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Krishna Janmabhoomi case: Massive relief for Hindu side as Allahabad High Court dismisses Muslim side’s plea on maintainability 

OpIndia Staff
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Krishna Janmabhoomi case: Massive relief for Hindu side as Allahabad High Court dismisses Muslim side’s plea on maintainability 

The Allahabad High Court on 1st August ruled that the 18 lawsuits submitted by the Hindus in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute were maintainable, dealing a severe blow to the hope of the Muslim side. The suits aim to have the mosque removed from the 13.37-acre property that it shares with the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

The Muslim side argued that the Places of Worship Act, the Limitation Act and the Specific Relief Act prohibited the lawsuits, contesting the maintainability of the claims brought by the deity and Hindu parties.

The court pronounced that neither the Limitation Act nor the Places of Worship Act, among other laws, forbade lawsuits brought by the Hindu devotees or the deity. The court’s observation that each of the eighteen suits is maintainable opens the door for them to be considered based on their merits. The bench of Justice Mayank Kumar Jain had reserved the decision on 6th June.

“Today Allahabad High Court has rejected the application of order 7 rule 11 filed by Shahi Eidgah Masjid and held that all these 18 suits are not barred by the Places of Worship Act. The next date of hearing is 12th August. The result is that the trials will proceed and the intention and the effort to nib in the trial on the issue of maintainability has been rejected. We will file the caveat before the Supreme Court and if the Shahi Eidgah Masjid approaches the SC, we will be present there,” Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain informed.

Hindu Sena who is a party in the case welcomed the decision. “Today Allahabad High Court rejected the objections of the Muslim side in the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi case. Now the hearing of the Janmabhoomi case will continue in Allahabad High Court. This is the victory of all Sanatanis and the victory of all Shri Krishna devotees living in the world today. Hindu Sena will file a caveat in the Supreme Court,” expressed Vishnu Gupta, the outfit’s national president.

Many lawsuits have been filed demanding the “removal” of the Shahi Idgah mosque, which is next to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. The petitioners contend that the mosque, which dates back to the Aurangazeb era, was constructed following the destruction of a Krishna temple. The management committee of the mosque opposed these suits in its petition. The proceedings were deemed unenforceable under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, according to the Muslim side, which included the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board and the mosque management committee.

The Muslim side alleged that the cases explicitly acknowledge that the mosque in question dates from 1669 to 1670.

The Muslim side’s representative, Taslima Aziz Ahmadi, had argued in court that the Waqf board’s provisions would be applicable and that the Waqf tribunal was the appropriate forum to hear the case. The Hindu plaintiff asserted that there is no land registered in the government’s record under the name Shah Idgah and this is an illegal occupancy. Additionally, they submitted that the Waqf Board had to reveal the donor of the contested property if it was alleged to be Waqf.

A recurrent petition in the Hindu side’s litigation calls for the “removal” of the Shahi Idgah mosque from the 13.37-acre property in Mathura that it shares with the Katra Keshav Dev temple along with taking possession of the Shahi Idgah grounds.

UP: Yogi govt passes ‘Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2024’ in assembly, punishment increased to life imprisonment. Read the changes made

Anurag
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UP: Yogi govt passes ‘Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2024’ in assembly, punishment increased to life imprisonment. Read the changes made

On 31st July, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly passed the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2024. The new bill was introduced with amendments in the Anti-Conversion Law on 29th July by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath aiming to make the Act more stringent by increasing the maximum punishment.

Earlier, the maximum punishment as per the law was 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 50,000. However, after the amendments, the quantum of punishment has been increased for various religious conversion-related offences.

For example, illegal religious conversion has been made a punishable offence that attracts 3 to 10 years of imprisonment. At the same time, mass religious conversions and religious conversions using foreign funds will attract a punishment of 7 to 14 years of imprisonment.

The bill also stated that in the case of religious conversion, if the life or wealth of a person is put under threat, or there is the use of force or there is marriage or promise of marriage for religious conversion, punishment will range from 20 years to imprisonment to life imprisonment. Furthermore, if a minor, woman or a person is lured and human trafficking is done, imprisonment will range from 20 years to life.

The government of UP said that the existing provisions under the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 were not sufficient. Bill’s statement of reasons read, “Keeping in mind the sensitivity and seriousness of the crime of illegal religious conversion, the dignity and social status of women, and the organised and planned activities of foreign and anti-national elements and organisations in illegal religious conversion and demographic change, it has been felt that the amount of fine and penalty provided in the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act should be increased and the bail conditions should be made as stringent as possible.”

Excerpt from the bill. Source: Government of Uttar Pradesh

The key changes proposed in the Anti-Conversion Law tabled by CM Yogi Adityanath

As per the existing provisions, any aggrieved person, his or her parents, siblings any other blood relative, and anyone related by marriage or adoption can file a complaint in the matter. However, the bill tabled by CM Yogi Adityanath proposes that the ambit be widened to “any person”. The proposed legislation read, “Any information related to violation of the provisions of the Act can be given by any person”.

Earlier, the maximum punishment in such cases was 10 years. However, the bill proposes that any person intending to cause religious conversion can be put behind bars for life. Furthermore, assaults, use of force, promises or instigating marriage, conspiring or inducing any minor, woman or person to traffic or otherwise sell them or attempting on this behalf will lead to rigorous imprisonment not less than 20 years that can be extended to life imprisonment. The bill proposes that the onus to prove the conversion has not been done forcibly will lie on the accused and the person who has been converted. Those who seek to convert must notify the district magistrate using a prescribed form two months in advance. In case anyone fails to comply, he or she may face a jail term of six months to three years.

The fine imposed under the Act would be paid to the victim for medical expenses and rehabilitation. The bill tabled by CM Yogi Adityanath read, “The court shall also approve appropriate compensation payable by the accused to the victim of the said religious conversion, which may be up to Rs 5 lakh, which shall be in addition to the fine.”

The bill further proposed to increase punishment in the Anti-Conversion Law for anyone who receives foreign funding or funds from illegal institutions in connection to unlawful religious conversion to at least seven years of rigorous imprisonment that can be extended to 14 years. In addition to it, the person will be liable to pay a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh.

The bill further proposed that whoever contravenes the provision about a minor, disabled or mentally challenged person, woman or SC/ST, will face rigorous imprisonment for up to 14 years and will be liable to pay a fine of a minimum of Rs 1 lakh. As per the current provisions, the maximum imprisonment is up to 10 years and the minimum fine is Rs 25,000.

In case of mass religious conversions, the person(s) responsible may face a punishment of 7-14 years with a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh. Currently, there is the provision of 3-10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 50,000.

A sub-section under Section 7 of the current Act has been proposed to make it more stringent. Section 7 states, “Notwithstanding anything contained herein, all offences under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable and shall be triable by the Court of Session.” The proposed sub-section states, “A person accused of any offence punishable under the Act, if in custody, shall not be released on bail unless the public prosecutor is given an opportunity of opposing the application for bail for such release, or where the public prosecutor opposes the bail application, the session court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offence and that no offence can be committed by him while on bail.”

We can now confirm Mohammed Deif was eliminated: Israel confirms the death of terrorist group Hamas’ military commander

ANI
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We can now confirm Mohammed Deif was eliminated: Israel confirms the death of terrorist group Hamas’ military commander

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday announced that Hamas military wing commander Mohammed Deif had been killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on July 13.

In a post on X, IDF stated, “We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated.”

The Israeli military said that it obtained intelligence confirming his death in the past few hours. Deif was targeted in a strike at Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa’a Salameh’s compound in Khan Younis area on July 13, The Times of Israel reported.

A day later, the IDF confirmed the death of Salameh. However, it did not have final information on Deif. The IDF believed that its intelligence indicated that Deif visiting the compound belonging to Salameh was highly accurate and the two Hamas military officials were together in the building that was hit with several heavy munitions, according to The Times of Israel report.

Israeli fighter jets had patrolled the building for half a day before conducting the strike after the IDF had early indications that Deif was with Samaleh. The two jets were in the air above the site. After the military received confirmation that Deif had arrived at the compound, the jets were given the order to target, which was conducted within just a few minutes, according to The Times of Israel report.

Israel’s confirmation regarding Deif comes a day after Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack in Iran’s capital, Tehran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Wednesday, Press TV reported.

In a statement to Mehr News Agency, the IRGC said that Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed after their residence was targeted in Tehran.

“With condolences to the heroic nation of Palestine and the Islamic nation and the combatants of the Resistance Front and the noble nation of Iran, this morning (Wednesday) the residence of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political office of the Islamic Resistance of Hamas, was hit in Tehran, and following this incident, he and one of his bodyguards were martyred,” the statement read.

Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian President-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a Press TV report.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his nation has delivered “crushing blows” to enemies in the last few days, CNN reported. He made the remarks hours after the deaths of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

In his address to the nation, Netanyahu did not claim Israel’s responsibility for Haniyeh’s killing. Notably, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied being behind Haniyeh’s assassination.

“Three weeks ago, we attacked the military chief of Hamas, Mohammad Deif. Two weeks ago we attacked the Houthis, in one of the farthest attacks the Air Force has carried out. Yesterday we attacked the military chief of Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr,” the Israeli PM said.
Netanyahu said Israel is facing “challenging days” and it will “settle the score” with anyone who harms the country.

“These are challenging days. There are threats From Beirut. We are ready for any scenario. We are prepared,” CNN quoted him as saying. “We’ll settle the score with anyone who harms us, anyone who massacres our children, anyone who murders our citizens, anyone who hurts our nation, blood is on his head,” Netanyahu added.

He further affirmed that Israel will keep fighting until the aims of the war are achieved. Netanyahu referenced previous calls he has received to end the war in Gaza, saying, “I did not give in then and I am not giving in today.”

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced a national day of mourning on Wednesday over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, as he condemned the killing as a “cowardly act and dangerous development,” The Times of Israel reported.

Palestinian flags were flown at half-staff for the day, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported, as Palestinian factions announced a general strike and called for demonstrations in the West Bank.

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

Paris Olympics 2024: India Shooter Swapnil Kusale wins bronze medal in men’s 50m rifle 3P event

ANI
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Paris Olympics 2024: India Shooter Swapnil Kusale wins bronze medal in men’s 50m rifle 3P event

India shooter Swapnil Kusale won the bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3P event at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Thursday.

Kusale also became the first Indian shooter to win a medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3P event.

Kusale clinched the bronze medal for India in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men’s Final after finishing in third place with an aggregate of 451.4. He secured India’s 3rd medal in shooting overall.

Earlier in the qualification round, Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale finished seventh in the qualification round of men’s 50m 3P to qualify for the final at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

Indian shooters Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Swapnil Kusale both appeared in the men’s 50m 3P qualification round at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

On his Olympic debut, Kusale finished seventh with a score of 590-38x. While Tomar ranked 11th with a total of 589-33x. Only the top eight shooters qualified for the final round, and Tomar failed to make his place in the final round.

People’s Republic of China’s Liu Yukun registered the qualification Olympic record with a total of 594-38x.

Kusale was also the first Indian shooter to make a place in the men’s 50m rifle 3P medal event at the Olympics.

Earlier at the multi-sport event, India shooter Manu Bhaker opened the nation’s account with a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event.

The Paris Olympics has been a redemption arc for Manu after her pistol malfunctioned at the Tokyo Olympics. She made history by becoming the first Indian woman in 20 years to reach a shooting final in an individual event of the Olympics since Suma Shirur in 2004.

The Indian shooting duo of Manu and Sarabjot Singh got the better of South Korea’s Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin 16-10 in the bronze medal play-off match in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.

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

YouTuber Gulzar Sheikh arrested for vandalising railway tracks to make videos, Shehzad Poonawalla says ‘Rail Jihadi won’t be spared by authorities’

OpIndia Staff
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YouTuber Gulzar Sheikh arrested for vandalising railway tracks to make videos, Shehzad Poonawalla says ‘Rail Jihadi won’t be spared by authorities’

Amidst the outrage over a YouTuber named Gulzar Sheikh putting different items on railway tracks including cycles, soaps, stones and more in the name of content creation, the YouTuber has been arrested. He was arrested after the Legal Hindu Defence filed a complaint against Sheikh, as informed by BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on X (Twitter).

Poonawalla posted that the accused YouTuber Gulzar Sheikh has been arrested after the complaint was filed against him. ““Rail Jihadi” Gulzar arrested. रेल जिहादी गुलज़ार गिरफ़्तार. I assured you that Rail Jihadi won’t be spared by authorities,” Poonwalla said and thanked Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, the UP Police and Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw.

Earlier, Legal Hindu Defence informed about the cyber-crime complaint they have filed. Notably, Legal Hindu Defence is a legal volunteer group launched by Poonawala last month.

“Under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, there is a violation for creating public mischief with an attempt to derail the train. Despite the clear-cut provisions of this rule, Gulzar Sheikh is committing the act which is a blatant violation of law. The actions of accused can lead to a big public tragedy,” the complaint reads.

“The accused has knowledge that his actions can lead to derailment of a train taking lives of many people. In view of the facts stated above, the offences under Sections 324, 326 and 109 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023; Sections 150, 151, 152, 153 and 154 of The Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966; and Section 66F of IT Act, 2000 have been committed. For the reasons cited above, the offences committed by the accused persons are cognizable. As such, offences may be registered at once and the FIR filed accordingly,” the complaint adds.

Earlier in the day, OpIndia reported that an X user ‘TrainWaleBhaiya” shared a shocking video of a YouTuber Gulzar Sheikh putting different items on railway tracks including cycles, soaps, stones and more in the name of content creation. In his post, the X user wrote, “This is Mr Gulzar Sheikh from Lalgopalganj, UP who puts random things in front of trains for YouTube Money, He is putting lives of 1000s of passengers in danger,” and urged Indian Railways and administration to take strict action against the YouTuber.

In our investigation, OpIndia found that many such YouTube channels have been uploading such videos for likes and shares. In most probability, these channels are earning hefty money by monetizing these videos.

7-judge constitutional bench of SC led by CJI upholds quota within SC/ST quota saying sub-classification is permissible, Justice Bela Trivedi dissents

OpIndia Staff
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7-judge constitutional bench of SC led by CJI upholds quota within SC/ST quota saying sub-classification is permissible, Justice Bela Trivedi dissents

In a major ruling on the 1st of August, a 7-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court ruled by a 6:1 majority that sub-classification of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes is admissible in order to give distinct quotas for more backwards within the SC/ST categories. CJI DY Chandrachud stated that the ruling contains six views. While six out of seven judges agreed that sub-classification is permissible, Justice Bela Trivedi dissented. Justice Trivedi opined that such sub-classification is not permissible.

The seven-judge Constitution bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma overturned the 2005 decision in EV Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh, which ruled that sub-classification of SC/STs violates Article 341 of the Constitution, which grants the President the authority to prepare the list of SC/STs.

“The members of SC/ST are not often able to climb up the ladder due to the systemic discrimination faced. Article 14 permits sub-classification of caste. Court must check if a class is homogeneous or and a class not integrated for a purpose can be further classified,” the court said.

The Court maintained the legality of statutes allowing for such sub-classification in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and other states. In this case, the Court affirmed the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act of 2006.

Similarly, the court also upheld the Tamil Nadu Arunthathiyars (Special Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments or Posts in State Services within the Reservation for the Scheduled Castes) Act, 2009, which provides for Arunthathiyars to be given preference in educational institutions and State government positions from the State’s 18% reservation for Scheduled Castes.

In his decision, CJI DY Chandrachud cited historical evidence to support his contention that scheduled castes are not a homogeneous entity. He opined that sub-classification does not violate the principle of equality established by Article 14 of the Constitution. Additionally, sub-classification does not violate Article 341(2) of the Constitution. Nothing in Articles 15 and 16 stops the State from subclassifying a Caste.

The CJI, however, emphasised that the basis of subclassification must be supported by quantitative and demonstrable evidence from States. The state cannot act on its whims or political expediency, and its decisions are subject to court review.

A Bar and Bench report says that during the hearings on this matter, the CJI had said that there is a distinction between “sub-classification” and “sub-categorisation”. In addition, he said that exclusion or inclusion of communities should not be done for appeasement politics.

In his concurring judgement, Justice BR Gavai stated that it is the state’s responsibility to give “preferential treatment” to more backward communities. Justice Gavai opined that a select few in the SC/ST category benefit from the reservations. He added that the ground realities cannot be neglected, and certain categories within the SC/STs have endured greater oppression for generations.

However, Justice Bela Trivedi expressed her dissent and said, “Castes can be included or excluded from the Presidential list only by a law enacted by Parliament. Sub-classification will amount to tinkering of the Presidential list. Any preferential treatment for a sub-class within the Presidential list will lead to deprivation of the benefits of the other classes within the same category,” Justice Trivedi said. Justice Trivedi also stated that the decision in E.V.Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh was right.

The bench had stated orally that the Punjab government’s law may have been intended to exclude reserved category applicants who had previously benefited from legal relaxations.

Notably, the Central government has defended reservation for underprivileged groups and said that it supports subclassification. The States argued that sub-classifying SC/STs does not violate Article 341 because it does not alter the President’s list.

States maintained that Article 341 only deals with the establishment of a list of SCs, and that it does not restrict states from sub-classifying SCs depending on their backwardness in order to extend reservation advantages.

Notably, Additional Advocate General of Punjab Shadan Farasat had argued that the recently enacted Article 342A of the Constitution made it obvious that the Chinnaiah decision was no longer applicable. This section particularly enables States and Union Territories to keep a list of Socially and Economically Backward Classes, which may differ from the Presidential list.

Similarly, former Attorney General KK Venugopal also pushed for sub-classification. Recalling his experience litigating in the Chinnaiah case, he remarked that without sub-classification, the weakest sectors of society will be left behind, therefore negating the purpose of reservations.

Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, standing for the respondents, claimed that all the communities included in the Presidential list suffered from the “taint of untouchability” and the Constituent Assembly decided not to compare who suffered the most atrocities.

Back in 1975, the Punjab government issued a notification separating the 25% SC reservation into two groups. Seats in the first category were designated only for the Balmiki and Mazhabi Sikh groups, which were and remain among the state’s backwards economically and educationally. According to the policy, they were to be given priority for reservation in education and state jobs. The second category included the remaining SC communities.

This notification continued in effect till 2004 when a five-judge Constitution Bench overturned a similar rule passed by Andhra Pradesh in 2000. In E.V. Chinnaiah, the Supreme Court overturned the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act, 2000 finding it in violation of the right to equality. This law had a list of Scheduled Caste communities in the state and the quota of reservation benefits provided to them.

In Dr Kishan Pal v. State of Punjab case, the Punjab & Haryana High Court reversed the 1975 notification two years after the Supreme Court’s verdict.

Double legal trouble for Meta: Settlement of USD 1.4 Billion in Texas over charges of gathering biometric data, and illegal drug ads investigation

OpIndia Staff
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Double legal trouble for Meta: Settlement of USD 1.4 Billion in Texas over charges of gathering biometric data, and illegal drug ads investigation

On 31st July, it came to light that Meta had agreed to a USD 1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas to resolve the allegations that the company, that owns Facebook and Instagram, was illegally gathering biometric data from millions of people from Texas without their consent. The data was collected via Meta’s facial recognition technology. The case against the tech giant was filed in 2022. It was noted as one of the first major lawsuits under Texas’s 2009 biometric privacy law, that puts the violator under the obligation of paying damages of up to USD 25,000 per violation.

In the lawsuit, Meta’s Facebook was accused of exploiting the “Tag Suggestions” feature to collect biometric data billions of times from the photos and videos uploaded by the users. Though Meta discontinued the feature and agreed to a settlement, it has not admitted to doing anything wrong.

Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton said in a statement that the settlement between the state and Meta has highlighted that the state is committed to holding major tech companies accountable for the violation of the privacy of the citizens. Notably, in 2020, a similar case was filed against Meta where the company paid USD 650 million as a settlement in a class-action lawsuit under Illinois’s biometric privacy law.

Despite the hefty settlement, Meta said in a statement that it intends to invest in Texas with the possibility of data centre developments. Notably, Texas and Meta agreed to settlement in May this year, just weeks before the trial against the tech giant was set to begin.

Meta was accused of running hundreds of ads selling cocaine, opioids and other drugs

In a separate controversy, Meta Platforms have come under scrutiny for running hundreds of ads on both Facebook and Instagram that directed users to online marketplaces where illegal drugs were being sold. There is a policy in place to ban the promotion of illicit substances on Meta platforms, but The Wall Street Journal’s review found that there were many ads that were openly marketing cocaine, prescription opioids and other drugs as recently as July 2024.

Tech Transparency Project, a non-profit organisation, identified 450 such ads between March and June this year. These ads managed to bypass content moderation systems by using photos to showcase drugs for sale. These photos had descriptions with links to private chat groups on Telegram and WhatsApp where the sale happened.

In a statement, Meta’s spokesperson said that the company has deployed AI tools that proactively detect and enforce content that violates the terms and conditions of the platforms. It has rejected hundreds of thousands of ads that violate the drug policy of the platforms. However, many ads were only disabled after the report came out by WSJ that highlighted the loopholes and gaps in the moderation efforts of Meta.

The matter is under investigation by the federal agencies as they explore if Meta had a role in these illicit sales adding to the legal troubles of the company. It has reignited discussions about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that shields online platforms from the liability of third-party content. Basically, the companies get a virtual free pass from accusations of being involved in such illicit sales.

Meta said it is working with the law-enforcement agencies in the matter to combat illegal activities on its platforms.

Pakistan: 19-year-old newly wed girl burnt alive in Bahawalnagar by husband Ali Raza over suspicion of extra-marital affair

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: 19-year-old newly wed girl burnt alive in Bahawalnagar by husband Ali Raza over suspicion of extra-marital affair

Authorities in Punjab province, Pakistan, on 31st July, reported that a 19-year-old newly wed girl was set ablaze by her husband in the name of ‘honour’. Saba Iqbal was murdered on 28th July in Bahawalnagar, around 400 kilometres from Lahore, by her husband Ali Raza, who believed his wife was having an extra-marital affair. The couple entered into a court marriage about eight months ago, per the police. Her body was discovered at Chak 50/4-R, Haroonabad, outside a gas station.

According to a First Information Report filed with the Haroonabad City Police Station, Saba Iqbal from Faqirwali willingly married Ali Raza from Habib Town. However, he began abusing her shortly after they got married, claiming she was involved in immoral activities. The accused told his in-laws on 28th July over the phone that she had fled the house during an argument with him out of rage, and had not been seen since. The deceased’s father, Muhammad Iqbal, said that he and family members immediately rushed to Ali Raza’s residence to search for their daughter. However, the following day, her burnt corpse was discovered in the field.

The official complaint revealed that Ali Raza admitted to burning his spouse alive. A complaint was submitted against him and two other unnamed accomplices. Police sources revealed that soon after the marriage, the culprit started to accuse the victim of having extramarital relationships. He severely assaulted her the day of the incident, burned her alive, and dumped the body in the field. The authorities mentioned, “In his confession, Raza said he killed Saba after knowing that she had relations with someone else outside his locality.”

According to police sources, he has been arrested and is undergoing further interrogation. He already confessed that he killed his wife for honour, and his sister and brother-in-law were also complicit in the crime. Human rights advocates say that about 1,000 women in Pakistan are killed each year in the name of honour.

Lucknow, UP: Nadeem urinates on Hindu temple walls, assaults Dilip with iron rods for opposing the act, Saleem, Nafees, and 4 others also booked

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow, UP: Nadeem urinates on Hindu temple walls, assaults Dilip with iron rods for opposing the act, Saleem, Nafees, and 4 others also booked

On the 31st of July, a Hindu man identified as Dilip was brutally assaulted and attacked by some miscreants after he raised his voice against a person identified as Mohammed Nadeem who was caught urinating on the walls of a temple in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The miscreants including Nadeem who urinated on the temple walls, abused Dilip for opposing the act. They also barged into his home and assaulted him using iron rods and bamboo sticks resulting in severe injuries.

According to the reports, the police are said to have taken cognizance of the incident and arrested three individuals in this case.

Victim Dilip Singh commented on the issue and confirmed that Nadeem was seen urinating on the walls of the temple at around 3 pm on Tuesday, 30th July. On opposing, Nadeem began abusing and assaulting Dilip. Some of the locals tried to pacify the matter after which Dilip went home.

Later Nadeem, Saleem, Nafees, Babu s/o Kaleem, and three other associates barged into the home of Dilip and launched a brutal attack on him. They attacked using iron rods and bamboo sticks which resulted in severe injuries to Dilip.

The neighbors then learned about the incident and reached the spot immediately to see Dilip soaked in blood. They took him to the hospital and got him treated.

The accused by then had managed to flee from the spot. However, the police filed an FIR based on a complaint filed by Dilip and arrested three individuals.

Further investigations are underway.

3 dead, 40+ feared missing after massive cloudburst struck Himachal Pradesh, rescue operations underway

OpIndia Staff
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3 dead, 40+ feared missing after massive cloudburst struck Himachal Pradesh, rescue operations underway

The state capital Shimla, among other places in Himachal Pradesh, witnessed heavy downpours. Landslides followed cloudburst in the state, killing 3 people and injuring many others. As per the initial reports, the number of people missing after the landslide has crossed the mark of 40. The rescue operations are underway, yet the situation has turned scary leaving many people lost. While the media claims that 40 people are missing, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh says that 50-plus people are feared missing.

Since Wednesday night, 3 cloudbursts have taken place in Himachal Pradesh: one in Rampur, Shimla, and two in Kullu. As a result of the region’s surprisingly heavy rainfall, 33 individuals are missing in Rampur alone, and three others are missing in Kullu. The other missing persons are from Mandi.

Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap stated that upon learning about the event, personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, police, and rescue services were stationed at the scene. Drones are being used to assist in locating the missing individuals.

The regional Meteorological Office has issued an Orange (be prepared) alert in many areas of Himachal Pradesh including Kinnaur, Spiti Valley, and Lahaul. The department has stated the probability of massive rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning. 48 roads have also been closed by the centre.

The meteorological office also warned of the likelihood of landslides and flash floods in sensitive regions of Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, and Kinnaur districts. There is also a threat of damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures, and kutcha huts caused by strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

Meanwhile, intermittent rain hit areas of Himachal Pradesh throughout the day. Dharamshala received 127.6 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, followed by Una with 60.2 mm, Manali with 45 mm, Jogindernagar with 27 mm, Kangra with 21.6 mm, Saloni with 18.2 mm, Palampur with 17.4 mm, Nahan with 16.1 mm, and Kasauli with 15 mm, according to Shimla’s regional Met Centre.

Since the start of the monsoon on June 27, 65 people have died as a result of rain-related incidents, according to the state data accessed by media. The state has also suffered losses of Rs 433 crore, according to the Emergency Operation Centre. Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest area in the state on Wednesday, 31st July, with a night temperature of 12.8 degrees Celsius, while Bhuntar in Kullu district was the warmest, with a day temperature of 36.2 degrees.

The incident of cloudburst is also said to have struck the Mandi region of Himachal Pradesh from where around 8 persons have gone missing. Drones are also being used to locate the missing people.

Furthermore, road connectivity has also been disrupted in the impacted districts. According to State Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, four motorable bridges and footbridges have been washed away, and rescue activities are in full swing. Additionally, the apple harvest has also been devastated due to heavy rains.

The overflowing Beas River has significantly damaged the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway in various spots.

According to reports in Kullu, houses in Bhagipul have been damaged, causing an alarm in the Bhuntar area owing to floods from the swelling Parvati River and Malana Khud, which has also impacted the Malana I and Malana II hydropower plants.

The Manali-Chandigarh National Highway has been disrupted in several places due to landslides and flooding, with water from the Beas River entering residences in Pandoh, Mandi. “All educational institutions in the affected regions have been closed as authorities concentrate on rescue and relief efforts,” officials said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has called an emergency meeting at the secretariat in response to the cloudburst.

This is the day after Wayanad district in Kerala experienced a massive disaster on Tuesday, 30th July, as three back-to-back severe landslides washed away four villages- Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha. Approximately 350 homes got demolished and washed away, and 1000s of people were hit as the landslides hit the district between 2 am to 4 am on Tuesday, July 30.

The rescue operations are still underway and so far around 256 people are officially feared dead. The NDRF, SDRF, and the Indian Coast Guard teams, Army teams reached the spot immediately on Tuesday and began the rescue operations. The teams rescued more than 4000 people and sent them to 45 relief camps set up by the government.

The rescue team members, while talking to the media, also confirmed that the dead bodies were recovered in gruesome conditions. According to them, the team members have recovered individual body parts like arms, legs, and heads of some people while the rest of their body is still missing. The disaster has spread fear in the minds of people who are demanding rehabilitation by the government. A detailed report about what led to massive landslides in Wayanad can be read here.

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