Latest news with #Raunak
Indian Express
12-08-2025
- Indian Express
HP students kidnapping: School alumnus planned for 8-10 days; familiar with protocol, says police
An alumnus of Bishop Cotton School (BCS), Sumit Sood, who was arrested for allegedly kidnapping three class VI students of the school, had planned the crime for the past eight to 10 days and used his familiarity with the school protocols to his advantage. The breakthrough in the case came when the vehicle (with a Delhi registration number) used in the crime, was identified in CCTV footage. The suspected vehicle was seen heading towards Narkanda, then returning to Chaila, and later moving towards Kotkhai, the SP said. The parents of the missing students received calls saying that their children were with a gang, but there was no explicit ransom demand. A local youth, Raunak from Kotkhai, played a key role in cracking the case. Raunak, who works in Chol and is in the transport business, met two constables, Pawan and Hitesh, who showed him CCTV footage of the vehicle used in the crime. 'After seeing the footage, I was sure the vehicle belonged to Sood. I called him, but he didn't answer. We then visited his house, checked the vehicle, and confirmed it was the same as in the footage,' Raunak said He added that the car matched the CCTV footage, down to its broken bumper, damaged fog light, and distinctive reflector side mirrors. 'Although the number plate was changed, these details confirmed it was the same car. Having been in the transport business for 15 years, I can easily identify vehicles by its features,' Raunak said, adding that it was difficult to believe that Sood was involved in such a crime, given his good behavior, education, and background, and that he had no known involvement with drugs. Sumit was subsequently arrested. The rescued students were from Mohali in Punjab, Hisar in Haryana and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, whose relative was one of the missing children, was also in Kotkhai with the police. Raunak was later honoured by Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur with a Himachali cap and a shawl. Kotkhai resident Sood was then arrested for allegedly kidnapping three minor students with the intention of demanding ransom. Police also recovered firearm, sharp-edged weapons, and a fake number plate from him. Sood reportedly told police that the recovered firearm is a licenced weapon registered in his father's name. Sood, an engineering graduate who studied at BCS till Class 8, was on Monday was produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) Jyoti Bhagchandani and was remanded in two days of police custody. Inspector Manoj Thakur, SHO of New Shimla Police Station, said, 'We had sought Sood's police custody to recreate the crime scene and to determine if he was alone or had accomplices. The students also recorded their statements under Section 183 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. They narrated the sequence of events on Saturday and Sunday. We are yet to receive copies of the statements.' Sources said that Sood, who is married and has two daughters, had started various ventures such as opening a departmental store but those failed to take off. He is also believed to have suffered financial losses in the stock market. Meanwhile, BCS announced that it will implement stringent safety measures. Speaking to the media on the school premises alongside Shimla (Urban) MLA and BCS alumnus Harish Janartha, Headmaster Mathew P John said, 'From now on, no student — even seniors — will be allowed to go on outings or travel home without adult supervision. The school will also seek police assistance in drafting robust and practical safety guidelines.' Janartha said that BCS has traditionally had different outing rules for juniors and seniors: 'Children up to Class V are accompanied by teachers, while those in Classes VI–VIII have allowed to go out in groups.' He said Sood was aware that the school caters to children from affluent families and also knew the school's outing schedules. 'It seems the children were not specifically targeted, and the accused, whose financial condition is poor, picked them at random,' Janartha said, adding that things are under control, and 'we will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future'.
Indian Express
12-08-2025
- Indian Express
Alumnus planned school students kidnapping for 8-10 days, say cops
An alumnus of Bishop Cotton School (BCS), Sumit Sood, who was arrested for allegedly kidnapping three class VI students of the school, had planned the crime for the past eight to 10 days and used his familiarity with the school protocols to his advantage. Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi said that Sood, 43, introduced himself as a former Cottonian and lured the students by offering them a lift till Auckland Tunnel. However, after crossing Dhalli in the suburbs of Shimla town, Sood threatened the children by showing a revolver, he added. He also used a California-based VPN number to make threatening Internet calls to the children's parents, police said. The breakthrough in the case came when the vehicle (with a Delhi registration number) used in the crime, was identified in CCTV footage. The parents of the missing students received calls that their children were with a gang, but there was no explicit ransom demand, said the SP. A local youth, Raunak from Kotkhai, played a key role in cracking the case. Raunak, who works in Chol and is in the transport business, met two constables, Pawan and Hitesh, who showed him CCTV footage of the vehicle used in the crime. 'After seeing the footage, I was sure the vehicle belonged to Sood. I called him, but he didn't answer. We visited his house, checked the vehicle, and confirmed it was the same as in the footage,' Raunak said. He added that the car matched the CCTV footage, down to its broken bumper, damaged fog light, and distinctive reflector side mirrors. 'Although the number plate was changed, these details confirmed it was the same car. Having been in the transport business for 15 years, I can easily identify vehicles by its features,' Raunak said, adding that it was difficult to believe that Sood was involved in such a crime, given his good behavior, education, and background, and that he had no known involvement with drugs. Sumit was subsequently arrested. The rescued students were from Mohali in Punjab, Hisar in Haryana and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, whose relative was one of the missing children, was also in Kotkhai with the police. Raunak was later honoured by Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur with a Himachali cap and a shawl. Kotkhai resident Sood was then arrested for allegedly kidnapping three minor students with the intention of demanding ransom. Police also recovered firearm, sharp-edged weapons, and a fake number plate from him. Sood reportedly told police that the recovered firearm is a licenced weapon registered in his father's name. Sood, an engineering graduate who studied at BCS till Class 8, was on Monday was produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) Jyoti Bhagchandani and was remanded in two days of police custody.
Associated Press
22-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Raunak Enters the Gulf, With Plans to Rethink Healthcare and Insurance From the Ground Up
DUBAI, AE / ACCESS Newswire / July 21, 2025 / After several years of building a reputation in India's healthcare and insurance sectors, Raunak is setting its sights on the Gulf. The consulting firm, founded in Mumbai in 2020 by Raunak Jha, is officially expanding into the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with the official launch in Dubai in April 2025. Known for its pragmatic approach to resolving systemic challenges, Raunak has worked across India with hospitals, insurance firms, and government stakeholders to address persistent issues like policy fragmentation, siloed data systems, and outdated operational frameworks. Now, the firm plans to apply this experience in the Gulf, a region actively pursuing healthcare reform. 'There's a genuine willingness here, both in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, to rebuild systems in a smarter, more sustainable way,' said Raunak. 'What we're offering is a practical framework for how to do that, not just concepts.' As part of the expansion, Raunak is introducing Total Connect, a platform designed to unify insurers, healthcare providers, and employers within a connected digital ecosystem. Instead of each stakeholder operating in isolation, Total Connect creates shared visibility, improving how decisions are made on pricing, claims, coverage design, and care delivery. 'Most breakdowns in healthcare happen because no one has the full picture,' Raunak explained. 'Total Connect isn't replacing existing systems, it's helping them communicate. The goal is to ensure everyone, from the insurer to the clinic to the HR director, is working off the same data.' Beyond its software rollout, Raunak is also exploring the foundation of a new insurance venture, one grounded in real-world data, trust, and regional accessibility. While still in early stages, Raunak emphasizes this is part of a long-term vision to demonstrate what modern, people-first insurance could look like in the Gulf. 'We want to lead by example, by building products that reflect how insurance should serve people today,' said Raunak. 'That starts with trust and local partnerships.' The company is already engaged in pilot projects across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, ranging from digital transformation and regulatory audits to ecosystem strategy and product co-design. With a leadership team split between India and the UAE, and expertise spanning actuarial science, public health, and health tech, Raunak is positioning itself as a high-impact player in the next era of Gulf healthcare. With transformation in its DNA, Raunak is building bridges between ambition and execution - and inviting like-minded partners across the Gulf to do the same. More about Raunak: Media Details: Company Name: Raunak Company Media Contact: Raunak Jha Email: [email protected] Company Website: SOURCE: Raunak press release
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
GMCH fails to recover ₹15 lakh from B-block canteen contractor
Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, is on the verge of losing ₹15 lakh to a Panchkula-based contractor who was running the canteen in B-block of the hospital. The official questioned why the hospital administration did not act sooner. (HT File) The contractor, Tarsem Gupta, M/s Raunak hospitalities, Abdulpur, Pinjore, Panchkula, had faltered on the monthly rent on multiple occasions and by November 2024, his outstanding amount had run into ₹59.5 lakh. The hospital administration recovered a part of it by forfeiting his security deposit of ₹28.7 lakh in January 2025, but ₹15 lakh still remains unpaid. The contractor was finally blacklisted in June. Those in the know of the tender technicalities are criticising the hospital's alleged leniency in the matter. One such official said the outstanding amount is usually not allowed to cross the security deposit as it poses challenges in recovery. The official questioned why the hospital administration did not act sooner. The said official further said the contractor took the hospital for a ride. GMCH had first issued a notice to the contractor in September 2024, and a termination letter on November 18, 2024, citing the ₹59.50 lakh dues. However, it put the termination on hold after the contractor assured payment by December 10. But instead of paying up, the contractor moved the district court against the termination. The court dismissed his plea on March 17, 2025, after which he vacated the canteen. Since then, the canteen has been non-functional, leaving patients and attendants visiting the outpatient department (OPD) in the lurch, besides causing a huge revenue loss to the government exchequer. The B-block canteen is the biggest of all three canteens in the institute and fetches the highest rent. Director principal of the institute, Dr AK Atri said, 'As per procedure, we have written to the local authority for recovery of the dues from the defaulter. The amount will be recovered.' However, the DC can act only if the contractor owns property in Chandigarh. DC Nishant Kumar Yadav said, 'We will get the matter examined. We will see whether the firm or company owns any property in Chandigarh. In case they do, their property will be declared as arrears of land revenue. In case the company does not have any property in Chandigarh, we will send the case back to GMCH administration.' The notice of the estate branch of GMCH-32 shows the contractor's address as Pinjore, Panchkula.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Silver Lining For Nagpur's Raunak In Moscow
Nagpur: City's first Grandmaster (GM) Raunak Sadhwani rallied splendidly after suffering six defeats to clinch the silver medal in the Chess Stars Invitational round-robin rapid and blitz tournament in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday. In a strong field of the world's best grandmasters, the 19-year-old and world junior No. 4 Raunak finished second in the nine-round rapid event, and came third in the 18-round blitz section, compiling a total of 17.5 points to clinch a silver medal. On his way to registering a podium finish in the faster format of 64 squares, Raunak defeated experienced Russian GMs Sergey Karjakin, Vladislav Artemiev, Evgeny Tomashevsky, women's world No. 1 Hou Yifan from China, and held Azerbaijan's super GM Radjabov Teimour. In the rapid format, the 2611 Elo Raunak won five games, drew three boards, and suffered a defeat to finish the tournament collecting 6.5 points — just half a point behind Russia's 2723 Elo GM Vladislav Artemiev. On his way to finish behind Vladislav (7 points), Raunak earned a total of 14.3 international points while delivering a performance rating of 2727 Elo. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo In contrast, Raunak started the blitz tournament on a disappointing note, but the fighter in him guided the India No. 9 to a come-from-behind podium finish. In the 18-round, two-day blitz tournament, Raunak suffered as many as six losses and won just three games on the opening day. Despite experiencing a sudden loss of form, and with nobody by his side in Moscow — participating in international tournaments without a full-time coach — Raunak was left with no option but to share his strange experience with his parents. "I called my parents back home, and they motivated me, stood with me rock solid in this difficult situation, and told me to believe in myself, saying that I can still finish on top by playing my best chess," Raunak told TOI. The long chat with his parents paid dividends, and Raunak came back stronger the next day. Of the remaining nine rounds left in the blitz section, Raunak registered as many as seven victories and drew two boards to conclude the 18-round blitz tournament, collecting 11 points and a clear third position. Russian GMs Vladislav and Karjakin won the top two positions. Speaking to TOI, Raunak said, "It was a quite strong event where the best players were competing against each other. I am glad I was able to finish on the podium despite a tough start in the blitz section." Raunak said, "The rapid event went quite well for me, however, the first day of blitz was like a nightmare where I lost so many games back-to-back and things were looking quite challenging. The only hope that I had was to play my best on the last day and try to finish in the top 3." He added, "Day 2 of blitz was an altogether different and wonderful day for me where I won back-to-back games and started my winning streak. I won six successive games and just kept pushing to give my best and I succeeded there. It was such a pleasant feeling for me. After the last round, I received a message from my parents saying — Real Fighter, We are proud of you." Raunak's parents Bharat and Heena Sadhwani said, "In this competitive world, it is extremely difficult to compete against elite players without an experienced coach. At present, he is without a trainer and working on his own due to lack of financial support for advanced coaching. He is participating in tournaments without private sponsors and as such no govt support." With talent identification and international competitiveness on agenda of the government's new National Sports Policy, Raunak can keep his fingers crossed with hope for support soon. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
