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ED mulls joining probe into luxury car smuggling racket after DRI, Customs crackdown

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ED

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 24: A day after a joint raid conducted by the DRI and Customs officials into the luxury car smuggling racket through its ‘Operation Numkhor’, which exposed tax evasion worth crores through illegal imports routed via Bhutan, the Enforcement Directorate is mulling joining the probe.

On Tuesday, the raid confiscated about 36 cars from various people, including Mammootty’s actor son Dulquer Salman, upcoming actor Amit Chakalackal and others.

The high-profile inspections began Tuesday morning and are being carried out simultaneously at nearly 30 locations across Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts.

Meanwhile, notices have been served to all the wrongdoers.

Salman and Chackalackal’s vehicles were seized. Even though the raid team reached Prithviraj’s home, they were unable to go further. However, the probe team is likely to serve a notice to Prithviraj.

ED officials collected case files and intelligence directly from Customs officers, following revelations that large-scale financial irregularities were linked to the racket.

The top Customs official had confirmed the need to examine possible money laundering angles, leading to ED’s intervention.

Investigators suspect that funds generated through these vehicle transactions could have been diverted.

Along with ED, other central agencies are also expected to probe.

Initial Customs findings indicated that multiple individuals engaged in financial fraud through the vehicle trade, with deals worth several crores.

ED is examining violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Documents relating to these violations have already been collected.

The ED believes that luxury cars were purchased by influential individuals to launder illegally earned money.

Customs had earlier revealed that the racket caused significant Goods and Services Tax (GST) evasion.

The Central GST Department has also initiated a separate investigation.

Meanwhile, Customs is preparing to share details with the Ministry of External Affairs, as forged embassy documents are suspected to have been used in registering some vehicles.

Crime

Class 10 student, who shared dais with Andhra CM at school event, commits suicide

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Amaravati, July 27: A Class 10 student, who had shared the dais with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu during a Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting at a government school in Polavaram district just three days ago, has died by suicide on Monday.

Murram Shivani, who sat next to the Chief Minister and spoke during the MPTM 4.0 at Zilla Parishad High School in Rampachodavaram, hanged herself at her grandmother’s house in Irlapalli village.

The girl left behind a handwritten suicide note, apologising to her parents for failing to fulfil their dreams. The reason for her extreme step was not known.

The girl’s parents work at a hotel in Korukonda while she was staying with her grandmother and was studying at Government High School, Rampachodavaram.

Police registered a case and took up investigation.

Shivani, who was said to be active in studies, had attracted the attention of all with her speech at MPTM 4.0 in the presence of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. She had expressed her wish to work hard and win the Shining Star Award next year.

After her speech, the Chief Minister had called her and made her sit next to her. He also had a chat with her.

Chief Minister Naidu said he was deeply saddened by the passing away of Murram Shivani.

He ordered officials to conduct a thorough investigation into Shivani’s death.

“It is distressing that Shivani, who had spoken so enthusiastically on stage during the mega parent-teacher meeting in Rampachodavaram, has taken her own life. I recall the words she shared with me that day about her studies and her high aspirations,” the Chief Minister said in a post on ‘X’.

“It is heartbreaking to see a tribal girl with such a promising future lose her life in this manner. Regardless of the underlying reasons, the fact that she is gone before realizing her dreams deeply troubles me,” he said.

“Students and the youth must stand strong in the face of challenges and hardships. I urge everyone not to succumb to pressure, despair, or hopelessness. There is a solution to every problem. Please share your pain and distress with your family, friends, and loved ones. Overcome the pressure and move forward to make your dreams a reality. I want to assure you that the government stands by you in every way,” added the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister and Education Minister Nara Lokesh attended the Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting (MPTM) at Zilla Parishad High School at Rampachodavaram on July 24. They interacted with students, parents and teachers. They also had lunch with the students.

The state government has been organising MPTM at government schools across the state to unite parents, teachers and communities for better student progress.

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Crime

Two more arrested in Kolkata NEET protest violence case

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Kolkata, July 27: Two more persons have been nabbed in connection with the violence and attacks on police personnel and journalists during the July 24 protest rally in Kolkata against the NEET examination paper leak and other exam scandals, taking the total number of arrests to 16, officials said on Monday.

Earlier, from Saturday evening till Sunday afternoon, 14 persons were arrested after being identified through CCTV footage and video recordings of the violence.

The two persons arrested on Monday morning have been identified as Waqar Azam (35), a resident of Karaya Area at Park Circus in South-East Kolkata, and Zaved Akhtar (32), a resident of Garden Reach area in the southern outskirts of Kolkata.

Both will be presented at a lower court in Kolkata later in the day, and the public prosecutor will seek their police custody.

They will all be tried under the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, which provides for stricter measures against anti-social and violent activities, as was already announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari last week.

Tension broke out at the joint rally organised by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and some students and youth organisations against NEET examination paper leak on July 24 afternoon, as a section of the protesters hurled glass bottles, stones, bricks, bamboo sticks and shoes at the police personnel.

Some of the media persons covering the incident also suffered injuries after being hit by the things hurled by a section of the protesters. Some of the media personnel had to be hospitalised.

On Sunday afternoon, the Chief Minister said that none of the 14 persons arrested till that time in this connection was a student.

He also said that all those arrested after being identified as perpetrators through CCTV footage and videos were actually fundamentalists whose main intention on Friday was to create a major disturbance in the city, posing as student activists after assembling at the protest rally.

“Their only aim was to disturb the peace in the state and the country. All of them will be dealt with under the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026,” the Chief Minister said while speaking to the media persons on Sunday afternoon.

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Crime

Police detain man for sexually assaulting elderly woman in Bengal’s Joynagar

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Kolkata, July 27: In a heinous case involving a senior citizen, the police have detained a man for sexually assaulting an elderly woman in Joynagar area of South 24 Parganas district, said the police on Monday. The victim was first taken to a local hospital. Later, she was admitted to the Baruipur Sub district Hospital for advanced treatment. The police have started questioning the accused person.

Baruipur Police District Superintendent Arvind Kumar Anand said that action was taken immediately after receiving the complaint.

“The investigators have detained a suspect and interrogating him. All aspects are being investigated. If evidence of anyone else’s involvement in this incident is found, legal action will also be taken against them,” said the officer.

It is learned that the old woman had gone to get vegetables from a banana plantation behind her house on Sunday evening.

It is alleged that the accused sexually assaulted her after finding her alone in a secluded place. When the victim started screaming, the nearby residents rushed to the spot. However, it is alleged that the accused fled the spot before they arrived. The old woman could not be found then.

Local resident Basana Das told local media persons that the family members became worried when the old woman did not return home after evening.

Later, her son-in-law returned home and started searching for her. He found the old woman lying unconscious in the banana plantation behind the house and rescued her.

She was then rushed to the local hospital. Later, on the advice of doctors, she was shifted to the Baruipur Sub district Hospital.

The police said that the victim’s statement has been recorded. The investigation has been started on the basis of a confidential statement. A youth has been detained on suspicion in the initial investigation. He is being questioned in phases.

The investigators are probing whether any other person was involved in the incident.

There is an atmosphere of anger and anxiety in the area over the heinous incident. Local residents demanded stringent punishment for those who are involved in the incident.

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