On Tuesday, 17th September, the Supreme Court ruled that the West Bengal government could not stop women doctors from working 12-hour or longer shifts. While hearing a suo moto case about the rape and murder of a young doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the court remarked that women seek equal opportunity, not concessions. The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra’s bench made the statement after the state had informed them that the women doctors’ night shift might be avoided as part of recent security measures.
CJI Chandrachud strongly disagreed and asserted that the state needed to reverse the decision and permit the women doctors to function on an equal footing with their male colleagues. “How can that be? Women do not want concessions, but equal opportunities. Women doctors are willing to work in all conditions. They must work in all conditions. The state of West Bengal has to correct it. You cannot say that women doctors cannot work beyond 12-hour shifts and not at night. Armed forces, etc. all work at night, which includes women,” he pronounced while ordering the state to change the policy.
He pointed towards Kapil Sibal and directed, “Sibal, you need to address this issue. The solution lies in ensuring proper security measures. West Bengal should amend the notification. It is your responsibility to provide security. You cannot restrict women from working at night. Pilots, army personnel, and others work during the night time hours,”
On behalf of the Mamata administration, senior advocate Kapil Sibal contended that the state would send out a notification to resolve the issue as it was merely a temporary security measure. The centre could offer security for the doctors if the state government refused to provide it, declared Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. CJI Chandrachud emphasised that no woman in the nation should be told she cannot work at night and that it is the responsibility of the state to ensure protection. “We cannot tell any woman today in our country, who is in the workforce, that you will not work at night,” he expressed.
The junior doctors told the top court during the hearing that they would not mind returning to work as long as the policies that were discussed during their 16th September meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were implemented. The doctors mentioned that they would discuss going back to work during a general body meeting later today. The government’s assurance that the protesting doctors would face no consequences was noted by the court, which requested an affidavit from the state. Kapil Sibal responded by saying that the state “will be filing the affidavit.”
Meanwhile, the victim’s name was asked to be removed from Wikipedia during the hearing by the Supreme Court to safeguard the dignity of the deceased and ensure privacy in sensitive cases like this one.
The doctors’ submissions were deemed meritorious by the court, which also instructed the state government to initiate the necessary measures if they had not been taken earlier. “Each of these aspects would merit serious consideration. We impress upon the state of West Bengal to take remedial action if not already done, within a period of 3 days from this order,” it announced.
Additionally, CJI explained that the court was sticking to its previous verdict which called for doctors to return to work by 5 pm on 10th September. “We are not modifying our last order, we have created the conditions for coming back to work, let them (the government) do what they have to do to implement the orders,” he voiced.
The state claimed that 415 CCTVs would be installed at the RG Kar Hospital; however, the court observed that only 37 CCTVs had been installed there. Kapil Sibal stated that the process was in motion, but CJI highlighted that it was moving slowly. The District Collectors were asked by the court to keep an eye on how the funds allotted for hospital security measures were being spent. It pointed out that in order to allow the representatives of junior and senior doctors to share their opinions, a “participatory process” must be followed.
The West Bengal government’s request to halt live broadcasting of the court proceedings in the Kolkata rape and murder case was also denied by the apex court on 17th September.
On 9th August, the victim doctor was discovered deceased in the college’s seminar hall. The results of an autopsy proved she had been murdered and raped. Doctors around the nation have gone on strike in protest of the incident, advocating for tighter legislation and policing to protect the safety of medical personnel. The incident has caused widespread indignation and protests. The investigation into the matter has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Calcutta High Court which slammed the negligence and attitude of the state government. Meanwhile, the main accused named Sanjay Roy was arrested by the authorities.
In the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh, a sub-inspector named Sachin Kumar has alleged that the magistrate not only harassed him mentally but also accused him of implicating Muslims in fake cases. In a video, Sachin Kumar is seen sitting near the railway track and contemplating suicide.
On the 17th of September, sub-inspector Sachin Kumar submitted a complaint to the police station where he was posted. In this letter, Sachin has alleged that Magistrate Abhishek Tripathi repeatedly called him to his cabin and behaved indecently. Moreover, he accused Kumar of falsely arresting Muslims.
The matter pertains to the Banna Devi Police Station precinct wherein Sachin Kumar reached the court to seek the remand of five bike thieves – Adeeb, Faiz, Arbaaz, Aamir and Shakir. Sub-inspector Sachin Kumar had registered an FIR against these thieves and was also the investigating officer (IO). The arrested accused in this case had several criminal cases registered against them, and seven stolen bikes were recovered from them. In addition, a scooty and motor parts were also recovered from these accused.
As Sachin Kumar reached the magistrate court to seek the remand of the accused persons at around 4 pm, the magistrate Abhishek Tripathi allegedly made him wait for hours. In addition to making him sit and wait till 10 pm, the magistrate also allegedly called Sachin Kumar to the restroom multiple times and misbehaved with him. According to Sachin Kumar, the magistrate threatened him and said: “You have falsely implicated Muslims and brought them here.”
Taking to X, journalist Ajay Dwivedi shared a video of Sachin Kumar and a written complaint on 17th September. In this complaint, Sachin Kumar is quoted as saying that on 16th September, he went to the magistrate’s court at 4 pm to get the remand of Adeeb, Faiz, Arbaaz, Aamir and Shakir, named in a vehicle theft case, approved.
अलीगढ़
अलीगढ़ में दारोगा ने आत्महत्या करने की कोशिश की
रेलवे पटरी से इंस्पेक्टर, पुलिसकर्मी दारोगा को उठाकर कर लाए
दारोगा सचिन कुमार ने न्यायालय में बदसलूकी का लगाया आरोप
— अजय द्विवेदी एडवोकेट (जर्नलिस्ट) (@AjayDwi65357304) September 17, 2024
According to Ajay Dwivedi’s complaint, the judge arrived in court at 5 pm and the sub-inspector then requested that the magistrate approve the accused’s remand. It is alleged that the sub-inspector was made to sit in court until 10 p.m. During this period, the sub-inspector was called to the restroom every 10 minutes and subjected to abuse and threats. The magistrate rebuked the sub-inspector saying: “You have arrested Muslims falsely.”
As per the complaint, Kumar’s request seeking approval of the remand of the accused Muslim thieves was rejected but he was also tortured. In the viral video, the sub-inspector narrated his ordeal as described in the complaint.
Action taken on SSP’s instructions
OpIndia has obtained a copy of the FIR in the case in which Sub Inspector Sachin Kumar sought remand of Adeeb, Faiz, Shakir, Aamir and Arbaaz in the court. This FIR was registered on 16th September at Bannadevi police station on the complaint of Sub Inspector Praveen Kumar. Sub-Inspector Sachin Kumar is the investigating officer in this case. Then the police arrested five accused belonging to the bike theft gang. During interrogation, this gang had told that they had stolen and dismantled 60-70 bikes.
#Aligarh । #AligarhPolice#SSP_Aligarh के निर्देशन में थाना बन्नादेवी, एण्टी व्हीकल थैफ्ट व क्रिमिनल इंटेलीजेंस नगर की संयुक्त टीमों को मिली बड़ी सफलता~
Aligarh police deemed this operation to be successful by the SSP’s directions. The police retrieved four bikes and three scooters from each of the accused. Moreover, they recovered bike parts such as tanks and silencers. Before their arrest, the suspects were strolling around the government hospital. The ages of all the accused range from 19 to 25 years. All of them faced charges under Sections 317 (2), 317 (4), and 317 (5) of the BNS.
Following this episode, many legal experts believe that if the claims made by SI Sachin Kumar are proven true, it will call into question the judicial system. Such alleged inappropriate behaviour towards an on-duty police officer not only lowers their morale but also undermines the fairness of the legal system. This is more than just a debate between a police officer and a magistrate; it raises major concerns about the legal system and law and order. Now it remains to be seen what action is taken in this matter and what the truth is about Sachin Kumar’s suicide threat.
Between 2012 and 2014, Mehdi Masroor Biswas used the social media platform Twitter to become one of the most influential online recruiters in India for the terrorist organisation Islamic State (ISIS). He was known by the Twitter handle “@ShamiWitness.” He used his social media skills to propagate ISIS ideology. He was arrested in 2014 for operating a pro-ISIS account on Twitter (now X). His account played a vital role in radicalising and recruiting youth to join ISIS. His sentence is ending in December 2024, and he would be free to walk among those whom he had incited violence against via his Twitter handle.
Who is Mehdi Masroor Biswas
For those who knew Mehdi Masroor Biswas, he was an unassuming engineer working in Bengaluru. However, he was living a double life as a prominent ISIS propagandist, which was later revealed during the investigation into the Twitter handle ShamiWitness. Under the said pseudonym, Mehdi propagated ISIS ideology and glorified jihadist violence. He also encouraged Islamists from the West to join the ranks of the Islamic State. At his peak, the ShamiWitness handle became a key English-language resource for ISIS. The account provided real-time updates of the battlefield victories of the terrorist group. He used to translate the information released in the Arabic language and post it on social media. Furthermore, he offered direct support to ISIS terrorists and sympathisers.
By the time he was arrested, Mehdi had 17,700 followers on Twitter, including several jihadists from the West. His tweets included incitements against various groups, specifically against Hindus, whom he referred to in derogatory terms. Speaking to Channel 4, he specifically said, “Beheadings are discussed in Quran and Hadith itself. I don’t think any honest Muslim will ever tell you he is against beheadings per se.” The radical content posted by him served as a recruitment tool for the terrorist organisation ISIS. With time, he became an influential figure within ISIS’s online ecosystem despite never physically joining them in Syria and Iraq.
Arrest and Conviction
On 11th December 2014, Channel 4 News published its investigation exposing ShamiWitness handle’s identity. Soon after, Bengaluru police arrested him and charged Mehdi with offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Following his arrest, then-Karnataka DGP L Panchau told reporters that he had confessed he was handing the social media account. Furthermore, the police said that he was particularly close to IS terrorists who were fluent in English.
Mehdi was working as a manufacturing engineer in a multinational company. He was earning a decent income of Rs 5.3 lakh per annum. Despite having a decent career, he was drawn to ISIS ideology and used his online skills to spread jihadist propaganda on social media. Interestingly, two-thirds of Mehdi’s followers, who was originally from West Bengal, were not from India. These accounts were being operated by terrorists fighting for the IS in Iraq and Syria. The police used his mobile phone location to track him to his house.
Pachau told the media that Mehdi was particularly interested in the Levantine region, which consisted of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and parts of Southern Turkey from 2003 onward.
CCB ON TOP: ISIS Tweeter ideologue Mehdi Masroor Biswas, 24, Engineer arrested at Bengaluru by Crime Branch (CCB)! pic.twitter.com/c8hspLtuvS
When Mehdi was arrested, he was only 24 years old. He used to post on Twitter during office hours. Police Commissioner MN Reddi said, “He was particularly close to the English-speaking terrorists of ISIS and became a source of incitement and information for the new recruits trying to join ISIS/ISIL.” He added, “The effect of what he was doing, the impact of what he was doing was really not about India, nor was he provoking or promoting people within India to align or sympathize with ISIS. It was more about how he could manage to anglicize the conversations of ISIS and that led to a huge impact from what I can understand in the European world, particularly in the UK. Therefore the interest was very high in the UK to track and trace him and he incidentally happened to be in Bangalore.”
Channel 4 also talked to Mehdi before publishing a report on his social media handle. Speaking to the channel, he said that he would have gone to join ISIS himself but did not go due to financial constraints faced by his family. He said, “If I had a chance to leave everything and join them I might have… my family needs me here.” Mehdi’s full identity was not revealed by Channel 4 and he was referred to as “Mehdi” only. Channel 4 specifically mentioned that Mehdi told them if his identity got revealed, his life would be in danger.
MK Thammaiah, the then-assistant commissioner of police (CCB) and investigating officer, stated that Biswas’ retrieved tweets and retweets played a critical part in his conviction. “In all, he had made 1,22,208 tweets and most of them were related to IS activities. Along with the tweets, he had posted (deleted later and retrieved during the investigation) 15,500 images,” Thammaiah said, adding that at first, Biswas supported the Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM). “When IS gained popularity, Biswas started supporting it and urged JNIM leaders to join forces with IS. He was in touch with 88 men who were identified as terror suspects from Syria and other countries,” he added.
Mehdi Biswas was also accused of predicting on Twitter the beheadings of US journalist James Foley and UK aid worker Peter Kassig just weeks before the Islamic State executed them. He was also accused of advocating for IS support in Kashmir, tweeting that the terrorists in Kashmir were martyrs.
Though his arrest was seen as a significant victory in the fight against radicalisation via online channels, it opened new doors for investigators to identify and scrutinise pro-Jihadi accounts on social media. As his case unfolded, a highly sophisticated and covert nature of his propaganda efforts was revealed.
IS’s campaign to free Mehdi
Soon after his arrest, it was revealed that officials of the Islamic State (IS) started a “Free Shami Witness” campaign. One of the IS Twitter handles, IS_WorldPress, said in a post, “Bengaluru ruthless police arrest brother Mehdi Masroor Biswas as owner of @ShamiWitness Twitter account.” Another tweet read, “He isn’t a poor guy… he is a truthful media hero (and) a freedom of rights analyst.”
In fact, support for him poured in from India as well. ORF Online fellow and columnist Mihir Sharma wrote in one of his posts, “I’m sure Mehdi Biswas’ pro-ISIS opinions are repugnant, but does anyone know what crime he has been arrested for? Just speech?”
Source: X
Propagandist Kavita Krishnan, without taking Mehdi’s name, wrote, “So we can prosecute an indiv for hate tweets? But not Ministers for hate-speech, or actual violent hate-crimes like 1984, 1992 #Dec6, 2002?”
Source: X
While many of those who were against his arrest demanded his release, several accounts pointed out the wrongs he had done. One of the X users, Rukmini Callimachi, shared screenshots of his posts where he had a Twitter exchange in which he appeared to have told jihadis in Türkiye which border crossings were open so that they could reach the IS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria.
Notably, the Central Crime Branch police filed a 36,986-page chargesheet against Biswas in June 2015. Although he was never physically associated with the Islamic State, Biswas acquired information about the terrorist organisation by spending hours compiling data on radical Islamic activity in the Middle East and disseminating it via the @shamiwitness handle.
During the trial, Mehdi’s counsel claimed that he did not wage any war or participated directly in any terror activities. However, the court in its judment did not accept the argument as his actions were a serious threat to national security. The court said, “he tweeted and retweeted thousands and thousands times supporting all the activities of deadly terrorist organisation ISIS/ISIL, waged war against the Governments of Syria and Iraq which is Asiatic Power in alliance and at peace with the Government of India, recruited the persons to the terrorist organisation and invited the support and encouraged the Muslims to further the activities of the deadly terrorist organisation.” Mehdi was sentenced on multiple charges. The maximum sentence was of 10 years in prison, including the time he spent in jail during the trial.
He was convicted and sentenced in January 2024. As his time in jail was marked as time served, Mehdi Masroor Biswas will come out of jail in December 2024 as he has been behind bars since his arrest in December 2014.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, an Islamist mob insulted freedom fighter Sardar Patel, the great Ironman of India while taking out a religious procession. It is said that during the Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession in Bareilly, a group of 8-9 unknown Islamist miscreants climbed on the area where Sardar Patel’s statue stands without removing shoes and slippers, a mark of disrespect to the Indian freedom fighter. Outraged by the insult to Sardar Patel, Hindu organisations have filed a Police complaint in this matter. The Police have initiated an investigation into this incident.
The incident unfolded in the Nawabganj police station area of Bareilly district. On Monday (16th September 2024), a member of Hindu Jagran Manch, Haripal Singh gave a Police complaint regarding this incident.
In his complaint, Haripal Singh stated that on Monday morning between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM, the Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession was taken out from the Nawabganj market. Muslims in the hundreds, were part of this procession. A statue of Indian Freedom fighter, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stands on the route from where the procession was passing.
The complaint further stated that 8-9 unidentified persons who were part of the Muslim crowd, approached the statue of Sardar Patel. Moments later, all the Islamist miscreants stepped on the pedestal where the Sardar Patel’s statue stands while wearing shoes and slippers. The video of the incident is now doing rounds on social media. Reacting to a social media post, Bareilly Police confirmed that it has taken cognizance of the incident.
प्रभारी निरीक्षक नवाबगंज, बरेली को जांचकर आवश्यक कार्यवाही करने हेतु निर्देशित किया गया है।
OpIndia has accessed a copy of the complaint. According to the complainant, Islamists mounted the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel without removing their shoes, a mark of disrespect to the freedom fighter and hurting the sentiments of the society.
Further in the complaint, they have demanded strict action against the accused involved in this incident.
Nonetheless, the Police have taken cognizance of this complaint. Necessary instructions have also been given to the police station in-charge Nawabganj for investigation of the case and to take further legal action.
It is pertinent to note that Bareilly’s Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession was also in the headlines recently for another reason. The local Hindu community had blocked the Islamic procession to register their protest against Islamist mobs for continuously causing hindrances in Hindu religious processions.
Notably, on 15th September, several Hindus blocked the Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession taken out by Muslims in Bareilly. The protesting Hindus blocked the road to stop the Muslim procession from passing. The development came after Islamist mobs had earlier stopped the Kanwar Yatra from passing from the same Joginwada of the Baradari area.
The Supreme Court of India said on Tuesday, 17th September, that CBI was probing whether anyone else was involved in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last month. After reviewing the CBI’s most recent status report on the inquiry’s progress, the Bench chaired by CJI DY Chandrachud stated that disclosing the line of investigation would compromise the probe.
“Making a disclosure today of what the CBI is investigating will jeopardize the process, the line, which is taken by the CBI is to unearth the truth. The SHO has been arrested himself, we have seen the status report and the CBI has responded to all of the issues we have raised, including whether the challan was given, what was the process of PMR (post-mortem report), whether the evidence was destroyed, if any complicity by another person, etc,” the CJI said.
The Bench said, “There is genuine concern by the father of the deceased in regard to certain specific leads in the investigation is obtained, we will not reveal his letter, it’s confidential. We will say these are very valuable inputs for the CBI. They are handicapped themselves at this point in time by the five-day delay, but they should also look at this to ensure this is obtained.”
After a counsel informed that the victim’s jeans and underwear were not collected, the CJI replied, “What the CBI has revealed in the report is worse, really disturbing, what you are flagging is of utmost concern, we are concerned, the CBI has flagged it for us.”
After Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, objected that Wikipedia had not deleted the victim’s name and photo, the CJI responded, “We will pass an order, the name and photo cannot be there.” The hearing is still underway. The Bench, which noticed a missing post-mortem challan on September 9th, is also expected to look into the document that the West Bengal government will likely send.
Surprised by the missing challan of the victim’s body when it was handed over for post-mortem, the Bench, which took suo motu cognizance of the horrific incident that sparked a nationwide doctors’ protest on August 18th, had asked the state government to produce the crucial document on September 17th.
The post-mortem challan is an important document that includes entries about the articles and materials delivered along with the body for autopsy. Junior doctors in West Bengal have been on strike since August 9th, when the horribly wounded body of a postgraduate trainee doctor was discovered in the seminar room of the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata.
The Kolkata Police first filed a case of unnatural death and arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, the next day. However, based on a plea submitted by the victim’s parents, the Calcutta High Court referred the matter to the CBI on August 13th, expressing unhappiness with the Kolkata Police’s investigation. The CBI questioned Dr. Sandip Ghosh, former Principal of RG Kar Medical College, and later arrested him in a corruption, rape, and murder case.
The top court chastised the Kolkata Police for the delay in filing the case after the junior doctor’s body was discovered at the hospital, finding it “extremely disturbing”.
On Tuesday, 17th September, Alt News Co-founder Mohammed Zubair and ‘Journalist’ Alishan Jafri attempted to downplay multiple incidents of love jihad and land jihad as they claimed that these incidents are deliberately given attention by a mob who allegedly doesn’t want the Muslim community to stay in the country. Zubair shared the video of Jafri in which the latter said that incidents of love jihad and land jihad were false narratives.
“First, a false narrative like ‘love jihad, land jihad, and spit jihad’ is started in a small circle, then a campaign is run and later it is converted into a law,” Jafri said while addressing an unknown gathering. He also said that the mob allegedly hating Muslims was also targeting their businesses by spreading a ‘false narrative’ that Muslims spit on the food they sell.
First, a false narrative like 'love jihad, land jihad and spit jihad' is started in a small circle, Then a campaign is run on social media and media and later it might get converted into a law or a policy: @alishan_jafripic.twitter.com/hTmu56G98q
Jafri during his address gave an example of the state of Uttar Pradesh where recently, the Yogi government had asked all the traders to display their names on the shops along with the shop names amid the Kawar yatra. “This was a part of the huge campaign. How would people judge whether the food was pure or impure just by knowing anyone’s name?” Jafri sarcastically indicated in the 11-minute-long video.
He further added that concerted efforts were being made at the organizational and state levels to maintain the communal disharmony within the country. He also called out PM Modi for allegedly making comments against the Muslim community during the elections. “Such statements get converted into a larger narrative against a particular community further provoking hate,” he added.
Obviously, Jafri conveniently left out mentioning that Kawariyas often are sticklers for the type of food they can consume while being on a religious pilgrimage and the growing incidents of Muslim stall owners adulterating the food they served, most notably the Ghaziabad case where Aamir Khan, owner of Khushi Juice Centre, was caught mixing urine with juice he served to his customers.
Incidents of Love Jihad haunting the society
It is important to note that Jafri has been habitual in peddling the misleading narrative. Earlier in May 2024, he shared a video on social media spreading the atmosphere of fear while the Lok Sabha elections were underway. He claimed that Muslims were asked to leave India and settle in Pakistan by the ruling authorities. OpIndia had fact-checked the event and found that Jafri had deliberately shared a clipped video to propagate a false narrative against the Indian government. The entire report can be read here. Also, he has been a part of the anti-Modi documentary, which was produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2023.
Further, the incidents of love jihad and land jihad which have been downplayed by the ‘journalist’ in the recent video are actually a problem that is usually ignored by the leftist cabal. Many even today consider love jihad a hoax, but several cases continue to be reported almost daily in which Islamist men deliberately trap Hindu women in a love affair and then force them to convert to their religion.
The Islamist men target the Hindu women using fake Hindu identities. Then they sexually assault, and torture them before forcing them to convert their religion to Islam. When the Indian government imposed a ban on the terrorist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), several incriminating documents were recovered from the PFI hideouts. In one of the documents, it was mentioned that Muslim men would be offered hefty money, a fancy home, and all the required support for trapping Hindu women in a ‘love affair’ and then converting them to Islam.
OpIndia has in the past few years reported several such cases from various parts of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, etc. The lives of Hindu women are ruined due to these deliberate trappings, so much so that sometimes they even have to face brutal deaths. One such case was recently reported from the state of Karnataka in which the accused Islamist had murdered the daughter of a Congress worker after she rejected his love advances. The girl was murdered on the 18th of April. Even after this incident, several leftists including the Congress denied the angle of Love Jihad saying that the incident had happened due to conflicts in a ‘mutual relationship’. However, later the father of the girl had called out the Congress party for denying the angle of ‘love jihad’ in his daughter, Neha’s death case.
In a scary case reported last year from the Rahuri region of Maharashtra, three minor girls were being brainwashed by their tuition teacher Heena Pathan to behave like Muslims. The Hindu girl students were asked to stop wearing bindi and bangles and were asked to offer Namaz. While this happened, a few boys known to Heena Pathan attempted to trap the girls in a love affair. They also molested the girls and forced them to marry them after converting to Islam. Exclusive coverage of this incident was done by OpIndia, all reports of which can be read here.
Heena Shaikh introduced the victim to her 'relative' Avej, besides allowing other boys from her community to sit in the class (even though they were not students).
Avej initially displayed 'respect for women' and quickly forged friendship with the minor Hindu girl.
It is crucial to note that OpIndia has recorded multiple cases of Love Jihad. As per our analysis, the country saw 153 recorded cases alone in 2023, the list of which was published in January this year. OpIndia has consistently been at the forefront of reporting incidents in which vulnerable Hindu women are groomed to accept their own subjugation at the hands of Muslim men. There is no ‘Love’ in these crimes but there is no denying that it is a form of ‘Jihad’ in which Hindu girls are being trapped by Muslim men who later either forcefully convert them to Islam, push them into terrorism, groom them or murder and rape them.
Land Jihad: A growing problem that needs to be controlled
While OpIndia has attempted to cover the Love Jihad topic extensively throughout the year and these numbers are surely alarming, it is just the tip of the iceberg. Further, the incidents of land jihad have also been downplayed by Jafri. Land Jihad refers to the system where the Islamists systematically acquire land in certain areas to change the demographic or cultural landscape. This system is believed to be part of a broader agenda to assert dominance or influence through real estate purchases or settlements.
Notably, the term land jihad” has been criticized for allegedly stoking communal tensions and promoting ‘Islamophobia’ but several such incidents reported recently across the media prove otherwise. Last year, in 2023, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that his government had freed 5000 acres of land encroached through Land Jihad. He said that all the government lands that had been illegally occupied by Islamists had been freed by a state-run encroachment drive.
As per the reports, the Nainital district had the highest number of encroachments, with around 1,433, followed by Haridwar district, which had 1,149. Other districts with a large number of illegal structures were Tehri (209), Almora (192), and Champawat (97). The great majority of these encroachments were on forest land.
हमने देवभूमि के अंदर कई चुनौतीपूर्ण और कठिन निर्णय लिए हैं। लैंड जिहाद के रूप में अतिक्रमित की गई 5000 एकड़ से भी अधिक भूमि मुक्त करवाई गई है। pic.twitter.com/1xxB5TIdi2
In 2022 it was reported that the Ashoka edict in Bihar had been reclaimed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The 2300-year-old historical site in the natural cavern of Chandan Hill of the Kaimur hill range at Sasaram, the headquarters of Bihar’s Rohtas district had been encroached upon and converted into a ‘mazar.’ The key of the historical site was then reclaimed by the ASI.
In 2021, the Allahabad High Court ordered the immediate removal of a mosque and a Mazar illegally constructed inside the Chandrashekhar Azad Park at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. The petitioner had moved the petition through the senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain and brought the matter of the encroachment of this park to the notice of the court. He had stated that the existence of the said park was under threat as some members of the Muslim community had illegally constructed artificial graves and they were trying to convert a structure into a mosque. In this way, they wanted to convert the park into a graveyard and mosque.
Not only in India, but land jihad has also been happening in the nearby countries of Nepal and Bangladesh. Recently in June 2024, communal tensions broke out between two communities in Janakpur in Nepal over the Muslim community’s conspiracy to illegally occupy government land. Even in the presence of Police personnel, the Muslim side resorted to stone pelting, causing inquiries to several people on the Hindu side. The injured also included school-going children.
According to information received by OpIndia, there is a government school in Shivpur. There is plenty of land around the building, which belongs to the school itself. About 16 years ago, some people from the Muslim community started performing Namaz on this land. At that time, there was hardly any Muslim population in this area. Only 2-4 families used to live in this area. Initially, they chose the school building for worship.
Around 10 years ago, a dispute broke out between the Hindu and Muslim sides over certain matters within the school compound. Consequently, the practice of offering Namaz inside the school ceased for a period. At the same time, the Muslim population in Janakpur grew continuously. Following the resolution of the decade-old dispute, the Muslim community resumed praying on the vacant land adjacent to the school, rather than inside the school building.
The number of Namazis continued to increase. Now, in the Shivpur area of Janakpur, approximately 70 to 80 houses are of Muslims. They have also constructed their mosque. Despite this, the Muslim community has not stopped praying on the government land which belongs to the school. For several years now, Muslims have started calling this government space their place of worship. Detailed reports regarding the incident can be read here.
Conclusion
Leftist Islamists like Mohammed Zubair, Alishan Jafri, and others have been denying such incidents as a part of a huge hoax narrative. They selectively have adopted the habit of only downplaying the incidents against Hindus claiming that they cause a threat to the minority community in India. Apart from denying Lve Jihad and land Jihad, the leftist Islamists have time and downplayed Genocide against Hindus, the one that happened in Kashmir and also in Kerala.
The Islamists as mentioned in the incriminating PFI document also mentioned that the extremists want the rule of Islam in the country by the year 2047 when India would complete its 100 years of independence. Moreover, such Islamists who look up to the rule of Islam by 2047 are provided funds from several Islamic countries to propagate the narrative against the majority community in India. Is it the right time to see who is actually posing a threat to the country’s independence, the majority or the minority?
On Monday (16th September), the administration of Dhaka University clarified that it had not approved any ‘mass wedding (Gonobibaha)’ within the varsity premises.
The development comes amid social media buzz about the conduct of such an event on 20th September this year by the students of the ‘Shahid Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall’ hostel.
An invitation card for the ‘mass wedding’ event, attributed to ‘Independence 2.0’, also went viral online. Reportedly, the students were eyeing to break the ‘taboo’ and revolutionise the concept of marriage.
Screengrab of the invitation card of the mass wedding, image via The Daily Star
“We took the initiative first to make it easier for friends, juniors and seniors to get married. We will arrange a programme on September 20 to celebrate the students-led mass uprising. On that day, we will arrange ‘mass marriage’ for only those interested students of the dormitory,” a student named Al Amin Sarker told The Daily Star.
The Dhaka University has now made it clear that no such permission has been/ will be granted for conducting any ‘mass wedding.’ The administration also stated it had not been formally notified by the students of any such event.
According to Dhaka Tribune, the varsity highlighted that it is an academic institution and directed students to refrain from organising or promoting social events such as ‘mass wedding’ within its premises.
Local media interviewed several students studying at Dhaka University about the matter and most of them were excited about the unique nature of the ‘mass wedding’ inside the college campus.
However, activists living in Bangladesh quickly pointed out that extremists were planning to use the event to convert Hindu students to Islam and marry them off to Muslim men.
On Sunday (15th September), the popular X (formerly Twitter) handle ‘Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus’ shared screenshots of a conversation from an Islamic group on Telegram.
Islamist students have organized a mass wedding ceremony in Dhaka University. Where the jihadists have planned to marry Hindu girls to Muslim boys. Muslim boys are using this opportunity to convert Hindu girls who are trapped in love jihad. Their Telegram group revealed that they… pic.twitter.com/fM81FrzSX6
It exposed nefarious plans of Islamists to convert 11 female Hindu students studying at the Dhaka University through the mass wedding event.
“11 Hindu girls of Dhaka University will accept Islam through this mass marriage ceremony. We are always ready to help them in every way. Everyone will pray for them. Thanks again to the students for taking such an initiative, as this will reduce Jina from the society. Many infidels will also get a chance to come under the shadow of Islam,” read one of the messages in the group.
A Hindu activist from Rangpur named Mithu Roy also informed, “The truth has come out that 11 Hindu girls of Dhaka University will be forced to marry Muslim lovers on the day of mass marriage.
Screengrab of the Facebook post of Bangladeshi Hindu activist
Hindu parents must bring their daughters, studying in various educational institutions including Dhaka University, home quickly. Those living in Dhaka must keep an eye out,” he added. Mithu Roy is a member of the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance.
Disclaimer: OpIndiacould not independently verify all the claims due to technical and geographical limitations.
In the case involving a French woman Giselle Pélicot being raped by multiple men called by her husband over a decade, the victim’s husband Dominique Pélicot has confessed his crime before the court. This comes days after the 71-year-old former employee of France’s electric utility company EDF went on trial alongside 50 other men accused of raping his wife while she was sedated by her husband.
“I am a rapist, like everyone else in this courtroom. I recognise the facts in their totality,” Dominique said adding that the 50 co-accused knew everything about the crime. “They all knew, they cannot say the contrary,” he said.
Notably, of the 50 accused, 14 have admitted to raping the victim, while the rest have denied.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Giselle Pélicot in reaction to her husband’s confession said: “For me, it is difficult to hear it. For 50 years, I lived with a man who I would never have imagined for a single second that he could do these acts. I had complete confidence in this man.”
In his confession before the court, Dominque said: “Today, I maintain that, with the obligations we all have, I am a rapist, like everyone in this room. They cannot say otherwise. I am accused of many things. We are not born perverts, we become them. Even if it is paradoxical, I have never considered my wife as an object.”
Dominique went on to seek forgiveness for his crimes and attempted to garner sympathy as he said: “I am guilty of what I did. I subjected my wife, my children, my grandchildren to this. I regret what I did. I ask for forgiveness even if it is not forgivable.”
He went on to say that he “remembered nothing but shocks and traumas” as he was raped as a nine-year-old, and then forced to witness another sex attack when he was 14.
Speaking about his relationship with his estranged wife Giselle Pélicot who is the victim of Dominique’s horrible crime, he said: “I was very happy with her,” he said. “She was the opposite of my mother, who was completely rebellious. We had three children, and grandchildren, whom I never touched. She did not deserve this.”
As reported earlier, on the 2nd of September Giselle appeared in court in Avignon, France for the start of the trial. For the next four months during the trial, she will confront her rapists.
The accused Dominique used to recruit men online to rape his wife after drugging her with sleeping medicines and anti-anxiety medications. Dominique is facing nine accusations, including several counts of rape with aggravating circumstances, drugging a victim in order to commit rape, and disseminating pictures related to the abuse.
The abuse started in 2011, when the couple was living near Paris, and continued until they moved to Mazan two years later. The man hired strangers to sexually assault his wife through a now-defunct website called coco.fr, according to chat records found by police.
According to court documents, police have identified at least 92 sexual assaults by 72 individuals ranging in age from 26 to 74. 50 people were identified, and the majority have been charged with aggravated or attempted rape and are on trial other than Gisèle’s husband Dominique.
In September 2020, police began investigating the woman’s husband, the primary suspect, when he was discovered discreetly recording under the skirts of three ladies in a shopping mall. Upon searching his computer the police found thousands of videos and pictures of his wife. In the videos and images found on the accused’s computer, the victim was unconscious. The videoes recorded several instances of rape. The torture happened at their home in Mazan, a village near Avignon.
Last week, Dominique and Giselle’s daughter Caroline Darian told the court that her father was “one of the greatest sexual predators” of recent years.
On 17th September the Supreme Court issued a temporary directive prohibiting demolition action nationwide without its permission. The order was pronounced during a hearing on several appeals against bulldozer actions in India.
The court made it clear that encroachments on public roads, walkways, railroad tracks, and waterbodies will not be covered by the ruling which was issued by Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan. The order came in response to petitions opposing the purported activities of several state governments demolishing the properties of people accused of crimes as a punitive measure.
Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General of India, objected to the decision, arguing that statutory authorities’ hands cannot be restricted in this way. However, the bench declared that “heavens won’t fall” if the demolitions are halted for a week. According to the court, it has granted the directive by using its unique authority granted by Article 142 of the Constitution. Justice Viswanathan stated, “Even if there is one instance of illegal demolition, it is against the ethos of the Constitution.” Justice Gavai added, “We made clear we won’t come between unauthorised construction. But the executive can’t be a judge.”
Senior Advocate Chander Uday Singh stated during the hearing that although the Court expressed concerns regarding demolition measures during its previous hearing, the demolitions are still proceeding. He stated that his house was demolished the same night that one party was accused of stone-pelting. With reference to one of the cases, SG Mehta stated that the parties received notifications of destruction back in 2022, and during that time, they committed certain offences. He stressed that there was no connection between the accused’s involvement in the offences and the demolition.
The bench questioned, though, why the houses were abruptly destroyed in 2024. Justice Viswanathan stated, “Till next date, there should be stay on demolition without leave of court,” expressing the court’s purpose to lay guidelines to curb the misuse of power to demolish illegal projects. According to SG, a “narrative” that a certain community was the target was being developed. “The narrative has appealed to your lordships,” he stated. “Outside noise not influencing us. We won’t get into the question of which community at this point. Even if there is one instance of illegal demolition, it is against the ethos of the Constitution,” the court countered.
The bench further stated that certain statements made by Ministers had occurred following its previous order, in which the court had stated that it intended to establish guidelines. “After the order, there have been statements that the bulldozer will continue. After 2 September, there has been grand standing and justification. Should this happen in our country? Should the Election Commission be noticed? We will formulate directives,” the court asserted.
On 2nd September, the Supreme Court heard multiple petitions against the use of bulldozers and the government’s demolition of people’s homes who are suspected of crimes. Judges B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan challenged the legitimacy of demolishing a house solely because the owner was charged during the proceedings. “How can the house be demolished just because he is accused? Can’t be demolished even if he’s a convict. Even after telling SC Bar, we don’t find any change in attitude,” the apex court stated.
The court further declared its intention to establish pan-Indian guidelines in response to concerns that authorities in many states are using the demolition of the accused’s homes as a form of punitive action. “We propose to lay down certain guidelines on a pan-India basis so that the concern with regard to the issues raised are taken care of,” the court added. It also asked for draft recommendations from the parties so that it could formulate guidelines that would apply to all of India.
On Tuesday (17th September), AAP National Convenor and outgoing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal proposed the name of Atishi Marlena as his successor, while addressing a meeting of party MLAs. As per media reports, she was then elected as leader of the Delhi AAP Legislative Party. As she takes the oath of office later in the day, she will become the third women Chief Minister of Delhi, after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dixit. Overall, she will be the 8th CM of Delhi. However, the announcement of her name as the next Delhi CM has triggered massive outrage with netizens flagging her controversial past.
A large section of netizens and political leaders have expressed concerns about her appointment asking how can a woman whose parents wrote mercy pleas to save terrorist Afzal Guru and were in close proximity with separatists and anti-India elements be elected for such a sensitive and powerful post. Expressing grave concerns, they stressed that this is a sad day for Delhi adding that it could have security concerns for the nation.
Incidentally, the charge that her parents helped and tried to save the dreaded terrorist Afzal Guru, who carried out a terror attack on the Indian Parliament, had been validated by Atishi Marlena herself.
Citing her past track record including her parents’ mercy pleas to save Afzal Guru, estranged AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal expressed security concerns over her appointment.
She wrote, “Today is a very sad day for Delhi. Today, a woman whose family fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from being hanged is being made the Chief Minister of Delhi. His parents wrote mercy petitions to the Honorable President to save terrorist Afzal Guru. According to him, Afzal Guru was innocent and was framed as part of a political conspiracy. Although Atishi Marlena is just a ‘dummy CM’, still this issue is related to the security of the country. May God protect Delhi!”
दिल्ली के लिए आज बहुत दुखद दिन है। आज दिल्ली की मुख्यमंत्री एक ऐसी महिला को बनाया जा रहा है जिनके परिवार ने आतंकवादी अफ़ज़ल गुरु को फांसी से बचाने की लंबी लड़ाई लड़ी।
उनके माता पिता ने आतंकी अफ़ज़ल गुरु को बचाने के लिए माननीय राष्ट्रपति को दया याचिकाऐं लिखी।
Why did Atishi suddenly drop surname "Marlena" & choose "Singh" in campaigns?
Atishi's parents are hardcore communists who even named her "Marlena" after Marx & Lenin, they came out in support of Afzal Guru, the terr#rist who attacked our parliament !
Additionally, her mother’s sound byte to a news agency (AP) is also doing rounds on social media in which she could be heard saying that they are “unhappy” that Afzal Guru has been made an “escape goat”.
Communist parents of @AtishiAAP wrote mercy petitions to President of India to save terrorist Afzal Guru.
Today, @ArvindKejriwal made Atishi Marlena as the next Chief Minister of Delhi.
BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “AAP government supports a person who’s family tried to stop Afzal Guru’s hanging. The people of Delhi will never accept Naxal supporters. AAP wants to show that it treats women as dummies and puppets as Saurabh Bharadwaj had been saying that the new CM would be a puppet CM… The people of Delhi will give a befitting reply to this…”
#WATCH | Delhi: On Delhi Minister Atishi to be the new Delhi CM, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari says, "AAP government supports a person who's family tried to stop Afzal Guru's hanging. The people of Delhi will never accept Naxal supporters. AAP wants to show that it… pic.twitter.com/v83iFfoQIS
Atishi validated the charge that her parents wrote mercy pleas to save Afzal Guru
In an interview with AmarUjala, Atishi Marlena not only took cognizance of this charge, but she also defended her parents for their stance while trying to politically distance herself from their controversial decision to write mercy pleas for a terrorist.
Responding to a query on her parents’ decision, she said, “Look, I am not responsible for any political step taken by my parents. The responsibility and accountability is theirs and they are fully capable of saying what they want to say. I can say from my point of view that I was not in support of that step.”
In a detailed report on Atishi Marlena and her controversial track record as Delhi’s Education department, OpIndia had earlier pointed out that her parents Vijay Kumar Singh and Tripta Wahi are communists. Additionally, her parents belong to the group of ’eminent’ personalities who had cryingly written a mercy petition to the President of India against the death penalty for Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Afzal Guru.
Furthermore, Interestingly, Tripta Wahi is also closely linked to SAR Geelani, one of the notorious faces of anti-India politics and terrorist sympathiser. Her father Prof. Vijay Singh, Editor of a Communist propaganda website, Revolutionary Democracy, is part of ‘Stalin Society’, which has the sole mission of defending the revolutionary legacy of the former Soviet dictator Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, who is responsible for around 20 million deaths in his lifetime.
Atishi Marlena had been suspiciously tight-lipped about the involvement of her family in anti-India movements and also regarding her communist credentials.
Meanwhile, it is also widely reported that her father gave her the surname in honour of his communist Gurus, Marx and Lenin – Marlena.
Who was Afzal Guru who was awarded capital punishment after an exhaustive judicial process?
On the 13th of December, 2001, the country suffered one of the most terrible terrorist attacks on Indian soil and certainly, the greatest assault on India’s democratic system. The Indian Parliament was attacked by Islamic terrorists. Six policemen and two Parliament Security Service personnel were martyred on that fateful day.
The investigation found that the main conspirator of the attack was Afzal Guru, a Pakistani-trained terrorist. After a prolonged judicial process, he was given the death penalty.
The Supreme Court had upheld Guru’s death penalty after appeals. The court had noted that there was clinching evidence against Afzal Guru regarding his nexus with the terrorists who carried out the “terrorist act of most diabolical nature”. “All evidence unerringly point to Afzal Guru, a key conspirator, who played an active role”, the Bench had said observing that by no standards his act could be termed innocuous.
