Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly condemned the ‘mini-Pakistan’ remark made by Nitesh Rane, BJP’s minister in Maharashtra. On Monday (December 30), Vijayan said the remarks were “deeply provocative and deplorable”.

The Kerala CM said that Rane’s comments reflected mentality of ‘Sangh Parivar” towards the state.

Nitesh Rane said earlier that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were elected to parliament from Kerala because the state was ‘mini-Pakistan’.

He said that wherever Sangh Parivar faces difficulty in gaining influence, it uses hate campaigns and divisive narratives to obtain.

“The statement by Maharashtra BJP Minister Nitesh Rane, labelling Kerala as “Mini Pakistan,” is deeply provocative and deplorable. It reflects the fundamental approach of the Sangh Parivar towards Kerala. The Sangh Parivar believes they can marginalise and isolate regions where they struggle to establish influence through hate campaigns and divisive narratives. Rane’s statement is a direct example of this strategy,” the statement read.

Vijayan further slammed central government for not addressing the issue of Rane’s provocative comment. He said that remarks were violation of constitutional norms and oath of office a minister takes.

“A minister who makes such hate-filled remarks is unfit to hold office. It is astonishing that the leadership of the ruling party at the centre has chosen not to react to this blatant violation of constitutional values and the minister’s oath of office,” he added.

Pune (Maharashtra), Dec 31: After posting a video statement, absconder Walmik Karad — a prime suspect in the sensational broad daylight murder of Massajog (Beed) Sarpanch Santosh Pandit Deshmukh on December 9 — surrendered to the CID, Pune, here on Tuesday morning.

Karad – on the run for the past 22 days — claimed innocence in an extortion case he had been booked for. He gave himself up after a series of measures by the state police to zero in on him.

In his statement, he contended that he was implicated in a false case of extortion on December 12 — which is now being linked with the Beed Sarpanch murder case, though his name doesn’t figure in this (murder) — said that he was prepared to cooperate with the investigators and also ready for any punishment.

A former domestic helper at the home of Maharashtra’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Cabinet Minister Dhananjay P. Munde, Karad was later elected as a municipal councillor, but abruptly ‘disappeared’ as politics went on a massive boil.

Subsequently, deploying tech intel, the police tracked his movements to Pune and Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) and initiated the process to seize his properties, freeze bank accounts, other assets, etc.

Post-surrender, Karad is undergoing a questioning session with top police and CID officials, after which he is likely to be arrested and produced before a designated court for remand, an official indicated.

The deceased Sarpanch’s daughter Vaibhavi S. Deshmukh expressed satisfaction over Karad’s surrender, but demanded that even the other absconding culprits must be arrested and punished “to ensure justice to my father”.

“The police must scan the CDR of his (Karad) mobile, and find out all those who had helped him in any manner, arrest and give them the most stringent punishment under the law,” she demanded, her eyes moist with tears.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) General Secretary Dr Jitendra Awhad alleged that “everything is planned and orchestrated” and Karad is reportedly named as an ‘accused’ in a murder case lodged with Parli (Beed) Police.

Leaders of multiple political parties have said that Karad is booked/wanted/accused in several big and small cases but has continued to thrive owing to political patronage.

Shivba Sanghatana chief Manoj Jarange-Patil said that now Karad is in the police clutches, the investigators should arrest the other fugitives and reiterated that “Karad was supported by his political masters”, warning against any attempts to ‘protect him’.

The Sarpanch murder snowballed into a national political storm with condemnation from Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale, Congress’ Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar and other bigwigs.

The issue had also figured in the state legislature during the recent Winter Session in Nagpur, at least three all-party protest marches were taken out in Beed, Latur and Parbhani in support of the Deshmukh family.

In a move of solidarity, 543 Gram Panchayats in Gondia, 491 in Washim and 205 in Yavatmal districts are observing a 3-day shutdown to condemn the Massajog (Beed) Sarpanch’s murder, and over the next few days, more Gram Panchayats are expected to follow suit.

With 2024 just about to end, the scammers are leaving no opportunity to target victims with different frauds enticing them to click malicious links and Android Package Kit (APK) files. showcases some of the recently emerged cyber-crimes which are being used to dupe unsuspecting victims.

Malicious link and APK files wishing Happy New Year.

Modus-operandi: Using the occasion of New Year 2025, cyber-criminals would try to hack mobiles of the targets by sending malicious links and APK files on their mobile phone. The scammers would then share those harmful links and APK files on a large scale through social networking sites including WhatsApp from the hacked mobile number.

Dos and Don’ts: If anyone receives any harmful links and APK files of Happy New Year wishes from any social networking site including WhatsApp, delete it immediately. Do not share such malicious links and APK files with anyone for any reason. If harmful links and APK files are posted to any WhatsApp groups from your known WhatsApp number, the admins of the said group should check and delete such links and APK files. Call 1930 immediately or file a complaint on this website www.cybercrime.gov.in in case of any cyber crime offence.

Fake wedding invitation file scam.

Modus-operandi: Scammers send fake wedding invitations through WhatsApp, Instagram or other such apps with links to download a fake APK file. Installing it can add malware or steal personal information, data and could also lead to privacy or financial losses.

Dos and Don’ts: Always confirm the invitation directly with the sender. Do not click on suspicious links or download untrusted apps. Look for suspicious domains or spelling errors in links. Keep security software updated on all devices.

USB Charger Scam (Juice Jacking)

Modus-operandi: Cyber-criminals use USB charging ports installed at public places such as airports, cafés, hotels and bus stand etc. for malicious activities. Charging electronic devices at such infected USB charging stations, may make one a victim of juice-jacking cyber attack. Juice jacking may lead to installation of malicious apps, encryption of one’s device and criminals may ask for ransom to restore it. Stealing of data from your device.

Dos and Don’ts: Think twice before plugging to public charging stations or portable wall chargers. Use electrical wall outlet to charge your mobile device. Try to carry your own personal cable or power bank. Lock your mobile device and disable pairing with a connected device. Try to charge your phone when it is in a switched off state.

Exploitation of cyber-crime helpline (1930) by cyber-criminals

Modus-operandi: Fraudsters pretended to be police officers using a Skype ID called ‘POLICE 1930’ to trick victims into thinking they were real law enforcement. They falsely claimed that the victim’s Aadhar ID was used for shipping illegal items like drugs and credit cards. The criminals then threaten the victim with imprisonment and freezing his/her bank accounts unless the victim transfers a large amount of money to them. This sophisticated scam misuse an official cyber-crime helpline to exploit the victim’s trust in government systems.

Dos and Don’ts: If contacted by someone claiming to be law enforcement, terminate the call and verify their identity through official channels. Legitimate authorities will not request immediate payment over the phone. One should not disclose sensitive data or financial details to unknown callers and if anyone receives a threatening call or message, it should be reported to local authorities or cyber-crime units. In case someone receives fake arrest emails, one should not trust or respond to fake arrest notices sent via email, WhatsApp, SMS or Phone calls claiming to be from the police. Be skeptical of emails that seem urgent, threatening, or out of the ordinary. Verify the authenticity of any suspicious emails and check the email address to ensure it’s from a genuine government website ending in “gov.in“.