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Muslims only follow Shariat and Quran: Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan reacts to Assam govt repealing Muslim Marriage and Divorces Act

OpIndia Staff
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Muslims only follow Shariat and Quran: Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan reacts to Assam govt repealing Muslim Marriage and Divorces Act

On 24th February, controversial Samajwadi Party MP Dr Syed Tufail (ST) Hasan declared that Muslims will only adhere to the Sharia Law and the Quran, in response to the Assam government’s approval to abolish the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935.

He stated, “There is no need to highlight this so much. Muslims will follow the Shariat and the Quran. They (the government) may draft as many Acts as they want. New laws keep on forming every day. Will they ask the Muslims not to do a Nikaah (Islamic ceremony) and marry according to some other tradition? Will they ask Hindus to bury their dead instead of cremating them? Every religion has its own rituals. They have been observed for thousands of years now. They will continue to be followed. Their laws don’t make any difference. Is Triple Talaq removed (after the Triple Talaq Act)? However, there has been a rise in the law’s abuse.”

On 29th January, ST Hasan announced that he would prefer the Quran over the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Additionally, he spoke against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and claimed that the latter is unacceptable and would face opposition as it is an initial step toward enacting NRC. He highlighted, “If UCC has different laws from Quran and Hadis we will not accept it. We are followers of the Quran and Hadis. We will go to any extent if our religion is attacked.”

Furthermore, the move by Assam’s government also faced criticism from Congress leader Abdur Rashid Mandal, who labelled it as discriminatory. He accused the government of attempting to polarize Hindu voters ahead of the elections by allegedly targetting targeting Muslim communities. He stated, “I have not gone through the details of this repealing. Overall it is a discriminatory decision of the cabinet of Assam because the government was talking about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and banning polygamy but they failed to do so (bringing the UCC and banning polygamy) for unknown reasons.”

He added, “Just before the election, they’re trying to polarise the Hindu voters in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party by depriving and discriminating Muslims in some fields like repealing this act saying that this is a pre-independence act and citing child marriage which is not a fact. This is the only mechanism to register the marriages of Muslims and there is no other scope or institution and it is also as per the constitution of India. It is the personal law of the Muslim that can’t be repealed. I’ll discuss it with the leaders of my party and my party will speak about it.”

Hafiz Rafiqul Islam, a member of the All India United Democratic Front, questioned the Assam government’s commitment to enact the Uniform Civil Code and charged the administration with exploiting the repeal as a political ploy. He claimed that the Assam government lacked the will to implement a UCC, particularly because of the state’s heterogeneous religious and cultural composition.

He accused, “This Government doesn’t have the courage to bring UCC. They can’t do it. What they brought in Uttarakhand, is not UCC either. They were trying to bring UCC to Assam too. But I think they can’t bring it to Assam because there are people from several castes and communities here. BJP followers themselves follow those practices here. Elections are approaching, this is just their tactic to target Muslims. So, they couldn’t bring any Bill on polygamy or UCC in Assam. So, they are repealing the Assam Muslim Marriages & Divorces Registration Act. Assam cabinet doesn’t have the right to repeal or amend a constitutional right.”

The aforementioned law was repealed by the BJP government on 23rd February as it erased the legal foundation for child marriage within the state’s Muslim minority. The development was confirmed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 24th February in a tweet which read, “On 23.22024, the Assam cabinet made a significant decision to repeal the age-old Assam Muslim Marriages & Divorces Registration Act. This act contained provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21, as required by law. This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam.”

Hyderabad: Woman arrested for kidnapping a TV anchor to marry him, had installed a car tracking device to monitor his movement

OpIndia Staff
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Hyderabad: Woman arrested for kidnapping a TV anchor to marry him, had installed a car tracking device to monitor his movement

The Hyderabad Police arrested a 31-year-old businesswoman for allegedly stalking and kidnapping a television music channel anchor to marry him. The woman identified as Bhogireddy Trisha is the Managing Director of five startup companies. According to police, Trisha asked her accomplice to install a tracking device on the victim’s car to monitor his movements. She also hired four men to kidnap the victim Pranav Sista, and take him to her office.

Trisha who runs a digital marketing company, and her five accomplices were arrested by the Telangana Police on 22nd February. 

According to reports, two years ago, Trisha came into contact with an unknown person named Chaitanya Reddy through the Bharat Matrimony website. For his profile, the unknown person had reportedly used the photos of Pranav Sista who is a techie working part-time as an anchor on a Telugu TV music channel. After a while, Trisha and the unknown person allegedly Reddy started chatting on social media platforms WhatsApp and Instagram. Once, he asked Trisha to invest in his business and promised her good returns.

According to the police, she allegedly paid Rs 40 lakh to the person via UPI. However, after receiving the money, the unknown person started avoiding her, as per the woman’s claim.  

After realising that the fake profile had duped her, she enquired further about the profile and contacted the phone number given on that matrimonial profile. The contact number turned out to be Pranav Sista. 

On being contacted, Pranav informed her that some unknown person named Chaitanya Reddy used his photo and created fake accounts on Bharat Matrimony. He even went on to complain with the cyber cell. However, Trisha continued sending messages to Pranav, who then blocked her number and reportedly rejected her marriage proposal. 

According to the Police, the woman, who “appeared to be an intimacy-seeking stalker” was determined to marry the Television radio jockey Pranav Sista and planned to kidnap him to “sort out things”.  

On 11th February, the four hired men kidnapped Pranav and took him to Trisha’s office, where they badly assaulted him, police added. Fearing for his life, Pranav requested the woman that he would respond to her calls and managed to escape from captivity. He then promptly alerted the authorities and filed a complaint at the Uppal police station. The police filed a case under sections 363 (kidnapping), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the Police investigation, it was revealed that she even attached an AirTag to the anchor’s car to trace his movements. To carry out the kidnapping, she enrolled another person working in her office, offering him Rs 50,000 who allegedly installed an Apple AirTag on the victim’s car to stalk and monitor his movements. 

The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Malkajgiri, K Purushotham Reddy said, “A kidnapping case was registered in the Malkajgiri subdivision, under the Uppal police station by Pranav Sista, a software engineer and TV Anchor against a woman named Bogireddy Trishna who wanted to marry him. Pranav refused to marry her. The woman has been arrested by Uppal police and the search for others is underway. Using the technical evidence the case is registered and she will be sent to court.”

Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant pre-wedding bash: Rihanna, Arijit Singh, and Diljit Dosanjh among others to perform

OpIndia Staff
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Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant pre-wedding bash: Rihanna, Arijit Singh, and Diljit Dosanjh among others to perform

The upcoming pre-wedding festivities for Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, are set to be a grand affair in Gujarat’s Jamnagar from March 1-3. This event promises to be star-studded, featuring performances by a lineup of top celebrities.

International singer such as Rihanna and magician David Blaine are slated to perform, alongside renowned Indian musicians including Arijit Singh, Ajay-Atul, and Diljit Dosanjh.

Expected to join in the celebrations are a host of distinguished business leaders, including Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick, Disney CEO Bob Iger, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Adnoc CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, and EL Rothschild chair Lynn Forester de Rothschild.

Among the esteemed guests are Yasir Al Rumayyan, Chairperson of Saudi Aramco; Vivi Nevo, Founder of NV Investments; Nitin Nohria, Former Dean of Harvard Business School; Dr. Brian Levine, Founding Partner of CCRM New York; Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO of Sony; Joe Bae, CEO of KKR & Co.; Mark Carney, Chairman of Brookfield Asset Management; Khaldoon Al Mubarak, CEO & MD of Mubadala; Mark Tucker, Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings Plc; Anuj Ranjan, Managing Partner of Brookfield; Bill Ford, Chairman & CEO of General Atlantic; Carlos Slim, Investor; Jay Lee, Executive Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Howard Marks, Co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management; James Dinan, Founder of York Capital Management; and Richard Hilton, Chairman of Hilton & Hyland.

Guests can expect to immerse themselves in India’s vibrant culture and heritage during the festivities. They will also receive traditional scarves crafted by women artisans from Kachchh and Lalpur in Gujarat.

Recently, the invitation for Anant and Radhika’s pre-wedding festivities went viral on social media, offering insights into the event. “We are delighted to extend an invitation to Radhika and Anant’s pre-wedding celebrations at the Reliance Greens in Jamnagar, from March 1-3, 2024. In 1997, Reliance established the world’s largest grassroots refining complex near Jamnagar. Over the years, they have planted more than 10 million trees in this arid region, transforming it into a flourishing green community teeming with flowers and fruits, and hosting Asia’s largest mango orchard! In the spirit of this initiative, Anant has devotedly nurtured this complex into a sanctuary of care and compassion for thousands of rescued animals,” part of the invite revealed.

Anant and Radhika had their engagement ceremony, known as Gol Dhana, in Mumbai on January 19, 2023. In Gujarati tradition, Gol Dhana signifies the engagement, where coriander seeds and jaggery are distributed to guests. The bride and her family traditionally bring sweets and gifts to the groom’s house. During the ceremony, the couple exchanges rings and seeks blessings from five married women from each family.

Uttar Pradesh: Drunk Zubair sets ablaze 7 cars in Agra, claims he was angry for not getting help, locals allege cars parked in houses with Saffron flags targeted

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Drunk Zubair sets ablaze 7 cars in Agra, claims he was angry for not getting help, locals allege cars parked in houses with Saffron flags targeted

On Thursday (22nd February), late in the night, one Zubair from Panipat in Haryana torched 7 vehicles in 27 minutes in Agra. The drunk accused was arrested by the Agra police. The accused set ablaze the vehicles parked in front of houses in Murli Vihar Colony with a lighter. Multiple CCTV footages in the area are collected by the Agra police confirming his identity.

The accused will be produced in the court for further proceedings in the case with investigations going on. Locals alleged that he targeted cars parked in front of houses that had Saffron Lord Ram flags.

According to reports, on Thursday at 1:57 a.m., the family of Gajendra Singh Chouhan living in the Murli Vihar Colony under the Shahganj police station area of Agra, woke up listening to the sound of the car sensors. To check if there was a theft attempt, the family came outside only to discover that the car was torched. The car was significantly damaged before the fire could be extinguished. At the same time, Assistant District Public Prosecutor Yogesh Baghel who lived in the same colony also reported that his car was torched. It was then revealed that the vehicles of more people in the locality were also burnt similarly. The locals then called the police. Police arrested the accused Zubair who was spotted on a CCTV in the colony.

7 cars were set on fire at 14 different places in the colony. Wood, straw pools, kiosks along the railway line, a hut and garden mesh kept outside the house were also burnt. The entire incident was captured in CCTVs installed outside houses. The arson incident in the colony caused chaos. People came on the streets to stop the accused.

Murli Bihar resident Gajendra Singh said that around 2 AM, the alarm of his car started to sound, and he thought that the car was being stolen. When he rushed outside, he saw that the car was on fire. He then doused the fire with the help of his neighbours, but the front of the car was damaged. 1 minute later, a car parked outside the house of Yogendra Baghel just 200 meters away was also on fire. Cars belonging to Pradeep Kumar Agarwal, Chandrant Upreti, Atul Dubey, Ajeet Singh were also torched, and some of them were completely damaged. All total 7 cars were torched in just 27 minutes, from 1.57 AM to 2.24 AM.

People gathered on the street and started to look for the attacker. Later he was nabbed from the area.

As per locals, only those cars were torched which were parked outside houses with Lord Ram flags hoisted on the occasion of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. Cars in the same area parked in houses without saffron flags were not attacked. Even the kiosk that was burnt had a saffron flag, while nearby kiosks not attacked do not have the flag.

While sharing more information on this case, ACP Mayank Tiwari of the Lohamandi police station said, “We received a call from a person living near the Pruthviraj Gate outpost under the Shahganj police station. He informed us that a youth was torching multiple vehicles. We reached the spot and arrested a person named Zubair. He torched 7 cars. 3 cars were completely burnt. 4 cars were partially burnt. He also torched 2 stalls and a tea shop. He was immediately arrested on the spot. A case is also filed. We are also interrogating him. Our department, IB, ATS, and LIU teams are deployed in the questioning. We are also checking for his crime history. A case is filed under relevant sections. We will present him to the court soon after completing the legal procedures.”

The accused Zubair was caught and brought to the police station. Being drunk, he was not in a position to be questioned. In the afternoon, when his intoxication subsided, the interrogation began. He said that he was unable to find an address, and when he asked the locals, nobody helped him. He got angry over it and torched the cars, he claimed.

The police also checked for Zubair’s crime history from his native place Panipat, and no criminal history was found.

However, locals are insisting that only those cars were targeted which were parked in houses with saffron flags. They questioned the version that Zubair was drunk and he it did it due to anger over not getting help, asking why he set fire to the cars parked in front of the houses where Shri Ram’s flags were installed, leaving vehicles parked outside houses that did not have flags. They also noted that the attack took place on 22 February, a month after the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. After these allegations, police became alert and called the ATS.

In a media interaction, the wife of the accused Zubair said that on Thursday evening, he left home to go to Agra to meet his friend. He met his friend Abdul Rauf, who lives in Bapu Nagar Khandari. In a police inquiry, Abdul Rauf said that Zubair had consumed liquor from a shop in TP Nagar. The police took him to that spot where it was confirmed from the CCTV footage.

Murli Vihar Colony is spread over several acres. According to CCTV footage, the accused set fire to two cars in less than a minute at some places, even though the distance between them was several hundred meters. Therefore the residents are also speculating if he was accompanied by someone else in this crime.

Deeply apologise to cadre: Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel shares disappointment after Congress gave her father’s stronghold Bharuch seat to AAP

OpIndia Staff
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Deeply apologise to cadre: Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel shares disappointment after Congress gave her father’s stronghold Bharuch seat to AAP

On Saturday (24th February), Congress and AAP announced seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Out of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, the Congress party has given Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats to its partner in the I.N.D.I. alliance, Aam Aadmi Party. Congress party will field its candidates on the remaining 24 seats. After this announcement, family members of the Late Congress leader Ahmed Patel have expressed their disappointment over this decision. Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel and his son Faisal Ahmed Patel took to social media to express their disappointment.

Earlier, Congress leader Mukul Wasnik announced in a press conference that the party will share seats with AAP in Gujarat for the Lok Sabha elections. He said, “Gujarat has 26 Lok Sabha seats. Congress will contest on 24. AAP will have its candidates on 2 seats – Bharuch and Bhavnagar.”

AAP has already announced its candidate for this seat. Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal has declared MLA Chaitar Vasava as the candidate from Bharuch. After the seat sharing between the parties was announced, Mumtaz Patel tweeted, “Deeply apologize to Our district cadre for not being able to secure the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in alliance. I share your disappointment. Together, we will regroup to make INC stronger. We won’t let Ahmed Patel’s 45 years of Legacy go in vain.” She also used a hashtag of ‘Bharuch Ki Beti’ which means ‘the daughter of Bharuch’.

It was speculated well before the seat-sharing announcement that the Bharuch seat may go to AAP. The family members of Ahmed Patel were expressing their displeasure with the impending decision before this announcement as well. On 23rd February, Mumtaz Patel said, “The talks are still on and the final decision is yet to be made. We had hopes that this seat would remain with Congress but when this information came, people felt demoralised and sad. We have heard that Rahul Gandhi has also objected to the Bharuch seat being given to AAP. We are hopeful that this seat will remain with Congress. Traditionally, this is a Congress seat. They want an alliance because they want the support of Congress.”

Ahmed Patel’s son Faisal Ahmed Patel tweeted on 22nd February, “If the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat is allotted to the AAP party under the alliance in the next Lok Sabha elections, neither I nor the conscientious workers of the Congress party will support the candidate of the AAP party.”

He said in a media interaction, “Congress is a democratic party and I.N.D.I. alliance is very important for our country. If Congress gets the candidature, then only it will benefit Congress and the I.N.D.I. alliance. It will be much easier for Congress to win the Bharuch district, AAP’s strength is only on one Assembly seat. We believe that Congress should get the Bharuch district. I won’t support this alliance.”

On 23rd February, Faisal said in a conversation with ABP News, “I am a contender for the Bharuch seat. Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate cannot win from here. I have worked hard here continuously. I have also spoken to the party high command about this seat. My sister Mumtaz also wants me to contest the Lok Sabha elections from here. She told me about it on 10th January. She will work in the organisation and I will contest the Lok Sabha elections.”

Ahmed Patel was a senior Congress leader from Gujarat, and Bharuch was his stronghold. He was a long-term Gandhi family loyalist. He died on 25th November 2020 due to coronavirus infection.

Marriage of minors, incompatibility with POCSO and modern laws: Here is why Himanta govt is repealing Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorces Registration Act but Congress did not

Dibakar Dutta
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Marriage of minors, incompatibility with POCSO and modern laws: Here is why Himanta govt is repealing Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorces Registration Act but Congress did not

The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has decided to repeal a 20th-century law that allowed child marriages within the Muslim community in the State.

To end a legal sanction to such ‘child marriages’ after 76 years of Independence, the State Cabinet has taken the decision to repeal the controversial Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act.

The legislation [pdf], which came into force in 1935, governs the registration of Muslim marriages and divorces in Assam. It calls for the appointment of ‘Muslim Registrars’ for the purpose of registering and keeping records of such marriages and divorces.

As per a report by the Hindustan Times, there are currently 94 such ‘Muslim Marriage Registrars’ in Assam. State minister Jayanta Malla Baruah informed that the position will be dissolved after the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act is repealed.

He added that the affected officials will be paid a one-time compensation of ₹2 lakhs for their rehabilitation.

The contentious law was enacted in the 20th century when the age of marriage for girls was 14 years and that of boys was 18 years of age, as mandated by the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929.

Legal sanction to ‘Muslim’ child marriage in India

Even though the age of marriage was raised to 18 and 21 for girls and boys respectively in India under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 [pdf], it had no bearing on the legal sanction of ‘child marriages’ for Muslims in Assam under the 1935 law.

In 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act does not repeal the Muslim Personal law. 4 years later in 2018, the same court noted that a 15-year-old Muslim girl is competent to marry any man of her choice.

The High Court reiterated the same in a 2021 case. Essentially, only non-Muslims in India are thus liable to be prosecuted for child marriage under Section 10 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act with rigorous imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh.

Controversial provisions of Assam’s Muslim Personal law

While Muslim marriages in India draw legal sanction from the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937 [pdf], such marriages in the State of Assam until now were governed by the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935.

Section 8(1) of the Act says, “If the application be for the registration of a marriage by the parties to the marriage jointly: provided that if the bridegroom or the bride, or both, be minors, application shall be made on their behalf by their respective lawful guardians: and provided further that, if the bride be pardanasheen, such application may be made behalf by her duly authorised vakil.”

Section 10 (1) of the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act further states,

“If the entry be of a marriage in a register in the Form (A) contained in the Schedule I to this Act by the parties to the marriage, or, I either or both of them be minors, by their lawful guardians respectively.”

The legislation also includes a form, listed under Schedule I, which says,

“5. Name of the guardian of the bridegroom (if the bridegroom be a minor) and that of the guardian’s father, with specification of the guardian’s residence, and of relationship in which he stands to the bridegroom. 6. Name of guardian of the bride (if she be a minor) and that of her father, with specification of his residence and the relationship in which he stands to the bride.“

The concept of ‘majority’ in Muslim personal law and the resulting problem

It is thus clear that the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935 not only allows the marriage of Muslim individuals who have attained ‘majority’ but those of ‘minors’ with the consent of the family.

It is thus against the principles that govern the 21st-century world to prevent the exploitation of children below the age of 18. For instance, the ‘Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women’ provides for protection against child marriage.

To make things worse, the concept of ‘majority’ within the Muslim community is not the same as that of other Faiths in India. Muslim girls are assumed to have attained ‘majority’ once they hit puberty i.e. around the age of 15.

“Lawyer, legal writer and judge D.F. Mulla, in Article 195 of his treatise Principles of Mohammedan Law (1907) states that Muslim personal law (shariat) considers a girl capable of entering a contract of marriage when she attains puberty,” reads an article in The Leaflet.

Thus, the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935 posed a dual problem – It allowed the marriage of Muslim girls who attained ‘majority’ in the light of ‘Muslim personal law’ and that of ‘minors’ (below the age of 15) with the consent of their ‘guardians.’

Both categories fall under the ambit of ‘minority’ in the personal laws of all other Faiths in India. It thus comes as no wonder that an expert committee on law prohibiting polygamy in Assam recommended the introduction of a minimum age to the archaic legislation from 1935.

The recommendation was meant to undo the existing incompatibility with the Prevention of Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012.

Congress govt did not remove child marriage provisions

The Assam government under Himanta Biswa Sarma has decided to completely scrap the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935 and take one more step towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Interestingly, the Congress government in Assam during the reign of Tarun Gogoi amended [pdf] the principal act of the controversial legislation.

However, instead of removing provisions pertaining to the marriage of minors, it increased the registration charges for such marriages from 4 annas to ₹10.

Crackdown on child marriages in Assam and the promise of UCC

In February 2023, the Assam government cracked down on the menace of child marriages in the State and arrested a whopping 3000 people in connection with it. In January this year, Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that Assam will also implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

During a press conference, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We are waiting for the Uttarakhand Bill on UCC and after it is introduced, Assam will follow it with certain additional clauses.”

“We will go through the Uttarakhand Bill and see if public consultations will be possible within the next two to three months. If, however, certain complications arise, the matter will be discussed with experts and the Bill will be framed accordingly,” he continued.

“Everything depends on Bills passed by Uttarakhand and Gujarat, but Assam will definitely be the third state to bring a bill on the UCC,” the Assam CM stated, adding that the State will stop the menace of child marriage and polygamy.

Rajasthan: Air Force officer commits suicide after friend’s wife files fake rape case; was being pressurised by his friend’s family to embrace Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Air Force officer commits suicide after friend’s wife files fake rape case; was being pressurised by his friend’s family to embrace Islam

On 20th February, a junior Air Force officer from Midiyan village in Didwana Kuchaman district of Rajasthan committed suicide while on duty in Hyderabad. The deceased has been identified as 24-year-old Sukharam Jaat who was posted as a corporal. The case gained impetus when his family started demonstrating on the morning of 23rd February and raised multiple demands after his corpse reached the Gachhipura police station. An agreement was reached between the protestors and the police at around 4 pm after which the body was taken to the native village for cremation.

According to Parbatsar Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dharamveer Singh Janu, Sukharam Bhinchar, a 24-year-old inhabitant of Midiyan hamlet in the vicinity of the police station was in the Air Force at Hyderabad. He killed himself by hanging himself in his room. The family brought the body to the Gachchipura police station where they sat on a dharna and demanded that the perpetrators be held accountable.

Meanwhile, ASP Dharamveer Janu and Circle Officer (CO) Bhawani Singh assured to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and investigate the matter. They promised to suspend the misbehaving Constable Kishan Singh and APO (Awaiting Posting Order) the accused Head Constable. Afterwards, the agitation was ended and the body was taken for the last rites.

Asharam, the deceased’s 44-year-old father complained in the Gachchipura police station that the latter’s friend, his wife and his father blackmailed and pressured his son to convert. He added that Sukharam was an acquaintance of the son of Mohammad Saeed, a head constable posted at Makrana police station. The two had studied together in Didwana Kuchaman. Sukharam was selected in the Air Force in 2017. Whenever Sukharam came home on leave, the friend used to compel him to stay with him in the quarter under the guise of friendship. However, he was with Sukharam for the sake of money.

He and his wife stayed at Sukharam’s home for a few days in August 2023 when the Air Force officer returned on vacation as well as invited him and his spouse Pooja to their place. The policeman, his son and daughter-in-law intended to indoctrinate the victim and brainwash him against Hinduism. Furthermore, they stole all of his salary. The trio forced Sukharam to embrace Islam, however, he didn’t. The accused woman then threatened to implicate him in a false case.

The complainant mentioned that an individual named Motiram from his village works in the marble industry in Hyderabad and two months ago, his son met with him on a Sunday. He informed the man that his pal had become greedy and was compelling him to change his religion. The culprit has been taking money from him since 2020 and even threatened to file a fictitious police report to get him fired from his job.

Asharam mentioned that the friend’s wife submitted a false case of rape in Parbatsar police station on 19th February due to which his son ended his life while on duty in Hyderabad the next day on the night of 20th February. The father stated that his son was renting an apartment outside the office. The family was adamant about delaying the cremation until the accused were apprehended. Former MLAs Shreeram Bhinchar and Lokesh Godara who were sitting in protest along with the family asserted that Constable Kishan Singh had mistreated the demonstrators. They demanded that he should be suspended and the accused must be arrested and interrogated.

The head constable at Makrana police station resides in the Parbatsar police station neighbourhood, according to sources. On 19th February, his daughter-in-law who is from Bikaner lodged a rape lawsuit against her husband’s friend Sukharam. She stated in the report that she got married on 4th March 2021. She moved into her father-in-law’s allotted CO quarters after the nikah. Owing to a familial relationship, Sukharam used to stay there as well. He used to molest her but her husband didn’t pay any attention when she complained about it.

On 28th January of this year, her father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law had left for Bikaner and only her husband along with their 18-month-old daughter were present at home when Sukharam came there and raped her. She alleged that the husband threatened to kill their daughter if she didn’t remain silent and protested which led to the Parbatsar police opening a case. Sukharam killed himself in Hyderabad the following day.

ASP Dharamveer Singh Janu stated that police from Gachchipura and Didwana Kuchaman district police stations were deployed on the spot. The family members took the body to the village for final rites after settlement and proceeded with Panchnama.

USA: India reacts strongly after Police officer who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula escapes all charges

ANI
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USA: India reacts strongly after Police officer who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula escapes all charges

In the Indian student murder case in US, the Indian Consulate General in Seattle said on Friday that they have raised the matter of Indian student murder in US with the local authorities and the case has been referred to Seattle city Attorney’s office for review of King County Prosecuting Attorney verdict.

The statement comes after the Seattle police officer who struck and killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula while responding to an overdose call, will not face any criminal charges due to lack of “sufficient” evidence.

“On the recently released investigation report of the King County Prosecution Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jaahnavi Kandula, Consulate has been in regular touch with the designated family representatives and will continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Jaahnavi and her family,” Indian Consulate in Seattle posted on X.

“We have also raised the matter strongly with local authorities, including Seattle Police for appropriate redress. The case has now been referred to Seattle City Attorney’s office for review. We await completion of Seattle Police’s administrative investigation and will continue to monitor progress on the case,” it added.

23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula was allegedly hit by a police vehicle operated by Officer Dave in Seattle on January 23.
Officer Dave, responding to a call about a drug overdose, was allegedly driving at an approximate speed of 120 km/h at the moment of the collision.

Further compounding the tragedy, released bodycam footage from the Seattle Police Department captured Officer Daniel Auderer making light of the fatal accident, “Just write a cheque. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value,” Auderer was heard saying in the video, as per reports.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office said they will not move forward with criminal charges against Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave.
“In January of 2024, Aces completed their report. Our Felony Traffic Unit has reviewed the Aces’ report, along with all available evidence. Based on all the available evidence presented and Aces’ independent analysis of the collision, our legal analysis reveals that the PAO lacks sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Kevin Dave was impaired by drugs or alcohol, driving in a reckless manner, or driving with disregard for the safety of others,” King County Prosecutor’s Office said in an official statement.

“As a result, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has concluded (based on the law and all available and admissible evidence) that we cannot file criminal charges in this matter,” it added.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said that she believes they lack the evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.

“It is the responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to review all available evidence relating to the case involving Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave and the January 2023 collision death of Jaahnavi Kandula. After staffing this case with senior deputy prosecuting attorneys and office leadership, I have determined that we lack sufficient evidence under Washington State law to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt,” the statement said.

The statement also said that the prosecutor’s office also finds the comments made by Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer, recorded on his body-worn video, “appalling and deeply troubling.” Auderer, who was not involved in the January collision, was captured in the video saying, “But she is dead” and laughing while on the phone. 

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

Karnataka’s Temple Tax Bill defeated in state legislative council amid opposition from BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka’s Temple Tax Bill defeated in state legislative council amid opposition from BJP

On Friday (23rd February), the Karnataka State Legislative Council rejected the Hindu Religious Institutions & Charitable Endowment (Amendment) Bill, 2024 which was passed in the state’s Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. This bill gives the government the right to collect more tax from temples. According to this bill, if the revenue of a Hindu temple is 1 crore rupees, then the government can take a 10 per cent tax from the temple, and if the temple’s revenue is less than 1 crore but more than Rs 10 lakh, then the government can take 5 per cent tax from the temple. Bharatiya Janata Party, in opposition in the state, had opposed this bill.

The bill faced opposition in the Legislative Council where the BJP-JD(S) alliance holds a majority, despite Congress ensuring its smooth passage in the Assembly where it holds the majority. Deputy Chairperson M K Parnesh conducted a voice vote, resulting in majority members opposing the bill. In the 75-member council, BJP holds 35 seats, including the chairperson, JD(S) has eight, and Congress has 29 members along with an independent member. Currently, two seats are vacant.

The government contended that once the bill is enacted into law, it would allow for the redistribution of revenues from temples with higher earnings to those with lower earnings. Kot Srinivas Poojari, LoP in the council, said, “It is a blatant exhibition of an anti-Hindu stand by Congress. It wants to take away money from temples, while it is generous enough to allocate lavishly to Waqf Board.”

After the passage of this bill in the Karnataka state legislative assembly, the BJP leaders of the state strongly opposed it. Karnataka BJP President Vijayendra Yeddyurappa said that the Congress government wants to fill its empty exchequers by adopting anti-Hindu policies. In an X post, he said, “The government will charge 10% income tax to temples earning more than 1 crore. The money offered by the devotees to the deity should be used for the convenience of the temple and devotees. If it is allocated for any other purpose, it will be violence and fraud against the people.”

Yeddyurappa wondered why the Karnataka government was targeting only Hindu temples and not other religions. The government had claimed that the funds collected would be used for “Dharmik Parishad” purposes, improving the economic condition of priests, improving C-grade temples or temples which are in very bad condition, and giving quality education to the children of temple priests.

While the current regulations permit the government to reintroduce the bill in the assembly, sources within the Congress indicated that the legislation might be postponed until after the Lok Sabha polls. It is likely to be revisited during the monsoon session scheduled for June.

Bhurekhan, accused of forcibly converting Hindu woman to Islam and threatening to make her video viral, gets bail from Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Bhurekhan, accused of forcibly converting Hindu woman to Islam and threatening to make her video viral, gets bail from Supreme Court

On Friday (23rd February), the Supreme Court granted bail to Bhurekhan of Gujarat in a case against him for forcibly converting a Hindu woman belonging to the SC/ST community to Islam. The Supreme Court granted him bail after the Gujarat High Court had denied it, having noted the prima facie involvement of the accused and presence of sufficient evidence against him. The bail of the accused Bhurekhan was denied twice earlier.

The Supreme Court bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujall Bhuyan observed that there are multiple FIRs filed against the accused in this case. The court also underlined that in the third FIR, the complainant woman claiming to be the wife of the accused has complained against Bhurekhan’s family members as well.

The Supreme Court bench said in its order, “The First Information Report (FIR) is registered based on a complaint filed by the first informant who is claiming to be the wife of the appellant. There are three successive FIRs registered against the appellant. In the present FIR, his entire family has been implicated.”

The court added, “Considering the facts of the case, the appellant deserves to be enlarged on bail. For that purpose, the appellant shall be produced before the Trial Court within one week from today. The Trial Court shall enlarge the appellant on bail on appropriate terms and conditions.”

This decision came in response to the impugned order by the Gujarat High Court on 13th September 2023, ruling that the accused shall not be granted bail. This verdict was pronounced by Justice Hasmukh D Suthar. According to the Gujarat High Court, the probe in this case had revealed ‘sufficient evidence’ against Bhurekhan to deny him bail. The High Court also noted that there was prima facie apparent involvement of the accused in the alleged crime and freeing him on bail may result in the accused tampering with the evidence.

The Gujarat High Court said, “It is needless to say that after filing the complaint, during the investigation, sufficient material is collected against the present accused and strengthened circumstance is against the present accused and prima facie, it appears that involvement of accused and role attributed to the present applicant in the offence.”

The High Court further said, “This Court is of the considered opinion that if the present accused is enlarged on bail, which is nothing but the possibility can be ruled out that accused will misuse his liberty and tamper with witnesses of evidence of the prosecution and the appellant is having criminal antecedents and two offence are also registered against him.”

An offence in this case was first registered in 2023 at the Gomtipur police station in Ahmedabad under sections 354, 323, 294(b), 506(2), 143, 147 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and sections 3(2)(VA) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. A special court bench of Ahmedabad had also denied bail to the accused Bhurekhan in this case.

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