How Actor Ranya Rao Managed To Give Airport Security The Slip

Actor Ranya Rao's gold smuggling racket involved a huge syndicate and she got through airports with the help of the State Protocol Officer who was also part of the racket, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or DRI, which is also investigating the smuggling case, told a court today. 

The DRI, which was opposing the bail of the 33-tear-old -- who was arrested with 14 kg of gold in Bengaluru's Kempegowda airport on March 3 -- said that day, it was the State Protocol Officer who escorted her out of the airport.  She was caught just a step or two before the exit.

The agency said today that Ranya Rao had passed through the immigration and the Green Channel with the help of the State Protocol Office, and alleged the department  was involved. 

"We (the DRI) had intercepted there once she passed the Green Channel. She had no intention of declaring what she was carrying," the DRI counsel added.  

"We have summoned the State Protocol Officer and received his statement," the DRI said. 

The agency also contended that huge money was arranged and transferred through hawala and they are investigating that channel. 

"It shows that a syndicate was operating," the DRI said. Contending that the actor is not cooperating with the Investigation, the DRI said, "We oppose her bail as it's a matter of National Security. We have to Investigate the hawala channel".

The agency also said that Ranya Rao, who has been to Dubai 27 times in the last six months, has the Resident Identity Card of the UAE.

Ranya Rao, stepdaughter of Indian Police Service officer Ramachandra Rao, is currently in judicial custody which will end on March 24, but the court is expected to take a call on her bail petition tomorrow. 

Ranya Rao had come under the lens of the DRI due to her frequent foreign trips. Within the last six months, she had made 27 trips to Dubai, and also the United States. 

Following her arrest, a search of her home in Bengaluru's Lavelle Road yielded gold jewellery worth Rs. 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs. 2.67 crore," the DRI said.

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AIMIM Plans To Expand In Bengal, Contest All Seats In 2026

Asadudin Owaisi's AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) has decided to widen its footprint in West Bengal ahead of next year's assembly election. The party has launched a phone number to expand its base through a state-wide membership drive. 

"We have around three lakh members in Bengal and won around 1.5 lakh votes in the 2023 Panchayat elections just from Malda and Murshidabad," AIMIM leader Md Imran Solanki told NDTV. 

AIMIM made its Bengal debut in the 2021 assembly election but failed to create an impact. The party fielded seven candidates from Malda, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur districts in minority dominated seats - a fraction of the state's 294 assembly seats. 

But this time, they are determined, will be different. 

"We have been working silently on ground for four years now, we want to field candidates in all seats in the upcoming assembly polls and have started working at the block level," Mr Solanki said. 

As part of its outreach programme, the AIMIM is going door-to-door in the districts for the membership drive. It is also organising iftar parties in the districts. 

After Eid, Mr Owaisi is expected to visit Bengal to hold rallies ahead of the elections. According to the 2011 census, Muslims account for 27 per cent of West Bengal's population.

"Mamata Banerjee is proclaiming her Hindu identity, the BJP is playing a different game but the only ones who are losing is the public. The voters need an alternative. We have a strong support base in North Bengal and Malda," added Mr Solanki. 

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Men "Dangerously" Celebrate India Win, Cops Shave Their Heads, Parade Them

In an unusual turn of events, police in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district allegedly punished a group of youngsters for their "exuberant" celebrations following Team India's Champions Trophy victory on Sunday night.

The stringent National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against two of the men after the matter turned violent and they attacked the police. A person can be detained for up to 12 months under the NSA.

The police reportedly shaved their heads and paraded them through the streets as a supposed reenactment of their late-night revelry.

Videos of the incident, showing the tonsured youths being escorted by the police on Monday, quickly went viral. The controversy prompted BJP MLA Gayatri Raje Puar to meet with Dewas Superintendent of Police (SP) Punit Gehlot on Tuesday.

"These young men were celebrating India's victory just like the rest of the country. They are not habitual offenders, and the act of publicly parading them in such a manner is completely unjustified. Their families accompanied me to the SP's office, where we strongly condemned this disproportionate punishment. The SP has assured a thorough inquiry into the matter," the MLA said.

Mr Gehlot said an investigation has been launched into both the Sunday night celebrations and Monday's events.

"The probe will examine all aspects, including whether those detained were actually involved. Additional SP Jaiveer Singh Bhadoria has been tasked with conducting a time-bound inquiry, which will be completed within seven days. Those found responsible will face appropriate action," he said.

The controversy stemmed from the large-scale celebrations in Dewas after India's triumph in Dubai.

According to reports, when the police led by station in-charge Ajay Singh Gurjar attempted to stop some youths from dangerously bursting crackers near Sayaji Gate, a confrontation ensued.

Video footage showed a group of youths misbehaving with the officers, forcing them to retreat. Some individuals were even seen chasing the police vehicle and pelting stones at it.

Based on this footage, police charged 10 youths in connection with the incident. The following evening, videos surfaced showing some of them being marched from the police station to Sayaji Gate after having their heads forcibly shaved.

In a separate but related incident, a street food vendor was allegedly assaulted by the police on Sunday night for operating late amid the celebrations.

The alleged police assault was seen on camera, leading to immediate action against the constable, who has since been transferred to police lines pending an inquiry by a Circle SP.

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Woman, Friends Set Cat On Fire After It Crosses Road In UP, Case Filed

A woman and her friends allegedly set a cat on fire after it crossed a road ahead of them in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad on Friday.

A police case has been filed against them.

A video that surfaced on social media shows some people allegedly beating and then setting on fire a cat alive.

The cat crossed the path of their motorcycle, triggering the response from the accused.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau received an email, along with the video, which followed up with prompt action.

The accused have been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

According to the first information report (FIR), the accused were also seen filming the act on camera. The authorities have traced their motorcycle and further investigation is on.

(With inputs from Harsh Pandey)

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"India Zeals The Deal": Gautam Adani Celebrates Champions Trophy Victory

Gautam Adani, the Chairman of the Adani Group, on Monday, expressed immense pride and joy following Team India's victory in the ICC Champions Trophy final.

Gautam Adani took to social media platform X, lauding the performance of the Men in Blue as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling finale at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. In his tweet, he wrote, “Dominant. Relentless. Brilliant. Triumphant. India Zeals the Deal!”

The Adani Group's official X account also joined in the celebration, sharing a post that read, “Congratulations, Team India, on becoming champions, once again.”

The final match saw India set a target of 252 runs on a slow and turning pitch in Dubai. The Men in Blue made an impressive start with captain Rohit Sharma targeting the bowlers while his opening partner Shubhman Gill played the role of an anchor. Even as the New Zealand bowlers managed to apply brakes on the Indian run flow by grabbing quick wickets of Gill and run-machine Virat Kohli, the middle order led by Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings.

India's chase, though, was far from easy. The New Zealand bowlers, particularly the spinners, fought hard, regularly taking wickets to keep the pressure on India's batting lineup. However, with captain Rohit Sharma top-scoring with an explosive 76 from 83 balls and solid contributions from Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya, India crossed the finish line with composure.

Rohit Sharma's performance, along with the steady hands of his middle-order partners, played a key role in securing India's third Champions Trophy title. This triumph comes less than a year after India's crushing defeat in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup final, making this victory even more significant.

Throughout the tournament, Team India remained unbeaten. They opened their campaign with a solid win against Bangladesh, followed by a dominant victory over Pakistan.

In the league stages, India also defeated New Zealand to top the group table before securing a semi-final win over Australia.

rs/

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

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Rohit Breaks Silence On Retirement After Leading India To CT 2025 Title

Rohit Sharma has put to rest all speculations about his future in the ODI format after India won the Champions Trophy 2025 defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the final. There was huge buzz over Rohit Sharma's future in the ODIs leading up to the Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday. Rohit Sharma will be 38 in two months' time and with India's next major ODI tournament being the 2027 ODI World Cup, there were rumours that Rohit might hang up his boots. However, in the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma has clarified that he has not taken any decision on his future. 

"I am not going to retire from this format. Just to make sure no rumours are spread moving forward. Koi future plan hai nahi, jo chal raha hai chalega (there is no future plan, whatever is going on will continue as it is)," Rohit Sharma said.

"There is a lot of hunger even in guys who have played a lot of cricket and it rubs down on even the younger players. We have five to six players who are real stalwarts. It makes the job easier for all of us."

Rohit Sharma cooked all his haters who were spreading rumours of his retirement. #INDvNZ
pic.twitter.com/kONaJ1E4zu

— (@Ro_45stan) March 9, 2025

Rohit Sharma registered his first-ever half-century in an ICC event final, playing a brilliant knock against New Zealand in the final of ICC Champions Trophy at Dubai.

During the final while chasing 252 runs, Indian skipper Rohit went hard on bowlers right from ball one, scoring 76 in 83 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. He scored his runs at a strike rate of 91.56.

Now, across nine ICC events finals, Rohit has scored 322 runs in 11 innings at an average of 32.20, with a half-century and best score of 76.

Now, Rohit has joined the company of Sourav Ganguly (117 against New Zealand in ICC Knockout 2000 final), Sanath Jayasuriya (74 against India in ICC Champions Trophy 2002 final) and South Africa's Hansie Cronje (61* against West Indies in ICC Knockout 1998 final) as only captains with 50-plus scores in ICC Champions Trophy final.

76 is Rohit Sharma's highest in any ODI final, bettering his 66 against Australia at the SCG during the Commonwealth Bank series final 2008.

With ANI inputs 

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On Virat, Rohit's Future After Champions Trophy, An 'Honest' Verdict

With the next ODI World Cup in 2027, is it time for the veteran duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to make way for young talent? The ICC Champions Trophy has seen some exemplary performances from Indian stars, especially Kohli who is among the top-scoring batters. Rohit, on the other hand, hasn't failed to set the temp at the top but is yet to convert his starts into big scores. As reports emerge over the duo's possible exit from ODI cricket after the Champions Trophy, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has given his 'honest' verdict.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra said that if the duo decide to hang on, the coming two years aren't going to be easy for them by any means. With the ODI World Cup scheduled to be held in 2027, deciding the future course of action isn't going to be an easy task.

"It's entirely up to them. I will be very honest, it's not going to be easy. In 2025, Kohli's performance with the bat has been outstanding and Rohit's has been okay, okay. I won't say his performance is very good. He might change the scenario by scoring a hundred in the final," he responded.

"Someone else even asked me whether they would retire. I said I don't know. Their retirement after winning the T20 World Cup seemed slightly logical and it was along the expected lines. It wasn't shocking, but here if they leave both T20Is and ODIs, only Tests will be left then. Will they go down that route? Who knows," Chopra added.

Both Rohit and Virat have already quit the T20 international format, which means that their playing time is going to reduce. Considering the recent ups and downs the duo has had in their India careers, an intriguing time awaits them.

"The World Cup is still two years away, and two years is a long time. Two years is a longer time when you are not playing the T20 format (T20Is) as well, although, to be fair, many ODIs have been kept in the coming 12 months. So they will remain involved," he said in the same video.

"Even in Test cricket, it's been up and down. We don't know what will happen in England, who will go and who will not go, as we have come after losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25)," Chopra observed.

"So will we forget that totally in case we win the Champions Trophy? We don't know. Will it make a difference based on how their IPL goes? I don't know. I don't know what's there in their mind in terms of ODIs. I won't say never say never, but, for now, it's up to them," he added.

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