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Education counters extremism: The myth lies busted yet again as highly educated Kashmiri couple convicted over terror activities, ties with ISKP

Rukma Rathore
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Education counters extremism: The myth lies busted yet again as highly educated Kashmiri couple convicted over terror activities, ties with ISKP

The generic statement “Education is the antidote to extremism,” is often heard in the liberal ecosystem regarding the grievous problem of Islamic Jihad and terrorism. However, this notion has been proved wrong time and again as many Muslim individuals with distinguished scholastic backgrounds have been discovered to be highly radicalized and actively involved in multiple terror plots. The most recent example of the same is an educated Kashmiri couple with connections to the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), a front group of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), despite holding prominent degrees such as BTech and MBA.

Jahanzaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh moved to Delhi in 2019 from Jammu and Kashmir during the winter season. The pair got married on 6th October when Srinagar was still under lockdown after Article 370 was repealed by the Modi government on 5th August of the same year. Jahanzaib was employed at an United Kingdom based company and held an MBA and BTech degree, while his spouse pursued a bachelor’s degree in computer applications before completing an MBA. She served at some banks before taking a break for her wedding that year.

The couple, who were both in their mid-30s, rented an apartment in Jamia Nagar’s C Block. At first, they would go to the Okhla Bird Sanctuary or see movies on the weekends. However, that was short-lived. The pair generally stayed indoors when anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act demonstrations erupted. The two continued to spend most of their time indoors browsing the internet due to Covid in the next year. However, investigators from Delhi Police’s anti-terror squad knocked on their home early on 8th March 2020. The couple was taken into custody and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The pair appeared to possess two separate personas online, according to the police. Jahanzaib masqueraded as Xaib, Abu Abdullah and Abu Muhammad-al-Hind and Hina was Hannabee as well as Katijah al Kashmiri. The police asserted that they were followers of ISIS and that handlers with bases in Syria and Afghanistan were in charge of them. The matter was sent to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) ten days later amid the commotion. The duo was placed in jail under judicial custody following a period spent on remand. They were found guilty four years and one month later by a special court in Delhi.

The sentence was delivered on 6th May on the charges of trying to create a caliphate and planning to carry out 100 bombings in a single day in the city. Jahanzaib received jail terms, from 3 to 20 years including a fine while Hina was handed down two jail terms of seven years each, ending their legal process. They had been under surveillance for several months before their detention, per the investigation, which the court upheld.

How the couple was caught

In the summer of 2019, intelligence sleuths became curious after intercepting certain chats made by an account bearing the name Hannabee over an encrypted chat platform. As they probed further, they discovered two dubious entities communicating with some ISIS entities. The terror group, operating under the name Wilayah-al-Hind, had just begun its operations specifically targeting India at this time.

Additionally, Sawt-al-Hind, or Voice of India, a digital journal had appeared on the internet and in applications like Telegram. According to the police, the two groups were also found inciting and radicalising some young people to incite violence during the anti-CAA/NRC (National Register of Citizens) marches. The pair prepared the magazine and communicated with Abu Usman al Kashmiri of ISKP based on the NIA chargesheet.

One of their first articles in the journal extolled the dead terrorist, Huzaifa al Bakistai, the ISKP commander who was killed in a drone strike in the Nangarhar area of Afghanistan in 2019. The couple were profoundly influenced by him. Finding “Xaib and Hannabee” was a difficult chore, despite the fact that the police were on to them. The tech-savvy pair accomplished an effective task of covering their tracks, but finally, the authorities managed to get access to their network. “The communications revealed that they were actively radicalising people across India. Hina, who had pursued her studies in Pune, and her husband were also in touch with a Pune-based couple. The man was a gym trainer and the woman, Sadia, were already on the radar of agencies for IS leanings. Hina had managed to convince Sadia to wear a suicide belt in an upcoming mission,” unveiled an investigator.

NIA special court convicts five individuals

Abdullah Basith, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh and Nabeel Siddick Khatri have also been convicted along with the Kashmiri pair by the NIA court. According to the NIA investigation, Abdullah Basith was a self-professed member of ISIS who helped Jahanzaib Sami produce the ISIS magazine “Voice of Hind.” He had been found guilty and given the same term, he had already served. Moreover, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh also admitted to belonging to the terrorist group. She spearheaded a bid to bring all terrorist groups together under the ISIS banner. She received a prison sentence of seven years for each of these offences. Furthermore, she attempted to obtain a suicide jacket through Jahanzaib.

Nabeel Siddick Khatri provided funds to Jahanzaib to purchase weapons. He executed preemptive bombings to further ISIS doctrine along with the latter. He earned 15, 8 and 8 years in prison. He will be sentenced to an extra two years in prison or a sum equivalent to Rs. 2.5 lakh if he does not pay the penalty that has been imposed against him.

Meanwhile, a Bengaluru-based MBBS student Abdur Rahman, alias as Dr Brave, is on trial. He was arrested in August 2020. He was radicalized by the other accused persons and travelled to Syria in December 2013. He had been involved in several ISIS terrorist operations in Syria, where he had learned how to develop software for ISIS to steer its laser-guided anti-tank missiles and a medical application to cure the terrorists.

The fallacy that education can prevent extremism or terrorism

The false narrative advanced by the left and the Islamic community to conceal the true cause of terrorism and attribute it to poverty or illiteracy has been repeatedly debunked by, ironically, the same people they fiercely defend. Despite claims to the contrary, international terrorists such as Egyptian physician Ayman al-Zawahiri, who served as the second general emir of al-Qaeda from June 2011 until his death in July 2022, and the world’s most notorious civil engineer Osama bin Laden, who belonged to the wealthy bin Laden family in Saudi Arabia which is closely associated with the inner circles of the country’s royal family have demonstrated that no amount of wealth or education can eradicate the bug of jihad.

The educated Indian Muslims aren’t far behind either as illustrated by Sharjeel Imam, the mastermind of the Shaheen Bagh protest and many others like him. He completed his B.Tech. and M.Tech. from IIT-Bombay and was pursuing PhD from the institution. His years in one of India’s premier institutions only fueled his diabolical desire to balkanize India and “cut her chicken neck” (Siliguri Corridor) with the assistance of his community members only to force the government to scrap the CAA which provided a safe home to the persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. He was arrested on 28th January 2020.

Umar Khalid, a former Democratic Students’ Union leader and research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, displayed his stellar academic qualifications by organizing and provoking anti-Hindu riots in Delhi and was apprehended on 14th September 2020. Notably, at least 53 people lost their lives and 700 were injured during the riots that spurred on the pretext of the Citizen Amendment Act 2019 and the National Register of Citizens. Interestingly, his father is Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, a former member of the Islamic terror outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) which was banned by the Government of India in 2001 and is also a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

Another incredible example of the same pattern is Parveen Shaikh, the principal of the reputable private institution “The Somaiya School” situated in the Vidyaviyar neighbourhood of Mumbai. She has been expressing her radical views on social media, including her unwavering support for the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas and her frequent insults aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. OpIndia raised the issue, which led to her termination, but, it didn’t change the reality that such a learned individual ended up becoming such a fanatic only because of ideology.

Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo, a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen who was neutralised in 2020 in an encounter with the security forces in Kashmir was a teacher and carried a degree in mathematics, however, he chose to inflict jihad instead of making appropriate use of his education. He also had a reward of  Rs 12 lakh on his head.

Likewise, the 4000-page chargesheet from the National Investigation Agency uncovered some startling information about the nabbed terrorists, Tabish Siddiqui, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Sharjeel Shaikh, Aakif Nachan, Zubair Shaikh and Dr Adnanali Sarkar belonging to Maharashtra ISIS module. Two of them worked for major companies in high-level positions. Zubair was a senior associate with a focus on technology and RPA (robotics process automation) at a tech business, whereas Zulfikar managed senior projects for a global firm, earning an annual salary of Rs 31 lakh. Sharjeel was employed by an IT company as a retainer.

The Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) network was demolished and 16 individuals were captured by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-terrorist Squad (ATS) last year in a coordinated operation with the Telangana Police and the Intelligence Bureau. Officers stated that the accused, who included a computer engineer from Bhopal and a professor from a college in Hyderabad, planned to incite terrorism and conduct war against the nation. The culprits, in a similar manner, worked as workers, teachers, fitness instructors, computer technicians, tailors, and drivers of vehicles. One of them was reportedly in charge of a coaching facility in Bhopal.

Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad on 11th November 2023 declared that they had captured four members Rakib Imam Ansari, Naved Ansari, Mohammad Noman and Mohammad Nazim of the ISIS jihadi terrorist group’s Aligarh module. Faizan Bakhtiar, an Aligarh Muslim University student detained by the ATS, revealed that the Aligarh module of ISIS was actively training attackers under the pretence of programs organised against Valentine’s Day. During such events, the students at one of the best institutions in India were radicalized and mobilized in preparation for possible lone-wolf strikes.

Members of the Pune ISIS group who were captured the previous year were skilled bomb makers and digitally savvy. Tabish Nasser Siddiqui, Sharjeel Shaikh, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh, and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala were the names of the accused. NIA had announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh on Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali, a second-year Jamia Millia Islamia dropout. The culprits intended to follow the same course of action as the attackers on 26/11 when Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab and ten other Pakistani terrorists targeted different places in Mumbai.

Conclusion

The aforementioned cases are just a few of an extensive collection of instances when education has aided these individuals in advancing their agenda rather than leading them down a worthwhile and progressive route. They employ their expertise as a weapon to carry out their anti-Indian designs in an exceedingly calculated way. There is no level of education or financial success that can stop them from following the path of religious fanaticism. Though it could be a painful pill to swallow, it is the only truth. Therefore, the assertions that social justice or education would address the issue of terrorism or extremism are unfounded and are meant only to pacify and appease the credulous. We will continue to see more of these instances until the moment we are prepared to debate the true cause behind this problem rather than fabricate fictitious justifications in order to avoid speaking the reality.

Kejriwal cannot visit CM Office, and cannot sign files: Read the 5 bail conditions set by SC on AAP chief

OpIndia Staff
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Kejriwal cannot visit CM Office, and cannot sign files: Read the 5 bail conditions set by SC on AAP chief

 The Aam Admi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal received a big relief on May 10 from the Supreme Court after it granted him interim bail till June 1 in the excise policy case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Dutta granted the Delhi Chief Minister interim bail in the money laundering case registered against him by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED).

However, the SC has set strict conditions on its bail order for the AAP chief.

As per reports, Kejriwal is restricted from visiting the CM’s office or signing any files, except where his signature is necessary for obtaining approval from the LG of Delhi.

He is also barred from visiting the Delhi secretariat in the bail period.

Kejriwal has also been ordered not to make any comments on the current case, not to meet any witnesses in the excise policy case, and to surrender himself on June 2. The bail has been granted on a bail bond of Rs 50,000.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

The ED had opposed his bail in the top court, which was hearing arguments on Kejriwal’s bail plea. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, also representing ED, told the bench at an earlier hearing that there can’t be any deviation only because Kejriwal is Chief Minister and asked if the Supreme Court is carving out exceptions for politicians.

Arvind Kejriwal is now likely to join the AAP campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Delhi goes to the polls on May 25.

‘Mallikarjun Kharge making baseless allegations, trying to mislead and confuse’: ECI slams Congress President for his claims on voter turnout data

ANI
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‘Mallikarjun Kharge making baseless allegations, trying to mislead and confuse’: ECI slams Congress President for his claims on voter turnout data

  In an unprecedented action, the Election Commission on Friday castigated Congress President Kharge for obstructing the ongoing Lok Sabha election.

The commission said the Congress President had made caseless allegations regarding the release of voter turnout data in the middle of ongoing polls which are designed to create confusion, misdirection and impediments in the conduct of free and fair polls. The commission further said that such utterances can have a negative impact on voters’ participation and demoralize the large election machinery across states.

In a harshly worded rejoinder to the Congress President, ECI Called his statements “aggression on vitals of live election operations”. It said that the ECI was determined “to act against developments which have a direct impact on the delivery of its core mandate.” The commission takes cognizance of Kharge’s letter addressed to leaders of INDI alliance on voter turnout data, and finds it highly undesirable. The commission categorically rejected Kharge’s contentions, calling them insinuations and innuendos.

The ECI asserted that no lapse or deviation in the collection and dissemination of voter turnout data; pilots all past and present procedures and practices; and provided point-by-point counters to reject Kharge’s contentions.

The commission also refuted any delay in giving turnout data and pointed out that updated Turnout data has been always higher than the poll day. The commission provided a factual matrix from the 2019 general election onwards.

The Commission said it finds a ‘pattern’ in a series of past and present irresponsible statements from INC and calls it ‘disconcerting”. The commission said, with all facts in place, the Congress President is attempting to push a biased narrative

ECI especially condemned with contempt Kharge’s statement, “Could this be an attempt to doctor the final results”, and said, it can create an anarchic situation, besides doubts and disharmony

On May 7, Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the leaders of the INDIA bloc over the alleged discrepancies in the voting data released by the Election Commission (EC).

In his letter, Kharge urged the INDIA bloc leaders to raise their voices against voting data discrepancies, for “our only objective is to protect the culture of a vibrant democracy and the Constitution”. The Congress president alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are ‘visibly flustered’ and ‘frustrated’ by the voting trends and their receding electoral fortunes in the first two phases.

“In this context, I would urge all of you that we must collectively, unitedly and unequivocally raise our voice against such discrepancies, for our only objective is to protect the culture of a vibrant democracy and the Constitution. Let us ensure the independence of the Election Commission of India and make it accountable. Let us ensure the independence of the Election Commission of India and make it accountable.,” the letter read.

In a post on X, Kharge said, “On 30th April 2024, the Election Commission released the final voter turnout data for the first 2 phases of elections for the 2024 Lok Sabha. The data was released 11 days after the first phase of polling (19th April 2024) and 4 days after the Second Phase (26th April 2024). In this regard our first question for the Election Commission is – Why did the Commission delay the release of voter turnout data? On earlier occasions, the Commission has published voter turnout data within 24 hours of polling. What has changed this time? Why has the Commission failed to issue any clarification to justify the delay, despite being repeatedly questioned by political parties as well as political activists?”

He further said, “We ask the Commission – For First Phase, why is there a near increase of 5.5% in the final voter turnout from date of conclusion of voting (at 7 pm on 19.04.2024) to the delayed release of voter turnout data (On 30.04.2024)? For the Second Phase, there is a near increase of more than 5.74 per cent in the final voter turnout from the date of conclusion of voting (at 7 pm on 26.04.2024) to the delayed release of data (On 30.04.2024)?”

“Apart from the delay, the voter turnout data released by the Commission does not mention crucial yet related figures, such as the votes polled in each Parliamentary Constituency and the respective assembly constituencies. If the voter turnout data was published within 24 hours of voting along with the crucial figures, then we would have known if the increase (of ~5%) had been witnessed across constituencies. Or only in constituencies where the ruling regime had not performed well in the 2019 elections?” he added

Three phases of polling have taken place so far with 4 more phases are scheduled. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Nakli Shiv Sena’: PM Modi slams Uddhav Thackeray Sena for campaigning with 1993 blasts convict Iqbal Moosa

ANI
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‘Nakli Shiv Sena’: PM Modi slams Uddhav Thackeray Sena for campaigning with 1993 blasts convict Iqbal Moosa

 Calling the Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) “nakli,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the party on Friday and said that the fake Shiv Sena people are campaigning with the convict of 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case for the sake of the votes.

Earlier, the BJP alleged that Iqbal Moosa alias Baba Chauhan, a convict in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, who spent 10 years in jail, was seen campaigning for MVA northwest candidate Amol Kirtikar.

Addressing a public meeting in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar, PM Modi said that in Maharashtra fake Shiv Sena is roaming around with a bomb blast convict on their shoulders

“On one side there is Congress which says ‘Modi teri kabr khudegi’ and on the other side, there is this fake Shiv Sena that talks about burying me alive. Even while abusing me, they take full care of appeasement. Will you abuse me the way your ‘vote bank’ likes?. Now these fake Shiv Sena people are taking the bomb blast convict with them for campaigning… In Bihar, they are roaming around with a person serving a jail sentence for fodder theft on their shoulders, in Maharashtra they are roaming around with a bomb blast convict on their shoulders,” PM Modi said.

In a veiled attack on Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, PM Modi claimed that after the voting in Baramati, they have become “frustrated and disappointed.”

“After elections in Baramati, a big leader of Maharashtra has been so worried that he has given a statement and I think he must have consulted with many people before that statement. He is so discouraged that he thinks that smaller parties should merge with Congress if they want to be in public life after June 4. This fake NCP and fake Shiv Sena have made up their mind to merge in Congress. The ‘Nakli NCP’ and ‘Nakli Shiv Sena’ have decided to merge with Congress. I would say that supporting us and winning is better than supporting Congress and losing after June 4. Your vote on May 13 will answer Congress and the INDI Alliance. Support us, and help Maharashtra embrace development,” he said.

Baramati witnessed a star-studded fight in these elections. Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar is the candidate of the BJP-led Maha Yuti alliance while his sister Supriya Sule is the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate.

The Prime Minister attacked Congress and claimed that the party is engaged in a “conspiracy” to “eliminate” the Hindu faith.

“Shehzada’s one of the ‘Gurus’ living in America has made an extremely unfortunate and racist remark on Indians. Those having a complexion like that of Lord Krishna are considered ‘African’ by the Congress. And that’s why the Congress party didn’t want to accept Droupadi Murmu Jee as the Honourable President of the country,” he said.

Former chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda had ignited a firestorm while speaking on the diversity of India referring to how people in the South “look like Africans and those in the East look like Arabs and those in the East look like Chinese.”

The Prime Minister further said that the people who organize ‘sarkari iftari’, and beautify the graves of terrorists for appeasement are calling the people who go to Ram Temple “anti-national.”

“See the mindset of Congress. In the country of Ram, they are calling the Ram temple, anti-national. Those people who organize ‘sarkari iftari’, and beautify the graves of terrorists for appeasement are calling our lord Ram, his temple, and us, who go to Ram temple, as anti-national,” he said.

The voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections will take place on May 13. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Supreme Court upholds demolition of encroachments at Akbar Nagar in Lucknow, says no eviction before alternate house given

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court upholds demolition of encroachments at Akbar Nagar in Lucknow, says no eviction before alternate house given

In a major order, the Supreme Court today (10th May) upheld the Allahabad High Court’s Order to demolish illegal settlements in Akbar Nagar in Lucknow. The bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta agreed with the High Court’s verdict that the colony has been constructed on a floodplain area and the people living there do not have any document or title to show ownership of the land.

The Supreme Court verdict came in a petition filed by the residents of the area. Around 15,000 residents of Akbar Nagar will be affected after the planed demolitions on the Kukrail riverbank takes place. The petitioners had argued that use of the term floodplain was wrong because it was a nullah, not a river. However, the court said that a report by Lucknow Development Authority and UP govt that included Satellite images, says that the nullah originates from a natural spring before entering reserve forest and then flows 19 km and enters urban area of Lucknow.

Therefore, the court concluded that the colony has been constructed on a floodplain area. The judgment also noted details of floods in the area and the existence of a sewage treatment plant (STP), emphasizing the risks posed by the illegal constructions. “In view of the aforesaid, we are in agreement with the High Court that the colony has been constructed on a floodplain area,” the Supreme Court concluded, stating that the petitioners lack any legal title or document, and their claim rests solely on adverse possession.

However, the court said that those who have applied for alternate accommodation should not be evicted before they are provided houses at other places. The court noted that 1500 applications have been found to be eligible for alternative houses, and further 706 are under scrutiny.

The Supreme Court rejected the objections of the petitioners claiming that the houses provided as alternatives are located in remote places. The court said that when they settled at Akbar Nagar, it was also a remote area, but it has become centre of the city.

Sternly rebuking the complaints of location of the offered residences, the court said, “You are getting what encroachers get. You are getting alternate accommodation.”

When the lawyers of petitioners said that there are other floodplain areas in the city where constructions have taken place, the Court said that the state govt will undertake a survey of the encroachments. The court also directed the govt to file an affidavit within 3 months saying that they will draw up an action plan and remove all unauthorised encroachments from the floodplains and catchment area.

However, the bench said that it will not use the word floodplain in the order after the petitioner lawyer said that it could create havoc.

Justin Trudeau govt in Canada spends $8 million in search for dead bodies over viral ‘mass graves’ story at Kamloops residential school, finds nothing

OpIndia Staff
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Justin Trudeau govt in Canada spends $8 million in search for dead bodies over viral ‘mass graves’ story at Kamloops residential school, finds nothing

Canada squandered approximately $8 million in an endeavour to uncover the purported “heartbreaking truth” behind the mass graves or unmarked graves at the Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. However, the outcome of this extensive effort revealed a surprising twist – there were no bodies recovered at all, rendering the entire scandal a hoax.

Carolane Gratton from the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations disclosed that substantial funding was utilized for various activities such as fieldwork, records searches, and securing the school grounds. Despite these efforts, no human remains have been unearthed as reported by the Western Standard.

The controversy erupted in 2021 when the First Nation announced the discovery of 215 children’s graves on the school premises, sparking widespread international condemnation of Canada and its residential school system. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even visited the site with a teddy bear in a symbolic gesture of compassion, declaring, “What happened decades ago isn’t part of our history, it is an irrefutable part of our present.”

However, the revelation that there were no remains cast a shadow over the entire narrative. Moreover, the allocation of the substantial funds remains shrouded in mystery.

In 2021, Rosanne Casimir, the chief of the Tk’Emlups Te Secwe’Pemc, expressed profound sorrow, stating, “An unthinkable loss that was spoken about but never documented.” She emphasised the community’s knowledge of the issue, which they sought to validate. Efforts were made to correlate documentation from old archives and engage in dialogue with local communities to reconcile government records.

By 2022, doubts about the existence of a “mass unmarked grave” emerged as no evidence supporting the claim had surfaced despite extensive funding and research efforts. A spokesperson for Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc confirmed the absence of remains and the lack of excavation activities.

Jacques Rouillard, a professor emeritus in the Department of History at the Université de Montréal, questioned the absence of any discovered bodies after months of scrutiny and condemnation. He queried, “Where are the remains of the children buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School?”

‘Narendra Dabholkar verdict vindicates Sanatana Sanstha, busts urban naxals’ conspiracy’: National spokesperson Chetan Rajhans after the acquittal of 3 accused

OpIndia Staff
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‘Narendra Dabholkar verdict vindicates Sanatana Sanstha, busts urban naxals’ conspiracy’: National spokesperson Chetan Rajhans after the acquittal of 3 accused

The national spokesperson of the Hindu advocacy group Sanatana Sanstha has welcomed the verdict in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, emphasising that the judgment acquits the group over its involvement in the murder of the man known for his deeply rabid anti-Hindu views while identifying himself as a “rationalist”.

“Concerning Dr Dabholkar’s murder, Sanatana’s innocence has been proved today. It has also busted urban naxals’ conspiracy to malign the Sanatana Sanstha. Former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chauhan, at the time of the murder, had claimed that Hindu organisations were behind Dabholkar’s death, which had led to a government clampdown on Hindu advocacy groups,” Rajhans said.

The video comes in the wake of the Pune court’s judgment in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case. The court sentenced two individuals to life imprisonment while acquitting Virendra Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave.

Rajhans said the smear campaign against Hindu organisations had led to their arbitrary arrests. “Vikram Bhave had to spend 2 years of his life in jail. Dr Virendra Singh Tawde, who offered free treatment to patients in Sanathana Ashram, was falsely implicated in the case and had to stay in jail for 8 years. Advocate Sanjeev Punalekar was kept in jail for 42 days in this regard. They were all framed for being members of Sanatana Sanstha and promoting Hindu interests. Today’s verdict vindicates Sanatana Sanstha”.

He also denounced the life imprisonment punishment handed down to the two individuals, expressing hope that they would strive for justice by appealing the verdict in higher courts. 

Earlier today, a Pune court handed down life sentences to two individuals for the 2013 murder of activist Narendra Dabholkar, while three other accused were acquitted.

In a packed courtroom, Additional Sessions Judge P. P. Jadhav pronounced the verdict, stating that the prosecution had successfully proven the charges of murder and conspiracy against Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar. They were sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of ₹5 lakh each. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) confirmed that Andure and Kalaskar were responsible for Dabholkar’s shooting.

The Pune court acquitted ENT surgeon Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave in Narendra Dabholkar’s murder. Reportedly, the court has also removed UAPA charges against Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar.

Narendra Dabholkar, the leader of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was fatally shot in Pune on August 20, 2013. Two assailants came on a motorcycle and fatally shot him from behind. It was an execution-style killing that led to the belief that it was a premeditated attack. The assailants managed to escape despite the presence of a police nakabandi and chowki nearby indicating there was a possible lapse in security or surveillance in the area.

West Bengal: BJP leader Gangadhar Koyal moves Calcutta HC seeking CBI probe in Sandeshkhali sting video calling it fake

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: BJP leader Gangadhar Koyal moves Calcutta HC seeking CBI probe in Sandeshkhali sting video calling it fake

West Bengal BJP worker Gangadhar Koyal has moved the Calcutta High Court over the sting videos used by TMC to claim that Sandeshkhali rape allegations are fake, saying that the videos are fake and his visuals and audio were edited to make the video. He also sought security saying that he is facing threats to his life.

In the sting video that went viral in the state last week, Gangadhar Koyal claimed that that the rape allegations made by women of Sandeshkhali against TMC leaders are fake and that Suvendu Adhikari was the mastermind of the plot. In the video, he could be heard saying that Adhikari had instructed him and other local BJP leaders to “instigate three-four local women to level allegations of rape against three TMC leaders, including Sheikh Shahjahan.”

However, immediately after the video came out, Gangadhar Koyal, BJP mandal president of block number 2 of Sandeshkhali, said that the video is fake, and High-tech method were used to tamper his voice to create the sting video. He alleged that this has been done to tarnish the image of Sandeshkhali woman and Suvendu Adhikari. He had demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

Now Koyal has approached the High Court with the demands. Gangadhar Koyal said in the complaint that several fake videos featuring different persons have been released to prove the allegations against TMC leaders false. He sought the directions for a CBI probe into the sting videos.

He said that because of the fake videos, tensions have increased in the area, and there is a threat to his life. He further sought the security of central forces.

He sought a permission to file a case in the court, which was granted by Justice Joy Sengupta. However, the court said that a case can’t be directly handed over to CBI like this. Moreover, all the cases of Sandeshkhali are now in the Division Bench of the Chief Justice, the court added. The matter is expected to be heard by the court on Monday.

It is notable that Jaba Rani Singha, a local woman featured in the sting video, where she appeared to be saying that the rape charges against TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan are fake, has also asserted that the video is doctored. She alleged that her responses to different questions were edited to create the video.

She also alleged that the persons who had met her had later said that they were sent TMC’s TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee sent them. They allegedly asked her to quote a price for saying that the Sandeshkhali rape charges are fake, and when she refused, they doctored the video to make appear her saying that the charges are fake.

Notably, in the video, the audio and video of Jaba Rani Singha are not synched, they don’t match. Her voice can be heard when she is saying nothing on video, which gives credence to her allegation that the video is doctored.  Jaba Rani Singha asserted that she is committed to the movement by the Sandeshkhali woman against the TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides.

‘I was tortured to take names of senior leaders of RSS, VHP and Yogi Adityanath, treated worse than animals’: Lt Col Purohit tells NIA court

OpIndia Staff
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‘I was tortured to take names of senior leaders of RSS, VHP and Yogi Adityanath, treated worse than animals’: Lt Col Purohit tells NIA court

On 8th May, Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, who was accused of an alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast under the UPA government, disclosed that Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers illegally questioned and tortured him to name prominent right-wing leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) including Yogi Adityanath.

Current UP CM Yogi Adityanath was the MP from Gorakhpur at that time.

He put forward the charge in a written statement presented before the NIA Special Court, pursuant to Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Lt Col Purohit stated in his 23-page testimony that he was tortured and forced to accept the blame for the explosion by senior Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) personnel.

The officer unveiled that he was brought into custody on 29th October 2008, even though the ATS did not record him as arrested and expressed that while he was not even formally detained, ATS had leaked bogus material to media outlets that reported on the agency’s success in breaking the case and naming him, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and others as the accused.

He mentioned that in August 2008, over a month prior to the Malegaon blast, “out of nowhere, the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) at a rally of party workers in Alibaug made a statement that it is not just that there are Islamic terrorists, but there are Hindu terrorists also. This is the first time the term ‘Hindu Terror’ was coined. This soothsaying statement was immediately followed by the unfortunate incident on September 29, 2008.”

He maintained that to “suit the political requirements” of the ruling government, a “fabricated” inquiry into the issue was conducted on the directions of former IPS officer Param Bir Singh, the late Hemant Karkare, who was the head of the Maharashtra ATS and others. He expressed that shortly after his arrest in Mumbai, he was transferred to a remote bungalow in Khandala to be grilled by the late Hemant Karkare and Param Bir Singh, the then ATS’s joint commissioner and others.

He conveyed, “Karkare and Param Bir Singh were time and again forcing me to give out the details of my intelligence network and, a list of my sources and assets who had assisted me in mapping SIMI and ISI and Dr Zakir Naik’s activities. I refused to divulge my source network as it is against the basic ethos of intelligence.” He went into further detail about how his senior army commander, Colonel PK Shrivastav, who is now retired, “stabbed him in the back” before turning him over to the ATS. His superior was the first one to strike him in police custody. He was then attacked by Param Bir Singh as well as he was restrained by six of the constables.

The Army official highlighted, “I was meted with treatment which not even any animal would experience and was treated worse than a prisoner of war of an enemy country. Karkare, Param Bir Singh and Col Shrivastav continued insisting that I should own up to the Malegaon bomb blast and that I should name senior right-wing leaders of the RSS and VHP, Yogi Adityanath, the then Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh. This torture continued incessantly till 3rd Nov 2008.” 

He voiced that he could not even walk because of a fractured knee resulting from the abuse he endured. He added that his “custodial assassination was confirmed” as he was told preparations were underway to shoot him. He submitted that the officials had planted explosives and faked evidence, including RDX and accused them of being complicit in the extrajudicial executions of a witness, Sandeep Dange and wanted perpetrator Ramchandra Kalsangra.

Colonel Purohit argued that it was obvious that the entire case against him was orchestrated since witnesses began to become hostile which demonstrated that they had been coerced into making false statements by the ATS or their political overlords and that they had even been threatened, tortured, and apprehended sometimes at gunpoint. He remarked that they had permanently damaged the army’s prestige, undermined intelligence personnel’s morale and jeopardized national security.

Dawood met Naxal leader, wanted to supply arms from ISI to Naxal terrorists

He contended that his phone was unlawfully tapped and that there were “malafide intentions” behind the approval of his and others’ prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He outlined that as an intelligence official, he started investigating “fugitive terror accused and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) agent” Dawood Ibrahim and his encounter with declared fugitive Dr Ganapati, a prominent member of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) central committee.

“The meeting was to streamline the arms, ammunition, war-like stores and drug supply from ISI, Pakistan, to left-wing extremists and Naxalites in Dandakaranya special committee zone operating in entire peninsular India, especially after these supplies stopped getting into India from Nepal,” he mentioned. He declared that a second such report from 2006–07 focused on the founder of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Zakir Naik, who is currently on the run and his illicit funding. He insisted on closely examining the rise of left-wing extremism and Naxalism before starting work on a report. According to him, a few local and national officials were named in the papers.

After being formally shown as arrested on 5th November 2008 Col Purohit established that the ATS had constructed a narrative of “investigation around the individuals whom they always wanted to arrest, probably as directed by their political masters, and the case was built around the targeted individuals who are now accused.”

Viral Babar, Purohit’s attorney, delivered the written statement to the special court. All of the suspects who are facing charges for their alleged involvement in the explosion have been recording their testimony in the special court. The statements made by Col Purohit and a few other accused parties in opposition to the prosecution’s evidence have been completed by the court.

Malegaon blast case

The case concerns the events of 29th September 2008, at about 9:30 pm when a bomb concealed on a motorcycle exploded close to Hamidia Masjid in Malegaon, a textile town in the Nasik region of North Maharashtra that is sensitive to sectarian sentiments. The blast resulted in the deaths of six people and the injuries of 101 others. The ATS unit of the Maharashtra Police first probed the incident before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over in 2011. Col Purohit was accused of being a part of Abhinav Bharat, a trust established to uphold Hindu ideals but which was also accused of using him as a cover for assaults against Muslims. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur was also arrested in the case.

After spending years in custody, Lt Col Purohit was finally granted bail in August 2017.

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: Massive protests break out against govt, police releases tear gas on school girls, detains over 70 persons

ANI
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Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: Massive protests break out against govt, police releases tear gas on school girls, detains over 70 persons

The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee has announced that it will hold a “shutter-down and wheel-jam” strike in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) today, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

It announced the decision after the police reportedly detained as many as 70 activists in a bid to prevent a ‘long march’ announced by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee to call on the government to comply with an agreement reached between the two in February.

The public action committee has been leading a rights movement to hold protests against the ‘unjust’ taxes that have been imposed on electricity bills and held a shutter-down strike over the taxes in August 2023, Dawn reported.

The protesters have demanded that electricity should be provided to consumers as per the production cost of hydel power in PoJK. After protests were held for months, a ministerial committee vowed that the cost would be worked out “because the government was committed to providing relief to its people.”

Earlier in April, the committee had announced that they would hold a march in Muzaffarabad on May 11 to protest the “non-fulfilment of the commitments” made in writing by an official reconciliation committee of cabinet members on December 23, 2023, in pursuance of a notification issued on February 4, 2024, Dawn reported.

On Thursday, police in Muzaffarabad carried out raids at the residence of Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the elected leader of traders, and several other members of the action committee. During these raids, eight committee members, including two student leaders, were detained.

The protests of more than a dozen activists in overnight raids in Mirpur’s Dadyal led to clashes following traders’ protest at Maqbool Butt Shaheed Chowk. Police used teargas against the protesters, which also landed in a school and injured several girls, according to Dawn report.

Traders pelted stones at the police. In response to the crackdown, Nawaz Mir released a video message from a hideout, saying that the protest scheduled for May 11 will now be held on May 10 due to the “brutal attitude” of authorities in Dadyal. (ANI)

Earlier, the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) issued serious warnings to the administration against the use of any brutal force against peaceful protestors.

Both parties have released warnings that they will organize international protests and demonstrations if the administration uses any force against the protestors who are raising their legitimate demands.

Currently, personnel from the Frontier Corps, Rangers, and Quick Response Force (QRF) of Punjab Province are on the streets of the area. According to a joint statement issued by the UKPNP and JAAC, the demonstrators are protesting and unjustified taxation, high electricity bills, uncontrolled inflation, severe shortages of essentials like and flour.

In addition, the people also demand ownership of local land and water resources and royalties to locals over the hydroelectric power produced in dams located in PoJK and Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit Baltistan.

UKPNP chairman Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri and JAAC’s former spokesperson Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan said that despite billions of dollars of remittances sent annually by the Kashmiri diaspora for the development of PoJK and POGB the people of these areas suffer from severe underdevelopment. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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