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Andar Ki Baat: BJP’s new plan

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Something fishy

The biggest mystery in the CBI’s campaign against former zonal director of the NCB Sameer Wankhede is why Pooja Dadlani, Shah Rukh Khan’s manager, is not being interrogated. The CBI’s contention is that Wankhede demanded Rs25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan not to arrest his son Aryan Khan in the infamous Cordelia cruise drug party case. It is further claimed that the amount was brought down to Rs18 crore by an independent witness, KP Gosavi, who was allegedly fronting for Wankhede, and later Rs50 lakh was paid in cash allegedly by Dadlani. The cash, obviously, must have been arranged by the actor. In which case, the CBI should question both Pooja and Shah Rukh. But, that doesn’t seem to be happening. In fact, if it is proved that Pooja did indeed pay Rs50 lakh, she is liable to be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The question is will the CBI come to the doorstep of ‘Mannat’? But then powerful forces are at work.

Smooth operator

The ED made a major move when it arrested the CMD of ADG Shipyards Ltd, Rishi Agarwal, who was accused of a Rs22,842 crore fraud. Loans were taken from a consortium of leading banks apparently to meet capital requirements and later siphoned off to other companies, including Bermaco Energy Systems led by Viren Ahuja. The ED has attached several properties in this regard. However, it is yet to question Ahuja, who is a very suave businessman with powerful political connections, specially in Tamil Nadu. He also owns a luxury resort at Karjat called Oleander Farms.

BJP’s new plan

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to Jayant Patil, president of the state unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), just after the results of the Karnataka assembly election were out. Patil was summoned in connection with the IL&FS scam, which runs into thousands of crores. The ED already has NCP leader and ex-deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar by the hook, which is why he is keep on joining hands with the ruling BJP. Patil had been resolutely opposing political overtures from the BJP. But now with the ED summoning him, he may also fall in line. Interestingly, the ED had also stated that it may question NCP head Sharad Pawar himself in connection with the Rs25,000 crore alleged scam in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank. An ED official had stated that it is the department’s prerogative to summon anyone in connection with an investigation. So the ED has kept open the option of summoning Pawar. The BJP has split the Shiv Sena. The next item on the plate is the NCP. The game plan is to weaken both the Shiv Sena and the NCP substantially before the 2024 elections to the assembly and the Lok Sabha.

Case of missing Rs 300 crore

The widow of a late political neta is running from pillar to post to recover the Rs300 crore her husband had lent to a fast-talking film personality leading a luxurious life in Mumbai. The neta had entered the details of payments in a diary. However, this particular businessman, who was arrested some years ago in connection with a fraud he had committed on a cooperative bank because of which it had to wind up, is simply pleading ignorance about the money. The problem is that the money was paid entirely in cash in good faith. Another problem is that the neta’s son is least interested in recovering the mega amount. Meanwhile, the businessman is busy conning others.

Crime

MMRDA declares airport-adjacent structure illegal; Kirit Somaiya demands immediate demolition

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Mumbai, Sep 10: Tensions have escalated near Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Terminal 2) after the Maharashtra Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) confirmed that a religious structure operating near the high-security zone lacks statutory planning permissions and is unauthorised.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirit Somaiya has alleged a deliberate attempt at unauthorised land occupation — characterising the structure as “Land Jihad” — and has pressed state authorities and site operators to initiate criminal action against the trustees and individuals responsible.

Following complaints regarding unauthorised construction near sensitive airport land, MMRDA verified that no official approvals, building sanctions, or permissions were ever granted for the religious structure.

MMRDA has issued formal notices to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) directing the immediate removal and demolition of the unauthorised structure to ensure the perimeter remains clear.

Somaiya has formally requested both MMRDA and MIAL to go beyond physical clearance by registering a First Information Report (FIR) against the managing trustees and individuals associated with the illegal construction.

The controversy highlights ongoing scrutiny surrounding unauthorised encroachments adjacent to critical national infrastructure. Officials note that unregulated structures near VIP corridors, taxi parking lanes, and terminal facilities pose significant security hazards.

The matter aligns with previous judicial observations where courts have emphasised that public safety and secure zones near international hubs supersede unauthorised religious claims or structures erected without explicit administrative approvals.

Authorities from MIAL and local police departments are currently reviewing directives provided by MMRDA regarding execution steps and necessary security arrangements during the scheduled clearance drive.

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Crime

Priyanka Gandhi office warns against her deepfake videos asking people to invest money

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New Delhi, Sep 10: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday urged people to stay cautious of misleading and fabricated videos allegedly featuring her and asked them not to fall prey to fraudulent and deceitful calls for investment in real estate projects or any other futuristic ventures.

Priyanka Gandhi’s office flagged the issue after her deepfake videos surfaced and were seen in circulation on multiple social media platforms.

It has urged the Congress leader’s followers and others to neither click on those posts nor give consent to any requests made in the AI-generated video.

Issuing a formal scam alert on Instagram, Priyanka Gandhi’s office warned the public against fake, AI-generated videos that have apparently used her face and voice to cheat the people and hoodwink them into fraudulent investments.

“Fake videos using AI-generated images and voice of Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ji is circulating on WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms asking people to invest money,” Cong MP’s office informed on its Insta handle.

“These are scams. Please do not click or invest,” it further said.

The Congress MP also asked the people to block such posts at the first instance and also report them to the relevant authorities for suitable action.

Such scams using deepfake and AI-generated videos of famous personalities have mushroomed in the past few years, making many gullible investors prone to huge financial losses.

A deepfake video is made by using AI to simulate a person’s face and voice, making it a facsimile copy of the target.

The scammers distort and misuse the cutting-edge technology to generate misleading videos, featuring unauthorised images of prominent figures and then try to rob people of their money.

In the recent past, deepfake videos of industrialists like Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani also surfaced, where the online scammers and fraudsters used AI-doctored videos to lure citizens into fraudulent investment traps, leading to huge losses to investors.

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National News

Jammu Municipal Corporation demolishes 20 shops in Satwati area

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Jammu, Sep 10: Jammu Municipal Corporation officials on Thursday demolished 20 shops in Satwati area of the city even as the shopkeepers alleged that no prior notice was served to them.

Reports said the Jammu Municipal Corporation today demolished around 20 shops at Satwari Chowk, triggering anger among shopkeepers who alleged that the decades old commercial establishments were demolished without any prior information or notification.

The shops, according to the affected shopkeepers, had been operating at the location for around 50 years, with the occupants claiming that they had been regularly paying monthly rent to the municipal authorities.

Angry shopkeepers alleged that the demolition was carried out without giving them adequate notice or information, leaving them with little opportunity to remove their belongings or make alternative arrangements. The action comes against the backdrop of the long-pending issue of rehabilitation of shopkeepers affected by development works in the Satwari area.

The UT Cabinet had earlier approved a rehabilitation and resettlement scheme for shopkeepers and open-space kiosks affected by road widening at Nai Basti, Satwari Chowk.

A Jammu Municipal Corporation official, however, said that the affected shopkeepers would be relocated to another site within six months.

The assurance has failed to convince the affected traders, who said they had heard assurances of rehabilitation earlier as well, but continued to face uncertainty over their livelihood. The issue of rehabilitation of Satwari shopkeepers has been raised repeatedly by traders’ bodies.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has previously stated that affected shopkeepers had been paying rent to the municipal authorities and had sought alternate sites and rehabilitation.

Shopkeepers affected by the Jammu Municipal Corporation actions argue that relocation promises are uncertain and have demanded immediate financial compensation.

In June 2026, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) cleared over 30 illegal structures near the Jammu railway station, reclaiming state land valued at Rs 10 crore.

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