Operation Ghost SIM: Criminals used the SIM cards to commit cyber crimes and anti-national activities including helping agents in Pakistan receive sensitive information, the police said
Seven people have been arrested from across India for running a fake SIM card racket with links to Pakistani agents, the Assam Police said. At least 14 more people were detained from Assam’s Dhubri district for questioning, the police said.
To track down the accused and smash the racket, the Indian Army and the Assam Police joined forces in ‘Operation Ghost SIM’ and tracked all the accused across India.
The Assam Police first received intelligence from the army’s Gajraj Corps about an illegal activity involving the use of fake SIM cards from hideouts in Assam, Rajasthan, and Telangana, the police said.
They used the fake SIM cards to commit cyber crimes and anti-national activities including helping agents in Pakistan receive sensitive information.
Himanta Biswa Sarma has been attacking Gaurav Gogoi over his wife’s alleged connection with the ISI. Mr Sarma had alleged the Congress MP’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan
The war of words between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi escalated today after Mr Sarma said the government has evidence of the Congress leader’s visit to Pakistan on an invitation from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Mr Gogoi shot back, saying Mr Sarma has made many baseless remarks about him ever since he joined politics 13 years ago and 99 per cent of what the chief minister has been saying is “nonsense”.
Mr Sarma has been attacking Mr Gogoi over his wife’s alleged connection with the ISI. Mr Sarma had alleged the Congress MP’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan.
“Gaurav Gogoi visited Pakistan on an invitation of the ISI. For the first time, I am saying this. We have documents of the same. He did not go for tourism purposes. He went there definitely for training,” the chief minister alleged, adding “every proof will be presented before the public by September 10” after proper verification.
Mr Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, went to Pakistan on a direct invitation of the neighbouring country’s government and “it was dangerous”, Mr Sarma said.
Charaideo District and Sessions Judge Abubakkar Siddique pronounced the judgment by convicting 12 men and 11 women for committing the crime, and sentenced them to life imprisonment, besides imposing a fine of Rs 5,000 each.
A court in Assam’s Charaideo district on Monday sentenced 23 people to life imprisonment on Monday for killing a woman on suspicion of practising witchcraft 13 years ago.
Charaideo District and Sessions Judge Abubakkar Siddique pronounced the judgment by convicting 12 men and 11 women for committing the crime, and sentenced them to life imprisonment, besides imposing a fine of Rs 5,000 each.
The court also ordered the convicts to pay a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the victim’s family.
The 2012 incident had sparked widespread outrage and led to a prolonged trial that lasted 13 years.
The victim was subjected to severe physical torture and eventually set ablaze by a group of people in Jalha village in Charaideo on suspicion of practising witchcraft, police said
The Assam Rifles today said it is checking the authenticity of a photograph that purportedly showed a group of men in the force’s uniform holding flags that social media users claimed belonged to an insurgent group in the northeast.
It said disciplinary action will be taken if the photo is confirmed to be authentic.
The Assam Rifles’ official X handle also shared the photo with two red crosses on it, and with the text “being verified”.
“The authenticity of the photograph is being verified. Based on confirmation, suitable disciplinary action will be initiated against all the defaulters,” the Assam Rifles said.
“Assam Rifles remains committed to maintaining ethos of the force,” it said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian Army’s Eastern Command, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Manipur Governor AK Bhalla are among those who were tagged in the post by the Assam Rifles.
“Authenticity Of Photo Being Verified”: Assam Rifles On “Militant Flag” Pic Row
“Assam Rifles remains committed to maintaining ethos of the force,” the army said
The Assam Rifles posted the photo on X, saying it is being verified
Imphal:
The Assam Rifles today said it is checking the authenticity of a photograph that purportedly showed a group of men in the force’s uniform holding flags that social media users claimed belonged to an insurgent group in the northeast.
It said disciplinary action will be taken if the photo is confirmed to be authentic.
The Assam Rifles’ official X handle also shared the photo with two red crosses on it, and with the text “being verified”.
“The authenticity of the photograph is being verified. Based on confirmation, suitable disciplinary action will be initiated against all the defaulters,” the Assam Rifles said.
“Assam Rifles remains committed to maintaining ethos of the force,” it said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian Army’s Eastern Command, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Manipur Governor AK Bhalla are among those who were tagged in the post by the Assam Rifles.
Social media users alleged the flag in the purported photo belongs to the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), which is active in Manipur. AI-generated images and large disinformation content on Manipur have also been a huge problem, even leading to incidents on the ground.
The ZRA comes under the umbrella body of eight insurgent groups represented by the United Peoples Front (UPF) for negotiations with the Centre.
The UPF, and another umbrella body of 17 insurgent groups represented by the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), have signed the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state government.
Broadly, the SoO agreement says the insurgents are to stay at designated camps and their weapons kept in locked storage, to be monitored regularly.
However, they face allegations of violating the ground rules of the SoO agreement by participating in the Manipur ethnic violence between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes.
The United National Liberation Front (Pambei), or UNLF (P), which is the only Meitei insurgent group that signed a ceasefire, also faces allegations of taking part in the ethnic clashes in violation of the ceasefire.
The Indian Army has operational control of the Assam Rifles, while the Ministry of Home Affairs has administrative control. The Assam Rifles guards the border with Myanmar and also conducts counter-insurgency operations, along with the Manipur Police
