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Attack on EVMs resumes after Mid-Day claimed a phone was used to unlock EVMs, here is how the report is completely fake and misleading

Raju Das
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Attack on EVMs resumes after Mid-Day claimed a phone was used to unlock EVMs, here is how the report is completely fake and misleading

After better-than-expected results secured by the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha elections, attacks on Electronic Voting Machines have almost stopped. However, some sections continue to create doubt about India’s secure electronic voting system. On 16 June, Mid-Day published a sensational report claiming that a relative of newly elected Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar was able to connect to EVMs using his mobile phone.

The report claimed that a mobile phone was used for generating the OTP that unlocked the EVM machine, which was used inside the NESCO Centre during the counting of votes on June 4. The report states that police have launched an investigation into the case and sent the phone for examination to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

Notably, the report didn’t say what did Mangesh Pandilkar, Ravindra Waikar’s relative, do after ‘unlocking the EVM by generating OTP on his phone’. It just noted that Waikar won by 48 votes, but didn’t say Pandilkar increased votes in the EVM using his phone. On the other hand, towards the end of the report, it states that an Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) for Service Voters was present in the centre. It states that another accused Dinesh Gurav used the same phone to generate OTP to unlock the postal ballot system.

Mid-Day claimed, “During the counting of votes through the EVM machine, the candidate Amol Kirtikar was ahead but when the votes on the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System were counted, Kirtikar lagged behind, eventually losing the race to Waikar.” The report tried to insinuate that the Shiv Sena candidate won because his relatives used a phone to unlock an EVM and an ETPBS by generating OTPs.

Following the publication of the report, attacks on the EVMs have resumed on social media. As expected, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi used the report to resume his attacks on EVMs.

While the police have launched a probe over the use of a phone inside the counting centre in Mumbai, the Mid-Day report is grossly misleading. It claims Mangesh Pandilkar used a phone to generate OTP to unlock an EVM, which is a completely baseless claim. Electronic Voting Machines are not connected to any network, and they can’t be ‘unlocked’ remotely by generating an OTP.

After the voting is done, EVMs are sealed physically, and the authorised polling agents of the candidates along with polling officials sign on the seal. The EVMs are then stored in strong rooms where also agents of candidates are allowed to keep a vigil. On the counting day, after the EVMs are taken out, the counting agents of the candidates are allowed to check the seals and the signatures. After everything is found to be ok, the seal is broken, and the result button is pressed to see the number of votes polled by each candidate in that EVM.

At no stage from allocating EVMs to polling booths to voting to counting, there is any provision to lock or unlock EVMs remotely using OTPs. The EVMs are sealed and unsealed physically, not electronically. Therefore, the claim that the Shiv Sena MP’s relatives used a phone to OTP to unlock EVMs is completely fake news.

The report also talked about the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System being unlocked by the same phone.

What is ETPBS

The ETPBS has been used to replace the previous postal ballots used by service personnel for voting. However, even in this system, the votes are not sent electronically. The ETPBS is used to send the ballot papers electronically to the service voters.

The electronic ballots are sent to the voters in an encrypted form with multiple levels of security like passwords and PINs. After receiving and downloading the postal ballots, the respective service voter prints the ballot, marks the vote and sends it to the concerned Returning Officer via post.

The system was introduced to remove the hassles and delays in sending the blank postal ballots to service voters, such as printing each ballot, putting them in envelopes, putting the address etc, which took too much resources and time. Now, the ballots are sent in an encrypted electronic form, like sending a form via mail. But the votes are still cast on paper ballots only.

Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System is the name of the system used to send postal ballots in electronic form, it is not some specific machine like EVM. The system works on standard computers and networks. ECI has a portal for the ETPBS, where the respective election officers can log in from any internet-connected computer to generate and send postal ballots.

ETPBS Process flow from ECI website

To log into the portal, the Returning Officer needs to provide an OTP received on the officer’s registered phone number. After that, the RO prepares password-protected postal ballots for the constituency and uploads them into the system. The ballots are then immediately sent to the concerned voters electronically. To send the ballots, the service voter electoral roll data is used which contains the links between the service voter, unit officer and the record officers.

At the service unit end, the designated officer logs into the system using a password and OTP and downloads the postal ballots. The password-protected postal ballots are then sent electronically to the service voters of that unit. PIN to open the ballot is sent to the voter separately, to ensure that only the concerned voter can open the ballot.

After receiving the ballot, the service voter prints the ballot and marks the vote on it. The voter also needs to sign a form along with it. After that, the ballots are put in a specific envelope provided to the voter, it is sealed, and it is sent by post to the respective Returning Officer.

Therefore, although the system has the words “Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot”, this refers to one waty of the transmission, sending the ballot to the voters. The voters do not send any electronic vote, they print the ballots and send those printed ballot papers for counting.

Counting of postal ballots

The postal ballots are counted at the beginning of the counting in the morning. They are not counted at last after counting EVMs, as claimed by Mid-Day.

Unique serial numbers are printed on the envelopes which are also recorded in the system, and they are verified before the counting. Therefore, the counting officer needs to log into the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System during the counting process, to verify the serial numbers.

However, the ETPBS does not store any vote. Therefore, even if someone manages to get into the system, the votes can’t be manipulated. The postal votes are on printed ballot papers, any phone or OTP can’t manipulate them.

Therefore, the claim that Ravindra Waikar overtook Amol Kirtikar after Dinesh Gurav ‘unlocked’ the system using the phone is completely misleading. The claim that ETPBS is also used after using EVM machines is also wrong and misleading. Counting of postal ballots starts 30 minutes before the counting of EVMs, therefore the ETPBS is also used before the EVM counting begins, to verify the postal ballots received.

There is no use of the system after EVMs are counted. As the number of postal ballots is relatively small, they are generally completely counted in the first hour of counting itself. After EVM counting is over, VVPAT slips from 5 random VVPAT machines are counted.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the Mid-Day article is completely fake as its headline says that Ravindra Waikar’s kin had a phone that unlocks EVM. No EVM can be unlocked with a phone.

What actually might have happened

From the police quotes included in the report, it seems to be a simple case of a phone found inside the counting station without authorisation. There is no quote from any police officer talking about any EVM or OTP or unlocking anything.

The report quotes senior inspector Rampiyare Rajbhar of Vanrai police station saying, “We have sent the mobile phone to forensics that will be looking into the call records. We are also checking if the mobile phone was used for any other reasons. We have recorded the statement of the other candidates and a notice has been sent to the accused Mangesh Pandilkar and Dinesh Gurav. They will have to come to the police station for the investigation. They seem to be cooperating with us for now if this stops, we will issue an arrest warrant.”

Another cop said, “Now, we are now looking at CCTV cameras of the NESCO centre which might help us know how the mobile phone made its way inside the centre. We are also exploring the angle if more accused are involved in this crime or to find out who supplied this mobile phone.” Here, the ‘crime’ seems to be the presence of the phone inside the centre, not anything related to OTP or EVMs.

From these quotes, it is clear that police have not mentioned anything about unlocking EVMs or generating OTPs. They are investigating how the phone was carried inside the counting centre where it is prohibited, checking call records, and if it was used for any other purpose. The police have not said the phone was used to access or unlock EVMs or ETPBS, which seems to be the addition of the Mid-Day report’s author.

Telangana: Police arrest T Raja Singh, prevent him from meeting Gaurakshaks assaulted by goons in Medak

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: Police arrest T Raja Singh, prevent him from meeting Gaurakshaks assaulted by goons in Medak

On Sunday (16th June), the Telangana Police took BJP MLA from Goshamahal T Raja Singh in custody from the airport when he was en route to Medak. He was slated to meet the party’s state unit who were attacked by goons over the issue of cow protection. 

Taking to X, he informed about the development and wrote, “Arrested by Telangana Police at the airport while on the way to Medak to meet @BJP4Telangana Karyakartas who were attacked by goons.”

He earlier stated that he would visit the hospital in Medak and meet Gaurakshaks who were attacked by the goons. Following the development, members of the BJP and BJYM (the party’s youth wing) staged a protest after which the Police arrested them. The BJP leader Singh accused the Medak Police of taking one-sided action and supporting the attackers. 

In another post, he wrote, “Yesterday in Medak, some goons attacked Gau Rakshaks while they were performing Gau Raksha. Medak Police has one-sidedly supported the attackers. All BJP and BJYM Karyakartas have been arrested by the police while the attackers roam freely. Today, I will visit the hospital and meet the Gau Rakshaks who were attacked and injured by the goons.”

It is pertinent to note that clashes erupted between two communities over the alleged illegal transport of cows on Saturday. The Police imposed Section 144 near Ramdas Chowrasta in the Medhak district of Telangana. Notably, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which prohibits gathering of four or more people in an area, is usually implemented to avoid any protests that could lead to violence and riots.

Medak Superintendent of Police Office B Bala Swamy said, “The police imposed Section 144 in the area and the situation is under control now.”

A few persons have already been taken into custody and an investigation is ongoing as cases are being registered against both parties and the situation is under control for now, the senior police officer said. 

According to him, the scuffle broke out when the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leaders stopped the transportation of the cows, and instead of giving a complaint, they staged a protest. 

Swamy said, “The scuffle led to two persons receiving injuries. After that, both parties staged a protest on the road. The hospital where the injured persons were receiving treatment was also attacked.” 

(With Inputs from ANI)

‘Huge sweeping generalisation, happy to give tutorial’: Ex-BJP Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tells Elon Musk after he calls for elimination of EVMs

OpIndia Staff
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‘Huge sweeping generalisation, happy to give tutorial’: Ex-BJP Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tells Elon Musk after he calls for elimination of EVMs

On Monday (16th June), former Minister of State for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar gave a befitting reply to Tesla chief Elon Musk after the latter called for eliminating Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Chandrasekhar said that Musk’s views could apply to the US and other places where internet-connected voting machines are used but the Indian EVMs are different as they have no connectivity, no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or internet.

Elon Musk quoted a post about irregularities found in Puerto Rico elections. He wrote, “We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high.”

His post went viral on social media, especially among the left-liberals, opposition leaders and their supporters who have repeatedly questioned the authenticity of the EVMs in India.

Quoting Musk, Rajeev Chandrasekhar came out in support of Indian EVMs and said, “This is a huge sweeping generalization statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong. Elon Musk’s view may apply to the US and other places – where they use regular computing platforms to build Internet-connected Voting machines. But Indian EVMs are custom designed, secure and isolated from any network or media – No connectivity, no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Internet. i.e. there is no way in. Factory-programmed controllers that cannot be reprogrammed. Electronic voting machines can be architected and built right as India has done.  We would be happy to run a tutorial Elon.”

Musk did not back off and claimed that “Everything can be hacked” in a reply to Chandrasekhar’s post to which the former minister said, “Technically you are right – anything is possible. E.g. with quantum computing, I can decrypt any level of encryption, with lab-level tech and plenty of resources, I can hack any digital hardware/system including flight controls of a glass cockpit of a jet etc. But that’s a different type of conversation from EVMs being secure and reliable vis a vis paper voting. And we can agree to disagree.”

Indian EVMs are secure

Despite repeatedly going through scrutiny and succeeding in proving effectiveness, Indian EVMs have faced criticism, especially from individuals with vested interests and opposition parties. Interestingly, I.N.D.I. Alliance won 230+ seats via EVMs in Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Despite their unexpected gain in a number of seats, the opposition is still crying over the authenticity of EVMs. OpIndia’s detailed report on why Indian EVMs are safe can be checked here.

Uttar Pradesh: Barber Mohammed Zaid spits and rubs saliva on the face of customer, arrested after video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Barber Mohammed Zaid spits and rubs saliva on the face of customer, arrested after video goes viral

After Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, a shocking incident has now emerged from Lucknow, where a barber has been arrested for spitting on his hand and then massaging the customer’s face with his saliva.

The incident was caught on camera and the CCTV footage of the act went viral on social media on Saturday (15th June).

In the viral video, salon operator Mohammad Zaid is seen rubbing his saliva on the face of customer Pandit Ashish Kumar. Subsequently, the customer filed a complaint at the Sushant Golf City police station.

As per reports, the customer, Pandit Ashish Kumar is a resident of Unnao. He works in a canteen and used to visit this salon as it was near his work area. The incident unfolded on Tuesday (11th June) when he went to the salon for a massage.

The accused, Zaid was captured on the CCTV footage in which he could be seen spitting on his hand and using his saliva to massage Kumar’s face after shaving. But, Kumar was unaware of the act at that time. 

However, Kumar became suspicious of Zaid’s act. Afterward, he requested the salon to see the CCTV footage. He was horrified to see the barber’s act of using saliva to massage his face.

When he confronted Zaid about this, he started threatening him. Subsequently, he went on to file a complaint with the police against Zaid. 

Inspector Anjani Kumar Mishra said that based on the complaint, a case has been registered against the accused Mohammad Zaid. The Lucknow Police also arrested the accused barber Zaid. The Police are further investigating the incident.

A similar case of spitting unfolded in Shamli

Earlier this month, on 8th June, a similar case was reported from Shamli in UP. A video of the incident went viral in which a barber named Amjad was seen spitting and then massaging the customer’s face with saliva.

After the video went viral, Shamli SP Abhishek instructed Thana Bhavan police station in-charge Satish Kumar to investigate and take legal action. Within 6 hours of this, the police caught Amjad.

Police said that the person who made the video viral identified the barber as Amjad. When the video was investigated, it was found that this nefarious person runs a salon at the village bus stand.

Amjad is a resident of Bhaned village and his father’s name is said to be Irfan. Police then registered a case in this matter.

Several such cases of spitting have come to light in the past as well. Three years ago, a video of spitting on roti before baking it in a tandoor near Fountain Chowk in Shamli Kotwali went viral. At that time, the police arrested the accused. Similarly, a video of a Muslim youth spitting on tandoori bread before packing it at a hotel in Loni, Ghaziabad, went viral. He was also arrested.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who attacked India without proof over a Khalistani’s death, now says he wants to work with India

OpIndia Staff
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Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who attacked India without proof over a Khalistani’s death, now says he wants to work with India

On 15th June, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his desire to work with India to address some “very important issues”. His statement came during the meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. Notably, the diplomatic relations between India and Canada were strained after Trudeau accused India of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June 2023. The allegations were made by the Canadian PM in the Parliament soon after he returned from the G20 meeting that was held in India.

The meeting between PM Modi and Canadian PM Trudeau took place on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Apulia, Southern Italy where PM Modi was invited as a guest by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The meeting was the first between the two leaders since the tensions between the two nations escalated. PMO shared an image of him with Trudeau shaking hands captioned “PM Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau met during the G7 Summit in Italy.”

The bilateral ties between India and Canada have been under severe strain since the unsubstantiated allegations were made against India regarding Nijjar’s murder. Furthermore, Canada also accused India of meddling with its previous elections without any substantial proof. However, Trudeau’s recent statement indicates the Canadian PM wants to repair the damaged relationships.

On the other hand, bilateral meetings between PM Modi and leaders of several different countries including Italy, France and Japan were held. The meeting between PM Modi and Trudeau was more of a courtesy one. Speaking to the media, Trudeau said, “I’m not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up on, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some critical issues.”

Canadian Press news agency quoted spokesperson Ann-Clara Vaillancourt of the Canadian PM office saying, “Of course, there are important issues between our two countries right now. You can appreciate that we won’t be making any further statements at this time.” The office added that the two leaders had a “brief discussion on the bilateral relationship”.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder and Canada’s accusations against India

On 18th September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dug a deep grave for the India-Canada relationship as he accused Indian agents of being involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.

In the Canadian Parliament, he said, “Over the past number of weeks, Canadian Security Agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between the agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”  “In the strongest possible terms, I continue to urge the government of India to cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter,” Trudeau added in his statement.

His allegations led to a diplomatic standoff between India and Canada. Hitting back at the Trudeau government, the Indian government denounced Canada’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and asked Ottawa to furnish solid proof. The Indian government also pointed out that for internal political compulsions, Trudeau was pandering to the Khalistani extremists. Nearly six months after he aired the allegations in the Canadian Parliament and nine months after Nijjar’s killing, Trudeau’s government has not yet shared any “credible” evidence in this matter. 

Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023. Video footage of Nijjar’s killing recently surfaced online which Canadian media described as “contract killing”. Amid Canada’s failure to indict Indian involvement, “credible” reports had indicated that it could have been a case of “gang violence”. 

Please forgive me, I won’t do it again: Cow smuggler Sufiyan attempts to abscond on bike after firing at police, gets shot in leg during encounter

OpIndia Staff
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Please forgive me, I won’t do it again: Cow smuggler Sufiyan attempts to abscond on bike after firing at police, gets shot in leg during encounter

A suspected cow smuggler named Sufiyan was apprehended following an encounter in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The police are looking into his history sheet as he already has multiple cases filed against him. The accused fired at the cops when they stopped him during a check and they then engaged in a gunfight with him being shot in the leg. A video of him pleading, “I made a mistake this time, I will not do it again. Please forgive me,” has become viral on social media.

According to media reports, the Kotwali police and (Special Operation Group) SOG team of Muzaffarnagar were checking vehicles close to the Kali River. When the police motioned for a bike rider to stop for checking, he sped up and escaped from the check post.

The cops pursued him, and the accused lost his balance and fell down. Seeing himself surrounded by police, he fired at them. The policemen returned fire and was shot in his leg. After that, police nabbed him and took him to a hospital for treatment of his wound. The accused was then identified as Kaif alias Sufiyan from Shamli.

It was then found that the perpetrator is wanted by three police stations in the Shamli district. He has also been involved in cow smuggling and has been described as a cow smuggler in the Royal Bulletin report. Meanwhile, he was recorded begging the authorities to let him go and assured them, “I made a mistake sir, please forgive me once. This will never happen again.” He can be seen walking with the help of other people alongside cops.

Police mentioned that a pistol, cartridges and a motorcycle had been recovered from the culprit. Cases of cow slaughter and theft are registered against him in the police stations of Shamli district. The cops are currently examining his history sheet.

Congress hounds journalist Ajeet Bharti over alleged ‘fake news’ on Rahul Gandhi: Know about the truth and the targeting by Mohammed Zubair

OpIndia Staff
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Congress hounds journalist Ajeet Bharti over alleged ‘fake news’ on Rahul Gandhi: Know about the truth and the targeting by Mohammed Zubair

On 15th June, an FIR was registered against journalist Ajeet Bharti at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru based on the complaint of one BK Bopanna, lawyer and secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s legal cell claiming that Bharti falsely claimed that Rahul Gandhi intended to restore the Babri Masjid in place of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 153A and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR comes after an FIR was registered against X user Befittingfacts over flimsy grounds.

In his complaint, Bopanna accused Bharti of making false claims against Rahul Gandhi in a video. He claimed that Bharti’s statement spread false information with the “intent to provoke dissent and hatred among various religious groups” and was aimed to “disturb public peace and incite disorder”. He further claimed that Bharti’s behaviour promoted public mischief and incited communities against each other “sowing seeds of discord and hatred among various religious communities” that would lead to disruption of peace and harmony in the society.

Alt News’ Zubair’s role in targeting Ajeet Bharti

It has to be noted that it was Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair who first targetted Ajeet Bharti over the video. Zubair, who is known for sharing trimmed videos to set a narrative, shared a small 40-seconds clips of Ajeet Bharti trimmed from a long video. While sharing the video, Zubair wrote, “When did Rahul Gandhi say in any of his speeches that Ram Mandir will be removed and he would bring back Babri Masjid? They repeatedly spread disinformation because they know they are protected by BJP and the opposition will not take any action against them.”

The truth behind Ajeet Bharti’s statement on Rahul Gandhi

The video here is part of a Live Session that Ajeet Bharti had on 14th June. In the session, he was referring to a latest interview of actor Naseeruddin Shah. 10 minutes into the session, this particular portion appears.

Bharti said, “He talked a bit about his childhood, saying that he, too, was targeted for being Muslim and that he used to target others as well. So, it’s not like it wasn’t happening in the country. Many people wondered how Gulfaam Hassan had a change of heart, but where he was trying to lead was, and if you are a good speaker, you can twist the narrative and lead it in a certain direction. He was trying to say that there was an undercurrent, it was beneath the surface. But when Modi came, he saw potential in it and utilized it in his favor. Even if we accept for a minute that Modi utilized it, show me a speech where Modi is saying to remove the police for 15 minutes and we will show what Hindus can do, or Modi is taking the name of a specific community and saying that we will demolish all their religious sites because our temples were there first. Modi has never made such statements to date. Some BJP leaders might have made such statements, but some top leaders of other parties have given such speeches. Rahul Gandhi has claimed that we will remove the Ram Temple and bring back Babri. It is clearly stated that there is a conspiracy to label Hindus as terrorists. Earlier, the terrorism that was happening was not attributed to any religion, but when it comes to saffron terror, it is being pushed forward.”

It is evident from the video that Ajeet never said Rahul Gandhi said so in a speech or a rally. What Ajeet was saying was said first by former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam had said in a statement. On 6th May, it was reported that Acharya Pramod had said in a statement that Rahul Gandhi wanted to voerturn Ram Mandir verdict. He had said, “I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress govt was formed, they will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision…”

Bharti, who was just paraphrasing what a former Congress leader had said is now facing action in Karnataka, which is currently being ruled by Congress.

Interestingly, it appears that Congress party has come out in offensive mode and using state machinary to settle score with prominent right-wing voices. Earlier, an FIR has been filed against an X user for posting a picture claiming Congress leader KC Venugopal was consuming alcohol at a restaurant. In its complaint, Congress identified Shashank Singh as the person responsible for spreading what it said was fake news. “Shashank Singh not only posted a false caption with the picture but also tagged the Kerala Police, urging them to take action against Shri KC Venugopal Ji,” it stated.“This is a serious accusation, particularly given that Shri KC Venugopal Ji is a highly respected leader of the Indian National Congress and represents hundreds of thousands of Indian citizens in Parliament,” the complaint stated.

Haryana: Nuh continues to be the hub of cyber crime, rioter Khalid arrested after impersonating DSP to dupe ₹95000

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana: Nuh continues to be the hub of cyber crime, rioter Khalid arrested after impersonating DSP to dupe ₹95000

On Saturday (15th June), the police arrested two criminals for impersonating the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and defrauding a former sarpanch to the tune of ₹95,000. The incident took place in the Rithath village in the Nuh district of Haryana.

The accused were identified as Khalid and his accomplice Akil. As per reports, the victim Dilbagh received a fraudulent call from Khalid 2-3 days ago.

Khalid had posed as ‘DSP Shamsher’, who used to be the victim’s acquaintance. Given that Dilbagh did not speak to the real DSP Shamsher for a long time, he did not have the latter’s number.

The accused had used the DSP’s image as his WhatsApp DP, prompting Dilbagh to believe that it was indeed his lost acquaintance DSP Shamsher. The smartphone application ‘TrueCaller’ also displayed the name of the police official on the phone number used by Khalid.

He again called Dilbagh the following day and tried to convince the latter about the urgent need for funds arising out of a family problem. Khalid, impersonating ‘DSP Shamsher’, also shared the bank account number with the victim.

Dilbagh fell into the accused’s trap and transferred ₹95000 to the account through his brother’s PhonePe. The victim realised that he has been scammed only when Khalid called again to demand more money.

Following the incident, Dilbagh filed a complaint with the Nuh Cyber police station. The cops acted immediately on the complaint and laid a trap to arrest Khalid and Akil on Saturday.

While Khalid has been sent on one-day police remand, his accomplice has been sent to judicial custody. It has now come to light that Khalid and Akil has been involved in cheating sarpanch and former sarpanch in and around Nuh by pretending to be DSP Shamsher.

As per reports, the accused Khalid has previously been involved in the Nuh violence that took place in July 2023. At that time, he had attacked the cyber police station and pelted stones at Adabar Chowk.

Nuh – A hotbed of cybercrime

Over the years, Nuh had earned the notoriety as ‘new Jamtara’, a reference to the small Jharkhand town which became the epicentre of online frauds. 

Last year in November, the Nuh Police’s Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) team busted a sextortion racket in Nuh and arrested 6 accused identified as Mastan, Ibram alias Imran, Moin son of Nasubat, Shamshuddin son of Jamil, Irfan son of Sheru, and Shahid son of Khurshid.

Further, Opindia had earlier reported that an Islamist mob broke inside the cyber police station in Nuh on July 31, 2023, using a hijacked bus during the Nuh violence. In a targeted attack, the violent mob ransacked and vandalised everything in sight with the ulterior motive of destroying crucial evidence. The Islamists also attempted to burn documents and set the police station on fire.

Later, the police informed that the attack on a cyber police station in the Nuh district of Haryana was pre-planned and aimed at destroying evidence of cyber fraud collected by the cops.

Army toppled Imran Khan, no doubt: Awami Muslim League chief says General Bajwa toppled Imran Khan-led govt in Pakistan

ANI
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Army toppled Imran Khan, no doubt: Awami Muslim League chief says General Bajwa toppled Imran Khan-led govt in Pakistan

Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed claimed there is no doubt that Pakistan’s former Army Chief General (retd) Qamar Bajwa was ‘behind’ the toppling of the Imran Khan-led government, Pakistan-based ARY News reported.

In an exclusive interview with ARY News, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that he was aware that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government was bound to be toppled.

He further said, “The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan had informed (to vote against Imran Khan in the no-confidence motion) me.”

Awami Muslim League chief said, “I told Imran Khan that the MQM-P made it clear that the government is bound to be toppled as signalled by the real forces,” as reported by ARY News.

Asked whether General Bajwa was involved in toppling the PTI government, he responded, “There is no doubt about it.”

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said, “No one has entered in politics of Pakistan, including me, without (backing) of the Gate No. 4.” He stated that he does not see talks between the PTI and the Pakistan government.

He said, “I am not seeing successful dialogue and neither hopeful for it.” Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said, “Initially they were not holding talks, now they will not accept the conditions set for dialogue.”

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has been better than Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He called the PML-N government a “show off” and stressed that two months after Eid are crucial, ARY News reported.

He said, “Two months after Eid are crucial, seeing decisive development by August.” He added, “There might be some new to come on surface,” he added.

Earlier in May, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail, expressed his deepest regret over trusting former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa while in power, Dawn reported.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan blamed Bajwa for allegedly orchestrating his imprisonment and criticised Pakistan’s political and military leadership.

“My only regret is trusting General Bajwa,” Imran lamented, accusing him of “creating lies and false narratives” to secure a second extension as the military head. PTI founder’s allegations against Bajwa were detailed, suggesting a meticulous plan by the former army chief, Dawn reported.

Imran Khan said, “I am certain that this ordeal was orchestrated by General Bajwa. I hold no one else responsible. He meticulously planned and executed this scheme, presenting himself as a deceitful figure, creating lies and false narratives to cause national and international chaos – all to secure his extension.” 

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

Maharashtra: Shinde govt orders closure of Daund slaughterhouse after strong objection from Warkari community, Hindu outfits

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Shinde govt orders closure of Daund slaughterhouse after strong objection from Warkari community, Hindu outfits

The Maharashtra government instructed to shut down a slaughterhouse in Daund of Pune, Maharashtra, after Banda Tatya Karadkar threatened a protest in opposition to the establishment and the followers of the Warkari sect stated that it would pollute the Indrayani and Bheema rivers. Therefore, the administration took immediate cognizance of their demands and decided to close the facility.

Many Hindus reside in Daund as well as nearby Ahilyanagar and Solapur districts. There are a lot of sacred Hindu places in the area along with holy water bodies, including the Bheema River which is also known as the Chandrabhaga River.

The largest government-mechanized slaughterhouse was approved near the famous Shri Kshetra Siddhatek Ganapati temple, which stands at the bank of this river and is a revered spot for all Hindus. Hence, the Warkari community, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists and other Hindus all fiercely demonstrated against the decision. The administration permitted the slaughterhouse without consulting the locals or residents of the nearby neighbourhoods. The people vehemently complained because the development was harmful to their environment and health. Notably, a sacred procession honouring Lord Vitthal is taken out to Pandharpur from different parts of the state and the Chandrabhaga River also flows from here.

The people complained that since the slaughterhouse was located close to the river, the contaminated water carrying blood would be released into it and the same would reach Pandharpur and result in desecration. Banda Tatya Karadkar submitted all these grievances before Eknath Shinde, the chief minister and Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra in a meeting organised in Pune to oversee the preparations of the Pandharpur procession. The chief minister also met with other representatives of the Warkari community before instructing to shut down the slaughterhouse.

Meanwhile, the Hindu community was gearing up for a protest by planning a large-scale movement to force the closure of this slaughterhouse. However, they have now welcomed and applauded the government’s decision. Last year, Hindu groups also objected to the slaughterhouse and submitted a letter to BJP state unit chief Chandrashekar Bavankule.

It read, “This slaughterhouse is being constructed for the benefit of one specific community and the government granting permission to the same has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. It is said that the slaughterhouse is being created to slaughter the buffaloes but there have been many instances in the past where illegal slaughter of cows has taken place Daund. FIRs have also been filed in several such cases.”

The letter also emphasized the slaughterhouse’s illegality by pointing out that Daund is forty kilometres away from Pune’s Baramati district, where there is currently one government-approved slaughterhouse in operation, and that no additional slaughterhouse should be permitted in such close vicinity.

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