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Unlicensed secret California lab found housing Coronavirus, HIV, Hepatitis, and Herpes; investigation underway

OpIndia Staff
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Unlicensed secret California lab found housing Coronavirus, HIV, Hepatitis, and Herpes; investigation underway

On Thursday, July 27, 2023, a shocking discovery was made in Fresno County, California, as local and federal authorities concluded a months-long investigation into an illegal, unlicensed laboratory located inside a warehouse. This covert facility contained hazardous materials, lab mice, and medical waste, raising serious concerns about potential public health risks.

Assistant Director Joe Prado of the Fresno County Public Health Department issued a statement revealing ongoing evaluations and assessments of the unlicensed laboratory in Reedley. The investigation involved close collaboration with multiple federal and state agencies to identify and categorise the biological and chemical substances present on the site. The complexity of the situation necessitated a careful determination of jurisdictional authority.

During a prior inspection on March 3, city officials discovered various chemicals being stored at the location. The situation escalated on March 16, when county public health officials conducted a follow-up inspection and reportedly found medical devices that appeared to have been developed on-site, including Covid and pregnancy test kits. These findings raised immediate red flags about the nature of activities conducted within the unlicensed laboratory.

Startling details emerged from court documents describing specific rooms within the warehouse containing an array of liquids, apparatus, and bodily fluid samples such as blood, tissue, and serums. Additionally, numerous vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological materials were discovered, indicating unauthorised and potentially hazardous experimentation.

The warehouse’s living conditions for animals were nothing short of appalling, according to the reports. Court documents revealed that hundreds of lab mice were subjected to severe conditions. Taking swift action, the city intervened and took possession of the animals in April. Tragically, 773 mice had to be euthanised due to their dire state, while over 175 were found dead.

After the tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the substances found in the warehouse, 20 potentially infectious agents were identified, including the coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis, and herpes. This revelation, as detailed in a Health and Human Services letter dated June 6, sent shockwaves through the health community.

The investigation led to the identification of the tenant responsible for the unlicensed laboratory. Prestige BioTech, a company registered in Nevada but unlicensed to conduct business in California, was behind the facility. According to court documents, Xiuquin Yao, the company president, communicated with city officials through emails disclosed in the court proceedings. Yao claimed that Prestige BioTech had relocated assets from a defunct company, Universal Meditech Inc., to the Reedley warehouse following UMI’s closure. The court documents indicated that Prestige Biotech was considered a successor and a creditor to UMI.

Prestige BioTech faced serious allegations of non-compliance with orders, particularly about providing a plan for the safe reduction and disposal of hazardous materials.

Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba provided updates on the progress made by officials in handling hazardous materials and clearing the area. However, she also noted that active investigations by federal partners were still ongoing, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Uttar Pradesh: Woman beaten by Ayesha and her friends at the clinic of their doctor-husband Qasim Ali in Muzaffarnagar, case registered

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Woman beaten by Ayesha and her friends at the clinic of their doctor-husband Qasim Ali in Muzaffarnagar, case registered

On Wednesday (July 26), a woman was brutally thrashed by the first wife of her doctor-husband in Budhana town in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

As per a report by India Today, the victim was identified as Farah Anjum. She is the wife of a doctor named Qasim Ali, who had previously married another woman named Ayesha.

Reportedly, Farah Anjum visited the clinic of Qasim on Wednesday (July 26). However, on seeing her, he fled the scene. The victim then sat on a chair and began to wait for her doctor-husband.

Meanwhile, someone informed Qasim’s first wife Ayesha about Farah Anjum’s visit to the clinic. An enraged Ayesha reached the scene with her female companions and brutally assaulted the victim with sticks.

On learning about the matter, the neighbours rushed to the clinic to pacify the situation. Farah Anjum was admitted to the hospital for immediate medical treatment. The incident was caught on the CCTV, which was installed in the clinic.

Later, the victim visited the police station and filed a complaint against Qasim Ali’s first wife and her accomplices. They were identified as Navisa, Simran, Saima, Nomana, Farzana and Gulshan.

According to officer Vinay Kumar Gulshan, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged in connection to the case against 7 people but no arrests were made until then.

Fine me if you want, will not remove my Islamic headgear and wear helmet: Bizarre rant of a Pakistani biker goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Fine me if you want, will not remove my Islamic headgear and wear helmet: Bizarre rant of a Pakistani biker goes viral

On Thursday (July 27), a video of a Pakistani man refusing to wear a helmet, in place of his Islamic headgear (Imama Sharif), while driving went viral on social media.

In the video, the man was heard saying, “You ask me to pay a penalty of PKR 1001 but I will not remove my Imama Sharif and wear a helmet in its place. If necessary, I will pay a daily fine but I will not remove my Islamic headgear.”

“I will not wear a helmet. It is extremely clear to me,” he insisted on driving without a helmet. At that point, the reporter interjected him and asked, “Do you wear your Imama Sharif while taking bath?”

The question rattled the Pakistani man, who vehemently insisted, “Did Sahaaba Karam, Anbiya Karaam (Prophet Muhammad and his companions) wear the headgear (while taking a bath)? Of course, they wore it when they went outdoors. What is this line of questioning?”

“You are talking like a retard. Atleast say something that makes sense,” the man reprimanded the reporter.

The video was originally uploaded on the official TikTok channel of a Pakistani organisation named ‘News 24 HD’ on July 22, 2023. This is not the first time that Pakistanis resorted to bizarre acts in the name of Islam.

Blasphemous QR Code in Pakistan

Earlier in July last year, dozens of Islamists belonging to the extremist Barelvi organisation Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) unleashed mayhem in the mobile market of Karachi, Pakistan, after rumours of an alleged blasphemy against the company.

The protestors tore down the billboards of Samsung in the mobile market in the city and indulged in vandalism after they heard that the company has committed ‘blasphemy’ against Islam.

The protests were not limited to the mobile market as billboards in several locations across the city faced the ire of angry TLP members. Initial rumours circulating about the incident said that Samsung had introduced a QR code on its devices which is blasphemous.

Following this, the Islamists took to the streets of Karachi and started attacking the company’s billboards. In December 2021,  a Pakistani man threatened American behemoth Pepsi for printing a QR code with the name of Prophet Muhammad on its 7UP bottles.

The man threatened a Pepsi company truck driver with dire consequences if the QR Code on a 7 UP soft drink bottle was not removed by the company. On enquiring, the man, who identified himself as Mulla, insisted that the QR code is actually the name of Prophet Muhammad and that if the company did not remove the logo he would burn the truck.

Udupi bathroom video case: Three accused female students granted bail, had surrendered before the court

OpIndia Staff
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Udupi bathroom video case: Three accused female students granted bail, had surrendered before the court

The Muslim female students of Netra Jyoti Paramedical College in Udupi, who are accused of video recording their Hindu classmates in the bathroom, have been granted bail by a Udupi court.

Additional Civil Judge Shyam Prakash heard the bail pleas of the three accused named Alimatul Shaifa, Shabanaz, and Alia, and granted them bail. Advocate Asadullah Katpadi, appearing for the students, claimed that the case was politically motivated and that the complaint was not filed by the affected student.

The court accepted the plea and granted bail to the three on personal bonds of Rs 20,000 each. However, the court ordered them to cooperate with the investigators and attend all court hearings. The court also added that witnesses should not be intimidated.

The incident happened on 18th July when a Hindu girl noticed that the three accused were making a video of her while she was in the bathroom. She then alerted others, following which the three accused students were suspended.

The college management conducted an inquiry into the matter and concluded that the video had been deleted, closing the case. However, due to public outrage, a case was filed against the girls and the college administration by the police.

The girls have been booked under They were booked under Sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 204 (destruction of document or electronic record to prevent its production as evi­dence), 175 (omission to produce document or electronic record to public servant by person legally bound to produce it) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section Section 66(e) (punishment for violation of privacy) of the Information Technology Act.

Earlier today, the three girls surrendered before the court, and were granted anticipatory bail after they applied for the same.

Semicon India 2023: US chipmaker AMD announces investment of $400 million in India by 2028, to build largest design centre in Bengaluru

OpIndia Staff
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Semicon India 2023: US chipmaker AMD announces investment of $400 million in India by 2028, to build largest design centre in Bengaluru

American chip manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has announced that it will invest around $400 million in India over the next five years and will build its largest design centre in the tech hub of Bengaluru. AMD’s Chief Technology Officer Mark Papermaster made the announcement at Semicon India 2023 in Gandhinagar, which was inaugurated today by PM Narendra Modi.

AMD added that it will open its new design centre campus in Bengaluru by the end of this year and create 3,000 new engineering roles within five years. “Our India teams will continue to play a pivotal role in delivering the high-performance and adaptive solutions that support AMD customers worldwide,” Papermaster said.

The new campus in Bengaluru will spread over a 500,000-square-foot area, which will increase AMD units in India to ten. The company already has over 6,500 employees in India. The new AMD campus is expected to open before the end of 2023 and will feature lab space, collaboration tools and seating areas for teamwork.

Papermaster further added that the company will have its largest R&D centre in Bengaluru following the expansion. He said that India will be at the centre of future activities of the company like its foray into AI. He said that the expertise needed for the semiconductor is already strong in India, and with the incentives given by the Modi government, the industry will grow in the country.

“From a handful of employees in 2001 to more than 6,500 employees today, AMD has grown its India footprint based on the strong foundation established by our local leadership and the highly skilled talent pool,” Mark Papermaster said.

He added, “AMD has one of the industry’s broadest product portfolios fueled by growth in artificial intelligence, networking and 6G communications, and our India teams will continue to play a pivotal role in delivering the high-performance and adaptive solutions that support AMD customers worldwide. By further investing and expanding our presence in Bangalore, we are committed to driving innovation in India to support the India Semiconductor Mission.”

AMD is a major chip maker, a rival of Intel, and makes chips for various devices like personal computers, super computers, servers, data centres, gaming consoles etc. However, unlike Intel, AMD outsources the actual manufacturing of the microchips to third-party manufacturers like Taiwan’s TSMC, while the company designs the chips.

Govt of India welcomed the announcement by “We welcome the AMD plan to expand its leading-edge R&D engineering operations in India,” said Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Cabinet Minister for Railways, Telecommunications, Electronics and Information Technology.

Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, “I welcome AMD’s decision to set up its largest R&D design center in India and expansion of the India-AMD partnership. It will certainly play an important role in building a world class semiconductor design and innovation ecosystem. It will also provide tremendous opportunities for our large pool of highly skilled semiconductor engineers and researchers and will catalyse PM Narendra Modi’s vision of India becoming a global talent hub.”

UP: Pilibhit woman kills husband with an axe, cuts his body into 5 pieces and throws it in a nearby canal

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Pilibhit woman kills husband with an axe, cuts his body into 5 pieces and throws it in a nearby canal

A woman named Dularo Devi was arrested by police on 28 July after she confessed to killing her husband with an axe. The incident was reported from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. She tied him to a cot and sliced his body into five pieces. The deceased is identified as Ram Pal who was a resident of Shivnagar in the Gajraula area.

She had eloped with her husband’s friend and spent a few days with him. She told her son, Son Pal, who lived nearby with his wife and children about the disappearance of his 55-year-old father when she returned to the village a month prior. He filed a missing person report at the police station.

Afterwards, police apprehended the perpetrator and questioned her regarding the whereabouts of her husband based on their suspicions. She broke down after a while and admitted to the crime.

She confessed that she murdered Ram Pal on the night of 23 July while he slept. She repeatedly attacked him as he shouted for help. She relentlessly struck him with a sharp weapon, tearing away his body.

The culprit further revealed to police that she disposed of the body parts in a nearby canal. In order to recover Ram Pal’s body parts, the police stated they were looking for the assistance of divers. Furthermore, a mattress and the deceased’s blood-stained clothes were discovered in the canal. An investigation into the case is still ongoing, according to a police official.

  

Katihar firing: Bihar police claim death not caused by police firing but by bullets shot by an unidentified person, release CCTV footage

OpIndia Staff
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Katihar firing: Bihar police claim death not caused by police firing but by bullets shot by an unidentified person, release CCTV footage

Two days after two persons died in alleged police firing at Barsoi in Bihar’s Katihar when the villagers gathered outside the office of the Electricity Department, the Bihar police have said that the death did not happen due to police firing, but by bullets shot by an unidentified person.

The Bihar police released CCTV footage of the Katihar firing incident that took place on Wednesday, July 26 to back its claims.

Speaking about the incident, Katihar SP, Jitendra Kumar said, “Today, we came here (incident spot) for an inquiry. Whatever we do will be fact-based. We checked the CCTV camera…We first went where the body was recovered & found that it is impossible for the bullet fired by the police to have hit the deceased given the distance. It is visible in the CCTV that a youth comes & opens fire at the two deceased…”

“He can be then seen shooting at and injuring two other bystanders, one of whom died later,” the official said. “We first went where the body was recovered and found that it was impossible for the bullet fired by the police to have hit the deceased, given the distance. The CCTV footage confirmed our doubts,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Katihar District Magistrate Ravi Prakash informed that the police have filed two FIRs in the case. “One FIR has been filed by the electricity department and another by the police. The complaint filed by victim Sonu Sahu’s family has been clubbed with both FIRs,” Ravi Prakash said.

Although he withheld the names of the accused, he stated that both FIRs had been filed against known and unnamed individuals.

He also said that a two-member team comprising the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) and the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) has been formed to conduct a further inquiry into the incident and that so far, no one has been taken into custody in this matter.

On the 26th of July, two persons died in police firing at Barsoi in Bihar’s Katihar when the villagers gathered outside the office of the Electricity Department. They have been protesting against the irregular supply of electricity and higher power tariffs. However, in a shocking turn of events, the power outage protest turned deadly. Reportedly, Khurshid Alam died on the spot and Sonu Kumar Sahu, one of the two others who had sustained serious injuries in police firing succumbed to his injuries at a hospital a few hours later. The second injured, Neyaz Alam, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Siliguri in West Bengal for his bullet injury.

As per the information received, Police officials tried to control the protestors and resorted to lathi charges and aerial firing. However, things went out of hand and the police opened fire. 

The Police officials stated that the mob carried primitive weapons including sticks and boulders. The mob got violent and pelted stones at the government office. Around 12 officials of the electricity department were injured in the attack. The officials claim that the violent mob and stone pelting prompted them to open fire. 

Anju seen in burqa enjoying dinner with Nasrulla and his friends in Pakistan days after denying ‘nikah’ reports

OpIndia Staff
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Anju seen in burqa enjoying dinner with Nasrulla and his friends in Pakistan days after denying ‘nikah’ reports

A day after Anju from Rajasthan who went to Pakistan to meet her Facebook ‘friend’ refuted the claims of her marriage with Nasrulla, a video has emerged where the duo could be seen having dinner with a group of men that has now gone viral over the internet. In the video, Anju can also be seen wearing a burqa which is imposed upon women in Islam.

As per the latest reports, the group of men with whom Anju could be seen having dinner are friends of Nasrulla. She was also given the burqa by Nasrulla who wanted the “lady to be respected in his community”.

This comes days after Anju refuted the media reports which claimed that she had gotten married to Nasrulla and that she had converted her religion to Islam. The media reports also stated that Anju had changed her name to Fatima after converting her religion to Islam post nikah.

The woman appeared in a video with her friend Nasrulla and stated that all the reports about her marriage to Nasrulla were false. In the video, Anju said, “I am here in Pakistan just like other people who come to visit the country. I don’t know why people are talking like this that I am here to get married and all. I am here for sightseeing and I have enjoyed my stay here.”

She also could be heard saying in the video that she is safe in Pakistan. “I want to give this message to all that I have come here to Pakistan legally and with planning as it was not about two days that I came here all of a sudden, and I am safe here,” 35-year-old Anju from Kailor in India’s Uttar Pradesh added. She claimed that she will return to India after visiting Pakistan.

However, Anju’s husband in India, Arvind, stated that the woman had lied to him that she is going to Jaipur to visit her sister and the next thing he knew was that she is in Pakistan.

Now Arvind has stated that Anju’s Visa should be investigated and that her documents should be thoroughly checked. He also appealed to the Indian government to take strict action against the woman as he decides to part ways with her.

Speaking about the marital status, Arvind said that the woman wants to seek divorce from him and has already submitted the necessary documents in Delhi. He also said that she has proven her marriage to another person through ‘Nikah’. Arvind further said that he had no intentions to reconcile his marriage with Anju.

Also, Anju’s father Gaya Prasad Thomas was quoted as saying that his daughter had ruined the life of her two children. He also said that she should have divorced her husband before doing something like this. “The way she ran away leaving her two children and husband behind. If she wanted to do this, she should have divorced her husband at first. She is no more for us,” he said.

Earlier, it was reported that Anju travelled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan to meet her lover, 29-year-old Nasrullah, from Upper Dir. They met on Facebook four years ago and started liking each other soon. During questioning by Pakistani authorities, Anju claimed that she could not live without Nasrullah.

However, Anju in the her last video said that she would return to India and that she had no plans to marry Nasrulla, a resident of Pakistan.

And in the latest video she could be seen having dinner with Nasrulla and his friends in burqa.

UK govt sent military emails to Russian ally Mali meant for Pentagon due to typo, a week after report said that Mali receives millions of emails sent to US

OpIndia Staff
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UK govt sent military emails to Russian ally Mali meant for Pentagon due to typo, a week after report said that Mali receives millions of emails sent to US

Following a typographical error, British authorities have launched an investigation into an incident where emails originally intended for U.S. military intelligence were erroneously sent to the government in Mali, a country known to be an ally of Russia.

According to the Times report on Thursday, the UK Ministry of Defense officials had intended to send these emails to the Pentagon. However, due to the mix-up, the messages ended up being directed to Mali’s government. The error occurred because of the similarity in domain names, with the Pentagon’s domain being “.mil,” and Mali’s domain being “.ml.”

Reuters reported that a spokesperson for the ministry stated that an investigation has been launched in response to a small number of emails that were mistakenly forwarded to an incorrect email domain.

As per the Times, while most of the emails sent to Mali were harmless and included information such as the holiday dates of foreign ministry employees, there were some emails that contained “detailed descriptions” of British research concerning hypersonic missiles.

The Ministry of Defense, however, refuted the claims made by the Times, asserting that they were misleading. They clarified that only a limited number of routine emails, fewer than 20, were mistakenly sent to the wrong domain. They are confident that there was no breach of operational security or disclosure of sensitive technical data. The ministry confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and emphasized that these types of emails are not classified at the level of “secret” or higher.

The ministry posted on Twitter, “This report misleadingly claims state secrets were sent to Mali’s email domain. We assess fewer than 20 routine emails were sent to an incorrect domain & are confident there was no breach of operational security or disclosure of technical data. An investigation is ongoing. Emails of this kind are not classified at secret or above.”

A spokesperson of the ministry said that “all sensitive information is shared on systems designed to minimise the risk of misdirection.”

As reported by Reuters, the spokesperson emphasized that all sensitive information is shared through systems specifically designed to minimize the risk of misdirection.”The MOD regularly evaluates its procedures and is presently engaged in a program to enhance information management, prevent data loss, and exercise better control over sensitive information,” they stated.

Mali is receiving millions of emails meant for Pentagon over years, revealed domain admin

Notably, the UK defence ministry is not the only or first to send emails meant for Pentagon to Mali by mistake due to the similar domains. As per a Financial Times report last week, millions of emails meant for the Pentagon have been sent to Mali as a result of the same typo. Some of these emails included sensitive information, such as diplomatic documents, tax returns, passwords and officers’ travel details, the report states.

“Despite repeated warnings over a decade, a steady flow of email traffic continues to the .ML domain, the country identifier for Mali, as a result of people mistyping .MIL, the suffix to all US military email addresses,” the report by FT said. It states that the problem was first identified almost a decade ago by Johannes Zuurbier, a Dutch internet entrepreneur who has a contract to manage Mali’s country domain.

Johannes Zuurbier has started compiling emails mistakenly sent to Mali to convince the Pentagon to take the payer seriously, and have collected around 1,17,000 mails since January this year. In a letter he sent to the US in early this month, Zuurbier wrote: “This risk is real and could be exploited by adversaries of the US.”

He added that after realising what was happening and attempting to alert the US authorities, he gave his wife a copy of a legal advice he received “just in case the black helicopters landed in my backyard”.

The problem becomes more serious as from Monday, the control of the .ML domain went to the Mali govt from Johannes Zuurbier, as the 10-year management contact has expired. This means the Malian government, a close ally with Russia, will be able to access those emails meant for US military.

While most of the misdirected emails are spam and generic emails and none of them are marked classified, some contain sensitive information on serving US military personnel, contractors and their families. This include X-rays and medical data, identity document information, crew lists for ships, staff lists at bases, maps of installations, photos of bases, naval inspection reports, contracts, criminal complaints against personnel, internal investigations into bullying, official travel itineraries, bookings, and tax and financial records, the FT report stated.

One such major misdirected email contained travel plans for or General James McConville, the chief of staff of the US army, and his delegation, ahead of their Indonesia visit in May. The mail included full list of room numbers, the itinerary of the visit, along detail of location of hotel room keys.

Uttarakhand: Hindu youth brutally attacked by Muslim youths with swords and sticks over an old social media post in Dehradun, ‘Allah hu Akbar’ slogans raised

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Hindu youth brutally attacked by Muslim youths with swords and sticks over an old social media post in Dehradun, ‘Allah hu Akbar’ slogans raised

On Thursday, July 27, a Hindu boy was brutally thrashed by a group of Muslim youths in Patel Nagar in Dehradun over a two-month-old dispute pertaining to a social media post. The Muslim mob comprising 25-30 youths attacked Aman Bhandari with swords and lathis on Thursday evening. The BCom student was beaten up when he was returning from his college, Sri Guru Ram Rai (SGRR) University, on his motorcycle.

The victim suffered multiple injuries and is currently admitted at Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital in Patel Nagar. Before the police arrived at the spot, the Muslim attackers escaped. Following the brutal attack on Aman Bhandari, several Hindu organisations staged a protest and vandalised the scooter of one of the accused parked at the spot. Several Hindu activists also protested at the hospital where victim Aman is undergoing treatment. It is said that the victim received 27 stitches on his head. Police had deployed PAC force to control the situation. 

On the evening of July 28, three of the youths involved in the attack collided their scooter with Aman’s bike. Even before Aman could stand up, the accused youths launched a deadly attack on Aman with swords and sticks. The attackers hit Aman thrice on his head causing severe injuries. Meanwhile, before other students rushed to save the Hindu youth, the Muslim attacker fled leaving Aman drenched in blood. 

Before fleeing the spot, the accused Muslim youths also raised Islamic religious slogans. Upon getting information about the incident, several Hindu activists tried to take out a protest at Gandhigram and Kargigrant areas which are said to be Muslim dominated and linked to accused Muslim youths. However, the police persuaded them not to do so. Subsequently, SSP Daleep Singh Kunwar called for additional force to maintain law and order. 

Meanwhile, Anamika, victim Aman Bhandari’s sister, lodged a complaint against unidentified accused persons at Patel Nagar Police Station. 

Notably, the matter goes back to a social media post by Aman allegedly directed against the Muslim community. The matter soon reached the SSP office, where the SSP resolved the dispute with Aman deleting the social media post in question. However, the Muslim youths remained adamant about seeking revenge and brutally assaulted the Hindu youth on Thursday.

The police initially detained four people including one accused and three family members of some accused persons. Meanwhile, four teams were deployed to nab the absconding accused. Police also questioned the students and local shop owners.

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