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Hunt for Mamkootathil enters sixth day; BJP flays Cong for ‘shielding’ absconding legislator

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Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 2: The hunt for first-time Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who has been absconding since a sexual assault case was registered against him, entered its sixth day on Tuesday.

The case was filed after a woman submitted a complaint directly to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prompting the Kerala Police to launch an intensive search amid mounting pressure from the ruling Left government to secure his arrest before his anticipatory bail plea is heard on Wednesday.

Mamkootathil vanished from public view within hours of the case being registered, and multiple police teams are now searching possible hideouts, including locations in Coimbatore and Bengaluru.

His disappearance has triggered a political storm, with the Left and the BJP accusing the Congress of shielding the absconding legislator.

BJP leader Prashanth Sivan on Tuesday alleged that the red car reportedly used by Mamkootathil to escape had been stored months earlier at the residence of a Congress leader who had hosted a group meeting in support of Rahul.

He further claimed that the state police were conducting only a “cosmetic investigation” under the influence of the CPI(M) leadership.

“This is a superficial probe meant to throw dust in people’s eyes. Congress leaders are protecting an MLA who stands accused of serious abuse. What message are they giving to the women of Kerala?” he asked, adding that there were reasons to suspect that Mamkootathil was being sheltered in the homes of Congress leaders in Palakkad.

Senior Congress leader and KPCC general secretary C. Chandran, however, dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated”.

He said he had no connection with the red car, adding that he had used Mamkootathil’s four-wheeler only once to travel to the hospital when his own vehicle was under repair.

“The party has already taken action against Mamkootathil. Claims that Congress leaders are protecting him are baseless,” he said.

Meanwhile, investigators are probing whether any Congress functionary aided Mamkootathil’s disappearance.

They have recorded statements from the complainant’s friends, one of whom said the woman was in severe physical and emotional distress following an abortion.

While public activist Rahul Eashwar was jailed on Monday for his alleged curt remarks against the victim, the police have registered 20 cyber-abuse cases related to online attacks against the complainant.

With political tensions escalating and the red-car trail being closely examined, the pressure on the police to locate the missing MLA has intensified as the crucial bail hearing approaches.

Crime

Two convicted in 5.25-kg opium trafficking case in Aurangabad

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Patna, Sep 12: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Patna Zonal Unit, has secured the conviction of two men in a drug trafficking case involving the seizure of 5.250 kg of opium in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.

The contraband was seized on February 24, 2021, following specific Intelligence received by the NCB.

Acting on the information, officers intercepted accused Pramod Prasad at Ramabandh Bus Stand in the Town Police Station area of Aurangabad and recovered 5.250 kg of opium, which he had allegedly concealed in his clothes.

According to the NCB, the opium had been sourced from Daltonganj in Jharkhand and was being transported to Aurangabad in Bihar.

The case was registered as NCB Patna Zonal Unit Crime No. 04/2021 under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

During the subsequent investigation, the alleged supplier, identified as Bikesh Kumar Gupta, was also arrested.

The NCB said its investigation gathered evidence that was subsequently presented before the court to establish the involvement of both accused.

The 1st Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge (NDPS Act), Aurangabad, found Pramod Prasad, a resident of Imamganj in Gaya district, and Bikesh Kumar Gupta alias Bikash Kumar Gupta, a resident of Panki in Palamu district of Jharkhand, guilty of offences under the NDPS Act.

The court sentenced both men to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under the applicable Sections.

The court further directed that, in case of failure to pay the fine, each convict would undergo an additional one year of simple imprisonment.

The NCB attributed the conviction to the investigation and prosecution conducted by its officers and said it remains committed to curbing illicit drug trafficking and preventing drug abuse.

The Bureau has also appealed to members of the public to share information about the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through the MANAS portal or helpline number 1933.

The NCB said the identity of informants would be kept strictly confidential.

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Crime

Accused carrying Rs 25,000 bounty arrested after encounter in UP’s Firozabad

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Firozabad, Sep 12: Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad have arrested an accused, carrying a bounty of Rs. 25,000, following an encounter, officials said on Saturday.

The accused has been identified as Sunny, alias Saniya. Police said that more than a dozen criminal cases are registered against him.

SP (City) Santosh Kumar Singh said that on August 31, the accused had asked for a lift from a man. While riding pillion after securing the lift, he allegedly stole Rs. 30,000 by picking the victim’s pocket. The victim had later filed a case.

The exchange of fire took place between the police and the accused after the suspect realised he was being cornered during a routine check.

According to an official statement, the operation involved a team of the Rasulpur Police Station and the Special Operations Group.

Sunny sustained a gunshot wound to his leg during the encounter.

A country-made pistol, ammunition, and Rs. 10,520 in cash were recovered from his possession.

In a similar case reported last month following an encounter, police in UP’s Hapur arrested a criminal carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 in connection with the murder of a man. Weapons, ammunition and a car used in the crime were recovered from the accused.

Officials said that during a checking operation by the Hapur Dehat police, the main accused in the Gaurav Tyagi murder case was injured in retaliatory police firing. The accused, identified as Pradeep, son of Rajbir, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 25,000, was arrested and admitted to a hospital for treatment.

According to the police, Pradeep, a resident of Mohammadpur Azampur village under the Babugarh police station area, was wanted in connection with the murder of Gaurav Tyagi on August 18 over an old land dispute. Police alleged that Pradeep, along with his brothers and other associates, brutally murdered Gaurav Tyagi, a resident of the same village, by attacking him with hammers and iron rods.

A case was registered at the Hapur Dehat police station under several relevant Sections of the IPC.

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Crime

Rajasthan Police arrest man from UP’s Faizabad in Rs 3.81 crore online trading fraud

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Jaipur, Sep 12: Acting on the directives of Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Kumar Sharma to prevent cybercrimes and take effective action against cybercriminals, the Rajasthan Police Cyber Crime Branch has arrested a man from Faizabad (Ayodhya), Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a multi-crore online trading fraud.

The arrest was made by the Central Cyber Crime Police Station, Jaipur.

The accused has been identified as Alok, a resident of Faizabad (Ayodhya), Uttar Pradesh.

DGP (Cyber Crime) VK Singh said that, according to a complaint filed on October 5, 2025, the complainant had been searching on Google for information related to online trading and investment. During the search, the complainant came across an online trading platform called ‘CMC Forex’ / ‘CMC Global CS’.

The accused allegedly contacted the complainant through Telegram while posing as representatives of the company’s India-based customer care or management team. They lured the complainant with promises of high returns from online trading and induced him to transfer a total of Rs 3,81,37,677 into various bank accounts.

During the investigation, police found that the cyber fraudsters had created a website and fake online trading platform resembling ‘CMC’, a reputed foreign trading company. The accused allegedly claimed to be associated with the company’s India-based customer care and management teams. They continuously provided trading-related instructions to the complainant through Telegram and encouraged him to invest in different companies. Initially, to gain the complainant’s confidence, a portion of the money invested in small amounts was returned.

This convinced the complainant that the platform was genuine and prompted him to invest larger sums. The accused allegedly directed the complainant to deposit money into multiple bank accounts. At the same time, the fake trading account showed steadily increasing profits against the investments. As a result, the complainant was led to believe that profits worth crores of rupees had accumulated in the account. When the complainant attempted to withdraw the money, the cyber fraudsters allegedly demanded additional payments on various pretexts, including income tax, currency exchange fees, security deposits and margin guarantees. Even after each payment, new conditions and charges were allegedly imposed, with the complainant repeatedly pressured to make further deposits. Despite the payments, the crores of rupees displayed in the fake trading account were never actually made available for withdrawal.

During the investigation, police examined bank records and followed the money trail. A beneficiary bank account linked to ‘Shiv Bakers and Fast Food’ was identified.

Police found that Rs 20 lakh of the money allegedly obtained through the fraud had been deposited into this account. Investigators are now tracing the subsequent movement of the money and working to identify other individuals associated with the cyber fraud network. Based on bank records and technical analysis, police identified Alok, a resident of Faizabad (Ayodhya), Uttar Pradesh.

The investigation allegedly established his involvement in connection with the beneficiary bank account used to receive proceeds of the cyber fraud.

According to police, the bank account and financial channels provided by the accused were used to receive the defrauded money and facilitate further transactions.

Alok has been arrested, and further investigation is underway. Police are conducting detailed technical analysis of CDRs, CAFs and IPDRs, along with the money trail from the banking transactions. Investigators are collecting information about the accounts into which the defrauded funds were deposited, the subsequent movement of the money and the identities of other individuals linked to the network.

The operation was conducted by a team constituted under the direction of Shantanu Kumar Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Cyber Crime). The team was led by Gajendra Sharma, Station House Officer (SHO) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at the Central Cyber Crime Police Station, Jaipur, Rajasthan. The team included Police Inspector Radheshyam, Constables Manoj Samota and Krishna Yadav, and Constable-Driver Sube Singh.

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