Rs 2 crore in cash was delivered to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh’s residence, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the court while seeking 10 days’ remand of the AAP leader who was arrested on 4th October. Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has remanded Singh to 5-day ED custody.
ED: Inke residence p delivery hui hai. Dinesh Arora ne inse confirm bhi kiya aur inhone confirm kiya.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made some startling revelations during its submission before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Thursday (5th October). Sanjay Singh was arrested by the central agency on 4th October following 10-hour-long raids at his residence.
ED said that investigation has revealed that Rs 2 crore in cash was given in two tranches to Sanjay Singh and a total of Rs 3 crore was given.
The ED said that the money was delivered to Singh’s residence. It said that accused-turned-approver Dinesh Arora had confirmed the delivery with Singh and the same was confirmed by the AAP MP himself. Arora was arrested in July by the ED under criminal sections of PMLA in a case linked to the scam. Arora was allegedly a close aide of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.
Dinesh Arora’s CA confirmed that the cash was delivered to Singh’s residence and has seized documents that corroborate the same. The ED said it conducted searches in a total of 239 places and has seized Sanjay Singh’s phone as well.
#Breaking ED seeks 10 days remand of Sanjay Singh.
The ED said that it is yet to examine key persons and confront them with the AAP MP. The ED also plans to confront Singh with digital evidence including the contact numbers in his phone.
When asked by the court if it has shortlisted any data during the 239 searches which will be put to Singh, ED said that data has been deciphered which is why it is seeking a 10-day remand.
Earlier, sources had said that ED claimed to have concrete evidence that Sanjay Singh received substantial sums of money from an accused-turned-approver, Dinesh Arora, in the case.
The ED has reportedly established a clear money trail between the two individuals. It is alleged that Singh played a significant role in formulating the now-defunct liquor policy and received kickbacks for his involvement.
Furthermore, sources indicate that the ED possesses additional statements beyond those of the approver, Dinesh Arora. This development prompted the ED to write to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to broaden the scope of the investigation.
Allahabad High Court has ruled out that Hindu marriages are invalid without ‘Saptapadi’ (seven rounds by bride and groom around the sacred fire, known as ‘saat phere’ in Hindi) as well as other sacred ceremonies. The decision was pronounced after the bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh threw out a complaint case where the husband requested a penalty for his estranged wife and allowed a petition filed by the woman. The complainant had alleged that his wife had commemorated her second marriage without finalising a divorce from him.
Allowing the petition filed by Smriti Singh, the court stated, “It is well settled that the word ‘solemnize’ means in connection with a marriage ‘to celebrate the marriage with proper ceremonies and in due form’. Unless the marriage is celebrated or performed with proper ceremonies and due form, it cannot be said to be ‘solemnized’. If the marriage is not a valid marriage, according to the law applicable to the parties, it is not a marriage in the eyes of the law. The ‘Saptapadi’ ceremony under the Hindu law is one of the essential ingredients to constitute a valid marriage but the said evidence is lacking in the present case.”
The court also cited Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, which clarifies that either partner to a Hindu marriage should have their customary rituals and ceremonies followed in the solemnization of the union. Furthermore, during such rituals and ceremonies, the groom and bride take seven steps around a sacred fire together. When the final step is taken, the marriage is declared to be final and binding.
Essentially, the court ruled that the alleged second marriage of the woman couldn’t be considered solemnised because essential Hindu rituals like Saptapadi were not conducted. Therefore, the woman is not guilty under Sections 494 and 109 of the IPC. The court also observed that in the police investigation, the allegations of a second marriage were found to be false. The court stated that the word ‘solemnize’ means ‘to celebrate the marriage with proper ceremonies and in due form’ and hence unless the marriage is celebrated or performed with proper ceremonies and due form, it cannot be said to be ‘solemnized’.
The summons order dated 21 April 2022 and all subsequent proceedings in the complaint case against the petitioner’s spouse that were pending before the Mirzapur court were struck down by the court. It proclaimed, “Even there is no averment with regard to ‘Saptapadi’ in the complaint as well as in the statements before the court, hence, this court is of the view that no prima-facie offence is made out against the applicants as the allegation of second marriage is a bald allegation without corroborative materials.”
The petitioner Smriti Singh married Satyam Singh in 2017, however, following a strained relationship, she fled her in-laws’ residence and submitted a First Information Report which charged harassment for dowry. The police then filed a charge sheet against the husband and his family after conducting an inquiry. Later, she also submitted a request for maintenance which was approved. On 11 January 2021, the principal judge of the family court in Mirzapur ordered the husband to pay Rs 4,000 as support each month till she enters into a new marriage.
The husband then filed an application with higher-ranking police officers and accused the wife of bigamy. The circle officer Sadar in Mirzapur thoroughly investigated the aforementioned application and concluded that his claims of bigamy and other offences against her were untrue. He then filed a report dated 6 January 2021 by the official to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Mirzapur.
Afterwards, on 20 September 2021, the husband lodged a charge against the petitioner for an infraction under sections 494 and 109 Indian Penal Code and alleged that she had sanctified her second marriage among other things. She was arraigned by the concerned Mirzapur magistrate on 21 April of last year
She, therefore, brought the current petition before the high court and objected to the summons order as well as the full course of the complaint case’s proceedings. Her counsel argued that the charges and summoning order were merely a counterblast case against the applicants due to the FIR she initiated against his family members, the order for compensation and the intent to overturn the probe report of the circle officer of police of Mirzapur.
On Thursday, October 5, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government to protect the 17-year-old girl who was raped repeatedly by dismissed Delhi official Premoday Khakha between 2020 and 2021 at his home. The court ordered the government to safeguard the girl’s and her mother’s safety.
The High Court also gave the government three weeks to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be used in cases involving children.
In August, Khakha was arrested on accusations of raping and impregnating a minor girl. A case under the POCSO Act was registered at Burari Police Station of North District. The accused was a Deputy Director of the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department of the Delhi government.
Background of the case: Deputy Director posted at Delhi’s WCD raped minor victim, wife gave victim abortion pill
The case dates back to August this year when Delhi Police arrested a senior Delhi government officer named Premoday Khakha (51) for raping a minor girl for over three months in Delhi’s Burari region. The police also arrested Seema Rani, the wife of Khakha who served the minor girl with pills to curb unwanted pregnancy. The accused is a Christian and shares ties with the family of the victim girl.
The 17-year-old minor girl complained against Khakha and his wife Seema Rani that the two assaulted her for three months during her stay at their place between October 2020 and April 2021. The victim girl said that Khakha who served as deputy director in Delhi’s women and child department (WCD) raped her multiple times and his wife forced her to have abortion pills.
As reported earlier, following the death of the father of the girl in October 2022, Khakha, whom the girl referred to as “mama” brought the child to his Burari residence. The victim’s mother, who had known the family for many years, thought her daughter would grow stronger under Khakha’s supervision, and spending time in their house would help her get over the loss.
However, the minor girl was repeatedly raped by Khakha. While this happened, the wife of the accused blamed the girl for allegedly sending wrong signals to the man which led to the assault. It was also reported that his children knew about the repeated rape incidents and helped accused Seema Rani in hiding the victim’s pregnancy. It was also suspected that the son of the accused also raped the victim girl.
Several media reports mention that the girl was fed drugs when she was raped for the first time in October 2020. The investigating officers confirmed that Khakha’s entire family including his kids knew about the criminal acts of Khakha. Seema Rani, in fact, had asked his son to get abortion medicines for the victim after the girl informed her that she had missed her periods.
The entire incident came to the fore after the young girl began to experience anxiety attacks, which had a severe influence on her academic performance. In response, her mother sought assistance from a city hospital in August, where the girl obtained counselling. During multiple counselling sessions, she revealed charges of sexual assault against Khakha and several other people.
Who is Premoday Khakha
Khakha worked as a Deputy Director in the AAP-led government’s Women and Child Development (WCD) Department. Citing sources, journalist Pallavi Ghosh informed that the rape accused served as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the WCD Minister.
An order [pdf] of the Delhi government, dated June 16, 2022, also mentioned Premodaya Khakha as an OSD to the Minister of Women and Child Development. Incumbent AAP Minister Atishi Marlena has cried foul over the matter and dismissed allegations of working with the rape accused.
Interestingly, the LinkedIn profile of Khakha also highlights his role as the OSD to the Government of Delhi since March 2022. It must be mentioned that controversial AAP leader Rajendra Pal Gautam was the WCD Minister at that time.
On Thursday, October 5th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress government in Rajasthan over the incidents of violence and stone pelting during the Hindu festivals of Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti and Parshuram Jayanti. PM Modi accused the CM Ashok Gehlot-led government of appeasement politics.
While addressing a public rally in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur PM Modi raised concerns over deteriorating law and order in the state and said, “Congress government loves its vote bank more than the interest of Rajasthan. Is the first and last policy of Congress only appeasement? Ram Navami, Parshuram Jayanti, Hanuman Jayanti, there is no festival in which there is no news of stone pelting from Rajasthan.”
PM Modi further questioned what CM Gehlot was doing when Jodhpur a city known for its peace witnessed gang wars in broad daylight.
“The city of Jodhpur which was known for peace, has gang wars in broad daylight. When Jodhpur was burning with riots, what was the CM doing? When violence erupted here and innocents were killed, what were the Congress leaders doing? Is Congress’ first and last policy just appeasement? A Congress MLA herself says that she is not safe, we can imagine what would be the condition of common girls & women,” the Prime Minister said.
#LIVE from Jodhpur, Rajasthan | "When riots were happening in Jodhpur, what was the Chief Minister of the state doing? Stone-pelting and violence happened in Rajasthan during Hindu festivals…" Prime Minister Narendra Modi slams Congress over appeasement politics. #PMModi… pic.twitter.com/MInpptCLjz
It is pertinent to recall that Divya Maderna, a Congress MLA from Osian had in July this year raised questions over her own party regarding the deteriorating law and order situation in the state saying that she herself feels unsafe in her own party-ruled state.
The Congress MLA’s statement came after the Jodhpur Police recovered four charred bodies of four members of a family, including a six-month-old girl at Cherai village in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district on July 18.
PM Modi on Thursday assured the people of Rajasthan that after coming to power, the BJP will stop riots and goondaism in the state and ensure the safety of women.
“Rajasthan will not tolerate this anymore. BJP will come and stop the riots. BJP will come and hooliganism will be stopped. BJP will come, it will bring women security,” PM Modi said.
Notably, in May this year, Bhagwan Prshuram Yatra organized by Hindus in the Jurhera village of Kaman, Rajasthan was attacked by some persons from a specific community who pelted stones at the participants, leaving them injured. It was reported that some of the shopkeepers from the specific community opposed the loud sound of the DJ system. Despite being assured that the volume of the DJ would be reduced, the members of the specific community caused a ruckus. As reported earlier, a mob belonging to the specific community then pelted stones at the Yatra and also used lathis to stop the Hindus from dancing to the DJ’s music. Eventually, the police had to intervene when called by the Hindus participating in the yatra.
Taking a dig at the Congress government over its alleged corruption, PM Modi mentioned a red diary which allegedly contains details pertaining to the “black acts” of the state government.
राजस्थान को देश के विकास का इंजन बनाने के लिए भारतीय जनता पार्टी संकल्पबद्ध है। जोधपुर में विशाल जनसभा को संबोधित कर रहा हूं। https://t.co/s3TBL2SESf
“People say that Lal Diary contains every black act of Congress’s corruption. Should the dark secrets of this red diary be revealed or not? Will the Congress government allow the secrets of Lal Diary to come out?” PM Modi questioned.
#WATCH | Jodhpur, Rajasthan | PM Narendra Modi says, "…I would make one more promise to you. Congress' paper leak mafia has ruined the future of lakhs of youth here. The youth of Rajasthan is demanding justice…BJP Government will take strict actions against all such paper… pic.twitter.com/foXUSYnyzl
He further pointed out that the Congress party, which promised unemployment allowance at the time of elections, has “handed over the youth here to the paper leak mafia. Therefore, it is necessary to form a BJP government here. The BJP government will take the strictest action against every such paper leak mafia.”
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath’s statement, “Criminals would not be spared under any circumstances,” has gained resonance in another Bharatiya Janta Party administrated state of Madhya Pradesh where residences of criminals encounter the bulldozer action which often makes the headlines.
The government of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s bulldozed the illegal house of the auto driver, accused in the Ujjain rape case.
Bulldozer demolished illegal house of the accused in Ujjain rape case of minor. pic.twitter.com/NBgDLd0XcZ
According to reports, Bharat Soni, the accused in the Ujjain rape case, had constructed his home by means of unauthorised use of public property. He had also built a temple. Bulldozers were used by the administration team to clear these occupied grounds of all unlawful structures.
In the aforementioned case, the Ujjain police had arrested three persons, including the auto driver after they examined the CCTV footage of the last 72 hours and saw the auto driver talking to the girl. The accused was charged with rape in accordance with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
As reported earlier, the girl was helped by a Hindu priest identified as Rahul Sharma. The victim girl was scared and walking on the streets of Ujjain seeking help. She had injuries on her private parts and was bleeding. She walked for around 8 km in the city seeking help but to no avail. Finally, when she reached near Dandi Ashram on the Badnagar road in the city, where Rahul Sharma offered her clothes and called for emergency medical service. He informed the police, who recovered the girl and took her to the hospital.
‘Won’t allow bulldozers to descend on her house’: wife of land mafia Prem Yadav, who was killed in Deoria mass murder incident, challenges administration
At the same time, plans are in motion to run a bulldozer on the illegal properties of Premchand Yadav, the former district panchayat member who was killed in the massacre that happened as an apparent act of retribution following a longstanding land dispute between the families of Prem Yadav and Satya Prakash Dubey.
The team from the Revenue Department arrived in the Fatehpur village neighbourhood of the Rudrapur police station and assessed the home of the strong land mafia family of Premchand Yadav. The bulldozer action can be implemented at any time. Meanwhile, Sheela Yadav wife of Premchandra Yadav, who was the first to be killed in the massacre, has claimed that she is not going to allow bulldozers to descend on her house.
She made the declaration after a survey was carried out by the Revenue Department on her place. “Two people from my family have been taken away by the police. The rest of the neighbours have also been arrested by the police. There are no men left even for the duties related to the last rites.”
Notably, in the Deoria mass murder case, Premchand Yadav was the first one to be murdered. Following his murder, his supporters barged into Satya Prakash Dubey’s house and bludgeoned him and four of his family members to death. According to local media, Prem Yadav was a local strongman of the village who had ties with the Samajwadi Party. He often used his political connections to usurp government lands and properties of the impoverished villagers.
Meanwhile, speaking about the bulldozer action the administration is mulling to take against the illegal properties belonging to Prem Yadav, his wife claimed, “There is discussion of demolishing my house even though it is completely legal and its deed is in the name of my mother-in-law. The court document should be brought first before proceeding forward. I will not let my house be demolished. First of all, my husband was murdered and that should be inquired. Any action should take place afterwards.”
Sixteen persons were arrested in connection with the murders of five members of a family at Fatehpur village in a purported retaliation to the killing of a man whom they had a long-standing land dispute with.
Prem Yadav’s Samajwadi Party connection; allegations of being a land mafia
It was also reported in the local version of another newspaper that Prem Yadav had ties with the Samajwadi Party. Prem Yadav was frequently involved in land-related controversies. He utilized money and political influence to gain control of the land. He has been accused of forcing his way into purchasing several expensive lands at low prices. He had purchased three kathas of disputed land in the Rudrapur stretch, and the issue was currently being heard by the Gram Panchayat.
According to locals, Prem Yadav usurped the land of a government educational institute and Gram Sabha and built a posh building on it. He had acquired one acre of land in the village while serving as the District Panchayat member. A plot of land in the village is registered in the name of Manas Vidyalaya, however, it is owned by Prem Yadav. He also owns the land registered in the name of GS School and Barn. He used his political clout and influence to illegally acquire the forest department’s land, as well as the school and the one-acre land in the village.
It has also been alleged that Prem Yadav used to perpetrate these crimes with the help of Revenue Department officials. According to Ramashish Nishad, village head representative, despite multiple appeals to the Revenue Department, no action was taken to remove the illegal encroachment.
Locals also revealed that Prem Yadav’s mother was the village chief in Deoria’s Fatehpur village. Satya Prakash Dubey’s brother Gyan Prakash Dubey had no family, thus by providing him shelter, Prem Yadav gained his trust and usurped Gyan Prakash’s land and transferred it in his name.
It may be noted that in her complaint, Satya Prakash Dubey’s elder daughter, Shobita Dwivedi, had referenced a prior incident in 2014 when Prem Prakash Yadav allegedly kidnapped her uncle Gyan Prakash Dubey and forcibly made him transfer his agricultural land, subsequently leading to a protracted legal dispute.
A major disaster took place in Sikkim yesterday (4th October), when the Chungthang Hydro-Dam was washed away by flooding of the Teesta River. Flash floods severely affected several districts in the area and have caused major destructions, and several bridges also have been washed away by the strong water currents. A bridge connecting the powerhouse was also washed away.
At least 14 persons have been reported dead due to the flash floods, and over a hundred persons are still missing, including 22 personnel of the Indian army. Over 2,000 people have been rescued so far, including one army personnel as originally 23 soldiers were missing.
The Chungthang dam is an integral part of the 1200 MW mega Teesta Stage III Hydro Electric Project, a major source of electricity for Sikkim and West Bengal. It is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric project, which was commissioned in 2017. The project run by Sikkim Urja (formerly Teesta Urja) had started to make a profit from last year. The dam had a gross height of 817 metres and a net head of 778 metres, which was used for power generation.
Sunil Saraogi, the executive chairman of Sikkim Urja Limited, said that the breach took place just after midnight, and the dam washed away in just 10 minutes, along with the bridge. The powerhouse also has been completely submerged in water.
He added that they got information about surging water from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at 11:58 PM on Tuesday, and their team went to the dam to open the gates. However, before the gates could be opened, a flash flood hit the project, and the workers had to run for their lives. The workers were stranded on the other side of the river and were rescued the next day.
“The dam and the bridge have to be rebuilt and the rebuilding cost would run in thousands of crores rupees. The losses would be thousands of crores,” Sunil Saraogi added.
The cause
The disaster took place because of a sudden surge of water at South Lhonak Lake in Northern Sikkim, around 50 km north of Chungthang. Lachen River flows out of this glacial lake on the Himalayas and flows southwards, and it meets the Lachung River at Chungthang to form the Teesta River.
South Lhonak Lake is located at a height of 5,200 metres, with a towering ice-capped feature at about 6,800 metres to the north of and in close proximity to the lake. The Lake is surrounded by several glaciers, including the South Lhonak Glacier, North Lhonak Glacier and main Lhonak Glaciers. The lake is constantly expanding due to the melting of the glaciers, reportedly caused by global warming.
A statement by the National Disaster Management Authority said that there was a sudden surge of flow in the Teesta River in the earlier hours of October 4, which washed away several bridges, parts of NH-10, and the Chungthang Dam. It added that the event impacted several small villages, towns and infrastructure projects in the upper reaches of the river valley. The main districts affected are Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi.
— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण ?? (@ndmaindia) October 4, 2023
There are several speculations regarding the cause of the disaster, and three main causes are being discussed, a cloud burst, a GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood), and the recent earthquakes in nearby regions. However, as per NDMA, the primary reason for the sudden surge appears to be a likely combination of excess rainfall and a GLOF event at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim. Therefore, earthquake as a cause has been ruled out in preliminary assessment, although the scientists are investigating the exact cause of the flash flood.
Experts will study whether the recent earthquake in Nepal contributed to the disaster. The region is prone to frequent seismic activities, and its role in collapse of glaciers can’t be ruled out.
NDMA added that Satellite images received from NRSC (ISRO) reveal that more than half the South Lhonak Lake has been drained out due to the GLOF. The NRSC satellite imagery showed that the lake was spread over approximately 162.7 hectares. Its area increased to 167.4 hectares on September 28 and then drastically reduced to 60.3 hectares. This means water in over 100 acres of area drained out.
Source: ISRO
The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority stated that a “cloudburst in portions of Lhonak Lake, which caused the rise of water levels with very high velocities downstream along the Teesta River basin in the early hours of Wednesday.”
This massive amount of water swept away everything in its path, including the dam and the bridges. Rocks and debris carried by the water increased the momentum, causing massive destruction.
Himalayan Glaciers
The Himalayan Ranges have a larger number of glacial lakes, the number of which has been estimated at about 7,500 using remote sensing techniques. Of these, Sikkim has 733 glacial lakes, of which nearly 25 are assessed to be at-risk, as per NDMA. 288 of the lakes are located above an altitude of 5,000. The Teesta River basin alone has 313 glacial lakes.
South Lhonak glacier and the lake are among the ones already identified as at-risk. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had earlier warned that the South Lhonak lake was “potentially hazardous,” asking authorities to keep an eye on it.
Cloudbursts and Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) are a major concern in the Himalayan region and have caused disasters earlier, including the Kedarnath disaster in 2013.
As per studies, glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya mountain range could lose up to 75% of their volume by the century’s end due to global warming. Melting of glaciers in the Eastern Himalayas will be faster as per the study by Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). If this happens, this will mean massive floods followed by serious water shortages.
However, there is a lack of historical record of glaciers in the region, unlike the glaciers in the US or Europe. Therefore, there are high degrees of uncertainties in predictions. But the fact remains that Himalayas face cloudbursts and GLOFs from time to time, causing destruction downstream.
Anti-dam activism
The Sikkim incident gave the anti-dam activists an opportunity to raise their voices against building big dams, especially in the Himalayas. There is a sustained campaign in the country against the construction of dams, due to various reasons such as displacement of people, risks of disasters etc. Such incidents give boosts to such campaigns.
Terrible footages coming out of #Sikkim of the 1200 MW #ChungthangDam being breached. Precisely why many have warned about the #Himalayan zone not being suitable for big dams & heavy #infrastructure. But a certain model of 'development' burries such cautions, putting all at risk! pic.twitter.com/U7Y8vgiIlr
However, while the risk with such projects will always be there, it is also a fact that hydel electricity is a vital source of energy that India can’t ignore. A developed India will need lots of electricity. At present most of India’s power need is fulfilled by coal-fired thermal plants. However, due to environmental concerns along with depleting coal reserves, hydel power will play a major role as a source of clean power.
Although there has been massive investment in solar power, the issue of its unavailability of sunlight at night remains, and it will remain till technology for large-scale battery storage is developed. Therefore, other sources of energy can’t be ignored, including hydel power. It remains the most reliable source of clean energy, given the current global backlash against nuclear energy, along with associated technological challenges.
Moreover, there will be risks with every kind of project, but that does not mean one abandons such projects. The Himalayan rivers in India offer huge potential for clean energy, and India can’t afford to not utilise them. To take benefit of this massive source of energy and water, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate and reduce risks.
Steps to mitigate the risks
In fact, the government is already taking steps to prevent disasters caused by such cloudbursts and GLOFs. In order to mitigate the impact of a GLOF event in the Himalayan lakes, the govt is installing early warning systems at the lakes which will provide real-time alerts. An NDMA-led expedition surveyed two at-risk lakes in the first week of September 2023, in order to deploy such warning systems. NDMA has said that it has plans to install early warning systems for real-time alerts at most of 56 at-risk glacial lakes in India.
NDMA added that efforts to expand the mitigation programme are being expedited, while sustained investigations into the causes of this event are underway. Further, as this region is known for highly localised heavy rainfall events, steps are being taken for better predictions. For this, efforts to improve the predictive ability for such events will also be intensified in collaboration with relevant agencies.
Continuous monitoring of the glacial lakes and weather in the mountains is key to preventing such disasters, including proactive response in time by the dam authorities. If the information about glacial lakes overflowing is obtained on time and the gates of dams downstream are opened before the surged water arrives, major disasters can be averted. This may cause flooding in the valley, but will not cause major destruction of infrastructure.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur on 5 October where he attacked Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in his stronghold as well as complimented Vivek Agnihotri’s movie ‘The Vaccine War’ for accurately portraying the toilsome work that the country’s scientists put into creating the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine. He also slammed the Congress party for casting aspersions on the Indian vaccine.
राजस्थान को देश के विकास का इंजन बनाने के लिए भारतीय जनता पार्टी संकल्पबद्ध है। जोधपुर में विशाल जनसभा को संबोधित कर रहा हूं। https://t.co/s3TBL2SESf
He stated, “Several million individuals both in India and around the world had their lives saved by the vaccine that was produced in the country. It saved everyone’s life. Congress party has a lot of issues with it. The world is talking about India’s remarkable efforts to develop vaccines. There are discussions about our scientists.”
He further added, “I have heard that a movie called ‘The Vaccine War’ has recently been released and it perfectly captures how our nation’s scientists laboured day and night to combat COVID-19 in India.” He compared their commitment and dedication to ‘meditation’ and asserted, “They meditated like sages in their laboratories and our female scientists also carried out exceptional work.”
The PM mentioned, “Every Indian feels proud that our scientists succeeded in such a feat after watching the film.” He congratulated the filmmakers for giving the nation’s scientists and science great significance in their cinematic venture. “This is going to be very valuable for the coming generations.”
‘The Vaccine War’ is a medical drama directed by ‘The Kashmir Files’ fame filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri tells the story of the development of Covaxin during the Coronavirus pandemic in India. It depicts the sacrifices and achievements made by the Indian scientific community, particularly women in the creation of India’s first COVID-19 vaccine and the role played by vested interests in undermining the momentous accomplishment. It features Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, Anupam Kher, Girija Oak, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Sapthami Gowda and Mohan Kapur.
The Prime Minister also questioned the inability of the incumbent Congress government and its chief minister to maintain law and order in the state. “What was the Chief Minister doing while Jodhpur was engulfed in riots? What were the leaders here doing when people were being killed? Is appeasement the ultimate policy of Congress? No festival takes place without incidents of stone pelting. Jodhpur, a city that values peace, has gang wars. The MLA does not consider herself safe and a businessman’s son is kidnapped here.”
He affirmed that his party is determined to make Rajasthan the engine of development of the country. He proclaimed that the state’s progress was his prerogative and that the people’s dream was his resolve. “The BJP intends to make Rajasthan the number one state in tourism. Modi cannot do this, but your one vote can. Your support would help the BJP win power and Rajasthan is going to top the tourism industry as a result.”
“Paper leak mafia has ruined the future of millions. The people who promised unemployment allowance at the time of the elections have left the entire government to the paper leak mafia,” he accused and also announced that Ujjwala beneficiaries would henceforth receive gas cylinders from the central government for only Rs 600.
He alluded to the infamous Red Diary and asked, “Will the Congress government permit the secrets of Lal Diary to be revealed? Will the BJP government have to be formed for its secrets to be made public? Should the secrets of this red diary be disclosed or not? Modi’s pledge denotes a promise that each commitment will be fulfilled.”
He charged, “Congress has nothing to do with the problems of women. Water was not a concern for Congress when it was the federal government. The BJP government has taken it to the homes of ten crore people, but the Congress administration here is not allowing us to work swiftly.”
PM Modi expressed that the desire to connect ourselves with national resolutions will help us Indians to achieve every goal. “We are making every possible effort to become self-reliant and developed. The mantra of Vocal for Local has also become a part of the lifestyle of every countryman today. On 2nd October Khadi products worth Rs 1.5 crore were sold in a Khadi store in Delhi. My country is really changing.”
He noted, “India’s voice is heard on a global scale. Congress also has an issue with the BJP government’s transformation of India from the tenth to the fifth economic power. This is Modi’s vow that he will lead the nation to third place in a few years.”
He informed that Ashok Gehlot was missing from a government program. “I am coming from a government program, but the Chief Minister was missing there. He firmly believes that if Modi arrives, everything will be in order. I also want to tell him to take a rest and we will take care of everything.”
PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the new terminal building of the airport, which has been built at a cost of Rs 480 crore. He also dedicated an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur to the country. Approximately Rs 5,000 crores worth of rail, road, health, education and related projects were inaugurated during this time.
In a perplexing turn of events, a newly erected BMTC bus shelter, valued at Rs 10 lakh, has mysteriously vanished just a week after its installation, raising serious concerns in the heart of Bengaluru. This remarkable incident unfolded on Cunningham Road, a bustling thoroughfare located behind the Bengaluru city police commissioner’s office, and situated a mere kilometre away from Vidhana Soudha, the state’s legislative assembly.
The disappearance of the bus shelter, constructed on August 21, remained undetected until August 28, when it was discovered missing. Astonishingly, it took a whole month for a complaint to be filed, which finally materialised on September 30. N Ravi Reddy, the associate vice-president of a company tasked with the responsibility of constructing BMTC bus shelters in the city, lodged the complaint with the High Grounds police, shedding light on the perplexing disappearance.
In his official complaint, Reddy elucidated, “We undertake the work of constructing bus shelters in the city for BBMP. Accordingly, we constructed this particular bus shelter (close to Coffee Day) on Cunningham Road on August 21. It was a stainless-steel structure. The cost of the shelter was Rs 10 lakh. However, on visiting the shelter on August 28, we found it missing. We enquired with BBMP officials and asked them whether they had any information on the removal of the shelter and they said no. Finally, we decided to lodge a police complaint.”
This incident has sparked an urgent police investigation, with a case being registered under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to the punishment for theft. The disappearance of this significant bus shelter has sent shockwaves through the city, as it served as a crucial transit point for hundreds of daily commuters heading to various destinations including Lingarajapuram, Hennur, Banasawadi, Pulikeshinagar, Gangenahalli, Bhoopasandra, Hebbal, and Yelahanka.
The sudden disappearance of the bus shelter has left commuters in the lurch, with an old-fashioned bus shelter having been demolished a few months earlier to make way for the now-vanished stainless-steel structure. Passengers, concerned about their safety and comfort, expressed their dismay at the situation. “A newly built bus shelter took its place in August. Within days, it disappeared. We don’t know why it was removed. What if it rains now?” a woman passenger voiced her apprehensions. The current bus stop is now equipped with a smaller shelter that can accommodate no more than 20 passengers at a time, leaving many commuters exposed to the elements.
To shed light on this enigma, the police have taken swift action, gathering and scrutinising CCTV footage from nearby establishments. A police officer involved in the case remarked, “Most commercial establishments have CCTV footage that can store recordings for one month and it gets automatically deleted afterwards. Once we get the footage, we can trace the miscreants and crack the case.”
This is not the first instance of bus shelter theft in Bengaluru. Earlier in the year, similar incidents were reported in HRBR Layout and Kalyan Nagar. These shelters, constructed from stainless steel, are fetching an attractive price in the black market, making them a lucrative target for thieves.
On Thursday, October 5, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court announced the punishments for convicts held guilty in the Tara Shahdeo religious conversion case. The CBI pronounced punishment of life imprisonment for her ex-husband Rakib-ul Hasan and ten years imprisonment for his mother Kaushar Rani. The then registrar of the High Court Mustaque Ahmed, accused of conspiring, has also been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
National shooter Tara Shahdeo was pressured to convert her religion by her ex-husband Rakib-ul Hasan aka Ranjit Kohli after they got married in 2014. In 2017, the CBI filed a chargesheet in the National Shooter Tara Shahdeo case.
Commenting on the issue, she said on October 5 that no woman should be assaulted or pressured to change her faith. “I want to thank the court and the CBI who served me justice. This justice is not just for me, every daughter in the country will gain trust that whoever does this to them will be punished. People who do this would be afraid to not treat someone like this. When my fight started, it was labelled as domestic violence. But my efforts were that this should not happen with any girl. People were hesitant to speak that word. After this judgment, they would come up against it openly,” she said.
#WATCH | Ranchi, Jharkhand: National Shooter Tara Shahdeo says, "I want to thank the court and the CBI who served me justice. This justice is not just for me, every daughter in the country will gain trust that whoever does this to them will be punished. People who do this would… pic.twitter.com/zBpgxOWocZ
Meanwhile the lawyer of convicted Rasqibul Hasan, Mukhtar Ahmed also confirmed the development and said, “There are three accused in this case. Ranjeet Singh Kohli, Mushtaq Ahmed and Kaushar Rani. Kaushar Rani has been punished for 10 years under section 376 with 120 B. Mushtaq Ahmed has been punished for 15 years and Ranjeet Singh Kohli has life imprisonment till death in custody.”
He also added that he would apply to the High Court seeking relief from the punishment. “We will appeal against that order before the High Court and certainly, we will get a relief from there… This is a matter of family dispute, it is not a big issue. It is not a big issue, he is a first offender, and they are a respectable person in the society. We don’t think there is anything serious against these people. We will go to the High Court,” he was quoted as saying.
#WATCH | National Shooter Tara Shahdeo forced conversion case | Ranchi, Jharkhand: Lawyer of convicted Rasqibul Hasan, Mukhtar Ahmed says, "There are three accused in this case. Ranjeet Singh Kohli, Mushtaq Ahmed and Kaushar Rani. Kaushar Rani has been punished for 10 years under… pic.twitter.com/lfZrjgQHL7
The declaration of the punishment by the CBI court comes days after it convicted all three principal accused in the Tara Sahadeo conversion case, namely, her ex-husband Rakib-ul Hasan and her mother-in-law Kaushar Rani and Mustaque Ahmad. The verdict that was pronounced on September 30, was in relation to the case filed by the national-level shooter against her estranged husband her mother-in-law and one other accusing them of engaging in multiple atrocities against her and attempting to convert her to Islam against her will.
Rakib-ul Hasan was found guilty under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 376 (2) (n) (physical relation on the promise of marriage), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 298 (wounding religious sentiments), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 496 (fraudulent marriage ceremony) of the Indian Penal Code.
Tara Shahdeo case
The case dates back to the year 2014 when the victim wedded Rakib-ul Hasan on 7 July, in accordance with Hindu customs. Rakib-ul Hasan had posed as Ranjit Kohli to trap the national-level shooter. However, on the second day of their union, Rakib-ul Hasan and Mustaque Ahmad, who served as the registrar of vigilance at the time, began pressuring the national-level shooter to become a Muslim and do Nikaah (Islamic marriage).
After discovering that her husband was a Muslim, the victim filed a complaint against Rakib-ul Hasan and his mother with the Hindpidhi police station on August 19, 2014, under sections 498A (subjecting a woman to cruelty by husband or his family for property) and 34 (committing any criminal act involving two or more persons with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
She alleged that her husband misrepresented his faith and misled her into marrying him. She also accused him of tormenting her for refusing to accept Islam. Mustaque Ahmad was stated as having conspired with the two to torture and force her to convert under duress. He was the previous Jharkhand High Court registrar (vigilance).
“Rakib convinced Tara to marry him by pretending to be a Hindu. After the solemnization of the marriage, he tried to forcibly convert her for a nikah ceremony. When she refused, Tara was confined to her home and subjected to atrocities for several days. The police eventually rescued her,” revealed her attorney who assisted the national agency in the case.
Khushar Rani meanwhile threatened the national shooter that if she failed to convert her religion to Islam, partners in her bed would keep changing.
Tara Shahdeo was sternly warned not to apply sindoor or else her hands would be broken. Multiple Muslim clerics were called to convert her. She suffered severe beatings when she refused. She was threatened with the murder of not just herself but even her family members if she disclosed the torture she was enduring to anyone. The culprits also made dowry demands from her.
Her oppression continued for a month before she decided to break free. There were cigarette marks on her body and she was hospitalized after she was saved. Rakib-ul Hasan confessed to physically assaulting her but denied compelling her to change her religion.
The CBI took up the investigation in 2015, following a Jharkhand High Court decision, and a case was filed in Delhi.
The CBI recorded her statement under section 164 (authorizes the Magistrate to record the statement of a person or his confession) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The prosecution presented up to 26 witnesses in court, and their cross-examination lasted for more than seven months.
In 2017, the CBI filed a chargesheet in the National Shooter Tara Shahdeo case, in which she was allegedly pressured to convert her religion by her husband.
On the basis of cruelty, a Ranchi family court granted her divorce on June 26, 2018.
In 2019, a CBI court in Ranchi framed charges against Raqibul Hassan alias Ranjit Kohli for allegedly giving false information about his religion while marrying national-level air rifle shooter Tara Shahdeo which subsequently ended in divorce. The court also framed charges against four others for allegedly helping Hassan.
Finally, after nine years of legal battle, the court on September 30, 2023, convicted Shahdeo’s husband Ranjit Kohli alias Raqibul Hasan, his mother Kaushar Rani and Mushtaq Ahmed and today it pronounced the quantum of punishment for the accused.
After the conviction order, Tara was quoted as saying, “I had full faith in the judiciary. I have got justice after a wait of nine years. Those who harmed me have been convicted. I thank all those who cooperated with me.”
The Delhi anti-Hindu riots which lasted from the 23rd of February 2020 to the 26th of February 2020 was perhaps one of the first cases of communal strife where the various interlinks between Pakistan, Indian Islamic terror organisations like PFI, Muslim and Leftist “activists” and so much more was established in clear terms. What was also established is the role of Indian and global media in changing the narrative from ‘what is’ to ‘what they want it to be’. We saw how craftily the truth was obfuscated to turn clearly planned and organised violence against Hindus into an ‘anti-Muslim pogrom’. While the conspiracy chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police provided ample evidence about how the anti-Hindu violence was planned and executed, more information is now emerging that gives another dimension to the violence and its genesis – the ISIS angle.
On 3rd October, NIA arrested three Jihadis connected to the ISIS Pune terror module. They were planning terror attacks against India. The prime accused – Shahanawaz, had a bounty of Rs 3 lakh on his head. According to the Delhi Police, the module planned to carry out terror attacks across India through instructions from foreign-based handlers. Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama was arrested by the Delhi Police special cell from a hideout in the national capital.
The NIA has also recovered chemical substances from Shahnawaz and other incriminating material suspected to be used for IED fabrication. The NIA had announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh each for information about Shahnawaz and three other terror suspects namely Rizwan Abdul, Haji Ali, Abdulla Faiyaz Shaikh alias Diaperwala, and Talha Liyakat Khan. Reportedly, Shahnawaz, Abdulla, and Rizwan were radicalised into joining the ISIS mission over the Telegram app and planned to engineer violence and terror in the country.
Police said the accused are Shahnawaz Alam (31), a resident of Hazaribagh in Jharkhand; Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf (28) from Lucknow; and Mohammad Arshad Warsi from Garhwa district in Jharkhand. The latter was presently residing in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar. While Rizwan Ashraf was arrested from Lucknow, Shahnawaz was arrested from Jaitpur and Warsi from Moradabad. Iron pipes, chemicals, time devices, and pistol cartridges, among other items used to make explosives, were recovered from Shahnawaz’s possession.
Most interestingly, the authorities have released that Pakistan ISI and ISIS were handling the activities of the three terrorists now arrested. The police said that the three terrorists had sworn allegiance to ISIS and their Pakistani ISI handlers also had connections to ISIS. They added that ISIS operated from the background to ensure that they did not come to the notice of international agencies and law enforcement organisations.
These terrorists were heavily religiously indoctrinated and had tried to set up their base in Western and Southern India, where they had significant reach. Further, they had carried out test blasts and most importantly, they had arranged for local procurement of weapons so the suspicion would not fall on ISI or ISIS. “All three had a scientific bent of mind which helped them test bombs in forest areas to ensure success during final execution,” said the police. The three – including Arshad Warsi, were aiming to plant IEDs to ensure maximum damage and target important people. To this end, they also conducted extensive surveillance of the daily routines and routes of important targets.
Shahnawaz, who is the prime accused in this case, had come to Delhi in the year 2016. The police said that he would go to Shaheen Bagh and listen to speeches by the Radical Islamic group Hizb-ut-Tahrir. It was during his time in Shaheen Bagh that he swore allegiance to ISIS. Shahanawaz met Rizwan during this time and they became friends. Both of them were influenced by ISIS at this time. Interestingly, Arshad Warsi also came to Delhi in 2016 after completing his B-Tech from Aligarh Muslim University. He had crossed paths with Shahnawaz and become friends while they were attending one of the programs together. It is not clear what the program was, but since Warsi was settled in Jamia Nagar, one could possibly conclude that they met during the radical Islamic programs in Shaheen Bagh too.
It was Mohammad Arshad Warsi who facilitated the sheltering of Shahnavaz, a most-wanted terrorist with a reward of 3 lakh rupees on his head. Warsi was also involved in plotting terrorist attacks. Following the information revealed in the interrogation of Mohammad Arshad Warsi, the Delhi Police Special Cell managed to locate and arrest Shahnavaz.
For the purpose of this report, following are the operative parts that we need to keep in mind:
Arshad Warsi came to Delhi in 2016 and started staying at Jamia Nagar.
It was in 2016 that Shahnawaz came to Delhi and started attending radical Islamic programs in Shaheen Bagh.
Warsi met Shahnawaz in 2016 and they were already connected to ISIS in 2016.
They were planning IED attacks, to target high value targets and had even conducted surveillance of these targets.
They had Pakistani ISI handlers.
The handlers were also in touch with ISIS.
Shahnawaz was himself in touch with international ISIS contacts.
By extension, one can assume that Warsi was also in touch with ISIS contacts.
Even after NIA had announced a reward for Shahnawaz, Arshad Warsi had sheltered him, saving him from the police.
It was Arshad Warsi, after whose interrogation, Shahnawaz was arrested.
After the arrest and the revelations by Delhi Police Special Cell, it is evident that Arshad Warsi was an ISIS terrorist planning IED attacks in India along with the mastermind Shahnawaz, who he met in 2016.
Arshad Warsi – who he is and his connection to Delhi anti-Hindu riots
Hailing from Jharkhand, Mohammad Arshad Warsi holds a BTech degree from Aligarh Muslim University and is presently enrolled in a PhD program at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), where he specialises in ‘Islamic Principles in Management’.
Arshad Warsi, who is now arrested for being an ISIS terrorist and planning bomb blasts in Delhi along with other ISIS terrorists, was intricately involved in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots as well. In fact, Arshad Warsi along with Sharjeel Imam planted the seed of the violence which culminated in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots in 2020.
In the 2700-page chargesheet filed pertaining to FIR 59/2020, the Delhi Police dedicate almost 700 pages to the chronology of the conspiracy hatched for the Delhi anti-Hindu riots in 2020. In fact, the chargesheet displayed evidence that the conspiracy started right from the 5th of December 2019. It is in these crucial stages of planning that Arshad Warsi features along with Sharjeel Imam.
According to the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police, after CAB was tabled in both houses of the parliament on the 4th of December, on the 5th of December a group called Muslim Students of JNU (MSJ) was formed by Sharjeel Imam who was the main member of the group and its creation was also his brainchild.
The chats that have been procured by the Delhi police after a perusal of the phones confiscated from Sharjeel and other accused, it was revealed that Sharjeel Imam and Arshad Warsi (student of Jamia) were in constant touch and Sharjeel was also in touch with “radical communal group” Students of Jamia (SOJ).
On the 6th of December, pamphlets which were written by Sharjeel Imam himself were distributed in the Jama Masjid area by the MSJ group. This fact was revealed by the chats recovered between Sharjeel Imam and Arshad Warsi. The pamphlets were communal in nature and essentially aimed to incite hate in the Muslim community by invoking the Supreme Court decision in the Ram Janmabhoomi case.
Some of the pamphlets read “Law of Allah above all else” and “The command of Allah is above every law”.
A sample of the conversation between Sharjeel Imam and Arshad Warsi on the 7th of December (produced verbatim from the screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation attached in the chargesheet):
Arshad: Hamne bhi babri ke hawale se kuch distribution kiye the. So wahin malum chala
Sharjeel: Parcha humne likha tha
Arshad: Alhamdulillah
Arshad: Sahi hai
Sharjeel: Aur 8000 copies baate aaj masajid main
Arshad: Mashallah. May Allah reward you all.
The chats from that time reveal far more – most importantly – that Sharjeel Imam was already planning violence and Arshad Warsi, the ISIS terrorist was working closely with him and was his close confidante.
On the 7th of December, Sharjeel Imam said that he would be joining the protests called by United Against Hate. This fact was revealed by his WhatsApp conversation with Arshad Warsi. While joining a protest is not wrong in itself, here is the clincher – on the 7th of December, Sharjeel Imam categorically said that he was planning something big in the next week and for that purpose, he would mobilise students from DU, AMU etc with the help of MSJ members.
Subsequently, Arshad Wars put up the minutes of the meeting that was held at the Tefla Dhaba between the core committee members of the MSJ group. The aim of the meeting was rather simple – to make the UAH rally a resounding success and also, to ensure that both Muslim and non-Muslim students turn up at the protest.
The aim of getting Muslim and non-Muslim students both was rather evident and is a recurring theme in the chargesheet – to ensure that the veil of secularism was maintained and it would not seem like only Muslims were protesting against the Bill. In fact, the farce of the exercise is evident since in one of the chats, it was said by the two that the aim of the MSJ was to ensure that Muslim students who wanted to coordinate and protest could come together and they did not want to be seen competing with other Muslim organisations like SIO.
It is important to note that it was the following week that the Jamia riots took place and violence broke out in several parts of Delhi and even Uttar Pradesh.
The violence began on the 15th of December when Muslim mobs rampaged through the national capital. Amanatullah Khan, a prominent MLA of the Aam Aadmi Party, and Delhi’s Sunni Waqf Board chief was spotted leading the riots in Jamia Nagar. Chants of ‘Hinduon se Azadi’ were raised in the same area that very day. Buses were also set on fire during those violent protests. On the same night, the Delhi Police cracked down on the Jamia Milia Islamia University and entered the campus to flush out the miscreants.
Two days later, massive riots broke out in Seelampur. Delhi turned into a war zone. A school bus was attacked and set on fire as well. The mob taunted the policemen to run after them following which stones were pelted.
Interestingly, on the 8th of December, an underground meeting had taken place where Sharjeel Imam, Yogendra Yadav and others were present.
It was in this meeting, that according to the chargesheet, a plan was hatched on how to implement the Chakka Jam. It was decided that it would be Sharjeel Imam who would organise and lead students from various universities and colleges in and around Delhi. It was, interestingly, also decided that organisations like United Against Hate and Swarajya Abhiyaan would help each other in every way possible. This has, according to the Chargehsheet, been revealed by a witness.
The fact that this meeting took place was also confirmed by the chats that were discovered between Sharjeel Imam and Arshad Warsi.
On the same day, a WhatsApp group was formed called the ‘CAB TEAM’. The core members of the team were following:
Yogendra Yadav
Umar Khalid
Sharjeel Imam
Nadeem Khan
Parvej Alam etc.
Thereafter, there was a spate of violence almost on a daily basis leading right up to the Delhi anti-Hindu riots 2020.
The 13th of December marked the first incident of violence in Delhi after Islamists and Leftists had gotten together in the name of their protest against CAA.
On the 13th of December, the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act took a communal turn in Delhi after ‘students’ of the controversial Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University resorted to mob violence against the police officials and shouted Islamic slogans “Allah-o-Akbar” during their protests. The video had even surfaced where Jamia Millia Islamia University students can be seen raising ‘Allaho Akbar’ and ‘Nara-e-Taqbeer’ slogans. They are also heard saying, “Ye shahar zagmagaega, nur-e-la-illaha se, Ye desh zagmagaega, nur-e-la-ilaha se.Nara-e-takbir, Allahu Akbar”. The ‘students’ of the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi were also seen abusing police with provocative words as they used tear gas to disperse the violent mob.
In another video that was shared by one of the radical Islamic groups called Tehzeeb Committee of Jamia Millia Islamia College, a ‘student’ can be seen making communal and provocative statements by claiming that ‘those who want to protect Muslims will have to protect Islam’. There were also several provocative statements that demanded Muslims to take to the streets. The “speech” was followed by a worrying slogan, “tera mera rishta kya, La ilahi illilah”. Similar statements were heard in Kashmir with respect to Pakistan by terrorists where they chanted “Pakistan se rishta kya, La ilahi illilah”.
As the police began to lathi-charge the students to calm down the situation, the protestors resorted to stone-pelting against these police officials.
According to the chargesheet, in this incident, 20 policemen were injured. The chargesheet says that this incident of violence was a direct result of the conspiracy being hatched since earlier in December and Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha and others were directly involved. They also believe that Sharjeel’s spectacles were broken during the violence.
On the day that the Delhi Riots started – 23rd February 2020 – Students of Jamia group – the radical Jihadi group that Sharjeel Imam and Arshad Warsi were earlier coordinating with posted this on Facebook:
On 25th February, after several Hindus had been murdered brutally by Jihadis and the Delhi anti-Hindu riots were raging, Students of Jamia posted this:
There is ample evidence mentioned in the chargesheets to prove that the planning of the Delhi anti-Hindu riots started right from 5th December 2019. The people who were intricately involved have also been mentioned. It is now evident that one of the main masterminds Sharjeel Imam was working closely with an ISIS terrorist. That ISIS terrorist and Sharjeel Imam were constantly in touch with radical groups like Students of Jamia, who clearly were inciting further violence and were also actively involved in the Delhi Riots. They were also involved in the propaganda that erupted after the anti-Hindu riots, blaming Hindus instead of the Islamists.
Right after the violence, Students of Jamia group were busy blaming Hindus for the violence that they themselves perpetuated along with other Jihadis, including an ISIS terrorist.
While the chargesheets were being reported and even during the investigation into the Delhi anti-Hindu riots, Arshad Warsi seemed like a smaller player whose role was limited to coordination with Jamia radicals and Sharjeel Imam. However, with the latest revelations, it is evident that Arshad Warsi was an ISIS terrorist who was involved in planning and coordinating the violence from the beginning.
Further, the latest revelations also pose an important question – if someone who seemed as innocuous as Arshad Warsi turned out to be a hardened ISIS terrorist planning a bomb attack, who else involved in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots has links to ISIS and Pakistan’s ISI? This element gives an entirely new dimension to the Delhi anti-Hindu riots since so far, the active role of ISIS in planning and executing the riots had not been revealed to such an extent. There have always been suspicions that jihadi elements like ISIS and ISI could be involved in some manner or the other, but, these suspicions were essentially limited to private discussions. This is perhaps the first link of the Delhi anti-Hindu riots with ISIS and it is imperative that the link be investigated thoroughly. In fact, logic dictates that since Arshad Warsi was so close to Sharjeel Imam, it is entirely possible that Imam knew about Warsi’s ISIS connection and had used it to plan the violence – a link that can possibly be revealed through investigation on how deep the ISIS link was in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots.
Not just Arshad Warsi – another ISIS link has emerged
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad, who is representing the Delhi Police in the case of the larger conspiracy in Delhi anti-Hindu riots, has come under attack in court by a lawyer who is an ISIS poster boy – Mahmood Pracha.
Mahmood Pracha, representing another accused in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots, levelled personal allegations against the SPP Amit Prasad. In his application to the court, Pracha claimed that he had a personal investigation conducted and in that, it was revealed that Amit Prasad had taken money in cash from the Delhi Police in an underhand manner.
Prasad contended that if this allegation was found to be correct, he was “not fit to continue as the SPP” in the present case. He also submitted that Pracha should place the material on record to substantiate his “false and grave allegations”, along with the affidavit of the private investigator.
The SPP further contended that Pracha had put a “question mark on his integrity” and the “prosecution cannot be browbeaten like this”. Prasad also contended that under the law, Pracha cannot represent Tasleem Ahmed as he himself was named in the statement of one witness. “Despite no objection by the accused to be represented by Sh. Mehmood Pracha, there is still a conflict of interest and violation of Bar Council Rules”, he contended.
The SPP had also contented that Mahmood Pracha has a conflict of interest and should not be allowed to represent the accused. The court remarked, “Accused submits that he wants to continue with Mr. Mehmood Pracha. Ld. Proxy Counsel for the accused, on instructions, submits that they do not wish to state anything about the submissions and court may pass any order”.
Interestingly, it was after SPP had demanded evidence from Pracha to back is grave allegations of corruption against him, did the counsel for the accused said in the court that they did not wish to make further submissions and that the court may pass any order.
It would, therefore, appear that Pracha had no evidence to claim that Prasad (SPP) had done any underhand dealing with the Delhi Police but had simply mentioned this in a court application to not only derail the investigation but also ensure that the larger conspiracy case investigation is thrown off its course with the SPP out of the way.
During the course of the hearing, SPP pointed out that even under the law Mehmood Pracha, Ld. Counsel for the accused cannot represent an accused in this case as he himself has been named in the statement of one witness namely ‘SMITH’ and there is a conflict of interest. He further submitted that despite no objection by the accused to be represented by Mehmood Pracha, there is still a conflict of interest and violation of Bar Council Rules.
Essentially, the SPP had pointed out that Mahmood Pracha has himself been named in the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots case by a witness “SMITH” and since he himself has been named, he can’t represent an accused in the Delhi Riots because that amounts to conflict of interest.
On page number 1927 of the 59/20 chargesheet, where the witness statements are listed, the statement of protected witness SMITH is mentioned clearly. He was interrogated on the 2nd of September 2020.
Protected Witness SMITH had said that the CAA/NRC act was passed by the government and thereafter, dharna pradarshan started. Dharna also started near his house (66 Foota Road). He used to remain there from 9.00 pm to 12.00 am. In his presence Umar Khalid and Mehmood Pracha gave speeches. Gulfisha, who was living in Jafrabad, was organizing the protest. She used to instigate local women of Seelampur/Jafrabad to come outside. They used to tell people if they would not have documents with them then they along with their families would be sent to detention centers. On the night of 15.01.2020, Devangana, Natasha, Sohail and Shadab along with other girls and 100-150 women carried out Dharna at Old Bus Stand, Madina Masjid. Yameen’s house at E1/13 was their office where their meeting used to happen.
On 23.01.2020, Umar Khalid gave a speech. Thereafter, Gulfisha, Devengana and Natasha brought Umar Khalid to their office. He also followed them and saw that Gulfisha, Natasha, Devengana, Sohail and Shadab along with other girls were also sitting there. Umar Khalid was saying that in the protest against CAA/NRC and to bring the Indian government down, they are ready even if riots occurred in Delhi; we have collected arms upon which all the persons stated that they are ready. Their motive was quite dangerous and he got scared after hearing this and came out from there. After two or three days, Gulfisha, Devangana, and Natasha were asking ladies to collect empty glass bottles, acid, patthar, chhuri, etc.
On 23.02.2020, he saw that Gulfisha, Devengana and Natasha along with many other women had blocked the road at Jafrabad Metro Station and they were asking to attack the police officials. After some time, Wazirabad, Ghaziabad and Seelampur Road, were all jammed and movement stopped. Local ladies pelted stones on people who were struck there due to which HinduMuslims riots started. Riots also started across Yamuna between Hindu and Muslims resulting in the killing of innocent people. They are very dangerous people and his name may be kept secret.
Protected Witness SMITH categorically mentioned that Advocate Mahmood Pracha was present with Umar Khalid on a regular basis when Muslims were being incited to go on a rampage. He was also the one giving speeches along with Umar Khalid, who is now in jail under UAPA charges connected to the Delhi Riots case.
It is pertinent to note that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were inextricably linked and according to the chargesheet, worked closely to orchestrate the violence. It was Sharjeel Imam who was in touch with Arshad Warsi – the ISIS terrorist.
Another ISIS angle that emerges from the testimony of SMITH is that Mahmood Pracha, who according to the witness was present with Umar Khalid and making speeches to incite Muslims, was also on the cover page of ISIS magazine – which they had launched in India after the Delhi violence.
was featured as the poster boy for a pro-ISIS media outlet and is accused of spreading communal hatred in the past.
As India went through communal turmoil during the anti-Hindu riots, a publication titled ‘Voice of Hind’ issued by Al-Qitaal Media Center and Junudul Khilafah al-Hind featured Mahmood Pracha on its cover page. The cover was titled “So, Muslims, where are you going?”. It was featured with the subtitle “A Call to the Muslims of India”. The magazine had praised slain terrorists in Kashmir. It also urged the Muslims to reject the idea of an Indian nation-state and fight for the ‘caliphate’ instead. It had claimed that Islam rejected the idea of nationalism.
One has to recall that similar messages about rejecting nationalism and secularism were made in the pamphlets that were made and distributed by Sharjeel Imam and Arshad Warsi.
The lawyer who was on the cover page of the first India-centric ISIS magazine and was named by witness SMITH as a part of the build-up to Delhi anti-Hindu riots is now representing an accused in the Delhi Riots. With the SPP pointing this out and demanding that the conflict of interest be resolved, Pracha resorted to raising unsubstantiated allegations against the SPP trying the larger conspiracy case – the case in which the witness statement against Pracha has been mentioned.
It is evident that there are several tentacles of ISIS in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots case – now, with the arrest of ISIS terrorist Arshad Warsi and the attack by Pracha on the SPP, it becomes imperative that the Delhi Police and NIA investigate the terror angle and the extent of ISIS’ involvement in the 2020 violence that left several Hindus dead.
