Israeli national duped of Rs 2 lakh in Bengaluru by cybercriminals posing as FedEx staff, Mumbai cop
Bengaluru: A 39-year-old Israeli national, residing on Millers Road, fell victim to a cyber fraud, losing nearly Rs 2 lakh after being deceived by a group of individuals posing as FedEx employees and Mumbai police officers.
The victim, an entrepreneur in the performance and health intelligence sector, received a call on August 27 from an individual who introduced himself as Akash, a FedEx Mumbai executive. Akash claimed that a parcel sent under the Israeli national's name to Iran contained suspicious items, including expired passports, a laptop, a pen drive, four credit cards, 3kg of toys, and 420 grams of MDMA.
The fraudsters alleged that a case had been registered against the entrepreneur at the Mumbai Cybercrime Station. The call was then transferred to a supposed senior police officer who informed the victim that his PAN was being used to open bank accounts involved in money laundering and that he would be arrested soon.
The victim was instructed to stay home and avoid informing anyone, including his family and the police.
During a subsequent Skype call, the scammer, dressed in a khaki uniform and displaying an ID card, claimed that a virtual investigation had been initiated. The victim was then coerced into transferring Rs 98,888 twice to two different accounts under the pretense that the money was required for verification by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and would be returned afterward.
When the fraudsters demanded more money, the entrepreneur grew suspicious and refused to comply, leading the scammers to disconnect the call. The victim lodged a police complaint the next day.
Police are currently working to recover the funds from the fraudsters' bank accounts.
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SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
