On Wednesday (20th March), a Muslim man identified as one ‘CA Ajmal Mohiuddin’ took to Facebook to claim that the Hindu classmates of his son, studying in 4th Std of an ICSE medium school in Hyderabad, refused to eat ‘Halal chocolates’ offered by another Muslim student.
In his Facebook post, Mohiuddin alleged, “My youngest son studies in Grade 4 in an ICSE school in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Most of his classmates are Marwaris and Sindhis and a few Muslims. Today he came home and told us that he ate six chocolates.”
“We asked him who gave him so many and he told me that it was a classmate’s birthday and he got four extra chocolates because three to four of his other friends refused to accept those chocolates. Out of curiosity, I asked him how such small boys would refuse the chocolates,” he further added.
Screengrab of the viral post by Ajmal Mohiuddin
Ajmal Mohiuddin alleged that the Hindu classmates refused to eat ‘Halal chocolate’ because a Muslim student offered it to them.
“He told me that those boys said those chocolates are Halal and hence they can’t eat it. I asked him which brand and he said Cadbury chocolates. I tried to get a bit deeper, but my son wouldn’t want to discuss in detail as he was happy,” he continued.
“I asked him what was the name of the birthday boy and he told me some Muslim name, which I do not remember now. I asked him the names of his friends who refused to accept those chocolates. Those were typical Marwari names,” the man further claimed.
Ajmal Mohiuddin then went on to draw his prejudiced conclusions and declared that the Hindu students were taught to not eat anything offered by a Muslim. He alleged that it was the consequence of supposed ‘religious indoctrination’ at home.
“I realised then those boys and girls refused to accept the chocolates from a boy just because he was a muslim and they have been told at home not to eat anything given by a muslim. I called the class teacher who happens to be a Christian and she confirmed my suspicion and also said that she can’t force the children to accept those chocolates,” the Muslim man brazened out.
“Such is the indoctrination among such young minds. We never had such a thing. We never cared whether our classmates were Hindus or Muslims or Christians. Wonder where we are heading,” he concluded.
Nonetheless, the story of the Muslim man allowed his co-religionists to go on a tirade against Gujaratis, Sindhis, Marwaris and the Hindu community at large in the comment section of the post.
At the time of writing, the post has 1.2K reactions, 1.1K comments and 1.4K shares
A glance at the Facebook posts of Ajmal Mohiuddin reveals that he frequently mocks prominent Hindu figures, demonises Israel and sympathises with Islamic tyrant Aurangzeb.
On Thursday (19 March) evening two Hindu children Aayush and Ahaan (Honey) were brutally killed by slitting their throats in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh. A third child Piyush was injured in the attack. The main accused Sajid was killed in an encounter by the police on 20th March, while the second perpetrator Javed who was absconding and had a reward of Rs 25,000 on him was nabbed from Bareilly on the same day. The two Muslim accused are siblings.
When OpIndia visited their hamlet, Sajid and Javed’s family and other locals made every effort to deceive reporters to shield Javed and whitewash the crime of Sajid.
On 22nd March Javed was produced in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Badaun. He was then placed in judicial custody for 14 days. He is currently being questioned by the authorities in an attempt to determine the primary motive for the horrific killing of the two Hindu boys. The reason this question remains unanswered even four days after the incident is that Javed and his family consistently try to deceive the public, media and police by making contradictory statements.
Statements given by the elderly grandmother and cops don’t match
On 21st March, the OpIndia team arrived at Sajid’s village and met his approximately 70-year-old grandmother. She began talking about her family and Javed’s innocence as soon as she spotted us. The grandmother said that Javed was allegedly digging soil close to the house at the time of the occurrence and was not present at the crime scene. We were also shown the location where the soil was carved next to the house. Muzaffar also repeated the same thing. Rukhsana even started uttering praises in honour of Sajid and Javed. They all claimed to have received a call at home following the murder. Javed then departed for the city to know the whereabouts of his brother Sajid.
However, a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) and the statement of Inspector-General (IG) Rakesh Kumar Singh exposed the grandmother, Rukhsana and Muzaffar. Javed was present in front of the house when the tragic event unfolded, according to the police statement, the FIR copy and the mother of the deceased kids. Locals in the victims’ area who spoke with OpIndia also reported to have seen Sajid and Javed together before and after the murder.
The most startling disclosure was that Javed who keeps his shop open till 10 in the night closed it at 1 pm on the day of the incident.
Why did you demand food if you were fasting
The grandmother alleged that Sajid asked for food from his spouse at around 5 pm while Javed had informed the police that they were both fasting due to Ramazan. Furthermore, Aaj Tak in a story asserted to have contacted and spoken with Sajid’s wife, refuting his grandmother’s claims that he was at home when he requested food from her after getting a call from somewhere.
According to the report, Sana and her mother stated that the former was at her parents’ house for fifteen days before the instance and hence there is no proof either in Sajid’s village Sakhanu or Badaun that he and Sana were together. Then the question arises as to why the grandmother made the claim. Are all these statements fabricated?
How did Javed reach the crime scene immediately?
Javed and his family members maintained that he was digging soil at that moment but fled the village on a bike to Badaun City after learning about his brother’s encounter. OpIndia did discover, nevertheless, that it takes roughly 35 to 40 minutes to get there from Javed’s hamlet. If the family’s account is accurate, how could Javed, according to what he claimed, get there from his village right away?
Javed has admitted that he escaped from the location when he noticed his brother descending from the roof with blood-stained hands. In addition, he stated that he arrived at the scene instantaneously after learning about the incident and disappeared when he witnessed the throng, based on information that is currently accessible.
Even those who have never met swear by their innocence
Apart from the family, we met a person named Shahnawaz in Sajid’s village Sakhanu. When we asked him for information about the two men, he described Javed and Sajid as very good and noble. When we inquired how many times had he met the pair, he replied, “Not even once.” Shahnawaz, however, was unable to explain to us the reason he was labelling them innocent and only kept repeating himself. Muzaffar called Sajid simple and Rukhsana went a step further and declared that he valued women and children.
On 23rd March, Islamic State (ISIS) released bodycam footage of the deadly terror attack at the Crocus City Hall music venue. They also released a photograph of the four terrorists involved in the attack. In a statement, ISIS said four terrorists stormed into the large concert hall in Moscow, “unleashing a hail of gunfire and igniting the venue in flames”. The statement and media were released by ISIS’s mouthpiece, Amaq News Agency, on Telegram. Quoting Amaq, Reuters noted, “The attack comes within the context of a raging war between the Islamic State and countries fighting Islam.”
?FULL VIDEO OF MOSCOW MASSACRE BODYCAM FOOTAGE
⚠️GRAPHIC VIDEO! NOT FOR SENSITIVE VIEWERS!
ISIS video released allegedly from the terrorist’s bodycam.
In the ISIS-released bodycam footage, the terrorists were heard shouting “Allah-hu-Akbar” and shooting people indiscriminately. In one of the shots, a terrorist was seen slitting the throat of a victim repeatedly.
Channel One, a Russian state-run channel, aired the footage of terrorists being detained and interrogated by the agencies. One of the suspects was detained from Khatsun village in the Bryansk region, close to the Russia-Belarus border. During the interrogation, one of the suspects said he killed people for money. He said he was offered half a million Rubles, which is approximately USD 5,425, for the attack. Furthermore, he said he had received half of the payment in advance. Russian Interior Ministry said that the four suspects detained were from Tajikistan.
President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish the ISIS terrorists
On 23rd March, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish the terrorists after they attacked the Crocus City Hall music venue in the city of Krasnogorsk, near Moscow on 22nd March. Reportedly, 133 people lost their lives in the attack. In an address to the nation, Putin said, “Our people, our children, just like the Nazis that once killed our people during the war. They do the same. All the orchestrators responsible for this crime will inevitably be found responsible; they will pay. We will identify everyone who stands behind these terrorists, and they will pay. This is a strike against Russia.” The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted the video on social media platforms.
Furthermore, he added that Russia would investigate the attack. He informed that the Russian forces apprehended all four terrorists directly involved in the attack. President Vladimir Putin asserted all efforts would be made to identify the details of the attack. Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that the aim was to kill people.
He said, “We will investigate this terrorist attack, and we already have some results. All four perpetrators who were directly involved were gunning people down and killing people. They were found and apprehended. They tried to escape. They were moving towards the border with Ukraine, and we have data that suggests that they were about to be moved towards the territory of Ukraine by those in Ukraine.”
President Vladimir Putin added, “Our military services, our emergency services, our investigators are working on finding out the orchestrators of this terrorist attack, those who gave them transportation, who gave them weapons, etc. The investigative authorities will do everything to identify all details of this crime. But it’s already evident that we face not just a cynically organized terrorist attack but a massive mass killing of civilians. These perpetrators, these criminals went specifically to kill, to kill people, point blank.”
Russian President said terrorists have no nationality
Putin stressed that Russia expects other nations to cooperate with them. He said the terrorists have no nationality, and there is no future for them. He urged the people of Russia to stay united. He said, “We know what terrorist threat means, and we expect that other nations that share our pain will cooperate with us, and we will stand united against this common enemy, international terrorism. No matter where it shows its ugly head, these terrorists have no nationality, and there is only one future for them: retribution and oblivion. Our duty right now, our common duty right now, is to stand together, to stand united, and I believe we will stand together.”
“Nobody can divide us, undermine our common strength nation of Russia’s nation or seek discord in our multinational society. Russia has faced many terrible challenges in its history, but it always came out stronger, and this will be the same this time,” he added.
According to RT News, the Russian Investigative Committee said that 115 people died in the attack, and the figure might rise. Later, reports suggested the death toll rose to 133. Investigators said, “According to preliminary data, the causes of death were gunshot wounds and poisoning by combustion products (smoke inhalation).” The investigating agencies were looking into CCTV footage to find out how the attack happened. Earlier, it was reported 93 people lost their lives. Still, later, they found dead bodies in the rubble. 11 people, including four terrorists who were directly involved in the attack, were reportedly detained by the Russian Federal Security Services (FSB).
In a statement, the agency said, “The activities of intelligence and law enforcement agencies have resulted in the detention of 11 people, including four terrorists, who directly participated in the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall.”
Ukraine denied link
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his statement that the terrorists were moving towards Ukraine when detained by the agencies. However, Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yuson denied the links. He told Reuters, “Ukraine was, of course, not involved in this terror attack. Ukraine is defending its sovereignty from Russian invaders, liberating its territory and fighting with the occupiers’ army and military targets, not civilians.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to divert the blame. He said, “It’s obvious that Putin and other thugs are just trying to blame someone else. Their methods are always the same. We’ve seen it all before destroyed buildings, shootings, and explosions. And they always find someone else to blame.” He added, “They have brought hundreds of thousands of their terrorists here, on Ukrainian land, to fight against us, and they don’t care about what is happening inside their own country.”
“Yesterday, as all this happened, instead of dealing with his fellow Russian citizens, addressing them, the wimp Putin was silent for a full 24 hours, thinking about how to tie this to Ukraine. It’s all predictable,” said Zelenskyy.
Terrorist attack in Russia
On 22nd March, Islamic State terrorists launched a massive attack on a concert hall in the Russian capital that left at least 133 people dead and over 100 wounded. A group of armed men stormed into Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow and opened fire and detonated explosives among the crowd on Friday (local time). The terror group took responsibility for the attack in a short statement published by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday. Video footage from the site of the attack, the Crocus City Hall concert venue on fire with smoke billowing into the air. It showed crowds of people huddling together, screaming and ducking behind cushioned seats as gunshots started echoing in the vast hall.
Months after trying to usurp the land of the Chandranath Mandir, Islamists are now eyeing to encroach upon the Kantajew temple in the Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
As per reports, Muslims had begun the construction of a mosque on the land of the historic temple. The foundation stone of the disputed structure was laid down by Mohammed Zakaria Zaka, the local Parliamentarian belonging to the ruling Awami League party.
The vicious attempt to defile the ancient Hindu site has triggered protests from the local Hindu community. The Kantajew temple administration is the owner of 62.46 acres of land (Raj Debtara Estate).
— Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (@salah_shoaib) March 23, 2024
According to agent Ranjit Kumar Singh, the temple administration has updated CS, SA and land tax records. The temple land is maintained and supervised by a committee formed by the Raj Debtara Estate.
“We have written to Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Ahmed and sent him all the papers, including CS, SA and land tax records,” Singh informed.
According to committee officials, the local Muslims have prepared fake documents from the office of the District Commissioner to stake a claim on the Hindu temple land. On the other hand, Islamists have claimed that the owner of the land is the Jame Masjid of Kantnagar village.
After Chandranath Temple,this time Kantajew Temple has been occupied by Islamists. Muslims started building mosques by occupying the site of Kantajew Temple .Awami League leader inaugurated the mosque. We are seeking help from the Govt of India.@ihcdhaka#SaveKantajewTemplepic.twitter.com/kNcnvAOe9V
— Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus ?? (@VoiceofHindu71) March 23, 2024
When confronted about the matter, Awami League MP Mohammed Zakaria Zaka claimed, “I heard that there wass a mosque in that area for 75 years. An initiative was thus taken to build a new mosque building. Later, I came to know that it was the property of the temple.”
“Therefore, I do not know whether this property claimed by the mosque authorities is valid or not. They told me that the documents had been made from the office of the district administration. I don’t know whether these documents are correct or not,” he added.
Mosque committee President Abdus Salam also alleged, “There was a rudimentary mosque here before. Currently, we are constructing a three-storied mosque with a foundation, funded by contributions totalling Taka 25 lakhs.”
“Previously, there was a legal dispute over this site, which was eventually resolved through a compromise ordered by the court. As per the terms of the compromise, documented in a deed of compromise dated 13.06.1976, the mosque is entitled to 8 percent of the land,” he further claimed.
Hindus demand intervention of Sheikh Hasina
Following the incident, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has condemned the construction of a mosque on the temple land and its inauguration by a local Awami League MP.
Council Presidents Ushatan Talukder, Prof Dr Neem Chandra Bhowmik, Nirmal Rosario and General Secretary Advocate Rana Dasgupta have sought the urgent intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the matter to preserve the sanctity of the Kantajew temple and the religious freedom of the Hindu community.
According to Council leader Ratan Singh, the Islamists carried out the construction of the mosque during the night time. Following a complaint by the local Hindus, the construction of the disputed structure on the land of Kantajew temple was stopped.
Kantajew temple and its significance
The Kantajew Temple is a prominent Hindu temple located in the Kaharul Upazila in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. It is one of the finest examples of terracotta temples in the country and is considered a significant cultural and architectural landmark.
The temple was built during the late 18th century by Maharaja Pran Nath, who was a renowned patron of art and architecture. The construction of the Mandir started in 1704 and was completed in 1752 (about 48 years).
The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It follows the traditional style of Bengal architecture, characterised by terracotta ornamentation and intricate designs.
The temple complex consists of several structures, including the main temple, the Natmandir (a congregation hall), and the Shiva temple. The main temple features nine spires.
It must be mentioned that the Kantajew temple was attacked with explosives by ISIS terrorists on 4th December 2015. A year later, charges were framed against 13 terrorists associated with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen.
The attempted siege of Chandranath temple
OpIndia had previously reported how the Chandranath Temple, a famous shaktipeeth located in Sitakunda in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh, has come under the attack of Islamists since 2023.
Despite being a sacred pilgrimage destination, it has reportedly been transformed into a trekking spot by the Muslim community in the past couple of years.
The 1020 feet Chandranath Hill now has Muslim-owned eateries to serve their co-religionists. The matter reached a crescendo in December 2023 when an Islamist named Raihan Riad organised a ‘Beef Barbecue party’ at the Hindu pilgrimage destination.
When he posted about the event on Facebook, several other Islamists expressed their support for desecrating the sacred Chandranath Hill.
Thereafter, the local Hindu community in Sitakunda went to the Hindu shrine and distributed pamphlets calling for the protection of the Chandranath Temple and thwarting attempts to defile the pilgrimage destination.
In a video posted on YouTube, human rights activist and exiled Bangladeshi blogger Asad Noor informed that Islamists assaulted the Hindus. He stated that the local Muslims threatened to shove the Hindu deities in the posterior of the worshippers.
On Saturday (23rd March), Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam launched a scathing attack on his I.N.D.I. Alliance partner Arvind Kejriwal who is currently in ED custody in the Delhi liquor scam case. Nirupam said that Kejriwal’s insistence to hold on to power will hurt Indian politics, adding that he should immediately resign from the post of Delhi Chief Minister. He also lambasted the Aam Aadmi Party for “setting an example of unethical politics”.
Taking to X, the Congress leader noted that running the government from inside the jail would set a wrong precedent. In his post, Nirupam stated that his sympathies are with Arvind Kejriwal, adding, “But the new definition of morality he is writing in Indian politics forced me to write this post.”
Slamming the AAP National Convenor, Nirupam wrote, “The court has to decide what is the truth of Delhi’s liquor scam. But a Chief Minister has been accused of corruption in this scam. He has been arrested. He is in custody and is still clinging to the post of Chief Minister. What kind of morality is this? He should immediately resign from his post.”
दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल अपने जीवन के सबसे बड़े संकट से गुजर रहे हैं। इंसानियत के नाते उनके प्रति सहानुभूति है। कॉंग्रेस पार्टी ने भी उन्हें सार्वजनिक रूप से समर्थन दिया है। लेकिन वे भारतीय राजनीति में नैतिकता की जो नई परिभाषा लिख रहे हैं,उसने मुझे यह पोस्ट लिखने के…
He also cited examples of various leaders across party lines who resigned from their posts on moral grounds when allegations were labeled against them.
Taking a swipe at Congress’ I.N.D.I. alliance partner AAP, Nirupam further stated, “In Indian politics, a party that is just 11 years old is setting an example of unethical politics.”
The Congress leader blamed his party colleagues for taking a partisan stand over and overlooking the dangers to Indian politics because of Arvind Kejriwal’s insistence on clinging to power.
The post further read, “We are taking a stand on the entire incident according to our respective political clans, but the danger is that Kejriwal ji’s insistence on sticking to his position will make Indian politics more hollow in the future. There is a need to understand this danger by rising above politics.”
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam says, "… The Court will decide if Arvind Kejriwal has taken any money or not, I cannot say anything on that… But when a person, especially a CM, is accused of corruption and says that he… pic.twitter.com/5hwpe0oQWs
VIDEO | "You (Arvind Kejriwal) say that you are honest. The first chapter of the book on honesty is ethics. Therefore, he (Arvind Kejriwal) should immediately resign from his position," says Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by ED in the excise… pic.twitter.com/sY7L9YMoO9
Further, while speaking with news agencies ANI and PTI, Nirupam took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal’s “Kattar Imaandar” claim stating that the one who talked about honesty and integrity is not displaying ethical character.
Demanding Kejriwal’s resignation on moral grounds, Nirupam said, “… The Court will decide if Arvind Kejriwal has taken any money or not, I cannot say anything on that… But when a person, especially a CM, is accused of corruption and says that he will run the government from jail and not resign, this indicates a very wrong trend… A person who taught honesty from 2011-14 and claimed that he is a ‘Kattar Imaandar’, is not displaying any basic elements of ethics… If he is honest, then he should resign… Running a government from jail is not legal and practically possible… On the basis of ethics and legalities, he (Arvind Kejriwal) should resign…”
Incidentally, the I.N.D.I. alliance partners AAP and Congress have historically been arch-nemeses, with the AAP’s political inception occurring against the backdrop of an ‘anti-corruption’ drive targeting the Congress.
The Biden Administration spent half a million US dollars to promote atheism in Nepal, Republican Congressman Brian Mast claimed while confronting a US government official over the issue. Notably, Mast is the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability.
On 21st March, the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources in the Biden Administration, Richard R. Verma testified before the subcommittee as it assessed the State Department’s compliance with the Oversight.
During Verma’s testimony, Republican politician Mast confronted him stating that the department’s ‘grant request’ document mentions that it gave money to “promote atheism in Nepal”.
What transpired during the testimony
In the video of Verma’s testimony shared by the Republican Congressman, Mast can be heard asking him, “Would it be appropriate for the state (US) department to authorise half a million dollar grant from American taxpayers money to promote atheism.”
To which, the official of the Biden administration, Verma replied, “It would not be appropriate to have a grant to promote any religion or non-religion coming from the United States.”
After Verma admitted that it wouldn’t be appropriate for the US to promote any religion including non-religion (atheism), Mast inquired about the alleged $500,000 grant to promote atheism in Nepal.
The Biden Administration spent HALF A MILLION DOLLARS of your money to promote atheism in Nepal. Then, they came to Congress to lie about it.
He asked Verma, “Half a million dollar grant to Nepal regarding the expansion of atheism, do you believe that is an appropriate use of the money.”
However, the Biden administration official denied extending any such grant to Nepal and argued that the grant was being misconstrued.
Verma said, “That’s not what the grant is for and that’s not what the work would be for and frankly we would never authorise such a grant to any organisation to promote any kind of religion.”
Further in the video, Mast asked him whether Verma was saying on record that no grant had been allocated for atheism in Nepal or divided up in other areas.
Dismissing the allegations of promoting atheism in Nepal and elsewhere, Verma claimed, “I have seen no evidence of any grant to promote Atheism in Nepal.”
Referring to the purported “request for grant” document, Mast pointed out, “It (the official document) says promoting and defending religious freedom inclusive of atheist, humanist, non-practicing and non-affiliated individuals.”
Reading further from the document, the Republican Politician added, “This is the expected program outcomes – increased capacity among members of the Atheist and heterodox individuals to form, join networks or organisations, creating or strengthening networks of advocates for the diverse communities of atheists.”
During Verma’s testimony, Mast emphasised that the term atheism and different phrasing for the “promotion of atheism in Nepal” find repeated mention in the official document in different places.
He said, “strengthening the capacity of organisations representing diverse communities of atheists..in different places.”
Accusing Verma of disrespecting the committee by his repeated denials, Mast added, “You adamantly deny that there is anything relating to a grant for Atheism in Nepal” stressing that the front page of the grant request points otherwise.
Mast remarked, “This revelation is deeply troubling. Not only is it an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars, but the lack of transparency and honesty from the administration further erodes trust in our government.”
The allegations could result in a diplomatic row between the US and Nepal
Strikingly, according to the Republican politician, the Biden administration granted large sums of money to promote atheism in Nepal by hiding the grant in the name of promoting the ‘Fundamental Rights of Freedom of Religion”.
The purported US grant to promote atheism in Nepal could lead to a diplomatic row between the two nations if the allegations are found to be true. It could be tantamount to “external interference” in Nepal’s internal affairs and changing its religious demography.
Further, the startling allegations come at a time when massive protests advocating for making Nepal a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ have become frequent in Nepal.
Hinduism is the most followed religion in the Himalayan nation, which stands at 81 percent of the total population, as per the census in 2021. Till 2006, Nepal was the only Hindu state in the world. The same year, the country became a secular state.
Meanwhile, the United States, its allies, and a few non-state actors like billionaire George Soros in the past have been accused of interfering with the nation’s political setup, changing the religious demography of the region and regime change operations in the pretext of championing virtuous traits like promoting democracy, religious tolerance and freedom of speech among others.
Bar and Bench, one of the leading legal news portals in India, recently published a report on CJI Chandrachud’s statement that a video of him adjusting his chair during the electoral bonds hearing was doctored and shared on the internet with the intent to troll him.
However, the Bar and Bench included tweets shared by X users without disclosing that the video embedded in it was originally produced by Law Today, an India Today arm that reports on legal matters.
Here is the archived link to the article published by Bar and Bench.
A Twitter user shared the snippet of the court proceedings originally reproduced by Law Today. Instead of mentioning that Law Today had produced the video, the report went on to throw the X user under the bus and quoted it after CJI said the video of him adjusting the chair was doctored. The report does not mention anywhere in the report that the video that the CJI was referring to was from Law Today.
Even though the video shared by the X user has the logo of Law Today featured on it, there was no mention of the origins of the video in the Bar and Bench’s report.
Bar and Bench report
The video in question was tweeted by the official X handle of Law Today. Here is the archived link to the tweet.
WATCH: "Witch-hunting has started on some other level now… Petitioners have starting giving press interviews deliberately to embarrass the court. It is a non-level playing field. We can't rebut them. There is a barrage of social media posts now that are intended to cause… pic.twitter.com/bsu7Zi9CY6
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud revealed on Saturday that a recent video of a live stream from his court was manipulated to mock him and portray him as arrogant.
According to the CJI, he was simply adjusting himself in the chair to alleviate some back pain and make himself more comfortable during a hearing. However, the video was altered to make it seem as though he had abruptly left the courtroom while a counsel was still presenting arguments.
After this doctored video circulated online, the CJI became the target of “vicious trolling and criticism.”
“In a recent case, I experienced some back pain while presiding, so I shifted my position slightly to ease it. Unfortunately, this moment was twisted in the video, creating a false impression. It was falsely portrayed that I arrogantly walked out during an ongoing argument,” recounted the CJI.
The management of Kandivali’s Thakur College in Mumbai on Saturday rebuked Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi for “disseminating manipulated video” from an event on 22nd March featuring Dhruv Goyal, who is the son of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and giving it a political colour. Sharing a short video from the event, the politician had alleged that the students were forced to attend the event, and their IDs confiscated to ensure that they are compulsorily present during Dhruv Goyal’s speech. However, the college has denied these allegations.
The lawmaker has drawn flak from the institution for bringing needless strife into their campus community and dragging the student into an unwarranted controversy as well as casting a negative light on the successful program.
An official press release from the institution stated, “Thakur College recently hosted an event aimed at encouraging our students, particularly first-time voters, to actively participate in the upcoming general elections. As part of this initiative. We were honoured to welcome Mr Dhruv Goyal for a meaningful dialogue with these first-time voters.”
— Thakur College of Science & Commerce (@tcscmumbai) March 23, 2024
It further noted, “We have been made aware of a situation involving Ms Priyanka Chaturvedi, who has disseminated a manipulated video pertaining to this interaction, seemingly with political motivations. This has led to an unwarranted controversy, overshadowing what was an otherwise successful and well-received event. The engagement and dialogue with Mr Dhruv Goyal were positively received by our students, and it is regrettable that Ms Chaturvedi’s actions have introduced unnecessary discord into our college environment, unfairly involving our students in a dispute that was uncalled for.”
The letter added, “Furthermore, we wish to clarify that during the post-event interaction, a query was raised by a student on a topic that Mr. Dhruv Goyal was not previously acquainted with. This matter is currently under review by our institution. It is our belief that educational settings should remain apolitical, focused on the enrichment and empowerment of our students rather than becoming arenas for political contention.” It was signed by the college’s principal CT Chakraborty.
Earlier on 23 March, Priyanka Chaturvedi shared a clip on social media and wrote, “Students of Thakur College in Mumbai were forced to attend Dhruv Goyal, son of Union Minister Piyush Goyal session. The students say their IDs were confiscated to ensure that they are compulsorily present when he speaks. What a shame!”
Students of Thakur College in Mumbai were forced to attend Dhruv Goyal, son of Union Minister Piyush Goyal session. The students say their ids were confiscated to ensure that they are compulsorily present when he speaks. What a shame! pic.twitter.com/qLmDKjV8yk
In the video, a student can be heard asking, “Sir, first of all, all the best to you for the upcoming election. Sir my question was do you think this system is democratic enough where the Thakur College administration has confiscated the IDs of students and made them visit here compulsorily,” amidst loud cheer and clapping. He added, “If this system exists and they can abuse us, then anyone can abuse us on national and international level.
The principal of the college, Chaitaly Chakraborty, mentioned that she knew students had their exams on 23rd March but urged them to cast their vote and hear the speaker. She introduced Dhruv Goyal who stated in the 1:16 minute footage, “Your first vote will be a vote that will be truly yours. Don’t let your parents, don’t let your siblings influence you. That vote is your vote and should come from your heart. No one is taking that away from you. I have not come here today to tell you to vote for a party X or Y. Obviously I have my biases”. The program was held on the seventh floor of the building.
The college has made it clear that it was an awareness program for voting where Dhruv Goyal was speaking, and students were not specifically forced to attend his speech.
Notably, the program was held to urge the students to cast their votes in the upcoming elections. Colleges all around the city are launching awareness campaigns to encourage students to participate more in the election processes, as per an order from the University Grants Commission. The ‘Mera Pehla Vote Desh Ke Liye’ (My first vote for my country) campaign has been requested to be initiated by colleges.
The Delhi High Court on Saturday denied an urgent listing of the plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest and custody in the Delhi Excise policy case.
Arvind Kejriwal, on Saturday moved the Delhi High Court, challenging his arrest and the order of remand granted by the trial court on March 22.
However, the Delhi High Court denied the same. The matter will be listed on the court’s reopening on Wednesday, the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court confirmed.
CM Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case.
His legal team said that his plea in Delhi HC stated that both the arrest and the remand order are ‘illegal’ and he is entitled to be released from custody immediately.
An immediate hearing has been sought from the Acting Chief Justice, preferably on Sunday, March 24.
The ED, which was given the custody of Delhi CM till March 28 by the court, has alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.
The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday remanded Kejriwal to six days of ED custody in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam case till March 28.
This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Ever since the shocking news of the gruesome murder of two Hindu children in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district came to the fore, OpIndia has been in relentless pursuit to uncover the truth of the horrific crime. In its endeavour to unveil the facts, OpIndia arrived in the village of Sajid, who brutally slaughtered the two children Aayush and Ayaan in Badaun. Sajid was a native of Sakhanu village, located approximately 13 kilometres from Badaun.
Sajid and Javed had stabbed the two Hindu kids Ayush and Ahaan 23 times after slitting their throats on the evening of March 19. Sajid was killed by the police in an encounter the next day. Sajid’s brother Javed, the second accused in the case, was arrested and sent to jail.
When the OpIndia team visited the accused’s village and spoke with their family members and relatives, we realised that the statements they were making were blatantly inconsistent and brimming with contradictions. Be it the details they disclosed regarding Sajid’s wife or Javed’s whereabouts, various inferences could be drawn if an inquiry is conducted based solely on their claims.
Various claims Sajid’s family made about Javed’s whereabouts
Apart from what the FIR mentioned, some of Sajid’s neighbours had also confirmed that Javed was present at the house where the two innocent Hindu children were killed. In his statement, Inspector General Rakesh Kumar Singh also mentioned that Javed was at the scene and only left after the crime was executed. However, some Sakhanu village neighbours and Javed’s family members contradicted the police’s and the FIR copy’s assertions about his whereabouts.
Speaking to OpIndia, Javed’s grandmother said that her grandson was in their village when the incident occurred. Javed’s grandmother showed us the pit he was allegedly digging when the incident occurred and claimed, “Javed was tilling the soil at home when he got a call from someone telling him that his brother Sajid had gotten into a fight. He left the task at hand and rushed to Badaun, where he was caught by the police.”
Javed’s neighbour Muzaffar and his relative Rukhsana both corroborated his grandmother’s claim. However, a closer look at the pit made it obvious that the earth was excavated a little more than an hour ago. Now, the question is: Would Javed have dug the earth for just one hour? Why would someone perceive one hour’s work equivalent to a full day’s effort? Maybe there should be additional investigation done on this in the future.
Image source: Hindi OpIndia
Prior to his arrest in Bareilly, a video of Javed became viral. He said in this video that he fled the scene because he was afraid of the crowd that started to gather. Sakhanu, Javed’s village, is roughly fifteen kilometres away from Badaun city. Between the two places is a bustling single road that goes through the market.
Javed would have needed at least forty minutes to travel to the location even if he had chosen to ride his bike to meet his brother. The irate mob had arrived at the police post rather than the scene of the event by this point. Many questions come up in this kind of situation, such as where Javed was when the murder happened.
Is Sajid’s wife in her parents’ home or in-laws’ house?
From day one, the slain accused Sajid’s wife Sana has been talked about in the media and on social media. The FIR filed against Sajid mentioned how he had faked his wife’s pregnancy to extort money from Sangeeta, the mother of the deceased victims. On January 21, Aaj Tak went to Sajid’s in-laws’ house in Dadmai and talked to Sana and Sajid’s mother-in-law Miskin. During the course of conversation, it had come to the fore that the slain accused Sajid’s wife is not pregnant.
Sana had said that Sajid used to drop her off at her maternal home from time to time and take her back after 15-20 days. She said that she did not know about this murder, she came to know in the morning that Sajid had killed two children and he too had been killed in a police encounter.
Sana’s parents also made similar assertions.
बदायूं – बदायूं में 2 बच्चों की बर्बरता से हत्या मामला
➡आरोपी साजिद की पत्नी का बयान आया सामने ➡गर्भवती होने की बात से साजिद की पत्नी का इंकार ➡हमें नहीं पता साजिद ने ऐसा क्यों किया-पत्नी ➡बिनावर थाने के ददमई में है साजिद का ससुराल.#Budaun | Crime | pic.twitter.com/qKm349euau
— भारत समाचार | Bharat Samachar (@bstvlive) March 20, 2024
However, the OpIndia team found the exact contrary of these claims when they arrived at Sajid’s hamlet, Sakhanu. Sajid’s grandmother claimed that Sajid was at home a few hours before the incident and had, in fact, requested his wife to prepare food for him. Their relatives Rukhsana and Shanwaz, who were also sitting next to Sajid’s grandmother nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, information on Sajid’s wife’s whereabouts has not yet been made public by the authorities. Officials have said that all aspects of the issue are being investigated.
Who is to be believed? Sajid’s wife or grandmother
On March 20, Sajid’s wife stated on different TV channels that she did not know about this murder. However, if Sajid’s grandmother’s assertions are to be believed, she said that Sana was at home and a few hours before the incident took place even Sajid was at home and he had asked Sana to cook for him before he left for Badaun.
Moreover, she also claimed that Javed had received a call informing him about some dispute Sajid had got into. The timing of the call received coincided with the time of the murder of the two children in Badaun. Javed rushed for Badaun following this call. However, before leaving, he must have obviously informed his family members about this alleged call, otherwise, how would the grandmother know?
Thus, on the one hand, we have Sana, Sajid’s wife, who told the media that she was at her parents’ house and was unaware of the murder; on the other hand, the accused’s grandmother told us that Sana was at her in-law’s house and was aware that Sajid was in trouble.
In such a situation, it’s unclear who is telling the truth—Sajid’s grandmother or his wife.
Why did Sajid ask for food from his wife if he was fasting for Ramzan?
Most of the arguments provided by the accused grandmother and other relatives don’t seem to add up to the information that is already available in the public domain. During police interrogation, Javed confessed that Sajid had purchased the murder weapon during the month of Ramadan. He claimed that Sajid had told him that they would use the knife to cut meat and other items for Iftar during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Sajid's family used to take him to a dargah in Badaun… His dadi calls this dargah by the name 'Sarkar'.
Now, Sajid’s grandmother, while speaking to our team, mentioned that Sajid had, before leaving for Badaun at around 5 pm on March 19, asked his wife to cook food for him.
Notably, Iftar is the meal that Muslims eat at sunset to break their fast during Ramadan. As per Islamic beliefs, individuals do not eat or drink anything throughout the day if they are observing Roza during Ramzan. Iftar is the second meal of the day, which Muslims eat after sunset. Interestingly, the sun had not set at 5 pm on March 19. Generally in Delhi and its neighbouring places, the Iftar time is 6:35 pm, according to the 12 Ramadan 1445 in the Islamic calendar. Here is the question one may ask then: Why would Sajid ask his wife for food at 5 pm if he was observing Roza? Furthermore, why did Javed lie if Sajid had kept the fast?
Another question at hand is whether Sajid’s grandmother is stating the truth or she is lying. It may currently be inferred that Sajid’s family member’s claims are inconsistent with one another in addition to being at odds with the police and the FIR.
Earlier, OpIndia reported how the accused’s grandmother had tried to defend the accused, who mercilessly slaughter two young children, by claiming that Sajid was under the influence of “upari hawa” (seemingly referring to black magic). Claiming that the remaining accused Javed is innocent, their grandmother said, “jo kia hoga wo Sajid ne kia hoga.” (Translation – Whatever happened Sajid must have done it.)
