India on Tuesday advised its citizens not to travel to Myanmar’s Rakhine state in view of the deteriorating security situation.

In its first advisory following the spike in violence, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asked Indians not to travel to the Rakhine state because of the prevailing situation, including disruption in telecommunication network and scarcity of essential commodities.

“In view of the deteriorating security situation, disruption of means of telecommunications, including landlines, and severe scarcity of essential commodities, all Indian citizens are advised not to travel to the Rakhine State of Myanmar,” it said.

“Those Indian citizens who are already in the Rakhine State are advised to leave the State immediately,” the MEA said.

READ | India To Fence Entire 1,643-Km Border With Myanmar, Construct Patrol Track

Myanmar has been witnessing wide-spread violent protests demanding restoration of democracy since the military seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021.

The Rakhine state and many other regions have witnessed severe fighting between armed ethnic groups and the Myanmarese military since October last year.

The hostilities between the two sides saw a rapid spike since November in several key Myanmarese towns and regions near the border with India as well, fuelling concerns in New Delhi over the possible ramifications for security of Manipur and Mizoram.

The Myanmarese military has been using airstrikes targeting its opponents and those carrying out an armed struggle against the ruling regime.

Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and it shares a 1,640-kilometre border with a number of northeastern states, including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

Last week, India had called for complete cessation of violence in the country and its transition towards inclusive federal democracy.

“We are concerned over the deteriorating situation in Myanmar which has direct implications for us,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on February 1.

“As a neighbouring country and friend of Myanmar, India has long been advocating for complete cessation of violence and Myanmar’s transition towards inclusive federal democracy,” he said at his weekly media briefing. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

An Indian student in Chicago was heard desperately pleading for help in a video that showed him bleeding profusely after being attacked by robbers. Concerned over the incident, his family back in Hyderabad has urged the government to allow his wife to visit him in the US.

Syed Mazahir Ali was seen bleeding from his nose and mouth, and pleading for “help” in a video.

.@DrSJaishankar Sir, One Syed Mazahir Ali from Hyderabad, Telangana pursuing Masters in IT from Indiana Weslay University was robbed & attacked on 4th Feb by four persons in Chicago, Since this attack Syed Mazahir Ali is under mental shock and is in need of help.Ask… pic.twitter.com/Cf2jeMAvPw

— Amjed Ullah Khan MBT (@amjedmbt) February 6, 2024

His wife Syeda Ruquliya Fatima Rizvi has written to Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to ensure that he gets proper treatment.

“I am very much worried about safety and security of my husband in Chicago, USA. I request you to kindly help him in getting best medical treatment and if possible kindly make necessary arrangements so I can travel to USA along with my three minor children to be with my husband,” her letter read.

Mr Ali was a masters’ degree student of the Indiana Wesleyan University.

CCTV footage showed him being pursued by three of his attackers near his Chicago house.

“Four people attacked me when I was returning home. I slipped near my house and they kicked and punched me, Please help me bro, please help me,” Mr Ali was heard saying.

The attack on him comes in the wake of four Indian-origin students being found dead in the United States this year.

Shreyas Reddy Beniger, a 19-year-old student who held an American passport, was found dead last week, but authorities had ruled out any foul play. Another student, Neel Acharya, was found dead on the Purdue University campus earlier that week, hours after his mother had reported him missing.

Vivek Saini, a 25-year-old student from Haryana, was hammered to death by a homeless man in Georgia’s Lithonia on January 16. Akul Dhawan, another Indian student, was found dead outside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in January.

The Paytm chief executive was told the government has no role to play in connection with the latest RBI restrictions when he went to meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday, said people familiar with the matter.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma is in fire-fighting mode after the Reserve Bank of India last week asked Paytm to stop its popular digital wallet, deposits and credit products.

Paytm shares had tanked over 40% since then, rebounding only this Tuesday.

Mr Sharma’s meeting with Ms Sitharaman lasted for 10 minutes and he was told the government has no role to play in this matter, said government sources.

Paytm has been asked to sort out the issue with RBI and comply with their guidelines, they added.

Mr Sharma also met RBI officials yesterday to discuss the regulatory concerns, sources said.

The RBI barred Paytm Payments Bank Ltd last Wednesday (January 31) from accepting deposits or allowing credit transactions, or top-ups, in customer accounts or prepaid instruments – such as wallets and FASTags – linked to those accounts, after February 29. However, customers will be able to utilize balances from their accounts without any limit, the RBI order said.

The RBI has also terminated the nodal accounts of Paytm’s parent company, One97 Communications Ltd, and Paytm Payments Bank Ltd.

Paytm Payments Bank has assured its customers that their money is “safe”, but they won’t be able to deposit money in their accounts or wallets after February 29. But the app will keep working beyond that as usual, Mr Sharma has said.