Archives for 2025

New Delhi: In a major twist to a case of jewelry theft, the arrest of two suspects by the city police has brought to light a series of criminal activities by the arrested duo in not only Delhi but also Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The arrested men are identified as Akbar (40), also called as Firoz and Babu, a resident of Loni Ghaziabad, and Ramesh (40), also called Kallu, a resident of Maujpur in Delhi.

Rajinder Nagar Police had registered an FIR after a resident of Old Rajinder Nagar had filed a complaint on May 27 stating that jewelry as well as cash worth Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 had been stolen from their house. The case was later transferred to the Special Staff, Central District, reports NDTV.

The investigation team checked CCTV camera footages and continued its probe using manual surveillance as well as advanced technical tracking methods. On July 18, the police, receiving definite information on the suspects, laid a trap near Shivaji Park, Minto Road, and successfully apprehended both suspects.

Akbar was found to be involved in 20 criminal cases in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru and had been declared a proclaimed offender on December 21, 2021, while Ramesh had 13 cases registered against him, ranging from attempt to murder and Arms Act violation. He had been declared a proclaimed offender on May 9, 2022.

On being questioned by the police, the arrested men are learned to have confessed to the theft at Rajinder Nagar. They also reportedly admitted to have been involved in more than 16 theft cases, including a major burglary at CR Park, where they stole 1 kg of gold, 1 kg silver and cash worth Rs 20 lakh. Further, they revealed to the police that the stolen items were divided in Seemapuri of North East Delhi.

A third name is also reported to have come up in relation to the cases, with the arrested duo having citing the name of one Monu, also called Abhishek, adding that he was an absconding accomplice.

New Delhi: A screenshot taken during a video call led to the identification and eventually the arrest of two teenagers who allegedly robbed people to fund their drug addiction and hotel stays, police said on Monday.

The two were identified as Harsh and Ashish alias Suchha, both 19, and residents of Vikas Nagar in southwest Delhi.  

“With their arrest, we have solved at least seven cases of robbery and vehicle theft,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sachin Sharma said in a statement.  The officer said five stolen motorcycles and one autorickshaw were recovered from their possession, as was a country-made pistol, a knife, and a live cartridge.  

“The accused were actively involved in a spree of criminal activities, especially vehicle theft and armed robbery using the stolen vehicles. They used to stay at hotels to feel luxury using the looted money. Both are drug addicts,” said the DCP.  

On July 17, a call was received at Ranhola Police Station reporting a robbery near Government School in Gurdyal Vihar, he said. 

The complainant alleged that two men robbed him of his mobile phone and Rs 20,000 at knife-point.  

Police registered an FIR, and a special team was formed to investigate the case.  “Team scanned CCTV footage from the vicinity and received a breakthrough when the complainant’s sister video-called the stolen number, which was answered by one of the accused. She managed to capture screenshots of the suspects during the video call, providing a vital visual lead,” Sharma said.  

On Sunday, a police team spotted two men on a numberless motorcycle near the Nala Road behind the Shudhanshu Ashram.  

“When signalled to stop, they tried to flee but were chased and overpowered by the team members,” the officer said.

When they were searched, one of them, Harsh, was found carrying a knife, while the other, Ashish, had a country-made pistol with a live cartridge. 

“The motorcycle they were riding was confirmed stolen, with the engine and chassis number matching an entry in an FIR registered on March 14 at Ranhola Police Station,” said the DCP.  

During interrogation, the two confessed to stealing vehicles from across southwest Delhi and use them for snatchings and robberies. 

The motorcycles and autorickshaw recovered at their instance were linked to cases registered across Ranhola, Vikas Puri, Paschim Vihar, and Najafgarh police stations.  

“The recovered vehicles show a wide operational area of these thieves. They targeted not just local zones but also committed thefts in neighbouring police districts,” he said.  

According to police, Harsh and Ashish followed a pattern – first, they would steal two-wheelers, mainly motorcycles, from parking lots or poorly guarded residential areas, and then would use them for a quick getaway after a robbery.   

“They mostly targeted lone pedestrians at isolated spots. One would threaten the victim with a knife or country-made pistol while the other stood guard on the motorcycle,” the officer said.  

The two used stolen mobile phones for only brief communication and disposed them of quickly to avoid tracking. Local pedestrians carrying bags, mobile phones, or visibly holding cash, were their favourite targets.  

The accused revealed that they would use the robbed money to buy drugs, and fund “short-term luxuries.” 

They would often check into hotels with the loot and spend nights taking drugs.  “It was snatch, spend and stay. They robbed and then lived like rich for a night or two until they needed to steal again,” Sharma said.  

Harsh and Ashis, both, are school dropouts.

Harsh had earlier been involved in minor street crimes, while Ashish had reportedly been influenced by a group of criminals in the area.  

Police said they are trying to identify their other associates, particularly two known by the initials G and S, who are believed to be part of their criminal activity.

Jagdeep Dhankhar

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday claimed the reasons behind Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation as vice president are “far deeper” than health issues cited by him, and that his resignation speaks highly of him but poorly of those who got him elected to the post.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also raised questions over the absence of Union ministers J P Nadda and Kiren Rijiju from the second Business Advisory Committee on Monday, saying “something very serious” happened between 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm on Monday to account for their deliberate absence from the second BAC.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said Dhankhar’s resignation was quite unexpected.

“While presiding over Rajya Sabha yesterday he was his good jolly self!! Did the way he proactively handled the 2 impeachment motions (Justice Yadav & Verma) yesterday the last straw!!” he said on X.

Ramesh pointed out that Dhankhar chaired the BAC of the Rajya Sabha at 12.30 pm on Monday.

“It was attended by most members, including Leader of the House J P Nadda and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju. After some discussion, the BAC decided to meet again at 4:30 PM,” he said in a post on X.

At 4:30 pm, the BAC reassembled under the chairmanship of Dhankhar, the Congress leader said.

“It waited for Shri Nadda and Shri Rijiju to arrive. They never came. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar was not personally informed that the two senior Ministers were not attending. Rightly he took umbrage and rescheduled the BAC for today at 1:00 pm,” Ramesh claimed.

So “something very serious” happened yesterday between 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm to account for the deliberate absence of Nadda and Rijiju from the second BAC yesterday, he said in a post on Tuesday.

“Now in a truly unprecedented move, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned. He has given health reasons for doing so. Those should be respected. But it is also a fact that there are far deeper reasons for his resignation,” Ramesh claimed.

While always lauding the post-2014 India, he spoke fearlessly for the welfare of farmers, forcefully against what he called ‘ahankar (arrogance)’ in public life, and strongly on judicial accountability and restraint, Ramesh said.

“To the extent possible under the current G2 ruling regime, he tried to accommodate the Opposition. He was a stickler for norms, proprieties, and protocol, which he believed were being consistently disregarded in both his capacities,” he said.

“Jagdeep Dhankar’s resignation speaks highly of him. It also speaks poorly of those who had got him elected as Vice President in the first instance,” he said.

The opposition on Monday raised questions over Dhankhar’s sudden resignation as the vice president, with the Congress saying that clearly, there is “far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye”.

The Congress has also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convince Dhankhar to change his mind.

In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday evening, citing medical reasons. He sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect.

“The sudden resignation of the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable. I was with him alongside a number of other MPs till around 5 pm today and had spoken to him over the phone at 7:30 pm,” Ramesh said in a post on X on Monday night.

“No doubt Mr Dhankhar has to give topmost priority to his health. But clearly there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye,” he had said. This is not the time for speculation though, Ramesh added.

Dhankhar took both the government and the opposition to task in equal measure, he said.

“He had fixed a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee tomorrow at 1:00 pm. He was also to make some major announcements related to the judiciary tomorrow,” Ramesh had said.

“We wish him the best of health but also request him to reconsider his decision. We also expect the Prime Minister to get Mr Dhankhar to change his mind. This will be in the nation’s interest,” the Congress leader had said.

The farming community, in particular, will be greatly relieved if Dhankhar changed his mind, he added.

Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027.

He was also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.

Dhankhar recently underwent angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.

In his eventful tenure as Rajya Sabha chairman, Dhankhar had several run-ins with the opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him.

The motion, the first ever in independent India to remove a vice president, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.

New Delhi: With Jagdeep Dhankhar quitting as the vice president, the election to appoint his successor will have to be held “as soon as possible”.

According to Clause 2 of Article 68 of the Constitution, an election to fill a vacancy in the office of the vice president occurring due to his death, resignation or removal, or otherwise will be held “as soon as possible” after it becomes vacant.

The person elected to fill the vacancy will be entitled to hold office “for the full term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office”.

The Constitution is silent on who performs the duties of the vice president in case of his death or resignation before the expiry of his term, or when the vice president acts as the President of India.

The vice president is the second highest constitutional office in the country. He serves for a five-year term, but can continue to be in office, irrespective of the expiry of the term, until the successor assumes office.

The only provision in the Constitution is with regard to the vice president’s function as the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, which is performed, during the period of such vacancy, by the deputy chairperson or any other member of the Rajya Sabha authorised by the President of India.

The vice president may vacate his office by submitting his resignation to the President. The resignation becomes effective from the day it is accepted.

The vice president is the ex-officio chairperson (holding the office of the Rajya Sabha chairperson by virtue of being the vice president) of the Rajya Sabha and does not hold any other office of profit.

During any period when the vice president acts as, or discharges the functions of the President, he does not perform the duties of the office of the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and is not entitled to any salary or allowances payable to the chairperson of the Upper House.

According to Article 66 of the Constitution, the vice president is elected by the members of the Electoral College consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

A person cannot be elected as vice president unless he is a citizen of India, has completed the age of 35, and is qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

A person is not eligible if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India, a state government, or any subordinate local authority.

Pune: Police have registered a non-cognisable case against a 22-year-old IT professional who falsely claimed that she was raped by a man posing as a ‘delivery agent’ at her apartment in Pune, officials said on Tuesday.

The woman approached the police on July 3 with a complaint alleging a ‘delivery agent’ entered her flat the previous evening and sprayed some chemical rendering her unconscious before committing the rape.

She had also claimed the man clicked a selfie using her phone and typed a message threatening to circulate her photos if she disclosed the “incident”.

The case took a dramatic turn after the investigation revealed the ‘delivery agent’ was the friend of the woman who visited the flat with her consent.

The police had ruled out forced entry and the use of spray, and said her rape complaint was false and misleading.

A non-cognisable case was registered against the woman on Monday under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 212, 217 (dealing with furnishing false information to a public servant) and 228 (fabricating false evidence) a senior police official said.

“We have registered a non-cognisable offence against the woman for giving false information and evidence during the probe and trying to mislead the police,” the official said.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had earlier said based on various pieces of evidence, including phone chats, the sequence of events, mobile communication, and the conduct of both the woman, it was evident that this was not a case of rape and there was an attempt to mislead the police.