New Delhi, April 15: Amid the continuing stir in Noida’s Phase 2 area, an alleged link to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) surfaced on Wednesday, with Noida police booking two party spokespersons over charges of spreading misinformation on social media.

According to officials, Priyanka Bharti and Kanchana Yadav – two RJD leading spokespersons and also well-known TV faces, have been named in the FIR lodged at the Cyber Crime Police Station.

The case pertains to the circulation of ‘misleading’ content during the labour unrest, which saw multiple incidents of vandalism and arson.

Noida Police, in its FIR, has said that the video purportedly shared by the duo on social media, was projected as the one from Noida stir but it was actually from an incident in Madhya Pradesh. The video clip reportedly showed police detaining an intoxicated individual, but was falsely circulated as an incident involving workers in Noida.

Authorities believe that the misleading posts contributed to confusion among the public and labourers, damaging the image of the police and potentially inciting unrest. The FIR notes that such actions may have been intended to provoke tension and disturb law and order.

Officials are now investigating the broader network behind the dissemination of such ‘misleading and misguiding’ content and examining multiple social media handles over alleged attempts to fan disturbance.

The development comes amid a crackdown following violent protests by workers in parts of Noida, where incidents of stone-pelting, vandalism and arson were reported.

Police have urged people not to share unverified information online and warned of strict action against those found spreading rumours or attempting to incite violence through social media platforms.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam chaired a meeting with outsourcing agencies and contractors associated with various industrial units, where it was decided that strict action, including blacklisting and licence cancellation, would be taken against agencies linked to any unruly behaviour by their personnel.

The meeting was convened to ensure full compliance with government guidelines across the district and maintain industrial peace amid ongoing labour-related concerns.

Addressing the participants, the District Magistrate emphasised the crucial role played by outsourcing agencies and contractors in the functioning of industries and in generating employment opportunities, according to an official statement.

Kalyan, April 14: In a major breakthrough in the high-profile NESCO Centre drugs party case, Mumbai Police have arrested alleged drug supplier Anand Patel, a Kalyan-based businessman, following a late-night raid that turned into a tense hour-long standoff.

According to officials, the operation was carried out with the assistance of Khadakpada Police after Mumbai Police received specific intelligence that Patel was hiding at his residence in Kalyan West. A police team immediately rushed to the location and coordinated with local authorities to execute the arrest.

Senior officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Atul Zende, were informed about the operation. Subsequently, a joint team led by Senior Police Inspector Amarnath Waghmode, along with officers Bhushan Devre, Kiran Shirke, Sanjay Chavan, Kundan Bhamre, and Suraj Khandale, reached the upscale Mohan Heights residential complex where Patel resides.

At the premises, police first encountered Patel’s father, Lakhan Patel, a businessman, who allegedly tried to mislead the officers by claiming that his son was not in Kalyan and had gone out of town. He also reportedly attempted to evade questioning, which further raised suspicion among the police team.

Acting on strong intelligence inputs, police escorted Lakhan Patel to the eighth-floor apartment. However, despite repeated knocking and instructions, the occupants refused to open the door. The situation soon escalated into a tense standoff, with police waiting outside for nearly an hour.

Officials made it clear that they would not leave without taking Patel into custody. Eventually, after continuous persuasion and intervention by his father, Anand Patel opened the door and was immediately detained by the police. Sources revealed that Patel had celebrated his birthday just two days earlier, and several relatives were present inside the house during the raid.

Following his detention, Khadakpada Police formally handed him over to Mumbai Police for further investigation in the NESCO drugs party case.

Preliminary investigation suggests that Patel, who claims to be a builder, played a key role in supplying drugs at the party. He is believed to have acted as a crucial link between the party organiser and drug suppliers. Police are now probing his wider network and suspect that he may have been involved in drug distribution activities in Kalyan and nearby areas as well.

Officials also stated that Patel’s father, Lakhan Patel, has multiple criminal cases registered against him, and his role, if any, will also be examined as part of the ongoing investigation. Further investigation is underway, and more arrests are likely as the probe deepens.

New Delhi, April 14: Indian agencies have reported a sharp rise in counterfeit currency seizures, pointing to a renewed push by organised networks to expand operations.

Investigators say the syndicate linked to Dawood Ibrahim, operating from Pakistan, is increasingly directing operatives in India to print fake notes locally instead of relying on cross-border smuggling routes through Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The trend points to a deliberate attempt to scale up production, with signs of a coordinated effort to undermine the Indian economy. Recent months have seen multiple seizures in border regions due to tighter security. At the same time, attempts to drop counterfeit currency using drones are being detected and intercepted with increasing frequency.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the syndicate is now directing its operatives in India to print fake notes locally and circulate them within the market. They have been advised to keep operations small but frequent to maintain overall volume while avoiding attention.

“To reduce the risk of detection, members are also shifting bases regularly, making it difficult for agencies to track and pin down a single location,” the official added.

The route through the Bangladesh border has also become increasingly difficult for smugglers to use. Enhanced security measures have tightened surveillance, making it harder for operatives to push counterfeit currency into India.

Another official said the strategy now is to expand printing across multiple states, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab. In the past, the syndicate had set up a localised unit in Malda, West Bengal, where high-quality counterfeit notes were produced and were difficult to detect.

“However, after the unit was uncovered, intensified action by agencies led to a sharp decline in operations,” the official said.

Another official said printing capacity in Malda has dropped by more than half after agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), intensified investigations and enforcement.

Officials added that efforts are underway to push in raw materials needed to set up fresh units to expand local production. If these consignments reach operatives in India, output could increase again. Even as the focus shifts to domestic printing, attempts to move counterfeit currency across the border using drones are expected to continue.

Last month, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Amritsar Police seized counterfeit currency worth Rs 2.5 lakh, which officials believe may have been a trial run. While drones have been intercepted carrying drugs, arms, and ammunition on several occasions, their use for moving fake currency has emerged as a growing concern.

Agencies said the syndicate is now relying on smaller consignments that are harder to detect on radar and surveillance systems. An official noted that operatives are adopting varied methods to increase the circulation of counterfeit notes.

Even as local production gathers pace, the use of drones is expected to continue. The broader objective, officials said, is to generate funds for terror activities and to inflict economic damage through the sustained circulation of fake currency.