faces in the NCP. In the 2019 Assembly elections, Malik had played an important role as a spokesperson in taking on the BJP’s social media machinery. He made a re-entry into the state cabinet after a decade with the formation of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government. While many thought Malik would be rewarded with an important ministry, he had to be satisfied with Minority Affairs and Skill Development. He is deemed to be close to NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
In January 2021, Malik’s son-in-law businessman Sameer Shabbir Khan was arrested by the Sameer Wankhede-led Narcotics Control Bureau. In January, the NCB had arrested a British national, Karan Sajnani and allegedly recovered 75 kg of marijuana, 125 kg of marijuana-related material and many cannabis buds imported from the US from him. The NCB claimed that based on his interrogation, they found money exchanged between him and Khan. Following this, Khan was summoned and then arrested on January 9. Khan was granted bail in September. Malik had claimed that his son-in-law was framed.
Soon after the arrest of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in a drug case, Malik had stirred a national audience by singlehandedly unearthing information that has raised serious questions about due process in the NCB’s Cordelia cruise ship raid in which Aryan Khan was among several arrested. He had also accused Wankhede for foisting false drug cases and acting as a BJP pawn to harass political opponents. Malik made headlines for attacking the NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede accusing him of several service-related wrongdoings.
He exposed some of the BJP leaders and their family members having relations with drug peddlers. Nawab Malik, a five-time MLA from Mumbai’s Anushakti Nagar. Impressed by Sanjay Gandhi, Malik joined the Youth Congress. After Gandhi’s death, he decided to join the Sanjay Vichar Manch, floated by Maneka Gandhi as an opposition movement against the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. With the Manch deciding to put up candidates across the country against the Congress, Malik, then 26, was asked to contest the 1984 Lok Sabha elections. Fielded against two political stars Gurudas Kamat and Pramod Mahajan from Bombay North East, Malik got only 2,950 votes. Post the 1992-93 riots, Malik joined the Samajwadi Party and Malik won by 7,000 votes. When Congress and NCP decided to strike an alliance, the Samajwadi Party too extended its support for which it was promised a ministerial berth. Malik was made the Minister of state for housing and months after entering the Cabinet gradually started distancing himself from the Samajwadi Party. On October 13, 2001, he was expelled from the party. Four days later, Malik, who had since cosied up with Sharad Pawar, joined the NCP.
Nawab Malik's arrest came a bit late but expected: Sharad Pawar 13
The Enforcement Directorate is investigating money laundering linked to the underworld and has recently carried out multiple raids besides filing cases against the underworld. Iqbal Kaskar, Dawood Ibrahim’s brother, was arrested in the case last week. Some evidence showed transactions between Nawab Malik and associates of Dawood Ibrahim, said Enforcement Directorate sources.
After Anil Deshmukh now it’s Nawab Malik, the second Maharashtra Minister to be arrested by a central probe agency in four months. The agency first searched Nawab Malik briefly before taking him to its south Mumbai office. The minister was arrested after five hours of questioning.
Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate’s move, Sharad Pawar said, “Which case have they dug up? It is simple. They take the name of Dawood, especially if there is a Muslim activist (against whom a case is dug up) … There is no relation (between the activist concerned and underworld), but it is done.”
“He gave oblique replies and did not cooperate with us,” said an official.
Sources also said Nawab Malik was brutally grilled over alleged transactions with Dawood Ibrahim’s associates and land deals. Some evidence related to the property bought by Nawab Malik surfaced during the investigation, officials said.
Nawab Malik, a five-time MLA, is the national spokesperson of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is a part of Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena-led government. He is the minister in charge of minority affairs. He is among the most vocal critics of the BJP and in recent months, became the face of the opposition’s allegations at the Centre over the drugs arrest of megastar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan by the Narcotics Control Bureau.
Last week, the Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids at the home of Dawood Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar in Mumbai in the money laundering case. The agency had also questioned Dawood’s nephew and Parkar’s son Alishah Parkar and Chota Shakeel’s henchman, Salim Qureshi, also Salim Fruits
Boldly waving his fist in the air to the waiting media persons, Malik said he won’t bow down. “We will fight and win, and expose everyone,” he said as he stepped out of the probe agency’s office. He was then taken by ED officials in a vehicle for a medical check-up.
According to sources, Malik was grilled over alleged transactions with gangster Dawood’s associates and land deals with them. He was evasive and didn’t cooperate with the investigation, the ED said.
It’s Official! Shibani Dandekar replaces surname to Akhtar on social media 19
Actor Shibani Dandekar has added her husband’s last name to her name, making it Instagram official on Wednesday. The actor’s name on her Instagram handle now reads, “Shibani Dandekar-Akhtar”.
She has also updated her bio, which is now: “Producer,Presenter, Actress, Singer. MRS AKHTAR” For the unversed, Farhan and Shibani tied the knot at Farhan’s family farmhouse in Khandala in the presence of close friends and family members on February 19.
The daytime wedding was attended by several celebrities including Farah Khan, Rhea Chakraborty, Satish Shah, Ashutosh Gowariker and Ritesh Sidwani. Hrithik Roshan also attended the wedding with his parents, Rakesh and Pinkie Roshan. The couple had been dating for almost three years.
It’s Official! Shibani Dandekar replaces surname to Akhtar on social media 20It’s Official! Shibani Dandekar replaces surname to Akhtar on social media 21It’s Official! Shibani Dandekar replaces surname to Akhtar on social media 22It’s Official! Shibani Dandekar replaces surname to Akhtar on social media 23
NCP minister Nawab Malik at ED office, being questioned in money laundering case 25
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday questioned Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik in a money-laundering probe linked to the activities of the Mumbai underworld, fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides, officials said.
The 62-year-old NCP leader is stated to have arrived at the Enforcement Directorate office in south Mumbai’s Ballard Estate area around 8 AM and the agency is recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they added.
Shiv Sena spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut told reporters that Malik was taken away by the ED from his home.
”…I think this is a challenge to the Maharashtra government…They (central agencies) are free to probe…old issues are being dug out but you should remember that after 2024 you too will be probed,” he said.
The Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Congress have joined hands to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MCA) government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in the state.
Malik’s alleged links in relation to some property deals are said to be under the radar of the federal probe agency and hence his questioning was necessitated.
The minister had been in the news for the last few months after he made a number of personal and service-related allegations of wrongdoing against former Mumbai NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede. These charges came soon after the NCB conducted raids at a cruise in October last year and arrested 20 people including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Aryan Khan.
Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan was also arrested in a drugs case by the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Mumbai unit last year.
This ED action comes after the registration of a new case and raids conducted by it on February 15 in Mumbai in connection with the operations of the underworld, Ibrahim’s aides, linked alleged illegal property deals and hawala transactions.
The searches were conducted at 10 locations, including premises linked to 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim’s late sister Haseena Parkar, brother Iqbal Kaskar and Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, brother-in-law of gangster Chhota Shakeel.
Kaskar, who was already in jail, has been arrested by the agency last week. It also questioned Salim Qureshi and Parkar’s son. The ED case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim and others apart from its independent intelligence. The NIA had filed its criminal complaint under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
CM Thackeray and Sharad Pawar inaugurates Patra Chawl redevelopment project 27
The redevelopment of Patra chawl, spread across 47 acres, has been mired in controversy and 672 tenants of the chawl were left in the lurch. The project was being executed by the Maharashtra Housing and Regional Development Authority (MHADA) and in 2008; it had given the contract to Guru Ashish Developers, a subsidiary of HDIL, to rehabilitate the 672 tenants. A multilateral agreement was signed between Guruashish Construction Pvt Ltd, the tenant’s society and MHADA for the redevelopment of 47 acres.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar installed Goregaon’s Siddharth Nagar, also known as Patra Chawl’s redevelopment project, which has been delayed for several years. Due to non-payment of rent by the developer to residents, MHADA had issued a termination notice to the developer on January 12, 2018, officials said.
Against this notice, the developer sold his share of the project to nine other developers without MHADA’s permission. The nine developers had then filed a suit in the Bombay High Court. Due to these legalities, the redevelopment project was stalled for the past several years.
In 2020, the state government had appointed a one-member committee of Johnny Joseph, the retired chief secretary of the state government, to study and recommend solutions to generate rent for the 672 tenants deprived of their homes and a plan for their rehabilitation. The committee had then submitted its detailed report to the government in two parts.
Following the recommendations of the committee report and feedback from MHADA, in June 2021, the state cabinet had approved the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl again and a government resolution in this regard was issued in July 2021. MHADA will now develop the project and give possession of the flats to the 672 residents. It will also immediately complete the remaining work in 306 flats for which a lottery draw was held.
