Ranchi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a man identified as Prem Prakash in connection with its ongoing money-laundering probe into an illegal mining case in Jharkhand, officials said on Thursday.

Prakash was taken into custody under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) around 2 am on Thursday and will be produced before a Ranchi court where the federal agency will seek his custody, they said.

This is the third arrest in the case.

Earlier, the ED had arrested Pankaj Mishra, a political aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Mishra's associate and muscleman Bachhu Yadav.

The agency had on Wednesday launched searches at premises linked to Prakash in Ranchi, apart from a few other places in Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR, and recovered two AK-47 rifles and 60 bullets from a house linked to Prakash in the state capital here.

The weapons belonged to two Jharkhand Police constables, who were suspended after the ED made the recoveries.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Health Department is mulling to pay government hospitals for normal deliveries the same or similar amount currently paid for C-sections, mentioned state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao during a council meeting on Tuesday.

Between April and October this year, Karnataka recorded a total of 4,61,599 C-sections, accounting for 46 percent of all deliveries in the state, as cited by Deccan Herald.

Rao had previously pointed out that many private hospitals were opting for C-sections more frequently as they are more profitable. To curb this procedure being used unnecessarily, the state health department is considering instructing private hospitals to align the rates for normal and C-section deliveries to avoid financial incentives influencing medical decisions.

"Government hospitals that do C-sections get some money from us for consumables. We are seeing how to promote normal deliveries, so we are looking at how we can pay the hospitals for normal deliveries as well. This will aim to remove any incentive-driven C-section deliveries," said Harsh Gupta, principal secretary, state health department was quoted as saying by the publication.

The proposal aims to reduce the number of avoidable C-sections, ensuring safer childbirth options and improving maternal health outcomes across Karnataka. This comes amid growing concerns over the rising maternal fatalities in the state, many of which have been allegedly linked to medical negligence.