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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 3:50:26 am

Kolhapur cop sets new standard for investigations

Yogesh Kumar Gupta Kolhapur: When a police officer takes genuine interest in securing justice for citizens duped in financial fraud, investigations can move swiftly enough to lift the crushing burden off affected families. Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Yogesh Kumar Gupta has demonstrated precisely that. His firm and sensitive handling of a cheating case ensured relief for Akshay Deepak Dhale, a young entrepreneur from Kolhapur who had fallen prey to a Rajkot-based company that allegedly...

Kolhapur cop sets new standard for investigations

Yogesh Kumar Gupta Kolhapur: When a police officer takes genuine interest in securing justice for citizens duped in financial fraud, investigations can move swiftly enough to lift the crushing burden off affected families. Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Yogesh Kumar Gupta has demonstrated precisely that. His firm and sensitive handling of a cheating case ensured relief for Akshay Deepak Dhale, a young entrepreneur from Kolhapur who had fallen prey to a Rajkot-based company that allegedly promised to secure large government loans for business expansion. Gupta’s intervention compelled company representatives to travel to Kolhapur and assure repayment of the money collected, effectively forcing them onto the back foot. Dhale, a resident of Sadar Bazaar, had dreamt of expanding his late father’s small printing business after losing him during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lured by promises of securing a multi-crore loan under a Central government scheme, he transferred ₹69 lakh — raised from nearly 15 friends and relatives — to the company’s account. The loan, however, never materialised. When Dhale began making inquiries, he was met with evasive responses. The financial shock left the family devastated. Initial attempts to seek police help reportedly went nowhere, with the matter labelled as “non-criminal” and dismissed at the preliminary stage. Acting on advice, the family approached the district police chief directly. Gupta’s decisive stand altered the course of the case, leading to concrete assurances of refund from the company. However, a far larger challenge now looms before the Kolhapur police chief. Across Kolhapur — and reportedly other parts of Maharashtra — several Marathi youths claim to have been duped by a Morbi-based businessman who allegedly promises to set up “innovative” enterprises for aspiring entrepreneurs. The scale of the alleged fraud runs into crores of rupees. The businessman, said to be linked to a major tile industry in Morbi, is accused of luring youngsters through social media promotions and advertorials in prominent English dailies. Contracts are structured to appear transparent and legitimate. Prospective entrepreneurs are promised exclusive access to novel business models, often involving products sourced from Chinese markets, complete with projected marketing strategies and attractive feature lists. According to victims, payments are collected upfront, but the products eventually supplied lack the promised specifications and hold negligible market value. Several youths across Maharashtra are believed to have suffered losses. Those who have confronted the accused allege they were threatened with defamation suits and warned that a team of “expert lawyers” would ensure their financial and reputational ruin if complaints were filed. While some victims have resigned themselves to debt and despair, others who attempted to pursue police complaints claim they were turned away. For many of these young entrepreneurs, SP Yogesh Kumar Gupta represents a ray of hope. If he chooses to take up the matter with the same resolve demonstrated earlier, it could not only restore faith among affected youths but also send a strong deterrent message to fraudsters operating under the guise of innovation-driven enterprise.

A Canal Too Far?

Donald Trump

Few waterways carry the geopolitical weight of the Panama Canal. Stretching 51 miles across the isthmus that divides the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the canal is a linchpin of global trade, linking economies and empires since its construction over a century ago. Now, this vital artery is at the centre of a fresh controversy after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump demanded that Panama lower its shipping fees or face the improbable prospect of returning control of the canal to the United States.


Calling the canal a “vital national asset” in a recent speech, Trump hinted at leveraging U.S. power to repossess the waterway if his demands are unmet. Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, swiftly rebuffed the threats, asserting his country’s sovereignty and independence were “not negotiable.”


The canal’s history is a chronicle of imperial ambition and local resistance. Its construction, beginning in 1904, was an engineering marvel but also a diplomatic coup. After failed French efforts to carve a route through the dense Panamanian jungle, the United States seized the opportunity to complete the project, fostering Panamanian independence from Colombia in 1903 in exchange for perpetual control of the canal zone.


For decades, the canal was a symbol of American dominance. The United States operated it as an unassailable stronghold, benefiting from the tolls of thousands of ships that traversed its locks. But the arrangement bred resentment in Panama, where the canal zone was a constant reminder of foreign control.


The turning point came in the 1970s under Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who negotiated the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. The agreements set a timeline for the gradual handover of the canal to Panama, culminating in full sovereignty in 1999. For Panama, regaining control of the canal was a moment of national pride—a hard-won victory that symbolized its emergence as a fully sovereign state.


Trump’s remarks revive the ghosts of American interventionism. His rhetoric — vowing to “demand” the canal’s return — reflects a transactional worldview where economic grievances justify territorial ultimatums. It is a provocative stance, given the historical sensitivities surrounding the canal. Panama, a nation that unified over the struggle to reclaim the canal, is unlikely to entertain any suggestion of relinquishing it.


Mulino’s response encapsulated this defiance. The tolls, which fund the canal’s maintenance, modernization, and operational costs, are set in accordance with global market conditions and are vital for Panama’s economy.


Trump’s broadside against Panama is part of a larger pattern. His threats to renegotiate NAFTA and his critiques of Canadian and Mexican trade practices suggest a willingness to upend established relationships to satisfy domestic political objectives. While such rhetoric may play well to his supporters, it risks undermining America’s standing in the world.


Trump’s threats may resonate with his base, conjuring a nostalgic vision of American dominance, but they lack both legal and practical grounding. The Torrijos-Carter Treaties are binding international agreements, ratified by the U.S. Senate, and there is no realistic mechanism for reversing the transfer. Moreover, such a move would alienate not just Panama but also other Latin American nations wary of Washington’s historical penchant for interventionism.


For Panama, retaining control of the canal is not just about sovereignty; it is about securing its economic future. The canal generates significant revenue, accounting for 6 percent of the country’s GDP. Small wonder, then, that Panamanians of all political stripes have rallied behind Mulino’s rejection of Trump’s demands.


The canal’s history is a testament to the delicate balance between power and principle in international relations. Any attempt to renegotiate its status would not only strain U.S.-Panama relations but also signal a disregard for the rules-based international order.

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