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Bengal Coal Scam: Abhishek Banerjee’s Wife Stopped From Boarding Dubai Flight, Detained at Kolkata Aiport

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Trinamool Congress national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Narula Banerjee encountered another instance of being prevented from boarding a flight to Dubai at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. She was detained at the airport due to her alleged involvement in the Bengal coal smuggling scandal.

Rujira Banerjee, accompanied by children, was stopped from boarding flight

Rujira, accompanied by her two children, was prevented from boarding her flight upon reaching the Kolkata airport at 7 AM.

Rujira Banerjee has received a summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and is scheduled to be questioned in two days. Today, when she arrived at the airport to catch a flight to Dubai, the immigration department stopped her and refused to allow her to board the flight.

Based on information from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), sources indicate that Rujira was stopped due to the presence of an active look-out circular issued against her.

ED’s allegations

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Abhishek Banerjee and his family are linked to two companies, namely Leaps and Bound PVT LTD and Leaps and Bound Management Services LLP. The ED alleges that these companies received protection funds totaling Rs 4.37 crore from a construction company through individuals who are under investigation in the coal smuggling case.

Amit Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee’s father, serves as one of the directors of Leaps and Bound Pvt Ltd. Additionally, Rujira Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee’s wife, is a director of Leap and Bound Management Services Limited, along with his father.

Lawyer says she had informed ED about travel plan

According to Rujira Banerjee’s lawyer, she had previously informed the ED by sharing her travel itinerary and a copy of her tickets a few days ago.

“Though not required to intimate, still to express her bonafide, Rujira Banerjee, wife of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee informed ED through email of her upcoming visit to Dubia from June 5 to June 13 with her children. There was no response/communication from ED objecting to such a visit which they could not have in view of the orders of the Supreme Court,” her lawyer said.

The lawyer, terming the move as gross violation of the Supreme Court’s orders, said, “She was stopped at immigration along with her minor kids and informed that she cannot travel abroad. She was also handed over a copy of summon directing her to appear before the ED office in Kolkata on June 8. We will be moving to court as it has been a violation of SC order.”

According to PTI’s report, multiple attempts to obtain a statement from the airport and ED authorities were unsuccessful, as they did not provide a response.

Coal pilferage scam and connection to Rujira Banerjee

In relation to an investigation into a multi-crore coal pilferage scam, Rujira Banerjee has previously been interrogated by central agencies. The probe is linked to an FIR filed by the CBI in 2020 regarding the said coal pilferage scam.

The alleged illicit mining of coal occurred at leasehold mines in the Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol, West Bengal, belonging to Eastern Coalfields. Investigations have indicated financial transactions amounting to Rs 1,300 crore, with a significant portion of the funds allegedly reaching various influential individuals, as per the CBI.

The investigation has revealed that the money was deposited into foreign bank accounts of these influential individuals through hawala channels. Last year, Rujira Banerjee was questioned by the ED in connection with the coal pilferage scam investigation. The CBI also questioned her in 2021 regarding the same case.

National News

‘Mantriji Haath Jeb Mein Se Bahar’: LS Speaker Om Birla Chides Minister For Putting Hand In Pocket Inside House

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'Mantriji Haath Jeb Mein Se Bahar': LS Speaker Om Birla Chides Minister For Putting Hand In Pocket Inside House

New Delhi, July 26: The Parliament’s Monsoon Session has seen its share of confrontations between the members of the ruling government and the Opposition. Even Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla has not been immune to getting into an argument or chiding a member for inappropriate behaviour. A similar incident was witnessed in the lower house on Thursday when speaker Birla scolded a member of the ruling government in the house and a minister for putting “hands in pocket”.

A video that has now gone viral shows Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla telling the minister, “Mantriji haath jeb se bahar (Minister, hands out of the pocket please)”. After this, Birla requested all the members not to put their hands in pocket while being inside the house.

He also went on to instruct that if a member is speaking, the member sitting in front should not get up and in fact try to sit somewhere back so that the member speaking is not obstructed.

The video also caught the voice of a person trying to clarify after Birla’s remarks. However, the video did not show which minister was scolded by the Lok Sabha Speaker.

This is the second time in two days when the usually unflappable Lok Sabha speaker was seen trying to correct an MP inside the house. On June 24, the exchange between Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee had gone viral.

The video shows Om Birla asking TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee to not talk about past events while speaking on the budget and focus only on the current budget in his speech. Abhishek Banerjee retorted saying, “Then why do you have no problem when someone speaks on Nehru ji and talks about 60 years old things.” Banerjee then went on to say that if he speaks on demonetisation (which took place in 2016), then the speaker has problem.

The Union Budget and the first one of Modi 3.0 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23. The Opposition criticised the budget calling it an exercise by the government to ensure that it keeps its alliance partners happy and alleged that the budget favoured several states and deliberately left out the other regions.

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National News

Farah Khan’s Mother Menka Irani Passes Away At 79, Days After Undergoing Multiple Surgeries

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Menka Irani, the mother of filmmakers Farah Khan and Sajid Khan, passed away on July 26, Friday. The news was shared by Kamaal R Khan on his social media handle.

Farah’s mother was 79 when she breathed her last.

The heartbreaking news comes days after Farah had revealed in an Instagram post that her mother had undergone multiple surgeries. On her birthday on July 12, Farah had penned a heartfelt note for her mother and had lauded her strength.

“We all take our mothers for granted. especially me! This last month has been a revelation on how much I love my mom Menka.. she’s been the strongest, bravest person iv ever seen.. sense of humour intact even after multiple surgeries,” she wrote.

“Happy birthday mom! Today’s a good day to come back home. Can’t wait for you to get strong enough to start fighting with me again.. I love you,” she wrote.

Friends of Farah and Sajid were seen reaching their residence to extend their support and condolences.

Menka was the sister of former child actors Honey Irani, who later married Javed Akhtar, and Daisy Irani. She is survived by her two children — Farah and Sajid.

Not many know but Menka also acted in the film Bachpan in 1963, which starred Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan.

In an earlier interview, Farah had revealed how their mother brought Sajid and her up after their father lost all money and died due to alcohol addiction. “We’d lost all our money, dad’s film had flopped. We had a riches to rags story,” she had said.

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‘Pakistan Has Not Learned Any Lessons From History’: PM Modi Warns Neighbouring Country On Kargil Vijay Diwas

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'Pakistan Has Not Learned Any Lessons From History': PM Modi Warns Neighbouring Country On Kargil Vijay Diwas

As the country commemorates the 25th anniversary of the victory in the Kargil War, PM Modi on Friday paid tribute to the brave soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the country in the 1999 conflict.

On this occasion, PM Modi also warned the neighboring country, stating that Pakistan has not learned any lessons from history.

Speaking at the Kargil Vijay Diwas Shradhanjali Samaroh in Kargil, PM Modi said, “India was trying to establish peace at that time, in return, Pakistan once again showed its untrustworthy face. However, lies and terror were defeated by the truth. Every time Pakistan attempted something nefarious, it has received a befitting reply in the past. However, Pakistan has not taken any lessons from its own history. It is trying to keep itself relevant taking help of terrorism and proxy war.”

“Today, I am speaking from the very place where the masters of terrorism can hear me clearly! I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their sinister plans will never succeed,” added PM Modi.

“However, Pakistan has not taken any lessons from its own history. It is trying to keep itself relevant taking help of terrorism and proxy war,”

Paying tribute to the Indian soldiers who died in the war, PM Modi added, “Today, the majestic land of Ladakh marks a significant milestone – 25 years since the triumphant victory of Kargil. Kargil Vijay Diwas reminds us that the sacrifices made for our nation are eternal and forever remembered. As time passes, days turn into months, months into years, and years into centuries – the names of those who laid down their lives for the sake of national security remain etched in our collective memory, forever immortalised!”

Earlier today, PM laid a wreath at the Kargil War Memoria in Drass, Ladakh, on the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and all ranks of the armed forces also joined in remembering the supreme sacrifice made by the soldiers during the Kargil war.

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