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EOW Kashmir Chargesheets Habitual Fraudster in Fake Job Racket

Srinagar, Aug 22 (NVI): The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch Jammu and Kashmir has filed a chargesheet against a habitual offender in connection with a fake government job racket, officials said on Saturday.

The chargesheet was filed before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kupwara, against Abdul Majeed Mir, a resident of Lashtiyal Kalaroos in Kupwara district, in FIR No. 18/2026 registered under sections 420, 468, 471 and 201 of the RPC, the EOW said in a statement.

The case was registered following a complaint alleging that Mir had cheated the complainant of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of arranging a government job and handed over a forged appointment order purportedly issued by the Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Officer of J&K Bank, it said.

The EOW said the allegations were substantiated during investigation on the basis of evidence collected and the case was found proved.

According to the agency, Mir is a habitual offender and is involved in 15 other criminal cases registered across the Kashmir Valley.

He was arrested on July 18 and is currently lodged in Central Jail Srinagar in connection with another case registered by the EOW, the statement said.

The EOW has advised people to remain vigilant against fraudulent job offers and report suspicious activities to the agency.(NVI)

NIA Conducts Raids at Two Locations in South Kashmir

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Srinagar, Aug 22 (NVI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted searches at two locations in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir as part of an ongoing investigation, officials said.

The searches were carried out at SICOP in Bijbehara and at Kreeri village in the Dooru area, they said.

The NIA teams were accompanied by personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police during the searches.

Further details about the searches and the case in connection with which they were conducted were awaited.(NVI)

Two vessels with 22 Indians hijacked, Govt says captives safe

Representative pic

New Delhi, Aug 21 (NVI) Two foreign-flagged ships, with 22 Indian seafarers on board, have been hijacked off the coast of Yemen and Somalia and the Indian government has taken up the matter with the relevant authorities of Somalia.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said all the 22 Indian nationals are reported to be safe.

The two vessels are Eritrea-flagged oil tanker Sibu-1 and Cameroon-flagged general cargo carrier Lutuf.

While Lutuf was hijacked off the coast of Somalia on August 17, Sibu-1 was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen yesterday.

The vessels were overpowered by armed men travelling in hordes of fast-moving boats, with the attackers firing at the ships, including using the Rocket-Propelled Guns (RPGs), according to reports.

“Two foreign-flagged ships have been hijacked. We are in touch with the concerned authorities. There are 22 Indian nationals on board, 16 on one ship and six on the other, and all of them are reportedly safe,” Jaiswal said.

“We are looking into the matter. Let me tell you that the welfare and safety of our seafarers and seafaring community is something to which we attach very high importance,” the spokesman said while addressing the media here. (NVI)

Whole-of-Society Approach Needed to Defeat Terrorism: J&K LG Sinha

Rajouri, August 21 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday laid the foundation stone of the Amriteshwar Sarovar at Dharpur in Sunderbani area of Rajouri district under the Jan Sanchay Jan Bhagidari initiative.

Sinha also paid obeisance at the Shri Amriteshwar Shiv Temple and prayed for peace, prosperity and well-being of the people.

Addressing a public gathering, the lieutenant governor lauded the local community and the Shri Amriteshwar Shiv Mandir Vikas Samiti for their collective efforts in developing the religious site.

He said community solidarity has a crucial role to play in eliminating terrorism, substance abuse and corruption, besides promoting economic development and a spiritual renaissance in Jammu and Kashmir.

“India is going through a great spiritual revival. This cultural wave is felt across Jammu Kashmir, bringing people closer together and strengthening our community bonds,” Sinha said.

He urged people to remain vigilant against the activities of anti-national elements, report suspicious activities and completely isolate terror sympathisers.

“Security forces alone cannot defeat terrorism. Eradicating this threat demands a whole-of-society approach,” he said, calling for coordinated efforts by the police, security agencies and the public to dismantle the financial and logistical networks of narco-terror groups.

Sinha said concerted efforts by the Army, security forces, J&K Police, administration and residents had significantly degraded terrorism and transformed the security landscape of the Union Territory.

He also said the administration would make sincere efforts to address public grievances and meet local infrastructure requirements.

MLA Kalakote-Sunderbani Thakur Randhir Singh, Shri Amriteshwar Shiv Mandir Vikas Samiti president Satyapal Sharma, VHP J&K president Rajesh Gupta, IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range Sandeep Wazir, DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range Shiv Kumar Sharma and Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Abhishek Sharma, among others, were present on the occasion.(NVI)

India to permit duty-free imports of raw sugar

Sugar Consumption
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New Delhi, Aug 21 (NVI) India will permit duty-free imports of up to 1 million metric tonnes of raw sugar, the government has said amidst the rising prices and low availability of the sweetner.

According to a Commerce Ministry notification, the import quota will be available until October 31, covering the festive season when sugar consumption typically rises due to increased demand for traditional sweets.

India currently imposes a 100 per cent duty on sugar imports.

Domestic sugar prices have climbed nearly 40 per cent over the past two months as lower production has tightened supplies. The supply squeeze has prompted India to turn to imports for the first time in nearly a decade.

The announcement triggered a rise in international sugar prices, with benchmark white sugar futures in London and raw sugar futures in New York gaining as much as 4 per cent.

The government has opened the 1 million-tonne quota to port-based sugar refineries that import raw sugar duty-free for refining and traditionally export the resulting white sugar. These refiners will now be allowed to sell refined sugar in the domestic market from imported raw sugar.

The move could add around 300,000 tonnes of sugar to the domestic market relatively quickly, according to a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.

However, another New Delhi-based trader said most new imports were likely to come from Brazil, with shipments taking nearly two months. This could mean the impact on domestic supplies will be felt mainly from October.

Sugar mills and refiners with operational capacity to process raw sugar into white sugar have been asked to apply for the zero-duty tariff-rate quota between 21 August and 28 August. Preference will be given to importers that commit to completing imports by 15 October.

Ashok Jain, president of the Bombay Sugar Merchants Association, said the import decision was likely to limit the recent rise in domestic sugar prices, even as expectations of higher Indian purchases pushed international prices higher.

Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme notified by Government

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New Delhi, Aug 21 (NVI) The Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS), aimed at expanding mobile phone manufacturing and strengthening Indian brands, was notified by the government today.

The five-year programme, from the current financial year, has an outlay of Rs 62,500 crore.

The scheme provides for incentives ranging from 2.25 per cent to 5 per cent, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The MPMS will focus on two key areas— increasing mobile phone production in India and supporting the growth of domestic mobile phone brands.

The scheme will also encourage manufacturers to increase the use of locally produced components and sub-assemblies, helping deepen domestic value addition across the mobile phone ecosystem.

The programme follows the government’s earlier Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile phones, which exceeded its targets for investment, production and exports.

Under the first mobile PLI scheme, the government had set an investment target of Rs 7,000 crore. Actual investment crossed Rs 20,500 crore.

Production under the scheme reached Rs 11.61 lakh crore, well above the target of Rs 8.12 lakh crore. Exports stood at Rs 6.43 lakh crore, compared with the target of Rs 4.87 lakh crore.

The first PLI programme also attracted $14 billion in investment into the wider mobile phone ecosystem.

Domestic value addition increased to 23 per cent from 15 per cent during the period, highlighting the expansion of local manufacturing capabilities. (NVI)

J&K DGP Nalin Prabhat Reviews SOG Preparedness in Shopian

Shopian, August 21 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat on Friday visited Shopian and reviewed the operational preparedness and functioning of the Special Operations Group (SOG), officials said.

Prabhat, accompanied by SDG Coordination and Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, interacted with SOG personnel and took stock of their operational readiness and preparedness.

The senior officers discussed various security-related issues with the personnel and emphasised enhanced coordination, alertness and operational efficiency to meet emerging security challenges.

The visit underscored the importance of maintaining a high level of vigilance and preparedness among frontline security personnel to ensure peace and security in South Kashmir, officials said.(NVI)

India, Singapore to deepen ties in digitalisation, manufacturing, healthcare

New Delhi: India and Singapore have discussed ways to deepen cooperation across digitalisation, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, skills development and connectivity.

The issues were discussed during the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in Singapore attended by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, where the longstanding bilateral partnership was underlined.

The two sides exchanged two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering food safety and maritime heritage, along with a Letter of Intent (LOI) on cooperation in telecommunications and broadcasting.

The ministers welcomed initiatives aimed at developing new growth industries in both countries, which are expected to create greater trade and investment opportunities for businesses.

The meeting also focused on advancing the National Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with support from the Singapore Cooperation Programme.

The fourth India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR) was held alongside the ministerial meeting.

Discussions centred on improving the ease of doing business in India, strengthening capital market flows and expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI).

Indian businesses also explored opportunities to work with Singapore to access international markets, according to the joint statement.

Ahead of the ISMR, the Indian ministerial delegation met Singapore Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

Prime Minister Wong and the Indian ministers reaffirmed the importance of the ministerial roundtable as a key platform for bilateral cooperation and discussed emerging areas to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

The ministers said the initiatives discussed during the meetings would support new avenues for economic collaboration and strengthen business ties between India and Singapore. (NVI)

Old Shell Destroyed in  J&K’s Poonch’s Mankote Sector

Shivam Bakshi

Poonch Aug 21 (NVI): An old shell was safely destroyed by an Army Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team in the Mankote sector in Poonch district on Friday, officials said.

The operation was carried out by the BDS team, under the jurisdiction of Police Post Balnoi, at around early morning.

The shell was destroyed through a controlled blast as a precautionary measure. No injuries were reported in the incident, officials said.(NVI)

Srinagar: Crime Branch Searches Constable’s Residence in Forgery Case

Srinagar, Aug 21 (NVI): The Special Crime Wing Kashmir of the Crime Branch J&K on Friday conducted a search at the residence of a police constable in Safakadal here in connection with a case involving alleged forgery of documents used to secure an appointment in the J&K Police Department, officials said.

The search was carried out at the residence of Special Grade Constable Manzoor Ahmad Najar in connection with FIR No. 10/2026 registered under Sections 420, 468 and 471 of the RPC, they said.

The officials said the search was conducted after obtaining a warrant from the Court of Special Mobile Magistrate (PT&E), Srinagar.

The case pertains to allegations that the accused secured an appointment in the police department by submitting forged documents relating to his date of birth and educational qualifications, they said.

The Crime Branch said the search was conducted in accordance with due procedure and further investigation is underway.

The public has also been advised to remain vigilant against fraudsters and report such incidents to the SSP, Special Crime Wing Kashmir, officials said.(NVI)

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