CBI faces flak over unprofessional wanted ad: ‘Ball’ instead of ‘bail’, unclear photos raise eyebrow
New Delhi: India’s premier investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is under criticism after the release of a public advertisement seeking information about three wanted accused in a counterfeiting case. Far from serving its purpose, the ad has sparked ridicule and concern over the agency’s professionalism.
The CBI ad, intended to appeal to the public for information about three Nigerian nationals, Dosunmu Oluwatosin Abimbola, Sanni Aminat Olajumoke, and Adenowo Adekunle Azeez, has been criticised for glaring errors and poor execution.
Journalist Sanket Upadhyay, speaking on his YouTube channel Red Mike, slammed the ad, questioning who drafts such notices. Pointing to the hazy images of the accused, he remarked that “to get the reward, people should at least be able to see the image,” and sarcastically described the visuals as resembling a “seventh-time photocopy.”
The most glaring mistake? The word “bail” is repeatedly misspelled as “ball.” The ad reads: “On being granted ball, they have jumped the ball, absconded…”, a language slip that has not gone unnoticed, with social media users mocking the agency for its linguistic negligence.
In addition to the spelling error, the photographs of the accused included in the ad have been called out for being “beyond recognition.” Blurry, pixelated and unclear, the images fail to serve the very function of helping identify the accused, prompting users to ask, “Is this a CBI Ad or a joke?”
The ad mentions that each accused carries a reward of ₹50,000 for information leading to their arrest. The three individuals are accused in a 2009 case registered by the CBI’s Economic Offences Unit (RC SIB 2009 E0003, EOU-V, New Delhi) under sections 120-B, 489-A, and 489-B of the Indian Penal Code. According to the CBI, they were granted bail but subsequently absconded and have been declared proclaimed offenders by a Delhi court.
While the agency is urging the public to share any leads, critics say the CBI must first ensure its outreach materials are accurate, clear, and professional.
The CBI has not yet issued any clarification or correction regarding the ad.
Contact information listed in the ad:
Superintendent of Police, CBI, EOU-V, 4th Floor, Plot 5-B, Opp. Electronics Niketan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003
Telefax: 011-24362132
Email: speou5del@cbl.gov.in (misspelt in original ad)
CBI Control Room: 011-24360334, 24362755, 24361273
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
