
Project, kajal, deedar: Chhangur Baba's codewords for conversion revealed
The revelations are part of a larger investigation into a well-funded conversion syndicate. Chhangur Baba is already under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged money laundering and accumulation of illegal wealth estimated at over Rs 100 crore. The ED believes he used foreign donations, much of it routed through illegal hawala channels via Nepal, to fund mass conversions, particularly targeting underprivileged Hindu communities.Authorities allege Chhangur Baba operated from the Chand Auliya Dargah and had opened over 100 bank accounts across India and Nepal. Nearly Rs 500 crore in foreign funding was received over three years, with Rs 300 crore allegedly funneled in illegally through border districts like Kathmandu and Banke, and Rs 200 crore verified through official routes. These funds are suspected to have come from Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.The ATS arrested Chhangur Baba and his close aide Neetu alias Nasreen on July 5 from a hotel in Lucknow. Both remain in custody. Investigators found 40 bank accounts holding Rs 106 crore linked to Chhangur and are examining digital devices to trace his financial and communication network.The state government has begun cracking down on properties linked to the accused. A Rs 5 crore, 40-room mansion illegally built by Chhangur Baba in Balrampur was razed using bulldozers, while other assets in Bahraich and surrounding districts are also under scrutiny.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has labelled Chhangur Baba's activities as anti-national.The ATS, ED and central agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are now collaborating to map the full extent of his operation, both in India and abroad.- EndsMust Watch
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Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
BJP workers among 57 booked for protests against Himachal minister in Seraj
Police in Mandi have registered three FIRs against more than 50 people, including BJP workers, for wrongful restraint, unlawful assembly and rioting after they welcomed Cabinet Minister Jagat Singh Negi with black flags, raised 'go back' slogans and tried to stop his vehicle during his visit to the disaster affected areas under Thunag sub division of the district, officials Saturday said. Negi, the Revenue and Horticulture Minister, is on a four-day visit to the rain-ravaged areas in Mandi. He faced the protests on Friday when he visited the Seraj Assembly constituency, represented by Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, over his announcement of shifting the the College of Horticulture and Forestry from Thunag to Sundernagar in the district. Several purported videos of the protesters throwing black flags and hurling shoes at the minister's cavalcade have been shared on the social media with the ruling Congress accusing the opposition party of orchestrating the protests. The the incident took place under the jurisdiction of Janjehli police station. Mandi police said they have registered cases under sections 126 (2), 189 (2) (wrongful restraint), 190 (unlawful assembly), 191 (2) (rioting) of BNS, officials said. Superintendent of Police (SP), Mandi, Sakshi Verma, said FIRs have been lodged under bailable offences at Janjheli police station. 'One man has been booked for allegedly hurling stones on the cavalcade of the cabinet minister. All three FIRs were registered Friday night. Efforts are on to identify the suspects,' Verma said. The FIRs were registered based on complaints lodged by local Congress leaders Jagdish Reddy and Virendra Kumar. The first FIR accuses protesters of obstructing the minister's path and showing black flags and names 57 individuals as accused. The second FIR includes charges of stone pelting. The third FIR alleges that the minister's vehicle was stopped near the bridge at Thunag market around 5:35 pm where some women reportedly raised slogans against the relocation of the horticulture college, waved black flags, and hurled a shoe at the cavalcade. BJP questions intention behind college shift plan BJP's state unit chief Dr Rajiv Bindal condemned the state government for registering FIRs against BJP workers. 'Minister Negi came to Thunag and issued a notification about the relocation of horticulture college. What was his intention behind it? Only to further hurt the people of Thunag'. Party's former state president Satpal Singh Satti said Jai Ram Thakur, during his tenure as chief minister, had laid the foundation stone of the horticulture college, to come up at a cost of Rs 240 crore. 'All clearances were obtained, but after forming the government, the ruling Congress stalled all development work of the college. Now, under the garb of disaster, the government has decided to shift the institute from Thunag,' Satti said. He also questioned the intention of the state government saying the revenue minister visiting Seraj 26 days after disaster struck. Talking to reporters in Seraj, party's Mandal president Bhishm Thakur confirmed that party workers and locals showed black flags to the ministers and raised the 'go back' slogans in protested against the proposal to shift the horticuture college. He claimed that the protestors were manhandled by the police. At least 15 people died while 34 remain missing following cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in different parts of Mandi on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1. Seraj bore the brunt of the disaster. Negi had earlier said that despite the rain ravaging several parts of the state, LoP Thakur was only interested in his constituency — remarks that had drawn sharp reactions from the BJP and the former chief minister. Protests an insult to minister, BJP's handiwork: Cong On Saturday, Negi said said that he held 'peaceful meetings' at three places and that group of people also called on him at Thunag rest house Friday urging not to shift the college. 'I told them that the matter would be taken up with the government,' he said, adding that they pressed for a statement in favour of their demand and tried to stop the vehicle and raised slogans, which was not right as their problem had already been heard. Negi further said that the horticulture college's location is unsafe, lacks hostel facilities, and even the students want the college to be shifted. Meanwhile, Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, in a joint statement, termed the protests as not just an insult to a minister but also a disgrace to the 'democratic set up, cultural dignity, and constitutional values' of the state, read the statement. They further said that Negi had gone to the Seraj region to assess the damage caused by the disaster and to meet the affected families. However, 'some anti-social elements behaved with him in a premeditated and indecent manner. This entire incident appears to have taken place under the patronage of BJP leaders. The BJP has laid the foundation for an extremely unfortunate tradition in the political history of the state, the consequences of which could be quite grave in the future,' read the statement. Minister visits Syathi village On Saturday, Negi visited Syathi village in the Dharampur sub-division to assess the relief and reconstruction efforts and met the affected residents. Later, chairing a review meeting, he said reaching every affected person with relief is the topmost priority of the government. He recalled that Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited Syathi within 24 hours of the disaster and directed officials to ensure immediate relief and rehabilitation. Negi added that crop and orchard damages caused by the disaster will be jointly assessed by the revenue, agriculture, and horticulture departments. Local MLA Chander Shekhar said that 22 families in the region have been directly affected. Sub-divisional magistrate, Dharampur, Joginder Patyal said Rs 3.85 lakh has been distributed under various heads to the affected people.


Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ex-JPSC chairman gets two years' jail term
Ranchi: A special CBI court has on Saturday sentenced former chairman of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Dilip Kumar Prasad and two others to two years in prison and fined Rs 1 lakh rupees each in connection with corruption in allotment of tender for OMR scanning machine and causing wrongful loss of around Rs 13.56 lakh to the state govt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The CBI court sentenced Prasad and directors of M/s SPS International, SK Jain and Sudhir Jain, to two years under section 120 B and 420 of IPC and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each with the condition that they would undergo additional term of six months for default in payment. The court also sentenced the convicts to two years and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on them under section 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act. They would have to serve additional six months for failure to pay the fine. Both the prison terms would run concurrently. The crime is related to 2004, but the CBI took it over in 2013. The conducting prosecutor of the case was Khushboo Jaiswal. Prasad was charged of changing the conditions to favour SPS international in allotting the tender for OMR scanning machine. He was accused of allotting the works to SPS International even though it had quoted higher prices than one company in the bidding process. The advance payment was also made to the company in violation of rules.


Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Boy rescued within 12 hours of kidnapping in Patna
Patna: Police safely rescued Udham Kumar alias Lallu (10) within 12 hours of his kidnapping, on Saturday morning. He was abducted from outside his house at Dhakanpura under Gardanibagh police station area on Friday. The child was found near Bapu Tower. Gardanibagh SHO Pratosh Kumar said, "The child was kidnapped around 8.45 pm when he was standing outside his residence. Some youths from the locality kidnapped him by covering his mouth with a towel and forcefully made him to sit in a car. After this, they took him away. At around 9pm, they called and demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh, following which the family informed the police," he said. The SHO added, "On the information, the police team conducted raids and, with the help of technical evidence, the child was recovered around 12.30am on Saturday. One person was arrested, and further investigation is underway. Raids are ongoing to arrest other persons involved in the kidnapping of the boy." The child's mother, Manisha Devi, said that after studying at home, her son went outside when the kidnappers took him away in an SUV. "The kidnappers asked for a ransom of Rs 10 lakh and also threatened of dire consequences if the ransom was not paid," she said. According to the child, after making him sit in the car, they took him to a house. There, they covered his mouth and locked him in a room.