ASTROS BLOG

Kewal Ahuja and SGF India — Now synonymous with deceit and exploitation

In recent times, the Indian franchising sector has been marred by a series of scandals and scams, with the latest revelation shedding light on the fraudulent activities orchestrated by Kewal Ahuja and his SGF India enterprise. Ahuja’s purported involvement in fraudulent practices has sent shockwaves through the business community, highlighting the vulnerabilities within India’s franchising landscape.

Kewal Ahuja sgf, once hailed as a promising entrepreneur, has now become synonymous with deceit and exploitation. His SGF India venture, which initially appeared as a lucrative opportunity for aspiring business owners, has now been exposed for its deceptive practices and financial misconduct. At the heart of Kewal Ahuja’s fraudulent scheme lies a web of false promises and manipulation. Prospective franchisees were lured in by the allure of success and financial prosperity, only to find themselves trapped in a web of deceit. Kewal Ahuja and his associates in SGF India allegedly misrepresented the profitability and viability of their franchising opportunities, enticing individuals to invest their hard-earned money without disclosing the true risks involved.

One of the most egregious aspects of Kewal Ahuja’s SGF India fraud is the exploitation of vulnerable individuals who sought to fulfil their entrepreneurial dreams. Many aspiring business owners, driven by ambition and the desire for financial independence, fell victim to Kewal Ahuja’s deceptive tactics, only to realize too late that they had been misled and defrauded. Moreover, Kewal Ahuja’s fraudulent activities in SGF India have broader implications for the franchising sector in India. The prevalence of scams and fraudulent practices not only erodes trust and confidence within the business community but also undermines the integrity of the franchising model as a whole. Such incidents deter potential investors and tarnish the reputation of legitimate franchisors, creating a ripple effect that stifles growth and innovation in the sector.

A distressing incident of ragging at PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore has come to light through a First Information Report (FIR), revealing harrowing details of the victim’s ordeal. The victim, a second-year undergraduate student in a government-aided institution, was reportedly locked up in a room for approximately five hours by eight fellow students in the college hostel.

The incident occurred on November 6 when the eight students entered the victim’s room around 11.30 p.m., berating him for allegedly not contributing money to seniors for purchasing alcohol. Subsequently, they forcibly took him to room 401 on the fourth floor of the hostel, locking the door from inside.

Inside the confined space, the perpetrators allegedly subjected the victim to physical assault, taking turns to beat him. A belt was also used in the assault, despite the victim’s pleas for mercy, as detailed in the FIR filed by the police.

The FIR identifies Ram Santhosh, 22, of Alanganallur as the first accused, who initiated the assault by shouting “start music.” Other students joined in, jeering and restraining the victim. Another accused, Venkatesh, used a trimmer to cut the victim’s hair from behind, while Santhosh trimmed from the front, with the others cheering on.

Around 5.30 a.m. the next day, B. Naveen, alias Yashish, 22, of Namakkal, allegedly remarked that the victim looked “handsome” with the trimmed hair and instructed him to leave the room. However, Santhosh and Venkatesh purportedly compelled the victim to kneel down and clean the trimmed hair before departing, threatening further harm if he disclosed the incident.

Upon emerging from the room, the victim was consoled by two students waiting outside. However, when they attempted to accompany him to his room, Santhosh and Venkatesh reportedly warned them of similar consequences if they refused to provide money.

The victim later confided in his parents in Tiruppur, who promptly came to Coimbatore and took him to the Peelamedu station to file a complaint. Subsequently, G. Dharanitharan, B. Ayyappan, P. Nithyanadarajan, S. Manikandan, Mohammed Dilfer Sha, Ram Santhosh, and B. Naveen were arrested on Wednesday. The police are actively pursuing Venkatesh.

The Kerala High Court said 22 precious lives were lost in a boat tragedy, which by initial accounts was "one that should have never happened and (could have been) fully averted."

KOCHI: The police on Tuesday slapped murder charge on the owner of the boat that capsized in Tanur, leaving 22 people dead. Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court initiated suo motu case in the incident, terming it a tragedy that “should never have happened.”

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC against Nasar P, said he operated the ill-fated boat Atlantic despite knowing that chances of a tragedy were high.

Nasar was interrogated and produced before the Parappanangadi judicial first class magistrate court, which remanded him in judicial custody. He was sent to Tirur sub-jail.

Meanwhile, in Kochi, an HC division bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen, directed the Malappuram district collector to file a report on the incident by May 12. It also highlighted Kerala’s past boat tragedies and its effect on people.

“From Redeemer that capsized in January 1924, drowning Mahakavi Kumaranasan and 34 others, to Jalakanyaka that went down in 2009 in Idukki killing 45; and other Poseidon tragedies with fewer fatalities taking place with frightening regularity, citizens seem justifiably indurated (hardened) to news of loss of lives caused solely by a deathly cocktail of callousness, indifference, greed and official apathy. How many more will we have to see?” asked the bench.

It said 22 precious lives were lost in a boat tragedy, which by initial accounts was “one that should have never happened and (could have been) fully averted.”

It said unless the court puts its foot down, causative factors such as overloading, violation of laws and absence of safety requirements like life jackets would be repeated with impunity.

“Every tragedy triggers routine investigations followed by recommendations; but never to be heeded thereafter. The refusal to follow and enforce the most basic safety protocols is most infuriating. More so, since our state has hundreds of boats in tourism, and such an incident is waiting to happen if the present state of affairs is allowed to continue,” the bench said.

The court said had the authorities concerned done their duty, the mishap, like the others, would have never happened. “The final loss is to citizens as instances like these are erased from memory soon,” said the court.

Municipality one of respondents

The division bench has directed the registry of HC to array the chief secretary, Malappuram District Tourism Promotion Council secretary, Malappuram District Police Chief, Tanur municipality secretary, Alappuzha port officer, Beypore senior port conservator and Malappuram district collector as respondents in the suo motu case.

Boat driver, helpers absconding

Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das, who is heading the SIT, said Dinesh, the boat’s driver, and his helpers who were on the boat are absconding. “A search is on to nab them,” he said, adding that the SIT will seek the custody of boat owner Nasar soon.

Cusat team to inspect boat

Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das said an expert team from Cochin University of Science and Technology will inspect the boat Atlantic and submit a report on the alterations made to it. The Kerala Maritime Board (KMB) had recently reached the final stage of issuing a licence to the boat operator to operate the vessel for trips. KMB chairman Salim Kumar said an expert from Cusat had recommended providing a licence to operate the boat with 22 passengers.

The SIT will scrutinise the nod.

Locals slam Nasar

The SIT nabbed Nasar from Kozhikode on Monday and brought him to Malappuram. While Nasar was being taken to the magistrate, the residents reached Parappanangadi and protested against him, calling him a murderer.

Court’s observations

No operator can do all this on his own. It’s because some support is received. We have to come to the root of the problem.

There is a lot to be answered by Tanur municipality. 22 people died. children died. Our hearts are bleeding. Nobody has fear of law anymore

A photo of a man went viral on social media in which he was seen pouring a glass of alcohol while sitting on the chair of the police station in-charge in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur. He has been arrested and the police in-charge has been suspended.

Police arrested a man who allegedly drank alcohol while sitting on the chair of the police station in-charge in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur. The in-charge of the police station has been suspended in connection with the incident.

The incident took place at Khata Kheri police station in Saharanpur. A photo of the man, identified as Imran, went viral on social media, in which he was seen pouring a glass of alcohol while sitting on the chair of the police station in-charge, Sachin Tyagi.

In the photo, packets of ‘chakna’ and water bottles were kept on the table.

The incident is believed to have taken place during Holi in March, when the photo was taken.

As soon as the photo came to the notice of the police, SSP Vipin Tada immediately suspended Sachin Tyagi.

The Supreme Court, after hearing Imran Khan's request for relief, strongly criticised the NAB for arresting the former Prime Minister from the Islamabad High Court's premises, where he had come to appear in a case

New Delhi: Imran Khan’s arrest by Pakistan’s top anti-corruption body is illegal and he should be released immediately, the country’s Supreme Court said on Thursday amid violent protests by supporters of the former Prime Minister who faces corruption allegations. Mr Khan is under the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The order to bring Mr Khan, 70, to the Supreme Court was issued by a three-member bench of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.

The Supreme Court, after hearing Mr Khan’s request for relief, strongly criticised the NAB for arresting the former Prime Minister from the Islamabad High Court’s premises, where he had come to appear in a case.

The Supreme Court said Mr Khan should return to the Islamabad High Court at 10 am today and follow whatever the high court decides. Only 10 of his supporters will be allowed to meet him, the Supreme Court said.

Mr Khan heads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Chief Justice Bandial said a person cannot be arrested from the court premises without the permission of the registrar. “If an individual surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean?” the Chief Justice said, according to news agency Press Trust of India.

Mr Khan has alleged he was tortured in the NAB custody and was not allowed to even use the washroom. The former cricketing superstar, who remains popular in Pakistan, alleged he was given an injection to induce a slow heart attack.

Mr Khan’s arrest follows months of political crisis and came hours after the powerful military rebuked the former international cricketer for alleging that a senior officer had been involved in a plot to kill him.

Some protesters took out their wrath on the military, torching the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and laying siege at the entrance to the army’s general headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

The accused, Malkit Singh, Dharmendra Singh, and Harpal Singh, are residents of Punjab and were arrested by the Special Cell of the Counter Intelligence Unit from Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan.

New Delhi: Three Indian nationals were arrested by the Counter Intelligence Unit of the Delhi Police today for being a part of a drug nexus from Pakistan.

The accused, Malkit Singh, Dharmendra Singh, and Harpal Singh, are residents of Punjab and were arrested by the Special Cell of the Counter Intelligence Unit from Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan.

The police have alleged that the accused were supplying drugs trafficked from Pakistan via drones, in Punjab and other states, in exchange for money transferred through a hawala network from drug mafias to Pakistan.

The three-drug suppliers, who were declared fugitives in Punjab, have links in the US and the Philippines, the police said. Arms and ammunition were seized from the accused, the police added.

Phone numbers from the Philippines and the US were found in the mobile phones recovered from the accused. Their alleged handlers used these numbers to instruct them from where to collect the consignment of drugs trafficked by Pakistan via drones, which was later delivered to their supplier in Punjab.

The accused used to supply heroin in Punjab and other parts of the country from 2010–2011, the police said.

The Uttarakhand high court has granted permission to a Hindu woman to pray at Piran Kaliyar, a dargah, and directed the police to provide security to her.

A Hindu woman who approached Uttarakhand high court seeking permission to offer prayers at Piran Kaliyar, a dargah in Haridwar district, was granted permission on Thursday. The case which was heard by senior justices Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Pankaj Purohit also directed the police to provide security to the woman.

The court asked the woman to submit a letter to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the area for security before she offers prayers at the revered shrine. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 22.

The case involved a 22-year-old unmarried Hindu woman from Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh. The woman, who works in a private company in Sidcul located in Haridwar, said that she wanted to offer prayers with her co-worker Farman, who also works in the same company.

The woman in her petition sought permission to worship in Piran Kaliyar and requested security due to threats from religious groups. She said that whenever she tried to offer prayers at the dargah, she met with protests.

The division bench of the high court inquired why the petitioner, who hadn’t changed her religion, desired to offer prayers at Piran Kaliyar. The woman explained she was intrigued by Piran Kaliyar and wished to offer prayers there, but was not permitted.

The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs, including one under section 10 of POCSO act against the BJP MP Brij Bhushan, who has denied all the charges.

New Delhi: 1 Calling it a “black day”, the protesting grapplers and their supporters on Thursday wore black bands with Bajrang Punia, one of the prominent faces of the sit-in, alleging that their phone numbers are being tracked.

The protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by the grapplers, entered the 18th day.

Top Indian grapplers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang, Sakshi Malik, Satyawart Kaidyan and Jitender Kinha all tied black bands on their forehead while a few supporters sported them on their arms as a mark of protest against what they see as a lack of action against Brij Bhushan.

The wrestlers have been demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan, who they have accused of sexual exploitation of several women grapplers including a minor.

The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs, including one under section 10 of POCSO act against the BJP MP, who has denied all the charges.

“We are observing a black day today in protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. We are confident of our victory as the entire nation is with us in our fight,” Bajrang Punia said.

“Day by day our protest is gaining momentum and we will continue to fight till we get justice.

“Nowadays our phone numbers are being tracked, we are being treated in a manner where it seems as if we have committed a crime. Whoever is in our contact is being tracked, I am telling you,” Mr Punia told reporters.

The World Championship and Olympic medallist was critical of athlete Seema Antil, who said their protest has had a negative impact on the sport with camps and trails not taking place.

“I don’t understand that she is saying that we are causing damage to the sport rather than Brij Bhushan. It’s very strange that she doesn’t understand this despite being a sportsperson.

“I don’t think she should have said what she said. We respect her she is a good athlete but she should think before coming out with a statement,” Mr Punia said.

A large delegation of Bharat Kishan Union Ekta (Azad), mostly comprising women from Punjab arrived at the Jantar Mantar on Thursday to show their solidarity towards the protesting wrestlers.

Speaking of the possibility of financial bungling, he asked the WFI, “Which money have you spent, where has Tata’s money gone. The Tatas have been giving you money for the last five years, where is that money? “We have also requested Ratan Tata ji to find this out, whether his money is reaching the right place,” the ace wrestler added.

On the brighter side, Bajrang welcomed the move to hold the women’s camp in Patiala.

“We welcome the shifting of the women’s camp to Patiala. Wherever athletes have access to all the facilities set up camp there rather than having it in a place where they are being exploited and mistreated.” Besides members of Mazdood Adhikar Sangathan, Sonipat and a small delegation of youth students from Bhagat Singh Youth Union, Maharashtra also came in support of the wrestlers on Thursday.

Wrestler Bajrang Punia continued, “See nothing is bigger than the judiciary. We have full faith in the court, our fight is for the truth. I don’t think India has seen something like this in the past.

“We get strength when we see the support we are getting from all corners from of the country.

Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last October and indicated that he'd only be in charge for a limited time to complete the organizational overhaul he thought the company needed to prosper.

NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino is in talks to become Twitter’s chief executive officer, the Wall Street Journal reported, following owner Elon Musk’s announcement that he had found a new leader for the social network and will shift into a new role as chief technologist.

In a tweet on Thursday, Musk said the company’s new CEO will start in about six weeks, without naming the individual. Yaccarino, who is chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal Media, didn’t respond to an email seeking comment, and a representative for NBCUniversal said she was in rehearsals for the company’s Upfront presentations to advertisers.

Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last October and indicated that he’d only be in charge for a limited time to complete the organizational overhaul he thought the company needed to prosper.

Musk complained of having “too much work” and sleeping at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters while implementing radical changes.

In December, Musk asked his Twitter followers if he should step down as CEO, and 57.5% said yes. The billionaire will remain executive chairman after the transition.

Musk, who’s also CEO of Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has drawn criticism for his abrupt policy changes at Twitter and neglect of his other businesses. He’s also changed the corporate name of Twitter’s parent to X Holdings, an entity that could eventually be the parent for all his businesses — an idea he has publicly mused about.

Musk has also said he wants to build Twitter beyond social media and into an “everything app,” including financial services.

The next CEO will have to deal with the fallout from his ownership, including an advertiser exodus. Despite a slight uptick in daily users since early 2022, Twitter’s revenue has fallen by 50% since October as a result of a “massive decline” in advertising, Musk said in March.

The company’s Twitter Blue subscription service plan has also been flailing, drawing less than 1% of the user base. Musk has cut thousands of jobs, scaled back the company’s content moderation and allowed accounts previously banned for breaking rules to return.

Musk already has a friendly relationship with Yaccarino, who interviewed him last month at a major advertising conference in Miami, and called him “friend” and “buddy” on stage. Recently, Twitter and NBCU expanded their Olympic Games partnership.

“I can say that she would be my first choice, and my only choice, to save the platform from the hands of its owner,” said Lou Paskalis, who advises marketers as chief strategy officer at Ad Fontes Media, on Twitter. “I still cannot understand why she’d subject herself to @elonmusk, however!”

Doctors, who went on a flash strike, have strongly reacted to the minister's remark and demanded her to withdraw the remark

A remark by Kerala health minister Veena George that the young doctor stabbed to death by a patient could have been scared owing to her “inexperience” triggered strong resentment.

“The house surgeon lacked enough experience. Hence, she might have gotten scared. That was what I could learn from doctors,” the minister said while grieving over the incident.

The minister also said that there was adequate security at the Kottarakkara hospital in Kollam district where Dr Vandana Das was stabbed to death by a school teacher, identified as Sandeep.

Doctors, who went on a flash strike, have strongly reacted to the minister’s remark and demanded her to withdraw the remark.

Reacting to the incident, the agitated doctors said that while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was having heavy security cover, the repeated pleas of the doctors to provide adequate security was being ignored by the government despite a series of incidents of attack on doctors.

Opposition leaders V D Satheesan of the Congress asked whether doctors should “learn martial arts” to protect themselves.

The health minister later said in a social media post that her statement was being misquoted by the media and the opposition.

Reacting to the doctor’s murder, a doctor leading a stir in Thiruvananthapuram said that while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was having heavy security cover, the repeated pleas of the doctors to provide adequate security was being ignored by the by the government despite a series of incidents of attack on doctors.

Kerala Government Medical Officers Association state general secretary Dr Sunil P K said that at least now the government should make sincere efforts to set up a proper triage system at all hospitals to avoid such incidents in future.

The doctors will be on strike till Thursday morning.

An explosion was heard near the Golden Temple in Amritsar in the wee hours of Thursday. The blast took place at nearly 12.30 am, following which five people were arrested. No fatalities were reported.

Five people were arrested after an explosion was heard near the Golden Temple in Amritsar in the wee hours of Thursday, sources said. This was the third explosion to rock the area in a week.

According to the details, the blast took place around 12.30 am.

The five arrested accused had allegedly planned the explosion, Punjab Police sources told ANI.

The accused were apprehended on the basis of the CCTV footage and mobile locations. The IEDs were assembled at a washroom nearby.

The motive behind the blast was to disturb peace in the area, they added.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe the blasts.

A video shared by ANI showed chaos and cops near the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Sources said potassium chlorate was used in the cracker which caused Thursday’s blast.

Talking to reporters, the Punjab Police earlier said some pieces were found behind the building.

“A loud sound was heard around 12.15–12.30 am. There’s a possibility that it could be another explosion. It’s being verified and is yet to be confirmed. We have found some pieces behind the building. But since it is dark, we are trying to find out,” Commissioner of Police Naunihal Singh told reporters.

“The suspects are being rounded up and the probe is on,” he added.

Sources also said two men and a woman were staying at a nearby room at the time of the blast. All three were being questioned.

BLASTS NEAR GOLDEN TEMPLE

Earlier, two blasts had rocked a heritage street near the Golden Temple, on May 6 and May 8, respectively, thus causing panic among the locals.

Following the second blast, DGP Gaurav Yadav told PTI that the Punjab Police was taking the help of all agencies to probe the two blasts, that rocked the place in 30 hours.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team also visited and inspected the site of the second blast.

In the first blast, one person was injured and the glass facades of some buildings in the area were damaged.

The second low-intensity blast on the same street on the morning of May 8 injured one more person.

A day after a woman doctor was stabbed to death by a patient she was treating, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for an emergency meeting to ensure the safety of health workers.

In the wake of a 22-year-old woman doctor’s murder in Kottarakkara, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called for an emergency meeting on Thursday afternoon to ensure the safety of health workers.

Matters such as lawmaking will be discussed in the meeting. Doctors across the state have been protesting demanding a strict law for the protection of medical professionals. Though a doctors’ Protection Bill exists, doctors want it to be amended for stringent measures. They also want hospitals to be safe zones.

The meeting will be held at 3.30 pm at the chief minister's conference hall.

The health minister, chief secretary, home secretary, health secretary, legal secretary, director of medical education, state police chief, ADGPs and other concerned department heads will be part of the meeting.

On Wednesday, a 22-year-old lady doctor was stabbed by a dunk patient at a taluk hospital in Kottarakkara. The man was taken to the hospital after he had engaged in a fight with his family members, police said.

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has searched the Bangalore-located office and residential premises of Edtech major BYJU’s CEO Raveendran Byju and seized “incriminating” documents and digital data as part of a foreign exchange violation probe.

A total of three premises, two business and one residential, were raided recently under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), it said in a statement.

The agency said it has seized various incriminating documents and digital data.

It said the action was taken on the basis of “various complaints” received by private people and alleged that Raveendran Byju was issued “several” summons but he remained “evasive and never appeared” before the ED.

The searches found that his company, Think & Learn Pvt. Ltd., received foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of about Rs 28,000 crore during 2011–2023.

It was at this park where the roof of a bavdi (step-well) inside the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhoolelal Temple premises had caved in on Thursday, killing the devotees. 

BHOPAL: The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) embarked on a demolition drive on Monday against encroachments at a park in the Sneh Nagar locality of Indore, the country’s cleanest city, which reportedly contributed to the temple tragedy which left 36 devotees dead and 17 injured while attending a Ram Navami pooja.

At this park, the roof of a bavdi (step-well) inside the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhoolelal Temple premises had caved in on Thursday, killing the devotees. According to local residents, Sneh Nagar Garden was one of the biggest parks in the city till a few decades back, when a multi-purpose recreational centre for kids was slated to come up in the late 1980s. But continuous encroachments there by people with political patronage saw multiple illegal structures coming up there.

Despite repeated complaints to the IMC to remove the encroachments, it merely issued notices to the culprits in 2022 and January 2023, the residents had alleged after the tragedy unfolded on Thursday. They also alleged that local BJP MP Shankar Lalwani was backing the office bearers of the trust managing the private temple, two of whom have been booked by city police for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, but have not yet been arrested.

Meanwhile, alleging that the IMC demolished an ancient temple in the name of removing encroachments, the Bajrang Dal’s Indore convener Tannu Sharma – who, incidentally, was booked for making abusive remarks against Prophet Muhammad a few weeks back – has called for a public protest against the move on Tuesday.

It was not just the Sneh Nagar Garden from where the IMC removed the encroachments on Monday. The drive was also undertaken against encroachments on wells/step-wells at Dhakkan Wala Kuan, Sukhlia and Qila Road Gadra Khedi.

Gandhi, in his appeal filed in the sessions court against the conviction and two-year jail term handed last month, submitted he was treated harshly by the trial court.

SURAT: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday told a sessions court in Surat his conviction by a magistrate's court in a 2019 defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark was erroneous, patently perverse, and he was sentenced in a manner so as to attract disqualification as a Member of Parliament.

Gandhi, in his appeal filed in the sessions court against the conviction and two-year jail term handed last month, submitted he was treated harshly by the trial court which was "overwhelmingly influenced" by his status as an MP, and maintained there is no such thing as a definite Modi samaj or community on record.

In his application seeking the suspension of conviction, which will come up for hearing on April 13, the former Congress president said, "It appears reasonable to argue that the applicant was really sentenced in a manner so as to attract the order of disqualification (as an MP)."

Earlier in the day, Additional Sessions Judge RP Mogera's court granted him bail till the disposal of his appeal on a bond of Rs 15,000.

Gandhi (52), elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was convicted in the criminal defamation case on March 23 by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma and sentenced to two years in jail.

The magistrate's court had granted him bail for 30 days to appeal the verdict.

A day later, he was disqualified as a Lok Sabha member under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

"The judgment of conviction and order of sentence passed by the CJM (Chief Judicial Magistrate) is erroneous, patently perverse, in flagrant violation of principles of appreciation of evidence in criminal trial, illegal and unwarranted on the facts and circumstances of the case and on the evidence to substantiate the charge levelled against the appellant/accused," said Gandhi in his petition in the sessions court.

The judgment of conviction and order of sentence was passed without any evidence, he claimed in the plea filed through his lawyer.

The magistrate's court judgement was passed on the basis of assumptions, presumptions, conjectures, surmises and suppositions which are not permissible in the criminal law at all, according to the petition.

The order of conviction and sentence was bad in law and against the weight of evidence, and the trial judge was "overwhelmingly influenced" by his status as an MP, he said.

In such a case, he (trial judge) certainly presumed that the award of maximum sentence of two years would entail his disqualification as a Member of Parliament, said the plea.

The Representation of the People Act holds that an MP/MLA convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction.

"Parliamentarian, in Opposition, is expected or rather required to be 'vigilant and critical', and the view of the trial court that a Member of Parliament deserves to be awarded the highest punishment because of his status "is wholly unwarranted and manifestly unjust," said the four-time MP in his plea.

By the very nature of his task, a politician in Opposition cannot always weigh his words in golden scales, he said, adding, "Hence, it is incumbent upon courts to focus on the essence and spirit of the speech (related to Modi surname) made rather than on the tone and tenor.

He said "a strong and uncompromising opposition" is the essential requirement of a "true and healthy democracy."

"While performing his duties as a critic of the government, a Member of the Legislature, is very likely to cause annoyance and/or embarrassment to those in power," Gandhi stated.

While granting bail to Gandhi, the sessions court issued a notice to the complainant in the case, Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, over the plea for the suspension of conviction and sought his response by April 10.

When the magistrate's court took the view that he deserved to be awarded the highest punishment because of being a Member of Parliament, it is expected that the judge would also be aware of the mandatory disqualification that it entails, Gandhi said.

"Such disqualification entails the rejection of the mandate of the electorate on one hand and huge burden on the exchequer on the other (for holding bypoll)," said the Congress leader.

Gandhi maintained the trial court erred in believing the accused didn't stop after allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and industrialists Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya, and therefore he intended to defame all persons with the Modi surname.

The said sentence, "Why all thieves have surname Modi," was spoken in connection with PM Modi, Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, and not people with the "Modi" surname," said the plea.

Barring this sentence, all the alleged defamatory comments are against PM Modi personally, the Congress leader said in the plea, adding there is no such thing as Modi samaj or community on record.

He said the complainant (MLA Purnesh Modi) terms the Modh Vanik Samaj or Modh Gachi Samaj or Teli Gachi Samaj as Modi samaj, even when there is no documentary evidence on record that they are all part of the Modi samaj.

Even otherwise, a Modi Samaj is "not an identifiable, determinate, definite group," Gandhi said.

"There are Modis in every community. There is no organization of persons having the surname Modi. There is no particular group of Modis which is referred to in the impugned defamatory statement as distinguished from the rest of the Modis," he said.

"Modis are 13 crores (in number), and all these people will not have a right to file the complaint because it is not an identifiable, definite, determinate group or collection of persons," said the 52-year-old Congress leader.

While awarding him the maximum permissible sentence (two years), the trial court treated it as "a case of extreme depravity" without giving attention to the fact that the petitioner (Gandhi) was a first-time offender, said the plea.

The appellant has been treated harshly both on the merits of the controversy (due to the remark) as well as at the stage of determination of sentence taking into account his position as a Member of Parliament, he said.

Gandhi said the proceedings of trial did not satisfy the requirements of a fair trial, and there were elements of unfairness vitiating the trial at various stages.

He said the defamation complaint was filed in "hot haste" at Surat by a sitting MLA of Bharatiya Janata Party (Purnesh Modi) two days after he made the comment at an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka.

There was no prima facie material to accept the allegations made by MLA Modi, the Congress leader said, adding the complaint was "motivated by political considerations".

Deepak Boxer was the head of the Gogi gang, a position he assumed after Jitendra Gogi was murdered in 2021.

New Delhi: Deepak Boxer, one of Delhi's most-wanted gangsters, has been arrested in Mexico and will be brought to India later this week. A special Delhi Police team caught Boxer in Mexico with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

"The gangster will be brought to India in a day or two. He is among the most wanted gangsters of Delhi-NCR, who fled the country on a fake passport," said an officer.

This is the first time that Delhi Police has arrested a gangster outside India.

Deepak Boxer was on the run since he murdered a realtor in August 2022. The builder, Amit Gupta, was shot several times on a busy road in Delhi's Civil Lines area.

In a Facebook post, Boxer claimed that Gupta was murdered by him and that the motive for the murder was not extortion at all, but revenge.

He also claimed that the realtor was associated with a rival gang, Tillu Tajpuria gang. He said that Amit Gupta was the financier of that gang.

Deepak Boxer was the head of the Gogi gang, a position he assumed after Jitendra Gogi was murdered in 2021.

Police say that Boxer used a fake passport to leave the country. He took a flight to Mexico on January 29 from Kolkata under the alias Ravi Antil.

Child rights body flags videos of kids pelting stones in Howrah clashes

KOLKATA: Tension gripped the Rishra area in Hooghly where violence between two communities spread on Sunday evening during another Ram Navami procession. BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar, who was on his way to Rishra, was intercepted and police did not allow him to proceed. In protest, BJP supporters put up a roadblock on bustling GT Road for over three hours.

“Mujamdar was not allowed to visit the trouble-torn area as Section 144 has been clamped in the area,’’ said police. “The ruling Trinamool Congress s misusing the police to meet their purpose. The men in uniform stood mute spectators and now they are resisting us,’’ said Majumdar.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of creating unrest in Bengal. “Ram Navami is over five days ago. But they are still taking out processions in the name of the event only to create unrest in the state,’’ she said. She asked ‘Hindu brothers’ to protect minorities and claimed that there are plans afoot for another round of violence in the state on Thursday when the nation celebrates Hanuman Jayanti.

A total of 12 persons were arrested in connection with the violence in Rishra. Personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in the area. Police made announcements using the public address system asking people not to come out of their homes without any emergency reasons.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights claimed to have come across video footage of children being used in stone-pelting in Shibpur, Howrah, during a Ram Navami procession. The Commission said it has taken suo-moto cognizance and asked the commissioner of police to take action against the perpetrators and identify the children so counselling may be done.

The Howrah police have been asked to submit an action taken report within two days. “The Commission has come across a Twitter post where it has come to the notice of the Commission that during Ram Navami Sobha Yatra in Howrah’s Shibpur area, the mob turns violent and the children are seen to be used in stone pelting in violent activities by anti-social elements.