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Lawlessness in Karnataka? Israeli tourist molested during Hampi Utsav days after the gang-rape horror, cops let off the assaulters

OpIndia Staff
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Lawlessness in Karnataka? Israeli tourist molested during Hampi Utsav days after the gang-rape horror, cops let off the assaulters

In yet another incident raising questions over law and order and the safety of women in Karnataka, an Israeli tourist was allegedly molested by three youths during the Hampi Utsav last week.

As per reports, an auto driver intervened to protect the woman being harassed but was thrashed by the youths who brutally assaulted him and left him with a bloody nose.

Despite the gravity of the incident, the Hampi police conveniently booked the accused only under Section 109 IPC—for assaulting the auto driver. No case was registered for the alleged molestation of the foreign national, even though she was also taken to the police station along with the auto driver.

The accused were produced before a local court, which let them off lightly after they admitted to assaulting the auto driver and submitted a written promise not to repeat such acts.

Meanwhile, the Israeli woman reportedly told the auto driver that she would escalate the matter to her embassy and seek legal action. However, Hampi police have not received any official complaint from the embassy yet—a convenient excuse for inaction.

The police are also facing criticism for downplaying the molestation aspect and pressing only assault charges against the accused, especially after the gang-rape horror witnessed in Hampi last week where two women, including an Israeli tourist, were gang-raped.

Israeli tourist and her homestay operator gang-raped in Hampi

Two women, including an Israeli tourist, were gang-raped in Karnataka’s Hampi while stargazing. The heinous crime took place on the banks of Sanapur Lake on Thursday, March 6.

One of the victims was a 27-year-old Israeli tourist, while the other victim was her 29-year-old homestay operator. The 2 victims were also accompanied by 3 male tourists, one from the USA, and two from India. They were allegedly attacked at around 11 PM on Thursday.

The accused arrived on a motorcycle and initially inquired about petrol, and later demanded ₹100 from the group. When the victims refused, the accused turned violent and physically assaulted the group. They pushed the men into the canal and then sexually assaulted the women. One of the three men perished in the assault.

Ordered to clean up Washington DC so that PM Modi and others don’t see tents, potholes, broken barriers and graffiti: President Trump

OpIndia Staff
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Ordered to clean up Washington DC so that PM Modi and others don’t see tents, potholes, broken barriers and graffiti: President Trump

US President Donald Trump has pledged to transform Washington, DC, into a “crime-free capital,” emphasising the need for a cleaner, safer, and more visually appealing city for visiting world leaders.

Speaking at an event, Trump stressed his commitment to restoring the capital’s image, asserting that heads of state – including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi–should not have to witness urban decay when they visit.

“We want to have a capital that can be the talk of the world–when Prime Minister Modi of India, when the President of France, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, all of these people came to see me in the last week and a half–and when they come in, I don’t want them to see tents, I don’t want them to see graffiti, don’t want them to see broken barriers and potholes in the roads,” Trump said. “I had it looking beautiful. We’re going to do that for the city.”

Trump further vowed to restore law and order in Washington, promising a drastic reduction in crime rates and a safer environment for residents and visitors alike. “We are going to have a crime-free capital. When people come here, they’re not going to be mugged, or shot, or raped. They’re going to have a crime-free capital again. It’s going to be cleaner, better, and safer than it ever was. It’s not going to take us too long,” he added.

His comments come just weeks after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US, which was hailed as “productive and substantive.” During his time in Washington, PM Modi held extensive discussions with Trump and other key figures, including newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The talks covered strategic and security cooperation, defence, trade, economic engagement, technology, energy security, and regional and global concerns.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had highlighted the importance of the visit, stating, “The PM just concluded a very substantive and productive visit to the United States at the invitation of President Donald Trump. This is the Prime Minister’s first visit to the United States after the inauguration of President Trump for a second term. This visit is a signal of the priority that both leaders attach to the India-US relationship.”

During their White House meeting, PM Modi and Trump shared a warm embrace, with the US President reaffirming that the relationship between the two nations would continue to grow stronger.

“We have great unity and great friendship,” Trump said, adding that it was “important” for both nations to remain aligned. PM Modi, in turn, expressed confidence that India and the US would continue to advance their strategic partnership with “the same bond, trust, and excitement.”

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

Indian Government warns Google Chrome users to update the browser immediately due to security risk

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Government warns Google Chrome users to update the browser immediately due to security risk

On 12th March, Government of India issued a high-severity warning for Google Chrome users. The government has urged them to update their browsers immediately to avoid serious security threats. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said in a notification, CIVN-2025-0046, that it has identified multiple vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit to steal data, take control of the user’s system or crash the browser entirely.

As per the notification by CERT-In and Google, these vulnerabilities affect users running older versions of Google Chrome on Windows, Mac and Linux. Specifically, if the browser version is below 134.0.6998.88/89 on Windows and Mac or 134.0.6998.88 on Linux, the system is at risk.

Cybercriminals can use these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access and manipulate sensitive information. They can also cause disruptions through denial-of-service (DoS) attacks that can overload of crash systems.

Google, in a statement on 10th March, confirmed that one of these security flaws is already being actively exploited by hackers. That means some users have already been targeted. To prevent further breaches, the company has released a new update that fixes five major security issues. These issues include critical vulnerabilities related to code execution, data leaks, and system crashes.

The user is required to manually update their browsers as, in many cases, Chrome does not update automatically.

How to check your Chrome version and update

To check which version of Chrome you are using:

  • Open Google Chrome.
  • Click the three dots in the top-right corner.
  • Select Help → About Google Chrome.
  • A new page will open, showing your current version.

If an update is available, Chrome will automatically download it. After that, simply restart your browser for the changes to take effect.

The latest Chrome version as of 15th March is 134.0.6998.88/89 for Windows, macOS, and Linux, while the latest Android version is 134.0.6998.95.

If a user fails to update the browser, it will leave personal information and system security vulnerable to cyberattacks. The government has thus advised all users dependent on Chrome browsers to immediately update them to stay protected.

Amritsar: Blast at Thakur Dwara temple after two men on motorcycle hurl explosive, Police suspect ISI link

OpIndia Staff
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Amritsar: Blast at Thakur Dwara temple after two men on motorcycle hurl explosive, Police suspect ISI link

Two unidentified men hurled an explosive at the Thakur Dwara temple on the Shershah Suri Road in the Khandwala area of Amritsar on Saturday (15th March). CCTV footage of the incident showed two masked men arriving near the temple on a bike carrying a flag. They waited for a few seconds before one of them got down and hurled an explosive, apparently a grenade, at the temple at around 12:45 am, after which they fled.

No injury was reported due to the explosion, but a wall of the temple and the window panes were shattered. ACP (West) Shiv Darshan Singh informed that a forensic team was called to the scene which collected the samples from the spot.

The temple priest informed the police about the incident. Amritsar police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI misleads the youth of Punjab by luring them and making them commit such crimes. He assured that the culprits will be caught soon. “We got information at 2 a.m. We reached the spot right away. The forensic team was called… We checked the CCTV and spoke to the nearby people. The thing is that Pakistan’s ISI lures our youth into creating disturbances in Punjab. We will trace this case within days and take appropriate action. I warn the youth not to ruin their lives… We will catch the culprits soon…,” said Bhullar.

Condemning the incident, Union Minister of State of Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu shared the CCTV footage on X and wrote, “I strongly condemn bomb attack on Thakur Dwara temple, Khandwala in Amritsar. AAP government fails to check repeated incidents of blasts in the border city. Deteriorating law and order in Punjab is a matter of serious concern.

Commenting on the incident, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that Pakistan was behind such incidents taking place in Punjab. “Efforts are made from time to time to disturb Punjab by some mischievous elements. Even drugs are part of it. The Moga incident was also cracked by the police. Punjab Police is proactive and has been provided with the latest equipment, so Punjab is fine as far as law and order is concerned,” said Mann. “Pakistan is regularly pushing drones, so they keep doing such things. Why would they want Punjab to be at peace?” he added.

Kirandeep Singh Monu, a local Shiromani Akali Dal leader and advocate, said that the temple is 25 years old. He said that the temple priest and his family were sleeping in the temple premises at the time of the explosion. “At around 12 am, two people came on a bike, stopped outside the Thakur Dwara Mandir, conducted a recce and threw a grenade at the temple. The blast was so powerful that it also affected the nearby buildings, breaking their windows and all. The police later reached the spot. As per the evidence, this was a grenade attack,” he added.

RBI reassures depositors of IndusInd Bank, says the bank is well-capitalised & its financial position is satisfactory

ANI
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RBI reassures depositors of IndusInd Bank, says the bank is well-capitalised & its financial position is satisfactory

Amid the ongoing crisis in the IndusInd bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday released a statement stating that the bank is well capitalised and financially stable.

The RBI said, “The Reserve Bank would like to state that the bank is well-capitalised and the financial position of the bank remains satisfactory.”

The apex bank further added in the statement that as per auditor-reviewed financial results of the bank for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, the bank has maintained a comfortable Capital Adequacy Ratio of 16.46 per cent and Provision Coverage Ratio of 70.20 per cent.

According to the RBI, the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) of the IndusInd bank was at 113 per cent as on March 9, 2025, as against regulatory requirement of 100 per cent.

“Basis the disclosures available in public domain, the bank has already engaged an external audit team to comprehensively review their current systems, and to assess and account for the actual impact expeditiously,” the RBI added.

The RBI said that the board and the management of the IndusInd Bank Limited have been directed by Reserve Bank to have the remedial action completed fully during the current quarter viz., Q4FY25, after making required disclosures to all stakeholders.

“As such, there is no need for depositors to react to the speculative reports at this juncture. The bank’s financial health remains stable and is being monitored closely by Reserve Bank,” the RBI said.

IndusInd Bank in an exchange filing pointed out some discrepancies which were observed during internal review of processes relating to Other Asset and Other Liability accounts of the derivative portfolio, post implementation of RBI Master Direction – Classification, Valuation and Operation of Investment Portfolio of Commercial Banks (Directions), 2023 issued in September 2023, including accounting of Derivatives, applicable from April 01, 2024.

The bank undertook internal trades which had low liquidity and were on swap basis where 3-5 yr yen deposits were to be swapped for 8-10 yr dollars for a multilateral.

These trades were hedged where the hedges were marked to market but the internal swaps were on cost accounting basis and not mark to marketed. This resulted in discrepancies.

The bank has also appointed an external agency to independently review and validate the internal findings. The review is likely to be completed by fourth quarter itself.

Earlier this month, the IndusInd Bank’s CEO Sumant Kathpalia, received RBI approval for tenure extension by 1 year vs expectation for 3 years. On 18-Jan-2025, the CFO had tendered his resignation to pursue other professional opportunities.

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

Who is Ranjani Srinivasan? The pro-Hamas Indian student who ‘self-deported’ from the US to Canada after her F-1 visa was cancelled

OpIndia Staff
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Who is Ranjani Srinivasan? The pro-Hamas Indian student who ‘self-deported’ from the US to Canada after her F-1 visa was cancelled

On 14th March (local time), Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed that an Indian national, Ranjani Srinivasan, who had participated in pro-Hamas protests at a university in the United States, had self-deported to Canada. Reportedly, Srinivasan’s visa was cancelled due to security concerns raised by her participation in the protests on the university campus.

She used the CBP Home App for her departure from the US. The app was launched during the Biden administration. It is used by illegal immigrants living in the US to voluntarily inform the US government about their intent to leave the country.

In a post on X, Noem said, “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home App to self-deport.”

A video was attached to the post where Srinivasan was seen walking with her bags at an airport. The Washington Times cited the Department of Homeland Security stating that she left the country on 11th March.

Who is Ranjani Srinivasan?

Ranjani Srinivasan was an Indian student pursuing a doctoral degree in Urban Planning at Columbia University. She was in the US on an F-1 student visa, which was revoked after she got involved in activities that were deemed pro-Hamas. The Department of Homeland Security has officially designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

Before joining the PhD course, she did her MPhil in Urban Planning at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). She also holds a Master’s in Design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Design (BDes) from CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India.

According to her bio on NYU Wagner, her research focused on the evolving nature of land-labour relations in peri-urban statutory towns in India. The aim of her project was to “examine shifts in the political economy of labour that have now culminated in the current crisis of jobless growth.” Columbia University bio stated that her “current research focuses on the transformations of gold mining frontiers in the Central Schist Belt of Karnataka, India, from 1880 to the present in relation to labour movements, state-formation, colonial rule, and global capitalist restructuring.”

Her primary areas of interest included the political economy of development, the spatial politics of land, and the sociology of labour.

Crackdown on anti-Israel protests

The Trump administration has been strict against pro-Palestine or pro-Hamas protests on university campuses. Reportedly, Immigration and Customs Enforcement also arrested one such protester on 13th March who had participated in the Columbia demonstrations. The protester had allegedly overstayed her expired F-1 student visa.

The US Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether Columbia University is housing illegal immigrants on its campus. The administration has intensified its campaign to deport foreigners who participated in such protests on campuses in 2024.

Reportedly, President Trump’s office has also cancelled federal grants and contracts worth $400 million to Columbia University. This is being seen as a punishment for allowing students and faculty to criticise Israel’s military action in Gaza during protests in the spring of last year.

In April 2024, OpIndia reported how Indian-origin woke students were actively partaking in anti-Israel protests. A protest video had surfaced at that time where a woman protestor was raising slogans of “free Palestine” and “Azadi” in Hindi.

The presence of Indian-origin students in pro-Hamas protests warrants recalling the case of Riddhi Patel, an anti-Hindu, Hamas supporter who was arrested early April 2024 for threatening city council members including Republic Mayor Karen Goh in Bakersfield in California. Later, the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE) fired anti-Hindu ‘activist’ Riddhi Patel from her job.

Killed all 214 hostages from Pakistan Army: Balochistan Liberation Army says after Pak govt claimed train hijack hostages were rescued successfully

OpIndia Staff
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Killed all 214 hostages from Pakistan Army: Balochistan Liberation Army says after Pak govt claimed train hijack hostages were rescued successfully

A day after the Pakistani Army claimed that all 33 Baloch insurgents who highjacked a passenger train carrying over 400 passengers on Tuesday (11th March) were killed, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) refuted their statement, calling it a lie. The BLA said on Thursday (13th March) that intense fighting continued between the BLA and the Pakistani forces, with the latter suffering heavy losses. The rebel group claimed responsibility for executing 214 hostages, said to be Pakistani army personnel, and blamed the Pakistani Army’s refusal to negotiate for their deaths.

BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that Pakistani forces ignored a 48-hour ultimatum for a prisoner exchange, which resulted in the death of the hostages. “Baloch Liberation Army had given the Pakistani army a 48-hour ultimatum to exchange prisoners of war, which was the last chance for the occupying army to save the lives of its personnel,” the statement read. “However, Pakistan, displaying its traditional stubbornness and military arrogance, avoided serious negotiations and turned a blind eye to the ground realities. As a result, all 214 hostages have been executed,” said the BLA.

In the statement, the BLA also paid tribute to its members who lost their lives during a confrontation with Pakistani forces. “BLA pays tribute to the 12 freedom fighters martyred in this battle, who made an unforgettable sacrifice against the enemy. On Wednesday night, three freedom fighters were martyred, while last night, four more fighters lost their lives in combat. Additionally, five Fidayeen of the Majeed Brigade sacrificed their lives, dealing the enemy a defeat that will always be remembered in history,” the statement said. BLA claimed to have acted within the limits of the international law.

The BLA termed their operation as ‘Darra-e-Bolan’ and said that the operation continues. “Baloch Liberation Army will release details about Operation Darra-e-Bolan to the media after the operation is completed. The battle is still ongoing”, the rebel group said.

The train highjacking

On Tuesday, the BLA opened fire on the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express when it was passing through the Mashkaf tunnel near Gudalar and Piru Kunri. The train was coming from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. On Wednesday (12th March), the Pakistani Army announced the operation to rescue all the hostages from the highjacked Jaffar Express had ended. It added that all 33 insurgents were killed and that 21 passengers and 4 Pakistani Army personnel lost their lives during the operation.

“The armed forces successfully concluded the operation on (Wednesday) evening by killing all terrorists and rescuing all passengers safely,” said Lt. Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry. “Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with great care,” he said, adding 440 people had been on board and security forces had cleared the train “bogey to bogey”. However, the BLA said that the claims of the Pakistani Army were misleading. It said that the Pakistani Army personnel claimed to be ‘rescued’ by the Pakistani forces were actually released by the BLA complying with its war ethics and international norms.

Islamists attack Mohammad Shami’s daughter for playing Holi, had earlier attacked the cricketer for drinking energy drink during Ramzaan

OpIndia Staff
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Islamists attack Mohammad Shami’s daughter for playing Holi, had earlier attacked the cricketer for drinking energy drink during Ramzaan

Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami was attacked by Islamists earlier this month for taking an energy drink during a Champions Trophy match, now they have attacked the cricketer’s daughter Ayra Shami for playing Holi. The fundamentalists got outraged over Shami’s daughter playing Holi while Ramzaan month is going on. The abusers even raised questions about her upbringing and questioned the girl’s knowledge of the time of Friday prayers.

The Islamic fundamentalists were triggered after Shami’s ex-wife Hasin Jahan posted a picture of their daughter on Instagram on Holi (14th March). In the picture, Ayra Shami is seen covered in Holi colours.

Hasin Jahan wished Holi with Ayra’s picture. This was enough to leave Islamists fuming with outrage. Soon the comment section of Jahan’s post was filled with abuses and slurs.

A person named Junaid wrote on Shami’s daughter’s photo, “Did you read Jumme ki namaaz first or later?”

While another account wrote, “It is the month of Ramadan, shame on you.”

Imran Sheikh raised questions on Haseen Jahan’s upbringing of her child and said, “Wow, what an education you have given to your daughter!”

Some fanatics even wrote abusive words and commented with knife-gun emojis.

Those who were teaching Islam to Shami’s daughter also dragged her mother Haseen Jahan into it. She was called shameless and ignorant.

Abdul Kalam wrote, “The ignorant woman did not feel ashamed even in the month of Ramzan, I am blocking her right now.”

Saqib Alam wrote, “Shameless woman*ss.” A person named Raheb questioned Shami whether he is a Muslim or not.

This is not the first time that Mohammed Shami has come under attack from Islamic fundamentalists. Recently, during the Champions Trophy, he took an energy drink while playing in the Semifinal which angered Islamists. All India Muslim Jamaat’s national president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi even called him a criminal.

The Maulana had said, “Islam has declared fasting as compulsory. Fasting is compulsory for everyone. If someone does not keep fast intentionally, then he is a criminal. Cricketer Mohammed Shami did the same. He has committed a big crime by not keeping fast. In the eyes of Sharia, he is a criminal….”

‘How dare you chant Jai Shri Ram’: Muslim mob attacks Hindus amid Dol Purnima and Holi celebrations in Birbhum, BJP shares video

OpIndia Staff
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‘How dare you chant Jai Shri Ram’: Muslim mob attacks Hindus amid Dol Purnima and Holi celebrations in Birbhum, BJP shares video

On Friday (14th March), a Muslim mob attacked the Hindu community celebrating Dol Purnima and Holi in Anaipur village in the Birbhum district of West Bengal.

Amit Malviya informed in a tweet, “Hindus were attacked in Birbhum for celebrating Holi! Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, West Bengal is increasingly resembling Bangladesh.”

“The attack was led by a local Trinamool Panchayat member, where Muslims targeted Hindus for chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and even questioned, “How dare you raise this slogan?” (as heard in the video),” BJP national spokesperson added.

Amit Malviya further accused the police of failing to protect Hindus against violence and shielding the attackers.

“Shockingly, despite the presence of police, the attacks escalated, and instead of preventing the violence, law enforcement reportedly shielded the attackers. Videos from the incident show Hindus claiming they were assaulted while the police stood by,” he emphasised.

Following the violent clash, the Birbhum district administration imposed restrictions on internet and VoIP services in five Gram Panchayats near Sainthia town till 17th March 2025.

“In view of the recent events in some areas, Internet transmissions and voice over internet telephony maybe used for spreading rumour for unlawful activities in geographical area of Sainthia town area of Sainthia Municipality, Hatora GP, Mathpalsa GP, Harisara GO, Fariyapur GP and Fulur GP area under Sainthia police station of Sainthia community development block in Birbhum Revenue district, under Birbhum police district over the next dfew days and hence the service may be temporarily shut down,” the order stated.

Recent cases of idol vandalism in West Bengal

On 14th March, BJP’s national spokesperson Amit Malviya took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform about an attack on a Hindu temple. The incident occurred in Kamalpur village in Nandigram Block 2 in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal.

He shared a video wherein idols of Hindu deities could be seen in a vandalised state. “In Kamalpur, within the Amadabad region of Nandigram Block 2, local residents had been engaged in worship since last Tuesday,” Amit Malviya informed.

“However, when the puja and Ram Narayan kirtan continued uninterrupted, certain individuals—unable to tolerate the chanting of Shri Ram’s name—vandalized the site and desecrated the idols,” the BJP national spokesperson added.

“This is a critical situation…The response of the police is muted…You can see that the cops are not doing anything,” a man was heard saying in the viral video. A cop was also seen intimidating the man recording the visuals of the desecrated Hindu idols.

Screengrab of the tweet by Amit Malviya

On 7th March, a Muslim man named Sheikh Indu vandalised the idol of Goddess Shitala and then set it on fire. The incident occurred in Baruipur city in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

Visuals of charred idols and the damaged Hindu temple could be seen in multiple posts on social media. The locals were able to apprehend the accused, Sheikh Indu, who was involved in the vandalism and arson attack.

The Baruipur police posted a tweet on 7th March claiming that the accused is a ‘person of unsound mind’ with ‘mental health issues.’

Screengrab of the tweet by the Baruipur police

“Local people apprehended him and police took custody of the person. A case has been registered and investigation is on. The detained person is an outsider and has mental health issues,” it alleged.

On 9th March, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform about the attack on a Kali temple and the vandalism of the idol of the Hindu deity.

The incident occurred in Shankchura Bazar in Basirhat city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The BJP leader stated that the attack on the temple took place under the leadership of local TMC politician Shahanoor Mondal.

Screengrab of the tweets by the Basirhat police district

Hours later, the West Bengal Police on 9th March took to social media to claim that there was ‘no communal angle’ behind the heinous crime.

The cops went on to claim that the extremist behind the vandalism of the idol of Goddess Kali has ‘mental health issues.’

Jharkhand: Stone pelting during Holi procession as it passes through ‘Masjid lane’ in Giridih, three shops and several vehicles torched

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Stone pelting during Holi procession as it passes through ‘Masjid lane’ in Giridih, three shops and several vehicles torched

On the Hindu festival of Holi, violent clashes erupted during the celebrations in the Ghodthamba OP Police Station area of Giridih district of Jharkhand. Several vehicles and shops were torched during the clashes. A heavy police force was deployed in the area to control the situation. An investigation into the matter is underway to determine the cause and identify the culprits involved in the clash.

According to media reports, the incident took place when a Holi procession was passing through a particular street near Ghorthambha Chowk. The residents, who belonged to the other community, objected to the procession being taken through the area as there was a mosque nearby. They claimed that Hindus, who were taking out the procession, forcefully entered the lane with the mosque.

The altercation between the two communities turned violent when the particular community started pelting stones. Soon, both sides started pelting stones at each other. At least three shops, one four-wheeler, and seven bikes were torched during the clashes. One of the bikes torched during the clash belonged to a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.

The chaos continued for around an hour. The police were informed about the clashes, and officials from the district headquarters rushed to the location to control the situation. The police quickly dispersed the miscreants.

Superintendent of Police, Dr Bimal, said that no major injuries were reported in the incident. Efforts are underway to identify the accused, and he assured that strict action would be taken against those involved.

The SP said, “An incident of a clash between two communities has come to light in the Ghorthamba OP constituency during Holi celebrations. We are in the process of identifying the people involved. Strict action will be taken against them. The situation is currently under control, and no major injuries have been reported… some vehicles were also set on fire.”

Deputy Development Commissioner Smita Kumari also reached the spot to take stock of the situation. She said some “anti-social” elements had tried to disturb law and order and assured that the situation was under control. She stated, “During the Holi celebrations, some anti-social elements tried to disturb law and order, but now the situation is under control. As per the information we have received, some anti-social elements set a few vehicles on fire. The investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the incident.”

SDPO Rajendra Prasad said the authorities are keeping an eye on the situation. An additional police force was deployed to ensure law and order.

(With inputs from ANI)

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