Charred beyond recognition, Indian family of 4 killed in US crash was on way home from road trip
The SUV ran head-on into a truck being driven on the wrong side of the road in the horrific accident on a highway in Greene County near Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, July 6. The victims were reported to be Venkat Bejugam (aka Sri Venkat), his wife Tejaswini Cholleti and their two children, Siddarth and Mrida Bejugam – all pronounced dead on the spot.
On X, viral posts about the crash included one with a video that showed a large SUV on fire. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Police did not immediately name the victims as only the bones remained by the time fire tenders could put out the blaze.
The family, on a summer road trip, had been living in the US for some time, at Sutton Fields in Aubrey, near Dallas, and had just spent a week with extended family in Atlanta. They were on their way back to Dallas, and were not very far from home, when the crash happened, according to NRI Pulse. They reportedly belong to Hyderabad's sister city, Secunderabad.
A welfare organisation called TEAM Aid is working with the authorities and the Indian consulate to have the bodies sent to India, multiples outlets reported.
Texas has seen similar accidents in which NRIs have lose their lives.
In September 2024, four Indians were killed in Anna, Texas, when a speeding truck hit their SUV from behind at hight speed, causing it to burst into flames. Barely a month before that, an Indian couple and their daughter died in a blaze after a car accident in Texas; their son survived the accident.
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The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
As bar associations go after courtroom imposters in black & white, concerns about ‘overreach'
'No clerk, litigant, or member of the general public is permitted to wear a white shirt and black pants,' the notice stated, declaring the attire 'strictly reserved' for advocates as a symbol of professional identity. In an effort to clamp down on the worrying trend of touts and fake lawyers misleading and defrauding litigants, the Rohini Court Bar Association (RCBA) issued a notice 15 July, prohibiting non-lawyers from wearing white shirts and black trousers within the court premises. New Delhi: From Shahdara to Gurugram, court bar associations are imposing attire restrictions after a surge in non-lawyers posing as advocates — triggering fresh debate on freedom, formality, and access to justice. 'A number of touts are falsely representing themselves as official advocates or clerks… These individuals are misleading and defrauding uneducated litigants under false pretence,' the RCBA said. A month earlier, the Gurgaon Bar Association passed a similar resolution, emphasising that only enrolled advocates or duly authorised law interns are permitted to wear the professional dress code — white shirt and black trousers, salwar suit, or sari—as per Bar Council of India (BCI) norms. According to the resolution dated 5 June, violators now face a Rs 5,000 penalty, and the rule is strictly enforced inside the district court complex. In November 2022, the Shahdara Bar Association of Delhi introduced a new dress code for interns—white shirt and blue coat and trousers. This was done keeping in mind the confusion and mix up between advocates and interns as a large number of interns visit the court. But this order was set aside by the Delhi High Court which said a standard uniform should be mandated across the board as varying dress codes set by different bar associations would create confusion and difficulties for interns. Thus, the uniform prescribed by the Bar Council of Delhi would be followed uniformly across Delhi. In November 2018, a Delhi High Court judge set aside a similar notice issued by the Rohini Bar Association directing interns not to wear black coats. Even though there have been debates about change in the formal attire due to the excessive summer heat—discussions about litigant's clothing have been uncommon. Also Read: Gurugram Bar cracks down on courtroom impersonators with a 'black & white' ban The colonial legacy The black-and-white dress code—black coat, white shirt, neckband—was inherited by the Indian legal system from the British colonial tradition. The tradition of wearing uniforms in courts is centuries-old. In England, judges began wearing wigs around 1650, although robes had already been in use even earlier. After Independence, India did away with the wig but retained black coats and robes as part of courtroom attire. Under the Advocates Act of 1961, it is compulsory for lawyers in India to wear a black coat or robe along with a white neckband. Wearing a gown is optional, except when appearing before the Supreme Court or high courts. Over the years, this uniform has become the visual shorthand for a lawyer in India — both inside courtrooms and in popular culture. But that symbolic power is now being undermined. The crisp black coat and white shirt are more than just fashion. In India, they're a badge of authority. In Bollywood or TV, anyone in black-and-white is instantly assumed to be a powerful lawyer character—think Jolly LLB or Damini. According to the Bar Council of India 'an advocate shall appear in court only in the dress prescribed and his appearance should always be presentable'. The Advocates Act, 1961, along with the Bar Council of India Rules, outlines the dress code for advocates in India. For male advocates , a black buttoned-up coat, chapkan, achkan (knee-length jacket), black sherwani, and white bands with an advocate's gown. Alternatively, a black open-breast coat, white collar (stiff or soft), and white bands with an advocate's gown. Long trouser —white, black, striped, or grey—or a dhoti. For female advocates, a black full- or half-sleeve jacket or blouse, white collar (stiff or soft), and white bands with an advocate's gown. Alternatively, sarees or long skirts in white, black, or any mellow or subdued colour without any print or design or flares in white, black, black-striped, or grey. But the rules, while clear for advocates, are silent on what litigants or the general public can or cannot wear. Who owns the black & white? Traditionally, litigants were expected to dress 'formally' in courts, out of respect for the proceedings. But now, some worry these colour restrictions could affect people simply trying to dress appropriately. The recent curbs raise questions about dress codes being enforced beyond legal professionals. 'While the RCBA's intention to prevent impersonation is understandable, enforcing a prohibition on basic attire—white shirts and black trousers — across all court visitors strays into arbitrary overreach,' Delhi-based advocate Urja Pandey told ThePrint. Furthermore, these are common everyday wear in India, worn by students, clerks, office workers, and even children, she explained. 'Banning them impinges on ordinary citizens' freedom of expression and right to access justice, especially when they may lack the means for elaborate wardrobe changes.' 'The Bar Council of India's authority under Section 49(1)(gg) of the Advocates Act empowers it to regulate advocates' dress, not the public's; extending such rules to litigants or clerks risks legal invalidation,' she added. Supreme Court advocate Shariq Ahmed Abbasi, however, said the Rohini Bar Association notice must be welcomed by the public at large. This move, he said, is only to 'save litigants from the menace of touts. It was repeatedly brought to the knowledge of the Bar body that several miscreants had falsely represented themselves as lawyers and defrauded the litigants.' 'The step should be seen in the right earnest with the objective of preserving the interests of litigants and as a mark of professional identity and dignity of the legal fraternity,' he told ThePrint. About alternatives, advocate Pandey explained how the issue of impersonation can be better addressed through 'targeted measures such as mandatory identity cards, better gate security, biometric checks, or visible signage — not blanket attire bans'. Ved Prakash Sharma, co-chairman of the Bar Council of India since 2019 and a former chairman of the Bar Council of Delhi, also criticised this move. He said a bar association is an association of advocates working at a particular court complex, and they have no right or authority to prescribe a dress code for members of the society. 'They (bar associations) have no legal or moral authority to do that, and (they) are exceeding their jurisdiction and authority by prescribing a dress code or penalising people wearing advocate attire,' he added. 'Even for advocates, the only statutory body—Bar Council of India—will prescribe a dress code.' He acknowledged the concerns about touts, security and safety as legitimate, but said 'these things are to be taken up with the law enforcement authorities, the police concerned or the district judge or the High Court.' 'And it is their business how to control and regulate the entry of unwarranted people in the court complex.' (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Bangs, lipstick, low neckline—for Indian woman lawyers, merit evaluation steeped in misogyny
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
CoinDCX Suffers Major Cyberattack, $44 Million Stolen– All You Need To Know
New Delhi: India-based crypto exchange CoinDCX suffered a major cyberattack on July 20 with hackers stealing nearly 44 million dollars (around Rs 380 crore) from its internal accounts. The breach which occurred over 17 hours ago. It was first flagged within the community by ethical hacker ZachZBT. CoinDCX's co-founder later confirmed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter). As a precaution, the company has temporarily paused its Web3 operations but assured users that customer funds on CoinDCX Web3 remain safe. CoinDCX co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal confirmed that the hackers stole around 44 million dollars from the company's treasury funds, not from user accounts. He assured users that CoinDCX itself will cover the loss, and their top priority has been to secure all remaining assets and ensure user safety. The total amount lost was ~$44Mn out of our treasury assets. Coindcx Treasury will be bearing these losses. Our first and foremost objective throughout the day has been to first secure assets. — Neeraj Khandelwal (@neerajKh_) July 19, 2025 How did the breach happen? CoinDCX co-founder and CEO Sumit Gupta revealed that hackers targeted one of the company's internal accounts used for managing funds on a partner platform. The breach was described as 'sophisticated' and involved vulnerabilities in their server system. As soon as the issue was detected, the team quickly isolated the compromised account to contain the damage. Cybersecurity experts are now investigating the breach and working to fix the security gaps, and tracing the stolen funds.// CoinDCX CEO Sumit Gupta assured users that the situation was brought under control swiftly by isolating the affected operational account. He explained that since customer wallets are kept separate from internal accounts, the breach was limited to just one account. 'The incident was quickly contained by isolating the affected operational account. Since our operational accounts are segregated from customer wallets, the exposure is only limited to this specific account and is being fully absorbed by us - from our own treasury reserves. Our internal security and operations teams have been working through the day along with leading cybersecurity partners to investigate the matter, patch any vulnerabilities and trace the movement of funds,' Gupta said.// Hi everyone, At @CoinDCX, we have always believed in being transparent with our community, hence I am sharing this with you directly. Today, one of our internal operational accounts - used only for liquidity provisioning on a partner exchange - was compromised due to a… — Sumit Gupta (CoinDCX) (@smtgpt) July 19, 2025 India Sees Another Major Crypto Breach Within a Year CoinDCX has become the second major Indian crypto exchange to suffer a cyberattack in the past year. Back in July 2024, rival platform WazirX lost a staggering 234 million dollars in crypto assets after one of its wallets hosted on Liminal was hacked. The breach forced WazirX to halt trading and withdrawals, triggering panic among its 4.4 million users. The company filed an FIR and even launched a white hat bounty program, offering up to 23 million dollars to recover the stolen funds. However, a year later, only 3 million dollars has been recovered. International investigations later traced the hack to North Korean state-sponsored cybercriminals.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Indian-origin doctor charged with offering drugs for sexual favours in US
An Indian-origin doctor in New Jersey has been charged with distributing drugs without a legitimate medical purpose to his patients in exchange for sexual favours, according to a press release issued by the US Attorney's Office. Ritesh Kalra, 51, of Secaucus, allegedly operated a 'pill mill' out of his medical office, where he routinely prescribed high-dose opioids—including oxycodone—and promethazine with codeine to patients, said the press release issued by the US Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, on Friday. 'Physicians hold a position of profound responsibility—but as alleged, Dr Kalra used that position to fuel addiction, exploit vulnerable patients for sex, and defraud New Jersey's public healthcare programme,' US Attorney Alina Habba said in the release. Kalra is accused of issuing more than 31,000 prescriptions for oxycodone, including on days when he wrote upwards of 50 prescriptions, between January 2019 and February 2025. Kalra, an internist in Fair Lawn, also allegedly billed for false in-person visits and counselling sessions, the release said. He made his initial appearance on Thursday before a US Magistrate Judge in Newark federal court. He was released on home incarceration and an unsecured bond of USD 100,000, it added. Kalra is required to shut down his medical practice while the case is pending. His attorney, Michael Baldassare, denied the accusations and said the government press release 'reads like a supermarket tabloid,' The New York Daily News reported on Saturday.
