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Prominent NRI businessman SM Syed Khalil passes away in Dubai

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Prominent NRI businessman SM Syed Khalil passes away in Dubai
Photo credit: Sahilonline

Dubai: Prominent Kannadiga businessman SM Syed Khalil passed away after brief illness in Dubai in the wee hours of Thursday.

Syed Khalil SM was also the Chairman of Madhyama Communications Ltd., Mangalore and was known across Coastal Karnataka for his social services and contributions in the fields of Kannada, Konkani languages and their culture.

Syed Khalil, affectionately known as ‘C A Khalil’ among the general public, hailed from the Nawayat community of Bhatkal. His journey to prominence and distinction had not only brought pride to the Nawayat community but also to Kannadigas and Indians at large. He was renowned for his remarkable achievements and dedication to international trade, social service, and the education of underprivileged children.

Having ventured to the Gulf in 1978, Khalil’s faith and dedication to the Galadari family propelled the Galadari Company to unparalleled success over three decades. He was serving as the Founder Chairman of K&K Enterprises General Trading Company in Sharjah. Khalil also held positions in numerous educational and social service organizations in Karnataka and beyond.

Syed Khalil stood as one of the town’s first chartered accountants, renowned for his financial expertise. He was also a respected leader in social service, religious, and educational circles. His leadership roles have included the presidency of prominent organizations such as Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen and Rabita Society. Khalil was an advocate for girls’ education and has played a pivotal role in establishing extensive educational institutions.

ED records statement of audit company employee in Bitcoin scam CBI asks him to appear

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Mumbai : The ED and the CBI on Wednesday ramped up their investigations against Bitcoin Ponzi ‘scam’ suspect Gaurav Mehta, a day after the BJP made public voice notes to allege that Congress and NCP (SP) leaders were trying to encash cryptocurrency to influence Maharashtra assembly polls.

The allegations were refuted by NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole who termed the voice notes released by the BJP on the eve of polling as fake.

Gaurav Mehta, an audit company employee, was at the centre of the action taken by the two federal probe agencies on Wednesday with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carrying out searches at his Raipur residence while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) issued summons to him seeking his presence before the investigating officer as soon as possible.

The CBI has registered three cases related to Gain Bitcoin Ponzi scheme case last month on the orders of the Supreme Court issued in December, 2023.

The ED questioned Mehta and recorded his statement during the searches. It also seized some computers and digital devices.

ED officials said the agency has widened its ongoing money laundering probe into a crypto (Bitcoin) assets ponzi scam and is investigating the “links” of Mehta and some others with politicians, politically exposed persons and bureaucrats.

The agency attached assets worth Rs 98 crore of actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra in April as part of this crypto-ponzi probe. The couple challenged the ED action and got relief from the Bombay High Court.

It was alleged by the ED that the bitcoins were to be utilised for mining and investors were supposed to get huge returns in crypto assets but the promoters “cheated” the investors and have been concealing the “ill-gotten” bitcoins in obscure online wallets.

Kundra, the ED alleged, received 285 bitcoins from the “mastermind” and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi “scam” Amit Bhardwaj for “setting up” a bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine.

These bitcoins were sourced from the “proceeds of crime” collected by Amit Bhardwaj from gullible investors, it said.

The agency arrested three people — Simpy Bhardwaj, Nitin Gaur and Nikhil Mahajan — in the case last year.

Main accused Ajay Bhardwaj and Mahendra Bhardwaj are absconding, the ED said, adding that it attached properties worth Rs 69 crore in the case earlier.

Two chargesheets have been filed in the case till now — the first in June 2019 and the second in February this year.

The BJP on Tuesday played purported voice notes of Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress chief Patole alleging attempts were being made to encash bitcoins to influence the elections.

Sharing the audio clips, in which voices and signal chats purportedly of Sule and Patole allegedly indicate that bitcoins were used for funding the poll campaign, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi had said it is clear that the MVA has seen the writing on the wall that it will be defeated in the polls.

The allegations were strongly refuted by both leaders who said that the voice recordings were not theirs.

Sule said she has filed a complaint with the Election Commission and the cybercrime department of the state against the false allegations. She told reporters on Wednesday that she “did not know Gaurav Mehta”.

Patole also dismissed the BJP’s allegations and said, “The voice in the clip being circulated is not mine. Even (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi recognises my voice.” Voting in Maharashtra elections took place on Wednesday for 288 Assembly seats where BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is facing a challenge from NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UT) and Congress alliance known as Maha Vikas Agadi.

A former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil, who was arrested in a 2018 cryptocurrency “fraud” case being probed by Pune Police, has also claimed that Mehta had provided him 10 voice notes on the Signal app which had purported audio clips of Sule, Patole, and IPS officers Amitabh Gupta (ex-Pune Police commissioner) and Bhagyashree Navtake, who was the DCP (cyber) in Pune when he was arrested.

He had also sent a complaint to the Election Commission alleging three voice notes were sent by Sule to Mehta in which she is purportedly heard asking the latter to encash the Bitcoins as funds were needed for elections and assuring him that he need not worry about inquiries as once they come to power, they would handle them.

In his complaint sent to the EC via email, Patil stated that according to the chats that he claims to be in possession of, it appears that hundreds of bitcoins worth billions of rupees may have been pumped in the assembly polls and the previous Lok Sabha elections.

It also appears that Mehta is currently having custody of the misappropriated bitcoins, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, Patil said in the complaint.

The ED’s money laundering probe in the crypto-ponzi case stems from FIRs of Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against a company named Variable Tech Pvt Ltd and individuals named (late) Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj and Mahender Bhardwaj, among others.

A number of multi-level marketing agents are alleged to have collected huge amounts of funds in the form of bitcoins (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017) from the public with the “false promise” of 10 per cent per month return in the form of Bitcoins.

The Supreme Court handed over cases registered against Variable Tech Pte Ltd across the country to the CBI in December last year.

Malayalam actor Meghanadhan dies at 60

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Noted Malayalam film and serial actor Meghanadhan, known for his villainous roles, passed away at a hospital here in the early hours of Thursday, according to film industry sources.

He was 60.

He died at 2 am while undergoing treatment for respiratory-related ailments, they said.

Meghanadhan was the son of the renowned actor Balan K Nair.

He appeared in over 50 films, including notable works such as Chamayam, Chenkol, and Ee Puzhayum Kadannu.

Meghanadhan began his acting career in 1983 with the film Astram, directed by P N Menon.

He gained prominence by portraying villainous roles in Malayalam cinema.

Social media ban for children younger than 16 introduced in Australia’s Parliament

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Melbourne (AP): Australia’s communications minister introduced a world-first law into Parliament on Thursday that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents’ toughest challenges.

Michelle Rowland said TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram were among the platforms that would face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (USD 33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts.

“This bill seeks to set a new normative value in society that accessing social media is not the defining feature of growing up in Australia,” Rowland told Parliament.

“There is wide acknowledgement that something must be done in the immediate term to help prevent young teens and children from being exposed to streams of content unfiltered and infinite,” she added.

The bill has wide political support. After it becomes law, the platforms would have one year to work out how to implement the age restriction.

“For too many young Australians, social media can be harmful. Almost two-thirds of 14- to 17-years-old Australians have viewed extremely harmful content online including drug abuse, suicide or self-harm as well as violent material. One quarter have been exposed to content promoting unsafe eating habits,” Rowland said.

Government research found that “95 per cent of Australian care-givers find online safety to be one of their toughest parenting challenges,” she said.

Social media had a social responsibility and could do better in addressing harms on their platforms, she said.

“This is about protecting young people, not punishing or isolating them, and letting parents know that we’re in their corner when it comes to supporting their children’s health and wellbeing,” Rowland said.

Child welfare and internet experts have raised concerns about the ban, including isolating 14- and 15-year-olds from their already established online social networks.

Rowland said there would not be age restrictions placed on messaging services, online games or platforms that substantially support the health and education of users.

“We are not saying risks don’t exist on messaging apps or online gaming. While users can still be exposed to harmful content by other users, they do not face the same algorithmic curation of content and psychological manipulation to encourage near-endless engagement,” Rowland said.

The government announced last week that a consortium led by British company Age Check Certification Scheme has been contracted to examine various technologies to estimate and verify ages.

In addition to removing children under 16 from social media, Australia is also looking for ways to prevent children under 18 from accessing online pornography, a government statement said.

Age Check Certification Scheme’s chief executive Tony Allen said Monday the technologies being considered included age estimation and age inference. Inference involves establishing a series of facts about individuals that point to them being at least a certain age.

Rowland said the platforms would also face fines of up to AUD 50 million (USD 33 million) if they misused personal information of users gained for age-assurance purposes.

Information used for age assurances must be destroyed after serving that purpose unless the user consents to it being kept, she said.

Digital Industry Group Inc., an advocate for the digital industry in Australia, described the age limit as a “20th century response to 21st century challenges.”

CM Siddaramaiah directs officials not to cancel ration cards of poor families

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Bengaluru : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday instructed the Food Department officials not to cancel the ration cards of poor families.

The order follows controversy over reports that over 22.6 lakh Below the Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders were deemed ineligible.

The chief minister ordered that if the ration cards of any family other than government employees and income tax payers are cancelled, they should be returned immediately, the Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement.

“The chief minister has warned that action will be taken against the Food Department officials if the ration cards of poor families are cancelled without any reason,” it added.

Official sources said the Karnataka government has identified 22.63 lakh ineligible BPL card holders in the state as it decided to revise the list.

They said the state did a survey of BPL cardholders in August this year, which revealed that there are 22,62,482 ineligible BPL cardholders. Now the government is contemplating cancelling them.

Fear loomed large over withdrawal of many benefits given to lakhs of families including 10 kg food grains to each member of the family every month under the Anna Bhagya scheme.

There were apprehensions that the women head of the BPL families availing Rs 2,000 a month under the Congress guarantee Gruha Lakshmi scheme may be withdrawn.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister K H Muniyappa told reporters in Kolar that all the southern states do not have BPL cardholders more than 50 per cent.

“In Karnataka, which is second most tax revenue generating state after Maharashtra, there cannot be 75 to 80 per cent BPL card holders. So we have to cancel them,” Muniyappa said.

He, however, clarified that the government was not cancelling the cards but only converting them from BPL to Above Poverty Line (APL) cards.

According to the minister, those in government jobs, paying income taxes or those whose annual income is above Rs 1.2 lakh are ineligible for BPL cards.

This move gave the opposition BJP a new weapon to target the ruling Congress in the state.

The party led by the Opposition leader in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka, former Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan and K Gopalaiah, took out a march in the city visiting houses of the BPL families. Later, they staged a demonstration against the government move.

A BPL card holder told reporters in Bengaluru that she got to know that her ration card has been cancelled after she went to a government run ration shop.

She was worried that her newborn daughter would not get the Karnataka government’s welfare programme for girl child and get her educated.

Reports poured in from various parts of the state where people from the economically weaker section expressed their shock and dismay over the government’s move.

Arrest warrant issued for Gautam Adani nephew Sagar Adani in bribery case in USA

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New York: Gautam Adani, the billionaire chairman of the Adani Group, and his nephew Sagar Adani have been indicted in New York over their alleged involvement in a $265 million bribery scheme, according to US prosecutors.

Authorities allege that Adani and seven other defendants conspired to pay bribes to Indian government officials to secure contracts projected to generate $2 billion in profit over 20 years and to develop India’s largest solar power plant project.

A judge has issued arrest warrants for both Gautam and Sagar Adani, with prosecutors planning to forward these warrants to foreign law enforcement, court records reveal.

The indictment has had an immediate fallout for the Adani empire. Adani Green Energy cancelled plans to raise $600 million through US dollar-denominated bonds. The bond issue had already been priced but was withdrawn following the news, according to sources.

In early Asian trading on Thursday, Adani dollar bonds experienced a significant drop, with prices for Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone bonds falling by 3-5c. This marks the most substantial decline since the group faced a short-seller attack in February 2023.

Prosecutors also stated that the Adanis and another executive, former Adani Green Energy CEO Vneet Jaain, concealed corruption while raising over $3 billion in loans and bonds. Court documents reveal that conspirators used code names such as “Numero Uno” and “The Big Man” for Gautam Adani, while Sagar Adani allegedly monitored bribe-related details on his cellphone.

Shares of GQG Partners, an Australian investment firm and a key Adani backer, plunged by 20%, marking the steepest one-day decline since the firm’s listing three years ago. GQG Partners, which holds stakes in various Adani companies, has stated that it is monitoring the situation closely.

The Adani Group has not yet commented on the allegations or the indictment.

Seven killed, many injured after bus overturns in Jharkhand

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Hazaribag (Jharkhand): At least seven people were killed and several others injured on Thursday after a Patna-bound bus with passengers on board overturned in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district, police said.

The accident occurred near Gorhar Police Station area, around 50 km away from district headquarters, when the bus overturned while it was taking a turn, a senior officer said.

“Seven deaths have been confirmed so far. Some more people may be trapped in the bus,” Hazaribag SP Arvind Kumar

There were about 50 passengers in the bus which was going to Patna from Kolkata when the accident took place.

AR Rahman wife Saira Banu separating after 29 years of marriage

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Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman and wife Saira Banu are separating after 29 years of marriage, their lawyer said on Tuesday.

In a statement on behalf of the couple, prominent divorce lawyer Vandana Shah said they took the decision to separate after “significant emotional strain in their relationship”.

“After many years of marriage, Saira and her husband A R. Rahman have made the difficult decision to separate from each other. This decision comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship.

“Despite their deep love for each other, the couple has found that the tensions and difficulties have created an insurmountable gap between them, one that neither party feels able to bridge at this time,” read the joint statement, issued to media by Shah.

Banu and Rahman, 57, tied the knot in 1995 and are parents to three children — daughters Khatija, Raheema, and son Ameen.

In his Instagram Stories, Ameen wrote, “We kindly request everyone to respect our privacy during this time. Thank you for your understanding.”

In the statement, Banu and Rahman said the decision to separate comes out of “pain and agony”, and requested “privacy and understanding from the public” as they navigate this “difficult chapter” in their life.

Banu was first announce the separation in a statement, which was followed by a joint statement. Rahman is yet to publicly comment on the news.

21 EVMs replaced in Hingoli during mock polls

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Mumbai: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday described Maharashtra as a beacon of progress and prosperity in the country and appealed to the people to come out in large numbers to vote in the assembly polls to strengthen the democratic system.

Senior BJP leader Gadkari cast his vote at the Town Hall in Mahal area along with his family members and expressed confidence that the “double engine” government (led by his party at the Centre and in the state) will retain power in Maharashtra.

Stressing the importance of voting, he called it a cornerstone of democracy.

“Voting is our fundamental right in democracy. I appeal to the people to come out and vote. Increasing the voter turnout strengthens our democratic system,” he said.

Highlighting Maharashtra’s achievements, Gadkari described the state as a beacon of progress and prosperity in India.

“Maharashtra attracts the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) and boasts of strong industrial development and agricultural growth, including exports. It is a role model for other states,” he said.

“The development of Maharashtra depends on its hardworking people, including villagers, and a capable leadership and government will undoubtedly propel the state forward,” he added.

Gadkari expressed confidence that the ruling Mahayuti in the state, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, will secure a good majority this time.

Asked about the “batenge toh katenge” (divided we fall) slogan raised by some BJP leaders during the poll campaign, Gadkari urged the people to rather focus on the state’s development.

“Leave it aside and focus on voting for Maharashtra’s progress. Development is evident in every corner of the state. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government has transformed Maharashtra into a better state. The double-engine government will return once again,” he asserted.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also cast his vote in Nagpur, appealed to the voters, specially women, to exercise their franchise.

“It is my appeal to my ‘Ladki Bahina’ to cast vote. In a democracy, you have some expectations from the government. Those who exercise their franchise have more rights to stress on their demands,” he said.

Notably, the state government some months back launched the Ladki Bahin scheme to provide financial assistance to women.

Fadnavis expressed optimism about an increased voter turnout, particularly among women, highlighting improvements at polling stations compared to the previous elections.

He noted that, unlike the parliamentary polls held in the summer month of May, there was no scorching heat now to affect the voter participation.

Fadnavis also addressed the gender gap in voter turnout, saying “Generally, there is a gap of five to six per cent between the male and female voters. I am sure that this time, women will fill the gap by turning up in large numbers at the polling booths.”

The BJP on Tuesday played purported voice notes of Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule to allege attempts to encash Bitcoins to influence the state elections, claiming it poses a serious question on the conduct of polls in a free and fair manner.

Commenting on it, Fadnavis called for a comprehensive inquiry to uncover the truth behind the allegations.

“I have already spoken about the Anil Deshmukh fake attack story,” Fadnavis said.

NCP (SP) leader and former state home minister Deshmukh was injured after some persons hurled stones on his car in Nagpur district on Monday evening.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who too cast his vote in Nagpur, accused the opposition Congress of misleading the people.

“The Congress cheats people with fake manifestos, as we have seen in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka,” he claimed.

On the incident involving Deshmukh, Bawankule said, “I did not expect this from him. It was unexpected that he would resort to tricks to gain votes.”

“The local police officials have already exposed his tactics. For the past two years, he has been trying to garner voter sympathy,” he claimed.

No bulldozer allowed West Bengal C.M Mamata Banerjee stalls move to demolish illegal hotels on sea beach

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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday stalled the move of the Purba Medinipur district authorities to demolish 140 hotels built illegally on the sea beach of Mandarmani, a well-placed source said.

The CM, who was unhappy since the state secretariat was “not informed” of the order beforehand, said no bulldozers would be allowed, according to the source.

The directive of the district authorities was issued following a National Green Tribunal order regarding the violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone by these hotels.

Banerjee, the bureaucrat said, gave strong instruction that “bulldozers will not be allowed anywhere in the state”.

“The CM is very very unhappy with the development at Mandarmani beach. She has directed that no such activity will be allowed there. The notice was issued by the district administration without consulting or informing the state secretariat. In fact, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant was also not informed,” he told PTI.

The Purba Medinipore district administration recently issued a demolition notice to 140 hotels in Mandarmani, a popular seaside destination.

“Regarding Coastal Regulation Zone violation by hotels/resorts and homestays in Mandarmani, Purba Medinipur, all stakeholders are hereby directed to demolish and clean your illegal construction by November 11, otherwise legal action will be taken,” the notice, a copy of which is with PTI, read.

The order, however, is yet to be executed.

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