GURGAON: The managing director of real estate company Vigneshwara Group and two of his family members have been booked by Gurgaon Police in a multi-crore fraud case. Some estimates put the scale of the fraud at more than Rs 1,000 crore. Despite taking money from around 700 investors for properties in and around Gurgaon in 2006-07, and promising assured returns till possession, the group allegedly didn’t begin construction of some projects and defaulted on payments to investors. An FIR was filed at Sushant Lok police station against group MD Sunil Dahiya, his brother Sanjay and father Daryav Singh. Dahiya hasn’t been taken into custody yet because he complained of illness […]

More than two months after a black man was shot to death while jogging on a Sunday afternoon, Georgia investigators conceded that the facts show enough evidence to jail a white father and son on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.  The investigation appeared stalled by local author...

Criticising the Sindh government for “playing politics” over the holding of mourning religious congregations by issuing a notification to ban such congregations, the Majlis-e-Wahdat Muslimeen announced on Friday that the Yaum-e-Ali procession would be organised on Ramazan 21 after...

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KARACHI: Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour’s five properties, estimated to be worth over Rs32 million and purchased by him in Karachi by using fake identities, have been taken over by the anti-terrorism court for auction, sources told Dawn on Thursday.

The FIA had booked Mullah Mansour, aliases Mohammad Wali and Gul Mohammad, Akhtar Mohammad and Amaar in a case lodged under Section 11H (pertaining to fundraising and money laundering) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, read with sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Mullah Mansour, who was killed in a drone strike along the Pakistan-Iran border on May 21, 2016, had purchased five properties, including plots and houses, in Karachi.

This revelation came in a report submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency to the ATC-II in July last year regarding an investigation into a case related to alleged fundraising by the slain Afghan Taliban leader and his accomplices through the purchase of properties on the back of forged identities.

Mullah Akhtar Mansour bought Rs32m properties in Karachi using fake identities

Since January, the court had been directing the investigation officer (IO) to complete the process of attachment of Mullah Mansour’s properties and proclamation of his two alleged absconding accomplices — Akhtar Mohammad and Amaar — under sections 87 and 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

On April 24, the court had ordered the Nazir (a court official) to take over the properties of Mullah Mansour after the IO submitted a compliance report regarding completion of the attachment process of the properties by the Federal Investigation Agency.

The court had ordered the Nazir to auction those properties and get advertisements published in newspapers.

When the matter came up before the ATC-II judge recently, the court’s Nazir filed a report regarding seizure of property owned by Mullah Akhtar Mansour on behalf of the court.

The judge asked the Nazir to file a report about publication of the auction advertisement in newspapers on the next date of hearing.

The judge granted a request by Rehmatullah Domki, the investigation officer, to hear the case next month. She scheduled a hearing from June 11.

During a previous hearing, the IO had informed the court that the FIA had unearthed five properties purchased by the Taliban leader before his death. An estimated value of the properties is Rs32 million.

The court had already called for reports from the commissioners of Peshawar and Quetta regarding the process of proclamation of Mullah Mansour’s alleged absconding accomplices and attachment of their properties.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2020

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Saturday that Saudi Arabian authorities recently detained and are holding incommunicado Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, who had previously been netted in an anti-corruption drive and released in late 2017.

The US-based rights group, citing a source with ties to the royal family, said Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, a son of late monarch King Abdullah, was detained by security forces on March 27 while self-isolating due to the coronavirus pandemic at a family compound northeast of the capital Riyadh.

Reuters could not immediately independently verify the detention. The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a detailed Reuters request for comment.

Earlier in March, authorities had detained King Salman’s brother, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, and former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was replaced in a 2017 palace coup and placed under house arrest, sources had told Reuters.

Sources with royal connections said at the time that the move was a preemptive effort to ensure compliance within the ruling Al Saud family ahead of an eventual succession to the throne by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman upon the king’s death or abdication.

It was not clear if the reported detention of Prince Faisal was related to those in early March, which also saw Ahmed’s son Nayef and Mohammed bin Nayef’s brother Nawaf detained.

Saudi authorities have not commented on those detentions, which follow crackdowns on dissent in which clerics, intellectuals and rights activists have been arrested, and an anti-corruption drive launched in 2017 that netted scores of royals, ministers and businessmen.

Critics have said the campaigns were part of moves by Crown Prince Mohammed, the king’s son and the kingdom’s de facto ruler, to consolidate his grip on power.

“Now we have to add Prince Faisal to the hundreds detained in Saudi Arabia without a clear legal basis,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW.

The kingdom has regularly denied allegations of unfair detention.

Authorities said last year the government was winding down the anti-corruption campaign after 15 months, but would continue to go after graft.

HRW said Prince Faisal’s whereabouts or status are not known.

“The source said that Prince Faisal has not publicly criticised authorities since his December 2017 arrest and that family members are concerned about his health as he has a heart condition,” it added.

In late December 2017, a senior Saudi official said Prince Faisal and another royal, Prince Meshaal bin Abdullah, were released from Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel, where people nabbed in the anti-corruption drive were being held, after reaching an undisclosed financial settlement with the government.

The auction of commercial properties held by the Chandigarh Housing Board flopped with just two booths finding any takers on Wednesday. A total of 145 booths, bay shops and a restaurant site were to go under the hammer. The two properties that were auctioned fetched a little over the reserve price. The CHB auction of booths held in 2009 had also flopped with no property being auctioned. Among the booths that were auctioned was one in Sector 38 (West). This fetched Rs 61.13 lakh, just Rs 25,000 more than the reserve price. Another booth in Manimajra fetched Rs 60.25 lakh, which was Rs 27,000 more than the reserve price. The […]

CHANDIGARH: TDI Investors Association, which includes 70 member investors from Chandigarh, on Wednesday created a row, alleging that the owners had cheated them of Rs 150 crore. The association, in a press conference, alleged that a legal agreement was signed between the company and the members in 2005 after which they paid 80% of the cost for showrooms in the mall and were promised possession by 2008. The members blamed the company of not giving them possession till date and neither paying them the returns. The project includes 70 shops varying from 400 sq ft to 1,000 sq ft. TDI chairman Ravinder Taneja, however, trashed the allegations, blaming the authorities […]

'Australia is “gum stuck to the bottom of China’s shoe”, huh? Ok, well, it’s time for Australia to rethink trade and other agreements with China if they don’t like criticism'

The Weld County GOP chairman has filed a complaint with the local district attorney and the Secretary of State’s Office accusing an aide to Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck and three others of election fraud and corruption.

The Government of Palau will draw down on a $15 million policy-based loan from ADB's Disaster Resilience Program to help finance the country’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

ADB and AIM today launched the #DigitalAgainstCOVID-19 virtual challenge to crowdsource digital solutions and ideas to help countries in Asia and the Pacific deal with the medium- and long-term...

CHENNAI: The Kotturpuram branch of Indian Bank has invited tenders for auction of a property belonging to film producer and director Gautham Vasudev Menon in Adyar. As per details on Tenders India (a government tender information system), the auction process for the property located on First Main Road in Indira Nagar, has begun with the tender value being quoted at 12.26 crore. The winning bidder, expected to put up 50 lakh as a deposit. The property is 7,091 sqft, and the market price of each ground (2,400 sqft) in the area is 4.5 crore to 5 crore. “This particular account has been a non-performing asset (NPA) for some time and […]

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) launched an emergency coronavirus appeal Friday, saying Palestinians across the Middle East were suffering a devastating socio-economic impact.

The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia exceeded 35,000 on Friday as the kingdom struggles to get to grips with rising numbers of new infections.

President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman spoke by phone Friday and "reaffirmed the strong United States-Saudi defense partnership," the White House said, amid tensions over Saudi's oil output.

ADB joined the governments of Tonga and Australia in an inauguration ceremony today to officially mark the completion of upgrading work of the Mataki’eua water supply system as part of the ADB-supported Nuku’alofa Urban...

The unique challenges of financing and building a climate-resilient port in a tiny Pacific country required ADB to develop and deploy innovative approaches to ensure the project’s design, governance, and monitoring were efficient and effective.

Nimitz Adam, 39, from Boe District, is a mechanic at Nauru’s Aiwo Boat Harbor. Since construction began on Nauru's new port in October 2019, the father of 6 says the people of Nauru are beginning to realize their dream of having an efficient, reliable, and climate-resilient international port. “The new port will be like a lifeline for the people of Nauru.” Nimitz Adam, mechanic at Nauru’s Aiwo Boat Harbor

Dentons is now the largest global law firm in Argentina and the first truly Pan-Latin American and the Caribbean firm in the history of the legal profession.

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Thanks to investment from Australia and ADB, a new clean water plant in Ebeye, in the north-west corner of the Marshall Islands, is changing lives.

The unique challenges of financing and building a climate-resilient port in a tiny Pacific country required ADB to develop and deploy innovative approaches to ensure the project’s design, governance, and monitoring were efficient and effective.

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Capitedge India Investment Advisory, a realty fund and asset management firm floated by six former members of Indian realty team of American banking giant Wells Fargo, is coming out with a residential properties-focused fund in India. This would mark its first fresh fundraising exercise after floating an independent investment advisory firm, which is also managing the remaining assets of Wells Fargo after it shut operations in the country last year. While the founding partners are closely associated in operations, Hiral Soni is driving the domestic fundraise and investment strategy, as per the company website. She was previously with Marvel Realtors and had later also set up a boutique investment banking […]

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HYDERABAD: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) commissioner Somesh Kumar suspended deputy municipal commissioner, Qutubullapur, V Mamata, assistant city planner M Tulasiram and section officer Sreedhar Goud for failing to take timely action against an unauthorized construction in Qutubullapur. According to an official release issued here on Monday, suspension orders of the deputy municipal commissioner, the then in-charge assistant city planner (now with Circle 9, Abids) and town planning were issued as they failed to perform their duties in preventing the illegal construction (stilt+ground floor) on plot number 117 & 118 in survey numbers 208, 209, 211 & 212 of Qutubullapur circle as evidenced from the order of the High Court […]

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has begun the construction of 3.1 km-long new Metro Line 7A. The proposed metro corridor would comprise two stations and would connect Line 7 with the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has commenced the development of the Metro Line 7A.  The reach of the new metro would be 3.1 km, out of which 2.1 km-long section would be underground and would include a twin-tunnel. The corridor would establish connectivity between Metro Line 7 and the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Other areas that are expected to benefit from the improved connectivity include Andheri and Dahisar (East). According to an MMRDA […]

MUMBAI: Until recently, real estate portals were used by home buyers to research on floor plans and price of apartments but builders are taking this process to the next level: you can now buy a home online. With growing internet penetration, builders have realised the potential of the online space in selling homes and some have even tasted success. Mumbai-based Lodha group has generated over 100 bookings through its online portal for its new township project Palava in Navi Mumbai. “We see the online space offering the potential for us to connect with consumers in new ways across the engagement cycle, from first contact to providing basic information all the […]

STAMFORD, CT – HARMAN, the award-winning maker of outstanding audio and entertainment solutions, announced today that eight new products have been named CES Innovation Award winners for 2014. The awards were presented by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®), producer of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. Products from HARMAN’s JBL, Harman Kardon, Infinity, AKG, and Aha brands were recognized for outstanding design and engineering in consumer electronics.

CES 2014, LAS VEGAS – HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR) debuted several new products for the mobile aftermarket today at CES, continuing its tradition of leadership for best-in-class car audio.

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW – HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR), is making a strong showing at this year’s New York International Auto Show, with a range of leading automakers featuring HARMAN branded audio systems in vehicles debuting at the show. In addition to the new vehicles– which run the gamut from modern sedans to sports cars, minivans and crossover SUVs – HARMAN technology and solutions can be found in automaker booths throughout the show, a reflection of HARMAN’s longstanding auto partnerships and unmatched industry achievements.

CES 2015, LAS VEGAS – HARMAN, the premium global audio, visual, infotainment and enterprise automation group (NYSE:HAR), introduced today at CES 2015 the Infinity® BassLink SM, the latest subwoofer in the BassLink line. The compact under seat subwoofer is designed to reinforce the low-end bass performance in vehicles and put the richness back into the music.

Shanghai Auto Show 2019 – SHANGHAI – April 16, 2019 – At the Shanghai Auto Show, HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, announced...

The desire to get things ‘my way’ is innately human. From suggested playlists on Spotify to personalized recommendations on Netflix, consumers love it when things are tailored to their own preferences. The concept of personalization isn’t new but the...

Each year, Americans collectively spend 70 billion hours behind the wheel. Three out of four Americans listen to audio in the car – and get this – half of all listening time occurs in the car, according to Edison Research Share of Ear 2018.   It is no...