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‘She was like a daughter, never had physical relationship’: Saraswati Vaidya murder accused claims she committed suicide and he has HIV, police say they were married

OpIndia Staff
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‘She was like a daughter, never had physical relationship’: Saraswati Vaidya murder accused claims she committed suicide and he has HIV, police say they were married

56-year-old Manoj Ramesh Sane, who is accused of the brutal murder of his live-in partner 32-year-old Saraswati Vaidya, in Mumbai’s Mira Road, reportedly claimed that he is HIV positive and denied ever having a physical relationship with her. He claimed that she was like a daughter to him.

He is charged with murdering Saraswati Vaidya, dismembering the body with an electric tree cutter, and disposing of the pieces by boiling them in a pressure cooker and roasted them on gas so he can dispose of them easily. He sliced the pieces so small that police could not even count them and stored them in a bucket, tub, stove, and other kitchen containers.

The duo have known each other since 2014 but started living together at the Mira Road flat for the past three years. He informed the authorities that he first met her 16 years ago while working at a ration store.

Additionally, he claimed that she committed suicide. He further claimed that attempted to dispose of the body because he was worried about being indicted of murder. He then allegedly intended to commit suicide, the officer revealed. Details of his statements made during the interrogation are being verified, according to the officer who went to the scene on Wednesday night after learning of the tragedy.

He has been charged under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (evidence destruction) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the First Information Report (FIR). He has been placed in police custody till June 16 after being presented before a Thane court, per Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jayant Bajbale of zone-1, Mira-Bhayander Vasai Virar police.

“During the preliminary inquiry, Sane told police that in 2008 he discovered that he was HIV positive. Since then, he has been on medication. He said that he suspects he contracted the disease due to the use of infected blood during his treatment a long time ago after he had met with an accident,” the senior official unveiled.

The victim was quite possessive and believed he was cheating on her every time he arrived home late, the officer mentioned, which was in line with his statement to the police. The officer quoted from his admission made during questioning and commented that she was preparing for the Class 10 Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examinations and that he was teaching her maths. The officer pointed out to have discovered a board with arithmetic calculations scrawled on it on one of the walls of the seventh-floor apartment.

The perpetrator explained to the authorities that he spotted Saraswati Vaidya on the morning of June 3 lying on the floor of their flat with froth coming from her mouth. He added that she was dead when he checked her pulse and opted to get rid of the body because he was worried about the action against him.

He also admitted to having an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) qualification but has been working at a Public Distribution System (PDS) store for the past 10 years since he was unable to get an appropriate job. The top cop noted that Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital has received the body fragments removed from the kitchen for forensic examination.

Notably, Saraswati Vaidya was described as an orphan by the police on Thursday. Her three sisters, however, went to the Naya Nagar Police station on Friday to provide testimonies.

The DCP divulged that the police team had identified the deceased’s family and her sisters confirmed that she was in fact their sibling. “We are now working to match the DNA of the three sisters with the dead body while the procedure of handing it over is underway. We learned through the investigation that the pair was married at a temple and they had also told her sisters about it. However, due to their age disparity, they kept this knowledge from others.”

Police are attempting to identify which body parts are missing with the aid of medical professionals. They’ve seized the electric cutter.

Police believed that the crime occurred earlier but it came to light when neighbours complained about a bad odour coming from the couple’s flat on Wednesday. When the police were notified about the same, they forced through the door to the apartment and located the woman’s body in the kitchen, cut to pieces.

Manoj Sane went back to his house in the evening, unaware of the police presence. An officer proclaimed that he was captured while attempting to flee. A senior official highlighted that the man had shown no remorse during his interrogation.

National-level baseball player Sanjana Barkade commits suicide after one Abdul Mansoori threatens her to convert to Islam, had pretended to be Hindu earlier

OpIndia Staff
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National-level baseball player Sanjana Barkade commits suicide after one Abdul Mansoori threatens her to convert to Islam, had pretended to be Hindu earlier

On June 5, Monday, a national-level baseball player Sanjana Barkade committed suicide by hanging herself after facing continued threats to convert to Islam in the Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The accused who has been identified as Abdul Mansoori alias Rajan Khan was arrested on Thursday by Sanjeevni Nagar police on charges of abetment to suicide. The deceased victim’s mother said that Abdul Mansoori was pressuring Sanjana to convert to Islam. Sanjana’s father said that Abdul lied about his real identity to trap the victim. Sanjana hanged herself in her bedroom while her parents were away at a family function.

According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, the investigation indicated that Abdul Mansoori and Sanjana Barkade had been in a relationship for over a year. A few days ago, the two had a rift over an Instagram story. On the other hand, Sanjana’s friends said that she was quite jittery after hearing the news of love jihad cases. She distanced herself from Abdul, but he continued to threaten her. 

The deceased victim’s mother claimed that the accused threatened her over the phone a few days ago. Accused Abdul Mansoori had asked, “You’re the girl’s mother? It’s good that you picked up the call. I wanted to talk to you only. You persuade your daughter to accept our religion (Islam). I want to do nikah with your daughter. If you do not accept our religion, we have come to find out where you live. We will kill you. Nothing will happen if you accept Islam.”

After hanging up the phone, Sanjana’s mother inquired as to who the caller was. Sanjana responded by saying she did not know him and switched off her phone. Meanwhile, Sanjana’s father stated that he learned three months ago that the person Sanjana spoke with on the phone was not a Hindu boy Rajan but a Muslim. Sanjana distanced herself from Abdul after learning about his real identity. This infuriated accused Abdul, who tortured Sanjana. He also stole Sanjana’s documents, as well as medals and certificates which she won in various baseball competitions. When Sanjana asked him to return her medals and documents, Abdul asked her to convert to Islam. 

Meanwhile, the deceased victim’s father stated that the perpetrator was detained following his complaint. This has given him some relief, however, justice will be served only when Abdul gets punished. According to the police, Abdul told them during interrogation that his relationship with Sanjana had been going on for a year. He also visited Jabalpur three times to meet Sanjana. But Sanjana began distancing from him. He was continually pressuring her to continue the relationship by threatening to make her pictures and videos viral on social media if she did not consent. 

Following Sanjana’s suicide, police are trying to determine the cause of the fight between the accused and the deceased victim. Sanjana’s father has reportedly accused Abdul Mansoori, a street vendor in Rewa of trapping his daughter in love jihad. 

Maharashtra: After converting Rajesh Jani to Mohammed Riyaz, Islamists target his family in Vasai, keep a ‘watch’ over their house, daughter says

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: After converting Rajesh Jani to Mohammed Riyaz, Islamists target his family in Vasai, keep a ‘watch’ over their house, daughter says

On 8th June 2023, members of the Jani family in Vasai Maharashtra spoke to the media revealing that the head of their family Rajesh Jani is brainwashed and converted to Islam by some Islamists. The family members also said that after Rajesh Jani, the Islamists are targeting the whole family for conversion. They have also accused the local Muslims of keeping watch on them.

Rajesh Jani lived in Vasai with his family. He was converted to Islam as he was brainwashed by the Islamists he came in contact with. The Jani family has now accused the Muslims of troubling them over phone calls and asking them to convert too.

While speaking to the media, Rajesh Jani’s wife said, “We are receiving calls from Muslims. they say that your husband has converted to Islam, so it will be better for you and your children if you also convert to Islam. They are pressurizing us and sending us various links about information on Islam.”

She added, “When I asked them what will happen to us, at that time they said that Allah will do everything right and good. Some day or other we all will be together. When I asked what is meant by that, then they said that Allah will do all good and we all will live together.”

Rajesh Jani’s daughter said, “We see Muslims here near our building. It looks like they are deliberately making rounds here and trespassing in this area to keep a watch on us. This never happened before.”

She added, “The Muslims calling us have said that they have converted 400 Hindus to Islam so far. They also said that their next target is Banswada and Dungarpur in Rajasthan. We will continue to believe in our Dharma. we are staunch Hindus. We don’t believe in Islam. My father was pressurised and brainwashed. He was lured for something. We don’t wish to convert to Islam. In fact, we want to bring our father back to Hindu Dharma.

Gujarat: One Ahmad Mohammad arrested in Navsari for selling beef samosas calling them chicken and mutton samosas, meat supplier on the run

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: One Ahmad Mohammad arrested in Navsari for selling beef samosas calling them chicken and mutton samosas, meat supplier on the run

In a shocking incident, an eatery in Gujarat’s Navasi was found to be selling beef samosas calling them chicken and mutton samosas. Recently, the state police booked two persons named Ahmad Mohammad and Chacha Ajim Bhai for selling Samosas filled with beef stuffing in Navsari’s Dabhel region of the state. The police arrested Ahmad while the other accused absconded from the spot. They were selling the samosas from a food truck named ‘A-One Chicken Biryani’.

According to the reports, the incident came to the fore after the police received a tip about the sale of beef-stuffed samosas at Dabhel village and went to investigate. The meat was examined by the cops at the A-One Chicken Biryani restaurant beside the community lake. The offender was then caught by the police selling beef in samosas under the guise of chicken and mutton. Reports mention that the accused had been selling samosas with beef filling, calling them chicken and mutton samosas, for past four years.

Ahmad Mohammad apparently attempted to throw the samosas into the lake when he spotted the police approaching his food truck and realised that his vehicle would be searched. He reportedly had done this previously also, but this time the police caught him before he could toss the beef-filled samosas into the lake since they had been alerted.

The samosa samples sezed from the truck were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, and the test report confirmed that beef was present in the fillings of the samosas.

Ahmad Mohammad has now been charged by the police under Sections 5, 6, and 8 of the 1954 Mumbai Animal Protection Act and Sections 6(a) and 6(b) of the 2017 Gujarat Animal Protection Amendment Act.

Ahmad Mohammad, who is alleged to have committed the crime, was previously detained but freed without being examined. But this time, the accused was found to have a little amount of paste that was later discovered to have been combined with meat.

Police have also found that the other accused Chacha Ajim Bhai was supplying beef to Ahmad, and are looking for him.

Earlier a similar incident was reported from Surat district of Gujarat. A case had been registered against two persons for cow slaughter and sale of beef. Ismail Yusuf, who operated a snack shop in Kosadi village of Mangrol panchayat, used to sell samosas stuffed with beef. The police had initiated action after receiving information about selling cow meat at the snack shop.

During the questioning, Ismail Yusuf then had admitted that he used to buy cow meat from one Suleiman alias Sullu Salim Bheekhu and Nageen Vasava alias Simon Vasava to make beef-stuffed samosas. He also informed that Suleiman and Nageen slaughtered cows near the Kosadi village river bank.

‘Liberals’, Islamists, including ex-SIMI father of Umar Khalid, hold program to brand him ‘innocent’ as he completes 1000 days in jail, whitewash role in Delhi anti-Hindu riots

OpIndia Staff
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‘Liberals’, Islamists, including ex-SIMI father of Umar Khalid, hold program to brand him ‘innocent’ as he completes 1000 days in jail, whitewash role in Delhi anti-Hindu riots

On 9th June 2023, liberals and Islamists in Delhi organised a program in the Press Club of India as it marks 1000 days of Islamist Umar Khalid being in jail. The program contains addresses by so-called secular lawmakers, propagandists, self-proclaimed activists, and a Muslim lawyer. The panel discussion is titled, ‘Democracy, Dissent, and Censorship’. It is followed by the show of a play. Hashtags like Free Umar, 1000 Days of Injustice, free all political prisoners, etc. were mentioned in the poster of the program.

The apologists of Islamism who called themselves ‘concerned citizens’ participating in the panel discussion include Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha, JNU professor Prabhat Patnaik, propagandist and YouTuber Ravish Kumar, Supreme Court lawyer Shahrukh Alam, and Umar Khalid’s father SQR Ilyas. The session will be moderated by self-styled activist Gurmehar Kaur. Notably, a Twitter handle demanding Umar Khalid’s release is also active since September 2020.

This discussion is followed by a play by the Jatan Theater group of Haryana. The play is titled ‘Tanashahi Ke SamayPrem Ki Dastan’ which means ‘a love story in the times of dictatorship’. The play is written and directed by Naresh Prerna and Nooruddin Hassan is playing the lead role in the play.

It is pertinent to note that several Islamists who pretend to be neutral have been trying to portray Umar Khalid as an innocent ‘activist’ while the chargesheet filed in the Delhi Riots case proves that he was one of the chief instigators of the Delhi Riots.

Co-founder of AltNews, Muhammad Zubair, who regularly spreads fake news and attempts to whitewash Islamists and their crimes also took to Twitter to declare the innocent of Umar Khalid.

Interestingly, one of the people who would be a speaker at this event is SQR Ilyasi – Umar Khalid’s father. It is important to note that Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas is a former member of the banned Islamic Terrorist organization, SIMI. He had left it in 1985, well before Umar Khalid was born. In the year 2019, he also contested the Lok Sabha Elections from West Bengal on a ticket from the Welfare Party of India (WPI) from the Jangipur constituency, a Muslim-dominated seat in the Murshidabad district. The former SIMI member is now a member of the Central Advisory Council of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and AIMPLB.

On 14th September 2020, Umar Khalid, former JNU student and son of an ex-SIMI member was arrested for his role in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots that broke out on the 24th of February. He, along with others, was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA and relative provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for being the masterminds of the riots. Notably, 53 people lost their lives, and 700 were injured during the riots that spurred on the pretext of the Citizen Amendment Act 2019 and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

In October last year, the Delhi High Court dismissed Khalid’s bail plea. It said that prima-facie, the anti-CAA and NRC protests that resulted in the riots, were orchestrated at various meetings he had attended. Though a Delhi Court had acquitted him and one other accused in one of the cases linked to the Delhi Riots 2020, Umar Khalid remained in jail for the connection in other cases.

What was the role of Umar Khalid in Delhi anti-Hindu riots 2020

Umar Khalid, son of Ilyas on the other hand admitted to the Delhi police that he was involved in organizing Muslim groups, instigating them, and preparing for the large-scale violence. He had mobilized the Muslims against the law, by asserting that the new law was ‘against Muslims’ and had also planned to involve women and children in the ‘Chakka Jam’ amid the visit of US President Trump to India. He had allegedly met the former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain and another accused Khalid Saifi to assure logistical support during the riots through his contacts in the PFI.

According to the reports, the agencies have been watching and warning about the nexus between Maoists whose front organization Khalid is aligned with, and hardline Islamists allegedly represented by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Welfare Party of India, and banned outfit SIMI.

The first evidence of Umar Khalid’s role in the Delhi Riots came when a speech made by him surfaced. The speech was allegedly made on the 20th of February in Amravati. In the speech, he was clearly heard saying that on the 24th of February, when President Donald Trump visits India, Muslims should ‘show’ the visiting US president that the people of India are fighting against the ruling party of India.

The entire speech was about 17 minutes long where Khalid invoked the false narratives of ‘targeted mob lynching’ against Muslims and then went on to say that when the Muslims did not revolt against the Ayodhya judgement by Supreme Court, the government took it for granted that they can bring any law against Muslims.

Inciting the crowd further, saying the CAA has been brought to harm Muslims, Khalid says that the people should show the government its ‘Aukaad’, and take to the streets to throw it out. He further says that if enough people take to the streets, first the CAA will go, then the NPR and then NRC, eventually the government will also go.

It was 4 days after this speech, on the 24th of February, as Umar Khalid had predicted, that riots broke out. Ankit Sharma was stabbed over 50 times by the mobs of Tahir Hussain. Dilbar Negi’s arms and legs were chopped off and he was burnt alive by Muslims. Amidst chants of Allahu Abkar and Nara e Taqbeer, Hindus were specifically targeted. 

The Left and Islamist cabal found nothing wrong with this speech. They, in fact, called it a peaceful speech and said there was nothing in it that incited violence. They find nothing wrong with the fact that Umar Khalid, only 4 days before riots broke out, had specifically mentioned the date 24th of February and said that on that day, they will “show” how they fight with the government. 

But was Umar Khalid’s role limited to just this speech? 

By insinuating that the speech was the only thing for which Umar Khalid was arrested, is a gross misrepresentation of facts. In several chargesheets, Umar Khalid’s role in the larger conspiracy has been mentioned in details. The Special Cell has 180 days to file a chargesheet against Umar Khalid specifically, however, his role has been hinted in abundance in the other chargesheets and FIRs filed. 

In the chargesheet filed in FIR 114, the role of Umar Khalid in the conspiracy hatched is mentioned clearly. It says that Tahir Hussain was connected to Khalid Saifi of United Against Hate Group and through Saifi, he was also in touch with Umar Khalid. Khalid Saifi, it says, had arranged a meeting between Umar Khalid and Tahir Hussain on the 8th of January at Shaheen Bagh. In that meeting, it was decided to take ‘big action’ so the government gets shaken up on the issue of CAA and NRC and also, ensure that the international community takes notice of that action. 

In the chargesheet, it is also mentioned that Umar Khalid had told Tahir Hussain not to be concerned about the funding for the riots as the Popular Front of India (PFI) would provide the funding as well as logistic support. It was categorically mentioned that the riots were to take place when President Donald Trump would visit India. 

From everything that is alleged in the chargesheet, it is clear that Umar Khalid was perhaps one of the masterminds who was also constantly in touch with Pinjra Tod activists who are also accused of grave sections. Khalid Saifi of UAH, who is also a close associate of Umar Khalid was coordinating with Tahir Hussain after their initial meeting in Shaheen Bagh on the 8th of January. Further, Tahir Hussain was coordinating with other rioters and instigators. 

Damoh school embroiled in Conversion-Hijab controversy planning a rally after Friday prayers, can use children: NCPCR chief warns MP govt

OpIndia Staff
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Damoh school embroiled in Conversion-Hijab controversy planning a rally after Friday prayers, can use children: NCPCR chief warns MP govt

Ganga Jamna School in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, has been making headlines lately for all the wrong reasons. Here, a case of forcing non-Muslim students to perform namaz and female students to wear the hijab has come to light. This sparked a massive controversy, and as a result, action was initiated against both the institution and the accused, and officials who gave it clean chit.

The investigation revealed that three teachers, including the school’s headmistress, had also converted to Islam. Additionally, the district collector was charged with conspiring with the school, and people upset with the shocking discoveries flung ink at the District Education Office (DEO). Now, a plot to organise a major rally by the owner Haji Idris in support of the school has been exposed.

“After Friday prayers, a large religious procession will be held in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, with the intention of pressuring the state government to drop the First Information Report (FIR) and refrain from taking legal action under the Anti-Conversion Act against the owners of the school for grooming kids to convert to Islam,” informed Priyank Kanoongo, the chairman of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in a tweet and tagged the state’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

He stated, that it has come to his attention that Haji Idris can orchestrate a huge gathering of criminal and anarchist elements in the guise of students’ parents as well as utilise children for his nefarious agenda. He added that the administration is being informed about the serious possibility. The (NCPCR) chief also remarked that radical Islamist activities were going on at the school for years, but the authorities never even tried to take action against them.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Surendra Sharma has requested that the National Investigation Agency conduct an investigation into the institution in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The government has also devised a strategy to transfer 1200 students from the school to other institutions. A matter of tampering with the map of India in the school has also come to the fore. Students were forced to recite Islamic prayers there. The probe into this case didn’t even begin until the state administration took the issue seriously.

Delhi: Scamsters falsely link woman with Khalistani terror outfits and drug peddlers to intimidate her, dupes her of Rs 5 lakhs

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Scamsters falsely link woman with Khalistani terror outfits and drug peddlers to intimidate her, dupes her of Rs 5 lakhs

Online scams, also referred to as internet scams, are becoming increasingly common. In order to mislead their potential victims, fraudsters often capitalise on fear or greed for money. In one such recent incident, a 60-year-old woman from southwest Delhi was allegedly defrauded of about Rs 5 lakh by a bunch of online scamsters.

The fraudsters reportedly first scared the victim by falsely linking her with Khalistani terror organisations and drug peddlers and then preyed on this fear to dupe her. When the victim realised that she was tricked, she approached the police to report the cyber fraud on May 29.

According to the FIR filed in the case, the victim received a call from a man who identified himself as working for a reputable courier company. He informed her that she had scheduled a courier to Canada, but there were some issues. “I told him that I had not booked any courier because I do not know anyone in Canada. Then he said there must be some terrorist conspiracy behind it. He specifically used the word Khalistani,” the victim said in her complaint.

“He asked me to immediately lodge an FIR and also offered to connect me to someone in Amboli police station (in Mumbai),” she added.

The caller connected the victim to Sibb Shejol after she agreed to accept his assistance. Shejol assured the victim through a video call that he had filed an FIR and forwarded the case to the crime branch.

Shejol then connected the woman to his superior over a conference call, who urged Shejol to detain the woman right away on suspicion that she was part of a terror plot.

Shejol also told the woman that an account was opened in her name in Mumbai with her PAN and Aadhaar number.

The woman insisted that all accusations levelled at her were false and that she was innocent, however, in order to give the whole operation an even more sinister look, Shejol informed the hapless woman that Nishant C Shukla, a public prosecutor, had been chosen by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to look into her case.

Shukla showed his Bar Council card to the victim to win her trust after Shejol persuaded her to speak with him. Shukla then provided her with the photographs and Aadhaar cards of three other special officers, informing her that they had been hired for her and her family’s protection since there could a threat to her life.

The FIR further stated that Shukla went on to explain to the victim that they had found that the case pertained to a banker named Vipul Jain who had defrauded the government of 450 crore rupees.

“They told me that Jain was into terrorism and drugs and that 80 others like me were involved in this case. I was accused of getting some per cent of the commission out of this fraud.

“He said to save me from this case, he needed to file an affidavit for my anticipatory bail which has to go to 10 departments in Mumbai,” the woman said, adding that she was also asked to come to Mumbai to join the probe.

When the complainant declined, the accused claimed he would have to spend Rs 1.5 lakh on three bond papers costing Rs 5,000 each for each of the ten departments, plus an additional Rs 45,780 for notary, affidavit, and stamp fees, for a total of Rs 1,95,780.

He went on to request an additional Rs. 1,08,000 after she had already paid the initial sum in order to type some papers.

“I made that payment of Rs 1,08,000 to save myself from the arrest, money laundering and the drug trafficking charges, and all the humiliation. The accused also asked me not to discuss all this with any third person as it was a high-profile case under the PMO’s supervision,” she said.

The FIR stated that the victim ended up paying the fraudsters a total of Rs 4,99,560 after which she chose to report the matter to the police.

Speaking about the case, a police official said, “It is either fear or greed which makes people victims of cybercrime. These cyber criminals either lure people with lucrative offers to make quick money or create fear among them with false stories so that they can extort. People should immediately report such issues to local police for early tracking and recovery.”

Some similar cases of online scam

It may be recalled that only last month, a Delhi woman doctor had also become a victim of what is being seen as the biggest phishing scam on an individual in Delhi to date. According to a report by TOI, some fraudsters claiming to be from Maharashtra Narcotics Department duped the doctor of Rs 4.47 crores.

The fraudsters posed as police officials from the Andheri police station, RBI officials, a DCP from Mumbai Police, customs sleuths, and Narcotics division cops in order to defraud the victim.

In January this year, we reported about a Twitter user Geetika Rustagi who also narrated how she fell prey to one such online scam.

Crackdown on Amritpal Singh, Waris De Punjab resulted in dip in attendance at Golden Temple during Operation Blue Star Anniversary: What Intelligence agencies said

ANI
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Crackdown on Amritpal Singh, Waris De Punjab resulted in dip in attendance at Golden Temple during Operation Blue Star Anniversary: What Intelligence agencies said

The Operation Bluestar anniversary at Amritsar’s Golden Temple, an otherwise big-ticket event in Punjab’s annual calendar, was a subdued affair this year. Intelligence agencies believe a dip in attendance was due to close monitoring and a carry-over effect of the crackdown on the radical group ‘Waris Punjab De’ earlier this year. 

On June 6, the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar was observed at Golden Temple in Amritsar. To avoid any nefarious plans of separatist elements, heavy police presence was seen across the city. Policemen and sleuths of intelligence agencies in plain clothes were deployed within the confines of the Golden Temple complex. In a report prepared by central intelligence agencies mentioned that the gathering in the main Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) programme at Akal Takht remained low as it was only attended by around 2000 people as compared to the earlier years when more than 3000 people used to attend it. 

A senior official said that the low turnout could be attributed partly to the strong action against ‘Waris Punjab De’ (WPD) due to which youth stayed away from the event fearing action by the police. 

In the main programme at Akal Takht, a sufficient number of Task Forces by SGPC was deployed creating a sort of barricading around Akal Takht resulting in better arrangements. Main radical leaders were engaged by the SGPC and police to keep their programmes muted and hold them on one side of Akal Takht in a restricted space. Less hooliganism was observed by youth among Sikh radicals, the report reads. 

On June 1, Sikh radical outfit Dal Khalsa gave a call for Amritsar shutdown on the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar. The programme by radicals remained peaceful as there was no provocation by other opponent outfits. There was no attempt to open the display of swords noticed in the programme of Dal Khalsa as well as in the main programme of SGPC. 

The Focus Group meeting and State Multi-Agency Centre (SMAC) which liaison with other states and the intelligence bureau, helped sensitize the police officials as well as district level about the past experiences and instances. It resulted in curtailing hooliganism and providing better optics than previous years, the report said.

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

‘Somethings said in anger’: Father of minor wrestler who filed complaint against WFI’s Brij Bhushan Singh says he had filed ‘false complaint out of anger’

ANI
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‘Somethings said in anger’: Father of minor wrestler who filed complaint against WFI’s Brij Bhushan Singh says he had filed ‘false complaint out of anger’

The father of a minor wrestler who had filed a complaint against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has admitted to a television channel that he has “corrected” the statement as he had filed a false complaint against him “out of anger”. 

In an interview with a Haryana-based news channel-‘Khabrain Abhi Tak’, the complainant’s father said that the minor has corrected the earlier statement she had given in court and to the police. “Some things were said out of anger in that, some of them are true and some things were wrongly said. Brij Bhushan is right at his place but the anger was there and out of anger some false things were said. I have again given my statement and the things which were wrongly stated, I have corrected them,” the complainant’s father said. 

When asked about media reports claiming that the minor victim’s father had filed a POCSO complaint against him in “revenge” after being overlooked for selection during camp, Brij Bhushan on Friday said, “All the matters are before the court. The government has also given an assurance that the chargesheet will be filed by June 15. Let the chargesheet be filed. I don’t think I should say anything now.” 

The six-time BJP MP, Brij Bhushan was booked by Delhi Police following allegations of sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, in his interview with ‘Khabrain Abhi Tak’, the minor wrestler’s father said that there was no external pressure on him to change his earlier statement.

“Three to four days ago my daughter and I went to the police station and Patiala house court,” the father told the TV channel. 

“One thing has changed. In 2022 they deliberately made my daughter lose the match, we were heartbroken. We have two houses and I had to sell one of my houses to ensure that my daughter can practice wrestling.” 

According to the father, his ward had missed out on the selection to the Indian team and alleged that “the referee had intentionally made his daughter lose.” 

“I had objected at that time but the technical staff said that if I wanted my daughter to participate in wrestling then do that else take her away,” he told ‘Khabrain Abhi Tak’. 

The man said he was enraged because his daughter’s “one year of hard work had gone waste” because of that referee’s decision in the final. 

“With this kind of partiality, where will we go, so it was obvious that there was anger,” the man said detailing the reason for his previous complaint. 

The father, however, pointed out that he supports the wrestlers’ protest as he believed in the cause against which they have been protesting. 

Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat along with other wrestlers had been on a protest in the national capital since the beginning of this year in order to press for the removal and arrest of the WFI chief over allegations of sexual harassment. 

On May 28, wrestlers had planned a march and protest in front of the new Parliament, despite the imposition of Section 144 in the area. They were detained on their way by the Delhi police and FIR was filed against them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act. The protest site was also cleared by the Delhi Police. 

Following their removal from Jantar Mantar, Wrestlers arrived in Haridwar two days later to immerse their medals in the Ganga. 

After a meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Wednesday said the government assured that the ongoing probe by Delhi Police against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will be completed before June 15. 

Speaking to reporters at his residence after holding parleys with the ace grapplers, Thakur said “An Internal Complaint Committee of the wrestling federation will be constituted. It will be headed by a woman. We have demanded that all FIRs filed against wrestlers be withdrawn. 

“They also requested that Brij Bhushan Singh, who has completed 3 terms (as WFI chief), and his associates be asked not to stand for the elections again. The wrestlers promised not to hold any fresh protests before June 15,” said Thakur.

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

Jammu and Kashmir: Girls of Srinagar school protest against ‘Abaya ban’ inside school, principal says they can wear a long Hijab over the uniform

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: Girls of Srinagar school protest against ‘Abaya ban’ inside school, principal says they can wear a long Hijab over the uniform

On Thursday, 8th June 2023, girl students of the Vishwa Bharti Girls Higher Secondary School in Rainawari of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir protested against the school administration alleging that the school instructed girls not to wear Abaya (long robe) in the classroom. However, the school’s principal has stated that the school is not banning Abaya, but only asking the girl students to wear uniforms with a matching Hijab.

The principal clarified that as the girls were wearing abays of different colours and designs, the school is asking them to wear hijabs instead that match the existing uniform. She also said that the girls can wear abaya but they have to wear the school uniform under it, and they will have to remove the abaya after reaching the school. Principal Memroz Shafi added that the girls have been asked to bring a long Hijab or Chadar, preferably white, to wear over the uniform while in school to cover their bodies as per Islamic rules.

In a clarification statement issued on 8th June 2023, the principal of the Vishwa Bharti Girls Higher Secondary School said, “That it has been running on social media that female students have been directed not to wear Abaya (long robe) which is totally baseless and misrepresented. The School Management always respects the sentiments of all the sections of the society vis a vis the dress code.”

The statement further said, “It is clarified that no ban has been imposed by the School Principal or the Management on wearing Abaya but it was politely conveyed to the students to wear the School Uniform underneath the Abaya. It is for the information of all the students that they can wear the Abaya and no such restrictions have been imposed in the classrooms.”

The principal further said in the statement, “Today’s conversation with the students and the parents has been misrepresented and in any case, if it has hurt the sentiments of the students or the parents, I unconditionally apologise for the same.”

A group of female students from Vishwa Bharti (VB) Girls Higher Secondary School in Rainawari recently organized a protest on Thursday, expressing their grievances over being denied entry to the school due to wearing the Hijab. According to the students, they were informed that if they wished to wear the Hijab, they should attend a “Madrasa” instead.

In response, the school administration clarified that they were not opposed to the Hijab, but rather expected students to adhere to the school’s dress code. The protesting students claimed that the school authorities had explicitly instructed them not to wear the Hijab and even requested them to refrain from wearing their abayas while coming to school. It is notable that the school has recently started coeducation.

According to reports, one of the protesting girls said, “Why should we take off the Abaya? I don’t love this school more than my God that I will take off this Abaya. I will never take my Abaya off, there are so many boys in the college and there is so much immorality going on which is invisible to their eyes and asking us to take off the Abaya.”

She added, “Who is she (administration official) to tell us to take the Abaya off? She asked us to go to a Dargah (Religious School) if we wish to wear an Abaya. Don’t the girls who wear Abayas get the same education as everyone else?”

Memroz Shafi, the principal of Vishwa Bharti (VB) School, clarified that wearing Abayas was permitted after the COVID-19 pandemic. She explained that for some time, only a few girls wore Abayas to school, but recently, girls from lower classes began wearing Abayas, disregarding the school’s uniform dress code. She that even though the school has its own dress code, some girls also wear ‘Abaya’, and they have never been stopped from doing that.

She said, “Nobody is asking them to remove abayas. They can leave home and reach the school wearing abaya without any restrictions, there should be no doubt about that. We told them to put aside that abaya when they reach the school. We have told them to bring along a long hijab that will cover them well up to their knees. They are also given an option of a Chador. Hijab is the most comfortable as compared to abayas and other things because we want all of them to wear a uniform. They come wearing abayas of different colors and designs which cannot be allowed in the school. I asked these girls to bring a white hijab that will cover them well up to their knees so that it looks uniform.”

“We will announce a proper colour and pattern of ‘Abaya’ for all those students who want come to school wearing the same. We are not allowing colourful Abayas to be followed in the institution” she further said.

According to the principal, the school instructed these girls to remove their Abayas for the day, as per the dress code. However, the girls expressed their discomfort with this. In response to the girls’ concerns, the school made arrangements to accommodate their preference for wearing the Hijab.

The Principal further mentioned that in consideration of the student’s wishes, the school did not accept admission requests from outsiders and instead directed them to schools that allowed the Hijab.

The hijab ban controversy was sparked in Karnataka in January 2022. The Karnataka High Court pronounced its decision that the school can impose uniforms on the educational premises.

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