An encounter between security forces and terrorists broke out on Friday morning in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian is underway, officials said.
In the early hours, an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Chotigam area of the Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to officials, the encounter in the Chotigam area of Shopian district is currently underway. Police, Army, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials are on the spot, they said.
“Encounter has started at Chotigam area of #Shopian district. Shopian Police, Army & CRPF are on the job. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police said in a post on X.
Further details are awaited. (ANI)
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
New high-profile names have emerged in the second batch of court filings related to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. On Thursday (4th January), unsealed court documents revealed new details about the case. The second list names several rich and famous public figures including Bill Clinton, former US Senator George Mitchell and former US Ambassador and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
The court documents comprise 19 exhibits totalling 327 pages of previously sealed documents filed in a Manhattan federal court lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
As per reports, the name of former US President Donald Trump is mentioned, but in the context that he never visited Epstein’s islands or his houses. Clinton is said to have visited Epstein’s island over 25 times. One mention cites Clinton saying he “liked the girls young”.
I know the libs were hoping, but Trump was never on Epstein island, Epstein’s NM Ranch, or his NY apartment.
Of course anyone with a brain already knew that, because if he ever was it would have leaked within .000001 seconds. Now let’s throw those who did take part in jail!!! pic.twitter.com/41mfXJIThq
The big names earlier revealed include former US President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Michael Jackson, Stephen Hawking and Alan Dershowitz. Moreover, Doug Band, a former aide to ex-President Bill Clinton, Yucaipa Companies co-founder Ron Burkle, journalists Vicky Ward and Sharon Churcher, and Eva Dubin, wife of billionaire Glenn Dubin, were among those mentioned in the new documents released on Thursday.
Clinton had threatened Vanity Fair magazine not to publish anything against his ‘good friend’ Epstein back in 2011, the second batch of documents reveal.
Jeffrey Epstein’s associates and victims were referred to as John Doe and John Dane in the court proceedings. Following the release of the first batch of documents, the names of some 170 of them have now become public. Pertinently, the mere fact that a celebrity is mentioned in the document does not imply they were involved in or were aware of any wrongdoing by Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre claims she was forced to have sex with former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. There are a few references to Richardson in the new documents, including a deposition in which Giuffre claims she had been told to give him a massage. Giuffre’s claims were fabricated, according to Richardson, who died last year. In 2019, a Richardson spokesperson denied ever meeting Giuffre.
Former US Senator George Mitchell is also said to have abused Giuffre. Mitchell had also denied ever meeting her. Mitchell’s name finds limited mention in the new records.
Former US President Donald Trump is mentioned four times in the records. Trump has socialised with Epstein but is not accused of any wrongdoing. Following Epstein’s federal indictment in 2019, NBC News released video footage of the two chatting. The video was said to be from a party at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 1992, shortly after Trump’s divorce. The video also showed young women surrounding the former President, whom NBC identified as Buffalo Bills cheerleaders.
Subsequently, in the video, Epstein can be seen arriving at Trump’s Florida estate, where the two can be seen conversing and gesturing at the women on the dance floor. Later, when confronted about the video, Trump stated that he, like everyone else in Palm Beach, knew Epstein.
Epstein allegedly contacted Trump after a plane diversion to Atlantic City in one of the incidents where Trump’s name appears in the records. Johanna Sjoberg, a key figure in the testimony, recounted a time when Epstein called Trump and visited one of his casinos. She, however, clarified that she never gave a massage to Trump.
Some reports mentioned that much before he entered politics, Trump had already ‘banned’ Epstein from his estates and clubs, after Epstein was once caught hitting on the daughter of one of Trump’s friends.
?TRUMP KICKED EPSTEIN OUT OF MAR-A-LAGO
Donald Trump BANNED Jeffrey Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club after Epstein began hitting on another member’s daughter
The documents made numerous references to Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modelling agent and Epstein’s close friend who committed suicide in a Paris jail last year while awaiting trial on charges of raping minor girls. Giuffre and others accused Brunel of having sexual encounters with minors and others under the pretext of modelling contracts.
Brunel’s estate was sued in California this week by a woman who claimed Brunel and others sexually assaulted her while she worked as a model in New York. The woman also claimed that she was driven to a home in Canada and held there for several days while men abused her. Meanwhile, Brunel’s lawyers have maintained his innocence, claiming that his suicide was not due to guilt but due to a sense of “injustice”.
The newly released records also name Leslie Wexner, the founder of Victoria’s Secret, The Limited, and other store chains. Epstein had managed Wexner’s money for years, but their relationship soured after Epstein was arrested and sentenced in Florida in 2006 for paying a minor girl for a sexual act. Notably, Wexner’s name appears six times in the recently released document.
Wexner admitted to being embarrassed by his ties to Epstein after his suicide. He also publicly accused Epstein of stealing “vast sums” of his fortune, but provided no details. In 2019, a lawyer appearing for Epstein’s victims said it was likely Wexner was unaware of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities.
Notably, Giuffre has alleged that she was coerced into having sex with billionaire Glenn Dubin. Dubin, however, denies the accusation. In a deposition, Giuffre stated that Maxwell “told me to go to Glenn Dubin and give him a massage, which means sex.” Meanwhile, Dubin claims to have flight records and other evidence proving Giuffre’s claims are false.
Eventually, it turned out that Dubin’s wife, Eva Andersson, former Miss Swede, dated Epstein on and off in the mid-1980s. After their relationship ended, the two remained friends. Eva and Dubin had three children. Eva testified in Maxwell’s federal trial, saying she trusted Epstein with her two young daughters and denying participating in a group sexual encounter with one of the key accusers.
Alan Dershowitz, a former Epstein attorney and retired Harvard University law professor, is mentioned around 100 times in the records. Giuffre had accused Dershowitz of sexually abusing her in Florida, New York, New Mexico, and the US Virgin Islands. It is notable that Dershowitz has denied the accusations levelled against him.
In 2022, withdrew her claim against Dershowitz saying she “may have made a mistake” in identifying him as one of the men she had sex with at Epstein or Maxwell’s request.
There is only one reference to the late theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the new records. Hawking’sname appears, misspelt, in an email Epstein sent offering a reward for anyone who could disprove a bogus claim that Hawking had participated in “an underage orgy.” In 2006, Hawking attended one of Epstein’s academic events. The physicist died in 2018.
Notably, Epstein killed himself in 2019 as he awaited trial for sex crimes. As per the reports, the records are one of numerous batches of files in Giuffre’s lawsuit that have been unsealed as a result of the Miami Herald’s relentless campaign to make them public.
The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned the chief secretaries (CS) of 11 states and union territories (UTs) for the delay in complying with its directive to identify non-Muslim children, including Hindu children, studying in madrassas so that they may be admitted to schools.
About a year ago, the NCPCR ordered the action stating that enrolling non-Muslim children in madrassas is a blatant violation of Article 28(3) of the Constitution.
The summons has been issued to CS of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The central body stated that the Article prohibits educational institutions from obligating children to participate in religious teaching without parental assent.
It stated that madrassas, as institutions, are primarily responsible for providing religious education to children and that it has been learned that those madrassas funded or recognized by the government provide religious education as well as some formal education to children.
According to Commission Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, the child rights body has been asking all states and union territories (UTs) for the “last one year to identify Hindu and other non-Muslim children going to madrassas or living in madrassas and getting them shifted and admitted to schools.”
The panel further requested that all governments and territories “make arrangements to provide basic education to children enrolled there by mapping all unmapped unrecognized madrassas.”
The chief secretaries of Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh have been summoned to appear before the Child Rights Commission on January 12, while the top bureaucrats of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been summoned on January 15.
Jharkhand’s chief secretary has been summoned on January 16, while Karnataka and Kerala’s chief secretaries have been summoned on January 17. The chief secretaries of Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Telangana have been summoned on January 18.
The NCPCR had previously requested that states investigate all government-funded and recognized madrassas that allow non-Muslim youngsters. The NCPCR had requested that the investigation include physical verification of the youngsters before admitting them to schools.
A class 2 student mistook a bomb for a toy which was lying out in the open leading to his death and leaving others injured. The incident occured in West Bengal’s Murshidabad on Thursday (4th January).
8-year-old Muklesur Rahaman of Chaudanga village, a student of Chaudanga Primary School, spotted a ball-like object sometime in the afternoon. He picked up the bomb thinking it was a toy and threw it at a wall in front of him sparking a loud explosion that took his life.
According to a report by etvbharat, local police and sources said that the incident happened during school hours after the mid-day meal break. Several other children were left injured.
Some other reports say that the incident happened after the boy returned home from school and found a “metal object” lying by a pond nearby.
Muklesur was taken to the Murshidabad Medical College Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Three other injured students have been admitted to the hospital.
“I rushed to the spot after hearing the sound of the bomb blast and was shocked to see. The act of keeping a bomb near the school is unforgivable,” said Ansar Sheikh, a local.
The incident has reportedly angered the locals. The Daulatabad police rushed to the spot and conducted a search operaion.
Murshidabad is notorious for bomb blasts and bomb making. Several blasts rocked the city after the state panchayat elections leading to several casualties and severe injuries.
In November 2023, three children mistook a bomb lying near a pond for a ball and picked it up. They began walking with it to the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) centre for their daily meal when it dropped and went off.
Similarly, in September 2023, a child was killed while playing with a bomb mistaking it for a toy in the Salar area.
Five children were injured in Murshidabad in June 2023 while playing with a bomb mistaking it for a toy.
In the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the idol of Ram Lalla will be installed within the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on 22nd January 2024. The entire nation will be in the festive spirit of Diwali on this particular occasion. Since the last week of December 2023, the OpIndia team has been stationed in Ayodhya. In the series of field reports, we desire to inform readers not only about the forgotten places that are related to Lord Ram but also about the unsung sacrifices of Hindus.
Several karsevaks sacrificed their lives during the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement. Ramesh Chandra Mishra, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, is one of those martyrs. OpIndia visited Ramesh Chandra’s home to learn about the current situation of his family and his home. Mishra’s family during the visit remembered the incidents that occurred during the Ram Mandir movement.
He sacrificed his life, but kept his devotion alive
Ramesh Chandra Mishra was born in the Tikri region of Gonda district. Barisalpur, his village, is around 15 kilometres from Ayodhya. When we arrived at his house, it was closed. Outside the home, a Shivalinga is placed, and Lord Krishna images are carved into the skylights. Vedic symbols such as Om and Swastika were visible on the house’s walls.
We discussed his family with the villagers. According to villagers, after Ramesh Mishra’s sacrifice, his family left Barisalpur and relocated to Ayodhya. We discovered that the name Ramesh Mishra, who gave his life to Ram Janmabhoomi three decades ago, is still fresh in the thoughts of the Gonda villagers.
Image of Lord Rama on one of Mishra’s home wall
BJP honored by placing a hoarding in name of Mishra
We discovered a memorial honouring Ramesh Chandra Mishra on the connection road linking Bhogchand and Tikri as we left the village. This gate was installed by BJP MLA Ramapati Shastri with a prayer that people’s journeys would be pleasant and safe.
The names and pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Gonda’s local MP Kirtivardhan Singh are embossed on this gate. This gate has been named the ‘Late Shri Ramesh Chandra Mishra Memorial Gate’. According to the family members of Ramesh Mishra, this gate was installed about 3-4 months ago.
The family shifted close to the Ram Janmabhoomi
Ramesh Chandra Mishra’s family has now relocated to Ayodhya, just three kilometres from Ramjanmabhoomi. However, they continue to make trips to the village. Ramesh Chandra Mishra has four sons. His wife, Sushila Devi is no longer alive. Ramesh Chandra’s son today supports the family by farming in addition to working for the government and in the private sector.
Prabhakar Mishra, Ramesh Mishra’s son, told OpIndia that his mother was mentally shattered when his father died. However, after witnessing the expressions on her children’s faces, she mustered the confidence to survive. Sushila Devi died approximately 8 years ago.
Was employed in a government job
Diwakar Nath Mishra, another son of Ramesh Chandra Mishra, told OpIndia in great detail about the October 30, 1990 incident. He said that kar sevaks from Delhi, Punjab, and many other states had gathered in his village Barisalpur. They all wanted to reach Ayodhya at any cost, but the police force was catching them on the way.
He stated that the people had made preparations for his lodging and food, among other things. Ramesh Chandra used to be a postman in the postal service. He was familiar with many of the village’s back roads that the cops were unaware of. Ramesh Mishra organized a march to Ramjanmabhoomi with the help of karsevaks from his village and adjacent areas.
Sacrifices near Ram Janmabhoomi
Diwakar Nath Mishra told us that his father had left the house after telling everyone. He reached Ayodhya City by taking various routes, avoiding the policemen deployed on the road. Bullets were also fired on the orders of the then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. These bullets hit Ramesh Chandra in his stomach and he lost his life. His body was kept in Shri Ram Hospital in Ayodhya.
When Diwakar Mishra’s father, Ramesh Chandra Mishra, did not return home, his family members began looking for him. The following group was questioned, and it was eventually learned that Ramesh Chandra Mishra had been martyred. According to reports, he was killed by gunfire within a short distance from Ram Janmabhoomi. The bullet had penetrated and went through his stomach.
Not allowed to perform final rites as per Sanatan tradition
Ramesh Mishra’s son Diwakar also told us that he headed for Ayodhya with his mother, but the police stationed on the city’s border refused them entry. Some individuals were ultimately allowed to enter Ayodhya after much screaming and pleading. He arrived at Shri Ram Hospital. Many dead bodies were kept there, including Ramesh Chandra’s lifeless body, which was lying in a corner.
When Sushila Devi set out for the village with her son, bearing her husband’s lifeless bones, she was halted again at the Ayodhya border. Diwakar Mishra would have been roughly 20 years old at the time. He went on to say that he and his mother kept appealing to the police to let them move the body back to the village. This plea, however, did not affect the deployed cops.
Diwakar said, “A police officer threatened my mother and said that either burn the body here and now, otherwise they will snatch it and throw it in the river.” Ramesh’s family members appealed to the Vedic tradition that cremation should not take place at night, but the policemen ignored them. Ultimately, Ramesh Chandra’s widow and his son accepted defeat and took the body to the nearby crematorium as per the instructions of the administration.
The police force continued to accompany the dead body even while it was being taken away. Ultimately, contrary to the Sanatan tradition, Ramesh Chandra Mishra was cremated in the crematorium of Ayodhya at midnight without completing the procedures like washing etc. Diwakar Mishra became emotional while talking to us. He stated that he could comprehend what his mother, who was present at the moment, was going through.
The police force continued to accompany the dead body even while it was being taken away. Ultimately, contrary to the Sanatan tradition, Ramesh Chandra Mishra was cremated in the crematorium of Ayodhya at midnight without completing the procedures like washing etc. Diwakar Mishra became emotional while talking to us. He stated that he could comprehend what his mother, who was present at the moment, was going through.
Ramesh Chandra Mishra’s sons are disappointed that he has been forgotten during the last three decades. Diwakar sighed, “There is no one who can help us.” The family was overjoyed with the establishment of the Ram temple because it fulfilled their father’s final wish. However, their family hopes that the government would also build a memorial to honor the sacrifice of their ffather in Ayodhya, which will encourage future Ram devotees to make the ultimate sacrifice for the religion.
In yet another case of temple desecration, the Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward city in California state of the United States was desecrated with pro-Khalistani slogans.
The temple was spray-painted with slogans such as ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Modi is terrorist.’ The development was confirmed by the temple administration on Facebook.
In a statement released on Tuesday (2nd January), it said, “Jai Mata Di Bhakto’s. With deep regret, we would like to inform you (that) the Temple has been vandalized last week. We have informed the police and they have classified it as a hate crime.”
“A few other Hindu Temple’s in the area have also been vandalized (most likely by the same culprits). We pray for those who wish harm and hatred on others that Mata Rani cleans their souls and gives them happiness and eradicates hate from their hearts,” the temple administration informed.
In a tweet, the Hindu advocacy group ‘Hindu American Foundation (HAF)’ added, “Breaking: Another Bay Area Hindu temple attacked with pro-#Khalistan graffiti.”
It emphasised, “The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, CA sustained a copycat defacement just two weeks after the Swaminarayan Mandir attack and one week after a theft at the Shiv Durga temple in the same area.”
#Breaking: Another Bay Area Hindu temple attacked with pro-#Khalistan graffiti.
The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, CA sustained a copycat defacement just two weeks after the Swaminarayan Mandir attack and one week after a theft at the Shiv Durga temple in the same area.… pic.twitter.com/wPFMNcPKJJ
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) January 5, 2024
“HAF is in touch with temple leaders and in contact with Alameda Police Department and Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division,” it concluded.
The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward was built in memory of Fijian Hindu immigrant Vijay Chand, who became a real estate tycoon in San Francisco and wanted a community centre for Hindus to eat, gather, pray and meditate.
This is not the first time that a Hindu temple was desecrated by Khalistani elements. On 22nd December last, the Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha in Newark city of California, was defaced with pro-Khalistan, anti-Modi and anti-India slogans.
#Breaking: Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha in Newark, California was defaced with pro-#Khalistan slogans.@NewarkCA_Police and @CivilRights have been informed and full investigation will follow.
The outer wall of the temple was defaced with slogans such as “Khalistan”, “Shaheed [Martyr] Bhindrawale”, “F$%k Modi Jindabad” and “Modi Is Terrorist”.
Taking to X, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) shared pictures of the defaced temple walls and said that they had informed Newark Police about the incident. The Foundation has requested Newark Police to investigate the matter as a hate crime.
Similar attacks have taken place in the past, both in the United States and its neighbouring Canada, wherein Hindu temples have been attacked, vandalised and defaced with derogatory graffiti.
India has already voiced alarm over the increasing activities of Khalistani terrorists and has asked countries to cracked down on groups and people attempting to incite separatism in India.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that the Indian government will provide a financial assistance package of approximately NPR 1000 crores to Nepal to provide further support following the recent earthquake in Jajarkot, Indian embassy in Kathmandu said in a press statement.
Earlier in November, 128 people died and at least 141 were injured after a strong earthquake of 6.4 magnitude jolted Nepal, The Kathmandu Post reported.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu stated on Thursday that Jaishankar and Foreign Affairs Minister of Nepal NP Saud also witnessed the handover of the fifth tranche of post-Jajarkot earthquake relief supply provided by the Indian government.
It consisted of “200 prefabricated houses, 1200 blankets, 150 tents and 2000 sleeping bags for the earthquake-affected people in Nepal,” the statement said.
“Out of the 200 prefabricated houses, 20 were handed over today and the remaining shall be handed over in various tranches over the next few weeks,” it added.
EAM Jaishankar is on an official visit to Nepal from January 4 to 5, 2024, at the invitation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, NP Saud.
The two ministers co-chaired the 7th meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Commission on Thursday, which reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, including developmental partnerships.
“The Joint Commission appreciated the achievements made in all areas of bilateral cooperation during the period following the 6th meeting of the Joint Commission held on January 2021,” the statement said.
Following the meeting of the Joint Commission, EAM and the Foreign Minister of Nepal witnessed the exchange of the four agreements.
The first agreement between India and Nepal was for the implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal.
“In the new agreement, the budgetary ceiling for the implementation of HICDPs has been increased from NPR. 5 crore to NPR. 20 crore,” it stressed.
Second, an agreement between the Indian government and the Nepal government was for Long Term Power Trade.
Under this agreement, it has been agreed to strive to increase the quantum of power export from Nepal to India to 10,000 MW within a timeframe of ten years and, towards this end, take all necessary measures to encourage mutually beneficial investments in Nepal’s hydropower generation sector and transmission infrastructure.
Thirdly, the Launch Service Agreement for Munal Satellite was developed by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology between NewSpace India Limited and Nepal Academy of Science and Technology.
“This satellite developed by Nepali students shall be launched on a gratis basis on an Indian launch rocket,” the statement said.
Lastly, the MoU for Cooperation in Renewable Energy Development between NTPC Limited and Nepal Electricity Authority was signed. This MoU creates a framework for cooperation in renewables between NTPC and NEA.
Moreover, they also jointly inaugurated three 132 kV cross-border transmission lines between India and Nepal, namely, the second circuit of the Raxaul-Parwanipur line, the second circuit of Kataiya-Kusaha line, and the New Nautanwa-Mainhiya lines.
“EAM paid courtesy calls on Rt Hon’ble President of Nepal, Ram Chandra Paudel and Rt Hon’ble Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’,” the statement highlighted.
Additionally, bilateral matters of mutual interest were discussed in these meetings.
During the day, EAM also held meetings with other senior political leaders in Nepal.
Later, the Foreign Minister of Nepal also hosted a dinner in honour of the EAM, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu stated.
On Friday, EAM Jaishankar will inaugurate 59 post-earthquake reconstruction projects in the education, health and culture sectors, including the new building of the Tribhuvan University Central Library, which has been built with the Government of India’s grant assistance.
Later, EAM will return to India tomorrow.
Notably, Nepal is a priority partner of India under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
“The visit is in keeping with the tradition of high-level exchanges between two close and friendly neighbours,” the statement stressed.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
A six grader was killed and 5 other students wounded in a shooting on Thursday morning (US local time) at Iowa’s Perry High School. According to ABC News, there appeared to be at least two people injured on the scene as well.
The scene is now “secured,” according to Dallas County, Iowa, officials. The FBI’s resident agent at its Des Moines office responded to the scene to assist the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI said.
Reports have now emerged that the accused is a 17-year-old student at the school and has died of “self-inflicted” gunshot sounds. The accused has been identified as Dylan Butler, who, according to his social media account, was a transgender.
According to his Instagram bio, the trans genderfluid terrorist who shot up a school in Iowa today, killing 1 and injuring 5 others, used the pronouns he/they. More trans violence. #Transtifapic.twitter.com/58V5d062fQ
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also on the scene, according to ABC News. Perry is located in the suburbs northwest of Des Moines. (ANI)
Delhi Police on Thursday began its arguments afresh on the framing of charges against former WFI Chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case. This matter is at the stage of framing charges before the Rouse Avenue Court.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajput, after hearing the submission of Delhi police, listed the matter for further arguments on January 6, 2024.
This case was filed on the basis of six complaints filed by six female wrestlers. Delhi police have already filed a charge sheet against BJP MP Singh.
The matter has been argued afresh as the predecessor judge who heard the parties on the point of framing of charge has been transferred.
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava appeared for the Delhi police. He argued that incidents of sexual harassment of female wrestlers took place in India and Delhi.
He argued that there are multiple incidents within and outside India when the accused sexually harassed the complainant wrestlers by touching their breasts and stomachs on the pretext of checking their breathing patterns.
APP also submitted that 44 persons have been made witnesses, including 6 victims.
APP submitted that on April 21, 2023, six complaints were filed with the police. They also approached the government and the Supreme Court. Two FIRs were registered by the police and were placed before the Supreme Court.
An additional public prosecutor also read over the statements of the complainants. One of the complainants stated that in 2018, she went to Kazakhstan and won a gold medal.
It has been alleged that when she was stretching, the accused came near me and, without my permission, lifted my T-shirt, touched her breast and slid his hand to her stomach on the pretext of my breathing pattern.
Another incident was in New Delhi when the complainant went to meet the former WFI Chief, Brij Bhushan, at its office, the APP submitted.
Another statement was also read, which stated that when she was doing a stretch in the arena, the accused allegedly touched the breast of the female wrestler.
She also stated that the accused hugged her and held her waist. He asked the girl to compromise with him and told her she would not face any difficulty in her career. Her brother was stopped outside by her co-accused, Vinod Tomar.
APP submitted that this incident attracted Section 354A of the IPC as he sought sexual advancement.
The APP also mentioned that the incidents took place in Magnolia, Bellary Karnataka, Tokyo and Jakarta.
Another girl stated that she went to WFI along with her would-be husband, who was asked to stop outside by the co-accused, Vinod Tomar. During the incident, the accused sexually harassed the complainant, APP argued.
This matter pertains to the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Singh by six female wrestlers.
Earlier, Delhi police had submitted that, as per the statements of the witnesses and victims, they were molested at different places, including abroad as well as in different parts of India, including a place that falls within the jurisdiction of PS Connaught Place.
On November 28, complainant female wrestlers filed written submissions on the framing of charges against MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case.
Singh had already filed his written submissions.
The court had noted that it was argued by the defence counsel, Rajiv Mohan, that this court has no jurisdiction to try any offence allegedly committed outside India as the sanction under Section 188 Cr.pc has not been obtained.
It was also argued that no sanction is required when the offence is partly committed in India and partly outside India, the court noted.
The court also noted the defence counsel’s arguments that the alleged offences, as per their prosecution, have happened in Tokyo, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Jakarta, Kazakhstan, Turkey, etc. and cannot be tried by this court.
The court asked the question of the Sexual harassment can be called a continuing offence. Multiple offences, separated by date, time and place, can be covered.
The court also noted the submissions made by the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) that the act of sexual harassment was a continuing offence as it didn’t stop at any particular time.
As per APP, the accused molested the victim whenever he got the opportunity and such harassment can not be looked at as isolated, the court noted.
During the hearing, defence counsel submitted that one of the complainants alleged that the accused made sexual advances in 2022.
He further submitted that the incident of 2022 is of Bulgarian and WFI offices. The incident at the WFI office was not mentioned before the oversight committee.
He also referred to the SC judgement of 1993 which said that the offences committed here can be tried in India.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
‘As far as possible’, this was the caveat added in the opposition’s I.N.D.I. Alliance back in September 2023 resolution to fight the upcoming general elections slated for May 2024. However, it seems even before the elections, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties are not interested in supporting each other ‘as far as possible’ but rather only tolerating each other since they cannot take on Narendra Modi and BJP individually in the elections.
Seat sharing has emerged as a major dispute among the I.N.D.I. Alliance parties as was seen in the Madhya Pradesh elections when the Samajwadi Party openly slammed Congress for not giving enough seats to the party with SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav calling Congress a “Chalu” party and wishing for its defeat. Now, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has launched a fresh attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that she is “busy serving” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chowdhury on Thursday (4th January), further claimed that Mamata Banerjee does not want an alliance with the Congress party and that his party can fight in the coming Lok Sabha election on its own.
“We did not ask for alms. Mamata Banerjee herself said she wanted an alliance. We do not need Mamata Banerjee’s mercy. We can contest elections on our own. Mamata Banerjee actually doesn’t want an alliance as she is busy serving PM Modi,” Chowdhury said during a media interaction today.
While speaking to the media in Murshidabad on Thursday, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attacked Mamata Banerjee saying that her “real intention is out”. He added that TMC is offering the Congress 2 seats for the general elections which already have Congress MPs.
“The real intention of Mamata Banerjee is out. They are saying that they (TMC) will give two seats (to Congress) in West Bengal. Those seats already have Congress MPs. What new are they giving us? We won these two seats by defeating Mamata Banerjee and the BJP. What favour are they doing to us? Who will trust her (Mamata Banerjee)? It is Mamata who needs Congress to win… Congress can fight and is capable of winning more seats on its own. We will show. We don’t need to keep these two seats on Mamata’s pity…” Chowdhury said.
#WATCH | Murshidabad: On seat sharing in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls, state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says, "The real intention of Mamata Banerjee is out. They are saying that they (TMC) will give two seats (to Congress) in West Bengal. Those seats already… pic.twitter.com/hzA6i9Za0D
This comes after it was reported that the Trinamool Congress has offered 2 Lok Sabha seats to its I.N.D.I.A. bloc ally Congress party in West Bengal. Notably, it will be a slight climb down from the TMC side after earlier stating that they want to fight on all 42 seats in Bengal.
As reported earlier, TMC is said to have advocated for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to take the place of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc’s convenor instead of Bihar CM and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar. While there is nothing against Nitish Kumar from the TMC side, they feel that Kharge will make a better convenor. Notably, a few days ago, there were reports that the I.N.D.I.A. block will make Mallikarjun Kharge their PM candidate. Interestingly, a few days back, some supporters of TMC’s Mamata Banerjee had started a website projecting her as the next PM.
Notably, the Congress party which earlier was playing the self-appointed ‘big brother’ role in the INDI Alliance boasting its “national party” status has been pushed on the backfoot, especially after its recent defeats in the Hindi heartland. Other than TMC in Bengal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also refused to share seats with the Congress party. On 17th December 2023, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal expressed his desire to contest all thirteen Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and one Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.
During a public meeting in Bathinda, Punjab, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal said, “There are 13 seats in Punjab and one seat in Chandigarh. My heart says the way people are getting benefitted; you should give all 13 seats to us and make us strong.”
Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, another INDI bloc ally Shiv Sena (UBT) is at loggerheads with Congress over demand to contest 23 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut argued that their I.N.D.I. Alliance partner Congress would have to start with zero while they have been fighting on 23 seats in Lok Sabha adding that state leaders giving comments over the seat-sharing formula doesn’t matter.
From clashes over seat sharing to prime ministerial candidate against the invincible Narendra Modi, the I.N.D.I. bloc has not been able to sort out its issues while not much time is left for the elections. When the opposition bloc is fighting over a mere one or two seats, forget “as far as possible” it seems ‘impossible’ for these parties to even pretend to be ‘together’ for too long.
