Home Blog Page 1111

Tamil Nadu: Whistleblower D Ferdin Rayan hacked in Tirunelveli, had complained about illegal constructions, illicit stone mining under the DMK govt

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Tamil Nadu: Whistleblower D Ferdin Rayan hacked in Tirunelveli, had complained about illegal constructions, illicit stone mining under the DMK govt

Social activist and whistleblower D. Ferdin Rayan (36) was brutally attacked in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, on 4th May, using a sharp-edged weapon. He is a resident of Samathanapuram. He was attacked while travelling to the badminton court at the Anna Stadium complex in Palayamkottai. The perpetrator, who is still at large, inflicted grave injuries on the victim before absconding from there. Rayan cried out for assistance and people rushed to the spot but the culprit got away before anybody else could stop him. Palayamkottai High Ground police have registered a case and are searching for the accused.

Rayan was severely injured and was sent to the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital right away to receive emergency treatment. Fortunately, doctors have determined that his condition is stable and he is not in danger at the time. The incident is reportedly the result of his persistent whistleblowing, per the authorities. According to them, he used to file petitions with Corporation officials to prevent unauthorised construction in Tirunelveli City and appeal to other relevant officials to stop illegal stone quarrying in the area.

He gained admiration and contempt for his tenacity in exposing fraud and unethical behaviour at the Corporation, Electricity Board, Mines Department and other governmental organizations. The exploitation of natural resources, especially illicit mining, has been strongly opposed by him. His steadfast dedication to transparency and the public good has made him a nuisance to those engaged in unlawful actions.

Rayan had driven from his house at around 5:40 am on the day of the attack to the badminton club located behind the Corporation office. However, unknown people riding a motorcycle stopped him outside the Corporation headquarters and targeted him with machetes, slashing his head, back and limbs. He drove his car into the Corporation compound while sustaining serious wounds and bleeding profusely. He called for help and passersby responded but the attackers left the scene before they could be caught.

Rayan, a well-known fisherman and native of Kadalpuram in Thoothukudi has been leading the charge in exposing wrongdoing and corruption in the Tirunelveli region. Rayan has courageously employed the Right to Information (RTI) Act as the state president of the Bharathavar Association to reveal official malfeasance and to pursue legal action to address grievances. Significant information has come to light as a result of his efforts, including the horrifying state of a hospital close to Sarah Tucker College, which was severely lacking in infrastructure and basic amenities. He presented the Madras High Bench in Madurai with the proof which led to an order for the hospital to be sealed.

Furthermore, he has uncovered other unjust constructions, highlighting that more than 122 buildings were built without the necessary permits, costing the government a substantial amount of money. In addition, he unveiled the illegal operation of stone quarries and a fraudulent contract for road laying, despite the district’s denial of authorization after a North Indian child was killed in an accident. He contested the execution of an Rs. 1,000 crore Smart City project in the Tirunelveli district, arguing that construction took place without the necessary approvals, as part of his quest for justice. His activism has not, however, been without backlash. He has received threats cautioning him against getting involved in such affairs.

Similar attacks on other whistleblowers

Assaults against activists and whistleblowers in Tamil Nadu’s southern regions have increased alarmingly in recent weeks. Congress district official KPK Jayakumar Dhansigh was the most recent victim. His attacker is still at large and his body was discovered charred a few days after he was reported missing, leaving the details of his death unclear. An attack was carried out on Tirunelveli lawyer Brahma, who was recognized for taking legal action against substandard hotels and hospitals.

Tenth-standard-educated villager Balakrishnan, from Agram village in Thoothukudi, reported illicit sand mining in the Murappanadu-Tamirabarani river and received threats to his life. His safety was secured by the prompt involvement of judges Kirubakaran and Pugalendi from the Madurai bench. He is currently under round-the-clock security from armed police. VAO Lourdsamy was brutally murdered in his office for daring to file a complaint against the unlicensed quarrying of sand.

Facing personnel shortage, Ukraine passes bill to recruit convicted prisoners into the military, murderers and rapists excluded

ANI
-
0
Facing personnel shortage, Ukraine passes bill to recruit convicted prisoners into the military, murderers and rapists excluded

Ukraine’s parliament has made a significant decision amidst the nation’s pressing need for military personnel, passing a bill that would allow certain prisoners to enlist in the armed forces.

The move comes as Ukrainian forces confront a critical shortage of manpower, exacerbated by ongoing Russian advancements on the battlefield, Al Jazeera reported.

Wednesday’s legislative move signifies a notable shift in Kyiv’s stance on the issue. Previously, Ukrainian authorities had staunchly opposed such measures, frequently condemning Moscow for employing prisoners to bolster its military ranks.

The bill’s passage through parliament is a pivotal step, awaiting final approval from the chairperson of parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before implementation.

“The parliament has voted yes,” affirmed MP Olena Shuliak, leader of President Zelenskyy’s party, via a Facebook announcement. She elaborated, stating, “The draft law opens the possibility for certain categories of prisoners who expressed a desire to defend their country to join the Defence Forces.”

Under the proposed legislation, participation in mobilisation would be voluntary and restricted to specific prisoner categories. Notably excluded from eligibility are individuals convicted of sexual violence, multiple homicides, severe corruption, and former high-ranking officials, clarified Shuliak, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Eligible prisoners must have less than three years remaining on their sentence to apply for mobilisation, with the assurance of parole rather than a pardon if enlisted.

However, despite the bill’s passage, the organization Protection for Prisoners of Ukraine expressed disappointment with the approved text. The head of the NGO, Oleg Tsvily, voiced concerns over perceived discrimination within the legislation, noting the elimination of leave for mobilized prisoners and uncertainties regarding their duration of service.

“We support the idea behind the law, but the text that was passed is discriminatory,” Tsvily lamented. He further expressed apprehension about the potential formation of “special units” for mobilized soldiers, fearing possible mistreatment of prisoners akin to reported practices by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia.

The recruitment of prisoners into military service has been a contentious issue since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, with allegations of coerced enlistment and promises of presidential pardons for service.

This recruitment strategy was spearheaded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, notably captured on film touring Russian prisons to enlist soldiers for his Wagner Group.

As Ukraine continues to confront intensified Russian aggression, efforts to bolster military recruitment have escalated.

Recent measures include heightened penalties for draft evasion and a reduction in the draft age from 27 to 25, reflecting the nation’s determination to fortify its defences against ongoing threats Al Jazeera reported. 

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

‘Bakwas ki hai,’ people associated with Gandhi family should think before doing anything: Robert Vadra on racist rant by Sam Pitroda

ANI
-
0
‘Bakwas ki hai,’ people associated with Gandhi family should think before doing anything: Robert Vadra on racist rant by Sam Pitroda

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra has rubbished Sam Pitroda’s ‘racist’ remark and expressing surprise at how such an educated person could make these types of comments.

Vadra also said that he completely disagreed with what the former Overseas India Congress chairman stating that the latter should have been more responsible with his remarks.

“When you are associated with this (Gandhi) family, with great power comes great responsibility, you have to think before taking any step. I disagree with what Sam Pitroda has said. ‘Bakwas ki hai’. How can someone so educated say something like this? He was very close to Rajiv Gandhi but he should be a little more responsible. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are making efforts but because of his one statement, the BJP gets a chance to raise unnecessary issues,” Vadra told ANI.

“You come here and talk about the mistakes of this government, point out the shortcomings. But you are sitting on the sofa and saying anything, which is complete nonsense. I am very happy that he has retired. I wrote to him yesterday that all this is wrong,” Vadra said.

Vadra has also criticised Smriti Irani, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Amethi stating that she used his name in a wrong way by showing his picture with Adani.

“I have met a few people to know the reality of the ground. Amethi, Raibareli or Muradabad–wherever I have gone, people believe that I should come into active politics. I lived among the people of that area since 1999, campaigned for Sonia Gandhi and then made her win with a huge majority in 2004. My relations with the people of Amethi and Raebareli have been strong and they think that their MP used my name in the wrong way by showing my picture with Adani,” Vadra said.

He also mentioned that he had challenged Irani for proof but she did not reply.

“I am a member of the Gandhi family and people from across the world want to meet us. I have met Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela. I challenged Smriti Irani that I have a lot of information about you but I didn’t say anything wrong. I told her to prove anything against me regarding Adani but she did not reply. People of Amethi felt that if Smriti Irani misused my name, then I should challenge her because she has not made any progress,” he said.

Further, reacting to Prime Minister Modi’s “Adani-Ambani” remark on the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra said all allegations should be investigated.

“These seem to be baseless allegations. The whole country knows that if you look at all the ports, roads and airports, only Adani will be visible. There are two to three industrialists to whom you are handing over all the things of the country. PM does not talk about real issues. Sometimes he imitates Rahul, sometimes he calls him “Shehzada,” Vadra said.

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

Canadian bank faces money-laundering probe over allegations of drug traffickers using the bank to launder money from sale of Fentanyl in USA

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Canadian bank faces money-laundering probe over allegations of drug traffickers using the bank to launder money from sale of Fentanyl in USA

On 2nd May, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Canada’s TD Bank is being probed in a money laundering case. Following the report, the stock price of the Bank dropped by 1%. As per the report, the Justice Department was investigating the bank’s finances and the focus of the investigation into the bank’s internal controls was on how the crime groups from China and drug traffickers used the bank to launder money from the sale of fentanyl in the US.

The investigation into the bank’s operations was initiated after investigating agencies uncovered an operation in New Jersey and New York, where hundreds of millions of dollars were laundered via TD and other banks. This money was earned by the drug traffickers from the sale of illicit narcotics. Prosecutors alleged that TD employees received bribes from the criminals.

In the past couple of decades, TD has become one of the largest regional banks in the US with a series of acquisitions of other financial institutions. In early 2024, TD Bank bought Tennessee’s First Horizon in a USD 13.4 billion deal. Regulators, however, have suspicions that the money laundering activities could have helped speed up the deal.

The sale of First Horizon Bank was barred by the regulators over concerns of suspicious customer transactions. Since then, TD has been quiet on the status of the investigation.

Last year TD disclosed that the bank’s operations were under investigation. However, it was only revealed recently that the focus of the probe was on money laundering operations by drug traffickers and criminals. On 30th April, the bank stated that there were three ongoing investigations against TD in money laundering matters in the US. USD 450 million has been set aside by the bank to resolve one of these investigations and there is a possibility that the bank may face more penalties.

In another statement on 3rd May, Bharat Masrani, CEO of TD, said, “Criminals relentlessly target financial institutions to launder money and TD has a responsibility and an obligation to thwart their illegal activity. I regret that there were serious instances where the Bank’s AML program fell short and did not effectively monitor, detect, report or respond.”

As of now, the US Justice Department is investigating how Chinese drug traffickers allegedly used TD and other banks’ operated to launder at least USD 653 million from fentanyl sales.

On 2nd May, the Canadian Bank regulator fined the bank equivalent of USD 6.7 million as it failed to report suspicious activities and document risks related to terrorist activities and money laundering.

Speaking to The Star, National Bank analyst Gabrial Dechaine said that total penalties in money laundering cases might cost TD Bank as much as CAD 2 billion. Explaining how such activities take place in the banks, Calgary-based anti-money launching compliance and investigations consultant Stephen Scott asserted that it only takes one person per branch to initiate such illegal activities. “It comes down to training and hiring the right people,” he said.

Last week, Canada’s financial-crime watchdog Fintrac also issued a penalty against TD amounting to CAD 9.2 million as it failed to comply with anti-money-laundering and terrorist financing measures. Other banks that were fined by the watchdog were CIBC and RBC with CAD 1.3 million and CAD 7.5 million respectively.

Jharkhand: Akhtar Ansari brutally kills his tribal wife, caught while trying to burry the body with his brother-in-law Sanaullah Ansari

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Jharkhand: Akhtar Ansari brutally kills his tribal wife, caught while trying to burry the body with his brother-in-law Sanaullah Ansari

Yet another interfaith marriage ended in tragedy after a Muslim man killed his Hindu wife in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga. Bal Muni Lohra, a woman from the Janjatiya (tribal) community, was strangled to death by her husband Akhtar Ansari on Tuesday, 7th May, according to a report in Organiser. The perpetrator carried her body to the cemetery after the brutal murder in order to bury her and hide the crime. However, the vigilant locals caught him red-handed and notified the victim’s parents. A case was then filed against Akhtar Ansari and the police apprehended him on murderous charges.

Laldev Lohra, the deceased’s father, submitted a First Information Report (FIR number: 13/2024) at the Kisko police station on 7th May. The culprit has been charged with murder under section 302, disappearing evidence under section 201, and crimes committed by multiple persons with common intent under section 31 based on the complaint.

According to accounts, the Hindu woman moved in with Akhtar Ansari after eloping with him nearly five years ago. She reportedly married Akhtar Ansari and gave birth to a boy. The couple was married in an Islamic ceremony. There is no information on whether her name was changed. Her family severed all connections with her since they opposed the interfaith marriage.

She was strangled to death at their home by her Muslim husband after which he brought the corpse to the cemetery where Sanaullah Ansari, his brother-in-law, joined him to conceal the heinous act. The pair intended to bury the woman quietly while keeping the residents in the area unaware of what had transpired.

The locals, in contrast to their expectations, found them burying a body and they immediately called the woman’s family. The family members accused the two men of killing their daughter, and the police were informed.

The body was transferred by the authorities to the Lohardaga Sadar Hospital for a postmortem examination. The Station House Officer (SHO) at the Kisko Police Station confirmed on 8th May that Akhtar Ansari was being held by the police, however, he did not reveal the lack of action against Sanaullah Ansari.

Allahabad Court upholds tenets of Islam to deny live-in relationship rights to previously married Muslim, says illicit relationships prohibited by Islamic law

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Allahabad Court upholds tenets of Islam to deny live-in relationship rights to previously married Muslim, says illicit relationships prohibited by Islamic law

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ruled on Wednesday (8th May) ruled that Muslims cannot claim rights in a live-in relationship if they have a surviving spouse since such a relationship is prohibited by Islamic law.

A bench of Justices AR Masoodi and AK Srivastava made the observations while hearing a writ petition brought by Sneha Devi and Mohd Shadab Khan, who were seeking protection from police action after the woman’s parents filed a kidnapping complaint against Khan, and ordered that Sneha Devi be returned to her parents under guard.

The petitioners claimed to be in a live-in relationship, but the woman’s parents filed a police report accusing Khan of kidnapping and enticing her to marry him. They also sought protection for their lives and liberty, claiming that they were adults who, according to the Supreme Court, were free to live together in a live-in relationship.

“Islamic tenets do not permit live-in relationships during the subsisting marriage. The position may be different if the two persons are unmarried and the parties being major choose to lead their lives in a way of their own,” the bench said while declining to pass an order on the issue of protection of life and liberty.

Following an investigation, the bench discovered that Shadab Khan married Farida Khatoon in 2020 and that the couple had a child.

The court observed that constitutional morality and social morality in marriage institutions must be harmonized; otherwise, social coherence for accomplishing the goal of societal peace and serenity would fade and disappear. It further asked the police to send petitioner Sneha Devi to her parents under guard. 

“The constitutional morality may come to the rescue of such a couple and the social morality settled through the customs and usages over ages may give way to the constitutional morality and protection under Article 21 of the Constitution of India may step in to protect the cause. The case before us is, however, different,” the Court observed while the couple sought protection under Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty).

“The constitutional protection under Article 21 of the Constitution of India would not lend an un-canalized support to such a right, once the usages and customs prohibit such a relationship between the two individuals of different faiths,” the bench added.

There is no definition of a live-in relationship as such in India. It broadly refers to the proposal of two people living together with consent. It allows people to understand each other, which aids in making an informed decision about marriage.

Earlier, in March this year, the Allahabad High Court made a similar ruling considering the Hindu law. While hearing the plea filed by a live-in couple seeking police protection against their family members, the Court held that as per the Hindu Law, a person having a spouse alive cannot live in an illicit and live-in relationship in contravention of the provisions of the law.

Justice Renu Agarwal stated that the Court could not safeguard a connection that was not supported by Hindu law. If the court takes up such cases and offers protection to illegal relationships, it will cause disorder in society, hence such relationships cannot be backed by the court.

It was also decided that no law-abiding citizen who is already married under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 can seek the Court’s protection for an unlawful relationship that is not part of the country’s social fabric. The sacredness of marriage presupposes divorce. If the girl has any difference with her husband, she has first to move to get separated from her spouse as per law applicable to the community if Hindu Law does not apply to her, it was observed.

‘If left to Congress there would be no country for Hindus’: BJP tears into Congress after EAC-PM study shows Hindus in India shrunk 8%

ANI
-
0
‘If left to Congress there would be no country for Hindus’: BJP tears into Congress after EAC-PM study shows Hindus in India shrunk 8%

Amit Malviya, Bhartiya Janta Party’s in-charge of the National Information and Technology Department on Wednesday targeted the Congress party over the report of the Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM) and said that if the country is left to Congress, then there would be no country for Hindus.

Taking to his official X handle, Amit Malviya tweeted, “Share of Hindus shrunk 7.8% between 1950 and 2015. The Muslim population grew by 43%. This is what decades of Congress rule did to us. Left to them, there would be no country for Hindus.”

The remarks of Amit Malviya come amidst the report of EAC which said that in India, the share of the majority Hindu population decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015 (from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent), while the share of the Muslim population, which in 1950 was 9.84 per cent, increased to 14.09 per cent in 2015–a 43.15 per cent increase in their share.

Meanwhile, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister also held the Congress responsible for the decrease in the Hindu population and claimed that the Muslim population due to the party’s Muslim appeasement politics.

Speaking with ANI, Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “This is a topic of concern and this imbalance in the population–rise in Muslim population and decline in Hindu population, has happened because of the Congress’ Muslim appeasement.”

Maurya added further, “Congress party worked like the Muslim League and therefore, the country witnessed an imbalance in the population. That is why, the country needs Uniform Civil Code (UCC)… Just like Hindus, Muslims will only marry one person. ‘Ye nahi ki ham 5 aur hamare 25 ke formule se santulan bigde,’ and then the demand for another Pakistan rises in the country. To prevent such things from happening, Uniform Civil Code is important.”

According to the EAC report, the share of the Christian population rose from 2.24 per cent to 2.36 per cent–an increase of 5.38 per cent between 1950 and 2015.

The share of Sikh population increased from 1.24 per cent in 1950 to 1.85 per cent in 2015–a 6.58 per cent rise in their share. Even the share of the Buddhist population witnessed a noticeable increase from 0.05 per cent in 1950 to 0.81 per cent.

On the other hand, the share of Jains in the population of India decreased from 0.45 per cent in 1950 to 0.36 per cent in 2015. The share of the Parsi population in India witnessed a stark 85 per cent decline, reducing from 0.03 per cent share in 1950 to 0.004 per cent in 2015.

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

Instagram influencer Bhupendra Jogi, whose reel mocking Dhruv Rathee went viral, attacked by unknown assailants: Read what happened

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Instagram influencer Bhupendra Jogi, whose reel mocking Dhruv Rathee went viral, attacked by unknown assailants: Read what happened

On 7th May, Bhupendra Jogi, an Instagram influencer and businessman from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, was brutally attacked by unknown assailants while returning from his garment shop. Jogi rose to fame via viral social media reels. Reportedly, while returning from his shop, two masked assailants attacked him in the New Market area at around 9 PM. He tried to save himself but sustained severe injuries and ended up getting around 40 stitches.

Speaking to the media, a senior police official said that a case has been registered in the matter under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 307 at the Arera Hills Police Station. However, “so far there are no clues about the culprits. Jogi has not spoken about any rivalry or previous threats. We are scanning CCTV footage from the spot,” the police official said.

In a video uploaded on his Instagram account, Bhupendra Jogi said, “I had closed down my shop and was returning when two masked men attacked me with knives. They have not been arrested. I request everyone’s help in finding these people and helping me get justice.”

In an Instagram story, Jogi urged everyone to help him find the culprits. “I am BHUPENDRA JOGI, yesterday at 9:30 PM when I was returning home from my shop, some people attacked me with a knife at the Roshanpura intersection(100meter away from the police station) due to which I got 37 stitches on my body. After attacking they ran away easily and till now no one has been able to trace him. “PLEASE ALL OF YOU ARE REQUESTED TO HELP ME IN FINDING THESE PEOPLE AND HELP ME IN GETTING JUSTICE,” he wrote.

Source: Bhupendra Jogi’s Instagram account

Jogi was reportedly supposed to go to Mumbai for auditions for an OTT platform. Had he managed to clear the auditions, he would have worked with Salman Khan. There is a possibility that he was supposed to audition for Bigg Boss OTT where Salman Khan is the host. Last year, YouTuber and influencer Elvish Yadav had won the season 2 of the show. However, it is unclear which show Jogi was supposed to audition for. His family members have alleged that the attack could have happened because of the auditions. It is unlikely he would be able to audition for the show. 

Bhupendra Jogi’s meme and journey of becoming an influencer

Bhupendra Jogi is a businessman from Bhopal who runs a garment shop. Jogi rose to fame after his “naam kya hai” meme went viral in 2018. In a video, while speaking to an on-ground reporter of Lallantop, he had claimed “I have visited many cities in the US”. When the reporter asked “Tell me the name” (of cities he visited), Jogi replied by telling his name. In the video, he praised the roads in MP and said they were better than the roads in the US.

Jogi took the opportunity of becoming a meme material and became a social media influencer. At the moment, he has around 1,96,000 followers on Instagram. In 2023, he reshared the meme in his own style as the first two videos on his Instagram account.

Following rising to fame, he met several influencial people including political leaders like former CM of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Smriti Irani.

Video on Dhruv Rathee and the backlash

Two weeks ago, on 20th April, Jogi uploaded a video on his Instagram profile mocking propagandist YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. In the video, Jogi was seen driving a motorcycle with two of his friends as pillion riders. The one sitting on the rear asked if they knew Dhruv Rathee to which Jogi and his friend said they did not know him. When the other friend tried to praise Dhruv Rathee, they dropped him from the bike and said, “Don’t know whom he was talking about. Who is that person anyway?”

The video received a severe backlash on Instagram and Jogi’s comments were patched with Rathee’s fans asking everyone to unfollow him. Some accused him of being a sellout to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Source: Jogi’s Instagram account.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

UP: Minor Hindu girl’s body, chopped into two, found near railway tracks; family says Fariyad took her to mosque and converted her to Islam before killing her

OpIndia Staff
-
0
UP: Minor Hindu girl’s body, chopped into two, found near railway tracks; family says Fariyad took her to mosque and converted her to Islam before killing her

On Wednesday, May 8, a 15-year-old Hindu girl’s body, chopped into two parts, was found lying near the railway tracks in Bareilly’s Fatehganj Purvi village. In what the family of the deceased is alleging to be a case of love jihad, the minor was hurled before a speeding train by a youth identified as Fariyad, son of one Wahid Hussain, after she was forced to convert to Islam. The family of the deceased minor also suspected that the accused had sexually assaulted the victim before killing her.

Reportedly, the accused Fariyad Hussain not only murdered the minor girl in cold blood but also attacked the deceased’s mother with a knife when he was caught by the family members and villagers while he was trying to flee after committing the heinous crime.

The Bareilly police have taken to X to confirm the incident. They have said that an FIR has been filed under relevant sections of the IPC and an investigation has been initiated in the case.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, as the young girl was en route to her school, as per the complaint filed by the family of the deceased girl. The mother of the deceased stated her daughter had gotten a call from her school stating she had obtained low grades on one of her examinations and needed to take an improvement test.

The girl was walking to school when Fariyad Hussain stopped her and offered to drop her to school on his bike. The accused, however, instead of taking her to the school, took the victim to the rail bridge near the Bahgul River.

Source: OpIndia Exclusive

According to local media reports, after reaching the railway bridge, the youths first assaulted the victim and then pushed her before a speeding train. The victim died on the spot. The report also quoted the deceased parents as alleging that the accused first took the minor to a mosque where she was forced to convert to Islam. She was also sexually assaulted before being brutally killed.

Source: X handle of @himanshupatelrs

According to the complaint, the victim’s brother saw the accused drag her towards the railway tracks and alerted his family, who immediately rushed to the scene along with other locals. Despite the efforts of the victim’s family to restrain the accused, Fariyad Hussain shoved the girl in front of the moving train and tried to run away, only to be accosted by the locals. The police arrived at the scene after the older sister of the deceased girl alerted them and took the accused into their custody.

Hindu temple attacked in Trinidad, idols smashed, premise vandalised in Curepe city

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Hindu temple attacked in Trinidad, idols smashed, premise vandalised in Curepe city

On Wednesday (8th May), several people stormed into the Bharatiya Abhyas Mandali, a Hindu Temple on Watts Street in Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago and vandalised it.  The Hindu temple desecrated by the attackers is administered by Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. The attackers destroyed six idols. Reports say that the St Joseph Police and CID are investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha said: “Six murtis sized four feet were destroyed, and smashed to pieces in the most violent manner. Once again a place of worship was attacked. Obviously, this is not the unholy work of a vagrant or a band of vagrants.”

Source: Trinidad Express

SDMS General Secretary Vijay Maharaj described the attack on the Hindu temple as the “worst form of sacrilege committed”.

This, however, is not the first time that a Hindu temple has been vandalised. In December last year, the Munroe Road Temple was also attacked and donation boxes with cash were stolen along with gold jewellery placed on Hundi murtis.

On the 15th of October last year, the Kali Maa Temple in Carli Bay was desecrated, with acid reportedly poured on the floor and the Kali Maa murti. In the same month, some people vandalised the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) D’Abadie Maha Vishnu Mandir on Mausica Road.

In another incident of violence against Hindus and an attack on their temple in October last year, stones were hurled at the Pranavananda Ashram at Temple Street off Beaucarro Road in Freeport, when Hindus were performing Kanya Kumari pooja during Navratri festival. It was reported that some youths while were hurling objects from the temple’s rooftop. The attackers also damaged five vehicles.

This incident had sparked an outrage in Trinidad and Tobago with opposition MP Indra Singh calling it the “latest anti-Hindu attack in South Couva. Just two days before this attack, a popular Ramleela site, Tarouba Recreation Grounds was targeted. The attackers stole the tents and destroyed props created for use in the Ramleela production.  In September last year, the Williamsville Hindu temple was vandalised.

On 28th September 2022, the Kali Mata temple in Carli Bay in Couva was vandalised and desecrated by unknown miscreants. The vandals had broken into the temple in the night and damaged the idol of Goddess Kali. They also smeared olive oil on the idol. The attackers wrote a verse from the Bible on the walls of the temple, which contains a warning against non-Christians. They wrote ‘Read Exodus 20:3-4’ in big red letters on the outer walls of the temple.

This attack came just a week after a Ganesh Mandir was vandalised in Penal on the night of 22 September 2022. It was found that a Ganesh murti was broken, clothes were pulled out from other murtis, and a cigarette butt was left behind.  

1...1,1101,1111,112...7,657Page 1,111 of 7,657