Indian-Origin Student Shreyas Reddy Found Dead In US, 4th Case This Year

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 2, 2024 | top-stories

Shreyas Reddy Beniger was studying at Linder School of Business in Ohio.

New Delhi:

A student of Indian origin was found dead in the US on Thursday making it the fourth such incident this year.

19-year-old Shreyas Reddy Beniger was a student at the Lindner College of Business in Ohio. Officials told NDTV that Shreyas’ parents stay in Hyderabad, but he had an American passport.

Authorities have ruled out any foul play or a possibility of a hate crime in the case.

The Indian Mission in New York has expressed anguish over the incident and said a probe is on to ascertain the cause of Beniger’s death.

“Deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of Mr. Shreyas Reddy Benigeri, a student of Indian origin in Ohio. Police investigation is underway. At this stage, foul play is not suspected. The Consulate continues to remain in touch with the family and is extending all possible assistance to them,” the Indian Consulate in New York posted on X – earlier known as Twitter.

Deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of Mr. Shreyas Reddy Benigeri, a student of Indian origin in Ohio. Police investigation is underway. At this stage, foul play is not suspected.

The Consulate continues to remain in touch with the family and is extending all possible…

— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) February 1, 2024

Earlier this week, Neel Acharya – a student at Purdue University – was found dead on Monday. Acharya was missing since Sunday. Hours later, a body was found on the university campus and was identified as that of Acharya.

His mother Gaury on Sunday put out a post on social media, informing that Acharya had been missing and was last seen by an Uber driver who dropped him at the campus. She sought help in finding him. Soon after, Acharya was confirmed dead.

In another case, Vivek Saini – a resident of Haryana’s Panchkula – was hammered to dead by a homeless man in Georgia’s Lithonia on January 16.

Vivek Saini, who was pursuing MBA in Georgia’s Lithonia, worked part-time at a convenience store that sheltered a homeless man Julian Faulkner. Saini had reportedly given the man chips, water and even a jacket. On January 16, the 25-year-old reportedly refused to give Faulkner free food and this led to the attack.

Another Indian student, Akul Dhawan, was found dead outside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in January this year,

The 18-year-old’s autopsy suggested that he died from hypothermia.

However, Dhawan’s parents have filed a complaint, accusing the university’s police department of negligence and inaction after Akul Dhawan was reported missing. “This is bizarre, that a kid is never found who was just less than a block, like one minute away, sitting there, dead, frozen to death,” his father Ish Dhawan said.

With the huge influx of students annually post-Covid, the US has issued student visas to about 2 lakh students in the last two years.

Currently, about 3 lakh Indian students are enrolled in various courses in the US.

Source link

Hemant Soren Sent To Jail For A Day, Probe Agency Custody Decision Tomorrow

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 1, 2024 | top-stories

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

New Delhi:

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren – arrested late Wednesday night by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges – has been sent to judicial custody for one day, with a definitive ruling on the central agency’s request for 10-day custody expected Friday afternoon.

The Ranchi special court before which Mr Soren – whom the agency claims was directly involved in the alleged Rs 600 crore land scam – was presented this morning delayed passing its final order, because the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of a petition by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader.

Hours before he was produced in the special court, Mr Soren had moved the Supreme Court to challenge his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. In his petition, he said the agency had “abused its power and acted in a malafide manner to destabilise a democratically-elected state government”.

He also called his arrest “illegal and without jurisdiction”; Mr Soren has already filed one case against senior officers of the probe agency under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Act.

“The ED is brazenly acting under the (diktats) of the central government and hounding the petitioner to destabilise a democratically-elected government headed by the petitioner…” he complained.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud agreed to hear the plea at 2 pm Friday.

Visuals from earlier in the day showed a confident Mr Soren smiling and waving as he exited a vehicle and was escorted inside the Ranchi courtroom, surrounded by ED officials and security personnel.

Meanwhile, Champai Soren, who is expected to replace Hemant Soren as the Chief Minister, will meet Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan at 5.30 pm. In a brief letter this morning, he said he had the support of a majority of lawmakers and the ability to “provide a stable government in the state”.

READ | “No Government In Jharkhand For 18 Hours”: Champai Soren’s SOS To Governor

He also red-flagged the lack of a functioning government and the “situation of confusion”, and said, “…the MLAs, and people of the state, expect you will take steps to form a popular government.”

Champai Soren, the Transport Minister, is seen as an acceptable alternative to Hemant Soren’s original plan – to make his wife, Kalpana Soren, the Chief Minister till he returns to power.

READ | How Champai Soren Emerged Consensus Candidate As Jharkhand Chief Minister

There was, however, opposition to that idea, with many in the party, including the Chief Minister’s extended family, who said Ms Soren – not a MLA – did not have the necessary experience.

Hemant Soren was arrested Wednesday night amid high drama all this week, starting with “the case of the missing Chief Minister” that played out from Monday morning to Tuesday afternoon.

READ | Before Hemant Soren’s Arrest, Drama Outside Raj Bhavan In Jharkhand

He had flown into Delhi Saturday night and was reportedly seen leaving his home in the city’s Shantiniketan area the following night – on foot and with a shawl around his head.

The Enforcement Directorate turned up at 7 am the following day to find the house empty and Mr Soren’s whereabouts unknown. The agency said it seized Rs 36 lakh in cash and a luxury SUV.

READ | Hemant Soren’s 1,300 km Car Journey As Probe Agency Watched Delhi Airport

Mr Soren remained “missing” till Tuesday, when he popped up in Ranchi to hold a meeting of his party’s lawmakers. Reports said he had taken a nearly 1,300 km road trip from Delhi.

After he emerged in Ranchi, he was questioned by the ED for over seven hours.

As the day wore on, it became clear Hemant Soren would be arrested and, in dramatic final moments, NDTV was told he refused to sign his arrest memo till he had resigned.

READ | Hemant Soren Refused To Sign Arrest Memo Until He Resigned: Sources

This, sources said, was to avoid the distinction of becoming the first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested. Giving in to his demand, the ED team took Mr Soren to Raj Bhavan to resign.

He was then taken to the agency’s office in the city and formally arrested.

With input from agencies

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Source link

Explained: Why Maoists In Chhattisgarh Are Targeting New 'Tatkal Camps'

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jan 31, 2024 | top-stories

These camps set up by security force are becoming new targets. (Representational)

Anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh have entered a new phase after the BJP came to power in the state in December last year. Security forces have set up Tatkal Camps (Instant Camps) in the areas which are considered to be the den of Maoists. Almost a dozen camps have been set up after the BJP came to power in December which has left the Maoists baffled.

These camps have come up in regions that are badly affected by Maoist attacks. Padia, Muler, Salatong in the Sukma district, Murkarajbeda, Duled, Dumripalnar, Palnar and Mutavendi are some regions where these camps have been set up.

Attacks On Tatkal Camps

But these camps are becoming new targets. Three security personnel were killed and 14 others were injured in a gunfight with Maoists near the Bijapur-Sukma border in Chhattisgarh yesterday when they were working to establish the camp.

The security camp was established in Tekulagudem village in the Sukma district to provide the people of the area with basic facilities and keep a check on Maoist activities.

“Operations are being conducted daily due to which the force is on the move always. Tatkal camps are being set up and sometimes security parameters are overlooked due to which such attacks are taking place,” a senior officer on the ground said when asked about the attack on Tekelgudem village on the Sukma-Bijapur border.

“When the camp was being set up in Tekelgudem, the forces were trying to secure the adjoining area and one party was attacked by Maoists,” an official told NDTV. This is the second attack in this region, the official said.

Last year, in April, when security forces entered the region, 23 soldiers were killed.

However, some locals are not happy with the setting up of camps. In the Silgir village, several villagers are protesting against the Tatkal Camps. The protest is taking place a few kilometres from where the attack took place. In Bastar, 23 protests are taking place against the establishment of these security camps.

Security Forces Putting Special Focus

Officials on the ground said Tekelgudem in the state has been infested with Maoists for the last four decades, because of which development is not taking in the area.

The official told NDTV that “Former Maoist commander Hidma lives four kilometres from here and therefore nearby villages including Tekelgudem do not have roads, electricity, school and hospitals. Maoists are forcing villagers to join their organizations. Children in the region are taught about Maoism to recruit them.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reiterated that the menace would be over in India in the next three years. Security forces have been planning operations on the ground meticulously.

Last week, on January 16, more than 400 Maoists attacked the Dharmavaram camp and tried to divert the attention of the security forces by firing more than a thousand barrel grenade launchers.

Security forces have put a special focus on Dandakaranya its neighbouring regions. Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the central regional bureau of the CPI(Maoist) continues to be the biggest Maoist stronghold and shelter zone of the brass.

Almost 80 per cent of the central committee members are stationed in the Dandakaranya zone, which has turned out to be a functionally compact zone administratively for the Maoists.

This area has been marked by the government as the last stronghold of the Maoists after facing losses in other parts of the country.

Source link

List Of World's Most And Least Corrupt Countries Released, India Ranks…

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jan 31, 2024 | top-stories

The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked 180 countries and territories (Representational)

New Delhi:

A list of the world’s most corrupt countries was released on Tuesday and showed that most of the nations have made little to no progress in tackling public sector corruption.

According to the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, the CPI global average remained unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.

The CPI ranked 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

World’s Least Corrupt Countries

Denmark, with a score of 90, topped the index for the sixth consecutive year due to its “well-functioning justice systems”, the report said.

Finland (87) and New Zealand (85) were ranked second and third, respectively.

Norway with a score of 84, Singapore (83), Sweden (82), Switzerland (82), Netherlands (79), Germany (78), and Luxembourg (78) were the other least corrupted countries in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index.

World’s Most Corrupt Countries

Somalia with a score of 11, Venezuela (13), Syria (13), South Sudan (13), and Yemen (16) took the bottom spots in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index.

“They are all affected by protracted crises, mostly armed conflicts,” the report said.

The bottom of the index also included North Korea with a score of 172.

India Ranks 93 In Global Corruption Index 2023

India, with a score of 39, ranked 93 on the corruption perceptions index for 2023 as its overall score remained largely unchanged, the Transparency International report said.

India’s overall score was 40 in 2022 and ranked 85.

Pakistan, with a score of 29, and Sri Lanka (34) grappled with their respective debt burdens and ensuing political instability, the report said.

The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index was based on perceptions of public sector corruption and used data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, think tanks and others.

Source link

His Plane In Delhi, BMW Seized, 'Missing' Hemant Soren Surfaces In Ranchi

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jan 30, 2024 | top-stories

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was declared missing by BJP. He has now surfaced in Ranchi

Ranchi:

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, declared “missing” by the BJP after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials failed to locate him for over 24 hours, surfaced in Ranchi today. Mr Soren, who was last seen in Delhi on Sunday night, left his home in Ranchi today for a meeting with MLAs from the ruling coalition in Jharkhand.

Reappearance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader comes amid frenetic political developments in Ranchi and Delhi. ED officials had reached his Delhi address yesterday to question him in a money laundering case, but could not locate him. The agency seized Rs 36 lakh in cash and Mr Soren’s BMW car, but he was not found at his Delhi homes or at Jharkhand Bhavan in Delhi.

Amid the development, the BJP started claiming that the Chief Minister was “on the run”. State BJP chief Babulal Marandi also put out an advertisement, seeking information about Mr Soren and announcing a cash prize of Rs 11,000 for credible information.

The JMM, however, had maintained that they are in touch with the Chief Minister. JMM ally Congress alleged that the BJP’s “missing” claim is a conspiracy to create a situation to impose President’s rule in the state. Governor CP Radhakrishnan had said that he is keeping a close watch on the situation. “It is the job of the Governor, I am doing it. We will cross the bridge when it comes,” he told reporters, adding that “no one is above the law”.

Meanwhile, all MLAs of the ruling alliance – comprising JMM, Congress and RJD – have been asked to stay in Ranchi, sparking speculation over what comes next.

BJP MP and Jharkhand leader Dr Nishikant Dubey has alleged that a plan to name Mr Soren’s wife Kalpana as Chief Minister is underway. “Hemant Soren ji has called his own, JMM, Congress and allied MLAs to reach Ranchi with their luggage and bags. According to the information, there is a proposal to make Kalpana Soren ji (Hemant Soren’s wife) Chief Minister,” he claimed in a post on X.

Mr Soren is being investigated in connection with an alleged racket of illegal change of land ownership by mafia in Jharkhand. The ED has arrested 14 people in the case so far.

Accusing the BJP-led Centre of using probe agencies for political goals, the JMM has questioned why a fresh summons was issued days after Mr Soren was questioned on January 20. They also hit out at ED for reaching the Chief Minister’s Delhi residence with armed personnel yesterday, even after he had told them that he would be available for questioning on Wednesday.

Source link

US Man Arrested For Punching, Slapping Daughter After Her Loss At Wrestling Event

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jan 29, 2024 | top-stories

The sheriff’s office reported that the girl did not sustain any physical injuries.

A man was arrested after he allegedly punched and slapped his daughter at a sporting event in Hall County, Georgia. Deputies were called to Cherokee Bluff Middle School after 2 pm on Saturday to investigate a report of a man hitting a female child, Fox News reported.

The preliminary investigation revealed that 38-year-old Steven Mathue Slaton, a resident of Commerce, became angry with his daughter for not emerging victorious in a wrestling match held at the school.

Reportedly, he punched the girl in the back, slapped her across the face, and then picked her up by her ears, lifting the girl over his head.

Fortunately, the sheriff’s office reported that the girl did not sustain any physical injuries.

Notably, the victim is not a student in the Hall County School District, she and her family had travelled to Hall County for the youth wrestling event, which was not sponsored by the school district.

Slaton was charged with felony cruelty to children in the first degree. He posted a $11,200 bond on Monday afternoon.

Earlier, a Colorado mother accused of murdering two of her children and injuring a third was arrested in London after being on the run for days. Kimberlee Singler, 35, appeared at Westminister Magistrate’s court on New Year’s Day, charged with the murder of her two children.

Singler has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, three counts of child abuse and one count of assault.

Her daughter, aged nine, and son, seven were found dead at a home in Colorado on December 19, along with her 11-year-old daughter who was injured, BBC reported.

Source link

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Times Top News

Times Top News