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‘Forcibly kissed, took off clothes and made videos’: 1000s of IIT-BHU students protest after unknown miscreants molest student inside the campus

OpIndia Staff
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‘Forcibly kissed, took off clothes and made videos’: 1000s of IIT-BHU students protest after unknown miscreants molest student inside the campus

On Thursday, November 2, thousands of students belonging to the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi gathered outside the University to stage a protest against an incident of molestation that happened on campus grounds late on Wednesday (November 1) night.

According to reports, the incident came to the fore after the victim alleged that she was molested on campus by three unidentified men, who forcibly kissed her, took off her clothes and then recorded a video of her. She also alleged that the miscreants had brutally beaten up her friend before sexually molesting her. They snatched her mobile phone and threatened to kill her if she spoke about her ordeal with anyone or approached the police. The alleged incident took place late Wednesday (November 1) night.

Concerned about the safety of IIT BHU students, as many as 2000 students have been sitting on a dharna outside the Rajputana Hostel seeking speedy action against the perpetrators. They are also demanding that the administration take concrete steps to ensure the safety of the female students within the campus.

In her complaint to the police, the student said, “I am a resident of a hostel at IIT-BHU. On November 2 around 1.30 am, I left my hostel for a walk. I met a male friend at the Gandhi Smriti hostel intersection. We were walking together and when we were 300-400 metres from Karman Baba temple, a motorcycle approached us from behind with three men.”

“They parked their motorcycle and separated my friend and me. They shut my mouth tightly and took me to a corner, kissed me forcibly; took off all my clothes and recorded photos and videos. When I shouted for help, they threatened to kill me. They let me go after 10-15 minutes. When I ran towards my hostel, I heard the sound of the motorcycle. I got scared and went inside the professor’s house. I stayed there for 20 minutes. After that, the professor escorted me to the main gate of his house. From there, Rahul Rathore of the Parliament Security Committee dropped me to the IIT BHU patrolling guard booth,” the victim wrote in her complaint. 

The Lanka police, meanwhile, lodged a complaint against three unknown miscreants, who are said to be outsiders under, sections 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. the police are making all possible efforts to identify and nab the accused.

A senior police officer said, “Multiple teams are working on the case and we will arrest the accused soon.”

After this incident, many police officers including SO of Lanka police station are stationed at the protest site. Bhelupur ACP Praveen Singh said that talks are being held with students on this matter. Police will take further action based on their complaint.

IIT-BHU students criticise management, raise concerns over the lapse of security in the campus

Meanwhile, the students who have been sitting on a dharna have raised grave concerns about the safety of the campus, wondering how such an incident could occur 50 meters away from the Proctorial Board booth, where security personnel are stationed. Recalling a similar incident that took place inside the campus in 2017, the students alleged that the incident was far more heinous than the previous one. They criticised the administration’s apathy in handling such cases, saying that the CCTV cameras in the entire campus are spoilt for the longest time but the varsity has not even bothered to get that fixed. 

Deepak Kumar Thakur, one of the students who has been sitting on the dharna, stated, “This incident is much more serious than what occurred in 2017. Whatever information we have received indicates that the student was physically assaulted, and exposed to extremely obscene behaviour. A video of the incident was recorded as well. The entire campus has been placed under a complete shutdown due to the widespread outrage among students over this incident. No work of any kind is being done in any labs, and no classes are being held in any department.

Meanwhile, OpIndia spoke to the Lanka police about the alleged incident, An officer, who did not wish to be named, confirmed that an FIR had been lodged by the victim and the police are investigating the matter. He stated that prima facie it appears that the accused were outsiders. The students are staging a peaceful protest and demanding to speak to the VC of the university, They want the security on the campus to be enhanced. They are raising concerns about how some random outsiders could enter the campus.

Media reports suggest that in the FIR, the student has also revealed the identity of the accused. However, when OpIndia confirmed this with the concerned officer, he categorically said that the FIR had been filed against three unknown miscreants.

It may be recalled that a similar chaos happened in 2017, when hundreds of BHU students, mostly girls, had protested demanding assurance from the administration about their safety inside the university premises and action against alleged molesters and the security guard who refused to help a student, who was molested.

They are not paying attention to I.N.D.I. Alliance, busy with state polls: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar criticises Congress party at CPI rally

OpIndia Staff
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They are not paying attention to I.N.D.I. Alliance, busy with state polls: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar criticises Congress party at CPI rally

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched an attack on Congress in the CPI (Communist Party of India) rally at Patna’s Miller High School on 2 November. According to him I.N.D.I. Alliance was formed in the opposition meeting held in Patna, however, the opposition bloc is not doing any work these days. The Congress party is preoccupied with the upcoming assembly polls that are scheduled to be held in five states and is not paying attention to it.

He charged that while they (other opposition parties) were making efforts to take Congress forward, the party was not worried about the same at the moment. He voiced, “We have been speaking to them, pushing them forward in I.N.D.I. Alliance. But, of late, there has not been much progress on that front. The Congress seems to be more interested in the five assembly polls,” in the rally titled ‘Remove BJP, Save India.’ “We are engaged to unite the country, he added.”

The Bihar CM said, “We agreed to assign Congress the leading role. But it appears they will call the next meeting only after they are through with the state elections.” As the Janta Dal (United) leader raised questions about the Congress party, he portrayed himself as someone who took everyone along. He said, “We unite everyone. We take everyone together. We are socialists. Our relationship with CPI is also old. Communists and Socialists have to move forward as one.”

Nitish Kumar added, “The ties between us go way back since the time when we participated in the MLA election in 1987 and received support from all the members of CPI and CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) in our area. I will continue to respect you. The primary goal is to bring everyone together and adhere to a particular policy. It is more important for the future.”

Nitish Kumar also criticised the Modi government at the centre and opined that those in power have nothing to do with the country. He accused the Bharatiya Janta Party of wanting to change the history of India and alleged that they had no contribution to the freedom struggle. “They want to destroy everything. We discussed this with all the parties and came to the decision to unite to save the country, which they want to alter.”

Most of the major opposition parties had gathered in Patna in June. Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) along with the left parties had gathered to discuss their strategy for the upcoming elections.

It is notable here that apart from the name of an alliance and a logo, the I.N.D.I. Alliance has neither released a seat-sharing formula, nor has announced any common strategy for the 2024 general elections. It is yet to agree on a PM candidate’s name too.

Delhi: Young filmmaker dies in a road accident, bystanders took videos and selfies as he was lying in blood, robbed while help arrived late

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Young filmmaker dies in a road accident, bystanders took videos and selfies as he was lying in blood, robbed while help arrived late

A 30-year-old young filmmaker identified as Piyush Pal lost his life on Tuesday (31st October) after having met with an accident in east Delhi on 28th October. Pal was lying on Delhi Street bleeding nearly for 30 minutes but no one came to his help. The bystanders, unfortunately, chose to photograph and videotape him instead of helping him as he lay on the ground fighting for his life. Pal was taken to the hospital around half an hour later but he could not be saved even after the treatment.

According to CCTV footage from a nearby petrol station, the victim collided with another bike and fell to the ground. He had suffered severe facial and head injuries. The incident happened at 9:45 pm on Saturday (28th October), on the Outer Ring Road, in the lane leading from the IIT crossing to Nehru Place in Delhi. Pal had lost a lot of blood, according to one of the few who stopped to help him, and people who were there said he had been lying there for at least 30 minutes on the road. 

Later, one Pankaj Jain saw Piyush Pal struggling for his life and rushed him to a nearby clinic. He was then referred to PSRI Multispeciality Hospital on Press Enclave Marg which is 4 km away from the clinic. The victim finally received medical attention at 11 p.m. His health by then had already experienced suffering as a result of the treatment delay.

According to a report by the Times of India, someone also called the Police Control Room by 10:11 p.m. that day. The Police reached the spot but saw the victim shifted to the hospital by then. The police also said that no eye-witnesses were spotted at the location of the accident and that the other person identified as Bunty, 26, with whom Pal’s vehicle collided had also been shifted to the AIIMS trauma centre.

Chandan Choudhury, DCP, South commented on the matter and said that the victim had collided with Bunty’s vehicle which led to the accident. However, Pal’s friend refused to accept this version. Pal worked as a freelance photographer in Gurugram while Bunty also belongs to Gurugram.

“Case has been registered based on Bunty’s statement and CCTV footage obtained from the spot. Sections of rash driving have been added against Bunty. On Tuesday we received the news of Pal’s unfortunate death,” DCP stated.

Pal’s friend Swarnendu Bose meanwhile revealed that Pal’s laptop, camera and phone were also taken away after the accident. “The worst part is that for a long time, no one stepped forward to take him to the hospital or help him. The people who finally took him to the hospital told us that bystanders were recording videos and taking selfies but no one was helping him,” said Bose.

“His mobile phone and laptop and GoPro camera were taken away. His parents were trying to reach him on his phone but the person who took it kept cutting the calls and later switched off the phone. Had someone taken those calls and told the family, things could have been different,” he added.

Pal, according to Bose, had purchased a new Hero X Pulse bike and was likely returning from a fitness centre in R K Puram when the accident occurred.

Dr. Sumit Goyal, the head of neuro intervention and senior consultant of neurosurgery at PSRI Hospital, confirmed the death of the victim and said, “The patient was brought to the hospital around 11 p.m. He was in a very critical condition with severe head and facial injuries. He was immediately put on ventilator support and medicines were started to stabilise his falling blood pressure. However, with such severe injuries, despite all efforts, he passed away.”

The dead body of the victim was handed over to his family after the autopsy. Pal’s family operates a shop at Chittaranjan Park in Delhi. The cremation procedure of the victim concluded on Wednesday (November 1st) evening.

I don’t get bullied by anybody: ‘Jilted-Ex’ Jai Anant Dehadrai says as Mahua Moitra faces Parliament Ethics Committee in ‘cash for query scam’

OpIndia Staff
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I don’t get bullied by anybody: ‘Jilted-Ex’ Jai Anant Dehadrai says as Mahua Moitra faces Parliament Ethics Committee in ‘cash for query scam’

On Thursday, November 2, as TMC MP Mahua Moitra appears before the Parliament Ethics Committee for questioning in the ‘cash for query scam’ where she has been accused of misusing her Parliamentary privilege for monetary benefits, her ‘jilted-ex’ and SC lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai has told the media that he is not afraid of anybody and cannot be bullied into hiding the truth. He asserted that he would come out with the truth at an appropriate time.

The SC lawyer went on to say, without taking names, that the citizens of the country are extremely intelligent and can recognize when someone is being dishonest. The citizens of this country can identify when someone is trying to change the narrative by attempting to play the victim, Jai Anant Dehadrai asserted.

Speaking to the media, Mahua Moitra’s ‘jilted-ex’ said, “I can’t comment about anybody else. It is a free country; anybody can say what they like. There are consequences to things that people say and at the appropriate time, I will certainly come out and explain what has happened. I will come out with the truth. I am not afraid of anybody; I don’t get bullied by anybody. If somebody is trying to alter the narrative by trying to play the victim, the whole country is watching. I think the public is very intelligent, they know what is happening” Advocate Jai Dehadrai said.

“The matter is very serious as it is before the honourable Ethics Committee. It would be very inappropriate for me to say anything about a sub-judice matter before the Court. I can say nothing about it. This matter is extremely serious and I think the appropriate authority which is meant to deal with this issue is working. They will determine the basis of whatever material is produced before them. So I have no comment to make. I think decorum demands that the process is conducted properly, ” he added.

It may be recalled that yesterday (Wednesday, November 1), advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, the ex-boyfriend of TMC MP Mahua Moitra who levelled serious allegations of bribery, and parliamentary misconduct against her, posted a cryptic message on X, saying that ‘the person’ has committed a crime far worse.

Without mentioning Mahua Moitra, or anyone else, Dehadrai wrote, “The person accused of corruption and compromising national security is guilty of something far worse – and no – I’m not talking about the theft of my dog.”

Earlier, on 21st October, it came to light that Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai had voiced concerns about his safety in a letter to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. In his letter, he expressed his apprehensions over his safety following the allegations he levelled against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra appeared before the Parliament Ethics Committee. In a video shared by ANI, the politician is seen walking into the Parliament donning a red saree and sunglasses. She carries a laptop bag, an expensive designer handbag and a tiffin bag in her hand as she enters the Parliament, where the questioning is underway.

It may be recalled that Moitra, who is a Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar, was originally summoned on 31st October. But she had sought to delay it by saying that she was in her constituency. On Saturday (28th October), the deputy secretary of the Lok Sabha directed TMC MP Mahua Moitra to appear before the Ethics Committee on 2nd November in connection with the investigation of the allegations of ‘cash-for-question- against her. The Lok Sabha secretariat wrote to her stating that her request for an extension of the date has been accepted.

Notably, Mahua Moitra is being questioned based on reports received by the Ethics Committee from three Union Ministries namely Home, Information Technology and External Affairs ministries, along with other documents and evidence. 

The panel had sought information from the three ministries after a meeting held on October 26.

The committee had inquired about several things, including whether her login IP addresses and her locations matched.

It may be recalled that the IT ministry had stated that it had sent a report to the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee confirming that the TMC leader’s parliamentary ID was accessed 49 times from Dubai.

It is notable here that businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who has admitted to getting access to Mahua Moitra’s Lok Sabha login ID and password, lives in Dubai.

Assam Cabinet approves reservation of seats for Bhutanese students in medical colleges ahead of Bhutan king’s visit

OpIndia Staff
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Assam Cabinet approves reservation of seats for Bhutanese students in medical colleges ahead of Bhutan king’s visit

The Assam Cabinet on Thursday approved the reservation of seats for Bhutanese nationals for the MBBS and BDS courses in the medical colleges of the state. The decision was taken during the weekly cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 1 November, in an effort to improve ties with the neighbouring country.

As per reports, a total of five seats will be reserved for Bhutanese nationals in medical and dental colleges in Assam. Among them, two MBBS seats will be reserved in Nalbari Medical College and one will be in Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Barpeta. The rest two will be reserved in BDS colleges.

Earlier on Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the Bhutan Ambassador to India, Major General Vetsop Namgyel.

It is notable that the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will visit Assam on 3rd November. Talking about the visit, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, “Bharat and Bhutan share a unique relationship which has strengthened with the passage of time. For centuries, knowledge and education have been central to this special bond. Tomorrow, we in Assam, eagerly look forward to welcome His Majesty, the King of Bhutan on his first official visit to our State. This visit will further deepen the friendship between the two countries.”

The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, accompanied by senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan, will arrive in India on an official 8-day visit from November 3-10. Queen Jetsun Pema and their two sons will be accompanying the king during the visit.

The Bhutan king will be in Assam from 3rd to 5th November, before moving to Delhi. During his trip, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is scheduled to visit the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati on November 3. After that, he will attend a cultural programme organised by the Assam government and a dinner hosted by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. The Bhutan king will visit the renowned Kaziranga National Park on November 4. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will host a dinner for the Bhutanese king in Kaziranga in the evening.

According to an official release from the Ministry of External Affairs, “The King of Bhutan will meet the Prime Minister of India during the visit. The External Affairs Minister and senior officials of the Government of India will call on His Majesty the King of Bhutan. His Majesty the King of Bhutan will also visit the states of Assam and Maharashtra.”

“India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterized by understanding and mutual trust. The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the exemplary bilateral partnership, across diverse sectors” the statement read.

Sikhs For Justice threatened to kill me and journalist Sanjay Suri, the main witness against Kamal Nath in 1984 anti-Sikh riots: Senior Advocate HS Phoolka

OpIndia Staff
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Sikhs For Justice threatened to kill me and journalist Sanjay Suri, the main witness against Kamal Nath in 1984 anti-Sikh riots: Senior Advocate HS Phoolka

On 1st November, Padma Shri awardee Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India and former Punjab MLA Harvinder Singh Phoolka (HS Phoolka) alleged that he received a threatening email from Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Phoolka said that in an email received by him addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, SFJ threatened to eliminate him and journalist Sanjay Suri.

Phoolka had contested Lok Sabha elections in 2014 on Aam Aadmi Party ticket. He wrote, “I have received an email purportedly from Sikhs For Justice threatening to eliminate me, which I don’t care. But strangely threat is also to eliminate Sanjay Suri, a journalist, who is main witness against Kamal Nath”.

Notably, Suri is the main witness against Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath, who is accused of playing a pivotal role in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Suri reportedly gave evidence of the burning of Rakabganj Gurdwara and the murder of two Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Kamal Nath is the CM face for Congress in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections 2023.

Phoolka said he was not aware that “Kamal Nath was so powerful” that the Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice would issue a threat to eliminate the main witness against him For Justice. He also expressed his confusion as eliminating Suri would help Kamal Nath, which would, in the end, deny justice to the Sikh victims.

“Sikhs are grateful to him, how can Sikhs threat him. It’s to benefit Kamal Nath,” Phoolka added.

He further requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate an investigation into the letter to check if it was authentic. Furthermore, he requested PM Modi to ensure the UK government takes care of the security of Sanjay Suri as he is presently working as a correspondent for CNN in the UK. Suri has not released any statement on the matter. Phoolka did not post any screenshots of the email. OpIndia could not independently verify the threat.

Sanjay Suri recounted his encounter with Kamal Nath during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984

In his book ‘1984 – The Anti-Sikh Riots and After‘, author and journalist Sanjay Suri recounted his personal experience on the afternoon of 1st November 1984, a day after the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two Sikh guards. Suri mentioned that he was taken aback when unexpectedly encountering Kamal Nath outside the Rakabganj Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi. Notably, two Sikhs were burnt alive outside the Gurdwara during the riots.

On a fateful day, Suri recalled, the crowd was raising slogans for revenge, saying “khoon ka badla khoon” (blood for blood) for the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Rakabganj was the closest Gurdwara to the Trimurti Bhawan, where the mortal remains of Gandhi were placed. Suri described a disturbing scene where security forces, including CRPF, allegedly stood mute while the aggressive crowd advanced. What particularly troubled Suri was that it appeared Nath was controlling the crowd, and the police refusal to intervene.

While Suri submitted an affidavit and raised testimony in front of the Nanavati Commission, there were almost no attempts to fully explore the questions raised by him. “The Nanavati Commission noted that my affidavit had not been ‘very clear’,” he noted in the book. Suri emphasised that his role was to report only and not to “nail” Kamal Nath. Later, Nath claimed that he was trying to control the situation. However, his actions seemed to imply a level of influence and authority over the crowd.

Suri further suggested that Nath’s presence at the scene, along with his ability to influence the crowd, raised suspicions about his connection to the party members involved in the violence against Sikhs. He pointed out that the mob had most likely been mobilised and organised by the Congress party, given the scale and uniformity of the mobilisation. “Who could possibly have fed that level of mobilisation at such speed? The mobilisation, the uniformity, had to have had an organisational push behind it. The organisation behind such mobilisation could not but have been the Congress; it is, after all, no surprise that those most eager and available to have been brought there would have been workers from the party whose leader had been assassinated,” he wrote.

Haryana: CIA team busts sextortion racket in Nuh, 6 including Mastan, Ibram, and Moin arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana: CIA team busts sextortion racket in Nuh, 6 including Mastan, Ibram, and Moin arrested

Haryana’s Nuh District Police has succeeded in busting a major sextortion racket as its Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) team exposed a gang from Nuh district. The gang used to record explicit videos in the rural fields in the area and was engaged in sextortion. Six accused have been arrested on the spot, who used to make video calls to people and created their obscene videos. Afterwards, they posed as YouTube officers and tricked the unsuspecting individuals into falling into their trap. Nine mobiles and eleven SIM cards have also been recovered from their possession.

Sandeep More, the in-charge of the CIA staff had been tipped off that certain persons were using pornographic clips to blackmail victims of their scheme. The officer assembled a squad and apprehended six perpetrators named Mastan, Ibram alias Imran, Moin son of Nasubat, Shamshuddin son of Jamil, Irfan son of Sheru and Shahid son of Khurshid. They all are residents of the village Laphuri which is under the jurisdiction of Bichhor police station.

The accused used fake mobile numbers to run WhatsApp accounts and chat with others. They shot vulgar videos and then blackmailed their victims for money by showing screenshots and threatening to make the clips viral. Furthermore, it has been disclosed in the interrogation that they used to commit online fraud by cheating people of cash and depositing it in their own fake Phonepe and Google Pay accounts.

The officials shared that the accused attempted to escape as soon as the police arrived, however, they were surrounded from all sides and were eventually nabbed.

The police found out that the accused had a history of defrauding others through sextortion by fabricating profile IDs in cell phones and threatened to make the videos viral as well as claimed to be YouTube officials. The police looked into the conversations, audio clips, screenshots of internet transactions in rupees, recorded films and several pornographic clips that they discovered on their devices.

All the accused have been booked by the Nuh Police under various sections and are being investigated after which they would be presented before the district court and taken on remand.

Notably, Nuh was recently in the news in August for the assault on a cyber police station which was revealed to be premeditated and intended to destroy evidence of cyber fraud collected by the cops. A hijacked bus was used to break into the premises. The frenzied mob then attacked everything in sight. They ransacked and vandalised the area with the aim of eliminating important evidence. Furthermore, they tried to set fire to the police station and burn documents.

A total of 5000 police officers had discovered Rs 100 crores worth of cyber fraud during their operation in Nuh. 320 hideouts of cyber criminals were raided by the police in 14 villages in the Nuh district.

TMC leader Mahua Moitra appears before Parliament Ethics Committee, carries 3 handbags for the appearance

OpIndia Staff
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TMC leader Mahua Moitra appears before Parliament Ethics Committee, carries 3 handbags for the appearance

Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra appeared before the Parliament Ethics Committee on Thursday, November 2. The TMC leader disposed before the committee in the ‘cash for query scam’ in which she has been accused of misusing her Parliamentary privilege for monetary benefits.

In a video shared by ANI, the politician is seen walking into the Parliament donning a red saree and sunglasses. She carries a laptop bag, an expensive designer handbag and a tiffin bag in her hand as she enters the Parliament, where the questioning is underway.

It may be recalled that Moitra, who is a Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar, was originally summoned on 31st October. But she had sought to delay it by saying that she was in her constituency. On Saturday (28th October), the deputy secretary of the Lok Sabha directed TMC MP Mahua Moitra to appear before the Ethics Committee on 2nd November in connection with the investigation of the allegations of ‘cash-for-question- against her. The Lok Sabha secretariat wrote to her stating that her request for an extension of the date has been accepted.

Notably, Mahua Moitra is being questioned based on reports received by the Ethics Committee from three Union Ministries namely Home, Information Technology and External Affairs ministries, along with other documents and evidence. 

The panel had sought information from the three ministries after a meeting held on October 26.

The committee had inquired about several things, including whether her login IP addresses and her locations matched.

It may be recalled that the IT ministry had stated that it had sent a report to the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee confirming that the TMC leader’s parliamentary ID was accessed 49 times from Dubai.

It is notable here that businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who has admitted to getting access to Mahua Moitra’s Lok Sabha login ID and password, lives in Dubai.

The TMC leader, meanwhile had admitted to sharing parliamentary login with businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

Moitra had also written to the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha saying that she should be permitted to cross-examine Darshan Hiranandani. The TMC MP added that Hiranandani had provided no documentary evidence to back his allegation.

The allegations against the Trinamool Congress MP came to the fore days after BJP Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that the TMC leader had mortgaged the national security for her monetary benefits. He stated that the TMC leader’s parliamentary ID was used in Dubai when she was present in India. He also noted that the entire government functionaries including the Prime Minister are present on the National Informatics Centre (NIC) portal which was allegedly being operated from Dubai at the behest of the TMC leader. 

Interestingly, while Mahua Moitra argued that there was no way a wealthy businessman like Darshan Hiranandani who has access to PMO and ministers would be compelled by a first-time MP like her, she did not deny taking gifts from the businessman. 

Moreover, she did not refute the most controversial accusation about the “cash-for-query” scam, which is sharing her parliament login credentials with Hiranandani to target Gautam Adani.

Turning an approver in the case, Darshan Hiranandani had admitted in an affidavit that Mahua Moitra gave him parliamentary login credentials and took luxury gifts for asking questions that were targeted against Adani. 

Detailed reports on the entire controversy can be read here.

Kerala CM abused, issued death threat via call by 12-year-old, Police searching who motivated child to make such call

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala CM abused, issued death threat via call by 12-year-old, Police searching who motivated child to make such call

On Wednesday (1st November) night, the Kerala state police’s head office received a threat call against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The threat was made via phone call to the police headquarters control room by a 12-year-old boy, the police confirmed on Thursday (2nd November). 

According to reports, the police said they were looking into all possibilities. The boy who made the threatening call has been identified as a 7th-class student from Kochi. The police said that the child will be counseled. The boy is said to have abused the CM and issued death threats.

According to the police, a case has been filed at Museum police station under sections 118(b) and 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act against the phone number that was used to make the threatening call.

Section 118(b) deals with intentionally propagating rumors or giving false alarms to mislead the police, fire department, or any other essential service. Meanwhile, section 120(o) deals with causing a nuisance to any person through any means of communication by repeated or undesirable or anonymous call, letter, writing, message, e-mail, or messenger.

The Police are investigating the case to know who or what motivated the child to make such a threatening call to the State authority.

Apple suspends internal Jewish and Muslim Slack channels after discussions on the Israel-Hamas war appear, deletes messages

OpIndia Staff
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Apple suspends internal Jewish and Muslim Slack channels after discussions on the Israel-Hamas war appear, deletes messages

Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, tech giant Apple recently removed messages about the war from internal Slack channels and suspended two channels for Jewish and Muslim employees indefinitely. Slack is a cloud-based instant messaging and collaboration tool, used widely by corporates and organisations for professional and organizational communications.

“We have a very important update to share with you today. We saw and heard your feedback. We’ve collectively decided that the only sustainable path forward is to briefly pause the Apple Muslim Slack channel. The Apple Jewish Slack channel will do the same,” a leader of Apple’s Muslim employee resource group was quoted as saying.

According to the reports, the pause follows Apple’s elimination of messages related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“We’re taking this action to ensure a respectful environment for our communities during a painful and tragic time. Employees may not be happy about the decision. We know this comes at a time in which we need community more than ever,” a person familiar with the channel was quoted by Business Insider. 

The contents of the messages deleted by Apple have not been confirmed. In one Slack message that Insider claims to have seen, an employee observed that off-limits topics for Muslim employees appeared to be organizing efforts, protests, Quran verses, frustration with the situation in Gaza, and “certain words that are said by international organizations.”

According to reports, Apple CEO Tim Cook is still tight-lipped about the war. However, reports mention that he did send at least one company-wide email to employees shortly after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

“Like so many of you, I am devastated by the horrific attacks in Israel and the tragic reports coming out of the region,” Cook said in an email to employees on October 9. “My heart goes out to the victims, those who have lost loved ones, and all of the innocent people who are suffering as a result of this violence.”

Apple isn’t the only company that moderates employee debates about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Microsoft also recently terminated a similar employee discussion.

One employee wrote on Microsoft’s internal “all company” message board that he felt a “strong sense of disillusionment with our work and the company” because of what he saw as “one-sided statements” by the company’s senior leaders in support of Israel. After about 60 comments, Microsoft shut the debate.

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