On Monday (16th September 2024), the Supreme leader of Iran, Seyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei resorted to spreading an anti-India agenda. Taking to X, he peddled the boogie of Muslim victimhood in India, an extremist unsubstantiated and blatantly acute rhetoric started by Indian Islamists to allege that Muslims are facing religious persecution in India. Iran’s theocratic leader further went on to brazenly club India with Gaza while claiming to land his voice to the sufferings of Muslims around the world. He also urged for unity within the “Islamic Ummah”.
In the anti-India propaganda post, Ali Khamenei wrote, “The enemies of Islam have always tried to make us indifferent about our shared identity as an Islamic Ummah. We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in #Myanmar, #Gaza, #India, or any other place.”
It is pertinent to note that the Iranian Supreme leader made the anti-India post while vying itself as a champion and leader of the Muslim world, especially at a time when a host of nations like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran itself are engaged in this power politics and placating to Islamist forces for their moral grandstanding in the Islamic world. Notably, Ali Khamenei made this anti-India propaganda post on the occasion of “Islamic Unity Week”.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), the Iranian Supreme leader informed that on Monday he met with Sunni scholars from all across Iran on the occasion of Islamic Unity Week. Subsequently, in his posts, he called for unity within the “Islamic Ummah”, a concept which should never be forgotten, he added.
Khamenei explained the concept of Islamic Ummah stating that it is a fundamental issue that transcends nationality, and geographical borders, and protecting its identity is “essential”.
The concept of an "Islamic Ummah" must never be forgotten. Protecting the identity of the "Islamic Ummah" is essential. It is a fundamental issue that transcends nationality, and geographical borders don’t change the reality & identity of the Islamic Ummah.
To project itself as the unifier of two major warring Muslim sects, Shia and Sunnis, the Iranian theocratic leader alleged that “ill-wishers” have been fueling religious differences in the Islamic world for a long time now, especially in Iran.
Ill-wishers have been fueling religious differences in the Islamic world for a long time now, especially in Iran.
He further went on to allege that ill-wishers around the world want to divide Shias and Sunnis using ideological, propagational, media & economic factors.
“They exacerbate divisions by encouraging people on both sides to insult & offend the other side. The solution is focusing on unity,” Khamenei said in another X post.
Using ideological, propagational, media & economic factors, ill-wishers work to separate Shia from Sunni, within our country & all over the world. They exacerbate divisions by encouraging people on both sides to insult & offend the other side. The solution is focusing on unity.
Citing the Quran, he said, “#Unity isn’t a tactic. Rather, it’s a fundamental principle in the #Quran,” as he claimed brotherhood among Shias and Sunnis within Iran.
#Unity isn't a tactic. Rather, it's a fundamental principle in the #Quran.
Despite numerous conspiracies aimed at undermining Shia – Sunni unity, Iran’s Sunni community has countered these hostile moves as evidenced by the 15,000 Sunni martyrs of the Sacred Defense & the martyrdom of many Sunni scholars on the path of truth & the Revolution.
Nonetheless, this is not the first time when the Iranian Supreme Leader has launched a smear campaign against India and peddled the boogie of Muslims being victimised in India.
During the notorious anti-CAA protests which turned violated and finally culminated in anti-Hindu Delhi riots, Khamenei on March 2020 wrote, “The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus & their parties & stop the massacre of Muslims to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam. #IndianMuslimslnDanger”.
Incidentally, while the Iranian Supreme leader, Ali Khamenei launched a smear campaign against India to champion the cause of persecuted Muslims, in his own country, he is blamed for purging secular, modern, and dissenting Muslims, particularly women in the name of moral policing for ‘unIslamic practices’ like freedom to not wear Hijab.
Incidentally, despite a brutal crackdown, anti-Hijab protests have not died down completely in Iran. Click here, to read why deceased Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was known as ‘The Butcher of Tehran’: An insight into the brutal past of a dictator and how the Iranian theocratic regime has purged scores of Muslims.
Furthermore, the population growth, surveys point out that the majority of Muslims say that they are free to practice their faith in India, democratic protection for Muslims under minority rights, and overall tolerance of Hinduism have debunked the boogie of Muslims being victimed in India. On the flip side, the unfound remarks made just to placate Islamists are mere ploys in the race for leadership of the Muslim world. Pertinently, scores of incidents throughout the world have revealed that there is no common brotherhood, only ‘common enemies’: The Ummah ignores millions of Muslim victims but gets together against Jews, Hindus, and Christians.
On 17th September, the Supreme Court of India will hear the appeal filed by US-based creditor Glas Trust Company LLC against the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decision that stayed insolvency proceedings against the ed-tech firm Byju’s. The NCLAT had also approved Byju’s Rs 158.9 crore settlement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Once valued at USD 22 billion, the ed-tech firm is now struggling to manage its finances.
In the last hearing, the three-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, agreed to hear the case after Byju’s lawyer, senior advocate NK Kaul, and BCCI’s lawyer, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, requested an urgent hearing due to subsequent developments in the case. As another plea related to the case was scheduled for 17th September, Kaul suggested that both matters be heard on the same day.
Suppreme court will hear Byju’s insolvency case on 17th September.
Chief Justice Chandrachud accepted the suggestion. Notably, the appeal filed by Glas Trust Company LLC originates from a prior ruling where the NCLAT approved the settlement between Byju’s and BCCI while setting aside insolvency proceedings initiated by the Bengaluru bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The matter was related to a Rs 158.9 crore payment default linked to a sponsorship agreement between the cricket board and the ed-tech firm.
The Supreme Court stayed the NCLAT’s decision, describing it as unconscionable, and instructed the BCCI to hold the settlement amount in a separate escrow account until further notice.
Another layer of complications amid court ruling in the US
As the court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, developments in the US have added another layer of complexity to the financial troubles of Byju’s. On 10th September, Delaware court ruled to place several Byju’s units, including Neuron Fuel Inc., Epic! Creations Inc., and Tangible Play Inc., into involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy after these units failed to provide requested financial information to their creditors. According to Byju’s Interim Resolution Professional, Pankaj Srivastava, the decision, made as a default judgment, has been described as “surprising” and “in conflict” with the insolvency proceedings happening in India against Byju’s. He has sought to stay the effect of the US bankruptcy ruling.
Delaware court ruling added layers of complications for Byjus
Notably, in June this year, US creditors led by HPS Investment Partners claimed that Byju’s founder, Byju Raveendran, violated debt contracts by allegedly withholding financial details about the units. Responding to the allegations, Judge Brendan Shannon granted the creditors’ request to appoint an independent Chapter 11 trustee to manage these units. The parallel insolvency proceedings in the US and India have complicated the legal landscape for Byju’s, as it must navigate cases occurring thousands of kilometres apart under different sets of laws that are likely to cause conflicts at some point.
The units linked to Byju’s have opposed the forced bankruptcy, arguing that the creditors did not have the legal standing to initiate such proceedings. They also accused the creditors of using the filings as a tactical manoeuvre to gain an advantage in related litigation against the ed-tech firm. Despite the objections raised by the units, the US court decided against them, increasing the challenges faced by Byju’s in managing its global operations and financial obligations.
The rise and fall of Byju’s
In 2023, Byju Raveendran’s net worth was Rs 17,454 crores, or USD 2.1 billion, making him one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. However, in 2024, the Forbes Billionaire Index reported that his net worth had dropped to zero. To understand what happened with Byju’s, it is essential to learn how the company rose quickly to fame.
Byju’s was established in 2011 and swiftly rose to become India’s most valuable startup, achieving a peak valuation of $22 billion in 2022. Raveendran’s brainchild disrupted the education sector with its innovative learning application, catering to students from elementary school to MBA level. However, recent financial disclosures and mounting controversies have severely impacted the company’s prosperity.
Byju’s became top seller in online education sector.
Slowly and steadily, Byju’s captured the ed-tech market by solving a “problem” in the education sector that actually never existed. However, when COVID-19 hit the world, and Indians, like people everywhere, were forced to stay at home, Byju’s saw an opportunity to make it big.
Relentless advertisements, unrealistic sales targets for representatives, and parents’ desperation to prevent their children’s academic year from going to waste provided a clear but questionable path for Byju’s education programmes.
In September 2021, it was revealed how Byju’s sales representatives were trapping parents just to meet their targets. Parents were pressured to take loans from private firms without verifying their ability to repay, especially at a time when the majority of the workforce was without work.
Sales executives trap vulnerable parents in guilt
Reports suggest that sales representatives or business development executives (BDE) use guilt-trap techniques to trap poor and illiterate parents in buying the packages. According to an article published in The Morning Context by the title “How Byju’s catches parents”, the author narrated the whole process by which the sales representatives allegedly trap the parents.
Byju’s sales reps showed big dreams with unrealistic expectations to the parents to make sales.
The sales executives reportedly often use hard-sell tactics. Approaching anyone and everyone they come in contact with to register for the app and keep using it beyond the 15-days free trial period. The overworked, and over-pushed sales team has to spend long working hours to meet unrealistic targets. Often, it is the lower middle class and uneducated parents who end up taking loans after listening to a sales exec narrate how their child will face a dark future if they do not sign up for the learning app.
The loan trap
Another problem with Byju’s was that it offers loan options via two partners. In some cases, they allegedly did not reveal to the parents that the EMI option they are taking would be via a loan that would be taken in the name of the parents. If a parent fails to pay EMI, the loan company starts to threaten them to repay the loan. It also adversely affects the CIBIL score of the parents. In case someone wants to cancel the subscription to the course, it can only be done in the first 15 days. If a student stops using the app after few months, the parents have to pay the remaining EMIs as Byju’s has already got its money and the liability of repaying the loan is on the parents.
Parents got stuck in loan traps. In many cases, loans were initiated without intimating the parents.
In India, with a 1.3 billion-plus population scrambling for resources, competition is always severe. In the hustle to ensure a better job, a better life for their children, parents spend a lot of their hard-earned money on coaching classes, private tuition. An entire industry in India flourishes in the name of private coaching, which is beyond the regular academic hours, just to prepare students for the competitive and entrance exams. With the advent of technology and internet connectivity, the private tuition industry has now evolved into the vast ed-tech industry where millions of children and parents are joining a mad rush to get ahead of each other.
The exploitating company rose and fell too quickly
Despite several exposés, the exploitation by Byju’s sales representatives continued. Meanwhile, Byju’s kept acquiring smaller ed-tech companies. It is unclear whether this was a tactic to eliminate competition or if Byju’s aimed to implement techniques from these companies. By the time the relentless ad spending and other factors took effect, schools had reopened. There was a sharp decline in the number of parents opting for Byju’s classes, as their children were now attending regular schools.
The company, which expected to earn Rs 10,000 crores in 2021, failed to deposit TDS with the government despite deducting it from employees’ salaries, as reported in 2024. In a matter of 24 months, the company lost 90% of its valuation due to poor decisions and sudden changes in the education sector.
BCCI dragged Byju’s to court over non-payment
In November 2023, the Board of Control and Cricket in India (BCCI) moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against Byju’s over pending dues related to the sponsorship of the Indian cricket team. Byju’s was a partner of the Indian cricket team since 2019 and its branding has been featured on the team’s jersey. Byju’s sponsorship rights with BCCI were extended in June 2022 and ended in November last year. The company had reportedly asked the board to encash Rs 140 crore bank guarantee and the remaining Rs 160 crore was to be paid in installments.
BCCI dragged byju’s to court.
Reports quoting sources in the BCCI cited that the board confirmed the development but added that they have not arrived at any solution. Along with BCCI, Byju’s also had branding partnerships with International Cricket Council (ICC) and FIFA. All three were up for renewal this year but the company confirmed that it would not renew any partnership.
NCPCR’s notice to Byju’s
In December 2022, the apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned CEO Byju Raveendran over allegations that it is indulging in malpractices to lure parents and children to buy their courses. The Commission urged asked the CEO to appear in person before it with information about all of the courses that BYJU’s offers to children, including information about their course structure, fees, the number of students who are currently enrolled in each course and details of its refund policy.
“The Commission is in observance that indulging into malpractices to lure the parents/children into entering loan-based agreements and then causing exploitation is against the welfare of children and in pursuance of the functions and powers under Section 13 and 14 of CPCR Act, 2005, the Commission requires you to appear in person before it along with the details of all the courses run by BYJU’S for children, the structure of these courses and the fee details, the number of students currently enrolled in each course, the refund policy of BYJU’S, the legal documents regarding the recognition of BYJU’S as a valid ed-tech company and all other relevant documents regarding the claims made in the news report at 1400 hours on 23.12.2022 to explain the discrepancies in relation to the said matter,” the order by NCPCR said.
Byju’s vacated all but one offices
In March 2024, the company finally vacated all offices except its Bengaluru headquarters, where 1,000 employees continued to work. It mandated its employees to work from home. Although the company shut its offices, around 300 of its tuition centres for students of classes 6-10 continued to operate.
Byju’s vacated offices.
The decision to vacate the offices came at a time when the company was facing legal disputes worth USD 1.2 billion with its creditors and was experiencing a severe liquidity crisis. Notably, by that time, Byju’s had laid off thousands of employees over the years and had defaulted on paying full salaries to its employees for February 2024. Interestingly, it was reported that a day before vacating the offices, Byju’s partially disbursed pending salaries of 20,000 employees for the month of February.
Removal of Byju’s founder
In January 2024, major stakeholders of the company voted to remove Byju Raveendran from his position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and stripped him of his authority. The decision was made during an extraordinary general meeting, which Raveendran and his family members did not attend.
Byju Raveendran contested his ouster, claiming that the resolution was passed during an extraordinary general meeting attended only by a “small cohort of select shareholders.” Additionally, in a statement, the company said, “Byju’s firmly declares that the resolutions passed during the recently concluded extraordinary general meeting… are invalid and ineffective.”
The founder and former CEO, Byju Raveendran, lost support from major investors following a series of crises, including Deloitte’s resignation over corporate governance concerns and a legal dispute with lenders in the United States.
ED’s action against Byju’s
In february 2024, the ED’s Bengaluru unit, which was looking into possible violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), concluded that Raveendran needed an LOC to prohibit him from leaving the nation. The last three years have primarily been spent by Raveendran travelling back and forth between Delhi and Dubai. Those with insight into the situation asserted that he visited Bengaluru earlier this week. Raveendran was in Delhi last week for a work trip, based on the aforementioned sources who informed the news agency. Speaking to The Economic Times, Raveendran claimed he is in Dubai at the moment. He had earlier in the week departed for the emirate and stated that he “will be travelling to Singapore tomorrow”.
One of the individuals mentioned previously alleged that the decision to apply to the BOI for the LOC was made with the “interest of investors” in mind. Once the LOC is issued, even if Raveendran is abroad, he will not be permitted to leave the nation after he comes back, per a top government official. The person noted, “The LOC, once opened, will ensure that the interest of investors is safeguarded and the case is taken to its logical conclusion without any difficulty.”
Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, the parent company of Byju and Raveendran, was served with show-cause notices by the agency in November of last year about suspected FEMA violations totalling Rs 9,362.35 crore. In a statement at the time, the ED stated that inquiries had been conducted in response to many allegations about Byju’s foreign investment and its business practices.
The ED had highlighted, “The company was also stated to have made significant foreign remittances outside India and investments abroad which were allegedly in contravention of provisions of FEMA, 1999, and caused loss of revenue to the government of India.” Over the course of April 27 and 28, of last year, the agency searched Byju’s facilities as well as Raveendran’s house. Documents relating to both domestic and foreign investments made by the company were seized.
On the side lines of what was happening with the company, an incident caught the eyes of everyone when a family took away TV installed in Byju’s office after the company refused to refund for a learning program. According to media reports, the family seen in the video requested a refund for a tablet and a learning program that they took for their son but did not utilise. After weeks of trying to get their money back and failing miserably to get past the numerous obstacles, the irate family barged into the office of the edtech company and took away the TV that was installed there. While leaving the premises with the TV the male in the video told an office staff to take the TV back once his refund was paid.
A religious conversion racket has been exposed in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh. The accused in this case are husband and wife, identified as Mustafa and Hina. They are accused of running a conversion racket in the guise of their sewing and embroidery centre. Mustafa is also accused of committing an obscene act with a Hindu girl and recording it. He had also threatened the victim that he would leak her obscene video. The Police have arrested the accused duo.
The incident pertains to the Mudha Pandey police station area of Moradabad. On 11th September, a Hindu girl lodged a Police complaint in this matter. The Hindu victim stated that she used to visit Hina’s house along with some of her friends who also hail from Hindu Dharma, to learn sewing and embroidery. During their training session, Hina used to call her husband Mustafa who then started pressuring them to accept Islam.
According to the complaint, Mustafa also used to pressure the Hindu girls and women who came to the centre to eat with him. Whenever the Hindu girls and women refused to comply, he would keep on insisting and harassing them.
On the 14th of June 2024 morning, at around 10 am, Hina locked the Hindu victim inside her centre and went somewhere else. During this time, Mustafa came there and started doing obscene acts with the victim. He also secretly recorded the video while committing the heinous act.
The complaint further states that two days later (16th June), Hina also recorded an obscene video of the victim. On the same day, Hina started forcing the victim and her Hindu friends to eat pakodas that were ordered from outside.
The victim suspected some conspiracy and declined to eat the pakodas. Afterward, Hina threatened her stating that she would leak her obscene video, and started pressuring her to convert to Islam. This scared the victim as well as her friends.
In her complaint, the Hindu girl has expressed apprehension of something untoward happening to her. She has demanded strict action against the accused. Based on her complaint, the Police have registered an FIR against Hina and her husband Mustafa.
The FIR was registered under sections 342, 354, and 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with relevant sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. OpIndia has accessed a copy of the FIR.
Subsequently, on 14th September, the Moradabad police said that they had arrested Hina and Mustafa in this case. Investigation and other necessary legal action were also underway.
A quote attributed to Stephen King goes “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.” We have been fooled 3 times by the dynasty already. Who is the fool here?
As the late journalist Khushwant Singh, no fan of the BJP, and many others pointed out, Indira Gandhi played with fire when she encouraged Bhindranwale and his violent murderous politics. She got burnt but not before burning Punjab and the country and scarring it for decades. Not to speak of countless innocent lives lost.
One would have thought her son would have learnt the lesson and kept off dangerous murderous maniacs. Alas, no. He chose to meddle in Sri Lankan affairs, first supporting & training and later opposing the LTTE led by Prabakharan – often described in “The Hindu” editorials as a Polpotist (We must trust our leftists to know a Polpotist, after all, Pol Pot was a communist and very much a comrade. Only the Khmer Rouge was not obedient to Beijing so some of our comrades didn’t like them, not because they murdered millions). Rajiv’s goal obviously was to regain a foothold in TN politics, lost to the Dravidian parties in the 60s. We know how that ended up.
His fascist dimwit son now tries to incite the Sikhs and walk around with a matchstick in an incendiary environment – just to capture power in Delhi and resume the loot interrupted by voters in 2014.
Although everyone knows he is a dimwit and was lying through his teeth, the danger is that his remarks will now trigger competitive politics that is destructive. Akalis, even as they condemned Congress, promptly picked up on it. So did the Khalistani terrorists operating from the safety of North American woke state protection. The contest will now be who will say worse things about the condition of Sikhs and hence do one better. Rahul Gandhi may find himself outwitted fairly soon. The country, of course, will find itself in a deeper mess. Does he care? Of course, not. Nor did his Papa or his granny.
More importantly, while the Stalinist left was ambivalent during the reign of his Papa and granny, now the entire leftist ecosystem is solidly behind Rahul Gandhi because in him they see the ONLY chance to gain power without responsibility and resume their pogrom on Hinduism. The wokes and their moneybags like Soros or Ford that provide the international reach and Western academia coolie network and oped pages of NYT, WaPO etc., have already lost their investment in Kejriwal and will not write off Rahul Gandhi that quickly. He will be backed up to the hilt. They are.
Media bootlickers are trying to tell us that as he is “only a LOP” his statements should not be taken seriously or debated. After all, licking up after the clown Prince and his verbal diarrhoea is their duty as “fearless” journalists. Some of them don’t spend too much time checking if it is merely verbal – lest they be outlicked by other eager serfs. These are the same frauds that thought becoming the LOP was a great achievement and a ‘constitutional’ position. And that Modi is not respecting him enough by giving a front seat everywhere. They too know, in Rahul, they have the best and perhaps only route to revive their “idea of India” – where table scraps of dynastic loot kept them well-fed and living farmhouse lifestyles.
It was not just the Sikh remark, it was also the incendiary anti-outsider rant in Kashmir that needs to be considered as well. Rahul Gandhi practically painted a trigger on the backs of each migrant worker whose life was in any way in danger. Remember, loose talk about insider-outsider politics in Kashmir Valley is different from doing it in Chennai or Bangalore. After all, the liberal adjacent Islamist terrorists have brutally murdered several “outsiders” – poor migrant workers. To kindle this fire deliberately while being aware of this cruel reality is nothing short of a crime against humanity. But having decided on a scorched earth strategy to capture power, the fascist dynasty just doesn’t care.
And we are not even getting into the topic of the caste war he is trying to ignite by questioning the caste of everyone from journalists to beauty pageant contestants. He knows – the corrupt brown-nosed media will not question his own caste or the track record and contribution of his family in keeping the subaltern out of power and in penury.
Coming back to the point about fools that got us started, let me make it clear. If we are going to be fooled by Rahul Gandhi and the venomous politics of the fascist famiglia, that too for the 3rd time, we are the fools.
You might say – “What is Modi doing about this?” After all, to blame Modi for everything is the fashionable thing to do, even for many BJP supporters.
I think Modi will find his hands tied for a few reasons – First by even attacking him on this, he is only giving the fascist clown more media visibility that he cannot buy already. Second, as I mentioned earlier, with the rock-solid backing of the entire woke media/academia network and Beijing’s leftist coolies that control the Pidi media will go ballistic. Focus will entirely shift to a “chilling climate for dissent”. Third, our legal system is designed to protect such malcontents provided they are elite and powerful – after a 10-20 year process and with 500 adjournments, he may get away with a simple apology in court. By then the tukde mission may have been successfully accomplished.
Yes, Modi and BJP can take him on politically – by taking their case directly to the public including the Sikhs and others.
No, it is up to us, citizens that care, to defeat this venom. If we stay united and make it clear politics of hate, venom and separatism cannot win, even a dimwit and his Politburo or woke Gestapo handlers will get the message. Maybe they will supply him with a new tune to recite. Maybe they will find a new mouthpiece that will do a better job of regurgitating their waste. Maybe they will go back to supporting Kejriwal’s brand of anarchist, equally destructive politics. Maybe, new opposition will emerge. Maybe, Congress leaders will grow a pair and decide it is about time they serve the country and not a corrupt fascist family that is about to burn it down.
The arrested Ex-Principal of RG Kar Hospital Sandip Ghosh did not want an FIR registered in the woman doctor’s rape and murder case. This has been revealed in CBI’s remand letter of Sandip Ghosh. It has also revealed that through the Vice-Principal, Ghosh floated what the probing agency has called a ‘suicide theory’.
His remand letter filed by CBI noted, “Ghosh did not intend to register an FIR in the case, even after being in consultation with an advocate.”
According to the CBI, the former Principal of RG Kar Hospital received the information about the crime at 9.58 am but he didn’t make the police complaint immediately. The officials added that he made a vague complaint later and also introduced a new theory of suicide.
The CBI stated, “He did not try to get an FIR lodged immediately. Rather a new theory of suicide was introduced which is not possible as per external injury visible on the body of the victim that was undressed at the lower part.”
As per the remand note, Sandip Ghosh deliberately tried to deceive the investigators on important issues. It stated, “Even after he received information about the incident at 9.58 am on 9th August, he did not reach the hospital immediately. He did not submit a murder complaint, which was eventually submitted by the vice-principal, who floated a theory of suicide by the doctor.”
According to Sandip Ghosh’s remand letter, the CBI has also informed the court about the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report of the polygraph test. CBI officials have revealed that his replies were found to be deceptive during the polygraph test and layered voice analysis.
Considering his ‘deceptive replies’ during the polygraph test, CBI now intends to conduct a narco test on Sandip Ghosh.
According to the CBI, Ghosh got in touch with Tala Police Station’s Officer In Charge (OC) Abhijit Mondal at 10.03 am on 9th August. However, he tried to downplay the incident, thus leading to the destruction of evidence. As per the CBI, Mondal was hand-in-glove with the hospital administration.
It is pertinent to note that the RG Kar Hospital where the gruesome rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor took place, falls within the jurisdiction of Tala Police Station which is just 10 minutes away from the Hospital.
The CBI arrested Tala Police Officer Abhijit Mondal after he failed to give satisfying answers to the CBI officials. Later, the CBI officers questioned him at their CGO Complex office in Kolkata for several hours.
An officer told PTI that Mondal was arrested on charges of destruction of evidence and others. The officer added that Mondal was also accused of delaying the registration of a FIR in the case.
Details mentioned in CBI’s remand letter of arrested Tala officer Abhijit Mondal
Mondal’s remand note has revealed that he tried to divert the investigation in the case and tried to protect the accused Sanjay Roy, and others who had unauthorised access to the scene of the crime. The CBI added that the general diary entry was allegedly made “in conspiracy with hospital authorities and other unknown persons” and it intentionally mentioned wrong details. The case of unnatural death was registered at 11.30 am.
His remand letter states, “Abhijit Mondal hatched a criminal conspiracy with other probable accused person, in screening Sanjoy Roy (the main accused) and others, in attempting to divert the direction of the investigation.”
According to his remand note filed by CBI, Mondal reached the scene of the crime at 11 am, an hour after receiving information about the crime, and deliberately registered a case of unnatural death and intentionally mentioned incorrect facts.
It further adds, “Mondal failed to secure the scene of the crime, thereby trying to protect Sanjoy Roy. His actions resulted in damage to vital information. He caused a deliberate delay in registering the FIR even after he had received information about the incident at 10.03 am on August 9. The FIR was only registered at 11.30 pm the same day, even after a go-ahead from the family at 7.30 pm.”
According to the remand letter, Mondal did not videograph the process of sealing the evidence and biological samples which is mandatory as per the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). He allowed a rushed-up cremation of the doctor, even as the family demanded a second autopsy. He caused a delay of two days, in securing the clothes of the Sanjoy Roy, that he wore on the day of the crime.
Major developments in the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case
On 9th August, the semi-naked, injured body of a 31-year-old woman doctor was found in the seminar hall of Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Her autopsy report confirmed rape before the murder. A total of three persons have been arrested so far in this case including Sanjay Roy, the prime accused.
After the Courts came down heavily on the State government and Kolkata Police for mishandling the case, the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI. So far, the CBI team has conducted polygraph tests on ten individuals, including Ghosh. However, inconsistencies in Ghosh’s responses have made the agency suspicious of his role in the case and they are seeking to do a narco test on him.
British author David Mitchell in his 2004 novel Cloud Atlas says – “Travel far enough, you meet yourself”. Who doesn’t want to gulp some fresh air, veer into the uncharted, and soak in new cultures of new places by travelling far and wide? However, in the Indian scenario, connectivity of airports and flights has often been cited as a hindrance to travel and tourism. Well, not any longer!
Boosting connectivity to smaller cities
The government of India recently announced a comprehensive 5-year plan to build and expand 50 new airports across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This much-needed, ambitious plan comes amidst a record surge in Indian domestic air traffic, which touched 477,554 on September 2, only outnumbering the second-best number of 470,751 achieved on April 21 this year.
FY24 in fact saw a remarkable YoY growth of ~ 13% in domestic passenger traffic at 154 MN, which surpassed the pre-COVID levels of 142 MN in FY2020. Airlines’ capacity deployment is another indicator, that grew 6% YoY in May 2024, ~ 2% higher than April 2024. This trend is expected to continue in FY2025 as well. The key parameters around passenger traffic, domestic passenger load factor, and capacity deployment showed healthy improvement, while fuel prices (cost side) inched higher.
Naturally, buoyed by such robust domestic air traffic growth, GoI has decided to expand the airport reach to underserved cities and towns. And if one looks at the growth of domestic traffic trends, this will boost passenger figures enormously.
Revisiting last decade
A quick comparison of where domestic aviation stood in 2014 vis-à-vis where it presently throws up some stark numbers.
In April 2014, India had 215 domestic routes, while by April 2024, that number had shot up to 540. In 2014, India had 74 operational airports, and by 2023, that number had expanded to 149.
Comparing the top 5 domestic aviation markets, India was the smallest in 2014 with 8 MN seats, followed by Indonesia on the 4th and Brazil on the 3rd. Today, India is the 3rd largest market, after the US and China.
A key enabler to the domestic traffic growth has been the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN), which was launched in 2016 to enhance connectivity to unserved and underserved airports in the country. Today, with 517 RCS routes operational, connecting 76 airports, UDAN has facilitated air travel for over 1.3 Cr people. The recent announcement by GoI will aid this further.
The Plan
A key feature of the plan is to develop Bihta Airport, which will serve as the secondary airport for Bihar’s capital, Patna. The foundation ceremony of Bihta is expected to be in 2024 end, and this could be a breather for Patna Airport which is expected to reach its maximum capacity by the early 2030s. A few features of Bihta will include over 60 check-in counters, and more than 15 self-check-in kiosks, with peak passenger handling ability per hour of 3,0001. The airport will be expected to have an annual capacity of up to 5 MN passengers over the next 2 decades.
Other portions of the 5-year plan include the development of greenfield airports at Ankleshwar and Dwarka in Gujarat. Spiritual tourism will likely get a massive boost for devotees through this development.
Aside from airports, the 5-year plan also contains a roadmap for opening new civil enclaves at several Air Force stations. This would include locations like Thanjavur in TN, Hasimara in WB, and Thoise in Ladakh.
Some upgrades in overall air traffic infrastructure are also part of the plan. Key ones are an adaptation of VFR (Visual Flight Rules) operations for narrow-body aircraft like Airbus A320 at Agatti Airport, implementation of IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) operations for narrow-body aircraft at Pantnagar Airport (Uttarakhand), expansion of Mysuru airport to handle narrow-body aircraft. These will aid movement and traffic handling at each of these airports in a phenomenal manner, leading to greater domestic traffic.
Bharat takes flight
The only risk envisaged in the robust demand trajectory could be a possible uptick in airfares, to compensate for increased operational expenses owing to a rising jet fuel price environment. Following the pandemic, crude oil prices reduced substantially, hitting $19/barrel in April 2020. Ever since, however, prices have inched higher, reaching ~ $83/barrel in May 2024. Geopolitical disruptions have been the main reasons for the same. While between April 2023 and March 2024, ATF prices were lower YoY, any tendency of a hike here can cast some spanner to domestic traffic surge.
Notwithstanding any seeming headwind, domestic air travel has burgeoned. A quick view of domestic daily flight departures from May 25, 2020, till May 2024 amply attests to this fact.
(Source: MoCA, DGCA, ICRA Research)
(Source: MoCA, DGCA, ICRA Research)
With the recent announcements by GoI, this will get a further fillip.
Integral Humanism and Antyodaya have been the core tenets of BJP’s ideology. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya famously remarked – “It is our thinking and principle that these uneducated and poor people are our Gods. We have to worship them. It is our social and human dharma.” The ‘Sabka Vikas’ tenet of present-day Central Gov has hinged squarely on this ideology. Making air travel accessible and affordable to all has been but one small, yet significant, cornerstone of this vision.
As the Government gets working on building 50 airports over the next 5 years, Bharat eagerly awaits its next flight to surmount uncharted heights.
A new case of Love Jihad has come to the fore from the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Police on Sunday, September 15 arrested one individual identified as Danish, a resident of Dhaulana for marrying a Hindu girl by posing as a Hindu. Danish cheated the girl saying that his name was Dev. He established sexual relations with the girl and forcefully married her. He also forced her to take the pills to abort her pregnancy.
The Police are believed to have taken action after the girl filed a police complaint saying that the accused hid his religion from her and made her believe that he belonged to the Hindu community. She said that he lived with her in a rented room for a year and raped her. When she became pregnant, he forced her to have an abortion. He also is said to have fed the girl with some unfavourable medicines.
The girl came to know about the accused’ original religion only on July 1st, after which she confronted him at his home. However, the family members of the accused assaulted the girl and kicked her out of the premises. The girl then filed a police complaint based on which arrest was made by the Police.
In the complaint given to the police, the girl said that she met the accused while getting her driving license made about one and a half years ago. The accused introduced himself as Dev. He took the girl’s phone number and started talking to her. After this, on April 7th, 2023, the accused took her to a hotel in the Sahibabad Kotwali area. There he proposed to her a marriage. However, on refusal, he raped her and made her wear the Mangalsutra.
After the forceful marriage, he kept her in a rented apartment in a colony of the Mussoorie police station area. On June 22nd this year, the girl told the accused that she was pregnant, but he got her pregnancy aborted by feeding her some medicines. Then the accused left the girl and went to his home. When the girl got suspicious, she inquired about him and came to know that Dev’s real name was Danish and that he resided in Dhaulana.
The girl mentioned in the complaint that the accused pretended to go to the temple with her and worship Hindu Gods. After finding out the religion of the accused, she waited for him for several days. She called him several times but he stopped picking up her calls. This provoked the girl to reach the accused’s house on July 1st, 2024.
Seeing this, the family members of the accused got enraged and asked the woman to leave the house. Later the family members of the accused assaulted the woman and threw her out of the house. The girl then filed a police complaint with Hapur police. After the investigation, Hapur police transferred the case to Sahibabad police station, following which the accused was arrested.
For the last few days, Communal tensions have been brewing in the Mangaluru region of Dakshin Kannada after an Islamist mob attacked Ganpati Visarjan in Nagamangala, Mandya district. The Islamist mob pelted stones and hurled petrol bombs at the Hindu participants, and vandalised, and burnt the shops of Hindus. Following the attack on Ganpati Visarjan, members of Hindu organisations – Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal staged massive protests in Mangaluru and other parts of Karnataka against violent attacks on Hindu religious processions.
Disgruntled by the repeated Islamist attacks on Hindu festivals, VHP cautioned Islamists against such communal attacks on Hindu processions. Responding to the Islamist attacks, VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell argued that if the attacks on Hindu processions continued, they would protest against Muslim processions. However, tensions escalated further when a provocative social media post threatening Hindu activists protesting against the Islamist attacks went viral. The post also challenged Hindu organisations to try to enter the city’s BC Road area.
On Monday (16th September), communal tensions prevailed at BC Road in Dakshina Kannada after a large number of Hindu activists from VHP and Bajrang Dal gathered there to protest against the controversial and provocative social media post. Notably, a voice message is doing rounds in which Bantwal TMC’s (Town Municipal Council) former president Mohammed Sharif is heard challenging and daring Sharan Pumpwell and Hindu activists to try to enter the BC Road.
While the recent controversy flared up following Sharif’s provocative and threatening remarks to Hindu organisations that had been staging protests against Hindu festivals, media reports have tried to pin the blame of communal tensions on VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell while whitewashing and omitting provocative remarks of Bantwal’s Former President Mohammed Sharif. Incidentally, the Karnataka Police have also registered an FIR against Hindu activists Sharan Pumpwell and Bajrang Dal leader Puneet Attavar.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said a case has been registered against Sangh Parivar members Sharan Pumpwell and Puneet Attavar at the CEN Crime Police Station. According to the officer, the charges relate to provocative statements regarding the Eid Milad procession.
Meanwhile, responding to the entire developments, the SP of Dakshin Kannada, Yatish N, told ANI that he ‘cannot disclose’ the issue.
Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed in Dakshin Kannada in the wake of prevailing communal tensions
On Monday, accepting Sharif’s open challenge to Hindu activists, members of VHP and Bajrang Dal workers gathered on the national highway near Sri Rakteshwari Temple on BC Road. They raised Jai Shri Ram slogans while demanding the arrest of Mohammed Sharif for making provocative remarks.
According to visuals released by ANI, police personnel have been deployed to control the situation in Mangaluru. Another video released by ANI shows that the Rapid Action Force (RAF) has also been deployed to control the outrage.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal workers stage protest in Mangaluru over a social media post; police personnel deployed pic.twitter.com/4NUkreU9KQ
Responding to the developments, the Dakshin Kannada SP said that they had made adequate arrangements for the protest call. He added that necessary steps were being taken to avoid any disruptions on the eve of the Eid-e-Milad festival.
The SP said, “We are ensuring that no untoward incident takes place in Bantwal or anywhere in the district. There is some issue that is happening amongst a few people and I cannot disclose what the issue is. We just wanted to ensure that everything remains peaceful… Whoever disturbs the peace will attract legal action.”
Speaking with India Today, Sharan Pumpwell said that Ganpati Visarjan was attacked, stones and petrol bombs were hurled and the miscreants also burnt the shops of Hindus. He added, what would happen if Hindus started thinking on similar lines? Then two Jihadis threw a challenge at us and we have come here to accept their challenge. We have the Hindu Samaj of Dakshin Kannada to respond to all their questions. Notably, Pumpwell is VHP’s Dakshina Karnataka Prantha Joint Secretary.
Reacting to the repeated Islamist attacks on Hindu festivals, Pumpwell said, “Accepting the challenges, I have arrived at B C Road. We have faced several challenges in the past. Scores of workers have been booked for facing challenges and laid down their lives in the past. We are ready to face challenges even in the future. It is a victory for Hindutva as many people have gathered without any invitation.”
He added, “While staging a protest condemning the Nagamangala riot in Mangaluru, I had issued a statement on Eid Milad rally. However, Sharif countered my statement and challenged me to arrive at BC Road. If needed I am ready to visit a masjid as well in the future.”
He added, “The challenge was not only for Sharan Pumpwell. It was a challenge to the entire Hindutva workers.”
He made these remarks while addressing scores of VHP and Bajrang Dal workers at B C Road.
Earlier, Sharan Pumpwell condemned the riots during Ganesha idol immersion at Nagamangala and said that “Eid Milad procession will not be allowed if Hindus make up their mind.” He also urged the Karnataka government to halt Eid processions in the wake of communal clashes that broke out following an Islamist attack on the Ganesh procession in Mandya on 11th September.
In a provocative audio message, Sharif responded by challenging Pumpwell and his associates to stand against the Eid procession, saying, “If you or your associates have the guts, stand during the procession. Let alone attack, stand there.” After the audio message went viral, VHP and Bajrang Dal members said that they had accepted the challenge.
While the provocative social media by Mohammed Sharif has triggered massive outrage among the Hindu community in Mangaluru, media reports have omitted the provocative remarks while pinning the blame of communal flare-ups on VHP and Bajrang Dal members particularly on Sharan Pumpwell for his remarks against repeated Islamist attacks on Hindu festivals.
Islamist attacks on Hindu festivals
In what has become a trend for Islamists to attack every Hindu festival, the Hindu community has faced multiple attacks during Ganeshotsav this year. On 11th September, it was reported that stones were pelted on Ganesh Mandap in the Kutch village of Nakhatrana. Muslim children were reported to have been used to execute the conspiracy due to which the idol of Lord Ganesha was vandalised. Seven people including Hussain, Asif, and Sahil were arrested.
On 10th September, Rubyna Irfan Pathan and Laima Salim Shaikh were arrested for breaking the idols of Lod Ganesh in the Soni Bazar area of Athwa, Surat. It is believed that the two women also incited their children to break the idols.
On the night of 10th September, tensions mounted in Bharuch when Hindus and Muslims came face to face after members of the Muslim community forcefully installed Islamic flags and pylons atop Hindu houses during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration.
On 6th September, Hindu youths carrying an idol of Bhagwan Ganesh were attacked by Islamists in the Mundra area of Kutch district, Gujarat.
On 7th September, miscreants pelted stones at a Bhagwan Ganesh idol in Mochipura of Ratlam district in Madhya Pradesh. On the 7th and 8th of September, stones were pelted at a Ganeshotsav pandal in the Lal Gate area of Surat, Gujarat. As per reports, some Muslim minors pelted stones at the pandal, leading to hundreds of Hindus protesting and demanding strict action. The police swiftly swung into action and made some arrests. Security has been increased in the area.
VHP warns against Islamist attacks on Ganesh festival
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), deeply hurt by jihadist attacks on over a dozen Ganesh festival events across the country, issued a warning today. They called on Islamic extremists to stop their attacks on religious processions and other gatherings, urging them to abandon their “Kafirophobia.” Dr Surendra Jain, the VHP’s central joint general secretary, mentioned that more than 18 Ganesh immersion ceremonies were targeted by jihadists, with idols being desecrated in some instances. He also referenced earlier attacks on Hindu festivals like Ram Navami and Mahavir Jayanti processions.
These assaults on the Hindu community aren’t limited to Hindu festivals but also occur during Muslim events like Muharram, Eid-e-Milad, and Barawafat, which the VHP condemned as unacceptable. The VHP warned that such actions should cease, emphasizing that Muslims must stop testing the patience of Hindus.
Jihadists reportedly claim that Hindu processions should not pass through so-called Muslim neighbourhoods or roads near mosques. The Madras High Court had previously responded to such claims, stating that roads are secular and can be used by all. The VHP urged Muslim leaders like Owaisi, Madani, and Tauqeer to understand the court’s message, stop inciting their community, and avoid pushing Hindus down this path.
The VHP attributed the growing trend of jihadist violence, including recent incidents like attempts to derail trains (#TrainTrackTerror), and contamination of food and drink. They also highlighted issues such as “land jihad,” “love jihad,” and various forms of jihad like voting, population, and illegal conversions.
The VHP questioned the source of such intense hatred towards Hindus, accusing extremists of involving even minors in riots and killings. They suggested that some in the Muslim community promise their children rewards in the afterlife rather than a bright future.
The VHP advised Muslim leaders to stop inciting their community, recalling past agitation over issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which had little relevance to Muslims, and the current focus on the Waqf Board. They argued that certain Muslim leaders have exploited the Waqf for personal gain, urging the Muslim community to prioritize their future and embrace progressive leaders like APJ Abdul Kalam instead of glorifying historical invaders like Ghazni, Timur, Nadir Shah, and Babur.
In a major development, Kenya has given the Adani Group and an African Development Bank unit a concession for the construction of power transmission lines under a public-private partnership.
According to David Ndii, chief economic adviser to Kenyan President William Ruto, the concession granted to the Adani Group and Africa50, which is the African Development Bank’s infrastructure investment offshoot, is worth $1.3 billion.
“The government through KETRACO has awarded PPP concessions to Adani and Africa50 to build new transmission lines. They are hiring project teams. The cost of these transmission lines is $1.3 billion that we do not need to borrow,” Ndii wrote.
Meanwhile, as the Adani Group won a major power lines project in Kenya, the Congress party in India is attacking them for winning a bid to supply power to Maharashtra. In a statement, the Adani Group said that Adani Green Energy Ltd will sign a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) for the supply of 5 GW (5000 MW) solar power from the world’s largest renewable energy park being developed at Khavda in Kutch District of Gujarat, to Maharashtra.
The statement said that the 6600 MW capacity has been secured through a competitive bidding process initiated by MSEDCL for procurement of a combined 1600 MW thermal and 5000 MW solar power. The terms of the tender permit Adani Power Limited to bid for thermal power capacity along with solar power capacity, which can be supplied by a group company. Adani Power Limited accordingly also bid for 5000 MW solar capacity on behalf of AGEL, thereby leveraging the two entities’ respective competitive advantages and strengths in the thermal and solar power sectors.
“India’s largest renewable energy company, will sign a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) under the Letter of Intent (LOI), for supply of 5 GW (5000 MW) solar power from the world’s largest renewable energy park being developed at Khavda in Kutch District of Gujarat, to Maharashtra state, as per the LOI awarded to Adani Power Limited as permitted under the tender conditions. Adani Power Limited (APL), India’s largest private thermal power producer will sign a long-term Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with MSEDCL for supply of 1496 MW (net) thermal power to Maharashtra state from a new 1600 MW Ultra-supercritical thermal power project,” the statement issued by the Adani Group reads.
While Adani Group said that it had won the contract through a competitive bidding process, the Congress party alleged it was a “rigged deal”. The party said on Sunday that the deal was facilitated by the Mahayuti government.
Taking to X, Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh said: “It is certain that the Mahayuti government is going to be thrown out of power with a crushing defeat in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, yet he chose to do this in his last few days. This is undoubtedly another feat of Modani. Soon, shocking details of this fraud-ridden rigged deal will begin to emerge. Even as the Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra totters towards a landslide defeat, this is what they chose to do with their last few days in power. Yet another Modani enterprise undoubtedly!”
यह तय है कि आगामी महाराष्ट्र विधानसभा चुनाव में महायुति सरकार करारी हार के साथ सत्ता से बाहर होने जा रही है, फिर भी उन्होंने अपने आख़िरी के कुछ दिनों में ये करना चुना है। निस्संदेह यह मोदानी का एक और कारनामा है।
“Shocking details of this rigged deal will soon start tumbling out. While the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra was headed towards a crushing defeat, let’s take a look at the last few days of its tenure. Another “Modani” industry is undoubtedly coming up, the shocking details of which will be revealed soon,” Ramesh added.
An alleged press release purporting to be from the Adani Group “warning Kenyan protesters of serious consequences” was recently disseminated on social media which said that “names of government and individual stakeholders, who got bribes from the company for its projects in Kenya” were threatened to be made public in the publication. Now, a spokesperson of the company has released an official notification titled, “Media Statement on Fake Press Releases”, on 16th September, and refuted the malicious claims.
“Certain vested interests with malicious intent are circulating multiple fraudulent press releases, including one titled ‘Adani Group Denounces Baseless Accusations and Threats,’ related to our presence in Kenya. We categorically state that neither the Adani Group nor any of its companies or subsidiaries have issued any press releases related to Kenya. We strongly condemn this deceitful act and urge everyone to disregard these fake fraudulent releases completely,” the statement read.
It further added, “We will take legal action against anyone involved in spreading false narratives. Our official press releases are available on our websites. We encourage the media and influencers to verify facts and sources before publishing or broadcasting any articles or news on the Adani Group.”
The fraudulent release started doing rounds on social media with users, including Sanjay Hegde, who is a senior advocate at the Supreme Court contributed to the misinformation. A fictitious letter dated 10th September went viral alleging that the Adani Group would divulge the identities of government shareholders and other people who had profited from bribery and investments made by the company.
“Furthermore, we would like to caution those planning to participate in these demonstrations that such actions could have serious consequences. If these threats persist, we will have no choice but to reveal the names of government shareholders who have benefited from our investments. Additionally, we will also publish the names of individuals who have received substantial bribes from our company. Adani Group remains steadfast in its commitment to Kenya and its people. We will continue to work diligently to deliver on our promises and contribute to the nation’s economic growth and development,” the bogus letter had threatened. However, many netizens also came forward to call out the phoney press release.
