Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday underlined India’s readiness for war in the face of multiple challenges along the country’s border. Speaking at NDTV’s first Defence Summit, Mr Singh said, “We have to be ready for war at all times… even in peacetime. We have to be ready.”

“Whether from land, air, or sea… if anyone attacks India, our forces will respond strongly. We have never attacked any country nor have we occupied even an inch of anyone’s land. But, if anyone attacks us, we are in position to give a befitting reply,” he said at the event.

Mr Singh’s comments have been seen as a not-so-veiled reference to continuing tension with China in Kashmir and Ladakh, as well as the northeast. Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in military stand-off for nearly four years – following confrontations at friction points in eastern Ladakh.

The 20th round of Corps Commander-level talks between Delhi and Beijing was held in October, at Chushul as part of ongoing efforts for disengagement and de-escalation to resolve the stand-off.

Tensions, however, continue to remain.

WATCH | NDTV’s Defence Summit – Unleashing India’s Defence Potential

Last week External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking at a think-tank event in Delhi, called on Beijing to adhere to border management pacts to ensure peace between the nations.

Rajnath Singh’s assertive comments to NDTV echoed those made in January, when he said the world had witnessed India’s rise as a “key global economic and strategic power”. Mr Singh acknowledged the India-China relationship “is currently under strain”, but insisted Delhi wants good ties with all.

Then the Defence Minister referred to “the courage shown by our soldiers during the stand-off with Chinese troops in Galwan (in eastern Ladakh)”, and said, “We are no more a weak country.”

“Ab aisa nhi hai ki Bharat ko ankh dikha ke jo chahe so nikal jaye (No longer can anyone show us a red eye and get away with it),” Rajnath Singh had said.

READ | “No Longer Can Someone Show India Red Eye And Get Away”

Meanwhile, at the NDTV Defence Summit, Mr Singh also spoke about the government’s focus on an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, or a ‘self-reliant India’, when considering the defence sector.

“In 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power, we put defence sector as our main priority. ‘Atmanirbharta‘, or ‘self-reliance’, was encouraged… we introduced many make-in-India initiatives and our focus was on military modernisation,” he explained.

READ | “Modiji Brought Self-Reliance In Defence”: Rajnath Singh At NDTV Meet

“I am not saying previous governments did not put emphasis on defence sector. But we brought ‘atmanirbharta‘ in the defence sector,” he stressed.

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When a 71-year-old Delhi doctor got a video call at midnight, he assumed it was a patient calling about an emergency, but was surprised to find a woman in a compromising position on the other end. A video of his interaction on the call with the woman was recorded and what followed was a long cycle of extortion and blackmail, in which the doctor ended up transferring nearly Rs 9 lakh to a sextortion gang, police said on Thursday.

Having endured the ordeal for a long time, the doctor finally registered a case with the Delhi Police, which has led to the arrest of two brothers from Rajasthan. The men, who ran a sextortion racket, are suspected to have blackmailed 25 other people using the same playbook.

An official said the doctor had approached the Cyber Police Station in East District and complained that he had endured repeated video calls and blackmail from a gang which was threatening to leak a video of his call with the woman on social media. He told the police that he had transferred nearly Rs 8.6 lakh to the gang but the calls and demands did not cease. 

Investigation

After registering a case under sections related to cheating, criminal intimidation and extortion, among others, the police began its investigation.

“We started tracing and surveilling the numbers from which the calls were made to the doctor. We finally managed to get a lead and an identity of a person from Rajasthan. Informers helped us verify this information and told us that the person was part of an extortion racket. We raided his house last week and arrested him and his brother,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East District) Apoorva Gupta.

“Seven phones have been recovered from their possession, including the device used to make the original video call, and the phone and SIM card used to make the extortion call,” she added.

The brothers have been identified as 39-year-old Abdul Rehman, who has a wife and three children, and his brother Aamir Khan, 26, who are residents of the Mewat area in Deeg district, Rajasthan. They were remanded in police custody for five days. 
 
During the investigation, a money trail was also established and it was discovered that the funds had been transferred to various bank accounts in Haryana, Punjab, and Maharashtra. These bank accounts had been opened digitally, bypassing know your customer (KYC) verification.

More Victims 

“A study of the bank accounts has led us to suspect that the gang had 25 other victims. We are gathering information on other associates of the two brothers,” said DCP Gupta.

Apart from four other victims from Delhi, the others are from Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. 

The officer said three other criminals involved in sextortion, who taught the brothers what they know, have also been identified. They are from the same village as the brothers. 

The Kashmir Files actor recently announced that he will be directing a film titled “Tanvi The Great.” He shared this news on his birthday through an Instagram video.

Anupam Kher took to his social media to share the news. In the video, the actor is seen with his mother, seeking her blessings for his new venture.

The actor wrote “TANVI THE GREAT: Today, on my birthday I proudly announce the name of the film I have decided to direct. Some stories find their path and compel you to share it with the world! And the best way I thought to start is by taking the blessings of my mother in her temple with my father’s pic blessing me too. Have been working on this musical story of #Passion #Courage #Innocence and #Joy for the last three years. And finally starting shooting tomorrow on the auspicious day of #Mahashivratri. Birthday is the best day to CHALLENGE yourself! Please Send me your love, best wishes and blessings! Om Namah Shivay!  #TanviTheGreat #Musical #Film #Passion #Courage @anupamkherstudio”

The movie is being produced under the banner of Anupam Kher Studios.