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UP Govt seeks Supreme Court monitored CBI inquiry in Hathras case, says victim cremated in presence of family who agreed to cremation

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UP Govt seeks Supreme Court monitored CBI inquiry in Hathras case, says victim cremated in presence of family who agreed to cremation

The Uttar Pradesh Government has submitted a detailed affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking a CBI inquiry monitored by the apex court in Hathras case. The affidavit states that the Hathras victim’s body was cremated late night based on intel inputs that trouble was brewing in the area as vested interests were trying to exploit the incident by giving it a caste/communal colour. The Yogi government stated that the administration took the decision to avoid large scale violence the next morning.

Vicious campaign unleashed to defame state govt: UP to SC

Uttar Pradesh govt’s affidavit also stated that the Uttar Pradesh police has been taking all urgent and necessary actions since the case was first reported on September 14, 2020. However, a vicious campaign has been unleashed to defame the State govt and a certain section of print and electronic media, social media and political parties have been attempting to incite caste/communal riots.

Explaining in details the investigation carried out so far in the case, the Yogi government told the court that the vested interests are attempting to ascribe motive to derail a fair probe. It, therefore, urged the apex court to direct CBI investigation into the case for free and fair investigation and asked SC to monitor the CBI probe into the case.

Series of circumstances leading to Hathras victim’s late-night cremation

The UP govt in the affidavit explained the series of extenuating circumstances that compelled the government to go with the 2.30 am cremation. Firstly, the UP govt had received specific intelligence inputs late at night of September 29 (the day the Hathras victim succumbed to her injuries in Safdarjung hospital in Delhi) that lakhs of protestors of both communities/ castes along with the supporters of some political parties and media will assemble in the morning of September 30 at the village and are likely to turn violent leading to major law and order situation.

Snippet of affidavit submitted by UP Govt

Secondly, there was already a high alert in the district due to the verdict of the Ayodhya- Babri case. And also the government had to ensure that there were no large gatherings in the Covid times in view of the central govt guidelines. It told the apex court that in such extraordinary and severe circumstances the district administration decided to convince the family of the deceased to cremate her with all religious rites at night to avoid large scale violence in the morning.

Hathras victim cremated late night by her father in presence of police

It may be recalled how political parties of all hues and a certain section of the media used the late-night cremation of the Hathras victims as a tool to settle scores with the BJP led government in the state. Opposition parties had attempted to spread canards by alleging that the government was trying to save the accused by doing so. Some media reports also claimed that the cremation took place without the family’s approval. However, the victim’s father accompanied the police to the cremation ground where the rites were performed.

UP government reiterates that Hathras victim’s medical reports have ruled out “rape” angle

Meanwhile, the UP government also reiterated in the SC that the provisional medical report of JJ Medical Hospital Aligarh did not have prima facie findings of rape. The samples were sent to FSL Agra, which gave its final opinion ruling out rape, says the UP Govt affidavit.

Initial media reports mentioned family feud as the reason for crime, rape angle included 8 days later

Pertinently, when the matter was first reported by the Hindi daily Jagran on September 15, the reason was mentioned as a family feud between that of the accused and the victim. Moreover, the report that was published in Jagran had no mention of any sexual assault on the victim. It even identified the victim by name, which is not revealed in case of sex crimes.

A Jagran report published on the 3rd October asserted that a senior Congress leader in Uttar Pradesh met the victim on the 19th of September following which allegation of eve-teasing were added to the list of charges by the victim. The report further stated it was on the 22nd of September, eight days after the incident had occurred, that allegations of rape emerged for the first time and three additional names were added to the list of accused.

The UP state government filed the detailed affidavit hours before the Supreme Court will hear the first PIL over the Hathras case. The Supreme Court will hearing a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a special investigation team (SIT) probe into the Hathras gangrape and murder on Tuesday. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde will hear the petition by a social activist Satyama Dubey and two lawyers Vishal Thakre and Rudra Pratap Yadav alleging failure by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) authorities in dealing with the matter.

West Bengal: Two accused, Md Khurram and Gulab Shaikh, arrested for the murder of BJP leader Manish Shukla

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Two accused, Md Khurram and Gulab Shaikh, arrested for the murder of BJP leader Manish Shukla

On Monday, the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) has apprehended two people for the brutal murder of BJP leader Manish Shukla near Titagarh police station in Barrackpore area. The murder had taken place on Sunday evening at around 8:30 pm after he stepped into the party office. Reportedly, bike-borne assailants shot Shukla from an extremely close range.

The CID has arrested two accused, namely, Mohammed Khurram and Gulab Shaikh, in connection to the case. While Khurram was arrested earlier in the day, Shaikh was nabbed on the intervening night of October 5 and October 6. The CID officials had interrogated the duo and informed that Mohammed Khurram had ‘personal enmity’ with the deceased BJP leader.

The investigative agency is probing the motive and modus operandi of the duo in the murder of Manish Shukla. The CID has stated that the investigation into the case will lead them to other accused.

Video Credits: ABP Ananda

West Bengal govt hands over case to CID, BJP criticises move

On Monday, the West Bengal government had handed over the case to the Crime Inspection Department (CID) from the Barrackpore Commissionerate. The case was handed over to the CID after the police conducted the post-mortem of the body of the deceased. The state unit of the BJP has criticised the move, insinuating that they do not trust the police working under the TMC government. The BJP’s disapproval comes at the backdrop of several cases wherein the unnatural deaths of BJP workers were dubbed as ‘suicide’ or ‘inconclusive’ by the state police. They have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.

BJP demands body of Manish Shukla, cops deny permission

On Monday, BJP leaders and party workers gathered outside the Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) hospital where the body of the deceased was kept. They had demanded that the corpse be handed over to them. The cops had denied entry of BJP party members into the hospital premises and refused to comply with their demands. At the same time, the police had barricaded several gates of the hospital and were allowing the entry to ambulance and patients.

Pakistan: Ahmadi professor shot dead by a colleague after an ‘argument over religion’ in Peshawar

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Ahmadi professor shot dead by a colleague after an ‘argument over religion’ in Peshawar

A Pakistani Ahmadi professor was shot dead by another Muslim professor in the northwest city of Peshawar on Monday. It is alleged that they got into a heated argument over a religious matter. The professor who lost his life has been identified as Dr Naeemuddin Khattak, aka Naeem Khattak. He was attacked by Professor Farooq Maad and another gunman when he was driving to his college.

Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya Pakistan spokesperson Saleemuddin said in a statement that Professor Khattak was killed due to his Ahmadi faith. He alleged that Naeem had faced threats and boycott in the past. “Over the past few months, there has been an increase in faith-based attacks on Ahmadis. In Peshawar, an organised hate campaign has been launched against Ahmadis which has resulted in the killing of Ahmadis,” he further added.

The incident

According to the reports, when Dr Naeem was driving his car through Wazir Bagh at 1:30 PM, two men riding motorcycle blocked his path and opened fire. He received five bullet wounds and died on the spot. Bhana Mari police said that they have identified the culprit and trying to arrest him.

Naeem was a faculty member at Government Superior Science College Peshawar. He has left behind a widow, two sons, and three daughters. The murderer has been identified as Professor Farooq Maad, a faculty member in the agriculture department of the same college. Khattak held a PhD in Zoology.

Ahmadis are not considered as Muslims in Pakistan and there have been a long histories of discrimination, hate campaigns and targeted murders against the community.

In 1974, the Parliament of Pakistan declared that Ahmadis are not Muslims. Since then, they have been repeatedly targeted by Muslim extremists. Homes and places of worship of Ahmadis have been attacked several times in the past.

Increase in attacks on Ahmadis

There has been a rise in attacks on Ahmadis in Peshawar, where the incident took place. Peshawar is known for housing a large number of extremists.

On 29th July, an elderly man of the Ahmadi community was shot dead inside Peshawar’s courtroom. Tahir Naseem was attending court for his trial on blasphemy charges. The deceased man, a US citizen, was accused of ‘blasphemy’ two years ago and had been lodged in prison. After the brutal killing in an open courtroom, the murderer was hailed as a ‘hero of Islam’ and was celebrated in Pakistani social media.

On 12th August, an Ahmadi was shot dead in Dabgari Garden in Peshawar.

On 9th September, a mob surrounded a house of Ahmadi family over suspicion that they were preaching their faith in the area. The police had to rescue the family.

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Modi govt signs MoU with food delivery major Swiggy to bring street food vendors on the app

OpIndia Staff
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Modi govt signs MoU with food delivery major Swiggy to bring street food vendors on the app

In an effort to bring the street food vendors into the fold of the online market, the Modi government has signed an MoU with food tech major Swiggy to bring street food vendors onboard of the e-commerce platform.

Under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) mission, the Modi government intends to help these street vendors to expand their business, who have been severely hit due to coronavirus pandemic.

In a press release, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has stated that initially Swiggy and the ministry will run a pilot program by on-boarding 250 vendors across five cities – Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Indore, and Varanasi.

As a part of the initiative, these street food vendors will be assisted to get PAN and FSSAI registration, menu digitization and pricing, and training for packaging and maintaining hygiene practices.

Capital loan to be provided under the scheme

Under this mission, the government will be targeting at least 50 lakh street vendors, who will be provided with a working capital loan of up to Rs 10,000 to be payable in 12 months EMI.

The Urban Housing Ministry will also reward on time and early repayment of the loan with an interest subsidy at 7% per annum. The subsidy will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on a quarterly basis. 

Upon the successful completion of the pilot project, MoHUA and Swiggy have a plan to expand this initiative across the country in phases. 

According to MOHUA, they have received over 20 lakh loan applications under the PM SVANidhi Scheme. Out of these over 7.5 lakh loans have been sanctioned and over 2.4 lakh loans disbursed under the scheme.

Child pornography cases spike in Kerala, cyber cell arrest 41 people in a major crackdown

OpIndia Staff
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Child pornography cases spike in Kerala, cyber cell arrest 41 people in a major crackdown

In a major crackdown against child pornography, the Kerala police’s cyber wing on Monday arrested 41 people, including some IT professionals, and registered 268 cases on the charge of browsing and downloading child pornography.

According to the reports, the Kerala police had carried out a month-long covert online surveillance operation code-named “P-Hunt_20.2”. The operation has culminated in the arrest of 41 persons from across the state Kerala on the charge of “seeking, collecting, browsing and downloading” child pornography.

The police said that most of the arrested persons were using encrypted handles to upload such material and circulating them on social media platforms. The cyber cell has seized many electronic devices and phones from these arrested individuals. Some of the arrested include IT professionals, the police said.

The accused were identified and arrested with the help of Cyberdom (specialised wing of cyber police), Interpol and other agencies, said additional director general of police Manoj Abraham.

Police seized child porn materials from arrested

According to the police, most of the seized material had contained child pornography related to children between the age group of 6-15 years. The Cyberdom officials also found that some of these accused had formatted their smartphones regularly to avoid detection and also used malware to activate the webcams of the victim to steal information of children.

“The biggest impact of the pandemic, besides health issues, is an online crime. True, the lockdown has increased digital usage and this also spiked use in pornography, especially involving minor children. Many think that these acts use will go unnoticed but they are mistaken. In many cases, it looks like a sickness that requires medical treatment as many are repeat offenders,” said Abraham.

The officer added that many obscene pictures, videos captured were taken from Kerala, stating that abuse of children locked up in their homes was quite evident in many cases.

The police also found out that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) content was sourced from security cameras at homes, flats. The accused recorded images and videos of children from webcams.

The Kerala police had deployed used a mix of surveillance software, social engineering techniques and deceptive social media identities to infiltrate into the clandestine child porn sharing circles.

According to country’s penal laws, watching and sharing child pornographic images, videos and literature is a crime and can invite a five-year-jail term and maximum fine of Rs 10 lakh.

Kerala: Two brothers Naushad and Nawas arrested for raping 10 and 5-year-old minors

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Two brothers Naushad and Nawas arrested for raping 10 and 5-year-old minors

The Trivandrum police on Sunday arrested two brothers, Naushad and Nawas, in connection with the rape of two minors, one 10-years-old and the other 5-years-old in Thiruvallam Pachallur. The accused Naushad and Nawas are reportedly twins. The brothers allegedly raped the little girls several times.

As per reports, the minors were left under the care of the accused while their parents went to work. The matter came to light when the parents detected unusual behaviour of their children and asked them about it. The children narrated their ordeal to their parents after which the parents approached the police and filed a complaint against the molesters. The minors were allegedly raped several times over a certain period of time.

Following the complaint, the police arrested the two brothers and charged them under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act(POCSO), 2012. According to the police, after allegedly raping the children, the accused had threatened them with dire consequences if they disclosed anything to their relatives or parents.

The twin brothers, Naushad and Nawas, have been sent to 14-days judicial custody.

Uttar Pradesh: Four PFI members arrested for planning to create caste-based unrest and communal tension over Hathras case

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Four PFI members arrested for planning to create caste-based unrest and communal tension over Hathras case

Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested four people, Siddiqui of Nagla in Muzaffarnagar, Siddique of Malappuram, Masood Ahmed of Jarwal in Bahraich district, and Alam of Kotwali area in Rampur district in connection to the Hathras case on Monday. So far, police have filed 21 cases across the state.

As per the reports, the arrested four have connections with Popular Front of India (PFI) and were planning to cause caste-based unrest in the state. The police have alleged that they were conspiring to spoil the government’s image and disturb the atmosphere in the area.

On Monday, Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), said police received information about suspected persons traveling from Delhi to Hathras. The police intercepted their vehicle. Upon questioning their connection with PFI and Campus Front of India (CFI) came into light.

Conspiracy to cause riots and communal tension

ADG Kumar said there are a total of six cases in various police station areas of Hathras district. 13 cases were filed for making objectionable comments on social media platforms in Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur, Hathras, Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Lucknow. The four suspects were arrested as a preventive measure as they are allegedly involved in a conspiracy to cause tension in the state under the pretext of Hathras incident. Recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also said that conspiracies are hatching to spread communal riots in the state and the rest of the country. He also alleged foreign funding involved in the conspiracy.

Charges against the alleged conspirators

As per the reports, police have recovered the mobile, laptop, and suspected literature from the suspects. The FIR launched against the four has serious charges, including threatening the unity and integrity of the country (treason).

The cases have been filed under section 109 (abetment of offense) of the Indian Penal Code, 124A (attempt to threaten the unity and integrity of the country-treason) 120-B (conspiracy), 153 -A (Spreading hate based on religion, language and caste), 153-B (Statements adversely affecting national integrity), 195 (Formation of evidence), 465 (Counterfeiting), 468 (Use of malicious documents), 501 ( A total of 20 sections, including defamatory printing), 505 (statement making the atmosphere of fear) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008.

Use of social media and other communication methods

ADG Kumar said there are attempts to spoil the atmosphere of the state via provocative posters and social media posts. Police also learned about viral audio that has been making rounds on social media as well as on messaging services like WhatsApp. Several investigation agencies are looking into the matter. It was reported on Monday that a website was made to provide information on how to launch protests across the country without getting identified by the police. The website also urged people to donate for the protests. After the uproar, the website was deleted. Police are gathering information about the people behind the website.

Involvement of the media, opposition leaders and a case against the unknown reporter

The cases filed in the Hathras case also include a case against an unnamed reporter for allegedly calling the brother to ask his parents to make a video saying they are not satisfied with the administration’s actions. OpIndia gained exclusive access to the recordings, after which the alleged “spoon-feeding of the words” went viral on the social media.

A similar case has been filed against an unknown leader who was pressurizing the victim’s family to give a statement that they are not satisfied with the state government. Some politicians and leaders also provoked the family on the pretext of providing more compensation. It has to be noted that the government has already announced 25 lakh in total as compensation.

The Hathras case

The Hathras case has become a political battleground where the justice for the victim seems to have taken a backseat as politicians huddle up to score political brownies. Every political party in the opposition is trying to use the tragedy for their gain and the media is not far behind in using it for their own interests. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has ordered a CBI inquiry into the matter with numerous facets emerging to the story. The chronology of the events in the Hathras case can be explored here.

Congress Dalit leaders seen laughing and cracking jokes while protesting against the Hathras case

OpIndia Staff
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Congress Dalit leaders seen laughing and cracking jokes while protesting against the Hathras case

The Congress has been desperately clinging to the Hathras incident to gain some much-needed political capital in Uttar Pradesh, by exploiting the caste angles in the case. As the unfortunate incident of a Dalit girl’s strangulation, allegedly by an ‘upper caste’ boy becomes the political battleground, Congress leaders seem to be taking Hathras as their picnic spot.

Earlier, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were seen laughing, enjoying their long drive on the way to Hathras.

On Monday, Congress Dalit leader Udit Raj and his supporters travelled to Hathras from Delhi to meet the victim’s family. However, he was temporarily stopped by the Ghaziabad police near UP gate for not having requisite permission. Udit Raj had however claimed that he had sought permission of District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police in Hathras and Additional Director General of Police (Agra).

Udit Raj laughs, cracks jokes at a sit-in-protest

Nevertheless, the Congress Dalit leader staged a sit-in protest on the road against the supposed high-handedness of the police. In a viral video that has now come to light, Udit Raj was seen in a jovial mode. While his supporters raised the slogan of ‘Bharat mata ki jai‘, the Dalit leader from the Congress party was seen giggling and cracking jokes with a female supporter. The merry-making was clearly visible as Udit Raj was seen first pulling the female supporter closer, whispering something in her ears after which they both double up laughing while the ‘protest demanding justice for the victim’ continues on the background.

Udit Raj also wrapped his arms around the shoulder of his supporter for a brief moment while ignoring the seriousness around the Hathras case. He faced criticism on social media for his callous and insensitive behaviour, prompting social media users to question whether he was on a ‘picnic.’

Udit Raj poses for the camera, flouts social distancing guidelines

The District Magistrate had imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in the area, which prevents congregation of more than 5 people. The Ghaziabad police informed that Udit Raj wanted to take out a rally in Hathras but was not allowed to do so. Following his conversation with the District Magistrate of Hathras, he was allowed to visit the victim’s family with a convoy of 6 vehicles.

When Udit Raj reached the house of the victim, the Congress Dalit leader hugged a victim’s family member. During the photo-op, he claimed that he stood by the family of the deceased girl. Once the photo session was over, he was quick to distance himself from the man. Udit Raj was also spotted not wearing his mask and flouting social distancing guidelines, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. He had shared the video clip of the meeting on Twitter and claimed that he had shared ‘condolences’ with the family and vowed to fight against the ‘injustice’.

Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘happy drive’

Earlier, senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi came under intense criticism for their callousness. People pointed out how they were laughing and having fun while visiting the family of the bereaved. The laughter of the siblings appeared consistent with the recent declaration of a journalist that the Hathras case was a ‘god given opportunity‘ for them to resurrect their careers.

The Hathras incident

A lot of debate and political mudslinging has been happening around the Hathras case since the victim succumbed to her injuries in Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital last week. While the victim and her family had claimed that she was gang-raped by the four accused, post mortem and forensic lab results have ruled out rape. Later, the initial statements and police reports filed by the family with the local police emerged, where no rape or sexual assault was mentioned, casting a doubt of possible foulplay in the entire incident.

The initial statements by the victim and her family members are contradictory to the later claims of brutality and gang-rape. Also, the names of the three other accused were ‘added on’ in later statements. Owing to the caste of the victim and the accused, the case has become a fertile ground for some political parties to create social divisions and exploit the caste angle politically.

All four accused named by the victim had been arrested by the police.

Mumbai Police claims over 80,000 social media accounts created for ‘defaming’ Police Commissioner and police force in Sushant Singh Rajput case

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai Police claims over 80,000 social media accounts created for ‘defaming’ Police Commissioner and police force in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Mumbai Police on Tuesday said that they have registered two FIRs against social media users over allegations of ‘defaming’ the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. One FIR is regarding ‘defaming’ the Mumbai CP while other is for using ‘morphed’ image of Mumbai Police’s official Twitter account.

Mumbai Police has claimed that many social media users and some ‘fake’ accounts were used for ‘defaming’ Mumbai Police Commissioner on various sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Mumbai Police has alleged that ‘abusive language’ was used against Singh and the Mumbai Police force.

As per reports, Mumbai Police has claimed over 84,000 ‘fake’ accounts were created from June 14 onward after the 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his apartment under mysterious circumstances. While initial reports had suggested death by suicide, the family had later alleged foul play.

Mumbai Police has claimed that the ‘fake accounts’ were created from countries like Italy, Japan, France, Indonesia and others. Mumbai Police Commissioner Singh claimed that a campaign was run to demoralise the police force and derail the investigation in the deceased actor’s case. “Multiple fake accounts on social media were created to target Mumbai police with abusive tones. Our cyber cell is conducting a thorough investigation into this matter and all those found violating the law will be prosecuted under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act,” he said.

Sushant Singh Rajput death

The 34-year-old actor was found dead in his apartment on 14th June 2020. The Mumbai Police had come under fire over allegations of shoddy investigation. The Supreme Court had also pulled up Mumbai Police for delay in filing the FIR.

Watch: Bhim Army and Congress workers clash in Chhatisgarh during protest against Hathras incident

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Bhim Army and Congress workers clash in Chhatisgarh during protest against Hathras incident

On Monday, Congress party workers clashed with members of Bhim Army in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh during a protest against the Hathras incident.

According to the reports, the clashes between two sides erupted after Bhim Army members started sloganeering against Congress party workers who were protesting against the Hathras incident.

During the protest, the Bhim Army members also hurled slogans against the Congress government in Chhattisgarh accusing them of being anti-Dalit. In the video, the two groups can also be seen shouting abusive slogans against each other.

“Congress workers were protesting against Hathras case. Meanwhile, Bhim Army members went there and started sloganeering against them, leading to the clash. Later police dispersed them,” said police officer Lakhesh Kevat.

The SDM said that the district administration has also received complaints from Mahila Congress demanding strict action against Bhim Army members. The authorities also added that they are investigating the matter and strict action will be taken against all those who created ruckus during the protest.

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