India announces 15-member squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
New Delhi: India has announced its 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealing the details at a press conference. The squad will also play the ODI series against England as part of its preparation for the tournament.
Shubman Gill has been named the vice-captain of the team, a move that signals the management's confidence in him as a future leader. Meanwhile, the fitness status of Jasprit Bumrah remains uncertain, with Agarkar stating that clarity will emerge in February. To address potential concerns, Harshit Rana has been selected for the England ODI series.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have been chosen as the primary wicket-keepers, leaving out Sanju Samson. In a significant comeback, Mohammed Shami has been included in the squad after recovering from an injury. Kuldeep Yadav, another key player, also makes his return.
Several notable names, including Mohammed Siraj, Nitish Reddy, and Karun Nair, have not been included in the team. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is yet to make his ODI debut, has been brought in as a backup opener, thanks to his impressive performances in Tests and T20Is.
India’s squad is identical for both the Champions Trophy and the England series, ensuring consistency in preparations. However, the absence of a pace-bowling all-rounder to back up Hardik Pandya could become a concern if fitness issues arise.
The Champions Trophy 2025 is set to take place from 19 February to 9 March.
Full squad for the Champions Trophy 2025:
Batters: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer
Wicket-Keepers: KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant
All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
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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.
