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Ganga Vilas Cruise: World’s longest river cruise set to sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in January, to cover 4000 km in 50 days

OpIndia Staff
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Ganga Vilas Cruise: World’s longest river cruise set to sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in January, to cover 4000 km in 50 days

Varanasi, the holy city of Uttar Pradesh, is set to witness the launch of the world’s longest river voyage to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh on January 10, 2023. The central government has proposed to launch the world’s longest luxury river cruise in a bid to give a boost to inland waterways development in the country. 

Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, stated that the Ganga Vilas cruise will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in 50 days, covering 27 river systems and visiting over 50 tourist sites, including World Heritage Sites. The Minister went on to say that this will be the world’s largest river voyage by river ship, putting both India and Bangladesh on the global cruise map. In addition, the 50-day cruise will sail by sanctuaries such as Kaziranga National Park and the Sundarbans Delta.

Sarbanand Sonowal took to Twitter to share information about the Ganga Vilas Cruise and wrote, “The world’s longest river cruise will commence its journey in Jan next year. Ganga Vilas will set sail from sacred Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh covering 4,000 km on the two greatest rivers of India, Ganga & Brahmaputra.”

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal released the timetable of the cruise ship during an event at Ravidas Ghat in Varanasi on Friday. The ship will start its first journey on 10th January from Varanasi and will reach Dibrugarh on March 1.

After departing from Varanasi, the cruise will arrive in Patna on the 8th day, sailing through Buxar, Ramnagar, and Ghazipur. During its 50-day journey, it will stop at over 50 architecturally important places, including world heritage sites. The route of the ship includes three major waterways, National Water Way 1 over the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system, The Indo-Bangla Protocol Route from Kolkata to Dhubri over several rivers in Bangladesh, and National Waterway 2 over Brahmaputra.

The proposed route of Ganga Vilas Cruise

After starting at Varanasi over River Ganga, the cruise will enter the Hooghly river at Farakka and reach the Sunderbans through Kolkata, sailing downstream. The cruise will navigate through various channels of the world’s largest delta of Megha river, which is formed Ganga and Brahmaputra. From Sunderbans, the cruise will start sailing upstream on the rivers included in the Indo-Bangla Protocol Route, which is mainly the Brahmaputra river and its distributaries known in various names in Bangladesh. The cruise will travel nearly 1,100 kilometres through Bangladesh before entering India again and will travel over the entire West-East length of Assam through Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Dibrugarh.

The tour’s standouts include witnessing the ancient “Ganga Aarti,” exploring the natural wonders of the world’s largest mangrove forest, visiting Mayong, India’s cradle of “black magic,” and exploring the vast cultural treasure of the world’s largest river island.

Sonowal asserted that one of the government’s top priorities is the development of coastal and river shipping, including cruise services, and that this will help India tap its potential in this territory. “In addition to promoting passenger traffic on rivers, the development of inland waterway systems would expedite trade and cargo services and attract tourists along its route.”

Minister Sonowal further informed that the cruise service will facilitate all sorts of tourists who come with varying mindsets. “Cruises are of various kinds, like luxury, expedition, etc. Tourists come with their own mindsets, some may wish to move from one point to another while others would prefer to stay throughout the journey. The service will facilitate all sorts of tourists,” he said.

Furthermore, with the amendment of the Indian Vessel Act, cruise liners will have national permits facilitating their seamless movement across states, the minister informed.

Measuring 62.5 m (length), 12.8 m (width), and 1.35 m (draft), this is the first river cruise ship built in India, according to authorities. The ship has 18 suits, along with various facilities and amenities like a restaurant, spa and sundeck.

With the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Antara Luxury River Cruises and JM Baxi River Cruises, the cruise will be the first set of cruise liners to operate on a PPP model. The cruise operators will determine the ticket price without intervention from the Centre. Antara cruises have stated that the Ganga Vilas cruise will have 18 suites and other facilities which include LED TV, smoke detectors, life vests, sprinklers, French balcony, convertible beds, a 40-seater restaurant, a spa, and sundecks.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan stopped by Customs at Mumbai Airport, made to pay over Rs 6 lakh duty on expensive watches

OpIndia Staff
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Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan stopped by Customs at Mumbai Airport, made to pay over Rs 6 lakh duty on expensive watches

On Friday, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and his crew were stopped by the Customs Department at Mumbai airport for about an hour and were questioned about the expensive watches that he had brought from the UAE. The Customs officials scanned his bags in which he carried expensive watches worth around Rs 18 lakh. Khan was further asked to pay a tax of Rs 6.87 lakhs for those watches.

According to the reports, along with Shah Rukh, his crew including his manager Pooja Dadlani, bodyguard Ravi, and some others were also stopped at the airport as they returned from the United Arab Emirates to Mumbai in a private chartered plane VTR-SG. Khan had been to the UAE to attend an event.

The expensive watches found by the Customs officials from Khan’s bag were from international brands namely Espirit and Babun, and Apple series watches. The exact cost of these watches amounted to Rs 17,56,500. Empty Rolex watch boxes were also discovered within his luggage.

After approximately an hour of questioning, Shah Rukh and Pooja were permitted to leave the airport, but the actor’s bodyguard Ravi and the rest of the crew had to stay at the airport to finish the formalities. The rest of the Khan’s crew was permitted to leave at 8 on Saturday morning only after his bodyguard Ravi deposited tax of Rs 6,87,000 using the actor’s credit card. 

Shah Rukh Khan is preparing to make a huge comeback to the big screen after a long hiatus. He has 3 big releases lined up, starting with Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand. It is an action-packed entertainer whose trailer was launched on November 2, Khan’s birthday. The film also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in prominent roles, with Ashutosh Rana and Dimple Kapadia playing significant parts.

SL cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka repeatedly choked victim while sexually assaulting her: All you need to know about the Sydney rape case

OpIndia Staff
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SL cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka repeatedly choked victim while sexually assaulting her: All you need to know about the Sydney rape case

The Sydney police, that arrested Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka on charges of four counts of rape on Sunday, November 6, 2022, revealed in the facts sheet filed with the Downing Centre local court that the cricketer had choked the victim thrice while sexually assaulting her.

The police also quoted the victim telling them how she was “fearing for her life” during the alleged sexual assault.

The woman alleged she was sexually assaulted four times in her Rose Bay house on November 2 after going out on a date with the Sri Lankan cricketer, who was in town for the T20 World Cup.

Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka arrested, denied bail

Gunathilaka, 31, was later arrested from Sydney’s Hyatt Regency Hotel by the Sydney police when the rest of the members of the Sri Lankan team was preparing to return home following the team’s elimination from the Super 12 stage.

He is being charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent and has yet to enter a plea. Each charge carries a maximum jail sentence of 14 years. The left-handed batsman was denied bail on Monday after the Sydney police argued he is a flight risk.

The victim alleges she was ‘choked repeatedly’, and had to go through a brain scan to check for any injury resulting from the repeated choking.

According to prosecution documents made public on Wednesday, the “complainant” called a counselling service early the next day, saw her general practitioner, and “couldn’t stop crying,” rendering her unable to work. The next day, she gave a statement to police, was given a sexual assault investigation kit in a hospital, and underwent a brain scan to “check for any injury resulting from the repeated choking.”

Recounting what transpired, the Sydney woman told the police that Gunathilaka tried to choke her three times during the sexual assault. “The complainant tried to remove the accused’s hand by grabbing his wrist, but the accused squeezed tighter around her neck,” Australian media reports said quoting police documents.

“The complainant was fearing for her life and could not get away from the accused. She continually tried to pull away from the accused, a clear indication that she was not consenting.”

The next hearing in the case is set for January 12.

Meanwhile, Gunathilaka’s lawyers SANS Law Associates issued a brief statement in which they said: “Danushka Gunathilaka maintains his innocence of all charges. Given the early stages of proceedings, we do not wish to make any further comment and will allow for the matter to be properly ventilated before the Court.”

What transpired

As per the victim’s account, the couple matched on the dating app Tinder on October 29 and later had a number of video calls through WhatsApp before meeting in person at Opera Bar, in Sydney’s CBD on November 2, 2022. The duo ate pizzas and had a couple of drinks before taking a ferry back to the alleged victim’s house.

The documents quoted the victim as further saying that during the ferry ride, Gunathilaka pressed his body against the woman, kissed her “forcefully”, and slapped her on the bottom. When the couple got to the woman’s house, Gunathilaka, as per the victim, allegedly forced himself on her on four occasions and choked her so hard she couldn’t breathe during one assault.

The four charges cover a range of sexual offences, including alleged choking incidents and sex without a condom without consent. Under New South Wales’ new affirmative consent laws, sex without a condom without consent (known as “stealthing”) is an offence.

During one of the alleged choking incidents, “the complainant’s breathing was severely restricted for about six seconds”, the facts sheet said. It was soon after this that “the complainant was in shock and she did not feel safe saying anything to the accused out of fear of retribution,” according to the document.

The victim filed a complaint against the cricketer on November 5.

Sri Lanka Cricket association suspends Danushka Gunathilaka

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has, meanwhile, taken strong cognizance of the incident and suspended Gunathilaka from all forms of the game. The Sri Lankan government has also asked SLC to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

It may be recalled that Gunathilaka had got out for a duck in Sri Lanka’s first-round match against Namibia. He was later ruled out of the tournament due to an injury but remained with the squad when it advanced to the Super 12 round.

Gunathilaka has a history of controversies

Gunathilaka, who has played eight Tests, 47 ODIs, and 46 T20 Internationals for Sri Lanka, is no stranger to controversy.

SLC suspended him for a year in 2021 after he crossed the team’s bio-secure bubble while on tour in England with teammates Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella.

SLC also banned him for six months in 2018 after he violated the team curfew. Gunathilaka was suspended the same year when an anonymous buddy was accused of raping a Norwegian woman.

After learning that Gunathilaka had missed training sessions and showed up for a game without his cricket kit, the board punished him for six limited-overs games in 2017.

Nepal: 38 Indians working as bonded labourers in a brick factory rescued, handed over to SSB

OpIndia Staff
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Nepal: 38 Indians working as bonded labourers in a brick factory rescued, handed over to SSB

On Friday, 11th November 2022, the Kathmandu police in Nepal informed that at least 38 Indian nationals, including children and women, working as bonded labourers in a brick factory were rescued. The Nepalese authorities carried out this operation in the Rautahat area of Nepal.

The rescue effort was carried out on Wednesday after authorities in the area received information about a group of Indians — 20 men and 18 women and children from Uttar Pradesh — who were being forced to work as bonded labourers at a brick plant in the district. To rescue them, a police squad was sent from the local police station.

A spokesperson of the Deputy Superintendent of Police at Rautahat said, “A total of 38 Indians working as bonded labourers in the brick factory have been rescued. They all hail from Uttar Pradesh.”

He added, “the rescued Indians were handed over to the Sashastra Seema Bal at Bairganiya in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district after the required legal and administrative paperwork.”

In Rautahat’s brick industry, hundreds of men and women from different districts of Uttar Pradesh are employed. While many people continue to work despite unfavourable working circumstances, some do so intermittently in search of better possibilities nearby. In 2013, 64 Indians, including 27 minors, working as bonded labourers in Southern Nepal were rescued by Nepalese authorities.

It is notable that the Indo-Nepal border was in the news recently because of the demographic changes in the interior and border parts of Nepal. The increasing Muslim population in this area has been an issue of concern.

Karnataka: ‘If Tanveer Seth installs statue of Tipu Sultan, will demolish it like Babri’, says Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: ‘If Tanveer Seth installs statue of Tipu Sultan, will demolish it like Babri’, says Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik

On 11th November 2022, Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik said that if Karnataka Congress MLA Tanveer Seth installs a statue of Tipu Sultan then it will be demolished just like the Babri disputed structure was demolished in Ayodhya. Pramod Muthalik gave this statement in response to the announcement of installing a statue of Tipu Sultan in Mysore or Srirangpattanam by Congress MLA Tanveer Seth.

Pramod Muthalik and his supporters and members of Sri Ram Sena cleansed the Idgah ground of Hubli with Goumutra on 11th November 2022 and celebrated the Kanakadasa Jayanti there. Pramod Muthalik addressed the public gathering after the Jayanti celebrations. Muthalik said that the Idgah ground was defiled during Tipu Jayanti celebrations. Therefore, it was cleaned before the Kanaka Jayanti celebrations.

According to reports, the Congress MLA Tanveer Seth had said in a public event, “The future generations will get to learn the truth about the history of our land. I will install a statue of Tipu Sultan although the installation of statues is prohibited in Islam.”

Replying to this jibe, Pramod Muthalik said, “If a statue of Tipu is installed, we will destroy it like we destroyed the Babri Masjid.” Muthalik questioned, “How you can install a statue of Tipu Sultan? It is an anti-religious statement according to Islam. So a fatwa should be issued against Seth. Muslims will hang Tanveer Seth for making such statements.”

Pramod Muthalik added, “India and Pakistan are separate countries on the basis of religion, and just as Pakistan is confined to Muslims, so India is a Hindu nation. We oppose the forced addition of the word ‘secular’ in the constitution of India.”

About celebrations of Tipu Sultan Jayanti, he said, “Tipu Jayanti was celebrated yesterday and the Idgah ground was defiled. So today we have done purification by sprinkling cow urine. BJP has given permission for the Tipu Jayanti celebration in order to stir up politics. Tipu was a fanatic, a Kannada traitor. It is not right to allow the Jayanti of such a traitor. The Corporation is following a dual policy on the issue of Tipu Jayanti.”

About contesting the assembly elections, Pramod Muthalik said, “I am going to contest in the upcoming elections. The three constituencies of Dakshina Kannada and North Karnataka have been thought of. I don’t need support from the BJP. BJP does not want people like us.” 

Punjab: Unavailability of ambulance forces Dera Bassi couple to ferry their ill son in a cart 16 km away to a hospital in Chandigarh

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Unavailability of ambulance forces Dera Bassi couple to ferry their ill son in a cart 16 km away to a hospital in Chandigarh

While the Aam Aadmi Party has made and continues to make tall claims to keep the health of the citizens a priority, a doleful incident took place in the Dera Bassi area of Punjab. A sobbing mother of a 20-year-old son undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Dera Bassi was forced to hold a glucose bottle while his father pushed a cart for around 16 km to take him to Chandigarh for further treatment after the ‘108’ helpline told them there had been no ambulance for transportation of patients.

According to the reports, 20-year-old Ehtesham, son of Dera Bassi-based used cloth merchant Abdul Ahad, had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital for the past three days. He was taken to the Civil Hospital at around 10 am on November 11 after his condition worsened. 

Further, the doctors at the Civil Hospital monitored his health condition and referred him to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 for specific treatment. Ahad asked for an ambulance service to take his son to GMCH, sector 32. However, he was asked to contact the ‘108’ helpline for the service.

When Ahad contacted the helpdesk, the operator indicated her inability to provide an ambulance, stating that none was available for its disposal. When asked about how soon it could be arranged, Ahad was advised to make their own arrangement to reach the hospital.

Ahad grabbed his cart and asked his wife Noorez Khatun to hold the glucose bottle as they raced their son to Chandigarh at around 2 pm. The boy who was undergoing treatment lay down confined in a small-sized cart while his parents ferried him to Chandigarh in absence of an ambulance. 

“My son’s platelet count was around 22,000. I called up the helpline for an ambulance, but they claimed non-availability. I chose not to take the chance of waiting for the Health Department to provide me with an ambulance,” said Abdul at the GMCH-32. He also held a doctor’s note reading “fever, body aches, abdomen pain and low platelet count. Please refer to GMCH-32.”

BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga took cognizance of the incident and slammed the AAP government for failing to fulfil the medical requirements of the citizens. “Ambulance was on ‘VIP duty’ in the AAP government rule… so what could have the poor father done? He could not leave his son to die so ran his cart on the street and asked his wife to sit behind and hold the bottle of glucose in her hand. This is how they reached Chandigarh from Derabassi,” he tweeted.

Also, Dr Adarshpal Kaur, Mohali Civil Surgeon took cognizance of the incident and said, “Doctors try and help patients as far as possible. We will go into the incident and take preventive measures to ensure such incidents do not recur.”

Hyderabad: Student Himank Bansal beaten up and forced to chant Allah-hu-Akbar in college hostel, complaint filed

OpIndia Staff
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Hyderabad: Student Himank Bansal beaten up and forced to chant Allah-hu-Akbar in college hostel, complaint filed

On Saturday, 12 November 2022, a video went viral on social media where a student of the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE) in Hyderabad, Himank Bansal, was being beaten up by the other students of the institute and forced to chant ‘Allahu Akbar’.

In the video shared extensively on social media, a group of students can be seen beating up and threatening Bansal inside a hostel room.

Following the assault, Bansal filed a complaint with the police where he detailed the circumstances leading up to the attack on him.

Complaint filed by Himank Bansal
Complaint filed by Himank Bansal

In his complaint, Bansal mentioned that one of his friends from 1st year BA-LLB course, Dipasha Sharma, called him a pedophile for being friends with a girl 3 and a half years younger than him. When Bansal tried to defend himself saying he doesn’t want any sexual relations with her and cited references from Islamic scriptures to explain how he is not wrong, the girl shared his messages with everyone else in college.

As per the complaint by Bansal, subsequently, 15 to 20 guys burst into his hostel room and beat him up while accusing him of hurting religious sentiments. The assaulters further asked him to chant Allah-hu-Akbar while beating him up. He was also threatened during the course of the assault, as were his family members.

The group of students also asked him to remove his trousers, and upon refusal further physically assaulted him. Himank Bansal has named several of these people in his complaint with details of their respective actions during the assault.

Video and photographic evidence of the assault has also been submitted to the police along with the complaint by Bansal. Following his complaint, the Cyberabad Police shared that a case has been registered on 11th November 2022 by Shankarpally Police Station against the culprits under the provisions of 307, 342, 450, 323, 506, R/W 149, IPC, and Sec 4(I),(II), and (III) of the Prohibition of Ragging Act of 2011

Further action is being taken in the case by the police. The institute has also initiated action against the students involved in the assault as well as Himank Bansal.

Malegaon: Hindu groups protest against the kidnapping of a minor tribal girl, family suspect Imran Sheikh and the ‘love jihad’ motive behind the abduction

OpIndia Staff
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Malegaon: Hindu groups protest against the kidnapping of a minor tribal girl, family suspect Imran Sheikh and the ‘love jihad’ motive behind the abduction

Several Adivasi and Hindu organisations on Friday reached the Malegaon city police station in Nashik District to seek strict action against a person named Imran Sheikh, whom they accused of abducting a minor tribal girl in the month of October. The organisations, including the ‘Eklavya Adivasi Veer Samaj’ and ‘Eklavya Adivasi Bahuddeshiya Samajik Sanstha’, submitted a memorandum to the Upper District Magistrate, stating that the police are not taking the case seriously because the victim girl belongs to the tribal community.

The tribal organisations also stated that the matter is about love jihad and that they will conduct a severe protest march on Monday (November 14) if the police fail to find the victim and take action against the accused. On October 24, a minor girl aged 14 suspiciously went missing from her home. The family members of the girl lodged a police complaint on October 25 and stated that the girl had been abducted by a person named Imran Sheikh. The girl’s mother who works on daily wages also demanded severe police action against the accused.

According to the complaint filed by the girl’s mother, the girl had suspiciously gone missing on the morning of October 24. “She was sitting with her younger sister in the drawing room. I went to my daily job of garbage picking at around 6 in the morning. When I returned, I saw that my elder daughter was not there in the drawing room. On asking the younger ones, she said that did have gone to the washroom. And she never returned,” the mother of the victim girl said in her complaint. She also suspected that Imran Sheikh has abducted her daughter.

FIR copy obtained by Opindia

The Maharashtra Police then filed an FIR against an unknown person for kidnapping a minor bhil tribal girl under section 363 (punishment for kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. However, the family members of the girl stated that the girl had been abducted by Sheikh and that the Police has failed to launch an investigation into the case. “The FIR has been filed on October 25 and it’s 11 November today. No action has been taken by the Police. Instead, they are calling us continuously for interrogation when they actually should call Sheikh and his family members,” the woman said to the DM on Friday. She was accompanied by the members of the Adivasi organization and also other Hindu organisations in Malegaon.

The members of the Adivasi organization alleged that the police are not taking the case seriously. “This is a clear case of love jihad and the Police also know it. They are trying to conceal the matter under some unidentified political pressure. It’s been 14-15 days now and no action has been taken against Sheikh. Instead, the family of the girl is being harassed,” said Machindra Govind Shirke of ‘Eklavya Adivasi Veer Samaj’.

Copy of the letter by ‘Eklavya Adivasi Veer Samaj’ obtained by Opindia.

“The girl is a minor and has been abducted by the accused. We have requested the Police to look into the matter immediately and if no action is taken within the next two days, a massive protest will be organized on Monday (November 14). The Police must find the girl within two days,” he added. The National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken cognizance of the incident and has assured to take action in the case.

Notably, the Police filed an FIR under section 363 (punishment for kidnapping) of the IPC, 1860 but failed to add the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, despite knowing that the victim girl is a minor.

Meanwhile, the police are said to have formed three units to search for the missing girl and also to nab the suspected accused. Team Opindia tried to call the police to confirm the details of the investigation but the calls remained unanswered. Further investigations into the case are underway.

Love Jihad in Jharkhand: Minor girl goes missing; her mother accuses Shahid Ansari of kidnapping her and forcing her to convert to his religion

An eerily similar case was reported from Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district earlier today. A mother of a 16-year-old, a resident of Hazaribag district in Jharkhand, filed a missing complaint on November 7, 2022. According to the complaint filed at Keredari police station in Hazaribag, she has accused a youth named Shahid Ansari and his cousin Arbaz Ansari of kidnapping her minor daughter.

She alleged that Shahid has abducted her with the intention to forcefully convert her religion and thereafter marry her. The minor reportedly went missing on November 4, 2022. OpIndia has a copy of the complaint submitted by the victim’s mother.

The woman alleged that even six months ago, the accused sent his parents to threaten them that they would abduct their daughter if they did not concede to their demands. According to the victim’s mother, the accused’s parents were accompanied by the District Sadar of Anjuman Muslimeen Committee, Habib Miyan. Shahid’s parents and Habib Miyan then threatened them and warned that if they wanted to continue staying in the village, they would have to live on their terms.

Adani Group to launch open offer to acquire an additional 26% share in NDTV on November 22, will raise Adani’s total stake above 55%

OpIndia Staff
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Adani Group to launch open offer to acquire an additional 26% share in NDTV on November 22, will raise Adani’s total stake above 55%

The Adani group announced on Friday that subscriptions to its open offer to purchase an additional 26% of NDTV’s public shares will be available from November 22 to December 5. The prior schedule for Adani’s open offer was from October 17 to November 1.

Together with AMG Media Networks and Adani Enterprises Ltd., Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt. Ltd. (VCPL) has put out a proposal to acquire an additional 26%, or 1.67 crore equity shares, at an offer price of Rs 294 per share. The Adani Group reiterated its plan to complete the open offer process for more NDTV shares in a letter sent last month to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

In August, Adani Enterprises Ltd’s subsidiary AMG Media Networks Ltd purchased Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd (VCPL), which had lent Rs 403.85 crore to NDTV promoter business RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd in 2009 and 2010. Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy were the owners of RRPR Holding.

RRPR provided warrants to VCPL in exchange for this interest-free loan, entitling it to convert them into a 99.9% share in RRPR. RRPR owned 29.18 percent of NDTV, hence Adani Group obtained a 29.18 percent stake in NDTV in this manner. Following the acquisition of VCPL for Rs 113.75 crore, the Adani Group declared an open offer to purchase another 26% interest in NDTV.

If Adani Group has indirect control over a stake that is more than 25%, it is required by Indian law to make an open offer to buy at least 26% more from current shareholders and give them the opportunity to withdraw.

According to the Adani Group’s plan, the open offer would be made at 294 rupees per NDTV share for a maximum consideration of $62 million. NDTV would receive 55.18% of this amount, assuming a full subscription.

The Adani group stated in its letter to SEBI earlier that it intended to execute the open offer regardless of the status of the share transfer from RRPR to VCPL. It also requested that Sebi share its comments on the Draft Letter of Offer (DLOF) prepared in relation to the open offer.

However, the dispute was taken to the Supreme Court when Sebi filed an appeal against NDTV regarding a ruling issued by the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on July 20 this year. NDTV had previously petitioned the Supreme Court on the same order. The SAT ruling decreased the penalty on Roys of NDTV and their promoter business, RRPR Holding, from Rs 25 crore to Rs 5 crore. It also withheld the Sebi findings that the founders had given control to Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited (VCPL) via loan contracts in 2009-10.

Congress leader Abhay Thipsay, who had defended Nirav Modi in UK court, joins Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leader Abhay Thipsay, who had defended Nirav Modi in UK court, joins Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’

Days after the UK High Court rejected Nirav Modi’s appeal against his extradition to India, retired Bombay High Court judge and Congress leader Abhay Thipsay, who was a defence witness of Modi, was seen at Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Abhay Thipsay, who joined the Congress party in 2018, appeared as a defence witness for Nirav Modi in a hearing in a UK court in 2020.

On Friday, November 11, a Tweet in Hindi from Congress’ official Twitter handle read, “Today in #BharatJodoYatra @RahulGandhi ji met retired judges and lawyers and discussed their problems, the current situation in the country and the purpose of the visit. Together we have to get the country out of this difficult situation.”

Abhay Thipsay was seen in one of the photos posted by the party which showed him holding a microphone as if addressing the crowd, while another showed him sitting in the front row.

Picture of retired Bombay High Court judge and Congress leader Abhay Thipsay at Bharat Jodo Yatra (source: Congress Twitter handle)
Picture of retired Bombay High Court judge and Congress leader Abhay Thipsay at Bharat Jodo Yatra (source: Congress Twitter handle)

Abhay Thipsay is a retired Bombay HC Judge who joined the Congress party in 2018  after meeting the then Congress President Rahul Gandhi. He had joined Congress ‘to fight communal forces and communalism’. He later launched a book blaming Hindus for bomb blasts done by Islamic radicals. He was the same judge who convicted 9 out of the 17 accused in the Best Bakery case. Justice Thipsay claimed that the Hindus carried out the 2008 Malegaon blasts.

Thipsay had faced flak for granting bail to actor Salman Khan in a hit-and-run case after a lower court convicted him in 2015.

Congress member Abhay Thipsay appeared as an expert witness for Nirav Modi in UK Court

Thipsay had particularly been in news in 2020 after he appeared as a defence witness for fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi in a hearing in a UK court in May of that year. During the extradition proceedings, Abhay Thipsay, a retired judge turned Congress leader and a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi, had informed the London court via video link that the charges levelled by Nirav Modi which include criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonestly inducting delivery of property, would not stand scrutiny under Indian law.

Thipsay, who testified via video link, claimed that some of the police statements in the case against Nirav Modi as well as the definition of deception will be “inadmissible” under Indian law.

In his testimony, Abhay Thipsay had also claimed that there was no victim of the scam done by Nirav Modi, therefore he is not guilty. When the Indian govt’s counsel pointed out that Punjab National Bank was the victim as it has lost around $2 billion in the fraud, Thipsay had claimed that a corporate body can’t be victim, and he had asked the govt to identify persons who were deceived by Nirav Modi.

Since Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has always harped on the alleged proximity between Nirav Modi, the key accused in the PNB scam, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the latter of assisting the offender, it was extremely paradoxical that Abhay Thipsay, a retired judge turned Congress leader and Rahul Gandhi’s close confidante, appeared to defend Nirav Modi.

UK Court had slammed Abhay Thipsay

While giving the go-ahead for the extradition of Nirav Modi to India, the UK court had made scathing remarks against defence witness Abhay Thipsay for not revealing his political affiliation. The judge had said, “I note he has never disclosed his party-political affiliation either in the report’s biography or in relation to this declaration as an expert and disclosure of any potential conflict of interests”. The court had said that it is inevitable that he could have foreseen that his affiliation to the Congress party may attract interest.

Interestingly, after the former judge’s testimony in support of Nirav Modi in the UK Court became public and triggered a controversy in India, he had requested the court to make his testimony ‘private’.

BJP attacked the retired Bombay HC judge and Congress members for appearing as witnesses for fugitive economic offender Nirav Modi

After Thipsay appeared to defend fugitive Nirav Modi in the UK court, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad called a press conference and mounted an attack against the Congress leader. “There is overpowering suspicious circumstances from which we can infer that the Congress is trying its best to save and bail out Nirav Modi,” Ravi Shankar Prasad sharply noted in a press conference in May while accusing Thipsay of working at the behest of Congress to save Nirav Modi.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had also Tweeted asking “what was the deal between Rahul and Nirav?”. Patra Tweeted, “Here in India, Rahul Gandhi questions the government over Nirav Modi … On the other hand, Rahul’s special and Congress’s Abhay Thipsay (former judge) witness in favour of Nirav Modi. After all, what is it that Rahul does not want Nirav to come to India? What was the deal between Rahul and Nirav at the party that night?” Patra appeared to be referring to a party attended by Nirav Modi and Rahul in Delhi in 2013.

However, despite the desperate attempts of Congress member Abhay Thipsay to defend the scamster Nirav Modi, on November 9, 2022, the UK High Court ordered the extradition of fugitive Nirav Modi to India. The High Court rejected diamond dealer Nirav Modi’s appeal against his extradition, clearing the route for his return to India. The verdict was delivered by a bench consisting of Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay. Nirav Modi is wanted in India for the $2 billion loan scandal at Punjab National Bank (PNB).

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