Gurkeerat Singh Mann announces retirement from international and Indian cricket
Chandigarh, Nov 10: Gurkeerat Singh Mann, who played three ODIs on the 2016 tour of Australia, on Friday announced his retirement from international and Indian cricket.
Besides batting in the middle-order for India, the 33-year-old also bowled 10 overs of off-spin in the ODI series against Australia.
The retirement decision was coming as he was in and out of the Punjab team and played his last of seven IPL seasons in 2020.
"Today marks the end of an incredible cricketing journey for me. It has been an honour and a privilege to represent India," Mann wrote on Instagram.
"My heart is filled with gratitude for the support from my family, friends, coaches and my fellow players. Each one of you played a pivotal role in my career.
"I would also like to thank BCCI and PCA for their constant support, guidance and encouragement I've got throughout my journey. Here's to the next chapter!"
He first attracted attention on the domestic circuit in 2011 when his fiery batting helped Punjab win the CK Nayudu Trophy.
He was also in brilliant form during the Ranji Trophy in 2015-16, when he slammed a double century.
Before making his ODI debut, he earned a call-up to India's Test team for the home series against South Africa but could not make his debut.
He was Punjab's top run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2021-22.
In the IPL, he played for Punjab Kings, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was part of the title winning Gujarat Titans squad in 2022 but did not get a game.
In 41 IPL games, he made 511 runs at a strike rate of 121.
More recently, he played one game in Punjab's triumphant campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Having announced his retirement from Indian cricket, Gurkeerat can explore playing in overseas T20 leagues.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
