Dawood's Daughter's Gown And A Kidnapping: A Fresh Look At MP Underworld

A new book by a retired IPS officer claims to reveal the chilling connection between the bridal gown of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's daughter and a high-profile kidnapping case in Indore in 2005. The book by Dr Shailendra Srivastava, titled "Shackle The Storm", threads together the details of how the seemingly unrelated events are linked, shedding light on a dark chapter of Madhya Pradesh's criminal history.

The story begins with the bridal gown worn by Dawood's daughter, Mahrukh, during her wedding in Mecca in July 2005. The gown was crafted by a tailor named Ismail Khan, a resident of Shivpuri district in Madhya Pradesh.

Barely a month later, on August 17, 2005, Nitesh Nagori, the 20-year-old son of a prominent cement manufacturer in Indore, was kidnapped. A ransom of Rs 4 crore was sought for him. The police caught some of the accused and managed to release him before the ransom was paid.

Investigation indicated that Ismail Khan was involved in the abduction.

Ismail Khan was closely associated with Aftab Alam, one of Dawood Ibrahim's trusted lieutenants. Dawood Ibrahim was to get a share of the ransom.

The police believe that Ismail, who had fled after the kidnapping, was promised a lucrative commission and a job in Dubai for his role in the crime, along with Rs 1 crore for stitching the gown.

Ismail and Aftab have both been on the run since the incident, evading capture for nearly two decades.

In September 2005, the police arrested Nitesh Nagori's friend Dhruv, and another associate, Gaurav, for allegedly assisting Ismail in the kidnapping.
 
During interrogation, Dhruv identified Ismail as the mastermind, leading the police to unravel the connection between Ismail and the infamous underworld network.

The investigation also revealed that Aftab Alam, who had escaped Mumbai in 1997, was operating from the Gulf during the kidnapping.

Aftab's involvement complicated the case. The Interpol was alerted and warrants issued for the arrest of Ismail, Aftab, and other suspects, including Randhawa and Ibrahim, who are on the run.

Dr Srivastava's book goes beyond the kidnapping case to delve into the underworld's operations in Madhya Pradesh, particularly the covert activities of Dawood Ibrahim and his notorious rival, Chhota Rajan.

The narrative reveals a previously untold story of Vicky Malhotra, a key member of Chhota Rajan gang, who was arrested after inadvertently alerting the Mumbai Police by using a phone number linked to a previous ransom threat in Indore.

Malhotra, whose real name is Vijay Kumar Yadav, provided an in-depth account of his life in the underworld, including his involvement in multiple assassination attempts on Dawood Ibrahim. The book uncovers chilling details, such as a failed attempt to target Dawood during his daughter's burial in Karachi and another botched plan in Dubai.

One of the most intriguing stories in the book is the transformation of Vijay Yadav into Vicky Malhotra, a feared don in Chhota Rajan's gang.

Dr. Srivastava explores how this petty thief from Murshidabad rose to prominence in the underworld and came close to assassinating Dawood Ibrahim on three occasions.

Shackle The Storm is more than just a crime thriller; it is a compilation of 14 gripping stories that traverse the murky world of crime, justice, and the underworld in Madhya Pradesh.

The book also recounts Dr Srivastava's experience as the IG of Indore Range during the 2006 Bhojshala riots, where he played a crucial role in managing communal tensions and exposing the activities of the banned terrorist organization SIMI.

As Dr Srivastava reveals, these stories are not just about crime but also about the courage of those who stand against it, offering readers a glimpse into the untold tales of Madhya Pradesh's fight against terrorism and the underworld.

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Chechen Leader Drives Armed Tesla Cybertruck, Plans To Send It to Ukraine

The leader of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, published a video on Saturday of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck with what looked like a machinegun mounted on top, saying he would send it to the Ukraine conflict zone.

Ramzan Kadyrov, known for extravagant publicity stunts, heaped praise on both the vehicle and Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk on the Telegram messaging app, calling him the "strongest genius of modern times" and inviting Musk to Chechnya.

"We... await your future products that will help us finish the special military operation," Ramzan Kadyrov wrote, using the official term by which Russia describes its war in Ukraine.

There was no immediate comment from Tesla.

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"Too Many Dead": Gaza Undertakers Stacking "Graves On Top Of Graves"

Undertakers are working like bricklayers in a Gaza cemetery, piling cinder blocks into tight rectangles, side by side, for freshly dug graves.

More than 10 months into the Gaza war, so many bodies are arriving at the cemetery in Deir el-Balah that the men, working in the hot sun, hardly have space to bury them.

"The cemetery is so full that we now dig graves on top of other graves, we've piled the dead in levels," says Saadi Hassan Barakeh, leading his team of gravediggers.

Barakeh, 63, has been burying the dead for 28 years. In "all the wars in Gaza", he says he has "never seen this".

Previously, Barakeh also oversaw burials at the nearby Ansar cemetery, which covers 3.5 hectares (8.6 acres).

But now "the Ansar cemetery is completely full. There were too many dead", he says, his clothes smeared in dirt from digging graves.

He now handles just the Al-Soueid cemetery, with its 5.5 hectares of graves. Yet even with one cemetery instead of two, he works "every day, from six in the morning to six in the evening".

"Before the war, we had one or two funerals per week, maximum five," he says, wearing a white prayer cap that matches his long beard.

"Now, there are weeks when I bury 200 to 300 people. It's unbelievable."

'I can't sleep'

Gaza's death count of just over 40,000 in more than 10 months of war, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, is straining its people as well as its cemeteries.

Barakeh bears daily witness to the tragedies. Hoe in hand, he gives encouragement to his 12 workers as they prepare and close dozens of graves every day.

At night, however, some images are hard to forget.

"I can't sleep after seeing so many mangled children's bodies and dead women," he said, adding: "I buried 47 women from one family."

The October 7 Hamas attack which triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Hamas operatives also seized 251 people, 111 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 40,005 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant deaths.

"I buried a lot of women and children, and only two or three guys from Hamas," says Barakeh.

'Why the children?'

If Israelis "have a problem with (Yahya) Sinwar, why do they harm children?" he adds, referring to the alleged October 7 attacks mastermind who is now Hamas's overall leader.

"Let them kill Sinwar and all the others, but why the women and children?"

Mounds of freshly dug soil are reminders of recent burials. Graves with white headstones fill nearly all the available space, while men dig new holes in the few vacant areas.

The team forms a human chain to carry the cinder blocks, whose price has soared since Gaza's factories closed due to a lack of fuel and raw materials.

"One shekel ($0.27) before the war, 10 or 12 today," he lamented.

Besides gravediggers and the workers carrying cinder blocks, hardly anyone comes to funerals anymore, Barakeh says.

"Before the war, there were sometimes 1,000 people at one funeral; today there are days when we bury 100 people and there aren't even 20 to lay them to rest."

High above his head, the constant hum of an Israeli surveillance drone serves as a reminder of the aerial threat creating a steady stream of bodies.

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"Is Staying In India Inferior?": Techie Earning Rs 1 Lakh A Month Asks, Internet Reacts

An IT engineer, earning Rs 1 Lakh a month, has sparked discussion online after asking users about his future plans. Taking to Reddit, the 23-year-old expressed that he is confused about whether to continue living in India or relocate abroad. The Redditor also explained that seeing visuals that capture the lives of his friends living outside the country makes him feel "inferior". "This is an IT employee from India who is 23 and earns approximately 1 lakh per month. I think I earn pretty well but I still have an inferior feeling in myself that I'm not doing well," the user wrote. 

"This is because i see my friends doing higher studies in abroad and their stories and posts makes me jelous to be honest. Is staying in india inferior to settling in abroad," he asked on Reddit. The user further expressed his thoughts on how he feels about the entire situation. "If i wish i can study well and jump to a high paying job in india and im pretty confident ill do it . Still i feel i wont get the infrastructure or the standard or living i will get in abroad," he said. 

"So my question is , is it like bad or is it like im not doing good just because im in india . I dont wish to go to other countries and study leaving a good job and all other things here but the social pressure is making me feel inferior. I dont know if i put up the right words but still i would like to get a reply in all perspectives," the Reddit user concluded. 

Should i move away from india though im doing well
byu/ThomasShelby027 indevelopersIndia

The post was shared just a few days back. Since then, it has amassed more than 350 upvotes. The share has also prompted people to post varied comments. 

"Social media is designed to give you fomo... Jealousy is the bread and butter of insta... Do a Risk analysis and you might figure out if its really worth it for you... Higher studies abroad do have their own benifits but they come at a significant cost... Everyone wants to show off and hide the struggles," wrote one user. 

Also Read | "Education No More Affordable:" Bengaluru Man Reacts To ₹ 3.7 Lakh Kindergarten Fee

"Standard of living I get, but going abroad just because your friends are posting on Instagram is lame to be honest," commented another. 

"At least ur close to your family, and earning 1lakh is great, ur already earning someone's dream salary, and moving abroad coz of friends stories and all is not a good idea," expressed a third user. 

"Try getting a job directly without going through a master's program. Regardless of the pay (although you'll likely save more in absolute terms), it's still better to experience foreign countries, especially while you're at your peak physically," suggested fourth. 

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Single US Woman, 27, Spent 20 Years Collecting Baby Clothes For Her Future Children

A 27-year-old woman is dedicating time and effort to something special for her future children. Nicole, who manages the Instagram account @VillaDeSanti, is a biomedical engineer pursuing her doctorate by day. However, it's her unique hobby, which she's recently started sharing online, that has captured even more attention than her impressive academic achievements.

"I started my baby clothes collection when I was very, very young," she told PEOPLE. "I was maybe 5 or 6 years old when I began collecting the clothes. At first, they were for my baby dolls. My mom encouraged my love for playing with dolls. It started as just that, and over the years, I created a baby clothes collection that I hope will be for my future kids."

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A post shared by Villa de Santi (@villadesanti)

Nicole's collection consists of "maybe 100 items total," including both boys' and girls' clothes. "I don't shop that often. Items come and go. Sometimes I'll get something and later decide not to keep it. I'll give it away or sell some things. What I show online is from what I've gathered over the years. The collection is always evolving."

The collection also evolves because Nicole enjoys customizing these clothes to suit her vision.

"Crocheting and embroidery have always been a part of my life. My grandma used to sew and do a lot of embroidery, and my mom did the same, mainly as a hobby, so it was natural for me to pick it up too," she says.

"Lately, I've been applying the skills I've honed over the years to my baby clothes collection. It's fun to explore and learn more about how to use those skills to create a wardrobe for my future kids."

While it's difficult to choose favourites, Nicole has a special appreciation for the items she customizes or, in some cases, makes herself from scratch.

"My favourite personalized items are the ones I've entirely made myself. They're the ones where I have to challenge myself to learn new techniques. There's one particular dress I've shown on my Instagram page, which has embroidered sleeves. That was very challenging. I had to redo the whole thing multiple times, but in the end, I learned so much from it," she says.

"I think that's the beauty of the process learn so much. You put so much time into it and fall in love with the process, and hopefully, fall in love with the product. I spent a lot of time on that dress and put my heart into it."

Regarding thrifting and vintage finds, she adds, "There's a story behind each piece and a reason for obtaining it or something specific that drew me to it. It's just really, really hard to choose."

Nicole recently took her collection to Instagram, hoping to connect with other collectors and build a community.

"Just recently, I started thinking, 'Maybe there are more people with the same dreams, interests, and aspirations as me.' I decided to give it a try and see what others thought and share that happiness," she says.

"It's been interesting. The reason I decided to share it was because I never really saw anyone else talking about it. My friends moved on from dolls around 12 or 13 as their lives became more online, and I never had anyone to really talk about it," Nicole continues.

"It's been really fun. Most of the comments have been very positive. There are a few negative ones, but almost anything you say in this world will get some differing opinions. But it's been very fun. I would say it's brought me a lot of happiness."

Seeing the appreciation for the items she's collected fills Nicole with joy, both for now and the future, when she'll share her outfits with her little ones.

"I really hope that my future kids feel the same love that I felt while gathering all these items for them. Not just in a material sense, but knowing how much they've been on my mind, how much I've anticipated them. I look forward to one day living this dream with them and sharing with them what it means to me."

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Germany Sees Bluetongue Virus Outbreak With Over 1,800 Cases This Year

Germany has seen an explosion of cases of bluetongue virus this year, authorities said Tuesday as fears increase across Europe about the disease affecting sheep and cattle.

The country has registered 1,885 outbreaks of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) since the start of 2024, according to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Germany's top animal disease research centre.

During the whole of 2023, there were just 23 outbreaks.

"There has been a real wave since the beginning of July in farms with susceptible animals," a spokeswoman for the institute told AFP.

New cases are being added every day and the number of outbreaks could exceed 2,000 by as soon as Thursday, the spokeswoman said.

The institute was unable to provide information on mortality rates.

Bluetongue is a non-contagious, insect-borne viral disease that affects ruminants such as cows and sheep but not pigs or horses. It is difficult to control once it takes hold.

It is not a risk to humans, but in animals it causes high fevers, mouth ulcers and swollen heads.

Support for farmers in tackling the disease through vaccinations is patchy in Germany as the responsibility falls to local authorities in the country's 16 states.

The first outbreak of BTV-3 was registered in Germany on October 12, 2023, according to the institute.

Since then, other outbreaks have been concentrated in the west and centre of the country, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Lower Saxony states.

The government has issued an emergency order to temporarily authorise three BTV-3 vaccines, pending official authorisation from the EU.

Since October 2023, cases of bluetongue have also appeared in other countries including the Netherlands and Belgium.

The disease has also recently hit France, causing alarm among farmers.

BTV-3 is particularly deadly for sheep but can also cause a significant drop in milk production in cows, according to the German institute.

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'Spectacles Shattered, Glass In Eyes': Autopsy Report Of Kolkata Doctor

More chilling details have emerged in the rape and murder of the trainee doctor in Kolkata, with the post-mortem report indicating that the accused had hit her so hard that the glasses of her spectacles shattered, shards piercing her eyes.

The 31-year-old post-graduate trainee, who was working at the city's renowned state government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was raped and murdered inside a seminar hall in the institution and her body was found on Friday morning. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer working with the Kolkata Police, has been arrested for the crime.

The post-mortem report, which was handed over to the family of the trainee doctor by the Kolkata Police on Monday, revealed that she had suffered several injuries. Cuts were found on her hands and face. 

The report states that shards of glass from the spectacles likely caused the eye injuries that were found on her body.  

"Homicidal injuries are antemortem in nature with indication of sexual penetration," the report stated. This means that the wounds were inflicted on the trainee doctor while she was still alive and injuries on her private parts indicated that she was raped. 

After savagely hurting and sexually assaulting her, the accused killed the trainee doctor by throttling and smothering her. The report estimates the time of death to be between 3 and 5 am on Friday.

The police have said that after the murder, Sanjoy Roy - who was not associated with the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, but frequented it - went home and slept in late. Officials told news agency PTI that he washed the clothes he was wearing to destroy evidence and that his shoes, with blood stains on them, were found during a search.

Protests

The horrific crime has sparked widespread protests and doctors in several cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, have said all elective services will be halted till the investigation into the case is complete. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday set a deadline for the Kolkata Police to solve the case, warning that the investigation will be handed over to the CBI if other accused, if any, are not arrested by then.

"If there are more accused... and all are not arrested by Sunday... we will hand over the case to the CBI, even though their success rate is low," the chief minister said after meeting the victim's family.

The Kolkata Police had said they are certain any other culprits would be arrested in the next four to five days. 

"We are in touch with family members. We will stay in touch and share progress with them. If, even after that, the family is not satisfied then whatever madam (Chief Minister Banerjee) has said will happen," Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said.

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