Delhi Fashion Designer Was Killed by the Man She Helped Get Out of Jail

Agencies
November 17, 2018

New Delhi, Nov 17: Fashion Designer Mala Lakhani wound up a long conversation with her sister, saying she would call back after watching "Bigg Boss" but that was never to be. About an hour later, she was killed, allegedly by her own tailor who she had helped get out of jail, her sister Aarti Sharma said on Friday.

It was 'Meenu', as Mala was known in her family, who helped get Rahul out of jail when he was arrested for molestation, Aarti murmured, almost as if talking to herself.

Three men have been arrested in connection with the murder — Mala's master tailor Rahul Anwar (24), his cousin Rahmat (24) and his friend Wasim (25).

Rahul was arrested in 2017 for allegedly molesting a minor girl in Rangpuri Pahari area, police said.

"She would always say that Anwar is like my 'bachcha'," Aarti said.

Aarti was inconsolable, standing outside the Safdarjung Hospital mortuary to claim the body of her 53-year-old sister, who was found brutally stabbed to death along with her domestic help Bahadur in her bungalow in upscale Vasant Kunj Enclave in the early hours of Thursday.

"I had spoken to her at around 8.15 pm (on Wednesday). I spoke to her again and we ended up talking till 9.50 pm. She wanted to speak to my daughter but later said she will call us after 'Bigg Boss' gets over. But she never called back," Aarti said.

It is hard to believe that Rahul stabbed her so brutally and did not even spare her face, Aarti said, standing outside the hospital with her husband Rahul Sharma, the first person to see the bodies with multiple stab injuries in the workshop of the sprawling home.

The bodies of Mala, who ran a boutique called Tulsi Creations in Green Park, and 50-year-old Bahadur, a Nepalese national, were found with at least 18 stab injuries each.

After the killings, allegedly following a long-standing dispute over unpaid dues, the accused looted jewellery worth lakhs of rupees and ransacked the house, police said, estimating that the incident took place between 10 pm and 11.30 pm on Wednesday.

Around 2.45 am on Thursday, the three men went to the police station to confess to the crime.

"They had even inflicted stab injuries on her face and it was hard to recognise her. She was very conscious about her appearance but look what they did to her... Bahadur's intestines were visible. The workshop where the murders took place had blood splattered all over the floor," Rahul Sharma said.

Mala had even bought Rahul a motorcycle so he could commute to work.

Aarti also ran a boutique. About a year ago, Rahul visited her boutique to ask for work and did not inform her that he worked with her sister.

"I only learnt about it recently when one of my employees told me. I had never met Anwar in person before," she said.

She said she was aware of the monetary dispute between them and had discussed it in detail with Mala.

"Anwar wanted extra money for every cloth he stitched. They wanted some Rs 50 extra per piece for stitching. Since it was a meagre amount, we would have sorted it. We had never thought they would hatch a conspiracy to kill her over it. In fact, it was Rahul who told police about Aarti and her boutique. That's how police contacted me to inform me about the incident," she added.

The sisters had planned to meet on Sunday but an unexpected visit from a relative meant that they could not.

 "Meenu's winter clothes had been kept in a cupboard in the storeroom where Bahadur used to sleep. The storeroom was next to the workshop where the incident happened.

"She was opening those cupboards on Wednesday to take out her things. Rahul must have thought she had kept cash in those cupboards, which is why they ransacked that room after killing Meenu and Bahadur," Aarti said.

Bahadur would always tell Mala that "we will die together". The words of Bahadur now almost seem prophetic,” Aarti said.

Police informed the family that the three accused allegedly searched Bahadur's room for money and were expecting to get Rs 30 lakh-40 lakh but did not find any cash.

"Bahadur would always joke that he will die along with Mala since he has been with us since our childhood. It's unfortunate that they both were killed so brutally," the sister added.

Bahadur, a Nepalese national, had been with them for the last 45 years and was “like a brother” to them.

"He was an integral part of our family. He would be angry and instruct us like a brother," Aarti said.

Aarti's husband recalled Bahadur as a very emotional person and remembered how he would call them by their first name.

"He would take care of the house and of every one of us. We trusted him. He would hardly keep a tab on his salary it was usually deposited in his bank account," Sharma said.

Recalling Mala, Sharma said she wanted to get out of her monotonous life.

"She wanted to enjoy her life. She had made enough money and now wanted to travel the world. She had become healthier and took lot of care about her skin and looks," Sharma said.

The family would caution Lakhani against keeping so many people in her house since she lived alone but she would always say, "my home is my mandir".

"I would speak to Meenu at least four times in a day and we met once a week," an inconsolable Aarti said.

Mala was planning to leave designing and wanted to retire and pursue other interest, she said.

"Mala was planning to learn pot,tery and for that she was planning to buy a villa in Goa. She and my elder daughter were planning to shift to Goa. My sister and daughter were like buddies. They were very close to each other", Aarti said.

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News Network
November 11,2024

Udupi, Nov 11: A traveller reportedly lost ₹4.1 lakh after attempting to book a cab online in Udupi. 

At around 1:30 PM on November 7, the man from West Bengal searched for car rentals on Google and selected a website named "Shakti Car Rentals." Shortly after, he was contacted by someone claiming to be "Rohit Sharma," who directed him to pay a registration fee of ₹150 on the site.

After unsuccessful payment attempts via both his Canara Bank debit card and SBI credit card (without receiving an OTP), "Rohit Sharma" instructed him to pay the driver directly. But at 1:47 PM, he received messages showing deductions of ₹3.3 lakh from his SBI credit card and ₹80,056 from his Canara Bank debit card, totaling ₹4.1 lakh.

The complainant alleges fraud through a deceptive link disguised as a booking token fee. A case has been registered at Udupi Town Police Station.

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News Network
November 17,2024

Mangaluru: District-in-Charge Minister and Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Gundu Rao, announced that a day-care chemotherapy centre will soon be established at District Wenlock Hospital. Speaking to mediapersons after reviewing the activities at Wenlock and Government Lady Goschen Hospital, he shared the government’s plans to enhance healthcare services in the region.

Key Initiatives Announced

•    Day-Care Chemotherapy Centre:

  • Ten beds will be reserved for cancer patients.
  • The government will collaborate with Yenepoya Hospital to provide chemotherapy treatments.
  • All required facilities for the centre are already in place, awaiting inauguration by the Chief Minister.

•    Wenlock Hospital Facelift:

  • Critical Care Block: To be built at a cost of ₹24 crore.
  • Integrated Public Health (IPH) Lab: Planned with a budget of ₹1 crore.
  • New OPD Block: As per a 2017 agreement, KMC Hospital will take up construction. Discussions with KMC management are underway.

•    Additional Requirements:

  • A new mortuary and post-mortem building.
  • Paramedical college building.
  • Modern kitchen.
  • Bridge connecting two buildings within the hospital.

•    Total facelift cost: ₹6 crore to ₹10 crore, utilizing funds from the Department of Health and Family Welfare and CSR contributions.

•    Timeline:
By December or January, priority works will be finalized. The superintendents of Wenlock and Lady Goschen Hospitals are scheduled to visit Bengaluru next week to discuss these projects.

•    MRI Fee Allegations:
The minister assured that allegations of patients being charged for MRI scans at Wenlock Hospital will be resolved at the earliest.
These measures aim to improve healthcare accessibility and infrastructure, positioning Wenlock Hospital as a state-of-the-art facility in the region.

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News Network
November 21,2024

modiadani.jpg

After the US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani with bribery and fraud, Congress reiterated its call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the transactions of the Adani group, and hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging an "internal nexus" between him and "his favourite businessman."

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the indictment of Gautam Adani and others by the US Securities and Exchange Commission validates his party’s call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation.

The Congress has been pushing for the probe since January 2023, raising concerns over alleged irregularities involving Adani and his business dealings, said Ramesh.

Ramesh referred to the party’s “Hum Adani ke Hain” series, where 100 questions were raised about the alleged scams and the links between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani.
He noted that the questions remain unanswered, reiterating the need for accountability in the matter.

The US prosecutors have charged Adani with deceiving investors by concealing information about his firm's solar energy project in India, which allegedly involved bribery.

Adani has been charged with securities fraud and conspiracy, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday. The case focusses on an agreement between Adani Green Energy Ltd. and another organisation to supply 12 gigawatts of solar power to the Indian government.

'BETRAYAL OF INDIAN INVESTORS'

Congress leader Pawan Khera described the allegations against Gautam Adani and his conglomerate as a “betrayal of Indian investors.”

Taking to X, Khera outlined the US charges, including claims that Adani’s group bribed Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024 to secure contracts. Citing media reports, he also pointed out that Gautam Adani personally met a government official to advance the scheme.

Khera referred to a March 2024 incident where the Adani Group allegedly misled the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange, calling it a “grave violation of investor trust.”

He further highlighted a March 2023 FBI raid on the premises of Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani’s nephew, where electronic devices were seized as part of the investigation.

'SEBI NOT ABLE TO PROVE ANY CHARGES AGAINST ADANI'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised central probe agencies following US charges against Gautam Adani and others in an alleged bribery case linked to solar energy contracts.

Chaturvedi raised concerns about corporate governance and regulatory oversight in the country. “They talk about corporate governance, responsibility, and accountability. The industrialists should be asked to follow the rules and regulations, but even the agencies were defending him. The SEBI has not yet been able to prove charges against him,” she said, pointing to what she viewed as failures in ensuring accountability.

'BROUGHT DISREPUTE TO INDIA'

On US charges against Gautam Adani, AAP leader Sanjay Singh called for a probe against the industrialist. He said that the probe should be conducted by an investigation agency under the Supreme Court.

"Adani Group has brought disrepute to India. This is a very serious matter. The PM of India should come forward and answer this. All the pending matters against Adani should be probed by an investigation agency under Supreme Court monitoring, and all the corruption done by him, within and outside the country, should come out before the country and action should be taken against him," he said.

BJP DFENDS

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya responded sharply to the Opposition’s criticism regarding allegations involving Adani Green Energy and US-based Azure Power. He pointed out that the charges in the indictment are only allegations and emphasised, “The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”

Malviya argued that the crux of the case concerns agreements to supply 12 GW of power to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), contingent on SECI securing power purchase agreements with state electricity distribution companies (SDCs).

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