Latest news with #RahulVerma
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Commercialisation of residential areas concerns residents in Ludhiana West constituency.
Ludhiana: Once considered among the most well-planned and livable parts of this city, the West constituency is now at the centre of growing resident discontent as commercial activity intrudes into its residential streets increasingly. Despite being home to prime localities and benefitting from a substantial share of Smart City projects, residents say the area is losing its peace and character rapidly. The expansion of commercial outlets into residential zones, stray animals, parking shortages, and unchecked encroachment are driving frustration among citizens. "The very reason we chose Sarabha Nagar was for peace," said Rahul Verma, a long-time resident. "Now every street has shops or offices. Instead of stopping this, the authorities concerned are declaring residential roads as commercial zones." His concerns are echoed across other upscale neighbourhoods including BRS Nagar, Kitchlu Nagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Model Town, Model Gram and Club Road. Many of these were originally planned by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), which had demarcated residential and commercial areas clearly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Wrinkles? No. Philips Garment Steamers Book Now Undo Over time, it handed over these localities to the municipal corporation for maintenance — and residents say that is when the balance began to tilt. "There's no difference now," said Kapil Arora of BRS Nagar. "The main road is so busy with commercial activity that I take interior lanes just to reach my own house." A municipal corporation official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, admitted the shift was often initiated by the residents themselves. "People open shops or clinics in homes and then apply to have roads declared commercial," he said. "Several of these proposals are under govt review currently." The rising commercialisation is not only disturbing residents' peace of mind but also undercutting the function and viability of market areas. Locals complain that mixed-use chaos deters customers and contributes to traffic bottlenecks. Adding to the concern is the lack of updated data with the civic body. It conducted the last official survey of commercial violations in 2019, revealing 7,053 violations across 73 town planning schemes — 2,683 of those concentrated in just 60 of those schemes. Since then, it has carried out no fresh survey, leaving citizens frustrated by the absence of regulatory oversight. With more LIT-developed areas now being transferred to civic authorities, residents fear the same pattern will repeat: peaceful neighbourhoods transformed into unregulated commercial zones, with little room left for families or silence. MSID:: 121706738 413 |
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
2,000-year-old Roman mosaic marvels sparkle at Humayun's Tomb Museum
NEW DELHI: In an extraordinary cultural event that bridges centuries and civilizations, five ancient Roman mosaics – each over 2,000 years old – have made their historic debut in India at Delhi's Humayun's Tomb Museum. Titled 'MOSAICO: Italian Code of a Timeless Art,' the exhibition marks the first time these rare treasures from Rome's esteemed Capitoline Museums are being showcased on Indian soil. The exhibition has been open to the public from April 12 to August 30, offering free admission to all. Curated by Magister Art and presented by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration with the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in Delhi, MOSAICO combines rare ancient artworks with immersive multimedia storytelling. Visitors are guided through seven thematic stations that trace the evolution of mosaic art from ancient times to the present, showcasing celebrated locations such as Pompeii, Aquileia, Ravenna, Palermo, Monreale, Piazza Armerina, and even the sunken city of Baiae. The crown jewels of the exhibition are five original Roman mosaics on loan from the Capitoline Museums – some of which have never left Italy before. These exquisite pieces, rich with historical and artistic significance, offer a tangible connection to the grandeur of the Roman civilization. 'It feels surreal,' said Aditi Sharma, a history student from Delhi University. 'Standing in front of these mosaics is like stepping into a Roman villa. It's humbling to see how art survives empires and still speaks to us.' The innovative fusion of ancient craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology is captivating visitors. 'The projections and ambient sounds made the mosaics come alive. It's not just an exhibition, it's an experience,' said Rahul Verma, a graphic designer. 'You walk through history, guided by light and sound.'
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Indian Express
Delhi ‘digital arrest': Man sells wife's jewellery, uses up savings to pay Rs 25 lakh
On March 21, Mahender Jain, a resident of Southwest Delhi's Palam, allegedly got a video call from a man claiming to be an inspector with the Crime Branch unit of Nashik police in Maharashtra. The caller accused Jain of being involved in a money laundering scam, placed him under digital arrest and compelled him to transfer Rs 25 lakh online. Jain used all the money from his savings and fixed deposits. He allegedly sold his wife's jewellery. Then he transferred some money through an online payment gateway and sent some through his bank account. On Monday, police said they arrested three persons — Rahul Verma, Shantanu Richoriya (26), and Arjun Singh (25) — for their alleged involvement in the fraud. The suspects operated from hotel rooms in Delhi and worked with account holders, commonly known as 'mules', who were brought in person to facilitate transactions, an official said. 'The caller informed Jain that his Aadhaar Card details had been misused to open fraudulent bank accounts. He alleged it was being used for money laundering by the owner of a big airline company. The caller then threatened police action against Jain and said his assets had to be verified,' DCP Surendra Chaudhary said. Police traced the bank accounts to which the money was transferred. These were being operated from a hotel in Paharganj. A raid was conducted, and the three accused were arrested. 'During questioning, it was found that Rahul Verma initially supplied his bank account to other accused but later became an active part of the syndicate,' a senior police officer said. 'The accused used to facilitate and handle the mule account holders in Delhi and contacted international operators through WhatsApp to hoodwink law-enforcement agencies and further transferred duped money in those accounts,' DCP Chaudhary said. So far, seven to eight mule accounts have been identified as part of the network, officials said, adding that three mobile phones, four SIM cards, three cheque books, and four passbooks linked to seven different banks were recovered from them. Digital arrest is a tactic where the accused pose as police or law enforcement agency officials, like CBI or customs officials, and threaten people with arrest.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- The Hindu
Three arrested for duping elderly man of ₹25 lakh
Three men have been arrested for duping an elderly man of ₹25 lakh by putting him under 'digital arrest', the police said on Monday. The three accused — Rahul Verma, Shantanu Richoriya and Arjun Singh — were arrested from a hotel in Paharganj, an officer said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Surendra Choudhary said, 'The complainant alleged he got a video call on March 21 from a man who posed as a Crime Branch officer of the Nashik police. The accused claimed that the complainant's Aadhar card details had been used to open fraudulent bank accounts and were linked to money laundering by a major airline company.' The accused threatened the complainant of police action if he failed to comply and coerced him into transferring all his savings and selling his wife's jewellery to pay the amount through an online portal, the DCP said. After investigation, seven to eight mule accounts have been identified as part of the network that the three accused work for, and three mobile phones, four SIM cards and several cheque books have been recovered. Efforts are on to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, the DCP added.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi man loses ₹25 lakh in ‘digital arrest' fraud; three arrested
Three cyber thugs have been arrested for duping a Delhi resident of ₹25 lakh by putting him under 'digital arrest', police said on Monday. Rahul Verma, Shantanu Richoriya (26), and Arjun Singh (25), were arrested from a hotel in the Paharganj area of the national capital, they said. The fraudsters operated from hotel rooms in Delhi and worked with account holders, commonly known as 'mules', who were brought in person to facilitate transactions, an official said. 'Mahender Jain filed a complaint stating that he was conned into transferring ₹25 lakh by a man who posed as a crime branch officer from the Nashik police,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary said. On March 21, Jain received a video call during which the caller claimed that his Aadhaar Card details had been misused to open fraudulent bank accounts and were linked to money laundering by a major airline company, he added. The officer said that the caller allegedly showed Jain a photocopy of a bank card and coerced him into transferring his savings, selling his wife's jewellery, and making further payments through online gateway and RTGS. The fraudster threatened Jain of police action if he failed to comply, he said. A probe was launched after registering a case under relevant sections of the BNS and the accused were traced, the officer said. 'During interrogation, it was found that Rahul Verma initially supplied his bank account to other accused but later became an active part of the syndicate,' a senior police officer said. The three accused facilitated the movement of money through mule accounts, contacted international handlers via social media, and attempted to evade detection using fake identities, the officer said. According to the police, the accused operated secret social media groups and used fake numbers to carry out the frauds. So far, seven to eight mule accounts have been identified as part of the network, they said, adding that three mobile phones, four SIM cards, three cheque books, and four passbooks linked to seven different banks were recovered from them. Efforts are on to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, the DCP said, adding that further investigation is underway. Digital arrest is a tactic where the accused pose as police or law enforcement agency officials, like CBI or customs officials, and threatens people of arrest by making calls in the name of fake international parcels or other pretext.
