On Thursday (23rd November), the Hindu women who participated in the Khatu Sham Yatra in the Nabha region of Punjab’s Patiala district were mistreated by a group of children from the Muslim community. The children threw toilet cleaner on the women after which the latter is said to have developed some serious allergy.
According to the reports, the Hindu community in Nabha had organized a Shobha Yatra on the occasion of Khatu Sham Janmotsav. Hundreds of Hindus participated in the rally and celebrated the occasion together in Nabha.
However, some of the women participating in the rally were mistreated by Muslim children as the rally reached the Sadar Bazar area. The children from lshop belonging to an individual from the Muslim community collected the toilet cleaner from the nearby toilet and threw at the women, causing them rashes and allergies.
The Nabha Police took cognizance of the incident and filed a complaint in the matter. The Nabha SHO confirmed the incident in a video posted by Patiala Police and said that the children belonged to the Muslim community.
“The rally was peacefully passing through the Sadar Bazar area. Some children belonging to the Muslim community threw toilet cleaner at the women from the rally. The children threw the cleaner from a shop that belonged to a Muslim individual. The children were supposedly his relatives. The women have developed severe allergies. No rumors should be spread. Probe underway in this case,” the SHO stated.
He also said that the Police must immediately be informed if something like this happens. “I request people to maintain peace and stop spreading any rumors in this case,” he added.
TV presenter Rajdeep Sardesai is on the ground with “elections on his plate” to follow the campaign trail, which looks more like the Congress trail, or safe to say, the ‘any party but BJP’ trail. The only questions that Rajdeep Sardesai managed to ask in his on-the-go interviews with leaders of Opposition parties and sometimes, the people, were based on what the BJP said and on songs. Yes, songs.
In a video from one such interview now going viral on social media, Sardesai is seen sitting with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and singing a song while asking the latter a question.
For the first time since its inception when the Congress is facing scrutiny from the country at large with demands for accountability, Rajdeep Sardesai towards the end of his interview with Gehlot asked that he has heard that the CM takes interest in Hindi songs.
“When Ashok ji is alone with family at home, not surrounded by anyone, What does he like to listen to?” Sardesai asked critically. Gehlot said he likes listening to old songs. Dissatisfied with a half-hearted answer, Sardesai tweaked his question. He asked, “I am trying to know that there must be something about Ashok Gehlot that the people don’t know.”
Gehlot said it is the same thing about music. Still unable to prove his bonhomie with the Congress, Sardesai rephrased the question, again, as he asked, “Your journey has been very…You have come from a small family in Jodhpur and you have reached to this point today. What has been the biggest challenge before you in all these years?
The Rajasthan CM replied saying, “Nothing, just wanted to work and all priorities were left behind and political activity and the desire to serve was there since childhood.” Naturally, Sardesai’s emo questions appeared as a cue for the Congress leader to paint an image for himself ahead of voting day.
“So 24×7 neta (politician)? You will be a politician for life? No tired, no retired?” Sardesai asked with a broad smile. When Gehlot replied saying that he intends to do service till his last breath, Rajdeep Sardesai broke into an old Hindi song, perhaps to Gehlot’s liking, out of nowhere.
Sardesai recited the tunes of the song “Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hain” from the 1974 movie “Aap ki kasam” and asked Gehlot whether he remembers that song. Gehlot shrugged with a grin when Sardesai cracked another tune of the song “Musafir hoon yaaron” from the movie “Parichay.
The bonhomie was finally revealed when Sardesai said that India Today is travelling with Ashok Gehlot because the election is being fought by Congress in his name. He said, “Ashok ji you spoke to us, you are travelling across Rajasthan. The election is being contested in your name which is why we are with you because wherever are going, we can see your face. So Congress has given all its eggs to you for hatching.”
The wide smile on Ashok Gehlot’s face put a stamp on just the kind of validation the Congress seeks from its footmen in the mainstream media. Although the Rajasthan CM did not need the flattery coming from Sardesai, he was full of it himself.
This saga lasted only a few minutes towards the end of the interview. The first 30-plus minutes of the conversation were based on Sardesai’s questions about the political statements made by the BJP, the accusations made by the BJP, and the statements made by PM Modi. If Gehlot’s advisors had failed to brief him about the headlines, Sardesai was there to fill in the gaps.
In the interview with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the second last question that Sardesai asked the Congress leader was what change has she seen in herself in the 20 years of her political career. “Learned about the realities of politics,” Priyanka replied.
Finally, in the last question, Sardesai went back to a question about his favourite person, PM Modi. He pointed at the camera and told Priyanka that Modi ji is there (as if he is seeing her live from the India Today camera). “What will you say to BJP who say that you are only seen during elections?” he asked.
Priyanka said that that is their perception and not hers.
Sardesai also visited the campus of Rajasthan University where he assembled a bunch of students outside the Central Library. Speaking to them about the paper leak controversy that has gripped Rajasthan, Sardesai was faced with stark criticism against the Gehlot government and the entire administration.
No issue seems to agitate the young in Rajasthan as much as repeated government exam paper leaks. More than a dozen paper leaks in last 5 years during Cong rule , another 10 in previous tenure of BJP .. ‘we will vote for only those who stop this menace.. else we will enter… pic.twitter.com/RjITzJVq5U
To balance the equation for the sake of balanced journalism, Sardesai crafted a question, asking, “So you are saying the entire system has been captured. Are the Congress, BJP both responsible because paper leaks also happened when there was Vasundhara Raje’s government and it is happening in the Ashok Gehlot government too?”
While some students said both are responsible, others said the paper leak cases have risen under the Congress government. “Those in the system themselves are leaking papers,” a student said.
Another student, who appeared to have seen through Sardesai’s motivated question, replied saying that let’s talk about who is responsible for the present situation, no point talking about the past and the future.
“It is the government of the day that is responsible, there is nothing aage and peeche (ahead and behind). We will talk about the present-day government under which the paper leaks happened in this state, we will hold this state’s government responsible. What happened before, what happened in the neighbourhood, what have we got to do with that?” said the student.
Whether Rajdeep Sardesai captured the pulse of the nation from his armchair to ground election reportage is not for anyone to say, but he must surely have gotten the pulse of the nation, both on social media and on the ground, about the nature of his journalism for sure.
This is not the first time that the veteran journalist has pulled off such stunts. His soft corner for Congress is a widely known fact. In an interview with Sonia Gandhi in 2016, Sardesai’s questions bore less resemblence to the nature of a news interview and more to Simi Garewal’s talk-show “Rendezvous”.
Sardesai’s questions seemed directed not towards Congress leader Sonia Gandhi but towards Indira Gandhi’s daughter-in-law. This was a perfect PR set up for the party two years after its abysmal loss to the BJP in 2014…alas it did nothing to help the Congress in 2019. Albeit, the current Congress trail of Rajdeep Sardesai proves that he is continuing on the same path with utmost loyalty.
Actor Mansoor Ali Khan, who is facing backlash for his alleged misogynistic remarks against his ‘Leo’ co-star Trisha Krishnan, on Friday apologized to the actress.
Mansoor Ali Khan released a statement saying, “My co-actress Trisha, Forgive me. Let the god bless me by having me during your wedding.”
The All Women Police Station (AWPS) of Thousand Lights, Chennai, had issued summons to Mansoor Ali Khan for not appearing at the police station.
The Chennai City Police booked the actor for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Trisha Krishnan. The action was taken on an order to that effect by DGP Shankar Jiwal.
Earlier, the National Commission for Women took suo motu cognisance of the matter and issued directions to the Tamil Nadu police to register a case against the actor.
After summons were issued against him, Mansoor Ali Khan gave a statement asking for more time claiming that he was suffering from a throat infection.
The actor was booked under Sections 354 A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
A video of Mansoor Ali Khan from one of his interviews surfaced on social media, where he is purportedly heard saying that he hoped to have a rape scene in ‘Leo’ starring Trisha just like he had in older films with stars such as Khushboo and Roja.
“When I heard that I was acting with Trisha, I thought there would be a bedroom scene in the film. I thought that I could carry her to the bedroom just like I did with other actresses in my earlier movies. I have done rape scenes in a number of movies and it’s not new for me. But these guys didn’t even show Trisha to me on the sets during the Kashmir schedule,” Khan purportedly said.
Trisha and Mansoor Ali Khan don’t share screen space in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s film ‘Leo’ but have pivotal roles in the film.
Responding to Khan’s remarks, Trisha took to microblogging site X to post, “A recent video has come to my notice where Mr. Mansoor Ali Khan has spoken about me in a vile and disgusting manner. I strongly condemn this and find it sexist, disrespectful, misogynistic, repulsive and in bad taste. He can keep wishing but I am grateful never to have shared screen space with someone as pathetic as him and I will make sure it never happens for the rest of my film career as well. People like him bring a bad name to mankind.”
NCW member and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar also hit out at the actor over his comments, posting on X, “Nobody can get away with such a filthy mind. I stand with @trishtrashers and my other colleagues where this man speaks in such a sexist disgusting mindset about them, including me. When we are fighting tooth & nail to protect women & bring dignity to them, such men are like a blot in our society.”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Thursday (23rd November), Bharat Rashtra Samiti president KC Rao vowed to set up a special information technology (IT) park for Muslim youth at Pahadishareef if BRS was voted back to power for the third time. Telangana chief minister announced this Muslim-appeasement idea while he was addressing a public meeting at Maheshwaram. Telangana’s Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy is contesting the assembly polls from this constituency.
KC Rao said, “Today, we are giving pensions which Muslims are also getting. We have opened residential schools in which Muslim students also study. We take everyone along with us. Today, we are thinking about Muslim youths and setting up a special IT park for them near Hyderabad. The IT park will come up near Pahadi Shareef.”
KC Rao added, “Telangana is “peaceful” without any law-and-order issues. The BRS government has spent ₹ 12,000 crores towards minority development during the past 10 years against ₹ 2,000 crores spent by Congress during its 10-year regime. As long as KCR is alive, Telangana will remain a secular state. The Telangana Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb is an example to the whole country and we have to maintain that.”
Claiming credit for the separate statehood of Telangana, he said, “Who achieved statehood for Telangana? Who is able to implement 24-hour free power? Who brought tap water to every doorstep?” KC Rao was anticipating the crowd to answer “KCR”.
Quoting KC Rao’s statements, Anand Ranganathan commented in his X post, “Secularism laid bare.”
We spent 12,000 crore towards minority development in the last ten years. If voted to power again, we will set up a special IT park for Muslim youths. As long as I am alive, Telangana will remain a secular state. – Chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao
Criticising KC Rao’s Muslim appeasement, the Telangana state unit of the BJP posted on X, “A former PM once said “Minorities have the first right on India’s resources”. That former PM’s party has been out of power since then. CM KCR is also set to face the same fate. On 3rd December, BRS would be blurred!”
A former PM once said “Minorities have the first right on India's resources”. That former PM's party has been out of power since then.
Notably, this remark by the BJP refers to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s infamous statement in which he said that Muslims have the first right to the resources in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress at a massive rally in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district on 23 November 2023 which was the last day of campaigning for the assembly election in the state. He denounced Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government and counted the merits of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He took a jab at the ruling party and charged that its claw (Congress symbol) only knows how to loot. He also stated that some people think that hurling abuse at him is going to help them in life.
The rally was organised at Deogarh’s Karni Mata Mela Maidan and commenced with the slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai,’ ‘Charbhuja Nath ki Jai’ and ‘Shrinathji Maharaj ki Jai.’ He asserted that his party was going to form governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The BJP stalwart mentioned that he has travelled to all three states and made these statements in light of his experiences there.
समृद्ध, सुरक्षित और विकसित राजस्थान के लिए मेरे परिवारजन 25 नवंबर को भाजपा की पूर्ण बहुमत वाली सरकार बनाने जा रहे हैं। देवगढ़ में विशाल जनसभा को संबोधित कर रहा हूं। https://t.co/yrAYtuK4B5
The prime minister urged people to cast their votes in large numbers and declared that Ashok Gehlot’s government would never take back office in Rajasthan. He used the local language to drive his point home and proclaimed, “Gahlot ji, koni mile vote ji (Mr Gehlot won’t get any votes). I am saying this on the pious occasion of Dev Uthani Ekadashi. Remember my words. The Gehlot administration would never regain power.”
According to him the purpose of the poll is not just to choose MLAs, Ministers, and Chief Ministers, but to establish the framework for a progressive Rajasthan and a developed India. He stressed that it is imperative to remove the Congress from Rajasthan for this reason. He referred to Ashok Gehlot’s administration as anti-women and accused that all of the BJP’s excellent initiatives were halted as soon as they were elected.
PM Modi announced, “Congress made Rajasthan the most criminal region, but BJP would make it the most investment-friendly state. Rajasthan rose to the top in corruption under the Congress. BJP would make it a leader in industries. Congress made Rajasthan the leader in paper leaks. BJP would make Rajasthan a leader in education and sports.”
He dubbed Congress as a party of scams. “They did corruption even in the purchases that were to be made for the brave soldiers of our country after independence. The country can never forget the Bofors scandal. Congress engaged in helicopter and submarine frauds. Whether it’s land, sea, or both, Congress’s paw always does the same thing and that is a scam.”
The prime minister appealed to voters to oust Ashok Gehlot’s government. “The Election Commission moved the date of the elections to avoid interfering with the numerous weddings that are taking place in Rajasthan these days. Hence the responsibility of Rajasthan increases. You should vote responsibly. There should be more voting than the last election.”
He encouraged BJP leaders and noted, “Many people are unaware of the BJP’s strength. They believe that cussing Modi would move them ahead in life, but they are ignorant of the fact that this is a party that workers have toiled hard to build. This is the kind of party in which four generations have invested their lives in the same dream. Bharat Mata ki Jai.”
The prime minister remarked, “I am fortunate that today the last meeting of the election campaign is taking place here in Deogarh. Today is Dev Uthani Ekadashi and the festival of Tulsi marriage. It is also the holy day of Shri Khatu Shyam Ji’s birth anniversary today. On behalf of the 140 crore people in the nation, I extend my best wishes to the people of Rajasthan and the entire nation for this.”
The voting for 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan is to be held on 25 November and the counting of votes is going to take place on 3 December. The Congress party which is at present in government in Rajasthan wants to create history by winning the elections for the second time in a row. However, BJP is pushing hard to woo the people to come into power in the state.
In the Shivamogga district of Karnataka, a Brahmin schoolgirl has alleged that she was forcefully fed eggs in a mid-day meal at a state-run school in Kammachi village of Hosangara Taluka. On Wednesday, November 22, the class 2 student’s father, V Srikanth, submitted a complaint letter against the Karnataka Public School (KPS) to a Department of Education official in this regard. Notably, V Srikanth is reported to be working as a high school teacher at the same school.
In his letter to Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) CR Parmeswarappa, V Srikanth said that the act of force-feeding eggs to his daughter by an assistant teacher named Puttaswamy has hurt his religious sentiments. He also demanded stern action against the teacher in question and the school’s headmaster. The class 2 student’s father stated in his complaint that they had earlier notified the school authorities that they maintain a strict vegetarian diet. However knowing this, he claimed, the teacher forced fed eggs to his daughter in her mid-day meal at school.
Srikanth informed the DDPI that 26 students are studying in class 2 at KPS, out of whom 10 follow a vegetarian diet. He wrote that his 7-year-old daughter had asked the school authorities to give her Chikkis instead of eggs, however, assistant teacher Puttaswamy told the girl that eggs are good for health. “My daughter fell ill and is mentally disturbed,” Srikanth wrote.
The complaint was also sent to the Minister of Education, Madhu Bangarappa, the Principal Secretary, the Deputy Director of Education, and the local MLA.
Following this, an inquiry has been initiated into the matter. On Thursday, the Block Education Officer and a mid-day meal attendant visited the school in question. “As per the preliminary inquiry conducted, it has come to notice that the incident took place when the midday meal was being served. A group of students was sitting in a row for meals. Just then, the teacher concerned asked the students who preferred to have eggs. So, this particular child also seemed to have raised her hands with the rest of her classmates and so was served egg. But, no student including this child in particular were forced to eat eggs,” Hindustan Times quoted a senior education department official as saying.
Meanwhile, DDPI Shivamogga CR Parmeswarappa has said that the issue has been taken up seriously, however, as per the information received, the girl was not forced to eat eggs. He added that the report submitted by the Block Education Officer will be reviewed and action will be taken if the allegations are found to be true.
However, several media reports claim that the family of the Brahmin girl has said that the teacher pressured the girl for a week to eat eggs and even threatened her against informing anyone about the same.
“For the past week, my daughter was complaining that her teacher was forcing her to eat an egg. I had ignored it. But on November 20, my daughter was silent, When her mother enquired, the child revealed that her teacher had forced her to eat an egg. When we spoke to other class students, they confirmed that all students of class two were made to eat an egg. My daughter was scared. She feared her teacher in her class and at home she was scared of our reaction after she told us that she had eaten an egg. The teacher used our caste and forced her to eat an egg to make a point that people of all castes can eat eggs. We have filed a complaint and are waiting for their response,” Srikanth said in a video, as reported by News9.
On Thursday (23rd November), the Delhi Court fined a woman Rs 1 lakh for lodging a false report alleging sexual misconduct against her five-year-old daughter.
The order was issued by Additional Sessions Judge Susheel Bala Dagar during a hearing in which the girl’s mother faced allegations of giving a false deposition. The judge stated unequivocally that she filed a false complaint out of rage and to avoid daily disputes.
According to the court, the woman filed a false complaint accusing some people of an offense against her daughter that was booked under Section 5 of the Pocso Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault). “This false information was given to “extort property” from the accused,” it said.
“She has been found to have misused the provisions of the Pocso Act by filing this false case on a false complaint in order to settle the property dispute, thereby leading to humiliation and defamation of the accused persons. She also tried to misuse the criminal justice system,” the court while issuing the order on 17th November.
It stated that people, such as the woman, were “frequently” registering fictitious cases under the Pocso Act for reasons such as land disputes, marriage disputes, personal grudges, political motives, or personal gain in order to humiliate the accused by keeping them in jail for an extended period of time.
According to the court, this was a “blatant abuse of the law,” and such actions diminished the purpose of the legislation.
“Courts have to take a vigilant stance against this growing menace and have to try to weed out the possibility of false allegations without threatening justice due to the victim or the alleged perpetrator,” it said.
“It has been observed that the misuse of even the most stringent legislation to meet one’s personal motives, mostly negative, has been an evident problem in our legal system. Pocso Act too has turned out to be no exception,” the court added.
It stated that Section 22 of the Pocso Act (punishment for false complaints or false information) guarantees that the legislation is not abused.
“In the present case, the complainant has been found to have misused the Pocso Act instead of having recourse of alternative remedy available with her to settle her alleged property dispute,” the judge said.
It was claimed that the woman misled and abused the authority of the law and the executing agency of the law. “Hence a fine of Rs one lakh is imposed on the complainant for the offense under section 22 of the Pocso Act committed by her within one month and in case of default in payment of fine, she shall undergo simple imprisonment of three months,” the court said.
On Thursday (23rd November), a Qatari court accepted the appeal document filed by India against the death penalty awarded to eight Indian sailors in Qatar. This court will now study it to announce its decision on the matter.
On 26th October, the Qatar court issued a death penalty verdict for a group of Indian nationals on espionage charges. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) conveyed its profound dismay regarding the decision and affirmed that the government was actively investigating various legal avenues in response to the verdict. A forthcoming court session in the case is anticipated, and there is a slim chance that the court may deliver a verdict during the proceedings.
On 23rd November, The Ministry of External Affairs said, “The judgment is confidential. There is a court of first instance that gave the judgment, which was shared with our legal team. Considering all legal options, an appeal has been filed. We are in touch with the Qatari authorities.”
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “India is engaged with the Qatari authorities on the matter and that the government will continue to extend all legal and consular assistance to the former Navy personnel.”
The Indian Navy veterans who were sentenced in Qatar include Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Sailor Rajesh Gopakumar. Each of the former Navy officers boasts an illustrious service history spanning up to 20 years in the Indian Navy, having occupied significant positions of responsibility.
It may be noted that since the eight former-Indian Navy officers were detained in August last year, their bail pleas have been rejected numerous times and their detention extended by Qatari authorities. The Qatari authorities had, however, until April this year, never specified the charges that had been pressed against them. Only recently did they confirm that the Indian Navy personnel, who were held in solitary confinement for long spells, have been charged with the offence of spying for Israel on the country’s advanced submarines.
One of the jailed officers, Commander Purnendu Tiwari (Retd), is the managing director of the firm that was conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2019. The award was handed over by none other than the then-President Ram Nath Kovind.
The eight Indians were working with the Qatari Emiri Navy, on behalf of the Qatar firm Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services which provided training and other technical assistance to them. The eight ex-Indian Navy officers were detained on August 30, 2022. The Qatari authorities reportedly accused them of spying for Israel on the country’s advanced submarines manufactured in Italy. These submarines are reportedly covered with metamaterials that enhance their stealth capabilities and make them harder to detect.
The Qatar State Security, the state intelligence agency, had claimed that it had intercepted electronic communications establishing that the naval officers were spying on the submarine programme. The agency had, however, not shared the information with India.
In April this year, reports emerged revealing that there is a possibility of the ex-Indian Navy officers being “framed” by Pakistani intelligence agencies. According to reports, the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI had persuaded the Qataris that there may have been Indian participation by citing the case of former Indian navy commander Kulbhushan Yadav, who was kidnapped from Iran and detained in Pakistan on suspicion of spying.
Ever since the officers were taken into custody by the Qatari authorities, the Indian embassy has been doing everything within its power to get them released. They have been facilitating regular visits to the family members and providing consular and legal assistance to the Navy personnel. In the same efforts, India filed an appeal document in the court of Qatar which is now accepted there for consideration. India has vowed to explore all available legal options to secure the release of its citizens.
Recently, fans in Malegaon, Maharashtra, burst crackers inside a theatre while watching Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif’s latest movie, Tiger 3, which was released on Diwali. The incident went viral on social media, prompting Salman Khan to respond and criticize the act on Instagram.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, the actor called the use of firecrackers in theatres “not cool,” emphasizing the danger and risk involved. He acknowledged that the fans had been eager about the film’s release, but added that bursting crackers inside a theatre can be dangerous. He also expressed concern about the deteriorating air quality and urged his fans not to make it worse. “The most dangerous thing one can do is burst firecrackers in theatres,” he said.
#WATCH | Actor Salman Khan says, " Bursting crackers inside theatres is dangerous and I am not at all in support of this. Also, instead of pouring milk(on pictures of actors), poor children must be fed with it" (23/11) pic.twitter.com/qZRF2TgZMA
Furthermore, Salman cited an incident in which fans poured milk on his poster, drawing attention to the disparity when children are hungry. He said that he is lactose intolerant and requested fans to stop pouring milk on his posters. “If I drink milk, my stomach gets affected, and if they are pouring milk on my posters, they also get spoilt,” he was quoted as saying.
Instead, he said that the milk can be fed to poor children who actually need it for their growth. “Bursting crackers inside theatres is dangerous and I am not at all in support of this. Also, instead of pouring milk(on pictures of actors), poor children must be fed with it,” he said.
“My request to theatre owners is not to allow firecrackers to be taken inside the cinema and security to stop them from doing so at entry point. Enjoy the film by all means but please please avoid this is my request to all my fans .. thank you,” he said.
Earlier on 13th November, Salman Khan had reacted to the viral video from a theatre where fans burst firecrackers during a screening of Tiger 3. The actor took to his X account to write, “I’m hearing about fireworks inside theaters during Tiger3. This is dangerous. Let’s enjoy the film without putting ourselves and others at risk. Stay safe.”
I'm hearing about fireworks inside theaters during Tiger3. This is dangerous. Let's enjoy the film without putting ourselves and others at risk. Stay safe.
The incident happened on 12th November (Sunday), when Salman Khan-starrer Tiger-3 hit the theatres to encash the Diwali festival season. Soon videos started doing rounds on the internet in which a group of Salman Khan’s fans could be seen endangering the lives of other moviegoers by bursting crackers inside a cinema hall.
In the viral videos, a section of his fans could be seen creating chaos in a packed cinema hall by recklessly bursting firecrackers, causing a stampede-like situation.
On Thursday, November 23, the Odisha Police arrested a 25-year-old man for killing his wife and daughter using a venomous Cobra snake on October 7. Initially, the deaths were declared suicide, however, with further investigation, the perfect murder plan of accused K Ganesh Patra was revealed.
The shocking incident unfolded in Adheigaon village in the Kabisurya Nagar police station precinct in the Ganjam district. K Ganesh Patra, the accused, was in a marital dispute with his 23-year-old wife K Basanti Patra. They married in 2020 and had a two-year-old daughter named Debasmita.
Accused Ganesh Patra obtained a SIM card in his father’s name on September 26. He used the SIM card to contact numerous snake charmers in his area to assist him in getting a deadly snake. The accused allegedly obtained a snake from a snake charmer while lying to him about his intention of using the reptile for “religious purposes.”
On October 6, he brought a cobra in a plastic jar and released it into the room where his wife and daughter were sleeping, while he then went to sleep in another room. Both were found dead with snake bites the next morning. The accused at around 5:45 am started screaming that his wife and daughter had died due to snakebite. The victims were taken to the Hinjlicut Government Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
A twist in the perfect murder plan
Everything was going perfectly as per accused Ganesh Patra’s plan and the police registered a case of unnatural death due to snakebite as the postmortem reports of the deceased duo confirmed death due to snakebite. However, a twist came in when victim Basanti Patra’s father Khalli Patra filed a complaint against his son-in-law accusing him of killing Basanti and her daughter. This prompted the police to investigate the murder angle.
Subsequently, the police examined the accused person’s call details record and found that the accused had contacted several snake charmers. It was revealed that the accused procured a monocled cobra from a snake charmer named Basanta Acharya. The police have said that the snake charmer was not implicated in the case being the sole witness, additionally, he was unaware of the accused person’s real motive behind getting the snake from him. The police, however, are examining if action can be taken against him under the forest laws.
Family dispute, revenge or Rs 8 lakh compensation: Why Ganesh Patra killed his wife and daughter?
Speaking about the motive behind the murders, Ganjam SP Jagmohan Meena said, “Their family feud, as well as the prospect of receiving Rs 8 lakh in government compensation that is Rs 4 lakh each for snakebite victims, may have pushed him to murder his wife and daughter.
Notably, a dowry harassment angle also emerged in the matter as it has been reported that the accused allegedly used to torture his wife for dowry who then filed a complaint against him in October last year. Subsequently, a case was registered against Ganesh Patra under section 498A (which deals with husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of IPC.
The unusual circumstances of the deaths piqued the police’s attention. The snake bites were in the same spot on the mother’s and her daughter’s just above the ankle bone of the right leg. The police got the assistance of a snake expert, who noted that the snake’s presence in the same room after biting the two victims was unusual. The fact that the victims did not scream for help after being bitten was also odd, according to the expert. The cops are currently investigating whether or not they were sedated.
Meanwhile, the police have said that the arrested accused has admitted to having killed his wife and daughter.
Kerala man killed his wife with a cobra
The heinous double murder using a snake reminds of a similar case from Kerala’s Kollam district in 2020 wherein a man named P Suraj was convicted of murdering his wife by letting loose a cobra on her. Prima facie it appeared to be a case of accidental death, however, the victim’s family grew suspicious and her father approached the police. In a striking similarity with the Odisha case, a history of domestic violence and dowry harassment was unearthed during the investigation.
