Politics
Connectivity speed will determine growth of country: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the connectivity speed will now determine the growth and development of the country.
At an event organised by the Ministry of Communication to mark the silver jubilee of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), he launched the 5G test bed. TRAI is celebrating its foundation day when the country is also planning the growth for the next 25 years under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, he said.
Expressing his happiness over the launch of 5Gi, he said that it will set its own standard of 5G in India.
Noting that the 5G technology will facilitate governance and make a positive change in ease of doing business in many fields, Prime Minister Modi said that it will create more jobs in many sectors.
The 6G service, he said, will be launched by the end of this decade, adding that a taskforce has already started working on the project.
Referring to the 2G period, he said: “It was full of frustration, corruption and policy paralysis but after that we came to 3G, 4G and now we are testing the 5G technology, developed by the Communication Ministry, Indian Institute of Technology at Chennai and Delhi”.
Noting that the Telecom sector is one of the finest examples of self-reliance, PM Modi also said that one-and-a-half times more foreign investments has come in the last eight years in comparison to total investment till 2014.
“Today, we are the fastest growing country using mobile and internet and mobile phone manufacturing. We had only two companies producing mobile phones but now there are over 200 mobile companies who are manufacturing mobile sets for our domestic needs but we are also exporting to other countries,” Modi said.
He also said that in 2014, the government initiated ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and wanted to get the people connected with the government sponsored programme at the minimum cost and “we initiate the connecting the Jan Dhan account, Aadhar card” with mobile to get the direct benefit schemes.
“To keep the call and internet data rate cheaper, we initiated policies in the telecom sector and made it competitive and healthy and this is why the calls and internet data both are quite cheap in India,” PM Modi said.
He also informed that over 1,75 lakh Gram Panchayats are connected with the broadband facility and gave approval of the 4G network by BSNL in Naxal-affected areas.
PM Modi also urged all the regulators of this sector to make a common platform to find out best solutions for the telecom industry in days to come.
National News
ED Arrests Congress MLA’s Associate In Sikkim Over Illegal Betting Racket, Seizes ₹6 Crore Cash

Bengaluru, Aug 23: The Enforcement Directorate, which raided over 30 premises on Friday to unearth the illegal betting racket by Congress MLA from Chithradurga has arrested Veerendra alias Puppy at Gangtok in Sikkim and seized Rs 6 crore unaccounted cash he was carrying with him.
Total Seizures from MLA Hit Rs 12 Crore
With this seizure, the total amount of money seized since Friday from the MLA has accumulated to Rs 12 crore, as the ED had seized cash, foreign currency and gold worth over Rs 6 crore on Friday from his residence in Chitradurga on Friday.
Veerendra alias Puppy, who owns five casinos in Goa — Puppy’s Casino Gold, Ocean7 Casino, Ocean River Casino, Big Daddy Casino and Puppy’s Casino Pride, is the first time MLA from Chitradurga. Apart from the seizure of money, the ED has frozen his 17 bank accounts and two bank lockers.
Dubai-Based Companies Linked to Gambling Apps
ED officials are looking into the illegal betting racket run by Puppy through gaming APPs called King567, Raja567, Puppies003 and Rathna Gambling. He is suspected to be using his brother Thippeswamy’s Dubai based companies to operate these APPs.
Transit Remand Granted, MLA to Be Produced in Bengaluru
Puppy was produced before Judicial Magistrate at Gangtok and obtained transit remand. He is being brought to Bengaluru to be produced before the jurisdictional Magistrate.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: CBI Arrests Long-Absconding Bank Fraud Accused After 21 Years

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully arrested the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, a proclaimed offender in a high-value bank fraud case, pursuant to sustained and meticulous efforts made by the investigating team.
The case was registered on 31.05.2004 for defrauding Bank of Baroda. It was alleged that the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, had dishonestly applied for housing loan by the use of forged and fabricated documents.
Charge Sheet Filed in 2007, Accused Remained Untraceable
After completion of investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the case on 30.04.2007, making the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot as one of the conspirators for cheating and defrauding the Bank of Baroda. The accused failed to join the trial or respond to summons/warrants and was untraceable since 2024.
Multiple Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were issued against him. Finally, on 09.12.2024, the Hon. Special Judge for CBI, Greater Bombay ordered to issue Proclamation warrant against him. Despite sustained efforts over the time to trace him, the absconding accused had remained untraceable.
Absconding Accused Frequently Changed Residences
The accused Dinesh D. Gehlot had frequently changed residences. He had misled the local residents about his real identity and had maintained minimal interaction with locals, further hindering efforts to trace him.
CBI Employs Advanced Technology to Locate Accused
The CBI through the deployment of advanced technological tools and identity-tracking databases, meticulously analyzed the digital footprint of the absconding accused to ascertain his current identity and location. Supplemented by extensive field investigations and on-ground inquiries, the CBI team successfully located the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot in Noida.
Accused Apprehended and Remanded to Judicial Custody
Pursuant to his identification, the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot was apprehended on 20.08.2025 and produced before the Competent Court at Mumbai, which remanded him to judicial custody for the purpose of further trial proceedings. The accused is presently undergoing trial.
CBI Highlights Technology and Persistence in Law Enforcement
“This case is a classic example of how the integration of technology-driven intelligence platforms with the persistent and coordinated efforts of investigating officers on the ground can substantially augment the operational capabilities of law enforcement agencies in tracing and apprehending long-absconding offenders,” said a CBI official.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Rains: Vasai Streets Turn White As Milk Shop Stock Spills Into Floodwater

Mumbai: In a bizarre and rare scene, the flooded streets of Vasai turned completely white after an entire milk shop’s stock spilt into the waterlogged roads on Wednesday. The unusual incident occurred due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in the area, leaving locals stunned as the streets began to resemble a river of milk.
At the start of this week, Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra witnessed heavy rains, leading to severe waterlogging in many areas. During this period, a video surfaced online showing a remarkable scene of a waterlogged road in Vasai completely turned white.
A video of the incident went viral on Instagram, shared by the accounts @unexplored_vasai and @nalasoparamerijaan_, drawing widespread attention. It showed the condition of the road, with gallons of milk mixed with the floodwater and flowing through the streets. The unusual visuals shocked many people on social media.
In another news story related to the Mumbai rains, flash floods caused by relentless rainfall on August 19 brought devastation to an animal shelter in Vasai’s Naigaon area. The JJ Foster Home (Jeet & Juhi) and Wagging Hearts Foundation, run by 20-year-old student and animal rescuer Jeet Bhatti, suffered a tragic loss, two dogs and three cats died in the flooding.
The shelter was home to 28 dogs and 63 cats, along with six stray animals kept in a temporary structure nearby. A disturbing video that has gone viral shows the heartbreaking condition of the shelter, with several helpless animals struggling in the rising water.
Bhatti, who has been rescuing animals since his teenage years, described the situation as “heartbreaking,” saying, “The animals were terrified and under immense stress. Even though our house was built a couple of feet above ground, the water rose nearly four feet inside.” He blamed the disaster on unchecked construction, destruction of mangroves, record-breaking rainfall, and high tides.
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