Vir Das becomes first Indian to host 2024 International Emmy awards ceremony
New Delhi: Actor-comedian Vir Das has been announced as the host for the 52nd edition of the International Emmy Awards, making him the first Indian to emcee the event held annually in the US. The ceremony will be held in New York City on November 25.
It marks Das’ return to the International Emmy stage after he won the best comedy award for his ‘Netflix’ stand-up special ‘Vir Das: Landing’ in 2023. The actor-comedian, also known for films such as ‘Go Goa Gone’ and ‘Delhi Belly’, said that he looks forward to celebrating the remarkable achievements of ‘peers and bringing a touch of humour and joy to this prestigious night’.
“Returning to the International Emmy Awards, this time as the host is a deeply personal and exhilarating moment for me. The Emmys have always been a beacon of excellence and a celebration of diverse stories from around the world. Having won an ‘Emmy’ last year for ‘Landing’, I feel a profound connection to this event and am incredibly honoured to play a central role in it,” Das said.
Organised by the New York-based ‘International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ (IATAS), the International Emmys are presented in recognition of the best television programs produced and aired outside the United States.
“We’re delighted to welcome back Vir Das to our stage and to add International Emmy Host to his impressive list of talents,” Bruce L Paisner, IATAS President and CEO, said.
“With his unique humour and perspective on the world, he now joins a distinguished group of gala hosts over the years who fit in perfectly with our global audience,” he added.
At the 2023 International Emmys, Das shared the trophy with the popular British teen sitcom ‘Derry Girls’ season three. It was his second nomination and maiden win in the segment. His previous stand-up special ‘Vir Das: For India’ was nominated for an International Emmy in the best comedy category in 2021.
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Railway official loses Rs 9 lakh online as fraudsters pose as CBI men, present him before 'judge'
Mumbai (PTI): A railway official here lost Rs 9 lakh to cyber fraudsters posing as CBI officers, who told him that he was involved in a money laundering case and then produced him before a "judge" via video call, police said.
The incident occurred on Monday and the victim was kept on a video call by the fraudsters for around 20 hours, an official said.
The 59-year-old victim works as Principal Chief Electrical Engineer (Construction) at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and stays at Colaba in south Mumbai, he said.
"On September 16 morning, the victim received a voice-recorded message on his mobile phone. It said his mobile phone will be blocked within two hours and for any queries he should dial '0' from his number. Accordingly, the victim pressed '0', following which a video call got activated," he said.
The caller introduced himself as a CBI officer and said he wanted to investigate the railway official in a money laundering case as his mobile number was linked to one bank account which was used in the scam, he said.
The victim told the caller that he does not have any connection with any case and he does not have a second mobile number, the official said.
"The caller then told him that a mobile number was registered in his name and that was linked to a bank account used for the Rs 5.8 million money laundering case and there are 247 accounts, which are linked with one Naresh Goyal," he added.
The victim went to his office for work. But the callers asked him to return home stating that CBI officers wanted to investigate him in the case. Accordingly, the victim went home, following which a video call was activated at 2 pm.
"During this time, the fraudsters obtained all the details about the railway official's family background, his finance and property details from him. The accused then told him that he would be produced before the court online and the judge will decide the matter," the police official said.
The video call remained active till 9.30 am on Tuesday, where the caller alerted the victim that he was being produced before the court. The victim was produced before a person posing as a judge, who told him that he found some unauthorised bank transactions from his account, and asked him to provide all the bank details, he added.
The fraudsters asked the victim to go to the bank and deposit Rs 9 lakh into the bank account provided by them. On their instructions, went to his bank and transferred the amount through RTGS, according to him.
But soon after depositing the money, the victim realised that he had been duped. He went to the bank manager with a request to stop the transaction, but it had been completed by them, he said.
He lodged a complaint at the Colaba police station, based on which a case of cyber fraud was registered, the official said, adding that a probe was underway.
