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Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Two held, 33 identified in crackdown on online child sexual abuse content
Punjab Police's cybercrime division has arrested two persons and identified 33 suspects involved in viewing, transmitting and distributing child sexual exploitative and abusive material using various online platforms, said director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Friday. Punjab Police's cybercrime division has arrested two persons and identified 33 suspects involved in viewing, transmitting and distributing child sexual exploitative and abusive material using various online platforms, said director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Friday. (Representational image) The operation, codenamed CSEAM-4, conducted on Thursday, spanned 40 locations across 18 districts and three commissionerates following actionable cyber tip-lines from the Indian cyber crime coordination centre of the ministry of home affairs (MHA). The Supreme Court in a judgment had clarified that viewing, possessing and not reporting child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) is punishable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act. CSEAM refers to any content depicting or exploiting minors in a sexual manner, including photos, videos, or media, which is illegal to produce, distribute, or possess, causing long-lasting harm to victims and considered a severe form of child exploitation due to the lasting impact it has on victims. Those arrested have been identified as Akash Babu, a resident of Rajasthani Colony in Khanna and Harpreet Singh, a resident of Burmajra village in Morinda, Rupnagar. The DGP said the state cyber crime cell meticulously analysed digital evidence from platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram to track offenders. He said that during the operation, 33 suspects were identified across Punjab, with teams from field units dispatched under the guidance of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Cybercrime V Neeraja. The raids lead to the registration of two First information reports (FIRs) and the seizure of 34 mobile phones, which have been sent for forensic analysis to recover deleted data, with more arrests anticipated, he said. The DGP said that based on the examination, more FIRs will be registered and suspects involved in CSEAM crimes will be arrested. ADGP V Neeraja said that the cyber tiplines are generated on the basis of online activity on CSEAM particularly on platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Time of India
Maoist informer held in explosives loot case
1 2 Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: Police on Sunday arrested a Maoist informer in connection with the audacious May 27 loot of 5,000 kg of industrial explosives by armed rebels from a stone quarry in Sundargarh district, bordering Jharkhand. Police identified the accused as George Munda alias Kulu Munda (43), a resident of Banko village near the stone quarry. Police said Munda had alerted the Maoists about the truck carrying explosives. The arrest came a day after a CRPF officer was killed following an IED blast triggered by the rebels in a forest near Banko during an anti-Maoist operation launched in the wake of the explosives loot. "Munda is the main conspirator. He passed on information to Maoists in neighbouring Jharkhand about the movement of gelatin sticks in a truck to the quarry. Munda also joined the Maoists in their operation in robbing the stone-blasting materials on May 27," said DIG (western range), Bijesh Kumar Rai. Police said Anmol, a Jharkhand-based Maoist leader, and his team pulled off the heist based on information provided by Munda. The armed Maoists had hijacked the truckload of explosives enroute the quarry, adjoining the Saranda forests in Jharkhand. SP (Rourkela) Nitesh Wadhwani said Munda planned the loot in Jan-Feb. Asked about how long the accused was involved with the Maoists, the SP said, "We are thoroughly verifying his antecedents and his link with Maoists. Prima facie investigation revealed he is a militia member and was acting as a helping hand for Maoists. We are also verifying the potential involvement of others from the locality." A villager's arrest has raised concerns in Sundargarh, which was declared Maoist-free status by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in April 2024. Police sources said Munda had been opposing the Banko stone quarry's operations for quite some time. He allegedly connived with Maoists in the neighbouring state to disrupt the quarry operations. "Maoists who executed the loot were being persuaded by Munda since Jan. Munda's motive was to take revenge against the stone quarry operator," a police officer said. Earlier, Munda earned his living through unauthorised stone extraction. His work stopped when the govt granted the quarry lease to a businessman. "Subsequently, Munda approached Anmol in Jharkhand seeking assistance for retribution," the officer said. Munda suggested to Anmol they could loot explosives for use against security personnel, a proposal that Anmol agreed to. Police found that Munda and Anmol met several times before implementing their plan. "We have so far recovered 3,811.30 kg of the looted explosives near the inter-state border through a sustained joint operation with Jharkhand police and CRPF," Wadhwani said.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta appointed lead procecutor in NIA's Tahawwur Rana case
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Thursday appointed solicitor general Tushar Mehta as a lead prosecutor in the national investigation agency (NIA) case against 26/11 attacks accused Tahawwur Rana. Along with Mehta, additional solicitor general SV Raju, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, and advocate Narender Mann have also been appointed as lead prosecutors in the case.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Officials detain US couple at Lengpui, deport them over permit breach
1 2 Aizawl: Officials of the intelligence agency under the ministry of home affairs (MHA) identified a married American couple at the Lengpui airport near Aizawl and detained them before deporting them to the US on Saturday, official sources said on Sunday. The American couple, identified as Walter Frederick Kuhn and Sahron Clodfelter Kuhn, landed at Lengpui airport without possessing a mandatory Protected Area Permit (PAP) on Friday. The intelligence officials, who had prior information about their arrival, detained them. While the officials said the Kuhns are not known to have any connection with rebel groups, some other intelligence agencies alleged that they entered Mizoram to meet founder leader of the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA). The KNA is an insurgent group based in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, fighting for the autonomy of ethnic Mizos, mainly belonging to Bawm tribe, who live in the CHT. The KNA founder leader is Nathan Hlawncheu Bawm, who is reported to be in southern Mizoram's Lawngtlai district bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar. "We do not have any information about the couple's links with Nathan Hlawncheu Bawm or any other KNA leaders. We detained and deported them due to the fact that they entered the state where Protected Area Regime (PAR) is in place and for not obtaining PAP from the MHA, which is mandatory for foreigners visiting the state," an intelligence official told TOI. Nationals of some countries who intend to visit three northeastern states bordering Myanmar — Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland — are required to have PAP according to directions from the MHA. The MHA had re-imposed the PAR in Dec last year to monitor the movement of foreigners. This came after it was initially relaxed for a year in 2010 in the three states bordering Myanmar, and subsequently, the duration of the order was extended for five years. The latest order on the regime relaxation was issued on Dec 16, 2022 and was valid till Dec 2027 before it was revoked in Dec 2024. The relaxation has been withdrawn after 14 years by the MHA which wrote to the chief secretaries of the three states in Dec last year. Since then, foreigners visiting the three northeastern states again have to seek prior permission and special permits from the govt as used to be done before 2010, in accordance with the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958.
