India

Mumbai, Dec 13 (IANS) Amid reports of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) shoddy concrete road works, the Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar on Friday urged the Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to set up a Special investigation team (SIT) to enquire into the quality aspects of work done, carry out detailed audit including experts from IIT Bombay, VJTI of 40 per cent of concretised road patches on randomised basis and investigate lapses if any in quality control, vigilance process and the contractor's working.

He has also demanded that strict action be taken against the errant road contractors including levying of penalties, blacklisting and action be taken against negligent agencies, and officials for their lapses, if any.

Shelar’s demand during his meeting with Gagrani comes in the wake of media reports of cracks in the newly concretised roads in various parts of Mumbai. The BMC is currently spending Rs 6000 crore on road concretisation across the city which was recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Shekar in his letter to Gagrani said he has received several complaints from citizens regarding the poor quality of road concreting work done.

“During my inspection of Badhwar Road in Santacruz west area of my assembly constituency, I noted the recently completed concretised road has developed cracks, layers of concrete are peeling off and even curing for latest road works done is not correct. In view of many such issues of poor quality work with road concreting works done coming to notice and highlighted in media reports,” he added.

Shelar’s letter and his visit to inspect the quality of concretisation comes after several residents from Powai, Bandra West and Andheri’s Lokhandwala raised concerns about the newly concretised road conditions.

They claimed that it was due to the negligence of contractors and civic officials. They accused them of their failure to conduct regular monitoring resulting in bad quality of work.

Taking serious note of the complaints by citizens, a BMC officer said it would fix the responsibility on contractors and quality management agencies for shoddy work.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday slammed the Congress government in Telangana over the arrest of the Tollywood superstar Allu Arjun, saying that the grand old party has no respect for the creative industry.

“Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again,” the Union Minister wrote on X.

He added that the mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration.

“Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity stunts,” the Union Minister said.

He further pointed out that the Telangana government should assist those affected and punish those making the arrangements that day instead of continuously attacking film personalities.

“It is also sad to see this becoming a norm in the one year Congress has been in power there,” the Union Minister wrote on X.

On Friday, the Hyderabad Police arrested Allu Arjun in the case registered against him in connection with a stampede at a theatre during the premiere show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' that killed a woman.

On December 4, a woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere show attended by Allu Arjun.

A police team took the national award-winning actor into custody from his house in Jubilee Hills, hours after his return from Delhi, where he attended the success meet of 'Pushpa 2'.

However, the Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Allu Arjun, minutes after a city court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days in the case.

The High Court gave interim bail for four weeks during the hearing of the quash petition filed by the actor. The court asked him to submit a personal bond of Rs 50,000 to the Jail Superintendent.

The pan-India actor received the respite even as the police were shifting him to Chanchalguda Jail from Nampally Criminal Court Complex.

It was immediately unclear when the actor would be released later tonight (Friday night) or if he would have to wait till Saturday.

For regular bail, Allu Arjun was asked to approach Nampally Court.

The High Court took up the hearing of the quash petition after a request made by Allu Arjun’s lawyers following his arrest earlier in the day.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 13 (IANS) Suspense continued over the release of popular Tollywood actor Allu Arjun on Friday night as Chanchalguda Central Jail authorities had not received the orders of Telangana High Court, which granted him interim bail in the case relating to a stampede at a theatre during the premier show of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.

A large number of fans of the actor remained outside the jail waiting for his release. However, there are indications that the Pushpa actor may have to stay in jail tonight.

Allu Arju’s lawyers had prepared two personal bonds of Rs 50,000 to be submitted to jail authorities as per the direction of the High Court.

A woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show attended by Allu Arjun on December 4.

Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre.

The interim bail capped the day-long dramatic developments that began in the morning with the actor’s arrest from his residence in Jubilee Hills.

The bail orders came in the evening, barely an hour after a city court sent Allu Arjun to judicial custody for 14 days.

The High Court gave interim bail for four weeks during the hearing of the quash petition filed by the actor.

The pan-India actor received the respite even as the police were shifting him to Chanchalguda Jail from Nampally Criminal Court Complex.

The High Court also granted interim bail to three members of the theatre management who were arrested earlier in the case.

The Public Prosecutor raised an objection to the interim bail. The court adjourned further hearing to December 21.

During the hearing on the quash petition, Allu Arjun’s counsel argued that BNS section 105 does not apply to him as he had nothing to do with the stampede.

S. Niranjan Reddy argued that the actor can’t be held responsible for the stampede. He also informed the court that the theatre management and producer had informed the police in advance about Allu Arjun’s visit.

Niranjan Reddy cited the case of the 2017 stampede at Vadodara Railway Station during actor Shah Rukh Khan’s train journey from Mumbai to Delhi to promote his movie ‘Raees’. The Gujarat High Court had quashed the complaint filed against Shah Rukh Khan for the stampede, which had killed one person and injured several others. The Supreme Court later upheld the High Court order.

The Public Prosecutor told the court that All Arjun visited the theatre despite a request by police not to come in view of the possibility of a huge gathering. The court was informed that the actor reached the theatre in a rally.

The police, which arrested the national award-winning actor from his residence in Hyderabad, produced him before a magistrate Nampally Criminal Court complex. He was named accused number 11 in the case.

Earlier, police recorded the statement of the actor at Chikkadpally Police Station. He was then taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical check-up.

A police team took the national award-winning actor into custody from his house in Jubilee Hills, hours after his return from Delhi, where he attended the success meet of ‘Pushpa 2’.

Arjun’s father, well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind, actor brother Allu Sirish and other family members were present when he was arrested.

The police team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akanksh Yadav questioned Allu Arjun for nearly two hours in light of the statements made by eyewitnesses.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Dec 13 (IANS) Rajasthan Police on Friday issued an advisory to alert residents about potential cyber frauds ahead of the festive season - Christmas and New Year.

The advisory warns against scams involving congratulatory messages, gift links, and fake updates related to PAN cards.

Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), Hemant Priyadarshi, emphasised that public awareness is crucial in preventing cybercrimes.

He noted that fraudsters often exploit occasions like Christmas and New Year by sharing malicious links on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and Facebook.

“These links may claim to offer gifts or facilitate the upgrade of PAN cards, but they are designed to defraud unsuspecting users,” said DGP Priyadarshi.

DGP Priyadarshi further highlighted that clicking on these links could expose devices to malware, putting personal and financial information at risk.

He urged the public to avoid engaging with such links or falling for enticing offers from unknown sources.

The advisory also flagged a new tactic used by cybercriminals involving the supposed upgrade to a digital PAN card (PAN 2.0).

The DGP also clarified that no such initiative has been launched by the Central government.

He advised citizens to rely solely on the official Income Tax Department website) for any PAN-related updates or applications.

Residents who fall victim to cyber fraud are urged to act promptly by reporting the incident through the cyber helpline number 1930, the cybercrime portal or their nearest police station.

--IANS

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Gurugram, Dec 13 (IANS) A personal banker of DBS bank was arrested for allegedly changing the bank details of the victim and selling to the cyber fraudsters for Rs 5 lakh, police said.

Priyanshu Diwan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (cybercrime), said that the arrested accused had been identified as Tipu Sultan, a native of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, a man filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station East on Wednesday that an employee of DBS Bank located on DLF Phase-2.

The complainant told the police that he had opened an account in DBS Bank DLF Phase-2, Gurugram, and he asked the bank employee to close the account.

The employee told him that the bank account would have to be closed by coming to the branch. After that, on December 6, he received a message on his mobile number that Rs 15,000 had been credited to the bank account.

When he told the bank employee, he said that this money had come from the bank and his account would be closed. After this, on December 9, Rs 1.96 crore had been credited to the complainant's account.

After this, the complainant got suspicious; he went to the bank and enquired, and then he came to know that the bank employee had changed his mobile number and email ID from the bank account without his knowledge and registered another mobile number and email ID.

Based on his complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections in Police Station Cyber ​​East, Gurugram.

During the probe, a police team of the said police station arrested the suspect from Gurugram's Indra Colony on Thursday. The accused was later taken on police remand.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he was working as a Personal Banker at DBS Bank located in the DLF Phase-2 area in Gurugram. He has been working in the bank since June 2023.

The accused disclosed before the police that he met a person to open a current account but he refused. After this, the person said that he has an online betting business for which he needs a current bank account. That person asked the accused to provide a current bank account. In return, he lured the accused with Rs 5 lakh.

"The accused then fraudulently changed the mobile number and email ID of the complainant's bank account in the matter and the accused gave the same bank account to his companions. The police have recovered 1 mobile phone and 2 SIM cards used in the crime from the possession of the accused," Priyanshu Diwan, ACP (cybercrime), said.

So far the Gurugram police have arrested 23 bank officials from different banks till now who were allegedly involved in cyber fraud in Gurugram," Diwan added.

Meanwhile, the DBS Bank in a statement clarified, "The arrested 23 officials are from other banks, who were allegedly involved in cyber fraud."

--IANS

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Patna, Dec 13 (IANS) Two persons died and two others were critically injured after their car collided with a truck in Bihar’s Chhapra, police officials said on Friday.

Among the injured is Dr Amitesh Kumar, the in-charge of a Community Health Centre (CHC) in Siwan.

The accident happened under the jurisdiction of the Daudpur police station when the car travelling from Chhapra to Siwan collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction.

The impact of the collision was such that the driver and security personnel sitting in the front seats died on the spot. Dr Amitesh Kumar and another passenger sustained serious injuries in the accident.

All injured were initially rushed to Chhapra Sadar Hospital. Due to the critical condition of Dr Amitesh Kumar and another victim, they have been referred to Patna for advanced medical treatment.

Daudpur police station in-charge Navlesh Kumar confirmed the incident, stating, “It occurred in the night and an investigation is underway. Two persons lost their lives. Locals who witnessed the accident reported that the collision was intense.”

“We have registered an FIR against the driver of the truck under the relevant sections of rash and negligent driving and the matter is under investigation to trace the location of the errant driver. The accident took place on Thursday night around 10 p.m.,” Navlesh Kumar said.

Four days ago, a similar accident took place in Saran district when two people died while two others sustained serious injuries near Dudhaila under Sonpur police station in Saran district on December 9.

The accident occurred when a new car hit a stationary truck. The deceased were identified as Aman Kumar, son of Laxman Bhagat of village Kasmar under Sonepur police station, and Jitu Kumar, son of Shio Sah of the same village.

The injured -- Alok and Ritesh -- were sent to Patna Medical College Hospital for treatment after the first aid at Sonepur PHC.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Dec 13 (IANS) Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan who is popular as a romantic hero revealed that his upcoming movie ‘Baby John’ is all about the personality transformation of a father with an “innocent face” when pushed to the limits - an analogy that’s likely to remind the viewers of a “serious character” he played in revenge-drama ‘Badlapur’ starring Nawazuddin Siddique.

The actor told IANS that ‘Baby John’ revolves around women’s safety and explores how an innocent father is driven to extreme lengths to protect his daughter.

"They cast me for this role because they wanted someone with an innocent face, to show the transformation of a father pushed to his limits," the actor IANS.

Recalling real-life incidents like the Nirbhaya case, Dhawan explained that such issues are woven into the film's narrative. He described one of his powerful dialogues, “Haath laga ke bata mere beti ko” (Just try to harm my daughter), which he said came straight from the heart and was approved in a single take.

On a personal note, Dhawan also revealed an emotional milestone in his life.

"Today is a special day for me because my six-month-old daughter, Lara, started eating solid food for the first time. I missed it because I’m here in Jaipur, but my wife sent me a video," he shared.

Reflecting on fatherhood, Dhawan joked about inventing a term for paternal love: "We’ve all heard of mamta (mother’s love); this is baapta (father’s love)."

Varun Dhawan tied the knot with his childhood friend Natasha Dalal in January 2021. The couple welcomed their daughter Lara on June 3, 2024.

Meanwhile, ‘Baby John’ is set to release this Christmas.

Dhawan also spoke on Allu Arjun's arrest in Hyderabad and said, "An actor is not responsible for implementing safety protocols and cannot be solely blamed for an unfortunate incident."

His remarks followed the arrest of Telugu superstar Allu Arjun in connection with a tragic incident at a promotional event for his latest movie.

Arjun was taken into custody under tight security from his residence and transported to Chikkadpally police station. The incident, which occurred on the night of December 4, claimed the life of a 35-year-old woman and left her eight-year-old son hospitalized. A large crowd of fans had gathered at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad to catch a glimpse of the actor.

--IANS

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Gangtok, Dec 13 (IANS) Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang chaired a meeting for the celebration of the upcoming Jorethang Makar Sankranti Maghey Mela at Community Hall Jorethang in the Namchi district on Friday, officials said.

The Chief Minister in his speech emphasised the need to elevate the Makar Sankranti Maghey Mela to a new level, aiming to enhance both the state's profile and the town of Jorethang. He encouraged participants to celebrate the event in a traditional manner while also incorporating elements of contemporary entertainment to attract a larger audience.

One of the key proposals was to organise a full day of rural sports and festivities between the opening and closing days of the Mela. These events are expected to include traditional activities such as high jumping, cycling, pillow fighting, and tug of war, alongside various other attractions designed to engage both locals and visitors.

He also stressed the importance of cultural activities, which will be held throughout the day to honour the state's rich traditions and heritage.

He further proposed that the Chief Minister’s Gold Cup Tournament will be held annually along with the Makar Sankranti Maghey Mela in Jorethang, helping to foster a sense of community and sportsmanship.

He urged all participants and departments to work collaboratively to ensure the success of the event.

MLA Zoom-Salghari constituency Madan Cintury, provided an outline of the report for the upcoming Makar Sankranti Maghe Mela, emphasising the need to celebrate the mela peacefully and traditionally.

He highlighted that the Sandhya Aarti will be held on the inaugural day of the Mela in the designated area. The aarti is expected to draw a large number of pilgrims and visitors from surrounding areas.

The legislator also mentioned the Bangay Bazaar, will also be a major attraction featuring a wide range of organic foods and sustainable products. He encouraged all relevant departments to work hard for the upcoming event.

The meeting concluded with an open discussion, chaired by the Chief Minister, where representatives from various line departments participated to ensure a smooth organisation for the upcoming Makar Sankranti Maghey Mela 2025.

--IANS

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Bhopal, Dec 13 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh BJP on Friday celebrated the completion of one year of the state government and also congratulated Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

The Chief Minister also visited the BJP headquarters and offered prayers to the founding members of Bharatiya Jana Sangh Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Deendayal Upadhyay.

"After winning the Assembly elections in November 2023, the BJP leadership gave me responsibility to lead the government as Chief Minister. I express my gratitude to every BJP worker for extending support to serve the people of Madhya Pradesh," the Chief Minister said.

Senior BJP leader and cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya also congratulated the Chief Minister saying that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government will take Madhya Pradesh to new heights.

"Today, under the able leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the Madhya Pradesh government has completed one year of public service and dedication. Hearty congratulations to all the people of the state," Vijayvargiya said.

Party's state unit chief and Khajuraho MP V. D. Sharma said that BJP workers are determined to implement the schemes of the BJP government.

Notably, following the resounding victory in the state Assembly election held on November 17, 2023, BJP's central leadership replaced former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with Mohan Yadav.

Three-time BJP MLA from temple town Ujjain, Mohan Yadav took oath as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on December 13, 2023. Two senior party leaders - Rajendra Shukla (Rewa) and Jagdish Devda were made as Deputy Chief Ministers.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 13 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will expand his cabinet on December 15 at Nagpur and not on December 14 in Mumbai. A senior BJP functionary confirmed that the swearing-in will take place at Raj Bhavan on December 15 on the eve of a week-long winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature starting from December 16.

Governor CP Radhakrishnan will administer the oath of office to new ministers.

The MahaYuti partners have arrived at a formula for sharing cabinet berths; accordingly, BJP is expected to get 21, Shiv Sena 12 and NCP 10. The cabinet formula has been finalised based on the strength of the three partners. BJP has 132 legislators, Shiv Sena 57 and NCP 41. All 40 ministers from three parties are expected to take oath on Sunday.

“BJP has yet to get a nod from the party’s central leadership for its list. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to give its approval on Saturday and thereafter the cabinet expansion will take place on Sunday at Nagpur,” said a BJP functionary.

State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday evening met Deputy CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde seeking his consent for the swearing-in function on December 15 instead of December 14. After that Bawankule on Friday met NCP chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and also took his consent for the swearing-in ceremony to be slated for December 15.

Earlier on Wednesday and Thursday, Fadnavis, who was accompanied by Bawankule, had held a series of meetings with the PM, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and party chief JP Nadda. Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar met Shah over cabinet expansion on Wednesday night when Shinde was conspicuous by his absence.

After the cabinet expansion, Fadnavis will host a customary tea meeting with cabinet colleagues and opposition parties and later he will chair the cabinet meeting to discuss the agenda including Bills to be tabled during the winter session.

BJP has already rejected Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde’s demand for giving home, revenue and housing departments to his party. BJP will retain home and revenue while it will give housing to NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. BJP had promised to give housing to NCP after Ajit Pawar joined the MahaYuti government in July 2023. But it did not happen, so now the BJP will fulfil its promise.

BJP is set to retain home, revenue, energy, irrigation, public works, rural development, forest, tourism, cultural affairs, higher and technical education and OBC welfare. On the other hand, Shiv Sena will continue to hold urban development, industry, school education, public health, water supply, water and soil conservation and MSRDC.

In the case of NCP, it will retain planning and finance, cooperation, food and civil supply, agriculture, medical education, women and child welfare, ports and sports.

This will be the second time in the recent past after 1991 that the cabinet expansion will take place at Maharashtra’s second capital Nagpur. In 1991, Chhagan Bhujbal was sworn in as the minister in the cabinet headed by the chief minister Sudhakarrao Naik after he staged a rebellion against Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on the Mandal Commission report issue and joined Congress. Former Governor C Subramaniam had administered the oath of office and secrecy to Bhujbal.

--IANS

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