Latest news with #Poonam
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
HC notice to Hry, Karnal police on plea against police inaction in loan app sextortion case
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued a notice to the Haryana govt and the Karnal police on a petition filed by a Karnal woman alleging victimisation by cyber sextortion and subsequent police misconduct in a case linked to a fraudulent loan application. The petitioner sought the quashing of a police challan dated Aug 4, 2023, which, she alleges, falsely concludes the case as "untraced" despite substantial evidence and prior involvement of the accused with the police. The woman's ordeal began in 2021 when she responded to an Instagram advertisement for instant loans. After downloading a mobile loan application from the Google Play Store, the app accessed her contact list and required personal identification, including her Aadhaar card, PAN card, and a photograph, according to the woman. Although she initially received and repaid a small loan, she soon became a victim of blackmail. The accused allegedly morphed her uploaded photograph to create obscene images and threatened to circulate them among her contacts unless she paid large sums of money. Out of fear and humiliation, Poonam reportedly paid between Rs 25–30 lakh to the fraudsters between May 2021 and Feb 2022. When the accused eventually circulated doctored nude images to her family and friends, Poonam attempted suicide. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Her husband intervened and saved her life. Following this, the couple lodged a complaint at the cyber crime police station in Karnal, leading to an FIR on Sept 27, 2022, under various sections of the Information Technology Act and Indian Penal Code. The petition alleges that the police failed to act effectively. Instead of arresting the accused, the police allegedly brokered a settlement between the parties and even took Rs 5 lakh from the money the accused returned to Poonam. According to her, the accused visited the police station on two occasions and transferred Rs 30 lakh to her account as part of a supposed settlement — an interaction witnessed and facilitated by the police. Despite this, the Karnal police filed a closure report (challan) on Aug 4, 2023, stating the accused were untraceable and omitting any mention of the money repaid or the affidavits of compromise signed by the petitioner and her husband, the petitioner submitted. In her plea, she sought the quashing of the Aug 4, 2023, challan submitted by the in-charge of cyber crime police station, Karnal, and to transfer the investigation to an independent agency — either the crime branch, CBI, or a district police unit other than Karnal — under the supervision of the DGP, Haryana. While fixing the matter for August 26, Justice Sanjay Vashisth asked the Haryana govt, DGP, and the Karnal police to file a reply on the petitioner's contention before the next date of hearing. MSID:: 122952854 413 |
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Snatcher flees with PU employee's gold chain
An unidentified motorcycle-borne youth snatched a woman's gold chain with a pendant in Sector 46-D on Tuesday night. A case under Sector 304 (snatching) of BNS was registered at the Sector 34 police station. (HT photo for representation) The victim, Poonam Grover, a senior assistant at Panjab University, was taking a walk with her mother near her residence around 9.10 pm, as per her complaint to police. As she was passing in front of a house, a youth, wearing a blue chequered shirt, approached her from behind on a black motorcycle. He suddenly snatched her gold chain with a pendant, weighing approximately 1.5 tola, and sped away before she could react. Due to the speed of the motorcycle, the victim said she was unable to note its registration number. She was not physically hurt in the incident and declined a medical examination. 'I can identify the snatcher if he appears before me,' Poonam told the police in her complaint. A case under Sector 304 (snatching) of BNS was registered at the Sector 34 police station. Police are examining CCTV footage from the locality to trace the accused.
News18
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Poonam Pandey Defends Fake Death Stunt For Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign
Last Updated: Poonam Pandey took the Internet by storm when her team announced that the actress had 'died' due to cervical cancer. Known for an unapologetic public persona, Poonam Pandey has long remained a polarising figure in the entertainment industry. Things took a dramatic turn last year when the model-turned-actress used social media to falsely announce her death – IYKYK. Poonam's stunt attracted massive attention from both netizens and celebrities, but it also triggered a wave of harsh criticism and backlash across social media. In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Poonam explained her reasons for going to such extreme lengths for the campaign. When asked about the controversy, she stated it was all done to make people realise that cervical cancer is preventable if the right precautions are taken. 'People are calling me now saying, 'We hated you,' but people are taking vaccines now," Poonam said, adding that even her doctor friends praised the campaign as brilliant. 'People were not taking it seriously. Nobody was until they got to know about me. It was insane," she added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bollywood Bubble Television (@bollywoodbubbletelly) Poonam Pandey took the Internet by storm when her team announced her 'death" on social media due to cervical cancer, highlighting her 'brave fight." After 24 hours, Poonam returned to her account to reveal the announcement was a hoax and expressed pride in the awareness it generated around cervical cancer. The stunt, however, was met with severe backlash, with netizens labelling it unethical and manipulative. Speaking about the criticism, she said, 'People came out, and they bluntly spoke shit about me. Jhoot toh sabhi bolte hai, apni daily life mein. At least 10 jhoot bolte honge, maine 1 bola, 1000-plus people were saved, aur tumko usme bhi problem hai." Discussing the campaign further, Poonam Pandey revealed that the idea came from an advertising agency named Schbang, and that she charged no money for participating in it, stating it was purely for the cause of cervical cancer awareness. 'I thought main koi achha kaam kar leti hoon. I would do something nice, but people crucified me," she noted. While some supporters argued that Poonam's bold stunt raised critical awareness and drew attention to the importance of HPV vaccination, others, including organisations like Gavi, criticised the campaign and called it ethically questionable. First Published: July 22, 2025, 16:17 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Time of India
30-year-old woman found dead, in-laws booked for murder in Gurgaon Sector 37
Gurgaon: A 30-year-old married woman was found hanging in her room in Khanda village on Friday. Sector 37 police registered a murder case against her in-laws after her family alleged that she was murdered for dowry and her death was staged as a suicide. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Police informed that there were injury marks on the deceased Renu Chauhan alias Poonam's body. A police officer said, "We have registered a murder case following the complaint of the victim's brother and have started our investigation. We are awaiting the autopsy report for the appropriate action to ascertain if it was a murder or a suicide." Sahab Singh, her elder brother, told police that she was frequently tortured and assaulted for dowry by her in-laws. He said that her husband Rohit had sought Rs 2 lakh from them five months ago, following which he gave Rs 1.40 lakh by cheque. Singh told police that she informed them about her frequent quarrels with the family and that on Thursday, she called them and shared that she was assaulted by her husband. On Friday, the in-laws informed that she had hanged herself. The body was handed over to the family post-autopsy on Saturday. Renu, a native of Sultanpur, Hathras in Uttar Pradesh married Rohit Chauhan of Khanda village in 2018 and the couple have two children, a four-year-old son and a 16-month-old daughter. No arrest was made until the filing of the report.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
OSCs for women & child awaits regig
One Stop Centres (OSC), a visionary scheme launched by the Union ministry of women and child development in 2015 is designed to be a safe haven for women who have been at the receiving ends of crimes for which they have no aware of or of little or no fault of their or they were just punished because they were born women. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A n initiative launched under the 'Nirbhaya Fund' and dedicated to the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim, OSC was envisaged to provide support and assistance to women affected by violence and in distress under one roof. These centres provide an integrated range of services, including medical and legal aid, advice, temporary shelter for up to five days, police assistance, and psychological counselling to needy women. Any woman in distress can seek help from these centres through the telephone helpline number 181, and rescued women are often brought to these centres by the police. In line with many OSCs set up across the country, Jharkhand also opened its doors to the victims of physical and sexual violence by setting up the first OSC in Feb 2016 at the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS). Later, the number of such centres across the state grew to 24, one in each district. However, nearly a decade after the establishment of the first OSC in the state, many centres in Jharkhand are currently struggling to function effectively due to critical infrastructural gaps and staff shortage, severely undermining the purpose of their set-up. While the state's first OSC at RINPAS has catered to a total of 599 cases till June this year since its inception, the centre is currently facing a staff shortage. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Against the 12 sanctioned posts at the OSC, the centre is functioning with just seven employees. "Staff crunch has been an obstacle to the smooth functioning of the centre. However, the centre has been providing the best services to the survivors. They are provided with food, shelter, clothes, legal aid, psychological counselling and all other sorts of facilities without fail. At present, 11 women are taking shelter at the centre," a source at the centre said Similarly, Dhanbad's OSC is functioning without a dedicated building. Currently, it operates from a single room in the Red Cross Society building at Khadeshwari Mandir Road. A member at the centre, Poonam Singh, informed that land has already been identified for permanently relocating the centre, and allocation will be done soon. "Despite the space constraint, the centre ensures proper care for women victims. There are separate rooms for accommodation, and kitchen facilities are available inside the Red Cross building," said Poonam, adding that food arrangements are made for the women and female guards have been deployed for round-the-clock security. The OSC in Hazaribag is functional in a double-storey building on the campus of Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital, situated on the Main road in Hazaribag city. But the 10-bed facility has also been running with officials on deputation, without permanent employees. At the same time, the OSC in Koderma, operational since 2019, has handled 223 cases as of July 2025, with the majority involving domestic violence, according to Archana Jwala, who heads the centre. Archana, who managed the centre single-handedly for the first four years, shared that two staff members joined her only a year ago to assist in the growing workload. Despite the limited manpower, she continues to provide critical support to the women in distress. "We are doing our best with the resources we have. Since 2019, the work has been challenging but fulfilling. Most cases that come to us are related to domestic abuse," she stressed. Archana also highlighted that awareness programmes for adolescent girls are being conducted regularly across all blocks in Koderma district. These sessions aim to educate girls on their rights and empower them to seek help when needed. Although 12 posts have been sanctioned for the OSC, only a few have been filled so far. "If more staff are deployed, we will be able to extend our outreach and improve the quality of services," Archana added. In a recent survey done by Women Gaining Ground (WGG), a global organisation that supports victims of sexual and gender-based violence, along with a Jharkhand-based organisation 'Youth Unity for Voluntary Action' (YUVA), highlights the obstacles the OSCs in Jharkhand are grappling with, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure and acute staff shortages. "The very institutions that were meant to serve as safe havens for women in distress are in distress themselves. The lack of basic amenities and trained personnel, coupled with the lack of awareness among the women that they can seek help in these centres, is deteriorating the condition of the centres. In the centres surveyed, we found that there were no staff members, including the amenities provided to the distressed women," said Anjana Deogam, project coordinator of the survey. Notably, the problem persists not only in Jharkhand OSCs but in centres of many other states in the country. These OSCs are not physically-challenged friendly, as the centres are set up in multi-storey buildings. Apart from this, many centres lack security personnel to ensure the safety of the survivors. The absence of a women's commission in Jharkhand for a long period has also fuelled the organisational lacunas. In addition to the organisational shortcomings, a major concern is that rural women have yet to benefit meaningfully from these centres. Barnali Chatterjee, the executive secretary of YUVA, remarked, "Currently, there are no such centres in villages, making it difficult for rural women to access help even when they face abuse. In many cases, families prefer to keep such incidents hidden from the community and resolve them privately, which further hinders women from seeking proper support. " (With inputs from Vishvendu Jaipuriar, Sharad Chandra & Manoj Kumar)
