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Suspected spy pigeon with camera and microchip tied on legs caught by fishermen in Odisha, handed over to police

OpIndia Staff
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Suspected spy pigeon with camera and microchip tied on legs caught by fishermen in Odisha, handed over to police

A suspected spy pigeon was seized by Marine Police in Odisha on Wednesday, 2 days after it was caught from a fishing boat in the Jagtsinghshpur district. The bird was caught by fishermen of a trawler named Sarathi on March 6.

The suspected ‘flying agent’ was found with a tiny spy camera and a chip that appeared like a GPS device, tied to its legs. The bird was captured by the fisherman when it sat on the trawler which was anchored. Immediately after capturing the pigeon, the alert fishermen covered the spy camera on its leg with black tape. The fishermen later handed it over to the marine police after reaching Paradip Fishing Harbour yesterday.

The fishermen say that something was written on the body of the bird in a foreign language that couldn’t be understood. The message was written in blue and red colour.

Prakash Behera, a fisherman, said, “The trawler was anchored near Ramchandi lighthouse in Konark when the pigeon perched on it. We found a GPS chip and camera fitted to the leg of the pigeon. The Marine Police have taken the bird into custody. We have never seen such a pigeon attached with a camera and GPS device.”

Behera added that he was feeding the bird after its capture till it was handed over to the police.

The pigeon was found with something that looked like a camera and a GPS device attached to its legs

Paradip ASP Nimai Charan Sethi while talking to ANI said that the devices attached to the pigeon couldn’t be verified. The police said that the pigeon with all the material before a cyber expert to find out the truth.

Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Rahul PR while speaking about the incident said “Our veterinarians will examine the bird. We will seek the help of the State Forensic Science Laboratory for examining the devices attached to its legs. It appears that the devices are a camera and a microchip”.

It is to be noted that several such incidents have happened in the past. On one occasion a pigeon that had the tag Jabaz Khan managed to escape and fly toward the neighboring country.

B.Ed student making video of a gunfight between two groups shot dead in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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B.Ed student making video of a gunfight between two groups shot dead in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, video goes viral

A B.Ed student was shot dead in Bhagalpur of Bihar when he was making a video of a gunfight between two groups. The incident took place on 8th March 2023 in the Rajendra Nagar area of Navgachhiya in Bhagalpur. The youth Ashish was shot in the chest while shooting a video of the scuffle between two groups of local corporators and their goons. He was immediately taken to the hospital but he died during the treatment.

According to reports, the incident took place in Rajendra Colony under the Navgachhiya police station area where Ashish was shot when he was observing the fight between two groups from the terrace of a building. A video of the incident, taken by a person standing near Ashish, has gone viral, which shows that a stray bullet from the gunfight below hit the student and he fell down immediately. The person making the video is seen dropping his phone and screaming ‘Ashish, Ashish’, after seeing the youth falling down.

After being shot, the student was brought to Navgachhia Sub-Divisional Hospital for treatment. After first aid, he was referred to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur for better treatment. The doctors there declared the student dead.

Ashish’s brother Sachin said that there was a fight between two groups in the street near his house. In the meantime, they went to the terrace to see the scuffle. His brother was also with him. As soon as the two groups clashed, a group opened fire. Ashish was shot in the chest by a bullet fired by someone from the people involved in the fight. Ashish was a second-year student at the Barari teachers’ training college. His father Pradeep Pandit owns a hardware shop in Navgachhiya

According to a report by Prabhat Khabar, Lal Singh, brother of Manish Singh who is a councilor of ward number 10, was badly beaten up by Navgachhiya Municipal Council chairman Preeti Kumari’s husband W Yadav, his brother Pappu Yadav, a gunner, and many other unidentified people. Councillor Manish Singh also reached the spot to rescue his brother. Amid the assault, W Yadav and his associates started firing from the rifles they were carrying, turning the scuffle into a gunfight. They also fired in the air, which resulted in Ashish getting hit on the terrace.

The police are investigating the incident and analysing the video. In the video, the incident of Ashish being shot after the firing is captured. The police have started the process of post-mortem and raids are underway to arrest the accused. Navgachhiya SP Sushant Kumar Saroj said, “The incident has been reported. A video related to this has also surfaced. It is being investigated. Whoever is guilty will not be spared at any cost. Also, a team has been deployed to arrest the accused.”

NCW takes cognisance after video of Rajasthan police dragging and manhandling widows of 2019 Pulwama attack martyrs goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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NCW takes cognisance after video of Rajasthan police dragging and manhandling widows of 2019 Pulwama attack martyrs goes viral

The deadlock between the Congress-led Rajasthan government and the widows of Pulwama martyrs, which entered its 5th day today, has turned murkier. The National Commission for Women (NCW) Thursday (March 9) took cognisance of the video that went viral on social media on March 4, showing Rajasthan cops, working at the behest of the Congress govt, assaulting the widows of 2019 Pulwama attack martyrs.

Taking to Twitter, NCW wrote that it has taken cognizance and Chairman Rekha Sharma has written to DGP Rajasthan to personally investigate the case. The NCW has also directed the DGP to initiate an investigation into the women’s complaints of harassment and assault against police officers. It has also directed the police to submit a detailed ATR to them.

The video which was widely shared on Twitter was first shared by BJP Rajya Sabha member Kirori Lal Meena on March 4. The BJP leader, notably, has been at the forefront to help the widows of the Pulwama martyrs to get their due compensation promised by the Congress govt in Rajasthan. He had accompanied the widows of the 2019 Pulwama attack martyrs to the protest site.

In the video, a huge group of Rajasthan police, mostly female officers, can be seen manhandling and dragging three women protesting against the unfulfilled promises made by the Ashok Gehlot Govt. The cops first asked the women sitting in protest to move to one corner of the street. The cops then forcefully dragged and picked up the protestors and threw them in a police van, while the women continued to resist and protest.

According to reports, the women were protesting against the unfulfilled promises on part of the state government and were on their way to meet CM Ashok Gehlot when they were dragged and thrashed by Rajasthan cops. Reports said that some women protesters were injured during the face-off while a few of them had fallen sick.

‘Beaten, stripped and pricked with a pin’: Manju Jat, the wife of Rohitash Lamba, who died in the Pulwama terror attack narrates her ordeal

Manju Jat, the wife of Rohitash Lamba, who died in the Pulwama terror attack, was injured in police action and was taken to hospital. In a subsequent video that went viral, she could be seen crying and explaining how they were manhandled and thrashed by the Rajasthan cops. “Why were we attacked? We were there to raise our demands,” she broke down.

Manju Jat also wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleging that the police beat her up, stripped her clothes and even pricked her with a pin. She alleged that the police threw her as if she was a gunny bag when she was going to meet the Chief Minister.

“Unable to bear the torture by the police, I am on an infinite hunger strike since March 4 and the Chief Minister will be responsible if something happens to me,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has also written to Ashok Gehlot, asking him to look into the matter. Mishra said that the four war widows have sent a letter to him seeking permission for euthanasia, as he urged the Chief Minister to ensure that the right action is taken.

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has shared a video of CRPF jawan Rohitash Lamba’s widow Manju, saying that Gehlot should stop this ‘dictator-like’ behaviour.

Referring to Manju’s allegations of police brutality, Shekhawat said that instead of taking the necessary action, the Chief Minister is issuing statements on Twitter to blame her. “The government should break the fast of the widows of Pulwama martyrs. Gehlot ji, this dictatorship will not work,” Shekhawat said.

Meanwhile, a four-member BJP delegation on Wednesday met Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and sought his intervention in fulfilling the demands of the widows of three CRPF jawans martyred in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.

The delegation was led by Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and included former minister Arun Chaturvedi and MLAs Ashok Lahoti and Ramlal Sharma.

Submitting a memorandum to Mishra, the delegation sought his intervention in the matter. Later, the governor wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and asked him to resolve the issue after considering the rules.

The wives of the three slain forces personnel had earlier staged a dharna at the Shahid Smarak over the non-fulfilment of promises that the state government made to them after the attack.

“When my husband became a shaheed (martyr), the ministers who visited us, the media, we all saw them praising him. We thought that we will send our children too to fight for our country. But with folded hands, we say that we will not send our kids…Nobody is with us today. The government doesn’t listen to us, instead uses police to disperse us. Why do they call us Veerangana when our voices are not heard,” Manju told Indian Express on March 3.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accuses BJP of using Pulwama martyrs’ wives for political mileage

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday targeted the BJP, saying some of its leaders were disrespecting the widows of martyrs and using them to gain political mileage.

Without directly naming BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who has been sitting on a dharna with the widows of the martyrs, Gehlot said in a statement, “Some BJP leaders are disrespecting the wives of the martyrs by using them to gain political mileage. This has never been the tradition in Rajasthan. I condemn it.”

The widows’ demands include installing statues of the slain jawans, giving jobs to their family members on compassionate grounds and construction of roads in their villages.

Pulwama terror attack

On February 14, 2019, a convoy of vehicles carrying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel to Srinagar via National Highway 44 came under a suicide bombing attack.

22-year-old Adil Ahmad Dar, a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Kakapora in Jammu and Kashmir, rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a bus carrying the CRPF personnel. 40 jawans were martyred in the attack.

Brahmapuram waste plant fire turns Kochi into a ‘gas chamber’, HC lambasts Kerala govt: here is all you need to know

Shraddha Pandey
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Brahmapuram waste plant fire turns Kochi into a ‘gas chamber’, HC lambasts Kerala govt: here is all you need to know

Kochi, the port city of Kerala has become a ‘gas chamber’ due to the toxic smoke emerging from the fire at Brahmapuram solid waste plant, the Kerala High Court said on Tuesday as it took suo motu cognizance of the outbreak of fire on March 2 at landfill used by the Kochi Corporation as a dump for the city’s domestic waste.

A Divisional bench comprising Justices SV Bhatti and Basant Balaji stressing the need for implementation of rules in the state holistically said, “The State of Kerala claims to be number one in literacy. The bench would also like to know if Kerala would become number one in protecting the environment and implementing solid waste management and handling rules.”

The bench noted that there are a large number of water bodies in the state which have been converted into dump sites. Justice Bhatti spoke of the “pathetic woes of the water bodies which had been turned to waste dumping sites” in a state known for its backwater ecosystems.

The bench also summoned the Secretary of the Kochi Corporation, the District Collector Ernakulam, and the chairman of the Kerala Pollution Control Board (KPCB).

The bench asked a number of questions in the post-lunch session, such as if the fire was ‘man-made’, whether the plant was routinely inspected, and what procedures were taken to prevent unlawful waste dumping.

Also, the KPCB’s documents were described as being “far from reality” by the bench. In addition, the court declared that it would see to it that Kochi’s waste management is streamlined by June 6.

This comes after Justice Devan Ramachandran wrote a letter to the Chief Justice seeking High Court’s intervention in the matter. The Kerala HC, however, converted it into a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL).

‘Backdoor deals’ and corruption 

Brahmapuram waste treatment plant carries out three major works, bio-mining of legacy waste, windrow composting of daily waste, and plastic waste segregation. The recent fire outbreak has exposed the deep-rooted corruption and influence of political parties in granting contracts to their favourites for waste treatment plant-related projects.

Officials from Kochi Corporation alleged that they were under intense pressure to give approval to the Rs 54-crore bio-mining project proposed by Bengaluru-based Zonta Infratech. Councilor CA Shakeer stated that Zonta had not undertaken any biomining-related activities at the site, as reported by The New Indian Express.

After biomining, the company was tasked with removing the Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) from the site in accordance with the contract. Instead, Zonta was given permission by the government to store RDF on the 20 acres of property it had leased to Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (KSIDC) so that it could construct a waste-to-energy facility. Without performing any work, the corporation had to pay roughly Rs. 11–12 crores for the use of the site’s power. “All they’ve done is move the heap of legacy waste to another location, bury it underground, or burn it,” Shakeer told The New Indian Express.

Notably, in order to extract plastic, metal, glass, combustibles, other fine debris, and soil from landfills for recycling, a process called bio-mining is used.

Reportedly, Rajkumar Chellappan, the son-in-law of former LDF convener Vaikom Viswan, is a partner in Zonta Infratech. Zonta further gave a subcontract worth Rs 17 crore to a firm related to a senior Congress leader. 

The state government assigned KSIDC to tender the bio-mining task in accordance with the Disaster Management Act Provision. Zonta was awarded the contract by KSIDC, and Kochi Corporation served as the implementing organization.

An official stated that the contract required the Corporation to pay 15% when each 25% of the land was reclaimed. After Zonta submitted the file, the corporation informed the government in writing that the work was unsatisfactory and that it would not be paying the requested sum. After that, the chief secretary summoned a meeting and asked KSIDC for an explanation, which they provided in favour of Zonta.

The LSGD Minister MB Rajesh called a meeting and instructed the corporation to pay 50% of the 15% fee which amounted to Rs 4 crore to the company.

According to Tony Chammany, former Mayor of Kochi, Zonta only has expertise with capping projects, whereas a company must have experience implementing bio-mining projects worth at least Rs 10 crore to be eligible to participate in the tender. Chammany while speaking to BOOM Live claimed that Zonta was given the contract because “the daughter of a prominent CPM leader, had stakes in it.”

Notably, the Kochi Corporation was recently fined Rs. 1.8 crore by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board for violating the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.

Brahmapuram Waste Plant fire rocks Kerala Assembly

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State assembly VD Satheeshan on Wednesday demanded that the Kerala government should declare a health emergency following the fire that broke out at Brahmapuram Waste Plant, claiming that the toxic smoke from the waste mound fire has created serious health problems for the people living in the vicinity.

As reported by ANI, smoke from the fire at the solid waste treatment plant of the Kochi Corporation that started on March 2 spread to the surrounding region and can pose hazardous health issues the opposition leader said. Satheesan alleged that the government was not taking action in the matter. 

The LoP claimed that various departments including health, local self-government, and disaster management were inactive at Brahmapuram.

“The government should take action and effective implementation to cut the fire. But they are not taking any action. The LSGD, the health department, the disaster management wing, and the fire force are not taking sufficient action. The fire force is doing a lot of work but has been unable to douse the fire and had to seek help from the central government also. Otherwise, it will cause serious issues,” Satheeshan said.

The state Minister for Local Self Government Institutions MB Rajesh had in the Assembly said that that the situation at Brahmapuram was under control and there was no cause for concern or panic.
However, Satheesan said that the government should declare a health emergency and take necessary steps in this regard. According to him, this is a clear case of corruption and the corrupt contractors are behind this. He demanded action against the corrupt people also.

Taking to Twitter, Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, V Muraleedharan slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government for remaining ‘missing’ while the city of Kochi is choking.

“People can’t breath. Kids & the elderly are suffocating. Waste collection put on hold. Water streams shut. Kochi is Choking! @pinarayivijayan Missing. Shame! @CPIMKerala & DFYI’s reps who protested opp. Brazil Embassy for Amazon Fire are shamelessly ignoring #Brahmapuram,” V Muraleedharan tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government in a damage control move on Wednesday transferred Renu Raj, the district collector, Ernakulam, and appointed her to the Wayanad district; she will be succeeded by NSK Umesh, a chief secretary’s staff officer.

Notably, to put out the fires at the waste plant, thirty fire tenders, two Navy helicopters, and more than 120 firefighters were deployed. Cochin Port Trust, Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore, Bharat Petroleum, and Cochin International Airport all contributed about 20 firefighting units to the operation. In order to put out the fires, Kadambrayar river water was used. The active fire zones received more than 5,000 liters of water, which helped put out the fire.

Threatened by ex-girlfriend, man uses Bengaluru traffic to run away from his newlywed bride

OpIndia Staff
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Threatened by ex-girlfriend, man uses Bengaluru traffic to run away from his newlywed bride

On March 5, a woman filed a complaint against her husband, who allegedly fled a day after their marriage. As per reports, the couple got married on February 16. The couple was stuck in a traffic jam the next day of the wedding after visiting a Church. The man, who was sitting in the front seat, ran away while the car was stuck in the jam. The 22-year-old wife ran after him but failed to catch up. The incident took place in the Mahadevapura area.

After waiting for him to return for two weeks, the wife filed a complaint with the police. Reports suggest that the man was being blackmailed by his ex-girlfriend, who threatened to leak photographs and videos of their intimate moments online. In her complaint, the woman said, “His lover threatened to upload pictures of their private moments on social media. Fearing this exposure, he fled.”

Reports suggest that the man informed his would-be bride about the blackmail before the marriage. She assured him that she and her family would stand by him. Once his mother came to know about the affair, he promised her to leave the ex-girlfriend, a mother of two. They met in Goa, where the man assisted his father in running a manpower agency. The ex-girlfriend was the daughter of one of the drivers in the company and worked as a clerk.

Speaking to the Times of India, the complainant said, “Fearing this (blackmail), he ran away. He was also showing suicidal tendencies. Hope he is safe and will return soon.”

The police have initiated an investigation into the matter and trying to trace the runaway groom.

Uttar Pradesh: Madarsa cleric Tufail Khan converts Chandra Shekhar luring him with Govt job, latter reverts to Hinduism after realising he was duped

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Madarsa cleric Tufail Khan converts Chandra Shekhar luring him with Govt job, latter reverts to Hinduism after realising he was duped

Although the Yogi Adityanath-led government has taken strict measures to implement the anti-conversion law in the state, terrible cases of forced religious conversion continue to emerge from Uttar Pradesh. In one such instance, a Madarsa cleric named Tufail Khan deceived a Hindu man named Chandra Shekhar Yadav into converting to Islam by promising to secure him a government job. Tufail also promised a house in Delhi and told Chandra Shekhar that he would marry him to his sister-in-law if he converted. This incident was reported on February 28, from the city of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.

According to reports, Tufail Khan not only converted Chandra Shekhar but also forcefully performed ‘khatna’ (circumcision) on him by sedating him. He got a new Aadhar card prepared for Chandra Shekhar, wherein he named him Mohammad Hilal. Chandra Shekhar alias Mohammed Hilal was then confined at Tufail Khan’s madarsa, where he was also made to perform namaz and adhere to other Islamic rituals. Eventually, when Chandra Shekhar realised he has been duped into converting by Tufail Khan, he returned to his hometown and reverted to Hinduism.

Chandra Shekhar also filed an FIR against the accused Maulana and his wife, both residents of Delhi, based on which the Amroha police started investigating the matter.

How Tufail Khan tricked Uttar Pradesh resident Chandra Shekhar

According to reports, in 2013, Chandra Shekhar Yadav, son of Shyam Singh Yadav, moved to Delhi from the Naugaja in Amroha in search of work. During his stay, Chandrashekhar Yadav started frequenting Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in the national capital where he met Maulana Tufail Khan, a resident of the Madina Mosque in the Nizamuddin area. Tufail also runs a madarsa in the area. The two became good friends.

It is alleged that Tufail tricked Chandra Shekhar to convert to Islam under the pretext of getting him a government job, getting him a house in Delhi, and getting him married to his sister-in-law. Chandra Shekhar Yadav walked straight into Tufail’s trap.

In March 2015, Tufail and his wife converted Chandra Shekhar to Islam and named him Mohammad Hilal. After the conversion, Tufail and his wife took Chandra Shekhar alias Mohammed Hilal to the madarsa where he was given religious training and forced to offer Namaz.

In May 2015, Tufail along with four others approached Chandra Shekhar and started forcing him to get circumcised. Terrified Chandra Shekhar fleed the Madarsa and returned to his village in Amroha. Five days later, Maulana Tufail went to Amroha with four of his associates and circumcised Chandra Shekhar alias Hilal after sedating him. A few days later, Tufail returned to Delhi along with Chandra Shekhar and kept him in his madarsa. For the next two years, Tufail paid Chandra Shekhar ten thousand rupees as a stipend for his monthly expenditures. Throughout this time, Chandra Shekhar pestered Tufail to fulfill his commitments of marriage, a house, and a government job, but Tufail ignored his requests.

Chandrashekhar alias Mohammad Halil reverts to Hinduism

Finally, in 2017, there was a fallout between the two. By now, Chandra Shekhar realised that Tufail Khan had tricked him to convert to Islam by making false promises. He returned to Amroha and reverted to Hinduism.

After this, the conversion gang led by Tufail Khan, on multiple occasions, threatened him with dire consequences, which prevented Chandra Shekhar from approaching the police or discussing his ordeal with anybody.

He quietly started working as a Class IV employee in a private bank in Moradabad. Due to the Covid lockdown, however, he lost his job. Chandra Shekhar is currently employed in a bakery in Delhi’s Bhagel area.

Complaint letter sent to Uttar Pradesh CM and SP

In 2022, when Chandrashekhar learned that someone else had filed a complaint against Maulana Tufail in Muzaffarnagar, he too mustered the courage and decided to raise his voice against the atrocities he underwent at the hands of the cleric. He wrote letters of complaint to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the SP of Amroha.

An FIR has been filed against Maulana Tufail Khan and his wife Afreen based on the complaint, said CO Sadar Vijay Kumar Rana, adding that the victim’s statement has also been recorded and investigations are underway.

Assam creates World Record with almost 43 lakh handwritten essays on Lachin Borphukan, certificate handed over to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

OpIndia Staff
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Assam creates World Record with almost 43 lakh handwritten essays on Lachin Borphukan, certificate handed over to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam has achieved a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of handwritten notes submitted for a common purpose. The authorities of the record keeping organization handed over the certificate to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at an event held in Guwahati today. Around 43 lakh handwritten essays on Lachin Borphukan were submitted by the people of Assam and everywhere else in the world.

A total of 42,94,350 handwritten notes on the Ahom general were submitted, which were put together to create the largest online photo album of handwritten notes, according to the website of Guinness World Records.

The essays were submitted as part of the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan after the govt of Assam had appealed to the people to pay tribute to the legendary Ahom army commander by writing essays on him as part of the celebrations. In November 2022, the Assam govt launched a portal as part of the initiative, where people from all across the world could upload their essays. Apart from the portal, a mobile app was also launched for this purpose.

People could write their essays on paper and upload the images of the handwritten essays, could type and print the essay and upload its scanned copy, or also had the option of directly typing on the portal. The essays could be written free-form, while the govt had also provided a pre-formatted booklet based on which the essays could be written.

Over 57 lakh essays on Lachit Borphukan were submitted during this initiative, but the Guinness World Records considered only the images of handwritten essays, as the title of the record is a photo album of the largest number of handwritten notes. Therefore, 42,94,350 handwritten essays among all the submissions were considered for the record, as the rest were scans of printed copies or directly uploaded text on the portal.

After the essays were submitted, they were thoroughly checked to confirm that they were not images of blank pages or pages with random text, and this verification was accepted by the authorities.

It is notable that when the essay initiative was launched, it was not started with the aim of creating any record. It was only an effort to get common people to participate in the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan. The fact that it may have created a record came up incidentally some time ago, during the preparation for an event specifically designed to create a Guinness record, the largest number of people dancing Bihu.

Assam govt is creating this record with over 11,000 people dancing the Bihu dance on April 14 this year, the first day of Bohag Bihu. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Assam govt has invited all governors and all chief ministers in the country and the G20 representatives in the country to attend the event to be held in Guwahati. The record is aimed at popularising Bihu globally.

While working towards creating this record on Bihu dance, officials realised that Lachit Borphukan essays may have also created a record. When they contacted the Guinness World Records authorities, it was confirmed that it is indeed a world record.

After that, the representatives of the Guinness World Records verified the records, and handed over the certificate of the record to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma at an event in Guwahati.

ED raids locations linked to separatist leader Qazi Yasir over his links to scam involving allotment of MBBS seats in Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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ED raids locations linked to separatist leader Qazi Yasir over his links to scam involving allotment of MBBS seats in Pakistan

On March 9, Enforcement Directorate raided multiple locations, including the house of separatist leader Qazi Yasir and Jammu & Kashmir Salvation Movement chairman Zaffar Bhat. As per reports, the raids were conducted in connection with the MBBS Seat allotment scam.

The official said raids are being conducted in connection with the case of allotting MBBS seats to J&K residents in different colleges in Pakistan, the authorities said.

Notably, Yasir’s shopping complex was demolished by authorities in Anantnag last month as it was built on encroached government land. The raids took place in Srinagar’s Bagh-e-Mehtab and Anantnag’s Qazi Mohalla. The agency also raided one of Syed Khalid Geelani’s houses.

In January this year, National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached the office of Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar’s Rajbagh area after Delhi Court ordered the same in a terror funding case. In the notice pasted outside Hurriyat’s office, the agency informed the public that the office was in the name of Nayim Ahmed Khan, who was facing trial in NIA Court, Patiala House Court, New Delhi.

On February 2, the authorities demolished the business complex owned by Qazu Yasir in Anantnag. A JCB bulldozer was used to partially demolish sections of the structure, which had allegedly been built illegally on government property near the stadium in Anantnag. The demolition was carried out in the morning by Jammu and Kashmir police and officials from the Anantnag district administration’s revenue department. The building was yet to be rented out. The building was sealed and scheduled to be handed over to the Municipal Council, Anantnag.

From hawala network to radical literature: Here is what has been found during raids on banned terror outfit PFI

Siddhi Somani
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From hawala network to radical literature: Here is what has been found during raids on banned terror outfit PFI

On Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested five members of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) and shattered a multi-state hawala network financing the operations of the organization. The NIA made the arrests and busted the network during the investigation of the Phulwarisharif PFI case in Bihar.

The arrested persons have been identified as PFI members Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Iqbal, and Abdul Rafeek M of Karnataka and Abid K M of Kerala. The agency stated that though the organization has been banned on September 27 last year, its members and leaders continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism. The agency also said that the members had arranged arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

According to the reports, NIA teams have been conducting thorough searches since Sunday in Kasargod (Kerala) and Dakshin Kannada (Karnataka). Eight places were searched, and as a result, several digital gadgets and incriminating documents with information on transactions totalling several crores of rupees were seized.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesman stated that the arrest came as a result of tracing and monitoring the money that the PFI was moving around the nation, particularly in Kerala, Karnataka, and Bihar. The spokesperson said that the agency’s investigations into the Phulwarisharif PFI case of Bihar had revealed a significant network of hawala operators in the southern part of the country.

“A PFI funding-by-hawala module operating out of Bihar and Karnataka with roots in the UAE has been busted with the arrests of the five operatives,” the agency official was quoted as saying.

“PFI cadres in Phulwari Sharif and Motihari had vowed to continue PFI activities in a clandestine manner in Bihar and had also arranged a firearm and ammunition recently to eliminate a youth of a particular community in Bihar’s East Champaran district. Three operatives of the module had been arrested on February 5,” the spokesperson added.

According to the official, those detained in Kerala and Karnataka have been proven to have actively participated in PFI’s criminal conspiracy to transport and channel money obtained illegally from outside of India for distribution to the leaders and members of the banned outfit.

The spokesman stated that seven of the accused had already been detained when they had convened in the Phulwari Sharif region of Patna, Bihar, in July of last year to prepare for and carry out acts of terror and violence. Reports mention that the NIA followed the leads since July last year and reached Nawaz and Sinan who were observed making deposits into the accounts of PFI case suspects and accusers.

“Dogged pursuit of the money trail and connecting the dots, the NIA managed to unravel the international conspiracy and linkages to the funds while investigating Iqbal and other associates who had collected illegally generated funds from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and handed them over to Sinan, Nawaz, Rafeek, and Abid in India,” the official stated.

As per the investigations, the arrested accused Sarfaraz, Sinan, and Rafeek transferred money into different bank accounts of the case suspects. Further inquiries, according to the NIA, are being made to identify and close the PFI’s criminal domestic and foreign financing conduits.

It is in July last year, that the National Investigation Agency took over the investigation of the Phulwari Sharif terror module case from Bihar and registered a case under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The development came after the Ministry of Home Affairs handed over the case to the NIA.

PFI planned terror attack at Phulwa Sharif to take revenge against comments by Nupur Sharma

The NIA earlier, in the last year also arrested a Maulavi named Asghar Ali from Dhaka Bazar of Motihari in connection with the Phulwari Sharif case. Accused Asghar Ali was a teacher in the Jamia Maria Misawa Madrasa in Dhaka Bazar. Notably prior to his arrest, the Bihar Police had arrested five persons in the case. A total of 26 people have been named in the FIR registered in the case.

The five arrested individuals include Md Jalaluddin and Athar Parvez who had trained around 26 people for creating violence at PM Modi’s event in Patna on July 12. Md Jalaluddin was a former police officer from Jharkhand while Parvez is believed to be a member of PFI and its political arm SDPI.

The Police back then also recovered the relevant documents from the accused to discover that the PFI was hurt by the alleged ‘blasphemous’ statements made by ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and that they had made a plan to take revenge against the alleged remarks. The FIR registered in the matter also mentioned that the accused belonging to the terrorist organization had planned to disturb the event in which PM Modi had participated on July 12.

During the interrogation, the Police discovered that the arrested accused Parvez was in frequent contact with members of several foreign organizations and was seeking foreign funding to carry out anti-India operations. Suspected terrorist training had also begun in Phulwari Sharif 15 days before PM Modi’s visit.

The Police also recovered an objectionable, anti-India document named ‘India vision 2047’ which talked about ‘subjugating coward majority community’ and establishing Islamic rule in the country when India would complete 100 years of Independence.

MHA outlaws PFI in 2022

Later in September last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs imposed a ban on the Islamist organization, Popular Front of India, and its affiliate organizations. The MHA issued a notification and stated that the organizations including All India Imams Council, Campus Front of India (CFI), Rehab India Foundation, National Conf of Human Rights Org, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala operated unlawfully and needed to be banned under UAPA.

The ban came after two rounds of massive searches by the NIA in a multi-agency investigation against the organization for sponsoring terror operations in the nation. The initial series of raids occurred on September 22 last year, with a follow-up on September 27 in multiple states, resulting in the arrest of at least 250 persons associated with PFI.

The NIA, then also recovered several incriminating materials from the PFI hubs located in around 17 states of the country. Prominent among them include a brochure and CD related to ‘Mission 2047’. Further, a huge amount of undocumented cash was recovered from the PFI leaders of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and also document in a ‘short course on how to make IEDs using easily available materials’. Meanwhile, pen drives containing videos related to ISIS, and Gajwa-e-Hind were found from the Uttar Pradesh PFI leadership and Marine radio sets from Tamil Nadu PFI leadership. Many such other materials including wireless communication devices were taken into custody by the official.

Marine radio establishing sea terror links

While the NIA officials recovered the ‘Mission 2047’ document and PE training material from the PFI hideout in Maharashtra, it recovered GPS-enabled wireless communication devices and marine radio sets from the PFI leaders of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Two wireless sets, Lowrance LHR-80 Floating Handheld VHF with GPS, were seized. Wireless gadgets are used to map water routes and as reported earlier, the PFI members may have been utilizing them for sea terror actions and money exchange.

Pen drives include video of Gajwa-e-Hind, 1993 Bombay riots

The NIA during the raids also recovered several pen drives and other digital devices including three mobile phones from the PFI hideout in Uttar Pradesh. The devices contained a video of ISIS, a video of Gajwa-e-Hind, a video of a provocative speech, and a few video clips from the Islamic States. The pen drive also contained videos related to the 1993 Bombay riots and Kashmiri Mujahid. The PFI members had plans to spread the roots of the organization to almost every household by 2047. They also had plans to establish Islamic rule in the country by 2047, the year that would mark 100 years of the country’s independence.

For this purpose, the PFI leaders had prepared a document named ‘Mission 2047’ which had an “Internal document, Not for circulation”, written on it. The document stated that the Muslims in the country are denied their rights and that they should increase their population and target Hindus to become a political power in the coming 25 years.

Promoting Love Jihad and religious conversion

The investigating agencies also revealed that the PFI activists were deliberately encouraging the Islamists to trap Hindu women in love affairs and produce more children ultimately expanding the Muslim community. The PFI asked its cadres and other Muslims to force the Hindu women to convert their religion to Islam. At every PFI gathering, the activist would influence Muslims to run the agenda of love jihad and religious conversion. The organization had also declared a financial reward of Rs 2 lakh, a shop, and a house to anyone who would convert a Hindu girl to Islam. Reports mention that several Islamic organizations from several Islamic countries provided funds to the PFI for this purpose.

PFI organizations getting re-activated

Though the Islamist organization has been banned by the Central Government, the members and leaders seem to be working to turn India into an Islamic country by 2047. Recently, the NIA team conducted a secret operation in a crowded part of Vadodara city, Gujarat, and arrested three radicalized PFI members.

Also, the investigating agency conducted raids at seven locations in Rajasthan about cases of unlawful activities by the Popular Front of India (PFI), a banned outfit. The raids were conducted at three places in Kota and one each in Madhopur, Bhilwara, Bundi, and Jaipur districts on residential and commercial premises of PFI suspects. The agency recovered digital devices, an airgun, sharp weapons, and incriminating documents during the raids.

Further on February 5, three members of the banned organization were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police on charges of conspiring against the government and indulging in unlawful activities. The three accused were identified as Gulam Rasool Shah (37), Sajid Khan aka Gulam Nabi (56), and Parvez Khan (30). The three were engaged in training and instigating people to work for the organization by visiting various areas of the state.

The agency booked them under Indian Penal Code Sections 121A (conspiracy to wage war against government), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national integration), and 120B (criminal conspiracy), besides provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The MHA in the notice issued on September 28 had stated that some PFI activists had joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and taken part in terrorist acts in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Some of these PFI cadres affiliated with ISIS were executed in these conflict zones, while others were apprehended by state police and central authorities. According to the government, PFI has ties to Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned terrorist organization, and some of its founding members are leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), another banned organization.

The Home Ministry went on to say that the PFI’s office-bearers and cadres, along with others, were scheming and soliciting cash from within and beyond India via banking channels, ‘hawala’, and contributions as part of a “well-crafted criminal conspiracy.”

‘Locked inside hostel premises, asked to call our guardians’: Female students of Delhi University protest against ‘curbs’ on movement during Holi

OpIndia Staff
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‘Locked inside hostel premises, asked to call our guardians’: Female students of Delhi University protest against ‘curbs’ on movement during Holi

On Wednesday, March 8, the women students at Delhi University’s Rajiv Gandhi Hostel for Girls (RGHG) alleged that the varsity authorities locked them inside the hostel premises, barring them from going out on the occasion of Holi which also coincided with International Women’s Day. The students reportedly raised slogans and protested against the curbs that barred them from going out until 6 pm on the festival of Holi.

Reportedly, a notice in this regard was circulated on Tuesday by the section officer of the Rajiv Gandhi Hostel for Girls (RGHG) at Mukherjee Nagar, North Campus Delhi University.

“All the residents of the hostel are hereby informed that ‘no guest’, ‘no late night’ and ‘no leave’ will be allowed on March 7 and 8 on the occasion of Holi festival”, the notice stated. It added that the hostel would remain closed on March 8 between 7 am and 5 pm.

“No visitors/guests will be allowed on the day of the Holi festival. Residents can go out only after 6 pm on March 8, 2023,” read another notice from a section officer dated March 2.

Notice issued by DU (Source: India Today)

The students protested against the notice by shouting slogans against the hostel administration claiming that they were imprisoned in the hostel on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which coincides with the Holi festival this year. They criticized the move by calling it uncalled for and arbitrary.

A final year MA history student and an RGHG hostel resident naled Dipanshi said that the women students were protesting against both, the arbitrary closure of hostel gates and the undertaking. “We were planning to celebrate International Women’s Day but we have been locked inside the hostel. We cannot even step out to interact with our peers in other hostels on the campus where similar restrictions have been imposed. No restrictions have been imposed on the boys’ hostel,” said Dipanshi.

She added that the hostel administration had warned students of disciplinary action if they didn’t sign the undertaking. “They are seeking details of family members and contact numbers. Even if students have to step out for collecting food, they are being asked to sign an undertaking,” said Dipanshi.

“After continuous protests from the girls of RGHG since March 2, the hostel authorities had assured that the gate would not be locked on the day of Holi. Instead, they came up with a discriminatory and intimidating undertaking. On March 8, 2023, on the day of Holi, the authorities locked the gates,” another student said.

The students claimed that they tried to submit a memorandum to the proctor of DU, but in vain.

Speaking on the issue, DU proctor Rajni Abbi said that notices are sent out by respective hostels every year. “Holi can bring trouble sometimes. As a preventive measure, hostel administrators take some steps every year. Since women were protesting, we have told them that they can call their local guardians and go out with them or give an undertaking that they are taking their own responsibility,” said Abbi.

DU not the only university to impose curbs on Holi, BHU banned Holi celebrations, revoked order after criticism

Notably, on 28th February 2023, the Banaras Hindu University at Varanasi also courted a massive controversy by banning Holi celebrations on the campus. The university administration said that action will be taken against those who defy this order. However, on Thursday, 3rd March 2023, students defied the ban and celebrated Holi on campus and in individual hostels.

On March 4, however, after drawing fierce criticism from students and on social media for banning Holi celebrations on campus, the Banaras Hindu University revoked the order.

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