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Uttar Pradesh: Air India staff member shot dead in car while returning from gym, gang war angle suspected

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Air India staff member shot dead in car while returning from gym, gang war angle suspected

Air India crew member Suraj Mann a 32-year-old was shot dead by three bike-borne men in broad daylight in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida on 19th January in a busy marketplace in sector 104. Two individuals identified as Dheeraj Mann and Mannu were arrested by the Noida Police on 20th January in connection with the case. The victim had been shot five times by the assailants.

He was the brother of mobster Parvesh Mann alias Sagar who is incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar jail for murder and robbery. The latter was booked under the Gangster Act and has ties with the Neeraj Bawana gang. Authorities are looking into the possibility that Suraj Mann may have become the victim of the fallout of a gang rivalry involving his sibling.

Suraj Mann, according to the police went to the Anytime Fitness Club every afternoon. Harsh Chander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Noida stated, “Around 2.30 pm, we got information that a man had been shot dead in the Sector 104 market. A team was sent from the Sector 39 police station. The man, who was oozing blood from his wounds, was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.”

An eye-witness named Mustafa who was metres away revealed, “He sat in his car for a couple of minutes and started eating a banana. All of a sudden, three men on a bike screeched to a halt near his car. One of them fired in the air to scare away people, the two others shot the man dead through the windshield. I don’t know exactly, but it must have been some 10 rounds that were fired.” 

The sound of bullets hitting their target caught the attention of another witness, who wished to remain anonymous and unveiled, “The attackers would have been in their twenties. As one of them fired in the air, people started to run here and there. Almost 30 minutes after the miscreants had left, a police team arrived.”

The dead body was sent for post-mortem. Four teams have been formed, per the police to search CCTV footage and locate the offenders. Furthermore, a murder complaint has been filed with the Sector 39 police station. An officer proclaimed, “He has also been booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the past. Sagar is accused of murder, robbery and other heinous crimes. The attack on Suraj could be an act of revenge. We are scanning CCTV footage and questioning people in the gym.”

Sources from the police department claimed that Parvesh Mann and his gang members killed two brothers from their Delhi village. Family members of Suraj Mann stated that the brothers’ family may have planned the murder. According to the sources, Parvesh Mann’s accomplices engaged in multiple altercations with Jitendra Gogi gang members. Fighting between the two gangs has claimed the lives of some members while others are imprisoned.

Parvesh Mann and a man by the name of Kapil Kallu had been involved in a gang struggle for many years. The latter is a member of the Gogi gang and is presently in prison. Parvesh Mann is charged with the murder of Kapil Kallu’s father while he was accused of killing the former’s cousin earlier. According to sources, Kapil Kallu was motivated to exact revenge for the death of his father and there are growing claims that he sent the gunmen who shot Suraj Mann.

Suraj Mann moved to Noida from Delhi because he believed it was safer there than in the nation’s capital. He was originally from Wazidpur and resided at Lotus Panache in Sector 100 with his spouse and 4-year-old kid.

Union Government to fence India-Myanmar border, free movement regime between two countries to come to an end: Amit Shah

OpIndia Staff
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Union Government to fence India-Myanmar border, free movement regime between two countries to come to an end: Amit Shah

On Saturday (20th January), Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the central government will soon erect a fence on the India-Myanmar border. Amit Shah made this remark while speaking at the passing out parade of Assam Police commandos in Guwahati. The fence decision comes after the barricading of the border along with Bangladesh to restrict free movement into the country. The Free Movement Regime (FMR), permitting individuals living in proximity to the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa, is set to conclude soon with this decision. Amit Shah also addressed the 60th Raising Day ceremony of the Sashastra Seema Bal.

Amit Shah said, “India’s border with Myanmar will soon be protected like the border with Bangladesh. I want to tell my friends in Assam that the Narendra Modi government has decided to fence India’s open border with Myanmar just like we have fenced the country’s border with Bangladesh. The government is also reconsidering India’s Free Movement Regime (FMG) agreement with Myanmar and will soon end the free movement into India.”

Amit Shah added, “Rahul Gandhi has launched Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra recently, I asked a few media personnel here today, what happened in Assam. During Congress rule, thousands of youths lost their lives, and extremism prevailed in Assam. The family members of those people who lost lives during Congress rule objected to Congress Yatra and demanded justice.”

India and Myanmar share a border that spans 1,643 kilometres, traversing states such as Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. Presently, all these states benefit from the Free Movement Regime (FMR), initiated in 2018 under India’s Act East policy. Amit Shah’s comments come a month following India’s communication of security apprehensions to Myanmar, particularly addressing challenges along the border, including the issue of Myanmarese refugees entering the country.

US: Man kills neighbour by stabbing a ‘military-style knife’ in his chest for complaining about loud snoring, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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US: Man kills neighbour by stabbing a ‘military-style knife’ in his chest for complaining about loud snoring, arrested

In a shocking incident in US’s Pennsylvania, a loud-snoring man allegedly murdered his neighbour with whom he had a long-running conflict over the midnight noise of snoring, which the victim claimed he could hear through the walls connecting their homes.

According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, Christopher James Casey, 55, was arrested on 18th January after fatally stabbing 62-year-old Robert Wallace on the 15th January (Sunday) evening during an argument over snoring.

Robert Wallace arrived at Casey’s house in Hatboro, about 20 miles north of Philadelphia on Sunday, as Casey was having dinner. He arrived at Casey’s place to complain the loud snoring that he could hear in his house. He pulled out a screen and unlocked a window on Casey’s porch before the two started screaming at each other over loud snoring by Casey.

The altercation turned heated, and Casey stabbed Wallace in the chest multiple times with a huge, military-style knife, according to authorities. Wallace, who was found lying on the ground 50 feet from his residence, was brought to Abington Hospital and pronounced dead. Meanwhile, the accused Casey was also taken to the same hospital for treatment of a self-inflicted stab injury in his right thigh.

The accused told investigators at the hospital that Wallace was not threatening him when he stabbed him in the doorway, but that the two had been having “personal issues” over the preceding 18 months, leading to multiple police calls over Wallace’s snoring complaints.

According to the affidavit, after about 20 minutes of conversing through the window, Wallace seemed to cool down and wanted to shake hands, offering to help pay for nasal surgery to ease Casey’s snoring. The accused, however, did not believe in victim Wallace’s intention to sort things out and unlocked his home door, concealing a knife and stun pistol beneath a blanket.

According to police, he called 911 and informed police that Wallace “broke my window. I attacked a neighbour. He came to attack me.” Police said they found blood both inside and outside the house, with the window screen scattered across the lawn with the window wide open.

Wallace’s autopsy report determined that the cause of death was multiple stab wounds and the manner of death was a homicide.

Police charged Casey with third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and possession of criminal instruments. The accused was in jail on Friday, with bail set at $1 million. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for 29th January. 

As Bal Hanuman arrives in a rath from Kashkinda to participate in Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha, read about Ayodhya’s 10-century Hanuman Garhi Mandir

Jhankar Mohta
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As Bal Hanuman arrives in a rath from Kashkinda to participate in Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha, read about Ayodhya’s 10-century Hanuman Garhi Mandir

A grand Hanumath rath (chariot) from Kishkindha, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, which is present day’s Hampi in Karnataka, has arrived in Ayodhya ahead of the Ram temple’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22. The chariot travelled to Janakpur, the birthplace of Goddess Sita in modern-day Nepal, and visited temples all around the nation before reaching Ayodhya.

A group of 100 enthusiastic devotees journeyed with the chariot, chanting “Jai Shree Ram” slogans and waiving saffron flags featuring pictures of Bhagwan Ram.

The touring Ayodhya, the chariot has been placed on the banks of the Sarayu River, drawing the attention of pilgrims and tourists alike.

The colossal rath has golden-coloured embellishments that resemble a temple. On one side of the chariot are pictures of various places it visited before reaching Ayodhya.

Hanumath Rath (Image source: Aaj Tak)

“The chariot has been prepared for Rs 40 lakh. It has statues of Lord Ram, Lakshman, Goddess Sita, Lord Hanuman, Lord Virupaksha of Hampi, and Anjani, the mother of Lord Hanuman. The yatra began three years ago. Wherever we go, we perform all temple rituals and locals come to attend the prayers,” Abhishek Krishnashastri from Sri Hanuman Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust said.

“Devotees from Kishkindha visit Ayodhya every year for Dev Deepawali but the chariot has come here first time, he added.

“When thousands of people are heading to Ayodhya for the big day of the arrival of Lord Ram, how can Lord Hanuman not be there?” said Abhishek Krishnashastri adding, “We have come here from Kishkindha to offer our seva (service) to Lord Ram. The chariot has a statue of Lord Ram hugging Hanuman, who is considered to be His biggest devotee.”

According to the Hindu Sastras, Lord Hanuman is the biggest devotee of Lord Ram. HE devoted his entire life to serving Lord Ram and Mata Sita. Folklores have it that once when Mata Sita told Hanuman that she applied Sindoor (vermillion) for the long life of Lord Rama, Hanuman smeared Himself in Sindoor with the hope that this would extend Lord Rama’s life even further. Such was His devotion to Lord Rama. Many use a saffron colour vermillion during Hanuman Puja.

Lately, everyone has been talking about the Bhavya Ram Mandir, which will soon be open for darshan for all Ram devotees. However, today we will discuss the Hanuman Garhi Mandir, a 10th-century temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, that is devoted to Lord Hanuman, the biggest devotee of Bhagwan Ram.

Located on the right bank of the Saryu River in Ayodhya, Hanuman Garhi is the oldest temple in the city. For years when Ramlalla was in a tent, the Hanuman Garhi Mandir became witnesses to the devotee’s resilience.

Hanuman ji of Hanuman Garhi Mandir is believed to be the ‘kotwal’ of Ayodhya. It is said that Lord Hanuman has been protecting Ayodhya from the day he was given residence at Hanuman Garhi. It’s a custom and belief in Ayodhya that devotees should first visit the Hanuman Garhi temple and venerate Lord Hanuman before visiting the Ram Mandir. Hanuman ji’s “permission” to visit the Ram Janmabhoomi is in and of itself prasad for the devotee. The pedas are only a transient manifestation of that prasad.

On 5 August 2020, when Prime Minister Modi reached Ayodhya for the Bhoomi Pujan of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, he had visited the Hanuman Garhi Mandir first, upholding the tradition of seeking the blessings of the ‘Kotwal’ of Ayodhya.

Legend has it that after Lord Rama and Mata Sita, along with Lord Hanuman, defeated Ravana and returned to Lord Rama’s birthplace of Ayodhya, Lord Hanuman settled in a cave there to guard the place. Although the story of the Hanuman Grahi temple is very long, there are beliefs that when Lord Ram started going to his abode he handed over the charge of the place to Lord Hanuman. Since then Lord Hanuman has been guarding Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram.

According to the Skanda Purana, Hindu King Vikramaditya built the Hanuman Garhi Mandir along with 360 other Hindu temples in the 10th century.

Hanuman Grahi Mandir has a similar history like the Ram Mandir which dates back to 492 years

Meanwhile, Aurangzeb, the Mughal tyrant, who also gave the order to demolish several temples in Varanasi and Mathura like the Kashi Vishwanath Temple to name a few, demolished the Hanuman Garhi and erected a mosque there. Subsequently, The Bairag conquered the region by vanquishing Nawab Shujauddula, the Awadh King. A new temple for Lord Hanuman was constructed after the mosque was demolished. Some old texts also read that the enormous Hanuman Garhi Mandir was completed some 300 years ago with the help of Saint Abhayaramdas. Nirvani Akhara’s student, Sant Abhayaramdas, was a devotee of Lord Hanuman.

A few Muslims believed that Hanuman Garhi was constructed on top of a mosque. As a result, they made numerous attempts to break the temple but remained unsuccessful.

It is important to note that several temples in India were demolished by the Mughals to establish their rule over the country and build Mosques instead. The Ram Mandir also has a similar history which dates back to 492 years. The temple believed to have been demolished by the Mughal tyrant Babar in 1528, has been at the centre of a historical and spiritual quest for centuries. This quest, deeply embedded in the hearts of millions, has seen countless devotees laying down their lives for the cause. Today the temple is being built and every Hindu devotee is looking forward to the ceremony of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha scheduled on 22nd January in Ayodhya.

The architecture of Hanuman Garhi Mandir in Ayodhya

The temple is constructed like a four-sided fort, with a circular rampart at each corner that houses Lord Hanuman’s temple. It takes 76 steps for a devotee to reach Lord Hanuman. The three doors of the main garbha girha are ornate with silver embellishments. You can view a 6-inch statue of Lord Hanuman at the main temple, perched on Mata Anjani’s lap in the Bal (child) avatar. The Deity is adorned with a silver tulsi garland that bears the name of Lord Rama. The mandir’s walls are decorated with images of Hanuman Chalisa.

According to Shri Gauri Shankar Das Ji, there is a victory pillar also known as Vijay Stambh which was bought by Lord Hanuman from Lanka and set up here to commemorate Lord Rama’s triumph over Ravana.

Hanuman Garhi Darshan Timings:

The darshan timing in the Hanuman Garhi Mandir varies from season to season. In the summer season, the darshan timings are from 07:30 am to 11:30 am and 04:30 pm to 09:30 pm. Whereas in winter the darshan timings are 09:00 am to 11:00 am and 04:00 pm to 09:00 pm.

Karnataka: St. Joseph school in Chikkamagaluru warns students with Rs 1,000 fine for absence on January 22, faces backlash from Hindu groups

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: St. Joseph school in Chikkamagaluru warns students with Rs 1,000 fine for absence on January 22, faces backlash from Hindu groups

The inauguration of the Ram Mandir is set to take place on January 22, and reportedly, students from a school in Chikkamagaluru have been warned of a Rs. 1,000 fine should they decide to skip school on that day, reports published in local media said.

As per reports, St Joseph school in Chikkamagaluru has reportedly threatened with a penalty of Rs 1,000 should they take a leave on Monday, January 22, the day when Pran Pratishtha ceremony is slated to take place in Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad have objected to the school’s actions. Amidst the government’s directive for temple worship under the Mujarai department on the day of the Ram temple’s re-consecration in Ayodhya, there is confusion regarding whether schools should observe a holiday on January 22. The alleged coercion of students by private schools has intensified the debate, prompting Hindu advocacy groups to express their dissatisfaction with forcing students to attend the schools.

Parents are advised to allow their children to witness the live broadcast of the Ram Mandir inauguration from home if they choose to take a leave on January 22. The organisations have warned that action will be taken against schools penalising students for this choice.

ASP Krishnamurthy, overseeing the area, visited and held discussions with pro-Hindu organization workers, expressing his intention to communicate with the school board. The In-charge District Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), Prakash, also visited the school, talking with the school management board.

On January 22, elaborate Pran Prantishtha rituals are organised at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, where an idol of Ram Lalla will be consecrated almost 500 years after the temple was usurped and destroyed by Mughal forces to build a mosque over it. PM Modi and several other dignitaries from various fields will be attending the ceremony that marks the installation of the deity at the temple widely regarded as the birthplace of Lord Ram, the scion of the Ikshavaku dynasty.

USA: Man attacks stepdaughter’s killer in court while listening to wife’s emotional testimony

OpIndia Staff
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USA: Man attacks stepdaughter’s killer in court while listening to wife’s emotional testimony

On Wednesday (17th January), during the sentencing hearing in California, a man lashed out at the killer of his stepdaughter. The sorrowful man landed at least one punch before court bailiffs intervened, separating him from the killer of his stepdaughter. Accused Euren Balbuena, aged 33, received a sentence of 33 years to life in prison for the 2020 murder of his 31-year-old girlfriend, Zaira Patino-Trejo. On Thursday, the verdict was announced by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.

The assailant, in Simi Valley, USA, fatally stabbed Patino-Trejo in the presence of her mother, Ariadna Avetisyan, who also suffered a head laceration. During an emotional victim impact statement, where Avetisyan was expressing how Patino-Trejo’s loss had profoundly impacted their family, her husband lunged at Balbuena in the courtroom.

The stepfather was escorted out of the courtroom after the altercation with the accused killer. Impact statements resumed about an hour later. County sheriff’s officials had not filed a case related to the incident.

In November 2023, Balbuena was found guilty of first-degree murder in the Patino-Trejo murder case. He also caused great bodily injury to her mother as he assaulted her with a deadly weapon. The fatal altercation unfolded in February 2020 when Avetisyan arrived at the Simi Valley apartment after being unable to contact her daughter. Confronted with evidence of physical abuse on Patino-Trejo’s face and aware of Balbuena’s previous history of domestic violence, the mother urgently sought to leave with her daughter.

Impeding their escape, the assailant obstructed their path and slashed Avetisyan twice across the face before turning to attack her daughter. Patino-Trejo endured over 30 stab wounds, with prosecutors contending that the actual count was closer to 95. After witnessing her daughter’s tragic demise, Avetisyan fled the scene while heavily bleeding and promptly called 911.

Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Suttner said in a statement, “Zaira Patino-Trejo was such a vibrant young woman with a bright future. We cannot replace her unimaginable loss, but we pursued justice for Zaira and her family. We hope that this sentence brings some small relief to her family, knowing that Euren Balbuena was held accountable for her brutal murder.”

Rashmika Mandanna deepfake video case: Main conspirator arrested from Andhra Pradesh

OpIndia Staff
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Rashmika Mandanna deepfake video case: Main conspirator arrested from Andhra Pradesh

On Saturday, 20th January, the Delhi Police arrested the main accused in the case involving actor Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake video from Andhra Pradesh. DCP Hemant Tiwari, Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit from Delhi Police has confirmed the arrest of the main accused.

Earlier in the day, ANI reported that four suspects in the case have been tracked down and the hunt was on to nab the main conspirator. However, the four suspects initially arrested turned out to be uploaders, not creators, the police said, adding that they were looking for the key conspirator in the case. Out of the four suspects, three had been tracked based on the details provided by Meta, the company that owns and operates social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Now the main conspirator has also been arrested.

On November 6 last year, a modified video of actor Rashmika Mandanna appeared online sparking discussions on digital safety. In the viral video, it can be seen that a woman resembling the actress Rashmika was entering a lift wearing a black swimsuit. The video quickly went viral and several social media users came forward to confirm that it was a deep fake. It was later identified that the video was of a British Actress Zara Patel.

The actor had strongly reacted to the deep fake video and said, “I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deep fake video of me being spread online. Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.”

The Delhi Police registered the FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 465 (punishment for forgery) and 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) and sections 66C and 66E of the Information Technology Act at the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell and an investigation has been carried out into the matter. It was reported earlier that the probe in the matter has reached a dead end as the accused had removed and deleted his or her account from the social media platforms. However, the police have arrested the main accused in the case on Saturday.

Highlighting the danger of deepfakes, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on November 18 during an interaction with the media, “Deepfake is a big issue for all of us. We recently issued notices to all the big social media forms, asking them to take steps to identify deepfakes, to remove those content. The social media platforms have responded. They are taking action. We have told them to be more aggressive in this work.”

Recently, a gaming application morphed a video of Sachin Tendulkar and began a fraudulent promotional campaign. After Sachin Tendulkar took to X and clarified that the video showing him encouraging his fans to play games on that app was bogus, the Mumbai Cyber Police filed an FIR against it.

Notably, Deep fakes, a blend of “deep learning” and “fake,” represent a concerning and rapidly evolving aspect of artificial intelligence manipulation. These sophisticated forgeries use digital software, machine learning, and face-swapping technologies to generate artificial videos that look strikingly similar to original videos of a person or an event. These videos can depict events, statements or actions that have never happened.

2021 BJP leader murder: Kerala court convicts 8 SDPI members in Ranjith Sreenivasan’s murder, 7 others charged for conspiracy

OpIndia Staff
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2021 BJP leader murder: Kerala court convicts 8 SDPI members in Ranjith Sreenivasan’s murder, 7 others charged for conspiracy

Two years after the murder of BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan, an Additional Sessions Court in Kerala convicted 15 members of the radical Islamist outfit Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) guilty in connection to the case.

The verdict was delivered on Saturday (20th January). The court found 8 members of SDPI, the political wing of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), guilty of murder while 7 others were convicted for other offences including conspiracy.

Eight of the accused men who were found guilty of murder include Nizam, Muhammad Aslam, Salam Ponnad, Abdul Salam, Safaruddin, Ajmal, Anoop, and Manshad. The quantum of punishment will be declared on Monday (22nd January).

The Background of the Case

On 19th December, BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan was murdered at his residence by SDPI workers. The incident took place in the Alappuzha district of Kerala.

The perpetrators broke into his house in the wee hours of the morning and hacked him to death. Ranjith Sreenivasan He was a member of BJP Kerala committee and OBC Morcha (State) Secretary.

He had contested as a BJP candidate from the Alappuzha constituency in 2016. The BJP leader was an advocate by occupation.

Following the incident, Section 144 (prohibit the gathering of four or more people in an area) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was imposed in the Alappuzha district to prevent any untoward incident.

The 2021 murder occurred hours after a state-level SDPI leader K S Shan was killed in the same district.

It was a khula: Sania Mirza’s father Imran Mirza indicates she has divorced Shoaib Malik, who has married Pakistani actress Sana Javed

OpIndia Staff
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It was a khula: Sania Mirza’s father Imran Mirza indicates she has divorced Shoaib Malik, who has married Pakistani actress Sana Javed

Following former captain of Pakistan Shoaib Malik on 20th January announced that he had married Pakistani actor Sana Javed in Karachi, his current wife Sania Mirza’s father announced that she has already divorced Malik. “It was a khula,” Sania Mirza’s father Imran Mirza said after Shoaib Malik’s marriage with Sana Javed was announced by Malik.

Khul, also called khula, is a procedure based on traditional jurisprudence, that allows a Muslim woman to unilaterally divorce her husband by applying to the Shariah Council. A married Muslim woman can initiate a divorce under Khula procedure by returning the mahr (obligation in the form of money, possessions or teaching of verses from the Quran by the groom, to the bride at the time of Islamic marriage) and everything she received from him during their life together, or without returning anything, as agreed by the spouses or judge’s decree, depending on the circumstances.

Sania Mirza’s father Imran Mirza has now confirmed Sania Mirza has divorced Shoaib Malik using this Khula procedure under Sharia.

The cricket player, who had a son named Izhaan Mirza Malik with Sania Mirza, shared a photo of himself and his new spouse on social media with the caption “And we created you in pairs.” He also updated his Instagram and removed, “Husband to a Superwoman Sania Mirza” which was written in his bio as well as unfollowed the Indian star a few days back.

The tennis player also posted a cryptic message on her social media which read, “Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard. Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard. Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard. Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard. Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely.”

Source: Sania Mirza’s Instagram Account

Reports stated that there had been much conjecture over how long Shoaib Malik has been dating Sana Javed since the Pakistani cricketer wished the actress a happy birthday last year. He wrote, “Happy Birthday Buddy,” while sharing a photo of them together on his Instagram account.

Notably, he married famous Indian tennis player Sania Mirza in a customary Muslim ceremony in Hyderabad, India in 2010. It was succeeded in Pakistan’s Sialkot by a Walima (reception) function. The couple had moved to Dubai after they tied the knot.

Both Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza have kept quiet about their married lives, despite years of reports about their breakup. However, the rumours of their breakup had subsided as the two celebrated their son’s birthday in Dubai last year. They reportedly co-parent the kid who lives with his mother.

Shoaib Malik’s first wife was  Ayesha Siddiqui, whom he had divorced in 2010 ahead of marrying Mirza, who became his second wife. Now, Sana has become his third wife. While he can have four wives at the same time as per Islamic Sharia rules, he married each time following divorce with the existing wife.

Sana Javed had appeared in Pakistani cinema and acted in a number of well-known drama serials. She married singer Umair Jaiswal in 2020 in a low-key ceremony during the height of the coronavirus outbreak. However, news about their divorce broke out two months prior.

Sania Mirza declared her retirement last year after a 20-year-long successful career during which she won forty-three Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) doubles titles and one singles trophy. 

ED questions Hemant Soren in a land scam case: Read about the scam and why the Jharkhand CM is under the scanner

OpIndia Staff
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ED questions Hemant Soren in a land scam case: Read about the scam and why the Jharkhand CM is under the scanner

The Enforcement Directorate sleuths began questioning Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the alleged land scam case at his official residence in Ranchi on Saturday (20th January). Notably, while responding to the agency’s eighth summon in the case, he had asked the agency to quiz him at his residence. 

The ED officials are probing an alleged money laundering that is related to a land scam case under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). 

The developments in the alleged land scam case

According to the Enforcement Directorate, the investigation pertains to a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand. 

The ED officials are investigating the illegal purchase and sale of 4.55 acres of land under military control in Ranchi. 

According to an official statement, the ED had opened a probe into three cases of land fraud based on numerous First Information Reports filed by the Jharkhand Police and the West Bengal Police against Pradip Bagchi, Bishnu Kumar Agarwal, Bhanu Pratap Prasad as well as others under various Indian Penal Code sections.

It is alleged that a massive mafia racket transferred land ownership illegally in Jharkhand. The government notification stated that “these criminal elements used to forge the legacy records in Ranchi and Kolkata.” Additionally, it was discovered that dishonest government employees had fabricated land ownership records to curry favour with the aforementioned land mafia.

Around 14 individuals have been arrested in this case so far including Bhanu Pratap Prasad, the Revenue Deputy Inspector of Badgai region in Ranchi. 

During a raid on Prasad’s residence, the ED seized a substantial amount of government documents along with several suspicious documents retrieved from his mobile phone. The ED is conducting inquiries and verifying the authenticity of the documents and related information through questioning with the Chief Minister. The agency has conducted more than 40 searches and over 5 surveys concerning the case. 

Meanwhile, on 1st September 2023, the ED officials had attached three plots worth over Rs 161.64 crore in Ranchi in this case. It is alleged that these land parcels were fraudulently altered to the advantage of land mafias with the help of Land Revenue Department personnel. It was the second attachment in the case taking the total value of the assets that have been attached to a staggering Rs 236 crore.

In September, the ED also filed a second chargesheet in the case. The first prosecution complaint had previously been lodged on 12th June 2023.

Notably, 14 accused arrested in the case include Pradip Bagchi, Afshar Ali, Saddam Hussain, Imtiaz Ahmed, Talha Khan, Faiyaaz Khan, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan (Ex DC Ranchi), Dilip Kumar Ghosh, Amit Kumar Agarwal, Bishnu Kumar Agarwal, Rajesh Rai, Bharat Prasad, and Prem Prakash. 

As per an earlier report, the Chief Minister’s name was mentioned in the statements of businessman Vishnu Agarwal and Revenue Sub-Inspector of Bargain Circle Bhanu Pratap Prasad. The CM would be questioned in connection with the land in Bariatu. Currently, businessman Vishnu Agarwal is in ED custody in connection with the land scam case under the charges of money laundering. 

During the interrogation, Vishnu Aggarwal, the director of Nucleus Mall, reportedly revealed the name of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Other legal cases against Jharkhand CM

In November 2022, the ED officials questioned him for nearly nine and a half hours in connection with an alleged illegal mining case. Before his grilling by the agency, ED had arrested two of his close aides in connection with the case. Back then, ED claimed that it had “identified” proceeds of crime relating to illegal stone mining in the state to the tune of Rs 1,000 crores.

It is alleged that while he was overseeing the portfolio of the Mining Minister, he allocated a mining lease contract to himself. During a hearing in the Jharkhand High Court, the state government’s counsel, Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan, termed it a “mistake” and told the court that it had been “surrendered”.

He had earlier declined Seven summons to appear before the ED officials

Since August last year, the ED has issued eight summons to Jharkhand CM in this case. It is important to note that Soren had approached both the Supreme Court and the Jharkhand High Court seeking relief in this case. He filed a petition before both courts, seeking protection from the ED action claiming that the summonses were “unwarranted”. However, both courts dismissed his petitions.

Delhi Chief Minister following the same footsteps

The Aam Aadmi Party Supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has declined to join the ED investigation and has already turned down three summons, claiming that he is being victimised by the Centre through misuse of ED as he has done nothing wrong in the liquor scam case. Now there are reports that he may skip the fourth summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday (18th January) as he is scheduled to leave for Goa for a three-day visit. 

ED had issued a summons to Kejriwal on 13th January, asking him to appear before it in connection with its probe into the money laundering allegations related to the Delhi excise policy case. On previous occasions, he had cited a busy schedule in Election campaigning and a pre-scheduled ten-day annual Vipassana session while also claiming that the ED summons are illegal and witch-hunt.

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