CM condemns FIRs against journalists
In a post on X on Wednesday, Mr. Vijayan said, 'Strongly condemn the FIRs against eminent journalists Karan Thapar & Siddharth Varadarajan by Assam Police under the draconian Section 152 of BNS. This move seeks to silence independent journalism - the bedrock of democracy - is part of a fascistic trend. Democratic forces must unite & stand with bold voices of truth.'
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Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta attacked during public meet at residence, attacker held
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta was assaulted at a weekly public hearing at her official residence in Civil Lines on Wednesday morning by a 41-year-old man who came from Rajkot in Gujarat, and entered posing as a complainant. Delhi Police officers deployed outside the residence of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta after the attack on Wednesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO) The accused, Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai Sakriya, an auto driver in Rajkot, was overpowered by the CM's security team and others present there. An FIR under sections pertaining to attempt to murder has been filed against him. His motives are not known and it is also not clear whether he was working alone. Hours after the attack, Gupta said in a post on X: 'The attack on me during this morning's public hearing was not just an attack on me, but a cowardly attempt on our resolve to serve Delhi and work for the welfare of the people. Naturally, I was in shock after this attack, but now I am feeling better.' She added that such attacks could not 'break her spirit' and that the public hearings would continue. Gupta has Z+ category security cover, and is guarded 24x7 by more than 35 personnel of Delhi Police personnel, Central Armed Police Force commandos, static guards and escorts. Her official convoy has its own set of security personnel. Local police claimed that none of the visitors were screened or frisked on Wednesday morning. Delhi Police did not respond to requests seeking comment on the matter. The attack happened at 8.45am and Sakriya pulled Gupta's hair and then pushed her, after which she hit her head on a table, according to people familiar with the matter. In Rajkot, Sakriya's mother Bhanuben told media that her son had told her that he was in Delhi 'because he was concerned about the dogs in Delhi' and that 'he is not affiliated to any political party.' The police believe the attack was premeditated and a police officer from North Delhi who interrogated Sakriya said 'he did not mention that he came to Delhi over the dog issue.' Police say they have recovered purported footage of the accused roaming outside the CM's Shalimar Bagh residence. 'He conducted a recce of the area. Further, he was seen talking to someone over the phone and it looked like he was giving updates to someone,' added the police officer cited above. A case under BNS sections 109 (1) (attempted murder), 132 (assault or criminal force used to deter a public servant from discharging their duty) and 221 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their public functions) has been filed against Sakriya. A senior police officer at the Delhi Police Headquarters too insisted the attack was premeditated: 'The attack was not in a fit of rage. We have interrogated the accused and also seized footage and other evidence. It looks well-planned. He has been giving several reasons but none of them seem logical. Our teams are looking into this. The Chief Minister was assaulted with an intent to cause her hurt and harm. She has sustained injuries to her head and hands.' Police said Sakriya has previously been booked in five cases, between 2017 and 2022, under a string of sections of the Indian Penal Code. To be sure, he has been acquitted in four of the five. One liquor smuggling case remains pending in court. Police officials said there are four other complaints, of bootlegging and assault, against him. Gupta has been holding weekly 'Jan Sunwai' (public hearings) ever since she took over as the chief minister where she freely interacts with the visitors, listens to their grievances and give necessary directions to officers concerned. An official in her office said the Jan Sunwai starts at 8am and continues till 10am every Wednesday. 'The attacker arrived at the CM's residence in a rickshaw and entered her camp office posing as a complainant, and sought the release of one of his relatives who is in jail,' said people in the CM's office. 'The cowardly attack on Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta appears to be part of a well-planned conspiracy. CCTV footage obtained from the Chief Minister's residence in Shalimar Bagh has revealed that the attacker began preparations for the assault at least 24 hours in advance,' the CM's office said in a statement. AAP chief and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal condemned the attack. 'Attack on Delhi CM Rekha Gupta is highly condemnable; In democratic system, differences of opinion & opposition are acceptable, but there can be no place for violence..I'm confident that Delhi Police will take appropriate action; I hope CM is completely safe & healthy,' he said in a post on X. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said the attack on CM Gupta is a 'huge security lapse.' 'Delhi Congress strongly condemns this reprehensible crime as it raises a big question mark about law and order in the Capital with those in power seems to be in a deep slumber.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
MNC exec loses Rs 1.6 cr in online stock trading scam
Hyderabad: A 45-year-old senior executive working for an MNC in the city lost 1.6 crore in an online stock trading scam. The victim, a resident of Khajaguda, is working as a director of finance at the company. In her complaint, the victim alleged that on June 7, she received a WhatsApp message from an individual who introduced himself as Abhishek Ummat, a financial assistant, claiming to deliver high returns through intraday trading. On his advice, she joined a WhatsApp group titled 'B13 ASBPL VIP ELITE COMMUNITY'. She clicked a weblink shared by the fraudster and installed an app on her iPhone, which resembled a genuine brokerage company's interface. "The app displayed real-time market feeds, customer-service icons, and posts by investors. On the WhatsApp group, members often posted messages celebrating hefty profits," the victim claimed. Convinced by its 'authenticity', the victim first transferred 50,000 on June 10, followed by another 4.5 lakh over the next three days. On June 16, the fraudsters credited a little over 76,000 into the victim's account to build her trust. Between June 16 and July 3, she went on to transfer an additional 42.6 lakh. As the fake app showed her total earnings as 22 crore, she continued investing and, until Aug 7, transferred about 1.2 crore through RTGS and IMPS into multiple accounts shared by the fraudsters. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Gold Rates Today in Hyderabad | Silver Rates Today in Hyderabad When she tried to withdraw funds, the accused demanded 30 lakh as processing fees. Suspecting foul play, she cross-checked the details of the app and discovered she had been duped. Cyberabad police registered a case under Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 319(2) (cheating by personation), 336(3) (forgery for purpose of cheating), 338 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), and 340(2) (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) read with 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS, besides Section 66-D of the IT Act. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Illegal abortion racket busted in Gurgaon, clinic owner on run
Gurgaon: A raid was conducted on a clinic operating out of a Sector 52 house on Tuesday night and abortion kits and surgical tools were seized. The accused, identified as Nani Sarkar, fled moments before the raid and is absconding. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The raid followed a written complaint by the district's nodal officer for Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP). According to the FIR registered at Sector 53 police station, the clinic, M/S Abha Homeo, Optical and Dental Hygiene, was being run without registration or licence to conduct abortions. "An FIR was filed at Sector 53 police station at 2.30am on Wednesday under multiple sections of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, and BNS," a health official said. According to the FIR, the action followed a tip-off by a local resident, who alleged that the clinic, located at house no 1960, Khatu Shayam Road, Dhani Chowk, was openly selling MTP kits and conducting illegal terminations. A four-member team of PNDT nodal officer Dr Pardeep, medical officer, Palra, Dr Harish Kumar, MTP nodal officer Dr Jaiprakash and drugs control officer Amandeep Chauhan reached the clinic around 9.30pm on Aug 19 and saw a man, identified as Sarkar later, carrying a black polythene bag running out. Two men present at the clinic — Jitender and Pushpender, residents of Bharatpur, Rajasthan — told the team that an abortion procedure was in progress and the person responsible had just fled. "Inside, we found a blue drum filled with medical abortion kits, including 10 unopened packs containing Mifepristone and Misoprostol, two partly used kits and one used kit. Speculums, dilators and curettes were also recovered," a health official said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The clinic had no MTP registration or drugs licence, and the man running it was only a certified dispensing optician," the FIR noted. A seized diary also suggested dental treatments were being carried out at the site. Assistant SI Rajbir Singh was assigned the case, in which no arrests have been made yet. Police said efforts are on to trace Sarkar, while Jitender and Pushpender have been listed as witnesses. The MTP Act, passed to provide safe, legal access to abortion under regulated conditions, has often collided with the state's long-standing struggle with a skewed sex ratio. The state has historically recorded one of the lowest sex ratios at birth in India. While the MTP law allows termination of pregnancy under specific medical conditions and humanitarian grounds, sex-selective abortions are banned. Haryana's sex ratio still trails the national average, making regulation of MTP practices a critical part of the state's fight against gender imbalance. Haryana's sex ratio at birth dropped to 910 girls per 1,000 boys in 2024, the lowest in the past eight years.
