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CBI probing Chidambaram role in Aircel-Maxis deal

September 19, 2014

New Delhi, Sep 19: The CBI is probing the role of then finance minister P. Chidambaram in allowing foreign investment by a Mauritius-based company, according to its charge sheet in the Aircel-Maxis deal.Chidambaram

The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) submission came in its recently-filed charge sheet against then communications minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran, and Malaysian business tycoon T.

Ananda Krishnan and others. Dayanidhi Maran is chargd with using his influence to help Krishnan acquire Aircel by allegedly coercing its owner Sivasankaran to part with his stake.

The investigation has revealed that Dayanidhi Maran did not raise objection to the proposal of foreign investment by the Global Communication Services Holding Ltd. in Aircel Ltd. in 2006.

It added that Global Communication Services had sought the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's approval (FIPB) for $800 million investment, for which the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affarirs (CCEA) was competent to grant approval.

"However, the approval was granted by the then finance minister (Chidambaram)," the CBI's charge sheet said.

"Further investigation is being carried out into the circumstances of the said FIPB approval granted by then finance minister. The related issues are being investigated."

It added that Sindhya Securities and Investments Pvt. Ltd., the Indian partner of Mauritius-based Maxis Communication Bhd, acquired approximately 26 percent equity of Aircel Ltd. through Deccan Digital Networks Pvt. Ltd. for a consideration of approximately $7.43 million which gives it just 0.01 percent economic interest in Aircel Ltd.

Deccan Digital is a joint venture between Sindhya Securities and Investments and Global Communication Services Holding, the Mauritius Subsidiary of Maxis Communication Bhd. Malaysia. The CBI added that it appears that Maxis has given a lot of concessions to the promoters of Sindhya Securities and Investments in terms of investments.

"Further investigation is being carried out if Sindhya Securities and Investments is holding 26 percent equity in Aircel Ltd. on behalf of the accused," the CBI said.

It was alleged by Sivasankaran that Dayanidhi Maran favoured Maxis Group in the takeover of his company and in return, the company made investments through Astro Network in a company stated to be owned by the Maran family.

Four companies - Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd., Britain-based Astro All Asia Networks Plc, Maxis Communications Berhad in Malaysia, and South Asia Entertainment Holdings Ltd. in Mauritius - have been also named in the charge sheet filed Aug 29.

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Agencies
February 14,2020

Lucknow, Feb 14: Uttar Pradesh doctor Kafeel Khan was on Friday booked under the National Security Act (NSA) over his alleged anti-CAA speech at Aligarh Muslim University on December 12, 2019.

The Uttar Pradesh slapped NSA on Kafeel Khan on Friday even as the doctor waited to be released from jail despite being granted bail on Monday in connection with his alleged inflammatory speech.

SP Crime Dr Arvind said that there were sufficient grounds to book the doctor under NSA.

The suspended pediatrician, Kafeel Khan, was arrested for allegedly delivering a controversial speech during Anti-CAA protests on December 12 at the Aligarh Muslim University or AMU. While he was granted bail on Monday, his family members claimed on Thursday that he was yet to be released.

Dr Kafeel Khan's brother Adeel Ahmed Khan had issued a statement saying that despite being granted bail Mathura jail authorities had not honoured the court's order.

Dr Kafeel Khan was arrested by the UP Special Task Force from Mumbai on January 29 for participating anti-CAA protest at AMU. A case was registered against him at the Civil Lines police station here for promoting enmity between different religions.

After his arrest in Mumbai, Dr Khan was brought to Aligarh, from where he was shifted to the district jail in neighbouring Mathura.

According to police, this was done as a precautionary measure in view of the anti-CAA protests on the AMU campus and at the Eidgah grounds in the old city. Police had said that the Dr Khan's presence in the Aligarh jail could have aggravated the law and order situation in the city.

The doctor was earlier arrested for his alleged role in the death of over 60 children in one week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August 2017. Short supply of oxygen at the children's ward was blamed at that time for the deaths.

About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government.

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News Network
May 5,2020

New Delhi, May 5: India registered the biggest jump in numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with 3,900 new cases and 195 deaths being reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

"3,900 COVID-19 cases and 195 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, the largest spike till now in both," according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India reached 46,433, including 1,568 deaths, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

According to the latest update by the MoHFW, 12,727 patients in the country have been cured and discharged, or have migrated, as of today morning. At present, there are 32,138 active cases in the country.

Maharashtra with 14,541 cases is the worst-affected state by the disease, while Gujarat with 5,804 cases is second on the list.

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Agencies
July 29,2020

New Delhi, Jul 29: Coronavirus infections in India continue to mount as the country's total case tally crossed the 15-lakh mark.

India added 48,513 fresh cases in 24 hours, taking the total tally to over 15.3 lakh, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 a.m. update on July 29.

Key Figures

Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 15,31,669
Active cases: 5,09,447
Cured/discharged/migrated: 9,88,029
Deaths: 34,193
Number of fresh cases in 24 hours: 48,513
One-day recoveries: 35,175
One-day deaths: 768
India’s coronavirus epidemic is growing at the fastest pace in the world, increasing 20% over the last week, according to Bloomberg’s Coronavirus Tracker. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are among the states where the maximum number of daily cares are being reported.

Fresh cases continued to come in at a heightened pace, hovering just below 50,000 for the last six days.

Moderna Inc.’s vaccine candidate against Covid-19 protected against the virus in a trial that inoculated 16 monkeys, an encouraging step on the path to a defense for humans against the pandemic. Pfizer Inc., however, is preparing for the novel coronavirus to endure, leading to long-term demand for a seasonal shot to protect against Covid-19.

“There is a likely scenario that either the vaccine’s immunity will not be lasting forever,” said Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla in an interview Tuesday, “or that the virus will mutate, or that the virus will find ways to come back again and again.”

Even as the transmission rate of Covid-19 remains high in India, the pace of recovery has risen too. On Wednesday, India reported its third day of over 35,000 recoveries.

Global Update

Flare-ups in virus cases from Hong Kong to Europe are proving difficult for policy makers to wrangle. The U.S. neared 150,000 deaths from Covid-19, even as daily infections slowed in some hard-hit states. China reported 101 new cases, up from 68 a day earlier, with 98 of the total from local infections, mostly in Xinjiang.

Philippine health authorities warned that hospitals and infirmaries risk getting overwhelmed.

Globally, confirmed Covid-19 cases have topped 16.6 million with over 658,000 dead.

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