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Marriage of minors, incompatibility with POCSO and modern laws: Here is why Himanta govt is repealing Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorces Registration Act but Congress did not

Dibakar Dutta
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Marriage of minors, incompatibility with POCSO and modern laws: Here is why Himanta govt is repealing Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorces Registration Act but Congress did not

The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has decided to repeal a 20th-century law that allowed child marriages within the Muslim community in the State.

To end a legal sanction to such ‘child marriages’ after 76 years of Independence, the State Cabinet has taken the decision to repeal the controversial Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act.

The legislation [pdf], which came into force in 1935, governs the registration of Muslim marriages and divorces in Assam. It calls for the appointment of ‘Muslim Registrars’ for the purpose of registering and keeping records of such marriages and divorces.

As per a report by the Hindustan Times, there are currently 94 such ‘Muslim Marriage Registrars’ in Assam. State minister Jayanta Malla Baruah informed that the position will be dissolved after the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act is repealed.

He added that the affected officials will be paid a one-time compensation of ₹2 lakhs for their rehabilitation.

The contentious law was enacted in the 20th century when the age of marriage for girls was 14 years and that of boys was 18 years of age, as mandated by the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929.

Legal sanction to ‘Muslim’ child marriage in India

Even though the age of marriage was raised to 18 and 21 for girls and boys respectively in India under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 [pdf], it had no bearing on the legal sanction of ‘child marriages’ for Muslims in Assam under the 1935 law.

In 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act does not repeal the Muslim Personal law. 4 years later in 2018, the same court noted that a 15-year-old Muslim girl is competent to marry any man of her choice.

The High Court reiterated the same in a 2021 case. Essentially, only non-Muslims in India are thus liable to be prosecuted for child marriage under Section 10 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act with rigorous imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh.

Controversial provisions of Assam’s Muslim Personal law

While Muslim marriages in India draw legal sanction from the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937 [pdf], such marriages in the State of Assam until now were governed by the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935.

Section 8(1) of the Act says, “If the application be for the registration of a marriage by the parties to the marriage jointly: provided that if the bridegroom or the bride, or both, be minors, application shall be made on their behalf by their respective lawful guardians: and provided further that, if the bride be pardanasheen, such application may be made behalf by her duly authorised vakil.”

Section 10 (1) of the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act further states,

“If the entry be of a marriage in a register in the Form (A) contained in the Schedule I to this Act by the parties to the marriage, or, I either or both of them be minors, by their lawful guardians respectively.”

The legislation also includes a form, listed under Schedule I, which says,

“5. Name of the guardian of the bridegroom (if the bridegroom be a minor) and that of the guardian’s father, with specification of the guardian’s residence, and of relationship in which he stands to the bridegroom. 6. Name of guardian of the bride (if she be a minor) and that of her father, with specification of his residence and the relationship in which he stands to the bride.“

The concept of ‘majority’ in Muslim personal law and the resulting problem

It is thus clear that the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935 not only allows the marriage of Muslim individuals who have attained ‘majority’ but those of ‘minors’ with the consent of the family.

It is thus against the principles that govern the 21st-century world to prevent the exploitation of children below the age of 18. For instance, the ‘Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women’ provides for protection against child marriage.

To make things worse, the concept of ‘majority’ within the Muslim community is not the same as that of other Faiths in India. Muslim girls are assumed to have attained ‘majority’ once they hit puberty i.e. around the age of 15.

“Lawyer, legal writer and judge D.F. Mulla, in Article 195 of his treatise Principles of Mohammedan Law (1907) states that Muslim personal law (shariat) considers a girl capable of entering a contract of marriage when she attains puberty,” reads an article in The Leaflet.

Thus, the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935 posed a dual problem – It allowed the marriage of Muslim girls who attained ‘majority’ in the light of ‘Muslim personal law’ and that of ‘minors’ (below the age of 15) with the consent of their ‘guardians.’

Both categories fall under the ambit of ‘minority’ in the personal laws of all other Faiths in India. It thus comes as no wonder that an expert committee on law prohibiting polygamy in Assam recommended the introduction of a minimum age to the archaic legislation from 1935.

The recommendation was meant to undo the existing incompatibility with the Prevention of Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012.

Congress govt did not remove child marriage provisions

The Assam government under Himanta Biswa Sarma has decided to completely scrap the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935 and take one more step towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Interestingly, the Congress government in Assam during the reign of Tarun Gogoi amended [pdf] the principal act of the controversial legislation.

However, instead of removing provisions pertaining to the marriage of minors, it increased the registration charges for such marriages from 4 annas to ₹10.

Crackdown on child marriages in Assam and the promise of UCC

In February 2023, the Assam government cracked down on the menace of child marriages in the State and arrested a whopping 3000 people in connection with it. In January this year, Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that Assam will also implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

During a press conference, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We are waiting for the Uttarakhand Bill on UCC and after it is introduced, Assam will follow it with certain additional clauses.”

“We will go through the Uttarakhand Bill and see if public consultations will be possible within the next two to three months. If, however, certain complications arise, the matter will be discussed with experts and the Bill will be framed accordingly,” he continued.

“Everything depends on Bills passed by Uttarakhand and Gujarat, but Assam will definitely be the third state to bring a bill on the UCC,” the Assam CM stated, adding that the State will stop the menace of child marriage and polygamy.

Rajasthan: Air Force officer commits suicide after friend’s wife files fake rape case; was being pressurised by his friend’s family to embrace Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Air Force officer commits suicide after friend’s wife files fake rape case; was being pressurised by his friend’s family to embrace Islam

On 20th February, a junior Air Force officer from Midiyan village in Didwana Kuchaman district of Rajasthan committed suicide while on duty in Hyderabad. The deceased has been identified as 24-year-old Sukharam Jaat who was posted as a corporal. The case gained impetus when his family started demonstrating on the morning of 23rd February and raised multiple demands after his corpse reached the Gachhipura police station. An agreement was reached between the protestors and the police at around 4 pm after which the body was taken to the native village for cremation.

According to Parbatsar Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dharamveer Singh Janu, Sukharam Bhinchar, a 24-year-old inhabitant of Midiyan hamlet in the vicinity of the police station was in the Air Force at Hyderabad. He killed himself by hanging himself in his room. The family brought the body to the Gachchipura police station where they sat on a dharna and demanded that the perpetrators be held accountable.

Meanwhile, ASP Dharamveer Janu and Circle Officer (CO) Bhawani Singh assured to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and investigate the matter. They promised to suspend the misbehaving Constable Kishan Singh and APO (Awaiting Posting Order) the accused Head Constable. Afterwards, the agitation was ended and the body was taken for the last rites.

Asharam, the deceased’s 44-year-old father complained in the Gachchipura police station that the latter’s friend, his wife and his father blackmailed and pressured his son to convert. He added that Sukharam was an acquaintance of the son of Mohammad Saeed, a head constable posted at Makrana police station. The two had studied together in Didwana Kuchaman. Sukharam was selected in the Air Force in 2017. Whenever Sukharam came home on leave, the friend used to compel him to stay with him in the quarter under the guise of friendship. However, he was with Sukharam for the sake of money.

He and his wife stayed at Sukharam’s home for a few days in August 2023 when the Air Force officer returned on vacation as well as invited him and his spouse Pooja to their place. The policeman, his son and daughter-in-law intended to indoctrinate the victim and brainwash him against Hinduism. Furthermore, they stole all of his salary. The trio forced Sukharam to embrace Islam, however, he didn’t. The accused woman then threatened to implicate him in a false case.

The complainant mentioned that an individual named Motiram from his village works in the marble industry in Hyderabad and two months ago, his son met with him on a Sunday. He informed the man that his pal had become greedy and was compelling him to change his religion. The culprit has been taking money from him since 2020 and even threatened to file a fictitious police report to get him fired from his job.

Asharam mentioned that the friend’s wife submitted a false case of rape in Parbatsar police station on 19th February due to which his son ended his life while on duty in Hyderabad the next day on the night of 20th February. The father stated that his son was renting an apartment outside the office. The family was adamant about delaying the cremation until the accused were apprehended. Former MLAs Shreeram Bhinchar and Lokesh Godara who were sitting in protest along with the family asserted that Constable Kishan Singh had mistreated the demonstrators. They demanded that he should be suspended and the accused must be arrested and interrogated.

The head constable at Makrana police station resides in the Parbatsar police station neighbourhood, according to sources. On 19th February, his daughter-in-law who is from Bikaner lodged a rape lawsuit against her husband’s friend Sukharam. She stated in the report that she got married on 4th March 2021. She moved into her father-in-law’s allotted CO quarters after the nikah. Owing to a familial relationship, Sukharam used to stay there as well. He used to molest her but her husband didn’t pay any attention when she complained about it.

On 28th January of this year, her father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law had left for Bikaner and only her husband along with their 18-month-old daughter were present at home when Sukharam came there and raped her. She alleged that the husband threatened to kill their daughter if she didn’t remain silent and protested which led to the Parbatsar police opening a case. Sukharam killed himself in Hyderabad the following day.

ASP Dharamveer Singh Janu stated that police from Gachchipura and Didwana Kuchaman district police stations were deployed on the spot. The family members took the body to the village for final rites after settlement and proceeded with Panchnama.

USA: India reacts strongly after Police officer who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula escapes all charges

ANI
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USA: India reacts strongly after Police officer who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula escapes all charges

In the Indian student murder case in US, the Indian Consulate General in Seattle said on Friday that they have raised the matter of Indian student murder in US with the local authorities and the case has been referred to Seattle city Attorney’s office for review of King County Prosecuting Attorney verdict.

The statement comes after the Seattle police officer who struck and killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula while responding to an overdose call, will not face any criminal charges due to lack of “sufficient” evidence.

“On the recently released investigation report of the King County Prosecution Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jaahnavi Kandula, Consulate has been in regular touch with the designated family representatives and will continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Jaahnavi and her family,” Indian Consulate in Seattle posted on X.

“We have also raised the matter strongly with local authorities, including Seattle Police for appropriate redress. The case has now been referred to Seattle City Attorney’s office for review. We await completion of Seattle Police’s administrative investigation and will continue to monitor progress on the case,” it added.

23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula was allegedly hit by a police vehicle operated by Officer Dave in Seattle on January 23.
Officer Dave, responding to a call about a drug overdose, was allegedly driving at an approximate speed of 120 km/h at the moment of the collision.

Further compounding the tragedy, released bodycam footage from the Seattle Police Department captured Officer Daniel Auderer making light of the fatal accident, “Just write a cheque. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value,” Auderer was heard saying in the video, as per reports.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office said they will not move forward with criminal charges against Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave.
“In January of 2024, Aces completed their report. Our Felony Traffic Unit has reviewed the Aces’ report, along with all available evidence. Based on all the available evidence presented and Aces’ independent analysis of the collision, our legal analysis reveals that the PAO lacks sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Kevin Dave was impaired by drugs or alcohol, driving in a reckless manner, or driving with disregard for the safety of others,” King County Prosecutor’s Office said in an official statement.

“As a result, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has concluded (based on the law and all available and admissible evidence) that we cannot file criminal charges in this matter,” it added.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said that she believes they lack the evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.

“It is the responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to review all available evidence relating to the case involving Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave and the January 2023 collision death of Jaahnavi Kandula. After staffing this case with senior deputy prosecuting attorneys and office leadership, I have determined that we lack sufficient evidence under Washington State law to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt,” the statement said.

The statement also said that the prosecutor’s office also finds the comments made by Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer, recorded on his body-worn video, “appalling and deeply troubling.” Auderer, who was not involved in the January collision, was captured in the video saying, “But she is dead” and laughing while on the phone. 

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

Karnataka’s Temple Tax Bill defeated in state legislative council amid opposition from BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka’s Temple Tax Bill defeated in state legislative council amid opposition from BJP

On Friday (23rd February), the Karnataka State Legislative Council rejected the Hindu Religious Institutions & Charitable Endowment (Amendment) Bill, 2024 which was passed in the state’s Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. This bill gives the government the right to collect more tax from temples. According to this bill, if the revenue of a Hindu temple is 1 crore rupees, then the government can take a 10 per cent tax from the temple, and if the temple’s revenue is less than 1 crore but more than Rs 10 lakh, then the government can take 5 per cent tax from the temple. Bharatiya Janata Party, in opposition in the state, had opposed this bill.

The bill faced opposition in the Legislative Council where the BJP-JD(S) alliance holds a majority, despite Congress ensuring its smooth passage in the Assembly where it holds the majority. Deputy Chairperson M K Parnesh conducted a voice vote, resulting in majority members opposing the bill. In the 75-member council, BJP holds 35 seats, including the chairperson, JD(S) has eight, and Congress has 29 members along with an independent member. Currently, two seats are vacant.

The government contended that once the bill is enacted into law, it would allow for the redistribution of revenues from temples with higher earnings to those with lower earnings. Kot Srinivas Poojari, LoP in the council, said, “It is a blatant exhibition of an anti-Hindu stand by Congress. It wants to take away money from temples, while it is generous enough to allocate lavishly to Waqf Board.”

After the passage of this bill in the Karnataka state legislative assembly, the BJP leaders of the state strongly opposed it. Karnataka BJP President Vijayendra Yeddyurappa said that the Congress government wants to fill its empty exchequers by adopting anti-Hindu policies. In an X post, he said, “The government will charge 10% income tax to temples earning more than 1 crore. The money offered by the devotees to the deity should be used for the convenience of the temple and devotees. If it is allocated for any other purpose, it will be violence and fraud against the people.”

Yeddyurappa wondered why the Karnataka government was targeting only Hindu temples and not other religions. The government had claimed that the funds collected would be used for “Dharmik Parishad” purposes, improving the economic condition of priests, improving C-grade temples or temples which are in very bad condition, and giving quality education to the children of temple priests.

While the current regulations permit the government to reintroduce the bill in the assembly, sources within the Congress indicated that the legislation might be postponed until after the Lok Sabha polls. It is likely to be revisited during the monsoon session scheduled for June.

Bhurekhan, accused of forcibly converting Hindu woman to Islam and threatening to make her video viral, gets bail from Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Bhurekhan, accused of forcibly converting Hindu woman to Islam and threatening to make her video viral, gets bail from Supreme Court

On Friday (23rd February), the Supreme Court granted bail to Bhurekhan of Gujarat in a case against him for forcibly converting a Hindu woman belonging to the SC/ST community to Islam. The Supreme Court granted him bail after the Gujarat High Court had denied it, having noted the prima facie involvement of the accused and presence of sufficient evidence against him. The bail of the accused Bhurekhan was denied twice earlier.

The Supreme Court bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujall Bhuyan observed that there are multiple FIRs filed against the accused in this case. The court also underlined that in the third FIR, the complainant woman claiming to be the wife of the accused has complained against Bhurekhan’s family members as well.

The Supreme Court bench said in its order, “The First Information Report (FIR) is registered based on a complaint filed by the first informant who is claiming to be the wife of the appellant. There are three successive FIRs registered against the appellant. In the present FIR, his entire family has been implicated.”

The court added, “Considering the facts of the case, the appellant deserves to be enlarged on bail. For that purpose, the appellant shall be produced before the Trial Court within one week from today. The Trial Court shall enlarge the appellant on bail on appropriate terms and conditions.”

This decision came in response to the impugned order by the Gujarat High Court on 13th September 2023, ruling that the accused shall not be granted bail. This verdict was pronounced by Justice Hasmukh D Suthar. According to the Gujarat High Court, the probe in this case had revealed ‘sufficient evidence’ against Bhurekhan to deny him bail. The High Court also noted that there was prima facie apparent involvement of the accused in the alleged crime and freeing him on bail may result in the accused tampering with the evidence.

The Gujarat High Court said, “It is needless to say that after filing the complaint, during the investigation, sufficient material is collected against the present accused and strengthened circumstance is against the present accused and prima facie, it appears that involvement of accused and role attributed to the present applicant in the offence.”

The High Court further said, “This Court is of the considered opinion that if the present accused is enlarged on bail, which is nothing but the possibility can be ruled out that accused will misuse his liberty and tamper with witnesses of evidence of the prosecution and the appellant is having criminal antecedents and two offence are also registered against him.”

An offence in this case was first registered in 2023 at the Gomtipur police station in Ahmedabad under sections 354, 323, 294(b), 506(2), 143, 147 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and sections 3(2)(VA) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. A special court bench of Ahmedabad had also denied bail to the accused Bhurekhan in this case.

Rajasthan: Teachers Mirza Mujahid and Firoz Khan suspended for involvement in Love Jihad and religious conversions

ANI
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Rajasthan: Teachers Mirza Mujahid and Firoz Khan suspended for involvement in Love Jihad and religious conversions

The Rajasthan government has suspended two teachers from a government school in Kota district for their alleged involvement in religious conversion and ties to banned terror outfits.

Another teacher is also facing an investigation in this regard, Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar said.

The suspension orders of the teachers identified as Mirza Mujahid and Firoz Khan, posted at a school in Kota’s Sangod block, were issued on Thursday night following directions from the education minister.

The action came after Sarva Hindu Samaj, Sangod, sent a memorandum to the Education Minister, alleging that activities of religious conversion and love jihad have been going on in the school since 2019.

The memorandum also alleged that three teachers have connections with banned outfits and that they had links to Pakistani groups.
The memorandum also stated that an FIR had previously been registered in this regard at Sangod police station, but no action was taken.

The memorandum also claimed that one Hindu girl who was named as Muslim in the school record was abducted by Muslim youths and was yet to be traced.

Dilawar, in a video statement issued on Friday, said that strict action has been initiated against three teachers in a government senior secondary school at Khajuri Odpur village in Sangod.

“In the Khajoori village of Sangod panchayat samiti in Kota district, the religion of a girl in senior secondary school was mentioned as ‘Islam’ in the transfer certificate of a girl despite her being a Hindu. A conspiracy of religious conversion and ‘love jihad’ is happening there, Hindu girls are being forced to offer namaz – this has come to our notice,” he said.

He further said that if the teachers are found to be involved in these acts, the three of them will be terminated from the job.

“As soon as this was brought to my notice, I decided to take strict action against three teachers. In this context, I suspended two teachers – Firoz Khan and Mirza Mujahideen. Further action is being taken against one Shabana. All three of them have been sent to Bikaner. I will take strict action against them after a detailed investigation. If needed, I will expel them,” the state minister added.

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

Assam govt bans child marriage for Muslims, takes one more step towards implementing Uniform Civil Code

OpIndia Staff
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Assam govt bans child marriage for Muslims, takes one more step towards implementing Uniform Civil Code

On Friday (23rd February), the BJP government in Assam decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages & Divorces Registration Act of 1935 and thus undo legal sanction for child marriage among the Muslim community in the State.

The development was confirmed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday (24th February). In a tweet, he stated, “On 23.22024, the Assam cabinet made a significant decision to repeal the age-old Assam Muslim Marriages & Divorces Registration Act.”

“This act contained provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21, as required by law,” he added.

“This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam,” Himanta Biswa Sarma concluded. In January this year, he informed that Assam will be the third State in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

During a press conference, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We are waiting for the Uttarakhand Bill on UCC and after it is introduced, Assam will follow it with certain additional clauses.”

“We will go through the Uttarakhand Bill and see if public consultations will be possible within the next two to three months. If, however, certain complications arise, the matter will be discussed with experts and the Bill will be framed accordingly,” he continued.

“Everything depends on Bills passed by Uttarakhand and Gujarat, but Assam will definitely be the third state to bring a bill on the UCC,” the Assam CM stated, adding that the State will stop the menace of child marriage and polygamy.

Vice layoffs: Hundreds of employees to be laid off, publishing on website to stop

OpIndia Staff
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Vice layoffs: Hundreds of employees to be laid off, publishing on website to stop

On Friday, February 23, Vice media chief Bruce Dixon confirmed that several hundred staffers would be laid off, and that the brand will no longer publish content on vice.com. Dixon further said that the company is transitioning to a “studio model”. A memo in this regard was sent to the employees by Dixon, confirming the change.

As per the memo sent by Dixon, Vice would lay more emphasis on the other channels of distribution. This move from Vice comes amidst a crisis for almost all legacy media brands in the US. Media houses like The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Vox Media, and The Los Angeles Times have all announced job cuts in recent times, while digital platforms like Messenger, BuzzFeed News, and Jezebel have shut down.

Vice currently has over 900 staffers, and now hundreds out of them are set to lose their jobs. “This decision was not made lightly,” Dixon wrote in his memo, adding that those affected will be “notified about next steps early next week”.

Bruce Dixon added, “I know that saying goodbye to our valued colleagues is difficult and feels overwhelming, but this is the best path forward for Vice as we position the company for long-term creative and financial success,” he said.

Last year, Vice had shut down its Asia bureau, and filed for bankruptcy in the US. The media company, which was once valued as high as $5.7 billion, was then sold for $350 million to a consortium led by Fortress Investment Group. 

Vice, which was launched in 1994, moved to New York soon after. The media company’s assets include film and TV production, an in-house marketing agency, and brands such as Refinery29 and Unbothered. As per Dixon, Refinery29 will continue to operate as a standalone diversified digital publishing business, however, they do plan to sell that.

According to a Hollywood Reporter report, Vice News Executive Editor Josh Visser described the situation as “very upsetting”. Visser said, “Our website and our work being pulled down would be completely reprehensible … I cannot even understand any business reasons why you would do something like that.”

TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan had grabbed a public playground in Sandeshkhali, locked it, and prevented locals from using it, now freed amid protests

OpIndia Staff
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TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan had grabbed a public playground in Sandeshkhali, locked it, and prevented locals from using it, now freed amid protests

Apart from the sexual exploitation of a large number of women in Sandeshkhali, TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan is also accused of grabbing land in the area. And now it has emerged that he had grabbed an entire playground for two years, preventing the local youths from playing in the public ground. Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons had illegally occupied the Rishi Aurobindo Mission ground in the area, constructed a wall around it preventing entry of people by locking the gate, and hosted sports tournaments on it. However, as the protests led by women against the TMC goons intensifies in Sandeshkhali, the ground was freed yesterday, in a damage control move by the government.

The police were in action soon after Director General (DG) Rajeev Kumar departed for Kolkata on the 22nd of February morning. The Rishi Aurobindo Mission ground which was unjustly seized by TMC leaders Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra and their goons has been liberated from their occupation. Basirhat District Superintendent of Police Hussain Mehdi Rehman took the initiative to free the property in Sandeshkhali on the morning of 22nd February. He went to the location along with other police personnel. All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) MLA Sukumar Mahato from Sandeshkhali also accompanied them.

The lock was broken and Sheikh Shahjahan’s name was removed from the gate and the wall built around the encroachment before returning the parcel of land to the locals after a long time. This playground is located on a few acres of land in Sandeshkhali’s Karnakhali. It is owned by an organization called Rishi Aurobindo Mission and they look after it. However, a few years ago Sheikh Shahjahan and his henchmen took over it. They didn’t allow youngsters to enter the land other than during the tournament they hosted. The goons also cut several trees on the ground.

As per locals, former Jamidars of the area had donated the plot for public use and it was named Rishi Aurobindo Mission Maidan. But in 2022, Shahjahan’s held a football tournament on the ground, and then they grabbed it. They locked the main gate of the ground, and the ground became the property of ‘Sheikh Shahjahan Fan Club’, illegally.

The residents of the hamlet were furious with the illegal confiscation but couldn’t protest out of fear as they were intimidated and assaulted otherwise. As a result, they were forced to endure everything in silence.

Many complaints were raised including the reckless falling and smuggling of big trees close to the playground and the devastation of crops by clearing farmers’ fields and dumping saline water there. The men and women of the neighbourhood were frightened of Sheikh Shahjahan’s might, viciousness and brutality.

The government’s Problem-Solving Public Relations body received grievances requesting the return of the land from the accused’s unlawful possession. The police administration proceeded to release the territory following receipts of the complaints and took action after DG Rajeev Kumar left Sandeshkhali. This is considered to be a crucial development in the matter. However, the locals are afraid since Sheikh Shahjahan continues to be missing.

After the encroachment was removed, trees were planted along the boundary of the ground and the authorities gifted footballs and jerseys to village children. A wall on one side of the land that bore the words “Sheikh Shahjahan Fan Club” was also taken down. The authorities also painted over the walls where the words “Sheikh Shahjahan Fan Club” were written.

Sandeshkhali Trinamool MLA Sukumar Mahat planted saplings in the ground after the police action. The ground was decorated with blue and white balloons. The lawmaker also gifted jerseys to the youth. However, he claimed that the site was not occupied and the wall was erected for the sake of tournaments only. On the other hand, villagers asserted, “They had no right to enter that ground.”

On 8th February this year, hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali took to the streets to protest against land grabbing, non-payment of wages and sexual violence committed by Trinamool Congress goon Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.

The women attacked his illicitly obtained properties and set fire to a poultry farm owned by TMC leader Shiba Prasad Hazra. They also surrounded the Sandeshkali police station and demanded the immediate arrest of the trio. The agitation in the village lasted for 3 days. On 17th February, the police arrested Shibu Prasad Hazra over land grabbing and sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali. The primary accused Sheikh Shahjahan is still on the run from the law enforcement authorities.

NSUI members and Congress workers, including Udit Raj’s OSD, created a ruckus during a debate show and attacked us: DD News anchor

OpIndia Staff
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NSUI members and Congress workers, including Udit Raj’s OSD, created a ruckus during a debate show and attacked us: DD News anchor

Employees of national broadcaster Doordarshan on Friday came under attack, reportedly from NSUI members and workers of Congress leader Udit Raj, during a political debate. DD news anchor Ashok Shrivastav was attacked by NSUI goons and members of Udit Raj’s team for trying to stop them from creating a ruckus during a news debate.

In a statement released by Ashok Shrivastav, he said that the attack was pre-planned and an attempt to intimidate journalists from carrying on with their duties.

He also highlighted that Congress leader Udit Raj’s OSD was also involved in the attack and that the incident would likely be politicised by the party to condone the riotous tendencies of its members and dehumanise journalists who ask tough questions of them.

“Today, during the recording of my program, some boys from NSUI came from JNU and there were some people from Udit Raj’s team, they created a ruckus and misbehaved as soon as the program started. My producer and I tried to stop them but some of them attacked my producer from behind. I intervened and caught one attacker,” Shrivastav told OpIndia.

“Before handing him over to security, some people surrounded me and pushed me down as well. Later, it was found out that Udit Raj’s OSD was also involved in instigating the boys. Now, Udit Raj is trying to turn this into a political issue. It is also suspected that some boys were under the influence of alcohol. Currently, the matter is being looked into by the police,” he further added.

Congress leader Udit Raj took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to defend the attack claiming that a new “trend” has been established with the thrashing of a news anchor for his “devotion” to PM Modi.

Many other DD journalists also debunked the claims made by Udit Raj on X and exposed how the NSUI members and his workers had deliberately created a ruckus during the news show.

Lal Chandra Singh, senior correspondent with DD News, exposed the lies peddled by Udit Raj, stating that the attack in their studio was pre-meditated.

“Wrong, 4 goons had already planned and they did everything as per their plan. The anchor was telling them that we are coming to you with a mike but they felt that this would not fulfil their plan, so they created a ruckus, pushed and even fought,” he responded on Udit Raj’s tweet.

Similarly, Kriti Wadhera, an anchor with DD India, revealed that NSUI goons came to the studio as an audience and created a ruckus during the debate. She further revealed that the goons along with the Congress workers tried to harm the anchor and the entire production team.

“We all highly condemn whatever happened in Doordarshan headquarters with senior Anchor @AshokShrivasta6.NSUI goons came to DD’s recording as an audience and made a ruckus during the debate. Tried harming Anchor and the entire production team where Congress workers were in their support,” Kriti Wadhera tweeted.

“Media is the strongest pillar of democracy and attacks on media cannot be tolerated. Congress has nothing left now so they are attacking senior media persons,” she said in a subsequent tweet.

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