Home Blog Page 2097

Nepal: Former Deputy PM, former Home Minister and 14 others sent to judicial custody in the scam of sending Nepalese citizens abroad as Bhutanese refugees

ANI
-
0
Nepal: Former Deputy PM, former Home Minister and 14 others sent to judicial custody in the scam of sending Nepalese citizens abroad as Bhutanese refugees

The Kathmandu district court on Friday sent 16 defendants including a former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister to judicial custody in a fake Bhutanese refugee scam.

The court made the preliminary verdict over the case and sent Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former Deputy Prime Minister, and Bal Krishna Khand, former Home Minister to jail thus making it one of the high-profile cases of Nepal. A single bench of Justice Prem Prasad Neupane delivered the verdict late on Friday evening passing the court hours following the conclusion of a marathon detention hearing that went on for nearly a fortnight.

“16 out of the 18 indicted on the charge of their involvement in the refugee scam has been sent to judicial custody. All of them have been sent to the Sundhara-based central jail,” Deepak Dahal, information officer at the Kathmandu District Court told ANI over the phone.

Two of the indicted in the case to be released on bail are Tanka Kumar Gurung and Laxmi Maharjan who have been slapped with the amount of NRs 1 million and half a million Nepali rupees, respectively.

“All the defendants will remain in judicial custody until the court delivers a verdict over the case. However, they can appeal with at high court against their latest verdict and seek release on bail,” Dahal added.

The District Attorney Office Kathmandu on May 24 filed criminal cases at the District Court Kathmandu against 30 individuals allegedly involved in the refugee scam.

They have been charged with four types of crimes- treason, organized crime, fraud and forgery. The accused have been charge-sheeted for collecting Nrs. 288.17 million from 115 victims ranging from Nrs. 200,000 to Nrs. 4.8 million each-promising to send them to the US in the guise of Bhutanese refugees.

According to the charge sheet of the attorney’s office, the accused had been indicted for crimes against the state as they were involved in offences provisioned in sections 51 (1) and 2 (a) of the Criminal Code Act-2017.

As per the section, nobody should act against national interest or encourage others to do so and nobody should act in a way that impairs the country’s image internationally.

The charge sheet said that their acts proved to be an offence against the state as turning Nepalis into Bhutanese refugees impaired Nepal’s international image and prestige. The prosecutor had sought punishment as per section 51 (4a) of the Criminal Code Act-2017 for all the accused.

Former Home Minister and opposition CPN-UML leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Nepali Congress leader and former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, former speaker Ang Tawa Sherpa, and former home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey also are now sent to jail. Amongst those in judicial custody includes exiled Bhutanese refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal.

Others arrested over the case are: Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Kumar Gurung, Sandesh Gurung, Sagar Rai, Sandeep Rayamajhi (Son of Top Bahadur Rayamajhi), Indrajit Rai, Bal Krishna Khand’s personal secretary Narendra KC, Ram Sharan KC, Govinda Chaudhary and Shamsher Miya

The Kathmandu District Court has issued arrest warrants for former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s son Prateek, Indrajit Rai’s son Niraj and other intermediaries.

The case of a fake Bhutanese refugee scam came to the limelight in April after the publication of an investigative piece through the grant of the Center for Investigative Journalism- Nepal. With mounting pressure, the incumbent Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha directed Police bodies to carry out the investigation.

The scam slowly came to understanding after Police apprehended Tek Narayan Pandey, the incumbent Secretary at Vice President’s Office and former Home Secretary. Data and documents retrieved from the possession of Pandey busted the scam web which has been completed for the first phase.

The data and documents retrieved by Police during the investigation exposed how Nepalis were swindled out of millions of rupees in return for sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. A total of 106 victims have registered complaints to the police noting that the fraudsters fleeced over Rs 232.5 million from them over different times.

The case further came into the limelight when an arrest warrant was issued against chief opposition CPN-UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, his (Top Bahadur) son Sandeep and Prateek Thapa, the son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa.

A police investigation has unearthed the facts that government officials have been helping the racketeers to obtain the fake document from the Home Ministry which worked as certification for them to send Nepali nationals as Bhutanese refugees to the US.

On June 14, 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Nepal Police launched an investigation into a criminal group involved in a case of fraud. The group had allegedly been scamming people for years by promising to send them to the US as Bhutanese refugees.

The government action was in response to a case filed by the victims at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority against the group a few months earlier. The case was brought to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Division only in June 2022 after which the investigation was launched.

The group has allegedly swindled over 875 people from different places in Nepal of millions of rupees. The Police investigation found suspects collecting between one to five million Nepali rupees per head promising to send them to the US as Bhutanese refugees.

After 1990, Nepal saw a huge influx of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese nationals who were expelled from their country by the Bhutanese government in a massive ethnic cleansing drive.

The refugees were kept in several refugee camps in Morang and Jhapa districts. After a series of bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan failed, the international community led by the UN refugee agency started resettling the refugees in third countries, mostly in the US and Europe.

Between 2007 and 2016, the UNHCR helped resettle more than 113,500 Bhutanese refugees in eight countries in one of the largest resettlement programs globally.

Nepal’s Home Ministry had formed a task force to find out the ways for remaining Bhutanese refugees who were denied resettlement. The investigative report by CIJ disclosed the infiltration by a government official- Rai in the report where he managed to manipulate the number of “left out” refugees for resettlement. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

AIMPLB says UCC not needed, nobody can alter Muslim laws, Maulana Tauqeer Raza warns the govt over demolition of illegal mazars

OpIndia Staff
-
0
AIMPLB says UCC not needed, nobody can alter Muslim laws, Maulana Tauqeer Raza warns the govt over demolition of illegal mazars

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has raised serious objections to the idea of implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. The Law Commission has recently invited suggestions from the public regarding the long-promised law. However, according to AIMPLB, this is a waste of resources.

Notably, the UCC calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. It has been an essential part of the election manifesto of the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party government over the past many years.

The organization also termed the UCC unnecessary and described it as impractical and dangerous. Its spokesperson Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas stated that the country’s diversity is its identity and it should not be tampered with.

The board also dragged the tribal groups into their argument and claimed the latter’s unique privileges will also get terminated as a result of the law. Ilyas contended that the AIMPLB’s guidelines originated from the Quran, and even Muslims are not permitted to alter them. “Then could the government pass any law to interfere with it,” he asked.

He asserted that other faiths in the nation have similar worries and cautioned the administration against the same. More importantly, he threatened to incite riots across the country if the law ever comes into effect.

The president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, has also voiced his discontent against the idea of UCC and the destruction of unauthorized or illegal Mazars (Islamic shrines). He declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party should first destroy temples before discussing Muslim shrines.

He added that the government shouldn’t put their patience to the test and threatened reaction against the action. He alleged that a plot is underway to repeat the demolition drive presently underway in Uttarakhand, across the whole country. He announced that if the bulldozers continue to destroy illegal shrines, Muslims will reach the state to demonstrate against the government.

The Muslim leader from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh even labelled love jihad as ‘saffron trap.’ He stated, “We have put a ban in place that would result in the boycott of both the man and his family if he marries a Hindu female.” He maintained that we have kept our youth in check by pacifying them.

He pointed out, “We are also not wearing bangles,” and asserted that all places of worship constructed prior to 1921 are legitimate while referring to The Place of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

People who think they understand entire Ramayana are fools; they should understand Adipurush is just a part of Ramayana: Director Om Raut

OpIndia Staff
-
0
People who think they understand entire Ramayana are fools; they should understand Adipurush is just a part of Ramayana: Director Om Raut


The movie ‘Adipurush,’ a cinematic adaptation of the epic ‘Ramayana,’ has stirred up controversy ever since its theatrical release on June 16, 2023. While the movie is accused of misrepresenting the story of Ramayana with inappropriate character design, storyline, dialogues etc, the makers of the movie are staunchly defending it. In a recent interview, director Om Raut made a statement suggesting that individuals criticising the movie are misguided.

In an interview with Republic World, Om Raut said, “Ramayana is so big that it is impossible for anyone to understand it. If someone is saying that he or she understands Ramayana, either they are fools or they are lying. The Ramayana that we have seen on TV before, is something that I have grown up watching in the big format. We can’t call it a film (Ramayan). That is why we are calling it Adipurush because it is a section within the Ramayana. This is a Yuddh Kaand which is the chapter of war in Ramayana, which we are trying to show and it is just a small part of that war chapter.”

When asked if the film is only for practising Hindus, Raut said, “This film is for every living being. The way of Ram is Ramayan. It is for everyone. Whatever little I have learned about Ramayan, I have tried to portray it on celluloid. If you make a kid draw a painting for Prabhu Shri Ram, it may look the best but the spirituality that the kid has, that is something I will appreciate.”

He further said, “You need that validation as a filmmaker. You need to know that there are so many people that are liking your work. I was going through the ticketing websites and for tomorrow all the charts are looking orange which means the advances for tomorrow are very high. Advances for Sunday and Monday also are very high, which means people are actually liking it. The type of responses we are getting from cinema halls, the way people are cheering and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ really makes me feel very happy.”

He added, “I am very happy to say that we are going for an unprecedented number of day 1 of the global box office. Definitely, it is a huge number in India but when you look at the global box office, it is a very large number. What I am told is ‘Om you will be surprised.”

The movie ‘Adipurush’ witnessed an unprecedented opening day at the box office, setting new records for earnings. However, alongside its commercial success, the film has also faced an escalating controversy. Critics have labelled the film’s dialogues as “tapori” or street-smart, with even the portrayal of characters like Ravana and Indrajit being criticized as lacking depth. This departure from expectations has surprised audiences, given that renowned writer Manoj Muntashir penned the script for director Om Raut’s ‘Adipurush’. Nonetheless, Manoj has defended his approach, asserting that he intentionally crafted relatable dialogues to connect with the audience.

Chamba murder case: BJP pledges Rs 5 lakh compensation to Manohar’s family, seeks SC-ST Commission’s Intervention

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Chamba murder case: BJP pledges Rs 5 lakh compensation to Manohar’s family, seeks SC-ST Commission’s Intervention

A few weeks ago, the mutilated dead body of Manohar Lal was found, chopped into eight pieces, and stuffed in a sack. This created a tense atmosphere in the region, particularly when a horde of protestors burnt down the houses of the accused in this case. In the latest development, the BJP state unit in Himachal Pradesh has announced a compensation of Rs 5 Lakh to the family of the deceased 21-year-old Manohar Lal.

The BJP leader and former Himachal CM Jairam Thakur also raised the demand to hand over the Manohar murder case to National Investigation Agency (NIA). Former CM Thakur, during the protests in Chamba, stated that this amount would help support Manohar’s family in their daily lives.

Over the past few days, the demand for justice for Manohar has only gained pace and protests have been staged in Chamba and other parts of the state as well.

BJP stages protest across Himachal

BJP State President Rajeev Bindal on Friday, 16th of June, accused the Congress government in the state of not letting them meet the family of the deceased. To show their solidarity with Manohar’s family, Jindal also announced to hold a protest demonstration in all 12 districts of the state on Saturday, 17th of June.

Reportedly, after this, BJP workers will also submit a memorandum to the Governor through Deputy Commissioners. Further, BJP – the principal opposition party, has also announced to raise the case before the SC-ST Commission.

Party MP Suresh Kashyap has stated that the BJP will also raise this issue before the National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission. He highlighted that Manohar Lal belonged to the Scheduled Caste community.

Similarly, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sikander Kumar has taken this matter with the commission. He has also urged the state government to provide financial aid of ₹1 crore and a government job to the deceased’s family.

History of the case

As reported earlier, Manohar Lal was in a relationship with a Muslim girl named Rukhsana. His dead body, chopped into 8 pieces, was found in a sack. However, the police have asserted that there is no ‘communal angle’ to the murder.

As per family members, Manohar was missing since 6th June. Three days later his mutilated body was found on the 9th of June. This incident took place in the Salooni area in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

Action taken so far by the police

As per Police officials, 11 accused have been arrested in this case. Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan has announced that investigations are underway regarding the accusations of construction of houses on private land in the Sankchuri area and encroachment on forest department land. He stated that instructions have been issued to thoroughly examine these cases.

Additionally, DC Devgan informed the media that the Income Tax Department will be engaged to probe the substantial funds deposited in the accused’s accounts. Furthermore, the Revenue Department has been directed to initiate an investigation into the confiscated land.

Uganda: Terrorists linked with ISIS kill more than 40 people, including school students. Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uganda: Terrorists linked with ISIS kill more than 40 people, including school students. Here is what we know so far

On Friday (June 16) night, terrorists associated with ISIS killed more than 40 people in Mpondwe town in Kasese district in Western Uganda. The attack took place at the Lhubiriha secondary school, resulting in the death of at least 38 students.

Besides, one school guard and two members of the local community were also killed. As per reports, the Islamist organisation ‘Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)’ is said to be behind the deadly terror attack. ADF is known to have close ties with ISIS.

According to the National Police spokesperson Fred Enaga, the bodies of the deceased students were transferred to the nearby Bwera hospital. Besides, 8 victims are said to be in critical condition.

The terrorists burnt down a male dormitory, looted a food store and abducted female students of the Lhubiriha secondary school, following the attack. The male students were burnt or hacked to death.

Reportedly, some bodies had burnt beyond recognition that DNA tests need to be conducted to ascertain their identity. Heavy security has been deployed at the Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe, following the dastardly terror attack.

The Ugandan forces are now trying to chase down ADF terrorists and rescue the abducted students. “Our forces are pursuing the enemy to rescue those abducted and destroy this group,” remarked defence spokesperson Felix Kulayigye.

Reportedly, the Ugandan forces had intelligence about ADF terrorists camping on the border area on the side of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prior to the attack on Friday.

In a tweet, the Uganda police force said, “We do offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who have been killed, and offer our prayers and thoughts to those who have been wounded.”

It is said to be the first such attack in 25 years on a school in Uganda, which is located just 2 kilometres from the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In June 1998, ADF terrorists killed 80 students studying at the Kichwamba Technical Institute in Uganda. More than 100 people were also abducted.

In a tweet, a popular political figure Winnie Kizza said, “I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on our students. Attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of children’s rights.”

“Schools should always be a safe place for every student, where students can learn, play and grow to reach their full potential,” she added.

36 Christians killed by ADF in Congo

On March 9 this year, the Islamist outfit announced that it had murdered 36 Christians in Mukondi village in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

ADF stated that the killings were targeted at “Christians”. It further added that the murders were executed using guns and knives and that the properties of the deceased were destroyed.

According to local authorities, at least 45 people were killed in a series of attacks on different villages by the Allied Democratic Forces. It must be mentioned that the ADF has been active primarily in North Kivu province but has recently extended its operations to Ituri province and Goma.

Besides murders, ADF has been involved in raping, maiming and abducting civilians including children. The US government has recently offered a reward of up to $5 million for any information that could lead to the capture of the ADF leader, Seka Musa Baluku. Opindia has reported about the killing of 30 people by the ADF in November 2020.

‘Will there be Hindu prayers in a Madarsa,’ Parents protest after Mumbai school plays Azaan during assembly, school apologises and suspends teacher

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Will there be Hindu prayers in a Madarsa,’ Parents protest after Mumbai school plays Azaan during assembly, school apologises and suspends teacher

On Friday, June 16, the Kapol Vidyanidhi International School in Mumbai came under fire after a video of Azaan being relayed during the school’s morning assembly session went viral on social media.

The incident led to a massive uproar among the parents who gathered outside the school premises, demanding action against the school authorities. The parents alleged that Azaan was played purposely to create communal tensions.

Kapol Vidyanidhi International School is a privately owned school in the Hindu-majority area of Kandivali (West) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The majority of the students studying in the school are Hindus.

Reports said that students as usual reached the school around 7 am. However, a teacher who was responsible for playing the regular prayers at school is said to have played the azaan on the speakers. One of the protesting parents said, Most of us come here for morning walks. Hearing the Azaan during the morning prayers was quite unusual.”

As the matter escalated, BJP Mumbai general secretary and local MLA Yogesh Sagar also reached the site with other party members and joined the protesting parents to demonstrate against the school authorities. The BJP leader also demanded prompt action against the concerned teacher.

BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar said the prayer was played intentionally especially since it was a Friday. He accused the school authorities of shielding the teacher who was behind the fiasco.

BJP Mumbai unit also tweeted about the protests that broke out outside the school.

A police complaint against the school authorities was subsequently filed. “A complaint was received in Kandivali today that ‘Azaan’ was played during morning prayers at a school. Police have admitted the complaint and enquiry has begun. The matter will be enquired from all angles. All necessary action will be taken,” said DCP Ajay Kumar Bansal.

All classes were dismissed due to the protests held outside the school following the row.

Notably, the morning assembly was being attended by students of classes 4 to 10 when the teacher began playing the Azaan. Reshma Hegde, the principal of the school, initially justified the conduct by claiming that it was done to educate the students about various religions. She asserted that the matter a being blown out of proportion.

However, after the controversy escalated, the school principal apologized and said that the concerned teacher has been suspended. He also apologised and assured that such an instance would not be repeated in the future, Dr Hegde also said that an internal probe has been initiated into the matter.

While addressing the protesting crowd, Dr Reshma Hegde said, “The teacher has been suspended and an enquiry has been initiated. This is a Hindu school and our prayers include Gayatri Mantra and Saraswati Vandana. We assure such an instance will not be repeated in the future.”

The agitated parents, however, denied having any prior information about such an initiative. “None of us were informed about it,” said one parent, adding that they would have objected if they had been informed. “We send our children to this Hindu school. There was no need to play an Islamic prayer. Will there be any Hindu prayer in a Madarsa? questioned another irate parent.

Gujarat: 13 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants arrested in Ahmedabad; 18 others were arrested a fortnight ago

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gujarat: 13 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants arrested in Ahmedabad; 18 others were arrested a fortnight ago

Ahead of the auspicious Rath Yatra festival, Ahmedabad Police, in line with their annual tradition, is diligently working on multiple fronts to enhance security measures as part of the preparations for the grand event. Amidst these efforts, authorities have once again apprehended several illegal Bangladeshi individuals from Chandola Lake in Danilimda and other areas of Ahmedabad, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced in addressing illegal immigration.

According to reports, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Ahmedabad City Police Crime Branch has conducted a successful operation, resulting in the arrest of 13 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals. These individuals were apprehended from Chhapra, a settlement located near Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad, as well as the Ghatlodia and Odhav areas. It has been revealed that these individuals had been residing in the city unlawfully for several years, aided by counterfeit documentation.

Many illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were living for 30 years

Acting on intelligence, personnel from the Ahmedabad Crime Branch were alerted to the presence of four Bangladeshi nationals who had allegedly established themselves in the city using forged documents. In response, the Crime Branch promptly initiated surveillance operations at the specified location.

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch detained four individuals of Bangladeshi origin, who had resided in Ahmedabad for the past three decades. These four arrested individuals were identified as Manzoorbhai Sheikh, Saeed Sheikh, Rana Nigam Sarkar, and Salman Sheikh. It was discovered that all four individuals had fraudulently obtained documents such as Aadhaar cards and PAN cards by forging local affiliations.

According to the authorities, the arrested illegal Bangladeshi immigrants admitted to obtaining these documents through illicit channels within the local community. Over the past 30 years, they had been residing in Chhapra, an area near Chandola Lake, while supporting themselves by engaging in activities such as manufacturing incense sticks and undertaking casual labour work.

Illegal Bangladeshi immigrants had fake documents including PAN, Aadhar, and Ration Cards

Illegal Bangladeshi individuals, namely Mohammad Manzoor Sheikh, Mohammad Abu Sheikh, Imran Hussain Sheikh, and Mohammad Salman, were found in possession of counterfeit documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voting cards, and ration cards. These individuals had been living in Ahmedabad unlawfully, relying on these forged documents to maintain their status.

A case has been registered against them under multiple sections of the law, and an investigation has been initiated to identify the agent responsible for producing the fraudulent documentation.

The modus operandi is to come on a tourist visa and stay in India

Abu Rehan, a Bangladeshi national, initially entered Ahmedabad on a tourist visa, which he obtained using his Bangladesh passport. However, despite his visa expiring in 2022, he chose to remain in Ahmedabad, residing in the city illegally.

It is important to note that Rehan and others like him managed to bypass immigration control by crossing the border from Benapur and infiltrating through the Haridaspur border into India. Subsequently, they made their way to Gujarat and settled in various areas within Ahmedabad.

Earlier this month, 18 Bangladeshi individuals were arrested

Notably, a significant number of Bangladeshi individuals have been found residing unlawfully in the vicinity of Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad, using counterfeit documents to establish their presence. The local police and security agencies have been duly informed and are on high alert to prevent any untoward incidents leading up to the Rath Yatra festival. These agencies are closely monitoring suspicious activities and individuals to maintain security and ensure a smooth celebration of the event.

On June 2, the Special Operations Group (SOG) apprehended a group of 18 Bangladeshi individuals in Ahmedabad. During the operation, incriminating documents confirming their Bangladeshi nationality were seized from all of them. It was discovered that several of these individuals had been residing in the city illegally, even after their visas had expired.

SOG ACP BC Solanki said at that time, “The ongoing crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi residents has been in progress for a considerable period. The recent apprehension of 18 individuals underscores the extent of the issue. These individuals were found to be residing unlawfully in various areas including Isanpur, Shahalam, Chandola Lake, and Danilimda. It was determined that they were employed in menial labour jobs while living in violation of immigration regulations.”

Eight Pakistani nationals arrested in Greece for plotting terror attacks: Report

ANI
-
0
Eight Pakistani nationals arrested in Greece for plotting terror attacks: Report

Eight Pakistan nationals have been arrested in Greece for plotting terror attacks, according to unconfirmed reports, Greek City Times reported.

Greek City Times is a Greek lifestyle site. The arrests have once again brought the spotlight back on Pakistan which has been the main spreader of jihadist terrorism across the globe.

Jihadist terrorism in Europe emerged in the 1990s. In many European countries, awareness of this new development took some time. In fact, the threat posed by jihadist terrorism was underestimated, overlooked, and often misunderstood.

Of all different kinds of political-religious terrorism, transnational jihadist terrorism is the most threatening one to Western values, interests and societies. This form of terrorism is the product of a combination of Islamist ideology and the idea of jihad, as per Greek City Times.

According to, Greek City Times, Pakistan-origin terrorists have been at the forefront of executing this form of terrorism. In September 2020, Europe felt a sudden jolt when arrest warrants were issued for fourteen Pakistanis in Italy in connection with the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris.

It confirmed the growing presence of Pakistani radicals in Europe.

French authorities in December 2020 arrested four more Pakistani nationals who had prior knowledge of the attack. Ever since, Pakistani terror supporters have been under constant watch in the UK, Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

In another incident of Pakistan-origin terrorists planning a terror attack on European soil, Greek police arrested two Pakistani nationals in March 2023 who were allegedly planning mass-casualty terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in the country. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Kerala: Fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal gets life imprisonment for sexual assault on a minor girl

ANI
-
0
Kerala: Fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal gets life imprisonment for sexual assault on a minor girl

Fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal was on Saturday sentenced to life imprisonment after a special POCSO court in Ernakulam found him guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case court found him guilty of sexually harassing his domestic helper’s minor daughter multiple times. “Fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal was pronounced guilty in the rape case of a minor. The Special POCSO Court in Kochi pronounced the verdict today. He had sexually harassed his domestic helper’s minor daughter multiple times,” said a prosecutor.

Mavunkal was sentenced to life imprisonment under two sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“The Kochi special POCSO court sentenced Monson Mavunkal to life imprisonment until the remainder of his natural life in two sections under the IPC. Sections 376(2)(n) and 376(2)(f),” said the prosecutor.

Monson Mavunkal is accused of allegedly swindling crores of rupees by selling fake antiquities. The Crime Branch of Kerala Police arrested him on November 6, 2021.

Mavunkal had pretended to be a collector of artifacts and relics over the last several years and cheated people of over Rs 10 crore.

As per a report, Mavunkal had claimed that his precious antique collection includes a throne of Tipu Sultan, the first edition of the Holy Bible, books used by Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji, the last Mughal emperor Aurangazeb and Mysore Sultan Tipu Sultan.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Ariha Shah case: German court rejects custody pleas of her Indian parents; hands over the child to local agency

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Ariha Shah case: German court rejects custody pleas of her Indian parents; hands over the child to local agency

A district court in Pankow, Germany, refused custody of Ariha Shah, a 28-month-old Indian girl, to her biological parents and handed her to Jugendamt, the German juvenile services in two separate judgments on June 13.

The court rejected Dhara and Bhavesh Shah’s request to have the child returned to them directly or, at the very least, given to a third party, the Indian Welfare Services, and instead handed over the child to Jugendamt. It ruled, “The parents are no longer authorised to decide on the whereabouts of their child.”

The court declared that the Central Youth Welfare Office of Berlin would be responsible for making decisions regarding her whereabouts while acting as her temporary guardian. The parents had first requested her custody, but they later withdrew the motion.

Following that, they asked that full parental custody be restored and that she be delivered to the Indian Welfare Services, with the understanding that she would then be sent to Ashok Jain’s foster home in Ahmedabad. The parents also intended to relocate to India with her.

The court cited two injuries on the head and back that Ariha Shah endured in April 2021 that occurred while she was being washed and a genital injury in September of the same year in refusing custody to her parents or the Indian Welfare Services.

It maintained that in order to “avert the existing danger to the child,” parental care ought to be refused. It further stated that the parents were unable to “explain the events in question in a sufficiently consistent manner” and it reached the conclusion “that the mother and/or father (had) intentionally caused the serious genital injuries to the child.”

The parents already have “the right and duty” to visitation twice each month, “on the first and third Tuesday of each month for 60 minutes (of) accompanied contact,” per the district court’s order. The former requested supervised visitation with their daughter once every two days for 90 minutes in their visitation petition.

However, their plea was rejected noting that while maintaining contact with her parents was necessary for Ariha Shah to have a consistent image of them as she grows, “the development of a bond was no longer in the foreground.”

In order to “not cause any additional irritations in the child’s experience,” it was also underlined that the contact frequency shouldn’t be altered. The court decision pronounced that the child should be given time to develop a bond with her foster parents and that any change in visitation frequency or duration could have “a disturbing effect” on her.

Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, pleaded with the German government on June 3 “to do all necessary to send Ariha to India as soon as possible, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national.”

In a letter to the German ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, earlier in June, 59 members of Parliament representing 19 political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, the Left, and the Trinamool Congress asked him to take all necessary steps to facilitate the little girl’s return to India as soon as possible.

After the court verdict, the parents flew from Berlin to New Delhi on June 15 to request that the Indian authorities seek Ariha Shah’s repatriation because she is an Indian citizen. Bhavesh Shah voiced, “We plan to appeal in a higher court in Germany but have little hope of getting a fair trial. We were expecting a verdict like this. They did not opine on the reports of experts who defended us, and just gave a one-sided verdict.”

The couple has made a request for Ariha Shah’s return to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). They asserted they had no idea if the Jugendamt would allow visits once she turned three. “And once we lose visitation, if we want to bring her back to India, Ariha herself may not remember us or understand what India is and may refuse to come back. The visitation that has been allowed now is supposed to apply until Ariha settles in with her new foster parents,” Dhara Shah added.

Ariha Shah, the daughter of a Jain couple Bhavesh and Dhara Shah was 7 months old when she was separated from her parents by the authorities of the Germany Child Care Institute after the baby was accidentally hurt by her grandmother. 20 months have passed since then but she has not been returned to her parents.

“Our visitations with Ariha since October 2021 were supervised by a social worker. We constantly received good reports from the social worker. As of September 2022, the social worker observed that the visitations were going well and that they may be increased. Relying on those reports, in September 2022, we went to the family court requesting that the frequency of our visitations should be increased to at least twice a week, but Jugendamt opposed the plea,” Bhavesh reportedly told Indian Express on June 8.

1...2,0962,0972,098...7,644Page 2,097 of 7,644