Latest news with #Ravinder
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Open access law empowers rakyat to push back
PETALING JAYA: From a project to build artificial islands to an apartment complex that could worsen congestion in the neighbourhood, the Penang Freedom of Information Enactment has helped residents challenge government decisions that impact their everyday lives. Civil society groups and residents say that the enactment has helped them get crucial information to challenge the state government's decisions. Based on this, they welcome a national-level law which is the proposed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), that would allow anyone to access information kept by the Federal Government. However, they also said that the FOIA must avoid the pitfalls of the Penang enactments, such as the high cost of making an information request. Recounting his experience with Penang's freedom of information law, Ravinder Singh said that it allowed him to gain access to a traffic study for an apartment complex project in his neighbourhood. This followed worries that the new 28-storey project would worsen traffic congestion in the area as there was only one access road, said Ravinder of Taman Desa Jelita. 'I wanted to know how the project was approved and whether a traffic impact assessment was done,' said Ravinder, who then filed a Freedom of Information request with the state government. A state information officer denied the request, but that decision was overturned by an appeals board. 'The project consultant proposed widening some of the roads but some details were missing. So now I'm following up with an application to get the plans on road widening and on drainage.' Ravinder is worried that widening roads for the new project would take away pavements for pedestrians, forcing them to walk alongside cars, motorcycles and lorries. 'These reports will help us challenge the project with the local authorities,' he said, adding that this has helped residents like him hold their local authorities accountable for decisions that impact them. Similarly, the Penang enactment allowed civil society to gain access to information on the Penang South Islands Reclamation Project (PSR), which then helped them challenge the initiative. 'We wanted to know when planning permission for the project was granted by the local authority,' said Meenakshi Raman, president of Sahabat Alam Malaysia. 'This has led us to file a case at the Penang High Court, challenging the approval of planning permission by the state and local authorities. 'If not for the FOIA, it would have been very difficult to know when planning permission was granted,' she added. Penang's civil society groups and fishermen have opposed the reclamation project, which aims to build artificial islands off Penang's southern coast. According to the project's environmental impact assessment report, the project will harm the ecosystem and destroy the livelihoods of coastal fishermen. 'The Freedom of Information Enactment of Penang is a good piece of law that has helped us obtain information from the state agencies which is in the public interest,' said Meenakshi. A federal FOIA, she said, should be an improvement over the Penang law and ensure that any citizen who gets access to information should be allowed to have a copy of it. 'There should not be a need to go to the Board of Appeal to have the document,' she said referring to Ravinder's case. Information officers also need to be properly trained to act in accordance with the law, and not against it, she added. Ravinder also proposed that the national law include administrative penalties for civil servants who unlawfully decline information requests.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ravinder Chandrasekar faces fraud charges: Mumbai Police investigates the producer over a Rs 5.75 crore scam—deets inside
The film industry has been shocked by a fraud complaint against film producer and 'Bigg Boss' fame Ravinder Chandrasekar. Mumbai Police has summoned film producer Ravinder Chandrasekar in a money laundering case. A complaint has been filed against Ajay Jagdish Kapoor for allegedly defrauding him of Rs 5.75 crore by claiming that he would make high profits through online trading. This complaint against Ravinder, a former contestant on the Bigg Boss Tamil show, has now caused a stir. Ravinder resurfaces in a new financial scam Ravinder Chandrasekar, who produced films like 'Nattupuna Na Ennanu Theriyumaa,' 'Suttai Kathai,' and 'Tholainoku Paarvai' through the company Libra Productions, became famous in the cinema circle and on social media after the Bigg Boss show. Currently, the fraud complaint against him has attracted attention in the film industry and among the public. Cops visit Chennai but delay arrest due to health concerns Following this complaint, it has been reported that the Mumbai police came to Chennai to arrest him. But it is said that they did not arrest him because his health was not good and instead issued a summons. As per News 18, it is also stated that there will be a continuous investigation in this case and that since Ravinder is not absconding, he should appear in person for questioning soon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dementia Has Been Linked To a Common Habit. Do You Do It? Memory Health Learn More Undo Second major fraud allegation deepens doubts over Ravinder's credibility It is worth noting that this is not the first allegation against Ravinder Chandrasekar. Already in 2023, Chennai police had booked and arrested him for defrauding a businessman of Rs. 16 crore, and he was later released on bail. Now, with a similar complaint of an Rs 5.75 crore scam resurfacing in Mumbai, sources say that his credibility has been further tarnished among businessmen and the film industry. His name being linked to ongoing money laundering scandals has shocked the film industry and the business world.
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Scolded for losing lakhs in online betting, teen kills dad in Telangana
HYDERABAD: A 19-year-old man allegedly killed his father at Gopanpally village on Tuesday after being reprimanded for losing Rs 6 lakh in betting and on a lavish lifestyle. According to Gachibowli police, the victim, identified as Hanumanthu, worked as a mason, while the accused, Ravinder, had completed his Intermediate education. Around Tuesday midnight, police received a petition from 25-year-old Kethavath Ramesh who claimed that at about 12.30 pm on Tuesday, he received a call from his nephew Ravinder, claiming that his father had stabbed himself and died. Ramesh, accompanied by his relative Mohan and sister-in-law Jamalamma, rushed to the scene and found Hanumanthu lying in a pool of blood with a neck injury. The body was shifted to their native place in Wanaparthy district for funeral arrangements. During the investigation, police said Ravinder confessed to killing his father. Hanumanthu had reportedly mortgaged land and raised `6 lakh, which Ravinder used for betting and personal expenses. After repeated reprimands, Ravinder allegedly took his father to an isolated location and stabbed him on Tuesday afternoon.
Mint
03-07-2025
- Mint
Phone-tapping violates right to privacy: Madras Court observes, ‘Can only be used for…'
Phone-tapping is violation of the fundamental right to privacy unless it is justified by a procedure established by law, Madras High Court observed on Wednesday Citing Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, Justice N Anand Venkatesh states that the law permits phone-tapping in cases of a public emergency or in the interest of public safety but it should not be misused to to cover regular criminal investigations. Court observed, as qouted by Bar and Bench, "The right to privacy is now an integral part of the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of The Constitution of India. Telephone tapping constitutes a violation of the right to privacy unless justified by a procedure established by law." 'Section 5(2) of the Act authorizes interception of telephones on the occurrence of a public emergency or in the interests of public words of Section 5(2) of the Act cannot be strained to include detection of ordinary crime' The Court was hearing a plea challenging a 2011 order issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs authorising the CBI to tap the mobile phone of the petitioner P Kishore, who was then the Managing Director of Everonn Education Limited. The order was linked to a CBI investigation based on an FIR filed in August 2011, which named Kishore as one of the accused. FIR said, an IRS officer named Andasu Ravinder, who was working as an Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, allegedly asked Kishore for a ₹ 50 lakh bribe to help his company avoid paying taxes. The bribe was allegedly to be routed through Uttam Bohra, a friend of Ravinder. Based on the tip-off, the CBI caught Ravinder and Bohra near Ravinder's home with ₹ 50 lakh which they couldn't explain. Kishore later challenged the phone-tapping order saying it violated his right to privacy. The Centre and CBI, however, argued that interception was necessary to prevent and investigate corruption. The Court dismissed this argument, saying that interpreting the law so broadly would weaken the constitutional right to privacy. "In fact, the use of Section 5(2) of the Act to detect the commission of ordinary crimes de-hors the requirement of public emergency or in the interests of public safety appears to be clearly misconceived." 'Where phone tapping has been found necessary to tackle crimes, such a power has been expressly conferred as for example in certain special statutes like the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999. Section 14 of the said Act authorizes interception of wire, electronic or oral communication for the purposes of investigating into organised crime. The words of Section 5(2) of the Act cannot be strained to include detection of ordinary crime' (With inputs from Bar and Bench)
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Time of India
Hyderabad Teen Murders Father Over Rs 6 Lakh Gambling Debt
HYDERABAD: A 19-year-old student allegedly stabbed his father to death after losing Rs 6 lakh --- a loan the victim had secured after mortgaging his property for the son's engineering coaching --- in online betting and then tried to cover his tracks by claiming that his father died by suicide due to financial distress in Hyderabad Gopanpally suburb on Tuesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Police arrested the accused, Kethavath Ravinder, for killing his father, Hanumanthu, a 37-year-old mason, on Wednesday. The victim's younger brother and auto driver, Kethavath Ramesh, said that Ravinder had called him around 2.30 pm on Tuesday, claiming that his father had died by suicide due to financial distress. The family believed Ravinder's word and even began funeral preparations in their native village in Wanaparthy. "Ravinder said my brother had stabbed himself in the neck. I rushed to the house with my relatives Mohan and Jamalamma and found him lying in a pool of blood. We immediately shifted the body to Wanaparthy for final rites," Ramesh told police.
