After 31 top defaulters flee, India seeks to shut the gates

After 31 top defaulters flee, India seeks to shut the gates

Govt has compiled a list of people it is considering barring from leaving the country because of their involvement with companies that have defaulted on loans.
Bloomberg|Last Updated: Mar 15, 2018, 04.52 PM IST

By Shruti Srivastava and Anto Antony

From London to St. Kitts, India’s struggling to extradite businessmen it claims have fled the country after defaulting on billions of dollars of bank loans. Now it hopes to stop others from leaving.

The government has compiled a list of 91 people it is considering barring from leaving India because of their involvement with companies that have defaulted, said a person with knowledge of the matter.

The people were selected because of their roles as directors or owners of Indian companies which have been identified as so-called wilful defaulters, firms which refuse to repay loans despite having the means to do so, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Some 400 Indian companies have been classified as wilful defaulters.

In addition he Governmebnt has asked Indian banks to provide passport details of a larger group of individuals who have signed applications or stood as guarantors for soured credits of more than Rs 50 crore ($7.7 million), the person said, declining to elaborate. Some individuals from that group may also be barred from leaving the country if they are found to have committed fraud or engaged in wilful defaults, the person added.

Mounting Anger
Pblic anger against the government is mounting after two prominent jewelers left the country just before their alleged involvement in the nation’s biggest bank fraud came to light. Less than a month after first details emerged, lawmakers introduced a bill that will give authorities power to impound the assets of fugitive offenders -- people who have fled the country after committing an economic offence involving 1 billion rupees or more.

Some 31 Indians have fled abroad to avoid prosecution, lawmakers were told in parliament on Wednesday. These include Vijay Mallya, the tycoon behind India’s best-selling beer, who’s becoming something of a fixture in London courts as he fights cases including extradition. Also named are Nirav Modi, his wife Ami Modi and brother Neeshal Modi, who’re accused in the Punjab National Bank fraud, and Jatin Mehta, another jeweler who allegedly fled to St. Kitts. The Modis deny any wrongdoing.

“It is logical that someone accused of an offence is not allowed to leave the country because extradition requires proof of criminal offence and it is difficult to establish this beyond doubt,” Aditya Puri, the chief executive officer of HDFC Bank Ltd., told the Times of India in an interview published last week. “Banks are custodians of public money"

With national elections due early next year, the government is under pressure to act against wealthy defaulters. India’s regulator has also stepped up efforts to clean up $210 billion of bad loans in the banking system, partly by tightening bankrupcy rules.

Tjhere is a lot of pressure on the industry right now,” said Arpinder Singh, a partner at EY who oversees fraud investigations across India and emerging markets. Finance Ministry spokesman D.S. Malik didn’t respond to calls made to his mobile phone seeking comment on the government’s steps.

"Those who had funneled money overseas hoping to flee if the recovery push comes to shove will be worried,” said Kranthi Bathini, director of Mumbai-based financial advisory company WealthMills Securities Pvt. “While some horses have already bolted to countries with tough extradition laws, it is not yet too late to close the gates.”

Zee News & News 18 India on Arab states, Ramdev breaks rules with ‘lauki’ juice on India TV

Zee News & News 18 India on Arab states, Ramdev breaks rules with ‘lauki’ juice on India TV
A quick take on what prime time TV news talked about.
KAIRVY GREWAL 30 April, 2020 9:49 am IST

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev | ANI Photo
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New Delhi: Prime time discussions Wednesday circled around the coronavirus (obviously!) and the remarks made by Delhi Minority Commission Chairman Zaraful-Islam Khan. Khan thanked Arab nations for their support to Indian Muslims Tuesday.

Most Hindi TV anchors were greatly agitated by this statement.


Zee News’ anchor Aman Chopra was feeling rather poetic, “Mere angne mein Muslim deshon ka kya kaam,” (What’s the need of Muslim nations in my land?).

Then he had a bad thought: “Ramzan ke mahine mein Hindustan ki barbaadi ke sapne dekh rahe hai,” (At the time of Ramzan, people are dreaming of India’s destruction).

Tarek Fateh, Pakistani journalist and occasional writer, sought to clarify what the Arabs actually meant, “Inko Arab mein pooch kaun raha hai. Yeh Arab unse baat nahi karte, yeh codeword hai Pakistan ka. Arabs ko toh pata nahi hai Hindustan kahan hai.” (Who is asking about them? This is all a codeword for Pakistan. Arabs don’t even know where India is.)

VDO.AI


News 18 India’s anchor Amish Devgan was angry, “Arab deshon ke naam par Hindustan ko dhamkaya ja raha hai,” (Indians are being threatened in the name of Arabs).

On the show, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Jo minority commission ne chitti daali hai woh unconstitutional aur anti-Indian statement hai,” (The letter and comments by the chairman of minority commission are both unconstitutional and anti-Indian.)

Patra continued, “He didn’t trust India’s judiciary so he felt the need to reach out to Arab Nations. He has threatened the sovereignty of India.”

Away from this, India TV had something very important to ask yoga guru Ramdev after he drank some lauki ka juice: “You had the juice right after doing yoga, can one drink the juice so quickly or should they wait for a while?”

Ramdev grinned — “Mera sharir ekdum swasth hai toh mujh par vishesh niyam lagu nahi hai, baaki jo yog abhyas karte hai woh 10 min baad le sakte hai,” (My body is very fit, so ordinary rules don’t apply to me. For others who do yoga, they should drink after 10 minutes).


He also suggested that viewers can add some lemon and mint to their lauki ka juice and promised that it would be so tasty that it would be hard to put it down. Okay then.



India Today’s anchor Rahul Kanwal had some “concrete evidence” and he didn’t let anyone forget that. Kanwal said, “Evidence has emerged that suggests China in early January knew about the fact that they had a raging contagion on their hands and that it could spread globally. Despite that for some mystifying reason the Chinese authority didn’t even reveal it to their own people so much so they went out to celebrate their Lunar New Year.”

“This is what has been insinuated so far. What’s new and very, very intriguing is that there are official documents that China knew and lied deliberately about,” he added.



ET Now’s Chandra R. Srikanth was in conversation with N.R. Narayan Murthy, founder of Infosys. Srikanth asked, “If you have to assess India’s response to Covid-19, are people happy about how we imposed the lockdown early?”

Murthy made a pros and cons list, “The positives are the fact that India recognised this danger pretty early and took steps to de-accelerate the virus. The PM has also taken a personal interest. The fact that political parties fully cooperated and didn’t politicise the issue is also a big positive.”

Listing the negatives, Murthy said, “But we have not been able to ramp up our testing facility. Even if we are able to test one lakh people a day, we would take 37 years to cover the entire population. It is a moving target.”

On NDTV 24×7, Vishnu Som came with some breaking news, “In a very important decision, the Home Ministry has decided that the movement of persons despite the lockdown will be allowed. This involves migrant workers, students, stranded tourists.”

Som noted, “This is a breakaway from what was decided earlier on the policy that wherever migrants or tourists or others were, they would stay over there in the interest of trying to prevent coronavirus.”

He also called for the need to designate nodal authorities and delegate standard protocol.

Midnight Order Allows More Shops: What Can Open, What Can't

Midnight Order Allows More Shops: What Can Open, What Can't
India coronavirus lockdown: Malls, cinemas and market complexes will stay closed, the government says.
All IndiaReported by Neeta Sharma, Edited by Arun NairUpdated: April 25, 2020 02:37 pm IST
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Midnight Order Allows More Shops: What Can Open, What Can't
New guidelines for lockdown: The Centre said e-commerce companies can only sell essential items.. (AFP)




New Delhi: From today, neighbourhood shops can reopen for business after the government announced new relaxations during the coronavirus lockdown in a late-night order. The new order comes as big relief for traders as well as residents after a month of the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of COVID-19, which is due to end on May 3. The relaxations will not apply to areas that are COVID-19 hotspots or containment areas, with a large number of infections. For the first time in a month, local shops selling both essential and non-essential goods can open. Malls, cinemas and market complexes will stay closed, the government says. However, with public transport still closed, employees of shops that can re-open could still find it tough to get to work.
The government, in the morning, clarified that e-commerce companies can only sell essential items.

The Home Ministry also says masks, gloves and social distancing norms will be a must for workers in establishments that open. States can decide whether they want to continue with the restrictions, the government said. Delhi, for example, has said it will decide in two days whether to reopen shops as allowed by the latest order.

Here is a look at what reopens from today:

Shops registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State/Union Territory, including shops in residential complexes and market complexes, outside the municipal corporations and municipalities, will be allowed to open
All shops in residential areas and neighbourhood markets will be open
In rural and semi-rural areas, all shops and markets that are registered can open. In cities, only standalone shops and residential shops can open
Shops in registered markets outside municipal corporations and municipalities can open only with 50 per cent staff
In urban areas, non-essential goods and services will be allowed to operate provided they are in residential areas or is a standalone shop
Market complexes, except those within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, are allowed to open
What will remain shut

Malls and cinemas
Salons, barber shops, restaurants
Complexes with clusters of shops like Mumbai's BKC or Delhi's Khan Market and Nehru Place
Shops in multi-brand and single-brand malls outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities
Shopping complexes, shops in market complexes, multi-brand and single-brand malls
Gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, theatres, bars and auditoriums
Liquor shops
Boutiques in malls cannot open

Centre to classify all districts into three categories based on cases reported,

Coronavirus Outbreak: Centre to classify all districts into three categories based on cases reported, 170 hotspots identified so far
FP Staff Apr 15, 2020 18:05 PM IST
   
The Union health ministry on Wednesday said that all districts across the country will be classified into three categories based on the occurrence of novel coronavirus cases in each of them.

Health ministry bulletin:

Health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal, during the daily media briefing on coronavirus, said that 1,076 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the country's tally to 11,439 cases so far. While 377 deaths have been reported in total, 270 people have recovered from the infection, he added.

 Coronavirus Outbreak: Centre to classify all districts into three categories based on cases reported, 170 hotspots identified so farLav Agarwal, joint secretary in the health ministry addressing the media. File image. ANI
"The percentage of patients who are recovering is 11.41 percent. This rate has been increasing in the past few days," he was quoted as saying.

Agarwal said that the aim of the exercise of classifying the districts is to "efficiently manage the fight against coronavirus pandemic".

"The districts of the country will be classified into three categories, which are hotspot districts, non-hotspot districts with cases being reported from there and the green zone districts," he said.

Follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak here

"The Union cabinet secretary held a video conference today with all chief secretaries, DGPs, health secretaries, collectors, SPs, municipal commissioners and CMOs in the hotspots and orientation on field level implementation of containment strategy was given," he added.

Agarwal defined the term 'hotspot district' as those where there are a high number of COVID-19 cases, "or rate of growth of cases is more", reports said.

Agarwal further said that around 170 districts have been categorised as hotspots as of Tuesday, whereas 207 have been categorised under as 'non-hotspot areas with some cases'.

He also reiterated that there is no instance of community transmission in the country yet. "We are seeing local outbreaks or clusters. We have implemented containment measures," he was quoted as saying by The News Minute. 

Meanwhile, Dr R Gangakhedkar of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that 73 private labs had been approved, and 22 private labs were currently conducting tests for coronavirus.

On being asked whether research had confirmed whether the COVID-19 strain had infected humans from bats, he said, "As per research in China, it was found that coronavirus might have originated due to mutation in bats. Bats might have transmitted it to pangolins, from pangolins it got transmitted to humans."

He added, "We also conducted surveillance, in which we found that there are two types of bats, and they carried coronavirus which was not capable of affecting humans. It's rare, maybe once in 1,000 years that it gets transmitted from bats to humans."

MHA bulletin:

In light of protests from migrant workers in Surat and Mumbai on Tuesday, the MHA was on Wednesday asked about the Centre's measures to make the workers aware about the extension of the lockdown.

In reply, an MHA official said that guidelines and advisories had been issued, The News Minute reported.

Additionally, the MHA said that revised guidelines for the extended lockdown included relaxations of the restrictions "in areas that are not sensitive or aren't hotposts, on two conditions: Lockdown measures and social distancing should be followed, and national COVID-19 guidelines should be followed," the report said.

With inputs from agencies

Nizamuddin Markaz head Maulana Saad agreed to vacate building after NSA Ajit Doval paid a visit

Nizamuddin Markaz head Maulana Saad agreed to vacate building after NSA Ajit Doval paid a visit at 2 AM: Sources
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to meet Maulana Saad, head of Nizamuddin Markaz, and convince him to vacate the Banglewali Masjid in New Delhi after repeated pleas by Delhi Police and other security agencies failed to impress Maulana Saad, who is also the head of Tablighi Jamaat.

Nizamuddin Markaz head Maulana Saad agreed to vacate building after NSA Ajit Doval paid a visit at 2 AM: Sources
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Written By:
Zee Media Bureau
Edited By:
Tanweer Azam
Updated:
Apr 01, 2020, 13:21 PM IST
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to meet Maulana Saad, head of Nizamuddin Markaz, and convince him to vacate the Banglewali Masjid in New Delhi after repeated pleas by Delhi Police and other security agencies failed to impress Maulana Saad, who is also the head of Tablighi Jamaat.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials told Zee News that Doval reached Nizamuddin Markaz at around 2.00 am on March 28-29 night to meet Maulana Saad and convinced him to get the people present inside the building tested for coronavirus COVID-19 infection and be quarantined. Sources said that Maulana Saad agreed to vacate the mosque after meeting NSA Doval.

The Union Home Minister swung into actoon after the security agencies found that nine Indonesians who tested positive at Karimnagar, in Telangana, on March 18 had visited Nizamuddin Markaz to attend a religious congregation.

In a related development, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday that Tablighi Jamaat's Markaz has been cleared after the evacuation of 2,361 people in the past 36 hours. Sisodia tweeted that out of the 2,361 people, 617 have been admitted to hospitals while the rest have been placed in quarantine.

On Tuesday (March 31), Crime Branch of Delhi Police lodged an FIR against Maulana Saad and others of Tablighi Jamaat for violation of government order issued in the wake of coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. The case was filed under three sections of Epidemic Disease Act 1897- Section 269, 270, 271, and 120-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violation of directions given to the management of Markaz of Basti Nizamuddin. 

The order was issued for restriction of social/political/religious gathering and for taking safety measures, including social distancing for prevention and treatment of coronavirus COVID-19 infection.

Over 25,500 Linked To Delhi Sect Event Quarantined, Says Centre

Over 25,500 Linked To Delhi Sect Event Quarantined, Says Centre
Of a total 4,067 coronavirus cases in country, at least 1,445 cases are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event, the government said.
All IndiaEdited by Divyanshu Dutta Roy 
Updated: April 06, 2020 05:04 pm IST
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New Delhi: More than 25,500 local workers of the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat and people who came in contact with them have been quarantined amid the coronavirus pandemic, the government said on Monday.
The group had organised a massive congregation last month at Delhi's Nizamuddin and has emerged as the biggest hotspot of COVID-19 spread in the country.

Of a total 4,067 coronavirus cases in country, at least 1,445 cases are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event, the government said.

During the daily briefing, Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava also told reporters that five villages in Haryana have been sealed and the residents quarantined as members of this Islamic organisation had stayed there.


She said that 1,750 foreign-based members of this the Jamaat, out of the total 2,083, have been blacklisted till now.

Ms Srivastava said that Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to all states and Union Territories asking them to ensure that the supply chain of medical oxygen, critical for treatment of COVID-19 affected people, should go on smoothly while following norms of social distancing.

Delhi govt bars assembly of over 50 people to contain spread of coronavirus

Delhi govt bars assembly of over 50 people to contain spread of coronavirus
While the government has allowed weddings, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said all weekly markets, gymnasiums, nightclubs and spas in the city will also remain shut till March 31 in addition to educational institutions, cinema halls and swimming pools.
DELHI Updated: Mar 17, 2020 07:03 IST
Sweta Goswami
Sweta Goswami
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
A deserted view of Hanuman Temple  at Connaught Place in New Delhi,  on Monday, March 16, 2020.
A deserted view of Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place in New Delhi, on Monday, March 16, 2020. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)





The Delhi government on Monday imposed a complete ban on social, religious, academic, cultural and political gatherings of more than 50 people in the national Capital in the third round of sweeping restrictions announced to contain the spread of coronavirus which has affected seven people in Delhi and 119 across the country so far.

While the government has allowed weddings, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said all weekly markets, gymnasiums, nightclubs and spas in the city will also remain shut till March 31 in addition to educational institutions, cinema halls and swimming pools.

On Thursday, the Delhi government had announced closure of all schools and cinema halls till March 31. The next day, the government barred all formal gatherings of over 200 people, including the IPL matches to be held in Delhi.

All restrictions have been imposed under the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897, which was invoked by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday to exercise social distancing and avoid community spread of coronavirus. The Act allows district magistrates (DMs) to take action against people not following the rules. Defying the law can lead up to six months imprisonment and R 1,000 fine or both under Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.


“I want to appeal to the people to cooperate with the authorities. The governments are doing whatever they can to contain the outbreak, but it is only with your cooperation that our efforts will be successful. Many countries have witnessed a major outbreak of the virus, which has fortunately not happened in our country. I will also request everyone to stop shaking hands with each other, ensure that you regularly wash your hands and sanitise them properly, and to not touch your face and eyes with hands,” Kejriwal said on Monday.

“The Delhi government has ordered that no social, cultural, family, political, and social gatherings should be held with more than 50 people present at a single gathering till March 31. Even though weddings have been kept out for now, I request people to postpone weddings to a later date, as a preventive measure to control the outbreak of the virus.”

The ban, effective from Monday, will also apply to protests, including the one at Shaheen Bagh.


Kejriwal said it has also been decided to order municipal commissioners and district officers to install mobile washbasins in public places so that people can keep their hands clean. Security guards at buildings would also be given hand sanitisers for people to use when they enter and exit the complex.

So far, Delhi has had seven positive cases of coronavirus out of which two have recovered and released from the hospital. One patient, a 68-year-old woman, has died and four are still undergoing treatment at Safdarjung hospital.

Kejriwal on Monday held a review meeting with all DMs and sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) of the city through video-conferencing.


Weekly bazars, gyms, nightclubs shut

The government also ordered the closure of all weekly markets, gyms, nightclubs and spas till March 31. This is in addition to previous orders under which schools, colleges, cinema halls, swimming pools and all other educations institutions were declared shut.

A senior government official, however, clarified that as of Monday, no orders were issued for closure of malls, restaurants, bars and pubs which means they will continue to operate as usual though most of the malls and restaurants have reported a drastic fall in the footfall post the emergence of coronavirus.

The L-G on Monday once again directed the revenue department and the municipal corporations to ensure all hotels, motels, guest houses, mall managements, banquet halls, restaurants, eateries, market associations and RWAs maintain proper sanitisation.

Taxis, rickshaws, other public service vehicles being sanitised

Informing about the steps taken by the city government to avoid the spread of the virus through public transport, the Delhi CM said free disinfection has been started by the Delhi government at all its cluster and DTC bus depots.


“All the private taxis, auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, Grameen seva and all other public service vehicles can avail our free sanitisation facility at the bus depots to prevent community transmission of the virus,” Kejriwal said.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said workers have been disinfecting all Delhi buses daily. Besides, buses which come from other states are not being allowed to enter without a ‘Certificate of Disinfection’ from the respective states.

“Disinfection of public service vehicles will be done at all the DTC and cluster bus depots on a daily basis in two shifts. The first shift will be from 10 AM to 12 PM, whereas the second shift will be from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM,” Gahlot said.

As the Delhi Metro handles lakhs of passengers every day, Kejriwal said his government will consider thermal screening at all Metro stations as a part of checking against coronavirus.

Action against overcharging, hoarding of masks/sanitisers

After receiving complaints from various residents’ welfare associations of sanitisers and masks not being available in the retail market, food and civil supplies minister Imran Hussain on Monday held a review meeting in which he directed officials to take action against shop owners and manufacturers found overcharging, hoarding or black marketing these essential items.

The Delhi government urged people not to hoard these items saying masks are not essential in prevention as it Covid-19 is not an airborne disease.

Pharmacists said that they are now rationing the sale of these items since people are placing bulk orders — 100 to 200 units of each item. “Every day we get customers demanding masks and hand sanitisers in large number. We have got clear instructions from the government and Drugs Control department to keep adequate stock and distribute them properly among the customers,” said Saddam, a pharmacist at Religare Wellness in Vasant Kunj.