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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.

Warriors of the Night

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

We name our daughters Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati; we worship the divine feminine power in the temples but oppress, repress and even attack the feminine power amidst us. That is the irony in the way India sees its women.

After the safety of the daylight fades, women are seen as easy prey by the predators of the night.

We mark the nine nights of Navratri, the festival of the goddess, by celebrating the dedication and valour of nine real-life women who brave the challenges of the night to pursue their dreams.


PART - 3

Fearless Planner

The wedding concept designer advises learning to say no and being bold when interacting with people

Fearless Planner

Richa Ahuja, 28, wedding concept designer, Nashik


Wrapping up work at 3 A.M. and being back at the venue at 6 A.M. to ensure the set-up is in place before the wedding party arrives isn’t an unusual workday for Richa Ahuja, 28, an interior designer who runs a wedding concept design firm called De:Tales in Nashik. “I sometimes get only two hours of sleep during the peak events period but I enjoy every bit of my work and independence,” she says. She drives herself to work and back since Nashik doesn’t have a very robust public transport system and travelling in one’s own car is the safest option especially at night. “That way, I have never faced any trouble while commuting,” she says. During the wedding ‘season’ which is for around five months in a year, Ahuja juggles her work and home and sails through high pressure times with ease. “I enjoy my work and the freedom it gives me,” she says.

The world of event planning entails interactions with numerous clients and while she confesses that some of her colleagues have had unpleasant experiences, Ahuja proudly proclaims that she’s “never faced any nuisance”. And that, she says, is because of her demeanour and the way she communicates with people. “I have developed a very stern and no-nonsense persona. That is my defense mechanism so people don’t get too friendly. A lot of the time people judge you by your body language and the way you communicate. It’s important to draw a line,” says Ahuja.

Staying out till late is a battle that has to be fought on different fronts—apart from the sleepless nights and the safety concerns that come with the job, Ahuja has had to struggle to get her family, post-marriage, to accept her schedule. “I had to fight for my freedom to work; my in-laws weren’t comfortable with my profession although my husband understands my passion,” she says. On the other hand, her parents raised her to be independent. In keeping with her family’s expectations, Ahuja starts work by noon after cooking and finishing her household duties when she doesn’t have early morning events.

Ahuja did her schooling in Valsad before moving to Baroda to study interior design. She soon returned home but realized that the city of her birth didn’t have too many opportunities for her. Her next stop was Vapi where she joined a wedding planning firm and gained adequate experience in designing wedding sets and managing events. In 2022, she married and moved to Nashik and decided to collaborate with reputed wedding planners to market and design the concept of a high-scale wedding. Her company does business with other planners, bringing in new concepts for luxury wedding functions.

“You have to be fearless,” is the mantra Ahuja lives by, something that she learnt early on in life while growing up in a small town and moving cities to find work and realise her dream of being independent. While narrating her life’s journey, she says: “I hope my story encourages other women to embrace their power, no matter how difficult the circumstances. We are capable of incredible things, even when the world doesn’t provide us with the support we need. We can create, lead, and thrive, all while carrying the weight of our responsibilities with grace and determination,” she says.

According to her, every woman must have a self-defense mechanism, which includes being bold and learning to say a firm no. “One of the biggest reasons why women face trouble is because they say yes even when they don’t want to. Learn to say no and be bold while interacting with people,” she says. Ahuja’s life journey will resonate with several women who pursue their dreams while battling multiple challenges.

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