YouTuber Diya Krishna faces extortion, abduction charges amid business dispute
Thiruvananthapuram: Social media influencer and entrepreneur Diya Krishna has landed in legal trouble after being accused of extortion and abduction, following her allegations of fraud against her own staff. The 27-year-old was seen emotionally distressed alongside her father, actor and BJP leader Krishnakumar, who claimed his daughter was scammed and expressed support for her.
The controversy comes just days after Diya promoted new arrivals at her imitation jewellery store ‘Oh By Ozy’ to her 1.3 million Instagram followers. Known for her lifestyle content, Diya has now taken to social media to present her side, claiming to have documentary evidence and urging her followers to file complaints in support of her case.
Diya Krishna rose to popularity during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube videos created alongside her family. The family’s online fame brought them YouTube’s Silver Play Button and several brand deals, turning Diya into a full-time influencer and later, a businesswoman.
However, her journey has not been without controversy. In 2024, Diya’s father faced backlash for narrating a caste-based discriminatory practice in Kerala, which many called insensitive. Diya’s attempt to defend him was also widely criticised. Around the same period, she drew ridicule for a travel vlog in which she misrepresented the history of the East India Company. A follow-up video of her feeding pigeons with her father — accompanied by sarcastic remarks — only intensified the backlash.
Previously, the Krishna family was also accused of bullying by alleged former classmates, though the family denied all such claims. Despite repeated controversies, Diya retains a strong fan base.
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Indian startup's 'Drishti' satellite launched aboard SpaceX rocket
New Delhi (PTI): Bengaluru-based space start-up GalaxEye's Mission Drishti satellite was launched on Sunday aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from California.
Mission Drishti is the world's first OptoSAR satellite, integrating electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform, according to the company.
While EO sensors capture high-resolution images during sunlight and clear skies, SAR sensors provide all-weather and all-time images, using radar pulses.
In a statement, Suyash Singh, founder and CEO of GalaxEye, said, "With the satellite (Mission Drishti) now successfully in orbit, our immediate focus is on completing its commissioning. As we move through this phase, we are already witnessing strong global interest in the differentiated datasets enabled by our OptoSAR payload."
The satellite will help address long-standing limitations of conventional systems and enable more reliable and consistent data acquisition across diverse environmental conditions, the company said.
As a dual-use Earth observation satellite, the mission will support use cases across defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring, and infrastructure planning.
The satellite is also expected to complement India's broader initiatives, including the 29 active Earth Observation satellites outlined in ISRO's recent annual report.
The launch came after five years of indigenous research and development, and extensive environmental testing and performance validation of the Mission Drishti.
In a statement, Lt Gen AK Bhatt (Retd), director general of Indian Space Association (ISpA), said, "GalaxEye has achieved what only a few global players have, which is seamlessly combining optical and SAR capabilities on a single platform to enable persistent, all-weather intelligence."
What stands out is not just the technology, but its broader impact on how downstream applications will increasingly define value in the space economy, particularly in Earth observation, where timely, decision-grade insights are critical," he added.
ISpA is the premier industry association of space and satellite companies in the country.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also took note of the Mission Drishti launch, saying the development marked a significant milestone in India's space journey.
In a post on X, the minister said, "The successful launch of the world's first OptoSAR satellite, and the largest privately-built satellite in the country, reflects the immense potential of our young innovators driving nation-building."
GalaxEye aims to scale up Mission Drishti to a constellation of 10 satellites by 2030, developing a robust and sovereign Earth observation infrastructure for India.
