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Indian Express
05-08-2025
- Indian Express
West Bengal: ‘Massive weapon cache' found in flat, man arrested
A massive arsenal of 15 firearms and 1,000 rounds of ammunition, along with a large amount of cash, was discovered in a multi-story residence in the Regent Park area of Rahra, located in the North 24 Parganas district, police said on Monday. This finding has resulted in the arrest of a resident. According to the police, the arrested individual has been identified as Madhusudan Mukherjee, alias Liton. The investigation began after an earlier seizure of weapons in the Khardah area led police to an arms dealer in Munger. The police said that during interrogation, the dealer mentioned Mukherjee's name. Acting on the intelligence, the Barrackpore Commissionerate's Intelligence Department and local police raided his residence, 'Pratibha Manzil,' on Monday morning. Upon searching the flat, investigators were stunned by the sheer volume of weapons found. 'The recovered firearms include both domestic and foreign-made search operation is ongoing, and authorities believe the final count of weapons and ammunition may be even higher,' said a police officer involved in the investigation. According to the police, initial findings suggest that Mukherjee, who reportedly sourced some of the firearms from Purulia, was storing the weapons and cartridges with the intent to sell them. However, detectives are continuing to investigate whether a larger conspiracy is at play. The police said that neighbors expressed their fear and surprise over the incident. Residents described Mukherjee as a quiet person who kept to himself, living on one floor of the building for the past three years. They stated they had no idea about his background or what he did for a living, and never suspected any illegal activity. The Barrackpore Commissionerate however has not released an official statement as the investigation is still active. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Rudaw Net
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iran frees teen held for reciting Kurdish poetry, father still detained
Also in Iran Iran expands crackdown on alleged spies, collaborators with Israel, US Trump says scheduled new nuclear talks with Iran Pezeshkian accuses Israel of assasination attempt, 'destroying' US-Iran diplomacy Iran arrests 900 since start of Israel war: watchdog A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian intelligence forces have released 14-year-old Kezhal Salehi three days after she was detained for reciting Kurdish poetry, a watchdog said on Thursday. Her father remains in custody. 'Kezhal Salehi, a 14-year-old Kurdish girl from the village of Naveh in Bojnurd, North Khorasan Province, was temporarily released after three days in detention,' stated the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization. The girl's father, Araz Salehi, remains in detention. He was arrested on Tuesday. 'Security forces raided her parents' home in an attempt to arrest her. When they failed to locate her, they detained her father instead. A few hours later, Kezhal was arrested at a separate location,' Hengaw said. Kezhal was arrested after reciting Kurdish poems in praise of Kurdistan at several cultural events. Her performances drew widespread support and went viral on social media among the Kurdish population in Iran. According to information received by Hengaw, on the evening of Tuesday, July 15, 2025, forces from the Intelligence Department in Bojnurd, North Khorasan province, raided the home of 14-year-old Kazhal Salehi with the intention of arresting her. Hengaw has learned that Kazhal… — Hengaw Organization for Human Rights (@Hengaw_English) July 15, 2025 Intelligence forces confiscated all mobile phones and electronic devices during a search of the family's home and ordered all family members to report for interrogation, according to Hengaw. Iran's constitution recognizes Persian as the official language but allows for the use of 'regional and tribal languages' in the press and mass media, and for teaching the literature of those languages in schools. Kurdish teachers and activists have long campaigned for the implementation of this right, but many continue to be arrested for their efforts to promote and teach the Kurdish language. Since Israel's attack on Iran last month and their 12-day war, Iranian authorities have arrested more than 318 Kurds, in addition to many others across the country, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
IPL stampede: JD(S) leader demands withdrawal of suspension of top police officials
Janata Dal (S) working president S.R. Mahesh has urged the State government to withdraw the suspension of senior police officials, in the wake of the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru recently. Mr. Mahesh demanded a probe by a central agency. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Mahesh questioned the State government's decision to make the police officials 'sacrificial lambs' for the collective 'negligence' of legislatures and executives. He said it was not fair to punish the police officials, including Commissioner of Bengaluru City Police B. Dayananda, who had worked tirelessly till 4 a.m. the next morning. Mr. Mahesh raised questions over the role of Intelligence Department Chief Hemanth Nimbalkar, the Home Secretary, and Chief Secretary in the circumstances that led to the stampede on Wednesday. 'What was the Intelligence chief doing? Did he give a report? Were the two programmes (one in front of Vidhana Soudha and the other at Chinnaswamy stadium) held even after he gave the report? What was the Home Secretary doing? What the Chief Secretary doing?', he asked. Mr. Siddaramaiah, who heads the Intelligence Department, was accountable for the lapses, he said. Mr. Mahesh claimed that the decision to hold the celebrations without organising a preliminary meeting on the preparations was an 'administrative failure' of the Congress government. Suggesting that there should have been sufficient time of about a week between the victory and celebration, Mr. Mahesh said the government should have held a meeting on the preparations with Leaders of the Opposition. 'Instead, the ruling party tried to project the victory of RCB as a victory of the government,' he said. He also questioned the presence of Mr. Siddaramaiah's family members at the felicitation ceremony in front of Vidhana Soudha. The JD(S) leader criticised the presence of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the function organised to felicitate the RCB players in front of Vidhana Soudha. 'I urge the Centre to recall the Governor as he also participated in the felicitation function,' he said. Mr. Mahesh said, 'A central agency should conduct an inquiry into the matter.' He came down on the IPL cricket league by claiming that a large number of youths had taken to betting in rural areas.
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
HM targeted in gold smuggling case amid Cong power struggle: HDK
Bengaluru: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday alleged that Home Minister G Parameshwara is being deliberately implicated in the gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao, as part of an internal power struggle within the ruling Congress party. He also claimed that the motive is to sideline Parameshwara and derail his leadership ambitions. In a statement, Kumaraswamy noted that Parameshwara's recent moves to organise a Dalit convention and engage with senior party leaders in New Delhi may have ruffled feathers in the party. He also referred to statements made by state Minister K N Rajanna in the assembly, hinting at surveillance and manipulation by a powerful political figure. Kumaraswamy also said Rajanna's remarks may now be relevant given the current developments. The Union Minister also wondered how a Congress insider came to know about the alleged smuggling attempt involving an actress and how the information reached the authorities. He raised doubts about whether the Intelligence Department, which reports directly to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was truly unaware of these developments. According to him, the gold smuggling case was being used to undermine Parameshwara's credibility and block his rise within the party. A senior Congress leader, eyeing the CM's post, may be orchestrating the situation behind the scenes. Kumaraswamy further criticised the Congress party for blaming the central government while ignoring the internal power politics unfolding within their own ranks. Rao, the step daughter of DGP rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials detained her and recovered 14.2 kg of gold bars valued at over Rs 12.56 crore from her.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Gold smuggling case plot to sideline Home Minister Parameshwara, claims Kumaraswamy
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has stirred a political storm by alleging that Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara is being deliberately implicated in the high-profile gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao. According to Kumaraswamy, the move is part of an internal power tussle within the ruling Congress party, aimed at derailing Parameshwara's leadership ambitions, news agency PTI reported. (Also Read: Karnataka sees rise in Covid-19 cases: Government issues fresh advisory for public caution) In a strongly worded statement on Friday, Kumaraswamy claimed that Parameshwara's recent outreach, including plans for a Dalit convention and meetings with senior Congress leaders in Delhi—may have unsettled sections within the party. 'This is a clear attempt to tarnish Parameshwara's image and block his ascent within the Congress,' he alleged. Referring to earlier remarks made by state Minister K N Rajanna in the assembly, about surveillance and manipulation by a powerful political figure, Kumaraswamy said those comments now appear significant in light of current events. He questioned how the Congress leadership came to know about the alleged smuggling attempt involving Ranya Rao, and whether the Intelligence Department, which reports directly to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was truly in the dark. Kumaraswamy also implied that a senior Congress leader, possibly eyeing the Chief Minister's post, could be orchestrating the controversy behind the scenes. He further accused the Congress of diverting attention by blaming the Centre instead of addressing internal fissures. Responding sharply to the allegations, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar dismissed Kumaraswamy's claims, saying, 'Kumaraswamy has lost his mental balance.' Speaking to reporters in Vijayapura, Shivakumar defended his party and dismissed any suggestion of internal sabotage. The controversy comes in the wake of the arrest of actress Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of a senior police officer, at Kempegowda International Airport on March 3. Acting on a tip-off, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 14.2 kg of gold bars worth over ₹12.56 crore from her baggage after she landed from Dubai. (Also Read: Bengaluru Police arrests man who allegedly filmed and posted the videos of women in metro)
