On Thursday, September 21, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that he is not afraid to discuss the China-Ladakh border issue in the Lok Sabha. Minister Singh made the strong remarks after Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury repeatedly interrupted Singh’s speech in the Lok Sabha while the minister talked about the success of Chandrayaan 3.
While the minister was discussing various facets of national security including border security, financial security, and food security among others, Chowdhury interrupted and asked if he had the courage to discuss China. Singh initially grinned and stated that he had “Poori himmat” (courage) to do so.
When Chowdhury questioned the defense minister about how much of Indian territory has been “taken over” by China, Minister Singh responded that he is ready to discuss the issue but that it is best not to bring up the past, amid thumping of desks by BJP leaders.
“Poori himmat hai. China pe bhi main charcha karne ke liye taiyaar hun aur seena chauda karke charcha karne ke liye taiyaar hun,” Singh said.
#WATCH | "Poori Himmat hai…China pe bhi..Mein charcha karne ke liye taiyaar hun aur seena chauda karke charcha karne ke liye taiyaar hun…," says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who asks him if he has the courage to discuss China issue in… pic.twitter.com/PnSaGgicg7
Since the deadly clashes in Galwan Valley in June 2020, India-China relations have been severely strained. Even though the two sides concluded disengagement from various locations following prolonged diplomatic and military talks, Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a three-year conflict in specific friction points in eastern Ladakh.
It is amusing that a Congress leader is raking up China issue with desperation when his own party has a history of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with China, and losing territory to China due to bad decisions. In 2008, during UPA1, the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Congress party signed an agreement for the sharing of high-level information and collaboration. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) also provided the two parties with the “opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments”. Notably, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have served as trustees of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation since 2005, while Sonia Gandhi serves as the foundation’s chairperson.
After India suspended issuing visas in Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs said that security issues at Indian mission offices in Canada were the reason for the same. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said this in his weekly media briefing today, saying that the Indian offices in Canada are facing security threats and therefore are unable to work properly.
Bagchi said that the Indian consul offices in Canada are facing security threats after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian govt was behind the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He said that the offices are unable to work properly due to the inaction of the Canadian authorities, and therefore they are unable to process visa applications.
He said, “You are aware of the security threats faced by our high commission and consulates in Canada, this has disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, our high commission and consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications.”
The MEA spokesperson added that the Indian government will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis.
India high commission and consulates in Canada are temporarily unable to process visa applications as security threats have disrupted their normal functioning: MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi pic.twitter.com/QeIpnWhfJL
This was the first official confirmation that India has suspended visa services in Canada. Earlier today, BLS International, a company that runs India visa application centres in Canada and many other countries, said that Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice due to operational reasons. A message on its website said, “Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice. Please keep checking BLS website for further updates.”
BLS International is an Indian company that provides outsourcing services for diplomatic missions worldwide. The company provides visa, passport, consular, and citizen services.
BLS International has also made a filing with Indian stock exchanges regarding the development, where it said that “Due to operation reasons, with immediate effect i.e. 21 September 2023, Indian visa services in Canada have been suspended till further notice.”
The company added that it will have negligible impact on their financials as the Canadian visa issuance business contributes less than 2% to BLS International’s total annual revenue.
Politics is theatre, and the Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi is a performer. Whether it was last year’s ‘tying the shoelaces of his mother Sonia Gandhi’ photo op or the year before last’s ‘brave jump’ into the Arabian sea, while his innovative photo ops have left his admirers and devotees enamoured, several Netizens have always seen through his farce.
Today (September 21) too, several Netizens called out the Gandhi scion for his latest farce where he was seen donning a ‘coolie’ avatar at the Anand Vihar bus stand in Delhi. By the way, this is his most recent photo op in the Gandhi scion’s ‘messiah of the poor’ series.
On Thursday, September 21, the Congress MP reached the Anand Vihar ISBT in Delhi to meet railway porters. As part of his latest theatrics, Rahul Gandhi was filmed wearing the traditional red shirt and batch worn by porters or coolies over his shirt and carrying a blue coloured ‘wheeled’ trolley suitcase on his head amid chants of ‘Rahul Gandhi Zindabad.’
Congress party took to X, formally Twitter to post pictures of their ‘jannayak’ (people’s hero) as they liked to refer to him, donning the dress of a coolie.
The Gandhi scion also took to Instagram to share pictures of his visit to Anand Vihar ISBT in Delhi.
SS from Rahul Gandhi’s official Instagram handle
While some of Rahul Gandhi’s fervent supporters and loyalists couldn’t stop gushing over his latest ‘massiah of the poor’ ruse, several Netizens had a field day on X, sharing some amazingly imaginative Bollywood movie-themed memes.
X user @vipul2777 shared the iconic scene from the Bollywood cult classic ‘Sholay’ where Dharmendra tries to commit suicide and Amitabh Bachchan says in his signature style, “Saala nautanki, ghadi ghadi drama karta hai’, to call out Rahul Gandhi’s farce.
Some other X users shared a scene from actor Govinda’s 1994 comedy movie Raja Babu where the actor used to do photo shoots and pose as politicians, police officers, doctors and lawyers, to mock Rahul Gandhi’s latest photo op.
This is a Movie seen of Raja babu where Govinda use to do photo shoots and pose as Politicians,Police officer,Doctor and Lawyer. 1Day before marriage Karishma Kapoor visits house of Govinda just 1 day before marriage and become very much excited to see these photographs and asked… pic.twitter.com/NpQKX2rFJx
Many Netizens shared stills from Govinda’s 2020 comedy film ‘Coolie No. 1’, where the actor had essayed the role of a porter or a coolie, to mock the Gandhi scion.
While several other X users shared a variety of other Bollywood-themed memes to take a dig at the Gandhi scion’s latest farce, a few alert Netizens noticed how the Gandhi scion was carrying a ‘wheeled’ suitcase on his head, which they mocked, saying that it could simply be pulled and not carried on the head.
Rahul Baba's new Avatar but It will also take time to become Coolie No. 1…. Rahul Gandhi met the Coolies at Anand Vihar ISBT and dresses lik coolie but He carrying a wheeled trolley on his head. #RahulGandhi#coolienumber1pic.twitter.com/rolnsWXFzt
Rahul Gandhi’s Azadpur Mandi visit where vendors brought back memories of the hypocritical stance Congress has maintained against the three Agricultural Bills
It may be recalled that last month, Rahul Gandhi shared a video of his visit to the Azadpur Mandi where he met some vegetable and fruit vendors as well as traders. In a 6.51-second video shared on Rahul Gandhi’s official YouTube channel, the Congress MP is seen roaming around the bustling Azadpur Mandi and mingling with various vendors and traders, inquiring about the vendors’ monthly income and living conditions, drinking tea with them, shaking hands, and exchanging pleasantries with those gathered around.
His desperate attempts to fault the Centre for rising inflation and position himself as the ‘messiah’ of the poor were very well received throughout the entire video. However, the senior Congress leader was completely taken off guard when the vendors reminded the Gandhi scion how eliminating middlemen is the only solution to curb price rises and tackle inflation.
This conversation had, indeed, brought back the memories of the hypocritical stance Congress had maintained against the three Agricultural Bills that specifically sought to remove middlemen from agriculture.
Amid the ongoing issues between the India-Canada diplomatic situation, the High Commission of Canada in India has issued an official statement saying that the country has decided to temporarily adjust its staff presence in India. Playing victim after creating a massive diplomatic storm over baseless allegations, Canada has also sought security for its diplomats and consular officers in India.
“Our High Commission and all consulates in India are open and operational and continue to serve clients. In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India,” the official statement read.
“As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India. In the context of respect for obligations under the Vienna conventions, we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here,” the statement added.
#BREAKING | High Commission of Canada in India issues statement on India-Canada diplomatic faceoff: "Our High Commission and all consulates in India are open and operational and continue to serve clients. In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are… pic.twitter.com/ZOAgDUrFjJ
A spokesperson for the North American country’s foreign ministry further said that the action was being taken by the country to ensure the safety of their diplomats in light of the heightened tensions.
After the terrorist organization, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) produced the “Kill India” posters in July, followed by a succession of others that blamed New Delhi for Nijjar’s killing on June 18, security has been increased at India’s missions in Canada for the seniormost diplomats.
After SFJ threatened to “shut down Indian missions” on September 25, branding them as “terror houses,” India sought increased security at the high commission in Ottawa and consulates in Toronto and Vancouver. Separately, Canada’s public safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, stated that the country does not accept India’s travel advice and that New Delhi can explain why it was issued.
SFJ, which was outlawed in India in 2019 for its pro-Khalistan activities, has threatened Hindus of Indian heritage and ordered them to leave Canada for ‘promoting violence’ by acknowledging Nijjar’s assassination.
On Wednesday, September 20, Chandra Arya, a member of the ruling Liberal Party, raised the issue in the Canadian House of Commons. “I have heard from many Hindu-Canadians who are fearful after this targeted attack. I urge Hindu-Canadians to stay calm but vigilant,” he said.
“This direct attack on Hindu-Canadians by the leader of Canadian Khalistan movement is further escalation of the recent attacks on Hindu temples. Canada has high moral values and we fully uphold the rule of law. I cannot understand how glorifying terrorism or a hate crime targeting a religious group is allowed in the name of freedom of speech and expression. There would be an outrage in Canada if a white supremacist attacked any group of Canadians asking them to get out of our country. But apparently, this Khalistani leader can get away with this hate crime,” he added.
This comes a day after India on Wednesday, September 20 issued an advisory for its citizens living in Canada and those planning to travel there to exercise utmost caution. “In view of growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution,” read a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The advice warned that there has been a significant increase in threats against Indian ambassadors and the Indian community. “Indian nationals are therefore advised to avoid traveling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen such incidents,” the statement said, urging Indian workers and students to establish a profile with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or the Consulate General of India in Toronto and Vancouver.
Notably, the pro-Khalistani elements have decided to demonstrate outside Indian diplomatic missions in Canada on September 25. According to the reports, the radicals may target the Indian flag and diplomats. They may even target Indian citizens and accuse them of being RAW operatives.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has released the pictures of 10 wanted accused in the March 2023 case of attack and vandalism at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, USA, and has sought information about them from the general public, the agency said in a statement.
The agency has issued three separate “Request for Identification & Information” notices against the wanted accused, “seeking any information of importance that could lead to their arrest or apprehension”.
While two of the notices carry photographs of two accused each, the third notice shows pictures of the other six accused allegedly involved in the case, read the agency statement.
NIA press release
The NIA has also released telephone numbers and email ids for sharing of any information on these 10 accused and promised not to reveal the identity of anyone sharing information on the accused, it said.
The attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco had taken place in the intervening night of March 18 and 19, 2023 when some pro-Khalistani entities trespassed into the consulate and tried to burn down the Consulate, the NIA statement added.
NIA shares photos of wanted persons for attack on Indian Consulate in San Francisco NIA shares photos of wanted persons for attack on Indian Consulate in San Francisco NIA shares photos of wanted persons for attack on Indian Consulate in San Francisco
“On the same day, slogan-shouting Khalistani supporters had broken through the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and put up two so-called Khalistani flags in the Consultate premises, damaged the consulate building, assaulted and caused injuries to the consulate officials”
“Further in the intervening night of July 1 and 2, some accused person trespassed into the consulate and attempted to set the consulate on fire while consulate officials were inside the building,” the NIA statement added.
The NIA had initiated a probe in the matter after registering a case on June 16 under sections 109,120-B, 147, 148 ,149, 323,436,448 & 452 of the Indian Penal Code, section 13 of UA (P) Act and section 3(1) of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, a report by ANI stated.
An NIA team visited San Francisco last month for the investigation of the said case.
On September 20, the NIA shared the names and photos of 43 wanted criminals in terror-gangster-linked cases. 29 of them were Khalistani separatists or sympathisers. Within hours of the list being shared in public, Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke, a Khalistani gangster based in Canada, featured at No 33 in the list, was shot down by unknown persons in Winnipeg.
In the Kolar district of Karnataka, a parson named Anwar has been arrested for drawing Islamic symbols like the crescent moon and star along with the number 786 which is considered holy in Islam on a Hindu pilgrimage site atop Antara Gange Hills. The accused has been identified as Anwar alias Pyarejaan, who painted the boulders atop a hill in green colour and drew Islamic symbols at a Hindu pilgrimage site.
The accused is a resident of Paparajnahalli Kolar Rural police station area. Accused Anwar was arrested after the Forest Department lodged a complaint in the matter. Police are investigating the motive behind the accused person’s actions.
The incident came to light on Tuesday, sparking outrage. The authorities whitewashed the boulders and Islamic symbols drawn by the accused Anwar. The police stated that the issue is being investigated and that the accused is being questioned about his motive behind drawing Islamic symbols at a Hindu religious site.
Notably, Antara Gange Hills is a major tourist and pilgrimage destination about 70 km from Bengaluru. The location is renowned for the Sri Kashi Vishweshwara temple, commonly known as Kashi of the South. This temple is situated within a cave and is a significant sacred site for Hindus.
As the India tour of Canadian-Sikh singer Shubhneet Singh has been cancelled following a backlash over his Instagram story featuring a distorted map of India, the ‘artist’ behind the map has come out in support of the singer and played the victim. Amandeep Singh, who goes by the pseudonym “Inkquisitive,” posted a long note on his X profile on Thursday (September 20) wherein he claimed to be a target of “cyberbullying”.
“Inkquisitive” asserted that while his “Panjab” ‘artwork’ was about praying for the state of Punjab amidst the blackout, the narrative within 24 hours “changed from praying for Punjab to agenda against Jammu and Kashmir, beheading and distorting the map and to being an active Khalistani”.
Amandeep Singh claimed that the ‘artwork’ published on March 21 this year aimed at highlighting the blackout in Punjab and merely depicting a policeman taking the switch out of the Punjab region. The artist further mentioned that he did not intend to offend anyone while depicting the northern side of the map as faded or missing however, he did intend to highlight this area as dark due to the blackout.
“I painted a piece titled ‘Panjab’ and released this on march 21. Its entirety was to highlight the ‘blackout in Panjab’ and just that. showcasing a policeman taking the switch out of the Panjab region (due to the blackout). not one of my most thought-provoking pieces but one that was fuelled with common sense. unintentionally to offend, parts of the north side of the map was shown to be faded/missing. my focus was to highlight this area to be intentionally dark and ‘not lit’ due to the blackout,” Inkquisitive’s statement reads.
While the artist rightly states that his said artwork was not his most thought-provoking one, his assertion that “Panjab” was fuelled with common sense also does not hold water as even if he merely wanted to highlight the issue of blackout in Punjab, there was no need to depict Jammu and Kashmir and nearby states missing or faded.
Moving ahead, Inkquisitive said that he understood that the people residing in the states/areas shown faded on the map may felt neglected adding that he had apologised for that earlier. Amandeep Singh went on to accuse actress Kangana Ranaut of setting the Khalistani narrative with regard to the distorted map and singer Shubh sharing it.
After blaming Indian social media users and actress Kangana Ranaut, the artist went on to blame the “powerheads” of the Indian industry for the backlash he and singer Shubh have received ever since the controversy erupted.
He claimed that the “powerheads” of the Indian industry who already claimed that the piece of art was a deliberate “beheading of India” and “Khalistan movement” happened to see singer Shubh’s Instagram story where the singer only intended to “support those in challenging circumstances in Panjab”.
Moreover, Inkquisitive alleged that there are more powerful people in the industry, although the note finds multiple mentions of the word “industry” it is unclear whether the artist was referring to the Punjabi music industry or something else. He also mentioned that since the advent of the controversy, not a day has passed when he has not faced online abuse and received death threats to remove the ‘artwork’.
“This had resulted in continuous abuse, harassment and in recent days shubh’s current India tour to be cancelled by those more powerful in the industry who chose to listen to the crowds, not doing their own research. since march, not a day has gone by where a death threat, to remove the artwork has not been sent,” the statement reads.
After playing victim, Amandeep Singh stated that he stands by his contentious artwork adding that after thirteen years (working as an artist) he finds it “shocking” that people are calling him out for spreading hate propaganda.
Amandeep Singh alias Inkquisitive also asserted that the Indian media did not deliberately mention his name or social media post with the original caption in reports about the said artwork. Moreover, he accused the media of being supportive of the “cancel culture” and the alleged “new narrative” of the “Panjab” artwork.
Interestingly, in another tweet, Inkquisitive shared the same artwork, however, this time the map showed the outlines of Jammu and Kashmir and other regions which missing in the original art piece.
As Amandeep Singh mentioned the original caption of the artwork, OpIndia checked his original Instagram post from March 22 about the said artwork. In the original upload on Instagram, Singh wrote a long caption explaining his artwork which he started and ended with learning from history. The caption mentions that the Indian government has imposed a blackout in Punjab and shut down the internet services in the wake of a threat to law and order by incitement to violence. He asserted that somehow the Indian government was targetting the “Sikh activists” and “Sikh media outlets”.
Coming back to his recent statement addressing the controversy, Amandeep Singh made his position clear and said that he stands with Shubh as he talked about living in a “toxic world and those in higher power setting the trend despite what intentions you have in your mind.”
It is questionable why the artist merged Punjab with Haryana, and why the seven states in the northeast were missing from the ‘artwork’ if he only intended to highlight the blackout situation in Punjab.
This comes after rapper/musician Shubhneet Singh alias Shubh posted a story on his Instagram account on March 23, 2023, captioned “Pray for Punjab” showing a distorted map of India. He posted a photo of the map without the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and North-eastern states. The Canadian singer did this at a time when the Punjab Police was on the lookout to nab Khalistani terrorist Amritpal Singh. Shubh had openly supported Khalistani elements at the time.
The incident drew widespread condemnation from Indians at home and abroad. BJYM Mumbai President Tajinder Singh Tiwana submitted a memorandum to the police accusing Shubh of distorting the map of India and demanding that a case be filed against him. Moreover, cricketers Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya have also unfollowed Shubh on Instagram. Prior to the cancellation of Shubhneet Singh’s music tour in India, several brands including BoAt which was sponsoring his concerts withdrew its sponsorship. Soon after, short-video sharing application Moj, owned by Sharechat also announced its decision to take down the Canadian Khalistani sympathiser’s songs from its app.
On 21st September, Indian-origin MP from Canada, Chandra Arya, voiced his concerns by saying that Hindu Canadians are ‘soft targets’ in the country. Arya urged the Hindu community in Canada to remain calm and vigilant. He further urged the community members to report the incidents of Hinduphobia.
Arya’s statement came after Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of ‘Sikhs For Justice’ threatened Hindus living in Canada and asked them to leave the country. Since Pannu’s threats, the Hindu community in Canada is feeling unsafe.
Few days back Khalistan movement leader in Canada and the president of Sikhs for Justice which organizes the so-called referendum Gurpatwant Singh Pannun attacked Hindu-Canadians asking us to leave Canada and go back to India. I have heard from many Hindu-Canadians who are… pic.twitter.com/z3vkAcsUDs
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), MP Chandra Arya said, “A few days back, Pannu launched an attack on Hindu-Canadians and asked them to leave the country. I have heard from many Hindu Canadians who are fearful after this targeted attack.” Arya asked the Hindu-Canadian community to stay calm but vigilant. He said, “Please report any incident of Hinduphobia to your local law enforcement agencies. The Khalistan movement leader is trying to provoke the Hindu-Canadians to react and divide the Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada.”
Furthermore, he added that most Sikhs in Canada do not support the Khalistan movement. He said, “Most Sikh Canadians may not publicly condemn the Khalistan movement for several reasons, but they are deeply connected to the Hindu-Canadian community. Canadian Hindus and Sikhs are connected through family relationships and shared social and cultural ties.” However, he mentioned that not condemning such threats could have been seen as approval by the community under threat.
The statement highlights concerns about a direct attack on Hindu-Canadians by the leader of the Canadian Khalistan movement, which is seen as an escalation following recent attacks on Hindu temples and the celebration of the assassination of former Hindu Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Arya, who is a member of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, claimed that Canada has “high moral values” and said he was unable to understand how glorification of terrorism was allowed in the name of freedom of speech. He said, “Canada has high moral values, and we fully uphold the rule of law. I can’t understand how glorifying terrorism or a hate crime targeting a religious group is allowed in the name of freedom of speech and expression.”
Arya added that Hindu-Canadians are vulnerable targets and emphasised the success of the Hindu-Canadian community while calling for vigilance and unity among Hindu-Canadians to preserve their heritage and contributions to Canada.
Canada has a history of shielding the most wanted criminals
While Canadian MP has claimed Canada has “high moral values”, it has to be noted that the country has a history of shielding gangsters and designated terrorists. Not to forget, Justin Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, had protected Kanishka bombing mastermind Talwinder Parmar. In 1982, India requested the extradition of Parmar. However, Canada refused it, and later, Parmar planned the Kanishka aircraft bombing, killing 329 people, out of which 268 were Canadians. India repeatedly asked for the extradition of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but Canadian authorities denied it. Nijjar was killed in June this year, and surprisingly, Canada blamed India for the murder.
Furthermore, in April this year, India issued a list of wanted gangsters living in other countries, including the US and Canada. Out of 28, nine were reportedly given shelter by Canada. Of those nine, Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke was killed on 20th September.
On Tuesday, September 19, the Bhiwandi City Police in Maharashtra arrested a 32-year-old Bihari man named Salamat Ansari for his involvement in the brutal rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in the city. To track down the accused, three police squads were formed, led by DCP Navnath Dhavle.
On September 13, a six-year-old girl was discovered missing at a chawl in Fenegaon, Kamatghar, and her parents filed a missing person’s report with the police station on September 14. Because she is a juvenile, the police filed an abduction report against an individual who was unidentified. The accused has now been identified as Salamat Ansari.
The police responded quickly, forming three squads to hunt for the girl across the entire area. During the search, a local reported a terrible odour emerging from inside a locked door of a property. The police squad broke the lock outside the room and discovered the girl killed and dumped into an empty container with a lid on top.
After completing the panchnama, the girl’s body was transported to JJ Hospital for a post-mortem examination. The initial post-mortem report revealed a sexual assault and a case was filed under Indian Penal Code sections 376 and 302, as well as pertinent sections 4, 8, and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“Based on technical intelligence and spot evidence, we came to know about the accused who lived in the room on a rented basis for the last one and half months. He worked as a laborer in the city and locked the room for last two days. We formed one team and dispatched it to Bihar to investigate and nab the accused. With the help of local informers of Bihar, our team made a door-to-door survey and later reached to accused home and nabbed him,” DCP Navnath Dhavle said.
“During the interrogation, the accused-Salamat Ansari revealed that he called a girl on the pretext of giving chocolates, and took her to his room with ulterior intentions, and committed sexual assault. Thereafter, he strangulated her and dumped her in a plastic bucket, and fled after the act,” he added.
According to police information, Ansari is married and a father of two children. He came to work in Thane’s Bhiwandi region and stayed in a chawl beside the victim’s room.
The accused was produced in court and has been remanded in police custody.
The family of Philip Paxson from North Carolina is suing Google Maps for negligence after the man died upon following the app’s directions and drove his car off a fallen bridge. They charged that the technology giant was aware of the collapse but did not update its navigation system.
A complaint was submitted on September 19, 2023, in Wake County Superior Court saying that Philip Paxson, a medical device salesperson and father of two, drowned on September 30, 2022, when his Jeep Gladiator slid into Snow Creek in Hickory. Google Maps reportedly instructed him to cross Snow Creek Bridge. The bridge had collapsed in 2013 and was never rebuilt. Paxson was returning from his daughter’s ninth birthday party via an unknown neighbourhood.
Paxson’s wife Alicia Paxson released a statement which read, “Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I’m at a loss for words. They can’t understand because, as an adult, I still can’t understand how those responsible for the GPS directions, and the bridge, could have acted with so little regard for human life. Google ignored the concerned community voices telling them to change its map and directions. No one should ever lose a loved one this way, and we want to make sure our voices are heard.”
The victim was not aware of the bridge that he drove over as he followed Google Maps’ instructions to complete the roughly 10-minute route home. The suit asserted, “The bridge had no artificial lighting, and the area was pitch black at 11:00 p.m. While following the dangerous directions the Google Map defendants provided, Mr. Paxson’s vehicle drove off the unguarded edge of the bridge and crashed approximately twenty feet below.”
It was reported by state troopers that there were no barricades or warning signs along the washed-out road where the body was discovered in his flipped-over and partially submerged truck. According to the claim, he had driven off an unsecured ledge and crashed around 20 feet below.
The original developer’s company had dissolved, according to the North Carolina State Patrol, and neither local nor state authorities were responsible for maintaining the bridge. The complaint listed many private property management firms as defendants and accused that they are in charge of maintaining the bridge and the nearby area.
Many individuals had alerted Google Maps about the situation in the years before the incident and had pushed the firm to update its route data, per the lawsuit. A second Hickory resident used the map’s “suggest an edit” function in September 2020 to inform the corporation that it was sending traffic across the destroyed bridge, per email records included in the legal filing. Google acknowledged receiving the grievance and examining the requested adjustment in an email sent in November 2020, however, the lawsuit contended that no further action was initiated.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda said, “We have the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family. Our goal is to provide accurate routing information in Maps and we are reviewing this lawsuit,” in a press release.
Tarde LLC, James Tarlton, and Hinckley Gauvain LLC are named in the lawsuit which argued that they are liable for the bridge and the road. The road is reportedly a private one and counties in North Carolina do not maintain public or private highways, but the state does the same for state-owned roadways. Images of messages from Kim Ellis, who lives in Hickory and twice suggested changes to Google Maps regarding the collapsed bridge, are included in the lawsuit.
After Philip Paxson’s passing, his family filed a lawsuit for unspecified amounts of compensation and punitive damages, and have requested a jury trial in the matter.
