Multi-state investment scam using WhatsApp groups busted, 12 arrested: UP Police
Aligarh (UP) (PTI): A pan-India cyber investment fraud allegedly involving overseas links was uneartyhed with the arrest of 12 people from six states, police said.
The accused were arrested from Odisha, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for allegedly running a nationwide cyber investment racket through WhatsApp groups, SP (Rural) Amrit Jain said on Saturday.
Working in coordination with the Ministry of Telecommunications, the Aligarh cyber crime cell identified around 600 WhatsApp groups that were allegedly being used to lure and cheat investors across the country, Jain said.
Police claimed that timely action helped prevent an estimated fraud of about Rs 500 crore that could have affected more than 1.5 lakh people nationwide.
The case came to light after Dinesh Sharma, a retired deputy general manager of Punjab National Bank, approached the cyber crime cell on January 31 and reported that he had been cheated of over Rs 11 lakh through a WhatsApp-based investment scheme, the SP said.
According to police, Sharma was allegedly lured with promises of returns of up to 40 per cent per week. Though initially reluctant, he invested Rs 5,000 as a trial amount on December 16 last year and received returns, which increased his confidence, officials said.
Subsequently, he was allegedly persuaded to make a larger investment and was even offered an opportunity to invest Rs 1 crore. When he declined, citing lack of funds, the fraudsters allegedly siphoned off Rs 11 lakh from him, police said.
Acting on the complaint, the cyber crime cell managed to recover Rs 5.64 lakh for Sharma and, in the process, uncovered the larger racket, Jain said.
Police said they contacted more than 500 members across the country who were part of the WhatsApp groups and warned them about the suspected fraud, averting large-scale losses.
The cyber crime cell is now seeking assistance from the CBI and Interpol to trace the alleged masterminds operating from several foreign countries, officials said.
The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the BNS and IT act.
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Cong failed to link farmers to global markets: Chouhan on allegations over India-US trade deal
Bhopal (PTI): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday hit out at the Congress over its allegations on the India-US trade deal, saying despite ruling for years, it failed to connect farmers to global markets or bring stability to the Indian economy.
The pact provides complete protection to the agriculture sector and keeps farmers' and the national interests paramount, Chouhan said, asserting that key agricultural products vital to cultivators have been excluded from the agreement.
"No product has been included in this agreement that would cause even the slightest harm to Indian farmers," the senior BJP leader said at a press conference at his residence here.
US President Donald Trump on Monday said India and the US have agreed to a trade deal. On his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was delighted that "made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent".
The Congress on Saturday claimed that India has not benefited from the trade agreement and that it is "not a deal but a surrender" of the country's self-esteem and interests.
Congress's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also claimed that India will soon become a dumping ground for American products and it will hurt the interests of the farmers and small and medium industries here.
Rejecting the allegations, Chouhan said Opposition parties were creating unnecessary hue and cry that the agreement would ruin agriculture and devastate farmers.
"Go into the depth of it and see - all those agricultural products which are the core strength of our farmers have been kept out of this agreement. National interest is paramount, farmers' interest is paramount," he asserted.
He noted that Prime Minister Modi had said he would not let the country bow and would not allow any harm to farmers' interests.
"You will see in this trade deal that both these aspects have been fully taken care of," the Union minister said.
He said the Congress ruled the country for years, but neither connected farmers to any global market nor provided stability and growth to the Indian economy.
"On the contrary, at the time of Independence, the Indian economy was the world's sixth largest. It was pushed down to the 11th position. Now we are rapidly moving towards the third position," he pointed out.
Chouhan also stressed that India will not allow the entry of any genetically modified (GM) products, calling it a very big decision.
"This will preserve the purity of Indian agriculture. Our soil and our seeds will remain safe," he maintained.
Chouhan further said no tariff concessions have been given to the US on products such as meat, poultry, dairy, soybean, maize, rice, wheat, sugar, coarse grains, bananas, strawberries, cherries, citrus fruits, green peas, chickpeas, moong, oilseeds, ethanol and tobacco.
He said dehusked grains and flour, potatoes, onions, peas, beans, cucumbers, mushrooms, frozen vegetables, oranges, grapes, lemons and mixed canned vegetables will also not enter India.
Dairy products such as liquid, powdered and condensed milk, cream, yoghurt, buttermilk, butter, ghee, butter oil, paneer, whey products and cheese will also not be allowed entry into India.
Spices, including black pepper, cloves, dried green chillies, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, asafoetida, ginger, turmeric, carom seeds, fenugreek, mustard, rai and other powdered spices, will also not come in, he informed.
This would ensure the livelihoods of Indian farmer families remain secure, the agriculture minister said.
The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the interim trade agreement with the US, claiming the deal is against India's interests, and that all the "huglomacy and photo-ops" have not amounted to much.
