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Lawrence Bishnoi Gang claims responsibility for Baba Siddique’s murder? Questionable Facebook post by alleged gang member goes viral

On Sunday, 13th October, a screenshot of a Facebook post went viral on social media, in which a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang appeared to have claimed responsibility for the murder of senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister, Baba Siddique.

Source: Aaj Tak

Written in broken Hindi, the post began with slogans praising Bhagwan Ram, followed by: “I understand the essence of life, and consider wealth and the body as dust. I did a good deed and honoured the duty of friendship.”

The post in Hindi read, “Om Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat. I understand the essence of life, and I consider the body and wealth as mere dust. What was done was righteous, and the duty of friendship was upheld. Salman Khan, we did not want this fight, but you harmed our brother. Today, those who are praising Baba Siddique’s decency should remember that he was once involved with Dawood under the MCOCA Act. The reason for this death was to expose Anuj Thapan and the connection between Dawood, Bollywood, politics, and property dealings. We have no enmity with anyone, but whoever helps Salman Khan and the Dawood gang should be prepared to settle their accounts. If anyone harms any of our brothers, we will surely retaliate. We have never struck first. Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat. Salute to the martyrs. #LawrenceBishnoiGroup #AnmolBishnoi #AnkitBhaduSherewala”.

Questionable authenticity of the post

However, there are several aspects of the Facebook post in question that raise concerns over its authenticity. First of all, the handle from which the post was claimed to have been made does not exist on Facebook. Even if we assume that the handle was deleted after the post went viral, it should have at least appeared in a Google search. Furthermore, the icons that appeared in the screenshot are those that are shown when someone is about to make a post, as seen in the image below. On the left side, you can see the viral post, and on the right side is the screenshot of the “new post” section of Facebook. If someone is viewing a post, these icons will not appear.

Source: Aaj Tak/Facebook

The handle in a Facebook post allegedly by Lawrence Bishnoi gang member was named Shubuu Lonkar Maharashtra. There is a Lawrance Bishnoi gang member named Shubham Lonkar who was arrested in February 2024. It is unclear if he came out of jail since then or not.

While the authenticity of the post is questionable, there are other aspects that have linked the murder to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Notably, the Mumbai police have confirmed the involvement of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in Siddique’s killing. Two of the three killers have been detained by the police. Based on their interrogation and the investigation so far, the police have concluded that the gang was behind the crime.

While Lawrence Bishnoi is lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad, his brother Anmol and top aide Rohit Godara, suspected to be based out of the United States and Canada, have been running his gang from the outside.

Murder of Baba Siddique

On Saturday, 12th October, former Maharashtra minister and leader of Ajit Pawar’s NCP, Baba Siddique, was shot dead by three assailants possibly linked to Lawrence Bishnoi gang in Mumbai. He was shot in the chest and stomach. The 66-year-old politician was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The incident took place around 9:30 PM outside Siddique’s son and Maharashtra MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East. At the time of the incident, Siddique was bursting firecrackers to celebrate Dussehra. Reportedly, three assailants emerged from a vehicle with covered faces. They opened fire at Siddique using a 9.9mm pistol and fired three rounds. One of the bullets struck Siddique in the chest, and he collapsed. One of the bullets hit the windscreen of his vehicle. Three bullet casings from the scene were recovered by the police.

According to media reports, Mumbai police have arrested two of the three assailants, identified as Karnail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap. During questioning, they claimed to be members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Reportedly, they informed the police that they had been monitoring Siddique’s movements for the last month. One of them hails from Uttar Pradesh, and the other from Haryana. The third suspect in the case is on the run.

As Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s name emerges in Baba Siddique murder, read about the India’s most feared gangster who rose from college politics

On Saturday, 12th October, NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai by three assailants allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Two of the assailants have been arrested by the police, who claimed during interrogation that they were linked to Bishnoi’s gang. The third assailant is on the run, and the police are looking for him. Notably, Lawrence Bishnoi’s name has surfaced in several high-profile crimes, including the murder case of controversial Punjab singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala.

Who is Lawrence Bishnoi?

Lawrence Bishnoi was born on 12th February 1993 in a village in Ferozepur, Punjab. His father was a police constable with the Haryana Police. Four years after Lawrence’s birth, his father left the police force in 1997 and took up farming. Bishnoi studied at a school in Abohar, a small town on the border of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, until the 12th grade. In 2010, he moved to Chandigarh and joined DAV College. In 2011, he joined the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council, where he met gangster Goldy Brar for the first time. Soon, they became involved in university politics. Lawrence completed his LLB from Panjab University. During his time at the university, he became involved in several criminal activities.

Criminal life of Lawrence Bishnoi

As of now, Bishnoi has over two dozen criminal cases registered against him, including murder and extortion. However, Lawrence has denied all the allegations. Between 2010 and 2012, Bishnoi entered and flourished in the criminal world. Several FIRs were registered against him for crimes, including attempted murder, trespassing, assault, and robbery in Chandigarh. Of the seven FIRs registered against him in Chandigarh, he was acquitted in four cases. Three cases are still under trial.

From 2012, Bishnoi has spent most of his time behind bars. During that time, he built alliances with other criminals. When he was out of prison, he met arms dealers and local criminals, increasing the number of his associates. In 2013, he shot dead the winning candidate of the Government College elections in Muktsar and a rival candidate in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections. He also ventured into liquor dealing and would provide shelter to murderers in his gang.

In 2014, he was involved in an armed encounter with the Rajasthan Police. He was arrested and sent to jail, where he allegedly plotted murders and witnessed executions. During this period, he came into contact with Jaswinder Singh, alias Rocky, a gangster-turned-politician. During his time with Rocky, he remained active in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Rocky was shot dead by gangster Jaipal Bhullar in 2016. Bhullar was also killed in 2020.

Bishnoi continued to build his associations and connections despite being in jail. During his time in Bharatpur jail, he operated a syndicate allegedly with the help of jail staff. In 2021, he was transferred to Tihar jail in Delhi in connection with a case registered against him under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Regardless of which jail he is in, Bishnoi has always found a way to communicate with his men outside prison. According to jail authorities, he uses VoIP calls to communicate with his associates. He even gave interviews to news channels while sitting in prison, which created a lot of controversy.

It is believed that there are over 700 members in Bishnoi’s gang with some of the top names living comfortably abroad.

Threats to Salman Khan

Bishnoi has been trying to assassinate actor Salman Khan for a very long time because of his involvement in the Black Buck hunting case. In 2018, it came to light that Sampath Nehra, an associate of Bishnoi, conducted a reconnaissance of Khan’s house and stated that he was asked to kill the actor. In a statement given during his transport to Jodhpur Court in Rajasthan for an extortion case hearing, Bishnoi said, “Salman Khan will be killed here in Jodhpur… Then, he will come to know about our real identity… Now, if the police want me to commit some major crime, I shall kill Salman Khan, and that too in Jodhpur.”

In June 2024, 4 men with links to Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who were planning to attack the actor’s car, were arrested by Navi Mumbai police. The arrested accused were identified as Dhananjay Tapesingh alias Ajay Kashyap, Gaurav Bhatia alias Nahvi, Waspi Khan alias Wasim Chikna and Rizwan Khan alias Javed Khan. The arrests came a month after the firing incident at Khan’s house. On 14th April, two assailants on motorcycles fired shots outside Khan’s residence at Galaxy Apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra area before fleeing.

Murder of Sidhu Moosewala

On 29th May 2022, Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead in Mansa, Punjab. Gangster Goldy Brar took responsibility for the murder. At that time, Bishnoi was lodged in Tihar jail. Following the incident, the Delhi police took him into 5-day custody for investigation. Soon after Moosewala’s assassination, Bishnoi filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, stating that he feared for his life and might be killed in a fake encounter by the Punjab Police. He urged the court to direct Delhi police and Tihar jail authorities to ensure his safety and that he be properly handcuffed and shackled. Later, he withdrew his plea from the Delhi High Court and submitted a similar plea in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Murder of Khalistani terrorist Sukhdool Singh

In September 2021, gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for killing gangster Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke of the Davinder Bambiha gang in Canada. This was revealed by a Facebook post. Gangster Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha was killed in Canada by unknown gunmen. Sukhdool Singh was known as ‘Sukha Duneke’ and has been on a wanted list by India.

The message by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang alleged that Sukhdool Singh was behind the murders of Gurlal Brar and Vicky Middukhed, and conspired to kill other gang members. The gang warned that they would take revenge if anyone targets the group members, even if it takes time.

Murder of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi

Another high-profile murder in which his name surfaced was that of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, president of the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. He was killed in the living room of his house on 5th December 2023 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Three assailants, one of whom was killed in retaliatory firing, had tea with Gogamedi at his house.

In a CCTV video of the incident, the accused were seen sitting with him before opening fire. Five rounds were fired at Gogamedi at close range, and the bullet to the head killed him. One of Gogamedi’s security guards also sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire with the killers. Bishnoi’s gang member Rohit Godara claimed responsibility for the murder.

As Supriya Shrinate condemns Zakir Naik over misogyny, read how veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh sang eulogies in praise of the hate preacher

On Saturday (12th October), Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate lashed out at Islamic hate preacher Zakir Naik over his sexually predatory remarks about female anchors.

In a tweet, Shrinate said, “Such disgusting, heinous thoughts… The only sick guy here is him.” She had reacted to a recent disparaging comment made by Zakir Naik about women working as anchors.

It must be mentioned that before joining the Congress party, Supriya Shrinate worked as a ‘journalist’ for 17 years. She also served in the capacity of a ‘news anchor’ with ET Now.

Screengrab of the tweet by Supriya Shrinate

During a recent media interaction in Pakistan, Zakir Naik actively discouraged women from pursuing professions that mandate them to appear before the camera.

He claimed that by doing so, women were making themselves susceptible to the lust of men. “If men don’t feel lust by seeing a female anchor, then, he is not medically fit,” the Islamic hate preacher stated.

“If you don’t feel lust after seeing a girl for 20 mins, then, you are not medically fit,” Zakir Naik claimed while invoking verses from the Quran.

The Islamic preacher had recently drawn the ire of prominent Pakistanis for labelling unmarried, independent women as ‘Bazari aurat.’

The criticism of Zakir Naik by Supriya Shrinate must not be mistaken as an official Congress stance, despite her being the national spokesperson of the grand-old party. It is at best her personal stance, given his specific targeting of her previous occupation.

No other Congress politician has squeaked a single word against Zakir Naik despite his sexually predatory remarks. In fact, the party had never officially denounced the hate preacher.

To add to it, a veteran party leader like Digvijaya Singh was hailing Zakir Naik as a ‘messiah of peace’ not long ago.

He stated, “Assalam Walekum. I had heard a lot about Dr Zakir Naik. I finally got the opportunity to meet him. I am happy that he is spreading the message of peace throughout the world.”

Singh had claimed during his 2012 speech, “Dr Zakir Naik has read books of all religions. It is now necessary that your message of peace reaches every nook and corner of India.”

Congress, Zakir Naik and an insidious connection

While it is true that the Islamic hate preacher wasn’t declared a fugitive then, his incendiary speeches targeting Hinduism, supporting Islamism and rationalising extremism were available online.

This did not deter Digvijaya Singh, who hails from a party with a long history of Muslim appeasement, from singing eulogies in praise of Zakir Naik.

It may come as a surprise to many that Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) have a long-standing association.

IRF has donated Rs 50 lakh and Rs 25 lakh to RDCT on two separate occasions. And the trustees of RDCT happen to be Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

Pakistan: 11 killed, several injured in clashes between two tribes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

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At least 11 people have been killed and eight more have sustained injuries in a clash between two tribes in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported.

Tensions rose in the Kurram district of the province after two people were critically injured in a shooting incident between rival tribes in the northwestern part of the country. However, the reason for the clashes is not known.

As the violence spread, vehicles were targeted in different areas of the district which led to many more casualties, as noted by senior official Javedullah Khan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is known to be home to over 40 million people who come from various tribal groups and identities.

Khan said the injured were taken to a hospital, and efforts were being made to secure travel routes and restore normalcy. The injured were taken to a hospital.

Pir Haider Ali Shah, a former parliamentarian and member of a tribal council, said elders had arrived in Kurram to mediate a peace agreement between the tribes.

“The recent firing incidents are regrettable and have hampered efforts for lasting peace,” he said.

Notably, tribal group meetings also known as ‘Jirgas’ are routinely held to ensure peace and stability in the region, as reported by Al Jazeera.

In another incident last month, at least 25 people were killed in days of clashes between armed Shia and Sunni Muslims over a land dispute.

Although both communities live together largely peacefully in the country, tensions have existed for decades between them in some areas, especially in Kurram, where Shia Muslims dominate in parts of the district, according to Al Jazeera.

Clashes in the area have seen an uptick as last month alone over 20 people were killed between armed Shia and Sunni Muslims over a land dispute.

Although both live together largely peacefully in the country, tensions have existed for decades between them in some areas, especially in Kurram, where Shia Muslims dominate in parts of the district, Al Jazeera noted.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for attacks at a coal mine in Balochistan which saw the death of over 20 individuals including Pakistani as well as Afghan nationals. The attack had involved the use of heavy weapons, rocket launchers and grenades.

Such attacks have become common in Balochistan, the southern part of the country known to be home to key natural resources but whose benefits do not translate to uplifting the citizens’ quality of life there.

The outfits operating from Balochistan accuse the central government in Islamabad of exploiting the province’s rich oil and mineral resources to the detriment of the local population in the country’s largest and least-populated province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan.

These groups have also expressed their anger against foreign nationals coming in for resource extraction but deriving profits without benefiting the locals. Attacks on international convoys have thus become a key way for citizens to register protests.

BLA gave a higher casualty figure of 30 dead and 18 injured in the incident. It also said that Pakistani security personnel were disguised as workers, without giving evidence.It threatened more assaults unless the military withdrew from the province.

Balochistan has been a hotbed of armed movements, with the BLA most prominent among them.

Last week, the BLA – designated a “terrorist group” by Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States – claimed responsibility for an attack targeting Chinese nationals near Pakistan’s largest airport, Al Jazeera reported.

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said at least two of its citizens were killed and a third injured after their convoy was targeted with an improvised explosive device believed to have been detonated by a suicide bomber.

At least 10 people were injured in total, with four cars destroyed in the explosion and 10 more vehicles damaged in the resulting fire, local media reported.

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

Rajdeep Sardesai concedes suffering ‘bezatti’ by professing Congress victory in Haryana election, promises to smear face with eggs: Read his top 3 failed predictions

On Saturday (12th October), controversial ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai conceded that he has suffered tremendous humiliation for being bullish about Congress victory ahead of the Haryana election results.

During a recent episode of ‘Netanagri’ on Lallantop, Rajdeep Sardesai was heard saying, “There is a plate of eggs next to me. I am going to smear my face with these eggs on your show. Hope this will make the show even more viral.”

“The predictions I made for the Haryana elections have led to people throwing eggs on my face (figure of speech). Gazab bezatti hui hai (I have suffered tremendous humiliation),” he further added.

For the unversed, the Congress party suffered a major drubbing in the recently concluded Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections. The BJP battled through media propaganda and anti-incumbency to secure an absolute majority in the State Assembly.

Charlatans and so-called ‘experts’ including Rajdeep Sardesai predicted an overwhelming victory for the Congress and a complete decimation of the BJP. He went out of his way to make doomsday prophecies for the saffron party.

When the election results for Haryana were announced and BJP emerged victorious, netizens viciously trolled Rajdeep Sardesai and other ‘experts’ on social media. In this context, the controversial ‘journalist’ has now conceded suffering tremendous humiliation.

Prophecies of Rajdeep Sardesai

There have been at least 3 occasions, before the Haryana elections, when Sardesai was seen batting in favour of the Congress party.

While speaking on News Tak, he claimed, “I was at the house of Deepender Singh Hooda. I haven’t seen such a huge crowd of people at the house of any Congress leader in such a long time. Congress is way ahead in this election race. It is the frontrunner in wining the race.”

“Be it the farmers’ agitation or the wrestlers’ protest, all issues are in favour of the Congress party,” the controversial ‘journalist’ had alleged.

In one video, Rajdeep Sardesai was heard claiming that the fandom of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has diminished in Haryana and that he would not be able to rescue the BJP from an imminent defeat.

“Interestingly, even Prime Minister Modi, who was looked at with such affection in Haryana till a decade ago and thereby brought the BJP to power for the first time in 2014…Mr Modi too is unable to lift his party and he too no longer seems attractive to the voters now,” he brazened out.

In reality, BJP secured 48 seats in the 2024 Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections on the back of the election campaign of Narendra Modi.

During his on-camera interaction with a fellow controversial ‘journalist’ Preeti Chaudhary, Rajdeep Sardesai claimed that BJP needed to ‘pray’ if it wanted to win in Haryana.

In a condescending tone, he stated, “It’s the perfect storm at the moment for them. You know, there come these elections where everything’s gone wrong. Look at even Kangana Ranaut’s recent statement. I mean, just at the wrong time, you don’t need to say what she said about farmers.”

“I think, you know, the BJP in Haryana built this sort of non-Jat coalition and hoped that independence can take away a sufficient number of seats. You know, it’s a very competitive state. And thereby, possibly a hug assembly is as of now, I think, the best bet for the BJP. I’m only going by also Lok Sabha numbers,” Rajdeep Sardesai announced. 

“You know, of the 90 seats across Haryana, the Congress grew in every seat.I mean, in percentage terms. And Bhiwani and Karnal were the only two places where the BJP had a huge lead over them. So my sense is that there is a clear…If there is any case state that at the moment represents anti-incumbency in the classic form, which combines fatigue and anger, it’s Haryana,” he made dubious prophecies with confidence.

Kavarapettai train accident: NIA to investigate, possible track sabotage suspected

On Saturday, 12th October, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) initiated a probe into the train accident that occurred at Kavarapettai railway station in Tamil Nadu. The investigation agency suspects that the accident might have been caused by track sabotage. Initial investigations revealed that bolts and other components were missing from the tracks, raising suspicion of foul play. Furthermore, the agency believes that the tracks were tampered with using hammers.

The investigation also revealed a similar pattern in the Ponneri incident, which took place on 22nd September, where signal boxes were found to have been removed. Ponneri is only 10 km away from the accident site at Kavarapettai railway station. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Kavarapettai train accident

On the night of 11th October, a passenger train crashed into a stationary freight train in Tamil Nadu, causing the derailment of at least 12 coaches and injuring numerous passengers. The accident occurred around 8:30 PM at Kavarapettai railway station in Tiruvallur district, near Chennai.

The train involved, the 12578 Mysuru – Darbhanga Bagmati Express, was reportedly travelling at 75 km/h when it collided with the parked goods train.

According to Tiruvallur District Collector Dr T. Prabhushankar, there were about 1,360 passengers on board, with 19 reported injuries, including four individuals with serious injuries. Emergency services responded swiftly, transporting the injured to a nearby hospital.

Baba Siddique murder: Links to Lawrence Bishnoi gang emerge; shooters used noise of firecrackers as cover

On Saturday, 12th October, former Maharashtra minister and leader of Ajit Pawar’s NCP, Baba Siddique, was shot dead by three assailants possibly linked to Lawrence Bishnoi gang in Mumbai. He was shot in the chest and stomach. The 66-year-old politician was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The incident took place around 9:30 PM outside Siddique’s son and Maharashtra MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East. At the time of the incident, Siddique was bursting firecrackers to celebrate Dussehra. Reportedly, three assailants emerged from a vehicle with covered faces. They opened fire at Siddique using a 9.9mm pistol and fired three rounds. One of the bullets struck Siddique in the chest, and he collapsed. One of the bullets hit the windscreen of his vehicle. Three bullet casings from the scene were recovered by the police.

According to media reports, Mumbai police have arrested two of the three assailants, identified as Karnail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap. During questioning, they claimed to be members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Reportedly, they informed the police that they had been monitoring Siddique’s movements for the last month. One of them hails from Uttar Pradesh, and the other from Haryana. The third suspect in the case is on the run.

Additional CP Paramjit Singh Dahiya said, “Around 9:30 pm this incident happened in Nirmal Nagar. Baba Siddique was admitted to Lilavati Hospital after this incident. Police have arrested two accused. Crime Branch Mumbai is investigating the entire matter.”

Dr Niraj Uttamani from Lilavati Hospital said, “He was brought to NHRC emergency medical services at 9:30 PM on October 12, in an unresponsive condition with no pulse, no cardiac activity, no blood pressure, with a history of gunshot wounds. He had lost a lot of blood and recitation was initiated immediately. He was shifted to ISU where further attempts for revival were made…Despite all recitative efforts we were unable to revive him and was declared dead at 11:27 PM on October 12…” His body was shifted to Cooper Hospital for post-mortem.

Speaking on the matter, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, assured strict action against those responsible for the murder. He said, “Two accused have been arrested, and one suspect is still at large. No one can take law and order into their own hands.”

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar cancelled his programmes scheduled for Sunday. He was not in Mumbai at the time of the incident. In a statement on X in Marathi, Pawar said, “The incident of firing on NCP leader, former Minister of State, my colleague Baba Siddiqui who has been in the Legislature for a long time is very unfortunate, condemnable and painful. I was shocked to know that he died in this incident. I have lost my good colleague, friend. I strongly condemn this cowardly attack. I offer my heartfelt tributes to Baba Siddiqui. The incident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the attackers. The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced. With the demise of Baba Siddiqui, we have lost a good leader who fought for the minority brothers and strived for pan-religious harmony. His death is a big loss for NCP. I share in the grief of Zeeshan Siddiqui, Siddiqui family and their workers.”

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis visited Lilavati Hospital after learning about the incident.

Speaking on the matter, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “The murder of Baba Siddiqui is tragic. The Maharashtra government of Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar’s NDA government have caught two accused within 24 hours. The search for one accused is underway and he will also be caught soon. Politics should not be done on this. Baba Siddiqui was a big leader. In Maharashtra, no one can escape the law. Within minutes of the crime, police came into the action. They formed a special team. CM Eknath Shinde is monitoring the entire investigation…”

Who was Baba Siddique

Baba Siddique was born on 13th September 1958 in Patna. He grew up in Mumbai. In 1977, he joined Congress and quickly rose through the ranks. In 1980, he became General Secretary of Bandra Taluka of the Bandra Youth Congress. In 1988, he became the president of Mumbai Youth Congress. In 1992, he was elected as a Municipal Councillor.

In 1999, he won his first election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Bandra West constituency. He continued to hold the seat till 2014. Later, he left Congress in February 2024 and joined the NCP.

Bangladesh: 4 suspects arrested over theft of Maa Kali crown in Jeshoreshwari Shakti Peeth, the crown gifted PM Modi yet to be recovered

Four persons have been arrested over the theft of the crown of goddess Kali at the Jeshoreshwari Temple in Shyamnagar, Satkhira in Bangladesh. The gold-plated silver crown, which was gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the temple in March 2021, was stolen from the temple on Thursday afternoon.

Satkhira district police have announced a reward for information regarding the theft. Police said that 4 suspects have been arrested in connection with the case. The identities of the arrested persons are yet to be disclosed.

However, the culprit has not been identified yet. The incident was caught in CCTV cameras, which show that a youth of around 24-25 years age stole the crown from the temple. The man entered the temple casually, removed the crown from the Maa Kali idol, hid it in his T-shirt, and then walked away. The entire theft was done in just 10-12 seconds, indicating that he had planned the act in advance and was aware of the layout of the temple premises.

As per reports, after the day’s worship rituals, priest Dilip Kumar Banerjee handed over the keys to the temple’s priestess, Rekha Rani Sarkar, and went home. Rekha Sarkar and several devotees were present in the temple courtyard at that time. But after some time, they discovered that the crown was missing.

Earlier in the day, the temple’s priest Jyoti Prakash Chattopadhyay filed a case over the theft at Shyamnagar police station. Satkhira Superintendent of Police has directed the District Detective Branch (DB) to investigate the case.

Satkhira District Police on Friday posted the CCTV footage on their Facebook profile and requested the help of people in identifying the culprit. They added that people providing such information will be suitably rewarded.

Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, the youth and sports advisor to the interim government, visited the Jeshoreshwari Temple today and instructed authorities to arrest the thief and recover the crown as soon as possible.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the Ministry of External Affairs of the Indian govt have expressed deep concern over the theft and urged the Bangladesh authorities to recover the crown.

Jeshoreshwari Temple in Shyamnagar is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths in Hinduism. Out of them, 7 are located in Bangladesh. PM Modi had personally placed the crown on the deity’s head at Jeshoreshwari Temple in Satkhira on 21 March 2021.

Notably, after the theft of the crown, no worship has taken place at the temple. Frustration among people of the Hindu community in the area is increasing due to non-recovery of the crown.

‘Freed Shiv Sena from Maha Vikas Aghadi’: Eknath Shinde takes a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray, says ‘true Shiv Sainiks don’t shun ideology’

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Saturday, October 12, took a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray, reminding him that ‘true Shiv Sainiks’ don’t shun ideology. He also added that he had freed Shiv Sena from Maha Vikas Aghadi when he snapped ties with Thackeray.

Speaking at the Dussehra event held in Azad Maidan, CM Shinde said, “Balasaheb Thackeray gave the slogan ‘garv se ka ho hum Hindu hain’ (say with pride that we are Hindu). But some people are shy to say this now. We are proud to say these slogans.”

Adding insult to injury, Shinde said he “freed” Shiv Sena from the Maha Vikas Aghadi when he ended ties with Uddhav Thackeray.

In a dig at Thackeray, Shinde said, “A true Shiv Sainik doesn’t shun his ideology,” in an apparent reference to Shiv Sena’s alliance with Congress and NCP.

Shinde also spoke on how his government remained steadfast against predictions of its downfall.”They kept predicting our government would collapse but one Eknath Shinde was enough to handle them,” he said.

Eknath Shinde became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra after he and around 42 MLAs supporting him had rebelled against the MVA-led government and the Shiv Sena party led by Uddhav Thackeray. He had demanded the re-alliance of the BJP and Shiv Sena to which former CM Uddhav Thackeray had refused. 

The rebel camp led by CM Eknath Shinde first went to Surat and from there it travelled to a hotel in Assam’s Guwahati. The rebel Shiv Sena leaders had claimed that Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray had forgotten the principles of the party supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and that it had also forgotten its agenda of Hindutva.

Maharashtra: Tensions engulf Ratnagiri after Muslim mobs chanting “Allahu Akbar” disrupt RSS march on the eve of Dussehra

Tensions swept the Konkan town of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra after a Muslim mob stopped members of RSS from carrying out a march on the eve of Dussehra. The Muslim mob also raised provocative religious slogans to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus.

A video of the incident has gone viral on the internet.

As per the police, the incident took place on Friday night in the Konkan Nagar area of Ratnagiri, when some members of the Muslim community allegedly shouted religious slogans that triggered a confrontation with the RSS march attendees. Five suspects were identified, and notices were issued, though no arrests have been made. The police are investigating the matter further based on complaints received.

The incident sparked an angry reaction from BJP leader and MLA Nitesh Rane who shared a video stating that as long as individuals with a “jihadi mentality” exist in the country, they will obstruct Hindus from celebrating their festivals and prevent nationalist organisations like the RSS from conducting their programs peacefully.

Rane further said that when RSS was conducting a peaceful march, chants of “Allahu Akbar” were heard from the group of people. He stated that the attempt to disrupt the RSS march is part of a larger agenda by some individuals who want to turn India into an Islamic nation while living in a Hindu-majority country.