Latest news with #Deposit
News18
9 hours ago
- General
- News18
Railways Ordered To Compensate Elderly Bengaluru Couple Who Missed Train Due To Overcrowding
Last Updated: Forced to miss an overcrowded train despite valid tickets, an elderly couple battled Indian Railways for years and won. Their quiet courage turned their loss into justice On the night of April 13, 2022, an elderly couple in Bengaluru experienced a distressing ordeal when they were unable to board their reserved train due to severe overcrowding at Krishnarajapuram (KJM) station. Purna Ramakrishna, 65, and his wife Himavati arrived at 11:53pm to board the Guwahati Express bound for Vijayawada, holding confirmed sleeper class tickets worth Rs 892.5. They had also paid Rs 165 for an auto-rickshaw ride to the station. Despite their valid tickets, the S2 coach was so packed that boarding was nearly impossible. With no railway staff available to assist and only two minutes before departure, the couple was forced to give up and return home—unaware that their struggle was far from over. The couple repeatedly sought redress by lodging complaints and sending emails to Indian Railways, but received no response. Expecting Indian Railways to file a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) on their behalf, they waited in vain. With no alternative left, they took their case to the Bengaluru Urban 2 District Consumer Commission. When Indian Railways failed to respond within the mandated 45-day period, the initial complaint was dismissed in July 2023. Undeterred, the couple appealed to the State Consumer Commission, which sent the case back to the District Forum for a full hearing. Missing the train also caused the cancellation of subsequent confirmed tickets on the Kondavidu Express and a return ticket scheduled for April 21, resulting in significant financial loss for the couple. Finally, in March 2025, the Consumer Commission ruled in favour of the elderly couple. Indian Railways was ordered to refund the Rs 892.5 ticket fare, pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for emotional distress and service failure, and Rs 3,000 towards legal expenses. First Published: June 02, 2025, 10:46 IST
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
RDA scam suspects in the NAB crosshairs
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned two retired officials in connection with the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) financial scandal. The summons were issued for Thursday (today) following their nomination as suspects by the RDA administration. The accused include former Director Asif Mehmood Janjua and retired Assistant Director Khawaja Arshad Javed. According to the NAB notice, both individuals are required to explain why they issued instructions to the bank regarding the issuance of Certificates of Deposit (CDRs), despite allegedly lacking the authority to do so. The bureau has asked them to provide a detailed explanation for their actions, submit complete records related to the CDRs, and furnish the names and details of all recipients. The notice further warned that failure to appear or comply would result in legal action in accordance with the law. This development marks a significant step in NAB's investigation into alleged financial irregularities within the RDA. More details emerge of scam Investigations have revealed that large sums of money were transferred to various companies, vendors, and individuals through Call Deposit Receipts (CDRs). These transactions were traced with the help of bank records and a report compiled by RDA's probe committee, which has now been provided to the investigative authorities. The companies and vendors involved in these transactions include MS Addad (Rs393.17million), Car Specialist Network (Rs11 million), Pothohar Associates (Rs74.26 million), SNK & Company (Rs324.46 million), Silver Stone (Rs339.4 million), and Smart Cubed (Rs309.77 million). RDA's investigation is currently comparing these transactions with records from the relevant banks. Meanwhile, a probe committee formed by RDA's Director-General Kanza Murtaza under Director State Management Nasir Shehzad Gondal has issued a report. The committee noted significant negligence and carelessness in RDA's Finance Department and found that the bank involved failed to verify the transactions with authorities before processing them. The committee concluded that the preparation of CDRs was an overstep of authority and illegal. As a result, the committee has recommended that the case be forwarded to the ACE and other relevant agencies to recover RDA funds and further investigate the irregularities.
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
RDA scam sparks NAB probe
An alleged embezzlement scandal involving Rs1.94 billion in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has raised serious questions about negligence and misconduct by top officials over the past nine years. According to sources, the scandal reportedly implicates former and current director generals and directors of administration and finance, all of whom had signatory authority over the RDA's financial affairs. The matter has now been transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) via the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment for further investigation. According to sources, over the last nine years, payments amounting to nearly Rs1.94 billion were made from RDA's bank accounts to fictitious companies posing as registered vendors. These transactions were conducted through Call Deposit Receipts (CDRs), with around 21 transactions linked to eight companies and thirteen individuals. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for financial dealings within the RDA were reportedly ignored, and the signatory authority granted to the director general and director admin & finance was misused. Meanwhile, the responsible authorities failed to monitor bank account activity or audit financial records held both in RDA offices and in the respective banks. Following the revelation, NAB has started collecting relevant documents from the RDA and corresponding banks. Letters have also been sent to the private banks involved, requesting transactional records. This has created a troubling situation for all individuals who held the roles of director general or director admin & finance during the past nine yearswhether in service or retired. Questions are being raised as to why they failed to oversee the issuance of CDRs, track their reference letters, and review how funds were funnelled to various companies and individuals. According to sources, investigations aim to identify the public officials, fake companies, and individuals involved in the scam, with the ultimate goal of recovering the embezzled public funds. Legal action is expected against those who received payments either as company representatives or in a personal capacity. On the other hand, the RDA has prepared a proposed Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the fiscal year 2025-26. The plan, which awaits final approval from the Punjab government, includes major infrastructure initiatives under the "Urban Development Package" and "City Development Package." The proposed projects consist of three underpasses, one flyover, a multi-storey parking plaza, and several road infrastructure schemes. Each development initiative has been recommended by the respective members of the national and provincial assemblies.
Express Tribune
22-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
RDA sends corruption case to anti-graft body
A financial scandal involving alleged embezzlement at the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has expanded in scope, with the misappropriated amount now estimated at Rs1.94 billion, up from an earlier Rs1.64 billion. In response, RDA Director General Kanzeh Murtaza has referred the case to the director general of Punjab's Anti-Corruption Establishment for investigation. The alleged scam is believed to have stemmed from weak financial discipline and a lack of oversight from authorised officials over the past decade. According to sources, since fiscal year 2016-17, funds received by the RDA from the Metro Bus Project and other sources were reportedly disbursed via Call Deposit Receipts (CDRs) to various companies and fictitious vendors. The issue came to light roughly two weeks ago when a discrepancy in the RDA account balance prompted an internal review. Following this, an inquiry committee was established by the RDA DG. The committee was able to retrieve some records from a single bank but faced obstacles in obtaining documentation from other private banks. Attempts to register a First Information Report (FIR) at city police Station were unsuccessful, with police citing jurisdictional limitations. Consequently, a formal reference was submitted to the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment. Sources suggest that the involvement of private banks and the large scale of the embezzlement - approaching Rs2 billion - could lead to the case being forwarded to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Express Tribune
17-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Rs1.5b financial scandal hits RDA
A major financial scandal has come to light within the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA). Allegations point to an embezzlement of approximately Rs1.5 billion, dating back to fiscal years 2016-2017. According to sources, relevant officials are now expected to face questioning. An internal inquiry committee has been constituted, and the matter may be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Sources said the RDA — the executing agency behind major infrastructure projects such as the completed Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus and the under-construction Ring Road project — has long engaged in a practice of issuing Call Deposit Receipts (CDRs) despite having funds available in bank accounts. This was allegedly done to avoid income tax deductions. However, senior officers reportedly failed to maintain transparency and financial discipline in the process. By protocol, all financial transactions with the bank require joint authorisation from the agency's head and the head of the relevant department. Initially, reports suggested that Rs3 billion in RDA funds were missing. That figure was later revised down to Rs1.5 billion, prompting an internal investigation after years of silence on the issue. RDA Director General Kinza Murtaza has now constituted an internal inquiry committee to investigate the alleged financial misconduct. The committee includes Director Admin and Finance Qazi Sohaib Ahmed, Director State Management Shehzad Nasir Gondal, Director Land Malik Ghazanfar Awan, and Director WASA Tahir Bashir, among others. The committee is expected to summon retired RDA officials as part of the probe. Sources say the committee has yet to obtain any records from the bank. Relevant RDA officials are currently in contact with the concerned bank to secure documentation. The investigation will aim to verify the issuance of the CDRs and trace the actual recipients of the credited funds. According to internal findings so far, CDRs amounting to Rs1.5 billion were credited to various individuals and entities. It is important to note that authority for cash transfers and other financial matters rests jointly with the institution's head and the departmental chief. Despite multiple attempts, Director General Kinza Murtaza could not be reached for comment on the alleged financial scandal.
