Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Sunday said that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams board was “altered for political gain” by the previous government after CM Chandrababu Naidu alleged that YSRCP govt used ‘animal fat’ in Laddu Prasadam given at Tirumala Temple in Tirupati.
The Janasena Party chief statement comes as he started 11 days ‘Prayaschitta Diksha’ at Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Guntur as penance.
“Prasadam distribution has been ongoing for more than 100 years. But under YSRCP’s rule, TTD board was altered for political gain. The Sri Venkateswara Trust was established, leading to various scams. Worship protocols were changed, and over 300 temples were desecrated,” Kalyan said.
Kalyan further alleged that Ayodhya received ‘contaminated’ laddus from TTD during the YSCRP regime.
“I question whether authorities are following protocols in all temples. Fish oil, beef tallow, and pork fat have been found in prasadam. Even Ayodhya received contaminated laddus from TTD during the YSRCP regime,” Kalyan said.
“During the YSRCP regime, 219 temples were destroyed. I questioned the vandalism of these temples. We will not tolerate this, and strict action will be taken. What has the TTD board done in the past five years? Hindu devotees must speak out. What was once sacred has been desecrated. The guilty must face punishment,” Kalyan said.
“As I undertake this 11-day penance ritual, I apologize to Lord Venkateswara. We shouldn’t remain silent when Hindu temples are desecrated. If this happened in mosques or churches, the nation would erupt,” he said.
Earlier in a post on X, Pawan Kalyan announced that he will fast for 11 days to seek forgiveness from lord Balaji.
“I am deeply hurt on a personal level by the malicious attempts made to infuse impurity in the prasad of Sri Tirupati Balaji Dham, the center of our culture, faith, belief and devotion, and to tell you the truth, I feel cheated from within. Right now, I am taking a vow to seek forgiveness from the Lord and am taking a vow to fast for eleven days. In the latter part of the eleven-day Atonement Initiation, on October 1 and 2, I will go to Tirupati and have a personal darshan of the Lord and beg for forgiveness and then my Atonement Initiation will be completed in front of the Lord,” Pawan Kalyan tweeted on X.
The row comes days after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, a sweet offered at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government.
On 20th September, just a day before United States President Joe Biden hosted the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in his hometown Wilmington in Delaware, National Security Council officials met a delegation of American Sikhs in Washington DC at the White House. As per reports, these officials reaffirmed the commitment of the United States government to protect them from any act of so-called transnational repression. The pro-Khalistani Sikh organisations in the US and other countries often claim that the Indian government uses its influence to suppress their voices on foreign soil.
The organisations, whose officials met with the US National Security Council officials, included the American Sikh Caucus Committee, Sikh Coalition, and Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF). These organisations are known for their pro-Khalistani separatist agendas. In a post on X, Pritpal Singh of the American Sikh Caucus Committee wrote, “Thankful to US officials for their vigilance in protecting Sikh Americans. We will hold them to their assurances to do more in safeguarding our community. Freedom and justice must prevail.”
Thankful to U.S. officials for their vigilance in protecting Sikh Americans. We will hold them to their assurances to do more in safeguarding our community. Freedom and justice must prevail.https://t.co/4YnNZagTRl
The meeting occurred at a time when a lawsuit had been filed by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, founder of the Khalistani organisation Sikhs For Justice, in connection with the alleged attempt to assassinate him. The US court has summoned the Government of India and its top security officials, including NSA Ajit Doval.
Notably, a member of the American House of Representatives, Adam Schiff, introduced the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024, which would require the Attorney General and other relevant federal agencies to report cases of alleged transnational repression against people in the US.
While introducing the act, Schiff said, “With transnational repression on the rise, the American people deserve to know if foreign governments are working to intimidate, harass, harm or kill individuals within the United States whom they view as hostile to their regimes.” In a press release issued by his office, Kiran Kaur Gill, executive director of SALDEF, was quoted as saying, “The Transnational Repression Reporting Act is a major step forward in protecting the freedom of speech and civil rights of Americans.”
Harman Singh, executive director of the Sikh Coalition, said, “We are deeply grateful to Congressman Schiff for proposing this legislation and taking the continuing threat of all transnational repression, including India’s recent targeting of Sikhs, seriously.” One of the directors of the Sikh Assembly of America, Swaranjit Singh Khalsa, said, “India must be made accountable for transnational repression of Sikhs and this bill helps combat the oppression and intimidation Sikhs are facing in America.”
American Sikh Caucus Committee
The American Sikh Caucus Committee appears to be an active secessionist organisation that propagates the demand for Khalistan and has been active since at least 2015. One of its main members, Pritpal Singh, has been seen frequently engaging with Pakistani leaders, as evidenced by his Facebook posts.
In February 2020, he shared a photograph of himself sitting next to Naemul Haq, a PTI veteran leader who passed away that month. The photograph was from 2019. In his post, Pritpal wrote, “On the passing of Naemul Haq, Pakistan has lost a great leader and Sikhs a dear friend.”
Source: FB
In another post from 2019, he shared a post by journalist Azmi Gill where the Governor of Punjab (Pakistan), Ch Mohammad Sarwer, met the Pakistani community in the Bay Area, San Francisco, California. Pritpal Singh was present at that meeting, raising serious concerns about his circle of “friends” and associates.
Source: FB
In January 2024, he openly propagated the demand for Khalistan while replying to the Hindu American Foundation. He wrote, “Just like the Hindu American Foundation has the right to advocate for a society’s segregation-based caste system (वर्णाश्रम), Sikhs also have the right to champion the cause of a Free Punjab and the establishment of Khalistan.”
Just like the @HinduAmerican Foundation has the right to advocate for a society’s segregation based Caste System(वर्णाश्रम), Sikhs also have the right to champion the cause of a Free Punjab and the establishment of Khalistan. In America, where freedom of belief is paramount, let…
In June 2024, he shared the now-banned Al Jazeera documentary on Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder. He wrote, “How India silences critics in the US and Canada. In July 2022, Canadian law enforcement warned Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist, that his life was at risk. Despite the threat, he continued his advocacy for Khalistan. Tragically, Nijjar was assassinated in June 2023 by Indian agents. The Al Jazeera documentary highlights a chilling instance of transnational repression.”
Source: X
After the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Pritpal claimed that FBI approached him and informed about the possible threat to his life. Speaking to The Intercept, he said, “I was visited by two FBI special agents in late June who told me that they had received information that there was a threat against my life. They did not tell us specifically where the threat was coming from, but they said that I should be careful.”
Sikh Coalition
Though the Sikh Coalition clearly claims that they do not take any organisational position on Khalistan, the organisation has repeatedly worked against the Government of India and spread misinformation about how the GoI is functioning under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Interestingly, they also share quotes from members of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an organisation known for its links to terrorist organisations.
In February 2021, an ad was featured during the Super Bowl about the farmer protests in India. Super Bowl ads are extremely expensive, which raised questions about who funded the ad. The 32-second national ad cost around USD 5.5 million, and regional ads, which this ad on the farmer protests was, cost no less than USD 10,000.
According to reports, the ad was created by Indian-American Raj Sodhi-Layne along with a couple of her friends, and it was she who signed the contract for airtime with CBS. Sodhi-Layne worked with the Sikh Institute Fresno (SIF), which partnered with the Sikh Coalition in the US.
The Sikh Coalition was listed by the SIF as a valid resource for legal aid for Sikh. As it turned out, the Sikh Coalition receives funds from the Open Society Foundations (OSF). The OSF is an organisation of George Soros, who had earlier declared war on nationalists and nationalism, including Prime Minister Modi.
Its website states, “Most of the Sikh Coalition’s funding comes from generous individual donations within the community. The Sikh Coalition relies on your financial support to sustain its initiatives and broaden its services.”
“In addition, each year the Sikh Coalition proudly receives multiple competitive grants from private, non-Sikh foundations, including Open Society Foundations, the Proteus Fund, New York Foundation, and Emergent Fund,” it adds.
In July 2023, the Sikh Coalition spoke about press freedom in India and quoted a report by NPR. The report referenced the World Press Freedom Index, which is compiled by Reporters Without Borders. Interestingly, OpIndia has already reported that such rankings are based on baseless allegations, dubious statistics, and outdated reports.
On 21st September, Sikh Coalition quoted Rasheed Ahmed of IAMC who said that “Modi’s upcoming New York rally is a critical moment to continue to push back against his legacy of democratic backsliding, human rights abuses, transnational repression, and more.”
Rasheed Ahmed, ED of @IAMCouncil , argues that Modi's upcoming New York rally is a critical moment to continue to push back against his legacy of democratic backsliding, human rights abuses, transnational repression, and more.
Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF)
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) is also careful about not directly siding with Khalistani propaganda. However, its social media posts suggest that the organisation is a Khalistani sympathiser. In September 2023, they shared a post on Facebook targeting the Government of India for its crackdown on Khalistani separatist leader turned politician Amritpal Singh and the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of Nijjar’s murder. In a post, they wrote, “Less than two years after the Farmers’ Protest ended, the Amritpal Singh manhunt began, and now we learn of the Indian government’s alleged involvement in the murder of Harry Singh Nijjar.”
In February 2024, they released a report titled “Virtually Vulnerable” in association with Equality Labs, Hindus for Human Rights, and IAMC, all of which are anti-India organisations, with two having proven links to terrorist organisations. In the report, they claimed that whenever the Indian state wants to silence Sikh voices, they label them as “Khalistanis,” which is completely false. They cited examples of Amritpal Singh, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and pro-Khalistani Sikhs who supported the controversial anti-caste bill SB403, which was based on a report by Equality Labs. There is evidence that all these individuals are directly or indirectly linked to the Khalistani movement.
NEW REPORT: "Virtually Vulnerable" by SALDEF reveals how online platforms FUEL the silencing of Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims & Dalits in India.
Threats, harassment & manipulation – it's time to hold platforms accountable.
The Sikh Assembly of America is a secessionist organisation. In its mission statement, the organisation acknowledges the Sikh Right for Self-Determination, in other words, the demand for Khalistan. The statement reads, “Through education and advocacy of acknowledgment of Sikh History, Sikh Narrative, Sikh Right for Self-determination under United Nations Charter (Sikh Homeland – ‘Punjab’), and community engagement, we aim to raise awareness about Sikhism, dispel misconceptions, combat discrimination, curb disinformation, and prejudice.”
The organisation appears to be a newly formed entity. It openly shares posts on social media supporting Khalistani terrorists, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
In one of the most recent posts, the organisation discussed the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024 and claimed that “the US will hold India accountable for transnational repression on Sikhs, and this bill will help to combat the oppression and intimidation Sikhs are facing in America.”
Furthermore, it specifically pointed out that the Sikh demand for Khalistan was highlighted in the bill. Interestingly, sponsors of the bill include Congressmen Dan Goldman, James McGovern, and Eric Swalwell, and Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Ilhan Omar, and Eleanor Holmes Norton.
In another post, they mentioned Khalistani terrorists Avtar Singh Khanda (UK) and Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “The authoritarian Government of India has since increased its surveillance and repression of Sikhs and Khalistan activists residing outside its territorial boundaries and has been on a mission to silence its political and religious dissidents,” the organisation noted.
US officials meeting pro-Khalistani organisations is a bad optics on the United States government. In the long run, the US has to step up and support India in controlling anti-India rhetoric spreading quickly on its land.
A video went viral on social media on Monday (16 September 2024) from Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh. In this video, a Muslim mob raised pro-Palestinian slogans at the pandal of Lord Ganesha in the Muslim-dominated Utraula market. A person caught by the police during the agitation was also freed by some people in the crowd. OpIndia had prominently reported this incident just a few hours after the incident. Now, the Balrampur police has registered an FIR and arrested 16 anti-social elements of the Muslim community involved in this incident. The investigation of the case is still going on.
After the video went viral, the Balrampur police had registered a case against unknown accused in Utraula police station under sections 170, 126 and 135 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS). The accused were identified by collecting several evidences, including CCTV and other video footage. A total of 16 accused were identified in the first phase. On Friday (September 20), the police raided and arrested all of them. All the accused were challaned under sections for disturbing peace in the area.
Most of the accused arrested for frenzied sloganeering at the Ganesh pandal are residents of Balrampur district. Their names are Mohammad Zaid, Mohammad Irfan, Shahbaz Alam, Zaid Khan, Mohammad Hussain, Aqib Ali, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Ashraf, Sabir Ali, Ghulam Bakhtiar, Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Majid, Qasim Ali, Mahfooz Raza, Zaid Ansari, and Qutubuddin.
The person who freed the suspect is not yet identified
In this incident, two videos went viral simultaneously. In the first video, the crowd taking out a religious procession was raising slogans like, “If you want to stay in India, then you have to say Khwaja Khwaja” in support of Palestine in front of Lord Ganesha’s pandal. During this, Islamic fundamentalists also raised slogans like “Palestine’s Muslim Zindabad”, “Masjid-e-Aqsa Zindabad”.
चौंकाने वाला और शर्मनाक! बलरामपुर के उतरौला बाजार में बारावफात के जुलूस के दौरान गणेश पंडाल के सामने कट्टरपंथियों ने बेहद आपत्तिजनक नारे लगाए। इससे भी बदतर यह है कि पुलिस को रोका गया और इन कानून तोड़ने वालों को सपा नेता ने बचाया! यह हमारी परंपराओं, कानून और व्यवस्था पर हमला है।… pic.twitter.com/ihN1Y0chdW
In another video, some people freed a suspect caught by the inspector of Utraula police station. In the viral video, the inspector was heard saying, “Why should we let him go?” Yet, in the end, the people in the crowd were successful in their plans to free the suspect. At present, the police have not revealed the identity of the person who freed the suspect from the inspector. Additional SP of Balrampur has said in his statement that investigation and other legal action is going on in the case.
A major tragedy was averted on Sunday after a 5-litre empty gas cylinder was found on the railway track in the Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Soon after spotting the cylinder on the track, the loco pilot promptly applied the brake to avert the incident.
The incident occurred near Prempur railway station at around 5.50 am today in the morning.
According to Indian Railway officials, the loco pilots of the goods train reported a 5-liter empty gas cylinder on the track, following which the driver halted the train.
As soon as the information was received about the incident, the officials of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) promptly arrived at the scene, and are investigating the incident.
Police personnel are inspecting the spot where the gas cylinder was found as a goods train was about to pass through, at Prempur Station earlier today.
The statement from CPRO of North Central Railway said, “A goods train going from Kanpur towards Prayagraj was stopped using the emergency brakes after the driver spotted a gas cylinder lying on the tracks, at Prempur Station at 5:50 am today (September 22). Railway IOW (Inspector of work), security, and other teams examined the cylinder and removed it from the tracks. Upon inspection, it was found that the 5-litre cylinder was empty. Directions have been given to investigate the matter.”
Earlier, on September 16, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed police officials to heighten vigilance and take strict action against those involved in alleged conspiracies to sabotage railway tracks or cause railway accidents.
This statement follows an incident in Kanpur on September 15, where a major tragedy was narrowly avoided. A damaged gas cylinder, along with other ‘objectionable’ materials, was found near the railway track where the Kalindi Express had halted, triggering an alarm. The train, which was travelling from Prayagraj to Bhiwani in Haryana, came to a stop after the train driver spotted the cylinder and applied emergency brakes.
The incident occurred around 8 pm near Munderi village, between Barrajpur and Bilhaur stations. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Harish Chander, the driver noticed the cylinder around 8:30 p.m. and immediately stopped the train.
“The cylinder rolled off to the side, and the train halted,” said Chander.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Sunday started 11 days ‘Prayaschitta Diksha’ at Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple, in Guntur as penance for the alleged use of ‘animal fat’ in Tirupati Laddu Prasadam given at Tirumala Temple in Tirupati.
In a post on X, Pawan Kalyan announced that he will fast for 11 days to seek forgiveness from lord Balaji.
“I am deeply hurt on a personal level by the malicious attempts made to infuse impurity in the prasad of Sri Tirupati Balaji Dham, the center of our culture, faith, belief and devotion, and to tell you the truth, I feel cheated from within. Right now, I am taking a vow to seek forgiveness from the Lord and am taking a vow to fast for eleven days. In the latter part of the eleven-day Atonement Initiation, on October 1 and 2, I will go to Tirupati and have a personal darshan of the Lord and beg for forgiveness and then my Atonement Initiation will be completed in front of the Lord,” Pawan Kalyan tweeted on X.
हमारी संस्कृति, आस्था, विश्वास और श्रद्धा की धर्मधुरी, श्री तिरुपति बालाजी धाम के प्रसाद में, कुत्सित प्रयासों के तहत, जो अपवित्रता का, संचार करने की कोशिश की गई, उससे मैं व्यक्तिगत स्तर पर, अत्यंत मर्माहत हूँ, और सच कहूं तो, अंदर से अत्यंत छला गया, महसूस कर रहा हूँ। प्रभु…
Janasena Party leader said that he was shocked after he came to know about the alleged use of animal fat in Tirupati Laddu Prasadam, adding that he feels guilty for not being able to find out in the beginning the sin committed by the previous government.
“Tirumala Laddu Prasadam, which is considered to be sacred, has become impure as a result of the depraved tendencies of the past rulers. Not being able to detect this sin in the beginning is a stain on the Hindu race. The moment I came to know that the laddu prasadam contained animal remains, I was shocked. Feeling guilty. As I am fighting for the welfare of the people, it hurts me that such trouble did not come to my attention in the beginning,” Kalyan wrote on X.
Earlier, Telangana Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded strict action into the matter.
Speaking to ANI, VHP Vice President Ram Singh, said, “Vishwa Hindu Parishad is demanding that everyone involved in this should get immediately arrested and punished. If the government does not do that, then the Hindu organisations like Bjarang Dal, Sangh Parivar and the devotees of Balaji should take action.”
Ram Singh alleged that the people involved in the alleged usage of Ghee, containing animal fat, did it for ‘business’.
The row comes days after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, a sweet offered at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government.
Reacting to the allegations, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged on Friday that the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) is “politicising religious matters.”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
A case of conspiracy to convert under the guise of exorcism has come to light from Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. A Hindu woman has filed a complaint accusing the Maulvi of instigating her ailing husband not only to convert to Islam, but also for second marriage. The name of the accused Maulvi is Abdul Rehman. As per evidence, the victim has also presented the call recording of the Maulvi. On Thursday (19th September 2024), the police registered a case and arrested Abdul Rehman.
The incident is from Wave City police station area of Ghaziabad district. Here, on Thursday, a Hindu woman lodged a complaint with the police. In the complaint, the victim said that the mental condition of her husband Shreesh Ojha was not good for a long time. After cheating him, Maulvi Abdul Rehman withdrew money from his account. After this, the Maulvi also sold Shreesh Ojha’s car. Abdul Rehman also got the money from the transaction transferred to his account.
The police subsequently registered a case and started investigation. Investigation revealed that Maulvi Abdul Rehman used to do exorcism and sell some medicines. By spreading superstition, he was trying to convert Hindus and extract money from them. Meanwhile, Shreesh Ojha and his wife came to him for treatment. Shreesh Ojha is the owner of an engineering consultancy firm named SS Associates. He makes maps of houses and buildings.
Shreesh Ojha’s wife has kidney problems. She is being treated through dialysis for a long time. His wife was not getting any benefit from this treatment, due to which Shreesh was very stressed. Maulvi Abdul Rehman took advantage of this problem of Shreesh. He claimed that Shreesh’s wife would be cured by exorcism. By deceiving the victim, the Maulvi extorted about Rs 7 lakh from Shreesh in the name of spiritual treatment in just 4-5 months.
Shreesh Ojha had already spent a lot of money on his wife’s treatment. To pay the Maulvi, he started selling his assets, including his car. After a few days, Maulvi Abdul Rehman started forcing the victim to sell his house as well. Meanwhile, the Maulvi also started instigating Shreesh to accept Islam. He used to say that this method is an easy way to get rid of all diseases. To succeed in his plans, the Maulvi started instigating Shreesh against his wife.
थाना वेव सिटी पुलिस टीम द्वारा धोखाधड़ी व उत्तर प्रदेश विधि विरुद्ध धर्म संपरिवर्तन प्रतिषेध अधिनियम में वांछित अभियुक्त गिरफ्तार । बाइट- श्री सुरेन्द्र नाथ तिवारी पुलिस उपायुक्त ग्रामीण।@Uppolicepic.twitter.com/N2K4blFUsJ
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GHAZIABAD (@ghaziabadpolice) September 20, 2024
It is alleged that Abdul Rehman used to tell Shreesh that his wife is characterless. He was inciting the victim to leave his wife and children and convert to Islam. Abdul Rehman was also luring Shreesh to go for a second marriage. Meanwhile, seeing the condition of the troubled husband, Shreesh’s wife started keeping an eye on him. This vigilance worked and Shreesh’s wife got the audio recording of the Maulvi. She got enraged by the talks like accepting Islam and the talks of a second marriage.
Finally, the victim gave a complaint to the police and accused Maulvi Abdul Rehman of usurping her money and many other charges. The police have arrested Maulvi Abdul Rehman. Action has been taken against him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. On Friday (20 September 2024), the police arrested Maulvi Abdul Rehman. He is originally a resident of Bulandshahr. Currently, 58-year-old Maulvi Abdul Rehman lived in Dhaulana in Hapur district. Investigation and other necessary legal action is being taken in the matter.
In a major boost to the Modi government’s initiative to preserve history and culture, the United States returned 297 stolen artefacts to India.
The development was confirmed on Saturday (21st September) by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) during PM Modi’s visit to the North American country.
“On the occasion of the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the United States, the US side facilitated the return of 297 antiquities that had been stolen or trafficked from India. These will shortly be repatriated to India,” it stated.
Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties.
I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India. @POTUS@JoeBidenpic.twitter.com/0jziIYZ1GO
As part of the symbolic handing over of the trafficked antiquities, a few select pieces were put on display for US President Joe Biden and the Indian Prime Minister.
In a tweet, PM Modi stated, “Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India.”
The artefacts, mostly made of terracotta, are almost from 4000 years (2000 BC to 1900 AD) ago. Some of the antiquities are however made of ivory, wood, metal and stone.
Preserving heritage and culture: restituting antiquities
The US side has facilitated return of 297 stolen or trafficked antiquities during the visit of PM @narendramodi to US.
The notable ones include Apsara in sandstone, Jain Tirthankar in bronze, Lord Ganesh in bronze, Standing Lord Buddha in sandstone, Lord Vishnu in Bronze, Anthropomorphic figure in copper, Lord Krishna in bronze, Lord Karthikeya in granite.
In July 2024, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India signed a Cultural Property Agreement to enhance cooperation in protecting cultural heritage.
The United States has returned a whopping 578 cultural artefacts to India in the past 8 years (10 in 2016, 157 in 2021, 105 in 2023). The total number of stolen antiquities recovered since 2014 now stands at 640.
On Saturday (21st September), the dead body of a brutally murdered woman was discovered at her residence in the Vyalikaval locality of Bengaluru. The deceased was identified as Mahalakshmi (29).
Her body was chopped into pieces (estimated to be between 20 and 40) and stored inside a 165-litre refrigerator. It is suspected that Mahalakshmi was killed 15 days ago.
Her phone had been switched off since 2nd September this year. The matter came to light when the victim’s neighbours complained of a foul smell.
Bengaluru, Karnataka: Police have recovered the body of a woman from a fridge in the Vyalikaval area, within the Central Bangalore police division pic.twitter.com/GgHmEl4XLg
The police were called in and the surrounding area was cordoned off. The cops recovered the maggot-infested body parts and began a probe into the matter. They also took the help of forensic experts and the dog squad.
Mahalakshmi stayed alone in Bengaluru after she separated from her husband, Hemant Das, earlier this year. She was a native of Nepal.
The victim has a 4-year-old daughter, who lives with her ex-husband. On learning about the matter, Hemant Das also reached the crime spot. He reportedly used to come to Mahalakshmi’s house with their child every fortnight.
#Breaking A young woman was allegedly murdered, chopped into pieces and her body was kept in a fridge at Vyalikaval near Veeranna Bhavan in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. Incident sounds similar to Shraddha Walker murder case. @BlrCityPolicepic.twitter.com/aZW0zTlKJj
While speaking about the disturbing incident, the police informed, “Mahalakshmi’s phone had been switched off since September 2. As she was not reachable, her mother and sister were worried and came to the house.”
“When we opened the door, we could see maggots crawling on the floor and the entire floor sticky with the victim’s blood that had dripped from the refrigerator’s door. Legs were cut and placed on top of the refrigerator, while remaining body parts were placed on the middle shelves. The head was placed at the bottom of the refrigerator,” they added.
The present case is reminiscent of the murder of a 27-year-old woman named Shraddha Walker by her live-in-partner Aftab Amin Poonawalla. He had strangled the victim to death on 18th May 2022 and then chopped her body into 35 pieces.
Over a span of several days, Aftab disposed of her body parts at 18 different locations in the National Capital. The gory details and severity of his heinous crime have sent shockwaves across the country. He was arrested in November of that year.
Pro-AAP propaganda YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has been summoned by a Delhi court in connection to a defamation case filed by software engineer and BJP volunteer Vikas Pandey. Judicial Magistrate Ankit Garg of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court in Saket has ordered Rathee to be present in the court on 19 November.
The court stated that his presence during the hearing is necessary, and he must not fail to attend. The order issued by the court said, “WHEREAS your attendance is necessary to answer to a charge of offence punishable U/Sec. of, you are hereby required to appear in person (or by pleader, as the case may be) before the (Magistrate) of Judicial Magistrate First Class 01, on the day of 19-11-2024. Herein fail not.”
To, Mr. Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee), you have been Summoned by the Hon'ble Court in a Criminal Defamation Case. Your physical appearance is required on 19th November 2024 before the Court of Sh. Ankit Garg, Ld. Judicial Magistrate-01, Saket Court, New Delhi. DM me for Case PDF. pic.twitter.com/WAKSsom98g
Responding to the summon, Vikas Pandey tweeted, “Dear @dhruv_rathee, hate to bring you the bad news when you just became a father, but you have just been summoned regarding the fake videos you made about me. It’s about time you stop running from law and appear in the court.”
Dear @dhruv_rathee, hate to bring you the bad news when you just became a father, but you have just been summoned regarding the fake videos you made about me. It’s about time you stop running from law and appear in the court. https://t.co/sGyrCXezzc
The case relates to a series of videos Dhruv Rathee had published in 2018, where he had alleged that Vikas Sankrityan, also known as Vikas Pandey, was a member of the BJP IT Cell and had tried to bribe some Mahaveer Prasad, who claimed is an ex BJP IT Cell member, with Rs 50 lakh to speak against him.
After the three-part video series was released, Vikas Pandey filed a defamation case against him claiming ₹15 lakh. Rathee had claimed that Mahaveer Prasad had recording of the call where Pandey allegedly bribed him to talk against Rathee. But after Pandey filed a police complaint, Rathee in a follow-up video said that he ‘regrets’ that he didn’t have the recording of ’50 lakh bribe’ offer.
Notably, Vikas Pandey had also sued Arvind Kejriwal for retweeting the videos of Dhruv Rathee. In February this year, the Delhi High Court upheld the suit, declining Kejriwal’s plea to quash the case. In a significant ruling, the court said that retweeting defamatory content does amount to defamation.
After that, Kejriwal told the Supreme Court that he made a mistake by retweeting the defamatory, and was ready to apologise. In August this year, the apex court granted him six weeks of time to file the apology, and stayed the case against him.
The Central Government, through the Ministry of Law and Justice, notified on Saturday the appointment of Chief Justices to eight High Courts to fill key judicial positions and ensure the smooth functioning of the judicial system in various states.
Union Law Minister (Independent Charge) Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointment of Chief Justices to eight High Courts, via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle. This social media post shared the government’s decision, marking a significant development in judicial appointments across India.
In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint/ transfer the following Chief Justices of High Courts:- pic.twitter.com/m9JzyJxQia
The Supreme Court Collegium, in its recommendations regarding the appointment of Chief Justices, originally made proposals on July 11, 2023. However, on September 17, 2023, the Collegium altered some of its earlier recommendations concerning the appointment of Chief Justices to four High Courts.
According to the notification, Justice Manmohan, who is currently serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the regular Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji, a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. Similarly, Justice Suresh Kait, also from the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The notification from the Ministry of Law and Justice also includes the appointments of Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar (from the Bombay High Court), who has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.
Justice Tashi Rabstan, currently the Acting Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, has been appointed as the regular Chief Justice of the same court.
Justice Shriram Kalpathi Rajendran (from the Bombay High Court) has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, the current Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, has been transferred and appointed as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
