Indian national sentenced to 20 years in prison for running call centres that defrauded US citizens

Washington: A US court Monday sentenced an Indian national to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in operating and funding India-based call centers that defrauded the American people of millions of dollars between 2013 and 2016.

Hitesh Madhubhai Patel (44) of Ahmedabad was sentenced by US District Judge for the Southern District of Texas David Hittner.

He was sentenced for the charges of wire fraud conspiracy and general conspiracy to commit identification fraud, access device fraud, money laundering, and impersonation of a federal officer or employee.

Patel was also ordered to pay restitution of USD 8,970,396 to identified victims of his crimes.

The defendant defrauded vulnerable US victims out of tens of millions of dollars by spearheading a conspiracy whose members boldly impersonated federal government officials and preyed on victims' fears of adverse government action, said Acting Attorney General Brian C Rabbitt of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

For years, Patel preyed on the fears of his victims to perpetuate a global scheme to manipulate US institutions and taxpayers, said Special Agent in Charge Mark B Dawson of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston.

According to admissions in his plea agreement, Patel and his co-conspirators perpetrated a complex scheme in which employees from call centers in Ahmedabad impersonated officials from the IRS and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and engaged in other telephone call scams designed to defraud victims throughout the country.

US victims were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, fines, or deportation if they did not pay alleged monies owed to the government.

Those who fell victim were instructed how to provide payment, including by purchasing general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards or wiring money.

Upon payment, the call centers would immediately turn to a network of runners based in the United States to liquidate and launder the fraudulently obtained funds, federal prosecutors alleged.

In his plea, Patel admitted to operating and funding several India-based call centers from which the fraud schemes were perpetrated, including the call center HGLOBAL.

Patel corresponded by email and WhatsApp messaging frequently with his co-defendants to exchange credit card numbers, telephone scam scripts, and call center operations instructions.

The scripts included IRS impersonation, USCIS impersonation, Canada Revenue Agency impersonation, Australian Tax Office impersonation, payday loan fraud, US Government grant fraud, and debt collection fraud.

Patel was prosecuted in the United States after being extradited from Singapore in April 2019 to face charges in this large-scale telfraud and money laundering scheme.

Singapore authorities apprehended Patel at the request of the United States pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant in September 2018, after Patel flew there from India.

The indictment in this case, which was unsealed in October 2016, charged Patel and 60 other individuals and entities with general conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.

A total of 24 domestic defendants associated with this transnational criminal scheme were previously convicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment of up to 20 years in the Southern District of Texas, District of Arizona, and Northern District of Georgia.

The defendants were also ordered to pay millions of dollars in victim restitution and money judgments and to forfeit seized assets.

Some defendants were ordered to be deported based on their illegal immigration status, with another defendant having his US citizenship revoked due to a separate conviction for immigration fraud.

Charges remain pending for other India-based defendants.

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AP NEET counselling 2020: Provisional merit list for admission to MBBS, BDS courses released at ntruhs.ap.nic.in

Andhra Pradesh NEET provisional merit list 2020 has been declared by Dr NTR University of Health Sciences on its official website — ntruhs.ap.nic.in.

Candidates who have applied for admission for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH admission under state quota can check their name in the list.

A total of 13,089 candidates have been shortlisted for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH courses under the Andhra Pradesh state quota.

The AP NEET merit list has been compiled on the basis of the details provided by the candidates in the counselling registration process.

Medical aspirants whose names are there in the list and see errors in fields such as Gender, Category, Local Area, EWS and Minority are required to notify the relevant authority for correction.

Candidates can raise their grievances by sending an email to ntrhelpdesk2020@gmail.com with proper supporting documents and their rank, roll number, by 3 December 2020 up to 3 pm.

The grievance received after the mentioned time and date will not be considered. The University has also said that request or grievance received from others on behalf of candidates will not be considered.

Steps to check AP NEET provisional merit list 2020:

Step 1: Log on to the official website of Dr. N.T.R University of Health Sciences — ntruhs.ap.nic.in
Step 2: Under the What's New tab on the homepage, click on the link that reads, "MBBS-BDS-AYUSH 2020-Provisional Merit List of Candidates applied — after verification of uploaded certificates"
Step 3: The merit list will open in PDF format on your screen
Step 4: Search for your name in the merit list

The AP NEET 2020 merit list contains the rank, roll number, name, gender, category, location, of the candidates.

Here is the direct link to check AP NEET 2020 provisional merit list: http://ntruhs.ap.nic.in/notification/Admission/Provisonal_Meritlist2020.pdf

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'Delhi chalo' protest: Farmers' unions accept Centre's offer for talks over new laws

New Delhi: Farmer unions on Tuesday decided to attend a meeting with the Centre as protesters continued their agitation at Delhi border points against the government''s new farm laws.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday had invited leaders of farmer unions for talks on Tuesday, instead of 1 December, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the cold.

"In our meeting, we have decided to accept the central government's offer to hold talks at 3 pm on Tuesday. Representatives of protesting farmers will attend the meeting with Union ministers," farmer leader Baljeet Singh Mahal said.

Thousands of farmers stayed put at various Delhi border points for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday protesting against the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system and corporatise farming.

The meeting has been called at 3 pm on 1 December at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital, Tomar said, adding that those leaders who were present in the meeting held on November 13 have been invited this time.

On Monday, the farmers said that they have come to the National Capital for a "decisive battle" and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to their "mann ki baat".

They said that they will continue their agitation until their demands are met.

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Rajkot hospital fire: Police arrests three senior Gokul Lifecare officials for causing death by negligence

Ahmedabad: Three senior officials of a company that operated a private COVID-19 hospital in Gujarat's Rajkot district where a fire killed five patients last week have been arrested, a police official said on Tuesday.

The fire broke out around 12.30 am on Friday in the ICU ward of Uday Shivanand Hospital in which five COVID-19 patients were killed, while 28 others were rescued.

On Sunday, the police registered an FIR against five officials of Gokul Healthcare Pvt Limited, which operated the hospital, under Indian Penal Code Section 304-A (causing death by negligence).

The police arrested the company's chairman Dr Prakash Modha, his son and executive director Dr Vishal Modha, and director Dr Tejas Karamta on Monday night after their COVID-19 test reports were received, an official from Rajkot's Malviya Nagar police station said.

"They have been booked along with two others under the Indian Penal Code section for causing death by negligence," he said.

On Sunday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoharsinh Jadeja told reporters that an investigation into the incident revealed negligence on part of the hospital authorities, and hence the FIR was lodged against them under IPC Section 304-A.

He said the COVID-19 hospital began functioning after getting permission on 15 September.

The hospital was started on three floors rented at a hospital being run by Shivanand Mission Trust. During the investigation into the incident, several norms were found to have been allegedly flouted and negligence of hospital administrators came to fore, he said.

The hospital did not follow fire prevention protocols and safety measures were lacking, which caused difficulties in the rescue operation and resulted in the death of five patients, he had said.

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Vellore Institute of Technology admission 2021: Registration for VITEEE 2021 begins at vit.ac.in

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has on Tuesday, 1 December, started online registration process for Vellore Institute of Technology Engineering entrance exam (VITEEE) 2021. Willing and eligible candidates can register for the entrance test on the official website vit.ac.in by 30 March 2021.

VITEEE 2021 will tentatively be conducted in the second and third week of April. The counselling will be held in the first week of May and classes will commence from second week of July.

According to a report by Scroll, candidates applying for the undergraduate engineering admission for the 2021 session must have secured a minimum aggregate of 60 percent in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics/ Biology the Class 12 or other qualifying examination.

Those applying for VITEEE for UG Engineering admission (UGEA) 2021 should have been born on or after 1 July 1999.
VITEE 2021 will be a computer based test (CBT). Candidates will get a total of 2 hours 30 minutes to complete the examination.
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Students who qualify the VITEEE will be eligible for admission into engineering programmes offered by VITs at Vellore, Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, and Bhopal.

A report by NDTV, said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, VIT decided not to hold the engineering entrance exam. Students will be admitted to engineering courses on the basis of their Class 12 scores.

Steps to register for VITEEE 2021:

Step 1: Go to the official website of Vellore Institute of Technology - vit.ac.in.

Step 2: On the homepage, click on the tab that reads, "VITEEE 2021 / B.Tech. Admissions 2021."

Step 3: You will be directed to a new page where you will have to provide your name, residential status, date of birth, gender, mobile number, email ID to register.

Step 4: After registration, go back to the Login page and key in the register email ID, password and verification code.

Step 5: Provide all the relevant documents and upload photo and signature in appropriate size to complete the VITEEE 2021 application form.

Step 6: Pay the required application fee.

Step 7: Check all the details before pressing the final submit button.

Here is the direct link to apply for VITEEE 2021: https://ift.tt/39aoiiI

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World AIDS Day 2020: All you need to know about virus that infected over 1.7 million people in 2019

World AIDS Day is observed every year on 1 December to bring attention to the HIV, make people aware people about the virus and speak out against the stigma associated with it. The day was first observed in 1998.

AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a life-threatening condition that is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV attacks the immune system of the person and make him or her susceptible to other diseases. AIDS is the final stage of a patient living with HIV.

There is no effective cure for HIV till date, however, there the ART or antiretroviral therapy reduces the amount of virus, or viral load in a person's body.

According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 38 million people were infected with HIV in 2018.
The report added that one in five people living with HIV were not aware of their infection. Also, one in three people receiving HIV treatment experienced disruption to the supply of HIV treatments, testing and prevention services, especially children and adolescents.

Last year, 6,90,000 people died of HIV-related causes and 1.7 million people across the world were newly infected.

India recorded its first case of AIDS caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in 1986 and according to HIV Estimates Report 2019 of India, there are about 23.49 lakh people living with HIV in India. However, the annual new HIV infections in India have come down by 37 percent since 2010 and the AIDS mortality is estimated at 4.43 per 1,00,000 people.

The theme of World AIDS Day 2020 is 'Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact'.

HIV is mainly transmitted through bodily fluids like blood, semen, vaginal and rectal fluids and breast milk and without treatment, a person with HIV is likely to develop AIDS.

There are certain steps people can take to prevent transmission of HIV. Since the most common way for HIV to get transferred is through anal or vaginal sex, safe sex is extremely important. Apart from this, avoiding sharing needles is another important thing.

A person exposed to HIV should contact a healthcare provider and obtain post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) which can reduce the risk of contracting HIV. A person with higher chance of contracting HIV should talk to a healthcare provide about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

According to UNAIDS, of the 2.57 million people living with HIV who faced a humanitarian crisis in 2019, around 1.43 million did not have access to ART medication. It said that every week, nearly 5,500 young women aged between 15-24 years become infected with HIV.

Winnie Byanima, the Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Executive Director Of UNAIDS, stated that the goal of ending the AIDS epidemic was already off track before COVID-19 and one must put people first to get the AIDS response back on track.

Of the 2.57 million people living with HIV who faced a humanitarian crisis in 2019, an estimated 1.43 million did not have access to antiretroviral treatment.

Health is a human right. Everyone must have equal access to health care!#WorldAIDSDay

— UNAIDS (@UNAIDS) November 29, 2020

Every week, around 5500 young women aged 15–24 years become infected with HIV.

When girls complete secondary school, their risk of getting HIV is reduced by 50%.

This #WorldAIDSDay join us in the fight for gender equality, human rights and health care for all.

— UNAIDS (@UNAIDS) November 27, 2020

"We must end the social injustices that put people at risk of contracting HIV. And we must fight for the right to health," she said, before adding that only global solidarity and shared responsibility will help them beat the coronavirus, end AIDS epidemic and guarantee right to health for everyone.

Odisha sand artist Subal Moharana created a sand sculpture highlighting a red ribbon in solidarity with the world's fight against HIV. The sand installation was created in Bhubaneshwar to create awareness about AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

Odisha: Sand artist, Subal Moharana created a sand art yesterday in Bhubaneswar to create awareness about AIDS, ahead of #WorldAIDSDay2020

World AIDS Day is observed on December 1st every year. pic.twitter.com/6I5UJWoDhA

— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2020

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Haryana livestock development board chief, Sombir Sangwan, resigns, extends support to protesting farmers

Chandigarh: Extending his support to the farmers gathered at Delhi's borders protesting the Centre's new farm laws, Haryana MLA Sombir Sangwan on Monday tendered his resignation as chairman of the State Livestock Development Board.

Sangwan is an Independent MLA supporting the BJP-JJP coalition government in the state.

In the letter to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, he said, "I have resigned from my post in support of farmers. Like the entire country, farmers from my Assembly constituency Dadri are also protesting against these laws. In this situation, extending my full support to them is a priority for me and my moral duty too."

"I have given the farmers full support after listening to my inner conscience," the MLA wrote.

On Sunday, Sangwan had said Haryana's many 'khaps' have decided to respond to the agitating farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' call and march to the National Capital to support their protest against the three central farm laws.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new agri-marketing laws enacted at the Centre will lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving peasants at the mercy of the big corporates.

The government, however, says the new laws give farmers options to get higher prices for their crops and the MSP regime will continue.

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Bata Brands names Sandeep Kataria as global CEO; first Indian to be appointed for top role

New Delhi: International footwear major Bata Shoe Organization on Monday announced the elevation of its India CEO Sandeep Kataria to the post of global CEO of Bata Brands with immediate effect.

Kataria thus becomes the first Indian to be elevated to global role of the footwear major, Bata said in a statement.

He takes over from Alexis Nasard, who is stepping down after almost five years in the role, it added.

Kataria, who joined Bata India as CEO in 2017 had earlier worked with leading global firms such as Unilever, Yum Brands and Vodafone in India and Europe.

Commenting on the appointment, Bata India Ltd, Chairman Ashwini Windlass said, "Over the past few years, the India team has delivered exceptional growth in footwear volumes, revenues and profits, and has strengthened Bata's customer measures in a highly competitive footwear market. The Bata Group and Bata India both stand to benefit greatly from Sandeep's extensive experience."

Under Kataria's leadership, Bata India doubled its profits driven by double digit topline growth, and sponsored some of the most ingenious campaigns, including ''Surprisingly Bata'', that revamped Bata's image as a more vibrant and contemporary brand, targeted at younger consumers, the company said.

On his elevation, Kataria said, "I have been privileged to be part of Bata's success in India and I look forward to building further on our proud, 120-year history as shoemakers to the world."

He further said, "While 2020 has presented unique challenges, the appeal of our brands and the passion of our people provide every reason for confidence regarding our prospects in the years ahead."

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UGC NET 2020: NTA declares exam results; check scores and cut-offs at ugcnet.nta.nic.in

UGC NET June/ September results 2020 have been declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday, 1 December. Candidates can check their score and qualifying status on the official website - ugcnet.nta.nic.in.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the National Eligibility Test (NET) for 81 subjects was conducted in computer-based test (CBT) mode between 24 September and 13 November.

A total of 8,60,976 candidates registered for the exam this year out of which 5,26,707 appeared for the test.

A report by Scroll.in said that along with the result, NTA has also released subject-wise cut-off percentiles have also been released by the NTA.

The top 6 percent scorers in the UGC NET 2020 will get the NET certification. The examination is held twice every year to determine the eligibility of candidates to apply for the Assistant Professor or Junior Research Fellow (JRF) position at various educational institutions across India.

Steps to check UGC NET result 2020:

Step 1: Log on to UGC NET June 2020's official website - ugcnet.nta.nic.in.

Step 2: On the homepage, click on the tab that reads, "UGC - NET June 2020 NTA Score."

Step 3: On a new page, enter your application number and date of birth.

Step 4: Enter the security pin as displayed on the screen.

Step 5: Click on the Submit button.

Step 6: Your UGC NET result 2020 will be displayed on the screen.

Step 7: Check your name, score, qualifying status before saving, and taking a print.

Click here for the direct link to check and download UGC NET result 2020.

The subject-wise cut-off percent has been released in two links. Click here and here for the direct links.

The NTA  on Monday, 30 December, released the final answer keys of all the 81 NET subjects on its website. The final answer keys were prepared to take into account the challenges raised by candidates and scrutiny/ resolution by the concerned experts.

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Shehla Rashid's father alleges daughter sent him death threats, demands probe against her NGOs

Jammu: Abdul Rashid Shora, the estranged father of student activist Shehla Rashid, on Monday levelled serious allegations against her, demanding that a probe be initiated into her NGOs and also accused her of having taken a huge amount of money for joining politics in Kashmir valley, a charge denied by her.

Shehla termed her father's statement "absolutely disgusting and baseless" and said this was his reaction after a court barred him entry into their Srinagar house on 17 November in response to a complaint filed by the family against him under domestic violence.

Releasing a three-page letter addressed to the Director General of Police at a press conference, Shora claimed that he is facing a threat to his life from Shehla, her security guard, sister and her mother.

He also demanded a probe into the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), being run by Shehla, and the bank accounts of his daughters and their mother.

"She had taken Rs three crore to join politics in Kashmir from (former MLA) Engineer Rashid and (businessman) Zahoor Watali (both of whom were arrested last year by the National Investigation Agency for their alleged involvement in terror funding case)," Shora claimed.

Shehla, a former JNU student leader, joined politics and became a founding member of JK Political Movement floated by IAS topper turned politician Shah Faesal. However, she later announced her "dissociation with the electoral mainstream in Kashmir" last year.

Shehla tweeted a detailed response to her father's allegations saying "Many of you must have come across a video of my biological father making wild allegations against me and my mum and sis. To keep it short and straight, he''s a wife-beater and an abusive, depraved man. We finally decided to act against him, and this stunt is a reaction to that."

Terming the allegations "absolutely disgusting and baseless", she said the fact of the matter is that they have filed a complaint of domestic violence with a court in Kashmir against her father and it has passed an order restraining his entry into their home.

"My mother has tolerated abuse, violence and mental torture all her life. She has kept quiet for the sake of respect for the family…now that we have started speaking up against his physical and mental abuse, he has started abusing us too," she said, requesting everyone not to take him seriously.

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India's daily COVID-19 count drops to 31,118 taking tally to 94.62 lakh, reports 4,35,603 active cases

New Delhi: India's COVID-19 caseload increased to 94.62 lakh on Tuesday after 31,118 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours, said the health ministry.

The toll climbed to 1,37,621 with 482 more fatalities being recorded in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the country in a span of 24 hours dropped below 35,000 for the third time this month.

The total number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 88,89,585, pushing the national recovery rate to 93.94 percent. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 percent.

The active COVID-19 caseload remained below five lakh for the 21th consecutive day. There are 4,35,603 active cases in the country which comprise 4.60 percent of the total caseload, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August, 30 lakh on 23 August and 40 lakh on 5 September. It went past 50 lakh on 16 September, 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October, crossed 80 lakh on 29 October, and surpassed 90 lakh on 20 November.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 14,13, 49,298 samples have been tested so far. At least 9,69,332 samples were tested on Monday alone.

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