Politics
Trinamool MLA Saokat Molla ignores CBI summons

Two-time Trinamool Congress legislator Saokat Molla on Friday ignored CBI’s notice for interrogation in connection with the coal smuggling cases in West Bengal.
Molla, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Canning (East) Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, was asked to be present at CBI’s Nizam Palace office in Central Kolkata at 11 a.m on Friday.
However, at the last moment, his counsels sent an email communique to the CBI informing the latter about their client inability to appear for interrogation. Molla had also sought 15 days of time to appear for grilling.
Confirming the receipt of the email communique of Molla, a senior CBI official, who did not wish to be named, said that they have forwarded the communique to their higher officials at CBI Directorate in New Delhi immediately. “Now whether Molla would be given the time span of 15 days or not will be decided by our higher officials,” he said.
Many recall the similar incident how Trinamool Congress leader and party’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mandal avoided CBI summons one after another pertaining to cattle and cola smuggling cases in the state.
After ignoring seven summons, Anubrata Mandal finally made a maiden appearance at the CBI office integration on May 19. However, after that he went back to Birbhum and started avoiding central agency summons again on medical grounds.
Incidentally, Mandal was also supposed to be present at the CBI’s Nizam Police office on Friday. However, as usual, he had communicated his inability to appear.
As reported by IANS on Thursday, although the coal-belt of Asansol in West Burdwan district of the state was base of the coal smuggling rackets, the investigating sleuths have recently identified several points where the smuggled coal were sent to different points in different pockets in the state.
It was also reported that Jeebantala area under Molla’s constituency, Canning (East) houses several brick kilns that require huge amounts of coal at cheaper rates to successfully run their shows. CBI sleuths have come to information many such brick kilns in Canning (East) which had been getting regular supply of smuggled coal.
Molla is a two-time Trinamool Congress MLA from Canning (East) Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal since 2016. Before the change of guards in West Bengal in 2011, Molla was an active member of erstwhile ruling party CPI(M) and was also considered as the right- hand man of erstwhile West Bengal land & land reforms minister, Abdur Rezzak Molla in the previous Left Front regime.
However, after 2011, Saokat Molla shifted to Trinamool Congress and became an MLA from Canning East for the first time in 2016. He was re-elected from the same constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.
National News
ED Arrests Congress MLA’s Associate In Sikkim Over Illegal Betting Racket, Seizes ₹6 Crore Cash

Bengaluru, Aug 23: The Enforcement Directorate, which raided over 30 premises on Friday to unearth the illegal betting racket by Congress MLA from Chithradurga has arrested Veerendra alias Puppy at Gangtok in Sikkim and seized Rs 6 crore unaccounted cash he was carrying with him.
Total Seizures from MLA Hit Rs 12 Crore
With this seizure, the total amount of money seized since Friday from the MLA has accumulated to Rs 12 crore, as the ED had seized cash, foreign currency and gold worth over Rs 6 crore on Friday from his residence in Chitradurga on Friday.
Veerendra alias Puppy, who owns five casinos in Goa — Puppy’s Casino Gold, Ocean7 Casino, Ocean River Casino, Big Daddy Casino and Puppy’s Casino Pride, is the first time MLA from Chitradurga. Apart from the seizure of money, the ED has frozen his 17 bank accounts and two bank lockers.
Dubai-Based Companies Linked to Gambling Apps
ED officials are looking into the illegal betting racket run by Puppy through gaming APPs called King567, Raja567, Puppies003 and Rathna Gambling. He is suspected to be using his brother Thippeswamy’s Dubai based companies to operate these APPs.
Transit Remand Granted, MLA to Be Produced in Bengaluru
Puppy was produced before Judicial Magistrate at Gangtok and obtained transit remand. He is being brought to Bengaluru to be produced before the jurisdictional Magistrate.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: CBI Arrests Long-Absconding Bank Fraud Accused After 21 Years

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully arrested the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, a proclaimed offender in a high-value bank fraud case, pursuant to sustained and meticulous efforts made by the investigating team.
The case was registered on 31.05.2004 for defrauding Bank of Baroda. It was alleged that the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, had dishonestly applied for housing loan by the use of forged and fabricated documents.
Charge Sheet Filed in 2007, Accused Remained Untraceable
After completion of investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the case on 30.04.2007, making the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot as one of the conspirators for cheating and defrauding the Bank of Baroda. The accused failed to join the trial or respond to summons/warrants and was untraceable since 2024.
Multiple Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were issued against him. Finally, on 09.12.2024, the Hon. Special Judge for CBI, Greater Bombay ordered to issue Proclamation warrant against him. Despite sustained efforts over the time to trace him, the absconding accused had remained untraceable.
Absconding Accused Frequently Changed Residences
The accused Dinesh D. Gehlot had frequently changed residences. He had misled the local residents about his real identity and had maintained minimal interaction with locals, further hindering efforts to trace him.
CBI Employs Advanced Technology to Locate Accused
The CBI through the deployment of advanced technological tools and identity-tracking databases, meticulously analyzed the digital footprint of the absconding accused to ascertain his current identity and location. Supplemented by extensive field investigations and on-ground inquiries, the CBI team successfully located the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot in Noida.
Accused Apprehended and Remanded to Judicial Custody
Pursuant to his identification, the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot was apprehended on 20.08.2025 and produced before the Competent Court at Mumbai, which remanded him to judicial custody for the purpose of further trial proceedings. The accused is presently undergoing trial.
CBI Highlights Technology and Persistence in Law Enforcement
“This case is a classic example of how the integration of technology-driven intelligence platforms with the persistent and coordinated efforts of investigating officers on the ground can substantially augment the operational capabilities of law enforcement agencies in tracing and apprehending long-absconding offenders,” said a CBI official.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Rains: Vasai Streets Turn White As Milk Shop Stock Spills Into Floodwater

Mumbai: In a bizarre and rare scene, the flooded streets of Vasai turned completely white after an entire milk shop’s stock spilt into the waterlogged roads on Wednesday. The unusual incident occurred due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in the area, leaving locals stunned as the streets began to resemble a river of milk.
At the start of this week, Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra witnessed heavy rains, leading to severe waterlogging in many areas. During this period, a video surfaced online showing a remarkable scene of a waterlogged road in Vasai completely turned white.
A video of the incident went viral on Instagram, shared by the accounts @unexplored_vasai and @nalasoparamerijaan_, drawing widespread attention. It showed the condition of the road, with gallons of milk mixed with the floodwater and flowing through the streets. The unusual visuals shocked many people on social media.
In another news story related to the Mumbai rains, flash floods caused by relentless rainfall on August 19 brought devastation to an animal shelter in Vasai’s Naigaon area. The JJ Foster Home (Jeet & Juhi) and Wagging Hearts Foundation, run by 20-year-old student and animal rescuer Jeet Bhatti, suffered a tragic loss, two dogs and three cats died in the flooding.
The shelter was home to 28 dogs and 63 cats, along with six stray animals kept in a temporary structure nearby. A disturbing video that has gone viral shows the heartbreaking condition of the shelter, with several helpless animals struggling in the rising water.
Bhatti, who has been rescuing animals since his teenage years, described the situation as “heartbreaking,” saying, “The animals were terrified and under immense stress. Even though our house was built a couple of feet above ground, the water rose nearly four feet inside.” He blamed the disaster on unchecked construction, destruction of mangroves, record-breaking rainfall, and high tides.
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