New Delhi, Dec 12: A special CBI court in Lucknow has sentenced two individuals — a former village pradhan and a fair-price shopkeeper — to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a major corruption case involving misappropriation of over Rs one crore under the Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojna (SGRY), the agency said on Friday.

The verdict was delivered on Thursday. According to an official release, the court convicted Satya Narayan Prasad Patel, then village pradhan, and Shahnawaj Alam, then fair-price shopkeeper (kotedar), imposing a total fine of Rs 55,000 on the two.

The court held them guilty of causing wrongful loss to the government exchequer by siphoning off cash and foodgrains allocated for rural employment and welfare.

The case dates to 2006, when Narhi Police Station in Ballia district registered an FIR alleging large-scale irregularities in SGRY distribution.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe on October 31, 2008 and registered a case against 172 accused persons, including officials responsible for implementing the scheme at the village and district levels.

Investigators found that the accused caused a wrongful loss of Rs 65 lakh in cash and misappropriated foodgrain worth Rs 45.26 lakh, preparing forged records and using fraudulent means to divert government resources intended for the rural poor.

“It was alleged that the accused persons had caused wrongful loss to the Government Exchequer to the tune of Rs 65.00 lakh in cash and foodgrain worth Rs 45.26 lakh and corresponding gain to themselves by cheating, fraud, and preparing forged documents under Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojna (SGRY),” the CBI said in its press note.

After a detailed investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet on November 10, 2010, against three individuals: Satyendra Singh Gangwar, then Chief Finance and Accounts Officer of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Ballia; Satya Narayan Prasad Patel; and Shahnawaj Alam.

Following the trial, the CBI court convicted Patel and Alam but acquitted Gangwar of all charges.

Nagpur, Dec 12: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that while the Union government has set 2026 as the target year for eliminating the Maoist threat across the country, Maharashtra is already a step ahead and stands on the threshold of becoming Maoist-free.

He said the progress achieved was due to the result of the state government’s clear policy direction and sustained work by the police.

Fadnavis was speaking while presiding over a review meeting of the State-Level Committee on the National Plan and Action Framework. During the meeting, he issued a series of directives aimed at strengthening security arrangements and deepening development work in affected regions.

He instructed officials to set up new police posts in remote and inaccessible areas to end the Maoist activities. These police posts, he said, must have adequate manpower and proper facilities to support long-term operations.

The Chief Minister also directed officials to ensure that all villagers receive the benefits of government schemes and to expand efforts to create employment opportunities for local youth. He asked the administration to set up marketplaces for the sale of local products. Fadnavis praised the police for their work, which has resulted in the surrender of several Maoists carrying rewards.

Fadnavis directed that the process of awarding a one crore rupee reward to the Gadchiroli Police be completed without delay. The amount had been announced in recognition of the force’s work in weakening Maoist influence and securing the surrender of hardcore Maoist leaders and cadres.

He also instructed that police who have performed exceptionally in anti-Maoist operations should receive timely promotions. According to him, proposals concerning Gadchiroli that require clearance at the ministry level must be processed with priority and strictly as per rules.

The CM directed officials to begin work immediately on a new Superintendent of Police office in Gadchiroli, adding that the state would make funds available. He also asked for the procurement of 33 new vehicles for the police to be completed at the earliest.

Referring to the police post set up at the site where Maoists had celebrated after killing 17 police personnel in a 2009 attack at Laheri in Bhamragad taluka, Fadnavis said the new police post strengthened public trust in the police. He described it as a clear sign that the influence of Maoists was nearing an end.

“The government is actively countering the Maoist movement with robust development work, particularly in connectivity. Construction will begin on the 17.30 km Dhodraj-Nilgunda-Kawande road. Further development includes the construction of the Korma Nala Bridge and the Bedre Bridge beyond Kawande, extending road connectivity up to Bijapur,” he said.

Fadnavis further said that a 750-metre bridge would be built over the Indravati River on the Damrancha-Sandra route. For better communication in Gadchiroli, he said the number of mobile towers had increased significantly, with 271 in place by 2022 and plans for 521 additional towers between 2023 and 2025.

New Delhi, Dec 12: Delhi is in the grip of full-blown football frenzy as Lionel Messi – ‘La Pulga’ – the little magician with the giant footprint prepares to land in the national capital on December 15. What began as buzz has escalated into electricity, with fans counting down the moments until the Argentine legend walks into the Arun Jaitley Stadium. One thing is certain: Delhi isn’t just welcoming a star; it’s getting ready to be utterly ‘Messi-merised’.

Across the city, football has spilled onto the streets. Argentina jerseys dominate marketplaces, graffiti artists are splashing Messi tributes across walls, and neighbourhood gullies echo with kids trying to bend the ball like La Pulga.

“For us, this is bigger than a festival,” said a fan from Karol Bagh who has been collecting Messi posters since he was 6. “Messi coming to Delhi feels unreal. I haven’t slept properly for a week.”

Fan clubs are gearing up with early-morning queues, drum-led chants, and massive tifos set to unfurl the instant Messi steps onto the turf. A college student from South Campus, summed up the excitement: “I’ve watched Messi my whole life on TV. To see him walk out in front of me – that’s a childhood dream finally taking shape.”

Inside the stadium, preparations mirror the hype. Security teams and volunteers are bracing for a massive early surge, with stands expected to fill long before the programme begins.

But the frenzy goes deeper than a single visit. Messi’s arrival underscores just how sharply football’s pulse has quickened in India. In a country where cricket has long dominated, the sheer scale of Messi’s draw shows how firmly the beautiful game has taken root in the dreams of young players.

“Messi is the reason I picked up a football,” said a 14-year-old fan, practising step-overs outside his school in Dwarka. “If I get to see him once, even from far away, that’s enough motivation for the next 10 years.”

Come December 15, when Messi steps out and the roar rises to the sky, Delhi won’t just witness a global icon; it will watch an entire city lose itself, happily and wholeheartedly, to La Pulga fever.

Arguably the greatest footballer to ever play the game, Messi is set to embark on a three-day, four-city tour of India on December 13, 14, and 15.

As part of the tour, the Argentine forward will visit Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. The tour will conclude in the capital, where Messi is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.