UK’s Richest Family Head, Srichand Hinduja, Is Dead

Published

3 years ago

May 18, 2023

Srichand Hinduja

Srichand Hinduja, the tycoon who headed Britain’s richest family, has died at the age of 87, a spokesman said.

Hinduja had dementia and his plight had become the centre of a family feud that culminated in court proceedings about whether he should be taken into public care.

The eldest of four brothers behind the Hinduja Group conglomerate, he died on Wednesday, according to a family spokesman.

He “passed away peacefully” and was “looked after” by relatives, the spokesman said, hailing him as a “visionary titan of industry and business”.

The Hindujas topped the Sunday Times Rich List in 2022 with a fortune estimated at £28.4 billion ($35.4 billion).

But a London judge said that despite the vast means at their disposal, Hinduja’s needs had become “marginalised” by the family dispute, according to court filings that emerged in November.

The family said they had settled their differences.

The conglomerate was founded by the brothers’ father Parmanand Hinduja who traded in tea and dried fruit in Mumbai in 1919 before moving it to Iran.

The brothers took over in the 1960s and greatly expanded the business.

The sprawling Hinduja Group — led by London-based Srichand and Gopichand — grew to span interests in power, oil and gas, banking, and healthcare.

Srichand Hinduja was thrust into the UK media spotlight in the late 1990s amid accusations that a leading member of Tony Blair’s government had improperly lobbied to gain his British citizenship.

AFP/PUNCH

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

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Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.