Page 1313 - Law Crime
PIL in HC to direct DVAC to look into graft charges against OPS
The DMK today filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the DVAC to inquire into its complaint against Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam for amassing wealth above his known sources of income. DMK MP R S Bharathi had lodged the complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in March last, on behalf of his party. Petitioner Bharathi alleged that OPS abused his power to amass wealth disproportionate to his income. He also claimed that in 2016, Panneerselvam had declared in the election affidavit that his income for 2014-15 was Rs 5.80 lakh, whereas his basic salary as an MLA itself was Rs 6.60 lakh. Referring to the various lands owned by the deputy CM, the petitioner alleged that in his election affidavits he had not disclosed details of the plots and the income earned from them, which has to be investigated. Land valued at more than Rs 140 crore was leased out to benamis of OPS, the petitioner alleged. He also alleged that ...
Hard-core Maoist held
A hard-core Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was arrested by security forces in Palamu district, police said today. Surendra Yadav, a self-styled Sub-zonal commander of the CPI(Maoist), was arrested yesterday evening and forwarded to jail today, said Superintendent of Police, Indrajeet Mahatha. Acting on a tip off, Yadav was arrested near Mayapur village when he was on way to his village Naso to meet his family members, he said. Personnel of the District Armed police and the CRPF kept vigil on possible routes of his travel and intercepted him near Mayapur, the said. The arrested Maoists was active in the organisation since 2005 and had been involved in over a dozen naxal-related incidents including encounter, murder, rioting, landmine explosion, the SP added.
TN: I-T dept recovers Rs 160-cr cash, 100-kg bullion after raids on contracting firm
In one of the biggest recoveries till date, the Income Tax Department today found Rs 160-crore cash and about 100-kg bullion after raids at several premises of a road construction firm in Tamil Nadu, officials said. The searches were launched on the premises of Ms SPK and Company, a partnership firm engaged in road and highway construction, on contract from the government. "About Rs 160 crore cash, which is suspected to be unaccounted for, and bullion and gold jewellery weighing about 100 kg has been recovered so far. The raids are still on and these figures may further go up," a senior official said. Tax officials termed the recoveries as probably the highest so far in a raid anywhere in the country. The previous highest cash recovery was of over Rs 110 crore when the department raided a mining baron in Chennai post-demonetisation in 2016. The Chennai investigation wing of the department is conducting the operation. The raids were conducted after the department found "evidence of ...
Fatwa against woman for opposing Triple Talaq
The Imam of Bareilly's Jama Masjid on Monday issued a fatwa, a ruling on a point of Islamic law, against a woman who had been opposing several Islamic practices, including Triple Talaq, and demonstrating against the same.The woman, Nida Khan, had been opposing practices such as Triple Talaq, Halala, Bahu Vivah, and so on.She was the wife of a relative of the Imam and was also a victim of Triple Talaq. She had been fighting for the justice for many other victims of the laws that she had termed 'Non-Islamic'."Nida Khan has been ostracised from Islam because she has been regularly speaking against the religion and its practices. A fatwa has been issued against her. No Muslim is to maintain contact with her until she publicly apologises and retracts her anti-Islam stand," said Imam Khurshid Alam while addressing a press conference.In response, Khan said, "Who are they to oust me from Islam. I will be liable to take this issue directly to the Supreme Court if they try to exploit my ...
Husband of air hostess who fell to her death arrested
The husband of an air hostess who fell to her death at her south Delhi home last week was arrested on Monday after questioning, police said.
SC verdict on Tuesday on violence by vigilante groups
The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Tuesday on pleas seeking directions to formulate guidelines to curb vigilantism.
Tax men raid TN highway contractor, seize Rs 160 cr cash
Income Tax sleuths today searched over 20 premises of a firm engaged in highway construction and its associate companies in Tamil Nadu and seized Rs 160 crore in cash and 100 kilogram of gold, IT sources said. The searches were taken up over suspected tax evasion after inputs about unusual cash movement were received, Tax Investigation department sources told PTI. Tax raids, held with state police security, were launched following "continuous monitoring of suspicious activities both before and after the period covering demonetisation," the sources added. Also, the scrutiny of tax returns of the firm revealed disparities during verification process. In the past,such searches by tax authorities were largely held with the protection of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The firm is a leading civil work contractor, with suspected links to "politically influential quarters" and had executed projects for state government departments, including the highways and Public Works, .
PNB scam: Former Choksi firm employee Nitin Sahi gets bail
A special CBI court here granted bail to Nitin Sahi, an accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam involving diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, today. Nitin Sahi, a former assistant finance manager with Choksi's Gitanjali Group, was granted bail by Special CBI judge J C Jagdale. Confirming the development, Sahi's lawyer Sanjay Abot said he was granted bail on a surety bond of Rs 1 lakh. Sahi was arrested on February 20 this year. The CBI has alleged that Rs 7,080.86 crore were siphoned off by Choksi and his companies using 142 letters of undertaking (LoU) and 58 foreign letters of credit (LoC). The agency had charged Sahi of being part of the conspiracy. Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, in connivance with certain bank officials, allegedly cheated the PNB of USD 2 billion through fraudulent LoUs. Earlier, the special CBI court had rejected the bail pleas of four accused in the case. The four accused were Hemant Bhatt, authorised signatory of the Nirav Modi .
Toddler girl raped by her relative in MP
A 14-month-old tribal girl was allegedly raped by her relative at his house near here, police said today. The accused, identified as Gajraj Bheel, has been arrested, a police officer said. The incident occurred yesterday when Bheel visited the victim's house in Tajpura village in Lateri Tehsil and took her to his home nearby under the pretext of playing with her, district Superintendent of Police Vineet Kapoor told PTI over phone. "Some time after Bheel took away the girl, a 13-year-old son of the accused came to the girl's house saying that she had fallen on a barbed wire at his house and sustained injuries," the officer said. The victim's mother noticed injuries on the private parts of the child and took her to a hospital where doctors told the family members that the girl was sexually assaulted, he said, adding that the family members then approached police against Bheel. "They told police that the girl used to call Bheel her uncle," Kapoor said, adding that the ...
'Peeping tom' killed by friend
: A 'peeping tom' was killed by his friend for allegedly looking into the bathroom where his mother was bathing at Serlingampally area here, police said. The 23-year-old man was stabbed to death by his friend, who also slit his throat, after they had a couple of drinks last night, they said. Though the victim's brother rushed him to a hospital on being informed of the incident, he succumed to his injuries, police said. After stabbing his friend, the cab driver surrendered before police. The man told police that he had caught his friend in the act last month, police said.
Air hostess' husband held a day after her death
A day after an air hostess fell to her death in south Delhi, police arrested her husband on Monday after questioning him.
J'khand BJP MP claims threat call from jailed criminal, files complaint
The BJP MP from Jharkhand's Godda constituency, Nishikant Dubey, today filed a complaint with the Delhi Police, claiming that he received a threat call from a jailed criminal. Dubey filed a complaint with the DCP, New Delhi. He claimed that Prabhakar Mandal, lodged in Jharkhand's Sahibganj jail, threatened him on the phone on July 11. "He abused me for supporting and bearing legal expenses of four accused, belonging to a tribal community, in a mob lynching case in which two people were killed in June 2018," Dubey claimed in his complaint. He alleged that the caller warned him against raising the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators in Parliament and demanded Rs one crore. Dubey claimed that Mandal told him he would not be allowed to contest the Lok Sabha elections if the amount was not paid. The BJP MP claimed the treat calls were being made at the behest of his political opponents. A senior police officer said the complaint was being looked into. Dubey had in June said he would pay for
Police arrest husband of flight attendant
Police today arrested the husband of the female flight attendant, who allegedly committed suicide in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park on Friday, on charge of dowry death. Mayank Singhvi was interrogated for an hour today and was later arrested this evening. He would be produced before a magistrate tomorrow, police said. Mayank's wife, Anissia Batra (39), worked with a German airline. She allegedly jumped from the terrace of her house on Friday. Mayank rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was declared brought dead. Anissia's family has alleged that her husband used to physically abuse her. Earlier in the day Delhi Police had issued a lookout circular against Mayank amid allegations of inaction by Anissia's family, which was demanding his arrest. A family friend of Anissia's parents, who did not wish to be named, said, "We are very happy (with the arrest). It is a good sign but we still have a long way to go." "Some faith has been restored. It is all due to public and media ...
Man shot dead during birthday party
A 32-year-old man was shot dead allegedly by a youth during a birthday party, a police official said today. The incident occurred last night in Shanti Nagar colony. The deceased was identified as Ankur Goel, owner of a medical store in Indira puri colony of Loni, Deputy Superintendent of police Durgesh Kumar said. He was rushed to the GTB hospital, where he was declared brought dead by doctors. The deceased's father Pawan Goel lodged a complaint with the police, claiming that his son was shot dead by a youth named Arvind during the party, Kumar said. Acting on the complaint lodged by the victim's father, the police registered an FIR against Arvind, he said. A probe in the matter is underway, he added.
POCSO court acquits 18 people in trafficking-gangrape case
A special POCSO court today acquitted 18 people accused of immoral trafficking and gangrape of a minor girl after giving them the benefit of doubt. Special POCSO judge R K Chudawala pronounced the judgement after the 13-year-old victim turned hostile as she told the court that she had not been raped. The police had arrested 19 people in connection with the case, but one of the accused died during trial. Eight of the accused, some of them students of a private university at Dholka in Ahmedabad, had been arrested under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Others, including the parents and relatives of the victim, were held under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act after the girl accused her parents of pushing her into the flesh trade. The victim was rescued by police from a guest house in Dholka in November 2016 after her parents registered a case of kidnapping as they were unable to get in touch with her. The girl had told the police that she ...
Mumbai: 2 arrested, drugs worth Rs 1.45 cr seized
Two persons were arrested and drugs worth over Rs 1.45 crore were seized from them, police said today. A Crime Branch official said that, acting on a tip-off, police had detained Salim Khan (60) and recovered 1 kilogram of drugs from his possession. Police also recovered another 6.9 kilograms of drugs from Khan's house in a slum in Bandra area, the official said. Khan, during interrogation, tipped them off about one Nurul Huda from whom police recovered 2.1 kilograms of MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) commonly known as "ecstasy". The collective value of the drugs seized has been estimated at Rs 1.45 crore, the official informed. A case had been registered against the two persons and further probe was underway, the official added.
Central Council of Indian Medicine official held taking Rs 10 lakh bribe
The CBI has caught red-handed an official of Central Council of Indian Medicine, which works under the Union Ayush Ministry, while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from official of a Maharashtra-based private college for clearing proposal to increase its admission capacity from 60 to 100, officials said. Upper division clerk B K Basavaraju, posted at the Council officer here, was arrested while he was receiving the alleged bribe from Anjana Kedari Redekar of Late Kedari Redekar Ayurvedic Mahavidyalaya in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, officials said. Redekar has also been named as an accused in the FIR. The college had applied for obtaining LOP (Letter of Permission) from the ministry for increasing its admission capacity from 60 candidates to 100 candidates which is processed through the council, they said. It is alleged in the CBI FIR that Redekar entered in a criminal conspiracy with Basavaraju, who has close contacts and personal rapport with B R Ramakrishna, the President, CCIM, ...
Sandpiper eggs: 4 community leaders arrested in Rajasthan
Days after a 5-year-old girl was declared an "outcast" for breaking the eggs of a sandpiper at her school in Haripura village of Rajasthan, four of the ten community leaders who passed the diktat have been arrested, police said today. The girl had accidentally broken the eggs of the bird, considered a messenger of rain, on July 2. According to local beliefs, harming the bird or its eggs entails punishment. The girl was thereafter declared an outcast by the village elders and barred from entering her house for 11 days. Circle in-charge, Hindoli police station, Laxman Singh said Chittar Regar, Onkar Regar, Raghunath Rager and Ramdev Rager have been arrested and the remaining accused were absconding. The four were today produced before a local court which sent them to 15 days of judicial custody. Hindoli Circle DSP Nanagram said all those helping the absconding accused would also be identified. Acting on a complaint by the victim's father, the police had last week booked ten community ...
TN: I-T dept recovers Rs 100-cr cash, 90-kg bullion after raids on a contracting firm
The Income Tax Department today recovered Rs 100-crore cash and about 90-kg bullion after raids at multiple premises of a road construction firm in Tamil Nadu, officials said. The searches were launched on the premises of Ms SPK and Company, a partnership firm engaged in road and highway construction, on contract from the government. "About Rs 100 crore cash, which is suspected to be unaccounted, and bullion and gold jewellery weighing about 90 kg has been recovered so far. The raids are still on," a senior official said in Chennai. The Chennai investigation wing of the department is conducting the operation. The raids were conducted after the department found "evidence of suspected tax evasion by the firm and its associates", who also have political links, he said. A total of 22 premises -- 17 in Chennai, four in Aruppukottai (Virudhunagar district) and one in Katpadi (Vellore) -- are being raided, the officials said. The cash was kept in big travel bags and in parked cars, and ...
Teen kills friend for cellphone to clear debts; arrested
A teenaged boy burnt his minor friend to death at nearby Adibatla for getting his cellphone to clear his debts, police said. G Prem Sagar (19) hatched the plan to kill his 17-year-old friend, an intermediate student, to clear his financial debts, they said. On July 13, he took the boy on his bike to an isolated spot at Adibatla after purchasing some petrol, hit him on the repeatedly on the head with a stick till he fell unconscious, doused him with petrol and set him ablaze, police said. In the process, he suffered burn injuries on his right leg, but fled the spot with the cell phone When the minor boy did not return, his father lodged a police complaint. Police said investigation led them to Sagar,who confessed to murdering his friend for the cell phone to clear his debts. The cell phone was seized from him, police said Acase under various sections of IPC, including 302 (murder),364 (Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of