Focus

New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) With the process for the Congress Presidential polls opening with the issue of notification in the next week, there is still suspense over the candidates who are going to file nominations for the party's top post.

While sources say that G-23 group is gearing up for fielding a candidate and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is the top choice, for loyalists, it is Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

However, sources say that Gehlot is reluctant to leave the Chief Ministership, then, in that scenario, former Union Minister Mukul Wasnik could be fielded or may be Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as both the leaders belong to the Scheduled Caste community.

The nominations can be filed between September 24 and 30 and the election is slated for October 17.

Former party chief Rahul Gandhi has indicated that he is not going to contest and busy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The G-23 have been pushing for publication of the voters list and now the party's Central Election Authority has said that it will be available from September 20, for those who want to contest, while the state PCCs will also have the list of delegates.

Gehlot had emerged as front runner, being seen as choice of interim chief Sonia Gandhi, even as some want the return of Rahul Gandhi - with Gehlot too proposing his name.

The last time the election was conducted for the Congress President's post was in 2000 when Jitendra Prasada had challenged Sonia Gandhi but lost.

--IANS
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Panaji, Sep 15 (IANS) Alleging that the ruling BJP paid Rs 30 to 40 crores to Congress MLAs to defect, Congress Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday questioned why Income Tax, and Enforcement Directorate is not looking into the BJP's "misuse of money power".

Addressing a press conference in the party office here, Rao, who arrived in the coastal state after 8 Congress MLAs merged into BJP on Wednesday, said that the conspiracy was hatched by the BJP in collusion with former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and former Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo.

"We had named both of them earlier too, though Lobo was CLP (Congress Legislature Party) leader and Kamat was a former Chief Minister. We named them because they were the mastermind behind this whole episode of splitting the CLP.

"These eight MLAs have not gone for development of constituencies or for Goa. They have gone for power, money and (avoid) threats of agency for whatever wrong they have done," he said.

"Around Rs 30 to 40 crores have been given to them. Some of them will become ministers now. Who is funding BJP to purchase MLAs, why IT and ED is not looking into these issues, when BJP is misusing money power," Rao questioned.

The Congress leader said that the BJP's intension is to have no opposition in country. "For that they are targeting the Congress. Their number one enemy is Congress. The BJP has engineered this defection using immense money power, agencies and political pressure," he said.

"BJP is destroying democratic fabric of this country. Bharat Jodo Yatra is to fight such menace like politics of hate, politics of using money, using all institutions to grab power at any cost," he added.

Noting that the Congress had filed disqualification petitions against Lobo and Kamat before the Assembly Speaker, he said: "That is not been heard, it is another matter. But today, truth has come out, that for selfish reasons, for sake of power, sake of money or for whatever other reasons, these MLAs who have benefitted from Congress party, who held positions in Congress, have defected for personal selfish reasons."

Rao said that it is very sad day for democracy and for politics of Goa also.

"Unfortunate development for Congress party also. During last election we had specifically told people of Goa that we will ensure that our elected MLAs will not defect and when we selected our candidates, all of them voluntarily had said that they will not betray Congress, whatever may happen. They have not only betrayed people of Goa but have also betrayed god," he said recalling oath taken before god by these leaders.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 15 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate has issued a summon to Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar in connection with a money laundering case.

Reacting to the ED move, the senior Congress leader, who is currently busy making arrangements for the arrival of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in the state, questioned the timing of the summon.

"In the midst of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the ongoing Assembly session, they have again issued me a summon to appear before the ED. I am ready to cooperate with the probe, but the timing of this summon and the harassment I am made to go through is coming in the way of discharging my constitutional and political duties," Shivakumar, who is in Mysore, tweeted on Thursday.

Even as the Karnataka Assembly session is underway, Shivakumar has been busy making preperations for the arrival of Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state.

In August this year, a Delhi court had granted bail to Shivakumar and other accused persons in connection with a 2018 money laundering case registered by the ED.

According to the financial probe agency, Shivakumar, who was a minister in Karnataka during the Congress regime, had generated huge amount of illegal and unaccounted cash and a criminal conspiracy was hatched with other co-accused persons for tax evasion and the tainted cash was transported from Bengaluru to Delhi.

The Income Tax Department had conducted search and seizure operations on August 2, 2017 at various properties in Delhi belonging to the accused persons, seizing unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 8,59,69,100, the probe agency had said.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, Sep 15 (IANS) Women leaders and workers of the BJP on Thursday took out a bike rally from Bhagyalaxmi temple at historic Charminar as part of Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations.

Holding national flags and raising slogans, the participants on motor bikes marched from the historic monument to the Assembly where they offered tributes to India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Union minister for tourism and culture G. Kishan Reddy led the rally, which was organised by the BJP Mahila Morcha.

The rally passed through the busy Gulzar Houz, Patthergatti, Madina Circle, Nayapul, Afzalgunj, Siddi Amber Bazar, Moazzam Jahi Market and Nampally to reach Sardar Patel's statue in front of the Assembly building.

Kishan Reddy and other BJP leaders garlanded the statue of Sardar Patel and paid homage to him.

Union ministry of culture is organizing Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations on a grand scale to mark 75 years of the accession of erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian Union.

The bike rally was part of the year-long celebrations which kicked off on Wednesday with Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan inaugurating a photo and art exhibition.

The exhibition showcases archival images associated with the erstwhile Hyderabad State and its unification with India on September 17, 1948.

The main event will be held on September 17 at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad where Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hoist the national flag and review a parade.

Personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other central armed police forces were rehearsing for the parade.

Meanwhile, Telangana Legislative Council chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy has alleged that certain forces were trying to create communal hatred in the name of Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations.

Without naming anyone, he remarked that individuals holding Constitutional posts were also participating in the attempts to vitiate the atmosphere.

The government of Telangana has announced that the occasion will be celebrated as national integration day. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will hoist the national flag and address the people to launch year-long celebrations.

The state government also plans rallies by students, youth and women on September 16. A big procession is also planned in Hyderabad the next day culminating in a public meeting at NTR Stadium. The public meeting will be addressed by the chief minister and other leaders.

--IANS
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Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 15 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court has said that every prisoner has a fundamental right to file the bail application without delay.

The court granted bail to a person who had been languishing in jail and could not approach the court as he was financially weak and abandoned by his family after his imprisonment.

Making these observations, Justice Ajay Bhanot granted bail to one Anil Gaur a.k.a. Sonu, against whom murder case had been registered at police station Neodiya of Jaunpur district and was in jail since December 6, 2017.

According to counsel for the applicant, the applicant was not named in the FIR. There was no direct evidence against the applicant and he had no motive to commit the murder.

At best, it is a case of circumstantial evidence, he contended.

"The failure of justice in the said cases was occasioned by poverty, social exclusion, legal illiteracy, impersonal administration and denial of legal aid. Exactions of poverty are more severe than punishments in law. For them the glorious dawn of the 75th year of Independence has lost the sheen of freedom's ideals and the substance of the republic's promise," observed the court while granting bail to the applicant.

"Injustice is the birthmark of a slave nation. Justice is the birth right of a free people and our constitution says they shall have it," the court remarked.

The court also took note of the fact that there are several cases where bail applications were filed after inordinate delays because the prisoners did not have access to legal aid.

Taking a note of it, the court further observed, "The courts, too, have a duty to ensure that prisoners appearing in criminal proceedings have access to legal aid. Courts cannot remain mute spectators when legal aid is denied to prisoners in legal proceedings before them."

As per the applicant, he did not have access to legal aid to file his bail applications in a timely manner before the trial court as well as high court.

The counsel for the applicant submitted that the right of the applicant to legal aid is a fundamental right and is also a statutory right vested in him by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

In its decision dated September 12, the high court found that the applicant was in jail since December 6, 2017. He was able to file a bail application before the trial court in 2019, even after a delay of more than one year.

He could approach the high court for bail only in 2022 -- three years after the trial court refused him the bail.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) after conducting raids at multiple locations belonging to payment gateways i.e Paytm and PayU in connection with a case of Chinese Loan apps, asked Paytm to freeze certain amounts from a few Merchant IDs (MIDs).

Sources said the raids were conducted in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, Lucknow and Kolkata.

The ED has not given any official comment on the matter.

On September 3, raids were conducted at the premises belonging to online payments gateways including Razorpay Pvt Ltd, Cashfree Payments and Paytm Payment Services Ltd.

A Paytm spokesperson said that as part of the ongoing investigations of a specific set of merchants, the ED has sought information regarding such merchants to whom we provide payment processing solutions.

"These merchants are independent entities, and none of them are our group entities. We are, and will continue to, fully cooperate with the authorities, and all the directive actions are being duly complied with," said the Paytm spokesperson.

The ED has instructed Paytm to freeze certain amounts from the Merchant IDs of a specific set of merchant entities (as mentioned by the ED in its press release).

"None of the funds which have been instructed to be frozen belong to Paytm or any of our group companies. As we have mentioned before, ED continues to seek information about certain merchants from various payment service providers, and we have shared the required information," the Paytm spokesperson said.

What is the case?

The case is based on 18 FIRs registered by the Cyber Crime Police Station, Bengaluru City, against numerous persons for their involvement in extortion and harassment of the public who had availed small loans through the mobile apps being run by those entities.

"During enquiries, it had emerged that these entities are operated by Chinese persons. The modus operandi of these entities is that by using forged documents of Indians and making them dummy directors of those entities, they are generating proceeds of crime," the ED said.

The ED had said that it has come to its notice that the entities were conducting their suspected business through various Merchant IDs/Accounts held with Payment Gateways/banks.

The premises of Razorpay Pvt Ltd, Cashfree Payments, Paytm Payment Services Ltd and entities controlled/operated by Chinese persons were covered in the search operations.

"During the search operations, it was noticed that the said entities were generating proceeds of crime through various Merchant IDs/Accounts held with Payment Gateways/banks and they are also not operating from the addresses given on the MCA website/registered address and having fake addresses. An amount of Rs 17 crore has been seized in merchant IDs and bank accounts of these Chinese persons-controlled entities," the ED official had said.

Meanwhile, a Razorpay spokesperson had said "Some of our merchants were being investigated by law enforcement about a year and a half back. As part of the ongoing investigation, the authorities requested additional information to help with the investigation. We have fully cooperated and shared KYC and other details. The authorities were satisfied by our due diligence process."

The search operations are in progress.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Former India opener Robin Uthappa on Wednesday announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket.

Uthappa shared a heartfelt post announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket on social media.

The right-handed batter said it has been "greatest honour" to represent India and Karnataka during this illustrious career.

"It has been my greatest honour to represent my country and my state, Karnataka. However, all good things must come to an end, and with a grateful heart, I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket. Thank you all," Uthappa said on the Koo app.

Uthappa played the 2004 Under-19 World Cup. He made his international debut two years later and featured in 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is for India.

"It's been 20 years since I started playing professional cricket, and it has been the greatest honour to represent my country and state, Karnataka- wonderful journey of ups and downs; one that has been fulfilling, rewarding, enjoyable and has allowed me to grow as a human being," Uthappa further said in the post.

The stylish batter was a part of the Indian side which lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 in South Africa. The batter from Karnataka has won two IPL trophies-- one for KKR and one for CSK in 2014 and 2021 respectively.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Hearing a plea on the plight of Hindu migrants from Pakistan living in a slum in the national capital sans even electricity for the last five to six years, the Delhi High Court has said that it hopes and trusts the government to look into the matter sympathetically.

"There are small children and women in the area. In the absence of electricity, it has become very difficult for these families to survive, and they are living in extremely harsh conditions," noted a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad in the recent order.

The court also asked for the Centre's reply within two weeks on a no objection certificate (NOC) that can solve the electricity supply issue, which has not been issued to the migrants yet.

Power distributor Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL) apprised that it is not able to provide electricity connections as the land in question belongs to the Central government or Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), emphasising the need for the NOC to erect electric poles for power supply.

As per the PIL filed on behalf of the Hindu migrants living in Adarsh Nagar near the Majlis Park Metro Station, all of them have been issued Aadhaar cards and are here on long-term Visa issued by the government.

They are poor people who do not have a permanent place or shelter and they are living in a cluster of jhuggis, the plea read.

The petitioners' counsel said they will not claim any right over the land in question on account of the fact that electricity has been provided to them and are ready to pay for the electricity, and a prepaid meter can be installed in their premises.

He also apprised the court that the other migrants from Pakistan living in the Majnu-Ka-Tila have been provided electricity connection.

The matter will be next heard on October 6.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 14 (IANS) IT major Wipro stated on Wednesday that its campus in Doddakannelli locality of the city has been constructed as per the sanctioned plan.

The response comes after its name figured in the list of alleged encroachers, prepared by the city civic authority, the BBMP.

Several high profile developers, IT majors, and hospitals, are named as encroachers allegedly responsible for choking almost 700 storm water drains (SWD), as per an internal note of the BBMP tasked with clearing up the mess.

Dated August 17, the city civic authorities' note names 15 encroachments by various developers and firms like IT firms, hospitals, and educational institutions.

The BBMP list includes entities like Prestige, Bagmane Tech Park, Columbia Asia Hospital, Eco Space, Gopalan, Salarpuria, Wipro and Congress leader Haris Nalapad.

However, Wipro has set the record straight with its statement on Wednesday. The company indicated that its campus mentioned in the BBMP list is as per sanctioned plans.

"Wipro abides by the laws of every jurisdiction where it does business and adheres to the highest standards of integrity. The Wipro campus in Doddakannelli is as per sanctioned plan. We have not received any notice from BBMP."

Over the past two days, civic authorities have embarked on a demolition drive of the alleged encroachments which are said to have led to blocking of storm water drains which ultimately resulted in massive flooding and water logging of several localities in the Magadevapura zone of the city. The area is hub of tech companies.

--IANS
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Panaji, Sep 14 (IANS) Eight Congress MLAs after forming two-third majority are all set to join the BJP on Wednesday.

Congress has 11 MLAs in the 40-member Goa Assembly.

According to sources all eight MLAs, who are set to join the BJP, are in the Assembly complex to carry out the formalities. The group is headed by Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat against whom the Congress had filed disqualification before the Speaker for allegedly trying to split the party.

Earlier, on two occasions their attempts to join the BJP failed due to early intervention of Congress senior leaders and as they couldn't manage the numbers a second time.

On July 10, 2019, during the last term of the BJP government, 10 MLAs of the Congress along with Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavalekar had switched to the BJP. However, Kavalekar and other six politicians lost the Assembly election held in February 2022. The incident of Leader of Opposition joining the ruling fold had invited ire and criticism from the section of society.

--IANS
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