Archives for August 2023

KOCHI: CPIM leader and former Kerala minister A C Moideen to appear for interrogation on August 31 at its Kochi office in the money laundering case related to the Karuvanannur Service Co-operative Bank loan scandal.

The ED communique from its Kochi office on Friday to Moideen, the MLA from Kunnamkulam, comes a day after it seized 36 properties valued at Rs 15 crore, including Rs 28 lakh in fixed deposits in the names of Moideen and his wife. The ED has also sent notice to four ‘benamis’ of Moideen in the case, asking them to appear at its Kochi office for questioning on August 31.

The Central agency, as part of the investigation, received several WhatsApp chats revealing Moideen’s involvement in the case.

The ED officials said that Moideen instructed the bank manager to release loans to non-members of the bank who possessed no proper mortgage documents. Now ED is checking whether these loans were issued illegally to his benamis. On Tuesday, ED searched the residence of Moideen, which lasted for around 22 hours.

Moideen was a minister of Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government from 2016–2021. He handled portfolios of industries, cooperation, local self-government, and tourism.

which ED considers the CPM leader’s benamis, viz., Kiran P P, Rahim C M, Shiju M K, and Satheesh Kumar P. The benamis are also asked to report to the ED office in Kochi for interrogation.

Bengaluru: A significant operation at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) resulted in the rescue of more than 230 reptiles, including cobras, crocodiles, tortoises, and lizards, as Bengaluru Customs sleuths intercepted a wildlife smuggler on Monday night.

The successful operation follows the arrest of the smuggler, who was attempting to transport these creatures alive in two suitcases, according to sources from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs.

The incident came to light when the 22-year-old smuggler from Ramnad in Tamil Nadu arrived on a Thai AirAsia flight FD 137 from Bangkok. Acting on suspicions, Customs officials detained and questioned the individual, leading them to discover the smuggled reptiles concealed within his suitcases. The seized creatures comprised poisonous snakes, lizards, and even small crocodiles.

Among the rescued reptiles were four caimans, nearly 30 iguanas, four monocled cobras, pythons, tortoises, and lizards. The investigation also revealed the tragic fate of a young kangaroo or “joey” that had been hidden within one of the containers, ultimately succumbing to suffocation during transit.

“These wildlife smugglers introduce foreign species like the monocled cobras, originating from Thailand, which could disrupt the local reptile ecosystem if released into the wild,” noted a wildlife expert.

The apprehended smuggler has been arrested under section 104 of the Customs Act and has been remanded in judicial custody. Further investigations are underway to determine his connections in Bengaluru and identify potential recipients of the smuggled reptiles.

The rescued animals were repatriated to Thailand on Tuesday night to ensure their safety and appropriate habitat.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka state transport department has announced that all vehicles registered prior to April 1, 2019, must be equipped with high-security registration plates (HSRP) by November 17, 2023.

A recent notification issued on August 17, 2023, outlines that vehicle owners failing to comply with this deadline will face penalties ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

HSRPs, distinguished by their permanent identification numbers and chromium-based holograms, come with tamper-proof features, ensuring standardized and secure registration plates, stated a transport department official.

Approximately 1.75 crore to 2 crore vehicles were registered in Karnataka before April 1, 2019, as per the transport department’s estimates. “Starting April 1, 2019, the installation of HSRPs became mandatory for all newly registered vehicles,” shared a senior official.

The authorized HSRP manufacturers, in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers, are responsible for supplying these plates to dealers. The same system will apply to older vehicles, with orders for HSRP installation being facilitated through authorized dealers of vehicle manufacturers.

Regarding the cost of HSRPs, the official mentioned, “Authorized suppliers are chosen by vehicle manufacturers through competitive pricing. Prices may range from Rs 400 to Rs 500 for four-wheelers and between Rs 250 and Rs 300 for two-wheelers. A total of 12 states have already implemented this rule in accordance with central government guidelines.”

The Significance of HSRP Implementation

The transport department’s notification emphasizes that HSRPs prevent tampering and counterfeiting of plates, contributing to the reduction of vehicle-related crimes and facilitating easy identification of vehicles on the road.

Upon installing HSRPs, authorized dealers or manufacturers are required to update laser coding on the Vahan portal. However, vehicles lacking registration certificates, fitness certificates (for transport vehicles), or overdue road tax will not be eligible for HSRPs.

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Police on Wednesday arrested a young man identified as Shaneez (23), a resident of Thokkottu in connection with a case of theft of two-wheelers in the city limits.

Meanwhile, the police had initiated an operation to track down the stolen two-wheelers in the Kankanady and Bendorwell areas under the Kadri Police Station limits.

Shaneez was reportedly arrested during a police inspection near the Pumpwell flyover, the accused who was traveling on a scooter without a number plate was detained and later interrogated upon which the crime came to light, the police said.

Furthermore, the police revealed that the accused was found to be in possession of two stolen two-wheeler vehicles worth Rs 1.01 lakhs. The accused has been remanded in judicial custody.

Hassan: Four Police officials posted at the District Sub-Jail here on Wednesday were suspended for dereliction of duty after it was found during a raid that the prisoners were in the possession of drugs and mobile phones.

The suspended police officers were identified as Superintendent of Police of Hassan sub-jail Suresh, Jailers Qutubuddin Desai, Jadav and Patil.

The incident reportedly came to light after a prisoner made a video from inside the jail and it went viral, in the background of which the police raided late night on August 19 and seized 18 mobile phones, ganja, cigarettes, batteries and chargers.

The Director General of Police of Jail issued an order suspending four officers on the grounds of negligence of duty by the officers.

Belthangady: In a recent operation, officers from the Uppinangady forest department arrested three individuals who were engaged in the illegal hunting of deer along the banks of the Kapila river at Battadi, situated within the Dadantamale reserve forest of Patrame village.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Sudesh Patrame, Puneeth, and Kotyappa Gowda, while another individual named Lokesh remains at large, as confirmed by the authorities.

The Forest Department’s night patrolling team became aware of the incident involving the accused hunting deer near the Kapila river within the Dadantamale Battadi region under the jurisdiction of the Uppinangadi Forest Department during the night hours of Tuesday and carried the operation resulting in the arrested on three.

A case in this regard has been registered and further investigations are underway.

Dubai: The ruler of Dubai, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, conveyed his congratulations to India for the successful accomplishment of Chandrayaan-3, the lunar exploration mission.

Taking to his official Twitter handle on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum shared his appreciation, stating, “Congratulations to our friends in India for the successful landing on the moon. Nations are built through perseverance, India continues to make history.”

Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, marked another milestone in the country’s ambitious space endeavors. The successful landing garnered praise from around the world, highlighting ISRO’s dedication to scientific exploration and technological advancement.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has placed under suspension a special sessions judge in connection with a “direction” given by him to police for registering an FIR against Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and several others, saying the judge acted in “undue haste”.

Official sources in Hyderabad and people aware of the development in Delhi said the suspension was initiated on the administrative side against K Jaya Kumar, the judge of special sessions court for trial of MPs/MLAs, after a complaint was lodged with the high court by a senior official of the Election Commission.

Based on a private complaint filed under Section 200 of the CrPC by Raghavendra Raju, the judicial officer “acted in undue haste” without conducting any preliminary enquiry and without recording the statement of the complainant, the high court said.

Thus, there was a serious lapse in the procedure followed by the officer while discharging his duties, the sources said citing the order issued by the high court on the administrative side.

The FIR was registered on August 11 against Telangana Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud, CEC Kumar and a host of other officials after being referred by the sessions court for allegedly “tampering” Goud’s 2018 state assembly election affidavit.

The matter was referred to police by the sessions court on a private complaint which alleged that Goud, MLA from Mahabubnagar, had “tampered” with the election affidavit by suppressing facts.

While Goud was named as the first accused, CEC Kumar and several other officials were made co-accused, who the complainant alleged had colluded with the minister and closed the election affidavit without taking any further action.

The judicial officer was placed under suspension by the high court in exercise of the Telangana Civil Services Rules, 1991 “in larger public interest”, the sources said citing the order.