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Amritsar Rural Police Bust Arms, Grenades and Drug Networks: 34 kg Heroin, Uzi Guns Seized, 16 Arrested • Speeding Truck Mows Down Seven in Jharkhand's Khunti: Four Women and Three Children Killed as They Helped a Fallen Rider, Driver Flees • Nedumbassery: Mini Cooper Was at 162 kmph Five Seconds Before Crash That Killed Three, BMW Crash-Data Report Tells Police • Semitruck Crosses I-75 Median on Alligator Alley and Hits Concrete Truck; Both Drivers Hurt, Interstate Shut for Hours • Bangladesh Seeks Long-Term Russian LNG and LPG Supplies — Gazprom Offers Sakhalin-2 Talks as Dhaka and Moscow Tackle Sanctions-Hit Payments • Amritsar Rural Police Bust Arms, Grenades and Drug Networks: 34 kg Heroin, Uzi Guns Seized, 16 Arrested • Speeding Truck Mows Down Seven in Jharkhand's Khunti: Four Women and Three Children Killed as They Helped a Fallen Rider, Driver Flees • Nedumbassery: Mini Cooper Was at 162 kmph Five Seconds Before Crash That Killed Three, BMW Crash-Data Report Tells Police • Semitruck Crosses I-75 Median on Alligator Alley and Hits Concrete Truck; Both Drivers Hurt, Interstate Shut for Hours • Bangladesh Seeks Long-Term Russian LNG and LPG Supplies — Gazprom Offers Sakhalin-2 Talks as Dhaka and Moscow Tackle Sanctions-Hit Payments •

Thursday · 5 November 2026 · Amritsar / Toronto

Kerala

Kochi: ED Freezes Rs 103 Crore in Bharath Lajhna Housing Society Case After Searches at 12 Premises

The Enforcement Directorate said on Thursday it has seized and frozen assets worth Rs 103 crore in the Bharath Lajhna housing society money-laundering probe — the first seizure figure in the case, a day after its searches at 12 premises in Kerala and Chennai and a week after Kerala's Crime Branch arrested the society's founder R. Premkumar. The allegations have not been proved in court.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk5 November 20263 min readRead in all 3 languages

Editorial illustration of investigators examining gold jewellery, files and share papers on a table with two luxury cars and a Kerala-style building behind them — Investigators examine seized gold, files and cars in an editorial illustration of the ED action in the Bharath Lajhna housing society case. (Editorial illustration)

Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized and frozen assets worth Rs 103 crore in its money-laundering investigation into the Bharath Lajhna Multi State Housing Co-operative Society Ltd (BLMSHCS) and its founder R. Premkumar, the agency said on Thursday, November 5, a day after searches at 12 premises in Kerala and Chennai. The action is the first seizure announced in the case, following the searches Awaaz Punjab reported on November 4, when the ED had not released any figure.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

The ED's Kochi zonal office carried out the searches on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at premises in Chennai, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram and Munnar, according to the agency's statement. The seized and frozen assets include eight luxury cars valued at about Rs 7 crore, 7.4 kg of gold jewellery worth Rs 9.6 crore, shares valued at Rs 80 crore, immovable properties worth Rs 5 crore and bank balances of Rs 1.86 crore.

Source: Urban Acres

Rs 103 croreAssets seized and frozen

12Premises searched in Kerala and Chennai

7.4 kgGold jewellery seized (Rs 9.6 crore)

Rs 80 croreShares frozen

The investigation began after an FIR registered by Kerala Police alleged that Premkumar, described by the ED as a founding member and the society's de facto chairman and managing director, used his position to divert money collected from public depositors into accounts held by family members and relatives and used the funds to acquire assets. The ED said its examination of about 320 bank accounts operated by Premkumar and his associates indicated that society funds were allegedly layered through multiple accounts to conceal their source. These are allegations under investigation and have not been proved in court.

Source: Mirror Now

Proceeds estimate may rise, says ED

The proceeds of crime were initially estimated at around Rs 80 crore on the basis of the police FIR, but the agency has indicated the total diversion of society funds is likely to run into hundreds of crores and is still being quantified. Premkumar was arrested by the Kerala Police Crime Branch on October 29 in the underlying deposit-fraud case. The ED said further investigation is continuing.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

Sources

IANS via The Freedom Press — https://thefreedompress.in/ed-targets-housing-society-founder-freezes-assets-worth-rs-103-crore/
Mirror Now — https://www.mirrornow.in/chennai-news/enforcement-directorate-freezes-assets-bharath-lajhna-housing-society-fraud-article-156470808
Urban Acres — https://urbanacres.in/bharath-lajhna-housing-society-case-ed-freezes-rs-103-crore-assets/

Latest News — Punjab, India, USA and the World

Awaaz Punjab is an independent digital news platform publishing original, source-verified reporting in English, Punjabi and Hindi. Every story below is published with its sources named and dated, and every article is available in all three languages. Our newsroom covers Punjab first — its politics, districts and the road to the 2027 assembly election — along with India, the Punjabi diaspora in the USA and Canada, and world affairs that touch Punjab's people, from the Gulf to North America.

Amritsar Rural Police Bust Arms, Grenades and Drug Networks: 34 kg Heroin, Uzi Guns Seized, 16 Arrested

Amritsar Rural Police on Thursday said it had dismantled multiple illegal arms, explosives and drug-trafficking networks in the border district, arresting 16 accused and seizing 34 kg of heroin, two Uzi guns, a shotgun, five pistols, two hand grenades and 26 live cartridges. Police said the operation also solved three firing incidents, and that FIRs have been registered at five police stations — Gharinda, Beas, Mehta, Lopoke and Chatiwind.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

India Sets Out Kimberley Process Agenda as Chair: Conflict-Diamond Definition Reform, Digital Certification and a GJEPC Pact With African Producers

India, which chairs the Kimberley Process in 2026, used a stakeholder consultation in Luanda, Angola, on November 3 to set out its priorities — reforming the definition of conflict diamonds, responsible sourcing of rough diamonds, digital certification and stronger compliance — ahead of the KP Plenary it will host in New Delhi from November 30 to December 4, the Commerce Ministry said on Thursday. A GJEPC–ADPA memorandum on skills and trade links was also approved at the Luanda meetings.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Centre Notifies Ajay Sharma as Additional Judge of Bombay High Court, Ten Days After Collegium Cleared His Name

The Central Government on Thursday, November 5, notified the appointment of Ajay Sharma, a Judicial Member of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) in Mumbai, as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court for a period of two years from the date he assumes charge. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Sharma and advocate Vaibhav Anant Sugdare for the Bombay High Court on October 26; Sharma's is the first of the two names to be notified.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Phagwara: High Court Asks Centre to Decide in a Week on NIA Probe into LPU Violence After Cyber-Terrorism Charge

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 4 directed Punjab to forward its report on the scheduled offence to the Centre within 72 hours under Section 6 of the NIA Act, after police added the cyber-terrorism offence under Section 66F of the IT Act to the LPU violence case. The Centre must then decide within a week whether the NIA takes over; the matter returns to court on November 17.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Europe Moves to Block India's First EU Ship-Recycling Yards: Parliament Panel Objects to Two Alang Facilities

The European Parliament's environment committee has voted to object to adding Shree Ram Vessel Scrap and YSI Recyclers at Alang-Sosiya in Gujarat to the EU's approved ship-recycling list — the first Indian yards ever proposed — arguing that tidal beaching cannot meet EU environment and worker-protection standards. Shipowners say the yards passed European Commission inspections. A plenary vote follows later in November.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

TRAI Proposes New Satcom Framework: 20-Year Authorisation, Satellite-to-Phone Services and 8% AGR Fee

India's telecom regulator has recommended a separate Satellite Communication Network Provider Authorisation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, letting authorised companies supply satellite network capacity to service providers, including direct-to-device connectivity for ordinary phones.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

INS Sahyadri Reaches Yokosuka for Malabar 2026 as Quad Navies Gather Off Japan

The Indian Navy's indigenous stealth frigate arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base on November 4 for the multilateral Malabar 2026 exercise with Japan, the United States and Australia, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. A harbour phase of professional interactions and planning will be followed by sea drills south of Japan's Kanto region from November 5 to 12.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Morena: Dacoit Kalli Gurjar, Carrying Rs 80,000 Reward, Arrested After Encounter in Banmore Forest; Associate Ajay Gurjar Also Held

Morena police have arrested notorious Chambal dacoit Kalli Gurjar, whose real name is Kiledar Gurjar, after an encounter in the forest near Lalitapura village under Banmore police station on Thursday, November 5. Kalli, who carried a cumulative reward of Rs 80,000 and faces around 20 cases including murder, robbery and attempt to murder across Morena, Gwalior and Sheopur districts, was shot in the leg. His associate Ajay Gurjar was also injured and arrested, while other gang members fled into the forest, police said.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Hackers Steal €100 Million From French Bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa in Cyber Heist — Paris Prosecutors Open Organised-Crime Probe

French co-operative lender Crédit Mutuel Arkéa said on Thursday that hackers stole around €100 million (about $112.61 million, roughly ₹1,000 crore) using the bank's own account for fraudulent transactions, Reuters reported. The bank said the attackers came through a third-party service provider's platform, customer assets were not affected and its Fortuneo online bank was not the entry point; the Paris prosecutor's office has opened an organised-group cybercrime investigation. A blockchain investigator's higher $133 million estimate is unconfirmed — the bank says its losses are lower and still provisional.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

France Strike Day: Government Counts at Least 600,000 Marchers, CGT Claims Almost 1.6 Million — 270,000 at 180 Rallies Outside Paris by Early Afternoon, a Third of High Schools Shut

France's nationwide strike day delivered its first real numbers on Thursday: an official close to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez put 270,000 people at 180 rallies outside Paris by early afternoon, the government later estimated at least 600,000 participants nationwide, and the CGT union claimed almost 1.6 million — a disputed total neither side has independently verified. Five confederations marched together for higher wages ("everything's going up except wages and pensions"), a higher minimum wage and protected public services; about a third of high schools were closed, roughly 16 percent of teachers struck, and police fired tear gas in some cities while most rallies stayed peaceful. The follow-up to this morning's preview of the strike day.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Russia and Ukraine Trade Heavy Airstrikes as Reconstruction and Security Talks Resume in Brussels

Ukraine said its air defences stopped 105 of 128 Russian drones overnight, Russia's Defence Ministry said it shot down 496 Ukrainian drones, and a bus strike in Russian-occupied Luhansk killed five people, Kremlin-installed officials said — all while negotiators met for a second day at NATO headquarters on rebuilding Ukraine and guaranteeing its security, days before Russia-Ukraine-US talks in Abu Dhabi.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

SEBI Clears Mahanadi Coalfields IPO: Coal India to Sell 10% Stake in One of India's Biggest Offers This Year

India's markets regulator SEBI has cleared the initial public offering of Mahanadi Coalfields, the Odisha-based Coal India arm that produced 21% of the country's domestic coal in fiscal 2026. Coal India will sell up to 66.18 crore shares — a 10% stake — in a pure offer for sale, and Bloomberg has reported the issue could launch as early as this month at a valuation of up to $10 billion.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

IMD Warns of Heavy Rain Across South India Through Diwali Week; Widespread Showers Likely in Tamil Nadu on November 7-8

In its November 5 bulletin, the India Meteorological Department forecast isolated heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh through November 11, heavy rain in Kerala from November 5 to 8, and thunderstorms with winds gusting to 50 kmph — while northern India stays dry.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

India's Gas Demand to Fall 2% in 2026 Even as LNG Imports Jump 10%, IEA Says

The IEA's Global Gas Security Review 2026 says India's natural gas demand will shrink about 2% this year, yet LNG imports climbed 10% — nearly 3 bcm — in January-October because domestic production weakened faster than demand, leaving the country more dependent on imported gas in a market hit by the Hormuz supply shock.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Delhi: Nine-Year-Old Class 3 Girl Dies After Collapsing in Mayur Vihar Classroom; Family Alleges No CPR Was Given, Principal Says Staff Rushed Her to Hospital

A nine-year-old Class 3 student at Lovely Public School in East Delhi's Mayur Vihar collapsed in her classroom on Wednesday morning after returning from her games period and was declared brought dead at hospital. Delhi Police say CCTV showed the sudden collapse, no foul play has been found so far and the exact cause awaits the post-mortem. Her family alleges she was not given CPR and that the school lacks emergency medical arrangements — allegations the principal answered by saying staff first thought she had fainted from a chin injury and rushed her straight to hospital.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

No More Aadhaar Photocopies at Hotels? UIDAI Brings 300 Entities Onto Paperless Offline Verification

UIDAI has onboarded 300 Offline Verification Seeking Entities since January, expanding secure, consent-based, paperless Aadhaar checks across hotels, healthcare, education, events and the gig economy — alongside 7.5 crore Aadhaar App downloads.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Railways Wins PM Surya Ghar Award: 12,495 Buildings Solarised, 351 MW Rooftop Solar Commissioned

Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan presented the award at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit in New Delhi. Railways has solarised 79 per cent of the 15,868 buildings it identified, and aims to finish the rest by March 2027.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Kochi: Actress Athulya Chandra Arrested for Allegedly Luring Doctor to Flat and Assaulting Him

Kerala Police say 12 people are named as accused in the November 2 Kadavanthra case and three, including Athulya Chandra and actor Bibin Perumpalli, have been arrested so far. The doctor alleges he was called to the flat on the pretext of treating a patient, beaten and robbed of phones worth around Rs 3 lakh.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Chicago Voters Keep the Judge Who Freed the Man Accused of Setting a Woman on Fire on a Blue Line Train — 71% Vote to Retain Her

Cook County Circuit Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez denied prosecutors' plea to detain Lawrence Reed in August 2025; three months later he allegedly set Bethany MaGee on fire on a CTA train. Voters have now given the judge another six years.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Uttarkashi: Car Plunges Into River on Gangotri Highway — Four Dead, Two Missing as Search Continues

Seven people were aboard the car that lost control near Gangnani Dharmakund early on Thursday and fell into the river. Four bodies have been recovered and one injured person rescued, while divers search strong currents for two missing passengers, the district administration said.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Semi Truck Stopped at 98 MPH Near Needles — 43 MPH Over California's Truck Limit, CHP Says

A CHP trooper on routine patrol stopped the semi after watching it pass other vehicles far above the state's 55 mph commercial limit; the agency says the incident is under investigation and has released no citation details.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

"I Would Rather Die on My Own Soil": Sheikh Hasina Tells AP She Will Return to Bangladesh in December Despite Death Sentence — Dhaka Replies: No Passport, Extradition Treaty Only

Sheikh Hasina, ousted in the 2024 mass uprising after 15 years as Bangladesh's prime minister and living in exile in India ever since, told The Associated Press by email that her decision to return in December "has not changed" — even though a special tribunal sentenced her to death in 2025 over the crackdown in which a UN report says nearly 1,400 people were killed. She says she knows she may be arrested, imprisoned or killed, and has not said how she will travel. Dhaka's answer came the same day: State Minister Humaiun Kobir ruled out any passport or travel pass and said Bangladesh will seek her return only through the extradition treaty — which India has so far declined to use.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

UPSC Civil Services Mains Result 2026 Declared: 2,526 Candidates Qualify for the Interview

The Union Public Service Commission on Thursday, November 5, declared the written result of the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026, shortlisting 2,526 candidates for the Personality Test — the final stage before selection to the IAS, IFS, IPS and other central services. Qualified candidates must update and submit their details online between November 11 and 25.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

MSME Ministry Signs Pact With Samsung India: 1,600 Youth to Get Electronics Skills Training in First Year

The three-year MoU will run NSQF-compliant training in electronics, mobile phones and home appliances at 15 MSME Technology Centres, with a three-month paid internship of Rs 12,000 a month for successful trainees.

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Punjab News

Phagwara: High Court Asks Centre to Decide in a Week on NIA Probe into LPU Violence After Cyber-Terrorism Charge

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Ludhiana: Learner Driver's Car Kills Vegetable Vendor Jagtar Singh in Issa Nagri Market, Several Others Injured; FIR Registered

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Amritsar: Three Thai Nationals Deported for Visa Overstay, Property Owner Booked for Housing Foreigners Without Registration

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Punjab PCS Mains Result Row: BJP, Congress and SAD Demand CBI Probe Over Alleged Irregularities, AAP Rejects Claims

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr) Gets Its Medical College: Punjab Issues Letter of Intent for Rs 160 Crore PPP Teaching Hospital

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Punjab Employees and Pensioners Reject Mann's 3% DA Hike as 'Inadequate', Announce Month-Long Agitation From November 13

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

India News

India Sets Out Kimberley Process Agenda as Chair: Conflict-Diamond Definition Reform, Digital Certification and a GJEPC Pact With African Producers

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Centre Notifies Ajay Sharma as Additional Judge of Bombay High Court, Ten Days After Collegium Cleared His Name

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Europe Moves to Block India's First EU Ship-Recycling Yards: Parliament Panel Objects to Two Alang Facilities

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

TRAI Proposes New Satcom Framework: 20-Year Authorisation, Satellite-to-Phone Services and 8% AGR Fee

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

INS Sahyadri Reaches Yokosuka for Malabar 2026 as Quad Navies Gather Off Japan

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

SEBI Clears Mahanadi Coalfields IPO: Coal India to Sell 10% Stake in One of India's Biggest Offers This Year

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Geopolitics and World News

Hackers Steal €100 Million From French Bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa in Cyber Heist — Paris Prosecutors Open Organised-Crime Probe

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

France Strike Day: Government Counts at Least 600,000 Marchers, CGT Claims Almost 1.6 Million — 270,000 at 180 Rallies Outside Paris by Early Afternoon, a Third of High Schools Shut

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Russia and Ukraine Trade Heavy Airstrikes as Reconstruction and Security Talks Resume in Brussels

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

"I Would Rather Die on My Own Soil": Sheikh Hasina Tells AP She Will Return to Bangladesh in December Despite Death Sentence — Dhaka Replies: No Passport, Extradition Treaty Only

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Meloni Letter to Costa: EU Must Appoint One Ukraine Negotiator or Risk Irrelevance in Russia Peace Talks

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Paraguay's President Peña Resigns Over Ueno Bank Collapse — Lower House Votes 78-0 to Impeach Him Minutes Later, Alliana to Take Over

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Regional Editions — States of India

Morena: Dacoit Kalli Gurjar, Carrying Rs 80,000 Reward, Arrested After Encounter in Banmore Forest; Associate Ajay Gurjar Also Held

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Kochi: Actress Athulya Chandra Arrested for Allegedly Luring Doctor to Flat and Assaulting Him

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Sarisha: Rs 1.02 Crore Cash Seized From Trinamool Office; Abhishek Banerjee Alleges Police Planted It, Demands Home Minister's Removal

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Bhavnagar: Six Arrested Over 733 kg of Copper Wire Stolen From Talaja Highway Factory, Property Worth Rs 21.36 Lakh Recovered

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Ahmedabad: Sola STP Contractor to Pay Rs 30 Lakh Each to Families of Two Workers Killed on October 26, Bear Children's Education Costs

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Thiruvananthapuram: SIT to Confront PSC Chairman Baiju With Arrested Aide in Exam Case; BJP Takes Board-Removal Demand to President Murmu

Published 2026-11-05 · Awaaz Punjab

Investigations — Awaaz Punjab Jaanch Reports

Khalistan: The Demand, the Grievances, and What the Law Actually Allows

Published 2026-10-22 · Awaaz Punjab

The Calls Come From Inside the Jail: How Punjab's Prisons Became the Drug Trade's Command Centres

Published 2026-10-19 · Awaaz Punjab

How Drugs Actually Enter Punjab: The Full Chain, From Afghan Fields to a Village Street

Published 2026-10-18 · Awaaz Punjab

The Night Sky Is the New Border: How Drones Replaced the Smuggler's Throw

Published 2026-10-18 · Awaaz Punjab

A Ban That Moved the Factory: Afghan Poppy Collapsed — So the Labs Moved to Pakistan

Published 2026-10-18 · Awaaz Punjab

The Chemist Pipeline: How Legal Pills Became Punjab's Second Drug Trade

Published 2026-10-18 · Awaaz Punjab

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How we work: every story is checked against at least two independent, reputable sources before publication; allegations are labelled as allegations; figures carry the name of the outlet or agency that reported them and the date; corrections are published openly. Read our full verification method on the How We Verify page, our data desks on the School, Podcast and SUNO audio pages, and our numbered original investigations in the Investigations section.

Awaaz Punjab is an independent, trilingual newsroom — for Punjab, by Punjabis. We do not sell aggregated news; we publish investigations that stand on sources, with the outlet and date attached to every claim. Our first beat is Punjab's drug crisis, our second is Punjab politics. From Amritsar to Toronto — wherever a Punjabi lives, Awaaz Punjab reaches.