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Sandeshkhali protests: No action against TMC leader Sheikh Shahajahan angers villagers, property of brother Sirajuddin Sheikh torched

The Sandeshkhali protests in West Bengal turned violent on Friday (23rd February) as angry people torched the properties of Sirajuddin Sheikh – the brother of accused TMC leader Sheikh Shahajahan. The property belonging to Shahjahan Sheikh’s brother in the Kachari area of Bermazdoor, Sandeshkhali was set on fire.

The villagers alleged that Sirajuddin Sheikh and his men had grabbed the land of the villagers, and that is why they started protesting. A large number of policemen also reached the spot.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were stopped from going to Sandeshkhali. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee was detained by a police team in Bhojerhat.

Armed with sticks, the protesters set ablaze thatched structures near a fishing yard in Sandeshkhali’s Belmajur area and vented their anger against TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his brother Siraj. A person among the protestors said, “The police have done nothing for years. This is why we are doing everything to get our land and honour back.”

The angry mob also chased Sirajuddin Sheikh, who had to run for his life. As some people chassed him with sticks in hand, Sheikh fled from the spot on a motorcycle.

Later, police entered the area and tried to pacify the protesters. Violence also erupted in the Sandeshkhali protests on Thursday (2nd February) fueled by allegations against local TMC leaders for sexual abuse and forcible land grabbing. Besides, people took to the streets against TMC leaders in many other areas. These demonstrations followed DGP Rajeev Kumar’s assurance that the guilty would not be spared.

According to news agency ANI, the Kolkata Police on Friday stopped and detained Bharatiya Janata Party MP Locket Chatterjee when she, along with other party leaders, were on their way to trouble-torn Sandeshkhali. Amid the prevailing tensions in Sandeshkhali, a team of women Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders was supposed to depart for Sandeshkali on Friday. The team consists of senior BJP leaders, including Locket Chatterjee, MLA Agnimitra Paul, General Secretary & MLA, Madhuchandra Kar, Vice-President, Adv. Priyanka Tibrewal, State Secretary, Sonali Murmu, State Secretary, Falguni Patra, President, Mahila Morcha, and Paromita Dutta, Incharge, Mahila Morcha, were going to visit Sandeshkhali today.

The background of the controversy

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 Shahjahan’s illicitly obtained properties and set fire to a poultry farm owned by 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 Friday (17th February), the police arrested TMC leader 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.

Family court in Indore orders wife to give Rs 5,000 per month as maintenance to her jobless husband: Read how the Hindu Marriage Act is gender-neutral

On Thursday (22nd February), a family court in Indore ordered a wife to give Rs 5000 per month as maintenance to her jobless husband while giving a verdict on their plea to get separated. The husband’s lawyer Manish Jharaula said that the husband had filed a case in the court citing loss of studies and unemployment due to his wife. Notably, this decision of the court has come according to the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 in which the maintenance and alimony to be given to the separating partner is gender-neutral.

According to reports, in the year 2022, the girl proposed to the boy and said that she wanted to marry him. At that time the boy was studying in the first year of graduation. Both of them got married in the Arya Samaj temple and started living together in a rented house in Indore.

The husband said that after one month of marriage, his wife started harassing him constantly, which included physical and mental torture. He submitted that he tried to convince his wife many times but there was no change in her behavior. Troubled by mental torture, the husband left his wife and fled to Ujjain and started living with his parents. 

The wife lodged a missing report of her husband. The police found him. During interrogation, he said that he is not on good terms with his wife and does not want to live with her. The matter reached the family court and after hearing all the arguments, the court ordered the wife to pay five thousand rupees every month to the husband for maintenance.

However, this is not the first time that an Indian court has recognised the gender-neutral nature of the provision of alimony and maintenance in the Hindu Marriage Act 1955. In November 2023, while hearing a case in the Delhi High Court, the bench of justices V Kameswar Rao and Anoop Kumar Mendiratta underscored the gender-neutral nature of the provision for maintenance pendente lite, alimony, and litigation expenses under the Hindu Marriage Act.

The Bench said that spouses with reasonable earning capacity, who choose unemployment without valid reasons, should not burden the other party with one-sided financial responsibilities. The court said, “The equivalence does not have to be with mathematical precision but to provide relief to the spouse during the pendency of proceedings, ensuring that parties do not suffer due to a lack of income.”

Notably, sections 24 and 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act deal with the issue of maintenance and alimony at the time of separation of a married Hindu couple. Section 24 says, “Where in any proceeding under this Act it appears to the court that either the wife or the husband, as the case may be, has no independent income sufficient for her or his support and the necessary expenses of the proceeding, it may, on the application of the wife or the husband, order the respondent to pay to the petitioner the expenses of the proceeding, and monthly during the proceeding such sum as, having regard to the petitioner’s income and the income of the respondent, it may seem to the court to be reasonable. Provided that the application for the payment of the expenses of the proceeding and such monthly sum during the proceeding, shall, as far as possible, be disposed of within sixty days from the date of service of notice on the wife or the husband, as the case may be.”

According to Section 25 of this act, “Any court exercising jurisdiction under this Act may, at the time of passing any decree or at any time subsequent thereto, on application made to it for the purpose by either the wife or the husband, as the case may be, order that the respondent shall pay to the applicant for her or his maintenance and support such gross sum or such monthly or periodical sum for a term not exceeding the life of the applicant as, having regard to the respondents own income and other property, if any, the income and other property of the applicant the conduct of the parties and other circumstances of the case, it may seem to the court to be just, and any such payment may be secured, if necessary, by a charge on the immovable property of the respondent.”

The section further says, “If the court is satisfied that there is a change in the circumstances of either party at any time after it has made an order under sub-section, it may, at the instance of either party, vary, modify or rescind any such order in such manner as the court may deem just. If the court is satisfied that the party in whose favour an order has been made under this section has re-married or, if such party is the wife, that she has not remained chaste, or, if such party is the husband, that he has had sexual intercourse with any woman outside wedlock, it may at the instance of the other party vary, modify or rescind any such order in such manner as the court may deem just.”

Hindus under siege in Mira-Bhayander, Mumbai: Forced conversion, rape, assault, torture – 15 cases from last 1 year which expose the criminal den. Exclusive

There is a section of society in India even today which believes that incidents of Grooming Jihad, communal crimes/acts of violence against Hindus, and conversion of people to Islam is a hoax and that Islamists are unnecessarily ‘targeted’ by the Hindus owing to mythical ‘majoritarianism’. However, the truth is far from it.

OpIndia has several times earlier exposed the sickening mentality of the Islamists who deliberately target Hindu women in relationships and then, indulge in conversion – often violently. The Islamists believe that India is Dar-ul-Harb which must be changed to Da-ul-Islam and they see the conversion of Hindus to Islam as one of the crucial ways towards fulfilling their dreams.

The Islamists are encouraged by their religious heads to trap Hindus, especially women in relationships and convert their religion to Islam. There is evidence to suggest that Islamists are also provided with financial aid to trap Hindus, especially women, and convert their religion to Islam.

Notably, the state of Maharashtra has recently witnessed numerous situations in which Hindu women have been trapped by Islamists, sexually molested, tortured, and intimidated. The Islamists encourage innocent Hindu girls, including minors, to convert to Islam. OpIndia has received several reports of such instances in the state’s Ahmednagar’s Rahuri, Pune’s Kondhwa, Nashik, and Sambhaji Nagar districts. However, the majority of the instances in the past year have been reported to have occurred in Mumbai’s Mira road region. 

Mumbai’s Mira Road and Bhayander area which has a majority Muslim population has become a hub of ‘Grooming Jihad’ and religious conversion. The region has been in the news for all wrong reasons in the recent past for attacks on Hindus during the Ram Mandir inauguration and deliberately creating chaos in the Hindu societies.

Here are 16 exclusive cases of community crimes from the Mira Road-Bhayander region of Mumbai where Islamists in maximum of the cases moved to convert the Hindu victims to Islam in the past year.

Case 1: 22-year-old converted, tortured by ‘husband’ Azam Khan

On 16th July 2023, a 22-year-old Hindu girl filed a police complaint saying that she was brutally tortured by her ‘husband’ Amin Sheikh and mother-in-law Reshma Sheikh. The girl said that she was physically and sexually assaulted and forcefully converted to Islam after which she filed a police complaint against the duo under sections 37692)(n), 366, 323, 506, 504, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, this case seems to be a pure instance of Grooming Jihad. The victim in the year 2022 was introduced to the accused by a mutual friend named Shahbaz in a computer class. Soon the victim and the accused became good friends and in February 2022, Amin proposed to the girl. However, the girl refused to accept the proposal after which she was threatened to accept the relationship. The accused said that he would commit suicide and blame the girl for it if his proposal was not accepted.

The accused then introduced the girl to his family and one day deceptively called her at his home when he was all alone. The girl was not willing to stay in the relationship however, she was threatened to cooperate. On arrival, the accused closed the doors and sexually assaulted the victim. He also shot derogatory videos of her to use them to blackmail her further.

After a few days, the accused called the girl and said that he was going to Dubai. He also expressed his will to marry her. He threatened the girl saying that he had derogatory photos and videos of her and that he would viral the videos from Dubai if she refused to marry.

The girl got scared but could not utter a word as she was threatened to keep her mouth shut. After a month or so, the accused came back from Dubai and asked the girl to meet. He then forced the girl to send a text message to her parents informing them that she was now married to Amin. He then sexually assaulted the victim.

The next day, the accused took the girl to a Masjid and forcefully converted her religion to Islam. He also married the girl and asked her to follow the traditions of Islam hereinafter. He forced her to eat cow beef, and consume drugs while his mother, Reshma Sheikh abused and physically assaulted the girl. She also forced the girl to offer Namaz and said that soon she would be sent to Dubai.

Marriage certificate obtained by OpIndia
Conversion certificate obtained by OpIndia

The victim then also learned that the accused was already married and had a daughter. She realized that she was being pushed into human trafficking. The accused however shifted the victim to a separate apartment and locked her from outside. As per the copy, the victim yelled for help and screamed from the windows of the building after which the neighbors called the police. The girl was safely recovered and later filed a complaint against the accused, his mother, Kazi Mufti Ismail who converted the girl to Islam, and two other associates of the primary accused who did the job of threatening the victim.

She demanded strict action against the accused and his mother and said that the video of her torture had been recorded in the residential CCTV footage. She asked the Police to seize the CCTV footage and provide her justice.

Father confirms the conversion of the girl to Islam, says the accused deliberately trapped the victim

Team OpIndia contacted the father of the victim in this case to know the current update. The father of the girl, Kishore ji informed OpIndia that the accused had been arrested by the Police and had also been sent to Thane jail. “They were arrested after we complained. However, at present, I don’t know where they are or what they are doing. Amin had deliberately trapped my girl in a love affair, sexually assaulted her for over 1.5 years, and later promised to marry. However, he later converted her to Islam. Whatever happened was very unfortunate and now I am looking after my daughter’s overall growth,” he added while exclusively talking to OpIndia.

He also stated that many girls are trapped by people like Amin and they need to be saved from this issue (what OpIndia has been terming as Grooming Jihad). “My daughter was also forced to follow Islamic traditions and was converted at Bandra court. However, now I have brought her back and no she is safely staying with us,” he said.

The FIR copy of the incident has been obtained by OpIndia.

Case 2: 24-year-old trapped in love affair, converted by Naseer Khan

On 19th May 2023, a 24-year-old woman filed a police complaint at Kashmira Police Station revealing that she had been forcefully converted to Islam by one accused identified as Naseer Khan. The woman in the complaint said that she met the accused at her office. Soon the duo developed a friendship and later the accused proposed to the girl. He also asked her to leave the job and work for him.

“He said that he would set up an office and allow me to handle all his professional affairs. He did that. Later I left my home for him and insisted he marry me. However, he said that he would not marry me unless I converted to Islam. So he converted my religion to Islam and then we got married at Bandra Court. The horror then began. He used to come home inebriated and hit me. He also used to sexually assault me. He never allowed me to talk to my family and used to check my phone,” the woman said in the complaint.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

She further said that she got in touch with her sister on Instagram and told her about the plight she was facing under Naseer’s dominance. The sister then informed her family who extended their support to the victim in filing a police complaint.

As per the sources, the police filed a police complaint but no action in this case was taken.

Case 3: A 13-year-old minor was sexually assaulted, and threatened by Munavar and Ajeem Mansoori to convert to Islam

On 15th June, a woman filed a police complaint at Bhayander Police Station against two individuals identified as Munavar Mansoori and Ajeem Mansoori for threatening her 13-year-old daughter with a fake pistol and sexually assaulting her. The woman in the complaint said that the accused boys aged 20 and 19 respectively stayed in a building close to her residence and followed her daughter on her way to school or tuition.

She also said that the accused persons once threatened the victim to reach the building terrace where the duo forcefully kissed her and sexually assaulted her. On June 11, the accused gifted a ring and burqa to her and proposed to marry. However, on a refusal by the girl, the accused used a fake pistol to threaten her. “Get converted to Islam otherwise I’ll kill you,” the primary accused Munavar was quoted as threatening in the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia.

The girl then gathered the courage and informed about the boys to her parents who then discovered that the boys used fake pistols to torture and threaten their daughter. The mother of the victim then filed a police complaint against the accused. The complaint in the case had been filed under sections 354, 354A, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO, 2012.

Parents of the victim confirm their daughter was threatened to wear a burqa

Team OpIndia contacted the father of the victim who revealed that his daughter was sexually assaulted by the two accused minors. He also added that the Police had taken the required action in the case after which neither of the two dared to harass the victim.

“My daughter was being harassed and being influenced by the accused towards Islam. She was also sexually abused and threatened to wear a burqa. But after we complained, the police took immediate action in the case and also punished the accused. It’s almost been a year since the incident and at present honestly, I don’t know where the accused boys are. My daughter is safe though,” he added.

Case 4: 13-year-old minor brainwashed to embrace Islam by a Muslim minor

A similar case was reported at Nayanagar Police Station. A 13-year-old minor Hindu girl was trapped in a love affair by an accused minor Muslim boy aged 15. He met the girl from the Mira Road region on Instagram and gained her trust. The duo soon developed a friendship and began chatting constantly over the phone.

After a few days, the accused insisted the girl meet at a local garden where he forcefully kissed her and sexually assaulted her. He also used to ask the girl to send her nude photos and videos over Instagram. The accused then began to ask the girl to wear long kurtas and wear a dupatta over her head (hijab). On seeing this change, the mother of the girl discovered her ‘affair’ and read all her chats.

On confronting, the girl further revealed that the accused boy also dominated her and controlled what she ate, what she posted on social media, and who she kept contact with. “The boy was trying to influence my daughter to follow his religion slowly. He was asking her to dress us like women in his house,” the mother said in the complaint.

Representative image- OpIndia

As per the FIR, once when the accused was ill, his uncle had called the girl forcing her to meet him. “He also was teaching the girl his language. He has sexually assaulted my daughter several times,” the woman said in the complaint filed under sections 354 of IPC and 8 and 12 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

Notably, the mother of the girl alleged that the police in this case neglected many facts and carried out an unfair investigation. The mother in a separate complaint to the senior authorities said that the accused asked her daughter to wear a hijab and asked her to greet people by saying ‘Allah Hafiz’. “He was trying to influence my daughter to convert to Islam. However, the Nayanagar PI Gilani Sayeed refused to write this complaint down. Instead, he wrote an incomplete complaint and threatened us to sign as a complainant. The police also failed to take my statement and filed an FIR based on the incomplete statement,” the lady was quoted as saying in the letter copy that has been obtained by OpIndia.

Complaint Copy obtained by OpIndia

Case 5: 50-year-old Rajesh Jani converted to Islam by Mohsin

In the Bhayander region of Mumbai, a 50-year-old individual named Rajesh Jani was forcefully converted to Islam by one Mohsin Soni. The complaint in this case was filed by the son of the victim on 12th June 2023 saying that the accused influenced his family also to convert to Islam and used derogatory words against Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the victim, Rajesh was disturbed due to some problems in his relationship with his wife. Given the situation, he had shifted his residence in the year 2022 from Vasai to Virar and had begun living alone. During this period he happened to come in contact with accused Mohsin Soni who took him to an Ijtema event organised by Muslim community people. Since then Mohsin stayed in touch with the victim.

Ijtema is a show of strength event for Muslims which is all about the moral reform of individuals and is often described as ‘making Muslims true Muslims’. It is termed a religious program in which several Islamic scholars are invited to offer guidance.

Mohsin used to send videos of Zakir Khan to the victim and ask him to understand Islam and its traditions. He kept on influencing the victim to convert his religion to Islam. In around April 2023, the victim sifted back to his family in Vasai. The incident of his conversion came to the fore only after the victim one day failed to return home from his workplace.

“My father on 27th May 2023 didn’t return home. On asking his colleague, we were informed that he had already left the workplace. After a day or so, we filed a missing report at the police station. Later on 29th May 2023 Mohsin called my mother, introduced himself as my father’s friend, and said that the duo was together at his (Mohisn’s) place in Mumbra. He said that the duo got acquainted at the Ijtema event that happened last year. He also informed my mother that my father had embraced Islam and we need not worry about him,” the boy mentioned in the complaint.

The family of the victim began worrying more for the victim. Later on 2nd June, Mohsin again called the family and asked them also to convert their religion to Islam. He used derogatory words for Hindu Gods and Goddesses and threatened the family.

“Mohsin said that the only way to reach heaven was to embrace Islam. He forced us all to convert to Islam. He said that Hindus worshipping Lord Rama an Lord Krishna are surviving in darkness. Nobody is ready to come out of the darkness. He said that he had brought my father out of the darkness and that now he could reach heaven. He also made us believe that he had some power in him with which he could solve several problems of people. He also mentioned that before this he had converted around 400 persons and that now it was our time,” the boy mentioned in the FIR.

The FIR in the case was filed under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and section 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice, other Inhuman, Evil, and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.

As per the sources, the accused was arrested by the Police and was sent to Surat after being released on bail while in judicial custody.

Case 6: 17-year-old assaulted, and converted to Islam by Shahin, Abueid, Nuzhat, and Nikhat Khan

In a dreadful case reported from the Mira road region of Mumbai, a 17-year-old Hindu girl, her brother, and a cousin were converted to Islam by the accused identified as Shahin Khan, Abueid Khan, Nuzhat Khand, and Nikhat Khan. The 17-year-old girl was also sexually assaulted by Abueid Khan several times after which the victim on 10th August filed a police complaint at the Mira Road Police station.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the three victims were being tortured by the accused persons after they lost their parents in the year 2022. The father of the victim died of a heart attack while the mother of the victim committed suicide in January 2023. After the death of the parents, the relatives of the victims took them home for some days but later lodged them in an orphanage in Andheri.

However, the 17-year-old was not satisfied at the orphanage and wanted to continue her education with her brother and cousin. She informed the orphanage authorities about ‘grandma’ Shahin Khan and her family who she said stayed in the neighborhood when her parents were alive. Shahin Khan’s family proved to the orphanage that they were financially capable of taking care of the children. The children were then adopted by the Khans and soon the horror began.

Shahin Khan, a few days after the arrival of the children, made them believe that Islam was the only religion to be followed. She told the victim that she along with her brother and her cousin needed to be converted to Islam. “Hindus staying in the house of Muslims is a sin. The presence of Hindus in a Muslim house creates problems. So you all need to convert to Islam,” Shahin was quoted as saying in the FIR.

She also said that the brother of the victim was required to get the circumcision done following which he would be converted to Islam. Notably, the family first converted the boy to Islam and named him Altaaf Sheikh. Later the cousin of the victim was also converted. The victim was then made to believe that her brother and her cousin had consumed beef and that now he was a true Muslim.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

The family of Shahin Khan tortured the victim and her siblings and restricted them from taking further education. They were also forced to do the house chores and threatened to be sent to an orphanage for not following the orders. The family instead took the Hindu children to various Masjids and forced them to follow the traditions of Islam. They also stopped supporting them financially. This all happened in the course of 7-8 months from January 2023 to August 2023.

On 8th August 2023, one of the accused Abueid Khan sexually assaulted the girl when she was fast asleep at night. He pulled her pants and invaded her private parts. He continued to assault her also on 9th August after which the victim escaped from the home and reached Mira Road Police station for justice.

Document exclusively obtained by OpIndia

The complaint in this case has been filed under sections 376(2)(n), 376, 298, 354, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The accused persons have also been booked under sections 8 and 4 of the POCSO, 2012.

Apart from these dreadful incidents of Grooming Jihad or conversion to Islam here are further cases of community crimes in which Islamists harassed the Hindu victims, attacked them deliberately, and sexually assaulted them in most of the cases.

Case 7: Mohammed Shami and Akhtar pelted stones at a Hindu event

Recently, after the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Islamists pelted stones at Hindu community people who were celebrating the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in the Mira road Bhayander region of Mumbai.

FIR copy of the incident has been obtained by OpIndia in which the complainant mentioned that the accused persons barged into the event on 22nd January that was organized at the local level to celebrate the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony and pelted stones at the participants. The accused persons are also said to have abused the Hindu faith and Lord Ram.

The accused persons were booked under sections 153A, 504, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. As per the complaint, the accused persons also pelted stones at other Hindus who were conducting a peaceful rally in the Mira Bhayander region.

“We had organized a small event to celebrate the Hindu ceremony and were donating food on the occasion. Shami and Akhtar barged into the event and began pelting stones at the Hindu participants on 22nd January. On asking the reason for pelting stones, they said that they were just keeping a watch on who was pelting stones at the local Masjid,” the complainant stated.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia
FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

“Later a rally of Hindu participants passed by the local Masjid nearby and the two accused who barged into our event began pelting stones at the rally participants. The duo also abused the Hindu faith and abused Lord Ram,” the Hindu complainant said.

The complainant then is said to have informed the local police who were deployed on the spot to avoid any untoward incident from happening. But the accused persons had fled from the spot by then.

He also said that the primary accused in the case abused and threatened him and indicated that Lord Ram would also not be able to save him. “We saw you informed the police. Aren’t you doing too much? I will kill you let’s see if your Ram can come to save you,” the accused said while issuing death threats to the complainant as per the FIR.

The accused persons continued to threaten the victim for a couple of days after which the complainant filed a police complaint on 25th January.

Case 8: Hindu girl trapped in a love affair by Shakir, raped and then threatened for money

On 13th July 2023, an FIR was lodged at Navghar Police station against an individual identified as Shakir after he trapped a Hindu girl into a love affair and then threatened her family for money. As per the sources, the accused also sexually assaulted the girl and then demanded money from her and her family.

The complaint copy of the said incident has been obtained by OpIndia. As per the complaint, the accused on 12th July forcefully barged into the victim’s home and threatened her family members for money. He demanded small portions of money (Rs 4000 each) from the victim’s mother and her aunt and threatened them that they would lose their daughter if no money was provided.

Later he also called the father of the victim at his workplace and threatened to send money. He further happened to kidnap the girl and then demanded an iPhone worth Rs 1,50,000 and said that he would cut the victim into small pieces if his demands remained unfulfilled.

Copy obtained by OpIndia

The FIR in the given case was filed under sections 363 (kidnapping), 364A (demand for ransom), 368, 387 (severe injury to commit extortion), 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

Case 9: Minor raped, threatened by Sameer Khan

On 30th August 2022, a minor studying in class 8 filed a police complaint with the help of her parents revealing that one Sameer Khan had raped her brutally and threatened her to keep her mouth shut. She said that the accused took her to the bathroom and forced her to remove her clothes. The girl tried to escape from the situation but to no avail.

From the complaint copy obtained by OpIndia, it comes to the fore that the parents of the girl sell vegetables on the streets of Mumbai to survive. After the COVID lockdown, the victim had to leave the school and help her parents earn. During this, the accused, Khan noticed the girl and began harassing her. He forced the girl to talk to him, failing which he threatened that he would harm her parents.

The victim who got scared for her parents, followed Khan. He raped the girl and later kidnapped her following which the parents of the victim filed a police complaint u/s 363 (kidnapping), and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. However, the girl was recovered later, and handed over to her parents.

On 27th August 2022, the accused forcefully entered the house of the victim while her parents were not at home. He dragged the girl to the bathroom and forced her to remove her clothes. However, the sister of the victim who was sleeping in the nearby room heard some chaos in the victim’s room. On enquiring, the accused forced the girl to keep shut. He threatened to kill her. The victim opted to keep shut and said that everything in there was normal. The accused then forcefully raped her and left her with wounds.

Copy obtained by OpIndia

The sister meanwhile called her parents and informed them about the incident. On arriving, the parents caught Khan red-handed who later fled from the spot and took the victim away with him. The girl after being recovered from the trap of the accused on 29th August, revealed the horror she had to go through following which the parents lodged a police complaint.

The Navghar Police station filed a police complaint, in this case, u/s 363 (kidnapping), 376(i)(rape on a woman under sixteen) of the Indian Penal Code, and also u/s 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012.

Case 10: Hamid, Shahrukh, and Jaggu Khan torture a 23-year-old in Bhayander

This case dates back to January 2023, when a 23-year-old Hindu girl was abused, sexually assaulted, and beaten by four Muslims identified as Hamid Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Jaggu Khan, and Mister Khan. The victim was accused of stealing a cell phone belonging to Hamid. The victim knew the accused as they stayed in the same lane located in the Bhayander region of Mumbai district.

The four accused, catering to the suspicion dragged the woman from her home, tore her clothes, and beat her mercilessly. The victim as per the FIR kept screaming for help but the accused didn’t stop. They further also beat the father of the victim with a brick resulting in severe injuries.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

The victim in the complaint mentioned that the accused sexually assaulted her. They tore her clothes on the street resulting in the revelation of her body in public. The Bhayander Police happened to take cognizance of the incident and filed a complaint against the four Muslims under sections 354, 354B, 324, 452, 504, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

Case 11: Minor sexually assaulted by Hasnoor

The Navghar Police filed a police complaint against one Hasnoor after he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old Hindu girl in the Bhayander region of Mumbai. The incident came to the fore after the girl revealed the incident to her mother who later filed a police complaint against the accused.

As per the copy obtained by OpIndia, the accused knew the victim from her school. He used to follow her daily on her way to school and classes. One day, the accused followed the girl to a local park where he proposed to her. He expressed his intent to be in a relationship with the girl. He then dragged the girl closer to him and sexually assaulted her. The girl immediately escaped from the spot and ran home. She then told her mother about the incident following which the police filed a complaint against the accused u/s 354 of the IPC and section 8 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

Case 12: Imtiaz trapped a girl in a love affair, assaulted, and brutally raped her

In February 2023, the Kashmira Police Station in Mumbai received a complaint against one Imtiaz Choudhury after he brutally raped a woman from Thane region of Mumbai district. The incident happened on 29th January 2023 while the FIR in the case was registered on 1st February 2023.

In the words of the victim mentioned in the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the accused met the victim in the year 2021 through a common friend. He then proposed to the girl and the girl fell in love with him. The duo stayed committed until 2022 when the accused decided to shift to Banglore for the job purpose. The girl pressed Choudhury for marriage however, the latter refused following which the girl broke up with him.

After a few months, the accused forced the girl to talk to him and threatened that he would harm her family if she stopped talking to him. In January 2023, the accused came back from Banglore and forced the girl to meet. On refusal, he threatened to expose her private photographs to her family. On 29th January, the accused forcefully called the girl to meet at Borivali in Mumbai and then dragged her to a local hotel.

Copy obtained by OpIndia

The accused then brutally assaulted the girl and beat her with a leather belt. He tried to kill the girl by choking her throat. Later he forced the girl to remove her clothes and then he raped her. He also recorded derogatory videos of the woman and threatened her to keep shut failing which he would upload the video on the internet. The girl was left with scars on her body and also on her mind.

After a couple of days, the girl gathered the courage to reveal the brutality she had faced when she was with the accused on 29th January. Accordingly, the Police filed a complaint under sections 376, 377, 354B, 324, 323, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The accused in this case had been nabbed by the Police from the India-Nepal border.

Case 13: Two Muslim boys fed a 14-year-old some substance and sexually assaulted the minor

On 6th February 2023, the father of the 14-year-old minor girl filed a police complaint at Navghar Police Station saying that his daughter was sexually assaulted by two of her Muslim ‘acquaintances’ who are also supposed to be minors. The two boys reportedly fed the girl some substance and forced themselves upon her.

The two also recorded the video of the incident and published it on the social media platform. The incident came to light only after one of the accused sent the video to the mother of the victim. The parents of the minor then filed a police complaint against the accused under section 354c of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and section 8 (sexual assault) of the POCSO, 2012.

Team OpIndia has obtained the FIR copy of the incident.

Case 14: Minor kidnapped, and sexually assaulted by Imtiaz, accused arrested as confirmed by the family of the victim

In April 2023, a minor girl aged 14 was reported missing from the Bhayander region of Mumbai. The parents of the girl on 3rd April 2023 filed a police complaint under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 saying that their daughter had been kidnapped by an unknown person.

“I sell street food on the roads of Mumbai to earn a living for my family. One day me and my wife were busy cleaning put cart. So we asked our daughter who was helping us to return home. However, when we reached home, we could not locate our daughter,” the father said.

As per the sources, the police investigated the matter and recovered the girl who had been kidnapped by a person named Imtiaz. The accused, as per the sources, used to follow the girl to her school and also used to forcefully chat with her on Instagram. He kidnapped the girl and took her to Madhubani, Bihar, and sexually assaulted her. The accused had also planned to send the girl to Nepal illegally. The girl was however saved and brought back. However, no police action has yet been taken by the police.

Team OpIndia contacted the father of the victim on 21st February who confirmed that the accused identified as Imtiaz had been arrested by the Police. “Our daughter is safe with us. Imtiaz who had abducted my daughter is in jail right now. The case is being looked after by the Police,” he said. On asked about the accused, he said that he didn’t know how his daughter came in contact with the accused.

Case 15: Danish Sheikh abducted, and brutally raped a 28-year-old woman, mother Afsana forced her to marry her son

The incident was reported again from the Bhayander region of Maharashtra’s Mumbai district. The victim, who is a mother to a minor stayed with her parents in Mumbai when she was sexually assaulted by the accused for over a year. The victim in her confession to the police confirmed that she knew the accused from November 2022. However, she said that the accused behaved nicely in the beginning and later began dominating her. He sexually assaulted her till April 2023.

“He also had captured my derogatory photos and videos and had threatened to make them public. He used to threaten me and forcefully call me to his house after which he used to forcefully feed me with some toxic substance. He would then rape me and abuse me. This happened several times. One day I gathered the courage and filed a police complaint against him,” the woman said. The complaint 338/2023 had been filed on 1st April under sections 376, 376(2)(n), 354, 328, 504, 506, and 323 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

However, on 16th April, the accused along with one of his cousins, Chirag Sheikh abducted the girl and took her home to torture her further. As per the complaint copy obtained by OpIndia, on 16th April, the victim was going to the market with her father when the accused along with his cousin abducted her and took her to his home. He meanwhile threatened the woman saying that they had already kidnapped her daughter and asked her to cooperate if she wanted to save her daughter.

The woman on reaching the accused’s home discovered that the duo had fooled her saying that they had kidnapped her daughter. Later, the primary accused person identified as Danish, forced himself upon her. Also, the mother of the accused, Afsana forced the woman to marry Danish.

Complaint Copy obtained by OpIndia

As per the complaint, the accused also took the victim to a nearby Masjid where he asked the Maulvi to get them married. “The Maulvi asked us to get some documents and said that the marriage would be possible only after the documents were presented. Later Danish kept me dragging from Bandra to Bhaykhala in Mumbai. At Bandra Karter, the police stopped us and on enquiring they discovered that Danish was wanted in a case filed at Bhayander Police Station on 1st April. The Police then detained Danish,” the girl said.

However, the woman later in a letter to the Additional Commissioner of Police, stated that she was dissatisfied by the Police investigation. She said that the accused was let go free given his family’s influence. “The accused and his associates are habitual offenders. They have multiple criminal antecedents to their name. They are known for actively supplying drugs and illegal arms and are also part of human trafficking networks with underworld connections,” she said in the letter, a copy of which has been obtained by OpIndia.

She also mentioned saying she was threatened by the accused that her 5-year-old daughter would be kidnapped and installed in their human trafficking network. She further highlighted Police lethargy and said that she was scared of the accused and his activities and needed immediate action against him.

“I get panic attacks and I am often pushed into suicidal thoughts. I am constantly horrified by the unfortunate incidents that happened to me. If anything happens again the Police will solely be responsible,” the letter added.

Copy exclusively obtained by OpIndia

Earlier Mira Road controversies and acts of violence reported by OpIndia:

Mira Road and the Bhayander area in Maharashtra’s Mumbai district have been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the recent past. In June 2023, massive controversy erupted in the capital city of Maharashtra after one of the Muslim families living in a society on Mira Road, Mumbai brought two goats a day ahead of Bakrid (Bakra-eid, Eid-Ul-Adha). The society members happened to refuse the Muslim family to get the goats inside the society premises for slaughter and said that they wouldn’t allow any kind of slaughtering activity within the society premises.

The residents of the society on Mira Road protested and opposed the slaughtering of the goats within the society premises on Bakrid and also chanted Hanuman Chalisa. Some of the people also raised the slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’, the videos of which had gone viral in the media.

But the couple took the lambs to the apartment after which the police were informed. The police who reached the spot immediately tried to maintain peace and communal harmony and assured the other residents in the society that no slaughtering would take place within the society premises.

The Police also allowed the goats saying that there was no such rule or law against a man getting goats or animals into his house. However, the authorities said that Mohsin would get arrested if he slaughtered animals in his apartment or within the society premises.

After the incident, the residents of the society talked to OpIndia and confirmed that Mohsin had been problematic to the society and that he had broken several regulations of the premises. He abused the society’s women after the latter demanded the removal of lambs from the society premises.

Also, his wife had filed a fake complaint against the society members saying that she was molested by the society members. However, nothing like this had happened. The detailed report on this case can be read here and here.

In the second crucial incident that was reported recently in January 2024, the Islamists attacked Hindus with stones, iron rods, sticks, and bamboo, leaving over a dozen people who participated in rallies to commemorate the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya injured.

In the incident reported from Mira Road, Mumbai, Islamists also disrespected the Hindu religion and hurt the Hindu religious sentiments by tearing flags bearing images of Lord Hanuman. Islamists are also said to have vomited over the flags causing disrespect to the Hindu faith. OpIndia contacted the Police to know the details of the incident. The police confirmed that around 13 persons had been arrested in the case, however, IO Dilip Rakh revealed no information about the accused persons given the sensitivity of the case.

The videos of the incident had gone viral over the internet in which the Islamists could be heard raising the slogans of ‘Allah-hu-Akhbar’ while attacking the cars. They could be seen using iron rods and sticks to attack the Hindus. Even the videos of women being attacked made rounds on social media.

Later the Police and the local administration happened to take cognizance of the event and bulldozed the illegal properties of the Islamists staying on the Mira road who were involved in the stone pelting. As per reports, the illegal construction of the accused persons involved in the Mira Road clash was razed to the ground in the presence of Maharashtra Security Force and Mumbai Police.

Recent demography changes in Nayanagar area and Mira road

The Sakal Hindu Samaj members in an exclusive conversation, informed OpIndia that the Mira Road region in Mumbai is dominated by the Muslim majority population and that the community which claims to be a minority and oppressed is moving to become a problem for the other community residents. Explaining the changing demography of the region, Kishor Sant (name changed for security reasons) of the Sakal Hindu Samaj said, “Earlier this Mira Bhayander region, Nayanagar area was dominated by the Hindu population. In the past few years, several Muslims from the Mumbra region or even from different cities migrated to this area claiming their dominance. Later in the Nayanagar and Mira road region these people began deliberately harassing Hindus. They began harassing their daughters, disturbing them in their businesses and even there are many cases where these people have demanded ransom money from Hindus. As a result of this, several Hindus began migrating to other regions of Mumbai and Thane.”

“At present, in the Nayanagar area, no Hindus are allowed. It has now become a Muslim locality. Recently, Hindu devotees were badly assaulted during the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony that happened in Ayodhya. The Hindus in the Nayanagar area were abused, also derogatory comments were made against Lord Rama. The videos of the incident had gone viral over the internet. This is a growing problem,” he added.

As per Pratap Deokate (name changed for security reasons), another Hindu activist, the Muslims deliberately harass the Hindu businessmen in the Bhayander area which still is a Hindu-dominated locality. “They install hawkers in the areas which are literally ‘no-hawkers’ zones and indirectly block the customers from reaching into the Hindu shops. Then they slowly start trapping the daughters of the Hindu shopkeepers leading to the incidents of Love Jihad,” he said.

Further, while pressing for a stringent law against the Love Jihad, Deokate also opined that the police need to look into these cases seriously. “When a Hindu girl is harassed, sexually assaulted or murmured, these people in the administration don’t look at it from the perspective of Love Jihad. They don’t doubt the intentions of the Islamists accused. They just treat these cases like other normal criminal cases and that’s why these Islamists most of the time get a free pass. The police and the local administration should understand the intention of the accused Islamists behind targeting the Hindu girls. Only then they will be able to provide justice to the victims in such cases,” he said.

USA: Widespread disruption of AT&T cellular service, Change Healthcare’s pharmacy business, Florida senator speculates about ‘Chinese cyber attack’

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AT&T, an American telecom company whose 5G network serves about 290 million people in the United States, experienced service disruptions for more than 10 hours Thursday (22nd February). Thousands of people were unable to make calls or send text messages due to the widespread cellular phone outage. As reported by ANI, the Federal agencies then launched an investigation following the hours-long outage.

Later in the day, AT&T announced that three-quarters of its affected network had been restored, and it is working to restore services to all remaining users promptly.

Although Verizon and T-Mobile customers experienced occasional network failures too, they were significantly less common. These two companies indicated their networks were untouched by AT&T’s service outage, and consumers reporting difficulties may not have been able to contact AT&T customers, ANI reported.

AT&T confirmed a widespread outage but did not explain the system breakdown.

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored,” AT&T could be quoted as saying in the statement.

By late morning on Friday (23rd February), AT&T said most of its network was back online. “Our network teams took immediate action and so far, three-quarters of our network has been restored,” the company said. “We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers,” it added.

Although AT&T provided no official explanation for the outage, reports stated that the problem appeared to be related to how cellular services transfer off calls from one network to the next, a process known as ‘peering’. 

However, no evidence suggests that Thursday’s outage was caused by a cyberattack or other criminal behavior, CNN reported. As a result of this enormous outage, AT&T’s stock sank more than 2% on Thursday (22nd February) a day when the market was soaring higher.

Several municipal governments meanwhile said that AT&T’s outage caused disruptions in their services. San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management confirmed on Thursday (22nd February) morning that its 911 center was still working, although many AT&T customers were unable to access the emergency line due to the outage. It is recommended that consumers contact 911 from a landline or find someone who uses a competitor’s service.

The Fire Department in Upper Arlington, Ohio, reported that the AT&T outage was disrupting its fire alarms. Residents in St. Joseph County, Michigan, were advised to use Wi-Fi to place 911 calls if they were unable to reach 911 on AT&T’s network. Officials with the New York Police Department stated that they were unable to make calls or send emails on AT&T phones Thursday (22nd February) morning unless they were linked to Wi-Fi.

Florida senator speculates about ‘Chinese cyber attack’

Responding to the major cellular outage across the US, Florida Senator Marco Rubio warned that the situation could worsen if China conducts a cyberattack on the country while ‘invading’ Taiwan.

“I don’t know the cause of the AT&T outage But I do know it will be 100 times worse when #China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a #Taiwan invasion And it won’t be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water, and your bank,” Rubio posted on X.

Pharmacies down in USA as Change Healthcare faces cyberattack

Apart from this, as reported by Fox News, the country’s top healthcare technology company, Change Healthcare also faced a cyberattack. Pharmacies throughout the country experienced prescription order delays as a result of a cyber attack on one of the country’s top healthcare technology companies.

Change Healthcare, a company that handles orders and patient payments across the United States discovered the “cyber security issue” affecting its network on Wednesday (21st February) morning on the East Coast.

“Change Healthcare is experiencing a network interruption related to a cyber security issue and our experts are working to address the matter. Once we became aware of the outside threat, in the interest of protecting our partners and patients, we took immediate action to disconnect our systems to prevent further impact,” Change Healthcare said in a statement.

The problems began on Wednesday after a “suspected nation-state associated cybersecurity threat actor” gained access to Change Healthcare’s information technology systems, UnitedHealth said in a filing on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Pharmacies around the country reportedly have issued alerts that the attack on Change Healthcare is impeding their ability to process patient orders. “The estimated date for resolving this issue will be tomorrow or later. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates on our progress.” the official statement read.

Amid concerns over a probable Chinese invasion of Taiwan, US President Joe Biden has stated that Washington would “intervene militarily” if Beijing attempts to take Taipei by force. 

‘Faizan Khan duped us’: Telangana youth Md Sufiyan appeals for help, says they were made to fight Russia-Ukraine war in the name of ‘foreign job’

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One man from Telangana named Mohammed Sufiyan and three men from Karnataka were allegedly tricked by a YouTube channel run by Faizal Khan into joining the Russian army in Ukraine after being promised jobs as army security helpers in Russia. The four men are currently stuck near the war-torn Ukraine border in Russia forcibly fighting in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war against their will. They have urged the government of India to rescue them.

Mohammed Sufiyan along with three others flew to Russia on December 23 last year. They were promised the job of a security helper but instead, they were sent to the frontline to fight the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The scam came to the fore after one of the stranded men, Mohammed Sufiyan from Telangana, sent an SOS message to his family saying that they had become victims of a fake army job racket and urging that they should be immediately rescued. He revealed how more than a dozen youths were duped and brought to Russia where they were drafted in Wagner and forced to fight for Russia.

Dressed in army attire, Sufiyan revealed they were forced to take part in Russia’s war with Ukraine against their will after an agent called ‘Baba’ promised they would serve as army assistants. He escaped and sought help from the embassy to come back to India.

Reportedly, Sufiyan and the other men were working in Dubai earlier, where they earned between Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000. The agent had promised them earnings as high as Rs 2 lakh in Russia. Each of them was allegedly charged Rs 3.5 lakh by the agent for the security helper job.

Imran, the brother of Sufiyan told ANI, “My brother was taken by Baba Blocks Company, which has offices in Dubai, Delhi, and Mumbai. The first batch went out on November 12, 2023. A total of 21 youths were sent and Rs 3 lakh was taken from each one of them. They were made to sign an agreement in Russia on November 13. The agents told the youth that they would get the job as army helpers, but were eventually drafted into the army and were deployed inside the Ukrainian borders.”

“The agents gave the wrong translations of the documents to them. They were told that it was the job of army helpers. But, two days later, they were taken for military training. Even when the youths protested, the Indian agents again misguided them, saying that it was only part of the training and they wouldn’t be sent to the frontlines,” Imran added.

India Today spoke to a youth from Uttar Pradesh, who is also trapped in Russia. He revealed how he and the other youths were duped by a YouTube channel named Baba Blocks Company run by Faizal Khan from Maharashtra.

The youth is heard narrating how he along with two others were duped into the fake army job scam. Detailing the sequence of events he said that in August last year, he spoke to the recruiters running Baba Blocks Company on YouTube. On November 11, he was booked on a connecting flight. When he landed in Chennai he met two other youths who had fallen prey to the same scam. One was a youth from Hyderabad named Mohammed Ashfan and the other one named Zahoor Ahmed was from Kashmir.

He added that they reached Moscow, Russia’s capital city on November 12, 2023. “There we were received by two men”, the youth said, further revealing that there is a string of agents who are working together.

The youth further said that the next day they were taken to the recruitment centre where they were made to sign the contract. “The documents were in the Russian language. We were not explained what was written in the contract.. no one translated it for us. The agents who took us there made us sign the papers. Until then also we were not told that we would be joining the Wagner army at the war frontline.

“Two days later, we were taken for military training. When we protested, our Indian agents again misguided us, saying that it was only part of the training and we wouldn’t be sent to the frontlines.”

“After 15 days, we were sent to a camp in the middle of a jungle, almost 40 km away from the Ukraine border, where the colonels snatched our passports and documents. We contacted our agents and told them that we were being sent to the frontline to fight the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and that we did not wish to join the Wagner Group, but the agent kept assuring us that we would have to work as security helpers.”

He added that on January 4, the youths were separated and sent with different groups to the frontline to fight the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The petrified youth urged that they be rescued.

After the incident came to light, the Karnataka state government wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), requesting the rescue of the three people from Karnataka who are alleged to have been coerced into fighting in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Priyank Kharge, the state minister, stated that he has urged the Centre to take immediate action to resolve the matter and save the lives of the young men.

“After it came to our notice that they have been recruited into the Wagner Group (a private military allegedly funded by the Russian government) for war with Ukraine, our Deputy Commissioner (Kalaburagi) as per protocol has written a letter to the Central government’s External Affairs Ministry representative here in Bengaluru,” Kharge said.

“There is information that it (such job fraud) has happened in several places – Telangana, Karnataka, and also several places in north India. Whatever it is, taking someone to war by cheating or through fraudulent means (is wrong). The Central government has to take this seriously and should come to their rescue immediately,” Kharge added.

Priyank went on to add that he has asked Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress and his father, to take up the matter with S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs.

Priyank Kharge’s request came days after AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi raised the issue and urged the Central government to talk with the Russian government and bring back the youths.

“The Narendra Modi government should hold talks with the Russian government and bring back the 12 youths trapped in the Russia-Ukraine war,” AIMIM posted on X.

Notably, these are not the only youths who have been duped into joining the Russian army. In fact, in December last year, the Nepal police detained 10 people, who were accused of charging unemployed youths a handsome amount for travel visas and then sending them to Russia where they were illegally drafted into the Russian army.

Kathmandu District Police Chief Bhupendra Khatri, giving details of the scam, said, the detainees illegally charged each person up to USD 9,000 and sent them to Russia on tourist visas, mainly through the UAE. They were then recruited into the Russian army.”

“It is a case of human smuggling … organised crime,” he added.

YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh passes off old image from 2016 as police atrocity against farmer protestors, gets amplified by RJ Sayema

On Friday (23rd February), YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh resorted to peddling fake news about the Delhi police amid the ongoing ‘farmers protest’ in the National Capital.

The propaganda artist shared a picture from 2016 and claimed that it was taken during the demonstrations carried out by ‘farmers’. Singh accused the Delhi police of brutally hitting a farmer’s face with pellets.

In a tweet, the YouTuber claimed, “It is difficult to even see this picture. The image is of a boy who was injured during the ongoing farmers’ protest.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Shyam Meera Singh, image via X/ Lala

However, nothing can be farther from the truth. The image belongs to a man named Mohammad Imran Parray. The picture was clicked by the Associated Press on 13th July 2016.

At the time of clicking the image, Parray was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Srinagar after being hit by pellets during violent protests in the Kashmir Valley.

Nonetheless, this did not stop Shyam Meera Singh from posting the 8-year-old image and falsely claiming that it was taken during the ongoing farmers’ protest. His tweet was further amplified by former ‘radio jockey’ Sayema.

The YouTuber did not bother to verify the picture or make a simple reverse image search before making the unsubstantiated claims. This was despite the fact that such disinformation has the potential to trigger untoward incidents of violence and create a law and order situation.

Following outrage on social media, the controversial YouTuber posted, “This picture is not from the ongoing farmers’ protest. Please do not share this. This picture is from July 2016. The picture is of Mohammad Imran Parray, Who is from Kashmir. There are marks of pellet guns on his face. During the farmers’ movement, it was also proved in the medical examination of the bodies of the farmers.”

As expected, Shyam Meera Singh did not post any apology for peddling fake news. Earlier, he was directed to remove ‘defamatory tweets’ and videos against convicted rape and murder accused Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

It must be mentioned that several X (formerly Twitter) accounts have previously been withheld for peddling fake news. It is about time that similar action is taken against the likes of Shyam Meera Singh and Sayema for peddling disinformation.

Cheesy deception: Maharashtra FDA cracks down on McDonald’s for replacing cheese with cheaper vegetable oil

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The multinational fast-food company McDonald’s has come under fire from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for using imitation cheese in place of genuine products in burgers and nuggets, according to a report in The Times of India. The franchise has decided to remove the term “cheese” from several menu items at their eatery located in Ahmednagar after the license of one of its outlets was suspended. The FDA is pushing the business to implement corrective action on the state and national levels.

The purpose of cheese analogues, referred to as cheese substitutes is to mimic the flavour, consistency and utility of conventional dairy cheese. The alternatives, which are reportedly found in multiple McDonald’s products, usually replace dairy or milk fat with less expensive vegetable oil. The food regulatory organisation accused the corporation of “misleading” consumers into believing they were eating real cheese by employing cheese substitutes without properly disclosing this information on food labels or electronic display boards.

FDA commissioner Abhimanyu Kale informed the media house that leaving out information of this significance is deceptive to customers and could lead to negative health effects. He revealed, “During the inspection, our officers did not find any mention of cheese analogues anywhere. Items like ‘cheese nuggets’, ‘cheesy dip’, and ‘cheeseburger’ were being labelled as such without indicating that the cheese was a substitute. Most other fast-food pizza and burger joints could be indulging in the same practice. We plan to investigate these chains as well.”

An examination of McDonald’s Kedgaon branch in Ahmednagar in October last year marked the beginning of the action against the company. After finding that at least eight items, cheesy nuggets, McCheese veg burger, McCheese non-veg burger, corn and cheeseburger, cheesy Italian veg and blueberry cheesecake contained cheese analogues, the food inspector served a show-cause notice to the establishment.

McDonald’s license was suspended because their explanation was considered inadequate after they contested the FDA action. Subsequently, the FDA commissioner issued a directive highlighting the need for unambiguous labelling, with font size and colour distinguishable from ordinary cheese. Furthermore, he asked that nutritional information including the quantity of fat and protein among other things should be displayed for items that contain alternatives.

According to Abhimanyu Kale, nutritional details should be presented on display boards that occupy up to 40% of the space in restaurants. He added, “Menu cards should clearly state the use of analogues, addressing allergen concerns, and diet concerns such as the presence of higher trans-fat.”

McDonald’s claimed in a letter to the FDA in December that they had renamed the products by taking the word “cheese” out. They rebranded the McCheese veggie burger as cheddar delight burger, blueberry cheesecake as blueberry cake and cheesy nuggets as veggie nuggets. The new names are being posted at select locations in Santacruz, Kurla and Bhendi Bazar. However, McDonald’s denied utilizing substitutes when they were questioned about it.

“Regarding the removal of the word ‘cheese’ from our menu at McDonald’s stores in Maharashtra, we want to reassure our customers that we use only real, quality cheese in all our products containing cheese. We are actively working with the relevant authorities on this matter,” a spokesperson from McDonald’s India (W&S) told The Times of India. The business released letters from their cheese suppliers stating that Dlecta Foods Pvt Ltd is the manufacturer of the cheese sauce used in frozen cheese nuggets and claiming it is not a counterfeit.

Bengal: ED raids 6 locations linked to TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan in land grabbing case, properties in Howrah and Sandeshkhali searched

 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting raids at nearly half-a-dozen locations in West Bengal in its fresh ongoing investigation against absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with the alleged land-grabbing case.

The raids are still underway at the premises of the TMC leader and other suspects in the case. The agency conducted these raids a day after it issued fresh summons to Shahjahan to join investigation on February 29.

As per agency sources, these raids are part of a new Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) linked with Shahjahan in land grabbing matter.

Accompanied by central forces, the ED officials launched the search operation since early morning.

Last month, the federal agency also conducted two separate raids on multiple location on different dates in connection with Public Distribution System (PDS) scam case. Those places included the residence of Shahjahan’s residence in Sandeshkhali.

The agency is learnt to have conducted raids at the properties of a West Bengal businessman associated with Shahjahan. The searches took place at his home in Howrah and at other sites in Sandeshkhali.

Many women in Sandeshkhali, located in the North 24 Parganas district, have made allegations against the influential figure Shajahan and his associates from the Trinamool Congress, accusing them of land grabbing and sexual assault under duress. A significant protest is currently taking place in Sandeshkhali, calling for his arrest.

On one similar search operation conducted on January 5, the ED officials were attacked while on their way to carry out raids at Shahjahan and fellow TMC leader Shankar Adhya’s residences in the North 24 Parganas district.

Nearly 200 locals, believed to be supporters of the TMC leader, encircled the officials and armed paramilitary forces then, preventing them from raiding Shahjahan’s residence. Two ED officials were injured in the incident.

The incident led to a political blame game, with the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders criticising state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government raising questions over law and order situation, while the TMC blamed the agency for provoking the locals.

The incident led the Ministry of Home Affairs to seek a detailed report from the West Bengal government regarding the attacks.

Shahjahan continues to evade capture, with both state police and Central agencies unable to locate him. Recently, the Calcutta High Court instructed a collaborative Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and West Bengal Police to investigate an assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali.

The SIT, consisting of personnel from both agencies, has been mandated to present its findings by February 12, as per the Court’s directive.

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

No NSA against farmer union leaders: Hours after announcement, Haryana Police backtracks

On 23rd February the Haryana Police announced that they will not invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against farmer leaders at present protesting at the state border. The development transpired a few hours after the authorities announced that farmer leaders would face the consequences of their actions under the strict law.

“This is to clarify to all concerned that the matter of invoking provisions of the National Security Act on a few farm union leaders of district Ambala has been reconsidered and it has been decided that the same will not be invoked. Haryana Police appeals to the protestors and their leaders to maintain peace and cooperate with the authorities in maintaining law and order,” stated Sibash Kabiraj, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ambala Range.

Amid a stand-off with the farmers, who are protesting with their demands, Haryana Police in Ambala District has said that any loss to the government and private property during the protest will be compensated by attaching the property and seizure of bank accounts of the protestors.

On February 22, the Haryana police had shared a press release stating that farmer union leaders who are inciting protestors to break barricades and damage properties, and attack police personnel, will have to face provisions under the National Security Act.

“Proceedings have been initiated under the NSA National Security Act 1980/NSA against the chief officials of farmer organizations and the agitators,” the Ambala police said on X sharing a press release yesterday.

They added that 2 police officials have died so far on duty and another has suffered a brain hemorrhage. Over 30 police personnel have been injured in the violence carried out by the protesting farmers.

Telangana BRS MLA Lasya Nanditha loses life in road accident, former LS speaker Manohar Joshi passes away after cardiac arrest

On Friday (23rd February), early in the morning, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLA Lasya Nanditha (age 37) died in a road accident on Patancheru ORR (Outer Ring Road) in Telangana’s Sangareddy district on the outskirts of Hyderabad. She succumbed to serious injuries as her car crashed into the road divider.

Veteran Shiv Sena leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi passed away in Mumbai in the wee hours of Friday. He was 86 years old. He was admitted to the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai on 21st February after a cardiac arrest. Joshi was Maharashtra’s chief minister from 1995 to 1999.

BRS MLA G Lasya Nanditha’s car met with an accident on Nehru Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad. She was elected as a BRS MLA from Secunderabad Cantonment constituency. MLA Lasya Nanditha’s car uncontrollably collided with the divider. In the picture revealed after the accident, it can be seen that the front part of her car has been shattered.

Her driver has also suffered serious injuries in this road accident. Nandita was the daughter of five-time MLA G Sayanna. G Sayanna represented the Secunderabad Cantonment constituency five times. Sayanna passed away in February 2023, after which BRS gave Lasya Nandita a ticket from Secunderabad in the assembly elections held in Telangana.

She had a narrow escape in a road accident in Narketpally, Nalgonda district, on 13th February, just 10 days ago. She suffered minor injuries in that incident but a guard accompanying her her had lost his life. She was going to Nalgonda to attend the public meeting of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao when that incident occurred.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy posted on X, “The untimely death of Secunderabad Cantonment legislator Lasya Nandita left me deeply shocked. I had a close relationship with Nandita’s father Late Sayanna. He passed away in the same month last year. It is very sad that Nandita also died suddenly in the same month this year. My deepest condolences to their family. I pray to God to rest her soul in peace.”

KT Rao – the working president of the BRS – shared his 10-day-old photographs with Lasya Nandita and wrote in an X post, “This was about a week ago. Just now heard the tragic & shocking news that Lasya is no more!! Woke up to the devastating loss of the young legislator who was a very good leader in the making My heartfelt prayers for strength to her family and friends in this terrible & difficult time.”

Maharashtra’s former chief minister and veteran Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi passed away at 3 a.m. on Friday (23rd February). He was admitted to the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai after he had a cardiac arrest on 21st February. He was 86. Manohar Joshi had closely worked with Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray since the inception of Shiv Sena in 1966. He was the first chief minister of the Hindutva alliance.

Manohar Joshi was known for his Kohinoor Technical Institute. He started as a tutor and established a grand network of branches of his technical coaching institute pan Maharashtra. For his background as a trainer, he was fondly called Joshi Sir in the political circles as well. His tenure as a chief minister of Maharashtra was known for significant achievements like the iconic Mumbai-Pune Expressway – the first of its kind in the country, Slum Area Redevelopment Schemes, Employment Guarantee Schemes, and most importantly crumbling the underworld in Mumbai with the help of a dashing home minister Gopinath Munde.

Manohar Joshi was the most important face of Shiv Sena in Delhi during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004. Manohar Joshi worked as the Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises from 1999 to 2002. He also served as the speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2002 to 2004. He was a Rajya Sabha member from 2006 to 2012.

Maharashtra’s chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde posted on X, “Very sad to hear the news of the death of former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, senior leader Manohar Joshi sir. A disciplined and firm leader who had great loyalty to Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and contributed wholeheartedly to building the Maharashtra he envisioned has passed away.”

Eknath Shinde further said in his post, “He had a deep affection for Maharashtra, Marathi people. He is recognised as a scholarly and cultured face in Maharashtra politics. Joshi Sir was very humble, moderate, courteous and disciplined. His achievements and contributions in the political, social and educational fields of Maharashtra brought about radical changes. He was passionate about the field of education. That is why he turned the youth towards education through Kohinoor Technical Institute.”

CM Eknath Shinde added, “Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government was led by Joshi Sir. He had a knack for taking everyone along and respecting everyone’s roles while working in an alliance. He had vast experience working in various positions such as corporator of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Mayor, Member of Legislative Council, MLA, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, MP, Union Minister of Heavy Industries, Speaker of Lok Sabha and Member of Rajya Sabha. I consider it my fortune that I got the opportunity to work under his guidance in Shiv Sena.”

In the end, Eknath Shinde wrote, “Today we have lost a staunch, true Shiv Sainik who was true to the views of Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. May his soul rest in peace, this is the prayer to God. We share the grief of the Joshi family. Our emotional tribute to him!”