Latest news with #inter-State
Hans India
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Tribunal allows more time to resolve Mahanadi dispute
Bhubaneswar: In a positive development to the long-standing Mahanadi river water-sharing dispute, Odisha and Chhattisgarh have agreed for an amicable settlement, prompting the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal to grant additional time for negotiations. At a hearing held on Saturday, the tribunal took note of the recent correspondence and statements from both the States advocating for a negotiated resolution. 'We deem it appropriate to request the secretaries concerned of the respective States to remain present before the tribunal on the next date and apprise it about the progress of settlement talks between the two States,' the tribunal, headed by chairperson Justice Bela M Trivedi, said. The tribunal fixed September 6 as the next date of hearing. Earlier, Odisha's Advocate General Pitambar Acharya informed the tribunal that both the States have begun exploring an amicable resolution to the dispute and there has been progress in discussions at both the Chief Secretary and political levels. He also said the State government believes a breakthrough is possible if the matter is approached with a 'positive mindset' by the chief ministers of both the States. Acharya also placed on record a copy of the letter dated July 25 along with the draft minutes of the proceedings of high-level meeting chaired by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, a copy of letter written by Majhi to his Chhattisgarh counterpart sending a proposal of an amicable settlement of Mahanadi water dispute. Acharya also placed a copy of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's reply to Majhi and stated that the matter for settlement of the water dispute between the two States was under consideration. Odisha has time and again alleged that Chhattisgarh's construction of barrages and dams in the upstream region has blocked the natural flow of water, adversely affecting agriculture and livelihoods in the lower basin areas, especially during the non-monsoon season. After early talks between the States failed, Odisha moved the Supreme Court in November 2016, seeking formation of a tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The Centre formed the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in March 2018, initially headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar. The proceedings continued between 2018 and 2023 with data submissions, arguments and inspections from both the States. Acharya noted that no inter-State water dispute in the country has ever been resolved entirely through tribunal proceedings. 'Tribunal chief Trivedi has appreciated the efforts of an amicable settlement to the dispute between the two States. If you see history, no water dispute has been resolved through tribunal. In last six years till 2024, there has been no substantial development. Only one witness has been examined while many others are yet to appear before the tribunal. If the tribunal continues for 10 more years, then also there will be no end to it.' According to the AG, it is better to resolve such kind of disputes though negotiations on political level. 'The latest development is moving on a positive direction.
The Hindu
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nagaland extremist groups to form task force to check illegal immigration amid Assam eviction drive
A coalition of extremist groups in Christian-majority Nagaland has announced the formation of an Immigration Control Task Force to prevent 'illegal immigrants' from entering the State. The move by the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPGs) comes in response to the Assam government's eviction drive targeting encroachers — mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, often perceived as Bangladeshis — from forested areas along the inter-State boundary. At least six groups, rivals of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, form the NNPGs. The coalition signed the Agreed Position, a peace agreement with the Centre, in 2017. Taking 'serious note' of the 'imminent threat posed to the demographic, socio-economic, and political future' of the Nagas, the WC-NNPGs, in a statement issued on Friday, said the task force has been envisaged to control and regulate issues relating to people of doubtful citizenship. The committee said it would not allow the establishment of any madrasas in Naga-inhabited territories and would 'disband' any currently in existence. It claimed that while diverse communities in Naga areas respect and promote religious tolerance, 'this liberal approach will not be allowed to be misused to promote' religious fundamentalism. The WC-NNPGs called for intensive identification and registration of migrants to avoid unnecessary harassment of legally settled citizens. It also urged community leaders, including village authorities at the grass-roots level, to extend cooperation to the task force. 'The steps being taken must not be construed as anti-Muslim agenda or against any particular religious or social groups,' the statement said. Meanwhile, a man suspected to be an undocumented migrant was allegedly pushed from the third floor of a building in Kohima, Nagaland's capital, following a brawl. Officials said he is battling for survival in a local hospital.
The Hindu
27-07-2025
- The Hindu
NCB, police in Rajasthan and Maharashtra bust inter-State synthetic drug syndicate
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in coordination with police in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, has busted an inter-State drug syndicate allegedly involved in the clandestine manufacture of synthetic drugs. The NCB said that on July 22, a laboratory was detected inside a buffalo barn located in a secluded village in Rajasthan's Barmer district. During the raid, the Barmer police recovered several precursor chemicals, including chloroform, ammonium chloride, propylene chloride, toluene and bromine, along with equipment used to manufacture Mephedrone. Two members of the syndicate were detained, and the NCB's Jodhpur unit joined the investigation with the local police. Interrogation of the accused led to the identification of a resident of Raigad district in Maharashtra, who allegedly transported the chemicals and equipment to set up the lab. Following his detention by the Raigad police, the accused revealed that he had previously worked at a now-defunct factory. A search of the premises led to the seizure of approximately 34 kg of Ketamine in powdered form and 12 litres of Ketamine in liquid form, along with chemicals such as chloroform, ammonium chloride, propylene chloride, toluene, bromine and cyclohexanone, and various lab instruments. 'These shut premises were being used to run the lab clandestinely to manufacture Ketamine. Investigation has further revealed involvement of a mastermind who has been involved in earlier drug trafficking cases of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and NCB,' the agency said in a statement. Earlier, a clandestine laboratory manufacturing Mephedrone was busted by the NCB Jodhpur unit in Sri Ganganagar, where five kg of the drug along with precursor chemicals were recovered. Among the arrested were persons with backgrounds in physics and chemistry. In response to the growing trend of synthetic drug manufacture in concealed setups, the NCB has circulated a list of 'red flag indicators' to all State Directors General of Police to aid in identification of such facilities.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- The Hindu
11 arrested in drug busts, contraband worth over ₹82 lakh seized
A total of 11 individuals, including inter-State drug traffickers, peddlers, and consumers, were arrested by the Hyderabad police in separate operations. The officials seized a total of 386 grams of narcotic substances, including cocaine, mephedrone (Meow-Meow/MD), and ecstasy pills, valued collectively at over ₹82 lakh. The seizures included 276 grams of cocaine, 100 grams of MD, 11 ecstasy pills, three mobile phones, and a country-made pistol with six live rounds. In one of the largest seizures, the Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) along with Golconda police busted a Mumbai-Hyderabad cocaine network by arresting four inter-State peddlers, identified as Mujaffar Wahid Shaikh, 30, an electrician, Vinod Kishanlal Shrivasthav, 53, a taxi driver, Chaitanya Vinayak Wagh, 29, an artist, and Mustak Khan, 31, a delivery boy, all based in Mumbai, along with peddler, Prem, 29, a private employee, and two Hyderabad-based consumers. The group was found in possession of 276 grams of high-grade cocaine and eight mobile phones, worth ₹69 lakh. Police said the drugs had been sourced from foreign nationals through sea routes and supplied across States by a chain of individuals. Mujaffar Wahid Shaikh, a fifth-grade dropout from Chanda Bazaar, Uttar Pradesh, had worked as a welder and electrician in Mumbai before entering drug trade in 2016. He used to source cocaine from foreign suppliers who smuggled it into India via sea routes. Similarly, Vinod Shrivastav, a former taxi driver from Prayagraj, transitioned from couriering drugs on commission to full-fledged peddling after a road accident in 2024. Chaitanya Wagh, an aspiring 3D artist, and Mustak Khan, a former delivery agent, were also drawn into the network, each procuring cocaine at lower rates from Mumbai, and selling it to Hyderabad-based peddler, Prem. Prem, who already has multiple narcotics cases against him, used his corporate day job as a cover while actively supplying drugs in the city. In a separate operation, H-NEW and Bollaram police apprehended 28-year-old software employee Harshavardhan alias Harsha, who was caught with 10 grams of cocaine, 11 ecstasy pills, and a mobile phone worth ₹3.1 lakh. A native of Hyderabad, Harshavardhan reportedly slipped into drug use following a love failure, and eventually began sourcing cocaine from Bengaluru and Goa to supply it within the city. Police said he used his income from drug peddling to sustain a lavish lifestyle, frequenting pubs and nightlife hotspots. In another significant bust, H-NEW in coordination with Begum Bazaar police arrested two inter-State drug transporters, identified as Pawan Bhati, 24, and Hemsingh Kachhawa, 26, both from Rajasthan, and a local peddler, Jeetendara Panwar, 28. Officers seized 100 grams of MD, a country-made pistol, six live rounds, one empty shell, and three mobile phones. The total haul was valued at ₹10 lakh. Investigations revealed that Jeetendara, a sweet maker by profession, partnered with his contacts from Rajasthan to distribute the synthetic drug in Hyderabad after his sweet shop business failed in a span of six months. He also illegally acquired a firearm, which he test-fired in Kattedan before his arrest. Meanwhile, Pawan Bhati returned to Hyderabad in May 2025 after working as a driver in his native town following the failure of his shops in Hyderabad. He set up a juice shop in the city during the summer season and later went to Rajasthan to procure MD drug from Surender, a resident of Nagur, Rajasthan, and delivered to Jeetendara Panwar for sale. Hemsingh Kachhawa, an accused in a 2021 POCSO case who was released recently, procured the contraband from Rajasthan and delivered to Jeetendara against a commission. Cases have been registered under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act, and further investigations are under way to trace the supply chains, financial trails, other peddlers and foreign nationals involved in the network.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- The Hindu
Telangana CID arrests two more in inter-State kidney racket
The Telangana Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested two more persons in connection with the inter-State human organ trafficking racket that operated under the guise of legitimate organ donation and transplantation, at a private hospital in Hyderabad. The arrest brings the total number of accused persons held in the case to 19. One of the accused, identified as Pamulapati Pavan Kumar alias Leon, a resident of Tadepalligudem in Andhra Pradesh, was taken into custody from L.B. Nagar. The other, Pradeep Kumar Gupta alias Pradeep Agarwal, a resident of Gurugram, was arrested from Chandigarh. According to CID officials, Pavan Kumar is the prime accused in the trafficking operation, who along with Dr. Rajashekar and Dr. Avinash, arranged donors and recepients for kidney transplantation surgeries at Alakananda, Janani and Aruna hospitals. Pavan Kumar had established a network of brokers across States — in Tamil Nadu, to scout for impoverished and vulnerable kidney donors, and in Bengaluru, Karnataka and Haryana, to find wealthy recipients. For each illegal surgery, he allegedly charged between ₹10-₹15 lakh as commission, and used the proceeds to purchase luxury cars and afford his trips to invest money in casinos in Sri Lanka. Pradeep Gupta, on the other hand, played a key role in sourcing patients willing to pay large sums for illegal kidney transplants. He facilitated transplants for at least 10 patients from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra. He earned ₹10 lakh for each transplant he helped coordinate, acting as a middleman between recipients and Kumar. The case initially came to light following a complaint by the Deputy District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) of Rangareddy district regarding irregularities at Alakananda Multi-Specialty Hospital. It was registered at Saroornagar police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, before being transferred to CID in April for further investigation. Further investigation is under way.
