New Delhi, May 24: In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has brought back fugitive economic offender Angad Singh Chandok from the US to India.

Chandok is wanted in connection with a high-profile bank fraud and money laundering case and had been absconding for a long time.

He was deported by US authorities and landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport early Saturday morning.

CBI officials immediately took him into custody upon arrival. He is expected to be produced before a special CBI court later on Saturday, where the agency is likely to seek his custodial remand for further interrogation.

Chandok’s return marks a significant step in India’s efforts to crack down on economic fugitives who evade justice by fleeing abroad. It also reflects increased cooperation between Indian and international law enforcement agencies, particularly the United States, in tackling financial crimes with cross-border implications.

Chandok, 34, was sentenced to six years in prison by a US court in 2022. The court found him guilty of operating a long-running and complex money laundering network while living in California.

According to the ruling, Chandok created and used multiple shell companies to launder millions of dollars obtained through fraudulent means — initially via an online tech support scam and later through a fake online travel fee scheme.

The court noted that Chandok had a team of at least five individuals working under him and maintained direct communication with high-ranking international members of the criminal syndicate. He was also declared an international fugitive at the time of these offences.

His deportation is expected to strengthen India’s resolve in pursuing economic offenders and bringing them to justice, regardless of their location.

Chennai, May 24: In the wake of a deadly rockslide at a stone quarry in Sivaganga that claimed six lives, the Tamil Nadu Department of Geology and Mining has issued a statewide directive to inspect stone quarries and tighten safety protocols.

According to the order, deputy and assistant directors in each district must conduct safety inspections in at least 10 quarries every month and submit detailed reports to the Commissionerate.

District Collectors and Zonal Joint Directors of mining have also been directed to supervise inspection efforts and ensure strict enforcement of regulations.

The initiative is aimed at addressing growing concerns over safety violations and illegal operations in the state’s stone quarrying sector.

Activists have long alleged rampant irregularities, including the unauthorised use of explosives, which they say are responsible for the increasing number of fatal incidents in recent years.

In one such incident, three people died in an explosion in Virudhunagar, while another worker was killed in Tirupur after an oxygen cylinder exploded during unloading.

A communication from the mining department to all districts underscored the life-threatening risks posed by rockslides and blasts. It cited poor adherence to safety guidelines and regulatory conditions as key contributors to the accidents.

The department emphasised the urgent need for inspections to enforce proper safety. The Sivaganga rockslide is the latest in a string of quarry-related accidents in Tamil Nadu, particularly as the demand for M-sand in construction has increased the scale of quarrying operations.

In August last year, two people died in a blast at an illegal quarry in TN Palayam near Gobichettipalayam. Investigations into the Sivaganga accident are currently underway.

Police officials said they are awaiting drone survey results and a technical analysis of the quarry operator’s blasting methods.

“The revenue and mines department has completed drone surveys across all five quarries in Sivaganga district,” an official confirmed.

Visakhapatnam, May 23: The Vizianagaram police in Andhra Pradesh on Friday took into custody two men, arrested last week in connection with an alleged terror plot, and were being questioned.

A day after the Vizianagaram District Court remanded Siraj-ur-Rehman and Sayeed Sameer to police custody for a week, the police took them into their custody from Visakhapatnam Central Jail and shifted them to Vizianagaram for questioning.

Senior officials, including the in-charge Superintendent of Police Madhava Reddy, were questioning the accused to probe further the alleged terror plot.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is also investigating the case, may also interrogate the accused about their links with terror groups in India and abroad.

The duo is likely to be questioned about the plot and the activities of Al-Hind Ittehadul Muslimeen floated by them. The investigating officials will be trying to gather information about their contacts in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other states.

Siraj was arrested by Vizianagaram police following the recovery of explosives at his residence on May 17. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of a second suspect, Sayeed Sameer, in Hyderabad.

Sameer was brought to Vizianagaram, and the duo were sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

They have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and also under the Explosive Substances Act of 1908.

The two suspects had allegedly procured explosives online and were planning a trial of explosions near Vizianagaram.

According to police, Siraj is an engineering graduate from Vizianagaram while Sameer is a lift operator and is a resident of Bhoiguda in Secunderabad.

The two suspects had allegedly formed a group by the name Al-Hind Ittehadul Muslimeen to carry out their activities. The organisation reportedly has 12 members in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Warangal.

Meanwhile, NIA and intelligence officials carried out searches late Thursday night at Tadigadapa in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. They reportedly searched a house in which seven people were staying.

The officials reportedly picked up a few suspects and whisked them away. Their identity was not known. It was also immediately not clear if the search was related to a terror plot busted by the Vizianagaram police.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath, police and intelligence agencies are maintaining a tight vigil on suspects.