CBI arrests Punjab National Bank’s GM
New Delhi/Mumbai: The CBI on Wednesday said it has arrested a General Manager-rank officer of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in connection with the Rs 11,300 crore fraud and sealed diamond merchant Nirav Modi's Alibaug farmhouse in Maharashtra.
Rajesh Jindal, who was holding the charge of Mumbai-based PNB's Brady House branch between August 2009 and May 2011, was arrested on Tuesday night after daylong questioning in Mumbai.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials said the fraud perpetrated by the issuance of Letters of Understanding (LoUs) and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) by PNB for sanction of loans to diamantire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi's group of firms took place during Jindal's tenure.
Jindal is the 12th accused to be arrested in the case so far. He was on Wednesday presented in a special CBI court in Mumbai which sent him to the agency's custody till March 5, an official said.
The agency also sealed Nirav Modi's Alibaug farmhouse spread over 1.5 acres near the Mumbai seashore, a day after a search by the CBI there.
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VHP warns of statewide stir in Karnataka against move to ease cattle transport law
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
