Dhanbad, Nov 10: Traders on Monday launched a massive protest after a businessman was robbed and shot at inside the government-run Market Committee complex in the Barwadda police station area in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, late Sunday evening.

The incident has caused concerns over rising crime in Jharkhand’s coal capital, prompting traders to shut all 417 shops in the market complex for the day.

The attack took place around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday when three bike-borne assailants intercepted trader Shyam Bhimsariya while he was closing his shop.

The miscreants fired at him, snatched a bag containing Rs 4 lakh, and sped off. Bhimsariya narrowly escaped the bullet, which reportedly grazed past him. The incident created panic among shopkeepers and customers, many of whom rushed to safety.

On Monday morning, hundreds of traders assembled at the main gate of the Market Committee complex, raising slogans against the administration and demanding immediate arrests. They alleged that the market, which witnesses a heavy footfall, has long been operating without proper security measures.

The Market Committee complex is one of the busiest business hubs in Dhanbad, recording a daily turnover of Rs 7-8 crore.

“We will not tolerate this kind of atmosphere where traders fear for their lives every evening,” a member of the traders’ association said, adding that if the culprits are not arrested within 48 hours, the protest may spread to other markets across the district.

BJP MP Dhullu Mahto, addressing traders, said criminals are “roaming fearlessly” in Dhanbad. “The morale of criminals has gone up due to weak policing. The police must act immediately to restore confidence among traders,” he said.

Jharia Congress MLA Ragini Singh accused the state government of complete failure on the law and order front. “When crime is discussed in the Assembly, the government remains silent. People are living in fear while criminals are dictating terms,” she remarked.

Outgoing Mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal demanded urgent security measures in the market area, suggesting that CCTV cameras be installed. He said a permanent police post must be established to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Dhanbad District Chamber of Commerce president Chetan Goenka strongly condemned the attack and criticised authorities for ignoring repeated requests for better security.

“It is shocking that a market with a daily business of Rs 7-8 crore has neither CCTV surveillance nor police patrolling. Traders cannot operate under fear. The administration must take permanent measures,” Goenka said.

Thane: The Maharashtra State Tax Department (Thane Zone) arrested a Mira Road resident, identified as Srikanth Vaidyanath, for his alleged role in generating and passing on fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) worth Rs 8.43 crore through a non-existent firm. The arrest was carried out by the State Tax Investigation Branch, Bhayandar, following a detailed probe into suspected fraudulent GST activities.

Srikanth was listed as the proprietor of M/s Srikanth Enterprises, a firm that cops believe existed only on paper. When tax officers visited the firm’s registered business address, C-118, Mira Darshan Complex, MTNL Road, Jangid Circle, they reportedly found no evidence of commercial operations. The premises lacked essential records such as invoices, stock registers and ledger books, strongly indicating that the entity was merely a shell company used for bogus transactions.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that Srikanth had obtained GST registration by submitting his PAN card, Aadhaar, and an electricity bill, completing the process via OTP-based authentication. However, during physical verification, his family members, including his parents and wife, denied any awareness of a business being operated in his name, further confirming suspicions about the fraudulent nature of the enterprise.

The investigation found that the accused availed fake ITC worth Rs 8.43 crore from M/s Vishal Enterprises and later passed on the same ineligible credit to M/s Shree Kuldevi Industries Pvt Ltd during May and June 2025. Officials stated that the entire operation was conducted using bogus invoices and electronic entries without any actual movement of goods or stock, violating provisions under the Goods and Services Tax Act.

Srikanth was arrested on November 7 under relevant sections of the GST Act and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. A senior officer from the Thane Zone told media that further investigation is underway to identify other beneficiaries and uncover additional shell firms connected to the racket. Authorities are now tracing the money trail and examining linked entities and bank transactions to determine the full extent of the fraudulent network.

Bengaluru, Nov 10: The Karnataka BJP unit on Monday staged a protest condemning the purported videos showing radical elements, ISIS operatives, and criminals inside Bengaluru Central Prison getting luxurious treatment.

The BJP leaders, led by state President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, MLAs, MLCs, and former ministers, headed to gherao the residence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah but were detained by the police.

Police forced the BJP leaders, including women leaders, onto buses and took them to an undisclosed location. The BJP leaders raised slogans against the Congress-led government, demanding the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara.

Vijayendra demanded that CM Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara resign, following reports of prisoners receiving royal treatment in Parappana Agrahara Jail.

Speaking to reporters, he said that Parappana Agrahara Jail has effectively turned into a nightclub or entertainment club. Terrorists, ISIS agents, and Muslim fundamentalists allegedly enjoy luxurious treatment inside the jail. Inmates are reportedly provided with TVs, mobile phones, and even weapons, and all of this is happening smoothly, he alleged.

He criticised the state government for turning a blind eye to the situation. “It is evident from the negligence of the Congress government that luxury facilities have been provided to anti-national elements in Parappana Agrahara Jail. Even after reports appeared in newspapers and visual media, action was only taken yesterday,” he said.

“Our democracy is under threat; this is nothing short of a massacre,” he said, adding that luxury arrangements for anti-national elements have been made inside the jail by Siddaramaiah’s government.

Vijayendra warned that if nothing is done, the government will fail to pursue cases against anti-national elements. He demanded that, in the interest of dignity and public accountability, both the Chief Minister and Home Minister resign immediately.

Vijayendra stated, “Not only do radical elements and ISIS operatives enjoy a free hand outside, but even the prisons in Karnataka have been turned into government-sponsored recreation clubs for terrorists.”

“Rahul Gandhi, who frequently travels abroad and seeks external interference in India’s internal matters, is he now enabling these terrorists and using their networks to create unrest across the nation and destabilise our democracy for artificial regime change with the help of the same foreign forces?” Vijayendra questioned.

“Mobile phones, luxury comforts, and ample ‘fun time’ – no wonder these radicals find it so convenient to operate under this shameless regime and treat prisons as their favourite holiday destinations, where everything is provided to them free of cost, courtesy of the Anti-National Congress government and our poor taxpayers’ money,” he charged.

R. Ashoka alleged that calls are being made from the jail to Pakistan and Afghanistan through hotlines operated by Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar and Parameshwara.

He questioned whether intelligence agencies have been dormant for the past two years and accused Congress of turning police stations into party offices.

Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, criticised the Congress government for deciding to provide all essential facilities to terrorists within the jail.

BJP MLC C. T. Ravi stated that criminals need not go to resorts — they can go to jails instead. “They can even watch porn movies inside the prison. The criminals are being given royal treatment inside the prisons,” he said.

He further slammed the state government, saying, “Despite the National Investigation Agency (NIA) issuing a warning, the state government has shown utter negligence. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Parameshwara should resign. They cannot wash their hands of the matter by merely suspending junior-level officers.”