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Tuesday,09-December-2025
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Damage to railway lines, assets in Assam being assessed with drones, satellite data

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Specialists from North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), a subsidiary of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), are using drones and satellite data for conducting rapid damage assessment of railway tracks, stations, and other assets of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in Assam’s Dima Hasao mountainous district, officials said on Monday.

Due to unprecedented landslides triggered by heavy rain since May 13, massive damage has been caused to stations and railway tracks at over 58 locations in NFR’s Lumding-Badarpur single line railway route via Dima Hasao. This railway line connects Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the southern parts of Assam with the rest of the country.

Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said that a team of specialists from Umiam (Meghalaya)-based NESAC is doing rapid damage assessment in Dima Hasao using drones and satellite data to plan post-disaster activities and restoration of the damaged lines.

ISRO’s NESAC was set up in September 2000 as a joint initiative of the Central government’s Department of Space (DOS) and the North Eastern Council.

In many places, due to heavy rain, the soil from the railway tracks got washed away and huge landslides covered the tracks and other railway assets. According to NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Sabyasachi De, in the hill section under Lumding Division, all trains have been cancelled till June or until the restoration of the railway lines.

The official said that railway engineers and workers are working on a war footing to restore the rail links. The NFR’s Lumding-Badarpur single line railway route via Dima Hasao is vital for ferrying goods, fuel, and passengers to and from Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam’s three districts – Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakhandhi.

In the floods and landslides caused by pre-monsoon rain, 24 people including children and women have been killed, and around 8.40 lakh people in 32 of the 34 districts in Assam have been affected.

Business

CBI books Reliance Commercial Finance, its promoters in Rs 57.47 crore bank fraud case

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Mumbai, Dec 9: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said it has filed a criminal case against Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd (RCFL) and its promoters and directors over allegedly causing wrongful loss of Rs 57.47 crore to Bank of Maharashtra.

The case has been registered against RCFL — a company of Reliance ADA Group, its promoters/directors and unknown bank officials, on the allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct and thereby, the CBI said in a statement.

According to the statement, the loan account of Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd was declared an NPA by the bank on March 25, 2020 and also as fraud on October 4, 2025, for causing wrongful loss of Rs 57.47 crore to Bank of Maharashtra.

“RCFL was availing loans to the tune of Rs 9,280 crore from 31 banks/ FIs/NBFCs/Corporate Bodies, etc., including Bank of Maharashtra. A thorough investigation will be conducted into the allegations of defrauding all the banks/FIs, etc. by the accused company,” said the CBI.

The probe agency obtained search warrants from the court of a Special CBI judge, Mumbai and commenced searches at the official premises of RCFL at Mumbai and the residential premises of Devang Pravin Mody, Director of the company, at Pune, on December 9.

“Several incriminating documents have been observed and are being taken into possession during searches. Searches are in progress,” the CBI said.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary charge sheet against Reliance Power Ltd and 10 others, in the case of fake bank guarantees of Rs 68 crore submitted by Reliance Power Limited to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for the purpose of securing a tender issued by it. ED attached the proceeds of crime worth Rs 5.15 crore as well.

Reliance Power Ltd said in a statement that “ED allegations have not yet passed through judicial scrutiny and the Company has not been held guilty of any wrongdoing”.

“As per law settled by the Supreme Court, the company will get an opportunity to put across its case and facts before the court, even before cognisance, so filing of this complaint does not affect the affairs of the company in any manner,” said the company in an exchange filing.

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Crime

Mumbai: Man Arrested At Airport For Derogatory Social Media Posts On Bhagavad Gita & Women

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Mumbai: Mangaluru City Police have arrested a Mumbai native accused of uploading social media posts that promoted feelings of enmity or hatred in 2024.

The accused, who was working in Saudi Arabia, was arrested at Mumbai Airport based on a Look Out Circular (LOC).

The accused, Felix Edward Mathais (aged 56), is alleged to have circulated derogatory posts about the Bhagavad Gita and women in February 2024.

A case was registered against him at the Kankanady City Police Station under sections 153(A), 504, 507, 509 of the IPC and Section 66(D) of the IT Act.

At the time the case was filed, Mathais was in Saudi Arabia for employment, which prevented his arrest. The accused, originally from Charkop, Mumbai, was the subject of an LOC issued by the police following information gathered about his overseas employment.

The accused landed at Mumbai Airport from abroad. Immigration officials detained him and informed the Mangaluru Police. Subsequently, he was arrested at the Airport on December 5, 2025.

He was brought to Mangaluru for investigation and produced before the Court. A report has been submitted to the court requesting the confiscation of his passport.

Another accused in the case, Evigin John D’Souza (aged 57), was previously arrested on August 11, 2024, and produced before the court.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.

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Crime

Palghar Crime: 40-Year-Old Constable Arrested For Allegedly Raping Woman Inside Kasa Police Station

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Palghar, Maharashtra, Dec 08: A 40-year-old police constable has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman inside the Kasa police station in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, officials said on Monday.

According to a senior official from the Palghar rural police, the incident took place last week when the woman had visited the station to record her statement in connection with an ongoing case. The constable allegedly assaulted her within the premises.

Following a complaint filed by the woman, a case of rape was registered and the constable was arrested on Sunday, officials confirmed.

In the aftermath of the incident, the in-charge of the Kasa police station has been transferred. Further investigation is underway.

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