Month: July 2024

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has detained former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra’s wife Manjula. She has been brought to the ED’s regional office in Bengaluru.

Earlier, a Bengaluru Court granted judicial custody to former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra in connection with the alleged Valmiki Corporation Scam till July 18.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Nagendra in connection with the alleged multi-crore scam case. Soon after the arrest, he was produced before the Court in Bengaluru.

The ED detained the former Karnataka Minister, followed by raids by the central agency at many places linked to former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra and MLA Basanagouda Daddal in connection with the alleged embezzlement of funds in Valmiki Development Corporation.

The state government has faced increasing protests by the BJP which has alleged a major scam in the corporation. However, the state government earlier this week denied any wrongdoing.

“There is no scam. All scams have been created by the BJP and their tenure. BJP is the father of scams. Now we are trying to clean up everything and they are not able to digest it as their names will come out,” said Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Monday.

The alleged corruption case of Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation came to light after an official of the Corporation died by suicide and left a note containing an allegation of multi-crore corruption in the corporation.

The official identified as Chandrasekaran (45), a resident of the Kenchappa colony in Vinobanagar, allegedly died by suicide on May 26 after leaving a note containing an allegation of multi-crore corruption in the corporation. Chandrasekaran was a superintendent with the MVDC and was posted at its Bengaluru office.

In a six-page suicide note recovered by police, Chandrasekaran mentioned the names of three officials and alleged corruption worth crores in the corporation, demanding action against the named officials.On June 6, Nagendra said that he has voluntarily decided to resign as an investigation is going on over the allegations of illegal money transfer from Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.The former Karnataka Minister dismissed all the allegations against him and said that he’d come out clean after the investigation. (ANI)

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French President Emman Macron has formally accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

According to a press release from the Elysee Palace, the French presidential office, Macron has asked Attal to continue running the caretaker government until the appointment of the next government.

The development comes ahead of the Olympics that is due to start in France from next week.

In the recent parliamentary elections in France, the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) emerged as the largest bloc, but the infighting among the member-parties had meant that they have failed to build consensus and put forward the name of their prime ministerial candidate.

The NFP, a cluster of several parties including from the far-left France Unbowed party to the more moderate Socialists and the Ecologists — won 182 seats in the National Assembly, making it the largest group but well short of the 289 required for an absolute majority.

The bloc, however failed to put up a name for the prime minister’s post. A per custom, the French president appoints a prime minister from the largest group in parliament but there is still no clarity on which party from the NFP it would be.

In a July 16 press release from the Elysee Palace, Macron said, “In order for this period to end as quickly as possible, it is up to the republican forces to work together to build a rally around projects and actions in the service of French women and men.”

In the parliamentary run off elections last week, Macron’s Ensemble (ENS) alliance won 163 seats took second place.

Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies were relegated to third place with 143 seats.

Attal had immediately after the elections offered to resign but Macron had refused to accept his resignation and asked him to remain as a caretaker until a new cabinet is appointed.

Meanwhile, French lawmakers are set to meet on Thursday to elect the president of the National Assembly, in two votes requiring a majority of the 577-seat body, CNN reported. If the first two votes don’t elect someone, the candidate with the largest support in parliament will be selected in a third vote.

Following their resignation, Attal and his fellow ministers who are lawmakers will be allowed to vote in the election of the National Assembly president, potentially providing key ballots in the divided body, CNN reported. (ANI)

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Several Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders and corporators returned to the Sharad Pawar camp a day after resigning from the Ajit Pawar faction on Wednesday.

At Sharad Pawar’s residence in Pune, the former NCP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief, Ajit Gavhane, was among the leaders who joined his faction.

Three other senior leaders of the NCP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad unit–Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane–who quit the party on Tuesday also joined the founder’s camp.

In reaction to this, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) working president Supriya Sule said that Sharad Pawar has been working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years, and even people from the opposition look at him with great hope.

“I think many people in the party have different experiences. We have always ensured that our ideology of development remains strong. Pawar sahab (Sharad Pawar) has been continuously working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years. We have faith in Pawar sahab’s ideology, and at the same time, many people in the opposition also look towards him with great hopes, which is why people are joining him,” Sule said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Gavhane said that he, along with some other party workers who have also resigned from their posts, will be seeking blessings from NCP founder Sharad Pawar.

“I resigned yesterday, and today all the ex-corporators will be holding a meeting and strategizing our next moves. We will also take the blessing of Sharad Pawar,” Gavhane said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

The Nationalist Congress Party split last year when Ajit Pawar led some MLAs and joined the ruling Eknath Shinde Sena and BJP government.

Gavhane claimed that the development work done by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was different from that done by both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar.

“If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, both Ajit dada and Pawar sahab had contributed to its development. But since 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been ruling PPMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation). The development work here was done in the wrong way, especially if you look at other constituencies. There was rampant corruption here, and the sitting MLA is responsible for it,” Gavhane said.

Speaking about other party leaders who have resigned from their posts, Gavhane said, “Along with me, corporators like Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane have resigned.”

When asked if he is interested in contesting the upcoming state assembly elections, Gavhane said, “Yes, I am interested in contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections.” (ANI)

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s consistent and continued support for Mauritius in its quest for progress, and expressed pride in being a partner of Mauritius in its journey towards modernity.

EAM Jaishankar is on a two-day official visit to Mauritius. He made the remarks at the inauguration of projects and the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Mauritius in Port Louis, in the presence of Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.

This marks his first bilateral visit to Port Louis after being re-appointed in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

“India is truly proud to be a partner of Mauritius in your journey towards modernity and progress,” Jaishankar said in his remarks.

“Mauritius is one of the first countries that I am visiting in my current term as External Affairs Minister. It underscores the strength and depth of our bilateral ties. It is also an opportunity to underline India’s unwavering commitment to its special and enduring partnership with Mauritius,” he added.

Jaishankar further recalled that he had the privilege of calling on Mauritius PM Jugnauth and conveying the greetings of PM Modi. “I also told the Prime Minister that the people of India appreciated very deeply his presence as the Modi government was sworn in for the third time, last month,” he said.

Jaishankar reiterated that during his meeting with the Mauritius PM, they discussed various aspects of bilateral ties, including the Development Partnership, Defence and Maritime Corporation, economic and trade ties, and people-to-people linkages.

“I reiterated India’s consistent and continued support for Mauritius in its quest for progress and prosperity. After all, our ties with Mauritius benefit from four Indian priority foreign policy approaches,” the EAM said.

Jaishankar added that Mauritius is part of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, of our Vision SAGAR, of our Africa Forward Initiative, as well as of our commitment to the Global South. “In addition, we share the closest of bonds from history and kinship,” he said.

Highlighting the deep-rooted ties, Jaishankar recalled President Draupadi Murmu’s visit to Mauritius this year as the chief guest of Mauritius National Day celebrations

“As announced then, I was honoured today to hand over the first Overseas Citizen of India cards to two very fine specimens of seventh-generation Indian origin Mauritians. This special carve-out for Mauritius further demonstrates our special and enduring ties,” he said.

Emphasising that India-Mauritius relations have actually blossomed into a robust and multifaceted partnership, Jaishankar said that it serves as a role model for India’s successful development collaboration abroad.

“…I am privileged to join him tomorrow, in inaugurating the Mediclinic in Grand Bois, built with Indian grant assistance, adding to a list of signature projects here. I will also visit another Indian assisted project, the Civil Service College in Moka, which will be ready for inauguration soon,” he noted.

Highlighting the community development projects, Jaishankar underscored that they have virtually inaugurated 12 of them today, and with this, 37 out of 96 such community projects have become operational in the span of just one year.

“Eight more, I understand, will be inaugurated in the next two months in Rodrigues and Agalega,” he added.

On space cooperation, he said that it has been translated into a concrete project with the exchange of Project Plan Document between India’s ISRO and Mauritius MRIC.

“We look forward to its early implementation so as to launch a satellite for Mauritius,” EAM said.

Jaishankar expressed pleasure in handing over the royalty payment cheque of 1.3 million Mauritian rupees towards revenues earned from the sale of Mauritian nautical charts produced by our joint hydrography service.

“This maritime collaboration is now nearly two decades old and has added value to our multifaceted cooperation,” he stressed.

He said that both nations will support the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in digitising the documented records of indentured workers, as well as provide training to MGI staff through the National Archives of India.

They also agreed to renew the term of the ICCR Chair in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy at the MGI for another five years, Jaishankar said.

Highlighting the issue of Chagos, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s support for Mauritius.

“India will continue its consistent support to Mauritius in line with its principal stand on decolonization and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations,” he said.

Jaishankar’s visit to Port Louis comes around a month after PM Jugnauth visited India for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his new cabinet and Council of Ministers. (ANI)

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Actor Richa Chadha on Tuesday dropped some captivating images from her maternity shoot with her husband Ali Fazal.

In the photos, Richa and Ali are seen embracing the baby bump.

Richa also wrote a special note.

It read, “What can a love so pure bring forth into the world, but a beam of light? Thank you for being my partner on this incredible journey @alifazal9 , through this lifetime and many more, through starlights and galaxies… thank you for getting genius @ridburman to shoot us in our natural habitat@gulati.kanika. May we bring forth a warrior of light, a child of compassion, empathy, healing and above all love. Ameen!”

In February, the couple took to Instagram and announced the news of their pregnancy.

They posted an image saying 1 + 1 = 3, confirming the news with a caption, “A tiny heartbeat is the loudest sound in our world”Richa and Ali met on the sets of Fukrey in 2012 and soon fell in love with each other. They have been legally married since 2020, but they celebrated their union in 2022 with festivities across Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow.’

Meanwhile, on the work front, Richa is currently receiving appreciation for her performance as Lajjo in the Netflix series ‘Heeramandi’. The series features a star-studded cast, includes Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Sehgal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh.The series also stars Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman in the roles of the Nawabs.

Set against the backdrop of India’s struggle for independence in the 1940s, the show explores the lives of courtesans and their patrons, delving into the cultural dynamics of Heera Mandi.

Ali, on the other hand, was featured in ‘Mirzapur’ season 3. (ANI)

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Tripura government on a plea filed by around 79 undergraduate teachers from the State challenging their termination orders issued by the State in 2017 and 2020.

The teachers from Tripura moved to the top court saying their termination orders were “unlawful and unconstitutional”.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Justice PB Varale notified the Tripura government and sought its response to the plea.

The petition said in 2014, a division bench of the High Court of Tripura had declared a certain Employment Policy, 2003 issued by the State government, “bad in law” and set aside the appointment of more than 10,000 teachers allegedly made thereunder, according to which the petitioners were also terminated.

The teachers have questioned the applicability of the said policy to the services thereof and urged that they were recruited in strict adherence to the recruitment rules for the time being in force, therefore falling out of the realm of the 2014 High Court Judgment.

The petitioners said that they were never put to notice of the proceedings before the High Court and the judgment had been delivered behind their backs.

The petition filed through advocates Amrit Lal Saha, TK Nayak, and Aaditya Mishra said that a massive scam is being perpetrated by the Tripura government.

The plea claimed the employment and salary codes of all such terminated teachers have still been kept active and therefore, the monthly remuneration of such teachers is being debited to the state-exchequer and misappropriated by certain corrupt officials/bureaucrats.

The petitioners have further disclosed that the Principal Accountant General (Addl.), Tripura is investigating the alleged fraud.

The petitioners have also highlighted the dilapidated condition of the school education system in the State wherein the brunt of the acute shortage of teachers is being borne by innocent students.

Earlier 700 teachers also moved the apex court with the same issue. (ANI)

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The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday restrained West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from making derogatory statements against Governor CV Ananda Bose.

The interim order was passed by Justice Krishna Rao and the matter will be heard again on August 14.

Governor Bose has filed a defamation suit against CM Banerjee and three others.

CM Mamata Banerjee had made a statement over a woman staff member of the West Bengal Raj Bhawan, who had alleged sexual harassment by Governor CV Ananda Bose.

The court said that the Governor is a “Constitutional Authority” and cannot meet the personal attacks being made by CM Mamata by using social media platforms.

“This court if of the view that in appropriate cases where the court is of the view that the statements have been made in a reckless manner in order to cause injury to the reputation of the plaintiff, the court would be justified in granting an injunction. If at this stage, an interim order is not granted, it would give the defendants free hands to continue making defamatory statements against the plaintiff and continue to tarnish the reputation of the plaintiff,” the order said.

The court also mentioned that if an interim order is not granted, the governor will “suffer irreparable loss and injury to his reputation.”

“In view of the above, the defendants are restrained from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against the plaintiff by way of publication and on social platform till August 14,” the order read.

Meanwhile, the woman staff member of the West Bengal Raj Bhawan, who had alleged sexual harassment by Governor CV Ananda Bose, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the immunity granted to the Governor under Article 361 of the Constitution.

She has asked the apex court to decide “whether sexual harassment and molestation form part of discharging or performing duties by the Governor”, to grant him a blanket immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution.

“This court has to decide whether a victim like the Petitioner can be rendered remediless, with the only option being to wait for the accused to demit his office, which delay will then be inexplicable during the trial, and render the entire procedure a mere lip service, without any justice to the victim herein,” the plea stated.

She claimed such immunity cannot be absolute and asked the top court to frame guidelines and qualifications to the extent of immunity enjoyed by the office of the Governor. (ANI)

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In a much-anticipated revelation, Junglee Pictures has unleashed the enthralling trailer of ‘Ulajh,’ featuring Janhvi Kapoor in a pivotal role as Suhana Bhatia, a young diplomat entangled in a web of intrigue and conspiracy.

Directed by National Award winner Sudhanshu Saria, the film promises a gripping narrative set against the backdrop of high-stakes international diplomacy.

The trailer introduces Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Suhana Bhatia, as the youngest Deputy High Commissioner, navigating a perilous path where every move is scrutinized.

Her portrayal challenges stereotypes, addressing the issue of nepotism head-on amidst the complexities of her career-defining assignment at the London embassy.

Colleagues doubt her competence, questioning her abilities as mere nepotism, adding layers of tension to the plot.

Gulshan Devaiah joins the cast as a mysterious undercover agent, injecting further suspense into the narrative.

The trailer teases a labyrinth of secrets and betrayals, hinting at an internal leak that jeopardizes the lives of undercover agents and throws Suhana into a desperate struggle for survival.

National award winning director Sudhanshu Saria emphasizes the thematic depth of ‘Ulajh,’ describing it as a reflection on the intricate choices within international diplomacy, amplified by compelling performances from Janhvi Kapoor, Gulshan Devaiah, and Roshan Mathew.

Each character is portrayed with shades of grey, promising audiences a rollercoaster of suspense and unexpected revelations.

Speaking about her role, Janhvi Kapoor expressed her connection to Suhana’s character and the challenges it presented, “Portraying a diplomat for the first time has been both humbling and fascinating. Suhana’s strength and vulnerabilities resonated with me, and I’m eager for audiences to experience her journey.”

Amrita Pandey, CEO of Junglee Pictures, lauded the cast and crew for their dedication in bringing ‘Ulajh’ to life, highlighting Janhvi Kapoor’s career-defining performance.

The film, also starring Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Meiyang Chang, Rajendra Gupta, and Jitendra Joshi, promises to captivate viewers with its intricate storyline and authentic portrayal of diplomatic intricacies.

‘Ulajh,’ scripted by Sudhanshu Saria and Parveez Shaikh with dialogues by Atika Chauhan, is slated for release on August 2, 2024. (ANI)

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Mihir Shah, the accused in the high-profile Worli hit-and-run case, was presented before the Sewri court on Tuesday for further remand proceedings.

Police had sought further police custody for the accused but court refused the Damand. Mihir Shah has been sent to Judicial custody for 14 days, till July 30

According to the police, during investigation Shah has refused to answer critical questions about his actions and whereabouts after the crime.

He has not disclosed why he fled the scene, where he disposed of his car’s number plate, or the identities of those who allegedly harbored him while he was on the run.

Police’s request for further remand was objected by defence lawyer who said that it’s been 7 days he is in custody and has already told the police whatever he had to tell. Now police is trying to seek the custody on almost similar grounds which were mentioned in first remand application.

Also, three sections of Motor Vehicle act are added in original FIR of Worli hit and run case for Mihir Shah’s car had blackened glass , PUC of the vehicle had expired and insurance of the car had also expired.

Defence lawyer also emphasised that 27 witnesses have already repcorded their statements in the case including the barber who had done shave for the accused when he was on run so there is nothing left on the basis of which police should seek firsther custody.

The police emphasized that obtaining this information is crucial for the ongoing investigation and requested the court to extend Shah’s police custody to facilitate further questioning.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police during its investigation in the Shiv Sena leader son’s hit and run case has stated that the accused had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol at two different places on the night of the incident.

According to the Mumbai police, “During the investigation, it was found that the arrested accused Mihir Shah consumed alcohol before the incidents. He consumed alcohol at two different places on the night of the incident.”

“The probe revealed that after drinking alcohol at Vice Global Tapas Bar located in the Juhu area, accused Mihir Shah drank alcohol at another place between Malad and Borivali,” the police said.

“The interrogation with Rajrishi Rajendra Singh Bidawat, accused driver, also revealed that these people had come to visit Marine Drive since the day of the incident fell on a Sunday,” said police.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Mumbai court sent Mihir Shah to police custody until July 16.

Mihir Shah was arrested in Virar on Tuesday. He was brought to Sewri court in Mumbai on Wednesday. Shah had been absconding after the car he was allegedly driving hit a scooter on Dr Annie Besant Road in Worli on Sunday, July 7.

Fourteen teams were formed by Mumbai Police to nab him. Police arrested Rajrishi Singh Bidawat and Mihir’s father, Rajesh Shah, for their alleged involvement in the case.

According to Mumbai police, the 45-year-old victim was a resident of Worli Koliwada. Her husband was riding the scooter while she was riding the pillion. The husband also sustained injuries in the incident.

“The couple was returning home after buying fish when the scooter they were riding on was hit by the luxury car. Both of them sustained injuries, and the woman died during treatment,” police added. Police also said that the luxury car belonged to a leader of a political party based in Maharashtra’s Palghar. (ANI)

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