Anand, Oct 15: Gujarat Police’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has seized fuel, chemicals and vehicles worth a combined Rs 1.72 crore in two separate raids in Anand district, arresting seven people in connection with the alleged theft of petroleum products and chemicals, officials said on Thursday.

In the first raid conducted at the premises of Rajpurohit Hotel on National Highway 48 along the Anand-Nadiad highway in Boriyavi, police seized 10,290 litres of diesel and petrol worth Rs 20.08 lakh, two vehicles valued at Rs 23 lakh, and four mobile phones worth Rs 15,500.

The total value of the seized property was Rs 43.25 lakh. A team led by State Monitoring Cell Police Inspector M.K. Malviya conducted the raid. Four people were arrested, and a case was registered at Anand Rural Police Station on October 14 under Sections 287, 316(4), 317(4), 61(2) and 112(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 3, 7 and 8 of the Essential Commodities Act, the statement said.

The arrested accused were identified as Narvarbhai alias Natubhai Lakum, a resident of Dholka in Ahmedabad district; Swaroop Singh Rajpurohit, a resident of Barmer district in Rajasthan; Dhan Singh Rajpurohit, also from Barmer district; and Laxmanbhai Bharwad, a resident of Boriyavi in Anand district.

In a separate operation, the State Monitoring Cell seized chemicals weighing 65,312 kg, valued at Rs 71.84 lakh, from a location in Danteli village along the Vasad-Tarapur highway in Petlad taluka.

The seizure also included six plastic barrels worth Rs 700, three vehicles valued at Rs 57 lakh, and four mobile phones worth Rs 20,000. The total value of the seized property was Rs 1.29 crore.

The raid was conducted by Police Inspector A.J. Chauhan. A case was registered at Petlad Rural Police Station on October 14 under Sections 303(2), 316(3), 317(1), 317(2), 61(2)(a) and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Three people were arrested in the second case: Dharmendra Singh alias Munna Rajput and Rajan Singh Rajput, both residing in Kalali of Vadodara and originally from Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh; and Ramvikas Yadav, a resident of Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh.

A notice was issued to a 15-year-old boy, who is also from Uttar Pradesh and resides in Vadodara. Police identified two other accused, Vivek Vanvasi, from Pratapgarh district, and a person identified only as Vijay, as wanted.

Further investigation is ongoing in both cases.

New Delhi, Oct 15: The Ministry of Defence on Thursday said it has signed contracts worth Rs 4,106 crore for the acquisition of a dedicated communication satellite capability for the Indian Air Force, and Varunastra heavy-weight torpedoes for the Indian Navy.

Both contracts mark a significant step towards advancing the development of domestic defence manufacturing capabilities while promoting self-reliance in critical technologies in line with the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make-in-India’ vision.

The contract for the GSAT-7C satellite, valued at Rs 2,563 crore, was signed with New Space India Limited, Bengaluru.

According to an official statement, this indigenously designed, developed and manufactured satellite will enhance the secure, resilient and seamless communication capabilities for the assets of the Indian Air Force, thereby strengthening operational effectiveness.

Meanwhile, the contract for Varunastra, worth Rs 1,543 crore, was signed with Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad.

Varunastra is an indigenous ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory.

“Equipped with advanced manoeuvring capabilities, it is capable of engaging enemy submarines at long ranges, thereby enhancing the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy,” said the statement.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 661.50 crore deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited for the procurement of BrahMos fire control system and launchers for Indian Navy ships under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

With a minimum of 68 per cent indigenous content, the project encourages active participation of various Indian industries, including MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in the supply chain. The project will generate employment over a period of three years.

It also bolsters India’s maritime security architecture and defence capabilities and marks a critical milestone in the ongoing efforts to indigenise advanced military technology, according to the Defence Ministry statement.

The BrahMos System fitted on board various frontline warships is the Indian Navy’s primary Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM) system for maritime strike operations. The weapon system is capable of targeting land and sea targets from extended ranges with pinpoint accuracy at supersonic speed.

Kolkata, Oct 15: The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will finalise its list of candidates for the forthcoming urban civic body elections, including those to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), by Diwali, scheduled for November 8.

The civic body elections are likely to be held in the last week of November, with results expected to be announced by the first week of December.

To minimise dissent and ensure a smooth candidate selection process, the BJP has adopted a multi-tier screening mechanism that combines recommendations from local leaders with applications from professionals, with the final names subject to scrutiny by district- and state-level committees.

A BJP state committee member said discussions on the candidates recommended by the party’s local leadership would begin immediately after Lakshmi Puja on October 8. The shortlisted candidates are expected to be announced soon after Diwali.

The party will draw up its final list from two separate sets of applications. The first will comprise names recommended by local party leaders, while the second will include applications invited from professionals in selected fields, including medicine, law, engineering, media and social work.

A drop box has already been placed at the BJP’s original headquarters on Muralidhar Sen Lane in north Kolkata to receive applications from professionals interested in contesting the civic polls on the party’s ticket. Applicants have been asked to submit their biodata along with their applications.

“Our central leadership does not want any resentment within the party over the selection of candidates for the civic polls. Therefore, the candidate will not be decided by anyone’s single decision. Names will come from the grassroots and then be vetted by the district election core committee and the state-level committee. Only after this process will the final names of the candidates be announced,” the state committee member said.

The BJP’s state leadership will also work on its campaign strategy and identify key issues to be raised during the civic poll campaign. These discussions will take place alongside the exercise to shortlist candidates after Lakshmi Puja.