Rupee rises 22 paise to 89.45 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated 22 paise to 89.45 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday supported by foreign fund inflows and a positive trend in domestic equities.
Forex traders said corporate dollar inflows and Brent crude prices hovering near USD 60 per barrel supported investors sentiment further.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 89.53 against the US dollar, then gained some ground and touched 89.45 against the US dollar, registering a gain of 22 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee appreciated 53 paise to 89.67 against the US dollar.
The USD/INR pair has appreciated about 2 per cent from its recent lows, but it is still 5 per cent down on a year-on-year basis, said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
"The broader depreciation trend remains intact despite the near term consolidation," Bhansali noted.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.04 per cent higher at 98.63.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.83 per cent at USD 60.97 per barrel in futures trade.
Reports highlight firm RBI intervention last week with heavy dollar selling via state-run banks lifting the rupee from its recent lows, Bhansali said.
The rupee’s rise could also indicate some tailwinds from the lower trade deficit during the month of November as also FPIs who have become buyers of Indian equity, Bhansali added.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 210.57 points higher at 85,139.93, while the Nifty was up 154.80 points at 26,121.20.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 1,830.89 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
Meanwhile, India's forex reserves jumped by USD 1.689 billion to USD 688.949 billion during the week ended December 12, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday. In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves increased by USD 1.033 billion to USD 687.26 billion.
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.
Delhi man arrested for running online racket selling counterfeit Ayurvedic products
Tumakuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Police on Thursday announced the arrest of a 56-year-old man from Delhi for allegedly manufacturing and selling counterfeit weight loss powder and spurious Ayurvedic products via e-commerce platforms using duplicate branding.
The accused, identified as Rajeev Khanna, had been operating the business for around one-and-a-half years, police said.
His sons, Himanshu (29) and Manan Khanna (25), have also been named in the case for allegedly assisting their father in running the racket in Delhi. Both are absconding.
The matter came to light after Dhanalakshmi, owner of Jeeni Company in Yaragunte village, Tumakuru district, filed a complaint at Kallambella Police Station on August 14, 2025, police said.
According to the complaint, R K Traders of Delhi was misusing the trademark of Jeeni Company and selling products online under the same brand name.
She also warned that the sale of such counterfeit products could pose health risks to the public, including children.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Rajeev Khanna under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
“During the investigation, the team traced the warehouse where the accused was manufacturing counterfeit products. On March 27, police conducted a raid at a godown in Punjabi Mohalla, Shalimar Bagh area of New Delhi,” Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Ashok K V said in a statement.
During the raid, police recovered counterfeit Jeeni Company products, duplicate Ayurvedic tablets, beauty creams, and Ayurvedic powders commonly used by the public.
The accused was allegedly manufacturing and selling these products through R K Traders, M K Traders, and MHK Traders on e-commerce platforms without required safety precautions or regulatory approvals, the SP added.
The matter was also reported to the Drug Controller in Delhi and the local Shalimar Bagh Police authorities.
“With the assistance of his sons, Himanshu and Manan Khanna, along with others, the accused was manufacturing counterfeit products and selling them online for financial gain,” the SP said.
Police said Rajeev Khanna is believed to have cheated Jeeni Company of over Rs 15 lakh and caused losses worth crores of rupees to other companies.
On March 28, Rajeev Khanna was taken into custody in Delhi and brought to Kallambella Police Station, where he was formally arrested. He was later produced before the Sira court and taken into police custody for further investigation, the SP added.
During interrogation, the accused admitted to filling wheat flour into containers and selling them as “Jeeni Slim Powder” with duplicated labels and packaging.
He also confessed to selling wheat flour in containers labelled as genuine Ayurvedic tablets and powders, police said.
