An Indian-origin couple currently serving jail terms in Australia for enslaving a woman for eight years has been slapped with a fresh penalty and ordered to forfeit the proceeds from the sale of their home, police said.
They said the agency has found 35 instances in which youngsters were taken to Russia after being lured with false promises of high-paying jobs via social media channels and local contacts and agents.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma announced plans for a new anti-conversion law following the arrest of two nuns from Kerala on charges related to religious conversion and human trafficking. The announcement comes amid political tensions and accusations of wrongful arrest.
The minor was rescued after the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar police, in a joint operation with NGOs Exodus Road India Foundation and Harmony Foundation, raided a flat in Naigaon in Vasai in Palghar on July 26, the official said.
The arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion has ignited a political controversy, with opposition parties criticizing the arrest and the Chief Minister defending the police action.
The accused, who duped the woman of Rs 6.60 lakh during the ordeal between September 5 and 8, continued to send messages even after her death on September 8.
'They should be given a strong message that they are not the ones who decide the rule of the land, and they are not the ones who decide what justice is.'
Big films like Dhurandhar, Chhava and Kantara: Chapter 1 hit box office gold in 2025, and its directors, Aditya Dhar, Laxman Utekar and Rishab Shetty, have proved their worth. But many other directors made an impact with their 2025 releases, in various languages.
Eight individuals, including seven posing as students and one as a professor, were apprehended at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai while attempting to illegally immigrate to London. The accused, who claimed to be part of an exchange program, were caught at the airport's immigration checkpoint and were found to be using forged documents and false information to obtain UK visas. The incident involved alleged human trafficking, with the accused reportedly paying Rs 20 lakh each to an agent for facilitating their illegal immigration. The case has been handed over to the Sahar Police, and the crime branch is investigating further.
The Supreme Court of India has taken a strong stance against child trafficking rackets, canceling the bail granted to 13 accused and criticizing the Uttar Pradesh government for its inaction. The court expressed concern over the rising number of trafficking cases and the changing patterns of the crime. It also directed the state to ensure trafficked children are admitted to schools and receive support for their education.
'Children should be told that if they receive porn on their phones they should inform their parents or teachers who should in turn contact cyber crime.'
According to the minister, the government continues to be engaged with the US to promote mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks for streamlining the movement of students and professionals and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered 30 original passports and obtained information on agents and agencies running the 'donkey-route' business of illegally sending Indians abroad.
Daler was, however, released on bail bond.
A victim of alleged human trafficking and forceful conversion in Chhattisgarh claims she was coerced by Bajrang Dal activists to give a false statement. She also alleges police did not record her statement properly and that the arrested nuns are innocent.
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh was due to a 'misunderstanding' and that they will be released on bail soon. He met with Archbishop of Trichur Andrews Thazhath to brief him that the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister have assured the nuns would be released on bail.
'Don't look at Russia only as a place to earn quickly and then leave.' 'Try to build experience in serious companies, skills and certifications that will serve you anywhere in the world.'
'Trump had done a deal with the current regime minus Maduro. The current regime is giving Trump entry into Venezuelan oil. They are obeying him and doing whatever he says.' 'They are happy because they have saved their heads by sacrificing only two, Maduro and his wife. Thousands of Venezuelan military leaders would have been jailed or killed in American action had Maduro stayed in power.'
Those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there, Modi said.
India's Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, has announced a 71% decrease in terrorist incidents in the country under the Modi government. He credits a "zero tolerance" policy towards terrorism, which has resulted in no terror incidents in the hinterland. Rai also highlighted the National Investigative Agency's (NIA) successes, including the investigation of cases on foreign land and a conviction rate of 95.54%.
The GenZ violence that engulfed Nepal is not only against nepo-babies -- its anger is broader and riddled with contradictions, making it difficult for interim PM Sushila Karki, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Four French judges earlier in the day began questioning the passengers detained by the French authorities at Vatry airport, 150 km east of Paris, since Thursday over suspected "human trafficking".
According to French authorities, the plane had 276 passengers on board when it took off for Mumbai, as 25 persons, including two minors, had expressed the wish to apply for asylum and were still on French soil. Two others were held, produced before a judge and placed on assisted witness status, a French news channel said.
The two policy decisions to bolster BSF capabilities at this front have been taken in the wake of the stepped up security arrangements along the border following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024.
Enforcement Directorate officials said on Friday they are probing a 'complex network' of agents and facilitators in India, Canada and the US who help Indians illegally enter the US via 'bogus' admissions in Canadian colleges.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is verifying details of deportation flights to Panama and Costa Rica, which were undertaken as part of a bridge arrangement between the US and the respective governments. The MEA spokesperson said that India is in touch with the local authorities in Panama and Costa Rica to ensure the return of any Indian nationals who may have been deported.
'They have to prove the credibility of their talk; whether they want to focus on the secular face of India, whether they want to focus on democracy and above all freedom of an individual to practice his or her religion.'
Police plan to take the MP to several places in Punjab and Gujarat as part of the investigation.
A plane carrying more than 300 passengers, mostly Indians, is expected to land at Mumbai airport early on Tuesday, three days after it was detained by French authorities over suspected human trafficking, a source said.
Officials confirmed that all detained individuals were in India without valid documentation and had used fake papers to establish residence.
India has strongly criticized Pakistan at the UN Human Rights Council, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism and providing safe haven to terrorist networks. India's representative highlighted past terror attacks and questioned Pakistan's credibility.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday suspended the jail term of Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi, who was convicted by a Patiala court in a 2003 human trafficking case.
With his surrender, the police hope to unearth the racket and investigate the alleged role of some of the politicians from Andhra Pradesh in the scandal.
The United States will deport 119 Indian nationals who were living in the country illegally. The individuals will arrive in Amritsar, India, on Saturday, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted the need to combat human trafficking. This deportation follows the arrival of a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants earlier this month. Prime Minister Modi and President Donald Trump discussed the issue of illegal immigration during their joint press conference, emphasizing the need to dismantle the "ecosystem" of human trafficking. Modi emphasized India's willingness to take back its citizens residing illegally in the US, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that the issue of illegal immigration was raised during the discussions, stressing the need to address the root causes of the problem. India seeks cooperation from the US to dismantle the rackets and ecosystems that facilitate illegal immigration, potentially involving collaboration between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The United States has approved the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to India. The decision was announced by President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House. India is currently working on the logistics of Rana's surrender and extradition, with several final steps to be completed before he is sent back to India. The joint statement issued by India and the US during Prime Minister Modi's visit reaffirmed their commitment to fighting terrorism and eliminating terrorist safe havens. The leaders also called on Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks. Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention center in Los Angeles. He is associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks.
Delhi Police are investigating a series of bomb threats targeting schools and colleges, sent via encrypted networks. The threats have caused panic and disruption, prompting increased security measures and a police investigation into the source and motives behind the emails.
In India, the Indian-American diplomat will also meet with senior government officials to discuss the deepening US-India partnership, the state department said in a release on Friday.
A Romanian aircraft carrying 275 passengers, mostly Indians, on Monday left for India four days after they were detained by the French authorities at an airport near Paris over suspected 'human trafficking'.
'Political protection allow groups to recruit, rearm and operate with reduced operational pressure. That increases their bargaining power and their ability to destabilise.'
The Nicaragua bound charter Legend Airlines Airbus A340 flight, that was grounded at Vatry airport in France for four days on suspicion of human trafficking, arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday, December 26, 2023.
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