Latest news with #Goel
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Telangana sees drop in cybercrime complaints: Official
Hyderabad, Telangana reported a substantial reduction in cybercrime complaints and financial losses during the first four months of 2025, when compared to the same period in 2024, a senior police official said on Sunday. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau credits this progress to a combination of public awareness initiatives, proactive investigations, and strategic operations powered by data analytics and inter-agency collaboration, TGCSB Director Shikha Goel said in a release. Telangana witnessed 11 per cent decrease in financial cybercrime complaints from January to April 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, she said, adding that in contrast, cybercrime complaints across the country increased by 28 per cent during the same period. The total amount lost in cybercrimes in Telangana decreased by 19 per cent from January–April 2025 when compared to 2024. Nationally, cybercrime-related financial losses rose by 12 per cent during the same timeframe, Goel said. Telangana also improved its percentage of recovery of lost money from 13 per cent in 2024 to 16 per cent in 2025, demonstrating more effective complaint redressal and coordination with banks and platforms. The number of arrested persons tripled, rising from 230 in early 2024 to 626 in 2025. TGCSB has adopted data-driven and technology-supported methods to identify cybercrime hotspots and successfully conducted two interstate and three intrastate special field operations, Goel said. "Advanced analytics, digital profiling, and Open-Source Intelligence tools are being deployed to support enforcement teams in identifying and arresting cybercriminals efficiently. Joint operation teams have been formed to execute interstate PT warrants, enhancing tracking and resolution capabilities," the TGCSB Director said. TGCSB's efforts to streamline processes, strengthen coordination with district police, and adopt data-backed tracking significantly contributed to higher case closures and quicker action against cybercriminals, she said. TGCSB conducted extensive statewide awareness campaigns targeting digital arrest scams, investment frauds, and OTP-based crimes, Goel added.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: A single hookah puff equal to 30-40 of cigarette, warns PGIMER
One puff of hookah is equivalent to taking 30-40 cigarettes puffs in one go, experts at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) have warned. Though serving hookah in any commercial establishments is banned in the tricity, raids have revealed easy availability of hookah and other tobacco products in the market, with many bars and clubs serving them to customers. On the eve of 37th World No Tobacco Day, Dr Sonu Goel, director, Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (RCTC) and professor at department of community medicine and public health, PGIMER, spoke on this year's theme: 'Unmasking the appeal: Exposing industry tactics on tobacco and nicotine products'. Goel explained that the effects of tobacco on the body can be seen within 20 minutes of its consumption, including hiked pulse rate. 'Tobacco is behind 70% chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases, a lung condition causing respiratory issues. Of all oral cancer cases, 80% are caused by tobacco consumption, and it is responsible for around 50% of pulmonary cardiac consumers are four times more prone to getting severe tuberculosis than non-users,' he further cautioned. He highlighted that despite these dangers, companies often did not carry hazard warnings for tobacco products other than cigarettes. According to the Global Adult Tobacco survey, the prevalence of tobacco use in India is 28.6% and 11% in Chandigarh. Every year in India, 13 lakh preventable deaths are occurring due to tobacco, he shared. Heated tobacco products Goel said that as per the provisions of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), companies must carry hazard warning on the cover of tobacco products. He pointed out that companies, however, were not issuing this warning on heated tobacco products (HTP) as they claim that the COTPA covers only cigarettes not HTP. He explained that unlike cigarettes, HTPs were consumed by heating rather than burning, which also had detrimental effects on the body. 'Slim cigarettes, vapes, just as dangerous Dr Sonu Goel said despite the tobacco content in a slim cigarette being equivalent to any other cigarette, they were packaged and marketed in a more appealing way. He highlighted that with a slim look, choice of colours and flavours, these cigarettes were given the impression of being less harmful than regular cigarettes, which is not the case. Goel added that filtered cigarettes did not filter harmful substances, but only the amount of tar to some extent, and a user consumed equal content of harmful chemicals from filtered and non-filtered cigarettes. Similarly, e-cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, which also contain tobacco and nicotine, were marketed and sold by companies as a way to combat tobacco addiction. However, given the presence of high levels of nicotine in them, use of vapes can also lead to serious health issues, including cardiac and lung problems. 'E-cigarettes are also banned under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019. However, due to poor enforcement, vapes are easily available in the market,' pointed out Dr Goel.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
City to host meet on new tech to open heart arteries
Lucknow: As heart disease increases due to changing lifestyles and dietary habits, many patients are advised to undergo bypass surgery, though it can often be avoided with newer medical techniques. This was stated by Dr PK Goel, organising secretary and course director, Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO), during a briefing ahead of the Indo-Japanese CTO Club's annual meeting, scheduled to be held at a city hotel in Lucknow from May 30 to June 1. The conference will focus on advanced methods to open completely blocked coronary arteries using angioplasty, eliminating the need for bypass surgery in many cases. More than 600 doctors have registered for the conference, which sees annual attendance of 600–700 participants from India, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Canada and other countries to discuss clinical cases and share methods used in CTO intervention — a procedure that uses angioplasty to restore blood flow in blocked arteries. "CTO intervention can help avoid bypass surgery in many cases. Training more doctors in this method can lead to better outcomes. The aim is to prepare more doctors to manage difficult cases; this can reduce the need for major surgery and help more patients," Dr Goel said.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
IAS cadre stands by DC Tarannum after BJP MLC's ‘Pakistani' slur
Bengaluru: The IAS fraternity across the country closed ranks on Monday in a show of solidarity, castigating Karnataka BJP MLC and Opposition chief whip N Ravikumar for allegedly referring to Kalaburagi deputy commissioner Fouzia Tarannum as a "Pakistani". The slur, which triggered outrage among serving and retired bureaucrats, led to an FIR against the MLC under multiple sections of BNS, including the SC/ST Atrocities Act, based on a complaint filed by social activist Dattatreya. IAS officers condemned the comment as an attack not just on an officer, but on the civil services, and demanded an unconditional apology from Ravikumar. Later Monday, Ravikumar issued a statement, saying: "It was a slip of the tongue, and I made these intemperate remarks inadvertently. I express my regret. I have withdrawn these remarks." However, many officers termed the apology inadequate. Tripura's resident commissioner in Delhi, Sonal Goel, said the remarks "must be strongly condemned by all quarters". Drawing parallels with the targeting of Army officer Col Sofiya Qureshi, Goel wrote: "A few weeks back, it was an Army officer … Today, similar doubts have been cast on a civil servant. Again, a woman, again in service, again with integrity beyond question. Is it mere coincidence?" Goel added: "Officers do not wear their personal identity on their sleeves, but carry the Tiranga, the law, and the responsibilities entrusted on them by the people. But today, I feel compelled to say that no woman, no officer, and certainly no Indian should be made to feel like a stranger in her own land." Retired IPS officer M N Reddi and serving IAS officer L K Atheeq (additional chief secretary to chief minister Siddaramaiah) also expressed solidarity with Tarannum. A delegation of IAS officers led by ACS Gaurav Gupta met Siddaramaiah and submitted a memorandum, seeking action against Ravikumar. According to the FIR, Ravikumar questioned whether Tarannum "belongs to India or Pakistan", accused her of disloyalty "due to her religion", insulted police officers by calling them "slaves", and said he wasn't sure "whether Kalaburagi is in Karnataka or Pakistan". Reacting to this rather unsavoury controversy that has landed one of his own partymen in hot water, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra cited political vendetta. "The Congress govt in Karnataka is targeting Opposition parties and leaders, trying to intimidate them by filing police cases ... This is a clear attempt to target the Opposition," he said.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
South Delhi house to travel: Bribes flowed via web of entities, finds ED
The Enforcement Directorate, which arrested former UCO Bank CMD Subodh Kumar Goel on May 16 in connection with a case of alleged corruption and money laundering, has told a PMLA special court in Kolkata that he created a complex web of nine companies with cross holdings to receive kickbacks. According to the ED, its probe found that Goel received bribes from an iron ore company, a loan defaulter, through these entities and used the funds to buy property. He also forced the loan defaulter to fund his family's travels and purchase of personal items such as goggles and dry fruits, the agency claimed. Goel is being probed in connection with an over Rs 6,000-crore loan default by Concast Steel and Power Ltd (CSPL), promoted by Sanjay Sureka, where UCO Bank alone had an exposure of Rs 1,400 crore. Goel's lawyer Gautam Khazanchi did not respond to specific allegations made by ED saying the matter was sub judice. He said he was approaching the High Court to secure bail for Goel. 'He is severely unwell. He suffers from a neuro degenerative disorder. He is 75 years old and wheelchair-bound. That is why we had to move for bail on medical grounds. But the (lower) court has not agreed to this. His ED custody is getting over on Monday. Then we will move HC,' Khazanchi said. The ED has told the special court that Goel, while serving as the UCO Bank CMD, played a 'central and influential role in the sanctioning of credit facilities to CSPL, despite the company's dubious financial health and its promoter's involvement in manipulation of financial statements'. According to the ED's submission in court, its probe has revealed the existence of a 'tightly interwoven network of private limited companies' – namely R H Design India Pvt Ltd, Zhen Agencies Pvt Ltd, Falcon Vincom Pvt Ltd, FV Estates Pvt Ltd, Prime Buildtech Pvt Ltd, Hari Ram & Sons Pvt Ltd, Satya Ornapack Pvt Ltd, Hari Om Consultants Pvt Ltd and Chakresh Commosales Pvt Ltd – which are 'either directly or indirectly linked to Shri Subodh Kumar Goel'. The directors in all these companies are variously the wife, son, daughter, son-in-law or nephew of Goel, the ED has claimed. All these companies are also intricately cross-held by three core entities: Falcon Vincom Pvt Ltd, FV Estates Pvt Ltd and Chakresh Commosales Pvt Ltd. These three entities, in turn, are majority held by Hanuman Bhakt Family Welfare Trust, which holds 51% in Falcon Vincom, 50.5% in FV Estates, and 52% in Chakresh Commosales. The Trust itself is privately governed and controlled by family members of Goel, the ED has claimed. Another company, identified as I-Win Advisory Services Ltd, directly links CSPL's Sureka and Goel. According to ED, I-Win was owned and controlled by Sureka but was used as a conduit to transfer undue benefits to Goel's family. In FY 2019–20, the shareholding of this company was transferred to Goel's daughter and son-in-law with each acquiring 29.98% of the total shares of the company. During its searches, the ED recovered a ledger from Goel's residence. This ledger was prepared by an employee of Sureka. In this ledger, a corresponding set-off entry of Rs 5 crore is recorded around the same time in the name of 'IWIN'. This, the ED has claimed, shows that the shareholding transferred to Goel's daughter and son was not a genuine business investment but rather a proxy transaction to settle a portion of kickbacks owed to Goel by Sureka for undue favours extended in the sanctioning of loans to CSPL. 'Funds received as bribes or commissions were routed through these entities, invested into properties or fixed assets, and later shown as legitimate income via rentals or returns – thereby completing the placement, layering, and integration stages of money laundering,' an ED official said. According to ED, Goel, in his statement to the agency, stated he had indeed received certain petty cash benefits and personal items such as goggles at the behest of Sanjay Sureka. 'Payments were also made in the form of luxury expenses, including hotel stays, air tickets, iPhones and dry fruits, thereby further evidencing the illicit nature of benefits received,' the ED has told the court. However, a majority of the funds routed through Goel's companies were used to buy properties in Delhi NCR such as office space at Jasola, flats in Commonwealth Games Village, a property at Jaypee Knight Court, his own house at Panchsheel Park, a property in Sector 44, Noida, two commercial properties in Greater Noida, a warehouse in Ghaziabad, a plot in Jaipur and a land parcel at Palwal, Haryana. The ED has also elaborated how Goel's multi-crore property at Panchsheel Park was also received through a circuitous route as probable bribe. According to ED, Goel's Panchsheel Park property is registered in the name of M/s Dhanapati Retailers Pvt Ltd. The company acquired the property in FY 2013-14 for a book value of Rs 13.53 crore. Incidentally, Sureka's sister Rachna Poddar is one of the directors of the company while Sureka and his wife had 50% shares each in the company until FY 2017-18. Then in FY 2018-19, the company transferred all its shares to Goel's family. Apart from this, Goel further received alleged kickbacks in the form of unsecured loans from Sureka and the CSPL in companies associated with his family members. For instance, Jagdish Properties, where Goel's son and daughter-in-law are shareholders, received unsecured loans totalling over Rs 2 crore from companies beneficially owned by Sanjay Sureka. Similarly, Hari Om Consultants received Rs 2.65 crore in FY 2015-16 from Concast Engineering Pvt Ltd, another company of Sureka, which ballooned to over Rs 3.35 crore by FY 2019-20. An ED official said until now the agency has calculated purely the book value of assets created by Goel to be around Rs 75 crore. 'Their market value is estimated to be close to Rs 200 crore because the accused have undervalued properties in documents. It is suspected that Sureka had also become an agent for Goel and was laundering kickbacks from other businessmen as well for him,' the official said.
