Search operation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is underway at the residence of Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Minister in West Bengal Cabinet Firhad Hakim in connection with alleged irregularities in civic body recruitment.
Further details are awaited. On September 26, the CBI raided around six locations in West Bengal regarding an alleged corruption case involving the appointment of ineligible candidates as assistant teachers in primary schools.
CBI conducted searches at around 6 locations, including Behala, Salt Lake, Kolkata, and Howrah, at the premises of private persons related to private companies, during further investigation of a case.
During searches, incriminating documents and articles have been recovered, according to a CBI official.
(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 October 7th, Hamas terrorists launched thousands of rockets and deployed dozens of terrorists into Israeli cities near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented terror attack during a major Jewish holiday, killing hundreds. Now reports have emerged that around 232 have died and over 1600 people were wounded in Gaza in Israel’s retaliatory action.
Following the nightfall on Saturday, Israel’s retaliatory bombings under Operation Iron Sword in Gaza intensified.
This comes after Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel from Gaza, attacking towns and kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip, killing over 256 people, many of whom were civilians, injuring over 1,788, and reportedly kidnapping hundreds, The Times of Israel reported.
Hamas seems to have kidnapped mostly women.
It has already been confirmed that Hamas fighters are using rape as a weapon of war.
Thousands of missiles were fired from Gaza attacking the south of Israel and places as far distant as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in an unprecedented offensive that caught Israel off guard as it observed the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah.
Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif called the operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” and said that the assault on Israel was a response to attacks on women, the desecration of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and the ongoing siege of Gaza.
Following Hamas’s attacks on Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has called the terrorist attacks on Israeli soil a “grave mistake” of Hamas.
In his first reaction to the ‘surprise attack’, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel “is at war”, further asserting that they will “win it”.
“We are at war, not in an operation or rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours. I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered, first of all, to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists. This currently is being carried out,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.
Meanwhile, Lebanon has joined forces with Palestine against Israel and mortar shells were fired towards Israel, as claimed by the Israeli media. The rockets landed near the Lebanon-Israel border in the disputed Mount Dov region. There have been no reports of injuries or property damage.
“The IDF has been taking preparational measures for this type of possibility and will continue to operate in all regions and at any time necessary to ensure the safety of the Israeli civilians,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Israel’s Security Forces neutralised 10 terrorists and regained control of the Sderot Police Station located near the Gaza border that was overrun by Hamas terrorists on Saturday, The Times of Israel reported.
On Saturday (7th October), Governor of California Gavin Newsom returned the discriminatory and Hindubphobic Bill ‘SB403’.
In his letter, the Governor said that California law already prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, colour, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation and other characteristics, deeming the bill unnecessary.
Senator Aisha Wahab tabled the bill, and it was titled “Discrimination on the basis of ancestry”. It was passed by the California State Assembly on 29th August this year with 50 Ayes and 3 Nos. However, the bill could not become law with the Governor’s veto.
Source: Gov.ca.gov
The letter read, “To the Members of the California State Senate:
I am returning Senate Bill 403 without my signature.
This bill would define “ancestry” for purposes of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the Unruh Act, and the Education Code to include “caste” and other dimensions of ancestry.
In California, we believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they are, where they come from, who they love, or where they live. That is why California already prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, colour, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other characteristics, and state law specifies that these civil rights protections shall be liberally construed. Because discrimination based on caste is already prohibited under these existing categories, this bill is unnecessary.”
Hindu groups applaud the Governor’s decision to veto
Hindu groups that were fighting against the passage of bill SB403 applauded the Governor’s decision to use his veto and return it. Hindu American Foundation issued a statement in which the members thanked the Governor and called it a “victory of the civil rights of all Californians.”
With the stroke of his pen, Governor Newsom kills a bill premised on racist rhetoric, a baseless lawsuit, egregious @calcivilrights misconduct & false claims about the Hindu religion.
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) October 7, 2023
In a statement, HAF’s Managing Director Samir Kalra said, “With the stroke of his pen, Governor Newsom has averted a civil rights and constitutional disaster that would have put a target on hundreds of thousands of Californians simply because of their ethnicity or their religious identity, as well as create a slippery slope of facially discriminatory laws. We thank Governor Newsom for listening to the thousands of voices that contacted his office and seeing that SB-403 was premised on racist rhetoric, a baseless lawsuit, egregious Civil Rights Department misconduct, false claims about the Hindu religion and South Asian community at large, and the self-serving, methodologically flawed, caste survey by Equality Labs.”
Samir Kalra, HAF Managing Director stated:
“Today, we at the Hindu American Foundation join South Asians across California and the Hindu American community in offering our heartfelt appreciation to California Governor Gavin Newsom for his historically important veto of SB-403.…
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) October 7, 2023
HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla said, “SB-403 forced our community to find its voice. The months spent educating the community about their rights, providing trainings and tools to effectively advocate as constituents, peacefully assembling in protest, offering testimonies at the Statehouse, writing countless letters to legislators and Governor Newsom, and meeting with numerous offices have all paid off. We’re grateful to Hindu Americans across the state who have shown tremendous resilience and to our allies for coming together like never before.” She further added that HAF would stand with everyone who faces discrimination and hoped to work together as a community that SB403 intended to divide.
“We at HAF have always said that any discrimination on the basis of ‘caste’ violates not only Hindu teachings, but also existing state and federal law. The fight over SB-403 has always been about the best solution for any…
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) October 7, 2023
Thanking Gavin Newsom, author and Hindu rights activist Pt Satish K Sharma said, “Thank you Gavin Newsom for the courageous decision to return #SB403 and prevent hatred of Hindus from becoming state policy. Great work California Hindus!”
Thank you @GavinNewsom for the courageous decision to return #SB403 and prevent hatred of Hindus from becoming state policy. Great work California Hindus!
— Pt Satish K Sharma MBCS FRSA (@thebritishhindu) October 7, 2023
Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said, “Delighted to see sanity prevail in #California. Thank you Gavin Newsom for vetoing #SB403. A victory for common sense, for American laws and a win for those who fought for #justice.”
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) October 7, 2023
They added, “This is a culmination of the efforts of the entire #HinduAmerican community, and the hundreds of organizations, temples, businesses, and allies that fought against #profiling. We rose above the lies, the insinuations, and the wild accusations – and we prevailed. Months of organizing, educating + reaching out to legislators; hundreds of thousands of emails + letters; the marches to #Sacramento. The hours of testimony; the great support from key legislators – To everyone who put in the effort, this is your victory. And that of Dharma.”
Months of organizing, educating + reaching out to legislators; hundreds of thousands of emails + letters; the marches to #Sacramento. The hours of testimony; the great support from key legislators – To everyone who put in the effort, this is your victory. And that of Dharma. 4/n pic.twitter.com/clTE29TcK7
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) October 7, 2023
Dubious organisation Equality Labs, which supported the bill, expressed disappointment
Calling it heartbreaking, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Executive Director of Equality Labs, the dubious organisation that supported the bill, said, “While it is heartbreaking to receive the Governor’s veto, it is not a reflection of the incredible democratic power that our communities showed.”
The organisation also got support from the Islamic terrorist organisations-linked Indian American Muslim Council (IMAC). In a statement, IAMC said they were “shocked, disheartened, and deeply disappointed” over the Governor’s decision.
Soros-funded Sikh Coalition also expressed disappointment and said, “The Sikh Coalition was proud to sponsor this legislation because we know firsthand the pain and trauma that comes with being targeted by hate, and the Sikh faith explicitly condemns caste discrimination. Accordingly, we joined more than 45 Sikh organizations and gurdwaras in California, urging Gov. Newsom to sign this bill. While we are frustrated by this failure to take a meaningful step forward for the civil rights of all, we will continue to fight for legislation that protects all communities—including the Dalit community—from hate and discrimination.”
Anti-Hindu bill SB403
SB403 is a so-called anti-caste discrimination legislation that is making its way through the Californian state legislature. California Senator Aisha Wahab tabled the bill. The dubious organisation Equality Labs is one of the bill’s biggest supporters.
The bill was completely based on the Cisco caste case that fell flat in January 2023. Despite the main case on which Aisha Wahab and Equality Labs based the bill was no longer effective in the court, the California State Assembly moved forward and passed the bill. O
Our detailed reports on the Cisco Caste Case can be checked here and here.
62 people, who were reported missing in flood-hit Sikkim, were found alive on Saturday (7th October). While four bodies were also recovered taking the death toll to 30. Four of the 30 fatalities occurred in Mangan, six in Gangtok district, 19 in Pakyong, and one in Namchi.
According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, the number of missing people has been lowered to 81. An inter-ministerial team of the Centre is likely to visit the state on Sunday (8th October) and assess the situation there and provide necessary assistance. This team will include five ministries namely Agriculture, Road Transport & Highways, Jal Shakti, Energy and Finance.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that the dead bodies of eight Army troops who went missing during the flash floods have been discovered.
Taking to X on Saturday, Minister Singh said that he was pained by the loss of precious lives, including eight Army personnel in the flash floods.
“Deeply pained by the tragic loss of precious lives including eight Army personnel in the recent flash floods arising out of glacial lake burst in Sikkim. Out of the 23 missing soldiers, one was rescued while mortal remains of eight brave soldiers were recovered. Their sacrifice, while being deployed in forward areas in the service of the nation, will not be forgotten. Search operations to rescue remaining 14 soldiers and missing civilians are underway,” Singh posted.
Deeply pained by the tragic loss of precious lives including eight Army personnel in the recent flash floods arising out of glacial lake burst in Sikkim.
Out of the 23 missing soldiers, one was rescued while mortal remains of eight brave soldiers were recovered. Their…
The Centre has approved an allocation of Rs 44.8 crore from the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Sikkim in order to provide relief to those impacted by flash floods.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited disaster-affected districts in north Sikkim. He also presided over a meeting with the Zilla and ward members of the Toong Naga Gram Panchayat Unit, as well as representatives from GREF, BRO, and other departments. During the meeting, it was decided to construct an expedient route for the transportation of relief items by road.
Currently, 2,563 people have been rescued from various locations, and 6,875 have sought refuge in 30 relief camps established across the state, most of which have been cut off from the rest of the country.
In the four districts of Sikkim, the flood also damaged around 1,320 homes and washed away 13 bridges. According to the authorities, over 3,000 tourists were stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Sikkim’s Mangan district when a flash flood devastated the area. The authorities added that the tourists are safe now.
In an operation that started on Saturday, Israel’s Security Forces neutralised 10 terrorists and regained control of the Sderot Police Station that was overrun by Hamas terrorists yesterday, The Times of Israel reported.
Amir Cohen, the commander of the Border Police, applauded the Israeli Security Forces for regaining control of the Sderot police station early on Saturday morning and said that, including Border Police anti-terror forces and military troops, they “acted throughout the last day with great courage and determination.”
“We are in a difficult time,” says Cohen, “but now we raise our heads and continue to act with determination and… strength against any threat to provide security to the citizens,” he added. “Full control was achieved and our forces neutralized about 10 armed terrorists in the station,” the police statement added, according to The Times of Israel.
Notably, Sderot Police Station is situated on the Israeli border with Gaza. Earlier, some graphic videos showed bodies strewn in the streets of the southern city of Sderot after the attack by Palestinian militants. Cars were riddled with bullets and lit on fire.
Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the ongoing situation near the Gaza border, Cohen further advised the residents to stay inside, not go outside, and use phone emergency services if they need assistance.
“There are large forces of police, Border Police and IDF and we will continue to provide ongoing security and respond to incidents quickly,” The Times of Israel quoted him as saying.
At about 6:30 am (local time) on Saturday, a barrage of rocket fire began from Gaza into Israel, hitting several cities including Tel Aviv, Rehovot, Gedera and Ashkelon. This was followed by several Hamas terrorists entering Israel from the Gaza Strip and taking over Israeli towns.
Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif called the operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” and said that the assault on Israel was a response to attacks on women, the desecration of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and the ongoing siege of Gaza.
The death toll from the Hamas terror group’s multi-front attack on Israel has risen to more than 300 now, and is expected to rise further. As many as 1,590 people have been wounded, many seriously.
Various civilians as well as (Israel Defense Forces) IDF soldiers are believed to have been abducted and brought into Gaza; Hamas has boasted that the number of hostages is higher than Israel knows, as per The Times of Israel.
(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 Saturday (7th October), amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, a member of the Bollywood actress Nushrratt Bharuccha’s team revealed that she is currently stranded in Israel.
A member of her team said, “Nushrratt Bharuccha has been unfortunately stranded in Israel. She had flown there to attend the Haifa International Film Festival.”
He added, “The last time that I managed to get in touch with Nushrratt Bharuccha was around 12.30 pm earlier today when she was safe in a basement. For safety measures, further details cannot be disclosed. However, since then, we were not able to connect. We are trying to get Nushrratt back safely to India and hope she returns back in the best of health and unharmed.”
In August 2023, actress Nushrratt Bharuccha’s film ‘Akelii’ was released. The film’s plot centres around a girl who becomes trapped in Iraq during the civil war for some reason. ‘Akelii’ narrates the tale of her arduous journey to return home, set against the backdrop of the war.
Nushrratt Bharuccha, who was visiting Israel for a film festival, found herself trapped in a similar situation.
It has now come to light that the actress is safe and has reached the airport at Tel Aviv. She will soon be flying out of the country.
Israel under attack from Palestine-based terrorists
On Saturday (7th October), a devastating conflict erupted between the terrorist organisation Hamas and Israel, resulting in a tragic toll of at least 300 casualties and over 1,000 injuries.
Hamas unleashed over 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, while also seizing several Israeli soldiers near the border. In a video statement, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was engaged in a state of war and warned that Hamas would face consequences for initiating an attack on Israel.
He said, “We are at war, not an operation. Hamas has launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. I ordered first of all to cleanse the settlements of the terrorists who had infiltrated and ordered a large-scale mobilisation of reserves. The enemy will pay a price they have never known.”
Following the massive attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted from his X handle that his thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims of the attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorists. On India’s stand, Consul General of Israel, Kobbi Shoshani has also thanked India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.”
It is notable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a terrorist attack. The top chair clearly recognising the heinous acts as a terrorist attack means that India is calling Hamas a terrorist organisation.
Following the massive surprise terrorist attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on behalf of India, unequivocally called out the terror attacks in Israel. He also expressed solidarity with Israel adding that his thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims of the attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorists.
Taking to X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.”
Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.
In response to India’s stance, the Consul General of Israel, Kobbi Shoshani, expressed gratitude to New Delhi for its support.
Meanwhile, on social media platforms, several hashtags in support of Israel are also trending. Amid all of this, an old resolution and several anti-Israel incidences of the Aam Aadmi Party have started to make rounds on the internet.
In one of these anti-Israel stances, the Aam Aadmi Party had issued an official release demanding that the Indian Parliament should pass a resolution to stop purchasing weapons from Israel. In the official release, the party had also demanded that both houses should not allow the Modi government to change India’s stance on the Israel-Palestine issue.
To cater to its voter base, AAP also argued against the majority of Indian opinion and the country’s long-term interests by aligning with fringe Islamist groups and Palestine sentiments. Claiming that India should maintain its decade-old stance, AAP demanded that the Parliament should seek action against Israel.
The release which was later deleted had stated, “The Aam Aadmi Party demands that both Houses of Parliament should immediately pass unanimous resolutions condemning the completely unjustified Israeli attacks on Gaza and should not allow the Narendra Modi government to reverse the decades-old stand of the country on this important issue. The AAP also demands that the Indian government must seek action against Israel’s repeated and widespread violations of human rights. It must stop purchasing arms from Israel since these revenues appear to be used to oppress the people of Palestine.”
It further added, “Currently, the Palestinian people are living under an oppressive military rule. It is clear, as recommended by various international bodies including those affiliated to the UN, that the demand for an independent and unified Palestine is an urgent necessity. The Aam Aadmi Party is of the firm view that India should not resile from its earlier principled position on Palestine. It should support the demand for an independent Palestine.”
In 2014, the Aam Aadmi Party held a candlelight vigil for Gaza. The Facebook post from the party’s handle wrote, “AAP invites citizens, volunteers, supporters to join together in solidarity and support for the people of GAZA.”
In another post, the party held Israel liable for the death and destruction of properties in Palestine. The July 2014 post stated, “Israel should bear all liabilities, full responsibility for the wonton destruction and loss of life.”
Wow! The Aam Aadmi Party actually wanted India to stop purchasing weapons from Israel and demanded that the Indian Parliament pass a resolution to that affect.
It is important to note that in the morning hours of 7th October, the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israel and launched more than 7,000 rockets on residential buildings of several Israeli towns killing more than 40. Additionally, several dozens of uniformed terrorists also infiltrated into Israeli territories through land and sea taking on streets to fire indiscriminately. The terrorists also held several Israelis hostage and paraded several women civilians with bare bodies and grievous injuries. This is Israel’s one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent decades forcing PM Benjamin Netanyahu to announce that Israel is at war with terrorists.
Even after ten long years, the victim of the gruesome Kamduni rape case has not received justice in the truest sense. On October 6, 2023, the Calcutta High Court commuted some of the accused’s life death sentences to life imprisonment and acquitted one of the convicts in the 2013 rape case.
The bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Ajay Kumar Gupta commuted the death sentences of Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali to life imprisonment and acquitted Amin Ali, who faced the death penalty as well, citing a lack of evidence.
The heart-wrenching details of atrocities meted out to the girl
The horrific crime dates back to 7th June 2013 when a 20-year-old Bachelor of Arts second-year student at Derozio Memorial College, the first person from her family to attend a college was gang-raped in Kamduni village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. On the evening of June 7, ten years ago, the accused raped and murdered her as she was coming from her college after sitting an exam. After raping the girl, Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali, and seven others implicated in the crime tore her legs apart to her navel. The perpetrators slit the victim’s throat before discarding her mutilated body on a nearby plot in Rajarhat. Notably, Ansar Ali was the caretaker of the plot where the semi-naked body of the victim was found by her brother and local villagers the next day.
The deceased victim’s brother had said that after he returned to Kamduni, he came across accused Ansar Ali and had heard accused Saiful Ali telling Ansar that they had a “great time” and should return to their homes. Moreover, before finding his sister, the victim’s brother had also noticed six of the accused persons behaving “suspiciously” near the said plot.
Eventually, the locals spotted blood on the floor and the body of a semi-naked girl lying behind the plot’s boundary wall after entering a structure on the land.
A 20-year-old girl was taught a ‘lesson’ for ignoring the perpetrators
Subsequently, the police were notified, and the case was later turned over to the CID, who charged eight people based on evidence obtained from semen and blood samples, as well as other DNA material on their clothing, as well as witness statements who testified to hearing the accused discussing the need to “teach the victim a lesson” as she was not paying ‘attention’ to them.
The outrage and demand for justice for ‘Aparajita’
The brutal gangrape and murder of the Kamduni girl, who was later given the name “Aparajita” (undefeated), reminds one of the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case that shook the conscience of the entire nation and sparked countrywide protests. Much like the Nirbhaya case, protests erupted in West Bengal and several other regions of the country as the horrifying details of the brutalities against Aparajita emerged. Many human rights and social justice organisations including Kamduni Pratibadi Manch came forward to seek justice for Aparajita.
It was reported back then that several agitated villagers had clashed with the police when the cops arrived to take the victim’s body for postmortem and had damaged three police vehicles.
Aparajita’s friend Tumpa Koyal had then emerged as a prominent leader of the protests who had raised questions before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and advised her that instead of speaking, she should listen to the protesting villagers. The villagers were agitated over the chief minister arriving in Kamduni village ten days after the crime took place.
Mausami and Tumpa Koyal after Calcutta High Court commuted the death penalty of the convicts to life imprisonment on 6th October 2023 (Image courtesy: TV9 Bangla)
Mousumi Koyal and Tumpa Koyal became the faces of a movement unprecedented in Bengal’s recent history. They brought members of the victim’s family to Delhi to meet with the then President Pranab Mukherjee in order to seek justice. People took to the streets in Kolkata and its surrounding districts. A Bengali film titled ‘Din Bodoler Pala’ was made based on the events of the Kamduni rape case.
In September 2013, a local court had allowed the framing of charges against the nine accused. Back then, 11 of the villagers protesting outside the court demanding CBI enquiry in the case were arrested.
Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee, the lawyer appearing for the victim had in 2014 filed a complaint alleging that he had received threat calls and messages. This came after he appeared in the court against the Mamata Banerjee-led government in the Kamduni case.
In March this year, Tumpa had said that over the years she has been intimidated by powerful politicians who want to protect the accused persons. She had alleged that a bomb was hurled at her residence in New Town by some “party men”.
While four of the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape case were hanged to death in 2020, seven years later, the Kamduni girl still awaits justice.
The 2016 verdict
On 30 January 2016, a sessions court in Kolkata sentenced three of the convicts to death while three others were awarded life imprisonment. Recognising that the case was among the rarest of rare cases, Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanchita Sarkar sentenced Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali, and Amin Ali to death for gang rape and murder.
Sheikh Emanul Islam, Aminul Islam, and Bhola Naskar were sentenced to life in jail after being convicted of gang rape, criminal conspiracy, and inducing the disappearance of evidence. One of the accused Gopal Naskar had died during trial. Emotions ran high for the family members of the victim as the court verdict came out, however, they were opposed to the court’s decision to acquit two of the accused named Rafiqul Islam Gaji and Nur Ali due to lack of evidence.
At that time it was alleged that the TMC government was behind the acquittal of the Rafiqul Islam and Nur Ali since they allegedly had links with the party. While left front chairman Biman Bose had alleged that the charges against the acquitted persons were deliberately weakened since they had links to the ruling TMC, CPI leader Mohammed Salim had asserted that the investigating officers failed to produce concrete evidence before the court against Rafiqul Islam and Nur Ali.
What now?
Following the verdict on Friday, 6th October, Mousumi and Tumpa Koyal broke into tears outside the high court. Their agony over the “failure” to provide justice to Aparajita and their struggle over the years apparently going in vain shakes one to the core.
#Thread#Kamduni gangrape and murder case, where a Hindu girl was gangraped and murdered. Today Calcutta HC changed the judgement of lower court. “Public prosecutor is sold to money. Of those who were sentenced to death, one was acquitted and two were sentenced to imprisonment+ pic.twitter.com/I7ADTJllwY
Despite the disappointment Mousumi and Tumpa are undeterred in their resolve to ensure justice for the friend they lost a decade back. The victim’s brother also told the media that they will be moving the Supreme Court against the Friday verdict.
While lawyers questioned the CID’s charge sheet, Mousumi Koyal stated, “The state government failed to ensure justice.” This will not be tolerated. We will file a petition with the Supreme Court to challenge this order,” stated the victim’s brother.
Where does the society stand?
Justice for women will never be really secured unless the people of the country, regardless of political party or socio-cultural viewpoints, stand up for victims of sexual assault. A distinctive aspect of the Kamduni judgement is that, while the nation was outraged at the Manipur incident wherein two women were stripped naked, paraded, and raped by a group of men, the same nation that marched in mass protests demanding justice for Nirbhaya remains silent on Aparajita. It is the same mentality that prevents people from speaking out for women who have been raped in a state run by the political party they support but goes berserk when similar atrocities occur in a state ruled by the political party they despise.
In line with the Central Government and a first for the defence forces in the country, the Indian Navy has implemented the 360-degree appraisal system for the promotion of officers where they would be rated by their juniors too.
The central government has been using this system for promoting bureaucrats since 2015-16.
In a statement, the Indian Navy said that the women and men in whites are central to its ‘SHIPS FIRST’ approach and will continue to remain its greatest asset in the foreseeable future.
“Towards promoting their professional and personal development, the Indian Navy recognises that agile, adaptive, and advanced Human Resource management is imperative. In that regard, the Indian Navy has institutionalised a novel transformative initiative of ‘360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism’ for various promotion boards,” the Navy said.
The Navy stated that the present appraisal mechanism of periodic Confidential Reports by senior officers, has an inherent limitation of a ‘Top-down’ approach, as it does not cater for or quantify a leader’s impact on subordinates.
“The Indian Navy’s ‘360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism’ is aimed to address this shortfall by encompassing large-scale surveys from suitably identified peers and subordinates for every officer being considered for promotion,” the Navy stated.
The survey would comprise a spectrum of questions, encompassing aspects such as professional knowledge, leadership attributes, suitability in war/ crisis and potential for holding higher ranks. Once the Inputs are obtained, This will also be provided as feedback to the officers to effect behavioural changes and improvements, the Navy said.
Similar appraisal systems are in vogue in various national and international learning organisations.
It said that the Indian Navy takes pride in imbibing such ‘best practices’ and this initiative is in continuation of other endeavours towards remaining a ‘Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof Force’.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In a strongly worded response to the Hamas rocket attack in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the country’s focus is on restoring security and to exact an “immense price from the enemy”.
Addressing the Security Cabinet meeting in Israel, Netanyahu further called on the citizens to unite for “victory” in the war.
“Since this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked. The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well. The third objective is to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war,” Netanyahu said at the meeting.
He added, “We are at war. In war, one needs to be level-headed. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal, victory in the war”.
This comes after a barrage of rockets slammed into southern and central Israel after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Saturday morning.
According to the latest updates, at least 100 people have been killed and over 1000 people are injured, The Times of Israel reported. According to the Health Ministry, 908 people have been hospitalized.
In his first reaction to the ‘surprise attack’, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel “is at war”, further asserting that they will “win it”.
“We are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours. I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered, first of all, to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists. This currently is being carried out,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.
Israel has already declared a state of war in the country after infiltration by Hamas fighters and missile attacks from Gaza.
The Israel Defence Forces launched operation ‘Iron Swords’ in response to Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel, the Times of Israel reported. IDF is striking Hamas targets in Gaza.
The Israeli military is fighting Hamas terrorists in different locations in Southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, including the towns of Kfar Aza, Sderot, Sufa, Nahal Oz, Magen, Be’eri and the Re’im military base, according to The Times of Israel.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
