In a breakthrough, law enforcement authorities have dismantled a major cybercrime network operating in Bengaluru. The operation has uncovered transactions worth Rs 854 crores spread across 84 bank accounts and has led to the registration of 5,013 cases nationwide.
The Cyber Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru has played a pivotal role in apprehending members of this criminal syndicate. In total, 17 cases have been registered in the city, and the gang responsible for these illicit activities has been taken into custody by the CCB cybercrime police.
Notably, the accused were managing the accounts from Bengaluru while residing abroad.
Key members of the Bengaluru-based gang, including Navara Manoj alias Jock, Phanindra, Vasanth, Srinivasa, Chakradar alias Chakri, and Somashekhar alias Uncle, were cooperating with associates based overseas.
Ainathi Asami, who was responsible for managing the bank accounts of individuals residing in the Vidyaranyapur and Yelahanka areas of Bangalore, is among those arrested.
Once individuals joined a Telegram group, the accused encouraged them to invest in cryptocurrency-related ventures. They were persuaded to invest sums ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000. The promise was that, after investing, they would earn daily returns ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000.Gradually, as trust was built and more individuals invested, the stakes escalated, with victims pouring in lakhs and even crores of rupees. These funds were then deposited into different bank accounts in Bengaluru.
Subsequently, the money was funnelled into foreign bank accounts, and the cybercriminal gang managing the bank accounts would receive cryptocurrency in return. The foreign group would then invest these funds in various foreign companies.
As part of the operation, law enforcement agencies seized computers, mobile phones, laptops, bank account records, credit cards, debit cards, swiping machines, SIM cards, printers, and chequebooks.
Additionally, Rs 5 crores in the bank accounts of the accused have been frozen by the CCB police.
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While the country celebrated the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during the Special Parliamentary Session earlier this month, a senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui stoked a controversy Saturday saying women with lipsticks and bob-cut hairstyles would come forward in the name of reservation.
“Those with lipsticks and bob cut hairstyles would come forward in the name of women’s reservation. The government should instead provide reservations for women belonging to backward communities,” Siddique said during an address in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur.
VIDEO | “Now that women’s reservation is being talked about, we demand that there should be a reservation within the reservation for the OBC and backward castes,” says RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui on women’s reservation act. pic.twitter.com/O2fBOBQ1sn
The leader also asked his supporters to avoid watching television and stay away from social media until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections conclude.
“You should stop watching the TV and spending time on social media without using your brains,” he said.
Siddiqui’s defence
The senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader later said that he did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments by making the statement.
He said, “In that rally, hundreds of rural women were there… I used that language to explain to the rural woman in their language.”
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: On his reported statement on women, RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui says, “In that rally, hundreds of rural women were there… I used that language to explain to the rural woman in their language. My intention was not to hurt anyone… If someone is hurt, I… pic.twitter.com/vWCPCKbvUQ
He added, “My intention was not to hurt anyone… If someone is hurt, I express regret… It was a gathering of extremely backward classes and I was teaching them… RJD had been in support of Women’s Reservation since the beginning…”
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People who failed to respond to the 12-year-old rape survivor’s cries for help in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain may be held accountable under the child sex abuse laws, the police have said.
A senior Madhya Pradesh police officer told NDTV that those people will be charged for “failing to report or register the commission” of a crime under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Jayant Singh Rathore, an Additional Superintendent of Police (Ujjain) said that one such person, an autorickshaw driver named Rakesh Malviya, has been identified for knowingly not informing the police of the crime.
“If more people are found, and it is clear they did not help (the girl) or did not inform the police, we will take legal action,” Rathore said.
In a shocking video, the minor girl, who was seen knocking door-to-door to ask for help as she was soaked in blood, was shooed away by people. The Chief of Police, Sachin Sharma, said that the girl had Rs 120 in her hand which was given to her by people. Sharma said that while some people did help her with money, they might have had “reservations” on seeing her condition.
“There were mixed responses. People in the localities she passed through had helped her. Some gave her Rs 50, others gave Rs 100. She crossed a toll booth on the way. The staff there gave her money and some clothes. At least 7-8 people tried to help,” he added.
SIT to probe crime
A Special Investigation Team has been found to investigate the case.
The main accused, Bharat Soni, an auto-rickshaw driver, has been arrested for allegedly raping the girl.
The father of the victim said that on September 24, the girl left her house for school as usual but after she failed to return home, the family filed a missing person’s report the next day.
He added that the family could only know about their daughter’s plight after her uncle showed them a video of her roaming the streets of Ujjain.
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The state of Manipur is back in the news. Violence has erupted once again. The reason? Same as last time – a crime from the past has surfaced online.
Here’s what happened this week: Manipur’s government lifted its Internet ban and the state went online after five months. Immediately pictures of two students – a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old boy – began to circulate. The two had gone missing on July 6. The families did approach the police and a complaint was filed two days later on July 8 but there was no progress. The cops said both students had gone into a Kuki-dominated area and after that, no one saw them.
Now, the Kukis are a tribal group in Manipur and are locked in a violent faceoff with another community – the Meitis. More than 170 people have died so far and this week the two missing students joined that list.
The viral pictures showed their dead bodies – the male student was reportedly beheaded, and the girl student was allegedly raped. As these pictures spread, so did violence. Hundreds of people took to the streets. They marched towards the chief minister’s residence, a stand-off followed, security officials used tear gas and smoke bombs and at least 50 students were injured, some were hospitalised.
What’s the plan?
The chief minister has condemned the twin murder and transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A special CBI team has already arrived in Manipur. Also, Internet connections have been cut again. The idea is to stop provocative content from being shared. But then again, how long can the ban continue? The first ban lasted for five months. Yet, the moment it was lifted, violence resumed. The government needs to understand this risk.
Around 30 people are still reported missing in Manipur. That’s the official count. We don’t know what has happened to these people. If they are kidnapped, tortured, or worse… so the fear is obvious. What if more such videos emerge? What if this violence becomes cyclical? That’s the big worry.
The government has decided to keep up the pressure. They have extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in parts of Manipur. AFSPA gives additional powers to the army and the central forces – to engage and arrest without warrants. While the hill areas are under AFSPA, the valley remains under the state police.
A new strategy
There is also talk of a new military strategy. They are calling it – one district, one force – which means each paramilitary force will be given districts. Say the CRPF for one district, the army for another. Basically, there will be no overlapping. The idea is to boost cooperation and accountability.
A new threat?
Manipur already has 40,000 security personnel spread across the state so resource is not the problem, but outside influence could be.
A recent meeting in Canada has Indian intelligence worried. Khalistani separatists hosted a Manipur tribal leader at a gurudwara recently. Reports say, he spoke about minority issues in India.Should New Delhi be worried about this? The details are sketchy right now. We don’t know how deep this nexus is, or if a nexus exists at all. But either way, it’s proof of the uphill battle.
The government says things are slowly returning to normal, but what does normal look like? The absence of violence is not normal. This episode is the perfect example of that. Manipur lifted the internet ban thinking things had improved but all it took was one picture; one picture and the violence resumed. What does that tell you? That the ethnic divisions are yet to disappear. That the wounds have not healed. Only a comprehensive peace process can bring normalcy to Manipur. The government has promised that. It’s now time to deliver.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally to conclude the two ‘Parivartan Yatras’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chattisgarh’s Bilaspur city.
This is PM Modi’s third visit to the Congress-ruled state, where assembly elections are due at the end of the year.
State BJP chief Arun Sao said that the prime minister will address the ‘Parivartan Mahasankalp’ rally, the closing ceremony of two Parivartan Yatras.
Meanwhile, PM Modi has a packed schedule for the next six days as he is set to attend as many as eight public meetings in the four poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
Modi will also hold two rallies in each of these states, according to News18.
On October 1 (Sunday), PM Modi will visit Mahabubnagar in Telangana to launch developmental projects worth more than Rs 13,500 crore.
The very next day (October 2), PM Modi will be in Chittorgarh in Rajasthan and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
On October 3, the prime minister will be travelling back to Chattisgarh Nizamabad in Telangana to hold public meetings.
About Parivartan Yatra
While the first Parivartan Yatra was taken out from Dantewada (south Chhattisgarh) on September 12, the second one was rolled out from Jashpur (north Chhattisgarh) on September 15.
Both the yatras saw 83 ‘Swagat Sabhas’ (welcome gatherings), four roadshows and various public meetings before culminating at Bilaspur, covering a distance of more than 3,000 km across 87 assembly segments (out of the total 90).
Bijapur, Sukma, and Antagarh constituencies (all Maoist-affected) have not been included in the itinerary, but people belonging to these constituencies were engaged in the yatra when it passed through the adjoining constituencies.
With inputs from PTI
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Not just countries, many companies are going through the same phase of helplessness. One of them is Byju’s, the Indian ed-tech company based in Bengaluru. Their story is well-documented – an impressive rise during the pandemic, a rushed expansion plan, and now – a case study on how not to run a start-up.
Byju’s is in the news again, which obviously means one thing – they are cutting jobs. Reports say – up to 4,000 employees could be fired, even senior management is at risk. It’s part of their new cost-cutting measure.
The mess
You see, Byju’s is facing a number of financial challenges. But the most pressing one is this – a loan worth 1.2 billion dollars and the lenders want their money back. So, what’s the company’s strategy?
Well, a new CEO took over last week. He plans to shake things up at Byju’s. In the corporate world – that often means firing people. The company presently has 35,000 employees and up to 4,000 of them could be fired – that’s around 12 per cent of the workforce. At its peak – Byju’s had 52,000 employees. This was during the pandemic in 2021.
But beyond firing people – what is the rescue plan? Reports say, Byju’s wants to bring more students to offline centres. That’s a bit strange though – their whole brand was built around online learning and now, they are going offline.
Another strategy is divesting foreign assets. Remember the famous Byju’s acquisition spree? They were buying ed-tech centres for fun. And that has backfired. The company is now looking to sell off foreign assets like Epic, which was acquired for 500 million dollars and Great Learning, which was bought for 600 million.
Why it matters
But will it be enough? Byju’s wasn’t just any start-up. It was the start-up in India. Its founder Byju Raveendran had rockstar popularity. And now he is accused of financial mismanagement. Byju’s has lost 75 per cent of its value since last year and thousands of employees have been fired.
They are also facing lawsuits in the US One of them details an interesting revelation. Last year, Byju’s transferred 500 million dollars to a US hedge fund called Camshaft Capital. Their address doesn’t have a hedge fund office though, but a pancake shop. So, the lawsuit claims Byju’s hid the money there. Such stories can be damning and don’t just hurt Byju’s but also the image of India’s start-up industry.
Not just Byju’s
Dream 11 is a similar case. It’s an online fantasy league for sports – you make a team, you pay some money and if your picks were good, you win big. Basically, it’s betting with some skill involved.
In 2019, Dream 11 became a unicorn (its valuation hit one billion dollars). Today, the company sponsors the Indian cricket team’s jersey, probably the most coveted marketing real estate.
But this week, Dream 11 got a notice accusing it of evading taxes. We are talking about a whopping Rs 40,000 crore. It’s the largest claim in India’s indirect taxation history. Dream 11 has disputed this and has filed a lawsuit in the Mumbai High Court.
So what’s the deal here? Dream 11 says it should pay tax on what it charges customers, basically, their fees. The government says the total gaming revenue should be taxed and that too at 28 per cent. It’s now up to the court to decide.
What about the India story?
But legalities aside, there is a story here – both with Byju’s and Dream 11. These were supposed to be India’s success stories – two big, shiny unicorns. And now look at them? One is struggling to repay loans and the other is accused of tax evasion.
These reports are coming at a bad time for the start-up industry, not just in India, but all over the world. This quarter was especially bad. Indian start-ups received 1.5 billion dollars this quarter, which is a five-year low. Despite that, India is actually one of the bright spots. A recent survey looked at start-ups which received more than 50 million in funding and India ranked fourth on their list. Only the US, China and the UK ranked above India.
So the backdrop is a delicate one. There is a global investment winter but India is somehow beating the trend. In that context, such headlines can be counter-productive. They can scare investors away. However, it’s also an opportunity to show financial resilience, a chance to make things right and hold people accountable – the two attributes investors look at too. So, this period of trouble is a litmus test for Indian start-ups. The brave will survive, the others won’t.
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Normalcy in Karnataka will be hit today as the southern state is witnessing another bandh. Pro-Kannada organisations have declared a day of shutdown in the state, opposing the release of Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Lives of the common man will be affected, as public transport as well as Ola and Uber drivers will stay off the roads; shops, eateries and theatres will also keep their shutters down, and schools and colleges have also declared a day off today in view of the strike.
The state shutdown has been called by Kannada Okkuta, an umbrella organisation for Kannada outfits including factions of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Kannada Chalavali (Vatal Paksha) and various farmers’ bodies. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal(Secular) have also extended their support to the bandh.
On the other hand, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar urged people not to participate in the bandh. “A bandh will not help. There could be law and order problem.”
The bandh today (29 September) comes just three days after the state witnessed another one on 26 September, over the same reason – Cauvery river water-sharing. The two states are at loggerheads with one another following the Supreme Court’s decision not to intervene in the rulings of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and its auxiliary body, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
But as the bandh disrupts daily life, what is the constitutionality of it? Are they legal?
Protests and bandhs in India
The word bandh comes from the Sanskrit word meaning closure or shutdown. A means to protest, which results in an economic shutdown, bandhs have its origins in the Independence Movement during which hartals were used to wage war against imperial rule.
The right to strike exudes from Article 19 (1) (c) of the Indian Constitution, which gives the citizens the fundamental right to form associations or unions. Article 19(1) (a) secures every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression.
However, Article 19 of the Constitution doesn’t explicitly give any fundamental right on a resident or citizens to organise a hartal, bandhs or chakka jam. The Supreme Court has many times asserted that demonstrations can be considered a form of freedom of speech unless they violate the public order.
The bandh on 29 September follows the one that took place on 26 September. Buses stand parked at Kalasipalya bus stand. File image/PTI
Legality of bandhs
The constitutionality of bandhs is a confusing matter. Many relate the fundamental right to form associations and unions to carrying out bandhs.
In 1961, the case of Kameshwar Prasad emerged as a major judgment on the right to strike by the Supreme Court. The apex court had then refused to declare right to strike as a fundamental right but also struck down a rule of government service that imposed blanket ban on any kind of demonstration by government servants.
However, later in the All India Bank Employees Association case, the Supreme Court rejected the contention that right to ‘form associations’ guaranteed by Article 19(1)(c) carried with it a right to strike.
In the case of TK Rangarajan v Government of Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court had then stated that government employees cannot go on strike and that such an act is illegal. The judgment had read: “Coming to the question of right to strike – whether fundamental, statutory or equitable moral right – in our view, no such right exists with the government employees. Law on this subject is well settled and it has been repeatedly held by this court that the employees have no fundamental right to resort to strike.”
Justice MB Shah had added in the order, “Apart from statutory rights, government employees cannot claim that they can take the society to ransom by going on strike. Even if there is injustice to some extent, as presumed by such employees, in a democratic welfare state, they have to resort to the machinery provided under different statutory provisions for redressal of their grievances.
“Strike as a weapon is mostly misused which results in chaos and total maladministration. Strike affects the society as a whole and particularly when two lakh employees go on strike en masse, the entire administration comes to a grinding halt. In the case of strike by a teacher, entire educational system suffers; many students are prevented from appearing in their exams, which ultimately affect their whole career. In case of strike by doctors, innocent patients suffer; in case of strike by employees of transport services, entire movement of society comes to a standstill; business is adversely affected and number of persons find it difficult to attend to their work, to move from one place to another or one city to another. On occasions, public properties are destroyed or damaged and finally this creates bitterness among public against those who are on strike.”
Previously in 1997, a full bench of the Kerala High Court had banned bandhs, which had been vehemently opposed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its partners in the Kerala government. The court had also held that organisers of the bandhs are liable to compensate the Government, the public and private citizens for any losses they suffer on account of destruction of property during the bandhs.
The Supreme Court also upheld the order banning bandhs later that year.
Bandh organisers eventually started calling strikes hartals instead. The Supreme Court in 2004 stated that inconvenience could not be caused in the name of hartal either.
But, confusion continues over the constitutionality of a bandh as the courts haven’t clarified the difference between a strike, bandh and hartal.
However, in 2017, the apex court took a differing stand on the issue. A bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud had noted in a case that “hartals could never be considered unconstitutional”. “The Right to Protest is a valuable constitutional right. How can we say hartals are unconstitutional,” they had said.
In 2019, the matter was once again raised in court and this time, the Gauhati High Court ruled against bandhs and blockades declaring them illegal and unconstitutional. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan in his judgment had said that organisers of such blockades are liable to be prosecuted under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code 1860, National Highways Act 1956 and the Railways Act 1989.
The bandh will affect transport services across the state. The bandh has support from various quarters. PTI
Karnataka bandh today
Irrespective of the legal status of bandhs in India, Karnataka is witnessing one today on the issue of the Cauvery river water.
Travel and transport will be affected by the bandh and so will colleges and educational institutions. Employees at private companies have also been asked to work from home today in light of the bandh in the state.
However, the state machinery has said that essential services including hospitals, government offices and banks will operate as per usual. Namma Metro services will also function as per usual.
While flight operations will continue as usual, Kempegowda International Airport authorities have issued an advisory in anticipation of potential disruptions in transport services due to the one-day Karnataka bandh. Flyers have also been urged to stay informed by following alerts from their respective airlines, law enforcement agencies, and media releases for any further updates.
And as the bandh started in the state, the Bengaluru Police detained over 50 members of pro-Kannada organisations near Karnataka’s Attibele town.
With inputs from agencies
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Canada is committed to have “stronger ties” with India, asserted PM Justin Trudeau on Friday, days after making “credible allegations” that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Speaking at a press conference in Montreal, Trudeau said while it is “extremely important” that Canada and its allies engage with India over the allegations of Nijjar’s killing, his country would also like to work with India to strengthen bilateral ties.
“India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” stated Trudeau.
“At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasise that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter,” the Canadian prime minister said.
Trudeau also claimed that the US has given its assurance that the allegations made by him against India in Nijjar’s murder will be raised by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a meeting with his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar in Washington DC on Thursday.
“The Americans have been with us in speaking to the Indian government about how important it is that they be involved in following up on the credible allegations that agents of the Indian government killed a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” Trudeau said.
However, the meeting between Jaishankar and Blinken had no mention of the killing of Nijjar.
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Bengaluru Police on Friday detained over 50 members of pro-Kannada organisations near Karnataka’s Attibele town as statewide bandh to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu began in the state.
The two southern states are once again at loggerheads over the Cauvery water-sharing issue following the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s directives to release water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu at a time when several taluks in the state have been declared drought hit.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Bengaluru Police detain members of pro-Kannada organisations, protesting over the Cauvery Water Issue, near Attibele. pic.twitter.com/XOzVcQ9e9s
“We have made proper arrangements as a bandh has been called by several pro-Kannada organisations. More than 50 people from the organisations have been taken into custody… We have sufficient staff and we will make sure nothing goes wrong…,” said Mallikarjun Baladandi, Additional SP of Bengaluru Rural district.
Protest rallies have been planned in different parts of the state, including the state capital Bengaluru.
All educational institutions in Bengaluru will remain closed and restrictions under section 144 have been imposed in the city.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made across the state and a large number of police personnel have been deployed.
Kannada Okkuta’, an umbrella organisation for Kannada outfits including factions of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Kannada Chalavali (Vatal Paksha) and various farmers’ bodies have given a call for the statewide dawn-to-dusk shutdown.
There will be a massive protest procession from Town Hall to Freedom Park in the city, in which people from all walks of life are likely to participate, the organisers said.
They have said that the bandh is for the entire Karnataka and that they will try to shut highways, toll gates, rail services, and also airports.
The opposition BJP and JD(S) too have extended their support to the bandh, as also hotels, autorickshaws and hail riders associations in Karnataka.
With inputs from agencies
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with India’s foreign minister on Thursday, amid a simmering dispute between New Delhi and Ottawa over suspicions of Indian government involvement in the death of a Sikh activist in Canada.
Blinken and S Jaishankar met at the State Department on Thursday as the US attempts to manage the conflict between its northern neighbour and the South Asian country important to its Indo-Pacific plan to challenge China’s growing influence in the area.
In brief remarks to reporters, neither man addressed the scandal that has strained Canada-India relations, but a US official indicated the subject was broached. According to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential meetings, Blinken pushed India to participate with the Canadian investigation.
“We have consistently engaged with the Indian government on this question and have urged them to cooperate,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters ahead of the meeting.
After the meeting, Miller said in a statement that Blinken and Jaishankar had “discussed a full range of issues, including key outcomes of India’s G20 presidency, and the creation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and its potential to generate transparent, sustainable, and high-standard infrastructure investments.”
They also covered “the continued importance of cooperation ahead of the upcoming 2+2 Dialogue, in particular in the areas of defence, space, and clean energy,” Miller said. The G20 refers to the Group of 20 Summit that was recently held in New Delhi and was attended by President Joe Biden. The “2+2” dialogue is a format for meetings between the US and Indian foreign and defence ministers.
A US State Department statement after Blinken met his Indian counterpart made no mention of Nijjar’s murder or of Canada as a whole.
A short State Department summary of the issues discussed in the meeting between Blinken and Jaishankar, formally called a readout, listed topics like India’s G20 presidency, the creation of an India-Middle East-Europe corridor and topics like defence, space and clean energy.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was sure US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would raise the murder of a Sikh separatist leader when he met his Indian counterpart on Thursday but a US statement after the meeting made no mention of the issue.
“The Americans have been with us in speaking to the Indian government about how important it is that they be involved in following up on the credible allegations that agents of the Indian government killed a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” Trudeau said.
“This is something all democratic countries, all countries that respect the rule, need to take seriously and we are moving forward in a thoughtful, responsible way anchored in the rule of law with all partners, including in our approach with the government of India,” he told reporters in Montreal.
Trudeau made his remarks to reporters in Quebec, 10 days after he announced Canada suspected Indian government agents were linked to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which took place in the province of British Columbia in June.
US officials have acknowledged that the fallout from the allegations, which they take seriously, could have a profound impact on relations with India but have been careful not to cast blame on the June killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was slain in a Vancouver suburb.
Nijjar was a Canadian citizen but India had declared him a “terrorist.” Killed by masked gunmen, Nijjar was a leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, and India had designated him a terrorist.
India’s foreign ministry has dismissed the allegation as “absurd” and accused Canada of harbouring “terrorists and extremists.” It also implied that Trudeau was trying to drum up domestic support among the Sikh diaspora.
In his comments, Trudeau said Canada did not want to rupture ties with India but takes the matter seriously.
“As we’ve presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy just last year, we’re very serious with about building closer ties with India,” he said. “At the same time … we need emphasize that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts on this matter.”
India has dismissed Canada’s allegations as absurd. Jaishankar, though, said on Tuesday that New Delhi has told Canada it was open to looking into any “specific” or “relevant” information it provides on the killing.
Trudeau, who is yet to publicly share any evidence, said last week he shared the “credible allegations” with India “many weeks ago.”
Blinken said last week the United States was “deeply concerned” about the allegations raised by Trudeau and added it was important for India to work with Canada in this investigation.
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The Indian Army has submitted a proposal to the Defence Ministry to purchase 400 howitzers from Indian companies as part of a massive effort to support domestically designed and built combat systems.
The 155 mm/52 calibre Towed Gun System will be lighter, more adaptable, and prepared for future technical improvements thanks to the knowledge of Indian Industry, according to the Indian Army’s Regiment of Artillery.
“A proposal for buying 400 155mm 52 calibre towed gun systems (TGS) along with towing vehicles from Indian firms under the Buy Indian-IDDM category has been moved to the Defence Ministry. The government is expected to soon take a decision on the TGS at a high-level meeting,” senior military officials told the media.
The Indian Army has already released a tender to locate a mounted gun system for its needs along the borders with China and Pakistan in addition to one to find 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS).
It would be entirely Indian in every manner if the howitzer were Indian Designed, Developed, and Manufactured.
Like the previous Bofors weapons, the Army wants the new guns to be lighter and simpler to deploy in high-altitude settings.
The Army’s strategy for mediumization with indigenous weapons includes a procurement process that should be finished by 2042.
Four contracts for the purchase of 155 mm howitzers have been finalised in the previous ten years. The introduction of these gun systems and the subsequent equipping of more regiments with these weapons.
Dhanush, Sharang, Ultra Light Howitzers (ULH), and K-9 Vajra Self-Propelled Guns are some of these weapon systems.
The Sharang Guns have been upgraded from 130mm to 155mm calibre, while the Dhanush Guns are electronic upgrades of the Bofors Guns.
Five Regiments have already received self-propelled guns, while seven Regiments have already received ULHs.
(With agency inputs)
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India will turn into a “rapidly ageing society,” a new report by UN said, stating that by 2046, the share of elderly in India’s population will be higher than the proportion of children aged between 0-14 years.
“Four years before 2050, the population size of the elderly in India will be higher than the population size of children aged 0–14 years. By that time, the population share of 15–59 years will also see a dip. Undoubtedly, the relatively young India today will turn into a rapidly ageing society in the coming decades,” read the India Ageing Report 2023 released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
There are 149 million people aged 60 years and above in 2022 (as on 1 July), comprising around 10.5 per cent of the country’s population. By 2050, the share of
older people will double to 20.8 per cent, with the absolute number at 347 million.
“By 2050, one in every five individuals will be an elderly in India,” the report said.
“Most of the states in the southern region and select northern states such as Himachal Pradesh and Punjab reported a higher share of the elderly population than the national average in 2021, a gap that is expected to widen by 2036,” it said.
Population statistics usually refer to the population aged 60 or 65 and above as ‘old’ or ‘elderly’.
The report further said states reporting higher fertility rates and lagging in demographic transition, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, are expected to see an increase in the share of the elderly population between 2021 and 2036, the level will remain lower than the Indian average.
According to 2021 population estimates, there are 39 older people per 100 children in India.
Life expectancy on Indian population
The report further said women will live longer than men, due to which the number of older women will be more than older men. A large number of them will be rural women.
The global population has been increasing even as people are living longer, the report said, adding that increasing life expectancy and declining fertility have had an impact on all countries of the world, due to which both the share and number of older people will increase worldwide in the coming years.
In 1991, there were 930 elderly women per 1,000 men, according to the report. The ratio started to change after this and is expected to continue. It is estimated that there will be 951 men for 1,078 women.
As per the report, a man aged 60 years in India can live another 18.3 years, while women can live 19 years. However, it depends on the different life expectancy of the states.
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In UP’s Meerut, police arrested a teacher named Ankit Tyagi on charges of illegally keeping a gun which they only had allegedly planted in the accused person’s motorbike. Their actions were exposed after the CCTV footage emerged.
SP Dehat Kamlesh Bahadur’s investigation report highlighted the constables’ error, leading SSP to reprimand two constables. Furthermore, IG Meerut has summoned a report on the entire incident. Ankit Tyagi’s sister and other female family members staged a protest, and their video went viral.
In UP's Meerut, a family alleged two cops from the local police station planted a gun in the house and later arrested a youth Ankit Tyagi under Arms Act. The family has produced CCTV footage as evidence to corroborate their claims.
The case revolves around a land dispute involving farmer Ashok Tyagi from Khandavali village in Kharkhoda. Allegedly, the police, in collaboration with other parties, have been accused of harassing Ashok and his family. When the police first arrived in the village on Tuesday night, they found nothing incriminating.
However, when Ankit left the house, a pistol mysteriously appeared on his bike. It is suspected that the pistol was planted to implicate Ashok’s son. Ankit was taken into custody, and an Arms Act case was filed. The entire incident was captured on CCTV.
Later, in an another video, two women pleaded for their brother’s release outside Meerut IG Nachiketa Jha’s residence on the night of September 26th. They held a child in their arms and requested to meet the IG but were denied access. The incident, captured on video, has been widely shared on social media.
The two women can be seen outside IG Meerut Nachiketa Jha’s office, with one holding a child. They repeatedly request to speak to the officer, claiming their brother is being falsely accused by the police. After some time, a security guard contacts someone via mobile phone and hands it over to the woman.
The woman on the phone desperately pleads, “Hello, Sir…Sir, you must have seen the video. Sir, we are in distress. The police have placed a weapon with our family member. They are going to our house and assaulting us. We are outside with our children.” She breaks down in tears.
The other woman adds, “Please, Sir, release our brother. We are the ones who have him. Sir, the recording is on the DVR. We have evidence on our phone.” Afterward, the phone is returned to the security guard.
Ankit Tyagi, a youth studying for the IAS, was arrested late on Tuesday night. His sister, Rakhi Tyagi, revealed, “My four-year-old child is in the hospital with a 103-degree fever. We have been standing outside IG Sahib’s office since 1 a.m. We are not being heard, and no action is being taken. The police are targeting us. We want to meet the officer, but they won’t let us. The SO has accused us of misbehavior. The CO keeps demanding the DVR. We will only give it to a senior officer.”
IG Nachiketa Jha responded, saying, “The women came with their complaint in the morning. Based on their complaint, a thorough investigation is underway, led by senior-ranking police officers. We will take appropriate action based on the investigation’s findings.”
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Despite the deteriorating diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Ottawa, the Indian government is continuing its purchases of lentils from Canada as it aims to bolster its buffer stocks to address the rising prices of pulses in the domestic market, said sources familiar with the matter.
Two central government agencies, namely the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), have recently issued tenders to procure red lentils (masoor whole) from the local market and through imports in an effort to stabilise prices, as reported by Economics Times.
Starting earlier this month, these two agencies have collectively been issuing tenders four times a week to procure lentils. The reduced acreage due to erratic monsoons in key growing states this year has led to an increase in prices of this protein-rich staple.
Canada was the biggest supplier of lentils to India during India’s 2022-23 financial year ended on 31 March with shipments of 485,492 metric tonnes worth $370 million (Rs 3,079 crore), accounting for more than half of India’s total lentils imports, according to data from India’s trade ministry.
The trend had been continuing, with India’s imports of Canadian lentils from April to July jumping 420 per cent from a year ago to 190,784 tons, the trade ministry data showed.
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Delhi Police has registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code over pro-Khalistani graffiti found written on walls under the Kashmiri Gate flyover, according to ANI reports.
The pro-Khalistani graffiti, however, has now been removed from the wall.
Anti-India slogans and activities have been reported in the recent past in countries, especially in Canada. Tensions escalated between India and Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a serious allegation regarding the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani extremist, on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
India has already rejected the allegations terming it as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
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The Manipur government is considering the implementation of a ‘one district, one force’ policy to enhance coordination and operational efficiency among security forces, as part of its efforts to restore peace in the northeastern state, which has been plagued by ethnic violence since 3 May.
According to a Hindustan Times report, under this arrangement, each district will have dedicated personnel from a paramilitary force responsible for maintaining law and order.
A security official in Delhi explained that this approach aims to promote accountability and minimise the potential for conflicts between different security forces.
According to the report, citing an anonymous official, a unified command under the leadership of security advisor Kuldiep Singh is expected to reorganise security personnel throughout the state to implement the “one district, one force” framework.
“Having one force to look after a particular district will help in coordination and also fix accountability. The force will be responsible for everything that happens in the particular district. Since the CRPF has more personnel, it is likely that they may be posted in more than one district,” Hindustan Times quoted the official as saying.
“All these paramilitary forces will work in conjunction with the state police. Though an official order is yet to be issued, this will happen soon,” the official added.
In the state currently experiencing ongoing ethnic tensions between the Meiteis and Kukis, there are over 200 companies representing various paramilitary forces. Unfortunately, this region has witnessed at least 175 casualties due to instances of violence stemming from these tensions.
To address the situation and restore peace and normalcy, the nation’s five paramilitary forces – CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, and CISF – along with the Assam Rifles and the army are working in cooperation with the state police. Their combined efforts are focused on maintaining law and order, safeguarding the population, and addressing the complex challenges posed by the ethnic conflict.
“The deployment of the forces could be done on the basis of the existing offices or camps of the forces that are present in each district. The state has 16 administrative districts. Even before the violence erupted, there were some companies of the CRPF and army stationed in the state. Among the paramilitary forces, the CRPF has the maximum number of personnel posted in Manipur,” the report quoted the official as saying.
With inputs from agencies
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A heart wrenching incident has come to fore from Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain where a 12-year-old girl, semi-naked and soaked in blood after being allegedly raped was refused help by people even when she went door to door seeking assistance.
CCTV footage from Badnagar road, about 15 kms from Ujjain, shows people staring at the girl in pain after the alleged heinous crime, but no one coming forward to help her. A person was also caught in video shooing the minor away as she approached him for assistance.
The girl, who also appeared to be injured, kept asking for help in the colonies of Sanvarakhedi Simhastha Bypass until she fainted near Dandi Ashram.
A priest of the ashram suspected sexual violence. She was then covered with a towel, while the passerby dialed 100 to call the police.
The cops reached the ashram and rushed the girl to the district hospital. The doctors confirmed rape and her private parts were damaged.
A report by Dainik Bhaskar said the girl walked for over two-and-a-half hours. She even said her mother was assaulted by miscreants.
Reports mentioned that doctors in Ujjain, who were treating the girl, said her condition was critical due to excessive blood loss and referred her to Indore. They even revealed that the rape victim was suffering from diabetes.
#BreakingNews: Schoker from Ujjain stuns India; Minor seeks help after rape; Victim seen walking naked on the streets of Ujjain
The Dainik Bhaskar report said the minor had to undergo operation in Indore after which her condition is said to be stable.
After her condition improved, the police tried to question the girl about the alleged crime and know her name and address, she could not answer coherently.
"The girl was not able to tell us exactly where she is from. But her accent suggests she is from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh," Ujjain police chief Sachin Sharma said, adding that a special team has been formed to identify and catch the culprits at the earliest.
"The medical examination has confirmed rape. We have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and closely following this. We appeal to the people to inform police if they get any information," Sharma said.
When asked about the location where the crime took place, the officer said, "This is being investigated. We would come up with the information soon."
The initial investigation suggested that the said she is probably from Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
Police have registered a case of rape against unidentified accused. The stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has also been invoked.
With inputs from agencies
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is not just a branding event but it’s an event of bonding.
#WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat: PM Modi addresses an event marking 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, “Vibrant Gujarat is not just a programme of branding but more than that it is a programme of bonding” pic.twitter.com/8md2Y3XuqT
Addresses an event to mark 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Science City, Ahmedabad, PM Modi said, “Vibrant Gujarat is not just a branding event, but it’s an event of bonding. For the world, this successful summit may be a brand, but for me, it is a sign of strong bond. This is the bond between me and 7 crore people of Gujarat.”
Recalling his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, PM Modi said that he didn’t have much experience as the CM then but all that he had was the unbreakable trust of the people of the state.
“I didn’t have much experience as a CM, but I had unbreakable trust of the people of Gujarat. However, those who carry agenda, they were busy doing their own analysis of the incidents,” said PM Modi referring to his detractors.
He said Vibrant Gujarat Summit was made a primary medium not just for the redevelopment of Gujarat but also its future.
#WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat: PM Modi says “We not only did redevelopment of Gujarat but also thought about its future, we made ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ a key channel for this. ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ was made a channel to increase the self-confidence of Gujarat and a channel to speak to the… pic.twitter.com/IR0S3Whedk
“Not just the redevelopment of Gujarat, we were also thinking about its future, and Vibrant Gujarat Summit was made a primary medium for that. It became a medium to boost the self-confidence of Gujarat and make eye-to-eye contact with the world,” said the Prime Minister.
Attacking the previous central governments, he said those in power used to threaten foreign investors and tried to stop them from coming to Gujarat.
#WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat: PM Modi says, “…Those who ran central govt earlier used to link Gujarat’s development with politics. Minister of then central govt used to refuse to come to Vibrant Gujarat…they used to threaten foreign investors and tried to stop them(foreign… pic.twitter.com/1kp0iIxNF0
“…Those who ran central govt earlier used to link Gujarat’s development with politics. Ministers of the then central government used to refuse to come to Vibrant Gujarat…they used to threaten foreign investors and tried to stop them from coming to Gujarat…even after so much of threatening, foreign investors came to Gujarat,” said PM Modi.
Modi initiated the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit during his tenure as the chief minister of the state in 2003 with the aim of making Gujarat a leader on the global map of industry and trade.
The Gujarat government is now gearing up for the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which will be held in Gandhinagar between 10 and 12 January next year on the theme of ‘Gateway to the Future’.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited the robot exhibition at Science City and also inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.
He was accompanied by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will witness the participation of industry associations, prominent personalities from the sphere of trade & commerce, young entrepreneurs, and students of higher and technical education colleges, among others.
PM Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate development projects to the tune of Rs 5,206 crore at Chhota Udepur in Gujarat including village Wi-Fi facilities in 22 districts later in the day.
In a statement released on Monday, the Gujarat government had said that PM Modi will visit Gujarat on Wednesday and inaugurate projects worth Rs 4,505 crore under the Mission Schools of Excellence.
“During his visit, he will inaugurate and dedicate various development projects worth Rs 5,206 crore in Chhota Udepur district. Under the Mission Schools of Excellence project, development works worth Rs 4,505 crore will be inaugurated and dedicated by the Prime Minister,” the statement read.
A new Navodaya Vidyalaya built at a cost of Rs 23 crore in Dahod and an FM Radio Studio built at a cost of Rs 10 crore will also be inaugurated. PM Modi will also inaugurate village Wi-Fi facilities that will benefit 20 lakh beneficiaries in 7,500 villages across 22 districts.
“Development projects worth Rs 277 crore under the Roads and Buildings Department, Rs 251 crore under the Urban Development Department, and Rs 80 crore under the Water Supply Department will also be inaugurated and dedicated,” the statement added.
With inputs from agencies
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Eight workers suffered burn injuries after a blast inside a load carrier in Anantnag’s Larkipora area on Wednesday, police said.
“An explosion occurred in the cement mix settling vibration machine, adjacent to portable generator and tin can of oil being carried with labourers in a load carrier at Larkipora in Anantnag. Eight labourers were injured with burn injuries and are being treated at a hospital. Their condition is stable,” said J&K Police in a statement.
The police, however, ruled out any terror angle in the incident.
Police said the further investigation into the incident has started.
More details awaited
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In a scathing attack on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), BJP MP Maneka Gandhi on Wednesday alleged the religious organisation is “biggest cheat” in the country as it sells cows from its gaushalas to butchers.
The remarks, made by the the BJP MP in a video that has gone viral, drew sharp response from ISKCON, the most influential Krishna sect in the world, terming the allegations as “unsubstantiated and false.”
Gandhi, a former Union minister and an animal rights activist, is vocal on social media over issues of animal welfare.
In the video, Gandhi is heard saying, “ISKCON is the biggest cheat in the country. They establish gaushalas for which they get unlimited benefits from the government. They get huge lands, everything…”
Narrating her visit to ISKCON’s Anantpur gaushala, she said that she couldn’t find a single cow that doesn’t give milk and there were no calves at all.
“It means all of them were sold. ISKCON is selling all its cows to butchers. No one else does as much as they do. And these people go on roads and chant Hare Rama Hare Krishna! They say their whole life is dependent on milk…. Probably, no one has sold as many cattle to butchers as they did. If these people can do it, what about others?” she asked.
Taking to X, ISKCON’s national spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das rejected the allegations saying the religious body has been at the forefront of cow and bull protection and care not just in India but globally.
Response to the unsubstantiated and false statements of Smt Maneka Gandhi.
ISKCON has been at the forefront of cow and bull protection and care not just in India but globally.
The cows and bulls are served for their life not sold to butchers as alleged. pic.twitter.com/GRLAe5B2n6
There’s no peace for the northeastern state of Manipur. Five months after the state witnessed clashes – first in May during a tribal solidarity march – unrest has once again erupted, prompting authorities to re-impose a ban on mobile devices accessing the internet.
The ban, which has been imposed until 1 October, comes just days after the state government had lifted similar orders, which had been in place after the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki tribes had led to the killing of 175 people and injuring hundreds of others.
Speaking from New York, where he had earlier addressed the United Nations General Assembly, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Council on Foreign Relations that the state and the central governments were trying to find a way by which a sense of normalcy returns. “I think one part of the problem in Manipur has been the destabilising impact of migrants who have come. But there are also tensions which obviously have a long history which precede that. And today, I think the effort is on the part of the state government and the Union government to find a way by which a sense of normalcy returns, that arms which were seized during that period are recovered, that there is an adequate law-and-order enforcement out there so that incidents of violence don’t happen.”
But what led to the new outbreak of unrest? What’s going on in the state? We break it down.
Fresh unrest in Manipur
The cause of new protests and anger in the northeastern state came after the brutal murder of two Meitei students went viral.
On Tuesday, two images went viral on social media platforms showing the two youngsters sitting next to each other outdoors, with two men carrying arms standing behind them. The second purportedly shows their bodies slumped on the ground next to each other, with one of them having their head missing.
The slain students were later identified as Hijam Linthoingami (17) and Phijam Hemjit (20) from Imphal.
Reacting to the images, Linthoingami’s father, Kulajit Hijam, was quoted by the Indian Express as saying: “Her gaze in that photo, I’ve never seen that before. It pains me a lot. Such a deep look filled with love and emotion… Why did they kill two children?”
The two students, as per investigations, had gone missing since early July, when the Meitei-Kuki conflict was at its peak. The Manipur Police have said that initial investigations have led them to believe that the students were trapped in an area dominated by the Kuki community while fleeing, after which they were allegedly abducted and murdered.
The bodies of the two are yet to be found.
According to reports, on 19 July, the girl’s father filed a complaint at Imphal police station that his daughter went missing on 6 July from a coaching centre. A case of abduction with common intention was filed at Lamphel police station.
CCTV footage revealed that the two were last seen at Bishnupur. When the girl’s father called her, her number was switched off but later when her mother called, she answered the phone before abruptly disconnecting the call.
The police suspect that they were abducted by Kuki miscreants and then murdered by them.
The images have led to fresh anger in the state with school students holding protests in Imphal, and chanting ‘Maheiroi Hatpa Yaningde,’ which means ‘We’re against the killing of students.’ These protests led to the police resorting to firing tear gas shells.
The state government in the evening announced a closure of all government and private schools until 29 September.
Chief Minister Biren Singh in a late night post on X assured the people that his government, along with the Centre, is working to arrest the culprits. He announced that a CBI team would be arriving in Imphal on 27 September.
In light of the distressing news that emerged yesterday regarding the tragic demise of the missing students, I want to assure the people of the State that both the state and central government are closely working together to nab the perpetrators.
The state of Manipur has been on the boil, with some experts even calling the situation ‘on the brink of a civil war’ since 3 May. It stems from the Kuki community protesting against Meiteis’ long-standing demand that the latter be included in the list of the state’s Scheduled Tribes (ST), which received a boost following an order of the Manipur High Court.
On 3 May, this led to a solidarity march in the areas bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, leading to violence. Since then, the state has witnessed extreme acts of violence and vandalism – 175 people are dead, countless others are injured, and over 5,000 cases of arson have been reported, which included more than 4,700 houses that were torched. In addition, thousands of others have been rendered homeless, as people flee the violence-hit state.
Members hold placards as they take part in a protest rally against ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur. File image/AFP
The state’s situation became so dire that Home Minister Amit Shah also visited Manipur on 30 May and tried to bring peace to the area, but his efforts bore no fruit.
And on 19 July, the entire country was left speechless and horrified when a video showing showing two women from the Kuki-Zomi community being paraded naked by a mob of men and being sexually assaulted emerged on social media. Investigations then revealed that the horror had taken place two months ago, with the police taking no action on it.
The video provoked sharp reactions with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying: “The video showing atrocity against women in Manipur is the most shameful. I’m pained and angered about the incident and I assure people of the country that guilty will not be spared and subjected to severest punishment.”
A demonstrator holds up a placard, during a protest against the alleged sexual assault of two tribal women in Manipur. File image/Reuters
Even the Supreme Court took cognisance of the visuals, saying, “We are dealing with something which is of unprecedented magnitude, namely crimes and perpetration of violence against women in a situation of communal and sectarian strife. There is no gainsaying the fact that crimes against women are taking place in all parts. The only answer is this. You cannot excuse what is taking place in one part of the country like Manipur on the ground that similar crimes are happening in other parts too. Questions is how do we deal with Manipur.”
The clashes have left not just physical scars, but also caused emotional fault lines. The clashes have virtually partitioned the state between the dominant Meitei community, and the tribal Kuki group, which lives in the hill districts.
Will the state see peace in the near future? Only time will tell.
With inputs from agencies
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National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday began its raids on Hawala operators and logistic coordinators of gangsters linked to Khalistan Group across 51 locations in six states.
According to NIA, among those being raided include associates of gangsters Lawrence Bambiha and Arsh Dalla.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids across 6 states in 3 cases in 51 locations belonging to associates of Lawrence Bambiha and Arsh Dalla gangs: NIA pic.twitter.com/0YJqkq3mEO
Sources said that the raids are on in 30 locations in Punjab, 13 in Rajasthan, 4 in Haryana, two in Uttarakhand and and each in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids across 6 states in 3 cases in 51 locations belonging to associates of Lawrence Bambiha and Arsh Dalla gangs: NIA pic.twitter.com/LFuiqdiufR
The development comes amid diplomatic tensions between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on his country’s soil on 18 June in British Columbia, a charge rejected by New Delhi as “absurd” and “motivated”.
The NIA had earlier published a list of 19 wanted Khalistani terrorists who were believed to be living in the UK, US, Canada, Dubai, Pakistan, and other countries.
According to reports, citing sources, these terrorists’ properties are likely to be seized.
The NIA has already confiscated the properties of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a member of the banned pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
According to reports, the action against these 19 fugitives will be taken under the anti-terror law UAPA. They have been accused of running anti-India propaganda from abroad.
With inputs from agencies
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday distributed appointment letters to nearly 51,000 newly-inducted employees in various government departments under the Rozgar Mela initiative and said that every government employee will have a huge role in making India the third largest economy in the world.
Addressing new appointees during ‘Rozgar Mela’ via video conferencing, PM Modi said, “The country has resolved to become a developed India by 2047. In the next few years, we are going to be the third-largest economy… In this period, every government employee is going to play a huge role. You always need to work with a citizen-first spirit. You are part of a generation which has grown up with technology….You need to use the technology in your work domain.”
“The country has resolved to become a developed India by 2047. In the next few years, we are going to be the third-largest economy… In this period, every govt employee is going to play a huge role. You always need to work with a citizen-first spirit. You are part of a… pic.twitter.com/JfzB3vYzZo
He said that over the last nine years ever since BJP came into power the government’s plans have paved the way to achieve even bigger goals.
“Our policies are based on a New Mindset, Content Monitoring, Mission Mode Implementation and Mass Participation. In nine years, the government has implemented policies on a mission mode.” said PM Modi.
He said the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament’s new building has heralded a new future for the country, asserting that it is his government’s policy to open new doors for girls.
“Today our country is witnessing historical achievements and decisions. A few days ago, half of the country’s population received great strength in the form of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. The Women’s Reservation Bill, which was pending for the past 30 years, has now been passed… pic.twitter.com/zA2k3UlKZ2
“Today our country is witnessing historical achievements and decisions. A few days ago, half of the country’s population received great strength in the form of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. The Women’s Reservation Bill, which was pending for the past 30 years, has now been passed by both houses with record votes. This decision was taken in the first session of the country’s new Parliament. In a way, the new future of the country has started in the new Parliament,” said PM Modi.
In the last nine years, PM Modi said the country has witnessed how technological transformation can ease governance.
“Earlier, people used to stand in queues at the booking counters of railway stations. Technology has overcome this problem. Aadhaar cards, digital lockers and eKYC have eliminated the complexity of documentation… With technology, corruption has decreased and credibility has increased…,” said the Prime Minister.
He said India’s GDP is growing rapidly amid difficulties in the global economy as there has been a huge increase in our production and exports.
“Today, India’s GDP is growing rapidly amid difficulties in the global economy. There has been a huge increase in our production and exports. The amount of investment the country is making today in its modern infrastructure has never been done before,” says PM Modi addressing new… pic.twitter.com/GK4uyM3rOt
“Today, India’s GDP is growing rapidly amid difficulties in the global economy. There has been a huge increase in our production and exports. The amount of investment the country is making today in its modern infrastructure has never been done before,” PM Modi added.
He said the the speed and scale of implementing policies also increases when millions of youth like you join government services.
With inputs from agencies
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation of the Indian government’s link in a Khalistani terrorist’s killing has no bearing on the ‘army to army’ relationship between both countries, Canada’s Deputy Army Chief Major General Peter Scott said Tuesday.
“I am fully aware of, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement. The government’s stance and the government request for India to participate in, and cooperate in the investigation. But, really, that has no impact on us here at the Indo-Pacific conference. We’re really here to build relationships from army to army, and we’ll let our governments deal with that issue, themselves,” Major General Peter Scott said while attending the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPAC), 2023.
#WATCH | Delhi: Canada’s Deputy Army Chief Major General Peter Scott says, “We’re very grateful to be here as part of the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPAC), 2023. Canada continues to look for opportunities where we can participate in training or exercises with partners… pic.twitter.com/QCVwXEIMgB
India is hosting the conclave of Army chiefs from the Indo-Pacific region in Delhi. The meeting will be attended by 15 Army chiefs and delegations from 22 countries
The Canadian General thanked India for hosting the conference which seeks to strengthen the military relationship in the region and address common challenges.
“We’re very grateful to be here as part of the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPAC), 2023. Canada continues to look for opportunities where we can participate in training or exercises with partners in the end of the Pacific region. And this conference provides us a forum to meet with other leaders of other nations of similar interests. We’re very happy to be here and very gracious for India to be hosting…”
Last Monday Trudeau, while speaking in the Canadian Parliament, alleged that the Indian government was behind the killing of Nijjar.
India dismissed the allegation as “absurd”.
Nijjar was wanted in India under India’s Terrorist Act for several cases, including a 2007 bomb blast at a movie theatre in Punjab, which killed six people and injured 40 others, and the 2009 assassination of a Sikh BJP leader, Rulda Singh.
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Pictures of the bodies of two Manipuri students, who had been missing since July, have gone viral on social media platforms. These images depict moments from before and after they were killed.
One of the photographs portrays the two students with two armed men in the frame and the other one was of two bodies. The students have been identified as 17-year-old Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit.
The recent images went viral days after two Kuki women in Manipur were stripped and paraded by a mob on 4 May. The video of the incident surfaced on 19 July.
The police had previously said that the whereabouts of the two missing students were not known and their mobile phones were found switched off.
The last location of their handsets was traced at Lamdan near the winter flower tourist spot in the Churachandpur district, they had said earlier.
After the images went viral, the Manipur government asked the people to exercise restraint and allow the authorities to investigate the “kidnapping and killing” of two students.
In a statement issued by the secretariat of Chief Minister N Biren Singh late on Monday night, the state government said the case has already been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“The state police, in collaboration with the central security agencies, are actively investigating the case to determine the circumstances surrounding their disappearance and to identify the perpetrators who murdered the two students. The security forces have also started the search operation to nab the perpetrators,” the statement said.
Security personnel have been put on alert, and additional measures taken to prevent any incident following the viral of photos of the students, a senior officer said, according to PTI.
“The government is committed to ensuring justice and will impose severe punishment on any perpetrator found responsible for the heinous crime,” it said.
With inputs from agencies
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The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) claimed on Monday that the international credit rating firm Moody’s Investors Service has made broad allegations against Aadhaar without providing any evidence.
The UIDAI offered a robust pushback to Moody’s Investors Service, which argued that the Aadhaar system frequently results in service denials and that the reliability of biometric technology, particularly for manual workers, is doubtful in hot and humid climes.
“A certain investor service has, without citing any evidence or basis, made sweeping assertions against Aadhaar, the most trusted digital ID in the world. Over the last decade, over a billion Indians have expressed their trust in Aadhaar by using it to authenticate themselves over 100 billion times,” the UIDAI said in a statement.
The unique id Aadhaar’s custodian said that the report in question does not cite either primary or secondary data or research in support of the opinions presented in it.
“The investor service did not make any attempt to ascertain facts regarding the issues raised by it from the Authority. The sole reference cited in the report is in respect of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), by referring to its website. However, the report incorrectly cites the number of Aadhaars issued as 1.2 billion, although the website prominently gives the updated numbers,” the UIDAI said.
It said that the report ignores that biometric submission is also possible through contactless means such as face authentication and iris authentication.
“In addition, the option of mobile OTP is also available in many use cases. The report also avers that there are security and privacy vulnerabilities in a centralised Aadhaar system. The factual position in this regard has been repeatedly disclosed in response to Parliament questions, where Parliament has been categorically informed that till date no breach has been reported from the Aadhaar database,” the statement said.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with top UN officials in New York to address India’s G20 presidency, regional difficulties and global challenges, sustainable development objectives, and Security Council reforms.
On Monday, a day before addressing the General Debate at the present high-level United Nations General Assembly session, Jaishankar met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the 78th General Assembly Dennis Francis at the international organization’s headquarters.
He also met with Achim Steiner, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.
Jaishankar stated that meeting with Guterres was a “pleasure” and that they addressed “how India’s G20 Presidency has contributed to strengthening” the UN’s sustainable development agenda.
“We have coordinated closely in this regard over the last year,” Jaishankar said in a tweet, adding that he appreciated Guterres’ strong commitment to reforming international financial institutions.
In a readout of the meeting issued by the UN spokesperson’s office, Guterres “expressed appreciation for India’s cooperation with the UN and its leadership of the G20”.
Guterres and Jaishankar also “discussed the situations in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and other global challenges”, according to the readout.
The UN secretary-general attended the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on 9 September and 10 September held under India’s Presidency of the grouping.
Before his meeting with Guterres, Jaishankar met Francis and welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency.
“Confident that it would contribute to the UN General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations. Agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues of our times,” Jaishankar said.
In a post on ‘X’, Francis said he was “delighted” to meet Jaishankar and congratulated him on India’s “successful G20 Chairmanship, especially on India’s unwavering advocacy in support of the Global South”.
Delighted to meet External Affairs Minister of India 🇮🇳, H.E. @DrSJaishankar.
Congratulated India’s successful #G20 Chairmanship, especially on 🇮🇳’s unwavering advocacy in support of the Global South.
Francis added that he discussed priorities and key issues of the 78th UNGA session, including UNSC reforms and building on the outcomes of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit held during the high-level week ahead of the Summit of the Future to be held in 2024.
Jaishankar also thanked Francis for his presence at the special 'India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development' side event. The minister hosted the event in New York on Saturday.
At the event, Francis said that India's recent G20 Presidency marked a historic milestone being the first to usher the African Union into the group as a permanent member.
"India's legacy of contributions serves as a guiding light encompassing endeavours such as championing democracy, promoting women-led development, and being among the pioneers in adopting the UN's Global Goals. Indeed, it is a matter of great honour for me to follow in the footsteps of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, the first-ever female president of the General Assembly, whom India proudly entrusted to the United Nations," Francis had said.
In his meeting with Steiner, Jaishankar appreciated the UNDP's engagement with India's G20 Presidency initiatives. "Can work together to scale up Indian success stories for global benefit," he said.
Jaishankar also had a "warm meeting" with "our SAGAR partner", Minister for Foreign Affairs of Madagascar Yvette Sylla, referring to the security and growth for all in the region.
"Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defense cooperation," he said.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis and expressed confidence that the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency would contribute to the UN General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations.
Jaishankar met Francis at the UN headquarters and thanked him for his presence at the special India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development side event he hosted on Saturday last on the margins of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
“Began the morning by meeting @UN_PGA Dennis Francis at UN Headquarters. Welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency. Confident that it would contribute to the UN General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations. Agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues of our times,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Began the morning by meeting @UN_PGA Dennis Francis at UN Headquarters.
Welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency. Confident that it would contribute to the UN General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations.
He also held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Madagascar Yvette Sylla and discussed development partnership and cooperation in different areas.
“A warm meeting with our SAGAR partner, FM of Madagascar, Yvette Sylla today. Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defense cooperation,” the minister said in another post on X.
He is scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later on Monday.
He began his nine-day visit to the US on Friday last week, primarily to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and to host a special event on Global South.
On Sunday, Jaishankar held a series of separate bilateral meetings with his global counterparts, including from Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Armenia, on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly session here, exchanging views on reforming multilateralism and cooperation in G20.
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