A shocking case has come to light in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, where Rizwan Khan raped a minor girl for six months and recorded her explicit video on camera. He even forced her into a physical relationship with his friends and made her do his household chores. Police have taken two accused into custody and started interrogation. A complaint was filed on 25th May in which the accused’s mother Mumtaz and another youth are also named.
According to media reports, the incident took place in the Sadar Bazar police station area of Agra. The aunt (mother’s sister) of the 17-year-old girl lodged a complaint with the police and revealed that the latter’s friend Nitin called her to meet him about 6 months ago. Both of them met in an unoccupied railway quarter where Nitin took her clothes and molested her. Rizwan Khan, who lived nearby, secretly made a video of the two on his mobile and started blackmailing the underage female.
He sexually violated her multiple times over the period of six months by threatening her with the explicit clip and also pushed her to do his household work. On 22nd May, she told her aunt about the atrocities being committed against her and refused to work at Rizwan’s place which angered him and his mother and they threatened to make the video viral she did not return to work immediately.
The aunt went to their place to talk to them but in response received death threats from the pair. The culprit also showed the lewd footage to the aunt and his mother forwarded it to the mobile phone of the girl’s cousin sister. The complainant has demanded strict action against them. The cops have also booked Nitin along with Rizwan Khan and his mother.
Action has been taken against all of them under sections 376(2)(n), 354, 354-B, 504 of the Indian Penal Code along with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act and Information Technology (IT) Act. According to media reports, two perpetrators have already been nabbed and questioned. The police are investigating the case and pursuing further legal action. OpIndia has a copy of the First Information Report.
On Saturday (25th May), another I.N.D.I. Alliance partner of Congress, VCK Founder Thirumavalavan made disparaging remarks against Sanatan Dharma. He alleged that “Sanatan terrorists are moving freely with weapons” while armed Maoists have to hide in the jungle. Notably, the Founder of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) Thirumvalavan presented the annual ‘VCK Awards 2024’ started by the party in Chennai. He gave the annual ‘Ambedkar Sudar’ award to actor Prakash Raj. The party gave several other awards to leftist ‘activists’ and political leaders.
Speaking at the event, Congress’ I.N.D.I. alliance partner VCK founder extended the grand old party’s “Saffron terror” conspiracy theory and claimed that Sanatan terrorists are roaming freely on stages with Ministers. VCK and Congress are in alliance under the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the VCK founder Thirumvalavan has been a close ally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and joined his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai.
He said, “Sanatana terrorists will take any position. They will take any decision. Those belonging to the ML movement (referring to Communist Party of India – Marxist Leninist Liberation) carry weapons, hide in forests, and live a life of clandestine. Sanatana terrorists are living within our house and roaming around with weapons. They’ve created a convenience where Sanatana terrorists can come to your house and kill you. A Marxist-Leninist person has to keep changing his name to remain absconding. He’ll be hiding in forests. For him to ‘finish a job’, things are not conducive. But Sanatana terrorists bear weapons and roam on stage in India. That’s important.”
The I.N.D.I. alliance leader added, “VCK understands that it is important to work with minorities to take on the terrorism of the right wing.”
“They’re not running and hiding anywhere, and don’t live a life of clandestine. Like how Maoists hide in Andhra forests, they don’t hide. They’re on stage, with Ministers. They roam around with weapons. In such kind of a situation, people like Prakash Raj should be protected, that has been my concern. Even if he says that there’s no need for any award, I wanted to shake his hand, wish him, and encourage him. I wanted to tell him to be careful, that’s why I took this initiative,” Thirumavalavan added.
Referring to the killings of Gauri Lankesh, Kalburgi, Narendra Dhabolkar, and Govind Pansare, he further alleged that the establishment is committing atrocities.
OBC should be politicised: VCK founder
He went further to note that Non-Dalits, especially, the OBCs should be politicised. He said, “Who is Modi? Who is Amit Shah? Who supports the politics of saffronisation of Tiruvalluvar by Governor R.N. Ravi? Who is Annamalai? Periyarism and Marxism should be spoken in the ‘Oor’, not in the Dalit neighbourhoods. The OBC communities should be politicised.”
Speaking at the party’s award show, Thirumvalavan claimed that Sanatan Shaktis can create a thousand Modis and if the incumbent PM loses, it can create individuals who are a thousand times stronger than Modi.
He further said, “It cannot be assumed that if PM Modi loses, everything will be fine. A thousand Modis can be created by Sanatana Shaktis (Sanātana). If Modi loses this election they can create people who are a thousand times stronger than Modi. After June 4th they will run away. But it should be prevented from coming back. It cannot be that we have defeated a party in the elections and everything is over.”
After receiving the award, Prakash Raj delivered a speech during which he reportedly mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him a test tube baby.
He said, “Our work does not end here. I don’t fear that he will come back. He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is now scared. We have to work towards ensuring that people like him shouldn’t come back again. Political parties will come and go, but people are permanent. If we elect the wrong party, it is the people who will lose. The fear, humiliation that people have faced in the last ten years…we have to work to ensure they don’t come back again.”
On Sunday (26th May), the Goa state President of the Aam Aadmi Party, Amit Palekar threatened a political commentator, Abhishek Banerjee, with arrest for writing a post about Francis Xavier and the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Taking to X, Palekar tagged the Goa Chief Minister and senior Police officials demanding immediate criminal action and arrest of Banerjee alleging that he made a post that “hurt the religious sentiments” of Goans and Catholic Christians.
Notably, on Saturday (25th May), author and Political commentator, Abhishek Banerjee shared a post about the Jesuits which was co-founded by Francis Xavier, and the religious outfits’s involvement in slave trading. Banerjee wrote, “This is Francis Xavier. Many middle-class Indians think the Jesuit order, which he founded, is some icon of education. The bitter truth is that the Jesuits used to own nearly 20,000 slaves at one point…More people should know about these horrors…”
This is Francis Xavier
Many middle class Indians think the Jesuit order, which he founded, is some icon of education
The bitter truth is that the Jesuits used to own nearly 20,000 slaves at one point…
Responding to the post, the AAP Goa President charged Banerjee with hurting religious sentiments and called upon the state administration to arrest him for sharing the post.
Palekar wrote, “Call upon CM @DrPramodPSawant to take immediate criminal action and arrest @AbhishBanerj for the below post by him and hurting the religious sentiments of lakhs of Goans not just catholics but us all Goans. @DGP_Goa @Goa_Cops. I hope you remember what our PM said during election speech in Goa unless it was fake.”
Call upon CM @DrPramodPSawant to take immediate criminal action and arrest @AbhishBanerj for the below post by him and hurting the religious sentiments of lakhs of Goans not just catholics but us all Goans. @DGP_Goa@Goa_Cops. I hope you remember what our PM said during election… pic.twitter.com/9hZc2XjQpx
Retorting to the AAP leader’s threat of arrest and criminal action over the post, Banerjee stated that he merely quoted well-documented facts. He replied, “Sir, I am merely quoting Encyclopedia Britannica. This is a well-documented fact.”
AAP leader alleges Jesuits’ ‘slave trade’ post hurt religious sentiments, the Jesuits website admits that it was involved in slave trading
It is pertinent to note that while the AAP leader alleged that the post hurt religious sentiments, the official website of the religious order, the Jesuits, admits to an inglorious history of slave ‘ownership, renting, and borrowing’.”
The website’s, ‘What we have Learned’ section, admits that the followers of the Jesuits “owned, rented and borrowed” slaves to build, expand, and sustain the missionary work and “educational institutions” of Jesuits in the US.
It states, “The Society of Jesus participated in the institution of slavery in North America from the colonial era until the passage of the 13th Amendment. The involuntary labor of the people the Jesuits owned, rented, and borrowed helped establish, expand, and sustain Jesuit missionary efforts and educational institutions in colonial North America and, over time, across the United States. The Jesuits’ use of enslaved labor is a legacy shared by all Jesuits and Jesuit institutions.”
It adds, “We learn more every day about the lives of the people the Jesuits held in bondage.”
(The Jesuits admitted about the Slave trade, media reports highlighting the extend of it and narrating the ordeals of the enslaved people)
Notably, the colonial powers driven by religious zeal followed the evil practice of the slave trade and committed other atrocities in virtually all their colonies to plunder their resources, cultural subjugation, and annihilation of their native culture and civilisation including in India.
Additionally, according to media reports in 2021, the Catholic order, the Jesuits, pledged $100 Million to “atone for slave Labour and sales”. As per reports, it was one of the largest efforts by an institution to atone for slavery and move to benefit the descendants of the enslaved people, the Jesuits once owned.
The church officials and historians said that the move by the leaders of the Jesuit conference of priests represents the largest effort by the Roman Catholic Church to make amends for the buying, selling, and enslavement of Black people.
(Document listing names of Some Slaves, Image Source – The New York Times)
According to the Rev. Thomas R. Murphy, a historian at Seattle University, the Jesuits believed that the enslaved had souls, but they also viewed Black people as “assets to be bought and sold”. At the time, the Catholic Church did not view slaveholding as immoral.
According to a New York Times report, the Jesuit records show that priests baptized the children of the enslaved, blessed their marriages, and required the people they owned to attend Mass (religious gathering). It also documents whippings, harsh plantation conditions, families torn apart by slave sales, and hardships experienced by people shipped far from home as the church expanded.
The report added, “Can a man serve God faithfully and possess slaves?” Brother Joseph Mobberly, S.J. asked in his diary in 1818. “Yes,” he answered. “Is it then lawful to keep men in servitude? Yes.”
(Snippets from media report stating that several top universities were built/sustained on enslavement funds)
Additionally, according to media reports, America’s most prestigious colleges and universities – Georgetown in Washington, DC, Boston College, Fordham University in New York, Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the university named for the founder of the Jesuits, St Ignatius of Loyola in Baltimore, Maryland – owe their existence to the money the Jesuits raised in the early 1800s from the sweat, toil, and blood, “drawn”, as President Abraham Lincoln said in his Second Inaugural Address in April 1965, “with the lash”.
Francis Xavier: From spearheading the Inquisition of Goa to tormenting the lives of local Hindus
Francis Xavier is the co-founder of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) along with Ignatius of Loyola and others. Apart from the Jesuits’ inglorious history of the slave trade, Francis Xavier spearheaded the Inquisition of Goa.
‘Saint’ Francis Xavier set foot in India in the newly established Portuguese colony in Goa on 6th May 1542 to spread the message of Jesus Christ. ‘Saint’ Xavier is a revered name globally, with many a teaching institution named after him across the breadth of India. However, he has a dark legacy of not only justifying practices like the Inquisition but orchestrating them, mass conversions of local populations in the Indian Subcontinent.
He thought of dark-skinned natives as ‘devils’. In The Letters and Instructions of Francis Xavier, he wrote that Indians made for poor vocations due to their lack of commitment — both to the order and to celibacy.
However, in the annals of Indian history, he began to be described as the Modern day ‘Goencho Saib’ (Father of Goa). Click here, to read about the atrocities committed during his period and why his arrival in India is considered a dark chapter that initiated the Goa Inquisition.
Hindu gods & their idols are as dirty as they are ugly & horrible to look at. Witnessing the destruction of temples & idols gives me so much joy. – St. Francis Xavier, the chief architect of the Goa inquisition that led to the conversion, torture, and murder of countless Hindus. https://t.co/wbthFqVxZG
Making denigrated remarks about Hindu deities, he wrote, “Indians being black themselves, consider their own color the best, they believe that their gods are black … the great majority of their idols are as black as black can be … and seem to be as dirty as they are ugly and horrible to look at. Witnessing the destruction of temples & idols gives me so much joy.”
On 26th May, Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal alleged in a social media post that she is getting rape and death threats since she accused AAP’s supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s Personal Secretary Bibhak Kumar of assaulting her. In a long post on X, Maliwal said that the threats were amplified after propagandist YouTuber and AAP cheerleader Dhruv Rathee made a “one-sided” video against her.
She called out party leadership and said that they tried to intimidate her into withdrawing the complaint she filed. “However, for Dhruv, I tried my best to reach out to him to tell him my version but he ignored my calls and messages,” she added while saying that Rathee ignored her messages and calls. Maliwal added, “It is shameful that people like him, who claim to be independent journalists could act like other AAP spokespersons and victim-shame me to the extent that I am now facing extreme abuses and threats.”
After the leaders and volunteers of my party i.e. AAP orchestrated a campaign of charachter assassination, victim shaming and fanning of emotions against me, I have been getting rape and death threats.
Moving ahead in the post, she said that in his 2.5-minute video against her, Dhruv Rathee failed to mention that AAP took a u-turn on its stand after accepting the incident happened. For those who are unaware, a day after the alleged assault, AAP leader Sanjay Singh on-camera admitted that Maliwal was assaulted by Kumar.
She mentioned how Rathee did not talk about the injuries revealed in the MLC report. He also failed to mention that Kumar’s phone was formatted before Delhi Police confiscated it. Furthermore, he did not mention Kumar was arrested from CM’s residence, the crime scene where the incident happened. She questioned, “How a woman who always stood for the right issues, even went to Manipur alone without security could be bought over by the BJP?”
Maliwal also shared some screenshots where she got rape and death threats as replies to the stories on Instagram.
Swati Maliwal Assault Case
On 13th May, the for Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief, current Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal accused the former Personal secretary of Arvind Kejriwal of assaulting her. In her complaint, Maliwal has alleged that Kejriwal’s personal Secretary Bibhav Kumar slapped” her at least seven to eight times while she continued screaming and brutally dragged her while kicking her in her chest, stomach, and pelvis area. According to the Delhi Police FIR, Maliwal described the events of May 13 when she had gone to the Civil Lines residence of Chief Minister Kejriwal. The Delhi Police have arrested Kumar in this case.
In Kumar’s remand application, Delhi Police submitted that the attack on the AAP MP could have been fatal.
The Police also mentioned in their remand request that Bibhav Kumar admitted to formatting his Apple iPhone 15, and the phone needs to be taken to Mumbai to recover the data, for which his police remand was needed. Notably, as per the Police, CCTV footage from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence during the period of assault on May 13 has turned out to be blank. It was also reported earlier that Delhi Police may add a destruction of evidence charge against Bibhav Kumar for deleting CCTV footage and formatting the phone.
Meanwhile, as the entire Aam Aadmi Party, except DCW member Vandana Singh, has started a campaign against Maliwal calling her allegations “false” and labelling her a “traitor and a BJP agent”, she recently warned her party against using such tags for her stating that she will take Kejriwal and company to court for every lie spread against her.
Dhruv Rathee and his AAP connections
Dhruv Rathee, though claims to be an intependent YouTuber, apparantly has deep and old connections with AAP. An X user Porus shared a video from 2015 that was shared on AAP’s official Facebook Page. That video contained Rathee’s name as “Video Editor”.
I got a solid proof to prove that he is a member of AAP IT cell , this will be the last nail in his coffin.
I'm here attaching a video which is posted from “AAP"s official facebook profile
Go the the end of that video and see who is the editor of that video, our own DR? pic.twitter.com/sMpiK0ZcSn
The authorities have booked a priest of a temple named Mahant Mukesh Goswami for allegedly installing a CCTV camera in a roofless women’s bathroom in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The examination of the CCTV cameras placed in the area produced some startling findings. The CCTV and its DVR contained recordings of 320 women and girls.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Vivek Chand Yadav, the CCTV and its DVR were discovered in the bathroom. The DVR included five days’ worth of data. The accused’s cellphone, which displayed live CCTV footage, was also examined. He is currently absconding. Two police teams have been deployed for his arrest and he has approached Allahabad High Court for anticipatory bail.
Meanwhile, police and corporation officials revealed that he has illegal constructions and shops on government land which faced bulldozer action. He was also arrested in Meerut in 2007 after he threatened and extorted Rs 50,000 from a doctor. Afterwards, he was arrested twice in 2018 for cutting and selling unauthorised wood. He was also running an illegal stall on the banks of Holy Ganga.
गाजियाबाद : महिलाओं के चेंजिंग रूम में CCTV कैमरा लगाकर Live फीड देखने वाले महंत मुकेश गोस्वामी के अवैध निर्माण पर बुलडोजर चला। महंत ने गंगनहर किनारे 10–12 अस्थाई दुकान सिंचाई विभाग की जमीन पर खुलवा रखी थी। महंत फरार है, तलाश जारी है।#Ghaziabad#Uphttps://t.co/xFflE7jRUZpic.twitter.com/xshzfFh6oS
According to authorities, the issue was discovered when a mother and her 14-year-old daughter went to the temple on 21st May and spotted a CCTV camera aimed at the roofless washroom. Vivek Chandra Yadav stated, “The woman noticed that the CCTV camera installed on the top was focused on the room where women change their clothes.” His cellphone, which he used to view the women was connected to the CCTV. Mahant Goswami became enraged and began to yell obscenities when the woman questioned him right away to inquire about the CCTV camera. According to the DCP, he threatened her with dire consequences if she told anyone about the camera. She then filed a First Information Report at Murad Nagar Police Station.
The official added, “After getting a complaint, the Muradnagar police lodged an FIR on Friday. When the police team reached the temple to arrest him, he was not there.” Police have registered a case under sections 354 (criminal assault on woman), 354 C (watching or capturing an image of women engaged in a private act), 504(intentional insult) and 506 (Criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against him and further inquiry is underway.
He mentioned that his mobile was also apprehended for analysis, however, no footage was found on it. Both the DVR and the mobile are being sent to the forensic laboratory for investigation. The device was confiscated on 22nd May while the offender was still at the temple. The police hold off on making an arrest until after the victim testifies in court in such cases. The perpetrator fled the scene as soon as she testified in court. Currently, police units are searching for him in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Haridwar.
On 25th May, a team from the irrigation department demolished the washroom. Additionally, other encroachment was cleared, a day earlier with a bulldozer. Heavy police force remained deployed in view of the protest. The Irrigation Department was in charge of Ganganahar Ghat twenty years ago. The culprit started living there after his arrival in 2004 and gradually settled in this place. He constructed several temples on the ghat (riverbank) and erected a washroom outside the temple. The CCTV was installed in a way that no one would able to spot it, per the police. Furthermore, the majority of the local girls used to visit this place. The motive behind the offensive act is also being probed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come forward to assist Kerala in a bid to alleviate the state from the economic crisis as the Centre has sanctioned borrowings up to Rs 21,253 crores.
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to social media platform X to announce financial support from the Centre to Kerala.
In a post on X on Saturday, Chandrasekhar mentioned, “PM @narendramodiji’s govt steps up to assist Kerala’s economic crisis Government of India sanctions borrowings up to Rs 21,253 crores till December 2024…..”
PM @narendramodi ji's govt steps up to assist Kerala’s economic crisis
Government of India sanctions borrowings up to Rs 21,253 crores till December 2024.
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar ??(Modiyude Kutumbam) (@Rajeev_GoI) May 26, 2024
The move comes as Kerala grapples with various economic challenges, including salary delays for government employees and stalled development projects.
In his post, Chandrasekhar revealed that the Government of India has sanctioned borrowings of up to Rs 21,253 crores for Kerala until December 2024.
This substantial financial aid aims to address the state’s pressing economic needs and facilitate the execution of critical projects for the welfare of its citizens.
While announcing the assistance, Minister Chandrasekhar emphasized the importance of utilizing the allocated funds efficiently and transparently.
He urged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to ensure that the funds are utilized judiciously for the welfare of the people, without any instances of leakages or corruption.
“I urge @pinarayivijayan to use funds properly for the welfare of the people of Kerala, without any leakages & corruption,” the Minister added.
In addition to the financial assistance, Minister Chandrasekhar called upon the Kerala government to take immediate action on key initiatives to address the state’s economic challenges effectively.
Payment of salaries and pensions for government employees, including those of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees, who have been facing financial hardships due to delayed payments.
Execution of the Coastal Protection and the Mini Harbour Project, vital infrastructure projects aimed at safeguarding coastal areas and promoting maritime activities.
Completion of the ongoing recruitment process for the Coastal Police Officers (CPO), ensuring the reinforcement of coastal security measures.
Acceleration of pending development projects, particularly focusing on Thiruvananthapuram, to spur economic growth and enhance infrastructure in the region.
Earlier, Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal had expressed concerns that there has been a reduction in the percentage of funds that the southern state is getting from the Centre.
“The funds collected by the Union (government) increased 11 times during this period but the increase in tax to Kerala is only 8.8 times which means there is a sharp decline. So the reduction is huge and that is why states like Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, and West Bengal are raising this issue,” Balagopal said.
Kerala Finance Minister further stated that the state government is facing a shortage of funds to meet the expenditure for its social schemes.”We are facing the problem of giving minimum necessary things as well. We have to give pensions to 62 lakh families who were entitled to one. However, the release of these pensions are getting delayed because of lack of payments from the Union,” he added.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Tension prevailed in the Karimnagar district of Telangana on Saturday (25th May) after an altercation transpired during a religious procession carried out by Hindu devotees. As per reports, devotees of Lord Hanuman were carrying out the religious procession when an intoxicated man appeared out of nowhere and started threatening them. The instance occurred near the Hanuman Temple in Prashant Nagar. When the Hindus protested against the matter, they were apprehended by the police for supposed ‘obstruction.’
As per the Three Town police, the incident happened at the Mancherial crossroads when a dispute erupted after a man from another community objected to the rally. He was arrested by the Mancherial police, who then brought him to the police station. However, as the police were taking him to the station in a patrol car, a devotee grabbed hold of the vehicle but the driver continued to speed forward as he suspected an attack. Afterwards, came to a stop a short distance ahead and in order to stop anyone from pursuing the police vehicle, a sub-inspector from the Karimnagar police department stepped down as hundreds of people swarmed him and then reached the police station to demonstrate against police action.
Warning : Sensitive Content
A person who is observing #HanumanDeeksha was dragged along with police patrol. Police lathi charged on several locals. During Hanuman rally in Karimnagar, #Telangana a person allegedly threatened people with a sword, people on #Hanuman Mala (21 or… pic.twitter.com/K6OoMO7Osf
The occurrence prompted a swift reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party as Karimnagar Lok Sabha MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar “strongly condemned the high-handed behaviour of Telangana police” and demanded unconditional as well as immediate release of the Hanuman Deeksha Swamis. He also condemned the state authorities and charged, “Your job is to maintain law and order, not create issues. We will cooperate with you.” He also tagged the Director General of Telangana police and accused, “Instead of protecting Law and order, Karimnagar police are doing lathi-charge on people. Please find out facts and take action against erring officials.”
Strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of Telangana police against Hanuman Deeksha Swamis at Karimnagar.
We immediately demand unconditional release of the Hanuman Deeksha Swamis who have been arrested.
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@bandisanjay_bjp) May 25, 2024
The cops reportedly reached the spot to prevent any escalation but the devotees wanted them to hand over the person to them after which the latter were subjected to lathi-charge and arrested when they allegedly marched to the streets and tried to block the way. Meanwhile, the intruder in the Shobhayatra was identified as Jayadev, a supporter of the BJP leader Basa Satyanarayana and a party worker. However, party leader Praveen Rao refuted the charges and asserted that the procession had nothing to do with the BJP. He mentioned that police should find out the real identity of the accused because he was not a BJP worker. He further informed that party members went to the police station and launched an agitation in an effort to secure the release of the devotees and implored the cops to examine the CCTV footage to uncover the truth.
Twenty years after a helpless Hindu couple was deceitfully converted to Islam in the Poore Ujade village in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, they have finally returned to the Hindu fold, reportedSwarajya.
The victims, identified as Shiv Prasad Lodhi and Kavita, were coerced into changing their religion by village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh in exchange for providing government identity documents.
Sheikh told the Hindu couple that it was the only way for them to survive in an “all-Muslim village.” Shiv and Kavita, who hailed from the Varanasi district, had come to Poore Ujade village in search of employment.
Documents prepared by Mohammed Amil Sheikh for the Hindu couple, image via Swati Goel Sharma/ Swarajya
However, they had no identity documents – a weakness which helped the village pradhan to exploit them into converting to Islam. After being converted to their new Faith, Shiv and Kavita were readily provided with ration cards and voter IDs.
Shiv was rechristened as ‘Abdulla’ while Kavita was named ‘Fathima.’ The village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh even fabricated the names of their parents.
The prelude to the conversion
According to the Swarajya report, the Hindu couple had to sell their ancestral property in Dulahipur village in the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh due to tragic circumstances.
On the advice of their Muslim neighbour, they migrated to the Poore Ujadevillage in Fatehpur district. Kavita was pregnant at that time. However, she soon suffered a miscarriage. Kavita had previously lost her first child in infancy.
The Muslim women in her neighbourhood began telling her that worshipping Hindu deities would bring ‘no fortune.’ They brainwashed her into praying at a local dargah.
Around that time, Kavita began working at the residence of the village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh. She was told to wear salwar suit and give up her saree, bindi and indoors and live like other Muslim women in the village.
Two years later, her husband Shiv Prasad Lodhi purchased a plot outside the Poore Ujade village from Mohammed Amil Sheikh. After he had paid ₹40000 as part of the deal, Shiv realised that he needed government documents to register the land in his name.
When he sought help from the village pradhan, Mohammed Amil Sheikh told him to convert to Islam. A ceremony was held at a local masjid where Shiv and Kavita were made to recite the ‘Kalma‘ (Islamic oath of allegiance).
Harassment by Muslim neighbours continued for 2 decades
Shiv and Kavita, who had by then become ‘Abdullah’ and ‘Fathima’, received their documents after a month. But the deceitful conversion to Islam did not stop the harassment by their Muslim neighbours.
They were forced to adopt the ‘Islamic way of life’. Shiv was coerced into offering Namaz at the mosque. Kavita was told to keep Roza during Ramzan but not fast during Navaratri.
The couple were not allowed to celebrate Hindu festivities. Shiv was also forced to undergo circumcision (khatna) by Mohammed Amil Sheikh in exchange for registering the property in his name.
Fearing that he would have to circumcise, the Hindu man reportedly stopped asking for registration papers. The house where Shiv and Kavita live today is still registered in the name of Mohammed Amil Sheikh.
Shiv faced social boycott from Muslim villagers for not getting circumcised. He could not find work in the village. Forced by circumstances, he began travelling to Mumbai for seasonal work.
During that time, Kavita would stay back in the Poore Ujade village and face constant harassment from the villagers. She therefore lives in isolation and does not have any friends.
Return to the Hindu fold
In 2023, Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita learnt about a local Hindu organisation named ‘Ram Bal.’ They visited the members of the outfit, who reside 2 km away from the village.
‘Ram Bal’ quickly notified the police and organised a havan in the village. They sent out a clear message that the Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita will no longer have to live as ‘Muslims.’
While speaking to Swarajya, ‘Ram Bal’ chief Agendra Sahu, informed that Shiv Prasad had expressed the desire to return to the Hindu fold.
Ghar wapsi of Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita, image via Swarajya
In February this year, Shiv and Kavita renounced Islam and returned to the Dharmic path through the ritual of ‘Ghar wapsi.’ They conducted a havan outside their house in the presence of Hindus belonging to ‘Ram Bal.’
The ghar wapsi ritual was undertaken amid tight police security. While speaking about the matter, Kavita said, “We were tricked into conversion. We would have liked Amil (Sheikh) to witness the ritual but he passed away a few years ago.”
On 26th May, OpIndia exposed how The Wire used misleading data to claim that there was a dip of 19.4 crore voters in the first five phases of polling in Lok Sabha Elections 2024 compared to the 2019 polls. The Wire used the number of total registered voters for the constituencies that went to poll in the first 5 phases in 2019 Lok Sabha elections with actual voter turnout for the first 5 phases in the ongoing general elections. As a result, Wire claimed 70 crore votes were polled in the first 5 phases in 2019, and compared to 50.7 crore votes polled in the first 5 phases of the 2024 elections. But the fact is, actually 48.5 crore voters voted in the first 5 phases in last elections. Wire compared total voters in 2019 with actual votes in 2024 to arrive at the wrong conclusion that voter turnout has gone down to a massive extent.
Following the lie was exposed, The Wire quickly changed the article and claimed there was a dip of 1.8 crore voters in the first phase of the General Elections. The entire article has been changed, including the URL, with a note added below that it used total eligible voters for 2019 to arrive at the wrong conclusion. It now compares only the 1st phase of the elections, when voting for 6 phases has already been concluded, and claims that there is a dip in voter turnout for phase 1, which is also a completely wrong conclusion.
Note added below the report
In many instances, Mathematics and Journalism don’t mix well. Especially when The Wire is involved, it’s wise not to attribute errors to stupidity when they can be adequately explained by malice. This could very well be a deliberate mathematical error intended to spread misinformation about ’20 crore fewer votes.’ The goal might be to prime people to believe that when the ECI publishes the final data, showing a similar or higher voter turnout in 2024 compared to 2019, the conclusion will be that “20 crore fake votes were added by the ECI.” This narrative seems to be gaining traction now that the ‘EVM hacked’ story isn’t resonating.
Source: The Wire.
Now coming to the numbers, the Wire made a basic arithmatical error. Here is how they calculated the dip. In the first phase of the 2019 elections, 9,13,79,409 votes were cast. Compared to that, in the 2024 elections, 11,00,52,103 votes were polled. This clearly shows that the number of votes polled in phase 1 has increased, but Wire claims the number has gone down.
The Wire report now says, “This implies a dip of 1.86 (1,86,72,694) votes.” Yes, they said 1.86 votes with 1,86,72,694 in parentheses.
Only Wire can tell how the number 9 crore can go down to become 11 crore.
It seems they simply deducted the numbers of 2024 from the numbers of 2019 resulting in -1,86,72,694. As the number was in negative, the author of the article apparently assumed there was a “dip”. In reality, it was the rise of 1.86 crore voters in the first phase. Probably the author was not paying attention when basic subtraction was taught in primary school.
So @thewire_in has changed the article and claims there was 1.8cr dip in votes polled in phase 1 of 2024 (11,00,52,103) compared to phase 1 of 2019 (9,13,79,409). @SravastiDasgup2 did calculation as follows phase 1 2019 – phase 1 2024 91379409 – 110052103 = -18672694 As per… https://t.co/ML0x4xw0zYpic.twitter.com/voLeXyBgpz
As The Wire may again pull down the article, here is the screenshot of the same.
Source: The Wire
It is notable that in phase 1 of the 2019 polls, there were 91 seats, while 102 seats were included in the first phase of the current elections. Therefore, even though the number of votes have gone up, it may not indicate an increase in voter turnout.
In any case, comparing phase-wise voter turnout in different general elections is a completely meaningless exercise. This is because the same constituencies do not go for polling in the same phases every election. For elections, elections for all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh took place in the first phase in 2019, but during the current elections, the votes in the 25 seats took place in the 4th phase. All constituencies in Tamil Nadu voted in 1st phase in current polls, but voting took place in the same constituencies in the 2nd phase last time. This means, not only the number of seats, but the composition of seats are also completely different in each phase in different elections. Moreover, even the number of phases is also different if other general elections are also included.
If The Wire wanted to compare the data, they should have done what OpIndia did. Download data from the ECI website and compare the polling data of all constituencies of the first phase of the 2024 Elections to the constituencies irrespective of the phase in which polling took place in 2019. Otherwise, the comparison is irrelevant the same constituencies are different. Even this comparison will not be accurate for seats in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, where delimitation took place recently, and constituency boundaries have changed.
In 2019, if we compare the constituencies and not phases, there were 15,75,36,275 eligible voters out of which 11,00,90,908 cast their vote. In 2024, there were 16,63,86,344 eligible voters and 11,00,52,103 cast their votes. While there were 88,50,069 more voters in Phase 1,38,805 fewer voters turned up to vote. But there is a catch. In 2019, voting in Outer Manipur was done in a single phase but in 2024, it was done in two phases.
Data can be confirmed from ECI’s press release. If we combine the numbers from both passes for Outer Manipur, the numbers will change. In the first phase, 5,53,078 eligible voters were there in Outer Manipur out of which 3,80,688 cast votes. In the second phase, there were 4,84,949 out of which 4,12,737 cast their vote. If we combine these numbers, there were 10,38,027 eligible voters out of which 7,93,425 cast their vote. If we recalculate, considering if Outer Manipur polling was done in a single phase, the total eligible voters would be 16,68,71,293 out of which 11,04,64,840 cast their vote. If we subtract the total number of votes cast in 2024 from 2019, it comes to a rise of 4,12,737 votes.
However, when The Wire can’t properly subtract a number from another, expecting them to conduct such a deep analysis will be too much.
In any case, The Wire failed to give the real picture of the voter turnout in Phase 1. OpIndia’s analysis of the data can be checked in case we consider Outer Manipur from Phase here and if we consider Outer Manipur from both phases here.
An Islamist mob vandalised a Police station in Channagiri town in Karnataka’s Davanagere district and torched several Police vehicles. At least 11 police personnel sustained injuries and around eight police vehicles were also destroyed. The mob went on a rampage alleging the custodial death of a gambling accused named Adil (30) in the early hours of Saturday (25th May).
Police station vandalised over alleged custodial death in #Davangere, #Karnataka.
In the early hours on Saturday a police station was vandalised and several vehicles were set on fire by a violent mob over an alleged custodial death.
Notably, Police detained the 30-year-old carpenter, Adil on Friday (24th May) for his alleged involvement in gambling activities in the district. The police said that his condition deteriorated and he died on 24th May.
Following the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the Deputy Superintendent of Police and the Channagiri police station inspector have been suspended. He, however, added that it was not a custodial death.
According to the Police, Adil was detained for playing matka which is a form of betting and lottery popular in North Karnataka. Within six to seven minutes after he was brought to the Police station, he reportedly fell ill.
Davangere SP Uma Prashanth said, “We detained Adil under suspicion of involvement in matka gambling, but he collapsed within 6-7 minutes of his arrival at the station. He was rushed to the hospital.”
Adil was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Prashanth said, “His parents are also aware of it and they have been convinced.”
According to the SP, Adil was taken to the hospital, where after examination the doctors said that his death was due to low blood pressure. According to the police, no injury marks were found on the body of the deceased.
However, after the news of Adil’s death spread, his relatives, along with a large number of protesters, gathered at the police station and resorted to vandalism. The mob resorted to violence and vandalised police station. When the police tried to stop the miscreants by using mild force, the protesters started pelting stones at the police station and set Police vehicles on fire alleging that Adil died in Police custody.
Eventually, when additional police force arrived at the spot, the police resorted to lathi charges to disperse the violent mob.
SP Uma Prashanth said that the body had been shifted to the government hospital and it will be handed over to the family members after postmortem.
The SP added that police are patrolling the area and additional forces have been deployed in Channagiri. Action will be taken based on the postmortem report. The autopsy will be conducted in the presence of a Magistrate, she added.
CM says the gambling accused had a history of epileptic seizures
Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the accused man has a history of epileptic seizures. He said, “The accused used to get fits. That’s why I said that summoning him to the police station was wrong. The Deputy SP and police inspector have been suspended because without FIR no one can be brought to the police station.”
According to the Chief Minister, the accused should have been sent back after inquiry and he should not have been detained at the police station.
However, the Chief Minister clarified that the Police officers were not suspended for the custodial death, but for keeping Adil at the station without filing an FIR, which is illegal. “Police are at fault, but it is not a lockup death. I have enquired it,” the CM added.
Additionally, Home Minister G Parameshwara said Adil died due to health issues.
Meanwhile, the principal opposition party, BJP, slammed the Congress govt for neglecting the law and order situation in the state and demanded the resignation of the state Home Minister.
Following the incident, a total of 3 FIRs have been registered. The Police have filed one FIR against the Police personnel which is based on the complaint filed by the father of the deceased gambling accused, Adil. Additionally, FIR has also been registered against the attackers involved in the mob violence. The accused are being identified from video footage and other evidence.
