Crime
I foiled attempts to burn Andhra: Suspended IPS officer
A day after he was suspended by the Andhra Pradesh government for the second time in less than two-and-a-half years, senior IPS officer A.B. Venkateswara Rao said on Wednesday that some individuals and forces were targeting him.
He told the mediapersons that some people are angry with him because as the then intelligence chief, he had foiled attempts to burn the state.
“Using Kodi Katti case as an excuse, they wanted to burn the state. Within a few hours, I effectively countered this. That’s why some people are angry with me,” he said without naming anyone.
‘Kodi Katti’ case refers to the knife attack on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy by a youth at Visakhapatnam Airport in 2018.
Reddy, who was then the leader of opposition, sustained minor injury. The attacker used ‘kodi katti’ or a small knife which is used during cockfight.
A month after Rao’s reinstatement following the Supreme Court order, the state government on Tuesday suspended him on charges of trying to influence witnesses pertaining to the criminal case against him.
Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma issued an order placing the former Intelligence chief under suspension under sub-rule (3) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969
The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer said he would challenge his suspension in a court of law and exuded confidence that it will not stand legal scrutiny. He argued that an officer can’t be suspended twice on the same issue.
Rao claimed that there was no chargesheet filed against him and hence there was no question of influencing the witnesses. He said he had a lot of evidence to prove that every word in the FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is false.
The officer said there was no misappropriation of even one rupee. He said the Israeli company wrote to the government that it paid no commission.
In February 2020, the state government had placed Venkateswara Rao, the IPS officer of 1989 batch, under suspension for his alleged misconduct and irregularities in the purchase of security equipment.
The officer was working as Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) during the previous government
Considered close to then chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Rao was removed as the intelligence chief after Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy assumed office in May 2019. He was waiting for a posting.
The police officer had approached Andhra Pradesh High Court, which had set aside the suspension on May 22, 2020.
The Supreme Court on April 22, 2022 dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the state government challenging Andhra Pradesh High Court order.
The Supreme Court made it clear that the suspension could be for a maximum of two years as per the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Amendments Rules, 2015. It said since the two year period was over, the suspension could no longer be in place.
In May, the state government issued orders revoking Rao’s suspension with effect from February, 2022.
Though the officer had reported to the General Administration Department on May 19 for the posting, he was made to wait for nearly a month. He was finally appointed as commissioner, printing and stationery on June 15.
Rao said Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Srilakshmi has cases against her and chargesheets were filed against her but All India Service rules did not apply to her. “When the rules don’t apply to her, how can they apply to me,” he asked.
Srilakshmi is facing corruption charges in quid pro quo cases allegedly involving Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The IPS officer said several petitions and complaints were filed against him but during these three years there was no evidence that he did anything wrong.
Crime
Mumbai Police Busts Fake Apple Accessories Racket In Ghatkopar, ₹16.33 Lakh Goods Seized; Six Booked

Mumbai: In a major crackdown on the sale of counterfeit branded goods, Mumbai Police have dismantled an organised racket dealing in fake Apple accessories in Ghatkopar East, seizing products worth Rs. 16.33 lakh and booking six shopkeepers in the case.
The action was carried out by a team from Pant Nagar police station following a specific tip-off about the sale of duplicate mobile accessories in the Patel Chowk and Nilyog Mall areas. Acting swiftly, police officials devised a coordinated plan and split into six teams to conduct simultaneous raids at multiple locations.
During the operation, authorities raided six shops where a large quantity of counterfeit products was recovered. The seized items included mobile chargers, adapters, USB cables, phone covers, back panels, earphones, AirPods and batteries, all falsely branded as products of Apple Inc. Officials said the items were near-identical replicas designed to mislead customers into believing they were purchasing genuine goods.
To verify the authenticity of the products, representatives from Apple Inc. were present during the raids. Using technical expertise and specialised identification techniques, they confirmed on the spot that all the seized items were counterfeit.
The report also said that the accused had been sourcing these fake products at significantly lower prices and selling them at inflated rates under the Apple brand name. Police said the shopkeepers were illegally using Apple’s logo and product designs without authorisation, thereby deceiving customers and violating intellectual property rights.
Based on the findings, cases have been registered against all six accused under Sections 51 and 63 of the Copyright Act, The seized goods have been confiscated and sent for further forensic examination as part of the ongoing probe.
Police officials stated that this operation is part of a broader drive to curb the circulation of counterfeit branded goods in Mumbai. They added that further investigations are underway to trace the supply chain and identify other individuals linked to the racket.
Authorities have reiterated their commitment to taking strict action against such illegal activities and warned traders against dealing in counterfeit products.
Crime
Mumbai: St Xavier’s College Receives Bomb Threat; No Explosives Found

Mumbai: St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat on Tuesday, said the official.
According to the Mumbai police, St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat. Nothing suspicious was found by the police, and they believe this is primarily a hoax threat.
The police are taking appropriate action and investigating.
More details awaited.
This comes after a series of bomb threats earlier this week caused panic across the city.
On Wednesday, threat emails were received at multiple locations, including the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Vidhan Bhawan, and the High Court.
Police, including the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team, are present on the scene, officials said on Wednesday.
According to the Mumbai police, threat mail has been received at BSE, Vidhan Bhawan and the High Court this morning.
“Adequate security measures have been taken and are in place. Necessary legal action is being taken at the respective police stations,” Mumbai Police said.
On March 8, a hospital in Mumbai received a bomb threat via email, claiming that an “LED blast” would be carried out on the premises.
The email sparked significant panic among patients and staff.
In response, the Mumbai Police’s Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducted a thorough inspection of the hospital.
Crime
Mumbai Shocker: Husband Pushes Wife To Death In Front Of Running Local Train At Mulund Station; Arrested

Mumbai: A 42-year-old man, who was captured on CCTV, while pushing his wife before a running local train owing to marital discord, has been arrested in Surat. The accused, Rajukumar Gupta, an electrician, went absconding with his younger son after pushing Pushpa, 36, to her death on the morning of March 14. Hours before the incident, the victim had even lodged a police complaint.
According to victim’s brother Kamlesh Kumar Gupta, 30, who is a soldier, the couple had frequent quarrels and hence he had come to take his sister and his elder nephew, 15, back to their UP native. In his complaint to the Kurla GRP, Kamlesh, who lives in UP, said that on March 14, when they were set to go to UP, Rajukumar and Pushpa again had an argument, prompting the latter to approach the police. Kamlesh said that subsequently, he, Pushpa and her 15-year-old son reached the Mulund station.
However, he realised that he had forgotten his Army ID card at Rajukumar’s house. Hence, he along with his nephew went back, however, an enraged Rajukumar locked the duo inside the house. The accused then arrived at the Mulund station, where he saw his wife standing on platform 1. He pushed her in front of a running local train and fled, said the FIR.
Commuters alerted the station master, following which the railway authorities rushed Pushpa to a government hospital, where she was declared dead. Kamlesh said that he somehow managed to alert neighbours, who helped open the door.
Police said the CCTV footage from the station has captured the incident. Based on the complaint, the Kurla GRP has registered an FIR against Rajukumar under section 103 (punishment for murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
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