IOC resumes dynamic pricing, petrol near 5-year high in Delhi
New Delhi, May 14 : With the resumption of dynamic pricing system for transport fuels on Monday by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), petrol prices in the national capital shot up to 74.80 per litre.
The IOC had suspended dynamic pricing system for transport fuels for 19 days to "avoid creating unnecessary panic among the consumers".
In Delhi, petrol was priced at Rs 74.80 per litre on Monday, highest since September 2013, when it had hit Rs 76.06 a litre. The price was last changed on April 24 when it was at Rs 74.63 per litre.
In the other metropolitan cities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai also petrol prices were at multi-year high levels of Rs 77.50, Rs 82.65 and Rs 77.61 a litre on Monday.
The previous highs in these cities were Rs 78.03 (Kolkata, August 2014), Rs 83.62 (Mumbai, September 2013) and Rs 77.48 (Chennai, September 2013).
Apart from petrol prices, diesel also rose to a fresh record high after the last price movement on April 24. Prices of diesel on Tuesday, in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai were Rs 66.14, Rs 68.68, Rs 70.43 and Rs 69.79 per litre, respectively.
Prices did not change in the last 19 days, despite rise in international crude oil prices, which observers cited as a deliberate political move ahead of Karnataka polls. Brent crude oil is currently priced over $76 per barrel.
However, IOC Chairman Sanjiv Singh on May 8, said the dymanic pricing was suspended temporarily despite a rise in international rates, to avoid panic among consumers.
"We have decided to temporarily moderate retail prices by not passing on the required increase as we believe the current international oil product prices are not supported by fundamentals. So we have decided to wait for a while," Singh had said, adding: "Passing them on to consumers will unnecessarily create panic."
This temporary relief to consumer seems to have come to an end with the rise in prices on Monday.
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11 Indian nationals charged in US over visa fraud
New York (PTI): Eleven Indian nationals, living illegally in the US, have been charged with visa fraud for conspiring to carry out staged armed robberies of convenience shops, according to US federal prosecutors.
Authorities said the suspects are accused of organising fake robberies for the purpose of allowing the store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications towards getting a Green Card.
Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, Maheshkumar Patel, 36, Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, Dipikaben Patel, 40, Rameshbhai Patel, 52, Amitabahen Patel, 43, Ronakkumar Patel, 28, Sangitaben Patel, 36, Minkesh Patel, 42, Sonal Patel, 42 and Mitul Patel, 40 have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
They all were living unlawfully in various US states such as Massachusetts, Kentucky and Ohio.
Dipikaben was deported to India after unlawfully residing in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Jitendrakumar, Maheshkumar, Sanjaykumar, Amitabahen, Sangitaben and Mitul were arrested in Massachusetts and released following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Friday.
Rameshbhai, Ronakkumar, Sonal and Minkesh were arrested and made their initial appearances in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, in March 2023, Rambhai and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience/liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere.
It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to falsely claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for a U non-immigration status (U Visa).
A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. The U visa offers an immigrant work authorisation and a path to a Green Card within 5–10 years.
Authorities said that in the course of the alleged staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks or the owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video.
The clerks or the store owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling the police to report the “crime.”
The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai allegedly paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.
Rambhai, the “robber,” and the getaway driver were previously charged and convicted.
The 11 defendants charged on Friday are alleged to have either arranged with the organiser to set up each robbery, or paid for themselves or a family member to participate as a “victim.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of USD 250,000.
