Influencer With 1.2 Million Followers Arrested In Rs 40-Crore Laundering Case

An 'entrepreneur' with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, whose bio also states that she is an actor, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a Rs 40-crore money laundering case.

The case against Sandeepa Virk stems from a first information report (FIR) lodged at a police station in Mohali under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, in which she was accused of defrauding individuals by soliciting money under false pretences and through misrepresentation.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out search operations on Tuesday and Wednesday at multiple locations in Delhi and Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

According to the ED, Ms Virk is accused of acquiring immovable properties through fraudulent means. She projected herself as the owner of hyboocare.com, a website claiming to sell FDA-approved beauty products. However, investigators found that the products were non-existent, the website lacked user registration features, faced persistent payment gateway failures, and had negligible social media presence.

Additionally, its WhatsApp contact number was inactive, and no transparent company details were available - pointing to a non-genuine commercial operation allegedly used as a front to launder funds.

The ED's probe also revealed Ms Virk's alleged links with Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman, a former director of the now-defunct Reliance Capital Limited. Search operations at Mr Sethuraman's residence allegedly confirmed his role in "illegal liaising work" and diversion of funds for personal gain.

The agency said that, in 2018, public funds worth approximately Rs 18 crore from Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd (RCFL) were disbursed to Mr Sethuraman without due diligence and under highly irregular lending terms that allowed deferments and multiple waivers. In addition, a Rs 22-crore home loan was allegedly sanctioned by Reliance Capital Limited in violation of prudential norms. Investigators said large portions of these funds were siphoned off and remain unpaid.

In a statement to news agency PTI, Mr Sethuraman dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He also denied any connection with Ms Virk or any transactions related to her.

During the raids, the ED seized incriminating documents and recorded statements of several key individuals, including one Farrukh Ali. Ms Virk was arrested on August 12 under provisions of the PMLA and produced before a court, which sent her to ED custody until Friday.

ED officials said the potential involvement of other individuals is also being investigated.

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Video: Man Robs Home, Another Looms Over Sleeping Owner With Iron Rod

In a brazen theft, three unidentified thieves looted jewellery and cash worth over Rs 5 lakh from the residence of retired Justice Ramesh Garg in Indore's Vijay Nagar. The meticulously executed heist, which lasted four minutes and ten seconds, targeted the bungalow around 3:30 AM, with the masked thieves breaking the main gate's lock and forcing open an almirah to make off with the valuables.

A video of the shocking theft has surfaced on social media, showing one thief standing guard with a rod in hand, while the other stole cash and jewellery from the almirah. 

Watch the video here:

3 criminals rohbed a retired Justice Ramesh Garg's residence in Indore in just 4 minutes and 10 seconds and got away with Rs 5 lakh and gold-silver jewellery.

They would have killed Justice Garg's son (in the video) if he had woken up. Fortunately, he kept sleeping despite the… pic.twitter.com/MTg8cJgaPQ

— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) August 13, 2025

The incident, captured on CCTV, occurred on Sunday morning while the family was asleep. Notably, the home's alarm system failed to alert Justice Garg's son, Ritvik, allowing the thieves to escape undetected. According to reports, the thieves had cut through an iron window grill to gain entry, all while a security guard was present outside. Meanwhile, Ritvik's wife and children slept undisturbed in another room, oblivious to the theft unfolding nearby.

The incident has sent shockwaves through Indore's affluent Vijay Nagar neighbourhood, raising concerns about security in an area known for its prominent residents. The targeting of a retired justice's home has added urgency to the police's efforts, with pressure mounting to apprehend the culprits. 

Vijay Nagar police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the vicinity to identify the culprits.

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"Going To Russia": Trump Roasted By Internet For Viral Alaska Gaffe

US President Donald Trump is set to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska later this week to gauge Moscow's plans for ending the war in Ukraine. During a media interaction at the White House, Trump pointed out that the crime situation in the US capital, Washington DC, was embarrassing, especially with Putin coming to the country. 

But while expressing his frustration, the American leader appeared to mix up Russia with Alaska, drawing social media users' attention, who were quick to question his mental acuity.

"This is a tragic emergency, and it's embarrassing for me to be up here...You know, I'm going to see Putin. I'm going to Russia on Friday. I don't like being up here [on the podium], talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once-beautiful capital [is]," Trump told reporters at the press briefing room.

Trump says crime situation in DC is embarrassing, especially with Putin coming. "This is a tragic emergency, and it's embarrassing for me to be up here, you know, I'm going to see Putin. ... I don't like being up here talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this… pic.twitter.com/XKnNf89ow1

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 11, 2025

Trump is not going to Russia, but rather to Alaska to meet with Putin. US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, among other senior officials, were present on the podium with Trump, but none of them seemed to have corrected him.

The President went on to describe the upcoming summit as a "feel-out meeting" as he played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska. The leader, usually fond of boasting about his deal-making skills, said he expected "constructive conversations" with Putin.

The US president has spent the first months of his second term in office trying to broker peace in Ukraine -- after boasting he could end the conflict in 24 hours -- but multiple rounds of talks, phone calls and diplomatic visits have failed to yield a breakthrough.

"I may say -- lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal," he said.

Trump, usually fond of boasting of his deal-making skills, played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska but said he expected "constructive conversations" with Putin.

Social Media Reactions

Trump's gaffe was soon picked up by social media users, with some questioning the Republican's mental acuity.

"According to Trump, Alaska is in Russia. His dementia and cognitive decline are on full display," wrote a social media user on X. 

According to #Trump, Alaska is in Russia.

His dementia and cognitive decline are on full display!#Putin #Epstein #EpsteinTrumpFiles https://t.co/PKDnH7bUZZ

— Politics Village (#StillWithHer #KHive #TeamJoe) (@PoliticsVillage) August 11, 2025

Another X user wrote, "With his DEMENTIA on full display, Trump announces HE'S GOING TO Russia! Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth are so accustomed to him LYING, THEY DON'T EVEN BLINK! THAT'S how he gets away with LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE."

with his DEMENTIA
on full display,#trump announces
HE'S GOING TO #Russia!@PamBondi @PeteHegseth
are so accustomed to him LYING,
THEY DON'T EVEN BLINK!

THAT'S how he gets away with
LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

that
&
a WhiteHouse Press Corps
who REFUSE to do THEIR JOB! pic.twitter.com/BhSXHqPOBT

— Valerie Martin 🍿🤓🍿 (@WILLDYE4U) August 11, 2025

One X user commented, "The so-called president of the United States thinks that Alaska is in Russia. What an ongoing embarrassment!" 

Alaska's Russian Past

Alaska was once a Russian territory. The US bought it from the USSR more than 150 years ago. The Russian influence still endures in parts of the remote state on the northwest edge of the North American continent, which extends just a few miles from Russia.

The territory was discovered when Danish explorer Vitus Bering first sailed through the narrow strait that separates Asia and the Americas in 1728 during an expedition for Tsarist Russia. The discovery of what is now known as the Bering Strait revealed the existence of Alaska to the West. However, Indigenous people had been living there for thousands of years.

Bering's expedition kicked off a century of Russian seal hunting, with the first colony set up on the southern Kodiak Island. In 1799, Tsar Paul I established the Russian-American Company to take advantage of the lucrative fur trade, which often involved clashes with the Indigenous inhabitants.

However, the hunters overexploited the seals and sea otters, whose populations collapsed, taking with them the settlers' economy.

The Russian Empire sold the territory to Washington for $7.2 million in 1867. The purchase of an area more than twice the size of Texas was widely criticised in the US at the time, even dubbed "Seward's folly" after the deal's mastermind, Secretary of State William Seward.

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'Parag Is The Reason': On Samson Trade Saga, Ex-CSK Star Drops Bombshell

Former Indian cricket team batter Subramaniam Badrinath believes that Riyan Parag can be the reason behind Sanju Samson potentially leaving Rajasthan Royals. With Samson injured for the first three matches in IPL 2025, Parag led the franchise. However, with Parag still remaining a big captaincy contender, Badrinath said that it can be a reason behind Sanju reportedly looking for a new team.  "I feel Riyan Parag is the reason. If you consider him for captaincy, how do you expect someone like Samson to stay?" Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.

However, the former CSK cricketer also pointed out that despite being a like-for-like replacement for MS Dhoni, the franchise may struggle to find a place for Samson in the playing XI.

"If Sanju Samson does come to CSK, then he could be the like-for-like replacement for MS Dhoni. Samson is a batter who can bat in the top three or four spots in the batting order. He is not someone who could fit in the number five or six spot in the playing XI. CSK are strong in those areas of the playing XI. Mhatre is settled, Gaikwad is settled, Brevis is settled."

"I am not sure if CSK would do a transaction like MI did to get Hardik Pandya from GT. So even if Sanju Samson comes in, the question remains whether CSK can fit him into the playing XI," he added.

Badrinath also spoke about the captaincy situation in CSK and pointed out that it is unlikely for the team to hand the captaincy to Samson considering how much they have backed Ruturaj Gaikwad.

"The other aspect to consider is captaincy. Whether MS Dhoni leads or not, Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain. He's led only for one season. If you give the captaincy to Samson, how would Gaikwad feel about that?. That is something we need to consider. I think keeping all these things in mind, CSK are still thinking of whether or not to go ahead," Badrinath concluded.

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"We Won It": Williamson's Stunning Response On 2019 WC Final Heartbreak

New Zealand batting icon Kane Williamson was at the heart of one of the most dramatic matches in Cricket World Cup History - the final of the 2019 World Cup against England at Lord's. The match ended in a tie after 50 overs, and even the super over was tied, leading to England winning the World Cup on boundary count. In the match, umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus had awarded England six runs in the final over after an overthrow went for four, before later admitting it should've been five runs. Williamson has reflected on the error, and made a cheeky remark as well.

What actually happened?

Chasing 242 in the World Cup final, England needed nine runs off the final three balls. Ben Stokes, on strike, had slammed it towards mid-wicket, and attempted to scamper two runs.

However, as he dived in to complete the second run, the throw from the deep hit his bat, and the ball ran away for four behind the stumps.

The umpires decided to award six runs - two for the runs taken and four for the overthrow - bringing the equation down to three runs needed off two balls.

However, later, Dharmasena admitted that it should've been only five runs awarded and that the run in progress should not have counted.

Kane Williamson reacts

Williamson has now made a tongue-in-cheek remark, reflecting on the umpire error.

"Yeah, there you go, so we won it. It's a good feeling," Williamson said, speaking on Star Sports.

"It was quite remarkable to hear that afterwards and for the umpires to get that wrong. But, in the moment, you went just trying to control what you could control. That was one of those unfortunate things. Remarkable when you see it," Williamson added.

Williamson also shared how the players reacted to the incidents happening on the field during the match.

"I mean, it went to the boundary and then the rule is the rule. So, you accept that. Stokes put his hands up and wasn't obviously going to run, but it raced off as he deflected it accidentally," Williamson said.

The match ended up going to the super over, where England and New Zealand tied again, but the hosts won it due to having hit more boundaries.

It was New Zealand and Williamson's second consecutive World Cup final loss, having also lost to Australia in 2015.

Williamson was adjudged the 'Player of the Tournament' for the 2019 World Cup.

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"Perpetual Youth": BJP Rips Into Rahul Gandhi Over Voter List Allegations

The BJP has rubbished the "fake voter" allegations of the Congress, and accused Rahul Gandhi of "demeaning" constitutional bodies under the "pressure of foreign and anti-India forces". 

Launching a no-holds barred attack on the Congress leader, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said  today that he is trying to "vent his frustration over losing power by making unnecessary, baseless, and false allegations against the Election Commission."

Dubbing Mr Gandhi the "perpetual youth" of Indian politics, Mr Trivedi said he "only speaks nonsense and has degraded the post of Leader of Opposition".

Mr Gandhi, he alleged, has been "repeatedly caught lying before the courts and the public". And the Congress leader, his party, and the INDIA bloc "engaged in conspiracies to defame the country's democracy" under the "pressure" of foreign and anti-India forces.

The Election Commission, he said has "exposed one of his false claims" again today. 

"The Election Commission has been consistently asking Rahul Gandhi to verify his fake data, but he has failed to do so. How can he, when his allegations are fabricated?" Mr Trivedi said. 

Mr Gandhi had released another set of what he called "fake voter" list again today, saying it was another example of the Election Commission tweaking the lists at the behest of the BJP. 

This, he alleged, was done through fake addresses, multiple voters registered under one address, and mis-use of Form 6 -- meant only for first-time voters. 

The Commission has demanded that he formally seek an investigation or submit a declaration under oath. If he failed to do that, it would mean that he is knowingly making absurd allegations, the EC has said.

Earlier today, the Commission also gave a point-to-point rebuttal of his allegations about a 70-year-old woman registering as a first-time 
voter and voting twice.
 
Mr Gandhi claimed his party had asked for a digital voter list and CCTV footage of the voting booth from the EC, but they have ignored it.

"Then we did our own investigation, filed RTIs and we got the data. The truth is that the Election Commission and the BJP are stealing the election," he alleged.

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Sholay: From Dharmendra To Big B, Who Was Paid What For The Cult Classic

Sholay, directed by Ramesh Sippy and featuring an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini, was released on August 15, 1975. It failed initially and picked up as the weeks went by.

Interestingly, Amitabh Bachchan was not the highest-paid actor on set; it was Dharmendra. Jaya Bachchan was the lowest paid. 

What's Happening

• A recent report shared by India.com revealed the paychecks received by the cast members of the multi-starrer Sholay.
• Dharmendra had received Rs 1,50,000 for his role as Veeru, while Amitabh Bachchan took home Rs 1,00,000 for his portrayal of Jai.
• Sanjeev Kumar, as the righteous jailer Thakur Baldev Singh, was paid Rs 1,25,000.
• Amjad Khan, as the notorious bandit Gabbar Khan, got Rs. 50,000.
• Hema Malini was paid Rs 75,000 for her role as Basanti, while Jaya Bachchan was the lowest paid with an amount of Rs 35,000.

About Sholay

2025 is a milestone year for Ramesh Sippy's Sholay. The film clocks 50 years, and is one of those films that has continued to garner love over the years.

Be it dialogues, the friendship between Amitabh Bachchan's Jai and Dharmendra's Veeru, Sanjeev Kumar's vengeful turn as Thakur or Amjad Khan's portrayal of the dreaded dacoit Gabbar Singh that went on to redefine the Hindi film villain, Sholay has stayed at the top of the pop culture charts - for five decades and counting.

Crafted by Salim-Javed, the plot revolves around two notorious criminals, Jai and Veeru (Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra), who are hired by a former jailer, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), as he seeks vengeance to bring down the vile bandit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan).

The film's cast also includes Sachin Pilgaonkar as Ahmed, Asrani as Jailer, AK Hangal as Imam Saheb, Mac Mohan as Sambha, Jagdeep as Surma Bhopali and Viju Khote as Kalia, among others.

In A Nutshell

Here's a look at what the star cast of Ramesh Sippy's Sholay took back home in 1975 as their paychecks. From Dharmendra being the highest paid actor to Jaya Bachchan being the lowest paid.

Also Read | Exclusive: A Sholay Climax Change That Irked Hema Malini 50 Years Before Raanjhanaa AI Edit Row

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