PM Modi pays tributes at National War Memorial on Republic Day
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial here on Monday on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day.
Escorted by the chief of defence staff and the three Service chiefs, the prime minister led the nation in paying solemn tributes by laying a wreath at the memorial.
Modi was received at the National War Memorial by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The officers in uniform gave a salute while other dignitaries observed a two-minute silence to honour the fallen soldiers.
The silence was broken by the buglers sounding the 'Rouse', signalling the end of the two minutes of remembrance. The Guard Commander then ordered the 'Salami Shastra', concluding the ceremony.
The PM also signed the Visitors' Book before departing for the saluting dais at the Kartavya Path.
The iconic memorial in the India Gate complex was inaugurated by Modi in 2019. It is dedicated to soldiers killed during the India-China War in 1962, the India-Pakistan wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations in Sri Lanka and during the Kargil Conflict of 1999, and also those in the UN peacekeeping missions.
Spread over an area of approximately 40 acres, the National War Memorial comprises four concentric circles -- the 'Amar Chakra', 'Veerta Chakra', 'Tyag Chakra' and the 'Rakshak Chakra' with names of 25,942 soldiers inscribed in golden letters on granite tablets.
It also includes a central 15.5m obelisk, an eternal flame and six bronze murals depicting famous battles fought by the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy in a covered gallery (Veerta Chakra).
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Gold smuggling racket busted at Bengaluru airport, 5 arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru following a coordinated operation, according to an official statement.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the case and efforts are underway to identify the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers of the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.
The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, culminated in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold worth about Rs 5 crore in paste form.
“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.
Officials said the contraband was ingeniously concealed in paste form inside capsule-shaped packets, highlighting the sophisticated methods adopted by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose Bengaluru as a transit point, exploiting longer layovers to facilitate covert transfers within the airport premises.
“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.
The use of coded exchanges within restricted zones enabled the syndicate to evade routine checks, it said, adding that the probe also uncovered insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.
“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.
The operation also revealed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.
Authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of a wider international network.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.
Officials said the case reflects the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to curbing such organised economic offences.
