Page 15 - Chhattisgarh

Congress has lost faith of people, confidence of its leaders: CM Sai

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday took a swipe at the Congress, saying the party has lost the faith of people and even the confidence of its leaders. Addressing a press conference at the BJP office Ekatma Parisar here, Sai exuded confidence that the saffron party will win all 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Sunday is the last day for campaigning for the third and last phase of the general elections in Chhattisgarh, where seven Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls on May 7. Elections to 11 parliamentary constituencies in the state are being held in three phases, and polling in four seats took place in the first two phases. "This has been a unique election for me because, for the first time, I connected with the people as a chief minister during campaigning. I addressed 64 public rallies and 11 party workers convention and attended 26 meetings of different communities in 45 days while campaigning from March 20 to May 4, Sai said. The chief minister said he w

ED attaches assets worth Rs 205 crore in Chhattisgarh liquor scam

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached assets worth over Rs 205 crore of retired Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja, the elder brother of the Raipur Mayor and some others in a money laundering probe linked to an alleged liquor scam in the state. The attached properties include 14 assets of Tuteja worth Rs 15.82 crore, 115 properties of Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, worth of Rs 116.16 crore, properties in respect of Vikash Agarwal alias Subbu worth Rs 1.54 crore and 33 properties in respect of Arvind Singh worth Rs 12.99 crore, the agency said in a statement. A property of Arunpati Tripathi, an Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer and special secretary of the excise department, worth Rs 1.35 crore, nine properties of Trilok Singh Dhillon worth Rs 28.13 crore, jewellery worth Rs 27.96 crore of Naveen Kedia and movable properties worth Rs 1.2 crore of Asheesh Saurabh Kedia/Dishita Ventures Pvt. Ltd. have been ...

Noida bizman arrested in UP STF probe on 'Chhattisgarh liquor scam'

The Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday arrested a Noida-based businessman in connection with a probe into the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam, officials said. An FIR was lodged at the Kasna police station in Greater Noida in July last year on the complaint of a deputy director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the alleged scam. Those named as accused were Niranjan Das, IAS officer and former excise commissioner of Chhattisgarh, Arunpati Tripathi, managing director of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited and special secretary (excise), Chhattisgarh, Anil Tuteja, IAS officer and former industries secretary, Chhattisgarh, Anwar Dhewar, a politician, and Noida-based businessman Vidhu Gupta. "Vidhu Gupta, director of M/s Prizm Holography Security Films (PHSF), was detained for questioning at the STF office in Noida and later arrested at around 1.15 pm in connection with the case," an agency officer said. The ED is investigat

ED files fresh chargesheet in Mahadev betting app case, names 25 accused

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed a fresh charge sheet in the Mahadev betting app-linked money laundering case, in which various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved. A total of 25 individuals and entities have been named as accused in the third prosecution complaint filed in this case before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey said. The court is expected to take cognisance of the charge sheet on May 4, he said. Those arraigned in the charge sheet include Girish Talreja and Suraj Chokhani, who were arrested by the ED in this case sometime back, apart from some others. Talreja held a stake in 'Lotus365', a sister concern of Mahadev Online Book (MOB) app. He is a partner along with Ratan Lal Jain alias Aman and Sourabh Chandrakar, the main promoter of MOB, in the illegal operations of 'Lotus365', the agency had alleged earlier. The agency had raided Kolkata premises of

Lok Sabha polls 2024 Phase 2: Over 27.5% voter turnout recorded till 11 am

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Tripura records the highest voter turnout, of 36.42%, till 11 am on Friday

LS polls: Voter turnout in Chhattisgarh at 53.09% till 1 pm in three seats

More than 35 per cent of the electorate cast their votes in the first four hours of polling in three Lok Sabha constituencies, all having Naxalite presence, of Chhattisgarh in the second phase of general elections on Friday, an official said. Amid tight security, polling in Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituencies began at 7 am and is underway smoothly. Till 11 am, 35.47 per cent polling has been registered, a poll official said. Till 11 am, Kanker seat had recorded a 39.38 per cent turnout, Mahasamund 34.43 per cent and Rajnandgaon 32.99 per cent, he said. Among the early voters, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and former MP Abhishek Singh cast their votes in Kawardha town in Rajnandgaon seat, BJP candidate Santosh Pandey and his wife in Sahaspur-Lohara (Rajnandgaon), BJP nominee Rupkumari Chaudhary in Harratar village (Mahasamund), and BJP candidate Bhojraj Nag and his wife in Antagarh (Kanker). The polling booth at Sivni village in Balod district (Kanker se

18 Naxalites including 3 women surrender in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada

As many as 18 Naxalites, including a militia platoon section commander and three women, surrendered on Wednesday in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, a senior police officer said. Hidma Oyam (34) was working as the Hurrepal Panchayat Militia Platoon (HPMP) section commander, said Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai. The three women are identified as Sambati Oyam (23) who was working as a deputy commander of HPMP, Gangi Madkam (28), the vice president of Kakadi Panchayat Krantikari Mahila Adivasi Sangthan (KAMS) of the banned CPI (Maoist), and Hungi Oyam (20), a member of Hurrepal Panchayat. "The 18 Naxals laid down arms in front of police and CRPF officials. They were part of Bhairamgarh, and Malanger area committees of the Maoists in south Bastar," Rai said. He said the Naxals surrendered themselves as they were impressed by the police's rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology. "These cadres were tasked with digging roads, felling tre

'Bharatiya Jumla Party' deceived with grand promises: Cong on Chhattisgarh

The Congress on Tuesday alleged the BJP government has "de facto reduced" ration under a scheme in Chhattisgarh and claimed the "Bharatiya Jumla Party" has once again "deceived" the people with its grand election promises. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his poll rallies in Dhamtari and Janjgir-Champa in Chhattisgarh. "Was cutting rations a part of Modi ki Guarantee to Chhattisgarh's people? Why has the Modi Sarkar failed to support Janjgir's Kosa Silk industry? Why has the PM failed to deliver on Adivasi welfare?" Ramesh said. Elaborating on what he claimed were "Jumla details", Ramesh said married women in Chhattisgarh have been "duped by 'Modi ki Guarantee'." "During the Assembly elections in 2023, the PM gave 'Modi ki Guarantee' that married women in Chhattisgarh would receive Rs 1,000 per month under the Mahatri Vandana Yojana scheme. What the PM did not specify were all the terms and conditions of his ...

ED arrests retired IAS officer Tuteja in Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam case

Days after filing a fresh case, the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday arrested retired Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja in connection with a Rs 2,000 crore alleged liquor-scam linked money laundering case in the state, officials said. The federal agency detained the 2003-batch officer from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)/Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) office in Raipur on Saturday evening where the bureaucrat and his son Yash Tuteja had gone to record their statements in the same case. They were issued a summons by the ED at the EOW/ACB office to join the investigation and record their statements following which they were taken to the central agency's office here. The retired IAS officer was questioned and was taken into custody in the early hours of Sunday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Yash Tuteja was allowed to leave after questioning. Anil Tuteja was produced before a jurisdictional magistrate that sent him to one-day judicial custody,

Intense heatwave grips India with temp between 40 to 46 degrees Celsius

A searing heatwave gripped parts of India on Saturday, with maximum temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Celsius to 46 degrees Celsius in many areas. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heatwave to severe heatwave conditions prevailed in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Gangetic West Bengal during the day. This ongoing heatwave affecting parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, and Gangetic West Bengal is the second heatwave spell this month. The first spell scorched parts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. On Saturday, maximum temperatures at some places were recorded seven to eight degrees above normal. Baripada and Boudh in Odisha recorded a maximum temperature of 45.2 degrees Celsius, Midnapore and Bankura in West Bengal recorded 44.5 degrees Celsius and 44.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. Daltonganj and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand registered 43.6 degrees Celsius and 43.5 degrees Celsius, respectively, while Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh reported 43 ...

Lok Sabha polls 2024 phase 1: Over 9.7% voter turnout recorded till 9 am

The first phase of the Lok Sabha polls will see 102 out of 534 constituencies go to polls in 17 states and four Union Territories

Security forces faced rough terrain, dehydration as they battled Naxalites

Sweltering conditions, a rough terrain and unavailability of drinkable water were some of the challenges faced by the security personnel during their encounter with Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, a police officer said on Wednesday. But their toil and struggle did not go to waste as 29 Naxalites were killed in the operation that took place near Binagunda village under Chhotebethiya police station limits, he said. Around 200 personnel of the state police's District Reserve Guard and the Border Security Force were involved in the operation that took place on Tuesday. Besides the weather, the terrain made the operation difficult, said Pakhanjur police Station House Officer (SHO) Laxman Kewat, one of the officers who led the forces during the encounter. Talking to PTI, Kewat said, "Hot weather conditions and dehydration posed a huge challenge. Climbing a hill carrying weapons and rucksacks in such a weather was a tough task, but the security personnel were very motivated.

29 Naxals killed, 3 security personnel injured in encounter in Chhattisgarh

The gunfight took place at around 2 pm in Hapatola forest between Binagunda and Koronar villages under Chhotebethiya police station limits

Chhattisgarh's NMDC iron production rises 11%, sales surge 16% in FY24

Compared to the previous year's 29.04 MT, the production at the Chhattisgarh units jumped 11.67 per cent. The Dolimalai mine produced 12.67 MT of iron ore, up 7.56 per cent Y-o-Y

FIRs against Cong's LS candidate for poll code violation in Chhattisgarh

Police have registered two cases against senior Congress leader and the party's Bastar Lok Sabha seat candidate Kawasi Lakhma in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district for allegedly violating the model code of conduct through his alleged objectionable remarks, officials said on Saturday. While an FIR was registered against him at Mirtur police station for allegedly making an objectionable remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another case was registered at Kutru police station for his alleged statement against police and administration, a district official said. The cases were registered on Friday evening based on the complaints lodged by the district returning officer, he said. Lakhma, who represents the Konta assembly constituency in Sukma district and served as a minister in the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government, has been fielded by the party in the Bastar Lok Sabha seat. Bijapur district falls in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency. As per the election official's ...

Bus ferrying workers in Chhattisgarh falls into soil mine pit, 15 killed

At least 15 people were killed and more than a dozen injured -- all employees of a private firm -- as the bus they were travelling in fell into a 'murum' soil mine pit in Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Tuesday night, police said. The accident took place around 8:30 pm near Khapri village under Kumhari police station limits when the victims, employees of a distillery company, were returning home after work, Durg Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla said. As per preliminary information, the bus with more than 30 people onboard skidded off the road and plunged into the 40 feet deep 'murum' mine, he said. "Initially 11 deaths were reported in the accident. Later four more persons died in the hospital," he added. Murum, a type of soil, is mostly used for construction. Soon after being alerted, a police team reached the spot and launched a rescue operation, City Superintendent of Police (Chhavni area) Harish Patil said. The injured persons were shifted to a nearby hospital, the ..

Chhattisgarh liquor scam: SC ruling exposed Centre and ED, claims Baghel

Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has claimed the Supreme Court's decision in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh had exposed the Centre for using the Enforcement Directorate to target opposition parties. The apex court on Monday quashed the money laundering case against former IAS officer Anil Tuteja and his son Yash in the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam, saying there were no proceeds of the crime. In a post on X on Monday, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Baghel said the commitment of agencies like the ED should be towards the Constitution and not any political party. "Shameful political misuse of ED has been proved and the Modi government has been exposed. Today's decision of the Supreme Court has proved that at the behest of BJP, the ED has been conspiring to defame the opposition parties by making every case a case of money laundering," Baghel claimed in the post. The ED registered a case in the alleged liquor scam just before the 2023 assembly po

PM Modi 'failed' to protect rights of tribals in Chhattisgarh, says Cong

The Congress on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "failed" to protect the rights of tribal communities in Chhattisgarh and asked whether he will ever meaningfully commit himself to tribal welfare. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Bastar. "The dealings of the BJP here (Bastar) have shown that their friendship with corporate cronies runs much deeper than their sense of duty to the people," he said. "We hope that the PM can shed some light on why he has failed to protect the rights of tribal communities in the state," Ramesh said. He claimed that the dense, biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Aranya forest, considered the "lungs of the state" are under threat from the BJP and their "favourite crony", Adani Enterprises. "When the Congress Party was in power, we had 40 coal blocks in this forest cancelled by the Union Coal Ministry to protect the sacred forest. Since the BJP has returned, they have reversed th

LS elections 2024: PM Modi to address rally in Chhattisgarh's Bastar today

The PM will address a rally in Aamabal village in Bhanpuri in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls on April 19

Massive fire engulfs power distribution company in Raipur's Kota area

Police and firefighters are present on the spot and trying to douse the fire