The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday has conducted a raid at six locations in office premises residences of Directors of the Viva Group which is owned by the Thakur family (Hitendra Thakur) in Vasai -Virar in connection with the Punjab-Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC) scam.
A close source to the development revealed that Viva Group received Rs 200 crore from tainted Housing Development Infra Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL), who is a key accused in the PMC Bank fraud case.
ED conducts searches on premises of Hitendra Thakur owned Viva group, in Mumbai in connection with Yes Bank & PMC Bank Scam. ED has traced money trail b/w Pravin Raut & Thakur family: ED Officials
Raids underway in Mira Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar; around 6 premises being raided pic.twitter.com/WzbKJpGjFJ
Reportedly, Viva Trust and its group companies are run and controlled by family members of Underworld don Bhai Thakur also known as Jayendra Vishu Thakur. Thakur controlled areas of Vasai -Virar for over three decades and had been in jail multiple times for several cases including smuggling, murder, land grab, and various other cases. His brother Hitendra Thakur is the president of the party named Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) and running the show for several years in these areas (Vasai-Virar).
Pravin Raut is accused in the PMC bank case. Thakur has financial ties with Praveen Raut and the ED suspects that he is also involved in the scam.
Earlier this month, in connection with the same case, the ED had questioned Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut.
In the last few months, the law enforcement agency has conducted several raids across Maharashtra and summoned many state political leaders.
In the recent past, Mumbai has seen the highest cybercrime of debit/credit card phishing and fraud with a total of 978 cases, of which 248 were online banking fraud. Online cheating constituted a massive 1,150 cases, revealing the data. With the extensive use of the internet for banking and other activities, cybercrime has seen a drastic rise over the years. While 1,362 cases of cybercrime were recorded in 2017 in Mumbai, the numbers increased gradually to 1,482 and 2,527 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The cybercrime rate in Mumbai for last year was 13.7 per cent, which is comparatively less considering the city’s population of 1.84 crore.
Most of the crimes are happening on public networks, by using dubious sim cards and public networks the criminals are committing cybercrime and at the same time, those people who are using public networks for personal banking transactions are getting compromised. According to the data released by NCRB, over 2,084 incidents had a motive of fraud, 154 of sexual exploitation, while 256 had other intentions. Over 146 cases of cyberstalking were registered last year and 28 cases were pertaining to data theft. Mumbai topped the list of 19 metropolitan cities in terms of fraud related to ATM, OTP, and online banking along with cheating and forgery. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Mumbai ranked second in cybercrime with 2,527 cases after IT hub Bengaluru with 10,555 cases. Although Wi-Fi makes it easy to access information and do business online, it is not safe, especially if you are using it for online banking.
Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh has warned people against cybercrimes, appealing to them not to do bank transactions over public WiFi networks.
Singh wrote a Twitter post, “Personal information on public networks is easily accessible. Do not access personal identifiable information like banking information, home address, etc. over public WiFi networks.”
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Mumbai ranked second in cybercrime with 2,527 cases after IT hub Bengaluru with 10,555 cases.
There may come a time when your only option is an unsecured, free, public Wi-Fi hotspot, and your work simply cannot wait. If that’s the case, understanding the risks of public Wi-Fi may prevent you from falling victim to an attack. Public Wi-Fi can be found in popular public places like airports, coffee shops, malls, restaurants, and hotels — and it allows you to access the Internet for free. These “hotspots” are so widespread and common that people frequently connect to them without thinking twice. Even though it sounds safe to log on and check your social media account or browse some news articles, everyday activities that require a login — like reading e-mail or checking your bank account — could be risky business on public Wi-Fi. One of the biggest threats with free Wi-Fi is the ability for hackers to position themselves between you and the connection point. So, instead of talking directly with the hotspot, you end up sending your information to the hacker. The hacker also has access to every piece of information you send out—emails, phone numbers, credit card information, business data, the list goes on. And once a hacker has that information, you’ve basically given them the controls.
However, despite numerous warnings, headlines, and efforts to educate, many people still don’t understand why connecting to free Wi-Fi is an incredibly dangerous situation regardless of what they are doing online. The problem with public Wi-Fi is that there are a tremendous number of risks that go along with these networks. While business owners may believe they’re providing a valuable service to their customers, chances are the security on these networks is lax or nonexistent. One of the most common threats on these networks is called a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack. Essentially, a MitM attack is a form of eavesdropping. When a computer makes a connection to the Internet, data is sent from point A (computer) to point B (service/website), and vulnerabilities can allow an attacker to get in between these transmissions and “read” them. So what you thought was private no longer is. Encryption information that is sent between your computer and the wireless router is in the form of a “secret code,” so that it cannot be read by anyone who doesn’t have the key to decipher the code. Most routers are shipped from the factory with encryption turned off by default, and it must be turned on when the network is set up. If an IT professional sets up the network, then chances are good that encryption has been enabled. However, there is no sure-fire way to tell if this has happened. A software vulnerability is a security hole or weakness found in an operating system or software program. Hackers can exploit this weakness by writing code to target a specific vulnerability, and then inject the malware onto your device. Cybercriminals can buy special software kits and even devices to help assist them with eavesdropping on Wi-Fi signals. This technique can allow the attackers to access everything that you are doing online — from viewing whole webpages you have visited (including any information you may have filled out while visiting that webpage) to being able to capture your login credentials, and even hijack your accounts.
The best way to know your information is safe while using public Wi-Fi is to use a virtual private network (VPN), like Norton Secure VPN, when surfing on your PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet. However, if you must use public Wi-Fi, follow these tips to protect your information.
You have to remain safe by not allowing your Wi-Fi to auto-connect to networks, log into any account via an app that contains sensitive information. Go to the website instead and verify it uses HTTPS before logging in. Leave your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on if you are not using them. Access websites that hold your sensitive information, such as financial or healthcare accounts, Log onto a network that isn’t password protected. First and foremost disable file sharing, only visit sites using HTTPS. Log out of accounts when done using them. If possible use a VPN, like Norton Secure VPN; to make sure your public Wi-Fi connections are made private Encryption normally helps protect your network traffic from prying eyes. For example, even if your neighbour at home is within range of your Wi-Fi network, they can’t see the web pages you’re viewing. This wireless traffic is encrypted between your laptop, tablet, or Smartphone and your wireless router. It’s encrypted with your Wi-Fi passphrase.
When you connect to an open Wi-Fi network like one at a coffee shop or airport, the network is generally unencrypted — you can tell because you don’t have to enter a passphrase when connecting. Your unencrypted network traffic is then clearly visible to everyone in range. People can see what unencrypted web pages you’re visiting, what you’re typing into unencrypted web forms, and even see which encrypted websites you’re connected to — so if you’re connected to your bank’s website, they’d know it, although they wouldn’t know what you were doing. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic crisis broke out, the police have had their hands full not only ensuring that people don’t put themselves and others at risk but are also fighting dozens of rumours and attempts at indulging in hate-mongering through social media platforms. Let it be public WiFi or social media what you need is alertness to protect your credentials.
Maharashtra Secondary School Certificate (SSC or Class 10) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC or Class 12) board exam dates were on Thursday announced by State School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad.
The written exams of the state board’s Class 12 will be held from April 23to May 29, and of Class 10 from April 29 to May 31.
The exams are usually held in February and March, which have to be rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Talking to reporters, Gaikwad said the practical exams for Class 12 will be held between April 1 and 22, and for Class 10 between April 9 and 28.
”The written exams for Class 12 will be held between April 23 and May 29, and for Class 10 between April 29 and May 31. We are trying to declare the results of Classes 12 and 10by July-end and August-end, respectively,” the minister said.
The state has already reduced the syllabus by 25 percent so that it will not be a burden for students, she said.
To a query, Gaikwad said around 38 percent of students were attending classes in schools, as on January 18.
Schools and junior colleges for Classes 9 to 12 had reopened in parts of the state earlier this month based on the COVID-19 situation in respective areas.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on Thursday with the addition of 2,886 fresh cases, said a state health department official. With the new cases, Maharashtra’s COVID-19 tally rose to 20,00,878. While the state-reported 52 more deaths due to the infection, taking the fatality count to 50,634, added health minister.
At least five were killed, four were evacuated in the massive fire that broke out at vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India (SII) in Maharashtra’s Pune facility on Thursday. The deaths were confirmed by the Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol after three hours of the fire engulfed in the vaccine production unit.
Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said, “The five people who died were perhaps the workers at the under-construction building. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained but it is being speculated that welding, that was going on at the building, caused the fire.”
The five people who died, were perhaps the workers at the under-construction building. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained but it is being speculated that welding, that was going on at the building, caused the fire: Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol#SerumInstituteofIndiahttps://t.co/KmSngS3TI6
The fire is unlikely to hit the production of millions of Covishield vaccines that are being manufactured by the SII in partnership with the Oxford University and British-Swedish pharma firm AstraZeneca.
According to an officer after the fire report, a total 10 fire tenders were rushed to SII. It’s been also reported that one team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been rushed to control the fire that broke out around 2.45 pm.
The fire broke out at Terminal 1 gate and the fire continues to rage at the fourth and fifth floors of SEZ3 building inside Terminal Gate 1. The site where the fire broke out, is an under-construction building at SII. The vaccine and vaccine manufacturing plant are safe.
As per a close source to the development, “Fire in the Serum Institute of India has happened at the Manjari plant. It is not going to affect Covidshield vaccine production.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray‘s office tweeted he is “in touch with the Pune Municipal Commissioner and is taking complete on-ground updates”. The statement further continued, “He has directed the state machinery to coordinate and ensure that the situation is under control.”
CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray is in touch with the Pune Municipal Commissioner and is taking complete on-ground updates. He has directed the state machinery to coordinate and ensure that the situation is under control. https://t.co/NlcVtf33TG
“Fire broke out at Manjari plant. Production wasn’t done there but the preparation was on to begin it at a later stage. Fire fighting op is on, the building has been vacated but we’re re-checking. Fire will be doused in an hour. No problem at vaccine plant/storage,” said Pune Police Commissioner.
Stating on the same the CEO and owner of the Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla said he would like to reassure that there would be no loss of production of the Covishield vaccine.
Adar Poonawalla took to Twitter and wrote, “I would like to reassure all governments and the public that there would be no loss of Covishield production due to multiple production buildings that I had kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies at Serum Institute of India.”
I would like to reassure all governments & the public that there would be no loss of #COVISHIELD production due to multiple production buildings that I had kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies at @SerumInstIndia. Thank you very much @PuneCityPolice & Fire Department
Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said he had full faith that the BJP government at the Centre led by PM Narendra Modi will provide a home to every citizen of the country by August 15, 2022. He was speaking at the virtual public dedication of a one-km-long overbridge at Shilaj in Ahmedabad.
Shah said, “The way in which our BJP Government is undertaking housing projects in the country in rural as well as urban areas, I have full assurance that by August 15, 2022 everyone in the country will be facilitated with a house to live in. The Narendra Modi government has provided more than 10 crore [units of]affordable housing.”
“More than 13 crore poor families were provided with gas cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme by our PM Narendra Modi…Our government has provided electricity to all the villages in the country and now we are working towards providing water connectivity to every household in the country by 2022. I have full faith that by the time the BJP will contest the next Lok Sabha elections, there won’t be a single house in the country devoid of water connectivity,” Shah added.
Shah, on Thursday carried out the virtual dedication of overbridge on the railway track at Thaltej- Shilaj area in Ahmedabad. Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel was present at the site.
Two days before Golmaal actor Tushar Kapoor had announced his upcoming Bollywood project tilted as Maarrich and shared a picture on social with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah.
Now the recent reports suggest that South actress Seerat Kapoor has been roped in to play the female lead in Tushar Kapoor’s upcoming film with Naseeruddin Shah.
Seerat Kapoor who has given many super hits in the south industry is all set to make a Bollywood debut with the film Maarrich. The actress was launched in the Telugu industry with the film “Run Raja Run” and gave back to back hits working with legendary actors like Naga Arjuna and Ravi Teja as their love interest.
Seerat Kapoor is playing the key lead role in the film and recently posted a picture with Naseeruddin Shah and wrote, “The seeds of ur blessings & love galore have gifted me the opportunity 2embark upon the next chapter of my journey. My heart skips a beat as I announce my Bollywood debut feature film Maarrich.”
According to the report, the film’s title draws from a character in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Maarrich, an aide of Raavana had assisted the ruler of Lanka to kidnap Sita, tempting her by posing as a golden deer.
On the work front, “Seerat Kapoor gave back to back hits in 2020 with the films “Krishna And His Leela” and “Maa Vintha Gadha Vinuma”. She has had an exceptional career in Tollywood with some blockbuster hits like Tiger (2015), Columbus (2015) Raju Gari Gadhi 2 and many others.
In all of recorded human history, one common theme recurs—human beings trying to improve themselves. This in-built instinct to become better in search of happiness and peace has led to questions about our deep-rooted emotions of fear, aggression, violence, jealousy, and hatred, and mostly about suffering. The Buddha’s single-minded purpose was to end suffering and find a way out; and when he found it, he showed it to the thousands who thronged his sanghas.
Two thousand five hundred years later, J. Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986), sage and religious teacher, explored the human condition and the way out of the struggles and crises that each one of us face in our lives. No one spoke to more people about our human condition than he did. He travelled the globe speaking to large audiences, smaller groups and dialoguing with some of the most brilliant scientific and religious minds.
Krishnamurti did no advocate any method or provide any solutions. He was very clear that no outside help could set anyone free. Each one had to do it for himself. Writing the preface to The First and Last Freedom, one of Krishnamurti’s best-selling books for six decades, Aldous Huxley, well-known novelist and philosopher, said: “In this volume, the reader will find a clear contemporary statement of the fundamental human problem, together with an invitation to solve it in the only way in which it can be solved – for and by himself”.
How does one solve one’s own state of fear or violence? Can one become courageous in the face of fear? Or can one practice non-violence when one is violent? Krishnamurti showed the fallacy of ideals such as non-violence or that of practicing love when one feels hatred. All ideals, he pointed out, are unreal projections of a mind wanting to escape ‘what is’, which is the current actual state. For him, man’s quest for Truth should begin with the truth of one’s actual emotional state such as hatred, fear, or cruelty, and not with their opposites such as love, courage, or compassion. To aim for an ideal is what our society regards as self-improvement, or personality-development. He explained the reasons why humanity for centuries, caught up in achieving ideals for self-improvement, has never done so. The world today is a stark reminder that self-improvement has not worked. Krishnamurti showed that it is self-knowledge, and not self-improvement, brought about by choiceless awareness of one’s own inner states that holds the possibility of real change.
Responding to a question on the difference between introspection and awareness, Krishnamurti said: “Introspection, which is a form of self-improvement, of self-expansion, can never lead to truth, because it is always a process of self-enclosure; whereas awareness is a state in which truth can come into being, the truth of ‘what is’, the truth of daily existence. It is only when we understand the truth of daily existence can we go far”.
For those who are interested in exploring what Krishnamurti unraveled over six decades of talks, dialogues and writings, here are five “must-read” Krishnamurti books.
Think on These Things
Chosen by Parabola magazine as ‘one of hundred best spiritual books of the century’. An excellent introduction to Krishnamurti’s teaching for the young and the old
The Awakening of Intelligence
This comprehensive record of J. Krishnamurti’s teachings is a wide-ranging introduction to the insights of the great philosopher and religious teacher. Krishnamurti examines the role of the guru with Prof. Jacob Needleman; the traditional methods prescribed by Vedanta with Swami Ventakesananda; the problem of good and evil with Alain Naude; and the relationship between thought and intelligence with Dr. David Bohm.
The First and Last Freedom
Published in 1954 in response to demands all over the world for a comprehensive book on Krishnamurti’s teachings, this book falls into two parts: Krishnamurti’s reflections on life, and answers to questions put to him by audiences.
Commentaries on Living
During the 1930s and 1940s, Krishnamurti was intermittently keeping notes of his talks, his musings on nature and reflections on life, and discussions with individuals and groups. These are produced in three volumes and represent an entirely new genre of writing—a blend of lyrical descriptions of nature, philosophical reflections, and psychological insights, all informed by a deep religious sensibility and couched in lucid, absorbing prose.
The Ending of Time:
Has humanity taken a wrong turn which has brought about endless division, conflict, and destruction?’. This is one of the fundamental questions posed in this series of dialogues between Krishnamurti and Dr. David Bohm, eminent theoretical physicist. They debate profound existential questions such as insight, illusion, death, transcendence, self-realization, the temporal and the spiritual.
Saif Ali Khan starrer Tandav web series has been in the headline soon after its release. Several MLA’s of BJP has claimed that the dark political drama series has allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of people. In connection with the same a team of Uttar Pradesh Police reached Mumbai on Wednesday to question the makers of the web series ‘Tandav’.
Reportedly, multiple complaints have been filed against well-known director of Bollywood Ali Abbas Zafar, Amazon Prime’s India head Aparna Purohit, producer Himanshu Kishan Mehra, writer Gaurav Solanki and actors for hurting religious sentiments for its depiction of Hindu deities.
According to an official, the U.P. Police team is likely to record statements of the makers and cast and crew of the Amazon Prime Video’s series. All the officers had Mumbai in the morning and visited the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection-1) in suburban Andheri for assistance.
Two members of the U.P. Police team also visited the Mumbai Police headquarters in south Mumbai in the afternoon. While at the Mumbai Police headquarters, the U.P. Police personnel said they are getting cooperation from their counterparts here and “there is no issue about it”.
At least three FIRs have been lodged against the makers and artists of Tandav in Uttar Pradesh – at Lucknow, Greater Noida and Shahjahanpur.
Reportedly, on Tuesday the makers have announced to remove the controversial portion from the show.
In their second apology statement in two days, the show’s team also thanked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for its “guidance & support” in the matter.
Tandav a nine-episode political thriller starring Bollywood A-listers Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Gauhar Khan and Kriti Kamara started streaming on Amazon prime from January 15, 2021.
ZEE5’s upcoming film Lahore Confidential has created quite a buzz across the internet for its unique twist on a romantic love story filled with patriotism and thrill.
Created by India’s most prolific crime writer S. Hussain Zaidi, the film will produce by Jar Pictures. The romantic spy thriller also marks the directorial digital comeback of Kunal Kohli. Lahore Confidential stars Richa Chadha, Karishma Tanna, and Arunoday Singh in pivotal roles.
Karishma Tanna who is making her OTT debut with Lahore Confidential opens up about her experience working with Richa and Arunoday.
Karishma shares, “Working with Richa and Arunoday was Fabulous. I knew Richa from before but I met Arunoday for the first time and it didn’t feel like that I am meeting him for the first time. Both of them were very friendly and very nice they are so good actors to work with that. I would love to work with them again in the future.”
The narrative revolves around a humble, Indian woman and amidst her mundane-routine life and her love for Urdu literature, she finds herself on an intelligence duty in Pakistan. A contemporary, elegant, and thrilling love story of two spies that will put them in a tug of war with each other. The film is based in Pakistan and has a strong sense of patriotism and thrill entangled with old school romance.
Lahore Confidential to premiere on 4th February 2021.
In the recent past, Mumbai has seen the highest cybercrime of debit/credit card phishing and fraud with a total of 978 cases, of which 248 were online banking fraud. Online cheating constituted a massive 1,150 cases, revealing the data. With the extensive use of the internet for banking and other activities, cybercrime has seen a drastic rise over the years. While 1,362 cases of cybercrime were recorded in 2017 in Mumbai, the numbers increased gradually to 1,482 and 2,527 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The cybercrime rate in Mumbai for last year was 13.7 per cent, which is comparatively less considering the city’s population of 1.84 crore.
