Self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, already facing rape charges, is now under investigation for opening over 130 accounts with cooperative credit societies and conducting transactions worth approximately Rs 63 crore.
Self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, already facing rape charges, is now under investigation for suspicious financial activities involving numerous accounts and large transactions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee engaged in a war of words during election rallies, with Modi accusing the TMC of supporting divisive forces and Banerjee alleging the BJP plans to divide the state.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
Young earners with high incomes and few responsibilities can save more than 30 per cent, while those with low salaries and high expenses may save less.
Odisha vigilance officers arrested the parents of a previously arrested banker, along with another individual, for allegedly embezzling Rs 5.56 crore in government funds in the Jajpur district. The accused are Pradip Kumar Mohanty, his wife Gitarani Mohanty, and Bishnu Prasad Dash. The funds were fraudulently diverted over six years.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of protecting infiltrators from the Muslim community for political gain. He also alleged corruption and economic decline under the TMC government.
Kerala's 2026 assembly election will see a three-cornered contest where religion and communalism have emerged as central themes for the first time, challenging the state's long-celebrated secular fabric.
The banking sector could see better loan growth in the third quarter of financial year 2026 (Q3FY26) with improved net interest margins (NIMs), though the full impact of latest rate cuts will be largely felt in the fourth quarter. There may be lower slippage in unsecured loans and microfinance institutions (MFIs) along with steady recovery trends, which should lower credit cost.
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
Only bona fide victims would be compensated by banks within five days of receiving the complaint.
For every 100 rupees, households invested Rs 45.2 in mutual funds and equities in 2024-2025.
Lok Sabha takes up FCRA Amendment Bill amid opposition protests.
An Indian national in Israel was injured by shrapnel from an Iranian missile and is currently in stable condition after undergoing surgery. The Indian Embassy is monitoring the situation.
Head coach Santiago Nieva is focusing on technical discipline and a tighter defensive guard for the Indian women's boxing team at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
A 64-year-old man from Thane was allegedly defrauded of 1.56 crore by cybercriminals using a 'digital arrest' scam, involving forged documents and constant surveillance.
As deposit growth lags credit expansion, Indian banks face shrinking low-cost Casa inflows, rising funding costs, and structural shifts driven by UPI, e-Kuber, and digital savings trends, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Banking sector has witnessed healthy growth in advances in the third quarter of financial year 2026 (Q3FY26) against the same period last year, as the full impact of goods and service tax (GST) rate cuts drove growth. Most of the lenders saw their credit growth outpace the deposit growth in the quarter.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Credit growth in India remains in double digits, even though corporate borrowing is subdued.' 'Corporate credit is weak because companies are cash-rich and cautious amid global uncertainty.'
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asserted that the BJP will form the government in West Bengal after the upcoming assembly elections, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule. He criticised the TMC for vote-bank politics, hindering development, and failing to protect women, while promising unprecedented development under a BJP government.
Cyber threats aren't always invisible -- sometimes they're right beside you.
Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.
While the DMK depends on a 'silver sieve' of welfare schemes to stay in power, its support is slowly draining away under the weight of poor governance, corruption, and voters who are no longer satisfied with benefits alone and now want basic administration to work, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'Reinvention is not a hugely difficult task. With technology as available today, you can reinvent yourself pretty quickly.'
'Lakhs of transgender people's identities will get erased. Many of them will go into hiding and lead depressing lives.'
A Kerala MLA, K Shantakumari, was targeted by a cyber fraud gang impersonating Anti-Terrorism Squad officers, who claimed she was linked to a bomb blast case. She reported the incident to the cyber cell after uncovering their deception.
With domestic markets turning choppy, investors are increasingly scouting for opportunities overseas to diversify portfolios and hedge against a weakening rupee.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'We are profoundly energy-dependent on the Gulf. That dependency must now be redirected towards the United States, because we require American permission to procure oil.' 'We additionally require Iranian permission to acquire oil from that source. So India now has to seek two separate permissions merely to secure its energy supply.' 'Should we be compelled to source from America, or from Venezuela -- which is, in effect, American-controlled supply -- that will inevitably carry a price premium, an elevated shipping cost, and a considerably extended delivery timeline, given the distances involved.'
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries
The Indian women's hockey team began their FIH World Cup Qualifiers 2026 campaign with a convincing 4-0 victory over Uruguay, showcasing a dominant performance in Hyderabad.
A Kerala MLA, K Shantakumari, was targeted by cyber fraudsters claiming a connection to a bomb blast case and using her identity. The MLA reported the incident to the cyber cell after her son identified inconsistencies in the video call.
Kerala bid farewell to a 10-month-old girl, the state's youngest organ donor, with state honors after her parents donated her organs following her brain death.
'LIC will reduce but not fully exit its stake in IDBI Bank, which remains an important bancassurance partner,' says LIC of India' MD and CEO R Doraiswamy.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin announced the party's plan to replicate Assam's 'detect, delete and deport' model to expel alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators in West Bengal if voted to power.
The pause gives the US time to breathe, to regroup, to move its expeditionary force into position without risk of interception along the way. It gives Iran nothing -- on the ground, attacks against its infrastructure continue apace. Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The chairman of maritime company Safesea Group has described the attack on the US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, which resulted in the death of an Indian crew member, as "deliberate and calculated". He emphasised the need for governments to ensure the safety of commercial shipping lanes and seafarers.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre, the CBI and others on a plea filed by a 78-year-old retired banker who was duped of Rs 23 crore after allegedly being put under "digital arrest" for nearly a month.
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