Latest news with #JIT
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
Man mistakenly flown to Jeddah sues airline
An engineer who was mistakenly flown to Jeddah instead of Karachi by a private airline has moved the Sindh High Court (SHC), seeking a thorough investigation into what he termed a case of "gross negligence by the airline and immigration authorities." The petitioner, Malik Shahzain, filed the plea through Advocate Nawaz Dahri, alleging that due to the airline's incompetence, he was wrongfully put on an international flight without even carrying a passport. According to the petition, Shahzain was scheduled to travel from Lahore to Karachi but was instead boarded on a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upon landing in Jeddah, he was detained by Saudi authorities, questioned, and later deported back to Lahore. He stated that the ordeal caused him severe mental distress and public humiliation, raising serious questions over how airport security and immigration protocols failed to detect such a glaring error. He contended that being flown to another country without documentation exposed lapses that could point to deeper systemic failures. Terming the incident not just negligence but a potential case of human trafficking, the petitioner called for the formation of a JIT to probe the matter. Shahzain stated that he was subjected to degrading treatment abroad as a direct consequence of the negligence of the airline and concerned authorities, who, he added, must be held accountable for endangering his safety and dignity.
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Bribery allegations shake Afghan e-visa probe
A twist has emerged in the investigation of a scandal involving the illegal issuance of e-visas to Afghan nationals. Two officials from the FIA's Anti-Human Smuggling Cell, including a sub-inspector, have been found involved in bribery. The FIA Director General, Raja Riffat Mukhtar, took immediate action by arresting the accused and forming a Joint Investigation Team (JIT). According to sources, the FIA had earlier uncovered a network allegedly involving officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and PID, who were facilitating the illegal issuance of e-visas to Afghan nationals through fake sponsorships. Six suspects, including PID Information Assistant Nader Raheem and several Afghan nationals, were already under arrest. During the investigation, the FIA DG received credible information suggesting that some officials were colluding with suspects and demanding bribes in exchange for preferential treatment. An inquiry was launched under the supervision of Islamabad Zone Director Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari. Sub-Inspector Waseem Ahmed and Constable Aqib Mehmood were arrested by FIA's Anti-Corruption Circle for allegedly demanding Rs2 million in bribes from suspect Zubair during his physical remand, promising to ease his conditions and transfer him to judicial custody. The FIA has formed a four-member JIT led by Assistant Director Nauman Khalil, including Sub-Inspectors Shams Khan, Shehryar, and Constable Mehdi, to investigate further. Authorities confirmed that six suspects - Abdul Aziz, Ahmed Sakhi, Atif Ahmed, Nader Raheem Abbasi (PID official), Abrar Ahmed, and Zubair Ahmed - have been arrested in the e-visa case.
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- Express Tribune
FIA officers caught taking bribes
A major twist emerged in the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) probe into the illegal issuance of e-visas to Afghan nationals on Friday as two officials from the agency's Anti-Human Smuggling Cell - including a sub-inspector - have been caught allegedly soliciting bribes from suspects in custody. Taking serious notice of the matter, FIA Director General Raja Riffat Mukhtar ordered the arrest of both officials and constituted a four-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to conduct a thorough inquiry. The FIA's Anti-Human Smuggling Cell had earlier uncovered a large-scale scandal involving the illegal issuance of Pakistani e-visas to Afghan nationals. The racket was allegedly operating through fake sponsorships and with the connivance of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Press Information Department (PID). Following the registration of a formal case, FIA arrested six individuals, including PID Information Assistant Nader Rahim and several Afghan nationals. However, during the investigation, DG FIA Raja Riffat Mukhtar received credible information that some FIA personnel involved in the investigation were allegedly colluding with the suspects and facilitating them in exchange for bribes. The DG immediately directed Director FIA Islamabad Zone, Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari, to initiate a discreet internal inquiry. According to the FIA spokesperson, the agency's Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad arrested Sub-Inspector Waseem Ahmed and Constable Aqib Mahmood from the Anti-Human Smuggling Cell on charges of corruption and bribery. The two officers were allegedly caught demanding a bribe of Rs2 million from Zubair Ahmed, one of the accused in custody in the e-visa case. The demand was made during his physical remand, in return for providing special treatment and ensuring he would be shifted to judicial custody instead of remaining under physical remand. A four-member JIT has now been constituted under the supervision of FIA Assistant Director Anti-Corruption, Nauman Khalil, to investigate the matter transparently and impartially. Other members of the team include Sub-Inspector Shams Khan, Sub-Inspector Shehryar, and Constable Mehdi. The JIT has commenced its inquiry by interrogating the two arrested FIA personnel. Authorities revealed that six individuals have so far been arrested in connection with the illegal Afghan e-visa case. The suspects include Abdul Aziz, Ahmad Sakhi, Atif Ahmed, Nader Rahim Abbasi (a PID official), Abrar Ahmed and Zubair Ahmed. Investigations suggest the gang operated by manipulating sponsorship documentation with support from insiders within government departments.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Odisha police releases 25 suspected foreign nationals
Odisha police on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) released 25 persons out of 444 migrant labourers suspected to be Bangladeshi or Rohingya (Myanmar) held in Jharsuguda after ascertaining their Indian nationality. Document verification was still underway late Wednesday evening, as those detained continued to procure their papers through various means, including WhatsApp and physical submission 'Persons with valid documents are already returning or are in process of returning to their place of stay. We urge the public to refrain from speculation and trust the authorities to carry out this process transparently and fairly,' said Himanshu Lal, Inspector General of Police (Northern Range). 'We understand the concerns raised regarding the holding of individuals in Jharsuguda. However, safeguarding national interest and security remains paramount and cannot be compromised. The individuals under scrutiny lack valid documentation to establish their residency or citizenship, necessitating a thorough verification process to ascertain their identity,' said Mr. Lal. He said, 'without verifiable documents, it is imperative to cross-check records to confirm whether individuals are Indian citizens or foreign nationals. This process is critical to protect our borders and ensure the safety of our nation.' 'These individuals are being held in designated facilities with access to adequate food, water, hygiene, and medical care, in line with humanitarian standards,' said IGP According to police, the verification is being conducted meticulously by senior officials via a JIT (Joint Investigation Team), with multiple layers of scrutiny to ensure no Indian citizen is wrongfully detained or harassed. Every effort is made to uphold the rights of Indian citizens while maintaining the integrity of the process. Tankadhar Tripathy, BJP MLA from Jharsuguda, 'the present government is taking decisive action to uphold national sovereignty and safeguard security—measures that were not undertaken by previous administrations. The documents of suspected foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, are being verified in accordance with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the State government.' 'Those who are able to produce valid documents are being released. The allegations of illegally detaining anyone are baseless. Suspected foreign nationals are being treated with dignity. They have been accommodated on a college premises, not in any detention centre,' said Mr. Tripathy. In May this year, MHA sent a letter to all States saying, 'India, as a matter of policy, does not support any kind of illegal migration or overstay either into its own territory or illegal migration of its citizens to foreign territories. To facilitate orderly migration and timely exit, India has a robust visa and immigration regime in place to enable lawful inward movement of persons including professionals and skilled work force, business persons, students and foreign tourists. However, illegal migration has security and socio-economic ramifications which are often well beyond law enforcement.' The Centre said people overstaying without valid passport or other travel documents or any other document of legal authority should be identified. If suspected Bangladesh I Myanmar (Rohingiyas) national claims Indian citizenship and residence of a place in any other Indian State/UT, the concerned State Government would send the report to concerned home secretary of the State where these foreign
Mint
10-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Enterprise e-commerce rides quick commerce wave, but credit challenges remain
Bengaluru: E-commerce startups that cater to enterprise clients and retailers in the country are boosting their ability to shorten delivery timelines, hoping that same-day and next-day deliveries will enhance buying experience and result in improved cash flow in the supply chain. Tiger Global-backed unicorn Moglix, which supplies industrial tools and equipment, now delivers more than 10,000 stock-keeping units (SKU) by the next day, within a few months of rolling out quicker deliveries. This is in contrast to its previous timeline of 96 hours prior to August 2024, according to its founder and chief executive Rahul Garg. All of the firm's 5,000 monthly orders are now fulfilled the very next day. Bengaluru-based staples and vegetables supplier Udaan, too, is shipping a higher number of orders within 24 hours over the past few months, with emphasis on kirana stores and HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, catering) businesses. 'Years of focused investment in supply chain intelligence and operational execution have enabled us to balance speed with sustainability and scale with efficiency," a spokesperson for Udaan said. Read more: Moglix's ₹600-cr war chest: What this unicorn is buying before its India IPO Flipkart's wholesale marketplace has invested significantly in its same-day and next-day delivery capabilities in recent months, with over 6,000 products now reaching clients faster. 'The move towards faster deliveries was driven by a combination of evolving customer expectations and shifting industry dynamics. In the B2B [business-to-business] segment, clients increasingly demanded quicker replenishment cycles to reduce their inventory holding and respond faster to market demand," Dinkar Ayilavarapu, vice-president and head of Flipkart Wholesale told Mint. Quicker deliveries have become crucial for supply chain companies to strengthen loyalty and keep up with the growing competition in the marketplace ecosystem. Faster deliveries compress the procurement cycle and trigger invoicing sooner, which in turn accelerates cash flow across the supply chain. Business-to-business marketplaces that are online-first and technology-enabled are expected to represent a market opportunity of $200 billion by 2030 from $20 billion in 2022, according to estimates by Bessemer Venture Partners. 'Faster deliveries mean that the B2B customers can keep lower inventories at their end. This will make them more capital efficient, akin to how Just-In-Time (JIT) revolutionized the automobile industry," according to Madhur Singhal, managing partner (consumer and internet) at global consulting firm Praxis Global Alliance. Faster deliveries also help companies respond to changing market demands more efficiently, minimizing loss to a reasonable extent. Just-In-Time is an inventory management system pioneered by Toyota in the 1970s, which relies on daily deliveries of supplies with the aim of eliminating waste due to overproduction and lowers warehousing costs. It is said to have simplified supply chain management for large automakers globally. Some categories lend themselves to quick commerce better than others. High-demand, fast-moving categories—grocery, personal care and general merchandise—where inventory turnover and fulfilment infrastructure are stronger are relatively easier to scale, according to Flipkart Wholesale's Ayilavarapu. Moglix's Garg added that high-frequency industrial consumables, PPE (personal protective equipment), and MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) items are also well-suited to quick deliveries. Unlike quick commerce in consumer-facing companies, faster deliveries in B2B don't hurt a firm's profit significantly as these companies are inherently equipped to handle complexities including higher costs and volumes. 'Moglix has absorbed a 1–2% increase in fulfilment cost to maintain customer pricing. Several levers are helping optimize costs—hyperlocal deliveries ensure that the distance travelled per shipment remains minimal and since we are operating on a 100% prepaid model our RTOs (return to origin) do not exceed 5% mark, and it also helps in eliminating credit risk," said Moglix's Garg. Read more: IPO-bound OfBusiness set to offer $100 million in partial exits to Alpha Wave, Z47 Partners However, firms will have to store supplies closer to customer clusters, batch process orders across a wider set of customers, maintain robust and standardized item masters and lower costs in manpower and vehicle running costs to be able to keep costs in control, said Praxis Global Alliance's Singhal. Firms like Moglix are even willing to explore delivery within minutes, subject to strong demand and sustainable unit economics. 'Moglix plans to scale next-day delivery across more geographies and products first. Moving to sub-hour delivery would require heavy investments in micro-fulfilment, a possibility only if supported by strong demand and unit economics." Credit challenges While faster deliveries provide convenience and value addition, enterprise clients see the feature as a mixed bag. A Gurugram-based grocery retailer—who works with a major B2B startup—said that shorter delivery timelines have resulted in shorter credit repayment cycles, making it challenging to meet the obligations. 'Our credit cycle has reduced from 30 days to 14 days in some categories like general merchandise. It's manageable in festival months where products get sold faster, but other times it is challenging," this person said, asking not to be identified. Another business owner who deals in industrial equipment said that he is indifferent to quicker deliveries and would prefer stable repayment periods. 'Requirements in our business remain more or less steady throughout the year. I don't see value in quicker deliveries like individual consumers would for essential items like grocery and food." However, firms are trying to be mindful. 'If done systematically and predictably, faster deliveries almost have no impact on credit or repayment cycles. It is unpredictability which can disturb our customer's working capital cycles—if we deliver faster than the customer expects, they may have previously-purchased unsold stock and also may not have the capital to buy our stock; and if we are slower then they may stock out," said Flipkart Wholesale's Ayilavarapu. Read more: Return fraud is rising. E-commerce platforms are done playing nice. Moreover, Flipkart Wholesale assigns credit cycles based on customer profiles and business types, not delivery speed. The firm has also introduced more flexibility in credit approvals to support faster order-to-delivery cycles. 'Digital credit and instant credit approvals help ensure there's no disruption in faster fulfilment. The aim is to ensure that speed in delivery is matched by ease in transactions, without adding pressure on working capital for clients," according to Ayilavarapu. Moglix's Garg noted that while internal credit and payment policies have been calibrated to align with the faster pace of operations, formal credit terms remain unchanged. According to Praxis Global Alliance's Singhal, firms will have to negotiate smarter deals with clients to maintain operational balance. 'Credit terms are typically linked to invoicing. B2B customers will have to expedite their own finance processes like purchase order issuance to be able to get fast deliveries. The B2B suppliers will have to be efficient in invoicing and have robust systems so that GST, inventory management and cash reconciliations do not become a problem."
