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Time of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP Kerala secy meets Chhattisgarh CM Sai, dy CM Sharma over nuns' arrest
1 2 Raipur: Four days after arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and attempted religious conversion of three tribal girls, Kerala BJP general secretary Anoop Antony Joseph on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with CM Vishnu Deo Sai and deputy CM, who is also the home minister, Vijay Sharma, on the issue. He also met the nuns, who are now in judicial custody. Both the arrested nuns hail from Kerala. Nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi – the person who got the girls to Durg railway station -- were arrested from the station on July 25 on a complaint filed by a local Bajrang Dal worker who accused them of trafficking the girls to another state and indulging in forced religious conversion. Later, a delegation including Congress MPs Benny Behanan from Chalakudy and K Francis George from Kottayam, RSP MP NK Premachandran from Kollam and Kerala legislative assembly member Roshi M John met the CM and deputy CM. Congress MP from Koraput constituency in Odisha, Saptagiri Ulaka, was also a part of the delegation. After meeting the delegation, Sai said Chhattisgarh is a peace-loving state that believes in harmony and coexistence. "People of all religions live here with mutual respect and brotherhood," he said. Reassuring the delegation, CM stated that the matter is being investigated as per due judicial process. "Law is taking its course, there is no interference," he added, underlining the "safety and dignity of the state's daughters and citizens." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover how to go from draft to done in a few clicks—not a few hours. Grammarly Install Now Undo Talking to media persons, deputy CM Vijay Sharma said that based on statements recorded by GRP, an FIR was lodged in the case, that happened in Narayanpur district. "I met Anoop Antony Joseph and he briefed me with the information that he had. Everything is being done legally, and the case is in court. There have been instances in the past where women from Narayanpur have been trafficked in a similar manner. The matter is under investigation," Sharma said. There was drama at the jail as the Congress MPs were asked to wait and were allowed to meet the nuns only after Joesph, along with state BJP leaders, met them. They were asked to wait by the jail authorities for almost one and half hours to meet the nuns. The meeting took place only after the intervention of Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. Talking to reporters outside the jail premises, Premchandran claimed that the nuns were innocent, and it was a deliberate attack on them. "We were allotted time to meet the nuns at 12.30pm, but we were asked to wait, and the meeting took place only after the BJP delegation met them. We staged a demonstration outside the jail," Premchandran said. He said that he couldn't disclose the details of the meeting with nuns. The three young girls were being taken for jobs and the nuns had come to receive them at the railway station. Then some Bajrang Dal people arrived and assaulted them, he alleged.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Chhattisgarh Villages To Keep 'Citizen Registers' To Track Infiltrators
Bhopal: The Chhattisgarh government is preparing for what it calls a decisive crackdown on illegal infiltration by introducing a 'citizen register' system in villages. This move comes in the backdrop of 30 Bangladeshi nationals being deported from the state and is aimed at identifying new entrants, tracking those who have left, and maintaining records of all villagers at the panchayat level. In what is being described as a major administrative reform, the government plans to keep a record of every individual living in a village, those who leave, and those who newly settle. The panchayat will maintain this data in a physical register, a step officials believe will strengthen internal security and preserve local rights. "We are trying to have a register maintained in the panchayat through which the status of those living in the panchayat before and after becomes clear," said Vijay Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. The government's crackdown comes amid national concerns over cross-border terrorism and infiltration, especially following the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Officials say that 30 Bangladeshi infiltrators have already been deported and nearly 2,000 Pakistani visa holders in the state are under close watch. Village heads are welcoming the move. "Earlier there was no plan to track outsiders. Now if a register is maintained at the panchayat level, the people of Chhattisgarh will benefit. Outsiders were settling in and enjoying benefits meant for locals. This step will protect our rights," said Sevaram Patre, sarpanch of Newari village in Kawardha district. Echoing the sentiment, Rajkumar Jangde, sarpanch of Ghughrikala, highlighted how unchecked settlement has led to misuse of government schemes and rise in crime. "People would come, settle without informing the Kotwar, get ration cards, even voter IDs. Recently some outsiders even occupied houses under the Atal Awas scheme. We had to remove them. This register will help put an end to such practices," he said. Until now, identification of newcomers relied largely on informal networks, primarily the Kotwar and village elders, but this often failed due to lack of proper communication or deliberate omission. With a formal system in place, the administration expects more accountability and fewer loopholes. However, the Opposition Congress has slammed the move as nothing but political theatre. "Creating a register now is a political decision. The Kotwar system already exists and has been effective. This is just an attempt to create fear and polarize voters," said Vinod Chandrakar, former Congress MLA. The government maintains that national security and local welfare are at the core of this decision, while the Congress alleges it is an electoral tactic to stir communal sentiments ahead of elections.
Scroll.in
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Six suspected Maoists killed in gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur
At least six suspected Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Friday, The New Indian Express reported. One of those killed was allegedly a Maoist platoon commander and had a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma told ANI. According to a police statement, The gunfight in the Abujhmarh forest area began in the afternoon during a search operation launched by the security forces after receiving intelligence inputs about suspected Maoist activity in the area. Sharma said the operation had been launched on Thursday evening and had continued 'despite the heavy rain'. 'They [security forces] walked on foot for 24 hours continuously, and after that, they achieved this,' he told ANI. The security personnel recovered weapons such as an AK-47 rifle and a self-loading rifle from the site of the gunfight, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P told The Indian Express. Further details cannot be shared as the operation was still on, he added. More than 400 suspected Maoists have been killed in the Bastar region in 2024-'25, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai had said in June. Deputy Chief Minister Sharma said on Saturday that more than 1,500 suspected Maoists have been rehabilitated in 2025, while around 1,400 have been arrested. 'For the first time, the number of rehabilitation is more than the number of arrests,' he said. In 2024, 217 suspected Maoists were killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh. Malini Subramaniam has reported for Scroll that while many of those killed in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region in 2024 were declared by the police to be reward-carrying Maoists, several families dispute the claim. The families claim that the persons killed were civilians. The Union government has repeatedly vowed to end Maoism by March 31, 2026.
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Some victims moving towards suicide': Cyber criminals stole Rs 107 crore in 18 months, Chhattisgarh Home Minister tells Assembly
Cybercriminals defrauded 1,301 people in Chhattisgarh of Rs 107.03 crore between January 2024 and June 2025. In the same period, the police managed to recover only Rs 3.69 crore (3.36%) across 107 cases. These figures were shared by state Home Minister Vijay Sharma in the state Assembly in response to a question by Raipur City BJP MLA Sunil Kumar Soni. Soni said, 'Thousands are being cheated. Some victims are moving towards suicide.' The data presented showed that Raipur alone accounted for Rs 47.57 crore — the highest among Chhattisgarh's 33 districts. It was followed by Bilaspur with Rs 10.20 crore, and Durg with Rs 9.65 crore. 'I believe the amount in Raipur is more than Rs 47.57 crore. Is the police competent to handle cyber crimes? Also, you have said that bank officials are also involved in such crimes — so has any action been taken on them?' Soni asked. In response, Home Minister Sharma said, 'The work of empanelling a cyber expert is underway. But the concept of cyber commandos has been implemented. The cyber police units in each district have received training.' Detailing the steps taken by the government, the Home department said: 'For the prevention of cyber crimes, one state cyber police station and five range cyber police stations are operating at the range level. Cyber cells are also operating at the district level and approval for cyber police stations has been received in some districts.' It added that a cyber forensic lab equipped with modern tools is functional at the police headquarters in Raipur for testing digital evidence collected during investigations. 'For the development of cyber crime research capacity, police officers/employees are being trained from time to time on complex subjects like dark web/crypto currency through the country's prestigious institutions like C-DAC, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel National Police Academy. One gazetted officer and five other officers from the state have been trained under Cyber Commando Scheme to fight cyber crime,' the department said. It also said that SIM cards and IMEI numbers involved in cyber crimes are being blocked, and awareness programmes are being conducted at the state and district levels. On efforts to refund stolen money, the department said: 'The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) is operated to provide the facility of immediate registration of complaints to the victims of cyber crime. The cyber crime helpline number 1930 is operating 24/7 in the state. Suspicious transactions are put on hold by trained police officers/employees working in the call center by establishing direct coordination with the nodal officers of banks, e-wallets and payment gateways. In the registered cases of cyber crime, the process of refund of money is done as per the orders of the… courts. In the period from January 1, 2024 to June 20, 2025, an amount of Rs 3.69 crore has been successfully refunded to the victims in the state.' Responding to a separate question by BJP MLA from Durg City, Gajendra Yadav, Sharma said, 'In the state, 67,389 complaints have been received on the NCRP (from January 2023 to June 2024). As per the portal, the stolen amount is approximately Rs 791 crore. In this, 21,195 cases have been solved, in which 1,820 victims got their money back.'
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
177 security personnel died by suicide in Chhattisgarh since 2019: Government
RAIPUR: As many as 177 security personnel, including nearly 40 from paramilitary forces deployed in Chhattisgarh, died by suicide in the state in the last six-and-a-half years, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma has informed the assembly. Family, personal issues and health grounds were among the reasons responsible for these suicides, police investigations have found. In a written reply to a question by senior BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar, Deputy CM Sharma, who holds the home portfolio, informed the House on Wednesday about cases of suicide by security personnel and murders committed by them. As per the reply, 177 security personnel died by suicide in the state between 2019 and June 15, 2025. Of them, 26 personnel belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), five to the Border Security Force (BSF), three to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and one each to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Tripura State Rifles, it said. The other personnel who died belonged to different wings of the state police, including the Chhattisgarh Armed Force, Special Task Force, and Home Guard, the reply said. The CRPF, BSF and ITBP have been extensively deployed in the state for anti-Naxal operations. According to the government document, 25 security personnel died by suicide in 2019, 38 in 2020, 24 in 2021, 31 in 2022, 22 in 2023, 29 in 2024 and 8 in 2025 (till June 15).
