News Analysis India

Tag: Nita Ambani

  • Nita Ambani cancelled Gujarat trip after ‘Antilia’ security threat: Staff tells NIA

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A scheduled visit of industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s wife Nita Ambani to Gujarat was cancelled after the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV outside their house ‘Antilia’ in south Mumbai in February this year, the security head of the residence has said in his statement to the NIA.

    The statement is part of a charge sheet filed last week by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) before a special court here against dismissed police officer Sachin Waze and nine others in connection with the recovery of the vehicle with gelatin sticks near Ambani’s residence on February 25 and the subsequent murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    The residence’s security head said in his statement that after the vehicle with explosives and a threat letter were found, he immediately brought it to the notice of Mukesh Ambani.

    He also told the NIA that a scheduled visit of Nita Ambani on that day to Jamnagar in Gujarat was rescheduled and then cancelled on his and the zonal DCP’s advice.

    The security head further stated they had been receiving threats from various quarters, but all were related to farmers’ protest that began in October 2020.

    The Ambani family does not suspect any particular person for the threat letter and gelatin sticks found in the abandoned Scorpio parked illegally on the Carmichael Road here on February 25, he said in the statement.

    Former police officer Waze is the prime accsued in the case.

    As per probe agency, he also played a “pivotal role” in the murder of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    Hiran, who had claimed that the SUV had been stolen from his possession, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane district on March 5.

    Besides Waze and fomer police officer Pradeep Sharma, the others accused in the case are Vinayak Shinde, Naresh Gor Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, Anand Jadhav, Satish Mothkuri, Manish Soni and Santosh Shelar.

    Shinde, Kazi and Mane are former police officers.

    The accused have been charged under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including for murder, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance, as well as relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act.

    The NIA in its charge sheet said Waze placed the SUV with explosives near Ambani’s house here to regain his reputation as a “super cop”.

    Businessman Mansukh Hiran was subsequently killed as Waze thought him to be the “weak link” in the conspiracy, the NIA said, alleging that Pradeep Sharma was roped in to execute the murder.

  • Now, BHU denies reports of inviting Nita Ambani as ‘visiting professor’

    By PTI
    VARANASI: The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on Wednesday denied the reports of Reliance Industries executive director Nita Ambani being invited as the ‘visiting professor’.

    A day earlier, Professor Nidhi Sharma, coordinator of the university’s Center for Women’s Studies and Development, claimed that a proposal has been sent to make Nita Ambani a ‘visiting professor’, following which students staged a sit-in on Tuesday.

    The university administration issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that no official decision has been taken nor any order has been issued to appoint Nita Ambani as a ‘visiting professor’ in any department of the university.

    The statement said that for the appointment of a ‘visiting professor’ in the university, the approval of the Academic Council has to be obtained and no such approval has been given in this case.

    Reliance Industries Limited has also tweeted that the news of being made a ‘visiting professor’ in the university is fake and no such proposal has been received by Nita Ambani.

    At the same time, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Kaushal Kishore Mishra, said that he had sent a letter on March 12 to make Nita Ambani a ‘visiting professor’.

    He said that the copy of the letter which was sent was also given to the vice-chancellor of the university.

    Significantly, on Tuesday, students staged a sit-in protest protesting the proposal to appoint Nita Ambani as a ‘visiting professor’ in the university.

    The students staging the protest alleged that the BHU is being run at the behest of industrialists, which is against the dignity of the university.

    Later, the students stopped their dharna on the persuasion of the vice-chancellor.

  • Reliance Industries Limited refutes reports of Nita Ambani joining BHU as faculty

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Limited on Wednesday said that the news on a proposal to make Reliance Industries Executive Director Nita Ambani a visiting professor at Banaras Hindu University is false.

    Reliance Industries Limited spokesperson told ANI that the news is fake adding that “no proposal or invitation to make her visiting lecturer of BHU has been received” nor has it been extended to Nita Ambani from the university.

    ALSO READ | BHU students oppose proposal to make Nita Ambani as visitng professor

    Several media houses had reported that students staged a demonstration at Banaras Hindu University on Tuesday opposing a proposal to make Nita Ambani a visiting professor. 

  • BHU students oppose proposal to make Nita Ambani as visitng professor

    By PTI
    VARANASI: Opposing a proposal to make Reliance Industries executive director Nita Ambani as a visiting professor, students staged a demonstration at Banaras Hindu University on Tuesday.

    Shubham Tiwari, one of the protesting students, said instead of Ambani, those who have set an example of women empowerment should be invited.

    Meanwhile, Prof Nidhi Sharma, coordinator of the Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, said the proposal to make Nita Ambani a visiting professor has been sent to the authorities.

    She said, “Ambani is a woman entrepreneur. If she joins our centre, the women of Purvanchal will get the benefit of her experience.”