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Thiruvananthapuram: Judicial first class magistrate court in Ranni on Friday remanded Unnikrishnan Potti, the key accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, to the custody of the special investigation team (SIT) until Oct 30.Potti, who was taken into custody on Thursday from his residence at Pulimath, was subjected to several hours of interrogation at the crime branch headquarters in Eanchakkal before being formally arrested early Friday morning -- marking the first arrest in the case. He was later produced before the Ranni court, which allowed him 10 minutes to interact with his lawyer. Investigators informed the court that Potti's custody was essential to recover the stolen gold.In its remand report, the SIT stated that Potti had misappropriated around 2kg of gold from the dwarapalaka (guardian) idols after sponsoring their electroplating in 2019.According to the report, Potti, who worked as an assistant to the temple priest at Sabarimala between 2004 and 2008, was aware that the copper plates of the idols were clad in gold in 1998. The SIT alleged that he used this knowledge with intent to cheat and gain financially, causing losses to the Travancore devaswom board (TDB).He allegedly filed an application in 2019 to "repair" the dwarapalaka idol plates. The report said that after removing the plates, they were taken to multiple locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and finally to Smart Creations in Chennai. "With the help of Smart Creations, the gold was removed from the gold-clad copper plates and illegally retrieved. To conceal this, only 394.9g of gold was replated. Later, these plates were displayed at various places against temple tradition before being returned to Sabarimala," the report stated.It also noted that after misappropriating gold from the dwarapalaka plates, Potti identified other donors for subsequent gold-plating work, but the donated gold was allegedly not fully used for the intended purpose.Potti is the prime accused in two cases related to the disappearance of gold from the temple's ornamental structures. The SIT has been conducting a detailed probe at the TDB headquarters over the past several days. Prior inspections were also carried out at Sabarimala and at locations in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, leading to the collection of crucial evidence that resulted in his arrest.According to sources, the investigation team has gathered documents and evidence linking Potti to the theft. The SIT is said to have relied on information obtained from Smart Creations to corroborate its findings. The ongoing probe is focused on tracing how the gold plates were transported, the total quantity of gold lost and identifying all those involved. The remand report also states that the SIT plans to take Potti to Bengaluru and other locations for evidence collection.Meanwhile, Potti told reporters after the court proceedings that he was being framed. "I have been trapped by some people, but those who did this will soon be exposed before the law," he said, claiming that several individuals had conspired against him.The FIR in the case lists the devaswom board that was in office in 2019 as the eighth accused.With Potti's arrest, the investigation will now focus on recovering the stolen gold. The probe is also expected to extend to officials within TDB, members of the board's administrative committee and Potti's aide Kalpesh, among others. (With agency inputs)
A temple locked since 1978 communal riots in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has been reopened by authorities during an anti-encroachment drive. The Bhasma Shankar temple, containing idols of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling, was rediscovered during an electricity theft inspection. This follows recent violence and heightened tensions in the area, including a mosque survey dispute and loudspeaker fine.The Sambhal administration here on Saturday uncovered and reopened a temple, which is said to have been closed ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at 15 places in Mumbai and Kochi in connection with the Mithi River desilting scam that caused a wrongful loss of more than Rs 65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), official sources said. The massive crackdown is underway at the premises across Mumbai and Kochi linked to the accused and suspects as part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities. According to the sources, the searches are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at locat ...Read More >
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
Ayodhya: A total of 45 kilograms of pure gold has been used in the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, according to Nripendra Mishra, the chairman of the Ram Temple Construction Committee. He said the estimated value of the gold, excluding taxes, is around Rs 50 crore. Gold has been used extensively in the doors on the ground floor of the temple and the throne of Lord Ram.He added that gold work is still ongoing in the Sheshavatar Temple. While the main structure of the Ram Temple has been completed, other parts of the temple complex, including the museum, auditorium, and guest house, a ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The high court has refused to quash proceedings in a rare "reverse trap" bribery case, where a govt officer was caught allegedly returning a bribe to the complainant.Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed the petition filed by AB Vijaya Kumar, former special land acquisition officer-II of the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) and currently a joint director in the department of municipal administration.The case pertains to a complaint filed by one Bhagath Singh Arun, who alleged that Vijaya Kumar demanded Rs 5 lakh to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) in connection ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The MSC IRINA, recognised as the world's largest container ship by TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) capacity, is set to dock at the Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Monday and will be berthed till Tuesday. The monumental arrival marks a significant milestone for the seaport, which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2. The MSC IRINA boasts an impressive capacity of 24,346 TEUs, making it a formidable player in global shipping. With a length of 399.9 metres and a width of 61.3 metres, the vessel is approximate ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Feb 10 (VOICE) Telangana's Minister for Industry and Information Technology D. Sridhar Babu has strongly condemned the attack on Chilkur Balaji Temple head priest C. S. Rangarajan and made it clear that the government will not tolerate anarchic elements hijacking Hinduism to spread hate and terror.Terming the attack on the chief priest and administrator of the temple as a heinous act, he said that the government would deal with such evil acts with an iron fist. "Although the main accused is in police custody, this isn't just a crime -- it's an attack on our values and faith! Using ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 26 (PTI) Several benches of the Bombay High Court have recused from hearing HDFC Bank CEO and MD Sashidhar Jagdishan's plea to quash an FIR of cheating and fraud registered against him on a complaint filed by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust. While some judges cited having worked with either the Trust or the lawyers appearing for it, one judge on Thursday voluntarily disclosed that he held few shares of the HDFC Bank. Senior counsel Amit Desai appearing for Jagdishan said they do not have an objection with the same but counsel Niteen Pradhan appearing for the Trust took ...Read More >
Also Read | Sambhal sparks rift: INDIA bloc allies face leadership turmoil? "Multiple encroachments are being seen around the area," Sambhal DM Rajendra Pensia told ANI. Pensia said, "There was encroachment on roads, sewers, water bodies, and that too for a long time. We are undertaking an 'abhiyan' (drive) to fix it. We launched a campaign in Chandausi and we had decided we would start the campaign here in November. But we could not start." The DM stated the anti-encroachment drive will conti ...Read More >
Haridwar: A woman politician has been arrested for allegedly letting her boyfriend and others repeatedly rape her 13-year-old daughter in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The horrifying crime, which occurred between January and March, was exposed when the minor bravely confided in her father, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the accused. The accused was arrested with her boyfriend and one more. According to police reports, the minor was gang-raped multiple times, often in the presence of her mother. The minor, who had been living with her father following her parents' separat ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 06: Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have extended greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. They expressed hope that the revered occasion brings peace and prosperity to the region. Dr Farooq Abdullah National Conference (NC) president, Dr Farooq Abdullah conveyed his heartfelt greetings to the people on Eid-ul-Adha, wishing them peace, prosperity and unity. In his message, Dr Abdullah reflected on the profound significance of the day, saying, "As the Muslim Ummah comes together in celebration of Eid-ul-Azha, I extend my warmest greetings to ever ...Read More >
Sambhal (UP), Dec 15 (PTI) Weeks after violent clashes over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid claimed four lives, the district administration has launched a campaign against encroachments and illegal power theft in the area around the historic mosque. As part of its efforts, the administration began removing encroachments from the area on Sunday morning. According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shrish Chandra, the focus is on clearing drains outside houses and shops in the area under the Nakhasa police station. The area is close to the residence of Samajwadi Part ...Read More >
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 6 (ANI): Thousands of devotees rejoice as they make their way to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple today, a momentous occasion in the spiritual and cultural landscape of India. Uttam Kumari Sheluwal, a local from Nepal, said,' We've come to Ayodhya to visit the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, where our beloved Bhagwan Shri Ramchandraji resides. Our family's Ishtadev is Bhagwan Shri Ram, and we worship Mata Janaki too. We're thrilled to be here in Ayodhya, the city of Lord Ram, and can't wait to have Darshan of Prabhu Shri Ram. We're grateful to Chief Minister Yogi ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate multiple rail projects, including the world's highest Chenab Rail Bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge, and the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. These railway projects directly connect Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is an all-weather railway corridor designed to provide seamless connectivity to the region through the rail network. During his visit, PM Modi reviewed the Chenab bridge, world's highest ra ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
A bench of Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Rohit Joshi at Aurangabad noted in its order of December 11 that the woman's daughter, only four years old, is being kept away from her despite a lower court's order. Such behaviour amounts to 'cruelty' as defined under section 498-A of the IPC. (Representational) Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has held that not letting a child meet her mother amounts to 'cruelty' under the Indian Penal Code, and refused to quash a First Information Report registered aga ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Dec 14 (UNI) The tragic suicide of 34-year-old tech professional Atul Subhash has led to the arrest of his estranged wife and her family members in connection with allegations of harassment, extortion, and financial abuse. Subhash, a resident of Manjunath Layout in Bengaluru, was found dead in his apartment on December 9, leaving behind a 25-page suicide note. In the note, he accused his wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family of subjecting him to relentless emotional and financial distress during their ongoing divorce proceedings. Following a complaint filed by Atul's brother, Bik ...Read More >
Ahmedabad: Infocity police in Gandhinagar registered a theft case on Wednesday after materials worth Rs 3.81 lakh were stolen from the GNLU metro station at Koba village. This was the third theft reported on the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro rail network in the past two weeks.Ravindrasinh Bihola, a 27-year-old security guard, filed the FIR with Infocity police. He stated that he was posted at the GNLU metro station for the past three months. He was on night duty from 8 pm to 8 am. According to his complaint, the theft occurred during the intervening night of May 30 and May 31.Bihola said that th ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Azad Maidan police have registered a case of murder in connection with the mysterious death of a 70-year-old man, Amrutlal Krantilal Patel, in 2021. The FIR has come after directives from the sessions court. The case was filed after Patel's sister, Jyotsnaben Patel, alleged foul play and sought legal intervention. About The Case Patel, a resident of Navsari in Gujarat, had been brought to Bombay Hospital on April 16, 2021, due to deteriorating health but passed away before admission. At the time, the police had classified the case as an accidental death, with an autopsy confirmin ...Read More >
The Bihar government on Thursday (June 5, 2025) sanctioned compensation of ₹8.25 lakh under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, to the family members of the 11-year-old Dalit girl who was raped and brutally assaulted with a knife, and later succumbed to her injuries at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on June 1. The State also announced a monthly pension of ₹7,700 for the victim's family, in addition to the allotment of a house under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. According to officials, the girl, who was transferred from Muzaffarpu ...Read More >
Imphal, June 7 (UNI) Three militants were nabbed in separate incidents during the last 24 hours in Manipur, police said on Saturday. Manipur Police arrested a militant from Moidangpok Awang Leikai from Khumbong Bazar under Imphal West District, they said. Security forces arrested a militant from the Elangkhanpokpi Mayai Leikai area under Kakching district. Security forces apprehended a militant from Wangoo Samushang in Bishnupur district and elected members from Kumbi area. In an operation, one M16 rifle, one bolt-action rifle, three pull-mechanism rifles, three improvised mortars, and fiv ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana, who was part of the all-party parliamentary delegation to Europe, said that during their recently conclued visit they successfully communicated India's development story and its resolute stand against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. Highlighting the delegation's key discussions during the tour, Khatana told ANI, 'We discussed how we dismantled the terrorism factory in Pakistan by responding... We also talked about tourism infrastructure, G20 Summit, and projects like the six-lane roads, bridges, solar initiatives, our ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said his party is ready to come together with anyone who will work to protect the interests of Maharashtra and Marathi manoos, his statement coming amid the rapprochement buzz between the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Talking to reporters here, Thackeray accused the BJP of "swallowing" Mumbai and Maharashtra. He said injustice is being meted out to Maharashtra by the BJP. "We have been saying this consistently. We are ready to work with anyone, any party that is ready to ...Read More >
Mumbai: Yet another Bombay high court judge on Thursday declined to hear HDFC Bank MD and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan's petition to quash an FIR registered against him on a complaint by a trust that manages Lilavati Hospital.Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust accused Jagdishan of accepting over Rs 2 crore bribe to aid a rival group to retain legal control over the trust. Following a magistrate's order on the trust's complaint, Bandra police on May 31 registered an FIR against Jagdishan for cheating and criminal breach of trust by a banker.When the matter came up before Justices Mahesh Sonak and ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Ayodhya Ram Mandir was open to the public in January last year. The first floor of the temple will have Raja Ram installed in his grand, kingly form. This step also involves performing Pran Pratishtha for several deities throughout the complex, including those in seven nearby shrines and seven additional mandapams. As the second phase of the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir has started, let us tell you about the beautiful golden top (Shikhar) and the new first floor of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. About the First Floor of Ayodhya Ram Mandir The Ram Mandir T ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Ayodhya has witnessed another proud and historic moment following the consecration of 'Ram Darbar' -- Lord Rama in his royal form -- along with the installation of idols in eight newly built temples inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. The ritual was the second major consecration ceremony at the temple, the first being that of Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024, in the presence of the prime minister. In a post on X, Modi said the auspicious occasion of the consecration of the divine and grand 'Ram Darbar' will fill the devotees o ...Read More >
Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): A banyan tree, believed to be 5,000 years old and spread over two acres in the Deori Kalan area, is 16km from the Sagar district headquarters. It is a storehouse of oxygen, say experts. A large number of people from different parts of the country flock to the 64-Yogini temple in this place. The temple is under the banyan tree. It stands as a rare treat to devotees visiting the temple. The pop roots of the tree are touching the ground. Thousands of bells are hanging from the branches of the banyan tree, which shows their faith in the temple and in the tree. The nation ...Read More >
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 6 (ANI): Thousands of devotees rejoice as they make their way to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple today, a momentous occasion in the spiritual and cultural landscape of India. Uttam Kumari Sheluwal, a local from Nepal, said," We've come to Ayodhya to visit the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, where our beloved Bhagwan Shri Ramchandraji resides. Our family's Ishtadev is Bhagwan Shri Ram, and we worship Mata Janaki too. We're thrilled to be here in Ayodhya, the city of Lord Ram, and can't wait to have Darshan of Prabhu Shri Ram. We're grateful to Chief Minister Yogi ...Read More >
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday refused to take cognisance of a chargesheet against Congress functionary Udit Raj in a case of allegedly disobeying a Delhi Police prohibitory order while holding a protest at the house of former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this year.The court of additional chief judicial magistrate Neha Mittal said there was nothing on record to show that the accused had knowledge of the order. "It is also pertinent to note that there is no evidence on record regarding the identity of the accused. Despite the fact that the incident in question was videographed b ...Read More >