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Mastermind of 3 bomb blasts, accused in attempted murder of VHP activist and more: Meet ‘career terrorist’ Saquib Nachan arrested by NIA for running ISIS module

Dibakar Dutta
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Mastermind of 3 bomb blasts, accused in attempted murder of VHP activist and more: Meet ‘career terrorist’ Saquib Nachan arrested by NIA for running ISIS module

On Saturday (9th December), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cracked down on an ISIS module, running in the State of Maharashtra. The central agency conducted raids at 44 locations and apprehended a total of 15 people. One of the arrested men is a former terrorist named Saquib Nachan.

According to the NIA, the 63-year-old is the kingpin of the newly busted ISIS module. Saquib Nachan had himself administered the ‘oath of allegiance to the Caliphate’ to the recruits of the terror outfit. Under his guidance, the ISIS module was planning to carry out violence and destruction in the country.

Saquib, a native of Borivli Village in Padgha town of the Thane district of Maharashtra, reportedly wanted to disturb the communal peace in the country and wage war against the Governmnent of India. He was pursuing the path of Khilafat, ISIS and violent jihad.

Saquib Nachan and his involvement in 3 bomb blasts

Saquib Nachan is not new to the world of terror. As per a report by The Times of India, he has been at the helm of carrying out 3 bomb blasts within a span of 4 months (6th December 2002 to 13th March 2003).

He targeted busy railway stations and markets to maximise the impact of his terror plots. The first blast took place on 6th December 2002 at a McDonald’s joint in the Mumbai Central railway station. Although no one was killed, a total of 25 people sustained injuries.

Saquib Nachan orchestrated the second attack in a market in Ville Parle (East) on 27th January 2003. In that blast, one person and 25 others were injured. The third attack, which was carried out by Saquib inside a train coach at the Mulund station on 13th March 2003, was the deadliest of all.

A total of 11 people were killed and 82 others were injured in the blast. Saquib was arrested by Mumbai police on April 10, 2003, and served 8 years in jail. He was thereafter released on bail on a bond of ₹1 lakh.

Aftermath of bomb blast at Mulund railway station, image via AP/ Rajesh Nirgude

The Maharashtra police arrested the terrorist yet again on 4th August 2012 in connection to an attempted murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activist Manoj Raicha. He was released on bail in August 2014.

His conviction in the blast case finally came in March 2016. Saquib spent less than 2 years as a convict before being freed in November 2017. His release came 5 months earlier than expected on account of being ‘disciplined’ in jail.

On being released from jail, he remarked, “I respect the judiciary system and after my release I wish to spend quality time with my family members…The prison authorities and conditions in the jail are proper. Now, as a grandfather, I would bring up my grandchildren.”

Saquib Nachan and his involvement in terror activities before 2000s

As per a report by The Indian Express, Saquib Nachan has been involved in terror activities since 1991. He is ranked 3rd in the country in terms of masterminding the maximum number of bombings.

He has been accused of fighting alongside other Mujahideen during the Afghan Jihad and sending Indian Muslims to receive training in terrorism from Pakistan.

Saquib Nachan holds a B.Com degree and has served as the general secretary of the banned Islamic terror outfit, SIMI. He was part of the radical Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in his formative years.

A CBI chargesheet dating back to 1992 read, “During 1990, he visited Pakistan twice. His real purpose was to meet Salahuddin Sudani and Abdur-Rahim-Rasool Sayyef to discuss ways and means to train Muslim youths in arms, ammunition and explosives. Till 1991 he was sending Sikh youths to Pakistan for military training.”

Saquib Nachan was accused of being involved in the murder of 2 Hindu lawyers and a Muslim for supposedly working against the ‘Muslim community.’ He is believed to be a part of Pakistani ISI’s plan to strengthen the Khalistani separatist movement in India.

In mid-1992, he was convicted by Gujarat court and then the Supreme Court for involvement in terrorism.

NIA uncovers Maharashtra ISIS module

On 9th December 2023, Saquib Nachan was arrested by the NIA for heading an ISIS module in Maharashtra.

As per the initial investigation by the central agency, the former terrorist had self-declared the village of Padgha in rural Thane as a ‘liberated zone‘ and as ‘Al-Sham’. Seemingly areas in Syria are referred to with such notations.

NIA revealed in its official press release that he was at the helm of motivating impressionable Muslim youth to relocate to Padgha from their place of residence to strengthen the Padgha base.

Son of Saquib Nachan arrested by NIA

On 11th August this year, the National Investigation Agency arrested Shamil Nachan, the son of terrorist Saquib Nachin, in connection to a Pune ISIS module. As per reports, the central agency discovered incriminating evidence from his home in Thane.

Shamil was sent to judicial custody by a special court. He along with other five other accused assembled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a house in Pune. He had also organised a bomb (IED) assembly and training workshop in the same location in 2022.

BSP Supremo Mayawati names her nephew, Akash Anand, as her political heir

OpIndia Staff
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BSP Supremo Mayawati names her nephew, Akash Anand, as her political heir

On 10th December (Sunday), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati named 28-year-old nephew Akash Anand as her successor. The announcement was made at the party meeting held in Lucknow on Sunday. The meeting was presided over by Mayawati, and she was accompanied by her nephew Akash Anand. It was called to plan the party’s preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 polls. 

Speaking with ANI about the party meeting, BSP leader Udayveer Singh said, “BSP chief Mayawati has announced Akash Anand as her successor.”

Reacting to the development, BSP UP president Vishwnath Pal said, “The whole ‘Bahujan Samaj’ is happy.”

Notably, Akash Anand is the son of Mayawati’s younger brother, Anand Kumar. Currently, Akash holds the official position of BSP’s national coordinator. As per his official X account, he describes himself as “A young supporter of Baba Saheb’s vision”.

For several years now, he was perceived as the successor of BSP Supremo. It was considered that he would succeed the incumbent BSP Supremo as the party President, as he was also said to be in charge of party affairs since last year. 

Akash Anand joined the Bahujan Samaj Party in 2016. During the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, he was listed as one of the star campaigners for his party. He held major responsibilities in the recently concluded four state assembly elections, particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The party gained success to a considerable extent in holding its support base and secured two seats in Rajasthan.

Anand’s visibility within the BSP circle, along with his padayatra in Rajasthan’s Alwar in 2022, elevated his prominence. These reports of his elevation further gained momentum within the party, as they look ahead to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which are now just five months away.

For those unversed, on the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar in 2022, 28-year-old Akash Anand participated in a 13-km “Swabhiman Sankalp Yatra” in Alwar. He was actively involved in BSP’s election campaign in Rajasthan in 2019, rallying support for the Samajwadi Party-BSP-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance.

Earlier, he also led the party’s 14-day ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay Sankalp Yatra’. 

He came into the media spotlight when Mayawati announced the inclusion of her nephew in the Bahujan Samaj Party movement. His debut political rally took place in 2019, where he urged voters to support the Samajwadi Party-BSP-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance. It coincided with a 48-hour campaign ban imposed on Mayawati by the Election Commission.

Bitten by dog, stripped naked, beaten with iron rod, attacked with acid: 13-year-old maid tortured for months by her employers in Gurugram

OpIndia Staff
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Bitten by dog, stripped naked, beaten with iron rod, attacked with acid: 13-year-old maid tortured for months by her employers in Gurugram

In Gurugram Haryana, a 13-year-old domestic maid helper has been the victim of atrocities by her employer’s family. The culprits subjected her to dog bites and also stripped her in front of her family. They had also locked the victim girl in a room. On Saturday (9th December), the girl’s mother freed her with the help of some people and complained to the police station.

The 13-year-old girl was allegedly beaten up by the members of the family for which she worked in the Sector 57 area, police said on Saturday. Then the minor victim was subjected to dog bites and stripped in front of her family members.

According to the complaint lodged by the girl’s mother, the woman of the house where the girl worked would often beat her with an iron rod and hammer. The woman’s two sons stripped her, videographed her nude, and touched her inappropriately.

The girl was held hostage in a room with her mouth taped. She was rescued by her mother with the help of others on Saturday. The mother said her daughter was served food only once in 48 hours and her mouth was taped to stop her from making noise.

According to the FIR lodged at Sector 51 women’s police station in Gurugram, the owner of the house, where the girl worked, used to pour acid on her hands. They used to threaten to kill the girl if she told anyone about this incident.

The victim girl is originally from Bihar. Her mother said that on 27th June, with the help of a vehicle mechanic in the nearby area, she got her daughter a job as a maid at the house of Shashi Sharma, a resident of Sector 57 of Gurugram. The girl was employed there at a salary of Rs 9000 a month, to live with them and work in the house. The victim’s mother alleged that she had received money for her daughter’s work only for the first two months.

She said, “I went to meet my daughter several times but neither they (the accused family) allowed me to meet my daughter nor was she allowed to talk on the phone.”

Following the complaint, Shashi Sharma and his two sons have been booked on charges of causing hurt and outraging the modesty of women, cruelty to children, and criminal intimidation. The three have also been booked under Section 10 of the POCSO Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, the police said.

Uttar Pradesh: Kashi Vishwanath Dham welcomes record 12.9 crore devotees in 2 years since the inauguration of the temple corridor

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Kashi Vishwanath Dham welcomes record 12.9 crore devotees in 2 years since the inauguration of the temple corridor

The Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi has become one of the top pilgrimage spots in India as a record 12.92 crore devotees visited the holy shrine in two years. Notably, the expanded Kashi Vishwanath Dham will soon complete its two years on 13th December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor on 13th December 2021, and since then, the number of devotees of Mahadev has increased manifold. The official added that the number is soon expected to breach the 13 crore mark. 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the temple trust, Sunil Kumar Verma said, “Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham was inaugurated on 13 December 2021. From then till 6 December 2023, more than 12 crore, 92 lakh and 24 thousand devotees have taken darshan of Baba. By the end of December, this number is expected to cross 13 crore.”

During the auspicious month of Shrawan and other special occasions and festivals, a huge influx of devotees throng the temple premises. 

As per the official data, during the months of Shrawan alone, more than 1.6 crore devotees visited the temple. This year, because of Adhik maas, the Sawan month was 59 days long. In July, the temple saw a footfall of over 72 lakh devotees and the number increased to 95.6 lakh in August. From January 2023 till 6th December this year, the temple witnessed a total of 5.3 crore devotees.

The CEO noted that in the past two years, Kashi Vishwanath Trust has increased the facilities for tourists and devotees. The official added that such changes have made the devotee visits hassle-free. 

Notably, earlier, the temple premises had an area of only 3000 square feet. It was enlarged in 2021 to about 5 lakh square feet. This has allowed a capacity of 50,000 – 75,000 devotees in the temple premises.

According to CEO Sunil Kumar Verma, efficient management is being done in the temple for the convenience of the devotees. Arrangements like German hangers to protect from the scorching sun in summer, cold, and rain, mats to prevent feet from getting burnt, coolers, pure drinking water, free wheelchairs for disabled people in the month of Shrawan, medical treatment for all, etc. have helped the devotees of Shiva. The path to reach the temple has been made easy.

Meanwhile, around 10 crore devotees are expected to visit Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir in 2024 after the consecration ceremony by PM Narendra Modi on 22nd January 2024. 

Jammu and Kashmir: Authorities initiate legal action against 9 people for inflammatory social media posts

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: Authorities initiate legal action against 9 people for inflammatory social media posts

Nine individuals who were found abusing social media in Kashmir’s Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Baramulla, Bandipora and Ganderbal districts were the target of legal action by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on 9th December, according to a statement from the police.

The action was taken only a few days after the corresponding district magistrates in the valley warned to initiate legal proceedings against anyone disseminating false information, anti-national narratives and other materials that would disturb the tranquil atmosphere of the society. The instruction was issued last week under Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) Section 144 to prevent the transmission of anything that is sensitive to certain communities or that encourages terrorism and secessionism.

Legal action has been initiated against the accused for uploading hateful and abusive content as well as spreading rumours online. According to cops, three people have been identified by police named Salman Mushtaq Kuttay, a resident of Check Wangund Dooru along with Rameez Ashraf Hadi from Watnad Kokernag and Umer Farooq Ganie alias Ghazi Sir of Ratherpora Khairbugh Srigufwara.

The cops mentioned that the videos posted by them on social media platforms consisted of seditious and provocative elements. A resident of Wani Mohalla Baliharan Pattan named Bilal Ahmad Wani was named by the Baramulla Police as a provocateur and rumour monger.

Police in the Pulwama district’s Awantipora area filed a lawsuit against Sheeraz Ahmed Beigh of Beighpora, Awantipora for spreading inflammatory and inciting material on social media, according to the officials. According to them, the Budgam authorities in an effort to maintain peace and order enforced severe penalties on anyone who used social media sites to propagate rumours.

They added that two miscreants had been apprehended and brought before the magistrate and that investigations into the matter were still underway. In a similar vein, authorities in Ganderbal filed charges against two people for posting and transmitting offensive material on social media. They were recognised as Waseem Mushtaq Malik from Safapora and Nunner Ganderbal’s Aadil Ahmed Rather. Authorities noted that it was discovered that the people were disseminating offensive material on social media and legal action has been started against both of them by the District Magistrate’s most recent order.

Speaking to media in Bandipora, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir V K Birdi cautioned that anyone seen purposely or inadvertently spreading narratives linked to terrorism or anti-national sentiment as well as causing disturbances to public order would be liable to severe police action. He urged parents to keep an eye on their kids to prevent them from mistakenly or purposely spreading rumours online.

Director General of Police (DGP) J&K Police RR Swain highlighted, “Under 144 Code of Criminal Procedure, we will bring a law under which any content message, video, photo, audio that can harm communal sensitivity or can threaten anyone will be a crime. You can’t forward such things too.” Kashmir Police asserted, “We urge the public to be vigilant against such individuals who spread hateful content on social media. Anyone found engaging in such activities will be dealt strictly with in accordance with the law.”

Furthermore, Deputy Commissioners issued orders under section 144 of CrPC which forbids and directs the public to desist from “posting,” “uploading,” or “propagating” messages or content that glorifies terrorists and their actions, intimidates and terrorizes individuals, the general public, or specific groups within the public, and encourages or exhorts members of the public to resort to violence by inciting, encouraging, and spreading disaffection and hatred, propagates false narratives and terrorist and secessionist ideology, fosters feelings of hatred and ill-will based on religion, and is likely to disturb peace and order.

Gruesome beheading incidents send shockwaves across 2 states: UP man kills mother, Odisha man kills wife, both roam around with severed heads

OpIndia Staff
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Gruesome beheading incidents send shockwaves across 2 states: UP man kills mother, Odisha man kills wife, both roam around with severed heads

Two separate cases of beheading sent shockwaves across Uttar Pradesh and Odisha on Saturday (9th December). In the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, a man named Dinesh killed his mother Kamala Devi because she was not transferring land to him. After this, he roamed the village for some time with the severed head of his mother in one hand and a weapon in the other. Similarly, one Arjun Bagha in the Nayagarh district of Odisha killed his wife on the suspicion of an extramarital affair. Arjun carried the severed head in a bag to the police station where he surrendered.

Beheading in Sitapur Uttar Pradesh

In Mejapur village under the Talgaon police station area of Sitapur, Dinesh Pasi cut his mother’s head with a shovel and hid the headless body in the house. The police revealed this murder case.

Kamla Devi (65) of Mirzapur in Talgaon was sitting outside the house. In the afternoon, her son Dinesh came with a shovel and ran to attack his mother. Seeing him in this condition, the mother started running. Dinesh caught Kamala on the road and beheaded her with a shovel.

After this beheading, with the severed head in one hand and a weapon in the other, he roamed the village for some time before he ran towards the forest. After searching for three hours, the police caught the accused with the weapon used in the murder. The severed head was also recovered from him. Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra said that the accused was under the influence of alcohol.

Murder in Nayagarh Odisha

In the Bidapaju village under Banigochha police station in the Daspalla of Nayagarh district, Arjun Bagha suspected that his wife was having an extra-marital affair. The couple had many quarrels in the past. On 9th December, the couple quarrelled again when Arjun lost his temper and beheaded his wife using an axe.

After committing this beheading, Arjun Bagha packed the severed head in a bag and carried it to the police station where he surrendered. The authorities authorities confiscated the bag, apprehended Arjun, and commenced an interrogation. An investigation into the incident has been officially launched by the police.

Where is the money – What happens to the cash recovered by Enforcement Directorate or Income Tax department during raids

Anurag
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Where is the money – What happens to the cash recovered by Enforcement Directorate or Income Tax department during raids

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Income Tax (IT) Department conduct multiple raids every year, resulting in the recovery of unaccounted cash worth crores. With swanky photographs of seized money arranged to form letters like “E” and “D” to denote ED during raids, the question arises: What happens to the cash recovered by the agencies during raids?

When the ED, CBI, or IT Department seizes unaccounted money, they cannot just keep it on their office premises. First of all, the accused gets a chance to explain where the cash came from. If the accused fails to give a satisfactory answer, the money is considered ill-gotten and seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) provisions.

The actual process of seizing the cash starts from here. The State Bank of India is called in to count the seized cash. Simultaneously, a list of seized cash is prepared with the details of the recovered amount in specific denominations such as Rs 500, Rs 200, Rs 100, Rs 50 and so on. Based on the amount, the bank deploys multiple cash counting machines to ensure smooth and quick completion of the counting process.

Once the counting is complete, the cash is sealed in the boxes in the presence of independent witnesses. The cash is then taken to the SBI branch, where it is deposited under the agency’s Personal Deposit (PD) account. Later, the cash is moved to the central government’s treasury.

Notably, cash can be used only once the case is over in the court of law. Neither the ED, nor the bank, nor the government has the right to use the money for any purposes while the case is sub-judice. The agency issues a provisional attachment order, and an adjudicating authority must confirm the attachment within six months. This order ensures that the accused cannot benefit from the seized cash. Notably, the agency can only hold onto the cash for 180 days. During that time, the agency has to prove the validity of the seizure. In case the agency fails to do so, the money gets returned to the accused automatically.

How the money will be used depends on the outcome of the case. If the accused acquits, the cash gets returned; otherwise, if convicted, the money becomes government property.

Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, and Income Tax Department can raid, investigate and seize property in cases of money laundering, scams, tax fraud, or irregularities.

Jharkhand: Ehsan Mirdaha trapped tribal girl using the name Badal, raped, killed her and chopped the body into several pieces in Khunti, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Ehsan Mirdaha trapped tribal girl using the name Badal, raped, killed her and chopped the body into several pieces in Khunti, arrested

In the Gumla district of Jharkhand, a horrific case of love jihad and brutal murder has come to the fore wherein a tribal girl named Archana Kandulna was raped, murdered and then her body was chopped into three pieces by the accused identified as Esan Mirdaha. The accused was arrested on Saturday (December 9) and incarcerated. Reports say that accused Esan posed as Badal to lure the victim into his love trap.

The matter pertains to Khunti’s Fori village under the Sadar police station precinct wherein the 21-year-old victim’s severed body parts including her head were recovered from a well on Tuesday (December 5). The victim was a resident of Jaipur village under Rania police station limits and working in Pune, however, she had recently returned to her village. According to media reports, accused Esan Mirdaha alias Badal lured the girl into his trap and raped her. Subsequently, he murdered the girl and cut her body into three pieces.

On Friday (December 8), the police recovered the deceased victim’s hands. Meanwhile, SP Harvinder Singh said that the victim was identified with an Aadhaar card recovered near the victim’s mutilated body found in the well. According to an ETV Bharat report, accused Esan told the police that he found several pictures on the victim’s mobile phone which she was allegedly using to blackmail him. She had also blocked his number. This allegedly infuriated the accused who then called the victim to a local fair (mela) in Fori village to meet on November 28.

The accused reportedly managed to take Archana in confidence who then took her clothes off after accused Esan asked her to do so. Following that, the accused attacked the victim with a sharp object (Tangi or axe) and severed her hands. The accused then beheaded the victim and disposed of the victim’s torso in one well and head in another.

According to SP Harvinder Singh, the accused confessed his crime during the questioning. SP Singh added that the police seized the deceased’s bag and clothes, a severed hand, the Tangi (axe) used in the murder, three mobile phones and a bike, based on information disclosed by accused Ehsan.

On Friday, Koche Munda, BJP MLA from the Torpa assembly constituency led a protest along with his supporters outside the block office in Rania demanding justice for the deceased victim. MLA Munda said that despite CM Hemant Soren being a tribal, the crimes against tribals are on the rise in the state. He added the accused in this case should be hanged. The BJP MLA also met the victim’s father on whose complaint a case was registered against the accused.

The BJP MLA has also submitted a memorandum in this regard. The victim’s father said that his daughter was going to Delhi, however, she missed the train at Ranchi Station. The victim told her father that she was staying at her friend’s house now and that she needed money. The victim’s father said that he had called Archana to come home and take some money, however, her mobile phone was switched off since then and later he received the news that a severed body had been recovered in Fori village.

Meanwhile, Hindu Jagran Manch leader Sanjay Kumar Verma has called the incident a case of love jihad. He said that if the police do not conduct a proper investigation into the case, the Hindu rights organisation will demand a CBI probe.

Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, an advocate against compulsory Hijab in Iran, to be on a hunger strike in prison during her Nobel Prize ceremony

OpIndia Staff
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Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, an advocate against compulsory Hijab in Iran, to be on a hunger strike in prison during her Nobel Prize ceremony

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who is currently behind bars, is anticipated to launch a fresh hunger strike, her family announced on 9th December. The 51-year-old is expected to receive the esteemed honour on 10th December in Norway’s Oslo. However, she won’t be able to attend because she is imprisoned in Iran at the moment.

Her 51-year-old husband and Iranian journalist Taghi Rahmani, and her younger brother Hamidreza Mohammadi, informed at a press conference in Oslo, “She is not here with us today, she is in prison and she will be on a hunger strike in solidarity with a religious minority but we feel her presence here.”

Her husband stated that the strike was a show of support for the largest religious minority, people of the Baha’i faith. The strict Islamic regime persecutes and discriminates against Baha’i faith adherents. Two of the community’s prominent leaders, Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi, have started refusing food in protest of the persecution. Rahmani added, “She said that ‘I will start my hunger strike on the day that I am being granted this prize, perhaps then the world will hear more about it’.”

The human rights advocate had reportedly begun her three-day hunger strike 24 hours before the ceremony, according to a post on her Instagram account. It read, “On the day of the Nobel Prize ceremony, I want to be the voice of Iranians protesting against injustice and oppression.” Her friends are in charge of her Instagram.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in October “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran.” She is known for her advocacy against compulsory hijab and the death penalty there and has been held at the Evin jail in Tehran since 2021. Ali Rahmani and Kiana Rahmani, her 17-year-old twins, who have been living in France since 2015 and haven’t seen their mother in nearly nine years, are set to represent her at the event in Oslo.

Taghi Rahmani with Ali Rahmani and Kiana Rahmani pose for a picture after signing the guest book at the Nobel Institute in Oslo on 9 December. (Source: AFP)

The two are going to read a speech written by their mother that was smuggled outside the Tehran prison. On 7th December, Ali stated he was “optimistic” about a reunion, while Kiana expressed her “pessimism” about potentially meeting her mother again.

Narges Mohammadi has spent a large portion of the last 20 years in and out of jail. She has been arrested 13 times, convicted five times to a total of 31 years in prison and inflicted 154 lashes.

Narges Mohammadi served as the Defenders of Human Rights Center’s Vice President in the past. The Norwegian Nobel Committee unveiled it awarded the Nobel Prize to her “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.” They noted, “Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs.” However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry objected to the decision and labelled it “biased and politically motivated.”

Mohammadi was born in Zanjan and studied physics at the Imam Khomeini International University. She distinguished herself as a champion of women’s rights and equality while attending college. Following her graduation, she worked as an engineer and contributed reform-focused pieces to several periodicals.

Nargis Mohammadi became a member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran in 2003, which was founded by Shirin Ebadi, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. After being apprehended for the first time in 2011, Mohammadi was given an extended jail sentence in recognition of her assistance to activists and their families. She concentrated on her opposition to the death penalty after receiving bail in 2013. She endured prison time for an additional year in 2015 after being arrested once more.

She is one of the women leading the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution. The uprising included months-long demonstrations throughout Iran after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody in September 2022. The young woman had been detained after being arrested for allegedly disobeying the Islamic Republic’s rigid dress codes for women. According to their lawyer, her parents and brother, who were supposed to accept the Sakharov Prize which was given posthumously to Amini in a separate event in France on 10th December, are not allowed to leave Iran.

Who is Dhiraj Prasad Sahu – The Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand at the centre of the historic Income Tax raid

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Who is Dhiraj Prasad Sahu – The Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand at the centre of the historic Income Tax raid

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Indian National Congress, the grand old party, is once again surrounded by controversies. The party has yet to recover from the crushing defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections. It is now facing intense scrutiny as the Income Tax (IT) Department has recovered hundreds of crores of unaccounted cash from properties linked to its Jharkhand Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu.

By 9th December, the IT Department recovered nearly Rs 300 crores from the premises linked to Sahu, and further recovery is still underway. Congress Party officially distanced itself from the controversy and claimed it had nothing to do with the cash recovered by the IT Department. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Congress party’s General Secretary in Communications, Jairam Ramesh, claimed that the Indian National Congress has nothing to do with the businesses run by its Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand. The senior Congress functionary added that only the accused in the case, Sahu, could explain the source for vast piles of cash reportedly seized from his properties and demanded an explanation from Sahu.

The money recovered by the IT department is said to be linked to Odisha-based Boudh Distillery Private Limited and its related organisations, where Sahu is a partner. Over nineteen bags containing cash were taken from the home of a certain Bunty Sahu, who was assigned to oversee the management of liquor facilities in the Odisha regions. Three dozen machines were deployed to count the cash. Reports suggest some of the machines broke down during counting, resulting in a delay in completing the process.

Reportedly, Bhagat Beherea, the Regional Manager of the State Bank of India in Bolangir, said that the bank had received 176 bags containing money in total. Fifty workers and twenty-five counting machines have been deployed to count the currency notes.

Who is Dhiraj Prasad Sahu

Dhiraj Prasad Sahu is a partner in Baldev Sahu Infra Pvt Ltd, a group company of Budha Distilleries. He has been a Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand since 2009. Sahu’s family has been linked to Congress for a long time.

Sahu started his political career in 1977 as a National Students Union of India (NSUI) member. Slowly and steadily, he climbed the party ladder and served as office-bearer in the Lohardaga district and later in the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee.

In 2009, he was elected Rajya Sabha member for the first time in a bypoll. He was re-elected for the second term in 2010. In May 2018, he became the third time Rajya Sabha member of Congress from Jharkhand.

According to his profile on the Rajya Sabha website, his family has been associated with Congress since independence. He was part of “Jail Bharo Aandolan” in 1978. He has asked 630 questions in Rajya Sabha since 2010, with the latest being related to the Kavach Safety System, procurement of paddy, losses due to damage to national highways, accidents in coal mines, privatisation of airports and more.

In November 2022, Sahu participated in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, yet another attempt of the Congress Party to “launch” Gandhi into politics and project him as Prime Minister candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. In a post on X, Dhiraj Sahu shared some photographs from the Yatra.

Later, in February 2023, Sahu published a video from the Yatra and wrote, “Historic Bharat Jodo Yatra ended up winning the hearts of Indians. Honoured to be a part of this historic journey.”

BJP targeted Congress over cash recovery

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted a report by Dainik Bhaskar on the raids and said, “The countrymen should look at the pile of these currency notes and then listen to the honest ‘speeches’ of their leaders. Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned, this is Modi’s guarantee.”

Speaking to Times Now, BJP leader Nishikant Dubey said, “The Congress leader is a partner in the two companies that are being raided. I feel the Income Tax department should transfer the case to the Enforcement Directorate considering the magnanimity of the situation.” In a post on X, he wrote, “The Rajya Sabha MP of Congress, Dhiraj Sahu, is declared as a partner in two companies, Baldev Sahu & Company and Shiv Prasad Sahu & Sons, whose shares have been accounted for at Rs 350 crores till now. The disclosure of 20 per cent of these shares is pending, and it is suspected to be undisclosed or benami, which will be revealed through an investigation. A raid at his residences in Ranchi and Lohardaga resulted in the recovery of Rs 20 crore in cash and assets, including gold, silver, and diamonds worth Rs 150 crore. Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra was not about unifying India but rather a ‘Bhrashtachari Jodo Yatra’.”

Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Smriti Irani said, “Mohabbat ki dukaan par corruption ka karobaar chal raha hai. Congress will have to give an answer on this.”

She added, “Rs 200 crore has been recovered from the premises of their party MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, and the counting is still going on…The Congress high command, (means) the Gandhi family, will have to tell the country that for which Congress leader of the Gandhi family he was working as an ATM.”

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