India

New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said that they have arrested three more accused, including an Afghan national, in connection with the seizure of 3,000 kgs of heroin, valued at Rs 21,000 crore, at Gujarat's Mundra Port in September last year.

"Rahmatullah, a resident of Malviya Nagar, south Delhi (permanent resident of Kabul), Ishwinder Singh and Jasbir Singh were arrested on Wednesday for their active involvement in smuggling of heroin in large consignments, hidden in containers of talc stones, bituminous coal etc. through the maritime route," an NIA official said.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had seized the heroin, concealed in a consignment of semi-processed talc stone, between September 17 and September 19, 2021 at Container Freight Station of Mundra Port.

The case, initially registered by the DRI and re-registered by NIA, pertains to the operations of one of the largest international drug smuggling syndicates, run by brothers Hassan Daad and Hussain Daad, both Afghan nationals who are already wanted by the NIA in the Mundra case.

The duo smuggled multiple consignments of heroin concealed in apparently innocuous consignments of goods such as semi-processed talc stones and bituminous coal imported into India through different ports, including Mundra and Kolkata, and further moved to New Delhi via trucks.

"The investigation has revealed a vast and widespread network of drug traffickers, international facilitators, importers using shell companies, distributors and local wholesalers and retailers, who are operating a huge international drug smuggling racket from many countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and the UAE," the official said.

The NIA has learnt that 5 consignments of heroin laden goods were imported into India between November 2020 and September 2021. Three such consignments of semi-processed talc stones ultimately reached at a warehouse in Neb Sarai, Delhi, which was rented by absconding accused, Najibullah Khalid in the name of another Afghan national Noorzahi Abdul Salam.

"The heroin was segregated from the goods in this warehouse by Afghani experts and then sent for distribution in the market through a network of drug suppliers and peddlers. The concealing material was removed to another warehouse rented out by Shaheen alias Rock, an Aghan national and key associate of Najibullah, through arrested accused Jasbir Singh and Ishwinder Singh," the official said.

The official said that Singh, a known drug distributor, was in direct touch with Javed, an Afghanistan-based accused and key aide of Hassan Daad. On his directions, Singh, in connivance with Jasbir, fabricated false documents and rented a warehouse at Hamidpur, where the semi-processed talc was shifted from the Neb Sarai Warehouse for further disposal.

"Sustained examination of Singh revealed the presence of a close aide and associate of Javed, namely Rahmatullah, an Afghan national, in Delhi. Rahmatullah was arrested and 3.9 kg of heroin was recovered from him. He is an Afghan national who was especially inducted into India around 8-10 months ago for handling the drug trade network run by Hassan Daad and Hussain Daad," the odficial said.

Earlier, search conducted at the residence of Ishwinder Singh led to the recovery of heroin in commercial quantities.

--IANS
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Jammu, Sep 15 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to declare Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary on September 23 as a public holiday. A notification in this regard will be issued soon, an official statement said on Thursday.

The announcement was made by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha following his meeting with a delegation comprising prominent political leaders, members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, civil society members, head of the J&K transport union, among others, at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday.

"The government has taken a decision to declare Maharaja Hari Singh Ji's birthday as a public holiday. Maharaja Hari Singh was a great educationist, progressive thinker, social reformer and a towering man of ideas and ideals. The public holiday will be a fitting tribute to Maharaja Hari Singh Ji's rich legacy," Sinha said.

Pertinently, on the direction of the L-G, a four-member committee was constituted by the UT administration earlier this year to examine the public demand regarding declaring Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary as public holiday.

Hari Singh (1895-1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS
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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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New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday said that convicts who have spent 10 years in jail, and their appeal has not yet been heard, should be granted bail unless there are any compelling reasons to deny this, while remission should be considered for those who have completed 14 years in prison.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and A.S. Oka said the court is of view that those persons who have completed 10 years of their sentence, and their appeal would not be heard soon, and if there are no extenuating circumstances, such prisoners should be enlarged on bail.

Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, appointed as amicus curiae, informed the top court that affidavits were filed, as per its earlier orders to the six high courts to conduct the exercise of identifying life sentence convicts.

The top court said firstly, the convicts who have undergone more than 10 years imprisonment, unless there are reasons to refuse bail, be granted bail.

It further emphasised on identification of cases where convicts have completed 14 years of custody, then their case can be referred to the government for considering premature release.

The bench said the premature release issue should be decided within a fixed time, irrespective of whether appeals are pending or not.

Agarwal, analysing the HCs data, submitted that there are 5,740 cases appeals by accused in custody, which includes division bench appeals and single bench appeals.

After hearing the submissions, the bench said the authorities concerned should undertake the exercise on urgent basis and also need to keep in mind the objective of decluttering jails where convicts are in custody, without hearing of the appeals.

The top court gave four months to various high courts and state legal services committees to identify the cases and scheduled the matter for further hearing in January next year.

The top court was hearing a batch of petitions of life convicts in jail whose appeals are pending before various HCs.

The top court was informed that in Bihar, there are 268 convicts, whose cases are being considered for a premature release. And, the Allahabad High Court has the highest pendency of appeals, with 385 convicts having undergone more than 14 years of custody.

--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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New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that despite global crises, India has fared well on energy, food and fuel fronts.

Addressing the 25th Energy Techonology Meet in Mumbai, he said that despite the unique challenges posed by the current global setting, India is wedded to the concept of net zero and is committed to making a transition from the world of hydrocarbons to a world where green and sustainable energy will be determining our energy needs.

Puri further said that the country's per capita energy consumption is one-third of global average now and will surpass it in the years to come.

"India is on a path to become a $10 trillion economy in 2030 and third largest economy in the world by 2047 and therefore, there is a growing need to change the energy mix," the minister added.

He reiterated the Government's resolve to not let anything undermine commitments towards green transition.

"By May 2022, India had already attained 10 per cent biofuel blending and is now on course to reach the 20 per cent mark in a year or two," Puri said later during a media interaction.

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 15 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided several locations in Mumbai and Gujarat's Kutch in connection with an alleged fraud of Rs 428.50 crore in the Canara Bank, an official said on Thursday.

Following a complaint lodged by Canara Bank, the CBI registered a case against company, PSL Ltd and its director Ashok Yoginder Punj, Alok Yoginder Punj, Rajender Kumar Bahri, Chitranjan Kumar Jagdishchadra Goel, and other known and unknown persons including public servants.

As per the Canara Bank's complaint, between 2009-2016, the accused entered into a conspiracy to cheat the bank through sanction of various credit facilities and misrepresented books of accounts.

They are charged with alleged misutilisation of the funds of the bank and diverting the receivable from its debtors, diverting the loans for projects to other purposes, thus, causing an alleged loss of Rs 428.50 crore to Canara Bank.

The CBI sleuths raided seven locations in Mumbai and Gujarat at the premises of the accused resulting in the recovery of incriminating documents and other articles.

--IANS
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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 15 (IANS) AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Thursday categorically said the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra is being done not for opposition unity, but to strengthen the Congress party.

"This yatra is being undertaken for strengthening the Congress party at all levels and this is not done for opposition unity. All parties at one point or the other has been trying to weaken the Congress. Only if the Congress is strengthened, can the opposition gather strength," said Ramesh.

Rahul Gandhi is leading the yatra that began from Kanyakumari on September 7 and will travel on a straight route and will cover over 3,750 kms through 12 states and reach its destination at Kashmir in 150 days.

For the yatra, Thursday is a rest day and it will resume from Kollam on Friday morning.

Ramesh took on the CPI-M in Kerala and said it's the A team of the BJP and barring the Congress party, including the Left all have joined hands with the BJP at one point or the other.

"Nationally, the CPI-M wants to support the Congress but in Kerala it's in a tie up with the BJP and is being done to weaken the Congress. If they want to support us, they can do, but in Kerala they won't. Just see their top leaders (Modi and Vijayan) they are the same in style and operations as they do not listen to anyone. The legendary Communist EMS Namboodiripad once said that to defeat the Congress, they will join hands with even the 'devil' and they did it in 1989," said Ramesh.

In reply to a question on Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ramesh said those who are leaving the Congress party are those who have got everything from the party.

"Then, there is another group who are vulnerable and just see the former Assam chief minister after he left the party, there has been no single probe done. In Goa, the BJP has been trying its best for a while and they did it now to deflect the growing acceptance that this yatra has evoked. The eight MLAs which left the Congress in Goa were corrupt people and now when they are put into the BJP washing machine, they will now come out like my kurta which is spotless white," said Ramesh.

The yatra now resumes from Kollam on Friday morning and will move on to Alappuzha and will be in Kerala for another two weeks and by then it would have covered 453 kms spread over 43 assembly and 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in 19 days.

Ramesh clarified that the yatra will go through Uttar Pradesh for 5 days and not two as is being reported in the media.

"Even Superman (56 inch chested person without naming Modi) would not have been able to reach Gujarat in 90 days. We decided the present route taking into account security and geographical reasons and moreover any other route taken would not turn out to be padyatra, as some other modes of transport would have to be taken. Moreover along with his yatra, there are numerous yatras being undertaken by the Congress party in states where the Bharat Joda Yatra is not passing through," added Ramesh.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the medical students, who returned from Ukraine, cannot be accommodated in the Indian universities in the absence of any provision under the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019, and if any such relaxation is given, then it will seriously hamper the standards of medical education in the country.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in an affidavit, said: "The prayer seeking transfer of these returnee students to medical colleges in India would not only be dehors the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act 1956, and the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, as well as the regulations made thereunder, but would also seriously hamper the standards of medical education in the country."

"It is humbly submitted that in so far as such students are concerned, there are no such provisions either under the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 or the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 as well as the regulations to accommodate or transfer medical students from any foreign medical institutes/colleges to Indian medical colleges. Till now, no permission has been given by the NMC to trade or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/university," it said.

The affidavit added that the aggrieved petitioners had gone to foreign countries for two reasons -- firstly, due to poor merit in the NEET Exam, secondly, affordability of medical education in such foreign countries.

"It is humbly submitted that in case these students with (a) poor merit are allowed admission in premier medical colleges in India by default, there may be several litigations from those desirous candidates who could not get seats in these colleges and have taken admission in either lesser-known colleges or have been deprived of a seat in medical colleges.

"Further, in case of affordability, if these candidates are allocated private medical colleges in India, they once again may not be able to afford the fees structure of the concerned institution," it said.

The affidavit added that the Centre in consultation with the NMC, the apex medical education regulatory body in the country, has taken proactive measures to assist returnee students from Ukraine, while balancing the need to maintain the requisite standard of medical education in the country.

The Centre said the allegation of refusal of Ukrainian universities to entertain the applications of students for academic mobility in their first semester of academic year 2022-23 is concerned, it is submitted that the same is completely vague, devoid of any details of the applicant students or the universities concerned.

"The relied upon communication in fact shows that the students who have taken admission in their first semester (2022-23) are not being permitted academic mobility in the first semester by the Ukrainian Institutions. It is humbly submitted that the provision of academic mobility programme was permitted only for those students who are already undergoing medical education in medical universities of Ukraine and are unable-to finish such education because of disruption caused by the undergoing war," said the affidavit.

The Centre said the public notice issued by NMC on September 6 is a no-objection for academic mobility between foreign universities for students who could not complete studies due to the war.

"In the Public Notice dated 06.09.22, the phrase 'global mobility' cannot be interpreted to mean accommodation of these students in Indian colleges/universities, as the extant regulations in India do not permit migration of students from foreign universities to India. The aforesaid Public Notice cannot be used as a back door entry in Indian colleges/universities offering UG courses," said the affidavit.

The Centre's response came on a batch of petitions filed by Indian students who have been evacuated from Ukraine and seeking permission to continue medical study in India. One of the petitions, filed through advocate Ashwarya Sinha, said the education of 14,000 students has come to a halt and they are going through immense mental hardship.

The case is likely to come up for hearing on Friday.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Communications, Electronics, IT and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has advised the telecom department to send a new consultation paper to TRAI for significantly increasing the quality-of-service parameters, making them three to four times of what it is today.

Addressing an event here on Wednesday, Vaishnaw said the telecom sector will witness more reforms in the coming years but at the same time, he called upon the industry to do its bit and reciprocate by significantly improving quality of service.

The minister further said that the journey of 5G is going to be very exciting and noted that many countries took multiple years to reach 40 per cent to 50 per cent coverage, the Ministry of Communication said in a statement.

"But we are targeting a very aggressive timeline and the Government has given a target of 80 per cent coverage in a short time frame which should be achieved as per the deadline," he added.

--IANS
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