ED searches Byju's CEO Raveendran's office, residence in Bengaluru over FEMA violations

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said it has conducted searches at the office and residence of edtech major Byju’s CEO Raveendran Byju in Bengaluru.

The probe agency carryied out the searches at three premises, two business and one residential, under the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Byju's CEO Raveendran Byju

According to the agency, officials have seized ‘incriminating’ documents and digital data during the search. It said the action was taken on the basis of ‘various complaints’ received by private people and alleged that Raveendran was issued several summons but he remained ‘evasive and never appeared’ before the ED.

The searches found that Raveendrans BYJU’s company, Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, received foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of about Rs 28,000 crore during 2011–2023.

Apple Takes Wraps Off Its First Store In India In Mumbai

The launch of the first Apple Store in India comes after years of regulatory hurdles and negotiations with the Indian government. 

                                   Apple Takes Wraps Off Its First Store In India In Mumbai 

Mumbai: Apple's first official store in India has revealed its exterior presence in Mumbai, a milestone for the company that has been trying to expand its presence in one of the world's fastest-growing smartphone markets. The company's brick-and-mortar retail footprint so far had been limited to resellers.

The store, located in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, will open its doors to customers soon. "Inspired by the iconic Kaali Peeli taxi art unique to Mumbai, the Apple BKC creative includes colourful interpretations of the decals combined with many Apple products and services that will be available for our customers to discover," the company said.

It will offer a range of products and services, including the latest iPhone 14 models, MacBooks, iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches, Apple TVs and HomePods. Customers will also be able to access Apple's storied trade-in program.

The launch of the Apple Store in India comes after years of regulatory hurdles and negotiations with the Indian government. Apple had to comply with local sourcing norms that require foreign companies to source at least 30 per cent of their components from domestic suppliers. Apple also had to compete with other smartphone brands that have a larger market share and lower prices in India.

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple had a 4 per cent share of the Indian smartphone market in 2022, behind Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo. However, Apple also saw a 35 per cent year-on-year growth in its shipments, driven by strong demand for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models.

Analysts expect that the opening of the Apple Store will boost Apple's brand image and customer loyalty in India, as well as attract more developers and creators to its ecosystem.

Punjab To Provide Free Yoga Classes In 4 Cities Under 'CM Di Yogshala' Campaign

             Punjab To Provide Free Yoga Classes In 4 Cities Under 'CM Di Yogshala' Campaign 

Chandigarh: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will launch 'CM di Yogshala' programme in the state on Wednesday, a party statement said.

The statement came a day after Mr Mann said his government will initially start the 'CM di Yogshala' initiative, under which people can avail free yoga classes, in four cities -- Amritsar, Ludhiana, Phagwara and Patiala.

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Tuesday said the government has launched a helpline number -- 7669400500 -- where people can give a missed call to seek a free yoga teacher.

People will be able to get all kinds of information about diet and yoga, he said.

"Today, so many people are suffering from diseases related to the respiratory system, blood pressure, sugar levels and heart issues. Therapeutic yoga can help all these patients a great deal," Mr Singh said.

He said 60 people have been trained at Guru Ravidas University to teach yoga under the 'CM di Yogshala' initiative.

"With 'CM di Yogshala', people will lead a healthier life, they will easily get yoga instructors and proper guidance," he said.

There will be a yoga meditation centre near 'Aam Aadmi Clinics' because a healthier lifestyle and regular yoga practice significantly lower the risk of many diseases, said the health minister.

Mr Singh said it is the dream of Chief Minister Mann to make the state a 'Rangla (vibrant) Punjab' and only a healthy Punjab can be a progressive Punjab. He also urged all the MLAs and officers to take part in this initiative to make Punjab healthy.

The AAP government in Delhi had launched the 'Dilli ki Yogshala' programme to offer free yoga classes in 2021. It was, however, stopped last year amid a tussle between the city government and Lt Governor V K Saxena.

Gangster Deepak 'Boxer' Brought To India From Mexico

The gangster, a winner in a national-level boxing championship, was trying to enter the US illegally via Mexico. 

Gangster Deepak 'Boxer' Brought To India From Mexico 

New Delhi: Deepak "Boxer", one of the most wanted fugitives in India who was nabbed by the police authorities in Mexico, was brought to New Delhi on Wednesday, officials said.

A two-member team of Delhi Police's Special Cell landed with Deepak at Terminal 3 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport from Mexico via Istanbul at around 6 AM this morning.

He will be interrogated in connection with his criminal activities and alleged involvement in killing a builder in north Delhi's Civil Lines area, police said.

The gangster, a winner in a national-level boxing championship, was trying to enter the US illegally via Mexico and planning to run his organised crime gang in Delhi and neighbouring states from there before being caught, a senior police official.

Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said the gangster had taken multiple routes and stops to reach Mexico on his way to the US ("donkey" method).

But he landed in their net laid with the help of the office of the Legal Attache, US Embassy, New Delhi.

It was the first time that Delhi Police arrested a gangster in an operation outside the country.

Police had announced a reward of ₹ 3 lakh on information leading to the arrest of Deepak, who led the Gogi gang, which is allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

"We received inputs in January that Deepak got made a fake passport in the name of Ravi Antil from Bareilly to flee the country. He took a flight from Kolkata to Dubai. Then from Dubai, he went to Almaty, Kazakhstan, and reached Turkey. He then headed for Spain. After taking multiple routes, he finally reached Mexico," Dhaliwal said.

"Our teams were constantly tracking his routes," he said at a press conference held on Tuesday.

He said Delhi Police zeroed in on the gangster's location in Cancun, a city notorious for human traffickers and the narcotics mafia, after interrogating several of his aides and using technical inputs.

"His intention behind reaching Mexico was to reach America, with the help of human traffickers, where he would join his other associates. From there, he had planned to run his organised crime group in Delhi and neighbouring states," Dhaliwal added.

His arrest is a result of coordinated efforts by the crime branch and special cell, police said.

The gangster is wanted in India in 10 sensational cases, including murder and extortion, over the last five years, they said.

Deepak, a resident of Gannaur in Haryana's Sonipat district, headed the Gogi gang after the killing of its head Jitendra Mann alias Gogi inside the Rohini court complex by two men in September 2021.

Suspect In Kerala Train Fire That Killed 3 Arrested In Maharashtra

The accused had poured petrol on a passenger and set him ablaze inside the D1 compartment of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train three days ago. 

                                  The incident took place near Elathur in Kozhikode district.

A joint team of central intelligence and anti-terrorism officers arrested a suspect on Wednesday in connection with a train fire that killed three people and injured several others in Kerala on Sunday night, officials said.

The suspect, identified as Shahrukh, was caught in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, about 1,000 kilometres north of Kerala after a sketch of him was circulated by the Kerala police based on a witness's account.

"A team of Kerala police has also reached Ratnagiri and the accused will be handed over to them soon," said an official of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The motive behind the attack was not clear yet, but the official said the suspect had confessed to setting fire to a passenger after an argument on board the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train near Elathur in Kozhikode district.

The suspect had poured petrol on a passenger and set him ablaze inside the D1 compartment of the train around 9:30 pm on Sunday, creating panic among the passengers and triggering a stampede. The fire quickly spread to other seats and luggage, engulfing the coach in flames.

Three people died on the spot, and several others sustained burn injuries. Five of them were admitted to Kozhikode Medical College and three to a nearby private hospital. At least three of the injured were women.

The train was stopped at Elathur station and the fire was doused by railway staff and local residents. The affected coach was detached from the rest of the train and taken to Kannur station for further investigation.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which probes terrorism-related cases in India, inspected the train coaches at Kannur station on Tuesday and collected forensic evidence. The NIA also questioned some of the passengers and railway staff who were present at the time of the incident.

The Kerala police had formed a special team to probe the case and announced a reward of ₹ 2 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect. The police had also released a sketch of the suspect based on the description given by Razak, a crucial witness who escaped with minor injuries.

The sketch showed a man with a beard and a cap, wearing a dark-coloured shirt and trousers. The police had appealed to the public to share any information about his whereabouts or movements.

Man Gifts His Ex Home Theatre With Bomb As Wedding Gift. Blast Kills Groom

Police identified the accused as Sarju and later arrested him. 

                  Man Gifts His Ex Home Theatre With Bomb As Wedding Gift. Blast Kills Groom 

A newly married man and his brother died on Monday after a home theatre music system he received as a wedding gift exploded as soon as it was plugged in. Four others were seriously injured in the blast.

The home theatre, it turns out, was rigged with explosives, and was a gift from the ex-boyfriend of the bride, police investigation has revealed. The incident took place in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district.

The impact of the explosion led to the collapse of the walls and roof of the room where the home theatre system was kept. The cops said that when the groom, identified as 22-year-old Hemendra Merawi, switched on the home theatre system after connecting its wire to an electric band, there was a huge explosion, which led to Mr Merawi's death on the spot. His brother, on the other hand, succumbed during treatment.

During a police investigation, it was found that the blast took place because someone had planted explosives inside the home theatre system. Later, when the cops started investigating the list of gifts received during the marriage, they discovered that the music system was a gift from the bride's ex-lover.

Police identified the accused as Sarju and later arrested him. Kabirdham Additional Superintendent of Police Manisha Thakur said that during interrogation, the accused accepted that he was angry with his ex-girlfriend for getting married, so he gifted her the home theatre system with explosives planted inside.

According to police, Hemendra Merawi got married on April 1. His brother Rajkumar, 30, and four others, including a one-and-a-half year boy, suffered injuries and they were taken to the district hospital in Kawradha. However, Mr Rajkumar succumbed during treatment. The others are undergoing treatment in the hospital.

"The Only Crime I've Committed...": Donald Trump's Fierce Attack On Biden

The 76-year-old, who has been accused of falsifying business records, was addressing his supporters and the media from Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home. 

                      "The Only Crime I've Committed...": Donald Trump's Fierce Attack On Biden 

Donald Trump, former US president, attacked his successor Joe Biden saying that the "country is going to hell" hours after being charged over hush money payments to a porn star.

The 76-year-old, who pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts, was addressing his supporters and the media from Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home.

"I never thought anything like this could happen in America -- never thought it could happen," he said, adding "the only crime that I've committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it".

Trump -- the frontrunner in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination -- said from a stage festooned with American flags in an opulent gold-and-cream ballroom that "radical left" prosecutors across the country were out to get him "at any cost."

During his speech, Trump also listed several of his grievances against the current administration.

"While we are living through the darkest hours of American history, I can say that at least for this moment right now, I am in great spirits," he said.

"Our country is going to hell. The world is already laughing at us - for our open borders and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan," the Republican leader added.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged that Trump engaged in a two-year scheme to boost his 2016 presidential campaign by suppressing negative information and falsifying business records of his company to cover his tracks.

Trump faces a separate criminal probe by a county prosecutor in Georgia into whether he unlawfully tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state. He also faces two US Justice Department investigations led by a special counsel into attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.

Six tourists die, 11 injured in Sikkim avalanche

The avalanche, which occurred early morning at the 14th milestone on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, had trapped 25-30 tourists, according to defence sources.

Six tourists die, 11 injured in Sikkim avalanche

GANGTOK: Six tourists were killed and 11 others injured in a major avalanche in Sikkim's Nathula area on Tuesday, police officials said here.

The injured are being brought to the state capital Gangtok's hospital.

"Rescue and clearance operations are still on," a senior police official here said.

Nathula Pass is situated on the border with China and is a major tourist destination because of its scenic beauty.

The avalanche, which occurred early morning at the 14th milestone on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, had trapped 25-30 tourists, according to defence sources.

"Swift rescue operations were launched by Border Roads Organisation and 22 people were rescued till now including 6 from a deep valley," they said.

Some 350 people and 80 vehicles, which were stranded on the road because of the snow blocking the road from Nathu La, were also brought back, officials said.

Australia bans TikTok on government devices

Australia is the last member of the secretive Five Eyes security alliance to pursue a government TikTok ban, joining its allies the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.

                                              Australia bans TikTok on government devices

SYDNEY: Australia said Tuesday it will ban TikTok on government devices, joining a growing list of Western nations cracking down on the Chinese-owned app due to national security fears.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the decision followed advice from the country's intelligence agencies and would begin "as soon as practicable".

Australia is the last member of the secretive Five Eyes security alliance to pursue a government TikTok ban, joining its allies the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.

France, the Netherlands and the European Commission have made similar moves.

Dreyfus said the government would approve some exemptions on a "case-by-case basis" with "appropriate security mitigations in place".

Cybersecurity experts have warned that the app -- which boasts more than one billion global users -- could be used to hoover up data that is then shared with the Chinese government.

Surveys have estimated that as many as seven million Australians use the app -- or about a quarter of the population.

In a security notice outlining the ban, the Attorney-General's Department said TikTok posed "significant security and privacy risks" stemming from the "extensive collection of user data".

China condemned the ban, saying it had "lodged stern representations" with Canberra over the move and urging Australia to "provide Chinese companies with a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment".

"China has always maintained that the issue of data security should not be used as a tool to generalise the concept of national security, abuse state power and unreasonably suppress companies from other countries," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

'No-brainer'

But Fergus Ryan, an analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said stripping TikTok from government devices was a "no-brainer".

"It's been clear for years that TikTok user data is accessible in China," Ryan told AFP.

"Banning the use of the app on government phones is a prudent decision given this fact."

The security concerns are underpinned by a 2017 Chinese law that requires local firms to hand over personal data to the state if it is relevant to national security.

Beijing has denied these reforms pose a threat to ordinary users.

China "has never and will not require companies or individuals to collect or provide data located in a foreign country, in a way that violates local law", the foreign ministry's Mao said in March.

'Rooted in xenophobia'

TikTok has said such bans are "rooted in xenophobia" while insisting that it is not owned or operated by the Chinese government.

The company's Australian spokesman Lee Hunter said it would "never" give data to the Chinese government.

"No one is working harder to make sure this would never be a possibility," he told Australia's Channel Seven.

But the firm acknowledged in November that some employees in China could access European user data, and in December it said employees had used the data to spy on journalists.

The app is typically used to share short, lighthearted videos and has exploded in popularity in recent years.

Many government departments were initially eager to use TikTok as a way to connect with a younger demographic that is harder to reach through traditional media channels.

New Zealand banned TikTok from government devices in March, saying the risks were "not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment".

Earlier this year, the Australian government announced it would be stripping Chinese-made CCTV cameras from politicians' offices due to security concerns.

Tribal man Madhu lynching case: Kerala court finds 14 out of the 16 accused men guilty

A crowd lynched Madhu on February 22, 2018. There were many twists in the case with 24 witnesses turning hostile with as many as three Special Public Prosecutors having only a brief stint.

            Tribal man Madhu lynching case: Kerala court finds 14 out of the 16 accused men guilty

PALAKKAD: The special court for Scheduled Castes and Tribes (POA) Act, Mannarkad, Palakkad, on Tuesday found 14 of the 16 accused guilty of lynching a 27-year-old tribal man Madhu.

The quantum of punishment will be pronounced by the court on Wednesday.

The trial in the case was completed under the observation of the Kerala High Court.

It may be noted that of the 103 persons who were examined as witnesses, 24 of them had turned hostile.

Many of the relatives of Madhu themselves had turned hostile.

However, circumstantial and digital evidence like the photos and videos which were circulated on social media by the accused themselves were effectively presented by the Prosecution.

The court charged the guilty under section 304 (2) culpable homicide and under the Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Tribes Act.

Only the fourth accused, Aneesh, 38, of Kunnath house, Kakkupadi, Kalkandi, and the eleventh accused, Abdul Kareem, 52 of Cholayil, Mukkali, Kallamala were acquitted.

Those who were pronounced guilty were the:

• first accused Hussein, 59, of Mecheriyil, Paakulam, Thavalam

• second accused Marakkar, 41, of Killayil, Mukkali, Kallamala

• third accused Shamsudheen, 41, of Pothuvachola, Mukkali, Kallamala

• fifth accused Radhakrishnan

• sixth accused Aboobacker, 39, of Pothuvachola, Kallamala, Mukkali

• seventh accused Siddique, 46, of Kurrikal house, Padinjarepalla, Mukkali, Kallamala

• eighth accused Ubaid, 33, of Thottiyil house, Mukkali, Kallamala

• ninth accused Najeeb, 41, Viruthiyil, Mukkali

• tenth accused Jaijumon, 52, of Mannampatta house, Mukkali, Kallamala

• twelfth accused Sajeev, 38, of Puthenpurackal, Kottiyurkunnu, Kallamala

• thirteenth accused Satheesh, 43, Murikada, Mukkali, Kallamala

• fourteenth accused Hareesh, 42, of Cheruvil, Mukkali

• fifteenth accused Biju, 45, of Cheruvil,  Mukkali

• sixteenth accused Muneer, 36, of Viruthiyil, Mukkali

The charges by the prosecution against the fourth accused, Aneesh, is that he took the photos and videos of Madhu being harassed and beaten by the mob and circulated them on social media. The charges against the 11th accused Abdul Kareem is that he called Madhu a thief. The court acquitted both of them.

Madhu, a tribal youth, was lynched by a mob in Attappadi on February 22, 2018.

Madhu who was staying in a rock cave in Ajumudi hills near Chindaki in Attappadi was pulled out and made to walk four kilometres to Mukkali and was later beaten up and kicked by a mob accusing him of stealing provisions from shops. 

Madhu was 27 years old when he was killed. Madhu had dropped out of seventh grade when his father expired, and he took up skill training in carpentry under the ITDP programme and found work in Alappuzha. He left this after a scuffle and returned to Attappadi, where he was living a nomadic life. He used to wander in the plains, hills and forests here, only visiting his house occasionally.

There were many twists and turns to the case with as many as three Special Public Prosecutors (SPP) having only a brief stint.

Finally, it was Rajesh M Menon who was made the SPP and then the hearing in the case began four years ago.

India rejects China’s renaming of 11 locations in Arunachal Pradesh

The external affairs ministry said such steps will not alter the reality that the northeastern state is an integral part of the country

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

India on Tuesday rejected China’s move to rename 11 location in Arunavhal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as South Tibet, with the external affairs ministry saying such steps will not alter the reality that the northeastern state is an integral part of the country.

The renaming of the 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh by China’s civil affairs ministry came at a time when the two countries are witnessing the worst bilateral in their relations in six decades because of the military standoff in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

This was the third time China has unilaterally renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh, after changing the names of six locations in April 2017 and 15 more locations in December 2021.

Responding to the latest renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright.”

He added, “Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality.”

In the past too, India had promptly rejected such renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh and reiterated that the northeastern state is an integral and inseparable part of the country.

A brief statement issued on Sunday by China’s civil affairs ministry said: “According to the relevant regulations of the State Council (China’s cabinet) on the management of geographical names, our ministry, together with relevant departments, has standardised some geographical names in southern Tibet.”

State-run tabloid Global Times reported on Monday that the civil affairs ministry gave coordinates of the places that were renamed, including two land areas, two residential areas, five mountain peaks and two rivers. “It listed the category of places’ names and their subordinate administrative districts,” the report said.

China’s state media quoted Zhang Yongpan, from the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as saying that the move to standardise names “falls within China’s sovereignty”.

False Picture Portrayed In Advertisements: Students Experience Low Standards of Engineering Education at Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology

Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology (HICET), located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu is an institution affiliated to Anna University, Chennai. The college was established in 2000. The students’ complaints about HICET are primarily focused on the subpar infrastructure. The infrastructure of the institution is average, according to one review. Despite a sign indicating that the institution is Wi-Fi enabled, there is no Wi-Fi connection available anywhere on the campus. The picture they portray in their advertisements for the labs is wholly false. There are many books in the library’s racks, but not a single one of them is helpful to students of any course.

Students also claim that the college does not offer even the most basic medical services, such as treatment for fever or stomach aches. Despite numerous complaints, the management does not care to take the required steps to provide even the most basic medical facilities. The college’s athletic amenities are also subpar. No other sport is promoted at the college, and only the facilities for football are given. One of the major causes of complaints at Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology is the lack of attention given to the students’ participation in sports and other extracurricular activities.

Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology

Numerous complaints have also been raised in relation to the institutional placements. The management is unable to provide students with suitable placement interviews. According to one of the complaints made to Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology, “We have a placement unit, and its efficiency in placing the students in our department is minimal when compared to circuit and computer branches. Additionally, the students found their own internships by looking up the businesses on their own. This demonstrates the inefficiency of HICET’s management and placement unit. Even the internships that are required as part of the programme were chosen on their own.

These reviews and the general opinion about Hindusthan College Coimbatore suggests that the institution completely shows a false picture in front of the public, but does not actually follow otr maintain the said standards of education and also does not have the proper infrastructure, facilities and placement activities as they claim.