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Bengal sees 11 incidents of mob violence in 1 month: From beaten by TMC goons for supporting BJP to lynched for ‘theft’ and Taliban-style flogging

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal sees 11 incidents of mob violence in 1 month: From beaten by TMC goons for supporting BJP to lynched for ‘theft’ and Taliban-style flogging

The Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal is witnessing a new wave of lawlessness, with mob violence and lynchings being weaponised to settle petty issues.

The State has earned a bad name over the years for the ‘Khela’ (game) of violence orchestrated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons against rival political parties. The situation has now been exacerbated with common people taking the law into their own hands.

OpIndia has found more than 10 cases where people were assaulted, injured and killed over suspicion of child lifting, mobile theft, minor bike accidents and even extramarital affairs.

Man lynched for not ‘returning money’

On Monday (1st July), a 25-year-old man named Biswajit Manna was lynched by a frenzied mob in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.

The victim was a resident of Tarakeswar, which fell under the jurisdiction of Naita Malpaharpur gram panchayat. He had taken a loan of ₹50000 from some people but failed to return the money.

Manna was called by the accused at night to their friend’s place and beaten till he became unconscious. He was later rescued by his mother and his sister-in-law and taken to a nearby hospital.

Deceased Biswajit Manna, image via HT Bangla

The 25-year-old succumbed to his injuries. The police arrested two people in connection to the case.

Neighbours kill man in Kolkata

On 29th June, a man named Prasenjit Mondal was lynched by his neighbours in the Salt Lake area in North Kolkata over suspicion of mobile theft.

The accused were identified as Tapan Sarkar, his son Harshit Sarkar and Sridam Mondal. The trio wanted Mondal to confess that he had stolen their missing smartphone.

When the victim denied any involvement in the case, the trio kept on beating him in the hopes of soliciting a confession. The nature of the assault was so brutal that Mondal succumbed to his injuries. The police have now arrested the three men.

Taliban-style assault of woman in Chopra

On 28th June, a Bahubali leader named Tajmul Haque, with ties to the ruling TMC dispensation, was seen publicly flogging a woman in Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal.

The reason for executing the Taliban-style punishment was said to be an ‘extramarital affair.’ According to media reports, Tajmul Haque notoriously runs Taliban-style ‘quick justice’ through his ‘Insaf Sabha’ and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahaman.

TMC MLA Hamidul Rehman justified the Taliban-style attack by claiming that the victim was ‘spoiling the society’ and had ‘loose character.’ He said that public flogging was part of the rules of ‘Muslim Rashtra.’ He also acknowledged that Haque is associated with the ruling TMC.

Public flogging carried out by JCB Tajmul Haque

In a video shared by ANI, a top cop was heard expressing fear of retribution from supporters of the local goon. While speaking about the matter, SP (Islampur police district) Jobi Thomas remarked, “If we kept him in Chopra, the thana could have been attacked. So for safety purposes, we brought him (Tajmul Haque) to Islampur.”

TV mechanic lynched in Kolkata

On 28th June, a TV mechanic named Mohammed Irshad was beaten to death by a mob after accusing him of stealing a mobile phone. The incident took place in Udayan Hostel in the Bowbazar area in Central Kolkata.

The victim was reportedly roaming around in the area when a group of students caught hold of him. They accused him of being a mobile thief and thrashed him brutally.

Irshad’s employer Irfan informed E-Newsroom, “A frantic Irshad had contacted me and pleaded to bring ₹10,000 to the hostel. He told me that if I failed to do so, the boys would kill him.” By the time, the police reached the spot, Irshad was almost dead.

“It took us 30 minutes to locate the hostel, which was locked from inside. It took another 30 minutes for the police to enter the hostel. Irshad was almost 80 per cent dead when we managed to rescue him. We rushed him to Medical College, where he was declared dead within a few hours,” he added.

The police have arrested 14 students, aged between 21 and 28 years, in connection to the case.

Mob lynches man in Pandua

A 25-year-old man was lynched by a mob in Pandua town in Hooghly district of West Bengal. As per reports, the victim was identified as Ashish Baul Das.

A resident of Pandua, Das had gone to a fair on his bike on 27th June 2024. While returning home, his vehicle grazed a few men which led to a heated argument. The men were in the middle of a brawl over the use of loudspeakers.

The minor bike accident infuriated the mob, who then thrashed the victim black and blue. Ashish Baul Das was initially admitted to a hospital in Pandua, followed by Chinsurah.

When his condition deteriorated, he was taken to Kolkata but he died on the way. On 30th June, the police arrested 2 people in connection to the case and booked them for murder.

Muslim woman stripped by Shafiqul-led mob in Cooch Behar

On 27th June, a Muslim woman was stripped, dragged for 1 km by her hair and thrashed for over an hour by goons for supporting the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

The incident took place in Ruidanga village in Matha Bhanga-II block in Coochbehar district of West Bengal. As per reports, a group of TMC goons attacked the woman for being a worker of the Opposition BJP in the State. The victim’s father had filed a complaint with the police.

According to the police complaint, the local TMC cadre had prevented the woman from stepping out of her house since the Lok Sabha elections were announced on 4th June 2024.

The victim was assaulted when she was en route home from a nearby park. A group of TMC goons attacked her, stripped her and then dumped her clothes in a river.

They had also threatened to break her house if she dared to step out again. The Cooch Behar police had detained 4 people, including the primary accused Shafiqul, in connection to the case.

Shafiqul was accused of capturing the naked picture of the victim during the assault and disseminating it on social media platforms.

Locals attack youth in Gopalnagar

On the morning of June 24th, a youth was attacked by a mob on suspicion of child-lifting in Gopalnagar village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

As per reports, the local residents accused the victim of wandering suspiciously and failing to provide his name and identity. According to Sangbad Pratidin, a viral video of the incident showed locals slapping the victim continuously.

The police, however, have denied that the youth was assaulted in any form and claimed that he was mentally unstable.

As per the victim, a group of men dropped him in the Gopalnagar on the night of 23rd June and he had been roaming in the village before being beaten by the locals.

Mob violence in Gaighata

The residents of the Berigopalpur area in Gaighata village thrashed a youth in full public glare after accusing him of being a child kidnapper. The incident took place on 23rd June 2024.

The victim, who is said to be mentally unstable, was seen roaming in the area for several days before the incident. The locals alleged that he entered the house of a man named Alok Debnath and began calling for the latter’s daughter.

They also claimed that the daughter of Alok Debnath fainted after seeing the youth. The locals alleged that he tried to flee the scene. A video of the young man being assaulted by locals has surfaced on social media.

After thrashing the youth, the mob tied him to a house in the neighbourhood. On learning about the matter, the police reached the spot and rescued the victim.

Reportedly, none have been arrested by the police in connection to the case.

Homeless man critically injured in Bangaon

On 22nd June this year, a homeless man was severely injured after a mob attacked him on suspicion of child-lifting. The disturbing incident of mob violence took place in the Thakurpalli area in Bangaon town in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

The victim was reportedly wandering in the area when some locals caught hold of him and began inquiring about his name and identity. Soon after, he was labelled a child lifter and thrashed by the locals.

Mob thrashes homeless man in Bangaon, image via Sangbad Pratidin

On learning about the matter, the police reached the spot and rescued the victim. The man was admitted to the Bangaon Sub-Divisional Hospital in a critical condition.

The cops have so far arrested 2 people in connection to the case.

While speaking about the matter to The Statesman, a local club secretary Niramlendu Biswas informed, “Residents noticed an unknown person wandering in the area at night. Suspecting him to be a child abductor, they beat him up. We went there, rescued him, and informed the police.”

Woman attacked by mob in Ashoknagar

On the evening of June 21st, a woman was thrashed by a mob on the suspicion of being a child lifter. The incident took place in Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

As per reports, the victim was identified as 28-year-old Rajni Khatun. She is a resident of Diamond Harbour town and travels to places on her bicycle. On the fateful day, Khatun was caught by residents in Ashoknagar on suspicion of being a child lifter.

They beat her mercilessly without any provocation. On learning about the matter, the police reached the spot and rescued the victim from the frenzied mob.

Police arrest 15 people for mob violence in Ashoknagar, image via Anandabazar Patrika

During the rescue operation, a police sub-inspector named Manik Mukherjee was injured. Later, a large contingent of police was deployed to the area to bring the law and order situation under control.

The police have arrested 15 people in connection to the case, including three women, and initiated a probe into the matter. It also came to light that the victim was mentally disturbed.

Man assaulted during Eid Mela in Barrackpore

A 32-year-old man, identified as Nazir Hossain, was beaten by a mob on the suspicion of being a child lifter. The incident occurred during the Eid Mela, held on 16th June this year.

Hossain is a resident of Patiulia Panchauat area in Barrackpore. On the occasion of Eid-al-Adha, he attended a Mela (fair) in Mohanpur Panchayat area.

While he was roaming around, a group of people accused him of being a child lifter. “Tui alakar baccha churi korte aschehis (You have come to abduct the children in the area),” they claimed.

Soon after, a mob unleashed its fury on Nazir Hossain and assaulted him mercilessly. The victim was initially admitted to the Dr B N Bose Sub Divisional Hospital.

However, when his condition worsened, Hossain was rushed to the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

On learning about the matter, the family members and relatives of the victim protested before the Mohanpur police station and demanded strict punishment against the culprits.

Madhya Pradesh: Islamist mob gheraoed Police station in Ratlam over an alleged objectionable post on Instagram, police from 4 stations mobilised to control the situation

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Islamist mob gheraoed Police station in Ratlam over an alleged objectionable post on Instagram, police from 4 stations mobilised to control the situation

Tensions recently erupted in the Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh after an Islamist mob gheraoed a Police station in the late hours of Sunday. The angry mob entered the police station premises as well as created a ruckus on the streets. The Islamists demanded immediate action against an unknown Instagram user for uploading an alleged objectionable post.

To pacify the situation and avoid the occurrence of any untoward incident, the police assured action in the matter. They also informed the mob as well as Chief Qazi of the area that an FIR had been registered against an unknown person and the identity of the Instagram user was being looked into. 

According to media reports, after getting Police assurance, the angry mob initially dispersed from the Police station. However, they gathered at the Qazi’s residence from where they again marched towards the Police station and gheraoed it demanding immediate action against the user who made the alleged objectionable post. 

As per reports, the administration had to mobilise Police personnel from four stations to bring the situation under control. Additionally, the Police were forced to deploy a Riot Control vehicle Vajra outside the station.  

The incident reportedly took place on Sunday (30th June) night in Ratlam’s Station Road police station. As the angry Muslim mob started gathering near the police station, it sparked a tense situation in the area and nearby shopkeepers immediately closed their shops to avoid getting caught in harm’s way. 

According to a report in Naidunia, the news of an objectionable post shared by the ID of a person named Vivek Singh spread rapidly among several groups on Sunday night. It was alleged that the social media user made objectionable comments on the Muslim community. Afterwards, a large Islamist mob reached the police station, demanding action against the Instagram user. 

The police registered a case against an unknown person. CSP Abhinav Warange, Station Road TI Dinesh Bhojak, and other police officers started explaining to the angry mob that an FIR had been lodged in this matter. They also assured that soon, with the help of the cyber cell, the accused will be traced and arrested. 

Meanwhile, Chief Qazi of the area, Qazi Asif Ali also reached the police station and discussed with the police officers and the protesters. However, by that time, the crowd had already left the police station. The protesters later reached the residence of Qazi Ali. 

At around 12:15 in the night, a large number of people reached the police station with Qazi Ali. Some of the protesters and Qazi held a discussion with the Police. He later came out of the police station and told the protesters that an FIR had been lodged.

However, some protesters were not ready to accept. They were also shown a copy of the FIR. Somehow the crowd was persuaded and sent away. 

CSP Abhinav Warange stated that the post had been made hurting religious sentiments. A case was registered under section 295. With the help of the cyber cell, it is being looked into who created the Instagram ID. This photo has been posted in some groups. The accused will be identified soon, he added. 

Gujarat: Man sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his 7-year-old cousin in Vadodara in 2022

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Man sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his 7-year-old cousin in Vadodara in 2022

A seven-year-old girl living in a village close to Vadodara, Gujarat was raped by her cousin. Now, he has received 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 also has been slapped on him. The court further ordered the govt to pay a compensation of ₹6 lakh to the victim.

The incident occurred on 8th April 2022 when the convict who is her cousin (son of her father’s brother) spotted her after she had gone out to collect Mahua (flowers). He told her that he would take her to another place to gather better flowers. The two covered some distance when he grabbed her hand and lured her by offering chocolates. He then made her lie on the ground and proceeded to sexually violate the minor.

Afterwards, the terrified girl put on her clothes and fled from the place. She reached home and hid under the bed when she was asked about the reason behind her late arrival. However, her mother pulled her out and tenderly inquired what has happened, after which the girl narrated the horrifying ordeal.

Following this, a case was registered at Jawahar Nagar police station and the accused was arrested by the police. The matter was then presented in the court. During the trial, the juvenile and her parents turned hostile. However, the court declared that the statement of the girl under Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 164 stated the facts against the perpetrator and the medical evidence is also against him along with the FSL proof which supports the case against him.

Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Judge Priyanka Agarwal, after evaluating the arguments and evidence of Public Prosecutor RS Chauhan, found the cousin guilty and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a penalty of Rs 10,000. The court directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to pay the family an amount of Rs 6 lakh from the Victim Compensation Fund under the Victim Compensation Scheme and also asked to oversee that it is used only for the little girl’s benefit.

Gujarat Home Minister also tweeted about the development. He lauded the decision and stated that it has set an example in the society. He informed that the minor would get Rs 6 lakh as compensation and expressed gratitude to the police for their promptness, sensitivity and submission of the charge sheet in just 27 days.

He further assured that the government is committed to preventing such cases and would not spare people with such a “depraved mindset.”

Absolute excess action on part of police: Calcutta HC orders release of a man arrested for alleged derogatory comments during Mamata Banerjee’s live stream

OpIndia Staff
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Absolute excess action on part of police: Calcutta HC orders release of a man arrested for alleged derogatory comments during Mamata Banerjee’s live stream

While ordering the release of a man arrested for criticising the Mamata Banerjee govt in the comment section of a Facebook live video, the Calcutta High Court on 27th June said that the arrest was an absolute excess action on the part of the police. The court also slammed the police for arresting the petitioner on defamation charges, even though the person who filed the complaint against him was not the alleged defamed person.

As a result, the High Court directed the release of the man who was arrested for making allegedly untoward and ‘defamatory’ comments towards some govt officials during a Facebook livestream of an administrative meeting held by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Live Law reported on Wednesday (3rd July 2024).

The single bench of Justice Amrita Sinha opined that it was an “absolute excess action on the part of the police” to arrest people for criticising someone, especially when the aggrieved party had not filed the complaint. Slamming the high-handedness of the Police officer, the court ordered the release of the arrested accused. The bench held that the police’s actions in the case amounted to “prima facie over-action.” Notably, the youth was booked under Sections 505(1)(b) and 500 of the Indian Penal Code. It was alleged that he made certain untoward or defamatory remarks against certain government functionaries in the comment section of CM Banerjee’s Facebook Livestream.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel stated that the Police arrested the accused within a day of making the comments during the livestream. The counsel submitted that no due process was followed while arresting the petitioner. According to the petitioner’s counsel, the accused was called to the police station. The Police then immediately arrested him and sent him behind bars without any explanation for offences that were only punishable with less than two years of imprisonment.

However, opposing his release, the State’s Counsel argued that the petitioner was arrested because he had not responded to the notice issued by the Police under Section 41A of the CrPC. 

In contrast, the petitioner’s counsel emphasised that the accused was arrested on a complaint filed by a person who was not the aggrieved party in the present case.

Following the arguments by both sides, the bench expressed concern that the petitioner was arrested for the offence of defamation when the complaint was not even made by the aggrieved persons and within two days of the complaint.

The Court raised objections over the fact that the petitioner was arrested and his fundamental right of speech was curbed without the Police following any due process of law.

The court said, “Where is the bar for people to ventilate their grievances? Just go and arrest somebody? Where is the person who has been defamed? Did Arup Roy (aggrieved party) lodge the complaint? Why will others come in and file a complaint on behalf of him? This is absolute excess action on part of the police it seems.” 

Further, the bench of the Calcutta High Court noted that the petitioner was arrested on the same day when a Section 41A notice was given to him. When the state’s counsel argued that the petitioner had refused to accept the notice, the bench replied, “Can a second notice not be served on him? It is a defamation case of somebody else. Why will he be arrested in the first place? On the same day as the 41A notice is served?” 

The Calcutta High Court then slammed the Police for taking actions against freedom of speech and arresting people for criticising someone.   

The bench said, “Even if it is an aspersion, no court of law has adjudicated on it. Do you want to gag people? They cannot criticise anyone anymore? What is your obligation? To go and arrest people?”

The bench also directed that the CCTV footage of the police station – on the day when the accused was arrested – should be preserved. 

While ordering the petitioner’s release, the court remarked, “Only because a citizen has protested or tried to highlight corruption on the end of a member of the ruling dispensation, the police ought not to have taken such stringent steps to curtail the freedom of such citizen. Act of detention and arrest appears to be an act of high-handedness by the police officer, accordingly, this Court directs the release of the petitioner.”

UP: Tanzeem and Faizan assault a shopkeeper, employees in Bulandshahr; Islamists and leftists peddle ‘mob-lynching’ agenda after they were caught

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Tanzeem and Faizan assault a shopkeeper, employees in Bulandshahr; Islamists and leftists peddle ‘mob-lynching’ agenda after they were caught

Some Muslim youths entered a shop and beat up the shopkeeper and his employees in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. They created a lot of ruckus and when the nearby shopkeepers caught them, a scuffle broke out between the two sides. However, Islamic handles and leftists gave it a communal colour and started spreading the agenda of mob lynching. Sachin Gupta, infamous for misrepresenting facts regularly, posted a video of the incident and wrote, “Mob violence in UP’s Bulandshahr district. Tanzeem and Faizan went to Santlal’s shop to replace a carbonate but he refused. They protested and a crowd assaulted them. There was no action taken against the latter. However, the two brothers have been arrested under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) section 151 (breach of peace).

Ansar Imran attempted to characterize the instance as a mob lynching. He alleged, “The poison of hatred has completely spread in the society. No one knows when a crowd that sympathizes with animals kills a human being. The latest case is from Bulandshahr in UP where Muslim boys Tanzeem and Faizan were brutally beaten up by a violent throng. A complete attempt was made to carry out mob lynching. The most surprising thing is that instead of taking action against the belligerent mob, the police arrested the pair on charges of disturbing the peace.”

Rizwan Haider, who claims to be a journalist, also tried to spread the same lie and claimed, “Don’t forget that you are a Muslim otherwise you will be murdered. Tanzeem and Faizan, who had gone to a shopkeeper to exchange goods were allegedly thrashed by a throng in Bulandshahr. No action was taken against the attackers while the brothers have been apprehended for disturbing the peace.”

The instance was not mob lynching, but the duo attacking the shopkeeper and employees: Police

The incident pertains to the Gulaothi area of Bulandshahr on 30th June. Faizan and Tanzeem had arrived at a store in the central bazaar. They both sell mangoes for a living and come to Rajiv Narang’s store to acquire carbide chemicals to ripen them. The duo then began an argument with the store owner and misbehaved with him. Afterwards, they grew violent and called two more of their companions. All of them then assaulted the shopowner and his workers after which the friends of Tanzeem and Faizan ran away. The nearby shopkeepers gathered there after witnessing the occurrence and Faizan and Tanzeem were nabbed immediately. The infuriated people also brawled with them before going to the Gulaothi Police Station and demanding action against the accused.

Afterwards, the authorities arrested Tanzeem and Faizan as well as challaned them for disturbing the peace but both received bail in the police station. The two have also registered a case against the shopkeeper and claimed that they were beaten without any reason. Circle Officer Purnima Singh of Secunderabad while speaking to OpIndia informed that the matter is not as it is being publicised and mentioned that the shopkeeper was attacked first after which there was a retaliation. Cases have been submitted against both the parties. She disclosed that the two associates of the young Muslim men had absconded.

Tanzeem and Faizan were charged with disturbing the peace and the police station released them on bail. She stated that there is now no dispute and all sides are calm. The police statement made it quite evident that the issue was not of mob lynching but of catching the attackers and scuffling with them. Islamic handles and journalists are continuously trying to spread lies in such cases. They did the same when a Maulana died in an accident in Koderma, Jharkhand.

‘Kiara Advani uses black magic to threaten him’: Sidharth Malhotra fan accuses actor’s fanpage admins Aliza and Husna Parveen of duping her of Rs 50 lakhs

OpIndia Staff
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‘Kiara Advani uses black magic to threaten him’: Sidharth Malhotra fan accuses actor’s fanpage admins Aliza and Husna Parveen of duping her of Rs 50 lakhs

A fan of Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra has accused a fan page of defrauding her out of Rs 50 lakh. Minoo Vasudeva, residing in the US, asserted on the social media platform X, using the handle @desi_girl334, that Aliza and Husna Parveen, the managers of the fan page, had tricked her with fake stories that Malhotra’s wife was threatening his life.

The actor has now addressed the allegations personally.

Sidharth Malhotra stated, “It has come to my attention that certain fraudulent activities/scams have been circulating on various social media platforms, allegedly claiming to be associated with or about me, my family, and people claiming to be my fans and seeking money.”

“I want to assure everyone reading this that neither I nor my family or team support any of this. I urge all of you to exercise caution when dealing with such matters. If you receive any suspicious requests, report them to the appropriate authorities and avoid spreading false information,” he further added.

“My fans have always been my greatest strength, and your trust and safety are my top priorities. Big love and hug!” Malhotra said while concluding his post.

The fan had earlier alleged that the administrators concocted stories about Malhotra’s life being endangered by his wife, Kiara Advani. Vasudeva also claimed that the admins said Kiara coerced Sidharth into marriage by threatening his family and using black magic on him.

She disclosed that Aliza requested financial help to ‘save Sid’ and connected her with an alleged PR team member, Deepak Dubey, and an informer from Kiara’s team named Radhika.

Vasudeva stated that she paid weekly fees for insider information and interactions with the actor, which she now believes were fake. She shared screenshots of conversations and claimed to have lost Rs 50 lakh in the process. Vasudeva demanded justice and a refund of her money.

Fans have been sharing her posts and tagging Sidharth Malhotra to draw his attention to the alleged scam. There has been no response from Sidharth or the fan page on Instagram. It is unclear if Vasudeva has contacted the police.

West Bengal: TMC leader fatally assaults an elderly woman with shoes for calling him a ‘donkey’, sixth incident of public brutality leading to death within 11 days

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC leader fatally assaults an elderly woman with shoes for calling him a ‘donkey’, sixth incident of public brutality leading to death within 11 days

Another shocking incident of public brutality which resulted in the victim’s demise has come to light from the Bardhaman district of West Bengal. According to reports, the incident unfolded after a Trinamool Congress leader got offended when the victim called him a ‘donkey’. Afterward, he started brutally assaulting her with shoes which led to her demise. The accused TMC leader has been identified as Vishwajit Acharya and he is a member of the local panchayat. Incidentally, this was the sixth unfortunate case of public brutality which resulted in the death of the victim within just 11 days.

The murder case of the elderly woman took place on Sunday (30th June) in the Sitahati Panchayat area of Ketugram in East Bardhaman district of West Bengal. Based on the complaint of the relatives of the deceased elderly woman, the police arrested the accused TMC leader Vishwajit Acharya.  

The deceased elderly woman was identified as Bindubala Majumdar (62). According to reports, her granddaughter had eloped with a youth in the village. During a panchayat ‘mediation’ meeting between the two families, the accused Trinamool leader sided with the boy’s side. Angry with him for choosing a side, the victim called the TMC leader a ‘donkey’. Infuriated by it, he started brutally assaulting the elderly woman with shoes. 

Subsequently, the injured elderly woman was admitted to Katwa Hospital where she died after some time. Iti Das, daughter of the deceased woman, lodged an FIR against Viswajit Acharya, Arjun Devnath, and Abhi Devnath.  

While the Police arrested the accused TMC leader Viswajit Acharya on the same night, the remaining two accused are still absconding.

Recent cases of public brutality/lynching in West Bengal

On Monday (1st July), drunk TMC-backed goons brutally assaulted a woman Bubun Panja, and her teenage son Sayandeep Panja over a minor dispute in Ariadaha, North 24 Parganas district. Both were admitted to the hospital in critical condition. 

In the attack, the miscreants broke the bone of the victim woman and several teeth of her son. The incident took place on Sunday night in the area’s Kamarhati municipality. 

The CCTV footage of the incident went viral on Tuesday. According to neighbours and eyewitnesses, local “bahubali” and TMC leader Jayant Singh’s goons arrived at Sayandip Panja’s house. Reportedly, the two parties had an altercation earlier. Incidentally, Singh is said to be close to TMC MLA Madan Mitra. 

The goons then dragged Panja from his house and started assaulting him, his mother, and a friend, Surya Kumar Das after they tried to intervene. The attackers had used bamboo, hockey sticks, and a cricket stump to attack the victims. While the Police said it had arrested six people in this incident, locals said that the main accused, Singh, is yet to be arrested.

Woman commits suicide after brutal assault in Jalpaiguri district

A day after a woman along with a man was flogged in public by a local Trinamool Congress functionary in the name of ‘summary Justice’ in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district, a similar case was reported from the Phulbari area of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district. According to reports, the woman died by suicide after she was beaten up by a group of people from her village panchayat in the Phulbari area. The incident took place in Bogravita panchayat on June 29. 

The woman was allegedly assaulted over allegations of having an illicit affair. The woman’s husband has lodged a complaint with the police. He said that on Monday, a group of local women misbehaved with his wife and beat her severely, accusing her of having illicit relations. 

When he tried to intervene, the accused group of women also started assaulting him. The woman reportedly committed suicide by drinking pesticide at night. Her husband had accused the Panchayat head and TMC leader of the incident. According to him, TMC leader Malati Roy, along with her husband Shankar Roy, called them for a meeting. When they reached there, their supporters allegedly attacked both him and his wife. Malati and Shankar Roy denied these allegations, asserting they did not hold a kangaroo court.

Meanwhile, Police have detained four people for questioning in this case.

Six people have died following public brutality in West Bengal

A man was beaten to death in Hooghly district on Monday night (1st July). According to police, Biswajit Manna, a resident of Naita Malpaharpur gram panchayat in the Tarakeswar area of Hooghly district, had taken a loan of around Rs 50,000 from the accused but failed to repay it. According to the officials, the victim was identified as Biswajit Manna, a resident of Naita Malpaharpur gram panchayat in the Tarakeswar area of Hooghly district. Two accused were detained and Police filed a suo moto case in this incident. 

According to media reports, a similar incident took place on 22nd June when a 23-year-old man was brutally assaulted by residents in Jhargram. He died during treatment in the hospital on Sunday. 

It is alleged that the accused suspected the victims to be mobile phone thieves. The deceased victim was identified the deceased as Sourav Sau, a resident of the Benageria area of Jhargram. Additionally, his friend identified as Akshay Mahato, who was also beaten up was said to be critical.

Earlier, on Friday (28th June), a young man named Prasen Mandal was fatally assaulted in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata on suspicion of mobile theft. 

Similarly, on Saturday (29th June), a man named Irshad Alam was beaten to death on suspicion of mobile theft in a hostel in Bowbazar, Kolkata.

Furthermore, on 27th June, in Hooghly’s Pandua area, a young man named Ashish Baul Das was brutally assaulted following a minor bike accident. He died in the hospital on Sunday (30th June). Subsequently, Police lodged a murder case and arrested two locals. 

According to eyewitnesses, Ashish’s bike hit the vehicle of another man who was in a drunken state. According to locals, there was already tension between the two groups over playing loud music. After the bike accident, a few drunken men started beating Ashish Baul Das. He was rescued and taken to the hospital by locals. 

Apart from these death cases, many more incidents of public brutality have surfaced from West Bengal in the last few days including ones of Taliban-stlyed flogging in ‘Insab Sabhas’. 

On Sunday (30th June), CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim shared a video, in which a local Bahubali leader Tajemul was seen assaulting a married woman and a man lying helplessly on the road in the name of ‘summary Justice’. 

Sharing the video of the assault, CPI(M) leader and Former Rajya Sabha MP Salim alleged that the main accused seen in the video was a local TMC goon who goes by the nickname ‘JCB’. As the video went viral, a public outcry ensued, with many taking to social media to express their anger and demand justice for the victim. Notably, the police arrested the perpetrator Tajemul alias JCB.

Chopra flogging incident: Prime accused Tajmul Haque’s aide Amirul Islam arrested after police identified him in the shocking video

OpIndia Staff
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Chopra flogging incident: Prime accused Tajmul Haque’s aide Amirul Islam arrested after police identified him in the shocking video

One more person has been arrested in the case of public flogging on a woman in Chopra in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, police said on Wednesday.

According to reports, the arrested person identified as Amirul Islam alia Budhuwa, is an aide of Tajmul Haque alias JCB, the prime accused who is already in custody. Amirul was identified in the video where Tajmul was seen mercilessly assaulting a woman and a man. He is a resident of the Nakkati area in Lakhpur Gram Panchayat.

Amirul has been taken into custody and will be presented in Islampur court. However, Amirul has denied any role in the crime, claiming that he was only a spectator at the incident. But in the video, Amirul could be seen holding the stick used to assault the couple, while Tajmul ‘JCB’ was kicking them instead of using the sticks.

As per police, they are identifying everyone seen in the video, and more arrests will be made soon.

The police earlier arrested Tajmul Haque, alias JCB, who was seen beating up the victims in a purported video of the incident that had gone viral on social media. After the arrest, he was shifted from Chopra to Islampur for fear of attack on the police station by his supporters. While speaking about the matter, SP (Islampur police district) Jobi Thomas remarked, “If we kept him in Chopra, the thana could have been attacked. So for safety purposes, we brought him (Tajmul Haque) to Islampur.”

Tajmul Haque brutally assaulted a woman and a man during a so-called ‘arbitration meeting’ which he named ‘Insaf Sabha’ over an allegation of an ‘extramarital affair’. A large number of people were spectators to the flogging, and nobody protested to the brutal assault.

The incident drew protests by opposition BJP which accused the Trinamool Congress of implementing “Taliban rule” and “Sharia law” in West Bengal.

Earlier women MLAs of the West Bengal BJP protested outside the State Assembly after Speaker refused to permit a discussion on the issue in the Assembly.

“Our question to the Speaker is that if you have permitted the TMC to agitate, why would you not permit us? We are not agitating in support of Sheikh Shahjahan. We are agitating in support of the women of West Bengal and protesting against their oppression. This is not illegal. We had sought permission from the Speaker but we were not permitted. But we have to protest. So, we are here. Why is the Speaker playing a double standard game?,” Agnimitra Paul,BJP MLA, said while speaking to ANI.

The BJP alleged that Chopra MLA Hamidul Rahaman had ties with the accused, Tajmul Haque. The MLA has however denied the allegation and condemned the incident.

“We condemn the incident. But the woman also did wrong. She left her husband, son, and daughter and became an evil beast. There is some code and justice according to Muslim rashtra. However, we do agree that what happened was a bit extreme. Tajimul Haque is not one of our party members, but still, we are finding any connections at the group level,” Rahaman said.

200 babies from 1 sperm donor in Australia? Queensland orders frozen sperm samples to be destroyed after audit finds major lapses in identification and handling

OpIndia Staff
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200 babies from 1 sperm donor in Australia? Queensland orders frozen sperm samples to be destroyed after audit finds major lapses in identification and handling

A health watchdog assessment in Australia’s Queensland which has one of the biggest IVF industries in the nation revealed that over half of fertility samples in many facilities were potentially misidentified leading to the ordering of a frozen sperm purge. The state has come under fire after allegations of malpractice were made against some of its top providers.

The nationwide sperm scarcity, which has been brought on by increased demand, stricter laws, and disruptions from the pandemic, is rendered more severe by the cleanout.

A recent analysis disclosed that 42% of all audited samples in the state had a medium to high risk of being wrongly identified. According to a news source. During audits, the state found over twice as many possible problems as Victoria, the next worst state.

The Office of the Health Ombudsman identified “identification mix-ups, loss of viability of gametes or embryos, and suspected deterioration beyond laboratory standards” as examples of errors. The report highlighted, “Some incidents, such as incorrect labelling of frozen semen and unclear labelling of straws, were not reported to the regulator by one provider potentially indicating lapses in reporting protocols.”

Queensland’s health ombudsman this week discovered “systemic issues” about “quality and safety” and “safeguards for consumers, donors, and donor-conceived children” after looking into the multimillion-dollar industry. According to the research, 42% of sperm donations, egg samples, and embryos in Queensland had problems with “identification and traceability,” which means that clinics either mislabeled or lost track of the samples, or allowed them to degrade below acceptable levels.

“Families are raising children whose biological fathers are not known”

Additionally, it featured claims made by patients against IVF clinics for misidentifying eggs and embryos, omitting to reveal donor medical concerns, and mixing up sperm. One family claimed that as a result, they ended up raising children whose biological fathers were not the same. All reproductive providers should destroy donor material that is stored and does not match current identification criteria, according to the panel’s recommendation.

The report’s conclusion stated that “appropriate counselling should be offered” by fertility providers and “the impact on consumers and the donor-conceived children cannot be underestimated.” The number of sperm samples that could be destroyed is unknown, but the ombudsman classified “thousands” frozen before 2020 as “high risk” since an audit at a single centre indicated they “did not comply with double witnessing,” which is the process by which two IVF specialists confirm a patient’s material has been accurately labelled.

The ombudsman uncovered that mistakes in the sector are still happening to this day. According to the research, 4% of the material collected at one clinic since 2021 was at medium or high risk of being misidentified. It was discovered that one facility had not conducted an internal audit on identity and traceability in the previous 12 months. Double witnessing is a fundamental health examination that is done even for straightforward operations like saline drips. A woman, Anastasia Gunn mentioned that she received the wrong sperm in 2014 and is suing a reproductive clinic in Queensland for the same as she believed her oldest son and his two brothers are not related.

“Using low-quality sperms, unviable embryos”

The audit also uncovered that among other lapses, the state’s industry had utilized extremely low-quality sperm, neglected to unveil faults or delayed doing so and withheld the incorrect sperm’s use from one pregnant patient for several weeks. Further problems that were reported included using sperm that had been kept for over ten years, misplacing a customer’s last sample of sperm, employing an embryo without the donor’s permission, and utilizing an embryo that was declared nonviable due to a temperature gauge malfunction among others.

One donor has fathered hundreds of children in same facility: Children may grow up to have relationships with biological siblings without knowing it

Fears of incest were also sparked by a donor fathering hundreds of children due to a lack of regulation. Concerns were raised regarding the possible number of siblings her child might unintentionally have when a woman reported that the sperm donor she used had donated more than 200 times at the same facility. The study was unable to determine the number of families created or the number of siblings a child may have from the same donor despite looking into several clinics. The overuse of sperm donations in many reproductive treatments, it stated, could raise the possibility that people who are donor-conceived “inadvertently having a sexual relationship” with a blood-related.

The shocking findings led to a probe which was sought by Health Minister Shannon Fentiman in response to more than 200 complaints. It led to the drafting of new legislation, which is presently being considered by the country’s parliament to control providers and create a registry of donor conception information. The number of times a person’s sample can be used will be limited under the new legislation that is being considered by parliament. It will prevent some families from being able to have another child from the same donor. The government would collaborate with those families to find a way ahead, according to the minister.

Kerala Police arrest Muhammed Ajmal for swindling gold jewellery from teenage girls using Instagram friendships

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala Police arrest Muhammed Ajmal for swindling gold jewellery from teenage girls using Instagram friendships

Kerala police have arrested a fraudster identified as 20-year-old Thumpil Muhammed Ajmal for swindling gold jewellery from young girls after trapping them in friendship over Instagram. Ajmal is a resident of Chamravattam. SHO K Sushanth of Kalpakancheri Police Station apprehended the accused in Valanchery based on a complaint filed by a relative of one of the victims.

As per reports, Ajmal befriended young teenage girls through Instagram. His targets were mostly 10th-grade students. He gained their trust and met them on the pretext of friendship. He would then trick them into giving him gold ornaments promising them he would bring new jewellery for them. Once he obtained the jewellery, he would abruptly end the friendship and disappear.

One of the victims informed her parents about the incident who then filed a complaint against Ajmal. During the investigation, it was revealed that Ajmal used social media not only to find his victims but also to avoid detection. Notably, Ajmal never gave his number to the victims making it difficult for the police at the initial stages to trace him. The police created a trap for Ajmal on social media by setting up a fake Instagram profile under a woman’s name. The police then established contact with him and befriended him. As the relationship progressed, Ajmal tried to pull off a similar scam leading to his arrest when he came to collect the gold.

During interrogation, Ajmal admitted to handing over the gold to a friend named Nific at Naripparambil in Chamravattam. He came in contact with Nifin via Instagram. The police have intensified the search for Nifin. Ajmal was produced in Tirur Court.

OpIndia tried contacting Kerala Police but could not connect.

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