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Arappor Iyakkam lodges graft complaint against ex-Tamil Nadu Minister

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 Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Arappor Iyakkam has lodged a corruption complaint against R. Vaithilingam, a lawmaker and a former Minister in the AIADMK government and his son V. Prabhu with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC), said Jayaram Venkatesan, Convener.

Arappor Iyakkam is working towards transparency and accountability in governance.

Enclosing various documents, Venkatesan has sent the complaint against Vaithilingam for alleged payment of Rs 27.9 crore as bribe from Shriram Properties and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd (now known as Gateway office parks private ltd) for building permission.

The AIADMK leader Vaithilingam representing the Orathanadu assembly constituency was the Minister of Housing and Urban Development during 2011-2016 AIADMK rule.

Venkatesan said the alleged bribe was paid in 2015-16 for sanction of plan for high rise building near here.

Analysis of various documents available points to the payment of bribe and corruption by Vaithilingam, his son Prabhu and Shriram Properties and Infrastructure, he said.

Venkatesan said Shriram Properties had applied with Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) for permission to build 24 blocks of residential and IT units on December 2, 2013. The Planning permission was approved on December 24, 2016.

Arappor Iyakkam’s Venkatesan alleged that Shriram Properties and Infrastructure had paid Rs 27.9 crore as bribe to Vaithilingam in the form of an unsecured loan to his son’s company Muthammal Estates Pvt Ltd.

The alleged payment was made by Shriram Properties’ group company Bharath Coal Chemicals Ltd in the year 2015-16.

The Muthammal Estates was formed on September 22, 2014 with a share capital of Rs 36,00,000 and its revenue is zero until 2019-20, Venkatesan said.

He said Muthammal Estates used the money to buy lands in Trichy District in Tamil Nadu in 2015-16, 2017 and 2019.

Venkatesan also said Bharath Coal Chemicals dealing in metal and chemical manufacturing has been facing finance problems and in 2019-20 it had filed for bankruptcy with debt of Rs 281 crore to various financial creditors.

National News

10 Oppn MPs suspended for ‘disrupting’ Waqf Bill discussion in Parliamentary Committee

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New Delhi, Jan 24: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Friday turned chaotic as opposition MPs were suspended for the entire day following a heated argument. It happened during a discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024.

At the same time, the Opposition MPs alleged that they were not given sufficient time to study the draft which was brought up for discussion.

Chaired by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal, the panel meeting was in fact set to hear a delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from Kashmir. But before the process, the meeting was disrupted by opposition MPs who raised concerns about “the speed with which the government wanted to pass the bill”, “especially considering the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections”.

As the disruption escalated, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey proposed the suspension of 10 opposition MPs for the day. The panel subsequently accepted Dubey’s proposal.

MPs namely Kalyan Banerjee, Mohammad Javed, A. Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, Mohibullah, M. Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haque, and Imran Masood were among the suspended members. Dubey accused the opposition of using unparliamentary language. He alleged that they were trying to suppress the majority’s voice.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who appeared before the committee after the suspension, expressed his strong opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, stressing that the government should not intervene in religious matters. Farooq further pointed out they hoped their suggestions would be heard and implemented. The aim should be to ensure that Muslims do not feel marginalised by any proposed changes, he remarked.

Before being suspended, opposition MPs, including Kalyan Banerjee of TMC and Congress member Syed Nasir Hussain, walked out of the meeting. They accused the proceedings of becoming a “farce.” They demanded that the meeting be postponed until January 30 or 31 to allow for a detailed, clause-by-clause discussion.

Banerjee even described the atmosphere as resembling an “undeclared emergency” where the chairman was not listening to anyone.

Dubey meanwhile claimed that the opposition’s behaviour was against parliamentary traditions, and their attempts to disrupt the meeting were an affront to democratic norms.

Arvind Sawant, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, flayed the “hasty handling” of such an important Bill, which, according to him, could potentially cause unrest in the country. He asked as to why the Bill was being rushed through the committee process when there should be a proper discussion.

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Entertainment

Who Is Swaalina? All About Rapper Emiway Bantai’s Actress Wife

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Mumbai: One of the biggest rappers in India, Bilal Shaikh, popularly known as Emiway Bantai, took the internet by storm as he announced his wedding with model-actress Swaalina on Thursday. Congratulatory wishes poured in for the couple as the two shared their photos.

In the late hours of Thursday, Emiway took to his Instagram handle to share a slew of photos in which both Swaalina and he can be seen dressed in ornate wedding outfits. The two twinned in violet outfits and flashed their brightest smiles at the camera. A photo even shows Emiway putting a garland around Swaalina.

“Alhamdulillah,” Emiway wrote as he shared photos of his wedding with Swaalini on Instagram.

Who is Swaalini?

Swaalini was first seen with Emiway Bantai in his music video, Kudi. Born in Finland in 1995, her real name is reportedly Halina Kuchey. She is a professional model and actress who has been a part of several Hindi and Punjabi music videos.

In 2017, she appeared in the Hindi song, Ik Kahani, and in 2018, she featured in the Punjabi song, Prada.

In January this year, she starred in the song, Nasha, which was produced by Emiway’s label.

About Emiway Bantai

Emiway Bantai is considered as one of the pioneers of the hiphop culture in India. Known for his raps based on the themes of freedom, friendship and social issues, Emiway shot to fame with his 2014 track, Aur Bantai.

It was followed by tracks like Machayenge and Khatam, which went on to become a rage not just in Indua, but even overseas.

According to several reports, Emiway’s net worth is currently poised at Rs 60 crore, making him one of the richest rappers in the country.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Oshiwara School Receives Bomb Threat Email By ‘Afzal Gang’

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Mumbai: Officials at Ryan Global School in Oshiwara received an email bomb threat on Thursday morning, according to police. The police, a bomb detection squad and a dog squad arrived at the school immediately and conducted a search operation for almost an hour, but did not find anything suspicious, officials said.

The email claimed that the ‘Afzal gang’ had planted a bomb in the school. A private school in Navi Mumbai also received a threatening email on Thursday. The Mumbai Police said that local authorities and the bomb squad had reached the spot and were investigating the premises.

the administration stated that it was just a rumour. The police have launched a search for the person behind the threat and have appealed to school administrators and parents to remain vigilant.

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