Deadly Crowd Crush at Kumbh Mela Leaves At Least 30 Dead

Authorities in Rajasthan have dismantled a human trafficking operation disguised as a non-governmental organization (NGO) that falsely claimed to facilitate mass marriages for women from impoverished backgrounds. The Gayatri Sarva Samaj Foundation, located in a farmhouse near Bassi, allegedly bought girls from agents trafficking children from Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, selling them to young men for prices ranging between ₹250,000 to ₹500,000 (approximately $3,000 to $6,000), as reported by Bassi police station in-charge Abhijit Patil. The scheme came to light when a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh escaped and contacted police, leading to a raid on the farmhouse. During the operation, officials arrested the NGO's director, Gayatri Vishwakarma, along with three accomplices, including Hanuman, Bhagwan Das, and Mahendra. Investigators revealed that Vishwakarma had been involved in approximately 1,500 such arranged marriages and had multiple prior cases against her. Authorities also found that she falsified identification documents to misrepresent the ages of minors, indicating a deep-rooted criminal enterprise.

A 19-year-old resident of Lalpur, Varanasi, reported being kidnapped and gang-raped by 22 men over a week-long ordeal. According to police, the young woman left her home on March 29 to visit a friend but did not return. Her family filed a missing persons report on April 4. The following day, she was reportedly drugged and released by her captors at Pandeypur intersection. She managed to reach a friend's house and later informed her father, who filed a formal complaint with the police. Investigators revealed that the alleged assaults took place at multiple locations, including a hookah bar and guest houses. Six suspects have been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the remaining individuals. Authorities are cautious in releasing information about the accused, some of whom may be minors. "The rape complaint was lodged only on April 6," stated Chandrakant Meena, a senior police officer, highlighting a delay in official reporting of the incident. Ongoing investigations aim to uncover further details surrounding this disturbing case.

A crackdown on China-linked loan app scams has revealed extensive operations impacting numerous countries, including India, Nigeria, and the Philippines. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) reported that two individuals were arrested in India for managing a Chinese loan app scam that involved over 500 illicit bank accounts, amassing around ₹719 crores (approximately $86 million). According to ED sources, these scams rely on data harvesting, extortion, and cryptocurrency money laundering, targeting individuals through deceptive practices such as blackmail. The global financial impact of these scams is estimated to exceed $3 billion since 2020. The China Communist Party's United Front Work Department and the Ministry of State Security have been implicated in facilitating these operations, which utilize shell companies and advanced cyber techniques to infiltrate foreign economies. The ED's investigation identified a network facilitating cryptocurrency transfers to overseas wallets, with an alarming trend of financial ruin and suicides reported among victims in India. The scope and complexity of these schemes underscore the urgent need for international collaboration to combat cybercrime.