New cyber scam targets victims with fake SBI rewards, Meesho coupons

Hyderabad: Kalvakuntla Kavitha judicial custody was extended till July 25 by Rose avenue special court Delhi. Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma dismissed the bail petition of K Kavitha who was arrested in Delhi Excise Policy scam by central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) on Tuesday. Subsequently her judicial remand was extended on Wednesday.

CBI alleging irregularities in framing Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22, the accused reportedly entered into a criminal conspiracy, thereby intentionally creating or leaving loopholes in the policy to be exploited later on. Substantial kickbacks were allegedly paid in advance to the public servants involved, in exchange for undue pecuniary benefits to the conspirators in the liquor trade. It is claimed that kickbacks totaling around Rs. 90-100 crores were paid in advance to Sh. Vijay Nair, Sh. Manish Sisodia, and other co-accused persons, by certain individuals in the South Indian liquor business (‘South Group’). After conducting investigation, the CBI had filed the first charge sheet against accused persons including K Kavitha was taken into custody for questioning.

Sh. Vikram Chaudhri, Senior Counsel representing K Kavitha argued that there has been a grave violation of the kavitha’s fundamental rights. He further argued that Kavitha is the only woman who has been made an accused and arrested in the present case and as per Section 45 of PMLA, the case of a woman accused is to be treated at a different footing and she can be granted bail and the twin conditions under Section 45(1) of PMLA are not required to be satisfied in her case. He argued that as there is no incriminating material on record to connect Kavitha with the offence of money laundering and therefore she should be granted bail in the Directorate of Enforcement case.

Citing the remarks of the Supreme Court on ‘twin conditions’ that “though the Courts should be sensitive and sympathetic to the vulnerable groups such as women, it must also recognize that educated and well-placed women may engage themselves in illegal activities. Therefore, courts are required to exercise their discretion judiciously,” remarked Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma.

As K. Kavitha, is a member of the Telangana Legislative Council from the Nizamabad Local Bodies Constituency and has held significant political positions, including Member of Parliament (MP) for Nizamabad formerly. During her tenure in the Lok Sabha, she served on several committees. She had initiated several welfare schemes on personal level and as claimed in the pleadings that she is a prominent figure in the Telangana statehood movement.

Delhi High court opined that as it is heartening to note that the applicant K. Kavitha, is a highly qualified and well-accomplished person, having made significant contributions to politics and social work as enlisted by her in her pleadings. The same were not disputed by the investigating agencies. Her educational qualification and the activities she has enlisted for the betterment of society in the State of Telangana are essentially, one side of herself and is impressive.

“However, while deciding the present bail applications, though this Court may appreciate these accomplishments, it cannot lose sight of serious allegations leveled by the prosecution and the evidence collected during the course of investigation and presented before this Court, which prima facie reveal her role in the offence in question” said JustcieSwarna Kanta Sharma. The court opined that the K. Kavitha is not entitled to the benefit of provision to Section 45 of PMLA and dismissed her bail petition.

Subsequently, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended her judicial custody after they were produced before the court through video conference on the expiry of their judicial custody.

Hyderabad: The Sleuths of Habeeb Nagar Police, Asif Nagar Division, South West Zone, Hyderabad, have arrested three people involved in a large-scale cheating operation.

The accused, identified as Mohd Nascer (30), Mohd Zafar Ahmed (29), and Mohd Ashfaq (27), reportedly cheated innocent people out of money collected for sacrificial meat (Hissa) during the Bakrid festival.

The police have seized Rs. 23,00,000 in cash, a Lenovo Thinkpad 15 laptop, a Kingston Pen drive (64 GB), and three mobile phones from the possession of the accused.

The scam came to light after Abdul Bari Rehan filed a complaint on June 17, 2024, alleging that he was cheated by a person named Nascer associated with the KHIDMATH Foundation. Rehan had paid Rs. 28,000 for 10 Hissas but never received the promised meat on the festival day. Further investigation revealed that Nascer and his accomplices had set up fake counters across the city, posing as representatives of the KHIDMATH Foundation. The investigation exposed an elaborate operation.

According to police, the accused created a fake app in 2024 under the guise of the Khidmath Foundation. They lured unsuspecting members with the promise of delivering sacrificial meat (Hissa) during Bakrid. The gang collected significant sums of money through Gpay, PhonePe, and cash payments at three counters strategically located at 1. Opposite Prime Function Hall Mallepally, 2. Shama Talkies Shalibanda, and 3. Masjid-e-Soffa Tolichowki.

On the day of Bakrid, instead of fulfilling their promises, the accused vanished with the collected money. It is estimated that over Rs. 23,00,000 was collected from over 1,000 customers who paid Rs. 2,800 per share. The investigation also found that these three accused were involved in a similar case registered at Film Nagar Police Station under (Cr. No. 518/2024).

The Habeeb Nagar police team, led by Inspector T. Ram Babu, Sub-inspectors K. Shiva Kumar and Sandeep, woman police constable A. Anusha, and constables D. Srikanth, Ahmedullah Shah Quadri, T. Prashanth, Md Amir Shareef, and Dinesh Kumar, apprehended the accused.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of D. Uday Kumar Reddy, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South West Zone, Mohd. Ashwag, Additional DCP, South West Zone, and Syed Fiaz, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Golconda Division I/c Asif Nagar Division.

Hyderabad: In a heart-wrenching incident, an elderly man lost his life after being struck by a train while crossing the railway tracks between Bibinagar and Ghatkesar stations on July 3 (Wednesday).

The accident occurred in the morning and involved the Warangal-Secunderabad passenger train.

The man, whose identity remains unknown, was reportedly hit by the train and tragically became entangled in the engine. The train continued for approximately five kilometers before being brought to a halt by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) upon receiving reports from witnesses at a nearby railway crossing.

A video that is going viral on Twitter shows that the body of the deceased man was stuck to the engine of the train and was dragged for a considerable distance.

The RPF police retrieved the body after the train reached Ghatkesar Railway Station, and it has been sent for post-mortem examination.

The railway police have registered a case, and an investigation is underway.

The authorities urge people to exercise caution and adhere to safety guidelines at railway stations and crossings.

It was learned that two train coaches parked at Alugadda Bavi tracks near the Secunderabad railway station caught fire on June 20 (Thursday).

The spare carriages were stationary on the tracks when smoke began emanating from the bogies.
Upon noticing the smoke, the fire personnel from the nearby Secunderabad fire station and the vigilant railway authorities immediately sprang into action. Their prompt response helped to swiftly douse the flames, effectively preventing the fire from spreading further.

The cause of the fire in secunderabad railway station is being ascertained.

It was learned that On January 10, a train incident occurred at Nampally Railway Station in Hyderabad at 9:15 am.

The Charminar Express, traveling from Chennai to Hyderabad, derailed on the platform. The incident involved coaches S2, S3, and S6.

The prompt response led to the swiftly transferring injured passengers to the Railway Hospital at Lalaguda in Secunderabad and local health centers for treatment. Authorities promptly initiated re-railing efforts.

The derailment reportedly resulted from the loco pilot’s negligent disregard of a dead-end line.

Fortunately, most passengers had already alighted, with only a few sustaining minor injuries as they prepared to disembark.