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.

New Delhi, Sep 12: In a “major diplomatic breakthrough”, despite sharply divergent geopolitical positions among members, BRICS countries have reached consensus on a Joint Statement which is expected to be released later on Saturday on the first day of the 18th BRICS Summit being hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

According to sources, India led sustained consultations and intensive negotiations from Friday till as late as 4 AM Saturday, making efforts to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members.

“The negotiations saw differences on several contentious issues. India led sustained consultations to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members. The breakthrough assumes particular significance given that Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are all part of the same forum, despite deep differences and competing positions on several regional and geopolitical issues,” a source mentioned.

“Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in West Asia, securing consensus among countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE presented a particularly complex diplomatic challenge. India’s diplomatic prowess ensured that these differences did not derail the BRICS process, paving the way for a consensus Joint Statement despite sharply divergent geopolitical positions among member countries,” the source added.

Experts continue to hail India’s BRICS chairship considering how New Delhi has successfully navigated historic BRICS deadlock amid ongoing global conflicts.

Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the BRICS ministerial summit held in the national capital in May concluded without issuing a customary joint statement for the first time in the bloc’s history.

Instead, India had released only a Chair’s Statement and Outcome Document after deep divisions between Iran and the UAE prevented consensus among member nations.

All this while, India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have backed pursuing dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts while highlighting at the same time that this is not an era of war and solution will not emerge from the battlefield.

At the same time, just like it during its G20 Presidency, BRICS chair India batted strongly to push interests of the Global South without turning the grouping anti-West.

“BRICS is also where India’s balancing act faces its toughest test. It remains contested terrain. The expansion of the grouping, resisted by both India and Brazil, has made consensus harder. Beneath the larger membership lies a familiar divide: India and Brazil largely see BRICS as an economic platform, while China and Russia see it as a geopolitical one,” a recent report in Australia-based ‘The Interpreter’ detailed.

It noted that India views itself as a reformist power rather than a revisionist one, pushing for a greater role in global governance, a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, and more influence over financial and technological rulemaking. It seeks to alter parts of the international order while preserving a system that has been central to its own rise.

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.