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Bengaluru police arrest five Sri Lankans, bust gang providing fake passports
The Bengaluru City Police have busted a gang which provided Indian passports to five people from Sri Lanka who were looking to move to the Middle East in search of jobs.The police said that the Sri Lankan nationals had been ready to pay anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,50,000 for the fake passports.
On Wednesday, city police commissioner Prathap Reddy said that the arrested Sri Lankan nationals were identified as Selvi S Ravi Kumar, Manivelu, Shiju, Nirosha and Vishal Narayan. He added that those who helped them get the fake passports included Ameen Sait and Rakesh H, residents of Bengaluru, and HU Hyder and Mohammed Nawal, residents of Mangaluru. The probe revealed that Sait is said to be the kingpin of the racket and another accused, Sadiq Pasha, is currently absconding, the police informed.
According to police officials, the incident came to light on October 19 when Pension Mohalla police of Hassan town approached Basavanagudi police seeking information about Sadique Pasha, who was wanted in more than 36 burglary cases. Pasha had applied for a passport in 2020 under the name of Mohammed Karim.
The probe revealed that Karim, whose real name is Pasha, had managed to clear police verification on December 11, 2020, and police constable Madhusudhan J had visited his house. Karim was present but the cops did not suspect that he had any criminal record. Sait, Hyder and Nawal, who were also there, gave their statements to support the verification process which is part of the procedure. After getting cleared, Karim got his passport and left the country.
According to police sources, the passport aspirant must provide citizenship identity proofs and also provide proof that he lived in the same place for more than three years and the neighbours will have to give them assent for the same. The racket came to the fore when the police went ahead and retrieved information about those who posed as Pasha’s neighbours.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (south), Krishnakanth P, who had formed a special team, managed to arrest Sait, Nawal and Rakesh. During the probe, the police found that some of the Sri Lankan nationals, who arrived in India after protests over the economic crisis started, had approached Sait to get passports done. Sait charged them somewhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,50,000 to get it done. He forged the documents and faked during the verification process to get them cleared, the Deputy Commissioner of Police added.The Sri Lankan nationals were hoping to fly to gulf countries to get jobs using their Indian identities. The police suspect that the gang has managed to get at least 20 passports using fake and forged documents.
– NIE
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
