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‘Prima Facie Defamatory, add disclaimer’: Delhi HC orders YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh to take down video on Gurmeet Ram Rahim

OpIndia Staff
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‘Prima Facie Defamatory, add disclaimer’: Delhi HC orders YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh to take down video on Gurmeet Ram Rahim

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (10t January) directed YouTuber and journalist Shyam Meera Singh to take down a video he created about Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Justice Jasmeet Singh ruled that the video is prima facie defamatory against Ram Rahim given that it contains no disclaimer about the sources of the assertions. Accordingly, the Court ordered that the video be removed from all social media platforms within 24 hours.

It stated that Singh could create a new video with disclaimers stating that certain elements of the film were based on trial court rulings and a book authored by another journalist. Shyam Meera Singh posted the video “How Gurmeet Ram Rahim Fooled His Followers?” last month.

Ram Rahim Singh’s counsel challenged Shyam Meera Singh for defamation after he uploaded the video. He said that the film was an attempt to prejudice his appeal, which is scheduled for hearing before the High Court.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court voiced its disapproval on 8th January and cautioned YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh that he could face contempt proceedings for comments he made against the Court. Shyam Meera Singh, in one of his latest social media posts, had mentioned that he was being pressured by the Court in the case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

“This is not fair. This is unfair. The court doesn’t force anybody. He’s saying he’s being forced. It was a concession. I could have passed an order. The court is very competent to pass an order about the merits of the case. It was done voluntarily. Where is the majburi (Compulsion)? You bring him here, and we’ll ask him what he wants, then it will not be a majburi (compulsion),” the court of Justice Jasmeet Singh was quoted as saying.

Meera Singh, however, informed the court that the video in question was based on trial court rulings and journalist Anurag Tripathi’s book “Dera Sacha Sauda and Gurmeet: A Decade-long Investigation.” He went on to say that the video is a journalistic work and that Ram Rahim has taken no action against Anurag Tripathi, even though his book has been in the public domain since 2018.

Maharashtra: School ‘dropout’ Shoaib Shaikh kills Sikh girlfriend, who was manager at a private bank, after 3 months of relationship

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: School ‘dropout’ Shoaib Shaikh kills Sikh girlfriend, who was manager at a private bank, after 3 months of relationship

On Monday (8th January), a 24-year-old man named Shoaib Shaikh murdered his Sikh girlfriend after suspecting her of having an affair with another man. The incident took place in the Turbhi suburb in Navi Mumbai city of Maharashtra.

As per a report by The Times of India, the victim was identified as 35-year-old Amit Kaur. She met Shoaib on a dating app about 3 months ago. On the fateful night, Amit Kaur met the accused to celebrate her birthday.

They checked into a lodge in Turbhi, following which Shoaib strangled the victim to death. After committing the murder, he left the premises of the lodge and returned to his home in the Saki Naka neighbourhood of Mumbai.

While speaking about the matter, Turbhe senior police inspector Ravindra Daundkar said, “Shaikh and Kaur used their respective identity cards to book the room. Around midnight, the lodge staff noticed Shaikh leaving the premises.”

“But they did not find anything suspicious about him. It was only when police opened the room that they found Kaur lying strangled,” he added. At around 2 o’ clock in the night, assistant inspector (Saki Naka police) Valmiki Kore received a tip about Shoaib Shaikh.

The accused was called for questioning at the police station, following which he revealed that he murdered his girlfriend in Turbhe. The Saki Naka police recorded his statement, contacted their counterparts in Navi Mumbai and dispatched a team to the lodge.

The accused was handed over to the Turbhe police and a case was registered against him under Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder). It has come to light that Shoaib Shaikh is a school dropout and worked at a garage owned by a family member.

On the other hand, his deceased girlfriend Amit Kaur was a manager at a private bank. She was divorced, had a teenage daughter and lived with her mother in GTB Nagar in South Central Mumbai.

‘Mother cannot be guardian to minor children, widows cannot sell property’: How Sharia Law is stalling Godrej’s Rs 227 cr land deal in Nagpur

Gopal Tiwari
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‘Mother cannot be guardian to minor children, widows cannot sell property’: How Sharia Law is stalling Godrej’s Rs 227 cr land deal in Nagpur

The ongoing legal dispute over a Rs 227 crore land deal between Godrej Properties and an Agrawal family in Nagpur has brought to light the complicated Muslim personal law in India based on one’s religious identity. The case underscores how Muslim personal law does not grant a widow the right to sell or transfer property, which is now being used by heirs to stall a deal and allegedly secure large sums from a corporate entity after over three decades.

What is the dispute and how Muslim Personal Law is troubling Godrej’s deal?

The genesis of this dispute dates back to the death of Abdul Wahab, the patriarch of the Abdul family, who owned a 58-acre land parcel in Ghogli village near Besa in Nagpur district. After his demise, his widow Khairunisa sold the entire land to the Agrawal family in 1988 for an undisclosed sum. This transaction included the share of Khairunisa’s eight children as well.

At the time, the sale was facilitated by showing one Madhukar Purohit as the appointed guardian for the then minor children of Abdul. He signed the partition and sale deed on behalf of the children. Over three decades later, in 2022, the Agrawals struck a deal with Godrej Properties to sell the same land for a substantial amount of Rs 227 crores.

However, this second transaction came under challenge when one Abdul Bashir, heir of the Abdul family, filed a lawsuit questioning its validity. The prime contention was that under Muslim personal law, a mother cannot act as the natural or legal guardian of minor children after the father’s death. Thereby, the original 1988 land sale by Khairunisa to Agrawals was void since she had no right to sell the children’s share.

A recent ruling by a civil judge in Nagpur has upheld this objection based on the provisions under Muslim law. It observes that the inheritance opens up for all legal heirs immediately after a person’s demise. But division of property occurs only when a separation is sought by heirs. An heir can approach the court at any time in the future to claim their share.

Moreover, the limitation period for such lawsuits begins only after an ‘ousting from the property,’ which never happened in 1988. Thereby, the current case filed after 34 years is within the ambit of the law. This has paved the way for further civil lawsuits challenging the land transaction.

Another petition in this case

In October 2022, a second lawsuit was filed by Munnawara Begum on behalf of one of the original landowner’s sons, Abdul Jabbar, who is reportedly mentally unstable. The case argues that Jabbar’s share was sold by his mother without appointing a legal guardian for an unsound person, thereby contravening the Mental Health Act.

The matter is compounded by the fact that the original buyers, the Agrawal family, profited heavily from the disputed land after over three decades. They could secure Rs 227 crores from Godrej Properties for the same plot bought for an unknown sum in 1988. On the contrary, the Abdul heirs likely received a pittance back then but are now offended by the windfall gained by Agrawals through the land their father owned.

Flaws in the Muslim Personal Law and its Misuse

While the court is correctly upholding the provisions of Muslim personal law in evaluating the validity of the land transaction, the case exposes the problems with religious personal laws that fail to provide equal rights around marital property. A widow should have the legal and ethical right to utilise, sell and transfer property left behind by her deceased husband.

By restricting a Muslim widow’s rights, the law ends up enabling lucrative misuse in cases like this. After decades of silently enjoying the proceeds from the original 1988 sale, the Abdul heirs seem to have smelt the larger corporate money on the table. They are using the convenient religious provisions to stall the business deal and secure greater monetary benefits after all these years.

The court battles also risk setting an unhealthy precedent and hampering business transactions by corporate entities who act in good faith but get embroiled in personal religious matters. The fundamental issue remains that India still does not have a Uniform Civil Code to govern marriage, divorce, succession, adoption, and inheritance. This allows selective usage of religious laws, as seen in this case where Sharia provisions are being used to stop a land deal between Godrej Properties and the Agrawals in 2022 for a transaction done in 1988.

Need for the Uniform Civil Code

Having a uniform secular law, be it around property matters or other civil aspects, would have likely prevented such legal disputes from emerging decades later. It would have safeguarded the rights of the widow after her husband’s death rather than necessitating complex litigation. India must work towards implementing common governance around civil matters so that business dealings, property matters and women’s rights remain protected irrespective of the religious affiliations of the parties involved.

The Rs 227 crores land deal case involving Godrej Properties in Nagpur demonstrates the pressing need for a Uniform Civil Code in India. The fact that a court in 2022 has stalled a land transaction citing a 34-year-old sale deed which is being challenged under Muslim personal law provisions, highlights the endemic flaws of religious personal laws around property matters. They end up breeding disputes instead of settling ownership issues.

Moreover, the lack of rights for widows under Muslim personal law prevents the efficient transfer of property, enables potential misuse of provisions for monetary gains by heirs years later, and hampers secular business deals that get dragged into civil matters dictated by religious laws. India must implement a common civil code to ensure the protection of fundamental rights around property, inheritance and succession for every citizen irrespective of their faith.

‘India Out’ campaign in Maldives, supported by current president, was from last year when “IT cell” had no interest in Maldives

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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‘India Out’ campaign in Maldives, supported by current president, was from last year when “IT cell” had no interest in Maldives

The controversy sparked by 3 Maldivian ministers, now suspended, has brought global embarrassment to the Maldivian government. After a successful boycott Maldives campaign by Indian citizens, entrepreneurs and celebrities alike, the island country has appealed to China to send more tourists.

Where the entire row has unleashed India’s clout and that’s what everyone can really talk about, the Congress appears to see things differently than its compatriots, as is usually the case.

Congress leader and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has suggested that the entire controversy signifies India’s loss and deteriorating ties with other nations under the Modi govt.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Kharge wrote, “India used to be the friendly big brother for our Asian and Indian Ocean neighbors. But strong arming smaller nations doesn’t help India in anyway. We are losing all the goodwill that has been built over decades. This is what happens when Govt allows party IT cell trolls to run foreign affairs.”

The basis of his geopolitical analysis were the reports that Maldives is begging to China for tourists because the Indian tourists that contributed greatly to its economy are boycotting it.

So the Congress’s takeaway is not that Indians made the pro-China Maldivian government bend but that India “lost all the goodwill built over decades”. But even in this wrong reading, the Congress minister could not get his facts right.

In a taunt to Mr Sinha, whose tweet first exposed the anti-India faces in the Maldivian government, Kharge blamed the Modi government for “allowing party IT cell trolls to run foreign affairs”.

However, Kharge, Congress and its stooges in the media have misrepresented the facts of the matter to milk their political narratives against the Indian government. The current PPM government in Maldives has historically been anti-India and pro-China. It is not the first time that the PPM is insulting India and Modi.

In 2020, then in the Opposition, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) kicksarted the “India Out” campaign under former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

The party backed by a news outlet named “Dhiyares” took to the streets donning red shirts with the text “India Out”, a demand to remove the Indian military forces deployed in the island nation.

While speaking to The Indian Express, Dhiyares co-founder Shifxan Ahmed alleged, “We are just protesting military presence in the country. We are not calling for a violent clash against India or Indians in the Maldives.”

Notably, the leader of the anti-India campaign, former President Yameen, had been pro-China during his tenure between 2013 and 2018 as Maldivian President. The current President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, was also an active participant in the “India Out” campaign.

In January 2022, at least two Indian teachers were harassed on the streets by the supporters of the “India Out” campaign. hey were asked to leave the country.

It must be noted that the former Madivian President Abdulla Yameen was ousted from power in 2018 due to his pro-China policies. He claimed that India had been compromising the sovereignty of Maldives by interfering in its domestic affairs.

It was under the PPM-led Yameen government that India-Maldives ties had taken a hit and the same seems to be repeating now. PPM leader Abbas Adil Riza in December 2022 courted controversy after he called for an arson attack on the Indian High Commission in the capital city of Malé.

Notably, in the past too when ani-India demonstrations have broke out in Maldives, the Opposition parties in India attacked the Modi government for the tensions between the two nations.

Dancing to the tune of then Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen and by extention to China, on 14th June 2018, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government for the denial of visas by Maldives to Indians.

“Maldives, once one of our closest allies & beneficiary of massive aid, is cancelling Indian work visas & putting up “Not Hiring Indians” signs. This happens when foreign policy becomes about photo ops & “no agenda meetings” instead of strategic intent,” Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

The basis for Rahul Gandhi’s claims was a report published in The Hindu by Left-wing journalist Suhasini Haider claiming that Indians were not being granted visas by Maldives owing to the downgrading of ties. The report was motivated and lacked evidence to back the insinuations it was making.

A similar language is now being parroted by Priyank Kharge and other Congress leaders as they once again further the Chinese agenda. It would perhaps make the Congress and its footsoldiers happy to know that Maldives President Muizzu in December 2023 skipped the Colombo Security Conclave founded by India and opted to attend a Chinese Forum instead.

China and the Progressive Alliance in Maldives

The victory of the Progressive Alliance – including Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) – in Maldives in October 2023 was touted as a victory for China and a setback for India.

From 2013-18 under the Yameen government, Maldives reportedly joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), borrowed extensively, leased islands, signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and discussed establishing a Joint Ocean Observation Centre with China.

Parallely, Yameen attacked India of meddling in Maldives’s internal affairs and told New Delhi to take back the choppers it had gifted to Male.

The anti-India political campaign fanned by China and the PPM in Maldives gave the latter a momentum in the 2023 elections. In his first speech as President, Muizzu coined the term “pro-Maldives” and atacked the Solih government for borrowing from India.

Amid the ongoing controversy, Muizzu has said that Beijing is Male’s “valued ally and integral collaborator”.

An island of Islamist hardliners

While suspended Maldivian minister Mariyam Shiuna called PM Modi a “clown” and “puppet of Israel”, another suspended minister Abdulla Mahzoom Majid made insulting comments against Indians.

Similar comments were made by suspended minister Malsha Shareef who is known to have made racist ‘cow urine’ and ‘cow dung’ jibes at Indians.

The hatred has exposed the fundamental Islamist mindset of the current Maldivian government. In fact, on 21st June 2022, an angry mob of hardliners including Islamic scholars and the then Opposition part PPM disrupted Yoga Day celebrations in Male.

A report citing top intelligence sources said that Maldives is a hub of ISIS operatives and also of Pakistan-based terror groups and narcotics smugglers.

A Maldivian link has emerged in the ISIS module case as recently as on 10th January 2024. A woman from the Maldives reportedly served as the handler for the arrested terrorist, Mohammed Shahnawaz.

Shahnawaz, a former mining engineer turned ISIS operative, had contact with the Maldivian woman through a Telegram channel named “Caged Pearl.” The woman purportedly worked to raise funds for women in the al-Hawl camp, a well-known ISIS refugee detention centre near the Iraq-Syria border.

Maldives is also known for lack of religious freedom for non-Muslims. As per reports, tourists cannot practice their religion in Maldives and cannot worship in public areas.

As per reports, three Indian visitors were arrested in Maldives for placing the idols of God there. Reports citing US state department data say that more than 250 people from Maldives have left the country to travel to Syria and join ISIS between 2014 to 2018.

‘Ram Lalla Hum Aayenge, Mandir Wahin Banaenge’: Man who coined the famous slogan invited to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ram Lalla Hum Aayenge, Mandir Wahin Banaenge’: Man who coined the famous slogan invited to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony

On 22nd January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 attendees are anticipated for the ‘Pran Pratistha’ (consecration ceremony) which will commemorate the official inauguration of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. Interestingly, several slogans were used during the Ram Janmbhoomi liberation movement to lift the spirits of the Ram Bhakts, however, the most significant of them was “Ram Lalla hum aayenge, Mandir wahin banaenge” (Lord Ram we will come and build your temple there). It came to symbolise the rightful struggle of the Hindus and became the hallmark of the movement as everyone from a little child to the elderly chanted the slogan.

Devotees and karsevaks in particular sacrificed immensely including their lives in the long-running effort to construct the temple which is finally coming to fruition. Baba Satyanarayan Mourya also known as Ghumakkad Baba from Madhya Pradesh who coined the aforementioned popular phrase is one of them. An invitation to be a part of the historical inauguration ceremony has been extended to him and he has stated he would undoubtedly attend the event. He lives in Indore, Ujjain and Mumbai.

Old picture of Baba Satyanarayan Mourya with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Source: ABP News)

Baba Satyanarayan Mourya joined the Ram Janmbhoomi movement soon after completing his studies. He was fond of painting and started writing slogans on the walls of streets and neighbourhoods with others. One of these slogans was “Ram Lalla hum aayenge Mandir wahin banaenge” which infused a new energy in every Ram devotee. He came up with it when he was only 22 years old.

He is an international artist. He revealed that he began carving slogans on the walls while he was a student in Ujjain as a result of joining the temple movement. He afterwards moved to Ayodhya in 1990 with friends and here, too, started scrawling slogans on the walls. The then-chief of Vishva Hindu Parishad late Ashok Singhal encouraged him to continue the work after reading them. The former sent him to Delhi and recorded a cassette featuring his poems and songs upon learning about them. These slogans later echoed on the stage during the Ram Mandir protest.

Baba Satyanarayan Mourya and late VHP supremo Ashok Singhal. (Source: ABP News)

Baba Satyanarayan Mourya was later announced as stagehead and gave the slogan “Ram Lalla hum aayenge Mandir wahin banaenge” in a program held in Ujjain. These lines were part of a song called “Saugandh Ram ki khate hain, hum Mandir wahin banaenge” (we swear on you Lord Ram, we will construct your temple there). He formed other slogans like “Rakt denge praan denge Mandir ka nirmaan karenge” (we will give our blood, our lives and build the temple).

He mentioned that he had been there for painting before the disputed structure was demolished in 1992. He had hung a lot of banners around Ayodhya. He left Ujjain with three or four pieces of cloth because 4 feet-wide cloth was quite uncommon at the time and created the banner out of yellow fabric. He disclosed that they were unaware that the structure would be destroyed on 6th December. The karsevaks questioned what to do after it collapsed and the authorities forbade any further construction. They then placed the deity on an altar they had set up in the same rubble. Subsequently, timber was buried, stones were smoothed and a temporary temple consisting of pink fabric and flags was erected. Afterwards, they had the opportunity to construct a wall and began manually putting bricks. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) showed up on the 8th of December and all major leaders of the movement escaped.

He unveiled that he had created a whole historical exposition of Ram Janmbhoomi. It lists every person who served for the cause. There were reportedly 4.5 lakh casualties and 76 battles during the period. Numerous individuals committed their entire lives to the Ram Mandir.

Baba Satyanarayan Mourya is a native of Rajgarh. He received a gold medal in his MA (Master of Arts) and completed an MCom (Master of Commerce). His father was a teacher and his brother and both sisters also joined the same profession. He also wanted to continue the family tradition but conveyed that Lord Ram sent him to Ayodhya as a karsevak. He divulged that people laughed when they learned he was a gold medalist as he walked around in half-pants. The fact that the makeshift temple we constructed back then still stands makes him very proud. He shaved his beard after the structure was demolished.

He claimed that throughout his time in Ayodhya, he frequently painted slogans, images and tableaus on the walls. It was necessary to ensure at that moment that the police would not arrive and hence he used to do it quickly. There were a lot of prominent people with him on the podium on 6th December including Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi. Nobody knew that he was there among them which helped him in fleeing. He was the stage in charge that day and had painted all over in Ayodhya. He was the provincial campaigner of the temple movement. Several cassettes of Ramcharan Paduka were made for the movement. All the 40 people who were caught at that time became leaders but he was the only anonymous one.

Baba Satyanarayan Mourya held 57 exhibitions of Lord Ram in the United States. He also did the same in the West Indies. He worked with Ashok Singhal for 7 years as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He used to come from Mumbai to join the election campaign in his home state. He also worked in the television industry for 5 years and has little time at his disposal as he travels around the world.

Baba Satyanarayan Mourya with BJP veteran LK Advani. (Source: ABP News)

He noted that he was not born to become popular but to do God’s work. His greatest reward is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows him by his name. Chief ministers of multiple states have honoured him and even foreign presidents held meetings with him.

Karnataka: Mangaluru Urban Development Authority commissioner Mansur Ali accused of sexual assault, VHP’s Durga Vahini demands action

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Mangaluru Urban Development Authority commissioner Mansur Ali accused of sexual assault, VHP’s Durga Vahini demands action

A woman working at the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has accused MUDA commissioner Mansur Ali of workplace harassment.

The woman complained to the Commissioner of Police that the officer had sexually, emotionally, and physically harassed her. A case has been filed at Urwa station under IPC sections 354 and 354(A). The commissioner stated that an investigation is currently underway. The woman is working as an outsourced employee at MUDA.

Meanwhile, the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Durga Vahini has demanded strict action in this case and demanded suspension of the accused officer. Swetha Adyapadi, the district convenor of Durga Vahini also said that massive protests will be organized at the MUDA office if action against the accused officer is not taken.

VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell also asked the government to take proper legal action against the official immediately. The complainant is a woman, an outsourced employee working as a typist at MUDA office.

The accused, Mansoor Ali, went to the Urwa police station on Monday and gave his statement to the investigating officer.

He claimed the woman filed the complaint out of personal enmity when he ordered her to file a full report on the MUDA general body meeting, which she had previously submitted with insufficient details. According to Ali, she was told to improve her work or risk losing her job.

Indian Navy gets first ‘Made In India’ long-endurance drone, Drishti 10 Starliner manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace 

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Navy gets first ‘Made In India’ long-endurance drone, Drishti 10 Starliner manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace 

On Wednesday (10th January), Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar unveiled the first indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 Starliner Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in Hyderabad. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has been manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace in collaboration with Israeli firm Elbit Systems.

Admiral R Hari Kumar (PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC), Chief of the Naval Staff, led the flag-off ceremony, praising Adani Group’s efforts in aligning its roadmap to the Navy’s requirements and establishing an ecosystem of partners and capabilities to enable ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence and security.

“This is a momentous occasion and a transformative step in India’s quest for self-reliance in ISR technology and maritime supremacy. Drishti 10’s integration will enhance our naval capabilities, strengthening our preparedness for ever-evolving maritime surveillance and reconnaissance,” he said.

Minister of Industries and Commerce, IT, Electronics and Legislative Affairs of Telangana, D Sridhar Babu, congratulated the Adani Defence and Aerospace team for setting up a vibrant ecosystem for unmanned systems.

Speaking at the event, the Director General of Army Aviation, Lieutenant General Ajay Suri, said that the Indian Navy and Indian Army have placed orders for two of these Drishti-10 drones to meet the emergent requirement for satellite communication-enabled drones. He said the Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad is a world-class facility with a focus on innovation and indigenization, a testament to Indian ingenuity. This self-reliance immensely bolsters the nation’s confidence and strength.

Jeet Adani, VP, Adani Enterprises, said, “Recent geopolitical events have reinforced the convergence of physical, informational, and cognitive tactics underpinned by intelligence, information processing capabilities and the use of unmanned and cyber systems for dissemination of information and disinformation.”

“Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms across land, air and naval borders are a key priority for Adani to serve the armed forces and place India on the global map for exports. We are proud to be able to serve the Indian Navy,” he added.

Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace, said, “The handover of the Drishti 10 Starliner UAV is a watershed moment in our journey towards self-sufficiency and indigenization of advanced technologies. Our on-time delivery to the Navy is a testament to our robust quality management processes and excellent support from our partners, who worked diligently over the last 10 months from contract to delivery.”

The Drishti 10 Starliner Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours of endurance and a 450 kg payload capacity. The only all-weather military platform with NATO’s STANAG 4671 (standardised agreement 4671) certification for the UAV system’s airworthiness, it is cleared to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace. The UAV will now be taken from Hyderabad to Porbandar to be inducted into naval maritime operations.

The Drishti-10 is an indigenously assembled version of the Elbit Hermes-900 MALE UAV.

Adani Aerospace Park is the country’s first final assembly line in the private sector for military-grade unmanned systems, tactical and loitering drones, seamlessly integrated with carbon aerostructures manufacturing unit, electronics and avionics unit, and EO IR (electro-optical/infrared) payloads thus contributing to more than 70 per cent indigenisation.

Adani Defence and Aerospace, part of the Adani Group, is a pioneer in the design, development, and manufacturing of state-of-the-art defence products.

According to Adani Defence’s website, the Drishiti Starliner UAV is highly autonomous and mission-effective. Multiple hard points and a modular internal installation bay weighing 250 kg. A value chain for high-level indigenization has been created. It is authorised to fly in civil airspace and is loaded with capabilities for multi-payload and persistent wide-area surveillance.

Maldives link emerges in ISIS module case, Maldivian woman was handler of arrested ISIS terrorist Shahnawaz, funding traced to al-Hawl camp

OpIndia Staff
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Maldives link emerges in ISIS module case, Maldivian woman was handler of arrested ISIS terrorist Shahnawaz, funding traced to al-Hawl camp

The investigation of an ISIS module busted in October 2023 has now revealed that a woman from the Maldives served as the handler for the arrested terrorist, Mohammed Shahnawaz. Shahnawaz, a former mining engineer turned ISIS operative, had contact with the woman through a Telegram channel named “Caged Pearl.” The woman purportedly worked to raise funds for women in the al-Hawl camp, a well-known ISIS refugee detention centre near the Iraq-Syria border.

Suspected ISIS terrorist Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, wanted by NIA, was arrested by Delhi Police on 2 October 2023.

According to a report by the Times of India, Shahnawaz transferred Rs 1.4 lakh (proceeds of crime) using Google Pay through a teacher in Kerala. The investigation revealed that the woman had fled to Syria in 2015 and provided Shahnawaz with a contact (Maldives mobile number) of her brother, who then guided Shahnawaz on sending money to the al-Hawl camp.

The woman confirmed receipt of this money to Shahnawaz after two weeks. She also received Rs 40,000 in the next transaction. A police document read, “Following the transfers, Shahnawaz was put in touch with three IS-linked entities, viz., Qasim Khurasani (a Kashmiri), Huzaifa and Kashif (both Afghan nationals) on Telegram. After some time, Huzaifa and Qasim Khurasani’s IDs became non-functional but he continued remaining in contact with Kashif, discussing the expansion of IS in India.”

ISIS terrorist Mohammed Shahnawaz

On 2nd October 2023, Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama was arrested by the Delhi Police special cell from a hideout in Jaitpur, South Delhi. In the course of the operation, they also detained two other individuals who were wanted by the NIA. The security forces recovered bomb-making literature which was sent from Pakistan-based handlers, and other incriminating materials from Shahnawaz’s hideouts. 

Shahnawaz is an engineer by profession and was wanted in the ISIS Pune module case. According to media reports, he is originally from Delhi but had moved to Pune. Two of his associates were arrested in a raid in July 2023, while he managed to flee, returned to Delhi, and lived in a hideout. The module planned to carry out terror attacks across India on instructions from foreign-based handlers. Now, the Maldives connection of this terrorist has been revealed in the investigations.

Maldives is an ISIS hub

This Maldives connection of the ISIS terrorists has surfaced days after 3 ministers of Maldives were sacked for anti-India and anti-Hindu slurs and remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Maldives, a Sunni Muslim majority country spread over 1,200 islands, is located in the southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres from the mainland of the Asian continent. However, Maldives is as notorious for terrorism as it is famous for its beauty.

The world’s most barbaric Islamic terrorist organisations Islamic State or ISIS and Al Qaeda have taken root in the Maldives. Many terrorists in this Sharia-run country are on the radar of the world. There was a time when the rule here was in the hands of Buddhist Kshatriyas. Over time, the number of Muslims increased here and today more than 98 percent of the population is fanatical Sunni Muslims. Now most of the Buddhist stupas in this Muslim-majority country have either been broken or are in a dilapidated condition.

The US Department of the Treasury has said in a report that from 2014 to early 2018, more than 250 Maldivians went to Syria to join ISIS. This is the highest in the world in proportion to population. Many of these terrorists were killed, while most of the Maldivian women are in camps in Syria.

Noida: Techie suffers cardiac arrest while playing cricket, dies after collapsing on pitch

OpIndia Staff
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Noida: Techie suffers cardiac arrest while playing cricket, dies after collapsing on pitch

In a shocking incident, an engineer in Noida collapsed and passed away due to a heart attack while playing cricket. The tragic moment of the techie collapsing on the ground while taking a single was captured on camera.

Engineer Vikas Negi, attempting to take a run, collapsed midway on the cricket pitch. Observing his fall, the wicketkeeper and other players hurried to his aid.

He was promptly taken to a nearby hospital, where, upon arrival, a doctor declared him dead.

The police later transported his body for post-mortem, and the doctors in their reports confirmed a heart attack as the cause of death.

According to an initial assessment, Vikas, who was previously healthy but had been a COVID victim, maintained fitness by frequently playing cricket in Noida and Delhi.

Over recent years, there has been a surge in heart attack cases among the younger population. Globally, heart disease is a prominent cause of death, and its incidence has notably escalated in India over the last five years.

This increase in cardiac events is linked to our fast-paced lifestyles and evolving habits, analysts say. Previously associated primarily with older individuals, heart attacks are now impacting a significant number of people between the ages of 30 and 40.

Martyred Karsevak Sanjay Kumar Singh’s daughter invited for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, says ‘father’s dream fulfilled’

OpIndia Staff
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Martyred Karsevak Sanjay Kumar Singh’s daughter invited for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, says ‘father’s dream fulfilled’

The daughter of martyr Kar Sevak Sanjay Kumar Singh from Muzzafarpur in Bihar has been invited to the Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha ceremony scheduled to take place in Ayodhya on 22nd January. Karsevak Sanjay’s family is delighted to have received this invitation. The family had devoted themselves to the Ram temple for the previous 32 years. Sanjay Kumar’s wife also is said to have dedicated her life to Ram Mandir and died on Ram Navami in 2019. She wanted to see the Ram temple being built but now her daughters are happy to see their parents’ dream come true. 

In 1990, like other Kar Sevaks, Sanjay Kumar Singh also left his house with great enthusiasm with the dream of building the Ram Temple. But he did not know that he wouldn’t return home back to his family. Bullets were fired at the Kar Sevaks by the police on the orders of Mulayam Singh Yadav govt and one of those bullets hit Sanjay Kumar Singh, resulting in his death.

The family says that Sanjay Singh’s body wasn’t brought to their house for final rituals. His daughters were just 2 years and 45 days old at the time. After Sanjay Singh died, his wife struggled to raise her two daughters. Today, when Sanjay Singh’s daughter Kriti received the invitation, she was overjoyed. According to Bhaskar’s report, Kriti cried and claimed that her father’s desire had come true, thus she was extremely happy.

Kriti said, “Father gave his life for the temple. At that time I was only 45 days old and my elder sister was two years old. Mother brought us up with great difficulties. I had no idea our father was no longer alive. When we grew up, our mother told us that our father had sacrificed his life for the Ram temple. I was very sad to know this at that time. But our mother kept saying that his dream would be fulfilled. Mother also prayed for the Ram temple. She died on Ram Navami in the year 2019.”

Earlier, a detailed account of the struggle faced by Sanjay Kumar Singh for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was reported by OpIndia. The detailed report can be read here.

OpIndia is delivering ground reports about the Kar Sevaks who died for Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi. We recently reported about Karsevak Mahavir Aggarwal, who was shot in the chest and dragged into the car with other deceased while he was still alive. Similarly, in this series, we’ve discussed the atrocities committed against karsevaks such as Ram Bahadur Verma, Bhagwan Singh Jat, and Achal Gupta, as well as what happened to their families. Detailed stories about these people can be read here. 

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