Category: TOP STORIES

Patna, Dec 24 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Danapur on Tuesday after the body of Ranjeet Rai, alias Dahi Gop, reached his home. He succumbed to injuries sustained during a Saturday night firing incident that left one other person dead, the police confirmed.

The indiscriminate attack, which occurred on December 21 around 10 p.m. in the Pethiya Bazar area, targeted Ranjeet Rai and his aide, Gorakh Nath, as they returned from a cremation ceremony. Sources revealed that the assailants had been closely monitoring their movements and were waiting at the crime scene.

Ranjeet Rai, a prominent figure in Danapur, suffered five gunshot wounds and was admitted to Paras Hospital in critical condition. Despite efforts, he passed away on Tuesday. Gorakh Nath, who also sustained gunshot injuries, died at the scene of the attack.

The tragic incident has triggered unrest in the locality. Thousands gathered at Pethiya Bazar on Tuesday to pay their respects as Ranjeet Rai’s body was brought home.

The local administration, anticipating possible unrest, deployed over 500 police personnel to maintain law and order. Three Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs), under the leadership of City SP West, are closely monitoring the situation.

His last rites were performed amid heavy police presence. Ranjeet Kumar alias Dahi Gop had several cases registered against him of murder, extortion, and Arms Act.

Police have intensified its investigations into the attack, with efforts underway to identify and apprehend the culprits.

Early findings suggest Ranjeet Rai was the prime target, and Gorakh Nath was caught in the crossfire.

The police have appealed to residents to remain calm and refrain from actions that could escalate tensions. Meanwhile, measures are being taken to restore normalcy and reassure the community.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) Amruta Fadnavis, the wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in response to his allegations over the death of Dalit man Somnath Vyankat Suryawanshi.

Suryawanshi, a 35-year-old Dalit man, died in judicial custody on December 15 after being arrested in connection with violence following the desecration of a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

Responding to Gandhi’s claims, Amruta Fadnavis told IANS mockingly, “I think you are wasting your and my time discussing Rahul Gandhi with me. There are various things… There are people with brains. It is better to talk about them.”

Rahul Gandhi visited Parbhani, the hometown of Suryawanshi, and met his family. He described the incident as “100 per cent a murder” and accused the police of custodial violence. He further alleged that Suryawanshi was targeted for being a Dalit and for his efforts to protect the Constitution. “The police have beaten him… murdered him in custody. He was killed because he was a Dalit. He was beaten and finished off,” Gandhi stated emphatically.

He also accused Chief Minister Fadnavis of lying in the state Assembly, suggesting the CM aimed to protect the police by denying any wrongdoing in the case.

Amruta Fadnavis also addressed the ongoing debate about the establishment of a Sanatan Board. Responding to a question from IANS, she remarked, “Under legal and government guidelines, if such a trust is formed with proper rules, then there is no problem in it. After all, we are all Sanatanis.”

This discussion gained momentum after a Tripura minister suggested the creation of a Sanatan Board for Hindus, drawing parallels with the Waqf Board for Muslims. He also proposed separate boards for Christians and Sikhs, sparking widespread debate.

Commenting on the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) recently launched ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana’, Amruta Fadnavis acknowledged the initiative’s potential to economically empower women. The scheme offers a monthly allowance of Rs 2,100 to eligible women. “This is a good scheme. It’s a positive step to empower women economically,” she said. However, she added, “There is a need to work towards ensuring that women can stand on their own feet in the long term.”

The AAP has already begun registering beneficiaries for this initiative, which aims to provide financial support to women and foster economic independence.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a meeting with eminent economists and sectoral experts to get their views and suggestions for the upcoming Budget for 2025-26.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the budget in the Lok Sabha on February 1, 2025.

The Finance Minister was also present at the meeting which was attended by Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Economic Advisor Anantha Nageswaran and eminent economists, including Surjit Bhalla and DK Joshi.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of the government’s plans to continue with big-ticket investments in infrastructure projects to spur growth and create more jobs in a slowing economy.

The Centre has launched various welfare schemes for the poor including free foodgrains and providing housing for the poor sections in both rural and urban areas.

The spike in inflation has eased in the last month as food inflation has slowed, allowing the RBI to cut the cash reserve ratio (CRR) for banks by 0.5 per cent from 4.5 per cent to 4 per cent. This is the first time since March 2020 that the CRR has been cut which will infuse Rs 1.16 lakh crore into the banking system and bring down market interest rates.

The budget is now expected to give a fiscal stimulus to accelerate growth in the economy. India has retained its status as the fastest growing major economy in the world and the buoyancy in tax collections has helped to ensure stability with the fiscal deficit well under control. This will strengthen the government’s hands in preparing the next budget.

India’s net direct tax collections, comprising corporate tax and personal income tax, shot up by a robust 15.4 per cent to Rs 12.1 lakh crore, from April 1 to November 10 during the current financial year, according to the latest figures released by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

The Centre’s fiscal deficit at the end of the first seven months (April-October) of the current financial year works out to 46.5 per cent of the full-year target, the official data released last month shows.

This reflects a strong macroeconomic financial position with the government sticking to the fiscal consolidation path. The government aims to bring down the fiscal deficit to 4.9 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the current financial year from 5.6 per cent in 2023-24.

Similarly, there has been a robust growth in GST collections on the back of rising economic activity.

The buoyancy in tax collections places more funds in the government’s coffers and keeps the fiscal deficit in check which bolsters the macroeconomic fundamentals of the economy. A lower fiscal deficit means the government has to borrow less which leaves more money in the banking system for big companies to borrow and invest. This in turn leads to a higher economic growth rate and the creation of more jobs.

Besides, a low fiscal deficit also keeps the inflation rate in check which imparts stability to the economy.

–IANS

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Ranchi, Dec 24 (IANS) In a tragic turn of events, angry elephants have unleashed death and destruction across Jharkhand this December, killing five people and injuring several others. The animals, at the same time, have damaged over 30 houses and destroyed standing crops of more than 200 acres, as per compensation claims filed by affected villagers with various forest divisions.

On Monday night, Gulab Yadav of Pindarkon village in Latehar district’s Balumath police station area became the latest victim of angry elephants. His body was discovered on Tuesday morning in a nearby forest, sparking anguish among locals.

Just two days earlier, on December 22, a herd of four elephants stormed Atki Panchayat in Giridih’s Dumri block, killing Sikra Manjhi by striking him with their trunks.

Earlier, on December 13, Janaki Rana from Marangloiya village in Latehar district met a similar fate, leading to a road blockade by villagers outraged over the government’s “apathy”.

On December 21, in Chapkali village of Garhwa district, Gopal Yadav was crushed to death after stepping out of his house at night upon hearing the trumpeting of elephants. He and his family tried to flee, but the herd pursued him to death.

Earlier, on December 11, Lodro Barjo of Anandpur block in West Singhbhum was trampled by a herd of elephants in Dhodrobaru village.

The month of November also saw the casualties including Sitaram Mochi, who was killed in Ramkanda block of Garhwa district.

In December alone, elephants have terrorised over 100 villages across Jharkhand’s several districts including Chatra, Latehar, Khunti, Hazaribagh, Gumla, Chaibasa, Garhwa, Giridih, and Bokaro. The damage, particularly severe during the harvesting season, has left villagers reeling.

Jharkhand is home to approximately 600-700 elephants, according to a recent state government report. These majestic yet often destructive creatures cause an annual loss of Rs 60-70 crore in property and agricultural damage, according to one estimate.

Human-elephant conflict continues to escalate, fuelled by habitat encroachment and shrinking forest areas. With elephants increasingly venturing into human settlements, the toll on lives and livelihoods remains alarmingly high.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) The NIA has filed charges in a special court in Tamil Nadu against two accused in a terror conspiracy case involving the Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT) terrorist organisation.

In its chargesheet before the NIA Special Court, Poonamallee, Chennai, Abdul Rehman alias Abdul Rahman and Mujibur Rehman alias Mujibur Rahman Altham Sahib have been accused of conspiring and preparing to undertake terrorist acts to promote the HuT ideology in Tamil Nadu and other places.

The NIA investigations have revealed that the accused had conspired with “self-styled office bearers” of HuT to propagate the outfit’s ideology, aimed at establishing the Islamic Caliphate in India and enforcing the Sharia-based draft constitution written by HuT founder Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani.

As per the NIA investigation, the accused were actively involved in recruiting Daris/students to HuT’s secret classes. They also conducted ‘Bayan’ (religious exposition) classes and made several short films to further the organisation’s anti-India ideology on social media platforms.

They had further organised an exhibition to showcase the military might of Islamic nations that would be invited (Nussrah) to overthrow the legally established government in India through violent jihad and war.

In a separate case on Monday, the NIA achieved a breakthrough in the Punjab terror conspiracy case by arresting a key aide of designated Khalistani individual terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and gangster Bachitar Singh alias Pavitar Batala.

Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti of district Gurdaspur, Punjab, has been absconding since the arrest of weapons supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai in July 2024, and was arrested from Mumbai after extensive technical and on-ground efforts by NIA.

The anti-terror agency has identified Jatinder as a member of the terror gang formed by foreign-based Landa of the banned terrorist organisation, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and an aide of Batala, a close associate of Landa.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Accusing former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of pursuing politics of deceit and confusion, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said the case of a woman who was wrongly presented as a victim of “name deletion” from the electoral roll has denied the AAP leader’s claim.

Such incidents point towards a lack of credibility in Kejriwal’s statements, said Sachdeva, adding that the incident had proven that the AAP leader was a habitual liar.

On Monday, during a programme in Kidwai Nagar, Kejriwal introduced a woman, claiming that despite possessing an EPIC card, her name had been deleted from the electoral roll, said Sachdeva.

However, on Tuesday, the woman, Chandra, clarified in an interview that she continues to be a registered voter in the Tri Nagar constituency and has been voting regularly, he said.

Chandra said that she never mentioned to Kejriwal anything about her name being deleted from the voters’ list, adding that he might have made the statement due to some misunderstanding.

Sachdeva reiterated that the BJP has consistently highlighted Kejriwal’s politics of deceit and confusion, pointing out a lack of credibility in his statements and this incident is the latest example of it.

After Chandra’s statement exposed Kejriwal’s falsehood, Delhi residents have come to know that he used her as a pawn to propagate the illusion of large-scale voter name deletion, said Delhi BJP chief.

Sachdeva stated that after Chandra’s false story, it is fair to conclude that Kejriwal’s claims of attacks on himself are also self-created incidents.

He added that since the BJP demanded an investigation into the alleged inclusion of names of Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in the voters’ list, Kejriwal appears distressed because “possibly these illegal infiltrators are the foundation of AAP’s electoral success.”

Earlier, BJP’s New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj accused the AAP government of spreading lies and fooling the elderly in the city in the name of ‘Sanjeevani Yojana’, claiming that the Health Secretary of the Delhi government has told her and L-G V.K. Saxena that there is no such health insurance scheme.

“We have heard about electoral jumalas (promises) but the AAP has unleashed a new variant of electoral chalawa (deceit),” said Swaraj, urging the elderly not to get misled by Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi’s promise of offering health insurance under the non-existent ‘Sanjeevani Yojana’.

–IANS

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Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra), Dec 24 (IANS) A quiet net-banking scam of Rs 21.60 crore, being perpetrated on a government sports complex for six months, abruptly came to light when one of the accused allegedly started blowing off money on expensive vehicles, properties and diamonds, for self and his girlfriend.

The fraud, going on since July 1, was recently detected at the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Divisional Sports Complex (CSDSC), and the local police and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has nabbed two accused so far, while the third – the purported kingpin – is absconding, said an official source.

The two arrested are — a typist Yashoda Shetty and computer operator B.K. Jeevan, both contract workers along with the prime accused, identified as one Harshkumar A. Kshirsagar, untraced so far, and they were routed through a human resources firm along with 16 others in 2023.

The sources said that the Shetty-Jeevan-Kshirsagar, who now stand accused of conspiracy and complicity in the whole crime, drew an average monthly salary of around Rs 13,000, but displayed sudden signs of affluence.

The CSDSC sports officer Tejas D. Kulkarni lodged a formal police complaint and a discreet probe was initiated that threw up their modus operandi.

The Jawahar Nagar Police and the EOW found that the accused had started a net banking facility with the Indian Bank using forged documents and went about bleeding the CSDSC for six months with all the officials in important posts remaining blissfully unaware.

The official, declining to be identified, said that Kshirsagar and Jeevan tinkered with an old letterhead of CSDSC, carrying forged signatures and stamps of the sports complex. It was formally issued to Indian Bank, asking to start a net banking facility, in which one of the accused also supplied his mobile number for the additional service. They also created a fake email ID of the CSDSC and in June the bank completed all relevant formalities to activate the net banking facility on Jeevan’s mobile number.

With this critical access under their belt, they started the long-winded swindle which continued unhindered for six months — till one of them ostensibly became over-confident with a brazen display of sudden wealth.

After the probe, the police lodged a complaint on Sunday, the duo was arrested and sent to police custody till December 27, and the EOW is also probing the financial aspects of the shocking case.

The sustained questioning of the arrested colleagues has revealed the monies were diverted to buying a BMW car, a BMW motorcycle, purchase of a deluxe four-bedroom flat in a posh complex near the Airport, ordering diamond-studded spectacles, expensive clothes and other signs of a richie-rich lifestyle.

Many questions are being raised on the lackadaisical attitude of the CSDSC and how the application for activating the net banking facility was not cross-checked or verified by the bank, or why did the IT Department fail to get any inkling of the high-value purchases.

Interestingly, the sports institution was hauled up earlier this year for defaulting on civic taxes and dues of around Rs 2.75 crore by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation. The accused have been slapped with charges under BNS 61 (2), Sec 316 (2), Sec 318 (4), Sec 316 (5), Sec 336 (2), and investigations are on to nab Kshirsagar and possibly other associates involved in the sensational crime involving government funds.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at qnajmi@gmail.com )

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Christmas celebrations organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) at its headquarters in the national capital, marking the first occasion when a Prime Minister attended the event at the Catholic Church.

Many religious leaders from the Christian community welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s participation and said that it was a “moment of great honour” for them.

Father Nirdosh Ekka, a member of the Society of Jesus, in an interaction with IANS, thanked the Prime Minister for the special gesture and said that they are eager to join the country’s march toward the developed nation.

“PM Modi came amongst us, we thank him very much for this. He shared our joy and happiness. He treated us well. All citizens of the country should be treated equally and get justice. This is also the message of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Father Nirdosh, also the secretary of Tribal affairs at the Catholics Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) said, “Prime Minister is taking the country on the path of progress, in which we will also contribute. But, sometimes we are prevented by some people from making such contributions. Our community contributes the most in terms of education. We are only two percent but our educational institutions are the best. We spread the love of Jesus Christ among people. Jesus’ teaching also says that everyone should live a life of happiness.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), established in India in 1944, works closely with all the Catholics across India.

Father Sushil Modi said that PM Modi’s call for ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas’ is a powerful message that resonates with everyone.

“The message, the Prime Minister gave us, is important for the entire world. He is dedicated to the development of every community and aims to contribute to the development of every section of society. The information he gave about the work he is doing in the field of education and health was inspiring for all of us,” Father Sushil Modi said.

“He also assured that communities like us will get the support and cooperation of the government so that we can implement our plans in an even better way,” he added.

He also said that Prime Minister Modi addressed many international issues and elaborated on the government’s efforts to bring the stranded citizens back home.

Father Joseph Chinnayyan said: “We are confident that the Prime Minister will ensure justice and security for the entire country, irrespective of religion, caste or community. He assured us that all people would get equal protection and love.”

PM Modi also interacted with key leaders from the Christian community, including Cardinals, Bishops and prominent Church leaders.

Last week, PM Modi attended a Christmas celebration at Union Minister George Kurian’s residence in Delhi, where he interacted with the members of the minority community.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, Dec 24 (IANS) The Bengaluru Police have arrested a man and his associate on alleged charges of blackmailing and threatening his boyfriend by threatening to reveal his private photos and videos, police said on Tuesday.

The arrest was made following a complaint filed with the Economic Offences Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru.

According to the complaint, the accused, who owns an electronics shop in the city locality, had forged a friendship with the complainant and eventually moved in with him.

The two shared a live-in relationship.

During this time, the accused opened a hotel and bar in the complainant’s name in Attibele, a town on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The accused reportedly recorded their private moments and forced the complainant to attend couple parties, where he allegedly pressured him to entertain other men.

In 2021, the complainant refused these demands, separated from the accused, and started living independently.

Since their separation, the accused had been threatening the complainant.

In September 2024, the accused, in collusion with one of the hotel’s workers, sent private photos of the complainant to his mobile as a one-time viewing link.

The worker later called the victim, claiming possession of private videos, and demanded money to remain silent.

The accused also contacted the complainant, pressuring him to comply with his demands.

During the investigation, police arrested the accused from the Jayanagar locality in Bengaluru and Bhadravathi town in Shivamogga district.

They seized seven mobile phones and a laptop from the accused.

The suspects were presented before the court and remanded to three days of police custody.

Upon completing the investigation, the accused were transferred to judicial custody.

During questioning, police found that the accused organised couple parties where illegal activities were carried out.

It was also revealed that the accused had collected private and obscene videos and photos of other women and used them to threaten and blackmail them.

–IANS

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