Month: April 2024

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Delhi-based cyber fraudster Punit Kumar for his role as an important kingpin within a syndicate responsible for orchestrating a series of cybercrimes and online gaming schemes across India between 2020 and 2024, amounting to huge illicit gains of Rs 4,978 crore, all of which have been siphoned off abroad.

Also known as Puneet Maheshwari, the cyber fraudster, who is a resident of Delhi’s Moti Nagar, was arrested on April 3 at the arrival hall of Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital while travelling from Nepal, the agency said on Tuesday.

ED said that Kumar’s involvement primarily revolves around defrauding the general public through various cyber fraud schemes, subsequently laundering the proceeds of crime, and siphoning off the same out of India.

“He devised a distinctive method of defrauding individuals, utilising servers located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to orchestrate scams, with a parallel system established in India to support the syndicate’s operations in the UAE,” ED said.

The agency produced Kumar before a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here in the city soon after the arrest and got his custody for a period of nine days until April 9.

ED initiated an investigation on the basis of various First Information Reports registered throughout India, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh.

“Punit Kumar is one of the important kingpins within a syndicate responsible for orchestrating a series of cybercrimes and online gaming schemes across India between the period 2020 and 2024, amounting to huge illicit gains of Rs. 4,978 crore, all of which have been siphoned off abroad. Since the date of the search conducted at his premise, Punit Kumar had been avoiding summons issued by the ED and had tried to remain untraceable,” said the ED in a statement.

Prior to this, another accused, Ashish Kakkar, was also arrested by the ED on March 2 this year from a hotel in Gurugram. Ashish Kakkar is currently in judicial custody.

ED also executed search and seizure operations on May 22-23 last year across 25 premises located in Delhi (11), Gujarat (7), Maharashtra (4), Madhya Pradesh (2), and Andhra Pradesh (1) as part of an investigation into foreign-registered online gaming companies and websites operating in India.

Further, similar actions were carried out at 14 premises in February and March this year. These operations had led to the seizure of various assets, including foreign-made gold bars weighing a total of eight kilograms valued at Rs 5.04 crore (from the premises of Punit Kumar), cash amounting to Rs 75 lakh, jewellery, high-end luxury watches, luxury cars such as Mercedes, Audi, and Kia, as well as incriminating documents and electronic devices containing evidence.

Numerous fake PAN cards and Aadhar cards utilised in the establishment of shell entities (which were used for layering proceeds of crime and siphoning off the same abroad), mobile devices employed for managing bank accounts of these entities, and office stamps were also seized during these operations.

To evade detection, individuals involved in these activities have resorted to using remote-based servers and laptops accessed through remote desktop applications like Anydesk and TeamViewer. In this instance, two such remotely accessed laptops were recovered and seized from the premises of the entity providing server services, located far from the actual operational sites.

The ED investigation revealed that these online gaming companies and websites are incorporated in small island nations such as Curacao, Malta, and Cyprus.

“The fraudulent activities encompass various forms such as investment fraud, part-time job fraud, online shopping fraud and loan fraud. One of the prevalent methods utilised involves enticing individuals with guaranteed profits against investments, gradually leading them into fraudulent schemes where they invest their life savings,” stated the ED.

Subsequently, when individuals demand returns, they are coerced into further payments under the pretext of taxes or processing fees, until their invested funds are depleted, said the agency.

Following the defrauding of the general public, the ill-gotten gains are layered and accumulated within bank accounts controlled by Kumar, Kakkar, and their associates, before being transferred out of India as foreign remittances.

“These individuals have established over 200 companies and firms, where Ashish Kakkar and Punit Kumar serve as the beneficial owners, utilising forged documents to exert complete control over banking transactions. Despite not holding official positions within these companies, Punit Kumar and Ashish Kakkar monitor and control every transaction through loyal associates,” said the ED.

The ED investigation further revealed that Kumar, Kakkar, and others have facilitated outward remittances from the proceeds generated through cybercrimes.

“For the purpose of siphoning off the proceeds of crime, they imported a huge number of consignments declaring high-value items (e.g., rose oil, solar panel machinery) from Dubai, Hong Kong, China, etc. in various Special Economic Zones such as SEZ Mundra, SEZ Kandla, etc. and subsequently exported the same from the SEZs themselves.

“They have sent outward remittances against imports to the tune of Rs 4978 crore but no remittances have been realised against the export of goods from SEZ. In other words, they are also involved in circular trading by way of import-export for the purpose of Hawala transactions,” added the ED. (ANI)

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The United States has said that it “will not get into the middle of the situation” following allegations by Pakistan on India and has urged both countries to avoid escalation of tensions and resolve differences via dialogue.

The response by US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller came after he was asked about Washington’s stance on a recent UK media report citing Pakistani officials alleging that India carried killings of individuals associated with terrorism and extremism on Pakistani soil. Indian officials have termed the allegations as “false and malicious anti-India propaganda.”

“We have been following the media reports about this issue. We don’t have any comment on the underlying allegations, but of course, while we’re not going to get in the middle of this situation, we encourage both sides to avoid escalation and find a resolution through dialogue,” Matthew Miller said during a press briefing.

Miller said this when he was asked about the US response to the recent report in ‘The Guardian’ newspaper.

Earlier this January too Pakistan attempts to link India with the deaths of two Pakistani nationals were dismissed by Ministry of External Affairs with official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal terming it as “peddling false and malicious anti-India propaganda”.

Jaiswal had said, “We have seen media reports regarding certain remarks by Pakistan Foreign Secretary. It is Pakistan’s latest attempt at peddling false and malicious anti-India propaganda.

As the world knows, Pakistan has long been the epicentre of terrorism, organised crime, and illegal transnational activities.”

“India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan, cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence. Pakistan will reap what it sows. To blame others for its own misdeeds can neither be a justification nor a solution,” he added.

Jaiswal made the remarks after Pakistan Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi claimed Islamabad had “credible evidence” of links between Indian agents and the assassination of two Pakistani nationals in Sialkot and Rawalkot–Shahid Latif and Muhammad Riaz.

Latif, who was gunned down in a mosque in Sialkot, has been designated as a terrorist in India, Dawn reported. Riaz, formerly associated with the terrorist organisation Jamaatud Dawa, was killed in Rawalkot, The Express Tribune reported.

In May last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the “victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism”. Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, Jaishankar slammed Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s “weaponising terrorism” remarks.

“Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism. Victims of terrorism defend themselves, counter acts of terrorism, they call it out, they legitimise it and that is exactly what is happening. To come here and preach these hypocritical words as though we are on the same boat,” he said. (ANI)

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Prominent BJP leader in Haryana and former Union minister Chaudhry Birendra Singh joined Congress on Tuesday, almost a month after his son and sitting MP from Hisar Brijendra Singh jumped ship with Congress.

Birendra Singh joined the Congress at the party headquarters in the national capital in the presence of party leaders and supporters, including Randeep Surjewala and Pawan Khera.

Premlata Singh, the wife of Chaudhry Birendra Singh also joined the party along with him.

Singh, while speaking at the joining event, said that his coming back to the Congress party is the “return of the ideology”.

“We are here because we have stood stronger with the people of Haryana and they too have supported us. In the last ten years, you (BJP) did not make anybody your own. I will say that it is not only ‘ghar wapasi’ but ‘vichardhara ki wapasi’ (return of ideology),” the leader said.

Birender Singh was the Union steel minister in the first government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also held charge as minister of rural development, Panchayati Raj, and drinking water and sanitation.

Birender Singh had also served as a minister in the Congress government led by Hooda in Haryana.

Brijendra Singh, the son of Birendra Singh, who is the sitting MP from Hisar resigned from Lok Sabha and the BJP and joined the Congress last month. The Hisar MP had cited “compelling political reasons.”

In the past, the father-son duo had often defied the BJP’s stand on several issues.

In 2020, they sided with the protesting farmers to demand the withdrawal of the now-repealed farm laws. Both leaders also expressed solidarity with wrestlers who protested against the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.

The Hisar MP, after resigning from the BJP had said that the BJP’s decision to ally with the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) was also one of the reasons for his exit from the party.

Brijendra defeated Chautala by more than two lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP swept the state, winning all 10 seats.

However, a few months later in the Assembly elections, the JJP chief defeated Brijendra’s mother Prem Lata by more than 40,000 votes from Uchana Kalan.

Following the elections, the BJP allied with the JJP, a move that did not go down well as the contenders for the Hisar seat began to grow, especially with the induction of former Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi into the BJP in 2023.

Birender resigned from the Upper House in 2020 after Brijendra, a 1998-batch IAS officer who opted for voluntary retirement to enter politics, was elected Hisar MP.

The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, both part of the opposition bloc- INDIA will contest in alliance in Haryana.

As per the agreement reached by both parties, AAP will contest Kurukshetra while Congress will contest the remaining nine seats in the state.

Currently under the sway of the BJP-led NDA alliance, with all 10 Lok Sabha seats in its grasp, the state’s political climate is undergoing scrutiny and potential transformation as the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections loom ahead.

The state will go to polls in a single phase on May 25. The results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)

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Makers of ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ released a teaser for the next episode, starring Diljit Dosanjh, Parineeti Chopra, and director Imtiaz Ali to promote their new movie, ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’.

Netflix on Monday shared a promo of the upcoming episode on their official Instagram account.

In the promo, Kapil Sharma enters the stage with them in a vehicle. He teases Parineeti right away, saying, “Pari yeh Raghav, Rajneeti karte karte Parineeti Parineeti kabse karne lag gaya (From when did Raghav started saying Parineeti instead of Rajneeti (politics)).”

Parineeti blushes and giggles after hearing Kapil’s comment. Diljit Dosanjh lightens the mood by singing a song from his upcoming film. Director Imtiaz Ali then talks about how Punjabis usually get in the mood in the evenings. Diljit quickly responds, saying, “Aksar hi log shaam mei mood mei aa jaate hai (People are in a mood in the evening).”

The caption of this promo read, “Ab hoga music, comedy aur masti ka blast jab aayenge @imtiazaliofficial’s Chamkila ke star cast Dekho #TheGreatIndianKapilShow Saturday 8pm sirf Netflix par.”

As soon as the promo was shared, fans chimed in the comment section.

One user wrote, “Audience wants to see you more, There should be 2 episodes per week on saturday- sunday like before.”

Another user commented, “My fevorait comedy king Kapil sir.”

“This episode will be more special,” wrote a third user.

Helmed by Imtiaz Ali, ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ presents the untold true story of Punjab’s original rockstar of the masses, who emerged from the shadows of poverty and rose to the heights of popularity in the 80s due to the sheer power of his music, angering many along the way, which led to his assassination at the young age of 27.

Diljit portrays ‘Chamkila,’ the top-selling artist of his era, who rose from poverty to immense fame in the 1980s through his powerful music. Parineeti will be seen essaying the role of Amar Singh Chamkila’s wife Amarjot Kaur

Makers recently unveiled the film’s trailer.

The trailer shows a young man (Diljit Dosanjh) from a Punjab village invited to perform at a local event. Despite his objections to being called Chamkila, he decides to proceed. Surprisingly, his music enthralls the village, especially the women, although some criticize the provocative lyrics.

Eventually, he joins forces with singer Amarjot Kaur.

‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ will be out on Netflix on April 12. (ANI)

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In a refreshing turn for Hindi cinema, the Bollywood heist comedy ‘Crew’ has emerged as a blockbuster hit, captivating audiences worldwide with its blend of humour, adventure, and stellar performances.

Led by the talented trio of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tabu, and Kriti Sanon, the film has not only delighted fans but also sparked discussions about its potential sequel, as per a recent report by Variety.

Directed by Rajesh A Krishnan and penned by the dynamic duo behind ‘Veere Di Wedding,’ Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri, ‘Crew’ follows the misadventures of three flight attendants embroiled in a daring gold smuggling scheme.

With a star-studded ensemble cast including Diljit Dosanjh, Kapil Sharma, and Trupti Khamkar, the film delivers laughs and thrills in equal measure.

Upon its release over the Easter weekend, ‘Crew’ quickly soared to success, raking in a whopping 100 crores in global box office earnings.

Its opening day gross of 18.86 crore, according to Variety, marked a significant milestone, cementing its status as one of the highest female-led openers in Bollywood history.

For producers Ektaa R Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor, the success of ‘Crew’ represents a continuation of their winning streak in championing female-led narratives.

Reflecting on their journey to Variety, Rhea expressed her determination to carve out space for women in the traditionally male-dominated holiday release calendar.

“We wanted to create a film that felt as significant and celebratory as any male-led blockbuster,” Rhea Kapoor remarked, highlighting the importance of representation and inclusivity in cinema.

Despite past challenges, including the mixed reception of their previous collaboration ‘Thank You for Coming,’ the producer duo remains undeterred in their pursuit of meaningful storytelling.

With plans underway for a sequel to ‘Veere Di Wedding’ and enthusiastic discussions surrounding a follow-up to ‘Crew,’ Ektaa R Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor continue to push boundaries and redefine the Bollywood landscape.

A sequel has been proposed for ‘Crew,’ Rhea told Variety.

“I really get scared of sequels, I’m so afraid of them, Ektaa gets so annoyed with me… but this is the first film where I finished the film and a week later, my writers have messaged me and told me that they have an idea for the sequel. I was like, this is crazy. This is insane. There’s so much excitement and joy around this film that this time I might actually just do it. But I actually think that this film could make a really fun sequel because the end is open-ended,” she said.

As anticipation mounts for the next chapter in the ‘Crew’ saga, audiences can expect more laughter, more thrills, and undoubtedly, more female-led excellence on the silver screen. (ANI)

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In the quiet confines of Kibbutz Be’eri, nestled amidst the serene landscape of Israel, tragedy has shattered the peace, leaving behind a family torn apart and a community reeling in grief.

As the Israel-Hamas war has completed six months, Ella, a member of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Unit, stood before the remnants of her family’s home, as she recounted the horror that unfolded on October 7. “My name is Ella. I’m from the IDF spokesperson unit. I have a very personal connection to Kibbutz Be’eri, where we’re at. We’re now at my family’s house,” she told ANI.

On that fateful day, eight people sought refuge within the safety of their home, unaware of the terror that awaited them. “They went to the safe room. They were there for 4 hours,” Ella explained, adding, “And seven of them were kidnapped into Gaza. One of them was murdered.”

The devastation did not end there. In another corner of Kibbutz Be’eri, three more members of Ella’s family met a tragic end, their lives cut short by senseless violence.

“So four of my family members were murdered and seven were taken hostage into Gaza,” Ella said.

The toll on the community was staggering. “So 1,200 people lived in this kibbutz before October 7. On October 7, 100 people just from this kibbutz were murdered, and 30 of them were taken hostage,” Ella shared.

In the days that followed, the community grappled with the enormity of their loss and the uncertainty of their loved ones’ fate. For 50 agonising days, they awaited news, their hearts heavy with dread.

Finally, a glimmer of hope emerged as six hostages returned from Gaza, their freedom secured. But for one member of Ella’s family, the nightmare persisted. “But one of them, my cousin Tal, is still in Gaza,” she also said.

The Kibbutz Be’eri located in southern Israel, very close to the Gaza border, witnessed horrific atrocities by the terrorist group Hamas during their October 7 attack on Israel.

Bullet-riddled buildings, burnt vehicles and shattered windowpanes were seen strewn about in the community, testimony to the suffering inflicted by the incursion. Arms and ammunition abandoned by the terrorists were also seen lying about a week after the attack.

Six months have elapsed since Hamas launched a brutal onslaught on Israel, resulting in widespread devastation and loss of life. Despite the passage of time, 134 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity, their fate hanging in the balance amidst ongoing efforts to secure their release. (ANI)

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Congress and National Conference on Monday announced the seat sharing agreement for the five constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir and one constituency of Ladakh.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference by senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah and Congress leader Pawan Khera.

Under the seat sharing agreement, the Congress will contest from Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh parliamentary constituencies, while the National Conference will contest from Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats.

“Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will fight the elections jointly in all the six constituencies. While the candidates have been announced for the Udhampur, Jammu and Anantnag-Rajouri constituencies, the remaining three candidates for Srinagar, Baramulla and Ladakh will also be announced soon,” Omar Abdullah said.

He expressed confidence that INDIA will sweep all the six constituencies.

Earlier, Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) on Sunday announced candidates for three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. PDP leader Sartaj Madni announced that Mehbooba Mufti will contest the general elections from Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

Mufti will be in a political battle from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat against Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla).

Nearly 97 crore voters will be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country.The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting on April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4. (ANI)

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed that Indian Army was against the idea of Agnipath scheme adding that this policy was a brainchild of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all decisions regarding it were taken in the Prime Minister Office.

“Earlier poor used to join Army, they used to get pension. Now they are training an individual for 4 months whereas a Chinese soldier is getting training for five years. You know what will happen, and when that agniveer will die he won’t get anything no pension, no canteen. We will abolish this scheme once our government comes to power. Interstingly, even Army is against the Agniveer scheme. This scheme was the idea of Prime Minister and its decision was taken in Prime Minister office,” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a rally in Shahdol.

Congress in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls has promised to abolish Agnipath Scheme and return to the normal recruitment processes followed by the Army, Navy and Air Force. “It will guarantee economic and social security for our soldiers,” the manifesto read.

Rahul Gandhi further said that a caste census and an economic survey is much needed for the country.

“If the Govt of India spends Rs 10 then an Adivasi officer takes decision for only 10 paise. This has to be changed. A caste census and then an economic survey would expose the truth. Economic survey will also reveal the data about the accumulation of the resources,” he said.

Wayanad MP also mentioned that there are 30 lakh vacancies lying vacant in the Union Government but BJP is unwilling to fulfil it.

“The Govt of India has 30 lakh vacancies. The people in the BJP don’t give them to you. They give you work on contract but don’t give you govt jobs. We will grant you 30 lakh govt jobs as our first step after the formation of our govt,” he said.

Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh will be conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling would be held on April 19, followed by April 26, May 7 and May 13.

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, making it the sixth-largest state in terms of parliamentary representation. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJP secured a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh, winning 28 out of the 29 seats. The Indian National Congress (INC) managed to win only one seat. (ANI)

Supreme Court on Monday restored the bail granted to YouTuber ‘Sattai’ Durai Murugan who was accused of making a derogatory speech against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in 2021.

“If before elections we start putting behind bars everyone who makes allegations on YouTube, imagine how many will be jailed?” observed the Supreme Court on Monday.

A Bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan set aside the order cancelling Murugan bail and opined that he could not be said to have misused the liberty granted to him.

When senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the State, requested that the apex court to impose condition on the Youtuber so that he does not make any scandalous remarks while on bail, the bench told Rohatgi, “Who shall decide whether a statement is scandalous or not.”

Observing that Murugan did not misuse his liberty by protesting and expressing his views, the apex court ordered, “He continues to be on bail for 2.5 years. All the same, we do not find grounds to cancel bail. We thus quash the High Court order cancelling bail, and restore the earlier order granting bail. Needless to say, cancellation of bail can be applied for if deemed fit.”

The top court was hearing Murugan’s plea challenging a Madras High Court order, which cancelled his bail observing that within a few days of giving an undertaking before the court (based on which he was granted relief), he indulged in further offence and made derogatory remarks against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Murugan allegedly made derogatory remarks with an intention to breach public peace and tranquillity and on a complaint of DMK member, police registered a case against him. Murugan was arrested in October 2021.

The Madras High Court had in November 2021 granted bail to Murugan, however, later a division bench of the High Court cancelled his bail. In 2022, the apex court had granted interim bail to Murugan. (ANI)

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