Telangana cabinet meets amid talk of early polls
Hyderabad, Sep 2 : A crucial meeting of the Telangana cabinet was underway on Sunday amid talks that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was planning to dissolve the state Assembly to go for early polls.
The meeting began at 1 p.m. at the Pragati Bhavan, official residence of the Chief Minister.
According to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders, the cabinet will take some key decisions and the same will be announced by the party chief later in the day at a public meeting titled 'Pragathi Nivedana Sabha', being held on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Rao has already dropped strong hints that he wants to go for early polls. However, it is not clear if the decision will be taken on Sunday or later this week.
Cabinet Minister T. Nageswara Rao said while he had no idea as to what the cabinet will decide on Sunday, it was certain that Assembly elections will be held this year.
TRS sources hinted that the cabinet may decide major sops for various sections of people and Rao may announce the same at the rally, being billed as the "mother of all rallies".
TRS claims that 25 lakh people will attend the meeting in Kongara Kalan in Ranga Reddy district. Rao will present a progress report, highlighting the achievements of his government during the last four years.
The term of the Telangana Assembly is ending in May 2019 but the TRS is keen to go for early polls to delink them from the Lok Sabha elections.
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11 Indian nationals charged in US over visa fraud
New York (PTI): Eleven Indian nationals, living illegally in the US, have been charged with visa fraud for conspiring to carry out staged armed robberies of convenience shops, according to US federal prosecutors.
Authorities said the suspects are accused of organising fake robberies for the purpose of allowing the store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications towards getting a Green Card.
Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, Maheshkumar Patel, 36, Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, Dipikaben Patel, 40, Rameshbhai Patel, 52, Amitabahen Patel, 43, Ronakkumar Patel, 28, Sangitaben Patel, 36, Minkesh Patel, 42, Sonal Patel, 42 and Mitul Patel, 40 have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
They all were living unlawfully in various US states such as Massachusetts, Kentucky and Ohio.
Dipikaben was deported to India after unlawfully residing in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Jitendrakumar, Maheshkumar, Sanjaykumar, Amitabahen, Sangitaben and Mitul were arrested in Massachusetts and released following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Friday.
Rameshbhai, Ronakkumar, Sonal and Minkesh were arrested and made their initial appearances in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, in March 2023, Rambhai and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience/liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere.
It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to falsely claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for a U non-immigration status (U Visa).
A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. The U visa offers an immigrant work authorisation and a path to a Green Card within 5–10 years.
Authorities said that in the course of the alleged staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks or the owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video.
The clerks or the store owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling the police to report the “crime.”
The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai allegedly paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.
Rambhai, the “robber,” and the getaway driver were previously charged and convicted.
The 11 defendants charged on Friday are alleged to have either arranged with the organiser to set up each robbery, or paid for themselves or a family member to participate as a “victim.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of USD 250,000.
