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Maharashtra: Black marketing of Remdesivir reported, crime branch seizes 272 injections from Andheri shop

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Black marketing of Remdesivir reported, crime branch seizes 272 injections from Andheri shop

Amid the resurgence of coronavirus in the state of Maharashtra, Mumbai Police Crime Branch has recovered 272 Remdesivir injections from a shop in the Andheri area in Mumbai. Remdesivir is an important and effective drug used for the treatment of the pathogen in hospitalized adults and children.

The police informed that the vials of the drug had been stocked in the shop for the purpose of black marketing. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has arrested two people in connection to the case. The shop is named GR Pharma and is located in the Jogeshwari area, as per a Mumbai Mirror report.

Similarly, in a separate incident, a 22-year-old youth was nabbed with a dozen 12 vials of Remdesivir from Andheri (East) on Thursday evening. The accused, Sarfaraz Hussain, was caught by the Crime Branch with the injections.

According to the official, the Crime Branch acted on a tip-off. They laid a trap after getting the information that a youth named Sarfaraz Hussain was trying to sell the anti-viral drug in the black market.

During a search operation, the Crime Branch found at least 12 vials of Remdesivir in his possession. The official said that investigation into the case is on and they are yet to ascertain whom he was going to deliver the now seized injections.

Remdesivir, a key drug proving beneficial for treating coronavirus

Remdesivir is an antiviral medication that targets a range of viruses. It has been proved beneficial for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The full approval for the emergency use of the drug was preceded by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing a EUA (emergency use authorization) on May 1, 2020.

Following the approval, Remdesivir became the first drug to receive emergency use authorization to treat severe COVID-19 (confirmed or suspected) in hospitalized adults and children.

Remdesivir works by interrupting the production of the virus. Coronaviruses have genomes made up of ribonucleic acid (RNA). Remdesivir interferes with one of the key enzymes the virus needs to replicate RNA. This prevents the virus from multiplying.

Maharashtra govt caps the price of Remdesivir injections, warns against black marketing

With Maharashtra continuing to record the highest number of cases in the country, there has been a sudden surge in demand for this injection in the state. Owing to this, illegal trading or black marketing of Remdesivir injections has also seen a sharp rise in the state of Maharashtra.

On Thursday, the Maharashtra government had capped the price of Remdesivir injections between Rs 1,100 and Rs 1,400 per vial and warned against its hoarding and black marketing.

The Remdesivir injection was first launched in Indian last year by Cipla and Hetero, with a price tag on each injection at Rs 4000 to Rs 5000. The treatment cost for 5 injection was around 25000. Later Zydus Cadilla launched Remdesivir under the brand name Remdac, with a price tag of Rs 2800.

Recently on March 24, Zydus had slashed the price of Remdac to just Rs 899. Zydus had license to produce Remdesivir from US drug maker Gilead. With the latest price cut, the treatment of 5 injections is to cost around Rs 4500. It is given to hospitalised patients.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 59,907 new COVID-19 cases in highest ever single-day spike yesterday, taking the overall caseload to 31,73,261. The state also reported the highest single-day death count due to coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic with 322 fatalities on Thursday. The total death count in the state has reached 56,652. The state’s recovery rate stands at 82.36 per cent at present.

Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek and his family benefitted from the coal scam, got illegal funds in foreign accounts: ED

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek and his family benefitted from the coal scam, got illegal funds in foreign accounts: ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a note presented before a special court on Wednesday claimed that incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, TMC MP from Diamond Harbor Abhishek Banerjee and his family received illicit funds from illegal coal mining in the state. It further stated that the “deep system” of political patronage driven by “well-oiled” machinery made it possible, as reported by News18.

The note which was a remand note seeking enhanced custody of a West Bengal police officer Ashok Kumar Mishra, the inspector in charge of Bankura police station had a detailed mention of these allegations.

The ED, in this remand note, alleged that certain illegal mining instances were flourishing in the state under the “patronage” of the political party in power. The policeman led the agency to the prime suspect- Majhi alias Lala, a local trader, Vinay a TMC youth wing leader, and his brother Vikas Mishra. The ED has stated that the link goes all the way up to Abhishek Banerjee’s family.

The case was filed in the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after studying a November 2020 FIR of the CBI alleging a multi-crore coal scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. 

The Diamond Harbor MP Abhishek Banerjee however rubbished all allegations made against him and his family.

“All coal assets fall directly under Centre & are guarded by the Central agencies. If BJP thinks TMC leaders got money from those illegally operating the coal assets, then what’s stopping Centre from investigating all culprits who failed to manage these national assets?” Banerjee justified in a Tweet.

Findings from ED’s investigation:

The ED in the statement informed, “…it is further revealed that in a span of less than 2 years, an amount to the tune of Rs 1,352 crore has been illegally generated by Majhi through illegal coal mining. Investigation also revealed a deep system of political patronage and well-oiled network by which the system was subverted to carry out these illegal activities in a brazen manner.”

On the basis of a recorded statement of an unidentified “close associate” of Majhi, the ED alleged that the kingpin of this coal scam ran the “illegal coal mining business smoothly by managing senior functionaries of the political party of West Bengal though Inspector Mishra.”

The statement of the witness further revealed, “it is known fact that Vinay Mishra collected money from illegal coal mining of Majhi and his associates for his closely associated political boss in present ruling party; that Vinay Mishra is youth leader of TMC and he is very close to Abhishek Banerjee and that he (Vinay Mishra) is the eyes and ears of Abhishek Banerjee.”

The ED also attached statements of Bankura policeman Ashok Mishra where he stated, “Vinay Mishra was the secretary of TMC and was very close to Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee.” The policeman informed the ED that he once transferred a certain amount from the state to Delhi on the directions of Vinay Mishra. He said he had to do so under political pressure otherwise his career would have been finished by the powerful leaders. 

Inspector Mishra’s recorded statement also revealed that he had once facilitated transferring of funds through a non-banking channel from India to London for a close relative of Abhishek Banerjee and the funds were transferred by Niraj Singh who happens to be the prime accused Majhi’s accountant.

The agency further informed, “Majhi assisted in transferring substantial funds derived from the proceeds of crime to Shri Abhishek Banerjee’s close relative (wife and sister-in-law) at London and Thailand. The inspector became part of the evil axis of the coal mafia, corrupt politicians, and corrupt government servants…and evidence is there about him receiving tainted funds of Rs 168 crore in just 109 days from Majhi and for his political bosses including Vinay Mishra and for himself. He is a government official but worked closely with the coal mafia and involved in transferring the tainted funds collected from illegal coal mining business to the overseas bank accounts of politically influential persons and their close family members of West Bengal.”

The case picked up steam after Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Banerjee was questioned by the CBI a while back. 

Foreign money, secret workshop and explosives: UP STF’s #Hathras charge sheet exposes PFI’s plans to create riots in the name of Dalits

OpIndia Staff
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Foreign money, secret workshop and explosives: UP STF’s #Hathras charge sheet exposes PFI’s plans to create riots in the name of Dalits

On April 3, the Uttar Pradesh police submitted a 5000-page charge sheet against Kerala-based ‘journalist’ Siddique Kappan and 7 other PFI members for conspiring to create communal tension in Hathras. He was arrested by the UP Police on October 5 while he was proceeding to cover the Hathras case.

As per reports, the charge sheet was filed before the Additional District Judge’s Court in Mathura. Besides Siddique Kappan, radical Islamist outfit PFI members Masood Ahmed, Rauf Sharif, Ansad Badruddin, Atiq-ur- Rahman, and Firoz Khan were also booked by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). The last date for filing the charge sheet was Sunday (April 4).

There have been several explosive revelations made in the charge sheet filed by STF against Kappan and the 7 PFI members in the Hathras case. In the charge sheet, it has been revealed that Siddiqui Kappan and the others from PFI had made elaborate plans to stoke riots on the lines of religion and caste in the country during the Hathras riots.

Conspiracy to create riots and violence in several places

According to the charge sheet, while Siddiqui Kappan was planning the riots, it was PFI’s Rauf Sherif who was seeking the funds for the logistics of the riots. It was also revealed that members of radical Islamist outfit PFI received funds amounting to Rs 80 lakh from financial institutions based out of Muscat and Doha for spreading disharmony.

It is pertinent to note that Rauf Sherif was arrested on the 12th of December (2020) by the Enforcement Directorate. In a case of money laundering, the ED had suspected that Rs 2 crore was transferred to Rauf Sherif’s bank account from Oman and Qatar. Siddique Kappan also transferred funds to the bank account of Atiq-ur-Rehman. Mohammed Alam was driving the car bought in the name of Masud. He took an active part in a conspiracy hatched by Sherif.

The UP STF also said in the charge sheet that Ansad Badruddin, a commander of PFI’s Kerala unit, along with his partner Feroz Khan toured the country. During their visits, they taught PFI members how to make explosives, use knives and operate guns.

Interestingly, two others who have been charge-sheeted, Anshad Badruddin and Firoz Khan were arrested by the STF from Lucknow on February 15 while Danish is under arrest in Delhi for his alleged role in the 2020 riots.

During the arrest of Badruddin and Firoz Khan, the STF had also recovered a huge stash of explosives, weapons and incriminating documents were found.

Public prosecutor Shiv Ram Singh said that Alam’s brother-in-law Danish has also been named in the conspiracy case. Danish is in the custody of the Delhi Police for his alleged role in riots in northeast Delhi in January 2020.

The STF also said that incriminating evidence was recovered from the laptops and mobile phones of the accused. The charge sheet further says that 6 smartphones, 1 laptop, 1717 printed paper bunches were recovered from the accused on 5th October 2020 when Atiq-ur Rahman, Alam, Siddiqui Kappan, Masood were caught in the Swift Desire car. In printed papers, slogans were found to incite violence. Besides this, the ‘Justice for Hathras’ website was also used in spreading communal violence and the STF has found evidence of a terrorist organisation behind the entire plan.

Riots accused linked with PFI and deployed in different cities

The charge sheet states the four arrested persons on the way to Hathras, Kappan, Atiq-ur Rahman, Masood and Alam were sent from Mathura to create caste and religion-based violence. Apart from these 4, PFI was the organisation behind other persons accused in riot and violence cases in other cities. Some of them are Sarvar Ali, Muneer and Sajish in Kairana, Mufti Shahzad, Ahmad Parvez and Akram from Ghaziabad, Farman and Noor Hasan in Hapur, one Nasiruddin in Bijnor, and Mohammad Danish, Sajid Bin Saeed, and Mohammad Ilyas n Delhi. All of them have been found with links with PFI.

PFI’s secret workshop

WhatsApp chats and digital data from Kappan’s mobile phone, location data and Rauf Sharif’s statements have revealed that all the above mentioned persons had participated in a secret workshop organised by PFI where they were tasked with organising riots in designated areas. The explosives seized from Lucknow also point towards a conspiracy for large-scale riots and violence across several locations. Provocative speeches of SIMI terrorists were also found from the laptops. The workshop was reportedly planned by PFI’s Kamal KP in September 2020.

Kappan’s chats with several PFI leaders reveal that they were planning to organise large-scale violence by exploiting Dalit and tribals. Data from the laptop has also revealed that Kappan was writing provocatory articles instigating people on religious lines.

Hathras and Delhi riots

PFI funding and involvement has also been found in the Delhi riots case. It has been revealed that several former members of the banned organisation SIMI are linked with PFI and Rehab Foundation. Arrested accused Rauf Sharif had been paying the rest of PFI’s Shaheen Bagh office since the last five years from money collected in India and abroad. One of the arrested accused Danish is the PFI leader from Trilokpuri who was also among the accused in Delhi Riots case in 2020.

The charge sheet was submitted in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anil Kumar Pandey in Mathura court. All the 7 accused have been lodged in Mathura jail.

Amidst chants of Allahu Akbar, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan incites Muslims against Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, asks Mosques to issue sermons after Jummah

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst chants of Allahu Akbar, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan incites Muslims against Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, asks Mosques to issue sermons after Jummah

On Wednesday (April 7), Aam Aadmi Party legislator Amanatullah Khan threatened violence against Swamy Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, the Mahant of Dasna Temple over his alleged remarks against Prophet Muhammad. AAP leader Amanatullah Khan is also the chief of Delhi’s Sunni Waqf Board.

In a video posted by the Okhla MLA, he warned, “We are here with several Imams (Islamic clerics) from various parts of Delhi. We have decided to issue sermons during Jummah (Friday prayers) on April 9. Imams from across Delhi and other parts of India will give directions against the blasphemous comments made by Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati. They will demand his immediate arrest. As long as he is not behind bars, our agitation will continue.”

Amanatullah Khan further requested the Muslims to sign a memorandum, seeking the arrest of the Hindu priest, and submit it in a nearby police station or District Magistrate’s office. He also revealed his plans for a new ‘blasphemy law’ to curb criticism of religious dogmatism. “You should also demand a new blasphemy law and its rigorous implementation so that tomorrow, none gets to insult our Prophet or the deities of other religion.”

If Muslims hit the streets, they will teach a lesson: Amanatullah Khan

In another video posted by ‘Hindustan LIVE Farhan Yahiya’, Amanatullah Khan could be seen giving threats of violence. “If Muslims are silent today, then, it is only because they are tackling the issue shrewdly. If Muslims hit the streets, they will teach a lesson (eenth se eenth baja denge). Muslims of the world cannot tolerate insult to Prophet Muhammad. If you believe otherwise, then, it is your misunderstanding. Muslims are dealing with the issue shrewdly as they don’t want the harmony of the country to be destroyed.”

Amidst chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘Naara-e-Takbir’, he continued, “There will be sermons in every mosque during jummah and the government will wake up then. I strongly believe this will happen in every nook and corner of the country and a memorandum will be submitted (against Swamy Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati).”

Islamic clerics warned that Muslims would not tolerate insult to their Prophets

In the full video, the host named Farhan Yahiya could be heard saying, “If Sharia was enforced in India, then, he would have been beheaded.” He lamented that in its absence, anyone can mock the Prophet of Islam. “Amanatuallah Khan has requested the Delhi and the Union government to take strict action against such loose cannons. This would prevent insult and mockery of Islam and other religions. As long as no action is taken, this will continue unabated,” remarked one cleric.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ Hindustan LIVE Farhan Yahiya)

“This is against the tenents of Islam. Such remarks (by Swamy Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati) are against the interests of the country and its development. We will request the President of India or the Union Home Minister to take cognisance of the matter… No Muslim will tolerate isult to its Paigambar (Messengers), said another cleric.

Amanatullah Khan called for the beheading of the Hindu priest

In accordance with the Sharia (Islamic law), AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan had earlier issued a death threat calling for the beheading of Swamy Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati. In a tweet, Khan said, “We can not tolerate such impertinence for our beloved Prophet Muhammad. This hateful insect should be awarded the most severe punishment by slitting his tongue and neck. But the law of the land does not permit us to do this, we have faith in the Indian constitution, and I want Delhi Police to take note of this.”

Taking action against his tweet which calls for the beheading of the temple priest, Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s MLA Amanatullah Khan as well.

AAP legislator and Violence witnessed during Anti-CAA protests after Jummah

The violence, under the garb of Anti-CAA protests, began on December 15, 2019, when Muslim mobs rampaged through the national capital. Amanatullah Khan was spotted leading the riots in Jamia Nagar. Chants of ‘Hinduon se Azadi’ were raised in the same area that very day. Buses were also set on fire during those violent protests. On the same night, the Delhi Police cracked down on the Jamia Millia Islamia University and entered the campus to flush out the miscreants. Two days later, massive riots broke out in Seelampur. Delhi turned into a war zone.

Hamed Mohammed Khan, president, Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana and Odisha units said Friday khutbas (sermons) on CAA were prepared and would be delivered in mosques under its control. Following the direction, protests were launched in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, where various people from the Muslim community opposing the bill took to the streets after the Friday prayers.

Internet services were shut down in Aligarh and Saharanpur following the large-scale protests. A similar protest in West Bengal’s Murshidabad area turned violent after protestors pelted stones on an ambulance and vandalised the Beldanga station, situated beside National Highway 34 at Beldanga in Murshidabad district in West Bengal.

BJP protests with dead body of a priest near Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s residence, police lathi-charge to disperse the crowd: Details

OpIndia Staff
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BJP protests with dead body of a priest near Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s residence, police lathi-charge to disperse the crowd: Details

The death of a specially-abled priest in the Dausa district, Rajasthan, due to trauma owing to pressure from the land mafia, has snowballed into a major political controversy. Scores of BJP leader led by Madhya Pradesh MP Kirodi Lal Meena staged a Dharna near Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s residence in Jaipur on Thursday.

The BJP leaders sat with the priest’s dead body in the civil lines area, raised slogans and demanded justice for the priest, who according to the protestors, died of a shock after his land was illegally grabbed by the land mafia.

According to reports, the hearing impaired priest from Dausa, Shambhu Lal Sharma died of a heart attack a week ago. He was allegedly under pressure from a land mafia. After the death of the priest, a protest was first staged outside the police station in Mahua in Rajasthan’s Dausa district. After the protestors were driven out from the protest site by the Dausa police, the BJP leaders brought the body of the deceased to Jaipur on Thursday. Several BJP leaders including former state president Dr Arun Chaturvedi, Dr Kirodi Lal Meena, Sanganer MLA Ashok Lahoti, and others staged a dharna a few metres away from CM’s residence.

Rajasthan police, present at the site, allegedly used tear gas and rained lathis to disperse the protestors on Thursday.

The Rajasthan priest was forcefully made to sign the documents, alleges BJP leader

Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Singh Chauhan said that Shambhu, who lived alone, was the owner of two bighas of land near a highway in Rajasthan’s Dausa district. Shambhu’s caretaker, taking advantage of his disability, fraudulently registered his land in the name of a person named Balbir and a woman last month through his caretaker, the ASP said.

As per the BJP MP, the priest’s land was grabbed by the mafia after he was made to forcefully sign the documents. He was also thrashed by the mafia due to which he died, alleged Meena, after which the MP along with other BJP leaders staged a sit-in, demanding justice for the deceased priest.

BJP leader criticises the Congress Govt in Rajasthan for its apathy

BJP leaders’ demands included cancellation of the registration, action against the officials involved in the process and removing encroachments from ‘mandir-mafi’ lands, those lands designated for temples, priests or their family members. They also demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family of the deceased along with a job for the next of the kin.

The leaders castigated the ruling Congress government for turning a blind eye towards the growing menace of land mafia in the state. “The government is sleeping and we are here to wake up the government,” Meena said. 

Dassault Aviation denies French media outlet allegations of irregularities in Rafale deal with India

OpIndia Staff
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Dassault Aviation denies French media outlet allegations of irregularities in Rafale deal with India

Dassault Aviation, the maker of Rafale fighter jets, has denied the report by French media outlet Mediapart, which had claimed that the company had paid a bribe of € 1.1 million to an Indian company. Dassault has said that no violations were reported in the sale of 36 Rafale jet to India in the government-to-government deal.

“Numerous controls are carried out by official organizations, including the French Anti-Corruption Agency. No violations were reported, notably in the frame of the contract with India for the acquisition of 36 Rafales,” the company said. The company also said that it “wishes to reiterate that it acts in strict compliance with the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and national laws, in particular the law of December 9, 2016 known as Sapin 2”.

In a statement released on 8th April, Dassault Aviation said that it has “implemented strict internal procedures to prevent corruption, guaranteeing the integrity, ethics and reputation of the company in its industrial and commercial relations. In the context of the Sapin 2 law, the company has completed and strengthened its system for the prevention and detection of corruption and influence peddling, both at the level of the parent company and its subsidiaries.”

The company said that the contract with India for 36 Rafale jets, along with the corresponding offset contracts, meet the criteria established by these regulations and are being executed in full transparency between the various government and industrial partners.

The company also informed that Dassault Aviation and the Reliance Group established the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL) Joint Venture in 2017 and built a plant in Nagpur that has been producing numerous Falcon parts and pieces since 2018. Falcon is a business jet manufactured by the French aviation giant.

The Mediapart report had said that French anti-corruption agency Agence Française Anticorruption (AFA) had discovered that Dassault had paid one million euros to a middleman who is now under investigation in India in connection with another defence deal. According to the report, Dassault had clarified the payment saying that it paid to the Indian company to manufacture 50 large replica models of Rafale jets. The expenditure was reportedly shown under “Gifts to Clients” in Dassault accounts, implying that the models were ordered to give away as gifts to its clients.

Dassault had also provided the anti-corruption agency with invoices by Indian company Defsys Solutions against the supply of the models. However, the report claims that the company was unable to show proof of actually delivery of the models.

Defsys Solutions is owned by the family of Sushen Mohan Gupta, who was arrested by ED in 2019 for his involvement in kickbacks paid in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal. The company has also denied the claims of receiving money from Dassault without delivering anything, saying it received payment for making replicas of Rafale. “This is in response to wholly unsubstantiated, baseless and misleading claims appearing in certain sections of the media, insinuating that Defsys never supplied 50 replica models of Rafale aircraft,” the company said in a statement.

Defsys has also said that “Delivery challans, E-way bills and GST returns related to such delivery have been duly filed with the relevant authorities.”

USA: Former NFL player Phillip Adams kills 5 including a prominent doctor and a 5-year-old child, then shoots himself

OpIndia Staff
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USA: Former NFL player Phillip Adams kills 5 including a prominent doctor and a 5-year-old child, then shoots himself

Former National Football Player Phillip Adams killed 5 people, including a prominent doctor and two children aged 9 & 5, on Wednesday and then killed himself early Thursday, according to a source who was briefed on the police investigation.

The anonymous source revealed that Adams’ parents live near the doctor’s home in Rock Hill, South Carolina and that he had been treated by the doctor before. The source also said that Adams killed himself after midnight with a .45-caliber gun.

The County’s Sheriff Office said that they searched for Adams for hours before finding the suspect’s body in a nearby home.

Phillip Adams was 33 and played in 78 NFL games over five seasons for six teams. His playing position was Cornerback. He played college football for South Carolina State, and then joined the NFL as part of the San Francisco 49ers in 2010 as a seventh-round draft pick.

Adams was seldom a part of starting teams, and warmed the bench for many other teams like New England, Seattle, Atlanta, Oakland, and the New York Jets, finishing his career with the Falcons in 2015.

The victims of Phillip Adams were Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69, along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5, according to the York County coroner’s office.

A helper of the Lesslie family named James Lewis was shot to death outside the house, and a 6th person is in the hospital with “serious gunshot wounds” Trent Faris, a spokesman for the York County Sherriff Office said.

According to his website, Dr. Lesslie had worked for decades as an emergency room doctor in Rock Hill, board-certified in both emergency medicine and occupational medicine, and serving as emergency department medical director for nearly 15 years at Rock Hill General Hospital.

Dr. Lesslie was a great humanitarian, who opened two urgent care centers in the area. He also wrote a book called “Angels in the ER”, a collection of “inspiring true stories” from his time working in medicine. An excerpt from that book reads, “I know without a doubt that life is fragile. I have come to understand that humility may be the greatest virtue. And I am convinced we need to take the time to say the things we deeply feel to the people we deeply care about.”

Dr. Lesslie was well-liked and tall figure in the Rock Hill community.

“Dr. Lesslie was my doctor growing up,” Faris said. “Dr. Lesslie has been one of those people that everybody knows. He started Riverview Medical Center in Rock Hill and it’s been a staple in Rock Hill for years.”

A biography page says that he and his wife raised four children and that Lesslie received his medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Rock Hill is a city in northernmost South Carolina about 40 kilometers southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.

USA: Black Lives Matter protestor charged with anti-Asian hate crimes, arrested by Seattle police

OpIndia Staff
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USA: Black Lives Matter protestor charged with anti-Asian hate crimes, arrested by Seattle police

A Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestor in Seattle, who was also a part of CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone), has been charged with hate crimes against Asian American women. The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone was a Left-wing occupation of a six-block area in Seattle in order to establish a “socialist utopia”.

According to a local Seattle news outlet, BLM activists and organizers in the area did have a recollection of the suspect, Christopher Hamner. One describes his “creepy stares”, another says that his actions seemed “out of left field”.

Hamner was arrested last month for three counts of malicious harassment against three different Asian-American women. According to court documents, on March 16th, Pamela Cole and her two children were driving when Hamner, aged 51, approached her vehicle, which was stopped at a traffic light. He started walking towards her vehicle and yelled at her, using explicit profanity and anti-Asian hate speech.

“He just opens his door and starts yelling at me. ‘F’ you, you Asian ‘B’. ‘F’ you kind of thing,” Pamela Cole said. “And then he pulls in the parking lot and comes charging at us.”

According to investigators, Hamner committed similar anti-Asian harassment to two other women just days later.

Last summer, during the Geroge Floyd protests/riots, Christopher Hamner was an extremely active BLM activist, often seen in BLM protests. According to Hamner’s social media activities, he was also part of the anarchist Left-wing CHAZ, which was a police-free autonomous zone controlled by BLM activists and Antifa.

He recorded a video of himself in the zone where he was holding an anti-Donald Trump and anti-police sign. His social media accounts are filled with posts expressing hatred of Trump and Republicans. Hamner is also a loyal supporter of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as well as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and “progressive” causes. He had even uploaded multiple posts condemning anti-Asian hate crimes and white supremacy. 

When informed about his BLM past, Pamela Cole said, “Of course it strikes me as hypocritical, but I wasn’t surprised to be completely honest, I wasn’t shocked about it.”

BLM leaders from last year’s wave of protests tried to distance themselves from Hamner, saying that he always seemed to be on the fringe.

Christopher Hamner is presently in custody, with a court date tomorrow. However, Pamela Cole does not think that prison will solve Hamner’s issues.

“At the end of the day if he goes to jail, he still comes out as a racist full of hate,” Cole said. “Nothing’s changed. He didn’t learn anything. There was no rehab in it so to me it’s pointless.”

King County prosecutors charged the 51-year-old with a felony hate crime for targeting multiple Asian victims on two separate occasions in March. Currently he is being held at the King County Correctional Facility for the felony hate crime charge plus three additional counts of malicious harassment, and his bail  is set at $75,000.

In February, A Black Lives Matter leader was arrested in connection with the vandalism of an Abraham Lincoln statue in Boise, Idaho.

The truth behind video shared by Manjinder Singh Sirsa claiming Pakistani Army officials tortured an Indian soldier

OpIndia Staff
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The truth behind video shared by Manjinder Singh Sirsa claiming Pakistani Army officials tortured an Indian soldier

Today Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa took to his official social media accounts to share a video that showed a man being mercilessly thrashed by a few men who look like Pakistani soldiers. The bruised man lies lifeless on a Charpai, while the soldiers continue to hit him with their legs and canes. Other men, dressed in the Pakistani Army outfit, are seen standing around the injured man like mute spectators, while one is seen recording the entire episode.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa took to his official Facebook page to share the video claiming that the victim is an Indian soldier, who was beaten up mercilessly by Pakistani soldiers.

The SAD leader shared the same video with similar claim on his official Twitter handle.

While sharing the particular video, Sirsa suggested that the video shows a few Pakistani soldiers inflicting intolerable atrocities on an Indian soldier. He appealed to the Union Home Ministry to raise the issues of such gross human right abuse at the hands of the Pakistan Army on the global platform and urged the ministry to make urgent arrangements to bring the Indian soldiers in Pakistan custody, back to India safely.

Truth behind the video shared by Manjinder Singh Sirsa

However, what appears is that the claim made by the SAD leader is only partially true. Though the video shared by the SAD leader is that of a true incident and the assaulters here are also Pakistani Army officials, but his claim that an Indian soldier is being beaten up by Pakistani soldiers in the video appears to be untrue.

The truth is that the victim in the video is not an Indian soldier as claimed by Sirsa, but a Baloch, on whom the state-sponsored puppets, under the umbrella of the Pakistan Army, are seen inflicting unendurable atrocities.

News Nation claims video is a 6-month old video where the victim is a Baloch

This aforementioned video was shared by News Nation on April 2, 2021. News Nation claimed that this particular video is a six-month-old video where Pakistani soldiers are seen brutally torturing a Baloch youth in full public view.

In the video, the Pakistani soldiers are heard talking to each other. “Isse sab pata hain yahan kaun khada hain” (He knows who all are standing here), one officer is heard saying to another who responds by saying that even we know who he is. The Pakistani soldiers keep hitting the almost lifeless victim, who is tied to the Charpai, with canes. They are also seen mercilessly kicking the victim’s face, repeatedly. The victim’s legs and face looks completely bruised and distorted as he lies on the charpai, bleeding profusely.

Therefore, though the video shared by SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa is that of a true incident, the claim attached to it is untrue. In reality, this is a 6-month-old video that has resurfaced on social media. This video is of Pakistani soldiers torturing a Baloch youth and not an Indian soldier as claimed by Sirsa.

Atrocities on ethnic minorities in Balochistan by the Pakistan army

Atrocities on ethnic minorities in Balochistan by the Pakistan army is not new. For ages now, the Pakistan army has allegedly been involved in the abduction, forced disappearances, torture and forced organ harvesting of people living in ethnic areas of Balochistan.

The Human Rights activists in Balochistan have been time and again emphasised the need for international organisations such as Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, European Council, Human Rights without Frontiers, etc. to take cognisance of the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan. Besides requesting them to set up their offices in Balochistan, they have demanded reports on the deaths of civilians at the hands of the Pakistani army.

They have demanded trial against guilty army personnel and high-ranking officers for crimes against humanity. Owing to the atrocities perpetrated on the people of Balochistan, they have demanded freedom from the Punjabi-dominated army. Several people are forced to pick up arms and resist the tyrannical army.

Abducted CRPF soldier Rakeshwar Singh Manhas released by Naxal terrorists in Chhattisgarh

OpIndia Staff
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Abducted CRPF soldier Rakeshwar Singh Manhas released by Naxal terrorists in Chhattisgarh

The soldier of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, who was captured by the Naxalites in Chhattisgarh after the April 3 ambush, was released on Thursday. According to ANI, the soldier was taken to the CRPF camp in Bijapur after his release where his medical examination was done.

“At around 4.30 pm the abducted jawan Rakeshwar Singh Manhas returned safely to Terrem police station along with the facilitators who went inside the jungle to trace his location. He has now been admitted to the Basaguda field hospital for medical examination,” Inspector general of police (Bastar range), Sundarraj P said.

According to reports, the state government had adhered to the Naxal terrorist’s demands and nominated two people, including a person from the tribal community, to negotiate with the Maoists and secure the soldier’s release.

Sharing more details about the release, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul wrote on Twitter that the CRPF jawan could be brought back because of the timely intervention of a few local journalists, who mediated with the Maoists facilitating Rakeshwar Singh Manhas’s release.

According to another video shared by Aditya Raj Kaul, the Maoists released the jawan amidst a huge gathering of locals in Bijapur.

The Maoists earlier released a photograph of the 35-year-old which showed him sitting alone in what appeared to be a hut. Manhas is a commando with the 210th CoBRA battalion.

Manhas’ family had appealed to the Centre to ensure he is released unharmed. He is the family’s sole breadwinner, and has a five-year-old daughter.

Following Rakeshwar Singh Manhas’ release, his wife Meenu expressed her gratitude to the government and said, “Today is the happiest day of my life. I always remained hopeful of his return. I thank the government”.

Maoist terrorists admit to keeping CoBRA jawan hostage after Sukma attack, demand govt negotiator

Days after the deadly terror attack in Sukma, the Left-wing terrorists had admitted that they are keeping CRPF constable Rakeshwar Singh Manhas as a hostage. The terrorists had sent a letter to the security forces, acknowledging that they are holding Manhas captive and asked the government to appoint a negotiator to discuss his release. 

The brutal massacre of Indian security personnel in Chhattisgarh

For the uninitiated, Rakeshwar Singh Manhas was abducted by the Naxal terrorists after a group of 400 Naxals ambushed a massive operation that included the STF, DRG and District Force of the Chhattisgarh Police, the CRPF and its elite COBRA unit on April 3. The teams were deployed in the forests of Chhattisgarh for a search and destroy anti-Naxalite operation along the border of the Bijapur-Sukma district.

It was during this operation that the security teams of around 1500 personnel were ambushed by 400 Naxalites from three sides- led by the most-wanted Maoist commander and leader of the ‘People’s Liberation Guerilla Army’- Hidma. The close encounter between the Naxalites and security forces lasted for four hours in which the Naxalites rained bullets from light machine guns, used low-intensity IEDs and rocket launchers.

The counter-attack by Naxalites had resulted in the martyrdom of 22 jawans leaving 31 others injured.

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