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Chemicals of bombs used in Pulwama attack were sourced via Amazon: CAIT

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The sale of marijuana on the Amazon e-commerce portal is not a new and first offence of Amazon, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in a statement.

Earlier in 2019, the chemicals for making the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which were used in the Pulwama terror attack resulting in the death of 40 CRPF soldiers, were also purchased via the e-commerce portal, it added.

The NIA during the investigation of Pulwama case revealed this fact in its report in March 2020, the news also widely appeared in the media in March 2020. Besides other material, ammonium nitrate, which is a contraband item in India, was also purchased through the portal.

CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that as per reports available in public domain during initial interrogation by the NIA, the person arrested disclosed that he used his Amazon online shopping account to procure chemicals for making IEDs, batteries and other accessories The explosives used in the attack were determined through forensic probe to be ammonium nitrate, nitro-glycerin etc.

CAIT said since facilitation of sale of contraband item Ammonium Nitrate was used against our soldiers, a case of treason should be registered against Amazon and its officials. It is the result of the lukewarm attitude of the policy makers and officials that is allowing e-commerce portals to do whatever they like, CAIT statement said.

It is also most surprising how this sensational matter was made dead and no further actions were taken for sale of contraband items.

Bhartia and Khandelwal said that ammonium nitrate was declared a banned item in 2011 for which a notification was issued listing the dangerous grades of ammonium nitrate under the Explosives Act, 1884, and banning its open sale, purchase and manufacture in India. Ammonium nitrate was found to be the main explosive in the bombs used to trigger the explosions at busy and crowded areas. Before Mumbai, ammonium nitrate was used in the blasts at Varanasi and Malegaon in 2006 and in the serial blasts in Delhi in 2008.

The CAIT from 2016 is demanding a codified law and rules for e-commerce but unfortunately no step has been taken so far which speaks to the sorry state of affairs. What worse can be than the procurement of chemicals used for making bombs and targeting our great soldiers. This case must be re-opened and responsible persons who were managing Amazon portal should be prosecuted as per the law, CAIT said.

Ammonium nitrate is a crystal-like white solid which is made in large industrial quantities. Its biggest use is as a source of nitrogen for fertiliser, but it is also used to create explosives for mining.if a fire reaches it, the chemical reaction will be much more intense.When ammonium nitrate explodes, it can release toxic gases including nitrogen oxides and ammonia gas which could be dangerous to the people living around.

Bhartia and Khandelwal urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their immediate direct intervention in the matter. It has also urged Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to immediately release e-commerce rules, e-commerce policy and new press note replacing Press Note no 2 of the FDI policy.

The CAIT has urged the Union Government to conduct an intensive and thorough probe into business model of big e-commerce players to ensure that no sale of prohibited items or anti- nation activities are conducted on e-commerce portals and liability should be fixed on marketplace to do strict KYC of the seller and using artificial intelligence and machine learning technology allow sale of goods or providing services only which are lawful.

Crime

Red Fort blast case: Delhi court to hear NIA chargesheet on June 4

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New Delhi, May 14: A Delhi court is scheduled to hear on June 4 the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) voluminous chargesheet filed in connection with the deadly Red Fort blast case that claimed 11 lives and left several others injured.

The chargesheet, running into around 7,500 pages, was filed earlier on Thursday by the anti-terror agency before the Patiala House Court against 10 accused under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The high-intensity Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) explosion had taken place near the Red Fort area on November 10, 2025, triggering a nationwide security alert and causing extensive damage to surrounding property.

According to the NIA, all the accused named in the prosecution complaint were allegedly associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an outfit considered an offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Among those named in the chargesheet is the alleged mastermind, Dr Umer Un Nabi, a Pulwama-based former Assistant Professor of Medicine at Al-Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad, who was killed in the blast. The agency has proposed the abatement of charges against him.

The other accused arrayed in the chargesheet include Aamir Rashid Mir, Jasir Bilal Wani, Dr Muzamil Shakeel, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, Soyab, Dr Bilal Naseer Malla and Yasir Ahmad Dar.

The anti-terror agency said its investigation was spread across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Delhi-NCR region, and included examination of 588 witnesses, over 395 documentary records and more than 200 seized exhibits and material objects.

Earlier in March, the Patiala House Court had granted the NIA an additional 45 days to complete its probe in the case after the probe agency submitted that crucial new leads had emerged and a large volume of digital evidence was under examination.

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Crime

Mumbai Crime: DRI Arrests 2 Passengers For Allegedly Smuggling Diamonds Worth ₹5.70 Crore To Bangkok At CSMIA

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Mumbai: The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two persons for allegedly attempting to smuggle diamonds worth Rs 5.70 crore to Bangkok.

Those arrested have been identified as Tamil Nadu residents Imthiyas Mohamed Marsuk (28) and Saibu Alikhan Sheik (31).

According to DRI sources, specific intelligence was received that two passengers, Imthiyas Mohamed Marsuk and Saibu Alikhan Sheik, flying from Mumbai to Bangkok on Monday, would attempt to smuggle a huge quantity of diamonds out of India. They were intercepted near the departure gate.

They informed the officials that they had concealed some packages in their body. During the X-ray of the passengers, some images were seen which confirmed the concealment of some egg-shaped items in their body. After that, the passengers were asked to remove the packages from their body, which they obliged and removed one by one from their rectum.

Total four egg-shaped capsules were recovered from the passengers and, on further questioning by the officers, both passengers stated that the packages contained precious stones and diamonds.

They further informed that no declaration had been made to Customs regarding the said stones purported to be diamonds and that they were not carrying any valid documents relating to their purchase, possession, and export permission.

The said capsules were carefully cut, and 20 transparent pouches with different markings containing transparent glass-like stones purported to be diamonds were found in the said 20 pouches.

“Both the passengers claimed that the said diamonds were handed over by one unknown person in Mumbai (at the behest of the mastermind) for transportation to Bangkok in lieu of Rs 15,000 each. They admitted to being part of the same smuggling syndicate as carriers,” said a DRI source.

“In the ongoing investigation, more pieces of evidence are being gathered, and the same need to be investigated. Other key members of the syndicate are yet to be apprehended, and all-out efforts are being made in this regard. Further, sources for the purchase of the diamonds are yet to be investigated. The ongoing investigation is crucial to dismantling this international smuggling network and we are gathering additional evidence to identify and apprehend other key members of the syndicate, which could have far-reaching implications for international security and economic stability,” the officer added.

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Crime

Powai Police Arrest 2 In Karjat Fake Resort Booking Scam; Merchant Navy Officer Duped Of ₹12,000

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Mumbai: The Powai police have arrested two men from Pimpri-Chinchwad and Beed district for their alleged involvement in a fake hotel and resort booking scam in which a 53-year-old Powai resident was cheated of Rs 12,000 while attempting to book a resort in Karjat in January.

The police said that the accused were identified as Kunal Gaikwad (21), a college dropout from Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Datta Kedar (23), a graduate from Beed.

According to police, the duo provided their bank account and SIM card to the cyber fraud racket, which used them to carry out the scam. Gaikwad was arrested on May 5, while Kedar was arrested on March 25.

Police said the complainant, who works in the Merchant Navy, came across a fake website of Urivergate Resort while searching online for accommodation.

After contacting the number listed on the website, he was asked to pay an advance of Rs 12,000 for booking two rooms. The accused allegedly sent a Google Pay QR code through WhatsApp, and the amount was transferred to an account linked to “Kunal Confectionery.”

Investigators tracked the QR code, SIM details and bank account to trace the accused. Police said two more persons involved in the racket are absconding. Both arrested accused are in judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected.

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