Ranchi, June 19 (IANS) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Chhattisgarh-based businessman Siddharth Singhania in connection with the multi-crore Jharkhand liquor scam.
Singhania was apprehended during a raid conducted by the Jharkhand ACB near Raipur on Thursday.Following his arrest, he was produced in a local court in Chhattisgarh. The agency is now preparing to bring him to Ranchi on a transit remand for further interrogation.According to officials, the ACB had earlier obtained an arrest warrant against Singhania from a special court in Ranchi on June 12.Earlier, he had been issued several summonses to appear for questioning, but he failed to respond or present himself before the investigators.The case took a turn during an earlier raid by the Chhattisgarh ACB at Singhania’s residence in connection with the Chhattisgarh liquor scam.During the search, officials recovered a diary that reportedly contained explosive details pointing to a larger conspiracy involving a liquor syndicate operating in Jharkhand.The diary allegedly outlined the syndicate’s strategy for managing the liquor trade in Jharkhand and included plans to “identify and manage” those who are posing a threat to its operations in the state.So far, the ACB’s probe in Jharkhand has uncovered a scam worth Rs 38 crore. A total of 16 individuals have been named in the case, including high-ranking officials and private sector operatives.Seven people have already been arrested, including senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, retired IAS officer Amit Prakash, and Jharkhand Administrative Service officer Gajendra Singh.On Tuesday, the ACB secured arrest warrants against seven more individuals from Gujarat and Maharashtra believed to be linked to the scam.The agency has also issued a warrant earlier against Ranchi-based automobile businessman Vinay Kumar Singh, who similarly failed to appear for questioning despite being served notice.With fresh arrests and warrants, the ACB’s crackdown on the liquor syndicate continues to widen, exposing a nexus involving businessmen, bureaucrats, and companies.–IANSsnc/skp

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, on Thursday, took to social media to announce the release date of his much-awaited film ‘Son of Sardaar 2,’ officially titled ‘The Return of the Sardaar.’

Taking to his Instagram handle, he shared the new poster featuring him wearing a turban and captioned it, “The Return of the Sardaar #SOS2 in cinemas near you on 25th July. #SardaarIsBack #SonOfSardaar2” @mrunalthakur @officialjiostudios @devgnfilms @tseries.official.”The upcoming comedy is set to arrive in cinemas on July 25, and the actor shared the news with fans using the hashtags #SardaarIsBack and #SOS2. The sequel to the 2012 hit brings Devgn back in his iconic role and features Mrunal Thakur in a key role. Backed by Jio Studios, Devgn Films, and T-Series, the film promises a perfect mix of action, comedy, and high-spirited drama.A few days ago, the film’s leading lady, Mrunal Thakur, posted a clapboard photo with the name ‘Son of Sardaar 2.’ For the caption, she wrote, “SCENE 49 SHOT 5 TAKE 1 ACTION!” The upcoming film serves as a follow-up to ‘Son of Sardaar,’ which originally featured Sonakshi Sinha in the lead role. The 2012 film starred Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt in the lead roles of Jassi and Billu, respectively. In the upcoming sequel, Sanjay Dutt will return as Don, while a role originally intended for Vijay Raaz—Ravi Kishan’s character from the first film—will now be portrayed by Sanjay Mishra.Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, the new installment arrives nearly 12 years after the original. ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ will lock horns at the box-office with Siddharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor’s film ‘Param Sundari.’Maddock Films’ ‘Param Sundari’ is set to hit theatres on July 25. The film explores a North-South love story and is directed by Tushar Jalota, with Dinesh Vijan serving as producer.–IANSps/

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Filmmaker Mohit Suri, who has made romance films such as Aashiqui 2, Awarapan, Ek Villain and Malang, has talked about what makes a love story work. He feels there cannot be an amazing love story if “everything’s hunky dory between a boy and a girl.”

“There cannot be an amazing love story if everything is hunky dory between the boy and the girl. If there is love… There is heartbreak and pain… We don’t have a choice… It has to touch your heart and talk to your soul.”“For me, a good love story has to make you connect to the lovers at a very emotional level and that’s only possible when the love story feels real.”The filmmaker added that with ‘Saiyaara’, he is trying to tell a story like this.“There is a lot of genuineness to this love story and I hope people feel the same way when they see Saiyaara in theatres from July 18. Saiyaara is one of the most special love stories that I have directed in my 20 year old career.”The filmmaker shared that the film has a piece of his heart only because of the romance that this young boy and girl experience.“The arc of their story is innocent yet complex and unconventional and it pulled me in to tell their story. So, if you see the two leading actors Ahaan and Aneet and the lovers they are portraying in Saiyaara, there is nothing conventional about it.“In the film, these two characters are figuring out their lives with one another while navigating their issues, they haven’t made it big in life, they are from very different backgrounds with very different value systems, they have their own struggles, they are imperfect separately but together they try to be perfect!”He added: “That’s the kind of love story that I want to tell as a director and hopefully that’s the kind of love story people want to see.”Suri revealed how he wanted to make a film showcasing “imperfect people who become perfect in each other’s company.”He added: “Flawed, imperfect people make perfect and complete love stories. Such people, such romances feel real, feel relatable and somehow I like to root for them. Saiyaara is one romantic story that hopefully people will see and feel that they have come across lovers like this or feel these are their own stories.”The film stars debutant Ahaan Panday and actress Aneet Padda. “Saiyaara” is produced by YRF’s CEO Akshaye Widhani and it is set to release on July 18.–IANSdc/

Bengaluru, June 19 (IANS) High-activity micro office markets in India are likely to witness at least 1 million square feet of average annual demand and supply, and collectively drive more than 80 per cent of the office space demand and new supply in the next few years, a report showed on Thursday.High-activity micro markets across the top seven cities of the country have been witnessing consistently high demand and supply since 2020. Of these, four high-activity micro markets are in Bengaluru, three each in Delhi-NCR and Pune, two each in Chennai and Hyderabad, and one in Mumbai, according to Colliers data.These micro markets are spread across secondary and peripheral business districts and will continue to drive India office market over the next few years amid city expansions, ongoing infrastructure developments and evolving work models.“India’s office market is poised for a steady strong growth, led by 15-20 high-activity micro markets. While some of these micro markets are already established commercial real estate hubs, emerging micro markets can potentially scale up and witness heightened traction in the upcoming years,” said Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office services, India, Colliers.Interestingly, India will continue to be strategically positioned in terms of rental arbitrage, with more than half of the Grade A demand expected in micro markets having sub or near dollar rentals, Mehrotra added.Of the total 38 million sq ft of flex space leasing across the top seven Indian cities since 2020, 59 per cent corresponded to the top 10 micro markets. Within these, SBD-Hyderabad, ORR-Bengaluru and Baner-Balewadi, Pune cumulatively drove around one-third of the flex space uptake in India.On the GCC front, nearly 70 million sq ft of GCC demand during the last five years has been concentrated in the top 10 micro markets, accounting for 73 per cent of the total GCC leasing in India, said the report.Although most micro markets in India have seen a rental appreciation compared to pre-pandemic levels, select micro markets in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR continue to lead in terms of average rentals. Of the 488 million sq ft of REIT-worthy office stock in India, 56 per cent is in the top 10 micro markets.—IANSna/

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has hailed the QS World University Rankings 2026, calling it a moment of “immense pride” for India.“With a record 54 higher education institutions (HEIs) featured among the world’s best, India has reached a new milestone in the QS World University Rankings 2026. From just 11 institutions in 2014 to 54 now, this nearly five-fold increase reflects the transformative educational reforms initiated under Prime Minister @narendramodi ji’s leadership,” Pradhan said in a post on X on Thursday.He credited the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for revolutionising the country’s education system.“The NEP is not merely transforming but revolutionising our education landscape. It is a matter of immense pride that India is now the fastest-growing education system among G20 countries and the fourth most represented in the QS rankings — behind only the US, UK, and China,” he said.A total of 54 Indian institutions have been ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2026, released on Thursday — the highest ever for India. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi emerged as the top-ranked Indian institution, climbing from 150th to 123rd globally — its best performance to date.”IIT Delhi leads the charge as India’s top-ranked institute. This marks a historic high for the institution in QS rankings,” the Ministry of Education posted on X. “India’s higher education institutions are witnessing an unprecedented rise globally, with more universities than ever making their mark.”The ministry also noted that India has recorded a staggering 390 per cent growth in representation in QS rankings over the past decade, the fastest among G20 nations.IIT Bombay, which was India’s top institute in last year’s rankings, slipped from 118th to 129th this year. IIT Madras showed significant improvement, jumping 47 places to rank 180th, up from 227 last year.For the first time, eight Indian institutions made their debut in the rankings — the highest number of new entries from any country. With this, India has become the fourth most represented nation globally.Nearly 48 per cent of India’s ranked universities improved their positions this year. Five Indian institutions also secured positions in the global top 100 for Employer Reputation.Other Indian institutions on the list include IIT Kharagpur (215), IISc Bangalore (219), and Delhi University (328). Private universities such as BITS Pilani (668) and OP Jindal Global University (851-900) were also featured.Globally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained its position at the top for the 14th consecutive year.–IANSrvt/dpb

Chennai, June 19(IANS) The makers of director Krishna Poluru’s supernatural thriller ‘Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting’, featuring Abhignya Vuthaluru and Charan Lakkaraju in the lead, on Thursday released a gripping thriller of the eagerly awaited series much to the delight of fans and film buffs.
The gripping Telugu series is to be streamed on the OTT platform ZEE5 from June 27.With eerie folklore, buried secrets, and a fearless investigation at its heart, the series promises an edge-of-your-seat, binge-worthy experience.Set in the 1980s, in the remote and fear-stricken village of Viraatapalem, a chilling curse silences celebrations as every bride dies mysteriously on her wedding day.No marriage has taken place for over a decade. The village is frozen in fear; its population reduced to only the very young and the very old. When a bold police constable (Abhignya Vuthaluru) is posted to the town, she refuses to accept the curse as truth. Teaming up with a reformed convict, she begins to pull at the threads of a mystery the village would rather keep buried….Speaking about the series, director Krishna Poluru said, “’Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting’ is set in a village where a chilling curse has stopped weddings for over a decade, every bride dies mysteriously on her wedding day. That belief has turned into fear, and fear into silence. This series is about breaking that silence. We’ve built a world that feels real, eerie, and emotionally grounded, where one woman dares to ask the question, everyone is afraid of.”Producer KV Sriram of South Indian Screens, said, “This story stood out to me right from the beginning; it’s haunting, layered, and deeply rooted in the kind of fears many communities quietly carry. As someone who has spent years creating stories for television and playing characters myself, this project gave me a chance to explore something more atmospheric and grounded. I’m proud of the world we’ve built with this series: mysterious, tense, and emotionally real, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”Abhignya Vuthaluru said, “Being part of this project was intense and fulfilling. The role demanded sensitivity, strength, and vulnerability especially in a world that dismisses facts in favour of fear. Shooting in the village, surrounded by real locations and real people, gave the entire experience a rawness, audiences I am sure will like it.”–IANSmkr/

Hyderabad, June 19 (IANS) A SpiceJet flight from Hyderabad to Tirupati returned 10 minutes after taking off from Hyderabad airport due to a technical problem on Thursday.The flight SG 2696 with 80 passengers on board had taken off for Tirupati from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad at 6.10 a.m.However, minutes later, the pilot detected a technical problem. He immediately contacted Air Traffic Control and sought permission to return to the airport.The flight safely landed back at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The airline was making alternate arrangements for the passengers to reach their destination.Following the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 274 lives, many flights across various airlines and routes were cancelled or diverted due to technical snags and security threats.On June 15, a Hyderabad-bound Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt returned to the German airport after a bomb threat was received at the Hyderabad airport.Authorities at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport received a bomb threat email at 6.01 p.m. on June 15. According to officials, a bomb threat assessment committee was formed, and all procedures were followed as per SOP. In the interest of safety, the airline was advised to divert back to the origin or the nearest suitable airport.Later, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad received a message that the flight was returning to Frankfurt.The flight took off from Frankfurt Airport around 2.15 p.m. It had not entered the Indian airspace when it returned. After two hours into its journey, Flight LH752 returned and safely landed at Frankfurt Airport.On June 12, an Air India plane crashed minutes after taking off for London Gatwick Airport from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, killing 241 out of 242 people on board. The tragedy also claimed the lives of 33 people on the ground.–IANSms/dpb

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) In a sign of growing UK-India economic partnership, there are now 1,197 Indian-owned companies operating in Britain, an increase of over 23 per cent from 2024 when 971 were recorded, according to a report released on Thursday.This is the highest number identified, and the largest year-on-year increase, since Grant Thornton began tracking exact total numbers in 2017.The combined revenues reported by Indian-owned companies in the UK increased to 72.14 billion pounds from 68.09 billion pounds in 2024. These businesses employ 126,720 people across the UK and have added over 8,000 new jobs in the past year.“The proportion of female directors has also increased to 24 per cent from 21 per cent in 2024. This year’s listing of the fastest-growing companies also delivers strong results, with 74 companies recording revenue growth of 10 per cent or more,” the report mentioned.The 2025 Tracker companies achieved an average growth rate of 42 per cent and a combined turnover of 32.6 billion pounds. These firms also paid 67.3 million pounds in corporation tax and created more than 56,000 jobs.“The findings of this year’s India Meets Britain Tracker stand testimony to the deep and historic relationship and between these two great nations. It is evident that India continues to see the UK as a key investment hub, and a country in which Indian firms can flourish,” said Anuj Chande, Partner and Head of the South Asia Business Group at Grant Thornton.The report, produced in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has been strengthened by the addition of India Global Forum (IGF), who enhance the report with their long-standing, expertise, experience and influence in the India UK corridor.The report was officially launched by the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, during a special opening session at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, as part of IGF’s London flagship programme.“Wipro IT Services UK Societas tops the growth rankings with a 448 per cent revenue surge, followed by a new entrant, corporate IT management firm, Zoho corporation Limited, which posted 197 per cent growth,” said the report.In terms of location, London remains the destination of choice, with 47 per cent of all companies headquartered in the capital, followed by the South of England (24.3 per cent).In terms of the sectors with the most Indian owned firms, the TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecommunications) sector continues to lead, accounting for 31 per cent of Tracker companies. Pharmaceuticals and chemicals hold strong in second place (22 per cent).Notably, financial services rose to 9.5 per cent of Tracker companies — their highest proportion in recent years — driven by the strategic expansion of Indian banks and financial institutions in London’s global finance hub, said the report.—IANSna/