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‘If I resign, wrestlers will say my term was already over’, says Wrestling Federation president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh

OpIndia Staff
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‘If I resign, wrestlers will say my term was already over’, says Wrestling Federation president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh

On Friday, 28th April 2023, the Delhi police told the Supreme Court that it is ready to file an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, amid a second round of protests by several wrestlers demanding action against him alleging sexual harassment. In his initial reactions to this, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has said that he respects the court order. When asked whether he will resign, the BJP MP have an indirect answer saying that even if he resigns, wrestlers will say that his term was already over and he is doing no favour by resigning. However, he added that he is ready to resign if that will satisfy the protesting wrestlers.

Wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alleging sexual harassment and intimidation. After the hearing in the Supreme Court, the wrestlers demanded that the WFI president be put in jail and the protest will continue until this happens.

While speaking to India Today, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said, “I am content with the decision of the honourable court. The wrestlers have been raising their demands for so many days and they were protesting for the same. They went to the court and the court also took cognizance. The Supreme Court has ordered that an FIR should be registered and the matter be investigated. I am totally content with the decision. I will cooperate in the investigation wherever necessary.”

He further said, “I am not only content with the decision but also I agree with it because I am a citizen of this country and the Supreme Court is the apex court in this country. We cannot disagree with or raise questions on the court. We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court.”

When asked if he would resign for ensuring a fair trial, he said, “Their demand changes every now and then. You should consider the agitation right from the beginning. At that time they demanded that the WFI president should resign. After that, they brought up the issue of sexual harassment. After that, they demanded that the government should conduct an inquiry. The government formed two committees. the inquiry was completed. They did not wait for the report of the probe by the committees and started a sit-in protest on some other issue. Then they reached the Supreme Court. If they will be satisfied just with my resignation, I will send it to you, and show the resignation to them. Even if I resign, they will say that he is not favouring anybody by resigning, as anyways his term was already over. You tell them to start their practice and stop this protest, I send my resignation to you. If you are asking me to resign, I can resign, but not as a criminal.”

According to a report by ABP News, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that he is happy with the court’s decision. He added that he believes in his Karma and that he will get justice.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat said, “The court’s decision has come, but we do not trust the Delhi Police. We have been sitting here for 6 days. Our next step will be based on the action of the Delhi Police. Our demand is that he (WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh) be put in jail. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on moral grounds that he should be removed from every post. As long as he remains in that post, he will misuse that position and influence the investigation. We have full faith in the Supreme Court.”

Another protesting wrestler Bajrang Punia said, “He (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh) should be put in jail immediately. We are waiting for the police FIR. We will see under which sections the case is registered. Our phone was not picked up by Union Minister Anurag Thakur.” Sakshi Malik said, “Our protest will end only after he is put in jail and removed from all posts.”

In the meanwhile, some unusual appearances were seen at the protests by wrestlers, which have the potential of raising questions about the true motive of the protests. Politician Pappu Yadav, who is accused in multiple criminal cases including allegedly misbehaving with an air hostess and threatening to hit with slippers, today joined the protest at Jantar Mantar and addressed the gathering. More importantly, he targeted UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his speech.

Former governor Satyapal Malik also joined the protests on 26 April, who have created controversies by making several comments attaching the Modi government recently.

Delhi High Court allows minor rape survivor from Nepal to terminate 27-week pregnancy

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi High Court allows minor rape survivor from Nepal to terminate 27-week pregnancy

On Friday, April 28, the Delhi High Court allowed a minor victim of rape from Nepal to undergo medical termination of her 27-week pregnancy. Notably, the permissible limit for the termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks of gestation period.

The court issued the order after two doctors from Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital informed it that, while the medical board believes that a medical termination of pregnancy is possible, there is a risk to the minor because her haemoglobin level is low and the gestational period is 27 weeks.

“Accordingly in view of the fact that though the child and family are Nepalese citizens, this court directs that the termination of pregnancy is effected as soon as possible by the doctors at LNJP hospital,” Justice Prathiba M Singh ordered.

The court was hearing a plea moved by the victim’s mother seeking direction to allow the termination of the pregnancy of her minor daughter.

The court was informed that the girl discovered she was pregnant after moving in with her parents in India in March, but by the time she requested the appropriate authorities for a pregnancy termination, the gestation period had already reached 25 weeks.

The court allowed the MTP and instructed the hospital’s medical staff to make sure that the minor receives the finest pre-and post-operative care possible before being released.

“The order is being passed in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case. The family has assured (the court) that if the baby is born alive, the family would give adequate care,” the court said.

Notably, in March 2021, the Rajya Sabha passed the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which extended the upper limit for abortions to 24 weeks from 20 weeks. The Bill was approved in Lok Sabha on 17th March 2020.

Kaliyaganj minor rape-murder case: Calcutta HC directs state police to file a detailed report of investigation

OpIndia Staff
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Kaliyaganj minor rape-murder case: Calcutta HC directs state police to file a detailed report of investigation

The Calcutta High Court ordered a comprehensive report from Mekhilygunge Police in the case involving the untimely death of a minor girl in Kaliyaganj, West Bengal.

The state police were instructed to submit a progress report on its investigation into the incident by the next day of the hearing, May 2, 2023, by the single judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha. He also directed for the victim’s post-mortem recording to be saved for future research.

The victim’s father requested that the case be forwarded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for additional investigation. The state government was then mandated by the court to provide him with copies of the inquest and postmortem reports as well as the FIR in the case.

The deceased was claimed to be raped and tortured to death, according to the petitioner’s attorney, Krishnendu Bhattacharya, who additionally urged that the case be transferred to the CBI because the victim’s parents had lost faith in the state’s probe.

He added that the girl’s family hadn’t received any paperwork from the police yet and asked for a second postmortem because the body had been buried rather than burned to preserve the evidence. In response, the Justice stated that such an appeal is premature at this time.

The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which had also sought copies of the FIR, the inquest, and the postmortem report, was permitted by the court to gather information from the police files and the inquiry in accordance with statute.

The girl was reported missing on April 20 and her body was discovered close to a pond the next day, as per the state’s lawyer. He contended that the postmortem report found no signs of sexual assault on the body, but there were indicators of poisoning.

However, he acknowledged that dragging the body was a mistake and informed the court that four policemen had been suspended as a result.

He argued that some people started the commotion and transported the body to a nearby market area where it was intended to be burned. The police then had to remove it so that an autopsy could be performed.

The West Bengal police were subsequently instructed to provide a status report on their investigation into the death by the court.

The 17-year-old victim’s body was discovered floating in a pond on April 21 in Kaliyaganj, North Dinajpur District, West Bengal. She was allegedly raped and murdered. Following grave violence over the incident, internet services have been suspended in West Bengal’s Kaliyaganj community development block until April 30.

Uttarakhand: Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority takes cognisance of a mosque constructed illegally inside Madarsa Jami ul uloom, sends notice

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority takes cognisance of a mosque constructed illegally inside Madarsa Jami ul uloom, sends notice

Continuing the crackdown against illegally constructed madarsas and mazars in the Uttarakhand state, Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) recently sent a notice to the Madarsa Jami ul uloom in Sahaspur in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The authorities said that a mosque is being illegally constructed on the premises of the Madarsa, which was also constructed by flouting the guidelines of the development authority.

In addition, a large water tank has been built on the site, which appears to belong to the Government Jal Nigam department at first glance, but when information was obtained, it was discovered to have been illegally built privately by the Madrasa Committee.

All these structures, including the madarsa, the mosque and the water tank, as per a report by Amar Ujala, were built flouting the construction guidelines of the development authority in this area. Taking cognizance of the various complaints received about the same, the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) issued notices to the operators for getting the construction done without prior permission and proper papers.

The Tehsil administration has also begun an investigation into the illegal construction of the madarsa and the mosque on the premises. Land measurements and other documents are being scrutinised by the authorities.

The action was taken after locals complained that the madarsa was constructed by completely disregarding the construction rules and regulations. According to the complaint filed with the MDDA, the madarsa was built unlawfully by occupying the land of the Barsati River. According to the complainants, such religious places cannot be built without the authorization of the DM.

After the matter came to the fore, the village Tehsildar and Patwari, the village officer in the local authority who is responsible for measuring the land and maintaining land records, reached the area and assessed the land on which the madarsa was built. During the inspection, the administrative team was also notified that a loudspeaker had been mounted on the mosque built at the madarsa premises, which was then removed. The authorities were further notified that the construction blueprints, map and other documents were not in place after which the MDDA officials issued a notice to madarsa managers inquiring about their responses.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time MDDA authorities raised the issue with madarsa operators. In fact, they had earlier sent them a notice seeking construction plans, maps, and other papers, but they had received no answer from the owners. Following the complaint, the authorities have issued a new notice, failure to respond to which may aggravate the predicaments of the owners of Madrasa Jamiul Uloom in Sahaspur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand government launches crackdown on illegal madarsas and mazars

It may be recalled how last month, the Uttarakhand government rolled bulldozers over illegal mazars which were built by encroachment on the reserved forest land. The authorities conducted a survey and identified around 1400 religious structures built illegally on government land.

Prior to this, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated his government’s unsparing stance on illegally constructed mazars on designated forest land that are mushrooming all over the state, including the Jim Corbett National Park, one of the oldest and one of the most famous forested wildlife sanctuaries set amidst the foothills of the Himalayas in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

In September 2021, we reported a case of land jihad in Uttrakhand near Tehri Dam. We reported about an illegal mosque that was built during the early 2000s at a site in Khand-Khala Koti Colony, which was in close proximity to the dam, and since then, Hindu organizations have tried multiple times to get it removed. Recently, in the first week of September 2021, a group of local Hindus started fresh protests against the mosque and paced up the efforts to get over 150 square meters of land freed from illegal possession.

In May 2022, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced action against the mazars mushrooming everywhere in the state calling them encroachments.

In June 2022, our team visited various parts of the state, including Jim Corbett National Park, to delve into this issue further. To our horror, there were several mazars that mushroomed up inside Jim Corbett National Park, one of the oldest and one of the most famous forested wildlife sanctuaries set amidst the foothills of the Himalayas in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

OpIndia also spoke to Swami Darshan Bharti, a veteran saint working against illegal mazars and drug addicts, who raised concerns about this radical problem plaguing the state of Uttarakhand.

Swami Darshan Bharati told OpIndia that the biggest boost to the Muslim population in Uttarakhand came during the Congress government led by ND Tiwari. He stated that it was not the BJP government, but the previous Congress regime that helped illegal Roginyas settle here by preparing their official documents.

Months after OpIndia brought the demographic imbalance in Uttarakhand to the fore, the state government took cognisance of this impending issue and directed the state authorities to clear forest land of encroachment. The authorities, in turn, launched a major crackdown, rolling bulldozers over illegal mazars which were built by encroachment on the reserved forest land.

Operation Kaveri: 754 Indians evacuated from Sudan reaches Delhi and Bengaluru from Jeddah on IAF’s C-17 Globemaster planes

OpIndia Staff
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Operation Kaveri: 754 Indians evacuated from Sudan reaches Delhi and Bengaluru from Jeddah on IAF’s C-17 Globemaster planes

As the evacuation of Indians from battle-torn Sudan continues, 754 more Indians reached India today in two batches. A C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force carrying 392 passengers evacuated from Sudan landed today in Delhi, while 362 Indians reached Bengaluru in another C-17 plane.

Taking to his Twitter handle, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wrote, “#OperationKaveri update. Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi.”

The Indian Air Force C17 Globemaster took off from Jeddah airport earlier today (local time) under the supervision of MoS V Muraleedharan, who saw them off at Jeddah.

“Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon,” the MoS tweeted.

Meanwhile, another batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah on Friday, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan under ongoing Operation Kaveri.

“Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe,” tweeted Muraleedharan.

Updating about the same, Jaishankar tweeted today, “India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru.”

It is notable that V Muraleedharan is stationed in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to oversee the evacuation of Indians from Sudan via Saudi Arabis. Indians, and other foreign nationals, as being taken from Port Suran to Jeddah on ships and planes, from where they are being airlifted to their home countries.

Muraleedharan also informed that the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan reached Jeddah by INS Tarkash.

Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, further informed that a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the IAF carrying 11th batch of 135 Indians took off from Port Sudan for Jeddah.

The Indians were evacuated from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Indians are being taken from Port to Jeddah on Navy ships and C-130J planes, from where they are being flown to India on C17 jet planes. However, the finest batch was evacuated from Sudan by Saudi Arabia on its navy ships.

This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire “for an additional 72 hours” following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday.

The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings: the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital’s northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire.

The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave for safer areas.

‘Islamic extremism and terrorism biggest faith-based challenge’: UK faith advisor Colin Bloom

OpIndia Staff
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‘Islamic extremism and terrorism biggest faith-based challenge’: UK faith advisor Colin Bloom

Days after UK faith advisor Colin Bloom released his report “The Bloom Review” where several revelations were made regarding growing faith-based extremism in the United Kingdom, Bloom said in an interview with ANI that “Islamic extremism and terrorism is the biggest faith-based challenge.” He, however, added that Muslims are somehow the biggest victim of Islamic extremism.

“Most of the Muslims are kind, decent, generous people who are let down by the minority causing these problems,” Bloom said.

In the “Bloom Review,” Colin Bloom asserted the need to reinforce the difference between Islam and Islamism.

“Take action against these Sikh and Islamic groups who spread hate and glorify innocent killing and incite hate, [redacted] are misusing charity funds coming from Sikh Gurdwaras and many Islamic groups doing [the] same, no place in our civilized society for these groups, must be banned!”, the report reads.

As reported earlier, the report states that prisoners in jails across Britain are being converted to Islam by Muslim inmates and are also being provided ‘protection’ on converting. 

The report adds that Qurans were left on the beds of the new prisoners and they were given the choice to either “convert or get hurt”. 

Talking about the pro-Khalistan extremism, Bloom said that the majority of the Sikhs are the best of the British, however, there is a tiny minority that is “very aggressive and loud and is not representative of the majority of the British Sikh community.”

Bloom also added that during the evidence gathering, a significant number of Sikhs said that something needs to be done about the growing extremism within their own community. 

The government-appointed faith advisor also asserted this extremism is a big problem saying that although the extremists form only a minority, they are very aggressive and loud and are also “using collusive tactics and sometimes subversive behavior to get their point across.”

The pro-Khalistan extremists use such tactics to make all the Sikhs believe what they believe, be it about Khalistan as a state or other issues. 

Speaking about the recent attack on the Indian High Commission in Britain and if it will have any adverse impact of India-UK ties, Bloom opined that he hopes that the Indo-British ties which are one of the strongest are not damaged. He said that India and Britain have a shared history of hundreds of years adding that he hopes this continues.

“Propagating hate and divisions, trying to brainwash youth to cause divisions and hate in India, [is] really sad. [Some Sikh extremist groups] are using places of worship to fund or getting funds under the name of faith and spearheading hate, these types of organizations shouldn’t be allowed to operate in our great country,” the report states on the issue of rising Khalistani extremism in the UK.

Jailed SP MLA Irfan Solanki’s lawyer Gaurav Dikshit refuses to fight his case due to non-payment of fees, Solanki hires new lawyers Karim Ahmed and Syed Naqvi

OpIndia Staff
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Jailed SP MLA Irfan Solanki’s lawyer Gaurav Dikshit refuses to fight his case due to non-payment of fees, Solanki hires new lawyers Karim Ahmed and Syed Naqvi

The attorney of imprisoned Samajwadi party MLA Irfan Solanki, Gaurav Dikshit, has declined to represent him in court any longer on the grounds that he hasn’t received payment for the last four months and has had to pay for the costs of pursuing the proceedings against Solanki out of his own pocket.

Irfan Solanki allegedly owes a legal bill of Rs 32 lakh that has accrued over the course of four months, according to Dikshit. “I have been paying for all legal costs associated with his case from the very beginning. But for now, I am unable to defend his case,” Dikshit said in a media interview on Wednesday.

Gaurav Dikshit said that he has been asking for payment from Irfan Solanki, but the SP leader is avoiding the matter. Every time he asks for payment, Solanki’s family assures payment and gives him a date, but when the date comes, they don’t make any payment. Gaurav said that this happened several times. In the recent such conversation, they assured payment on 20 April, but when the date arrived, they went back on the assurance again.

Unhappy with the non-payment, the lawyer withdrew the bail plea of the jailed SP leader from the court on Tuesday. After that on Wednesday, he verbally told the court that he is refusing to represent his client as it is not possible for him to fight the case from his own pocket. In this context, the attorney has filed a complaint with the ADJ-1 court against the MLA.

The lawyer said that he has secured several favourable judgements for Solanki, but despite that, the family is refusing to pay him.

Talking about the matter, Joint Police Commissioner Anand Prakash Tiwari said that whatever complaint has been submitted by the lawyer, will be examined on the basis of merit.

While Gaurav Dikshit was handling all cases of Irfan Solanki, after he started asking for payment, his family recently hired two more lawyers, senior advocates Karim Ahmed and Syed  Naqvi. After the refusal of Dikshit to work for Solanki, Ahmed and Naqvi will appear for him in court in future.

Irfan and his brother Rizwan are being detained at Mahe Rajganj Prison after an FIR was filed against them under the appropriate IPC provisions in connection with the arson case, whereby he and his brother, along with others, had set a woman’s home in Defence Colony on fire. A case was filed against him at the Jajmau police station. A total of 17 cases are registered against Irfan Solanki.

It is notable that the administration has seized properties worth crores from Irfan Solanki, and has identified more properties linked to him and his family.

Poonch terror attack: Six locals who supported and sheltered terrorists arrested; Chinese weapons used in the army truck attack

OpIndia Staff
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Poonch terror attack: Six locals who supported and sheltered terrorists arrested; Chinese weapons used in the army truck attack

In a major breakthrough for the security forces in the Poonch terror attack which claimed the lives of five Rashtriya Rifles soldiers on April 20, three local men Nisar, Farid and Mushtaq who supported the terrorist in attacking the army truck has been arrested in a counter-terror operation led by the Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh.

The senior official reported that 6 people had been arrested and 221 people had been detained for harbouring and assisting terrorists. In addition, he disclosed that both this and the Dangri attack employed Chinese weapons.

Three of the six accused have been identified as Nissar Ahmed, Farid Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed. A Nasir Ahmad reportedly admitted to having housed and supported four terrorists logistically for two months previous to the ambush.

The weapons used in the terrorist strike were dropped with the help of a drone by the handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan which establishes the significant role played by the country in organising and implementing the ghastly assault. They were then collected and handed over to the terrorists by these individuals.

India’s hostile neighbour is rattled by the upcoming G20 summit scheduled to be held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir this year and is hell-bent on destabilising the area.

The search for the perpetrators is still going on. The terrorists are believed to be hiding in natural caves surrounded by thick vegetation. The security forces are taking the utmost precautions to avoid any collateral damage. Drones are being used to monitor the area, and police and army vehicles are stationed at numerous locations to keep an eye on the movements of the terrorists, who are thought to be between three and five in number and all of them are Pakistani.

MI helicopter, drones and sniffer dogs were pressed into service in a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of the cowardly attack. The forensic science lab and bomb disposal teams examined the location and recovered armour-piercing bullets with the marking ’71,’ which are reportedly manufactured at a Chinese plant.

The soldiers were deployed for counter-terror operations one of whom is still critically injured and is undergoing treatment. The outlawed terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a front for the Pakistani terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, is held responsible for the attack.

The army vehicle was transporting fruits and other supplies for an iftar gathering that was scheduled to take place in Sagiote later that day.

Supreme Court stays ED-CBI probe in municipal recruitment scam ordered by Calcutta HC, orders transfer of teacher recruitment scam case to a different judge

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court stays ED-CBI probe in municipal recruitment scam ordered by Calcutta HC, orders transfer of teacher recruitment scam case to a different judge

Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR in Kolkata in the alleged Municipality recruitment scam case on the orders of the Calcutta High Court, the Supreme Court of India stayed the High Court order. The apex court also stayed an ongoing ED investigation in the matter for a week, on a petition filed by the West Bengal government challenging the High Court order. The ED unearthed the municipal recruitment during its probe into the teacher recruitment scam.

A Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Friday had ordered a CBI probe into the matter after ED said that there were common elements in the municipal and teacher recruitment scams, including common accused persons and common beneficiaries. The ED had said in a report submitted to the court that the agents, including TMC leader Ayan Sheel, involved in the school jobs bribery scam case, were also allegedly involved in the recruitment of clerks, peons, sweepers, and drivers in various municipalities in the state.

Ordering CBI probe, the high court judge had also directed the CBI to submit a report on April 28 about the steps taken based on this order. Accordingly, the CBI filed FIR on Tuesday against Ayan Sheel and his company ABS Infozone Pvt Ltd, which was engaged in the printing and evaluation of OMR sheets, for alleged manipulation of the scores of candidates.

However, on Friday the Supreme Court of India stayed the High Court order for CBI probe in the Municipal recruitment scam after a plea was filed by the state govt challenging the HC order. The Supreme Court also stayed the probe by ED and CBI into the matter for a week.

Appearing for the Mamata Banerjee govt, Kapil Sibal said that no notice was issued to the state govt while ordering the CBI probe. On the other hand, the CBI counsel stated that state govt’s counsel was already present at the High Court when the order was issued.

Hearing the arguments, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stayed the high court order, along with staying the ED and CBI probe in the municipal recruitment scam for one week. The court ordered the state govt to file a review petition at the high court during this period.

The Municipal Recruitment scam was detected by the ED during a search of Ayan Sheel’s Salt Lake house in the teacher recruitment case, where the agency found several documents, some of which were related to recruitments to various posts in around 60 municipalities in West Bengal.

In another related order, Supreme Court also directed the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to reassign the matter concerning the Primary Teachers’ Recruitment Scam in West Bengal to another judge, which is currently heard by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. The order by the CJI comes after the Supreme Court had objected to Justice Gangopadhyay’s interview with ABP Ahanda where he had talked against TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee regarding the teacher recruitment scam. The court had remarked that “judges have no business granting interviews on matters which are pending.”

After receiving the transcript of the interview, the court directed the transfer of the case to a different judge. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected to it, saying that judges are being targeted by political leaders against whom judgements are passed. But CJI DY Chandrachud said that order has been issued only because of commenting on an ongoing case in the interview.

‘ISIS bride’ Nimisha alias Fathima, who converted to Islam to join ISIS with her husband, confirms that the story of The Kerala Story is not baseless

OpIndia Staff
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‘ISIS bride’ Nimisha alias Fathima, who converted to Islam to join ISIS with her husband, confirms that the story of The Kerala Story is not baseless

The Kerala Story, starring Adah Sharma, is set to be released on May 5 and the trailer of the film is now out. The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s movie. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has cleared the movie with an A certificate and ordered 10 cuts, and the Kerala High Court refused to stay the release of the movie.

‘The Kerala Story’ is a dramatic representation of the heartbreaking and gut-wrenching stories of women from Kerala who were radicalized to join the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) terrorist ranks. It is notable that many of these women from Kerala joining ISIS were converted to Islam from Hinduism and Christianity with the motive of sending them to the terrorist organization ISIS.

The trailer opens with a picturesque terrain of Kerala and establishes Shalini Unnikrishnan – the lead character played by Adah Sharma. The trailer subsequently details Shalini’s Hindu family through visuals before revealing that officers interrogated her because she worked as an ISIS terrorist. Shalini tells the officers, “Rather than knowing when I joined ISIS, it’s more important to know why and how I joined ISIS, Sir.”

And then the trailer shows how innocent Hindu girls are systematically trapped into love jihad and converted to Islam. 

The character of ‘Shalini Unnikrishnan’ in The Kerala Story is loosely based on Nimisha alias Fathima Isa

The character ‘Shalini Unnikrishnan’ in The Kerala Story is loosely based on the life of Nimisha alias Fathima Isa, one of the four women from Kerala who fled to Afghanistan, between 2016 and 2018, to join the terror outfit ISIS and wage war against the US forces in ISIS-controlled Khorasan Province.

The three others who fled along with Nimisha alias Fathima were identified as Sonia Sebastian alias Ayisha, Merrin Jacob alias Mariyam and Raffaela, known as ISIS brides. Nimisha is currently lodged in an Afghanistan prison after her husband, an ISIS terrorist, was killed in an attack.

Her real name is Nimisha Sampath. She was a Hindu and later embraced Islam. She also changed her name to Fathima Isa.

In November 2015, Nimisha, a BDS student, went missing from her college in Kasaragod with Rehman, and 19 others from Kerala before reaching an ISIS-controlled territory in Afghanistan. Nimisha and Merrin left Kerala for Afganistan with their husbands, Bexin Vincent and Bestin Vincent.

While Nimisha and Merrin became Fathima and Mariyam and after converting to Islam, their husbands also took the names Isha and Yahya after converting. In June-July of 2016, Nimisha gave birth to a girl named Ummu Kulusu. Reportedly, Nimisha was pregnant when she left India. 

Nimisha alias Fathima got radicalized by an ISIS frontman in Kerala Abdul Rashid. In May 2016, she left India after telling her famly that she is travelling to Sri Lanka for religious studies. But she along with her husband and others went to Syria to join the Islamic State. From Syria they moved to Afghanistan after some time. In August 2016, NIA registered an FIR and issued red corner notices against the 21 persons.

Following the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a group of 10 women and 21 children (including Nimisha and Ummu Kulusu) surrendered before Afghan authorities in October 2019. They surrendered after their husbands were killed in the fight with the forces there, after which they were put in jail. After that it became known that some Indans who had joined ISIS were lodged in an Afghan jail.

Nimisha alias Fathima, her husband Bexin and their children were spotted in a photograph from Afghanaistan in 2019, and they were identified by Nimisha’s family. They were identified from the photographs provided by the NIA officials as part of the verification. Bexin’s family also confrmed the identity.

The family had earlier alleged that it was a case of love jihad as the girl was converted. “My children were religious and patriotic. My son wanted to be a military officer and daughter chose to be a dentist,” Nimisha’s brother Bindu had said. She had also said that Fathima was also forcibly subjected to abortion by Syed Rahman.

Bindu Sampath had said that her daughter was was “brainwashed” at a coaching centre in Thiruvananthapuram by terrorists and a doctor. She also said that Nimisha didn’t know that her husband was a ISIS terrorist.

In Kerala, Fathima’s mother Bindu K filed a petition seeking the repatriation of her daughter and four-year-old granddaughter. Bindu alleged that her daughter was a victim of targeted conversion to Islam through marriage or, ‘Love Jihad’. Bindu also moved the Supreme Court seeking a probe by a central agency into the religious conversions by extremist groups.

The Indian investigation agencies interviewed the four women living with children in Kabul. During the interview with the women, the investigation agencies found out that they have a strong stance in favour of Islamic terrorism.

Govt of India had declined to facilitate return of four Kerala women who had joined ISIS

The government of India had earlier announced that it would not allow the return of four Kerala women who had joined ISIS namely Sonia alias Ayisha, Merrin Jacob alias Mariyam, Nimisha alias Fathima, and another woman named Raffaela. 

Soon after, Bindu Sampath, the mother of ISIS terrorist Nimisha Fathima urged the Indian government to bring her daughter back from Afghanistan. She had reportedly said, “I’ve heard that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very kind-hearted person. I have full faith in him.”

Bindu lamented that she had not received any communication from the Indian government so far. “But I am very positive because there will be other views also in the government. I am banking on that. I believe in God. I am sure that God will create a situation for her return,” she had opined.

Notably, when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, jails were broken and many former prisoners were set free. Since the Taliban are running the country and it is not formally recognised by most governments in the world, there is no status update on former prisoners of the erstwhile government of Afghanistan. Indian citizens residing in Afghanistan legally with valid documents were evacuated by special flights arranged by the Indian government.

Reportedly, Nimisha Fathima and her daughter were among the hundreds of prisoners released by the Taliban, and the Taliban authorities had offered to deport them to India, along with other Indians. But the Indian govt decided not to bring them back.

From radicalization to forced conversion to ISIS connection, there is an obvious resemblance in the life journeys of Shalini Unnikrishnan, the lead character played by Adah Sharma in the upcoming Bollywood film The Kerala Story, and Nimisha Sampath alias Fathima Isa. In the trailer, the character named Shalini Unnikrishnan says that there were 32,000 women like her who joined ISIS and have now landed in Afghanistan jail.

‘The Kerala Story’ narrates the pain of such converted Muslim women from Kerala who were sent to ISIS as terrorists only to get buried in the deserts of Yemen and Syria. A dreaded game of converting a normal girl to an ISIS terrorist is being played in Kerala for the last few years. Increasing radicalization in the southern state because of the activities of Islamist organizations like the Popular Front of India and its other allied outfits is responsible for this trafficking of girls to the gulf.

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