Maha: Saswad Police recover stolen two-and-a-half tolas gold jewellery, cash; accused arrested

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Saswad (Pune), Nov 10 (IANS) The Saswad Police have recovered two-and-a-half tolas of gold jewellery and Rs 9,500 in cash stolen from the house of an elderly woman in Chambali village of Purandar tehsil in Maharashtra’s Pune district. The police have arrested the accused, identified as Rohit Popat Kate (32), a resident of Palus in Sangli district.

According to the police, the theft took place on October 8, when approximately two-and-a-half tolas of gold jewellery and Rs 9,500 in cash were stolen from the woman’s house. Following the incident, Swapnil Laxman Kanse lodged a complaint against Rohit Kate at the Saswad Police Station.

After registering the case, Police Inspector Santosh Gholave directed the Crime Investigation Team to take necessary action. A team led by Assistant Police Inspector Shankar Raut visited the crime scene and initiated an investigation.

During the probe, the police detained Rohit Kate for questioning. According to the police, the accused confessed to committing the theft and disclosed that he had concealed the stolen gold jewellery in the rear portion of a vehicle parked near his residence in Chambali.

Acting on the information provided by him, the police recovered the stolen jewellery and subsequently arrested the accused. Police said a previous case involving assault and criminal intimidation was registered against Kate at Palus Police Station in 2020. Further interrogation is underway to gather additional details about the case.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, Additional Superintendents of Police Ganesh Biradar and Shubham Kumar, and Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rajendra Singh Gaur.

Assistant Police Inspectors Shankar Raut and Vaibhav Sonawane, along with police personnel Dattatraya Kale, Ganesh Sonawane, Tushar Londhe, Praveen Shende, Pranay Makhare and Parde, played key roles in the operation.

Earlier in July, two robbers allegedly looted gold, diamond ornaments and cash worth Rs 66 lakh from the house of a retired Wing Commander after threatening him in Wanwadi area of Pune city.

–IANS

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Tripura cracks down on illegal infiltration; over 3,700 foreign nationals arrested since 2022

Agartala, May 31 (IANS) Over 3,705 foreign nationals, including 3,463 Bangladeshis, have been arrested in Tripura since 2022 for illegally entering India, officials said on Sunday.

A senior Home Department official stated that 965 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in 2022, followed by 1,014 in 2023; 947 in 2024; and 537 in 2025.

Most of the foreign nationals have already been deported to their respective countries after completion of diplomatic and standard legal procedures, the official told IANS, refusing to be quoted.

Currently, 220 arrested foreign nationals remain lodged in various jails across Tripura.

According to the official, of the total 3,706 foreign nationals apprehended, 227 are Rohingya, while the rest belong to countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, Guinea, France, and Pakistan.

During the recent budget session of the Tripura Assembly, Chief Minister Manik Saha had said that the government is working with utmost seriousness to prevent infiltration from across the border. He noted that following the regime change in Dhaka, the state government constituted Special Task Forces (STFs) in all eight districts to tackle infiltration-related issues, in line with directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

“The STFs are not only working against infiltration but are also maintaining strict vigilance over potential terrorist activities, drug smuggling, fundamentalist groups, and international crime,” he had said.

CM Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, pointed out that barbed wire fencing along certain stretches of the international border remains incomplete due to various challenges. “The state will not compromise on infiltration from across the border,” he asserted, adding that the government is also taking measures to curb the use of fake documents. Tripura, which shares an 856-km border with Bangladesh and is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, remains highly vulnerable and sensitive to issues related to cross-border migration, illegal trade, smuggling, and various trans-border crimes.

Except for around 21 km stretches, most of the border has been fenced to prevent smuggling, trans-border crimes, and illegal cross-border movement by infiltrators and other inimical elements.

A senior Border Security Force (BSF) official said that vigilance and domination along the International Border have been significantly intensified since internal violence erupted in Bangladesh during June-July 2024, particularly after the fall of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, 2024.

Meanwhile, the Tripura High Court has recently directed the state government to submit a detailed report within three months outlining steps taken to prevent infiltration. A division bench headed by Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by three individuals, including senior leader and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) MLA Ranjit Debbarma.

The petitioners alleged that despite MHA guidelines to curb infiltration, the state government has yet to take sufficiently effective measures to address the issue.

Responding to the High Court’s directive, Debbarma said that infiltration must be stopped immediately to ensure internal security and protect the interests of Tripura’s indigenous population.

The Tipra Motha Party MLA further stated that while other states are actively conducting anti-infiltration operations to identify and deport illegal immigrants as per MHA norms, Tripura has yet to implement adequate measures to effectively curb the problem.

Debbarma, a senior tribal leader, in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleged that many illegal immigrants had managed to obtain various Indian identity and residency documents with the assistance of a section of dishonest officials. These documents reportedly include Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards, ration cards, Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs), health cards and other important government-issued papers.

“The facial features, physical appearance, language, food habits and other cultural traits of Bangladeshi nationals are often similar to those of a large section of Tripura’s permanent residents, making it extremely difficult to identify illegal immigrants,” Debbarma said in his letter dated May 30.

Referring to media reports, the legislator claimed that around 1.48 lakh illegal voters are residing in Tripura.

He further stated that he had written several letters to Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Chief Minister Manik Saha and other senior officials, drawing attention to what he described as the serious situation arising from illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. However, he alleged that no effective measures had been taken so far to address the issue.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)

–IANS

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‘Full freedom to ECI’: Sanjay Nishad on decision to check Burqa-clad women

Hardoi, Oct 15 (IANS) Following the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) announcement that special arrangements will be made at polling stations in Bihar for the “dignified” identification of burqa-clad women voters, Nishad Party Chief Sanjay Nishad on Wednesday said that the ECI is an independent constitutional body with full authority to ensure free, fair, and impartial elections wherever concerns arise.

Sanjay Nishad said, “In a democracy, the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary are the three pillars, each with its own defined role. The Constitution has created a system where the Election Commission functions independently within its constitutional framework. If any issue or irregularity arises, it is addressed and reviewed through the judiciary. The ECI has full freedom to act in the interest of fair elections.”

He added, “Muslim women have the right to progress in life. The ECI’s move is right and appropriate.”

Reacting to the Samajwadi Party’s criticism of the ECI’s directive, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said, “The Samajwadi Party has always opposed the Constitution and the rule of law. I don’t see any issue with the ECI’s decision. The entire state knows that their statements stem from appeasement politics.”

On October 10, the Election Commission announced that to encourage participation of burqa-clad women, special arrangements would be made at polling stations for their “dignified identification” in the presence of female polling officers or attendants, ensuring their privacy is maintained.

In response, the Samajwadi Party demanded that the directive be withdrawn. They claimed it violates the principles of transparent, free, and fair elections. In a memorandum to the ECI, they cited the Commission’s own handbook for returning officers (page 143, paragraph 13.6.9), which authorises polling officers to check voter IDs.

“The new directive raises questions about the impartiality and transparency of the Election Commission and seems to target voters from a particular community. It is undemocratic and unconstitutional,” the memorandum stated.

–IANS

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Centre gets record dividend of Rs 74,106 crore from PSUs

New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) The government has received a record Rs 74,016 crore as dividends from Central public sector enterprises in financial year 2024-25 which is 16 per cent higher than the corresponding figure of Rs 63,749.3 crore in 2023-24, according to the latest data compiled by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management.

The total dividend that has accrued to the Centre in the financial year ended on March 31, 2025, has also shot past the Budget’s revised estimate of Rs 55,000 crore.

The highest contributors were Coal India Ltd at Rs 10,252 crore, followed by upstream giant Oil and Natural Gas Corp with a payment of Rs 10,002 crore and downstream oil marketing company Bharat Petroleum Corp with Rs 3,562.47 crore at the third position.

Telecommunications Consultants (India) at Rs 3,761.50 crore and Hindustan Zinc Ltd. at Rs 3,619.06 crore also figure among the top contributors to the national exchequer.

Each PSU is required to pay a minimum annual dividend of 30 of its profit after tax (PAT) or 4 per cent of its net worth. For PSUs operating in the financial sector, such as non-banking financial companies, the minimum annual dividend has been set at 30 per cent of net profit.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the revised estimate of Rs 55,000 crore for dividend collection from Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in the fiscal year 2024-2025.

The government has projected an even higher dividend collection from public sector undertakings for the financial year 2025-26 at an estimated target of Rs 69,000 crore.

The Centre also expects to receive Rs 2.56 lakh crore from the Reserve Bank of India and public sector banks in the financial year 2025-26, Finance Minister Sitharaman said in her Budget speech on February 1 this year.

The dividend targeted for 2025-26 is higher than the RBI’s contribution of Rs 2.1 lakh crore for 2024-2025, which had turned out to be double the total dividend budgeted for the year. The RBI dividend is a major source of revenue for the government and helps to keep the fiscal deficit in check.

Central public sector enterprises now have to pay 4 per cent of their net worth as dividends, as compared to 5 per cent earlier. For public sector NBFCs, the net worth criterion has been dropped, but the 30 per cent of net profit norm for minimum annual dividend has stayed.

–IANS

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