
Camera trap images show flourishing wildlife: USTR amid conservation push
Raipur: Recent
camera trap images
from Chhattisgarh's
Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve
(USTR) have captured a promising resurgence in wildlife activity, showing extensive use of the forest by carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores alike.
USTR administration said that despite the existence of over 100 villages in its core and buffer zones, the reserve is emerging as a conservation success story, with focused efforts on habitat restoration, anti-poaching operations, and community engagement.
Spanning 1,852 square kilometres across Dhamtari and Gariaband districts, USTR is not only an ecological haven but also the origin of the Mahanadi, Sitanadi, and Udanti rivers, which are vital to Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Its dense forests act as a natural sponge, storing rainwater and supporting both wildlife and agriculture.
USTR also serves as a crucial tiger corridor linking Maharashtra's Gadchiroli and Chhattisgarh's Indravati Tiger Reserve with Odisha's Sunabeda Sanctuary. USTR deputy director Varun Jain said the reserve, once plagued by poaching, encroachment, and illegal logging, saw a significant transformation.
Recent images and surveys show increased sightings of tigers, leopards, elephants, and sloth bears—indicators of a healthy ecosystem.
Anti-poaching efforts intensified with support from the Cyber Cells of Gariaband and Dhamtari police, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), and CRPF patrols, especially in areas affected by Maoism. These efforts enhanced protection across state borders, particularly in corridors connecting Odisha and Maharashtra.
Community involvement played a pivotal role. Through 'Charwaha Sammelans' and the granting of community forest resource rights, the administration said that it is building trust with local villagers, many of whom are now active partners in preventing illegal logging, poaching, and forest fires.
The 'Elephant Alert App', developed to warn locals and track elephant movements, has been instrumental in reducing conflict, officials said, especially as two herds from Odisha—comprising about 40 elephants—now spend 70% of their time within USTR boundaries.
This shift is said to have reduced crop raids in neighbouring districts such as Gariaband, Dhamtari, and Kanker. Sloth bears and leopards also thrive in the mountainous terrain, with its abundance of caves and seasonal food sources like termite mounds, tendu fruits, and beehives.
"These protection measures also attracted a tiger from the corridor, which we are currently tracking through pugmarks. Earlier in 2018, the chital and Nilgai density was around 1 per sq km per species, which is expected to rise to 4-5 per sq km. Census is ongoing. Moreover, spotting of barking deer and gaurs has also increased," Jain said.
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Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Bengaluru gold smuggling case: After ED and CBI probes, Kannada actor Ranya Rao now faces I-T investigation
The Income Tax (I-T) department will investigate the wealth of Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case, with a special court for economic offences in Bengaluru Monday allowing its application to question her in prison. The special court dismissed the objections raised by Rao's lawyer and permitted the I-T department to question her in prison from 10 am to 5 pm between June 11 and June 13. The assistant director of I-T (Investigations) applied last week seeking court permission to record the statement of Rao, 33, at the Bengaluru Central Prison regarding her earnings from alleged gold smuggling activities. The I-T department argued that the actor, who was arrested on March 3 from the Bengaluru International Airport for smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore, was involved in the smuggling activity by using resources generated from 'unexplained sources and cash'. It sought to probe the unexplained sources by recording her statement in prison over a three-day period. B S Girish, the counsel for Rao, argued that the provisions of the Customs Act and the I-T Act are distinct, and so she cannot be compelled to give a statement under the provisions of the I-T Act, which would be contrary to Article 22 of the Constitution. The special public prosecutor of the I-T department, however, argued that I-T authorities are empowered to investigate and that she needs to be probed about the huge cash she allegedly mobilised and circulated for acquiring and selling gold from Dubai. 'The objections of the accused No.1 as to the statement U/s.131(1) of the Act is contrary to Article 22 of the Indian Constitution cannot be accepted as the Act very much permits the recording of statement as a part of investigation, in view of the applicant being vested with powers of a civil court,' the special court ruled Monday. 'The other objections as to the Customs Act and IT Act being distinct enactments in itself will not come in the way to permit the applicant/Department to investigate into the allegations against the accused No.1 on the basis of credible information,' the special court said. Ranya Rao gold smuggling case timeline On May 3, The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Rao from the airport on her arrival from Dubai with concealed on her body. On March 9, the DRI arrested Telugu actor Tarun Konduru, a US passport holder, after he was identified as an alleged accomplice of Rao in the gold smuggling racket. On March 26, the DRI arrested Sahil Jain, 27, a hawala dealer and associate of Rao, who allegedly received the gold smuggled by the actors and transferred funds through the hawala route to Dubai for the purchase of more gold. The DRI alleged that Jain played a central role in disposing of 49.6 kg of gold worth Rs 40.13 crore, smuggled from Dubai by Rao, between November 2024 and February 2025. It also claimed that Jain transferred Rs 39.39 crore of Rao's earnings to Dubai. Rao is the stepdaughter of the senior Karnataka IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao. She is alleged to have used airport protocol services available to her father to escape customs checks and detection at the Bengaluru airport on arrival from Dubai. The DRI also alleged that Rao and her associates smuggled 100 kg of gold in the 2024-25 period. It said Jain is part of a sophisticated smuggling network operating in India and abroad. A prosecution complaint was filed against him by the agency in a Kolkata court on March 5, 202, in a case involving the smuggling of 41.64 kg of gold. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are also investigating the gold smuggling case from criminal and money laundering angles and have registered cases. The ED recently carried out searches on properties, including offices of an education trust belonging to Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on the grounds that there had been monetary transactions between the trust and Rao. The trust, headquartered in Tumakuru in Karnataka, is alleged to have made a payment of Rs 40 lakh towards her credit card bills. Courts in Bengaluru granted Rao, Konduru, and Jain statutory bail after the DRI failed to file prosecution complaints (chargesheets) against them within 60 days of their arrest. However, the accused trio remain in prison on account of the Union Department of Revenue invoking the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act, 1974, against them on April 22. The COFEPOSA Act allows the preventive detention of persons for a period of up to one year. Last month, her mother H P Rohini filed a habeas corpus plea in the Karnataka High Court over the continued detention of her daughter. The matter was, however, adjourned by two weeks on June 3 after the court was informed that the advisory panel for confirming the COFEPOSA detention order of Rao was yet to meet.


The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Chhattisgarh CM Sai pays tribute to cop killed in IED blast, says Maoism on its last breath
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) said the end of Maoism is certain, as he laid wreath at the mortal remains of Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Girepunje killed in an IED blast in Sukma district. The CM said Girepunje's sacrifice will not go in vain. Girepunje was killed and two officers were injured after the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists exploded on Monday (June 9) in Sukma. Amid emotional chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Akash Rao Amar Rahe', wreaths were laid on Tuesday (June 10) at the police officer's mortal remains at the headquarters of the 4th battalion of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) in Mana area in Raipur. Apart from CM Sai, Deputy CMs Vijay Sharma and Arun Sao, State Assembly Speaker Raman Singh, ministers, public representatives and senior administration and police officials were present at the wreath laying ceremony. Girepunje's family members, including his parents, his wife and two minor children, were also present. His 7-year-old son bowed at the mortal remains with folded hands, while a relative carried his 6-year-old daughter in his arms. 'We have lost a brave and committed officer. Maoists have committed the cowardly act out of frustration. Maoism is breathing its last and its end is certain,' CM Sai told reporters after being homage to Girepunje. The Chief Minister, deputy CMs, Raman Singh and other officials lent their shoulders to Girepunje's mortal remains while they were being put in a flower-decked mini-truck at the CAF premises. Earlier, the body, kept in a coffin, was taken from the police officer's residence in Kushalpur area to the CAF premises in the mini-truck. A huge crowd of people gathered on the road and chanted patriotic slogans. The mortal remains were later carried for last rites to Mahadev Ghat, with a large number of people joining the funeral procession.
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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Handcuffed, pinned to floor: The row over Indian student's ordeal at US airport
A video that has gone viral shows an Indian student being handcuffed and pinned down by officials at Newark Airport in New Jersey, US. The incident came to light after Indian-American entrepreneur Kunal Jain shared the video online. As a witness to the incident, he described the treatment of the man as 'deeply inhumane' and called it a 'human tragedy'. The Indian Embassy in New York has now responded, saying it has reached out to local authorities read more The viral video shows an Indian student being handcuffed and pinned down by officials at a US airport. Image: X A shocking video of an Indian man being handcuffed and held down by officials at Newark Airport in New Jersey has gone viral on social media. The incident came to light after Kunal Jain, an Indian-American entrepreneur, posted the video on social media . He called the way the Indian 'student' was treated 'deeply inhumane' and described it as a 'human tragedy'. Now, the Indian Embassy in New York has responded, saying that they had seen social media posts about an Indian national facing trouble at Newark Liberty International Airport. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What happened during the incident? Do we know why he was being treated the way the video shows? What did the witness, Kunal, say about it? And how did the Indian consulate in New York respond? Let's get you the answers to these questions and more. What happened? The viral video shows an Indian student being handcuffed and pinned down by officials at a US airport. Kunal Jain posted a photo of the student on X, saying he was being deported from Newark Airport last night. According to him, the student was in tears and was treated like a criminal by the authorities. I witnessed a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night— handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. He came chasing dreams, not causing harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy. @IndianEmbassyUS #immigrationraids — Kunal Jain (@SONOFINDIA) June 8, 2025 'As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy,' Jain wrote on X. Jain, who is the President of HealthBots AI, said the student spoke in Haryanvi. 'I could recognise his accent where he was saying 'I'm not insane, these people are trying to make me look insane',' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jain expressed concern over the situation, saying the student was 'crying, treated like a criminal' and had come to the US 'chasing dreams, not causing harm'. Here more videos and @IndianEmbassyUS need to help here. This poor guy was speaking in Haryanvi language. I could recognise his accent where he was saying 'में पागल नहीं हूँ , ये लोग मुझे पागल साबित करने में लगे हुए हे' — Kunal Jain (@SONOFINDIA) June 8, 2025 He also said that similar cases have been happening recently. 'These children get their visas and get on a flight in the morning. For some reason, they are unable to explain the reason for their visit to the immigration authorities and are sent back on the evening flight tied up like criminals. Every day 3-4 such cases are happening. There have been more such cases in the last few days,' he wrote. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He urged the Indian Embassy in the US to look into the incident and help the student. He also tagged the Indian Embassy and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his post. In an article for The New Indian Express, Jain recalled that the man, who appeared to be a student, said in Hindi, 'Main pagal nahi hoon… yeh log mujhe pagal sabit karna chahte hain' ('I'm not mad… they're trying to prove I'm mentally unstable'). This poor kids parent won't know what's happening to him. @IndianEmbassyUS @DrSJaishankar he was to be boarded last night in the same flight with me but he never got boarded. Someone needs to find out what's going on with him at New Jersey authorities. I found him disoriented. — Kunal Jain (@SONOFINDIA) June 8, 2025 He added that the man looked frightened and confused, and his desperate plea to be understood was deeply disturbing. What was the reason? Here's what the witness said In a conversation with CNN-News18, Jain said that even terrorists are not treated publicly like that in the United States. He said, 'I remember exactly, a pilot came out and said he couldn't take the risk of bringing this boy onto the plane because he might be a threat to other passengers. Now think about it, all of this was happening in his head… I mean, I felt so bad.' Regarding a possible reason why the security forces acted the way they did, Kunal said they believed the student was agitated. 'So they felt that in order to control him, they had to force him down, pin him to the ground. My only point is that there were enough Indians there. They could have called the Indian embassy, they could have provided legal help, they could have brought in a counsellor, or even a linguistic counsellor who could speak his language.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He further said, 'Nowadays, if you don't have a visa, they don't allow you in. So he was allowed at the entry, but probably interviewed there.' After the entire incident, he said, 'I boarded the plane and asked one of the hostesses. She told me, 'We see three to four such cases every day.'' 'If people do not retaliate or become violent, then they are sent back to India. But if, for any reason, they become aggressive, this is what happens,' he said. ALSO READ | Why Trump is offering $1,000 to migrants to 'self-deport' from US How Indian Embassy reacted to the incident The Indian Consulate in New York responded to the incident after the video and posts gained attention online. The consulate confirmed that they had reached out to local authorities. 'We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard,' the Consulate General of India in New York posted on X. We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard. The Consulate remains ever committed for the welfare of Indian Nationals.@MEAIndia… — India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) June 9, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The Consulate remains ever committed for the welfare of Indian Nationals.' Trump administration's crackdown on international students This incident comes at a time when the US government has stepped up its action against international students , with many visas being cancelled without warning. The reasons behind the deportations have differed, from joining pro-Palestine protests to minor traffic offences, leaving many students caught in legal trouble and uncertainty. According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, the US has deported around 1,080 Indian nationals. The latest case has also reminded many of earlier deportations that caused public outrage. In February, a video released by the US Border Patrol showed over 100 Indians being sent back, with their hands cuffed and legs chained.