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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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
