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Time of India
03-07-2025
- Time of India
HC grants bail to accused in TTD ghee adulteration case
Vijayawada: The high court on Thursday granted bail to the directors of Bolebaba Dairy and the CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy in the case filed over alleged adulteration of ghee supplied to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The directors of Bolebaba Dairy, Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, were arraigned as A-3 and A-4 respectively by the CBI-led special investigation team. The CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy, Apurva Vinaykant Chavda, was named as A-5 in the case. All three accused moved the high court seeking regular bail on the grounds that the SIT had already filed a charge-sheet in the case and they have been in jail for many days. The CBI, on the other hand, vehemently opposed the grant of bail, stating that there was every possibility that the accused would tamper with evidence and influence witnesses. The CBI also submitted details of cases registered pursuant to the threatening of one of the witnesses by the alleged henchmen of Jain brothers. After a lengthy hearing involving arguments from both sides, the high court earlier reserved its orders. On Thursday, Justice K Srinivas Reddy granted bail to all three accused. The standing counsel for CBI, PSP Suresh Kumar, appealed to the bench to impose conditions in view of their antecedents. Considering his request, Justice Reddy directed the petitioners to cooperate with the investigation and be available for questioning whenever required.
News18
02-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Cases Of Cyber Fraud In Rural India: MPs Express Concerns Despite Govt Assurances
Last Updated: At a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, MPs urged the government to enhance financial and digital literacy campaigns in smaller towns and villages Amid growing concerns over rising cyber fraud —particularly in rural parts of the country—the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to examine the situation. Officials from key ministries, including Finance, Electronics & IT, Telecommunications, and regulatory agencies like TRAI and CERT-In, briefed the panel on the current landscape and preventive measures in place. The meeting follows a major CBI-led probe that uncovered 8.5 lakh suspicious bank accounts across 743 branches, triggering nationwide raids and the arrest of 10 individuals last week. The incident raised fresh concerns about the scale and reach of cybercrime. However, government officials presenting before the committee maintained that cyber fraud was on the decline. Officials from the Department of Financial Services (DFS), under the Ministry of Finance, claimed that only 9 paisa is lost to fraud in every Rs 10,000 of digital transactions—figures they described as indicative of a low fraud rate. This assessment did not sit well with several MPs, who questioned whether these statistics reflected the ground realities, especially in rural areas. 'Most rural users are digitally and financially illiterate. Meanwhile, in urban areas, even those who are well-educated often fall victim to scams," one MP said. 'We cannot generalise based on a few case studies or averages." Lawmakers cutting across party lines urged the government to enhance financial and digital literacy campaigns in smaller towns and villages. They highlighted the widespread use of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) systems for schemes targeting farmers, women, and low-income households, pointing out that these schemes often reach beneficiaries who lack the digital know-how to detect or report fraud. 'More than 70% of India's population lives in rural India. DBT and Jan Dhan are excellent initiatives, but they need to be supported by proper awareness and redressal mechanisms," National Democratic Alliance (NDA) member Krishna Prasad from the TDP stressed, say sources. Another MP from the opposition added, 'While digital coverage under government schemes is nearly 100%, awareness levels remain dismally low. How do we expect people to protect themselves?" In response, officials said efforts were underway to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure. These included additional firewalls, better grievance redressal systems, and interagency coordination. Some members raised deeper questions about systemic vulnerabilities. 'If all precautions are being taken, how do cases like Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi still happen?" an opposition MP asked, pointing to high-profile financial crimes that have dented public trust. 'Despite the government calling the kind of frauds happening as small, for a rural area, even a few paisa lost is money lost. We have seen such episodes and the ripple effect they can have, even on TV shows and OTT. It is the responsibility of the government to protect the common man's interest and every penny that they are entrusting the bank with," a member is said to have stated during the meeting. The two-day discussion titled 'Cyber Crime—Ramifications, Protection and Prevention" is being chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. Thursday's session will include presentations from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and National Investigation Agency (NIA), among others. Members are expected to ask questions on various aspects of international fraud in cyberspace and what the government is doing to protect the common man, especially with the risk of this money being used for anti-national activities. First Published: July 03, 2025, 00:51 IST
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Time of India
CBI opposes grant of bail to accused in ghee case
1 2 3 Vijayawada: Opposing grant of bail to the accused in the ghee adulteration case, the CBI told the high court that adulterated ghee was supplied not only to TTD but also to other temples like Kanipakam, Srikalahasti, Srisailam, Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada, Dwaraka Tirumala, and Penuganchiprolu Tirupatamma temples. CBI standing counsel PSP Suresh Kumar said Bolebaba Dairy directors Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain played a key role in supplying adulterated ghee to these temples. He said in the guise of cow ghee, they supplied palm oil laced with chemicals, which made it look and smell like cow ghee. He further told the court that the Jain brothers earned over 240 crore by supplying 60 lakh kg of spurious ghee to the temples. Explaining their modus operandi, Suresh Kumar said after getting blacklisted by TTD in 2018, the Jain brothers conspired with AR Dairy and Vaishnavi Dairy. Despite not having the capacity to supply the required ghee to TTD, AR Dairy and Vaishnavi Dairy submitted fake documents prepared by the Jain brothers. After obtaining the supply order in the name of AR and Vaishnavi dairies, Bolebaba supplied ghee to the temples, he stated. You Can Also Check: Vijayawada AQI | Weather in Vijayawada | Bank Holidays in Vijayawada | Public Holidays in Vijayawada The CBI counsel further submitted that the Jain brothers are threatening witnesses despite being in jail. He said one of the witnesses, Sanjay Jain, was forcefully sent back to Delhi when he arrived in Tirupati to depose before the magistrate. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Doutor: Reverter encolhimento muscular após os 50 depende deste hábito noturno Revista do Homem Saiba Mais Undo He was threatened at Tirupati airport by the henchmen of Jain brothers, and was taken to Chennai and then to Delhi. Arguing on behalf of the accused, senior counsels CV Mohan Reddy and S Sriram said the petitioners are in jail for the last four months. As the CBI-led special investigation team (SIT) has already collected all details pertaining to the case and a charge-sheet was also filed, they sought grant of bail to the accused by imposing conditions. Considering the arguments, Justice K Srinivas Reddy reserved judgement in the bail petition filed by Vaishnavi Dairy director Apoorva Chavda. Justice Reddy asked SIT to submit some additional details pertaining to the bail petitions of Jain brothers and posted the matter for further hearing to June 26.
New Indian Express
06-06-2025
- New Indian Express
HC adjourns bail pleas in TTD ghee case to June 17
VIJAYAWADA: The High Court adjourned to June 17 the hearing on bail pleas filed in connection with the supply of adulterated ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) case. Several accused, including directors of Bhole Baba Dairy, Vaishnavi Dairy, and the managing director of AR Dairy, have sought bail, with the CBI-led SIT having filed a chargesheet. Advocates CV Mohan Reddy and S Sriram, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the accused have been in judicial custody for four months, and with all evidence collected, there is no risk of tampering. Bhole Baba and Vaishnavi Dairies had no direct role in the dairy supply agreement, they said. However, the CBI counsel contended that Bhole Baba Dairy was central to the scam, and claimed accused intimidated a key witness, accountant Ashish Rohilla, who was allegedly coerced at Tirupati airport and sent back to Delhi.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Uttar Pradesh: Ex-railway employee avenges dismissal, shoots CBI officer with arrow outside office in Lucknow
LUCKNOW: Cracking a railway scam in 1993 proved costly to a CBI officer in Lucknow's Hazratganj on Friday when an iron-tipped traditional arrow pierced his chest in broad daylight. The incident occurred in Lucknow's one of the busiest localities at Nawal Kishore Road in Hazratganj where the CBI office is located. As per the eyewitness account, a man, who emerged from behind a tree, aimed an iron-tipped arrow on a wooden bow, and released directly at CBI ASI Virendra Singh, piercing his chest and knocking him to the ground. The accused, identified as Dinesh Murmu, 45, a former railway employee from Khadagpur, Munger district in Bihar, was immediately overpowered by onlookers and handed over to police. As per the sources, Murmu, now 65, nurtured a grudge against Singh who had led the probe into a 1993 CBI-led railway trap case owing to which Murmu had to lose his job three decades ago. Murmu, reportedly from a tribal community and worked as a junior employee in Indian Railways, returned to his village after his dismissal and led a life in hardships. Preliminary questioning suggested that he spent months preparing for the attack and may have even practised using the weapon in isolated forested areas. According to police, the attacker used a handmade wooden bow and a sharpened metal arrow, reportedly crafted specifically for the assault. He waited behind a tree near the CBI gate, timing the attack for maximum impact as Singh stood momentarily alone.
