Latest news with #MadhyaPradeshCrimeBranch
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Uma Bharti Demands CBI Probe Into How Her Name Appeared In Vyapam Scam
Bhopal: The spectre of Madhya Pradesh's most controversial scam - Vyapam - has once again returned to haunt the political landscape. This time, it's former chief minister and senior BJP leader Uma Bharti raising sharp questions about her own alleged connection to the case. In a press conference on Friday, Ms Bharti demanded a CBI investigation to determine how her name appeared in the scam, despite her having no role. She also raised serious concerns over the functioning of the Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch, calling for accountability and transparency. "I still don't know how my name appeared in Vyapam. It feels like I replaced Shubhanshu Shukla and ended up in space. I trust the ATS and CBI, but what did the MP Crime Branch do that my name ended up in this? How many died? How many lives were ruined? Was someone else protected using my name?" she said. "My Family Paid Price For My Politics" In a deeply personal note, Ms Bharti said her family has suffered immensely over the years due to her political identity. She alleged that both the Congress and BJP governments have harassed her family. "My brothers' children could not progress because they were always worried about my image. Giving a ticket to Rahul (my nephew) was not a favour, it was a party necessity. My family has been with the BJP since Jan Sangh days." Ms Bharti said her relatives were eligible to become MPs and MLAs long ago, but feudal exploitation in districts like Tikamgarh still prevails, even under BJP rule. She recounted the trauma her family faced between 1990 and 1992, claiming that fake cases of dacoity and robbery were filed against her brothers. A murder case was even registered during the Digvijaya Singh government. She emphasised that her harassment did not end even after the Vyapam scandal broke in 2013, which she said caused severe mental distress. "I myself came forward for arrest, but from 2005 to 2013, the harassment continued. Even during the Aarushi murder case, the UP police tampered with evidence - what was the role of state police in Vyapam? The truth must come out." 'Not Leaving Politics, Not Leaving BJP' While making it clear that she is distancing herself from her family, Ms Bharti was firm on one point - she is not separating from BJP. "I will remain in politics for at least 10 to 15 years. If needed, I will contest elections again. I have worked with Atal ji and Advani ji. I was 40 years younger than them. I am not yet 75. No one can separate me from the BJP." Ms Bharti reiterated her long-held causes - cow protection, Ganga rejuvenation, and prohibition of alcohol. "Courts for Ganga and cows will continue. My focus until October is entirely on these two causes. Cow rearing must become a way of life in our villages. Alcohol must be banned in Madhya Pradesh," she said. She said corruption remains the biggest challenge in the state and country, calling for greater transparency in the bureaucracy. "Leaders, teachers, lawyers, clerks - they never really retire. I have to do politics for another 15 to 20 years. Cow, Ganga, and alcohol prohibition are not just political issues - they are my personal beliefs."
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Time of India
Fraudsters kidnap, extort money from shopkeeper
Kanpur: A group of fraudsters, pretending to be Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch officials, kidnapped a shopkeeper from Sachendi, confined him in a hotel, subjected him to physical assault, and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh. After negotiations, they accepted Rs 3 lakh before releasing him. The victim approached the ADCP (West) on Saturday to file a complaint. Ram Bahadur, who operates a grocery shop from his residence in Siddhpur Seedi, Sachendi, said that on the evening of July 2, five people arrived in a car at his house, claiming to be from the Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch, and forced him into their vehicle. They took him to a hotel in Kidwai Nagar where they assaulted him throughout the night while demanding Rs five lakh under death threats. His family struggled to arrange Rs three lakh, which the perpetrators ultimately accepted. On July 3, the perpetrators took Ram Bahadur to Kidwai Nagar outpost and assaulted him again. They then drove him around various locations. According to reports, after collecting the money, the perpetrators released him at a nearby location. tnn
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Indian Express
As Sonam and Raja's families come face to face, police probe unearths more details of honeymoon murder
The meeting was inevitable, yet neither family could have prepared for the raw emotion that would pour forth when they finally faced each other. On Wednesday, just weeks after the honeymoon that turned fatal for Raja Raghuvanshi, the family of his bride and now the accused, Sonam Raghuvanshi, met Raja's family in Indore. Sonam's brother, Govind, reached Raja's home and broke down as he embraced his mother, Uma. Govind apologised to her, saying 'Mummy, mein khud jaunga peshi karwane, usko saza dilwaunga (Mother, I will turn up for the hearing and ensure Sonam is punished).' Govind had spent a week in Shillong, standing in the unrelenting rain, looking for any sign of Sonam's body. When she turned up alive, he had rushed to her aid in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, only to find that the police had arrested her on suspicion of murder. Uma kept weeping, the shock of the murder still fresh. Through her tears, she kept saying, 'I never imagined she would do this.' Vipin Raghuvanshi, Raja's brother, later told The Indian Express about the meeting, 'Govind spoke to us yesterday and said he would come today. He apologised to my mother. He said Sonam should not be spared if she did anything wrong.' On Wednesday, Sonam and the four other accused were produced before a district court in Meghalaya, where the police sought their custody to uncover how the murder took place. The Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch shared details of the questioning with The Indian Express, revealing that Raj Kushwaha, the main accused, had allegedly paid the killers Rs 50,000 to carry out the murder. 'Raj had given Rs 50,000 to the assailants to carry out the plan. This was meant to also cover the travel expenses, including the hotel stay. After the incident, they took different trains to enter Indore. They destroyed their mobile phones after the incident,' a Crime Branch officer told The Indian Express. Sonam was allegedly present when the murder took place. One of the assailants, Vishal, allegedly attacked Raja from behind and inflicted two head wounds. The three assailants then threw his body down the gorge. After the murder, she fled to Indore via Siliguri and stayed in a flat for two days. She then proceeded to leave for UP and reached Ghazipur. However, East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem remained cautious about accepting her version entirely: 'This is what she is telling the police. We are yet to confirm this.' Raja and Sonam had been reported missing last month during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Earlier this month, Raja's body was found, and the search for Sonam was stepped up. On Sunday night, police arrested Kushwaha for allegedly orchestrating Raja's murder with Sonam's help. Once he was caught, Sonam surrendered at a police station in Uttar Pradesh.
NDTV
10-06-2025
- NDTV
Honeymoon Murder: Kangana Ranaut Calls Sonam Raghuvanshi "Dumb", And A Warning
New Delhi: The death of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has prompted a strong response from BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut, who criticised the accused wife on social media. Kangana Ranaut posted on her Instagram Stories: "How absurd is this!! Woman can't say no to marriage because she is scared of her own parents but she can plan a cold-blooded murder with supari killers. This has been on my mind since morning but not able to wrap my head around it!!! Uuffff getting a headache now!! She couldn't even divorce or run away with her lover." She added: "How cruel, heinous and above all absurd and dumb. Dumb people should never be taken lightly. They are the biggest threat to any society... We often laugh at them and think they are harmless but it's not true. Intelligent people may damage others for their own good but remember a dumb person has no idea what they are doing !!! Be aware very aware of dumbness around you." Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam went missing on May 23 while on their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The case became a murder investigation when Raja's body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong waterfalls on June 2, while Sonam remained missing. Meghalaya Police suspect Sonam hired killers to murder her husband. Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch officers told The Indian Express that 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha, believed to have conspired with Sonam, planned the murder shortly after the couple's wedding. Sonam surrendered at Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur district on Sunday night and was arrested. Kushwaha was apprehended in Indore. Four additional suspects were arrested from different locations in Madhya Pradesh: Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Raj Singh Kushwaha and Anand. Raja's family stated that Sonam organised the Meghalaya honeymoon and requested Rs 9 lakh for arrangements. She also convinced him to bring valuable jewellery despite family objections. Sonam, on the other hand, claims she was kidnapped and drugged.
