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BRS leader K. Kavitha sent to 3 days CBI custody in excise policy case

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BRS leader K. Kavitha sent to 3 days CBI custody in excise policy case

New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) A Delhi court on Friday sent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K. Kavitha, to Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) custody for three days, till April 15, in a case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Court pronounced the order after hearing both parties at length.

The CBI, which arrested Kavitha from the Tihar Jail on Thursday and produced her before a Delhi court on Friday, had sought five days custody on the grounds that witness statements, retrieved WhatsApp chats, and financial transaction documents related to a land deal have implicated her as a major conspirator in a scheme to pay Rs 100 crore to the AAP through accused Vijay Nair and others, in exchange for favourable provisions in Delhi’s 2021-22 Excise Policy.

The CBI has said that investigations revealed that a liquor businessman from south India met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on March 16, 2021, at the Delhi Secretariat to seek support for business under the new Excise Policy for 2021-22.

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CM Kejriwal allegedly assured support and said that Kavitha would contact him about funding the AAP.

“Kavitha called the businessman on March 19 and met him on March 20 in Hyderabad, where she referenced her coordination with Kejriwal’s team on the Excise Policy,” the CBI has claimed.

The CBI’s investigation revealed that chats from the mobile of her CA Butchi Babu indicate her involvement in M/s Indospirit through proxy Arun R. Pillai. Other partners included approver Raghav Magunta and accused Sameer Mahendru.

“Despite allegations of blacklisting and cartelisation, M/s Indospirit was granted an L-1 Licence under pressure from Manish Sisodia. Additionally, under Vijay Nair’s influence, M/s Indospirits became a wholesaler for M/s Pernod Ricard India Pvt. Ltd., which holds a 35 per cent market share in Delhi,” it said.

The chats also show Kavitha’s efforts to help Raghav Magunta secure a NOC for his company, M/s Pixie Enterprises, for the Airport Zone.

The central probe agency’s remand application discloses that Sharath Chandra Reddy engaged in the business in Delhi on Kavitha’s assurance of her connections within the Delhi government and her ability to aid in the liquor business under the new Excise Policy. She instructed him that payments of Rs 25 crore for wholesale and Rs 5 crore per retail zone were to be made to the AAP through her associates Pillai and Abhishek Boinpally, who would coordinate with Vijay Nair, CM Kejriwal’s representative.

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The CBI has further said that the investigation revealed that in June-July 2021, Kavitha pressured Sharath Chandra Reddy into entering a sale agreement for agricultural land in Telangana, despite his lack of interest and knowledge of the land’s value. Kavitha insisted he pay Rs 14 crore for the land and facilitated the sale through Mahira Ventures Pvt Ltd, an Aurobindo Group company.

The total payment was made through bank transactions — Rs 7 crore in the first week of July 2021 and another Rs 7 crore in mid-November 2021.

“Kavitha was required to be arrested in the instant case to conduct her custodial interrogation for confronting her with the evidence and witnesses to unearth the larger conspiracy hatched among the accused/suspect persons regarding formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy, as well as to establish the money trail of ill-gotten money generated and to establish the role of other accused/suspect persons including public servants as well as to unearth the facts which are in her exclusive knowledge,” the CBI said in its plea for custody.

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–IANS

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Defence Ministry: Year 2025 will be year of reforms

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rajnath singh with armed forces chief

On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry announced that 2025 will be designated as the “Year of Reforms,” with a primary focus on establishing integrated theatre commands to enhance collaboration among the three branches of the military.

These reforms are aimed at transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations, the ministry stated.

The initiative will emphasize emerging domains such as cyber and space, alongside cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics, and robotics.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the “Year of Reforms” as a pivotal milestone in the modernization of the armed forces.

“It will set the stage for significant advancements in the nation’s defense capabilities, ensuring the security and sovereignty of India in the face of 21st-century challenges,” he said.

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A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning

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A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning, according to the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR).

The district administration reported no casualties or property damage following the quake.

The tremor occurred at 10:24 am, with its epicenter located 23 kilometers north-northeast (NNE) of Bhachau, as per the Gandhinagar-based ISR.

Last month, the region experienced four seismic events exceeding a magnitude of 3, including a 3.2 magnitude tremor just three days ago, with its epicenter also near Bhachau.

Earlier tremors in the area included a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on December 23 and a 3.2 magnitude event on December 7, according to ISR reports.

Kutch was also jolted by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake on November 18, 2024. On November 15, a 4.2 magnitude quake hit Patan in north Gujarat, based on ISR data.

Gujarat is considered a high-risk earthquake zone, having experienced nine major earthquakes over the past 200 years, according to the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA). The 2001 earthquake in Kutch, which occurred on January 26, was the third-largest and second-most destructive in India in the last two centuries, according to the GSDMA.

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Diljit Dosanjh faces legal action over concert songs

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Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh’s much-anticipated New Year’s Eve concert in Ludhiana faced legal hurdles after a complaint was filed by Punditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor from Chandigarh.

Following the complaint, the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department, Government of Punjab, issued a formal notice to Ludhiana’s District Commissioner, urging them to prohibit Dosanjh from performing specific songs during his live show on December 31, 2024.

The notice specifically targets songs accused of promoting alcohol, including Patiala Peg, 5 Tara Theke, and Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya), even if the lyrics are slightly modified. The complaint points to previous warnings issued to Dosanjh by various commissions advising against performing these controversial tracks.

Despite these warnings, the singer allegedly continues to perform the songs with minor alterations. Dharenavar raised serious concerns about the influence of such music on young audiences, especially when minors are present at live events.

Adding to the controversy, Dharenavar referenced a 2019 Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling, which directed law enforcement to ensure that songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence are not played at public events, including concerts. This ruling underscores the legal basis for the complaint and has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding the event.

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UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured

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UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured

Five people sustained injuries when a vehicle in the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad overturned into a ditch near Januan village in the Khejuri Police Station area of Ballia district late last night.

Sanjay Nishad shared details of the incident, stating that the accident injured five party workers, including four women.

“I was traveling with the convoy to participate in the Constitutional Rights Yatra organized by the party on Tuesday night. Near Januan village in the Khejuri area, one of the vehicles following the convoy lost control while trying to avoid an animal and overturned into a ditch,” Nishad explained.

The injured individuals have been identified as Rakesh Nishad, Ramrati, Usha, Geeta, and Iravati Nishad.

Senior police and administrative officials quickly arrived at the scene following the incident to oversee the situation.

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Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder

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Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder

The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher found dead after accusing the company of copyright violations, has alleged that her son was “murdered” and called for a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe.

Poornima Rao, Suchir’s mother, claimed her son’s death was a “cold-blooded murder” that authorities wrongly ruled as suicide. She further disclosed that a private autopsy report conflicted with the findings of the initial police investigation.

Rao alleged that her son’s apartment had been “ransacked” and cited evidence of a struggle in the bathroom, including bloodstains that suggested he had been assaulted.

“We hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy to uncover the truth. The private autopsy does not confirm the cause of death stated by the police. Suchir’s apartment was ransacked, there were signs of a struggle in the bathroom, and it appears he was hit based on blood spots. This is a cold-blooded murder being misclassified as a suicide. Lobbying in San Francisco won’t deter us from seeking justice. We demand an FBI investigation,” Rao wrote on X.

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Elon Musk reacted to Rao’s post, commenting, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”

Balaji was discovered dead in his San Francisco apartment months after accusing OpenAI of violating copyright laws during the development of ChatGPT, as reported by Fox News. Despite these claims, the San Francisco Police Department found no evidence of foul play and ruled the death a suicide.

On October 24, shortly before his death, Balaji voiced doubts about the “fair use” defense in generative artificial intelligence. “I recently participated in a NYT story about fair use and generative AI, and why I’m skeptical ‘fair use’ would be a plausible defense for a lot of generative AI products,” he wrote on X.

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