Kerala human sacrifice: CPI(M) says accused are not its active members
Pathanamthitta (Kerala) (PTI): The ruling CPI(M) has denied reports that two of the three accused in the human sacrifice case are its active members, terming them as "baseless."
CPI(M) District Secretary K P Udayabhanu said the couple, accused in the double murder case, are not party members nor do they have any post in the party or its associated organisations.
"The reports that the accused in the double murder case are active members of the CPI(M) are baseless. They are not party members nor do they have any responsibility in the party or in any of its associated organisations as claimed by the media houses," Udayabhanu said in a statement on Thursday.
Three persons -- Bhagaval Singh (68), a massage therapist and his wife Laila (59), along with prime accused Mohammed Shafi (52), were arrested after details of the gruesome murders came out on October 11.
Hours after the news of the double murder at Elanthoor near here came out, the Congress and the BJP attacked the ruling CPI(M).
Without directly mentioning media reports that Singh was a local activist of the CPI(M), Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan had said it was significant that one of the killers was an active worker of a political party, which claims to be progressive.
State BJP chief K Surendran had alleged that one of the killers was a CPI (M) activist and there was also the intervention of radical religious groups in the crime.
"The accused is said to have held significant posts in the Marxist party in the area. As per the local information, he is currently holding the charge of the party's 'karshaka sangham'. You can also see his Facebook posts praising Chief Minister Vijayan and Health Minister Veena George during their poll victories," Surendran had claimed.
The CPI(M) said it was a fake propaganda spread by the BJP and the Congress to tarnish the image of the party which is in the forefront fighting against irrational beliefs and superstitious practices.
Udayabhanu said it was the CPI(M) which first sought stern action against the culprits in the case.
Two women were allegedly sacrificed as part of black magic in Elanthoor village in Pathanamthitta district.
The hapless women, who had earned their daily bread selling lottery tickets on the streets, were allegedly butchered by the accused to settle the financial issues of the accused couple and bring prosperity in their life, police had said.
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Deepfake video of Nirmala Sitharaman used to dupe Belagavi man in Rs 7.9 lakh scam
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 76-year-old man in Belagavi city was allegedly cheated of Rs 7.9 lakh in an online investment scam that used an AI-generated deepfake video misusing the name of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lure investors, police said on Wednesday.
An online fraud case was registered at the cybercrime police station on May 1, they said.
According to Belagavi Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, the victim, Prakash Gubbi, a senior citizen, stated in his complaint that in November last year, he came across a video on YouTube in which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman appeared to endorse an investment scheme.
The video also mentioned a link in its description for making investments.
The victim clicked on the link, entered his details, and was later contacted on social media by a person identifying himself as Adarsh Anand, who persuaded him to invest, the officer told reporters.
Citing the complaint, the officer said the victim initially invested a small amount, after which the application began showing profits of USD 65,000.
When he attempted to withdraw the amount, the accused demanded a “customs duty” payment of Rs 4.2 lakh, claiming it was required to process the withdrawal.
The victim paid the amount, after which he was asked to pay an additional Rs 2 lakh. It was at this stage that he realised he had been cheated. In total, he lost around Rs 7.9 lakh in the fraud, the officer added.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, and police are investigating the matter, police said.
The commissioner cautioned the public not to trust such videos, stating that the finance minister does not endorse any such schemes.
He warned that such content is created using artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
He further advised the public to remain vigilant, avoid offers that appear too good to be true on the internet, and invest only through legitimate, registered agencies or trusted channels.
Deepfake technology enables the creation of realistic videos, audio recordings, and images that can mislead viewers by superimposing one person’s likeness onto another, altering their words and actions. This can present a false narrative or spread misinformation.
