The Anti-Corruption Bureau has uncovered over Rs 100 crore in disproportionate assets allegedly amassed by Shiva Balakrishna, the Secretary of Telangana State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TSRERA) and the former Director of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).

The ACB’s preliminary findings suggest Mr Balakrishna accrued crores by allegedly facilitating permits for numerous real estate companies.

Officials searched several locations across the state, including Mr Balakrishna and his relatives’ homes and offices, over allegations that Mr Balakrishna amassed assets beyond his known sources of income.

The searches began at 5 am today and covered 20 locations. They are expected to extend into tomorrow. ACB teams combed through offices of the HMDA and RERA, while Mr Balakrishna’s home and other key locations linked to the probe were raided.

A case of unaccounted assets has been registered against Mr Balakrishna, who is suspected to have exploited his official position to accumulate massive wealth.

Assets valued at over Rs 100 crore, including gold, flats, bank deposits, and benami holdings, have been found during the searches. The inventory of seized items comprises Rs 40 lakh in cash, two kilograms of gold jewellery, 60 high-end wristwatches, property documents, and substantial bank deposits. Additionally, 14 phones, 10 laptops, and several electronic gadgets have been confiscated.

The ACB is now going through Mr Balakrishna’s bank lockers and other undisclosed assets, signaling a continuation of the investigation tomorrow.

Through the day in In Rajasthan Emmanuel Macron will visit the Amer Fort, where a cultural event will be held.
PM Modi will join him for the tour of Jantar Mantar a UNESCO World Heritage site. The two leaders will then take part in a joint roadshow from Jantar Mantar to Sangani gate with a stopover at Hawa Mahal.
Sources said they will have Jaipur’s special masala chai at Hawa Mahal and may pick up handicrafts items like blue pottery and the famous inlay work, for which they will pay with BHIM UPI. Handicraft kiosks have been set up adjacent to the Hawa Mahal for the dignitaries to browse.
A private dinner for Mr Macron has also been planned at the Rambag Palace.
The visit comes as the Centre and the French government continue to negotiate multi-billion dollar deals for French fighter jets and submarines for the army.
It is expected that India’s proposed procurement of 26 Rafale fighter jets and the three Scorpion submarines would also figure in the bilateral talks that will be held later.
France is India’s second largest arms supplier and has been one of its oldest and closest partners in Europe for decades.
President Macron had accepted the last minute invite for the Republic Day celebration, which has been read as a mark on the strength of the bilateral relations between the two nations.
New Delhi had dialled Paris when US President Joe Biden conveyed that he cannot come.
PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at France’s Bastille Day celebrations in July last year.

The Maldives government’s “anti-India stance” may turn out detrimental to the island nation’s development, the two main opposition parties have warned, two days after the administration announced a Chinese ship will be docking at their port.

The words of caution by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats comes amid strained ties between the two neighbours and the Maldives’ affinity towards China, a potentially significant geopolitical and military shift in the Indian Ocean Region.

President Mohamed Muizzu won the 2023 elections banking on an anti-India narrative, a departure from his predecessors who pursued a pro-India policy. 

“Both, the MDP and The Democrats believe alienating any development partner, and especially the country’s most long-standing ally will be extremely detrimental to the long-term development of the country,” the two opposition parties said, calling India the “most long-standing ally”.

Their assessment on “the direction in foreign policy” stated the Maldivian government must work with all development partners as it has traditionally done.

Read | Maldives Asks India To Withdraw Military Personnel By March 15: Report

“Stability and security in the Indian Ocean is vital to the stability and security of the Maldives,” said the two opposition parties, which jointly hold 55 seats in the 87-member house.

The remarks were made at a joint news conference addressed by MDP’s chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Ahmed Saleem, Democrats chief MP Hassan Latheef and the Parliamentary Group Leader Ali Azim.

Maldives recently upgraded its ties with China after a diplomatic row over Maldivian ministers’ derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi post his visit to India’s Lakshadweep islands.

Read | “Welcome Vessels From Friendly Nations”: Maldives On China Spy Ship

The country has also set a March 5 deadline for India to withdraw its troops – a deadline that follows President Muizzu’s first state visit to China after being elected. This was also his first port of call after assuming office, another shift from his predecessors who traditionally have been making India their first port of call.

Earlier this week, Maldives announced it has allowed a Chinese survey ship to dock at one of its ports for replenishment, but it will not conduct any “research” in Maldivian waters.

“The Maldives has always been a welcoming destination for vessels of friendly countries, and continues to host both civilian and military vessels making port calls for peaceful purposes,” Maldives said, a remark being seen as a further evidence of Male’s pivot away from New Delhi and towards Beijing.