India successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from Chandipur ITR in Odisha
Balasore (Odisha): India on Wednesday successfully test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with several indigenous features from a test range in Odisha, in a major step towards achieving "Atmanirbhar Bharat" pledge, defence sources said.
The surface-to-surface cruise missile, featuring indigenous booster and airframe section along with other Made in India sub-systems, blasted off from the launching complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) near here, a defence statement said.
Describing the trial conducted at 10.30 am as "successful", Defence Research and Development (DRDO) officials said, all parameters were met during the flight test of the missile which has a strike range of more than 400 km.
The BrahMos Land-Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) was cruising at a top speed of Mach 2.8.
The successful trial of the state-of-the-art cruise missile is one more major step in enhancing the indigenous content, the statement said.
"Todays successful launch has paved the way for the serial production of the indigenous booster and other indigenous components of the powerful BrahMos Weapon System realising Atma Nirbhar Bharat pledge," it said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO chairman congratulated DRDO personnel, team BrahMos and the industry for the spectacular mission.
The BrahMos missile can be launched from land, sea platforms as well as fighter jets, defence sources said.
Jointly developed by the DRDO and NPOM, a leading aerospace enterprise of Russia, the BrahMos missile is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from submarines, warships, fighter jets or land.
The first extended version of the missile, which had a strike range of 450 km, was successfully tested on March 11, 2017.
On September 30, 2019 a shorter range land version of BrahMos was successfully test fired from Chandipur ITR.
The sophisticated missile, already operational with the Army, Navy and Air Force, is regarded as the fastest supersonic cruise missile in the world, the sources said.
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Bengaluru: Woman falls prey to 'digital arrest' scam, losses over Rs 2.05 cr
Bengaluru (PTI): A 57-year-old woman fell prey to an alleged "digital arrest" scam and lost over Rs 2.05 crore to cybercriminals, who posed as law enforcement officials, police said on Tuesday.
'Digital arrest' is a form of cyber fraud where fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers and threaten people through audio or video calls, forcing them to transfer money online.
The woman was also coerced into selling multiple properties and taking bank loans to meet the fraudsters' demands, they said.
The offence is said to have occurred between June 19 and November 27, police said.
According to the complaint, on June 19, 2025, he received a call from an unidentified number claiming to be from Blue Dart courier company, informing her that a baggage allegedly linked to her Aadhaar card contained drugs and that Mumbai Police would arrest her.
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The caller then instructed her to install an app and began video calling her regularly. In the first week, they continuously monitored her through video and WhatsApp calls, the FIR stated.
It further stated that the accused allegedly appeared on video calls wearing police uniforms and claimed to be officers of the rank of inspector and deputy commissioner of police.
Police said the accused used to contact the complainant through multiple unknown mobile numbers and demanded money, threatening that her son's life would be in danger if payments were not made.
Fearing arrest and harm to her family, the complainant sold two plots in Malur at a low price, disposed of an apartment in Vignan Nagar, and also availed a loan from a private bank to arrange the money, which was transferred to the accused, the FIR said.
From June 20, she had transferred Rs 2,05,16,652, the FIR stated.
The fraud came to light when the accused allegedly asked the complainant to visit a police station to obtain a 'no-objection certificate' and promised that the entire amount would be returned, following which the victim realised that she had fallen prey to a digital arrest scam.
Based on her complaint, a case was registered at Whitefield CEN crime police station on November 27 under Sections 319 (2) (Cheating by personation) and 318 (4) (Cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, police said, adding that further investigation is under way.
