Indian police arrest fake police running 'crime bureau'
The "International Police and Crime Investigation Bureau", run from an office decorated with "police-like colours and logos", was located in New Delhi satellite city Noida, police said in a statement late Sunday (Aug 10).
The accused forged documents and certificates and ran a website where they sought "donations" from victims, police said.
They also claimed they had an "affiliation with Interpol" and other international crime units.
"The perpetrators presented themselves as public servants," the police said.
Police recovered several mobile phones, chequebooks, stamp seals and identity cards.
The arrests come just weeks after a man was arrested for allegedly running a fake embassy from a rented house near New Delhi and duping job seekers of money with promises of employment abroad.
The accused was operating an illegal "West Arctic embassy" and claimed to be the ambassador of fictional nations including "West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, Lodonia". - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
‘My boss raped me': Japanese prosecutor breaks silence on former superior
OSAKA, Aug 11 — Very few women in Japan speak out about rape, and Hikari, too, kept quiet for years about her alleged assault by her boss, Osaka's former chief prosecutor. However, Hikari (not her real name) finally dared to take the step, which came at great cost to her career — she is also a prosecutor — and her personal life. She does not regret it. 'My life has stopped since the assault,' Hikari told AFP in an emotional interview. 'My husband was crying the other day, in a voice that I have never heard in my life, punching the wall and saying he cannot take it anymore,' she said. Hikari alleges that Kentaro Kitagawa, then head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office, raped her following an after-work party in 2018. Kitagawa was not arrested until June 2024, later charged and his name made public. He told an initial hearing in October that he had 'no intention of fighting the case' and apologised for 'causing serious and severe harm to the victim'. However, he changed his tune in December when his lawyer told reporters that Kitagawa 'did not recognise that (Hikari) was unable to resist... and believed that she had consented'. Kitagawa, according to one media report, changed his mind after Hikari held a news conference and alleged that the prosecution had leaked information from the investigation. 'A nightmare' Hikari says she was not used to drinking strong alcohol and lost her memory halfway through the office gathering. Colleagues told prosecutors that she got into a taxi to go home and that Kitagawa forced himself into the vehicle. The next thing she knew, she said, she was in Kitagawa's home and was being raped. This photo taken on May 27, 2025 shows a security guard walking outside the government building housing the Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office in the city of Osaka. — AFP pic 'It was like I was having a terrible nightmare,' Hikari told AFP. 'I couldn't resist because I was terrified that I could be killed.' Hikari said she kept quiet after it happened. Kitagawa had pleaded with her not to go public, saying that it would be a damaging scandal for the prosecutor's office, she said, and even threatened suicide. He retired about a year after the incident but Hikari felt he still had influence over some officials and could hurt her career. 'He was a very influential and powerful man, so I was afraid that no one would listen to me if I complained about the assault,' she said. 'Safe environment' The trauma still gnawed away at her. Finally, after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and taking time off work, she filed her case in 2024. 'In order to live, to get back to a peaceful life with my family, and to get back to my job as a prosecutor, I felt that (Kitagawa) needed to be brought to justice,' she said. 'I just want to work in a safe environment... I want to save victims through work,' she said. She returned to work in September, only to find that malicious rumours were circulating. Hikari alleges that Kentaro Kitagawa, then head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office, raped her following an after-work party in 2018. — AFP pic These included identifying her as the victim — her name had not been made public — and that she had been attracted to Kitagawa, consented to sex and was not drunk. Hikari believes the rumours were spread by people close to Kitagawa. She has been on leave ever since. She said her husband, with whom she has a child, is her biggest supporter but that he 'is struggling with how to save me'. Face hidden Kitagawa's lawyer has not responded to an AFP request for comment sent on June 30. Hikari hasn't revealed her name and has held news conferences and interviews on the condition that her face won't be shown. A handful of other victims of similar crimes have gone further. These include journalist Shiori Ito, who won a landmark civil case against a prominent TV reporter she accused of raping her. In 2021, Rina Gonoi accused fellow soldiers of sexual assault and three of them were later given suspended sentences. Both women were praised for their bravery in coming forward but also received a barrage of online hate. The latest government figures show that 8.1 per cent of Japanese women, or one in 12.5, have had non-consensual sex. Just 1.5 per cent contacted police and 55.4 per cent stayed silent. This photo taken on May 27, 2025 shows 'Hikari' holding a petition submitted in January by supporters with over 58,000 signatures calling for a thorough investigation, during an interview with AFP in the city of Osaka, Osaka prefecture. — AFP pic However, Seisen University Professor Kaori Okamoto said that now 'the idea that it's okay to talk about sexual violence is spreading'. Okamoto, a clinical psychologist who has been helping victims, said the number of people consulting support centres is also increasing. Even though there is no major #MeToo movement like those in the United States and South Korea, modest-sized rallies against sexual violence sprang up across Japan after several alleged rapists were acquitted in 2019. Law changes have also helped. The definition of rape was broadened in 2017, while the need for victims to prove violence or intimidation was removed in 2023. 'In the past, many thought that even if you report the assault, you're only going to get hurt and you're not going to catch the culprit,' Okamoto said. Career ladder Hikari said sexual harassment is 'rampant' in the Japanese legal world. Public records show that 21 people at prosecutors' offices have been disciplined for sexual violence in the past 16 years, she said. 'Officials feel they can do anything as they climb the career ladder,' Hikari said. 'The prosecutors have no shareholders, no sponsors and no external pressure,' she said. Her supporters submitted a petition to the government in January calling for a long prison sentence for Kitagawa and strict punishment for the assistant prosecutor. The petition has more than 68,000 signatures. 'The reason I still continue to speak publicly is because I want to keep saying that the victims are not at fault,' Hikari said. 'I don't know your faces, but at least I want to say that I'm by your side.' — AFP
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe dies after rally shooting
BOGOTÁ: Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has died two months after being shot at a campaign rally. The 39-year-old conservative senator was attacked on June 7 in Bogotá, suffering gunshot wounds to the head and leg. His family confirmed his death on Monday, reigniting fears of political violence in Colombia. Uribe was the grandson of former president Julio Cesar Turbay, who led the country from 1978 to 1982. Despite initial signs of recovery, doctors announced a new brain hemorrhage on Saturday. 'Rest in peace, love of my life,' his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote in an emotional Instagram post. Six suspects, including a 15-year-old shooter, have been arrested in connection with the attack. Police also detained Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez, alias 'El Costeno,' believed to be the mastermind. Authorities suspect involvement from a dissident faction of the disbanded FARC guerrilla group. Uribe was a leading contender for the 2026 presidential election before the assassination attempt. His death revives painful memories of Colombia's violent past, including the killing of four presidential candidates in the 1980s and 1990s. Uribe's mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was also killed in a botched police operation in 1991. 'Today is a sad day for the country,' Vice President Francia Marquez said in a social media statement. She urged Colombians to reject violence and strengthen democracy through dialogue. Uribe was a vocal critic of left-wing President Gustavo Petro's peace efforts with armed groups. He had announced his presidential bid in October, aiming to succeed Petro in 2026. Starting his political career at 26, Uribe became Bogotá's youngest city council chairperson. He later served as a senator, winning the highest vote count nationwide in 2022. Former president Alvaro Uribe, no relation, mourned his death in a post on X. 'Evil destroys everything, they killed hope,' the ex-leader wrote. Petro has faced criticism for labelling right-wing opponents as 'Nazis,' escalating political tensions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the killing and demanded justice. 'The United States stands in solidarity with his family and the Colombian people,' Rubio said. Uribe is survived by his wife and four children, including a young son and three teenage daughters. - AFP
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Lawrence Bishnoi gang threatens to 'kill' anyone working with Salman Khan
The Bishnoi gang has repeatedly issued warnings to Salman Khan (pic), who has been on its radar since his 1998 blackbuck hunting case during the filming of 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Photo: Handout A member of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's group has issued a threat to actors, producers and directors against working with Bollywood star Salman Khan, a day after shots were fired outside Indian comedian Kapil Sharma's cafe in Canada. In an audio clip shared by India Today circulating online, a man identifying himself as Harry Boxer claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened that 'any producer, director or actor who works with Salman Khan will be shot.' He added that the gang would go to any length to 'kill small-time producers, directors and actors' who collaborate with the Sultan actor, warning that 'anyone who works with him will be responsible for their own life.' The incident took place outside Kapil's newly opened Kap's Cafe in Surrey on Thursday — the second such shooting at the establishment in less than a month. No injuries were reported, though the building sustained multiple bullet holes. The earlier attack occurred on July 10. The threats come after Salman appeared in the inaugural episode of the third season of Kapil's Netflix show, which premiered on June 21. The Bishnoi gang has repeatedly issued warnings to Salman, who has been on its radar since his 1998 blackbuck hunting case during the filming of Hum Saath Saath Hain. The Bishnoi community considers blackbucks sacred. Salman has been under high security since an April 2024 firing incident outside his Mumbai residence. Two members of the Bishnoi gang were arrested in the case. Boxer, a native of Rajasthan with two criminal cases against him in the state, reportedly immigrated illegally to the United States in 2014 and became associated with Bishnoi's gang, reported NDTV. He is said to maintain contact with Bishnoi's brother, Anmol Bishnoi, and to handle parts of the gang's US operations, including alleged extortion calls to India. Following Thursday's shooting, Kap's Cafe posted a statement on Instagram according to NDTV, saying they were 'processing the shock' but 'not giving up.' That statement is no longer available on their page. 'We opened Kap's Cafe with hopes of bringing warmth, community, and joy through delicious coffee and friendly conversation. To have violence intersect with that dream is heartbreaking,' it reportedly read. Another claim of responsibility came from Harjeet Singh Laddi, also known as Laddi Khalistani, an operative of the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International, who said the attack was in response to remarks about Nihang Sikhs' attire made on Kapil's show. The recent violence has added to growing calls in Canada to designate the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a "terrorist organisation", following a spate of murders and extortion-related crimes linked to the group in the country. – Dawn/Asia News Network
