Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar appointed new NCW chairperson
New Delhi, Oct 19: Former head of Maharashtra State Commission for Woman Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar has been appointed the ninth chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) succeeding Rekha Sharma, according to an official order.
The appointment made under Section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, will be for a period of three years or until she reaches the age of 65, whichever comes first, a government notification issued on Saturday said.
Rahatkar's tenure will begin with immediate effect. The announcement will also be published in the Gazette of India.
Reacting to her appointment, Rahatkar said in a post on X, "I sincerely thank the Honorable Prime Minister @narendramodi, National President @JPNadda, and Union Home Minister @AmitShah for appointing me as the Chairperson of a constitutional and legislative body like the National Commission for Women (NCW)."
"I will faithfully carry out this very important responsibility. The goal is to steer towards women-led development by enhancing women's capacity, opportunities, and quality of life in various dimensions such as education, health, employment, and social participation," she added.
In addition to the appointment of Rahatkar, Archana Majumdar has been officially named a member of the NCW for a tenure of three years, as per a notification issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The NCW, a statutory body, is empowered to work towards the advancement of women's rights. Its mandate includes reviewing the constitutional and legal safeguards provided for women.
According to a statement issued by the Women and Child Development Ministry, Rahatkar has demonstrated leadership skills across various political and social responsibilities.
During her tenure as the chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women from 2016 to 2021, she spearheaded initiatives like "Sakshama" (support for acid attack survivors), "Prajwala" (linking self-help groups to Central government schemes), and "Suhita" (a 24x7 helpline service for women).
She also worked on legal reforms focusing on issues like Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), anti-triple talaq cells, and anti-human trafficking units.
Rahatkar also introduced digital literacy programmes and launched a publication named "Saad" dedicated to women's issues.
As the mayor of Chatrapati Sambhajinagar from 2007 to 2010, Rahatkar implemented significant developmental projects related to healthcare and infrastructure.
She holds a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in history from the University of Pune.
Rahatkar also authored several books, including "Vidhilikhit" and "Aurangabad: Leading to Wide Roads".
Her contributions to women's empowerment have earned her several recognitions, including the National Law Award and the Savitribai Phule Award from a national literary council.
https://t.co/kEi0O3YXP4 pic.twitter.com/PhyzFpfdCC
— Vijaya Rahatkar (@VijayaRahatkar) October 19, 2024
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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.
