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Should ex-Muslims continue to be governed by Sharia law? CJI Chandrachud to hear petition by ex-Muslim Kerala woman: Here is what the case is about

OpIndia Staff
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Should ex-Muslims continue to be governed by Sharia law? CJI Chandrachud to hear petition by ex-Muslim Kerala woman: Here is what the case is about

On Monday (29th April), the Supreme Court of India issued notices to State and Union governments while hearing a writ petition seeking a declaration that a person who was born a Muslim, but ceased to be a believer, would not be governed by the Shariat law. After elaborate arguments, the bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra issued notices on the petition, terming it an “important issue.” 

The bench also requested the Attorney General for India to nominate a law officer who can assist the Court. The next hearing in this case will take place in the second week of July 2024. 

The writ petition has been filed by a Kerala-based woman, Safiya PM who is the general secretary of an organisation of ex-Muslims of Kerala. In her plea, Safiya seeks a “declaration that persons who do not want to be governed by the Muslim Personal Law must be allowed to be governed by the secular law of the country, viz, the Indian Succession Act, 1925 both in the case of intestate and testamentary succession”.

Initially, the bench was reluctant to entertain the petition as well as regarding the argument that a non-believer wouldn’t be governed by the Shariat Act. 

Responding to the petitioner’s counsel Advocate Prashant Padmanabhan, CJI Chandrachud said, “The moment you are born as Muslim you are governed by the personal law. Your rights or entitlement are not governed by being a believer or non-believer.” 

The bench also questioned how the Court could issue a declaration regarding the non-applicability of personal law to a person under Article 32 of the Constitution when the petitioner has not challenged any statutory provision.

During the arguments, the CJI highlighted the provisions of Section 3 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937. He pointed out that a person will not be governed by the Act unless they specifically make a declaration, under this section, to be governed by the Act.

The CJI noted, “You don’t have to seek that declaration. Because Section 3 of the Shariat Act says that unless you make a declaration, you will not be governed by the provisions of the personal law in the matter of wills, adoptions, and legacies. So if you don’t make a declaration, your father doesn’t make a declaration, they are not governed by the personal law.” 

However, the court noted that there was a problem as a void existed for such scenarios as Section 58 of the Indian Succession Act makes a specific declaration that the Succession Act will not apply to Muslims. Nonetheless, the bench noted that the petitioner had not challenged Section 58 of the Indian Succession Act.

Highlighting that a legal void exists in such scenarios, CJI D Y Chandrachud ruled, “There is a problem. Because if you don’t have a declaration, there is still a void because the secular law doesn’t apply. When we started reading it, we said what kind of a petition is this. Now that you have got into it…it’s an important point. We will issue a notice.”

Arguments of the petitioners following which the Court agreed to issue notices

The plea said the petitioner, “a born Muslim woman to a non-practicing Muslim father, who has not officially left the religion, is facing the peculiar problem in protecting her precious civil rights”. 

Petitioner’s counsel, Padmanabhan submitted that according to personal law, a Muslim person cannot leave more than 1/3rd of his properties by way of Will to his daughter. He pointed out that the petitioner’s father is also not a believer. The counsel further submitted that Muslim women are entitled to only 1/3rd of the share of male heirs.

According to the plea, her father can only leave her one-third of the property and the rest of the two-thirds will go to her brother who was suffering from Down’s syndrome. The plea added that the petitioner had a daughter. But after her death, the entire property would not be passed to her daughter because her father’s brothers would also get a claim.

The plea has relied on the SC’s Sabarimala judgement in which the court observed that the fundamental Right to Religion under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, must include the right to believe or not to believe. 

The plea said, “To have meaning for that Right, the person who leaves her faith should not incur any disability or a disqualification in matters of inheritance or other important civil Rights.” 

Regarding the court’s observation that the petitioner had not challenged any statutory provision, Padmanabhan replied that Section 58 is under examination in another petition filed by the Quran Sunnath Society. The counsel added that the petitioner in this case has also intervened in that petition. Following the counsel’s assertion, the bench agreed to consider the matter. 

Meanwhile, the counsel also submitted that he would raise the grounds regarding Section 58 after which the bench granted liberty to amend the petition.

MP: Hindu girl found hanging in a hotel room in Pithampur, Junaid Khan who had checked in with her arrested

OpIndia Staff
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MP: Hindu girl found hanging in a hotel room in Pithampur, Junaid Khan who had checked in with her arrested

A shocking incident has come to light from Indore, Madhya Pradesh where a girl was found dead in mysterious circumstances. Her body was found hanging in the room of Hotel Vatika located in Pithampur Sector One on Sunday afternoon (28th April). As per reports, a man named Junaid Khan is accused of taking the girl to the hotel and soon after he left the hotel, the body of the girl was found hanging in the hotel room. Following the incident, Police have apprehended Junaid in this matter.  

After fearing something suspicious, the Hotel management called the police and a Police team rushed to the spot. As per reports, it is being said that the room was locked from the inside. As per the information received, when head constable Suraj Tiwari opened the door, he found the girl hanging. Some graphic videos of the incident have surfaced on social media in which some hotel staffers could be heard saying that the boy hanged the girl after killing her. The staff also expressed displeasure over the observation that the room was locked from inside stating, “What are you talking about?”

It was later revealed that the girl was a resident of Mahugaon. The police investigation also revealed that the victim came to the hotel with a man named Junaid Khan. The Police have taken him into custody and are investigating the matter. 

They have sent the dead body for post-mortem. After the news of the incident spread in the region, officials of several Hindu organisations also reached the spot. They have demanded that a case of murder be registered against the youth.

Police station in-charge Santosh Dudhi said that the youth has been arrested. The girl’s body has been sent for post-mortem. The situation will become clear only after the report comes. The matter is being investigated by the police.

Meanwhile, the unfortunate incident has sparked outrage with many netizens describing it as a case of Love Jihad and urging young girls and boys to be careful of such incidents which have been on the rise in the past several years. 

A few days earlier, on 20th April, a woman identified as Bulbul working at a beauty parlour in Rajasthan’s Churu district died in unusual circumstances. The woman’s body was found hanging in the beauty parlour. In that case, Arshad, Wahid, Muzaffar, and Amjad were accused of abetting the victim to commit suicide. 

According to reports, the incident transpired at the Hotel Sun City in Churu wherein Bulbul Rakshak, a 24-year-old resident of Ward 27, had worked in a beauty parlour. Like every day, Bulbul departed home for work on Saturday, however, as she did not return in the evening, her family began searching for her. Finally, Bulbul’s lifeless body was found hanging inside the beauty parlour. Subsequently, the Police registered a case and sent the body for a post-mortem.

The deceased victim’s family members claimed that when they attempted to enter the hotel in search of Bulbul, hotel operators Arshad, Wahid, and Muzaffar stopped them. However, the victim’s uncle pushed everyone aside as he entered the hotel where Bulbul’s body was hanging. The deceased’s uncle also alleged that when he saw Bulbul’s body, he noticed injuries on the neck and hands. The victim’s family had accused Arshad, Wahid, Amjad, and Muzaffar of causing Bulbul’s death.

Hindu woman beaten, raped, forced to convert to Islam after she refused ‘proposal’, Mohsin Sheikh arrested, family booked: Horrific details from Mira Road, Mumbai

Siddhi Somani
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Hindu woman beaten, raped, forced to convert to Islam after she refused ‘proposal’, Mohsin Sheikh arrested, family booked: Horrific details from Mira Road, Mumbai

On Friday (26th April), a case of a religiously motivated hate crime against a Hindu woman was reported from Nayanagar Police Station in the Mira Road area, Mumbai. The accused person identified as Mohsin Sheikh forced her to convert her religion to Islam after she had refused his ‘proposal’ for marriage. He also fed her some inebriated substance and raped her several times. The police arrested the accused on Sunday (28th April).

The accused along with his family members identified as Imran Bagwan, Jafar Sheikh, Mobin Sheikh, Ashfaq Sheikh and Shahjaan Sheikh who physically assaulted the girl have been booked under sections 420, 376(2)(n), 313, 354, 323, 504, 506, 34 and 328 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the primary accused Mohsin Sheikh met the victim during the festival of Ganeshotsav in the year 2023 and developed a friendship with her. After a few days of normal interaction, he proposed to the girl saying that he loved her and that he wanted to spend his life with her. But the victim rejected his proposal and confirmed that she was just interested in keeping the friendship, if any.

The accused pretended to understand the point of view of the victim and agreed to be friends with her. However, he arrived at her home one day and fed her with Biryani which contained some toxic substance in it. “I thought he was offering me because we were friends. But his intentions were not good. He fed me Biryani. After that, I began feeling dizzy and after some time I zoned out. On waking after a few hours, I saw myself in a bedroom with no clothes on my body. I was raped,” the girl said in the FIR.

The accused later told the victim that he intended to marry her given she was ready to convert her religion to Islam. “He told me that he wanted me to get converted to Islam and wear a burqa and behave like Muslims. But I denied and burned the burqa,” the victim said.

FIR copy obtained by Opindia

She further mentioned that the accused had shot derogatory videos of her body parts and began blackmailing her for further sexual favours. “He kept on sexually exploiting me for several months and threatened me viral those videos if I failed to agree to what he said,” the girl added.

She further added that the accused also took her forcefully to some Masjid and often used to give her some liquid to drink. He used to hit the girl if she refused to agree with him. The accused is also said to have looted the girl for Rs 120000 and gold worth around Rs 160000.

In March this year, the accused called the girl forcefully to a lodge and again sexually assaulted her. He forced the woman to accept Islam as her new religion and get married to him. On rejecting, he brutally assaulted her and shaved her head bald. On complaining to the nearby Police station, his family members said that the accused was ready to marry the woman. However, later the family members of the accused physically assaulted her and hit her in her stomach.

The girl then immediately called the police for help and later filed a police complaint at Nayanagar police station.

The complaint has been filed against Mohsin Sheikh, Imran Bagwan, Jafar Sheikh, Mobin Sheikh, Ashfaq Sheikh and Shahjaan Sheikh under sections 420, 376(2)(n), 313, 354, 323, 504, 506, 34 and 328 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Mohsin has been arrested and as per the girl, he has confessed that he had kept relations with the girl only to fulfill his sexual desires. Further investigations are underway.

Muslim youths assault, brandish pistol at a Hindu professor in Shibhi college claiming ‘Bhagwa love trap’ over a maliciously shot video which was made viral: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim youths assault, brandish pistol at a Hindu professor in Shibhi college claiming ‘Bhagwa love trap’ over a maliciously shot video which was made viral: Details

In Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district, a professor of Shibli PG College was assaulted and threatened on 24th April while brandishing a pistol by a Muslim mob alleging a ‘Bhagwa love trap’. The accused also tried to incite religious sentiments by making a video of the incident viral online. The police have arrested one Osama after registering a case against four to five accused persons based on a complaint lodged by Shibli College’s principal. The victim has been identified as Ashutosh Maheshwari.

Reports say that after the farewell party, when Assistant Professor Ashutosh Maheshwari walked out the college girls and boys followed him. Ashutosh Maheshwari was walking in front, with the girls following him. At this time, some people took photos and videos and circulated them on social media with the caption, “Save the college from becoming a gang and Bhagwa love trap.”

The incident unfolded on 24th April after the farewell party in the Sociology Department of Shibli College. Four to five persons thrashed Ashutosh Maheshwari, including Simnam from Dugdugwa and Osama from Bajbahadur. When the Head of the Department Professor Noman Ahmed and senior spokesperson Dr. Meesam Abbas arrived, the the accused persons destroyed several government documents for the department and fled with some crucial documents.

Following the incident, Shibli College’s principal submitted a complaint to the police. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under sections 323, 504, 506, 353 and 427 of the IPC against two identified and four to five unidentified accused. Meanwhile, City SP Shailendra Lal said that the police are investigating who uploaded the said video online.

Notably, the Bhagwa love trap is a conspiracy theory peddled by Islamists who claim that Hindu men are trapping Muslim women. There have been several cases where a group of Islamists chased Hindu men travelling with their Muslim female friends and assaulted them.

‘How can a govt protect individual interest?’: SC pulls up Bengal government for their plea challenging CBI probe in Sandeshkhali case

OpIndia Staff
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‘How can a govt protect individual interest?’: SC pulls up Bengal government for their plea challenging CBI probe in Sandeshkhali case

On Monday (29th April), the Supreme Court of India pulled up the West Bengal government for opposing the CBI investigation into the Sandeshkhali issue. Criticising the government’s stance, the bench asked how can a state government approach the top court to protect the interests of an individual.

Additionally, the bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta also refused to issue any stay on the High Court’s order that directed a CBI probe in this matter. The top court has also adjourned the matter and it will hear the case when it resumes after the summer holidays in July. 

Notably, the West Bengal government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the Calcutta High Court’s judgment that directed the CBI to investigate the allegations of land-grabbing and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali.

The bench adjourned the matter at the request of Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the counsel for the West Bengal government. He had requested the bench to take up the matter after a couple of weeks. He argued that there was some very important information that could not be collected to be filed with the present SLP.

While the bench expressed reservations about adjourning the matter, it accepted his request only after taking his statement on record that “the pendency of this petition will not be used as a ground for any purposes.” 

Following the pronouncement of the order, Justice Gavai could be heard saying, “Why should the State come as a petitioner for protecting the interest of some private (individual)?” 

The Court order states, “The learned senior counsel for the petitioner seeks an adjournment after one week. The matter is adjourned after vacation. We, however, record the statement of Mr. Singhvi that the pendency of this petition will not be used as a ground for any purposes.”

TMC govt is opposing a CBI investigation into Sandeshkhali issue

Former Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjanah is the key accused in this case pertaining to allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault by the locals of Sandeshkhali. 

In its SLP, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government claimed that the High Court’s order dated 10th April “demoralised the entire state machinery”, including the police force. 

The plea had argued, “The high court in a very generic order directed the State to provide the required support to the CBI without any guidelines, which amounts to usurping the powers of the state police to investigate any cognisable offence in the Sandeshkhali area, even if the same is not related to the allegations levelled by the PIL petitioners.” 

On 10th April, the Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to file a comprehensive report on the alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into water bodies as well as investigate allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing. The agency was asked to submit a comprehensive report before the next hearing on 2nd May.

While directing a court-monitored CBI probe in the Sandeshkhali incident, the High Court noted, “Therefore, this court is of the considered opinion that it is necessary in the interest of justice and fair play and for expeditious consideration of the various complaints and allegations an impartial enquiry is required to be conducted. The state has to provide the required support to the said agency to be appointed by us to enquire into the matter.”

Before the order, the CBI was already probing the 5th January attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali.  

US: 54-year-old man rapes a 14-year-old girl multiple times, sentenced to 50 years in jail and physical castration

OpIndia Staff
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US: 54-year-old man rapes a 14-year-old girl multiple times, sentenced to 50 years in jail and physical castration

A 54-year-old man has been sentenced to 50 years in jail and physical castration in Louisiana, USA, after he pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl multiple times.

On the 17th of April, Glenn Sullivan, Sr. from Springfield, pleaded guilty to four charges of second-degree rape. Judge William Dykes sentenced Sullivan to 50 years in jail and ordered his physical castration, as part of his plea agreement with prosecutors, District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said in a statement.

The police launched an investigation into the case in July 2022, after the victim informed the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office that Sullivan had abused her many times when she was 14. The accused had impregnated her and a DNA test determined that Sullivan was the child’s father. Sullivan had also groomed the victim and intimidated her and her family to keep her from speaking up.

“So many of these types of cases go unreported because of fear. The strength it must have taken for this young woman to tell the truth in the face of threats and adversity is truly incredible,” Perrilloux said.

Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Brad J. Cascio, who prosecuted the case said, “Sex crimes against juveniles are the most malicious crimes we prosecute. I intend on using every tool the legislature is willing to give us, including physical castration, to seek justice for the children in our community.”

Pointing out Sullivan’s criminal history and the severity of the case, Cascio said, “I want to say I’ve had three people ordered to be chemically castrated but, to my knowledge, this is the first physical castration to be ordered. I felt that this case was a strong enough case and warranted such action.”

Notably, men convicted of certain rape offences in Louisiana may face chemical castration or, if they prefer, surgical removal of their testicles under a statute that has been in place since 2008. Sullivan allegedly chose the latter alternative.

According to the statute, the state’s Department of Corrections will carry out the process, which, however, cannot take place more than a week before a person’s prison sentence ends. This means that Sullivan would not be castrated until a week before the end of his 50-year sentence when he would be over 100 years old.

After Surat, Congress candidate from Indore withdraws nomination, joins the BJP

OpIndia Staff
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After Surat, Congress candidate from Indore withdraws nomination, joins the BJP

Once again, adding to the string of setbacks for the Congress party during the current Lok Sabha elections, Akshay Kanti Bam, its candidate from Indore, withdrew his nomination on Monday. Accompanied by BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola, he visited the Collector’s office to formalize the withdrawal.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya took to X to inform about the development.


In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Indore Lok Sabha constituency, situated in Madhya Pradesh, witnessed a significant victory for the BJP as Shankar Lalwani clinched the seat with an impressive lead of 5,47,754 votes over his closest rival, Pankaj Sanghvi from the INC. Lalwani, holding the incumbent MP position, garnered a total of 10,68,569 votes.

Earlier this month, a Congress candidate from Surat, Nilesh Kumbhani, withdrew his nomination. The revocation of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination and the withdrawal of eight independent candidates cleared the way for the BJP’s Mukesh Dalal to be declared the Member of Parliament (MP) unopposed. 

Canada: Ruling and Opposition leaders all ‘bend down’ to Khalistan supporters, pro-Khalistan slogans raised as Trudeau smiles

OpIndia Staff
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Canada: Ruling and Opposition leaders all ‘bend down’ to Khalistan supporters, pro-Khalistan slogans raised as Trudeau smiles

As appeasement of Khalistani terrorists becomes mainstream in Canada’s politics, pro-Khalistan slogans were raised during a speech by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in Toronto at the Khalsa Day celebrations on Sunday, 28 April.

A smiling, beaming Justin Trudeau came to speak at the Khalsa Day celebrations organised by the Ontario Sikhs and Gurudwara Council amid loud and repeated slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ from a large group of Sikh attendees. Trudeau then proceeded to address the crowd in Punjabi, expressing how happy he was to be there.

In his speech, Trudeau highlighted that he will defend the Sikh community against ‘hate’ and will ensure that the community will be given enhanced security. He promised them more flights to India, including Amritsar.

NDP’s Gurmeet Singh, a known Khalistani Sympathiser insisted that Sikh Genocide has to be recognised all over the world.

Additionally, Canada’s main Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre was also seen ‘bending down’ to the attendees, after hailing the Sikh community and cheering them, while pro-Khalistan slogans continued to be raised.

The pro-Khalistan slogans were raised all through the event, even as the prominent political leaders came to deliver their speech. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was also one of the speakers.

Canada continues to shelter and empower Khalistani terrorists

It is notable here that Canada has been openly backing Khalistani terrorists, sheltering and empowering them to continue their anti-India activities. This open support to Khalistani elements has been a major thorn in the India-Canada relationship, taking bilateral relations to rock bottom in the last year after Trudeau accused India of ‘assassinating’ Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar without a shred of evidence.

Canadian authorities even allow the Khalistani terrorists to threaten and harass Indian diplomats in Canada. Many terrorists, wanted criminals from India have been residing in Canada and continuing their criminal activities with active support and shelter from the Canadian government.

The Khalsa Day celebrations is an annual event organised by the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwaras Council (OSGC) to commemorate Vaisakhi and the founding of the Sikh community in 1699.

It is notable here that the Khalistan movement seeks another partition of India to create a Sikh country. Curiously, the Khalistanis who support the idea never seek the partition of Pakistan, which was created by taking a large chunk of old Punjab and where key locations of the Sikh faith are present.

Prajwal Revanna flees to Frankfurt after rape, sexual exploitation scandal explodes with 2976 obscene videos surfacing, Karnataka forms SIT: All you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Prajwal Revanna flees to Frankfurt after rape, sexual exploitation scandal explodes with 2976 obscene videos surfacing, Karnataka forms SIT: All you need to know

Prajwal Revanna, a Janata Dal (Secular) MP from Hassan district of Karnataka and grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda has fled India a day after the state of Karnataka decided to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the allegations of rape, sexual exploitation and the 2976 obscene videos that have now surfaced.

The videos surfaced on social media barely two days before the first round of Karnataka’s Lok Sabha elections on 26th April. According to reports, Prajwal Revanna is said to have fled to Frankfurt on the 28th morning of April from Bengaluru.

On Sunday (28th April), Revanna was charged with sexual harassment based on complaints filed by his former housekeeper. The woman stated that she was sexually abused multiple times by Revanna and his father between 2019 and 2022. His father, JD(S) leader HD Revanna has also been booked in this connection. The case has been filed under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation, and demeaning of a woman’s dignity.

Amid this, the Congress staged a protest in the Bengaluru city of Karnataka and demanded strict action against the JD(S) leader. The congress supporters also burned the effigy of Revanna, videos of which have been shared on social media.

According to the complaint, the woman alleged that both HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna sexually assaulted her. The complainant further stated that while Revanna’s wife was not home, he touched her improperly and sexually assaulted her.

“Whenever (HD) Revanna’s wife wasn’t there, he used to call the women to the storeroom and touch them while giving them fruits. He used to remove saree pins and sexually assault women,” the complainant was quoted as saying.

The complainant further alleged that Prajwal Revanna was impolite to her and misbehaved with her daughter over a video call. “My daughter blocked his number after repeated calls,” the complainant stated.

“In the fourth month of my employment, Revanna began summoning me to his quarters. In a household with six female staff members, apprehension gripped us whenever Prajwal Revanna returned home. Even male colleagues cautioned us to exercise caution,” the woman said.

She also stated in the complaint that she was “worried” and decided to complain following the alleged obscene video incident. HD Revanna is the son of HD Deve Gowda, the former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo.

Prajwal Revanna is embroiled in a controversy after some offensive videos supposedly featuring him went viral on social media.

Notably, one of the BJP leaders in Karnataka had said that he had written to the party president in December 2023 saying that he had received a pen drive containing 2976 sexual videos involving Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna and other leaders. He claimed that Revanna used the footage to blackmail the women to continue engaging in such activities.

In his letter to the BJP’s state president BY Vijayendra dated December 8, 2023, Devaraje Gowda, who was the party’s Holenarsipura candidate in the 2023 Assembly elections, stated that “there are grave allegations against several leaders of the HD Deve Gowda family, including Prajwal Revanna, the NDA candidate of the JD(S), the party with which we are in alliance.”

Gowda further stated that the pen drive contained around 3000 videos and some of the women featured in the footage could be identified as government officials. “The videos were then being used to blackmail them into continuing to engage in sexual activities,” the letter read. 

“If we align with the JD(S) and if we nominate a JD(S) candidate in Hassan for the Lok Sabha elections, these videos can be used as a ‘Brahmastra’ (destructive weapon), and we will be tainted as a party that aligned with the family of a rapist. This will be a big blow to the image of our party nationally,” Gowda had warned.

Image- India Today

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday (27th April) that the state has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the obscene video, rape and sexual exploitation case against MP Revanna. The SIT, led by IPS officer Vijay Kumar Singh and including DG CID Suman D Pennekar and IPS officer Seema Latkar, has begun its probe into the case.

The decision to launch the investigation was made in response to a request by the Women’s Commission, according to the Congress government. “The chairperson of the Women’s Commission had written to the government, requesting a SIT investigation, and this decision has been made in response to their request,” Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP have distanced themselves from the obscene video row and have welcomed the investigations. If there is any wrongdoing, there should be action. We welcome the investigation by the government. We are open to any kind of investigation,” JD(S) core committee chairman GT Devegowda said.

Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) who is the uncle of Revanna also has welcomed the probe. “There is no question of forgiving any mistake. Whoever has done the crime will get the punishment,” he indicated.

“Whether it is me or HD Deve Gowda, we always respect women and whenever they come with complaints, we have tried to resolve their problems. The CM has already ordered an SIT investigation and the SIT investigation has started… The SIT team will bring him back from abroad. That’s not my concern,” Kumaraswamy added.

In the meantime, Poornachandra Tejaswi MG, the electoral agent for both the JD(S) and the BJP, filed a complaint stating that one individual identified as Naveen Gowda and several others circulated alleged videos defaming Revanna ahead of the elections. “Naveen Gowda and others morphed videos and images and circulated them to the voters in the Hassan Lok Sabha segment through pen drives, CDs, and WhatsApp to put Prajwal Revanna in a bad light. They are asking the people not to vote for him,” the FIR stated.

However, it is unclear who Naveen Gowda is and why he allegedly did what he did. It is believed that Tejaswi has lodged complaint against Gowda based on the instructions by Revanna who has now left the country for Frankfurt.

Prajwal, 33, campaigned for election in his constituency of Hassan and won for the first time in 2019. General elections are being held in India from 19th April to 1st June 2024 in seven phases, to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 4th June 2024.

As Delhi Police files FIR against doctored video of Amit Shah, amplified by Congress, handle that created video and boasted about it deactivates account: Details

OpIndia Staff
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As Delhi Police files FIR against doctored video of Amit Shah, amplified by Congress, handle that created video and boasted about it deactivates account: Details

On 28th April, Delhi Police’s Special Cell filed an FIR in connection to the doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech regarding reservation issues on different social media platforms. As per reports, police may make some arrests soon in the matter. As per the FIR copy, it was registered based on the complaint filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs it found that some doctored videos were being circulated by users on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 153, 153A, 465, 469 and 171G of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 66C of the IT Act. The video was doctored, spreading misleading information to create disharmony among communities which is likely to affect public tranquility and public order issues, the MHA said in its complaint. It read, “Regarding registration of FIR Please find the enclosed report wherein it has been found that some doctored videos are being circulated by users of Facebook and Twitter. The video seems to be doctored spreading misleading information with the intention of creating disharmony among communities which is likely to affect public tranquility and public order issues. The links of videos are in enclosed report.”

Notably, on 23rd April 2023, HM Shah had said at the “Vijay Sankalp Sabha” that if the BJP comes into power in Telangana, “unconstitutional Muslim reservation would be abolished”. He had said, “I want to say this if the BJP forms a government then this unconstitutional Muslim reservation will be abolished. These rights belong to SC, ST and OBC and it will be given to them by abolishing Muslim reservation,” Amit Shah said.

As per the ANI report, the MHA attached a detailed report of the links and handles that shared the doctored videos of HM Shah on social media. Following the FIR, the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit of the special cell now started the investigation.

The doctored video was made to propagate as if BJP would remove reservation

On 27th April, the official X account of Telangana Congress shared a doctored video of HM Shah falsely claiming that he promised to end reservations for SC, ST and OBC communities. In a post in Telugu, it said, “Brothers and sisters who are in the BJP, belong to the SC, ST, OBC minority and are doing politics in the name of religion, please watch this video and take a decision whether to vote for the BJP. Let’s teach Amit Shah, Narendra Modi’s BJP party a proper lesson for saying that they will remove the reservations of SC, ST, OBC and minorities if they come back to power with pride and arrogance while enjoying the fruits of reservation given by the Constitution of India. Remove BJP from power…Save the country. Let us protect the rights given to us by the Constitution. The Constitution of India should flourish.”

The video was doctored in a way that showed HM Shah saying, “If BJP government comes to power, it will remove unconstitutional reservation given to SC, ST and OBC”. However, In reality, the Union Home Minister had vowed to end unconstitutional reservation for the Muslim community and give it to the SC, ST and OBCs. It was an old video before Telangana Assembly Elections in April 2023.

Though Telangana Congress removed the post from X after the backlash, the video is still available as a reel on Telangana Youth Congress’s official Facebook profile.

Source: Facebook

Ironically, before posting the doctored video, Telangana Youth Congress shared a post suggesting they have filed a police complaint against “BJP’s Sri Rishi Bagri, Arun Pudur and Ajit Bharati for distorting our leader Sri Rahul Gandhi ji’s video and spreading false information on social media platforms”.

Source: Facebook

The doctored video seems to have been created by an X user Dabangyogi who deactivated his account after FIR was registered in the matter. Several X handles praised the handle for sharing the video.

Source: X

In a post before deactivating his account, the handle “praised himself” as his doctored video was going viral.

Source: X

In another post, he expressed his happiness as right-wing accounts were busy fact-checking his video.

Source: X

The account was later deactivated after an FIR was filed for the doctored video.

Source: X

X user Pooja Sangwan shared a thread on the handle suggesting that the person behind the handle was a serial offender. He had created a doctored video of BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena apart from HM Shah.

Furthermore, he linked former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnan’s old statements with the BJP. The reality was, that when Krishnan made those statements, he was with Congress.

Pooja pointed out that after Dabangyogi’s video went viral, Congress-linked handles amplified it not only on social media but also on messenger apps like WhatsApp.

Congress supporter “Activist Sandeep” continued to amplify fearmongering on reservations. In a post he said, “I belong to the Chamaar caste. I would like to tell Dalits that as soon as Modi comes to power this time, he will prepare a ground to end reservation for Dalits. Write this down. Cast one vote against Modi and two votes to save reservation, Rahul Gandhi will come and increase reservation! Note: I am getting information that the Home Ministry has filed an FIR against me. Whatever it is, it will be fought. I would like to tell the writers that I am not afraid, my leader is Rahul Gandhi!”

Source: X

Pro-Congress X user Nidhi Singh Rathore indulged in fearmongering and shared an old unrelated video saying, “Dalits must watch this video before voting for Modi.. Despite reservation, poor people of lower castes were made to drink water from shoes. If BJP ends reservation, to what extent will these people commit atrocities…?” The persons in the video shared by her belonged to the same caste. It was a two-year-old case where a man was forced to drink urine for having an affair with a married woman.

Source: X

Jharkhand Congress had the video on its social media handle even after getting debunked.

Source: X

The case was the same with “Congress Sevadal” accounts.

Source: X
Source: X

HM Shah hit out at Congress over doctored video

On 28th April, Home Minister Amit Shah called out Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for deceiving people by spewing baseless lies. Reacting to Congress’s statement where they claimed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would abolish reservation if it came back to power, Home Minister Shah said that the BJP has been in power with the full majority for ten years, if the party had any plan to abolish reservation, it would have done it long back. Notably, Congress used a fake, edited video of HM Shah to make the false claims.

Amit Shah said, “Rahul Gandhi is deceiving people by telling baseless lies. The Bharatiya Janata Party has been in power in this country for 10 years, forming a government with full majority both times. If the BJP intended to abolish reservations, it would have done so already. Narendra Modi has assured all Dalits, backward classes, and tribal sisters and brothers across the nation that as long as the BJP is in power, no one will touch reservations.”

Assuring everyone that BJP would not let anything happen to the reservations, Home Minister Shah said, “Today, I want to tell the people of the country that the Congress party has always attacked the reservations for SC/ST/OBC. When their government came to Karnataka, they cut 4% for minority reservations. Whose reservation got cut? OBCs.”

“Even today, SC/ST/OBC reservations are not allowed at Jamia Millia and Aligarh Universities. The sole reason for this is Congress’s policy towards SC/ST/OBC. They have always opposed the backward society, ignored Baba Saheb Ambedkar, and never worked to deliver justice to the tribals. Narendra Modi is the one who worked to deliver justice to the tribals by appointing Droupadi Murmu as the President. I want to remind the people of the country once again of Modi’s guarantee that as long as the BJP is in politics, there will be no harm to SC/ST/OBC reservations. This is Modi’s guarantee,” said Amit Shah.

Doctored videos, fake videos and AI-generated videos have become a nuisance on social media platforms. As Lok Sabha Elections are underway, several such videos regularly surface on social media and messaging platforms. 

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