THE CLIFF NEWS

Upping the ante, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Thursday began a fast-unto-death to press the demand for cancellation of an examination recently held by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). Kishor made the announcement at the historic Gandhi Maidan in the state capital, three days after giving a “48-hour ultimatum” to the Nitish Kumar government for acting on the demand, raised by aggrieved candidates. The administration, however, said the hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan is illegal as it is not the designated site for holding protests. “My primary demand, of course, is cancellation of the exam held on December 13 and conducting a fresh test. I have also heard allegations that posts to be filled by the exam were virtually put on sale. Such corrupt officials must be identified and brought to justice”, said Kishor, who was accompanied by a number of supporters. The venue was barely a couple of kilometres from Gardani Bagh where the aggrieved aspirants have been holding a round-the-clock sit-in for nearly two weeks. The 47-year-old former poll strategist, who hopes his fledgling party to make a big impact in assembly polls due in less than a year, also made it clear that the demands he is making were just a few of the things on which he expected the government to act. Striking a populist note, the former JD(U) vice president said he wanted the state’s NDA government to “bring in a domicile policy, reserving two thirds of government vacancies for candidates from the state”. He added: “The injustice done to the state’s youth by the current regime goes long back. Before his ascent to power, the chief minister (Nitish Kumar) had toured the state and promised unemployment doles. Not a single person has got the benefit even after 20 years. The government must start giving unemployment allowance”.

Four Gujarat Titans cricketers have come under scanner in the Rs 450-crore Ponzi scheme orchestrated by the BZ Group, which is now under investigation by Gujarat’s CID Crime, sources. However, the names of the cricketers are still not known. Sources stated that the players from the Gujarat Titans had invested in the controversial firm, raising questions about their involvement and potential losses. This comes after the questioning of Bhupendrasinh Zala, the alleged mastermind behind the Ponzi scheme. Zala reportedly confessed during interrogation that he had failed to return the investments made by the cricketers involved. A Ponzi scheme is a type of investment fraud that promises high returns with little or no risk to investors. It works by using money from new investors to pay returns to earlier investors, rather than generating legitimate profits through business activities. WHO IS BHUPENDRASINH ZALA? Bhupendrasinh Zala, from Himmatnagar in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district, allegedly ran a scheme that collected Rs 450 crore from more than 11,000 investors through BZ Financial Services between 2020 and 2024. He promised annual returns of 36 percent, initially delivering on these claims to gain investors’ trust before defaulting. Zala recruited agents on commission to attract investments, with some individuals contributing over Rs 1 crore. He used the funds to acquire assets worth Rs 100 crore. After evading authorities for nearly a month, Zala was arrested in Gujarat’s Mehsana district on December 27, 2024. He remains in custody until January 4, 2025. Police also arrested seven others connected to the case. Among those defrauded were over 11,000 investors. Investigators are examining the scheme’s operation, questioning agents, and tracking Zala’s assets to recover funds.

In a shocking incident in Vishwakarma Nagar, Nishatpura, a 61-year-old man was allegedly attacked by his wife on Wednesday morning. The woman reportedly bit him multiple times, scratched him severely, and threw toilet cleaner (acid) at him during a heated argument. While the acid did not cause physical harm, it burned his clothes. The Nishatpura police have arrested the accused wife, identified as 45-year-old Durga Lodhi, and charged her with assault and attempted acid attack. Sub-Inspector (SI) Shrikant Dwivedi, the investigating officer, reported that the complainant, Narayan Lodhi, a truck driver, resides in Vishwakarma Nagar with Durga, his second wife. Durga has two daughters, aged 12 and 14, from a previous marriage. Due to his profession, Narayan typically visits home only once or twice a week. According to SI Dwivedi, the altercation occurred around 10 a.m. when Narayan returned home with essential supplies. A dispute over missing items escalated into violence, with Durga biting and scratching him and ultimately throwing acid. Narayan managed to avoid injury from the acid, as it only damaged his clothing. Narayan has alleged that Durga is addicted to alcohol and has a history of violent behavior. He stated that previous police interventions and counseling sessions did not lead to any improvement in her actions. The authorities are continuing their investigation into the matter.

Rumored Bollywood couple Palak Tiwari and Ibrahim Ali Khan have once again grabbed attention for their alleged romance. The two were recently spotted at the Mumbai airport, reportedly returning from a New Year getaway in Goa. Twinning in black, they looked stylish as they exited the airport with their luggage. Despite the ongoing buzz, neither Palak nor Ibrahim has publicly addressed their relationship status. In a past interview with Siddharth Kannan, Palak dismissed the rumors, explaining they were just part of a group outing and share a casual friendship. Palak’s mother, Shweta Tiwari, also weighed in during a separate conversation. She shared that she no longer gets affected by rumors, having faced harsher scrutiny in the past. She highlighted that public attention is fleeting and prefers to focus on more meaningful matters than speculation about her daughter’s personal life.

Unni Mukundan’s Marco has charted a remarkable box-office journey, particularly in its Hindi-dubbed version. This Malayalam film, directed by Haneef Adeni, opened with a modest collection of ₹4.3 crore on its first day, with only ₹1 lakh coming from its Hindi release. However, the film’s Hindi version gained momentum, wrapping up its first week with ₹28 lakh. The turning point came during the second weekend when its collections soared, earning ₹1.7 crore over the two days. Monday and Tuesday added ₹55 lakh and ₹60 lakh, respectively. The film hit a significant milestone on January 1, with ₹1.2 crore collected in a single day, pushing its Hindi total to ₹4.33 crore by day 13. A Journey Against the Odds Marco’s rise from ₹1 lakh on its opening day to ₹1.2 crore within two weeks is nothing short of extraordinary. The number of screens showcasing the film in Hindi has expanded from 60 shows on day one to over 1,000 shows now. This growth comes despite stiff competition from major releases like Pushpa 2. Moreover, the underperformance of Varun Dhawan’s Baby John has indirectly boosted Marco’s success. Production and Challenges Made on a budget of ₹30 crore, Marco faced challenges, including a leak of the film online. Addressing this issue, lead actor Unni Mukundan urged fans not to support piracy. In a heartfelt social media post, he wrote, “Please don’t watch pirated movies. We are helpless. I’m feeling helpless. Only YOU can stop this. By not watching/downloading the films online. It’s a request.” Marco’s rise to prominence is being hailed as a cinematic success story, showcasing how strong storytelling and audience support can turn the tide for films against all odds.

A Bangladesh court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu monk and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, who has been arrested and jailed by the local authorities on charges of sedition. Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam refused to grant bail to Das, the former International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) monk, following a 30-minute hearing, held with heightened security, A team of 11 lawyers participated in his bail hearing, according to the Bangladeshi publication The Daily Star. His bail petition stated that Das – a monk who is suffering from various diseases including diabetes and respiratory problems – has been arrested in a false and fabricated case. Calling the development “sad”, Radha Raman Das, Vice President of the ISCKON Kolkata urged the Bangladesh government to ensure that the Hindu monk gets justice. “It’s very sad news. We know that the entire world was keeping an eye on this. Everyone was expecting Chinmoy Prabhu will get freedom in the new year – but even after 42 days, his bail was rejected in a hearing today… Bangladesh government should ensure that he gets justice,” he said while speaking to news agency ANI. The former ISKCON priest was arrested from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area of Dhaka in connection with a sedition case, among other charges, filed in Chattogram on November 25. Earlier, his bail plea hearings had to be postponed as lawyers appearing for Chinmoy Krishna Das were threatened. On December 11, a Chattogram court denied him bail citing that the plea was rejected because Das did not have a lawyer’s letter of attorney on his behalf. The unrest in Bangladesh stems from the sedition charges filed against Chinmoy Krishna Das for allegedly raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25.

The tragic incident of a 3-year-old girl, Chetna Chaudhary, who fell into a 700-foot-deep borewell in Kotputli, Rajasthan, concluded on Wednesday with the recovery of her lifeless body. The accident occurred in Badiyali Ki Dhani, Kiratpura, last month, sparking a massive 10-day rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local authorities. Chetna had fallen into the borewell on the evening of December 23. Rescue teams worked tirelessly, but no signs of movement were observed from the child over the last eight days of the operation. She was retrieved from the borewell at 6:25 PM and transported to Kotputli’s BDM Hospital, where doctors confirmed she was deceased upon arrival. Despite over five attempts to rescue the child, the efforts were unsuccessful, drawing significant criticism toward the administration. The incident prompted Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to issue a directive requiring all open borewells in the state to be covered within two weeks. On the morning of the final recovery, rescue personnel used phenyl and burnt camphor near the site to mitigate any odours, preparing for an anticipated grim outcome. Mahaveer Jat, an NDRF rescuer, retrieved Chetna’s body, wrapping it in a white cloth before transferring her to the hospital. Rajasthan NDRF chief Yogesh Meena stated that the girl was found in an unresponsive state with no vital signs. Rescuers reported that her body had been trapped between layers of soil, which required manual clearing to reach her. Kotputli District Magistrate Kalpana Agrawal confirmed that Chetna’s body would be handed over to her family after completing the post-mortem formalities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a range of significant development projects in Delhi on January 3, 2024. These initiatives aim to enhance urban living, provide affordable housing, and promote sustainable infrastructure development. 1,675 Flats for JJ Cluster Residents PM Modi will inaugurate 1,675 newly constructed flats under the Swabhiman Apartments in Ashok Vihar, designed for residents of Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters. These flats, built as part of the In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), feature modern amenities for improved living standards. Eligible beneficiaries will receive keys during the event. Notably, while the construction cost is approximately ₹25 lakh per flat, beneficiaries contribute only ₹1.42 lakh, along with a ₹30,000 maintenance fee for five years. Urban Redevelopment Projects The Prime Minister will also unveil two urban renewal projects: New CBSE Office Complex at Dwarka PM Modi will inaugurate the state-of-the-art Integrated Office Complex for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in Dwarka. Built at a cost of approximately ₹300 crore, the complex includes offices, an auditorium, an advanced data center, and efficient water management systems. The eco-friendly structure adheres to Platinum Rating standards set by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). These projects are part of the government’s broader commitment to fostering sustainable urban development and improving the quality of life for residents in the capital.

Sandalwood star Yash is currently busy shooting for his keenly anticipated pan-India biggie, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups. Touted as a high-voltage gangster drama, the film is being directed by the National Award-winning Malayalam director Geethu Mohandas. As per the latest reports, Yash and Toxic’s producer, Venkat K. Narayana of KVN Productions, are holding talks with the legendary Hollywood production and distribution house, 20th Century Fox, for the film’s international release. Apparently, Yash and Toxic’s team strongly believe that the film has all it takes to be a global pathbreaker and are leaving no stone unturned to get a wide release across the world. More details about this massive collaboration will be out by this summer. Toxic also features popular Bollywood actress Kiara Advani in a lead role. The makers are planning to release the movie in December 2025 in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam and other foreign languages.

Netflix has shut down rumors about Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio appearing in “Squid Game 3.” On January 1, OSEN reported that Leonardo DiCaprio had allegedly completed a surprise appearance for “Squid Game 3,” with filming reportedly conducted under strict secrecy last year. According to the report, his role is said to be minor, with all character details kept strictly confidential to avoid spoilers. In response, Netflix has swiftly dismissed the claims. A representative stated, “The rumors are completely false. Reports of Leonardo DiCaprio’s involvement in ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 are entirely unfounded.” Meanwhile, “Squid Game 3” is set to premiere in 2025. On January 1, Netflix announced that “Squid Game 2” had achieved a record-breaking 68 million views in its first week of release, making it the most-watched first week in Netflix history. Alongside this announcement, Netflix also unveiled a special teaser poster for Season 3. The poster features the iconic Young Hee, the unforgettable icon from the “Red Light, Green Light” game, and a new robot character Cheol Su, who made a surprise appearance in the post-credits scene of Season 2’s finale.