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Growing cases of drug and weapon smuggling at India-Nepal border, security officials seize pistols, hashish, brown sugar and cash

OpIndia Staff
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Growing cases of drug and weapon smuggling at India-Nepal border, security officials seize pistols, hashish, brown sugar and cash

Drugs trafficking menace at the India-Nepal border area has been a major cause of concern among the border security forces of India and Nepal.

On 16th October, the Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) recovered 910 grams of Hashish from a woman who passed through a Nepali security check post at Krishnanagar border point and entered Badhani town in India.

During interrogation, the woman, Mina from Siddharthanagar, India, claimed to be a porter who brought the contraband from Nepal. She had previously smuggled hashish into India from the same border post (Krishnanagar) three to four times.

Pistols and ammunition recovered

In another such incident on 21st September, Nepal Police caught two Indian nationals riding a motorbike with a pistol and five bullets near Chandrauta while on their way to Krishnanagar.

Pritam Kumar and Suraj Dwivedi, both from Uttar Pradesh, entered Nepal through the Krinanagar border crossing deceiving security authorities. The duo were searched after a dispute with villagers in Krishnanagar, and the weapons were recovered from their possession. 

Similarly, Nepal Police recently arrested two Indian nationals Jamkod Khan and his son Kishor from Bihar’s Kishanganj over their alleged role in narcotic drugs smuggling. The police seized 2 grams and 290 mg of brown sugar.

These instances highlight security gaps between Nepal and India in crucial border points like Krishnanagar. According to a Kathmandu Post report, smugglers are increasingly using the Krishnanagar border to smuggle drugs and small guns.

Unaccounted cash seized

On the 21st of October, Nepal Police confiscated Rs 2.05 million in undeclared money at Krishnanagar’s main border gate. The security personnel did not detain the high-profile Indian politician, but instead detained her aides and sent the recovered money and detainees to Butwal for further investigation.

Citing sources, the report claimed that the Minister for Women and Child Development in the Maharashtra government, Aditi Sunil Tatkare, brought the undeclared money.

Krishnanagar Police first reported that six persons, including a woman, were held in the case. The following day, authorities reported that two Indian nationals were arrested in connection with the money.

Nepali officials blame lack of modern tools and device

Over the previous 2-3 years, security failures at this checkpoint have often occurred, indicating a disturbing trend.

There are six security checkpoints along a 10-kilometer route from Bahadurgunj to Krishnanagar, with five manned by Nepal Police and one by customs authorities. However, the report said security and customs authorities appeared oblivious to both instances.

Speaking about the alleged security lapses, Nepali officials say that the lack of modern tools and devices is a major factor. “We don’t have modern tools and equipment at our security check posts.

So we have to conduct checks manually, which can lead to occasional oversights,” Suraj Khatri, the inspector at the Area Police Office in Krishnanagar told Kathmandu Post.

Extremists vandalise two Hindu temples in Australia, break Shivling and loot donation boxes: Read about the past 5 attacks by Khalistanis

OpIndia Staff
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Extremists vandalise two Hindu temples in Australia, break Shivling and loot donation boxes: Read about the past 5 attacks by Khalistanis

On Saturday (26th October) afternoon, masked extremists broke into two Hindu temples in Canberra city of Australia and carried out vandalism and theft.

According to a report by The Australia Today, a total of 4 men crashed their black Honda van into the front door of the Hindu temple & Cultural Centre in Florey. They swiftly stole 4 donation boxes, one weighing 200kg and containing thousands of dollars.

The attack, which lasted about 15 minutes, coincided with the annual Diwali Mela held at the Albert Hall in Australia’s capital city.

CCTV footage showing extremists entering the Hindu temple in Florey, image via Australia Today

While speaking to The Australia Today, the Vice President of the Hindu temple Tarun Agasti stated, “We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent act of vandalism and theft that occurred at our temple over the weekend.”

“This senseless act of disrespect towards our place of worship and our community is disheartening. We want to assure our community that we are working closely with the local authorities to investigate this incident and bring those responsible to justice,” he added.

Tarun Agasti called for immediate action against the extremists for vandalising and looting the temple. “This act of vandalism not only affects our Hindu community but also undermines the values of respect, tolerance, and inclusivity that our diverse Canberra community holds dear,” he pointed out.

Vandalism at the Vishnu Shiva Temple, image via The Australia Today

According to The Australia Today, the extremists thereafter drove to the Shri Vishnu Shiva Mandir in Canberra at about 2 pm. At that time, the caretaker and the priest of the Hindu temple had gone for lunch.

The 4 men broke open the front door using a crowbar and vandalised the reception area of the Mandir. They destroyed the Hundis (donation boxes) embedded in concrete using a sledgehammer. The extremists ran away with two safes containing cash.

They also breached the sanctum sanctorum of the Hindu place of worship, damaged cupboards containing clothing for deities and broke the Vasant Mandaoan. A Shivling was also destroyed by the same extremists.

Destruction at the Vishnu Shiva Temple, image via The Australia Today

While speaking to The Australia Today, President Thamo Sritharan, stated, “I would like to urge the newly elected government to provide the support needed to ensure the protection of our temples and community.”

The Honda van used by the 4 extremists, who vandalised the two Hindu temples, bore the number plate of Victoria. It remains unknown whether the number plate or the van were stolen. The Canberra police are now investigating both cases.

Temple vandalism in Australia

This is not the first time that a Hindu temple has come under attack in the country. In 2023, OpIndia reported 5 instances of attacks on Hindu temples in Australia. Khalistanis stormed the Laxmi Narayan Temple in Brisbane and left hateful graffiti on the temple’s perimeter. 

‘Hindustan Murdabad’ was written on the walls of the ISCKON temple in Melbourne’s Albert Park. The Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs (Victoria) was vandalised while anti-Indian graffiti was painted on the Swaminarayan Temple in Melbourne.

The BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Sydney was also defaced with “Declare Modi Terrorist (BBC)” graffiti. Khalistanis had also threatened Kali Mata Mandir in Melbourne against conducting bhajan program featuring ‘staunch Hindu’ singer Kanhiya Mittal

“We should stop buying German equipment”: Piyush Goyal confronts German Vice Chancellor over China blocking sale of German tunnel boring machines to India

OpIndia Staff
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“We should stop buying German equipment”: Piyush Goyal confronts German Vice Chancellor over China blocking sale of German tunnel boring machines to India

Union Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday confronted German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck over China blocking sale of German Tunnel Borring Machines to India. Goyal said that India will stop buying from Germany if such problems occur. The confrontation took place on a Delhi Metro train, video of which has gone viral.

Robert Habeck, who is also the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs of Germany, is on a visit to India to attend the 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations. He took a ride with Piyush Goyal on the Delhi metro to reach the YashoBhoomi Convention Centre in Dwarka, Delhi.

During the ride, Piyush Goyal told Robert Habeck that India is buying Tunnel Boring Machines from a German company named Herrenknecht, which makes the machines in China. He informed the German minister that China is now blocking the sale of the TBMs to India, indicating how this has effected vital infrastructure projects in India.

The video of the incident was shared by an X user with the user name ‘Lord Bebo’, who criticised how the way Habeck responded to Goyal. In the video, Goyal can be heard telling Habeck, “See your German company is supplying us some tunnel boring machines which they make in China. But China is not allowing them to sell them to me”.

When Goyal said that the name of the company is Herrenknecht, Robert Habeck displayed ignorance about the name. He asked, “They are producing in China?” to which Piyush Goyal replied yes. The Indian minister then added, “We should stop buying German equipment now”.

While Piyush Goyal was standing, Habeck was sitting during this conversation. After Goyal talked about stopping to buy German equipment, he stood up and said, “I think I should listen to you”.

Tunnel Boring Machines of Herrenknecht have been used in several projects in India, including metro projects of Delhi, Bangalore Chennai, Kolkata, the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

Bangladesh: Children dance to song mentioning Sheikh Hasina’s name at cultural event, furious DC orders arrest of five people, case registered to investigate

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Children dance to song mentioning Sheikh Hasina’s name at cultural event, furious DC orders arrest of five people, case registered to investigate

Five people were arrested in Bangladesh for the crime of playing a song mentioning former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s name in an event organised by them. Reportedly, the name of an IT Park which was named after Hasina was mentioned in a song to which some children danced at a cultural program.

The program was held at Jashore Gymnasium during the opening ceremony of the ‘Fifth International Open Karate Competition’ in Jashore. Jayati Society, a women’s organization in Jessore, supported the event. Children associated with a cultural organisation danced to the ‘offensive’ song, and now officials of all three organisations along with a journalist have been arrested and booked in a case.

The five people have been identified as Bangladesh Karate Organization Jessore President Humayun Kabir, General Secretary Rafiqul Islam, Jayati Society Executive Director Archana Biswas, General Secretary of cultural organisation Shekhar Jashore Raushan Ara, and photojournalist of daily Spandan Imran Hasan.

The opening ceremony was held on Saturday where some children of the cultural organisation Shekhar Jashore danced to a song known as the theme song of Jashore. The song mentions various traditions and establishments related to Jashore, including the Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park. After hearing the name, the DC who was present there asked them to stop the song.

DC Azharul Islam was furious after hearing the name in the song and asked how Sheikh Hasina’s name appeared in the song. The organisers apologised to the DC for the oversight, but he didn’t relent. He said that everyone associated with the event will be taken into police custody and the matter will be investigated.

Accordingly, the five men associated with the event were arrested on the DC’s order and they were taken to the police station. However, they were released later in the day on bail bond. The organisers said that after a lor of pleading, the DC allowed the competition to go ahead.

Notably, the song ‘Khejurer Gur Phule Mela, Nakshikanthar Jessore Zila’ was composed around 5-6 years ago. The Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park was renamed to Jashore Software Technology Park after the fall of Sheikh Hasina govt on 5th August.

Talking to media, the DC said that the song was selected and rehearsal of the dance was done, asking how anyone could miss the name of the former PM in it. He said that a probe is needed to find out if the song was used to embarrass the interim govt of Bangladesh. He also said that the political affiliation of the persons involved will be checked.

A General Diary entry has been made at the police station, and the matter will be investigated.

Jamia Milia Islamia: Differently abled Hindu student forced to convert to Islam, intimidated to wear Hijab to bring ‘Noor’ and not get raped

OpIndia Staff
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Jamia Milia Islamia: Differently abled Hindu student forced to convert to Islam, intimidated to wear Hijab to bring ‘Noor’ and not get raped

A differently-abled (Divyang) Hindu student, studying at the Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI), has filed a complaint with the Delhi police on 19th October this year.

The victim narrated how she was forced to convert to Islam, wear a Hijab and renounce her Hindu faith at the central government-funded institute.

According to a report by Organiser, the female student is pursuing a journalism course at JMI and has been subjected to harassment since July 2023.

The victim, who suffers from dyslexia, has reportedly been told by Muslim students to wear hijab to avoid being raped and preserve ‘noor’. “Don’t you remember the Kolkata rape case? Those who refuse to wear the hijab face the same fate,” she was told at the varsity.

In her police complaint, the Hindu woman stated that one Ibnay Saud had circulated her phone number in Jamia Nagar. “Since then, perverted calls have become a constant intrusion, stripping away my privacy and leaving me exposed,” she added.

The victim began receiving inappropriate calls. She was constantly mocked for her Hindu beliefs and was forced to renounce her Faith and convert to Islam.

“A steady stream of derogatory comments about Hinduism and the Ram Mandir became routine. It soon became clear that these incidents were part of a larger effort to belittle me based on my faith,” the victim recounted.

Screengrab of the police complaint as accessed by Organiser

In August 2023, two Muslim men named Danish Iqbal and Mir Kasim spread rumours to isolate the victim socially. The duo reportedly detained her and other students for an academic year.

The victim accused the varsity of sabotaging her academic progress and not making special accommodations after one exam clashed with a pre-scheduled viva. She informed that her attendance was omitted from the attendance sheet despite meeting the requirement.

“Letters citing noncompliance were sent to my home, even though I had met the attendance criteria,” the Hindu student said, adding that she was forced to pay an illegal fee.

Ibnay Saud, who had reportedly circulated her number in public, began stalking her from July 26 onwards this year. “He would appear suddenly in the canteen, near the old studio, or on his bike outside the premises, creating a terrifying atmosphere,” the victim said.

Following her repeated complaints, the victim was summoned to the Proctor’s Office and asked to withdraw her complaints. According to the Organiser, Jamia Milia Islamia officials also contacted her family and tried to intimidate them.

On 12th October this year, the Hindu student was told to wear a Hijab and follow Islamic practices to avoid severe consequences. Forced by circumstances, she filed a complaint with the Delhi police.

“The harassment was not limited to psychological manipulation. It included sexual intimidation, relentless remarks meant to degrade my beliefs, and attempts to destroy my identity as a Hindu woman. The impact on my mental and emotional health has been profound,” she said.

Jamia Milia Islamia’s counsel sent her a legal notice on Saturday (26th October) and told the victim to retract her complaint, which he alleged were ‘false’ and ‘groundless.’ The Hindu student was also threatened with a defamation lawsuit for failing to comply.

Rift in MVA Alliance? Unhappy with Seat Sharing, Akhilesh Yadav’s SP to Contest 20 Seats in Maharashtra

OpIndia Staff
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Rift in MVA Alliance? Unhappy with Seat Sharing, Akhilesh Yadav’s SP to Contest 20 Seats in Maharashtra

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance appears to be in trouble once again ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, as a rift has reportedly emerged within the member parties. According to media reports, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav is not happy with the seat-sharing arrangement by MVA in Maharashtra. The state president of SP, Abu Azmi, requested five seats in the upcoming Maharashtra state elections. However, alliance leaders from Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) have not provided a clear response on seat sharing to SP.

Abu Azmi has hinted that there is discontent among the alliance partners due to the lack of assurance on seat allocation. There are 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra. So far, the three major parties in MVA have been allocated 85 seats each. Only 33 seats remain for negotiations with the smaller allies, including SP.

SP has already issued AB forms to its candidates for the constituencies of Dhule City, Malegaon Central, Bhiwandi East, Bhiwandi West, and Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar. Azmi is a sitting MLA from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, while Riyaz Shaikh is the MLA from Bhiwandi East. There is significant minority voter influence in these seats, which makes SP confident that it will win them.

Recently, Akhilesh Yadav held several rallies in Dhule City and Malegaon Outer, urging MVA leaders to engage with SP’s requests. As there has been no specific response from Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT), Azmi is reportedly becoming frustrated. He has noted that SP has already reduced its seat demand from 12 to five. However, as MVA leadership is not responding to the request, SP is planning to contest on 20 seats in Maharashtra, Azmi noted.

On the other hand, Congress sources told Live Hindustan that discussions on seat sharing are underway and that some seats, such as Dhule City, are under contention, as Shiv Sena has a stronghold in the area.

Earlier, media reported that there was a widening rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partners. Shiv Sena UBT has reportedly refused to hold seat-sharing discussions with Congress state president Nana Patole, an indication that things are not well for the MVA alliance ahead of Maharashtra state elections.

A day after the Maha Vikas Alliance (MVA), comprising of Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena UBT, claimed that a consensus had been reached on 260 of the 288 Assembly constituencies, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut refuted it by saying that agreement had reached only on 200 seats and took a swipe at the Congress leader Nana Patole, without naming him, stating that Congress leaders in Maharashtra were incapable of taking decisions.

On Sunday, Samajwadi Party leader and actor Swara Bhaskar’s husband Fahad Ahmad joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar). He has been given a ticket from from the Anushakti Nagar seat against Sana Malik of NCP (Ajit Pawar).

Maharashtra Assembly Elections

Voting for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections is scheduled for 20th November 2024, with results set to be announced on 23rd November 2024, alongside the results of the Jharkhand Assembly Elections.

Maharashtra Polls: Swara Bhaskar’s husband Fahad Ahmad switches from SP to NCP (SP), fielded from Anushakti Nagar against Sana Malik

ANI
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Maharashtra Polls: Swara Bhaskar’s husband Fahad Ahmad switches from SP to NCP (SP), fielded from Anushakti Nagar against Sana Malik

Samajwadi Party leader and actor Swara Bhaskar’s husband Fahad Ahmad joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) on Sunday and was fielded from the Anushakti Nagar seat against Sana Malik of NCP (Ajit Pawar).

While addressing a press conference here, NCP-SCP leader Jayant Patil said, “Fahad Ahmad is a well-educated young Muslim youth and has worked as an activist across the country. People want us to give a chance to such leaders. He was in the Samajwadi Party earlier but we had talks with SP and he came to our party. We gave him a ticket from our party from the Anushakti Nagar constituency.”

Speaking on his candidature from the Anushakti Nagar seat in the Maharashtra polls, Fahad said that he is thankful to NCP chief Sharad Pawar for asking SP chief Akhilesh Yadav that they want to announce his name as a candidate from NCP-SCP.

“Sharad Pawar is also a socialist leader and I am thankful to him that he has asked Akhilesh Yadav that they want to announce my name as a candidate from NCP-SCP,” he said.

Fahad Ahmad was the state president of the Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, a youth wing of the Samajwadi Party Maharashtra Pradesh.

Earlier on Friday, the NCP (SP) announced its second list of 22 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20.

At a press conference in Mumbai, Jayant Patil revealed the names of the 22 candidates.

The list of candidates includes Satish Anna Patil (Erandol – 16), Satish Chavan (Gangapur – 111), Pandurang Barora (Shahapur – 135), Rahul Mote (Paranda – 243), Sandeep Kshirsagar (Beed – 230), Mayura Kale (Arvi – 44), Deepika Chavan (Baglan – 116), Manikrao Shinde (Yevla – 119), Uday Sangle (Sinnar – 120), Sunita Charoskar (Dindori – 122), Ganesh Gite (Nashik East – 123), Omi Kalani (Ulhasnagar – 141), Satyashil Sherkar (Junnar – 195), Sulakshana Sheelwant (Pimpri – 206), Sachin Dodke (Khadakwasla – 211), Ashwini Kadam (Parvati – 212), Amit Bhangre (Akole – 216), Abhishek Kalamkar (Ahilya Nagar – 225), Uttamrao Jankar (Malshiras – 254), Deepak Chavan (Phaltan – 255), Nandinatai Bhabulkar Kupekar (Chandgad – 271), and Madan Karande (Ichalkaranji – 279).

Previously, on October 24, the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) released its first list of 45 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Congress, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) has confirmed its seat-sharing arrangement for 255 constituencies, with 85 seats assigned to each party. The remaining 23 seats will be allocated based on their respective candidate lists.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies on November 23.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.

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

As The Hindu comes to the rescue of ‘journalist’ Mahesh Langa, here is what we know about the cases of GST fraud and document theft against him

OpIndia Staff
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As The Hindu comes to the rescue of ‘journalist’ Mahesh Langa, here is what we know about the cases of GST fraud and document theft against him

‘Journalists’ associated with The Hindu have extended their support to the newspaper’s senior assistant editor, Mahesh Langa, who has been in custody since 8th October this year.

Langa was initially booked in a case related to Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud. He was thereafter booked for theft of confidential government documents.

N Ram, who is infamous for fabricating Rafale documents, has thrown his weight behind Mahesh Langa. In his defence, N Ram (who serves on the Board of the Hindu group) alleged that punishing Langa would discourage ‘investigative journalism.’

“If journalists are imprisoned or otherwise penalised for obtaining and analysing such documents, much of investigative reporting would become extinct!” he brazened out.

‘The Hindu’ editor Suresh Nambath also claimed, “To file charges against them for possession of such documents is to undermine their journalistic work and their fundamental rights and to subvert the public interest. We urge the Gujarat police to drop the charges relating to the possession of classified documents against Mahesh.”

Mahesh Langa is currently lodged in Sabarmati jail. While the journalists at The Hindu are making the arrest of Langa sound like vendetta, the charges against him are serious.

FIR for leaking government documents in Gandhinagar

On 22nd October, the Gandhinagar Police filed a case against Mahesh Langa for the theft of confidential documents belonging to the Gujarat Maritime Board.

Investigations revealed that Langa exploited his position as a journalist to obtain government documents and later passed them to others.

The Hindu ‘journalist’ was booked under Sections 303(2), 306, 316(5), 61(2) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 7(A), 8(1), 12, 13(1), and 12(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“During the investigation, the Ahmedabad police recovered some official documents of the GMB from his possession. Since these documents are government property, the board officials approached us and lodged a complaint against Langa and an unidentified employee of the GMB (who gave him documents),” SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said.

GST Fraud case

On 8th October, the Crime Branch arrested Mahesh Langa as part of the GST scam investigation.

The District Crime Branch (DCB) informed the court that over 200 illegally formed companies and organizations nationwide, working in a coordinated manner, were involved in this scam by taking advantage of fake Input Tax Credits (ITC).

So far, 14 people have been arrested in this case, including ‘journalist’ Mahesh Langa. According to the DCM, ₹20 lakhs (earned by evading income tax) was recovered from his home.

Langa had reportedly colluded with proprietors of one ‘Dhruvi Enterprise’ to siphon off ₹43.35 lakhs and obtained GST numbers based on fake documents.

Other significant revelations

Sources have made several revelations about Mahesh Langa –

  1. In the last 2 years, he got around 18 cr in different companies in which his wife and his brother (government teacher) were partners.
  2. Used shell companies to show fake expenditures for evasion of GST and income tax.
  3. Involved in multiple land dealings. Used his press contacts to get sensitive information on important town planing plans & forged partnerships
  4. Tried his contacts to befool some builders and get the entries as unsecured loans.
  5. Stayed in a number of the top 5-star hotel suites in Mumbai and Delhi and regularly threw lavish parties.
  6. Used dummy companies to siphon money and get kickbacks in father and wife’s accounts.
  7. Opened firms in his father’s name who is just 10th pass and generated income in the name of consultancy.
  8. Used charter flights and business class to travel numerous times.

Lucknow: 10 hotels receive bomb threats via e-mail with ransom demand of USD 55,000

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow: 10 hotels receive bomb threats via e-mail with ransom demand of USD 55,000

On Saturday, 27 October, at around 12:45 PM, at least 10 major hotels in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, received bomb threats via email. The sender threatened to blow up the premium properties if a ransom demand of USD 55,000 (approx. Rs 46,24,288) was not met. The hotels that received bomb threats include Marriott, Saraca, Piccadily, Comfort Vista, Fortune, Lemon Tree, Clark Awadh, Casa, Dayal Gateway, and Silvette.

The email read, “Bombs are hidden in black bags on the grounds of your hotel. I want $55,000 or I will detonate the explosives and blood will spread everywhere. Any attempt at defusing the bombs will detonate them.” Following the threatening letter, the police were informed, leading to a swift investigation.

According to a Times Now report, Police Inspector SM Jadeda of the Special Operations Group (SOG) said that the hotels received the threats on Sunday, leading to search operations on these premises with the bomb disposal squad. The sender of the email, identified himself as Adam Lanza and the email was send from the email ID sandyhookchildkilling[at]outlook.com. The email was send on 8:03 AM. The sender asked the hotels to contact him on his primary email address shaikha.nasser20077[at] gmail.com to pay the ransom.

Source: Republic TV

Notably, the bomb threat in Lucknow came just two days after three hotels in Tirupati district received similar threats. The email to those hotels read that “international pressure” had mounted due to the arrest of Jaffar Sadiq and that “such blasts in schools are necessary to divert attention away from the MK Stalin family’s involvement in the case.”

Bomb threats against Indian airlines

Apart from bomb threats to hotels, Indian airlines have been facing an unprecedented increase in bomb threats in the past few weeks. Total threats cross 275 in 11 days with over 25 alerts on Friday. Both domestic and international flights of various airlines were targeted with threats. IndiGo said that 8 of its flights got security-related alerts. Similarly, 6 SpiceJet flights received bomb threats on Friday. 7 Vistara flights and 5 Air India flights were also issued similar threats. As per reports, over 70 flights of various airlines received security threats within 24 hours on Thursday.

These included threats to 20 Air India flights, 20 flights of Indigo, 20 Vistara flights and 13 from flights Akasa Airlines. The total number of threats received by airlines has crossed 275 in the last 11 days. While the threats have turned out to be hoax, this is causing financial loss to the aviation industry, and disrupting flight operations. As per security protocol, any flight receiving threats have to make emergency landings, and the airport has to make arrangements for evacuation of passengers as soon as possible.

50 Durga idols used to be immersed, this time only 20, some idols with broken hands, some with broken legs: Bahraich after the murder of Ram Gopal Mishra

राहुल पाण्डेय
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50 Durga idols used to be immersed, this time only 20, some idols with broken hands, some with broken legs: Bahraich after the murder of Ram Gopal Mishra

On October 13, in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, devotees going to immerse the idol of Maa Durga were attacked by an Islamist mob. During this attack, a Hindu devotee named Ram Gopal Mishra was killed. This immersion yatra is traditional in the area, which had been going on for decades. The yatra was to end at Gauriya Ghat, which has been a center of faith for the Hindus in the vicinity since ancient times.

The OpIndia team reached this Gauriya Ghat and spoke to the priest there, Krishna Kumar Mishra. He told us that this time the immersion was not only dull, but also disappointing compared to every year. Gauriya Ghat is about one and a half kilometers away from the Maharajganj market where the Islamist mob indulged in violence. Immersion of idols of about 18 villages and towns in the vicinity takes place here.

At this place, there is a stream of water flowing from the Saryu river, near which a temple is built. The name of this temple is Nageshwarnath Balaji Temple. After immersion of the idol, the devotees take a bath here and visit the temple and then return to their respective homes. When the OpIndia team reached there, we saw that police was deployed on both sides of the road. We were stopped and questioned.

The ghat remained deserted on the day of immersion

Nageshwarnath Balaji temple priest Krishna Kumar Mishra told us that normally around 50 idols are immersed here every year. However, this year, on the fixed date of immersion on October 13, not a single idol came to the ghat. Generally, people from nearby villages also gather to see the immersion. They also waited for a long time. Meanwhile, it was known that there was an attack in Maharajganj market, so everyone returned to their homes.

Some Idol’ hand was broken and some’s head was broken

Priest Krishna Kumar Mishra tells us that on October 14, a day after the scheduled date of immersion, idols of Maa Durga came to the ghats for immersion. This time the number of idols to be immersed was only 20-25. He said that many of these idols were damaged. Apparently, some had broken hands and some had broken legs. The priest said, “People (attackers) broke them there (Maharajganj market).”

A large number of police force was also accompanying these idols that were immersed at 5 AM, and the number of devotees was negligible. Some priests did come to complete the rituals. 55-year-old priest Mishra further said that he had never seen such a dull immersion in his entire life. He said, “There was no enthusiasm. Just a process and formality was completed.”

The Hindu who eats satvik food accused of extremism

The violence in Bahraich was described by leftist and Islamic media institutions as the result of the violence of Hindus. Pujari Mishra called these allegations baseless. He said that the food habits of Hindus are Satvik. How can they be violent? According to the priest, fanaticism was started by the other side due to which violence broke out. He supported the bulldozer action against the accused.

Pujari Mishra demanded more stringent measures against the attackers. The priest described the police force deployed around his temple as a precautionary security arrangement made by the administration. The Gauriya Ghat, where the idols of Maa Durga were to be immersed, the idols of Lord Ganesha are also immersed there. Every year a fair is held there, in which Hindus from all the villages participate.

Priest Krishna Kumar says that in 1992 as well, the Islamist side had conspired to disrupt the immersion procession. However, there was no loss of life then. In a conversation with OpIndia, some injured elderly devotees also accused the Muslim side of spreading tension in 1992. This time too, they held the Muslim side responsible.

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