Defence ministry seals contract with HAL for acquisition of 6 military helicopters
New Delhi (PTI): The Defence Ministry on Tuesday sealed contracts worth Rs 5,083 crore for the procurement of six Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and surface-to-air missiles.
While the ALH Mk-II helicopters are being procured for the Indian Coast Guard, the Shtil missiles will be deployed onboard the Indian Navy's warships.
"The contract for ALH Mk-III (maritime role) along with operational role equipment, an engineering support package, and performance-based logistics support, valued at Rs 2,901 crore, has been inked with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd," the ministry said.
ALSO READ: Defence Ministry India, ALH Mk III, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Indian Coast Guard
It said these twin-engine helicopters incorporate state-of-the-art features superior to the currently operated airborne platforms and are capable of undertaking a wide spectrum of maritime security missions from shore-based airfields as well as from ships at sea.
"The induction will significantly enhance the Indian Coast Guard's capability for fulfilling the duties of safety and protection of artificial islands, offshore installations and protection of fishermen and marine environment," the ministry said.
The contract for the procurement of surface-to-air vertical launch - Shtil missiles and associated missile holding frames, valued at Rs 2,182 crore, has been signed with Russia's JSC Rosoboronexport.
The acquisition is intended to substantially enhance the air defence capabilities of frontline warships against a wide spectrum of aerial threats, the ministry said.
"The system will reinforce the layered air defence architecture onboard the platforms of the Indian Navy by providing rapid-reaction, all-weather engagement capability and improved survivability in contested maritime environments," it said.
"The contract further underscores the longstanding and time-tested defence partnership between India and Russia, founded on mutual trust and strategic alignment," it said in a statement.
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FIR filed after e-commerce platform linked tech firm alleges SMS spoofing fraud
Bengaluru (PTI): An FIR has been registered against unknown people for allegedly sending fraudulent messages in the name of an e-commerce platform with promises of cash rewards, further disrupting its operations, police said on Wednesday.
The offence is said to have taken place between April 23 and April 27, they said.
A representative of city-based technology company Hiveloop Technology Pvt Ltd (HTPL), part of the Udaan group (eB2B platform), has lodged a complaint alleging a large-scale SMS spoofing fraud following which a detailed investigation has been initiated into the matter, a senior police officer said.
According to the FIR, HTPL is a registered entity on the TRAI-mandated DLT platform, which permits only pre-approved SMS templates and whitelisted URLs to be sent through authorised sender IDs.
The issue came to light on April 23, when HTPL received alerts from buyers about fraudulent SMS messages appearing to originate from the company's sender ID "UDAANN". The messages reportedly contained Bitly links and falsely claimed a credit of Rs 10,001, urging recipients to withdraw money, it said.
On April 27, at around 12:49 pm, the DLT platform blacklisted HTPL's SMS templates, citing their alleged use in sending fraudulent messages. Within minutes, the company's sender ID was also blacklisted. Airtel's DLT system subsequently confirmed the action and shared details of the fraudulent messages that were circulated in HTPL's name without its knowledge or consent, the FIR stated.
Following this, the company's messaging operations were affected, and even legitimate communications such as one-time passwords to buyers began failing. Later, the DLT operator suspended HTPL's entire account following complaints raised on TRAI's Chakshu platform, bringing all SMS services of the company to a halt, it further stated.
HTPL has stated that neither it nor its authorised vendors sent the fraudulent messages. The links embedded in the messages reportedly redirected users to an online betting website, the FIR stated.
The company has claimed that the incident has resulted in a complete breakdown of SMS-based services, including buyer authentication, order updates and promotional communication, leading to significant financial losses.
At least 13 victims have been identified so far, with the possibility of more affected users. Victims were allegedly directed to an online betting platform, raising concerns of potential financial fraud, the FIR added.
