Latest news with #Guha
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Kol cops arrest 3 Zimbabwean nat'ls from Mohali for cyber fraud
Kolkata: After a dramatic cross-country chase between cyber fraudsters from Africa and Kolkata Police, three Zimbabwean nationals were arrested from Mohali in Punjab for allegedly orchestrating a sophisticated cyber fraud that duped a senior pharmaceutical company official of over Rs 1.1 crore. The accused — Tinashe Gadzikkwa Praise (22), Malvern Matumgamire (25) and Nyamhunga Lenon Kudakwashe (23) — were held from different locations in Mohali's Kharar area early on Saturday following a brief chase involving the cops, helped by Punjab Police. The arrests, by Kolkata Police's cyber cell, came following a complaint by Sandip Guha (53), a resident of New Town, this May. The suspects allegedly created fake email addresses and documents bearing the letterhead of a top UK pharmaceutical company and the World Health Organization to lure Guha into a fraudulent kola nut trading scheme. Kola nut is used in medicines that are used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The scammers expanded their communication to WhatsApp, using multiple international numbers, primarily from the UK. They introduced Guha to alleged kola nut sellers from northeast India, and, to gain his trust, also "delivered" small quantities of the same. "Convinced by these initial transactions and the professional appearance of the operation, Guha transferred a total of Rs 1,10,41,250 through multiple RTGS transactions to various Indian bank accounts," recalled an officer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adidas Three Combo Short With 60% Discount So Hurry Up! Shop Now Original Adidas Shop Now Undo Guha alleged that the fraudsters orchestrated a two-week-long scheme using forged documents. Joint CP (crime & traffic) Rupesh Kumar said: "The accused rented a flat in the Golf Link area in Mohali. A total of six mobile phones, one laptop, some bank documents and other documents were seized. The arrested individuals will be produced before the jurisdictional court concerned for transit remand." "The arrests are significant as it exposes an international cyber fraud ring operating from Indian soil," said Kumar. "We are investigating possible links to other similar cases across the country," he added. The accused would be brought to Kolkata for further investigation and more arrests were likely, an officer said. The case had been registered under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and BNS, including sections related to fraud, impersonation and cybercrime.
The Wire
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Can Ram Guha Be Nervous and His Book Launches Jocular? For Sarthak Prakashan, the Answer is Yes
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories Can Ram Guha Be Nervous and His Book Launches Jocular? For Sarthak Prakashan, the Answer is Yes Sohini Chattopadhyay 4 minutes ago I have not seen a Guha book event punctuated with as many laughs as during the launch of India After Gandhi's Gujarati translation. Ramachandra Guha and others during the launch of the Gujarati translation of his book India After Gandhi. Photo by arrangement. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now 'This is the eighth Indian language this book has been translated into, and this one is the best,' said Ramachandra Guha at the launch of Gandhi Pachhinu Bharat by Sarthak Prakashan, the Gujarati translation of his magisterial work India After Gandhi. The translators are Urvish Kothari, well known on X over the past half decade for his satirical videos in Hindi, and a Gujarati journalist-columnist for 30 years, and the late Dilip Gohil, who worked as a copy editor with the Gujarati edition of India Today. Guha has a limited acquaintance with Gujarati (he understands it if spoken slowly, he said). But he articulated two reasons why the Gujarati translation was special for him: M.K. Gandhi, of whom he is possibly the best-known biographer, wrote in the Gujarati language. And second, he met his wife (the influential designer Sujatha Keshavan) in Ahmedabad forty-something years ago. I submit another reason for Guha's love for the Gujarati translation without being able to read or write in the language: I have not seen a Guha book event punctuated with as many laughs as I heard on the evening of May 18 at the packed auditorium of the Ahmedabad Management Association complex (one of architect Bimal Patel's early works). Ram Guha addresses the audience during the book launch. Photo by arrangement. Guha's talks and events are marked by few laughs, all of them delivered on Guha's cues because he is a superb public speaker – packed with substance, and well-chosen witty anecdotes. This is primarily because Guha mostly delivers talks and does few conversations, so to speak. Most interlocutors are in awe of his scholarship, and intrepid opinions. Not the Sarthak Prakashan lot. Kothari and his colleagues made references to Sholay and Deewar – likely, another first in a Guha book event – although not directed at him. 'I will now be Shashi Kapoor in Deewar,' said Kothari. 'He had said mere paas ma hai. I say, mere paas Kartikbhai hai. With him in charge, I don't have to care about whether the publication makes money or not. I just have fun.' Earlier, Kothari's colleague Dipak Soliya set the tone for the evening with a reference to Gabbar. He mimicked ' aao, aao ' in Gabbar's style, adding, 'Gabbar said it differently but I'm saying it with warmth and affection.' Sarthak Prakashan was somehow both wholly unfazed by Guha's aura, and entirely affectionate. Their irreverence, stemmed from their aversion for stage formalities, did not slip into disrespect. 'That's Saarthak's house style', said Kothari. Guha himself, laughing frequently during the proceedings, appeared delighted by the occasion. When it was his turn to speak, the final talk of the 100-odd minute programme, he said he would not speak in his bad Hindi as he had planned because he would not have the same effect on the audience as Kothari and his colleagues. Nervousness had reportedly got to him. Then he proceeded to speak in perfectly passable Hindi (certified by a Calcutta Bengali) for 90% of this 30-odd minute talk. He began with a well-chosen anecdote about speaking at the 93rd birthday celebration of the Kannada polymath Shivaram Karanth where Karanth, ecological scholar Madhav Gadgil and Guha were the invited speakers. After Karanth's speech, which was received with voluble delight, Gadgil, a Kannada speaker who had planned to speak in Kannada, decided to speak in Hindi. And Guha, who had initially decided to speak in Hindi, decided to speak in English. This evening, Guha said, had put him in a similar frame of nervousness. L to R: Kartik Shah, Urvish Kothari, Ram Guha, Prakash N. Shah and Dipak Soliya. Photo by arrangement. Guha's talks are always enjoyable – for his deep scholarship and his wit – but in Ahmedabad, he chose a larger than usual number of superb anecdotes for his talk, likely in appreciation of the tone set by Sarthak and gang. My favourite was the one he related about Acharya Kripalani, the last and most senior of M.K. Gandhi's associates who was alive when Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency. Kripalani was the only one of her major critics whom Mrs Gandhi did not jail during the Emergency, but the man, then nearing 90 years of age, fell ill and was hospitalised in AIIMS, New Delhi, where a number of tubes were inserted into his frail form. One of his friends went to visit Kripalani in hospital, and put his hand on his forehead. Kripalani then opened his eyes and on being asked how he was feeling, replied, 'I have no constitution. All that is left are amendments.' 'This is the only quote in India After Gandhi that I could not find a credible source for,' Guha said, 'although I heard this story from more than one person'. Delighted, sustained laughter. Like much of the evening really, only this one probably rang longer than ever taking in the details of the superb anecdote. It made me think of how the book launch itself felt like a standup comedy show. A thoroughly footnoted standup show. With one notable exception. Sohini Chattopadhyay is a National Award-winning film critic and award-winning journalist. Her book The Day I Became a Runner: A Women's History of India Through the Lens of Sport was published by HarperCollins India in October 2023. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Full Text: India is Getting Re-Hyphenated With Pakistan Because Under Modi We're Democratically Regressing 'Narendra … Surrender': Rahul Gandhi in Swipe at Modi on Trump's Claims of Mediating Ceasefire Two Books Remind Us of the Importance of June 4, 2024 What Would Gandhi Do About The India-Pakistan Conflict Today? 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Scroll.in
05-06-2025
- General
- Scroll.in
Ramachandra Guha interview: Is environmentalism in India an import from the West?
Environmentalism, historian and columnist Ramachandra Guha has written, is thought to be a 'full-stomach phenomenon' – it's believed to be a Western concern because people in countries like India are simply too poor to be green. That's a myth that he conclusively blows apart in his latest book, Speaking With Nature: The Origins of Indian Environmentalism. The book is an exploration of the explores the work of ten individuals who – though not all of them Indian – have warned about the dangers of environmental degradation from an Indian point of view. With Speaking With Nature, Guha returns to his roots. His first book, The Unquiet Woods, was about Chipko movement to conserve forests in Uttarakhand. And several other of his early works concerned the environment. They include This Fissured Land and Ecology and Equity, both co-authored with Madhav Gadgil and How Much Should a Person Consume?: Thinking Through the Environment. In this interview with Scroll editor Naresh Fernandes on World Environment Day, he explains why India would be an environmental disaster zone even if the crisis of climate change did not exist and elaborates on the role of the ten figures in his book who 'played a pioneering role in shaping global conversations about humanity's relationship with nature'.
Hans India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
India's emerging diversified construction firms' revenues to grow 9-11 pc this fiscal
India's emerging diversified construction companies are expected to see steady growth in the current fiscal, with revenues likely to rise by 9–11 per cent, a new report said on Tuesday. This follows a strong run over the past five years, during which these companies saw an average annual revenue growth of around 15 per cent, according to data compiled by Crisil Ratings. Rahul Guha, Senior Director at Crisil Ratings, noted that government focus on infrastructure and improved access to funding are supporting the sector's growth. 'Diversity in order books should enable these players to log another year of steady revenue growth,' he said. However, profitability will remain flat on-year as competition within the segment intensifies, Guha added. Himank Sharma, Director at Crisil Ratings, added that although these companies are investing in equipment and facing higher working capital needs, their balance sheets remain strong and credit profiles stable. The growth is being driven by a healthy pipeline of projects and the timely execution of orders, which has helped companies build a solid track record and expand their operations. An analysis of around 200 such companies, which together earned about Rs 1 lakh crore last fiscal --roughly 10 per cent of India's total infrastructure spend -- shows the sector remains on a stable footing. The order books of these companies remain strong, with a backlog that is about twice the size of their expected revenues for fiscal 2025. These orders are spread across multiple sectors, including civil construction and urban infrastructure (40 per cent), roads (34 per cent), railways (12 per cent), and water projects (10 per cent). This diversification is helping companies reduce their reliance on any one sector, especially at a time when new road project awards have slowed, the report said. In the roads sector, companies have increased their presence in both engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and hybrid annuity model (HAM) projects over the last two years. At the same time, more government spending on railways, buildings, and urban development projects has provided fresh growth opportunities and helped balance their project portfolios.
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
BJP vs Trinamool Over Bengal Minister's 'Operation Sindoor' Remark
Kolkata: Senior Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Minister Udayan Guha has sparked a row by taking a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 'Operation Sindoor'. Addressing an event in Dinhata in Cooch Behar district on Tuesday, Guha, the Minister for North Bengal Development, said, "those who once sold tea are now doing business in vermilion." However, PTI couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video. The remarks drew a sharp backlash from the BJP, which accused Mr Guha of insulting India's armed forces and undermining the spirit of 'Operation Sindoor', which was launched by India against Pakistan on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar strongly condemned the remarks and demanded Mr Guha's removal from the state cabinet. "Udayan Guha has made a comment that is not only utterly condemnable but amounts to treason," Majumdar said. "At a time when the entire nation is celebrating the success of 'Operation Sindoor', a minister in the West Bengal government is saying that 'sindoor' is being sold as a business. This is an insult to every person who was killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and India's security forces. For such a disgraceful and reprehensible comment, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must remove Guha from the cabinet," he said. In a post on X, the West Bengal BJP said, "TMC Minister Udayan Guha stoops to new lows, mocking PM Modi's humble beginnings, belittling Indian Army's valour, and branding 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistani terrorists as a 'Sindoor business' and a 'religious stunt.' This isn't a slip, it's a calculated insult to every soldier and citizen." As of Wednesday evening, the Trinamool Congress had not issued any official response to the controversy. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Alipurduar on Thursday as part of the BJP's campaign in Bengal.
