Washington: An Indian-American Congressman has urged China to end its military provocations of India and pursue a diplomatic resolution to the tense border standoff in Ladakh.

Raja Krishnamoorthi said this following a classified briefing on the issue by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, of which he is the first and only Indian-American member. The committee's meeting was the first ever on the issue.

"I am deeply concerned about this issue, which is why I authored a bipartisan resolution overwhelmingly approved by the House urging China to end its military provocations of India and to pursue a diplomatic resolution, Krishnamoorthi said.

I will continue to closely monitor this dispute until it is fully resolved, he said.

Earlier Thursday, Lisa Curtis, deputy assistant to the US president, told a top American think-tank the US is encouraged by India's strong yet responsible approach to the Chinese aggression. While always seeking to de-escalate through diplomatic means, India also demonstrated military and economic resolve, she said.

From a bilateral perspective, China's recent actions on Line of Actual Control has further reinforced the importance of the US-India strategic partnership, and our resolve to strengthen the US-India ties as a bulwark against Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, she said.

Throughout this crisis, the United States has provided strong and unambiguous support for India, and our cooperation has grown closer, Curtis said.

Over the past few months, top American lawmakers have expressed their concerns over blatant Chinese incursions.

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Bhubaneswar (PTI): Odisha Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested the prime accused in a Rs 40-crore trading fraud, an officer said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Amit Mandal of West Bengal's Bankura, was arrested from his home district on December 31, the officer said.

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After producing him in a local court there, Mandal was brought to Odisha on Friday, the EOW officer said.

The arrest was made in connection with a case registered on December 29 at the EOW police station on the basis of a complaint lodged by Sushant Kumar Das of Khurda district.

The complainant alleged that Mandal and his associates induced him to invest in share trading by promising high monthly returns ranging from 3.5 to 7 per cent per month.

Das had reportedly deposited Rs 8.5 lakh during 2022–2024.

According to police, Mandal induced around 500 depositors from Odisha and 100 from West Bengal between 2020 and 2024 and collected over Rs 120 crore, of which over Rs 40 crore is yet to be returned to investors.

"Initially, he paid monthly returns of depositors. However during 2023, Mandal failed to pay the returns and falsely assured the depositors that their money will be re-invested in his newly formed company. But suddenly he went missing before being arrested in Bankura district," the official said.

According to the EOW, the accused had been collecting deposits in his personal bank accounts maintained with two banks. "Scrutiny of one bank account revealed transactions amounting to Rs 122 crore. Other accounts are under verification," the officer said.