Hand of friendship only if Pakistan stops terror: Gen Rawat
New Delhi, Sep 5 : Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday that if Pakistan stops cross border terrorism, India will have no hesitation in extending its hand of friendship to it.
Responding to a question on how Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra displayed sportsman spirit when he bowed his head and shook hands with Pakistan's bronze medallist Arshad Nadeem during the medal distribution ceremony at the recently-concluded Asian Games in Indonesia, Rawat reiterated India's position by asking Pakistan to stop sponsoring terror from across the border.
"Let Pakistan take the initiative first by stopping cross border terror. If they manage to stop terrorism from their side, we will act like Neeraj Chopra," Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of a felicitation ceremony for the Army athletes here.
The 20-year-old Chopra, who clinched the gold in the men's javelin throw event at the Asiad, won millions of hearts when he bowed his head and shook hands with Arshad, to which the bronze medallist Pakistani reciprocated promptly in kind.
On being asked about the current situation in the Kashmir valley, since the implementation of President's rule in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir, Rawat was optimistic that the situation will improve.
"I can say this with conviction that their families have realised that terrorism isn't the best way forward. The mothers want their sons to return to the right track and if the trend continues, I am sure we can find a way for peace to return in the valley," he said.
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I-T Department sends notice to actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran over co-produced films
New Delhi: The Income Tax (I-T) Department has sent a notice to actor and director Prithviraj Sukumaran asking for more details about the money he earned from some films he co-produced. The notice was reportedly served during the last week of March by the I-T office in Kochi. He has been asked to respond by the end of April.
The department is seeking clarification on the income from a few movies Prithviraj was involved in as a co-producer. This comes at a time when the actor has been receiving criticism from right-wing groups over what seemed to be references to the 2002 Gujarat riots in his latest film L2: Empuraan, starring Mohanlal, which released on March 27.
On April 4, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the offices of Gokulam Gopalan, a Kerala-based businessman and one of the producers of L2: Empuraan, along with a few others. These searches were part of an investigation into alleged violations of foreign exchange rules.
The I-T notice to Prithviraj is believed to be linked to an ongoing investigation that began in December 2022 into suspected tax evasion within the Malayalam film industry.
At the time, tax officials had raided the homes and offices of several producers, including Antony Perumbavoor, Anto Joseph, and Listin Stephen, over concerns about unreported income, cash deals, and overseas investments. Prithviraj’s premises were also searched during that operation.
