Andaman Coop Bank scam: Ex-Cong MP Kuldeep Sharma arrested
Port Blair (PTI): The CID on Friday arrested former Congress MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma in connection with the Andaman and Nicobar State Cooperative Bank Ltd (ANSCBL) loan irregularities case, police said.
Sharma, who formerly served as the chairman of ANSCBL, was arrested from a private hospital in Port Blair where he was admitted due to health issues.
"Sharma was admitted to Dr Ritika's Diagnostic Solutions Multi-Speciality Hospital with some health issues. In the morning, a team of officers went to the private hospital and arrested him," a senior police officer said, adding further legal steps will be determined by the court.
"If necessary, a medical board will reassess his health condition," he said.
Congress Andaman and Nicobar Islands in charge Manickam Tagore alleged that the arrest of Sharma in the ANSCBL scam is politically motivated to defame the Congress by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Speaking to PTI, Tagore, who is also a Congress MP, said, "Today, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands police arrested former ANPCC president and ex MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma. It is unfortunate that the BJP leadership and RSS continues to harass Congress leadership."
"They know that they will not be able to fight with us politically, that is why they are using police to harass our leadership. They are misusing the police and other agencies. We will fight it out, and we will stand with Kuldeep ji. He is a strong man, and we firmly believe that he will fight it out. We all stand with Kuldeep ji in this battle. All Congress family stands with him in this difficult time," he said.
On May 15, an FIR was lodged against Sharma in connection with the same irregularities.
During investigations, police detected money trails leading to the bank accounts of a driver (an employee of one of the accused in the bank loan scam), a tea stall owner at Chouldari here, and a mechanic.
Apart from Sharma, others named in the FIR include the cooperative bank’s former chairman, board members and directors/officials of the bank and several beneficiaries.
There are allegations that the bank's managing committee overlooked the recommendations of the loan screening committee and ignored the CIBIL report and mandatory documents while sanctioning loans, a police source said.
Police had received a complaint from the deputy registrar of the cooperative societies (HQ), which alleged gross irregularities in sanctioning loans to various people by the lender.
Since June 25, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the scam, including ANSCBL managing director K Murugan, bank employee Kalaivanan, Bablu Halder (director of Andaman Mormon Infrastructure Private Limited), Tarun Mondal (director Blair Enterprises Private Limited), Ajay Minz (director Andaman Treepie Adventure Private Limited), K Subramanian ( ANSCBL director) and M Sajid (Owner of M/s Andaman Escapades).
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Yenepoya University conducts autism awareness campaign in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: The Department of Occupational Therapy at Yenepoya (Deemed to be University) conducted a community-based Autism Awareness Campaign at Fiza Mall and Ullal Beach in the city.
The campaign was aimed at promoting awareness, inclusion, and early identification of autism, in line with the global theme, “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value.”
The programme was led by Dr. Dhayanithi K and Dr. Ananya Jana as organising chairpersons, with Dr. Anas, Dr. Amanda S. Phillip, and Dr. Ansu V. David served as organising members.
Students of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) programme participated in conducting the campaign.
The event included activities such as flash mobs, street plays, face painting, mehendi, and direct interaction with the public.
These activities focused on highlighting early signs of autism, the need for early intervention, and the importance of inclusion and acceptance of individuals with autism.
The campaign reached around 300 to 500 members of the public. It also provided students with practical exposure to community-based rehabilitation and public health education.
As part of the initiative, QR-based digital resources were introduced to help the public access reliable information on autism.
“Awareness is the first step towards inclusion, and early intervention can significantly improve outcomes,” the organising team said.
The department thanked the university for its support in organising the campaign. It also acknowledged the cooperation of the management of Fiza Mall and the Ullal Beach Police Department in facilitating the event.
