The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday interrogated Nitin Sardesai, a confidante of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray and a former legislator, official sources said. Sardesai’s probe by the ED came a fortnight after Thackeray was summoned and subjected to nearly eight hours grilling on August 22. Both Sardesai and Thackeray’s questioning pertained to alleged money-laundering and suspected irregularities in the loans extended to Kohinoor CTNL by the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS). As per indications, Sardesai – who was at the agency’s office for over six hours on Thursday – may be summoned again by the ED for…
Author: Our Correspondent
Leh’s first Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) van was flagged off on Thursday by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel from the iconic Leh Palace here. The vehicle will hold lectures and sky observation sessions for school students, among other programmes. According to the officials in the Ministry of Culture, the vehicle will travel across the Ladakh region to promote science and technology among the youth. The Ministry will also flag-off 24 more such vans from different parts of the country on Thursday. Originally launched in 1965 as Mobile Science Museum (MSM), these vans have science exhibits and hold…
A Delhi court on Thursday sent Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to judicial custody in the CBI case involving INX Media. Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar sent Chidambaram to 14 days in custody after the former Union minister was produced before in court on Thursday. The court also allowed applications moved by Chidambaram seeking medicines and a western-style toilet in jail along with Z-category security and a separate cell with a cot and a bathroom. The same were allowed by the court. Chidambaram has also moved another application in the court seeking permission to surrender in the Enforcement Directorate…
India skipper Virat Kohli is not only very active on the cricket field, but the run-machine has an equally strong presence on social media platforms. With over over 30 million followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Kohli is one of the most followed cricket stars. However, his latest post on Instagram has seen fans trolling the India captain. The caption of the picture reads: “As long as we look within, we won’t need to seek anything outside.” After the post, netizens took no time in poking fun and a fan tweeted: “kya ho gya bhai? Kisne mara? (What happened brother?…
Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday paid tributes to his childhood coach late Ramakant Achrekar on the occasion of Teacher’s Day. Taking to Twitter, Tendulkar went down the memory lane and shared a picture of him learning batting techniques from Achrekar. “Teachers impart not just education but also values. Achrekar Sir taught me to play straight – on the field and in life. I shall always remain grateful to him for his immeasurable contribution in my life. His lessons continue to guide me today,” Tendulkar tweeted. Achrekar(87), who trained Tendulkar and his friend Vinod Kambli, among others, died in January…
In a jolt to former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant anticipatory bail to the former Union Minister in an Enforcement Directorate case involving the INX Media scam. A bench headed by Justice R. Banumathi said: “This is not a fit case for grant of anticipatory bail. Investigating agency has to be given enough freedom to probe.” The court,making an observation on the economic offences, said these offences are serious in nature and anticipatory bail has to be an exception when the investigation are ongoing in such cases. The court expressed apprehension taht the…
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former treasurer of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association Ahsan Ahmed Mirza, a close associate of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, officials said on Wednesday. A senior ED officer told IANS: “In case of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, upon allegations of misappropriation of funds in the association to the tune of Rs 43.69 crore of and corresponding wrongful gain to accused Ahsan Ahmad Mirza and others, a case was registered.” He said the investigations conducted so far, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), have disclosed clear-cut details of…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to provide tap water to each household in the country may cost a whopping Rs 7.88 lakh crore. The estimate is based on project reports submitted by the states to the Jal Shakti Ministry and considering the present coverage of piped water at 18 per cent in the country. Given the huge fund requirement for the ambitious project, the Centre is looking at innovative financing options such as public private partnership (PPP) and hybrid annuity model, which has been successfully implemented in the road sector. “The states may opt for available innovative financing models,” official…
President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday greeted ” across the country on the eve of Teachers Day, noting that teachers play a significant role in the lives of students. “On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, I have great pleasure in extending my greetings and felicitations to teachers,” said the President. By celebrating Teacher’s Day on the birth anniversary (September 5) of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Kovind said “we pay tribute to an illustrious statesman, a great scholar and one of the most distinguished personalities of the teaching fraternity”. “His life and work forever will inspire teachers to discharge their duties…
After nearly a month of communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir, all landline connections across the Valley will be restored from Thursday, it was announced on Wednesday. Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of Information and Public Relations said that the remaining 19 telephone exchanges, which are still under communication restrictions, will be opened on Wednesday night The central government had imposed communication restrictions in the valley, by clamping down upon landline, mobile and internet connections, after special status was withdrawn from the state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5. “Most telephone exchanges to be functional tonight across Valley. Mobiles being…