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Rs 200 crore wedding in UAE puts betting app promoter under Enforcement Directorate scanner

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The agency on Friday released details of its investigation into the online money laundering case linked with the Mahadev Online Book Betting app

Published Date – 01:30 PM, Sat – 16 September 23


Rs 200 crore wedding in UAE puts betting app promoter under Enforcement Directorate scanner

ANI Photo

New Delhi: A lavish wedding held this February in the United Arab Emirates caught the attention of the Enforcement Directorate as the entire money-around Rs 200 crore- spent on the bash was paid entirely in cash.

At his wedding held in Ras Al-Khaimah, Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the promoters of an online betting platform, hired private jets to ferry family members from Nagpur to the UAE and paid celebrities from the film industry to perform, according to the ED.

The agency on Friday released details of its investigation into the online money laundering case linked with the Mahadev Online Book Betting app.

Wedding planners, dancers, decorators etc, were hired from Mumbai and hawala channels were used to make payments in cash.

“Sudden and illegal riches are being openly flaunted by them,” the ED said in a statement.

Mahadev Online Book Betting app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs and the laundering of money through a layered web of benami bank accounts.

The ED said Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal who hail from Bhilai in Chattisgarh are the two main promoters of the Mahadev betting platform and ran their operations from Dubai. They had created an empire for themselves in that country.

The agency had recently conducted searches at 39 locations across Raipur, Bhopal, Mumbai and Kolkata and seized illegal assets worth Rs 417 crore. ED has also earnestly taken up investigation abroad.

A Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court at Raipur has also issued non-bailable warrants against the suspects.
The ED which is investigating money laundering charges in connection with the Mahadev Online Book app had last month conducted searches in Chhattisgarh and arrested four accused including the chief liaisoner of the betting syndicate, which the probe agency alleged was organizing payment of bribes to senior government functionaries as ‘protection money.’

“Their Mahadev Online Book is run from a central head office in UAE and operates by franchising ‘Panel/Branches’ to their known associates on 70 per cent-30 per cent profit ratio. Large-scale hawala operations are done to siphon off the proceeds of betting to off-shore accounts. Large expenditure in cash is also being done in India for advertising of betting websites and self-grandizement necessary to attract new users and franchise (panel) seekers,” the ED said.

As per assets seized by the ED, Rs 112 crore was delivered via hawala channel to an event management company — R-1 Events Pvt Ltd of Yogesh Popat — and hotel bookings costing to the tune of Rs 42 crore were done by paying in cash in Arab Emirates Dirham.

Searches were conducted by the central agency at the premises of Yogesh Popat, one Mithilesh and other ‘linked organizers’ and evidence relating to the receipt of Rs 112 crore hawala money is ‘crystallized’. Subsequently, searches were conducted on angadias named by Yogesh Popat.

The searches resulted in the seizure of unaccounted cash of Rs 2.37 crore. It was found that many celebrities have been endorsing these betting entities and performing at their functions in return for hefty fees layered through dubious transactions but ultimately paid from the proceeds of online betting.

ED also conducted searches on Rapid Travels of Dheeraj Ahuja and Vishal Ahuja in Bhopal.

This entity was responsible for the entire ticketing operations of the Mahadev app promoters, family, business associates, and celebrities.

“The illicit cash earnings from the betting panels were cleverly deposited by the Ahuja brothers with main ticket providers, and the wallet balance was used to book domestic and international tickets. Rapid Travels was involved in making travel arrangements for most events of the Mahadev group including the annual star-studded events organized in UAE in the month of September,” the ED said.

ED stated that it has successfully identified other major players involved in the money laundering operations of the Mahadev online booking app.

During the investigations, it was found that one Kolkata-based Vikash Chhaparia was handling all the hawala-related operations for the Mahadev app.

ED conducted searches at his known premises and at his associate Govind Kedia.

It was found that with the help of Govind Kedia, Vikas Chaparia through his entities – Perfect Plan Investments LLP, Exim General Trading FZCO, and Techpro IT Solutions LLC – was investing heavily in the Indian stock market through the Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) route.

Accordingly, cash derivatives and other security holdings worth Rs 236.3 crore in the name of entities beneficially owned by Vikas Chhaparia have been frozen by ED under PMLA 2002.

Further, assets worth Rs 160 crore in Demat holdings of Govind Kumar Kedia have also been frozen by ED under PMLA 2002.
Searches at the premise of Govind Kumar Kedia also resulted in the seizure of Indian currency of Rs 18 lakhs, gold, and jewellery valued at Rs 13 crore.

World

Searchers look for more than 10000 missing in flood-hit Libya

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The death toll from devastating floods in eastern Libya has surpassed 11,000, according to the Libyan Red Crescent, as rescuers desperately try to help those who managed to survive the disaster, ABC reports.

The Libyan Red Crescent said Friday that at least 11,300 people had died and another 10,100 were reported missing.

Mediterranean storm Daniel is behind the widespread flooding in the North African nation, as it washed away entire neighborhoods over the weekend and swept bodies out to sea.

The port city of Derna was the worst affected following the collapse of two dams, which wiped out a quarter of the area. The city has been declared a disaster zone, with electricity and communication having been cut off, according to local officials.

An assessment team visiting Derna on Thursday said people were returning to what was left of their homes in desperation.

“What I saw there is … the situation is devastating … a lot of destruction and ruins, around 25% of the city was basically destroyed as a result of the flooding,” Talal Burnaz, the acting country director in Libya for the International Medical Corps, told ABC News.

“Whenever you see a search and rescue team you will see families standing there with tears in their eyes asking for support and hoping that they will basically find one of their family members alive,” Burnaz said.

Burnaz said they were still pulling people out of the rubble Thursday. He saw one rescue and heard of four more when he visited the last remaining government run hospital in Derna. The survivors had been trapped under rubble since the early hours of Monday morning.

Some help is getting through the one road that leads to the devastated areas. Burnaz saw international search and rescue teams — from Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and Spain — and he drove past convoys of help coming from all over Libya.

“There were many local authorities there — army, police, scouts, Libyan Red Cross — trying to retrieve either bodies or trying to find survivors under the rubble,” Burnaz said.

RHM/PR

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Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari calls for immediate announcement of election schedule

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Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday called for immediate announcement of a date and schedule for the general elections

Published Date – 12:50 PM, Sat – 16 September 23


Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari calls for immediate announcement of election schedule



Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday called for immediate announcement of a date and schedule for the general elections. He emphasised that only polls could move Pakistan out of economic and political crises, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

As the elections are potentially just a few months away, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been engaging in public gatherings and organising party meetings as his party is preparing for polls.

One such meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee was held on Friday. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called the announcement of an election date and schedule the only way to dispel the “confusion and atmosphere of instability and insecurity” prevalent in the country, according to Dawn report.

Concerns over the election schedule have been raised after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled out elections this year.

According to ECP, the decision to push elections beyond November 9 was made on the basis of notification of results of the new digital 2023 census and Section 17(2) of the Election Act, which states, “The commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published.” While reading out the resolution passed during the PPP’s CEC meeting, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “The party had an extensive discussion on constitutional matters, including the urgent need for dampening the cycle of chronic political instability which will only settle down with the announcement of an election date and schedule.”

He further said, “The party’s lawyers also briefed the leadership on the responsibility of the ECP to announce an election date and schedule immediately as per the constitutional requirement,” Dawn reported.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari raised concerns regarding the lack of a “level-playing field” in the current political landscape. He stressed that his complaint was related to ‘one party’.

He said PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was empowered by PPP’s apex committee to express these concerns at “appropriate forums” and address them.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he also recalled that “one party” had conspired to “throw PPP out from Punjab” in 2013. However, he added that the party had “paid the price” itself for the “political mistake.”

Earlier on Thursday, PPP Information Secretary Shazia Marri said that holding elections at the earliest was in the interest of Pakistan so that the country comes out of the present uncertainty. She said that the PPP has always backed conducting the polls within 90 days, whether in Punjab or elsewhere, according to the Dawn report.

Marri said, “We do acknowledge that delimitation of constituencies after the new census is essential. But, efforts should be made not to violate other constitutional provisions for the sake of one. Or at least any such violation should be as little as possible.” She said the PPP had no objections to the delimitation of constituencies under the new census. However, it had reservations regarding the time that would be taken in the process.

While responding to a question, Marri said that legal experts told the CEC participants that Pakistan President Arif Alvi did not have the power to write to the chief election commissioner or suggest any date for elections.

She said that Alvi’s letter had caused confusion and added that Pakistan’s President had no clear stance and was playing on both sides of the wicket, Dawn reported. On Wednesday, Pakistan President Arif Alvi in a letter to a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja proposed November 6 as the date for holding national elections.

World

Assailant on Iran's ambassador to Denmark found guilty

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The special prosecutor of the case announced that this man was sentenced to treatment in the psychiatric ward and no specific maximum time for his treatment has been set.

In the indictment that he submitted, he had demanded the punishment of the attacker based on physical action of a very aggressive, brutal and dangerous nature against a diplomat. The Copenhagen court also agreed to the prosecutor’s request and found the attacker guilty based on the indictment.

While climbing the wall of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Denmark, the convicted person attacked the ambassador of our country with a knife.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdullahian had a telephone conversation with the ambassador of our country in Denmark after this incident happened last year. He said that it is unfortunate that in the heart of Europe, such an attack is made on a lady and an ambassador with diplomatic immunity, and the police do not arrive on time.

MNA/PR

World

Canada postpones October trade mission to India

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A spokesperson for Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng confirmed the change on Friday, though no reason was offered for the delay

Published Date – 12:32 PM, Sat – 16 September 23


Canada postpones October trade mission to India



Ottawa: Canada has announced that it would postpone an October trade mission to India, Al Jazeera reported.

A spokesperson for Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng confirmed the change on Friday, though no reason was offered for the delay.

The spokesperson, Shanti Cosentino, said: At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India. This comes at a time when negotiations for a free trade agreement between India and Canada have been stalled, sources informed on Friday.

The sources cited certain political developments in Canada as the reason for the pause in the negotiations, and added talks will resume once issues are settled between both the governments.

There were reports earlier that the two countries could reach an interim trade deal by the end of this year.

Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng and her Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in May issued a joint statement saying they hoped to boost trade and investment between their two countries by the year’s end.

But those talks have hit several high-level snags, as per Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a pull-aside discussion with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 Summit raised strong concerns about the continuous anti-India activities by extremist elements in Canada.

Prime Minister Modi stated that it was essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats.

The Prime Minister conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship, said an official statement after the Modi-Trudeau meeting.

While Trudeau was in India for the G20 Summit, Khalistani secessionists held a so-called referendum in Surrey, British Columbia.

The separatists used objectionable language against Indian leadership and made remarks against the territorial integrity of India.

Recently, a Hindu temple was vandalised in Canada by extremist elements with Khalistan referendum posters, Australia Today reported.

The incident happened in British Columbia province in Canada.

#Breaking Another #Hindu temple vandalised in #Canada by #Khalistan extremists bogus #Khalistanreferendum posters put at door of @surreymandir to create fear among #Indian community, Australia Today said on Twitter.

World

Iran refutes ‘absurd’ US claims about use of Iranian drones in Ukraine war

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The permanent mission of Iran to the United Nations has categorically rejected the “absurd” and “unfounded” claims raised by the United States that Tehran has sold drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.

The Iranian UN mission, in two identical letters addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and rotating President of the Security Council Ferit Hoxha, said Washington’s cynical attempt to establish an illusory link between the alleged use of drones in the Ukraine conflict and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) to accuse Tehran of violating the resolution is “misleading and entirely unfounded.”

The resolution prohibits countries from receiving ballistic missiles and drones from Iran that have a range of more than 300 kilometers and a payload of more than 500 kilograms until October 2023.

The anti-Iran claims first emerged in July 2022, when US national security adviser Jake Sullivan alleged that Washington had received “information” indicating that the Islamic Republic was preparing to provide Russia with “up to several hundred drones, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline” for use in the war.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has rejected these unfounded and absurd allegations on several occasions and through various communications to the UN Security Council and the UN secretary-general, including a letter dated August 17, 2023 (S/2023/610). All of these phony charges are once again rejected,” Iran’s diplomatic mission added.

It said the US seeks not only to intentionally mislead the international community, but also to manipulate the mandate of the United Nations Secretariat for the sole purpose of serving its own political interests regardless of its ongoing and flagrant violations of Resolution 2231.

“We underscore once more that the United States’ repeated and unjustified request to the Secretariat to conduct the so-called investigation into the alleged violation of Resolution 2231 lacks a legal basis. Neither Resolution 2231 nor the relevant Note by the President of the Security Council (S/2016/44) authorize such an unlawful mandate,” the mission pointed out.

It called upon the Secretariat of the United Nations to diligently fulfill its mandate, as outlined in the note of the President of the Security Council (S/2016/44), resist yielding to the influence exerted by the United States and certain member states with regard to Article 100 of the UN Charter, and refrain from legitimizing baseless and politically motivated claims lacking proper substantiation.

The mission categorically rejected the identical baseless allegations made against Tehran by certain Security Council member states during the UN Security Council briefings under the so-called “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” and “Threats to international peace and security” agenda items, held on July 21 and 26, August 17 and September 12, as well as an unwarranted reference made to Iran in a joint statement by the US and certain states on August 30 regarding North Korea.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that it “has consistently upheld its commitments under international law and the UN Charter, and maintains a clear and consistent position on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” the diplomatic mission noted.

World

Russia shoots down 2 Ukraine drones in Kaluga, Tver regions

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“In the early morning of September 16, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by two aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on facilities on Russian territory was stopped. Air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian UAVs over the Kaluga and Tver regions,” the ministry said, Sputnik reports.

Ukrainian troops resorted to drone warfare in the last several months after the loss of several strategic locations and the growing number of casualties.

Military experts stress that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia pursue no meaningful military goal apart from boosting morale among Ukrainians.

MNA/PR

World

Russian nuclear-capable aircraft shown to North Korea leader

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The leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) saw Russia’s Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

These aircraft form the air component of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces.

In addition, Kim and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who met the guest, saw modern aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Lt. Gen. Sergey Kobylash, told Kim about the flight and technical capabilities of the system.

This Russian hypersonic missile system has no analogs in the world and has shown its high combat effectiveness.

Later on, Kim Jong Un, accompanied by Sergei Shoigu, arrived in Vladivostok aboard the Pacific Fleet frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov.

The ship, built in the mid-1980s, has recently been modernized and equipped with top-of-the-line weaponry. The frigate is named after Borish Shaposhnikov – a Marshal of the Soviet Union and a prominent military theorist of the WWII era who helped to forge victory over the Nazis.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, briefed the high-ranking visitors on the advanced capabilities of the new control systems, which enable the use of Kalibr cruise missiles against maritime and coastal targets at a range of up to 1,500 km.

The latest tour comes a day after Kim took the opportunity to visit the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and inspect Russian aircraft including the the Su-35 and the Su-57 fighter jets, among other aircraft.

Accompanying Kim, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov noted at the time that Russia sees potential for cooperation between the two nations on a variety of topics, including the manufacture of aircraft.

RHM/PR

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PM Modi to hold bilateral meetings with Biden, Sheikh Hasina & Mauritius PM on Friday

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PM Modi also said that these meetings will give an opportunity to review India’s bilateral ties with these nations and further strengthen developmental cooperation.

Updated On – 02:38 PM, Fri – 8 September 23


PM Modi to hold bilateral meetings with Biden, Sheikh Hasina & Mauritius PM on Friday

Photo: AP

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has informed that he will be having bilateral meetings with his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and US President Joe Biden at his residence in New Delhi Friday evening.

PM Modi also said that these meetings will give an opportunity to review India’s bilateral ties with these nations and further strengthen developmental cooperation.

These meetings will be held a day before the commencement of the G20 summit, which begins from September 9 in the national capital.

“This evening, I look forward to three bilateral meetings at my residence. I will be meeting Mauritius PM @KumarJugnauth, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and @POTUS @JoeBiden. The meetings will give an opportunity to review India’s bilateral ties with these nations and further strengthen developmental cooperation,” Modi posted on X.

While Jugnauth is already in India for the multilateral event, Biden will arrive in New Delhi later in the evening. Hasina is coming for the summit as a special invitee.