Latest news with #Fortuners
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Indian Express
Vegetable vendors by day, sellers of stolen SUVs at night: Delhi cops bust auto-lifter gang
They sold vegetables by day and sold stolen luxury cars by night. This inter-state auto-lifting racket was running smoothly till the Delhi Police Crime Branch swooped in. They arrested four Punjab-based receivers and recovered 21 high-end vehicles — including Fortuners, Thars, and Cretas — all bearing fake number plates, forged registration certificates, and tampered chassis and engine numbers, police said Tuesday. The crackdown followed weeks of surveillance and pattern analysis, said police. Investigators noticed that the gang's operations were well-oiled and peaked around midnight, targeting luxury vehicles, which were stolen in a matter of minutes and moved to Punjab, especially its border districts. On May 7, based on a tip-off, a police team intercepted a stolen blue Baleno on the DND Flyway en route to the KMP expressway. The vehicle, bearing fake plates, was reported stolen from South Delhi's Saket. The two men inside — Avtar Singh (40) and Harpreet Singh (32) — were nabbed. A forged registration certificate was also seized from them, said police. During questioning, the duo admitted to being long-time receivers of stolen vehicles, which they sold across Amritsar and Ludhiana after modifying the cars and forging documents. They named their suppliers and admitted to involvement in 15-20 similar transactions. Police subsequently took them on a 10-day remand and launched raids in Punjab's Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts, leading to the arrest of two more accused — Paramdeep of Ludhiana and Manpreet of Ferozepur. Police said their probe revealed a consistent modus operandi: the gang purchased stolen high-end vehicles for Rs 4-5 lakh each, tampered with identification numbers, generated fake registration papers, and resold the cars as legitimate all over Punjab. The accused came from varied backgrounds. Avtar Singh, a former property dealer turned vegetable vendor, had previously been arrested in Amritsar and was linked to over 10 vehicle recoveries. Harpreet Singh, a BCA graduate with a stint in Cyprus as a pig farmer, turned to auto theft after returning to India. Paramdeep once ran an auto-parts factory that collapsed during the pandemic, pushing him into illegal vehicle trading. Manpreet, a civil engineer and former driver, also had two past arrests and a pending divorce case. The recovered vehicles span across multiple police jurisdictions in Delhi and beyond, including Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Tilak Nagar, Khyala, Dwarka, Keshav Puram, Vasant Vihar, and even Ghaziabad and Gurgaon.
The Citizen
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Nampo 2025 kicks off: Traffic backed up for kilometres on first day
Nampo 2025 kicks off: Traffic backed up for kilometres on first day Traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see as visitors waited to enter Nampo Park for the 2025 version of the harvest day show, which is happening for the next four days. Farmer's Weekly reports thousands of visitors are expected to visit the 40-hectare showground from now until Friday. 'Nampo is not going anywhere' The traffic on the R30 through Bothaville to Nampo Park can easily be compared to peak-hour traffic on the N1 to Johannesburg during a weekday. However, motorists are generally more relaxed in this agricultural area of the Free State than their city counterparts, even though the temperature dropped to 4°C early this morning, and Toyota Hiluxes, Fortuners and buses drove bumper-to-bumper. It took the Farmer's Weekly team around an hour to travel the 17kms from our accommodation. 'The traffic is not worse than last year, or the year before that,' said Bennie Zaayman, manager of Nampo Park. 'There is, unfortunately, only one road going through Bothaville. That's something we cannot change.' 'Be patient. Be relaxed. Nampo is not going anywhere,' Zaayman added. Organisers geared to accommodate thousands of visitors Nampo kicked off today, and organisers expect more than 86 000 visitors over the week. Accommodation is limited, with many visitors staying as far as Klerksdorp and Kroonstad. 'It's usually an early start for visitors. I recommend leaving around 06:00. The peak traffic times are between 07:00 and 10:00. I suggest not arriving after that. There are over 800 exhibitors, and it's worth taking your time to visit each one,' said Zaayman. There is ample parking on the grounds. Zaayman said 25 000 vehicles used the parking facilities last year. 'We can accommodate up to 30 000 vehicles per day.' Growth of around 26% Grain SA's Nampo Harvest Day has grown from humble beginnings in 1967 to the largest agricultural trade exhibition in the southern hemisphere. Statistics recently released by Grain SA show that, over the past 25 years (excluding 2020 and 2021), visitor numbers have increased by around 26% — from 68 900 in 2010 to 86 407 last year. Visitors can also expect to see breed examples including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. Here are the stats: The exhibitor area spans over 40 hectares, with almost 5 hectares under roof. The power supply at Nampo Park is serviced by 7km of voltage cable and 15 transformers. Nine boreholes and a main water line spanning 4.2km supply water to the showgrounds. 450 000 litres of water are consumed daily. The sewerage network is 4.65km long. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
'While Bengaluru codes, Lucknow campaigns': Netizen's post on North-South India divide sparks debate
Bengaluru's startup energy versus Lucknow's political rallies — a social media post drawing comparisons between North and South Indian cities has stirred intense debate online. An X user who goes by the handle Masterji_upwale weighed in on the discussion on Sunday, lamenting what he called the "lack of execution culture" in North India. "#Statues vs #Startups. While Bengaluru Codes, Lucknow Campaigns. As a North Indian, it pains me to say this — but we need to hear the truth," he wrote. Also Read - Siddaramaiah clarifies on 'war not needed' statement: 'It should always be the last resort, not the first' In his detailed post, he said cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam have surged ahead by building tech parks, pharma clusters, ports, and world-class infrastructure, while many northern cities remain "stuck — building statues, organizing rallies, blaming history." The user pointed out that North India is not short of talent or resources, but suffers from poor execution and inconsistent governance. "We boast of expressways but forget industrial corridors. We build mega airports but don't build cargo industries to use them," he said, adding that despite heavy investments, corruption, unpredictability, and power shortages continue to plague investors. Also Read - Bengaluru real estate: If your apartment's value has doubled, is it time to cash out now? In contrast, he praised South Indian cities for focusing on basics: uninterrupted power supply, real ease of doing business, skill ecosystems, and consistent policies across election cycles. The post triggered a wave of reactions. One user recalled the stark difference in civic culture in Lucknow, saying, "In Lucknow, you will see policemen carrying madam ji's shopping bags in malls. Some neta with 4/5 men along with a PSO being obnoxious and rude to staff. You'll see Fortuners with beacons lined up at malls, not letting common cars in. That's the truth." While many users agreed with the sentiment, others argued that comparing regions overlooks the complex historical and political realities that shape development patterns in India.
Express Tribune
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Rs526m released to buy SUVs for top babus
The Sindh Finance Department has released Rs526 million to the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) for the procurement of new luxury vehicles for commissioners of the six divisions of Sindh and deputy commissioners (DCs) across the province. According to official documents, the funds will be utilised to purchase 35 vehicles with 2,755cc engine capacities, comprising six Toyota Fortuner diesel models and 29 Toyota Hilux Rocco pickups. The six Fortuners are designated for the province's commissioners, including Karachi, while the Hilux Roccos will be assigned to 29 DCs. There are six divisions in Sindh, Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana and Shaheed Benaziraba (Nawabshah). There are 30 districts in Sindh. However, government will by one Rocco less because the DC of Keamari district is not included in this allotment. A new vehicle had already been procured earlier for the newly established district. The release of funds comes approximately one-and-a-half month prior to the presentation of the new fiscal year's budget. As per a letter issued by the Sindh Finance Department, the cost of each Fortuner vehicle for the commissioners is around Rs18 million, while each Hilux Rocco designated for DCs costs around Rs14.4 million. The Sindh cabinet had approved the procurement of these vehicles in January of this year. Earlier, the cabinet had also sanctioned the purchase of 138 double-cabin vehicles for ACs, a move that attracted significant public criticism. Detractors pointed out the contradiction between government calls for austerity and the large expenditure on luxury vehicles for officials. Despite the criticism, the Sindh government has defended its decision, stating that the purchase of new vehicles is essential for officers to effectively carry out their official responsibilities. The government has also emphasized that allocations for these purchases were duly made in the current fiscal year's budget.
