Police complaint filed against actor Prakash Raj over his post on Chandrayaan-3 mission
Bengaluru: Actor Prakash Raj has come under scrutiny as a complaint was lodged against him at a police station in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, for allegedly mocking India's Chandrayaan-3 mission in a social media post. The complaint was filed by leaders of Hindu organizations who deemed the actor's remarks inappropriate.
As per reports from news agency ANI, Prakash Raj shared a post on his X account (formerly Twitter) that allegedly ridiculed India's Chandrayaan-3, the nation's ambitious lunar exploration venture. In the post, a caricature depicted a man in a shirt and lungi pouring tea with the caption, "First view just arrived from Chandrayaan .. #VikramLander #justasking."
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The police confirmed that the complaint was lodged at Banahatti police station in Bagalkot district. The complainants, leaders of Hindu organizations, have called for appropriate action against the actor.
Since the post, Prakash Raj has faced significant backlash from individuals who argue that the Chandrayaan-3 mission holds symbolic importance for the country.
In response to the social media uproar, Prakash Raj later clarified on X that his comments were meant as a joke. He posted, "Hate sees only Hate...I was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times celebrating our Kerala Chaiwala-which Chaiwala did the Trolls see? if you don't get a joke then the joke is on you..GROW UP #justasking."
The Chandrayaan-3 mission, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is scheduled to make its lunar landing on August 23 around 18:04 IST. The live coverage of this momentous event will be available on various platforms, including the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and the public broadcaster DD National TV, starting from 17:27 IST on the same day.
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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.
