Maharashtra: Parts of Hingoli district jolted by earthquake of 4.7 magnitude, no casualties
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): An earthquake of 4.7 magnitude struck parts of Hingoli district in Marathwada region of Maharashtra on Saturday morning, while tremors were also felt in parts of neighbouring Nanded and Parbhani districts, officials said.
There are no reports of immediate loss to life, they said.
Some houses and community halls in Pangra Shinde village developed cracks, Hingoli Collector Rahul Gupta told PTI over the phone.
Nanded district officials cited a reading in the National Centre for Seismology that calculated the magnitude of the earthquake at 4.7, recorded at 8:45 AM. The epicentre was located at a depth of 10 kilometres below the ground at Shirli village in Vasmat taluka of Hingoli district, they added.
Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Nanded city and rural areas, talukas of Ardhapur, Hadgaon, and Himayatnagar, and in parts of Parbhani district, officials said.
While no loss of life has been reported from any of the affected districts so far, there have been reports of minor structural damage.
"I have received images showing cracks in houses and community halls in Pangra Shinde village in Hingoli district. Our teams are heading to the site to assess the situation and record the exact extent of the losses," Hingoli Collector Gupta said.
Local authorities have urged citizens to remain calm and follow safety protocols. Emergency response teams have been placed on standby in Nanded and Parbhani as a precautionary measure.
Authorities have advised people living in houses with tin-sheet roofs to remove heavy stones placed on top for support and instead secure the sheets with bolts as a safety measure. In case of any further tremors or unusual sounds, residents are advised to immediately move to open spaces and inform the administration by calling the emergency helpline, the Nanded district administration said.
"When I was sitting in my college staffroom doing my work. I suddenly felt a tremor. As I heard a different sound, I was confused. Then I realised it was a mild earthquake, " said a college teacher in Nanded.
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.
Homebuyers 'fraud' case: ED seizes over Rs 6 crore cash during raids against Delhi realty company
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 6.3 crore in cash and jewellery worth Rs 7.5 crore following searches against a Delhi-based real estate company accused of defrauding homebuyers and currently undergoing insolvency proceedings, officials said on Saturday.
The action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was launched on Friday and 10 premises of former directors, promoters and associated entities of the company -- Earth Infrastructures Ltd. (EIL) -- in Delhi and Gurugram were covered.
The company, according to official records, has been undergoing a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) since June 2018.
According to the ED officials, the money laundering case against the former directors and promoters of the company was initiated after taking cognisance of five Delhi Police (Economic Offences Wing) FIRs, apart from a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), the investigation arm of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
The ED seized Rs 6.3 crore in cash and jewellery valued at Rs 7.5 crore, besides some silver bullion and luxury watches during the searches, the officials said.
The group and its associated companies launched multiple real estate projects under the 'Earth' brand across Delhi-NCR and Lucknow. Their major projects include Earth Towne, Earth Sapphire Court, Earth Copia, Earth Techone, Earth Iconic, Earth Titanium, Earth Elacasa, Earth Gracia and Earth Skygate.
The accused entities collected Rs 2,024.45 crore from more than 19,425 homebuyers and investors by promising "timely" delivery of residential and commercial units along with assured returns, the ED said.
However, despite collecting "huge" advances, projects were either not completed or buyers were not given possession. The funds were diverted for the acquisition of land in Gurugram, Delhi and Rajasthan or routed to shell companies, the agency claimed.
