A novel report of a young girl being raped in a mosque in the Kalyan district, a satellite town of Mumbai, the state capital of Maharashtra, emerged on 6th May 2024. As per the reports, the rape is said to have happened in the mosque when the victim entered the Mosque premise to drink water. The accused person has been identified as Aqdas Chandu who has been taken into custody by the police.
The incident happened in the Kalyan area of the Bazarpeth police station, according to media reports. The victim 12-year-old girl who resides in the locality, had gone to some store to purchase a cake. While on the move, she stopped at a local mosque to get some water because she was thirsty. It is then that the nearby fruit seller accused Aqdas Chandu entered the Mosque and raped the girl.
Aqdas gagged the girl and forcefully hugged her from behind before brutally raping her. Following that, he dragged the girl into the mosque’s restroom against her will where he raped her. Reportedly, Aqdas Chandu fled the scene as the victim began to scream for help. The victim got back home eventually and told her family everything that happened.
The girl’s family members have lodged an FIR against Aqdas Chandu at Bazarpeth police station. It has also been mentioned in the complaint that the accused had raped the victim a year ago also. The police are investigating the matter.
Police have registered a case against Aqdas under various sections of the IPC and POCSO Act. The accused has been arrested. Aqdas Chandu, who lives in the market area is a fruit seller. The victim was very scared by this incident. Her medical examination and counselling are being done.
On Tuesday (7th May), the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) took control of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, pushing into the southern Gazan town.
— The Mossad: Satirical, Yet Awesome (@TheMossadIL) May 7, 2024
Taking to X, the IDF informed about the operation and said, “A precise counter-terrorism operation to eliminate Hamas terrorists and infrastructure within specific areas of eastern Rafah began overnight, based on intelligence.”
Israeli tanks near Rafah crossing (Image: IDF)
“IDF troops managed to establish operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing following intelligence that the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes. This is after mortars were fired from the area of the Rafah Crossing toward the area of the Kerem Shalom Crossing which killed 4 IDF soldiers and injured several others,” it added.
IDF troops managed to establish operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing following intelligence that the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes. This is after mortars were fired from the area of the Rafah Crossing toward the area of the…
The IDF says that between 5,000 and 8,000 Hamas terrorists stay in the southern city, which it deems the Palestinian Islamist terrorist group Hamas’s last stronghold. The military operation came as Israel found that Hamas has four battalions in Rafah and that many senior Hamas terrorists could be hiding there.
Wael Abu Omar, a spokesperson of the Palestinian Crossings Authority said that the IDF has seized the Rafah crossing and closed it for now.
The present IDF offensive in Rafah is a “limited operation,” according to an Israeli official. “It is being implemented to pressure Hamas” to accept a deal. This is not the large-scale Rafah operation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frequently pledged to take out, according to CNN.
Building destroyed after Israeli strike in Rafah (Image: AP)
Multiple explosions were reported in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Monday night, May 6, according to CNN. This comes hours after Israel said that Hamas’ ceasefire proposal is far from meeting its core demands. As per the report, several local social media accounts reported that the explosions were heard to the east of Rafah, an area where the Israel Defense Forces had called for an evacuation of civilians earlier on Monday.
Meanwhile, the United States has said that it cannot support an operation in Rafah the way it is envisioned as of now. “We’ve made quite clear our position on Rafah for some time, which is that we cannot support an operation in Rafah as it is currently envisioned. We have made clear – the Secretary made this clear in his conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli Government last week – that we have not seen a humanitarian plan that is credible and that is implementable,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing on Monday (local time).
Clarifying the US’ stance on Israel’s ground offensive in Rafah, Miller said that it would not only increase the suffering of Palestinians but also disrupt aid delivery.
“We believe a military operation in Rafah right now would dramatically increase the suffering of the Palestinian people, would lead to an increase in the loss of civilian life, and would dramatically disrupt the delivery of humanitarian assistance, all of which is coming through – I shouldn’t say “all,” but the great majority of which is coming through Kerem Shalom or Rafah and is being distributed inside the Rafah area,” the State Department spokesperson said.
Israel has been under pressure from the international community to refrain from launching a ground operation in Rafah, which has for weeks been under Israeli aerial bombardment. The city is the last major refuge of Hamas in Gaza.
Lalu Prasad, the former Chief Minister of Bihar and leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), sparked controversy by advocating for a “complete” reservation for Muslims. This stance drew criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his former ally, the JD(U).
Addressing the media in Patna, Lalu Yadav accused the ruling BJP of aiming to abolish reservations by dismantling the Constitution. “Muslims should receive full reservation… They (BJP) aim to dismantle the Constitution and democratic fabric of our nation,” asserted the RJD leader.
-Reporter: BJP says you want to take reservations from SC-ST-OBC Hindus and give it to MusIims.
— Mr Sinha (Modi's family) (@MrSinha_) May 7, 2024
Amidst the political uproar sparked by his comments, Lalu Yadav released a video message to clarify that reservation should be based on social backwardness rather than religion.
The statement from the former Chief Minister of Bihar has injected a new perspective into the reservation discourse, intensifying the ongoing debate between the BJP and the Congress during the Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP seized upon Lalu Yadav’s comments to accuse the Opposition of being solely focused on “appeasement” without a broader vision.
PM Modi trains guns on opposition over Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Muslim quota in reservation remarks
Hours after the Bihar leader’s statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning in Madhya Pradesh, seized upon it to criticize the opposition. “They (Opposition) can’t see beyond appeasement. If given the chance, they would even infringe upon your basic rights,” PM Modi asserted.
Referring to Lalu Prasad as a leader accused in the fodder scam and currently out on bail, the Prime Minister highlighted his advocacy for reservations for Muslims. “He (Lalu Prasad) suggests granting reservations to Muslims, implying they should receive the same benefits as SCs/STs and OBCs,” PM Modi remarked.
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi interpreted Lalu Yadav’s remarks as indicating that the INDIA bloc if elected, would amend the fundamental structure of the Constitution to provide reservations to Muslims. “The term ‘pura ka pura’ (complete) used by him in his statement is significant. It suggests their intention to allocate reservations to Muslims at the expense of SCs, STs, and OBCs,” Trivedi stated during a press conference.
He further commented, “This also underscores that, for the RJD, Muslims take precedence over Yadavs.”
On Monday, 6th May, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi once again whined about the demolished disputed structure of Babri in Ayodhya during a public meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Lok Sabha constituency, where he was asking for votes for his party’s candidate Imtiaz Jaleel. During his address, Owaisi raised the “Babri Masjid Zindabad” slogan three times, as reported by News18 Lokmat.
ओवैसी यांनी छत्रपती संभाजीनगर लोकसभा मतदारसंघाचे एमआयएमचे उमेदवार जलील यांच्या प्रचारासाठी सभा घेतली. या सभेत बोलताना त्यांनी तिनदा बाबरी मस्जिद जिंदाबादची घोषणा दिली आहे. pic.twitter.com/oZlbGdgICb
Owaisi has a long history of raising slogans in favour of the illegal structure that was demolished in 1992. In February 2024, during the Budget Session in the Parliament, Owaisi opposed the vote of thanks for Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and ended his address by raising the slogan “Babri Masjid Zindabad”.
Since November 2019, when the Supreme Court of India gave a verdict in favour of Hindus and allowed the construction of Bhavya Ram Mandir, Asaduddin Owaisi has been whining about the demolished disputed structure. In November 2019 itself, Owaisi said, “I want my Masjid back”.
In recent times, he gave a communally charged speech in January 2024 days before the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Bhagwan Ram Mandir and said, “Youngsters, I am telling you, we have lost our mosque and you are seeing what is being done there. Youngsters, don’t you feel any pain in your hearts?”
It has to be noted that Muslims got an alternate land for a mosque in Ayodhya but they were unable to raise the required funds parallel to the collection drive for the Ram Mandir by Hindus. Instead of constructing a “world-class” mosque in Ayodhya, Owaisi has repeatedly cried foul over the Supreme Court’s judgment and asserted Muslims would get the disputed structure of Babri back.
In the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Punjab is marked by an unprecedented presence of pro-Khalistani leaders. It has raised significant concerns about the implications not only on a regional level but also on national security. Traditional players like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have fielded their candidates for the polling that is scheduled for 1st June 2024, the last phase of polling in the General Elections 2024. Apart from these players, candidates with a history of supporting the Khalistani movement are also contesting the elections including notable names such as Simranjit Singh Mann, Sandeep Singh, Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, and Amritpal Singh.
All these “leaders” have affiliations and past actions that have stirred apprehensions among voters and political analysts. Simranjit Singh Mann is currently an MP from Sangrur. He contested by-polls and won to become first pro-Khalistani leader in decades to reach Lok Sabha.
Simranjit Singh Mann
Simranjit Singh Mann is known for his pro-Khalistani stand and after winning by-polls he openly favoured Khalistani sentiments and said there was nothing wrong in seeking a separate nation. Furthermore, he openly admitted in an interview that he took money in exchange for giving fake certificates to people from Punjab stating they need political asylum for their pro-Khalistani stand. He admitted to taking up to Rs 50,000/- per certificate and is said to have given thousands of those in past years.
Amritpal Singh
Amritpal Singh is a pro-Khalistani preacher who is currently lodged in jail in Dibrugarh, Assam. He was arrested by the central agencies and Punjab Police after an operation in Punjab. Amritpal Singh took over the Waris Punjab De organisation after the death of another pro-Khalistani leader Deep Sidhu in 2022. From the beginning, he was being seen as Bhindranwale 2.0. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was a Khalistani terrorist who led the Khalistani movement in Punjab during the 80s. He was killed in Operation Blue Star in 1984. Insurgency in Punjab came to an end in the late 1990s after a massive crackdown on pro-Khalistani elements. For a couple of decades, pro-Khalistani elements kept quiet in the state but with the rise of Amritpal Singh and others, it is evident that they are pushing to bring back the dark era of terrorism in the state.
Sandeep Singh
Sandeep Singh, a close aide of Amritpal Singh, is currently lodged in jail for the murder of Shiv Sena Takhali’s leader Sudhir Suri. Suri was murdered in broad daylight in Amritsar on 4th November 2022. His murder was celebrated by pro-Khalistanis on social media. Reportedly, Sandeep Singh’s family has issued a statement that if Amritpal Singh could contest elections from jail, why not Sandeep Singh.
Sarabjit Singh Khalsa
45-year-old Sarabjit Singh Khalsa is the son of Beant Singh, the murderer of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sarabjit tried his luck during the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Fatehgarh Sahib and Bathinda but could not win. His grandfather Suchcha Singh and mother Bimal Kaur were MPs.
The presence of pro-Khalistani elements in General Elections is problematic for several reasons. First of all, it raises the question of national security as the extremist ideology does not mix well with mainstream politics. They do not see the demand of Khalistan as merely a political stance but something that they vow to achieve. The assertion of separatism challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. In a way, allowing them to contest elections can be seen as legitimizing their demands that would encourage separatist sentiments and destabilise the communal harmony in the region.
Furthermore, if they manage to win, their presence in the Parliament would suggest that the fine line between criminal activities and political aspirations is further blurred. There could be broader implications of their potential election on the law and order situation in Punjab as it has a tumultuous history with insurgency. Punjab has always been on the edge when it comes to the Khalistan movement and an increasing number of pro-Khalistani leaders could create further problems for law enforcement agencies on the state and national levels.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, some Islamist leaders from the Pune district of Maharashtra have asked all Muslims to vote for the candidates representing Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) from the Pune, Shirur, Baramati and Mawal constituencies respectively. The declaration by the Islamist leaders was made at the ‘Taqreer By Hazrat Maulana Sajjad Nomani’ event organized by Kul Jamati Tanzeem Pune in the Kondwa region on 2nd May.
The video of the same went viral over the internet in which one of the organizers of the event could be seen announcing its unwavering support to the Congress and NCP Sharad Pawar faction.
Jamiyat-Ulema-E-Hind (Pune) has issued a fatwa to vote for Congress+Pawar+UT Indi alliance candidates in Maharashtra.
— Mr Sinha (Modi's family) (@MrSinha_) May 7, 2024
“Kul Jamati Tanzeem has decided to extend support to Ravindra Dhangekar from Pune representing Congress, Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe from Baramati and Shirur representing NCP Sharad Pawar faction, and Sanjay Waghere from Maval representing Shiv Sena (UBT). We support these four candidates and appeal to you all community members to please get them elected to power. Also, ask your family members and friends to vote for them,” the organizer could be heard saying in the video.
The declaration was made at an event which was hosted in honor of Maulana Sajjad Nomani who spoke on the topic ‘Maujuda Halat Aur Hamari Zimmedari’ (the current situation and our responsibility. During his speech, Nomani stated that every Muslim who is a voter today should exercise his right in favor of the community.
“If you don’t exercise your right in the correct direction, your nation is such that it will forget the Rohingyas. The leader of this country has a plan to put an end to the Waqf system in this country. It is you who will save our Madarsas and Masjids and Mazars. This one plan of Modi is going to cause danger to the entire Muslim community,” Nomani could be seen instigating the Muslims against the government. (Time stamp : 1:05)
The voting for the Baramati constituency happened on 7th May 2024 while the voting for the Shirur, Pune, and Maval constituencies will happen on 13th May 2024.
Nomani furthered the theory of ‘Bhagwa Love Trap’
Meanwhile, it is important to note that Maulana Sajjad Nomani is the same Islamist individual who furthered the theory of Bhagwa Love Trap claiming that Hindu men were trapping Muslim women deliberately in love affairs and then assaulting them. He had alleged that the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) had created a team of young men to trap Muslim women.
“8 lakh Muslim women have turned infidel and left Islam after meeting their Hindu partners. RSS has created a team of Hindu youths who are trained in Islamic teachings and Urdu. They are then instructed to lure Muslim women into a love trap,” he could be heard saying in one of the videos.
Sajjad Nomani also claimed that such Hindu men are then rewarded with Rs 2.5 lakhs, a house, and a job, which supposedly serves as an ‘incentive’ for the Hindu community at a time of high unemployment. In one of his videos, a member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board announced that sending girls to schools and colleges alone is forbidden (Haram) in Islam.
Sajjad Nomani also declared that those parents who send their daughters to educational institutes alone will be condemned to Hell (Jahannum). He added that Muslim girls should not be left unaccompanied, even if they wear a hijab.
He said that it does not matter even if the daughter is wearing a hijab and going to college, she is not to be left unaccompanied. While encouraging a new form of vigilantism, the cleric said, “If you are a father, a Muslim, or a good person, it is Haram to be careless about your daughter.”
A detailed report regarding Nomani’s provocative claims can be read here.
General elections are being held in India from 19 April to 1 June 2024 in seven phases, to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted and the results declared on 4 June 2024.
On Monday (6th May), a mob of more than 1,000 Pro-Palestine protesters attempted to disrupt and target the Met Gala, the star-studded fashion event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. However, the rioters went on a rampage after the Police prevented them from reaching the venue and arrested several rioting protesters. The Pro-Palestine vandals went on to burn the flag of the United States and vandalised several iconic places, including the World War I memorial in Central Park.
(Pro-Palestine vandal burns the US flag, Image Source – New York Post)
As per a New York Post report, at least one anti-US rioter torched Old Glory at the site of the 107th Infantry Memorial. The vandals defaced the monument’s base with Pro-Palestine graffiti and wrote “Gaza” in large black letters. They also pasted stickers of the Palestinian flag that read “Stop the Genocide. End the apartheid. Free Palestine” on the bronze statues of soldiers. Some protesters even climbed atop the statues of the infantrymen and draped Palestinian flags over them.
(Vandals defaced World War 1 memorial and other iconic buildings after Police prevented them from targeting Met Gala event in New York City, Image Source – New York Post)
#NOW 107th infantry War Soldier Memorial draped in Palestinian flag while American flag burns on the ground on 5th Ave in NYC during 'DAY OF RAGE' protest. pic.twitter.com/GAOyQoD130
— Oliya Scootercaster ? (@ScooterCasterNY) May 7, 2024
The images and videos of a protester burning the US flag and others defacing WWI memorials have prompted strong reactions from US netizens. They have demanded strong action to curb anti-Semitism and vandalism by Pro-Palestinian protesters. This comes amidst a string of violent protests that have reached and intensified on college campuses in the US with Pro-Palestinian protesters taking over an academic building in Columbia University. The Police later arrested the protesters.
The demonstration dubbed a “Day of Rage” protest was organised by the Palestinian activist group, ‘Within Our Lifetime’. The mob blocked the traffic movement and marched towards the Met Gala venue. However, they were stopped by the New York Police Department (NYPD) near the East 79th Street Transverse in Central Park. Notably, the Met Gala has long been the target of protesters, but heavy Police deployment ensured that Pro-Palestinian protesters didn’t crash the event and attack the celebrities part of it.
Multiple arrests of pro-Palestine protesters near the Met Gala, where protests at NYU and Hunter College converged.
SRG is now marching down the street threatening arrest of anyone in the roadway. pic.twitter.com/VOdd52odeQ
During the “Day of Rage” protest, the vandals also targeted another Central Park monument on Monday night. They defaced the Civil War Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman bronze statue in Grand Army Plaza by spray painting “Free Gaza” graffiti in red letters on the base of the memorial. They also attached a Palestinian flag to the statue.
(Pro-Palestine rioters defaced and vandalised several iconic buildings on “Day of Rage” protest on Monday night, Image Source – New York Post)
Later when the NYPD removed the Palestinian flag, the vandals raised slogans calling for the physical harm of the Police personnel. One protester was heard asking another demonstrator to put a bigger flag on the statue. When an officer climbed a ladder to remove the flag, a protester was heard saying, “I hope you fall,” which was followed by the mob chanting “Free, Free Palestine!”
According to Police sources, about two dozen anti-Israel protesters were arrested earlier in the evening near Madison Avenue and East 83rd Street as a massive swarm of demonstrators marched toward the Met.
The mob raised slogans, “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” while waving Palestinian flags and hiding their faces with coverings.
Recently, the pro-Palestinian protesters had targeted Indian-origin US Congressman Shri Thanedar’s community center in Detroit and defaced it with Pro-Palestine graffiti, prompting him to lodge a complaint in this matter. The vandals had painted an “X” across his photograph and the words “racist”, “ceasefire” and “Free Palestine” were also spray-painted on the walls of his community center. He was targeted for expressing pro-Israel opinions after the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7th October last year.
Pro-Israel supporters hold a protest against violent Pro-Palestine demonstrations, voice concerns about increasing anti-Semitism
In counter to the recent protests by Pro-Palestine individuals, several pro-Israel supporters gathered at Hunter College on Monday evening to face off with people they accused of “supporting terrorism.”
A 17-year-old Jewish Upper East Sider Elena Bakhchi said, “All these people are ignorant, uneducated and blindly following each other. It feels like we’re back in World War two.”
As per reports, nearly 1,000 pro-Israel demonstrators gathered at Riverside Park in support of Jewish students at colleges like Columbia University. Incidentally, the rally coincided with Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust remembrance day.
Jewish Columbia students condemned the surge in antisemitism currently being witnessed on college campuses across the United States.
Addressing the rally, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, compared the anti-Israel protesters to “modern-day Nazis”.
Erdan said, “Words are being weaponized to spread bigotry, to incite violence, to inflame the targeting of Jews. Columbia, Harvard, and UCLA are new hotbeds of Nazi-like ideology, branding Israel as the root of all evil and the Jewish people is a global scourge.” He added that the hypocrisy of protests shows they are not liberal activism but are antisemitic.
He asked, “Did we see encampments to protest Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine? Did rioters barricade buildings to protest Assad’s brutality in Syria? Did we see Chinese students attacked because China is torturing Uyghurs? Were quads vandalized while Iran murdered women and protesters?”, and answered, “Of course not.”
The Israeli ambassador to the UN called on “Jews across the United States and around the world” to divest from universities that allow antisemitism to spread. He added that they should demand students who use violence be expelled, and blacklist every academic institution that shows tolerance for terror.
Erdan submitted, “This Yom HaShoah, ‘Never Again’ has taken on historic importance. Never again means taking action, and the time for action is now.”
A student turned Pro-Palestine protestor named Breanna Brocker received a rude shock when Arizona State University (ASU) in the United States suspended her on charges of trespassing.
Brocker broke down in tears after learning that she would miss her graduation for not being able to write her final exam. “I mean, I’m a little disappointed. I’m being restricted from a lot of things right now that I didn’t expect to be for standing up for something that I believe in,” she was heard telling ABC15 journalist Ben Brown
The ASU senior continued, “And, you know, I have family coming in who I have to let them not come to my graduation ceremonies. I mean, I’m a 2020 high school grad, so I wasn’t able to walk then. And so, you know, here it is. I’m not able to walk now.”
WATCH: We spoke with ASU senior Breanna Brocker outside the courthouse, who said she will not be able to graduate because the suspension will cause her to miss her final exam pic.twitter.com/FKGaMuzOt7
Breanna Brocker was heard saying, “So much harm has been done to all of those people already. I am safe, I am fine. I may not [walk at graduation] and that might harm future job prospects and stuff like that, but I’m not in physical danger.”
Brocker, who was suspended last week, however, claimed that her graduation would be taken care of and that she would be able to get a degree. She vowed to continue protesting for the cause of Palestine.
“I was doing what I believed was right and I still believe it to be right. I would stand up for the cause again, even if it means something negative for me,” the ASU student added.
Reportedly, more than 70 ASU were arrested recently for trespassing during a Pro-Palestine protest. On Friday (3rd May), a US district judge denied a motion to lift the suspension of 20 ASU students including Breanna Brocker.
On Tuesday (7th May), the Supreme Court of India denied interim bail to incumbent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection to the liquor policy scam case.
The matter was heard by a 2-bench Judge of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta. The apex court had initially raised apprehensions about Kejriwal resuming official duties if granted interim bail, adding that it may have a cascading effect on democracy.
The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested on 21st March this year after having skipped 9 summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He is being held at the Tihar jail at the moment.
No interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as of now in the Delhi Excise Policy case. Supreme Court likely to hear the case on Thursday or next week. pic.twitter.com/gEsfbwfJ6b
Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that the Chief Minister will continue to lead the government from prison and wouldn’t resign from office.
Kejriwal has not been granted any relief by the Delhi High Court or the Supreme Court since his arrest in March this year.
Delhi Excise Policy Scam
In November 2021, the AAP-led Delhi Government introduced the Delhi Excise Policy replacing the old excise policy claiming it would benefit Delhi. However, in July 2022, Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report to LG VK Saxena pointing out that there were alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. In the same month, the policy was scrapped.
In his report, Kumar pointed out that Sisodia’s decisions taken in regards to the policy were arbitrary and unilateral leading to financial losses to the exchequer estimated at over Rs 580 crore.
Central Bureau of Investigation initiated a probe into the matter. Later, ED also initiated a separate case. Manish Sisodia and others were arrested in the matter. In March 2024, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by ED after he failed to appear in eight consecutive summons by the investigating agencies.
Kejriwal tried escaping the ED summons via court but the court rejected his plea and said he had to appear before the ED. Since then, his custody has been extended multiple times. Currently, AAP is using Kejriwal’s stint in Tihar as a political campaign hoping they would get some votes because a “sitting chief minister” has been jailed.
A bloodcurdling incident from 2016 has come to the fore from Maharashtra’s Thane after the sessions court handed down a life sentence to a man named Shafique Mansuri for killing his pregnant sister, who had converted to Hinduism to marry a Hindu man, in an “honour killing” case. The woman’s husband, Vijay Shankar, was murdered by the accused.
Mansuri, employed at a Jari factory in Mumbai, was also fined a total of Rs. 1,10,000 by Additional Sessions Judge DS Deshmukh.
Convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder, Mansuri’s victims were identified as Vijayshankar Yadav, 30, and his wife Priya Yadav, 22. Priya, who had converted from Muslim to Hinduism to marry Vijay Shankar, resided in Mumbai’s Shil-Phata locality and was expecting at the time of their deaths.
The couple had eloped from their Uttar Pradesh village to settle in Thane, facing opposition from Priya’s family. Despite the police confirming their marital status and allowing them to continue living together, Priya’s family remained staunchly against the union.
Suspicions arose in the Uttar Pradesh village regarding Mansuri’s involvement in facilitating the couple’s marriage. These accusations reportedly troubled Mansuri deeply. When Priya mentioned plans to visit their village, fearing reprisal from villagers, Mansuri allegedly devised a plan.
Moving in with the couple, Mansuri purportedly intoxicated Vijay Shankar heavily on the day of the murders. He then fatally stabbed both victims before fleeing, securing the door from outside.
On September 15, 2016, neighbours noticed a foul odour emanating from the locked room, prompting police intervention. Upon forced entry, the decomposed bodies of the couple, with multiple stab wounds, were discovered. Notably, Priya’s unborn baby girl’s legs protruded from her abdomen due to stab wounds inflicted by Mansuri.
Prosecutor Sandhya Mhatre highlighted the prosecution’s reliance on circumstantial evidence, including testimony from a neighbour who observed Mansuri’s residency with the couple after Priya mentioned her brother’s visit. Additionally, the murder weapon, a knife, was identified by a shopkeeper who sold it to Mansuri, with the shop’s markings present on the weapon. Bloodstains on Mansuri’s attire and keys were found to match the victims’ blood, further substantiating the case against him.
