Vessel carrying four Indian nationals hit at Ukraine’s Odesa port, two safe while two go missing

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kyiv, July 26 (IANS) The Indian Embassy in Ukraine has said that four Indian nationals were on board the MV GN Ragnar vessel that was struck at the Port of Odesa on Saturday. Two of them are confirmed safe while information is awaited about the other two Indian nationals, it informed.

The embassy said that search and rescue operations are being conducted and it is in contact with the concerned authorities.

“Embassy of India in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation following the incident involving MV AGN Ragnar which was struck at the Port of Odesa, on 25 July. Four Indian nationals were on board the vessel. As per the latest information, two have been confirmed safe, and information is awaited regarding the other two nationals. Search and rescue operations are underway. The Embassy is in constant touch with the concerned authorities,” the Indian Embassy in Ukraine mentioned in a statement released on X.

The latest incident comes days after an Indian national lost his life in an attack on a commercial vessel while transiting the Black Sea, reportedly in Russian territorial waters.

According to the statement by the MEA, three Indians were among the 10 crew members onboard the commercial vessel MV OMORFI when it came under attack on July 18.

“It has come to our attention that on July 18, 2026, the commercial vessel MV OMORFI was attacked while transiting the Black Sea, reportedly in Russian territorial waters. At the time of the incident, there were ten crew members on board, including three Indian nationals,” the MEA added.

“As per available information, one Indian national tragically lost his life in the attack. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased. The other two Indian nationals on board are reported to be safe,” it said.

On receiving this information, the Indian Embassy in Russia reached out to the relevant authorities and was making efforts to extend all possible assistance to the affected family.

“India unequivocally condemns such attacks targeting commercial shipping and placing the lives of innocent civilian crew members at risk. ​It is a matter of serious concern that the freedom of navigation and international commerce is facing increasing threats. India calls upon all concerned parties to uphold international obligations to ensure the safety and security of maritime navigation and uninterrupted flow of global commerce,” the statement by the Ministry said.

Earlier this week, four Indian nationals lost their lives in the attack on the commercial vessel MV Golden Leopard departing from Odesa port in Ukraine.

“India condemns such attacks and reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, is deplorable and should be avoided,” said MEA in a statement about the incident.

–IANS

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Dawoodi Bohra delegation meets PM Modi, thanks him for Waqf Amendment Act

New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) A delegation of Dawoodi Bohra community met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and thanked him for the Waqf Amendment Act.

The members of the Dawoodi Bohra community, extending unequivocal support to the recently passed legislation, said that this was their long-pending demand which now stands completed.

The community leaders reposed faith in PM Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ and expressed hope that the reforms initiated in the Waqf law will go a long way in addressing the shortcomings of the erstwhile legislation and help improve the situation of Muslim community, as a whole.

Bohra community’s support for the new Waqf legislation assumes significance as many Muslim bodies, clerics and ulemas have called it an infringement on their religious rights and also moved to the Apex Court, challenging its validity.

Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, was also present at the Dawoodi Bohra community’s meeting with the Prime Minister.

He took to social media to share pictures of the meeting.

“Dawoodi Bohra Community met PM Modi to express their heartfelt gratitude for the Waqf Amendment Act, fulfilling a long-pending demand,” he wrote in a post on X.

“Their trust in PM Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas was deeply moving,” he further said.

The Dawoodi Bohra community is a sect within the Shia Ismaili branch of Islam and has a significant presence in India and forty other countries of the world.

Notably, they had written to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill last year, seeking exemption from the purview of Waqf board, contending that the proposed legislation does not recognise their special status among the wider Muslim community.

–IANS

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CJ Roy suicide case: Too early to link death to I-T pressure, says K’taka Home Minister

Bengaluru, Feb 3 (IANS) Responding to allegations by the family of Bengaluru-based industrialist, Confident Group Founder and Chairman C.J. Roy, that pressure by the Income Tax department pushed him to suicide, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that it was too early to link the death to the I-T pressure.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Parameshwara said, “Everything will be ascertained once the probe is completed. Until then, we cannot arrive at any conclusion. It cannot be said at this stage that the suicide occurred due to a particular reason.”

Reacting to the letter written by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in connection with the suicide of C.J. Roy during an Income Tax department raid, Parameshwara said the I-T department comes under the Union Finance Minister and that a decision on ordering a probe should be awaited.

Parameshwara, responding to a question on the issue, said, “I am aware of the letter written by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the suicide of industrialist C.J. Roy. I do not know the contents of the letter, but we should wait to see what decision is taken. The Income Tax department comes under Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. I do not know whether she will order a judicial inquiry or any other probe.”

He further said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed at the state level and that it has already begun its investigation. “We will make a decision based on the outcome of the investigation,” he added.

Parameshwara said that once the probe is completed, the reasons behind the suicide would come to light. He added that the police have initiated the investigation and will record statements from the family members and others concerned, and examine all aspects that emerge from those statements.

However, police sources stated that C.J. Roy had been under severe financial distress for the past six months.

According to police sources, Roy had not taken any bank loans for his business ventures. His operations had expanded not only across Karnataka and Kerala but also overseas. However, for new projects, instead of bank funding, investments had reportedly come directly from certain politicians. Investigating agencies suspect that a large portion of this money could have been unaccounted for or “black money”.

Police sources further stated that the new projects undertaken by Roy, however, did not achieve the expected success. At the same time, a significant portion of his income was spent on a lavish lifestyle. As a result, he had completely failed in managing his finances.

As the projects began incurring losses, some of the politicians who had invested started demanding the return of their money. Meanwhile, central investigating agencies had begun scrutinising Roy’s business activities. The primary focus of the investigation was the source of funds for such large-scale businesses in the absence of bank loans, sources revealed.

It is now suspected that caught between pressure from investors on one side and questioning by the Income Tax department and other agencies on the other, Roy was reportedly unable to provide satisfactory answers and slipped into severe mental stress. Having suffered a complete financial collapse, Roy was also mentally broken. He had been battling acute stress and depression over the past few months. Fear that all aspects of his business dealings would be exposed during the investigation had also begun to haunt him.

Police sources suspect that all these pressures may have driven him to take the extreme step of ending his life.

C.J. Roy allegedly shot himself dead at his office in Bengaluru last Friday during an I-T raid. He shot himself in the chest in his first-floor office chamber. The probe revealed that he was alone in his chamber at the time. After hearing the gunshot, I-T officials rushed into the chamber and shifted him to a hospital.

Police further stated that during the I-T raids, after about an hour of questioning, Roy was asked to submit certain documents. After providing one set of records, the I-T officers sought additional documents. Roy then went to his chamber and allegedly shot himself.

–IANS

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PM Modi has already given Rs 11,000 crore to Punjab for disaster management: BJP

Chandigarh, Sep 5 (IANS) BJP national General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already given Rs 11,000 crore to Punjab for disaster management, and now it is the responsibility of the Bhagwant Mann government to get girdawari done for an estimated assistance.

Chugh claimed the Modi government firmly stands by Punjab in this hour of crisis. He said Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan has taken a firsthand review of the situation, saying the Modi government stands shoulder to shoulder with every farmer.

Chugh said two Central teams have also arrived in Punjab on the Prime Minister’s instructions, with senior officials from agriculture, rural development, energy, finance, roads and Jal Shakti departments assessing the extent of the damage.

He expressed gratitude to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for releasing Rs 11,000 crore for the NDRF, whose tireless efforts have rescued more than 15,000 people, including children, elderly, pregnant women and the differently-abled from raging waters.

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He recalled that IMD had predicted above-normal rains as early as April 15, while BBMB’s technical committee on April 23 recommended reducing reservoir levels to create buffer space.

Instead of acting, the Mann government deployed police at the Bhakra gates, stalled water release and dragged the issue into a political spectacle.

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He said when Vajpayee was Prime Minister and Parkash Singh Badal was Chief Minister, embankments along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and the Ghaggar were strengthened to protect crops.

Illegal mining and negligence have since weakened them, allowing floodwaters to enter villages.

Chugh asked why flood-preparedness meetings were held barely 17 days before the monsoon, when months of planning were required.

He accused CM Mann and his entire Cabinet of campaigning in Delhi for Arvind Kejriwal instead of preparing Punjab.

“Even after losing Delhi, they did not learn. They continued feasting and hosting Kejriwal and Sisodia at Punjab taxpayers’ expense while Punjab drowned,” Chugh said.

He said Punjab’s suffering today is not a natural calamity but the direct result of AAP’s negligence and “reckless

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