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DRDO scientist planted bomb at Rohini court in bid to kill neighbour: Delhi Police

Vijay Deo Jha
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DRDO scientist planted bomb at Rohini court in bid to kill neighbour: Delhi Police

In the Rohini court blast case, Delhi police arrested Bharat Bhushan Kataria (47), a senior scientist with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Although it was initially assumed to be a terror attack due to the use of a low-intensity tiffin bomb, police have now said it was a murder attempt.

Delhi Police clarified that the Rohini court blast was a murder bid and not a terror attack. The accused wanted to kill his neighbour who is a lawyer by profession with whom he has been locked in a legal battle for the past many years. Police said that both had lodged several cases against each other.

The police arrested Kataria on Friday (December 17) and sent him to judicial custody. Police zeroed in on him with the help of CCTV footage and he was picked for questioning.

On December 9, a low-intensity blast had taken place at courtroom number 102 of Rohini court. The explosion took place where the metropolitan magistrate hears traffic-related cases.

Investigation revealed it was a tiffin bomb. A constable of Delhi Police Rajiv Kumar was injured in this low-intensity blast. Since it was a tiffin bomb, security agencies suspecting it was a terror attack became alert. National Security Guard was also called to support the investigation.

But subsequent investigation revealed that it was Kataria who had planted explosives. Police checked the case list of the said court scheduled for hearing on December 9. Police questioned concerned parties of these listed cases and asked whether they had the previous rivalry with anyone.

In the meantime, the police gathered CCTV footage and found Kataria moving in a suspicious condition. The lawyer who was supposed to appear for the hearing that day identified him as his neighbour.

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said that Kataria carrying two bags entered the court at 9.33 am on the day of the incident. He left one bag inside the courtroom and exited the court premises at 10.35 am.

Accused said that he prepared and assembled explosives in a steel tiffin box at his house with the help of instructions on the internet. It was connected with a 12-volt two-wheeler battery.

Since the circuit of the tiffin bomb, stuffed with half kilogram ammonium nitrate-based explosives and shrapnel, was not assembled properly, hence only the detonator went off.  

Maharashtra: Tensions grip Yavatmal district after violence following a social media post allegedly on Prophet Muhammad

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Tensions grip Yavatmal district after violence following a social media post allegedly on Prophet Muhammad

Tensions prevailed in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra on Friday evening after several shops, houses, and vehicles were damaged by outraged people over an allegedly offensive “religious post” that went viral on social media. Some on social media users claimed the post in question was related to Prophet Muhammad.

According to local Marathi reports, several cars, two-wheelers, commercial establishments and houses in Umarkhed of Yavatmal were attacked and pelted with stones by miscreants over a post that was doing the rounds on the internet. In addition to this, the miscreants also tried to burn down houses and shops as fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the conflagration.

A social media user claimed stone pelters even attacked a nearby police station in the area and there was an attempt to murder as well.

YouTube users claim unrest triggered over an allegedly derogatory social media post on Prophet Muhammad

While the local reports did not explicitly mention the cause of the flare-up, it has been alleged that the unrest and vandalism took place after a social media post on Prophet Muhammad had gone viral. It was confirmed by social media users who asserted that the unrest took place over a post that slighted the Muslim religious leader.

Tensions prevailed in Yavatmal over an alleged post on Prophet Muhammad goes viral
Source: YouTube

Several vernacular media organisations, including RNN News, ABP Majha, Zee News Marathi, TV 9 Marathi, reported about vandalism witnessed in Yavatmal. As per the YouTube comments section of the RNN News report, the unrest took place over an allegedly defamatory post on Prophet Muhammad. The comments from some YouTube users also included calls for “Sar Tan se Juda” stating that they would not tolerate any derogatory comment against Prophet Muhammad.

India successfully tests fire new-generation ballistic missile Agni-P with nuclear capabilities

OpIndia Staff
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India successfully tests fire new-generation ballistic missile Agni-P with nuclear capabilities

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out the second flight test of the nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-P on Saturday, according to reports. The test-fire was conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha. 

A statement given by the DRDO noted, “Various telemetry, radar, electro-optical stations and downrange ships positioned along the eastern coast tracked and monitored the missile trajectory and parameters. The missile followed textbook trajectory meeting all mission objectives with a high level of accuracy,” 

Ministry of Defence stated that the second flight test of the missile Agni-P has proved the reliable performance of all the advanced technologies integrated into its system. Earlier this year, the first test of the nuclear-capable Agni-P was conducted by DRDO on June 28. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO for the successful mission.

What is Agni-P missile?

According to DRDO officials, Agni-P is a two-staged ballistic missile using solid propellants. This new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles boasts of improved parameters, including manoeuvring and accuracy. Canisterisation of missiles has been incorporated into Agni-P to shorten the time required for its launch while simultaneously improving the storage and the process of handling. Agi-P has a range of between 1000 km and 2000 km.

Notably, the Agni class of missiles are a part of India’s nuclear launch capability which also consist of the Prithvi short-range ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft. The Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-V which covers more than 5,000 km in the range had undergone several tests and readied for induction.

Man accused of sacrilege lynched at Golden Temple in Amritsar, video shows people hailing instant mob justice

OpIndia Staff
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Man accused of sacrilege lynched at Golden Temple in Amritsar, video shows people hailing instant mob justice

In yet another case of murder over alleged blasphemy, a man was killed after an alleged sacrilege at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The incident of sacrilege happened inside the sanctum sanctorum of Darbar Sahib today evening, when regular prayers were going on. CCTV footage shows that suddenly a man entered the sanctum sanctorum and hit the holy Granth Sahib with a Kirpan. Reportedly, he had picked up the golden Kirpan from the sanctum sanctorum of the Gurudwara itself, which was placed near the holy Sikh Scripture.

He also stepped close to the Granth Sahib, which is also considered a sacrilege of the holy book.

Soon after the incident, he was surrounded by people present at the temple. Initially, he was taken into custody by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) staff, and moved to the SGPC headquarters. But later his dead body was placed near the SGPC main gate, which suggests that he was beaten to death by the staff in the office.

After the man’s body was placed on the floor in front of SGPC office, people gathered around him and celebrated the instant justice. They chanted Sikh religious slogans to celebrate the murder.

Just a few months ago, one army personnel was killed in Gurdaspur in Punjab on the suspicion of theft.

‘UP plus Yogi, bahut hai UPYOGI’: PM Modi hails Yogi Adityanath, slams Opponent leaders while laying foundation for Ganga Expressway

OpIndia Staff
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‘UP plus Yogi, bahut hai UPYOGI’: PM Modi hails Yogi Adityanath, slams Opponent leaders while laying foundation for Ganga Expressway

On Saturday (December 18), Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and announced that the latter was essential for the development of the State. He made the remarks while laying the foundation stone of the 594-kilometre Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

“Today when bulldozer is run over mafia gangs and illegal encroachments, the ones, patrionising such people, feel the pain. This is why the public is now saying – UP + Yogi, bahut hai upyogi (Yogi is essential for UP),” PM Modi was heard as saying. He also took potshots at Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and other rivals for stalling modern infrastructure projects.

PM Modi pointed out how large projects were operational only on paper and how public money was diverted to fill the coffers under previous regimes. “Today, work is being done on such projects so that money of the people can be saved. So that your money remains in your pocket,” he added.

The Indian Prime Minister pointed out how Opposition parties worked only for vote bank politics. He lamented how they have raised objections to the Clean Ganga campaign, the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. PM Modi added how several political parties created aspersions about the indigenous Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech.

During his address, PM Modi informed the people that the construction of the Ganga Expressway will open the doors of progress for Uttar Pradesh. He stated that the 6-lane expressway (which is expandable to 8 lanes) will also create opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the local youth population and the farmers of the region.

“I congratulate everyone in Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Paebareli, Pratapgarh & Prayagraj. Over ₹36,000 crore will be spent on this approx 600-km long expressway. Ganga Expressway will bring new industries in this region…That day is not far when UP will be identified as the most modern state with next-generation infrastructure,” PM Modi emphasised.

Kashmiri educator Sabbah Haji granted bail after her arrest for calling Gen Bipin Rawat a war criminal, to be under surveillance for a year

OpIndia Staff
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Kashmiri educator Sabbah Haji granted bail after her arrest for calling Gen Bipin Rawat a war criminal, to be under surveillance for a year

A former director of Haji Public School in Kashmir, Sabbah Haji, has been released on bail after her arrest for calling Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat a war criminal after his tragic death.

Executive Magistrate of Doda district in Jammu & Kashmir ordered her released on bail a few days ago under sections 107 (security for keeping the peace),108 (security for good behaviour from persons disseminating seditious matters) and 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Sabbah Haji was released on bail by the court on personal bond of Rs 50,000, after she submitted a written apology for her post.  

However, Sabbah Haji was ordered to be present at women’s police station in Doda from 12 AM to 2 PM every day for three days, from December 14 to 17. After the three days, she was asked to appear before the Executive Magistrate, Doda. The magistrate also said that law enforcement agencies would monitor her activities for a year.

Sabbah Haji was arrested last week after her defamatory comments on General Rawat after his death in the tragic chopper crash on December 8. In an Instagram post posted on December 9th on her Instagram account named Stand with Kashmir, she had called General Rawat ‘The War Criminal’ in a graphic with a photo of Gen Rawat.

In the accompanying text, she had written, “General Rawat had a history of playing the Indian state’s stooge to near perfection”, with a link to an article by Faheem Hamid Lone on her blog, asking people to read it.

Screenshot of the post by Sabbah Haji

The post had created a widespread outrage on social media, demanding her arrest. There were also demands to shut down Haji Public School at Doda, where she had earlier worked as a director as well as a teacher.

Facing the public outrage on Sabbah’s comments, Haji Public School had issued a statement distancing itself from her comments. In its official Facebook page, the school said that at present Sabbah Haji is not associated with Haji Public School in any official capacity. The statement said, “The Haji Public School management would like to clarify that a recent distasteful media post during the rounds has nothing to do with the school and that the said person has acted in their individual capacity after their tenure with the school ended.

Ms Sabbah Haji is not associated with Haji Public School in any official capacity.”

Sabbah Haji was arrested after complaints were lodged against her by BJYM for cybercrime. Accordingly, an FIR was registered against her at Doda.

Apart from Sabbah Haji two other youths from Doda arrested for defamatory comments after the death of General Rawat were also granted bail. Parvej Ahmed and Atlaf Hussain had made communally provocative comments on social media, where they had celebrated the death.

In August this year, Sabbah Haji had suffered a meltdown after someone had asked whether the National Flag was hoisted at her school on the occasion of Independence day. She had called the possibility rubbish, and said it was not possible as it was Sunday and the school was closed.

Conman Sukhesh Chandrashekhar had bribed ₹1 crore monthly to Tihar Jail staff for luxuries, 10 more Bollywood actresses had visited him

OpIndia Staff
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Conman Sukhesh Chandrashekhar had bribed ₹1 crore monthly to Tihar Jail staff for luxuries, 10 more Bollywood actresses had visited him

Multi-millionaire Conman Sukhesh Chandrashekhar posed as senior government officials and bureaucrats while duping Aditi Singh, the wife of the ex co-owner of the pharma giant Ranbaxy, according to reports. Conman Sukhesh had promised Aditi Singh that he would obtain bail for her jailed husband. In the proces, Sukhesh faked the identity of the top bureaucrat in the Home Ministry like Anoop Kumar, including Law Secretary ‘Abhinav’ and a junior Law Ministry officer who handled the discussions regarding the cash payments in obtaining the bail. Aditi Singh also accused Sukhesh of threatening her to pay 200 crores.

According to reports, Sukesh Chandrasekhar who faced several charges against him including the Rs 200 crore extortion case paid a huge bribe to the tune of Rs 1 crore per month during his stay at the Tihar Jail to the jail officials for having unrestricted access to luxury amenities and freedom to spend time with female guests in the jail. Reportedly, apart from Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi, Sukhesh received supermodels and Bollywood actresses in jail. Sukhesh also gave “chicken parties” in jail where women were invited. At least 10 other Bollywood actresses reportedly visited Sukhesh, apart from Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi

Further, it was revealed from ED sources that Sukesh Chandrasekhar ran the extortion racket from his “plush office” inside the Tihar Jail and mentioned the “office” of jailed Unitech Group owner Sanjay Chandra as his alternate choice. Sanjay Chandra, who got close to Sukhesh was later transferred to a jail in Mumbai following the orders of the Supreme Court.

In yet another revelation, India Today reported on Friday the exclusive chats between Sukesh Chandrashekhar and Nora Fatehi in which the selection of a luxury car was being discussed.

Sukesh Chandrashekhar had asked Nora Fatehi about a Range Rover car in which he said, “Do you like this?” Nora Fatehi then replied with, “Yes, it’s a nice rough use car. It’s cute, it’s a statement car,” Chandrashekhar then further said, “I will show you more options.” It was reported that Sukesh had gifted Nora a BMW car, and her photos with a BMW S-series car worth 64 lakhs had emerged in media.

Sukesh Chandrashekhar also wrote to Nora Fatehi, “I would highly appreciate it if you could speak for a minute to clarify everything. I hope you or your agency are not wondering why this gift. I want to make it clear that it’s not being given with any kind of motive, but only because when you like a person, you give them gifts. Doing it for that reason only, nothing else.”

Furthermore, the audio clips of the investigation obtained by News18 divulged that Sukesh Chandrasekhar accused Jacqueline Fernandez of hiding the truth in her statements to the ED concerning the amount that he transferred to Jacqueline’s sister in the United States. He said,“No, she is not telling the truth. Through Deepak Ramnani (who has also been arrested), I transferred $180,000 and BMW (X5) to Geraldine”. Geraldine is the name of Jacqueline’s elder sister.

Earlier, Pinky Irani who introduced Jacqueline to Sukhesh was arrested by ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Irani was paid in crores by Sukesh for introducing him to the actress. Jacqueline had faced an eight hour interrogation on December 8 in connection to the case with her statement being recorded under PMLA. As per reports, Jacquilene was again summoned by ED on December 10 and Pinky Irani and Jacqueline were to be interrogated together.

‘We don’t spare all of you a thought until tragedy strikes…my apologies’: Watch Smriti Irani’s heartfelt tribute to wives and families of soldiers

OpIndia Staff
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‘We don’t spare all of you a thought until tragedy strikes…my apologies’: Watch Smriti Irani’s heartfelt tribute to wives and families of soldiers

Union Minister Smriti Irani has offered an emotional tribute to soldiers and their families on Friday while apologising on behalf of civilians who she said, seldom acknowledge the sacrifices and challenges posed at the wives and family members of our brave soldiers. She was speaking at the Army Wives Welfare Association’s book festival.

While paying tribute to General Bipin Rawat, the late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), his wife Madhulika Raje Singh Rawat, and 11 others who died in a helicopter crash in Coonoor on December 8, the women and child development minister shared her thoughts when she saw ‘Madhulikaji on the pyre’. 

“When I saw her in the pyre with General Rawat, as a civilian I thought that we don’t spare all of you thought and when I say all of you, its the wives and the children till such time a tragedy strikes, that you are unacknowledged by us and for that, you have my apology, that we see you only when you step up to take the posthumous honour that is conferred upon your loved ones. We shower you with petals when a man in uniform comes back in a box. We never acknowledge the challenges that you as Army man’s wife face. We assume that you have chosen this life but today as a civilian I say sorry and also express my gratitude,” said the union minister thanking the families of the soldiers for the unbridled sacrifices made by them for the country.

India’s first CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Raje Singh Rawat, and 11 others were killed on December 8 when an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crashed near Coonor in Tamil Nadu in an air tragedy that shocked the three services and came as a huge setback to the country’s biggest military reforms since Independence.

The only survivor of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh, died on Wednesday. The last rites of the fallen soldier were performed with full state and military honours in Bhopal on Friday.

Sony Sports posts offensive Tweet against Gautam Gambhir and PM Modi as the former cricketer is appointed as mentor for Lucknow IPL franchise

OpIndia Staff
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Sony Sports posts offensive Tweet against Gautam Gambhir and PM Modi as the former cricketer is appointed as mentor for Lucknow IPL franchise

Soon after the former India opening batter and Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) captain, Gautam Gambhir was roped in by the new Lucknow Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise as the team’s mentor, Sony Sports Network, owned by Sony Pictures Networks India, posted an extremely disparaging post against the former cricket icon, who is also a BJP MP.

The screenshot of the Tweet by Sony Sports, which the channel quietly deleted shortly after posting it, was shared on the micro-blogging site by popular social media user @iMac_too.

In the now-deleted post, Sony Sports wrote: “Clearly Supreme Leader is not paying this dude enough of money”. The Tweet was posted in response to a Tweet by a user @CricCrazyJohns in which the latter informed that Gautam Gambhir had been appointed as the mentor of the Lucknow IPL franchise.

Since Gautam Gambhir is a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party, Sony Sports implied that the ‘Supreme Leader,’ in an obvious reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is not paying the former cricketer enough, thus, compelling him to take up the post as the new head coach of the Lucknow IPL team.

The sports network discreetly deleted the Tweet minutes after it was posted, without giving any explanation or apology for its insensitive and rather unnecessary remark.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir took to Twitter to thank Sanjiv Goenka and the RPSG Group for considering him for the post. “Thanks a lot to Dr Goenka and the RPSG Group for presenting me this wonderful opportunity in their setup. “The fire to win a contest still burns bright inside me, the desire to leave a winner’s legacy still kicks me 24×7. I will not be contesting for a dressing room but for the spirit and soul of Uttar Pradesh,” Gambhir said in his Tweet.

The owner of the yet to be named franchise, Sanjiv Goenka welcomed Gambhir into the RPSG family. “Gautam has an impeccable career record. I respect his cricketing mind and look forward to working with him,” he said.

The Lucknow franchise is one of the new teams in the IPL along with Ahmedabad.

Along with Gautam Gambhir, the Sanjiv Goenka franchise has also brought in former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower as the head coach. Flower was previously assisting Anil Kumble at the Punjab Kings. Reports also suggest that the new franchise, which was bought by RP Sanjiv Goenka group for a whopping sum of Rs 7090 crore is expected to rope in KL Rahul as the new team captain.

Maharashtra: Angry monkeys exact revenge by killing 250 dogs after a puppy kills a baby monkey

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Angry monkeys exact revenge by killing 250 dogs after a puppy kills a baby monkey

A bizarre incident has come to pass in Maharashtra’s Beed, where a clan of revenge-driven monkeys killed 250 dogs by dropping them down from buildings and treetops. The unseen fury had its roots from an incident in which a pack of dogs mauled a baby monkey to death.

This baffling occurrence took place in Majalgaon in Beed district, a rustic town located 300 miles east of state capital Mumbai. As per local reports, the killing spree started after a few dogs killed an infant monkey and since then, consumed by the fire of revenge, a troop of primates has gone on a rampage, catching puppies and dropping them from considerable heights to their miserable deaths. According to villagers, close to 250 dogs have been killed in the district in the last one month.

In Lavool, a village 10 kilometers away from Majalgaon not but one pup is left. The residents of the village lodged complaint against the menace of monkeys with forest department officials. The forest officials visited the place but were unable to catch a single monkey.

According to the villagers, the monkeys are avenging the death of one of their own. They said the entire episode of monkeys killing dogs started after a pack of dogs killed an infant monkey. Following this incident, enraged primates launched a systematic attack against dogs, abducting them, taking them to abandoned buildings with considerable heights and dropping them from the top.

After almost all dogs were killed by the monkeys, the primates started attacking school-going children in the village. This has created panic among villagers who feared that the monkeys in their bloodlust to avenge death of one of their infants might target children after having killed pups. On the other hand, after failing in their initial attempt to catch the monkeys, the forest department officials came up with an elaborate plan to nab the menacing monkeys. They laid a trap and managed to ensnare the troop of monkeys responsible for killing over 250 dogs in the district.

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