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‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ – WhatsApp Lottery fraud racket mounting

By
Afternoon Voice
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kaun banega crorepati, kbc, whatsapp scam, whatsapp lottery, fake lottery, amitabh bacchan, narendra modi, fake scam, prize, prize money, rs 25 lakhs
WhatsApp Screenshots

Tarannum Raza a resident of Malad got trapped in the fake Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) lottery promising a payout of Rs 25 lakh. She got duped for more than Rs 75 thousand into paying “so-called processing fees” to receive the payout.

Tarannum said, “I received an audio message recorded by a person claiming to be the member of Kaun Banega Crorepati, there was a background message of KBC. The audio was followed by the text messages stating the entire process of transferring the lottery prize money to the bank accounts of the winners. As instructed, I contacted a phone number mentioned in the text message in the belief that I would claim their prize.”

After Paytm, PhonePe, this is the latest scam that is on rising. Victims are spammed with one random audio, these WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers, most of them starting with ‘+91’, ‘+92’, ‘+944’ ISD codes from different foreign countries claiming that their mobile number has won a lottery organized by Kaun Banega Crorepati worth Rs. 25 lakhs, Rs. 30 lakhs and so on. In order to claim that lottery, they need to contact some person whose number is provided in the same WhatsApp message. For example, one victim was provided with 8112322723 and told to connect some Rana Pratap Singh.

According to the victim, she received a message on WhatsApp on 16th March featuring faces of KBC host Amitabh Bachchan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani and which urged them to “collect their prize urgently”.

However, the fraudulent asked Tarannum to pay a processing fee of Rs. 25,000 to ‘exchange’ her savings bank account into a current account in order to be eligible to receive the prize. She realized that she had been duped when the person asked her to pay Rs. 45,000 more instead of transferring the prize into her bank account.

Similarly, Vinaya Salgaonkar of Nalasopara also got in the same trap but she was a little hesitant to pay for the asked processed fees. The fraudsters on WhatsApp video call showed her the overloaded bags with cash on KBC sets. The fraudster told them that they need to first pay a certain refundable amount towards the processing of the lottery as well as GST, etc.

Once the victim deposits that money, they start demanding more on one pretext or another. The fraudsters insist on communicating only through WhatsApp. They encourage the victim to deposit money in various bank accounts and the entire fraud goes on for several weeks and even months for as long as they can keep inducing the victim to deposit money. Finally, when the victim starts insisting on getting the money or refuses to pay more, they stop calling him/her and change the WhatsApp numbers that were being used in the fraud.

Kai Farmer cybersecurity personnel said, “If you listen to these voices carefully you will realize they cannot even speak good Hindi, moreover they warn the person not to make noise about this amount. The voice message also threatens a person if they don’t call or connect the said amount would be sent back to Canada. One can easily make out that this is a fraud call. But the greed of getting free money or poverty and helplessness drives people towards the trap.”

Ajit Hatti, certified Cybersecurity specialist told Afternoon Voice, “If the caller insists on maintaining secrecy, it is a sign that there is something fishy about the whole thing. These people use WeTalk like mobile apps to connect people, this app provides anonymous and untraceable numbers to reach the victim. Such apps are banned by the Government of India, but there are many apps openly available and these frauds exploit your greed. You forget to take basic precautions such as discussing with family members, verifying the information through alternate means, etc., as you get blinded by your self-indulgence.”

 

Param Bir Singh shunted out; IPS Hemant Nagrale to take charge as Mumbai Police chief

By
Afternoon Voice
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hemant nagrale, hemant nagarale, ips hemant, param bir singh, commissioner of police, mumbai police, anil deshmukh, deshmukh, maharashtra police, sachin vazeUnder flak for ‘mishandling’ of the Sachin Vaze case and the Bomb scare outside Mukesh Ambani’s house, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday shunted out Param Bir Singh from his post of Commissioner of Police.

Senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale, holding additional charge of Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP), will be the new Mumbai Police Commissioner and replace Singh, who has been posted to the state Home Guard, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said.

Deshmukh, who met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier in the day, made the announcement on Twitter amid speculation in media over Singh’s handling of the Sachin Vaze episode.

Vaze is at the focus of a probe by the National Investigating Agency in a case related to the recovery of an SUV with explosives near Ambani’s house in Mumbai.

Vaze, arrested in the case on March 13 for his alleged role in the crime, was attached to the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the city police’s crime branch till recently.

Who is Hemant Nagrale?

Nagrale, a 1987-batch IPS officer, was serving as the Director-General of Police of Maharashtra. Nagrale was given additional charge of DGP besides DG-Technical and Legal.

Before being appointed as DG-Technical and Legal, Nagrale served as Police Commissioner of Navi Mumbai from May 2016 to July 2018. The top cop has also served in various capacities in the state departments and Mumbai Police.

He was the joint commissioner of police-administration in Mumbai Police. Nagrale also held an additional charge as Commissioner of Police-Mumbai for a brief period in 2014. He was special inspector general-administration in the Director-General office and special inspector general at Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).

Nagrale also served as SP and DIG in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for over 4 years from March 1998 to September 2002. Among some of the high-profile cases that he handled there were the Ketan Parekh Scam of Rs 130 crore, the Harshad Mehta scam involving Rs 400 crore, and the Madhaopura Cooperative Bank Scam of Rs 1,800 crore. The IPS officer is also hailed for his actions during the Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

 

Centre warns Maharashtra govt over second wave of COVID-19

By
Hema Singh
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Covid-19, coronavirus, maharashtra, covid, mumbai, covid-19 cases, kishori pednekar
Municipal workers sanitize at platform at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in the view of rising number of COVID-19 cases, in Mumbai. | Image Courtesy: PTI Photo

With the rising cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, the Centre warned the Maharashtra government on Tuesday that the state is witnessing the beginning of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and urged the government to focus on containment strategies.

This comes following when the central team had visited Maharashtra last week and observed that the state is undergoing the second wave of COVID-19. Issuing a letter to Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte the Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan urged the state government to scale up the pace of the vaccination campaign, especially in districts witnessing a sharp increase in infections.

“Maharashtra is at the beginning of a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to track, test, isolate cases and quarantine contacts are limited there with no adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour among people both in rural and urban areas,” Bhushan mentioned in the letter.

The state of Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state of COVID-19. Afternoon Voice spoke to several doctors and commoners about the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 – What do they think about the current situation, are they prepared for Lockdown or night curfew, and what suggestion they would like to give the government, here is what they have to say!

Dr. Gurjot Marwah, a Dermatologist by profession told Afternoon Voice, “Yes it is true that the cases in Mumbai and Maharashtra region are rising exponentially. This similar case was seen in many European countries where the second and third waves of COVID-19 made the people and government worried. Where it’s good to know that the vaccines are administered, but people need to know that the immunity only kicks in the body after 15 days of the second dosage of the vaccine. People still need to keep their guards up, wear masks and maintain physical distance in public.”

Dr. Rajanshu Tiwari, who is a Practicing clinician for 8 years said, “Yes even I feel that second wave of COVID-19 can take place in Maharashtra as the number of COVID-19 cases is rising in the state since the four days. As a doctor, I think prevention is the best cure for COVID-19. And rather than suggesting the government, I would like to tell people that this is a disease that spread from people to people. If the proper precautions are taken then the transmission of virus will decrease.”

“Talking about the government part then I think the government should try to instill into the common man rather than creating fear of the disease. As a clinician, I think it’s not the severity that is bad (Although In some cases it does get worst) it’s basically the fear that causing havoc around. The only suggestion I want to give the government that the awareness program is lacking and once that develop in the population then COVID-19 can be managed”, added Dr. Tiwari.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar told Afternoon Voice, “I have been saying this since the beginning of the pandemic that wearing mask and following the social distancing norm are the only solution to deal with COVID-19 but they (Citizens) are not listening. The cases are rising in Maharashtra since last week. Almost half of the population including some political leaders is not wearing masks. If the situation continues we will be forced to implement lockdown or night curfew in the city.”

Commoners

Aditi Bairolu, Chief Operating Officer at OYE (Organization for Youth and Elderly) said, “We have seen the repercussions of lockdown in the year 2020. Economic activities being affected the most and the mental health of citizens became a topic of major concern. Many socioeconomic issues surfaced during the last lockdown. The citizens are aware to a certain extent of the gravity of the situation and are taking precautions. Many are flouting rules and regulations too. Every person is accountable for whatever happens in the domain of health and development. If we as citizens realise our responsibilities, we will be in a position to face the second wave. With proper awareness, literacy and precautions, we can overcome the pandemic by supporting our frontline workers.”

Advocate Vivek Agarwal asserted, “Maharashtra already facing the heat of the first lockdown. Just now situation became normal after local train opened for common citizen but second lockdown will put everyone on a stretcher and it will be very difficult to pull economy back to normal stage. I would prefer containment zones be declared and precautions taken accordingly.”

Shivani Lokhande a HR executive by profession told Afternoon Voice, “I think people are ready for covid 19 because now everyone is aware about the do’s and don’ts. Though some strict rules and regulations are needed. But I really do not think a complete lockdown is necessary, said Shivani Lokhande is HR executive.”

“As a citizen, I feel we have come a long way since last year lockdown and many people have realised the importance of following hygiene and standard norms. But, yet we see many people breaking these rules, and only wearing masks to avoid fine. Is this really helping people? Educated ones should teach illiterate ones but the store here is different. Many of us have followed COVID guidelines irrespective of the fine as we care for one another. I wish everyone to do the same. Let’s follow the guidelines for some more duration and kick this virus out of our lives. Also, I feel it’s not too late to awake ourselves. Let there not be any other lockdown situation, hunger issues, mental health issues. Let’s impose some laws else we might have to go down the narrow lane.” said Isha Sharma , a Marketing manager at Conscious Food.

Reema Lobo, a biology teacher cited, “The year 2020 had a drastic change in the lives of each and every person in the society. Though with the help of the government and medical expert guidelines we learned the do’s and don’ts required to tackle the pandemic. Gradually  the citizens adapted to the “state of art” culture and the number of cases too dropped down. People started living leisurely and all the “new normal” era began to subside hence there was a spike in the cases again and it feels like the consequences that occurred in 2020 is about to replay, the society is well aware with norms of the Virus but again going back to square one (the phase of lockdown) is going to be a dilemma for many people mentally as well as financially.”

It’s also been reported that the state government is likely to announce a slew of new restrictions to curb the newly spiking cases of coronavirus in the state. Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 16,620 new COVID-19 cases with 48 new deaths.

Sachin Vaze’s arrest gave comfort to Asiya Begum

By
Vaidehi Taman
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Khwaja Yunus, Sachin Vaze, Asiya Begum, Asiya, Ghatkopar Blast, Bomb Blast, Vaze, Waze, Sachin Waze

Sachin Vaze’s arrest has solaced Asiya Begum mother of the Ghatkopar blast accused Khwaja Yunus. She expressed her sympathy and pain for Mansukh Hiren’s wife and expecting justice to be delivered. In tears, she said API Sachin Vaze’s reinstatement to the Mumbai Police force was a wrong decision by the present government. On June 5, 2020, the police department and the chief secretary had revoked the suspension of API Sachin Vaze and three others accused in the 2009 case of Yunus’s alleged murder in police custody in January 2003.

Thank God at least Hiren’s body found and the foul play got exposed but Yunus’ body is not found till date, said his mother. Asiya Begum has alleged that neither the state nor the police have initiated any disciplinary inquiry against Vaze despite the HC orders which the state had never challenged.

Yunus working as a software engineer in Dubai had returned to India on 28.11.2002 to visit his family. He arrived at his native place in Parbhani on 30.11.2002. On 2nd December 2002 a bomb blast took place in Ghatkopar, investigation was carried out by Powai DCB CID Unit 8.

Yunus was taken in custody on 25.12.2002 in connection with the bomb blast case at Karanje, Maharashtra. From there he was taken to Mumbai. He was handed over to the Powai DCB CID unit the next day. And two other accused Mohammed Abdul Mateen and Shaikh Zaheer were taken in custody on 23.12.2002 in connection with the blast case and allegedly handed over to Powai Unit for investigation on 25.12.2002. Another person named Muzammil was arrested too. He was later discharged.

Yunus and the other persons arrested for the bomb blast case were assaulted and tortured and when Asiya Begum saw him on 27 December 2003, he had appeared weak. Yunus died on January 6, 2003 while in custody. Police said he died when trying to escape while they were shifting him to Aurangabad.

She said according to the state Vaze was directed to take Yunus to Aurangabad for allegedly further investigation. She alleged that Yunus either died earlier in police custody but “to conceal the custodial torture and… custodial death” Vaze and three constables “staged” his escape from custody and later registered a “false case with the Parner police” on January 7, 2003, of his alleged escape by “jumping” out of the police jeep just before it met with an accident and fell into a gorge.

The HC had accepted too that the ‘escape’ FIR was false and had April 7, 2004, directed that statement of Yunus’ co-accused Abdul Mateen who alleged his torture in custody be treated as an FIR for a case of murder against Waze and others. The state had gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the HC order to register a murder case against the police. Vaze is accused of covering up the custodial death. He has also been accused of creating a scene that Yunus escaped from the custody near Parner in Ahmednagar district while he was taking him to Parbhani for investigation.

But in August 2004 the SC declined to intervene. Yunus’ mother said the reinstatement be set aside as his trial is still pending and it impinged on her right to a fair and speedy trial into the case of her son’s murder. Asiya Begum, 72, had earlier filed a contempt petition against Mumbai Police chief Parambir Singh and Amitabh Gupta.

From 2004 to 2020, Vaze was suspended and “during the pendency of the criminal case, it was decided not to initiate a departmental inquiry. But at the quarterly meeting to review suspended policemen, held during the COVID-19 pandemic on June 5, the panel headed by the police commissioner considered cases of various officers including API Vaze and three other constables, accused. The CP considered the “large scale infection” of Covid among policemen as a vital issue

The encounter specialist says that Yunus’s body was burnt at a farm in Asangaon in Raigad district and a cemented platform was constructed at the place so that no one could find the bones and the ashes. Vaze has refuted the allegations. He is confident that his “innocence” in this case will be proved in the Bombay High Court. Investigations by the state CID in 2003 found that Vaze’s escape theory was false and that Yunus actually died in police custody.

Vaze was suspended for being responsible for Yunus’ death. Yunus’ elder brother Sayyed Khwaja Hussain, 42, says his brother’s death has destroyed the family. His father Sayyed Khwaja Ayub, a retired official with the state government’s health department, died in 2004 because of the shock of Yunus’ death.

His mother Aasiya Begum, has filed a habeas corpus petition in the Bombay High Court. The final hearing on this petition was completed three months ago. Hussain is waiting for the HC’s verdict. He is depressed because of the delay in “justice” but has full faith in the judiciary and the almighty.

 

Ola Cab driver’s lobby causes anarchy at Mumbai’s International airport

By
Akshay Redij
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ola cabs, ola, mumbai police, lobby, ola cab, ola drivers, cab aggregator, app based cabsA few years back the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) the airport operator had tied up with App-based cab aggregators like Ola Cabs and Uber with a dedicated parking space on Level P7 of Terminal 2, to decongest the traffic and passenger ease, but with the COVID-19 situation and limited security personnel’s working at the airports the dedicated parking spaces have become vulnerable with unauthorised drivers and touts roaming around.

Ideally, a passenger has to book the Ola Cab on the mobile app and reach Level P7 where the assigned cab would arrive, but as some passengers reported there are many touts roaming asking passengers waiting for their cabs to cancel the ride on the app and luring to avail their cab at instantly or at a lesser price compared to the price shown on the app for once destination.

We spoke to some of the passengers who were a target to such Ola drivers at Terminal 2.

“I recently have had a similar experience, on 13th March I booked an Ola cab at the International airport and reach the dedicated Ola space at Level P7, I got a call from the driver asking my mode of payment, he insisted for cash or threaded to cancel the ride, I had to cancel as I was not caring cash, on the second attempt I again got a call asking for cash yet again and he refused to come if I was to pay online. After two-three attempts, I realised it was not only me, but almost all the passengers were suffering from the same problem”, said Sanket Gupte who recently used the cab at the airport.

Sanket further stated that “To my surprise, some random people were approaching me asking about my destination and the estimated fare shown on the app, they even insisted on paying 20-30 rupees less and to avail their cab which was, of course, not Ola but a private offline cab.”

We spoke to Akhilesh S Rai who runs an Ola cab said, “We have to pay double parking charge of Rs 240 even if 1-minute is crossed from the standard rate of Rs 130 for 30-minute, then how are these other cab drivers parking their vehicles for 4 to 5 hours? This is not possible without someone from the Ola company helping these drivers, they favour their known drivers, relatives, or friends. The company is aware of such practices at their pickup point.”

Another passenger Pravin Patel with whom we spoke said, “I was approached by these men and they told me that the cabs are running late due to high demand and asked me to cancel the ride on the app and to take their cabs at a higher price than what was shown on the App. I had to face 2-3 such people they all gave me false narratives.”

“This is a very bad practice and the authorities should look into this, who will guarantee the safety and security of such cab drivers, especially for a woman passenger,” Pravin further added.

Wasim Sheikh who also recently experienced a similar issue at the airport said, “We book cabs with these app-based aggregators for some kind of safety and security, but if such activities are going on and the authorities do not act, this will jeopardise the whole experience of booking cabs at the airports.”

The only question that remains is that with the intention of making the passengers’ journey seamless and comfortable with these dedicated pickup points for these aggregators, the authorised should act against these illegal activities and touts at the International airport that is making the whole experience a vulnerable one.

We wanted to post this as a warning to fellow travellers, avoid using services from these illegal drivers, especially if you are with children and old age family members, women travellers have their own challenges.

Buying gelatin sticks is not difficult in India, there should be strict protocol

By
Vaidehi Taman
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gelatin stick, gelatin, scorpio, sachin vaze, vaze, mumbai police

Police seizing gelatin sticks is frequent news these days. In the month of February this year, more than 100 and 350 detonators were seized from a train passenger in Kerala at the Kozhikode Railway Station. The large haul of explosives was seized by the Railway Protection Force from a woman passenger of the Chennai-Mangalapuram Express.

Around 20 to 25 gelatin sticks have enough power to destroy a basement area which can bring down the building. Recently in Karnataka, at least six people were killed in a blast at a mine site after a bunch of gelatin sticks exploded in a vehicle. The blast was so powerful that it completely damaged the vehicle and the dead bodies could not be identified. If these gelatin sticks are so dangerous then how one is having easy access to them?

Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has an online site there is one form given that has to be filled. Once a customer raises an indent online in specific form RE 11 and it is routed through the explosives department (PESO) portal and on receipt of RE-11. The company delivers the explosives and submits the details of the supplies (boxes in barcode) to the police department and PESO with online form RE -12. There are specialized vehicles in which these explosives are transported.

These gelatin sticks need a detonator to blast. If they were targeting a convoy, they could have used a timer. They could have given it a power source of a 9-watt battery and figure it to the timer to remote-control the blast. If it would have been an entire packet of 25, there is a barcode on the packet with which it can be traced or the place where it was bought from.

In a major revelation in the investigation into the quarry-related blasts, that killed 14 people in the state over the last month, it has now emerged that the two quarries where the blasts occurred, received their consignments of gelatin sticks from the same supplier in Telangana. In January, a blast at a quarry in Hunasodu village on the outskirts of Shivamogga had claimed eight lives. On Monday, a similar blast at Hirenagavalli in Chikkaballapur district had claimed six lives.

There were some anxieties that the gelatin sticks could be defective as both explosions occurred while the material was being transported. But, in both instances, the gelatin sticks were not being transported in secure ‘magazine vans’, but in ordinary trucks.

The police have traced the supplier and collected 54,000 samples of explosives and thousands of detonators from his godown to check whether they complied with safety parameters. The number of mines has increased, but not the number of trained explosive handlers. This means that semi-trained or untrained laborers are made to use the explosives, which is a grave mistake.

At Chikkaballapur, two people, including the owner and the person who allegedly supplied gelatin sticks to a quarry in Hirenagavali in Chikkaballapur district, where six people died in an explosion, have been arrested, taking the total number of arrests to seven. The owner, Nagaraj, was picked up locally, while another person, Ganesh, was arrested from Hosur in Tamil Nadu. Police had arrested three owners, Raghavendra Reddy, Venkatashiva Reddy and, Madhusudhan, and two others, Praveen and Riyaz. The CID has started its investigation.

Close on the heels of gelatin stick blasts at two quarries in the state, officials in Davangere launched a drive to identify quarries that are using explosive materials. The Department of Mines and Geology, along with police, on Wednesday found an electrical detonator at a stone quarry and defused it. They also booked a case against the owner of the quarry, Kumar Naik.

Similarly, a stolen Scorpio with gelatin sticks was found outside Antilia last month in Mumbai. During the investigation, Mansukh Hiren had told the police that the vehicle had been stolen on Feb 17 from Vikhroli where he had parked it after the steering wheel of the vehicle jammed. Sachin Vaze was the investigating officer of the case before he was replaced by ACP Nitin Alakhnure. On March 6, Hiren’s body was fished out from Kalwa creek near Reti Bunder after he was reported missing by his family a few hours earlier. The case has now been taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) while the ATS registered a murder case in connection with Hiren’s death.

 

No proposal to bring petrol, diesel, gas, ATF under GST, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

By
Afternoon Voice
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nirmala sitharaman, gst, fuel, diesel
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman | Image Courtesy: ANI Photo
A mid-record-high fuel prices, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said there is no proposal as of now to bring crude oil, petrol, diesel, jet fuel (ATF), and natural gas under the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

When the GST was introduced on July 1, 2017, amalgamating over a dozen central and state levies, five commodities – crude oil, natural gas, petrol, diesel, and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) – were kept out of its purview given the revenue dependence of the central and state governments on this sector.

This meant that the central government continued to levy excise duty on them while state governments charged VAT. These taxes, with excise duty, in particular, have been raised periodically.

While the taxes haven’t come down, a spike in global oil prices on-demand recovery has pushed petrol and diesel to an all-time high, leading to demand them come under the GST.

”At present, there is no proposal to bring crude petroleum, petrol, diesel, ATF, and natural gas under GST,” Sitharaman said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

She said the law prescribes that the GST Council shall recommend the date on which the goods and services tax be levied on petroleum crude, high-speed diesel, motor spirit (commonly known as petrol), natural gas, and ATF.

”So far, the GST Council, in which the states are also represented, has not made any recommendation for inclusion of these goods under GST,” she said.

The Council may consider the issue of inclusion of these five petroleum products at a time it considers appropriate keeping in view all the relevant factors, including revenue implication, she added.

Including oil products in GST will not just help companies set off tax that they paid on input but will also bring about uniformity in taxation on the fuels in the country.

Sitharaman has in recent weeks talked of inclusion of fuel under GST as well as centre and states taking a joint call on cutting taxes to cushion consumers against the spike in retail prices.

To a separate question, her junior in the finance ministry, Anurag Singh Thakur said excise duty on petrol was Rs 19.98 per litre a year back and is Rs 32.9 now. Similarly, on diesel, the excise duty has been raised from Rs 15.83 to Rs 31.8.

”The excise duty rates have been calibrated to generate resources for infrastructure and other developmental items of expenditure keeping in view the present fiscal position,” Thakur, Minister of State for Finance, said giving reasons for raising the levy.

On the impact of higher fuel rates on general prices, he said ‘petrol for vehicle’ inflation has increased from 7.38 per cent in January 2020 to 12.53 per cent in January this year.

Similarly, ‘diesel for vehicle’ inflation has increased from 6.44 per cent in January last year to 12.79 per cent this year, he said.

On fuel pricing, Thakur said the prices of petroleum products in the country are benchmarked to international product prices.

”Generally, the price of petroleum products in the country are higher/lower than other countries due to a variety of factors, including prevailing tax regime and subsidy compensations by the respective Governments,” he said.

The government ended subsidies on petrol in 2010 and on diesel in 2014. ATF pricing was freed in 2002.

Can Sachin Vaze, destabilise Shiv Sena government?

By
Vaidehi Taman
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sachin vaze, vaze, api sachin vaze, nia, vaze arrested, national investigative agency, mansukh hiren

Sachin Vaze was in denial mode when NIA was probing the case. He was frequently changing his statements but finally surrendered to the pressure by accepting his involvement in the crime. Vaze was arrested by the central agency after questioning him for nearly 12 hours. He was the lead investigator in the explosives case before it was transferred to the Mumbai Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and later to the NIA.

Vaze, an assistant police inspector, was placed under arrest minutes before Saturday midnight by an NIA team led by Inspector General (IG) Anil Shukla at the agency’s Mumbai office. Vaze was very much non-cooperative and adamant on his stand.

The APS has been arrested under Sections 286 (Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 465 (Punishment for forgery), 473 (Making or possessing counterfeit seal), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code and 4(a)(b)(I) (attempt to cause an explosion) of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.

During his tenure as the head of the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Mumbai crime branch, Vaze was handling all high-profile cases, including the TRP rigging scam in which he arrested a total of 15 accused, including former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta from Pune. There was a political uproar; opposition leaders levied various allegations against him because Vaze was taking on all so-called BJP supporters.

A top NIA official confirmed to the media that Sachin Vaze is part of the group that planted the explosive-laden Scorpio on Carmichael Road (near Antilia) on February 25, adding that he confessed to his role in the entire episode but refused to share more details at this stage. The motive of this crime is yet to be exposed.

A Telegram channel was created by “Jaish-ul-Hind” on February 26 and a message claiming responsibility for parking the vehicle outside Antilia, where Ambani lives with his family, was posted from that channel. Later on, it was revealed that the information was leaked by Vaze himself.

On Saturday, a special cell team of the Delhi Police interrogated Tehsin Akhtar, who is known to be the last chief of the now inactive home-grown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), as two smartphones were recovered from his barrack in Tihar Jail. One of these phones was reportedly used to send out the message that claimed responsibility for the explosives found outside the industrialist’s house last month.

Hiren’s widow Vimla named Vaze in her statement to the police. She said she suspected the 49-year-old police officer’s role in the matter. She told the investigators the SUV belonged to Dr. Peter Newton, who was known to her husband. Dr. Newton would also be called for interrogations.

The SUV was with Hiren for the past three years and was lent to Vaze in November 2020. The vehicle was dropped off by the police officer’s driver at Hiren’s shop in Thane on February 5 this year. It has been alleged that Vaze was also forcing Hiren to take responsibility for the case and surrender to the police. Sharad Pawar apparently intervened as Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray did not want to take action against the police officer, who had once quit the service and joined the Shiv Sena.

Sachin Vaze was also part of the police team when Alibag police arrived in Mumbai and arrested Republic TV editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami, from his residence in the Lower Parel area in October 2020 in the Anvay Naik suicide case. Vaze also unearthed an inter-state car scam and arrested famous sports car designer Dilip Chhabria on December 28, 2020, after police found that his firm Dilip Chhabria (DC) Designs Pvt Ltd had allegedly availed loans from some non-banking financial companies (NBFC) by posing as customers looking to buy DC sports cars. Police raided his factory in Pune and seized 14 cars and 40 engines in January 2021.

Vaze also recently took over actor Hrithik Roshan’s case against Kangana Ranaut from 2016, involving an exchange of emails between the two, in the cyber police station which was later transferred to the CIU for further inquiry.

Sachin Vaze joined the Maharashtra Police force in 1990 as a sub-inspector. He was first posted in the Gadchiroli, a Naxal-affected area, and in 1992; later he was moved to Thane City Police. Afterward, Vaze came into the Special Squad of the Thane crime branch and started carrying out encounters in the area.

All was going well for Sachin Vaze till 2003. He was media savvy and had his name and photos appearing in newspapers and TV channels. But in 2004, due to his alleged role in the Khwaja Yunus case, he was suspended. He later submitted his resignation in 2007. However, the resignation had not been accepted and hence he could be reinstated.

He is known to be good with technology. In 2010, he started a social networking site called ‘Lai Bhari’. Vaze had also reportedly developed software that can trace the location of people through mobile phones. He has also written two books, one on the Sheena Bora murder case and the other on David Headley, which later turned an approver. Sachin Vaze has also written a book based on the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai named ‘Jinkun Harleli Ladhaai’.

 

Sachin Vaze said, ‘I am a piece of Iceberg in this case’

By
Afternoon Voice
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sachin vaze, suv, explosive, scorpio, vaze, mansukh hiren, antalia, ambani, nia, national investigation agencySachin Vaze, who has been arrested by NIA confessed his role in the conspiracy, it’s been said that after a hard probe and interrogation Vaze broke down to the pressure. Moreover, Vaze also expressed his disappointment for being part of this conspiracy. NIA has also seized Vaze’s SUV and is inspecting the car for clues.

A top NIA official told the Media that the “Sachin Vaze is part of the conspirator gang that planted the explosive-laden Scorpio on Carmichael Road (near Antilia) on February 25.”

The officer also alleged that Sachin Vaze had confessed to his role in the entire episode. As per the latest developments, Sachin Vaze has admitted that he was a part of the plot in the Ambani bomb threat case. He also asserted that he was a very small part of the plan and the Shiv Sena leaders named by him played a major role but declined to share more details at this stage.

NIA is still investigating the matter from every angle while Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has raised questions on the investigation stating why a central investigation agency is probing a businessman’s case. On the other hand, BJP leader Ram Kadam has demanded a Narco test for Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze to know the truth of the case.

It has also come to light that the Innova car seen in the CCTV along with the explosive-laden SUV outside Ambani’s Antilia, belonged to Mumbai the Crime Intelligence Unit, and was generally used by Vaze and his colleagues. 4 members of CIU (2 drivers and 2 officers) were also called by NIA. They have come to join the investigation

Earlier in a press conference, CM Uddhav Thackeray downplayed Vaze’s involvement in the case saying, Sachin Vaze is not Osama Bin Laden. It is not right to target a person, hang him and then investigate.

Meanwhile, Indian Mujahideen terrorist Tehseen Akhtar was questioned for “nearly four hours” inside the Tihar Jail by a team of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell in connection with the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare probe.

Vaze was the lead investigator in the explosives case before it was transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Mumbai Police, and later the NIA. On Saturday, he tried to get anticipatory bail from a judge but did not succeed.

The motive behind this entire incident is yet not clear if there was a conspiracy to hurt the Ambani family. The SUV found parked near the Ambani residence had 20 gelatin sticks and a threatening letter. There was, however, no other assembled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or timer in the vehicle.

Mansukh Hiren, who claimed ownership of the deserted vehicle – told the police that the vehicle was stolen a week earlier – was found dead in a creek in Mumbai on March 5. Hiren’s wife Vimla blamed Sachin Vaze for the murder, claiming that her husband had given the SUV to the police officer months before it mysteriously turned up outside the Ambani residence.

 

Maharashtra BJP leaders slam Shiv Sena for backing Sachin Vaze

By
Afternoon Voice
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api, sachin vaze, sachin vaze, mumbai police, police, hiren mansukh, hiren, anil deshmukh
Image Courtesy: PTI

BJP’s senior leader Devendra Fadnavis said the arrest of assistant inspector Sachin Vaze in connection with the explosives-laden vehicle found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s home was just the beginning of the flow of information about the case.

It also puts a question mark on the Uddhav Thackeray- led Maha Vikas Aghadi government that was shielding Vaze, Fadnavis claimed.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Vaze on Saturday night for his alleged involvement in placing the explosives-laden vehicle on Carmichael Road near Ambani’s residence Antilia on February 25, an agency spokesperson earlier said.

“If somebody from the police force works in this manner, then how will law and order be maintained? Vaze was sheltered by the state government. Now the NIA has proof and has arrested him. This is just the beginning and more information will come out as the investigation progresses,” the former Maharashtra CM told reporters.

Fadnavis said Vaze was under suspension since 2004 due to a Bombay High Court order.

“But when I was chief minister and held the home department, my Shiv Sena colleagues wanted Vaze to be reinstated. I took the advice of the advocate general who said it was not proper to revoke the suspension. Last year, the MVA government reinstated Vaze citing the lack of police officials amid the COVID-19 outbreak,” he said.

Fadnavis said Vaze was posted in Crime Intelligence Unit, a sensitive and important arm of the Crime Branch, that too by giving him charge after transferring the inspector level official heading it.

He was handling every case in the CIU despite being just an assistant police inspector (API) because he was confident, he had the backing of the ruling Shiv Sena, Fadnavis alleged.

“He is now accused of staging an incident of which he was named the investigating officer,” the former CM said.

He rubbished talk of the involvement of the NIA, a Central agency, in the probe lowering the morale of Maharashtra police, and asked if the morale of the police was getting boosted due to the presence of personnel like Vaze.

Reacting to some leaders accusing him of getting sensitive information about the case beforehand, Fadnavis said, as Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, it was his duty to highlight wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said Vaze had done irreparable damage to the image of the state.

“It is shameful that a police officer defended by the state chief minister till yesterday has been arrested by the NIA in a terror conspiracy case. The Shiv Sena was supporting a person who wanted to harm industrialists and destroy peace,” he said.

Patil said there were several answers people wanted to know about the incident involving the explosives-laden vehicle as well as the death of its owner Mansukh Hiran.

“People want to know why Vaze was supported to the hilt and who are the leaders, MLAs, ministers, and police officials who knew about the entire episode but chose to remain silent,” Patil said.

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