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Graft case: Anil Deshmukh’s ED custody extended by 3 days

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A Special PMLA Court here on Friday extended by 3 days the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, nabbed 10 days ago in an alleged money-laundering case.

Strongly contesting the ED plea, Deshmukh’s lawyers Vikram Chaudhri and Aniket Nikam said that the former minister appeared before the ED voluntarily and even agreed to be in ED’s extended custody though he had been granted judicial custody last week.

Arguing before Special Judge H.S. Satbhai, they questioned why the chargesheet was filed without arresting dismissed cop Sachin Vaze, the prime accused, who played a key role but remains ‘accused’ only on paper.

Chaudhri and Nikam also asked why the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh — currently untraceable — has not been summoned for probe to record his statement.

“The country is passing through a phase where chaos and anarchy prevail, and the judiciary is the only saviour… The idea is to tire out Deshmukh… The ED seeking further custody is proof that all is not fair and they are acting with malice,” Chaudhri said.

Making a plea for extending Deshmukh’s custody, ED Special Public Prosecutor Shriram Shirsat submitted it was needed since new facts have emerged in the case which need to be probed.

Further, he contended that Vaze, the accused in the same case, is currently in Mumbai Police custody till Saturday.

The ED would move a fresh plea seeking Vaze’s custody so that he could be confronted with Deshmukh, as the latter has been giving evasive replies.

Deshmukh who went for the ED probe on November 1, was arrested in the early hours of November 2 and has been in custody since then.

Last Sunday, the Bombay High Court had set aside the Special Court order granting Deshmukh judicial custody for 14 days and sent him back to the ED custody till November 12, and now extended till November 15.

The ED lodged the case against the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader based on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR arising out of Singh’s letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last March alleging that Deshmukh had ordered Vaze and others to ‘collect’ Rs 100 crore per month from Mumbai hoteliers.

It further alleged that Deshmukh had received Rs 4.70 crore bribe in cash between December 2020-February 2021 through Vaze, which he had launched through paper companies and his trust.

Business

India’s infrastructure market expected to hit Rs 25 lakh crore by 2030: Report

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New Delhi, Nov 25: India is entering a multi-year infra super-cycle, with the Nifty Infrastructure index delivering 2 times returns of the Nifty 50 over the past three years, a report said on Tuesday.

India’s infrastructure equities have evolved from defensive to high‑beta, high‑alpha and could nearly double in market size by 2030 to around Rs 25 lakh crore, the report from Smallcase said.

Analysts said that the growth is driven government spending and private capex revival — helped by PLI schemes, global supply-chain shifts, and manufacturing incentives.

Smallcase estimated that Rs 1 of infrastructure capex delivers roughly Rs 2.5 — Rs 3 of GDP impact.

Markets are likely to maintain a high beta to infrastructure execution; earnings visibility across engineering, construction, industrials, cement, power equipment and logistics remain robust, the report noted.

InvITs growth will be underpinned by predictable, contract-based revenue streams offering pre‑tax yields of about 10–12 per cent and post‑tax returns near 7–9 per cent generally higher than many conventional fixed-income instruments.

The Nifty Infrastructure Index returned 14.5 per cent, 82.8 per cent and 181.2 per cent over the past 1, 3 and 5 years, outperforming the Nifty 50’s 10.5 per cent, 41.5 per cent and 100.3 per cent, the report said.

“Though Infrastructure investment in India Although these assets can experience temporary fluctuations during periods of market uncertainty, their historical volatility of about 10.2 per cent is well below the equity market’s 15.4 per cent, resulting in comparatively steadier performance,” said Abhishek Banerjee, Investment manager on smallcase, and founder of LotusDew.

With a correlation of only 0.42 to equities, infrastructure platforms tend to behave similarly to utilities, producing consistent, inflation-linked income that is largely unaffected by economic swings, he added.

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National News

Sadiyo ke ghav bhar rahe hain: PM Modi at Ram Temple Dhwajarohan Utsav

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Ayodhya, Nov 25: After leading the ‘Dhwajarohan Utsav’ by hoisting the sacred flag atop the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the day marks the end of centuries of pain and struggle.

PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat led the ‘Dhwajarohan Utsav’ at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple by hoisting the specially-designed sacred saffron flag atop the temple.

Addressing the large gathering from the Ram Janmabhoomi temple premises, PM Modi said, “Today, the city of Ayodhya is witnessing another turning point in India’s cultural consciousness. Today, the entire country, the entire world is filled with devotion for Lord Ram.”

The ceremony holds deep cultural and spiritual meaning for devotees across the country.

“Every Ram devotee’s heart is filled with immense satisfaction, gratitude and happiness. ‘Sadiyo ke ghav bhar rahe hain (centuries old wounds are healing today)’. The pain of centuries is coming to an end today, and the resolve of centuries is achieving success today. Today is the ‘poornahuti’ (final offering)’ of that ‘yagna’ whose fire burned for 500 years. The yagya that never wavered in faith, not even for a moment,” he added.

The flag, specially crafted for the Ram Temple, measures 22 feet in length and 11 feet in width. Designed by a parachute specialist from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, the flag weighs between 2 and 3 kilograms and has been designed to withstand winds at high altitudes.

The flag carries the Sun symbol, representing Lord Rama’s Suryavanshi heritage and divine radiance. The flag is adorned with an image of the Kovidara tree, Sun and Om. It is saffron in colour — symbolising fire, the rising Sun, sacrifice and dedication.

Speaking about the sacred flag, PM Modi said, “This Dharma Dhwaj is not just a flag, it is the symbol of the renaissance of Indian civilisation. The flag’s saffron colour, the symbol of the Sun, the holy word ‘Om’ and the Kovidar tree represent the glory of Ramrajya. This ‘Dhwaj’ is a resolution, a success, a tale of creation from struggle, a representation of a dream come true, an evidence of saints’ devotion and social participation.”

“This Dharm Dhwaj will become an inspiration of ‘Pran jaaye par vachan na jaaye’ (We will give our life to keep a promise). This will give a message that ‘Karma’ and ‘Kartavya’ should be given priority in the world. This will also make us resolve to maintain peace and prosperity in society, where no one is poor and suffering,” he added.

The event marks the completion of the temple construction.

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National News

Six injured in fire at electronics shop in Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, Nov 25: Six people were injured in a massive fire in an electronics shop in the old city of Hyderabad.

On Monday night, the fire started in the electronics shop on Shahalibanda due to a short circuit, completely gutting it. A CNG cylinder explosion in a car parked in front of the shop further spread the blaze.

Eight fire engines, a skylift fire truck, and a firefighting robot were pressed into service to bring the blaze under control. It took more than two hours for the firefighting personnel to douse the flames.

The fire, which started in an electronics shop, spread to the adjoining warehouse and other shops, resulting in huge property loss.

A cloth shop was also completely gutted in the fire.

Window panes in the surrounding houses were also shattered under the impact of the explosion.

The fire was also suspected to have intensified due to the explosion of several refrigerator cylinders, geysers and electronic items stored in the shop.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) Khare Kiran Prabhakar said, prima facie, the fire started in an electronics shop due to a short circuit.

The flames engulfed the CNG car parked in front of the shop, and the cylinder blast caused the fire to spread rapidly.

Few people were working in the shops, and a few were also sitting in the car. Because of fire and an explosion, six people were injured and admitted to the hospital.

The DCP told the media that firefighters brought the situation under control, preventing further damage.

He appealed to citizens not to believe fake news circulating on social media. He urged them to rely only on official information from the police and avoid sharing unverified news that may lead to unnecessary panic.

According to eyewitnesses, the loud explosion was heard in a radius of one kilometre, triggering panic among residents.

Locals also claimed that the clock on the nearby Rajarai Clock Tower also stopped at the time of the explosion.

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