Latest news with #Rajasthan-based
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
What are Aravalis' main threats? Greens give Centre, state report
Gurgaon: Based on what they say is ground observations made over a year of visits, a group of environmentalists has submitted their findings to the central and state govts, seeking urgent measures to protect the Aravalis. Compiled as a 70-page report titled 'State of the Haryana Aravalis: Citizens' Report Part 1', the findings raise critical questions for water security, air quality and biodiversity of Delhi-NCR, which are intrinsically linked to the wellbeing of the Aravalis. Copies of the report were handed over to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday. Rampant violations like construction of illegal farmhouses, colonies and commercial establishments on protected Aravali land have repeatedly come under Supreme Court's scrutiny. Last week, it rapped the state govt for an illegal road being laid at Basai Meo in Nuh with stones quarried from a hillock that led to its collapse. The report contains four main demands – a legal declaration of the entire Haryana Aravali range as 'no-go zones' for mining and stone crushing, introduction of a law that treats destruction of Aravalis as an ecological crime punishable with strict penalties, including action against negligent officials, implementation of strict enforcement and ecological restoration measures, compensation for communities suffering from pollution and displacement, and a policy shift that requires the real estate and infrastructure sector to adopt construction materials other than Aravali-sourced stones. Neelam Ahluwalia, founder member of People for Aravalis, the group that compiled the report, said, "We are hoping the demands for Aravali protection given in this report can act as a blueprint for govt to create and deliver policies and plans to protect what is left of India's oldest hill range. We hope our wildlife does not lose its home and our current and future generations can live with dignity without gasping for breath or being choked in the dust storms coming from Thar desert or fighting over water. " Rajasthan-based water conservationist Dr Rajendra Singh said, "In 2009, Supreme Court banned mining completely in the Aravali hills in Gurgaon, Nuh and Faridabad. Time has now come to look at the 670km Aravali range spread across four states as one ecosystem critical for survival of millions of people living in north-west India." The report illustrates how licenced mining and stone crushing units across the Haryana Aravalis flouted rules, and how illegal mining continues despite a 16-year-old ban. It also states how out of the seven districts where the Aravalis are present in Haryana, licenced mining wiped out most of the range in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri.
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
After Rajasthan cleric, his brother too arrested for 'spying' for Pak
The brother of Qasim, the Rajasthan-based cleric who was arrested by the Delhi Police on charges of spying for Pakistan, has also been arrested, sources in the Delhi Police told India brother had long been under the scanner of Indian intelligence agencies for his suspicious cross-border connections, sources to sources, Qasim's brother frequently visited Pakistan under the pretext of meeting relatives. However, during these visits, he allegedly came in contact with individuals suspected to be part of espionage networks. His interactions with these individuals triggered concerns, leading to his detention and arrest on suspicion of These links are now part of a larger ongoing investigation into possible spy activities facilitated through familial and religious networks, after the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam terror his brother's passport expired, Qasim was allegedly asked to maintain the communication chain with Pakistani contacts or help facilitate further exchanges. This development reportedly raised red flags amongst intelligence and security agencies and is believed to have intensified surveillance on Qasim in the weeks leading to his said that while sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) have not yet been invoked in the case, they are likely to be added at the chargesheet stage, depending on the outcome of the ongoing probe. "The nature of the contacts and the money trail are currently being examined," a source who was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell from Rajasthan, is believed to have received training in Pakistan and allegedly travelled to the country just days before the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Police sources claim he was paid around 2 lakh Pakistani Rupees (around Rs 61,000) in instalments in exchange for passing sensitive interrogation, Qasim reportedly admitted to deleting all data from his mobile phone following the recent arrest of several suspected spies in connection with the Pahalgam attack. His phone is currently undergoing forensic examination, and authorities are working to recover any potentially incriminating digital Qasim has a previous kidnapping case registered against him in Delhi, sources confirmed he was acquitted in that investigation remains ongoing as officials continue to probe a possible larger espionage network operating across the border and using religious and familial ties for intelligence InMust Watch
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Police question family of Rajasthan man held on espionage charges
A Delhi Police team on Friday questioned the family and friends of a Rajasthan-based man who has been arrested on espionage charges. A resident of Deeg, Kasim, 34, who was arrested on Thursday, was allegedly in touch with ISI officers and had also undergone training in Pakistan for a month last year, a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. On Friday, a Special Cell team visited Deeg for questioning. In the custody of the Special Cell now, Kasim allegedly admitted to receiving Rs 2 lakh in Pakistani currency in instalments to execute spying activities in India, a police officer said. Kasim allegedly also deleted data from his phone after the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack. The device is now being sent to forensics, the officer added. According to the police, Kasim was working in the guise of a maulana while simultaneously providing vital information about military establishments to Pakistan. He was also in touch with a few people in Pakistan through different social media platforms, the police alleged. Sources also alleged that he had spoken to a few people in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, India's retaliatory response after the Pahalgam attack where it carried out strikes in nine terror locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 'Kasim had visited Pakistan twice, in August 2024 and March 2025. He stayed there for about 90 days and also met ISI persons,' a police officer said earlier. By using Indian SIMs, Pak Intelligence Operatives were communicating with Indians through WhatsApp, to extract information on sensitive installations related to the Army and other Government offices, the police said. A case was registered under the appropriate sections of law, and Kasim was placed in police remand.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Rajasthan man held on espionage charges; was providing vital information about military establishments to Pakistan, say police
The Special Cell on Thursday arrested a 34-year-old Rajasthan-based man based on espionage charges. The accused has been identified as Kasim, who goes by only one name. A resident of Deeg, he was in touch with ISI officers and had also undergone training in Pakistan last year for a month, said an officer on condition of anonymity. Police officers said Kasim was working in the guise of a maulana while simultaneously providing vital information about military establishments to Pakistan. He was also in touch with a few people in Pakistan through different social media platforms, they added. Sources say during operation 'Sindoor', he had spoken to a few numbers in Pakistan. 'It was also found that Kasim had visited Pakistan twice, in August 2024 and March 2025. He stayed there for about 90 days and also met ISI persons,' said the officer quoted above. By using Indian SIMs, Pak Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), through WhatsApp, were communicating with Indians to extract information on sensitive installations related to the Army and other Government offices, said officers. A case was registered under the appropriate sections of law, and Kasim was placed in police remand. 'He was befriending officers and extracting crucial information, which was being passed on. We have sufficient evidence, based on which he was arrested. More arrests are likely to be made in the coming days,' sources said. Following the Pahalgam attack, investigative and law enforcement agencies have been on alert in the area, keeping a close watch on suspicious elements. Delhi Police officials said that in September 2024, a source input was received that Indian mobile numbers were being used by PIOs for espionage activities in India. It was suspected that these SIM cards were being sent to Pakistan by some Indians; the name of Kasim cropped up during this investigation, said officers. Further investigation is going on to unearth the conspiracy of espionage by PIOs and their Indian associates, they added. Sakshi Chand is working as an Assistant Editor with the Indian Express. She has over a decade of experience in covering crime, prisons, traffic and human interest stories. She has also covered the communal clashes in Kasganj, Aligarh, Trilokpuri riots as well as the North-East Delhi riots. Apart from being a journalist, she is also a National level basketball player and a coach. Before joining the Indian Express, she was working for The Times of India. ... Read More
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Pre-activated smartphones sale on online platforms erode consumer trust'
NEW DELHI: Several retailers and smartphone brands have lashed out at Amazon and Flipkart , alleging that the e-commerce platforms are not proactively stopping 'pre-activated' handsets from being sold as new devices, with the ecosystem losing consumers' trust. Dubious sellers have mushroomed on Amazon and Flipkart due to a disconnect between e-commerce firms and smartphone brands for seller verification, as well as relaxed sign-up and registration processes, according to industry executives and analysts. The issue, although not new, has flared up recently with the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) saying that it has received complaints from Indian traders and multiple consumers who found that their newly purchased devices including Realme smartphones were preactivated before the date of invoicing. The Delhi-based association represents more than 1 lakh mainline retailers nationwide. 'The issue (pre-activated device sales) is prevalent across all brands but we have specifically received complaints against Realme-branded smartphones,' AIMRA founder and chairman, Kailash Lakhyani, told ETTelecom. The alleged unauthorised entities leverage consumer trust in the e-commerce platforms to sell pre-activated handsets as new units. The buyers of such devices, in turn, neither receive after-sales support nor complete warranty tenure from the e-commerce platforms or smartphone makers. Amazon and Flipkart have over 700 million users in India. ETTelecom has accessed documents which show that 68 of the 99 Realme smartphones purchased by Super Group, a Rajasthan-based trader, were either pre-activated or used before the invoicing date. Both Amazon and Flipkart did not respond to ETTelecom's queries despite reminders. Korean Samsung , and Chinese Xiaomi , Vivo and Oppo declined to comment. 'The sale of pre-activated devices or used devices is purely a 'point of sale' issue on the online platform(s) involving third-party sellers, who may be unauthorised or unscrupulous elements. This not only impacts consumers but also affects the goodwill and reputation of brands like Realme. The issue remains an industry-wide concern,' a Realme spokesperson told ETTelecom. "Pre-activated devices are never sold by Realme, and we encourage the end-customers to buy the mobile devices from authorised channel partners only and verify the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) before making a purchase."The Realme spokesperson further said. IMEI is a unique 15-digit code that identifies a mobile device, and the first eight digits of are called the Type Allocation Code (TAC), which identifies the device's manufacturer and model. Counterpoint Research estimates that e-commerce has become one of the largest retail channels for smartphones, accounting for nearly 44% of the overall handsets sold in India per quarter. Prabhu Ram, vice president (industry research group), CyberMedia Research (CMR), said the sales of pre-activated smartphones through e-commerce websites erode consumer trust in sellers, indirectly impacting mainline sellers. 'For ecommerce players, proactive seller vetting and transparent governance are essential to mitigate regulatory risk and sustain long-term consumer confidence,' he said. Sellers unauthorised by brands On their part, the leading smartphone brands including Samsung, Oppo and Realme, have been running social media campaigns to drive awareness against unauthorised sellers. For instance, Samsung counts Clicktech Retail, STPL Exclusive, Darshita Etel, TrueCom Retail, Mythanglory Retail, BTPLD, Flashstar Commerce, among others as its brand-authorised sellers for smartphones, while Xiaomi India has named Darshita Mobiles, Green Mobiles, Mythanglory and Akshnav as its brand-authorised sellers for smartphones, and Realme's brand-authorised smartphone sellers include Darshita Etel, BTPL, Patpritrade, Supercom, TAMS, Clientero, MPS, Srasra, Truene MPD, Sthenios Ecommerce, Grahgoods, Xonight and Visionstar. ETTelecom's review of sellers on both e-commerce websites showed that brand-unauthorised entities continue to sell popular smartphones. Smartphone industry executives blamed e-commerce players for selling pre-activated or used handsets, arguing that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) undertake effective measures, including running awareness campaigns. The OEMs, according to the executives, also cannot vouch for the genuineness and authenticity of products sold by brand-unauthorised or unscrupulous sellers. This, in turn, financially impacts the brands in certain cases when they have to support customer(s) with replacement or refund due to no fault of theirs. 'Solving the problem will require more robust verification and due diligence with a mix of technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to look at (selling) patterns as well as random physical checks. Closer collaboration with brands to register sellers at both e-commerce platforms and with brands as well will drive two-factor authentication, supported with a "verified" badge and open history of customer satisfaction,' said Neil Shah, vice president, Counterpoint Research. Ajay Sharma, an advisor to Techarc, said that the e-commerce platforms need to certify sellers based on back-to-back certification from brands to ensure that the products being sold are new.
