Connect with us
Sunday,26-October-2025
Breaking News

National News

Nitish Kumar was also involved in fodder scam, alleges RJD vice president

Published

on

A day after a special CBI Court in Ranchi sentenced RJD chief Lalu Prasad to five years imprisonment and imposed a Rs 60 lakh fine on him, RJD vice president Shivanand Tiwari alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also “involved” in the fodder scam and had “taken the money from the kingpin Shyam Bihari Sinha”.

Tiwari’s statement came after Nitish Kumar said that the leaders who were involved in filing the petition against Lalu Prasad, are working as advisors of the party and sitting close to him.

“Nitish Kumar has become vocal these days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave him the socialist leader certificate. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi had alleged that Nitish Kumar was also involved in the fodder scam and took money after illegal withdrawal from the treasuries of Jharkhand (then Bihar). Does Nitish Kumar have the guts to admit the allegation levelled by Sushil Kumar Modi. I am also challenging Sushil Kumar Modi to repeat the allegation he had levelled on Nitish Kumar again,” Tiwari told IANS.

“Shyam Bihari Sinha was the kingpin of the fodder scam. Can Nitish Kumar deny that he has not met Shyam Bihari Sinha in his entire life. I am challenging that he had close links with Shyam Bihari and took bribe in this case,” Tiwari said.

Tiwari said that he has no hesitation in saying that he was one of the petitioners against Lalu Prasad in the court to demand a CBI inquiry into the matter.

“The fodder scam was first unearthed by the Deputy Commissioner-cum District Magistrate of Chaibasa district (Now in Jharkhand) in the first quarter of 1996. He detected that some illegal withdrawal of money took place from the district treasury by the Animal Husbandry Department. The matter reached the finance secretary of Bihar BS Dubey. At that time, Lalu Prasad was in power. He had given direction to investigate the matter. Following his direction, BS Dubey initiated an inquiry into various treasuries and found illegal withdrawal from Dumka, Doranda and Chaibasa treasuries,” Tiwari said.

“The leaders in the opposition did not find the irregularities. It was found by the deputy collector of Chaibasa. The BJP and JD-U leaders had used it as a weapon to show dominance on Lalu Prasad. At that time, George Fernandes was the president of the JD-U. He pointed out that if our party will not file a case against Lalu Prasad in the fodder scam, how will the people of Bihar onsider his party and vote for it. It was a political strategy of George Fernandes to get the upper hand in this case as BJP leaders like Sushil Kumar Modi, Ravi Shankar Prasad and others were trying to take the lead in it,” Tiwari said.

“George Fernandes asked Nitish Kumar to sign the petition which he refused. After his refusal, George Fernandes asked me to sign the petition. I was in Delhi. He had sent an air ticket to me. I returned to Patna and signed the petition in the house of Ravi Shankar Prasad. Besides me, Saryu Rai, Sushil Kumar Modi signed the petition. I was in the JD-U then and had signed on behalf of the party as Nitish Kumar refused to sign it,” Tiwari said.

“The first petition prepared in the house of Ravi Shankar Prasad was filed in the court in desperation. BJP leaders were wanting to take the credit for it and show before the public that they are fighting against Lalu Prasad. The second petition was filed by Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, the national president of the party. In that petition, Lalan Singh, Vrisan Patel and Jitan Ram Manjhi were petitioners. In both the petitions, we have demanded a CBI inquiry,” Tiwari said.

“Now, Nitish Kumar is saying that individual leaders have not filed the petitions against Lalu Prasad. It was a decision of the party,” Tiwari said.

“Lalu Prasad was the strongest leader of Bihar at that time. The JD-U didn’t have the courage to defeat him. It was a strategy of the BJP and JD-U to drag Lalu Prasad to the court as they were unable to contest against him. The actual motive of filing the case against Lalu Prasad was to remove him from power and make Nitish Kumar the chief minister of Bihar,” Tiwari claimed.

Entertainment

Satish Shah, who tickled everyone with his comic timing, is no more; he died of kidney failure

Published

on

New Delhi, Oct 25: Actor Satish Shah, known for his roles in comedy films, has passed away. The news of his death has sent shockwaves among fans. Indian producer Ashoke Pandit confirmed the actor’s death. He shared an emotional post on social media informing about the actor’s demise.

Indian producer Ashoke Pandit posted a photo of Satish Ravilal Shah on Instagram and wrote, “It is with great sadness and shock that we inform you that our dear friend and a wonderful actor, Satish Shah, passed away a few hours ago due to kidney failure. He was taken to Hinduja Hospital, where he breathed his last. This is a huge loss for our industry.” Ashoke Pandit also shared the actor’s home address on social media.

Satish Shah was born into a Gujarati family. He was a face of television and cinema that brought laughter and laughter. He distinguished himself with his unparalleled acting. Whether it was a small role on TV or a major role on screen, he played them with full dedication.

Shah began his career in 1970 with the film “Bhagwan Parshuram,” but the film failed to bring him recognition. He then appeared in Arvind Desai’s 1978 film “Ajeeb Dastaan.” His role in this film was small, followed by the 1983 film “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron,” which proved to be a milestone in his career.

Satish Shah was last seen in the film “Humshakals,” which was released in 2014. The film starred Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, and Ram Kapoor in lead roles. The actor played a small supporting role in the film. The film was directed by Sajid Khan and didn’t perform well on screen.

In his personal life, Satish Shah was a very simple person. He didn’t like attending parties and preferred home-cooked food. In an interview, the actor revealed, “I am one of the few people who loves home-cooked food, and the food at my home is as good as any party food.”

Continue Reading

Crime

Rave party serving liquor in dry-state Gujarat raided; 15 detained

Published

on

Ahmedabad, Oct 25: Police raided a rave party in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, leading to the detention of 15 people who were consuming alcohol in the dry state.

The Bopal Police acted after receiving a tip-off about the party at Zephyr Farmhouse near Shilaj, where both liquor and drugs were reportedly being used.

Upon reaching the venue, police found 15 individuals, including 13 foreign nationals from Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya, and other African countries, alongside two Indians, intoxicated.

Investigations revealed that the organisers had printed special passes for the party, advertising “unlimited alcohol”, showing the scale and planning behind the event.

All 15 attendees have been detained, a case has been registered, and further inquiries are underway to identify the main organisers, the farmhouse owner, and the source of the liquor in a state where alcohol is banned.

Gujarat has maintained a strict prohibition on alcohol since 1960 under the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949, which bans the sale, consumption, and manufacture of liquor across the state.

The law applies to all forms of alcoholic beverages, including Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), country-made liquor, and spirits. Exceptions exist only for medicinal, industrial, and export purposes, subject to government permission. Violations of the Act carry severe penalties, including imprisonment, fines, and seizure of property involved in the illegal trade.

Despite Gujarat’s strict prohibition laws, the illegal liquor trade remains a significant issue.

In 2024, authorities seized approximately 82 lakh bottles of liquor valued at Rs 144 crore across the state. Ahmedabad alone accounted for over 4.38 lakh bottles, with 2,139 cases involving IMFL and 7,796 cases related to country-made liquor. Notably, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) registered 455 cases, confiscating liquor worth Rs 22.5 crore and total items valued at nearly Rs 52 crore.

In a significant operation, the SMC seized over 8,500 bottles of foreign-made liquor worth Rs 1.19 crore in Chotila taluka, Surendranagar.

Additionally, in a mid-sea raid off Una, Rajkot, authorities intercepted a boat carrying liquor worth Rs 25 lakh.

These seizures reflect ongoing efforts to combat the illegal liquor trade, which often involves smuggling from neighbouring states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Continue Reading

Crime

Police arrest accused Prashant Bankar in Maharashtra doctor’s suicide case

Published

on

New Delhi, Oct 25: Police in Maharashtra’s Satara district arrested one accused on Saturday in connection with the death of a female doctor who allegedly committed suicide after being repeatedly raped by a police officer and being pressurised by an MP to falsify medical reports of accused in cases.

According to officials, the arrested person has been identified as Prashant Bankar, the son of the doctor’s landlord whose name was mentioned in her four-page suicide note.

The deceased doctor, a native of Beed district, was posted as a medical officer at a government hospital in Phaltan, Satara. On Thursday night, she was found hanging in a hotel room under mysterious circumstances. Shockingly, she had written a suicide note on her palm, naming Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar, accusing the police officer of rape and Prashant of mental harassment.

After Prashant’s arrest, police said he will be produced before the court and his custody will be sought for further investigation. Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Badane has been suspended, and a detailed enquiry is underway. Both accused have been booked at the Phaltan Police Station. Satara SP Tushar Doshi confirmed that the rape allegations and Prashant’s role are being thoroughly investigated.

The female doctor who allegedly committed suicide left behind a detailed four-page suicide note apart from the inked note on the palm of her hand, stating that a police officer raped her four times and exerted pressure on her to issue fake fitness certificates for accused persons in police cases. It has now emerged in her note that she was allegedly under pressure not only from police officials but also from a Member of Parliament (MP) and his personal assistants.

The woman doctor, who worked as a medical officer at the Phaltan sub-district hospital, wrote on her palm that she had been raped four times by Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane and subjected to mental and physical abuse for over five months.

Originally from Beed district, the doctor had been working at the hospital for 23 months.

Gopal Badane is a police officer, while Prashant Bankar is the son of the landlord in the house where the doctor lived.

She had complained 21 times to various authorities, but no action was taken against her tormentors.

Recounting a particular instance in her note, the doctor said she had refused to issue a certificate and two personal assistants of an MP had come to the hospital and made her speak to him over the phone. She stated in her note that during that conversation, the MP had threatened her indirectly.

Her cousin also made similar allegations about the doctor being made to falsify medical certificates.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending