Renowned Urdu scholar C.M. Naim passes away at 89
New Delhi: Professor Choudhri Mohammed Naim, one of the most respected authorities on Urdu language and South Asian studies, has passed away at the age of 89. Born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, Naim was widely regarded as among the finest voices on Urdu literature, culture, and politics.
He completed his Master’s degree from Lucknow University in 1955 before moving to the United States, where he studied at the University of California, Berkeley. His academic journey culminated in a long association with the University of Chicago, where he served as Professor Emeritus of South Asian Languages and Civilisations after teaching there from 1961 to 2001. He chaired the department from 1985 to 1991.
Beyond academia, Naim was a founding editor of several journals and remained a consistent and sharp commentator on Urdu's decline in the Indian subcontinent, the region of its origin. His deep engagement with language politics never kept him from confronting political issues head-on, including the Palestinian cause, about which he wrote passionately after a visit in 1989.
Naim contributed to several prestigious institutions, serving as a consultant to the Asia Society’s Asian Literature Program in New York, and presses including Princeton University Press and the University of Chicago Press. He was also associated with organisations such as the Association for Asian Studies, the Berkeley Urdu Language Program in Pakistan, and the American Institute of Pakistan Studies.
In 2023, he published Urdu Crime Fiction, 1890–1950: An Informal History, a work that reflected his enduring connection with Urdu literary traditions.
Tributes from scholars, students, and admirers have poured in since news of his passing broke. Many recalled his wit, intellect, and his reflections on arriving in the US, moments that captured both personal and political histories.
Renowned Urdu scholar, Professor C.M. Naim, has passed away. May he rest in peace. Was honoured to call him a friend.
— Musharraf Ali Farooqi (@microMAF) July 10, 2025
Choudhri Mohammed Naim (3 June 1936 - 9 July 2025)https://t.co/TxTguI73Hd pic.twitter.com/V1kCYtC7ka
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
