TVK doesn't have the support of majority voters, says Udhayanidhi
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said the TVK government did not enjoy the support of majority voters and criticised it for going ahead with the backing of a section of legislators of the AIADMK, which the ruling party had slammed for corruption earlier.
In his speech during the proceedings of the TVK government's floor test, he also urged the government to continue the welfare schemes that were launched by the previous DMK dispensation.
The DMK walked out and abstained from voting during the confidence vote, which the C Joseph Vijay-led government won by a comfortable margin of 144.
With regard to the TVK government formation, Udhayanidhi said "first, the majority of people did not vote for TVK."
He said that in the recently concluded Assembly elections, around 4.93 crore people cast their votes.
"Do you know how many voted for the ruling party. Just 1.72 crore", he said, adding, "the remaining approximately 3.21 crore people voted against your party and you must understand this".
He claimed nearly 65 per cent of the voters had "rejected" the Vijay-led TVK.
Further, he slammed the TVK for taking the support of an AMMK MLA, with his party fighting the April 23 polls as a constituent of the AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu.
"After saying they were your ideological enemy, you have secured support for this government from an MLA who contested in the BJP-led NDA alliance," Udhyananidhi said. He also recalled AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran's remarks that TVK earlier engaged in "horse-trading even before coming to power".
Dhinakaran has sacked AMMK MLA S Kamaraj, after the latter extended support to the TVK government.
Udhayanidhi said the major party in the same BJP-led NDA alliance AIADMK has split almost into two groups. "New sofa was delivered to the home of a leader from that splinter group, followed by the visit of the chief minister there. During elections, you called them (AIADMK) a corrupt force", he said.
"What are people asking..(why) the ruling party has now aligned with that corrupt force. You promised a clean government Is this the hallmark of your clean governance? People have begun questioning", he charged.
"Even those who voted for you have, upon witnessing these events, begun regretting their big mistake today. To express the people's sentiment, DMK members will walk out without participating", in the voting, he said.
Earlier, listing out various schemes that were launched by the DMK government under the leadership of M K Stalin, the LoP said more than one crore women will be waiting to get Rs 1,000 into their bank account under "Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam" next month.
The DMK leader said as the government schools will be re-opening on June 2, students will be waiting for food under the breakfast scheme, launched by the Stalin government.
He also urged the TVK government to continue the DMK government's free bus travel scheme for women.
Pointing out various poll promises including providing six LPG gas cylinders and monthly financial assistance for women, Udhayanidhi said that after Vijay took over as chief minister, the new government should have signed files to implement at least a few of these welfare schemes.
He claimed that when DMK came to power in 2021, the then chief minister Stalin's first signature was to implement the free bus travel scheme for women.
"Financial assistance of Rs 4,000 was also extended to the people during the second wave of Coronavirus", he said.
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.
AI, fake Army officer profiles and blackmail: UP cops bust extortion racket linked to man's suicide
Sonbhadra (UP) (PTI): The Sonbhadra police have busted with the arrest of five people an inter-state cyber crime racket involving blackmail, extortion and impersonation of Army and police officers on social media, which allegedly drove a man to suicide, officials said on Wednesday.
They said the deceased man was allegedly subjected to sustained online harassment and threats. Five accused from Rajasthan were arrested following a multi-state investigation involving technical surveillance, bank transaction analysis and scrutiny of CCTV footage, police said.
The development comes after complainant Ankita Pathak approached Sonbhadra SP Abhishek Verma on April 29, alleging that her husband Rajendra Pathak had died by suicide on the night of April 7-8 at their newly-constructed house.
Initially, the reasons behind the suicide were unclear. However, family members later examined the deceased's mobile phone and allegedly found chats, call records and evidence showing that unknown persons had been threatening and extorting money from him repeatedly.
Additional SP (Naxal) Rishabh Runwal told PTI that bank statements and mobile conversations revealed that Rajendra Pathak had transferred money multiple times to the accused and was allegedly under severe mental distress due to cyber harassment and blackmail.
"Taking the matter seriously, police registered a case at Robertsganj police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to abetment and extortion-linked offences, and formed a joint investigation team comprising the cyber crime police station, Special Operations Group (SOG) and surveillance cell," Runwal, who supervised the investigation, said.
Investigators carried out technical analysis of the victim's mobile phone, including chats, calls and video calls, and found that the video calls had originated from Alwar district in Rajasthan.
Police also found that the bank account into which the money was transferred belonged to Maharashtra, while the cash withdrawals were being made from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan.
Based on electronic surveillance and technical evidence, a police team led by cyber police station in-charge Dhirendra Kumar Chaudhary travelled to Rajasthan. With assistance from local police, investigators analysed CCTV footage from bank ATMs and other locations to identify the accused, the officer said.
On May 10, police arrested five accused allegedly involved in different parts of the racket -- threatening victims, withdrawing money and arranging mule bank accounts and ATM cards, he said.
The arrested accused were identified as Afsil Khan, Noor Mohammad alias Nanda, Rashid, Washim and Barish, all residents of different areas of Rajasthan's Alwar and Khairthal-Tijara districts, he added.
Police said the gang operated in an organised manner and used fake social media identities with photographs of Army and police officers to intimidate victims.
According to investigators, the main accused, Afsil Khan, allegedly used artificial intelligence tools to create obscene videos and then threatened people using those fabricated clips to extort money.
Police said Nanda and Rashid withdrew extorted money through ATM machines. Their identities were established through CCTV footage obtained from a Maharashtra Bank ATM in Bhiwadi.
Investigators further found that accused Washim allegedly arranged fake documents to open bank accounts and procure ATM cards, while Barish allegedly helped provide mule accounts used for routing the money.
Police said the accused used to receive nearly 20 per cent commission on transactions routed through the mule accounts.
Five mobile phones, two ATM cards linked to mule accounts, SIM cards used in the operation and Rs 6,000 cash were recovered from the accused, police said.
