Newsletter 9 March

Top 5 News

1- Since Sat, raids by CBI and ED conducted at various places regarding YesBank Scam
2- IS-linked, couple using anti-CAA protests to incite terror attack held from Jamia Nagar: Cops
3- Delhi violence: Congress fact-finding committee submits report to Sonia Gandhi.
4- Syed Altaf Bukhari, former PDP leader in Srinagar formally announced about his new Party “Apni Party”
5- Delhi court acquits 30 people in 35-year-old transistor bomb blasts case

National

Since Sat, raids by CBI and ED conducted at various places regarding YesBank Scam

Searches underway at DHFL office, office of Doit Urban Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, office of RKW Developers Pvt Ltd, residence of Rana Kapoor in Worli, residence of Kapil Wadhawan in Bandra West, Rana Kapoor’s daughters Rakhi Kapoor Tandon’s & Radha Kapoor Khanna’s residences.
The CBI is all set to interrogate Kapil Wadhawan who is alleged of ‘bribing’ the Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor. Total 11+ people have been named in FIRs.
RBI-appointed Yes Bank administrator Prashant Kumar on Monday said the lender is working to restore all banking services for its customers as soon as possible.
“I think for us, the first priority is the customers and how to provide the seamless business to our customers and like you must have seen on the very first day, all our ATMs were up for the customers,” Kumar said in an interview to a TV channel.
- “Prime Minister Modi you need do tell the nation what is the BJP’s connection to the owner of Yes Bank“: Randeep Surjewala, Congress leader questioned government on this crisis.
- However, he said it’s not at a question, on most discussed 2 Cr ‘painting’ of Priyanka Vadra
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting searches at 7 locations in Mumbai, in connection with a case against YesBank founder Rana Kapoor.
Economic Offence Wing of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed FIR on March 7 against YesBank founder Rana Kapoor, Doit Urban Ventures (company linked to Rana Kapoor family), Kapil Wadhawan (Dewan Housing Finance Ltd Chairman) and others under Prevention of Corruption Act.
Mumbai: YesBank founder Rana Kapoor’s wife Bindu Kapoor arrives at the office of the ED.
- Mumbai: Enforcement Directorate officials along with YesBank founder Rana Kapoor leave from ED office; He will be produced before a Mumbai court later today
- Investments worth over Rs 2,000 crore, 44 expensive paintings including a most discussed 2Cr Painting of Priyanka Gandhi & dozen alleged shell firms part of ED investigations against YesBank founder Rana Kapoor: PTI
  - The puzzlement gave way to suspicion that ousted promoter Rana Kapoor had a hand in sabotaging a turnaround plan after the 62-year-old, now in ED’s custody, started sending feelers to the government and the RBI indicating his keenness to return to the bank, according to TOI.
  - In one case, the RBI had even told a marquee investor that it could deposit money in an escrow account. “Every time things appeared to be heading towards finality, his people would meet potential investors and probably talk them out of it,” TOI.
  - But as soon as he returned, multiple investigative agencies mounted surveillance on him to ensure he did not flee the country. In fact, there were a few nervous occasions when he went off the radar briefly.
  - During a visit to the sea-facing apartment building in Worli—one of the most expensive in Mumbai, and the country— where Kapoor lived (as did fugitive diamantine Nirav Modi), ED officials were told by the building guards they had cultivated that there were signs that Kapoor was planning to leave India again, prompting them to tighten vigil.
  - He may have realized that the RBI and government were considering a reconstruction plan that didn’t involve him.
With a board meeting of the bank scheduled for March 14 to consider quarterly results, there was mounting concern within the financial sector that Yes Bank’s bad loans—disclosed at about Rs 16,000 crore in Sept, were approaching crisis proportions, and could trigger a wider meltdown.

Sensex at 35,640.62; down by 2400 points, amid corona virus, gulf economic slowdown, and Yes Bank Scam.

IS-linked, couple using anti-CAA protests to incite terror attack held from Jamia Nagar: Cops

A Delhi Court sends the couple to police custody till 17^th
According to a senior official, the couple had been in touch with senior Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) members in Afghanistan to exploit the ongoing agitation against the amended citizenship law to incite Muslim youth to carry out terror strikes.
The couple “Jahanzaib Sami and wife Hina Bashir Beigh, a couple from Srinagar, Kashmir have been detained by the police from south Delhi’s Jamia Nagar on Sun morning, people familiar with the development said.
ISKP is Afghanistan-based affiliate of IS. It appears that he intended to carry out terror strikes including a suicide attack and had also been attempting to procure weapons for this purpose.
Kashmiri couple living in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar detained by police
Police have accused the couple of links with subcontinental branch of IS
Couple exploiting anti-CAA sentiment to sign up people for terror activities: Cop
Indian agencies point to Pak link in anti-CAA protests
- HT learnt that Indian intelligence agencies have picked up cross-country electronic chatter where people believed to be Pakistani operatives are berating their sources for not organizing enough crowds for anti-CAA protests on Mar 3-4 despite the funding at their disposal.
- The government has specific evidence that Pakistan’s deep state played a part in amplifying anti CAA protests all over country through funding and direction, even as Islamabad has made an all-out effort to equate Delhi riots with 2002 Gujarat riots at the ongoing meeting of UN Human Rights Council at Geneva.
- However, on SM such equating tweet first come @Ranayyub name handler.
As per media (HT), Jahanzaib Sami had also been in touch with Huzaifa al-Bakistani, the Pakistani commander of the ISKP, who played a key role in efforts to radicalize Kashmiri youngsters to join the terror group.
Al-Bakistani, a Pakistani national who first joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba before upgrading to the IS, was a well-known online recruiter for IS.
- Al-Bakistani was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan. His death was confirmed in July last year by the media channel of IS which claimed he had given “sleepless nights to Indian agencies.
Jahanzaib Sami was also active on pro-IS handles on social media and facilitated in spotting what the group considered ‘talent’ for its terror activities, a Delhi Police officer said.
In his initial questioning, Jahanzaib Sami is alleged to have told a group of interrogators about his role in publishing and publicizing the Feb edition of the IS digital magazine Sawt al Hind (Voice of India).In this edition of the, the Islamic State’s subcontinental branch had called on Indian Muslims angered by the Citizenship Amendment Act to abandon political protest, and instead turn
to jihadist violence. It added “Democracy is not going to save you”.
“It is assessed that the magazine, which also ridiculed mainstream Muslim leaders for what it considered deceiving the community’s interests, may have influenced a section of society, particularly Muslim youth”, an intelligence official familiar with investigations against Jahanzaib, said.
As per media, Sami had also spoken about the role of some other people in connection with the magazine that had attempted to provoke the youth to join ‘jihadi violence’.

NE Delhi Roit ……..Investigations Going on

Delhi’s Patiala House Court sends to 4 days of police remand. According to Delhi Police, he is a member of PFI (Popular Front of India).
He is claimed to be a regular visitor of Shaheen Bagh protest site. His linked to foreign funding is also been claimed, especially Dubai.
- “Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested Danish, a member of PFI (Popular Front of India), for spreading false propaganda during anti-CAA protests.”
Today, Main Opposition party, Congress, also expressed distrust over investigations going on by SIT and demanded that probe should made a sitting Judge of HC or SC.
- Yesterday, AAP (a state based party) MLA, Amanatullah Khan blamed the police investigations are going against Muslim community only, which may leads to more riots nationwide. However, no official statement on it came so far.
Delhi Police Crime Branch has detained Shah Alam, brother of the suspended AAP Councilor Tahir Hussain (accused in Intelligence Bureau Officer Ankit Sharma murder case).
A Delhi Court sends Riyasat Ali to 3-day police custody and Liaqat to 14-day judicial custody, in connection with Delhi Violence.

[For detail see week@glance on last Sat]

Delhi violence: Congress fact-finding committee submits report to Sonia Gandhi.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had formed a team to look into violence in northeast Delhi.

A fact-finding committee of the Congress on Mon submitted a report on the Delhi violence to party President Sonia Gandhi.

The committee included Mukul Wasnik, Tariq Anwar, Sushmita Dev, Shaktisinh Gohil and Kumari Selja.

The Delhi government has maintained that 53 people were killed and over 200 injured in the communal violence that broke out in northeast areas of the city last month.

The areas worst affected in the violence included Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh, Khureji Khas and Bhajanpura.

Mukul Wasnik, Congress in PC, we demand that an FIR be registered against Union Minister Anurag Thakur, BJP leaders Kapil Mishra & Parvesh Verma (for their speeches during Delhi polls). We also demand judicial inquiry in supervision of a sitting judge of High Court or Supreme Court.

Corona Virus Row…..

Total positive cases of Coronavirus in the country rises to 43, in the country while cases worldwide crosses 110,000, reports AFP
No death has been reported due to COVID-19 in the country so far, Health Secy, Union Govt.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan: On 18 January we started universal screening on 7 airports and now 30 airports have been put under screening.
All passengers coming from other countries are being screened on the airports. So far, 874708 passengers screened.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan: We have discussed with Delhi Government to prepare for isolation wards, quarantine facilities, availability of doctors, contact tracing and other precautions, if the cases increase.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was expected to visit Dhaka next week, has cancelled his trip amid a surging threat of coronavirus in South Asia, informed sources told ANI on Mon.

A total of 17 Indian passengers, all from Tamil Nadu, are stranded in a cruise ship that is docked in the Nile near Luxor city in Egypt since Thursday after 12 crew members and 33 passengers tested positive for Covid-19

In JnK 2 militants were killed in an encounter

Kashmir Police: Terrorists identified as Shabir Ahmad Malik of Kulgam who was active since Dec 2017 while Amir Ahmad Dar of Wadina Melhoura who was active since 2019.
1 AK-47,1 UBGL,1 AK-47 magazine,1 Chinese 5 pistols,1 magazine of Chinese pistol & 5(No’s) 9 mm live rounds recovered
It is pertinent to mention that Shabir Ahmad Malik was Pakistan trained terrorist and was involved in various terror related cases in south Kashmir.
Vijay Kumar, IG Kashmir claimed that today morning, 2 militants were killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Khajpura Reban area of Shopian District today.
Their bodies have been recovered and identification process is underway. As per security forces, operation conducted on specific input.
- Two terrorists affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT killed in encounter; Arms and ammunition recovered.
  - Remember, the terrorist attack dated Mar 4^th in Sopron of Baramulla Distt, in which a police officer (SPO) Vajahat Ahmad along with 2 other people have been killed.
————
A suspected Pakistani national was apprehended last night in Balakot sector of Jammu and Kashmir near Line of Control. The local police and security agencies are questioning him.

Opposition Demanded the Release of Detained JnK leaders

Former PM HD Deve Gowda, WB CM Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, CPI leader D Raja, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury and RJD MP Manoj Jha issue a joint statement for immediate release of three former Jammu & Kashmir CMs.

Statement reads, “We demand the immediate release of all political detainees in Kashmir, especially the three former CMs of J&K (Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah & Mehbooba Mufti). Under Modi govt, democratic dissent is being muzzled by coercive administrative action”.

Syed Altaf Bukhari, former PDP leader in Srinagar formally announced about his new Party “Apni Party” First ever political development in valley since abrogation of Art 370 What all he said: (outline of Party’s Regulation and vision)

It puts a lot of responsibility on us as the expectations and challenges are huge.
I assure people of Jammu & Kashmir that my will is strong.
A family does not float my party and there will be total restriction that no anybody who becomes President of party can be elected more than 2 times. It is by the commoners, for the commoners, of the commoners.
Party will seek to preserve the self-respect and dignity of people of the state, dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits, empowerment of youth and women.
We are not here to sell dreams and fantasies but will always be pragmatic, honest & fair in our approach. We have resolved to create a political platform where people are real stakeholders of the political process.

Ghulam Hassan Mir, Former Minister,& Chairman Democratic Party Nationalist, Former MLAs of PDP-Dilawar Mir, Noor Mohd Sheikh, Ashraf Mir and Former Congress MLAs- Farooq Andrabi, Irfan Naqib and others to join Syed Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party today .

India rescues 25 Indian citizens (residents of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir) from Iran

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar personally taking them back to Kashmir valley. First visit of EAM to JnK after abrogation of Article 370.
Jaishankar met the relatives at Kashmir International Convention Complex situated on the banks of Dal Lake, they said.
Jaishankar interacted with parents of students stuck in Iran, in Srinagar today, and assured them that Indian Embassy in Iran is monitoring students’ welfare; says, “We’re committed to facilitating their early return to India.

The relatives of those stranded, including students from the Union Territory and pilgrims in Qom, demanded that the Centre airlift them from Iran immediately, the officials said.

Jammu and Kashmir: First-ever Khelo-India-Winter-Games started in Gulmarg on 7^th Mar. The Games were inaugurated by Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju. People participated in night skiing, in Gulmarg of Baramulla district. Gulmarg is hosting the first-ever which will continue from March 7-11^th.

Delhi court acquits 30 people in 35-year-old transistor bomb blasts case

On May 10, 1985, bombs fitted in transistors went off in buses and other public places in Delhi and adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, killing 49 people and injuring 127.

Delhi court has acquitted 30 of the 49 accused, owing to “defective, lopsided, unfair” and “faulty investigation”. Addl Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav said the investigation suffered from various lacunae and the accused cannot be convicted.

A Special Investigation Team, under the supervision of then DCP (Central) of Delhi Police, had charge-sheeted 59 accused. While 5 of the 59 are proclaimed offenders and never appeared to face proceedings, the trial court in July 2006 discharged five due to “insufficient evidence”. Of the remaining 49 accused, 19 died during pendency of the trial, leaving 30 accused who have been on bail since 1986.

Mamata and AIIDMK, announced 4 former Lok Sabha MPs as nominees for Rajya Sabha

The seats are falling vacant with the end of the tenures of painter Jogen Chowdhury, former bureaucrat-turned-minister Manish Gupta, industrialist K D Singh and newspaper editor Ahmed Hassan Imran, on Apr 2.

Of the four new nominees, former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, theatre personality Arpita Ghosh and former Congress MP Mausam Noor had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but lost, while Subrata Bakshi is 4^th one.All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) announces the names of KP Munusamy, M Thambi Durai and GK Vasan of Tamil Maanila Congress as the nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

International

Pakistan: As per Dawn, Islamabad’s Kohsar Police on Monday registered a case against 12 individuals – including local religious leaders and JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Majeed Hizravi – for trying to disrupt yesterday’s Aurat March in the capital.

On Sun, one person was injured after participants of the march in Islamabad were attacked by some men who shouted slogans and pelted stones at them.

The rally was being held in a designated area outside the National Press Club when the incident happened. Police had to intervene to control the situation before it escalated.

Ghani sworn in as Afghan president, rival holds own inauguration

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has taken oath for a second term but his main rival Abdullah Abdullah has refused to recognise the inauguration, holding his own swearing-in ceremony, landing the country in a new political crisis.

Afghan local news channel TOLONews reported international representatives, including US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and US and NATO forces commander General Scott Miller, attended Ghani’s inauguration at the Presidential palace in the capital, Kabul.

Multiple blasts in Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul during president inauguration ceremonies: news agency AFP.

Details awaited

States

Allahabad HC passed order on Uttar Pradesh govt's move to put up posters naming and shaming anti-CAA protesters in Lucknow at 2 pm today

The UP government’s action of putting up hoardings of those accused of violence during anti-CAA protests is a violation of their privacy, the Allahabad HC observed.
The court said that the government’s action was ‘highly unjust’ and that it was an ‘absolute encroachment’ on the personal liberty of the persons concerned.
- The advocate-general also argued on Sunday that the hoardings were put to deter other people from doing similar acts and to maintain strict law and order. He further argued that the petition is meant for law-followers and not lawbreakers.

In a special sitting of the bench comprised by CJ Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha in Allahabad High Court, held on Sunday, the pulled up state authorities for putting up of banners

containing photographs and details of persons accused of violence during anti-CAA protests at Lucknow.
In oral statement by the court that the state action of putting up the posters of alleged CAA Protestors was “highly unjust” and that it was an absolute “encroachment” on personal liberty of the persons concerned.

Allahabad HC will heard at 3pm on Sun, the case related to hoardings put up by UP Govt, with names, addresses and photos of those who were accused of violence during protests against. This is previously being supposed to hold at 10 am on Sunday, as the case taken on suo moto basis.

Customs Department: Foreign currency totaling to Rs 38,79,575 was seized from two passengers, who were to fly to Dubai, at Pune International Airport yesterday.

Karnataka: A Hubli court rejects bail application of three Kashmiri students (of KLE Institute of Technology) who were booked for sedition after their video allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans went viral online.

India in International Frame

BBC

Yes Bank: Founder Rana Kapoor held over alleged money laundering

Reuters

Uttar Pradesh ordered to remove billboards ‘naming and shaming’ anti-government protesters

CNN

One of India’s biggest banks has been rescued by the government