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Maharashtra: Clashes in Kolhapur after WhatsApp posts on Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Clashes in Kolhapur after WhatsApp posts on Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan

Massive tensions erupted in the city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Wednesday, June 7, amid peaceful protest by Hindu organisations against people who posted social media stories praising Aurangzeb and Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan on the glorious day when the state celebrated the 350th Rajyabhishek Day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The police had to resort to lathicharge and tear gas shells after the peaceful protest organised by several Hindu organisations was attacked by miscreants who pelted stones at the protesters. According to the local reports, the fight between the two groups happened after the Hindus were attacked by the miscreants.

“Some organisations had called for a Kolhapur bandh and the members of these organisations gathered at Shivaji Chowk today. After their demonstration ended, the crowd began to disperse but some miscreants started pelting stones, forcing police to use force against these people to disperse them,” Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit was quoted as saying.

Collector of Kolhapur, Rahul Rekhawar also stated that the situation in Kolhpur is under control and appealed to the citizens not to believe the rumours and to go with only official government statements.

(Video attached above shows stone-pelting from the terrace of a building. The video has been sent to OpIndia by one of the Hindu activists)

Apparently, the objectionable social media stories went viral a day after they were posted and Hindus had gathered in the city to seek action against the persons who posted such stories. “After the chaos, the police then resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. It is being said that the two persons who posted the objectionable stories have been detained, but it’s unconfirmed,” the activist added.

Six arrested so far, confirms Police

Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that several shops have been vandalized in the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation, Ganji Galli, Mahadwar Road, Akbar Mohalla, and Shivaji Road adjacent to Shivaji Chowk area in the city of Kolhapur. However, the state police are said to have brought the situation under control by 12:30 pm. Kolhapur Zone IG Sunil Phulari also reviewed the situation and confirmed that six persons have been arrested in the case of violence and that further investigations are underway.

Internet services in Kolhapur suspended

Reports mention that the administration has ordered telecom companies to disconnect mobile internet services in Kolhapur to prevent any kind of offensive messages from going viral on social media. Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit confirmed the event and said it is a preventive measure to avoid any untoward incident from happening in the city.

Notably, there were a total of seven persons who had posted the objectionable WhatsApp status on the occasion of the 350th Rajyabhishek Day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj yesterday. According to the sources, two of them belonged to Kolhapur while the others were from the nearby small towns. The police have booked a case against the persons who uploaded the status and have assured the Hindu activists that they will take action against them.

‘Disrespect to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not be tolerated’: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis commented on the issue and said that those who are praising the Islamic tyrants on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s land will not be spared. “This Maharashtra belongs to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and people who show disrespect to him will not be spared. This is intolerable. The situation in Kolhapur is being monitored and it is under control now. The state appeals to people to maintain peace,” he said.

Further, cabinet ministers Deepak Kesarkar and Shambhuraje Desai said that some of the political elements were making deliberate attempts to disturb the communal harmony in the state. The duo also warned that the miscreants would be dealt with a heavy hand.

Similar incidents were reported from Ahmednagar, Yavatmal

Earlier, a similar incident was reported from Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra where four persons flaunted posters of Aurangzeb during a procession on Sunday in the Mukundnagar area. The police have filed a case against four people in total and have arrested two of them.

Further, on May 17, Maharashtra Police filed an FIR against one person identified as Sheikh Aftaab Shiekh Mannan for uploading an Islamist propaganda social media story on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The accused person had posted a video in which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was seen bowing down before Aurangzeb. “Aurangzeb Hindustan ka Baap,” the video captioned.

In the given case at present, tight police security has been deployed in the city of Kolhapur, particularly in some of the sensitive pockets with other forces reportedly kept on alert.

Union cabinet approves new 28.50 km elevated metro line in Gurugram worth ₹5,452 crore, SPV of centre and Haryana govt to be set up

OpIndia Staff
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Union cabinet approves new 28.50 km elevated metro line in Gurugram worth ₹5,452 crore, SPV of centre and Haryana govt to be set up

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved a new metro line in Gurugram, from HUDA City Centre to Cyber City, with a spur line to Dwarka Expressway. The route will be 28.50 km long and will have 27 stations.

The entire track will be elevated, which will be a standard gauge line of 1435 mm (5 ft 8.5 inches). The total completion cost of the project will be ₹5,452 crore. The project is to be completed in 4 years from the date of sanction.

The length of the main corridor of Huda City Centre to Cyber City will be 26.65 km and it will have 26 stations. The spur line from Basai Village to Dwarka Expressway, provided for connectivity to depot, will be 1.85 km long with 1 station.

The stations on this metro line will be HUDA City Centre, Sector 45, Cyber Park, Sector 47, Subhash Chowk, Sector 48, Sector 72A, Hero Honda Chowk, Udyog Vihar Phase 6, Sector 10, Sector 37, Basai Village, Sector 9, Sector 7, Sector 4, Sector 5, Ashok Vihar, Sector 3, Bajghera Road, Palam Vihar Extension, Palam Vihar, Sector 23A, Sector 22, Udyog Vihar Phase 4, Udyog Vihar Phase 5, and Cyber City.

Alignment of the proposed line (in blue), with Delhi Metro (Yellow) and Rapid Metro Gurugram (green)

The design speed of the project will be 80 kmph, while the average speed will be 34 kmph.

The project is proposed to be completed in four years from the date of sanction of the Project and is to be implemented by Harayana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC) which will be set up as a 50:50 Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the Government of India and Government of Haryana after sanction order is issued.

The share of govt of India in the project cost will be ₹896.19 crore, and the Haryana govt’s share will be ₹1432.49 crore, and Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HUDA) will contribute ₹300 crore. ₹2,688.57 will be raised through loans, and ₹135.47 will come through PPP route for lifts and escalators. Loan is being tied up with European Investment Board (EIB) and World Bank (WB) for the project.

According to a cabinet statement, 90% of the land needed for the project is govt land, and only 10% land is private. The process of shifting utilities has already started.

At present, there is no metro connectivity in Old Gurugram. This new metro line will connect New Gurugram with Old Gurugram. New Gurugram has two metro lines, the Yellow Line of Delhi Metro, and Rapid Metro Gurugram, a light metro system that acts as a feeder line of the Delhi Metro, and is currently operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

The new metro line will connect to the Rapid Metro Gurugram at Cyber Hub. The other end of the line will meet the DMRC Yellow Line at HUDA City Centre. However, the lines will not join together, as the Yellow Line is broad gauge, while the new line will be of standard gauge.

This network will also connect with Indian Railway station. In next phase, it will provide connectivity to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. This will also provide overall economic development in the area.

Wrestlers Protest: Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik meet sports minister Anurag Thakur, submit 5 demands including female WFI president

OpIndia Staff
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Wrestlers Protest: Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik meet sports minister Anurag Thakur, submit 5 demands including female WFI president

Protesting wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik reached Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur’s residence in the national capital on Wednesday. Following a new proposal from the minister for a conversation on issues brought up by the former during their month-long protest, he convened a meeting to address their grievances.

The grapplers put forth their five demands before the minister which included the appointment of a female president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). They sought the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the current head of the WFI and the exclusion of his family members from the organisation. They wanted the WFI elections to be held ‘impartially.’ Additionally, they asked that the First Information Report (FIR) against wrestlers should be dropped for rioting in Delhi.

“We will discuss the proposal given by the government with our seniors and supporters. Only when everyone gives their consent that the proposal is fine, then will we agree. It won’t happen that we will agree to anything that the government says and end our protest,” Sakhi Malik informed earlier in the day.

Hours after accepting the invitation for a meeting in the late hours of the night, they went to Anurag Thakur’s home in New Delhi. The meeting happened after the wrestlers met Home Minister Amit Shah at his official residence on June 4. However, the wrestlers found the meeting ‘inconclusive.’

Following this, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malika, and Bajrang Punia joined their respective duty in railways. However, Khap and farmer leaders were incensed by this move.

This was the second meeting between the wrestlers and Anurag Thakur. The first one was in January when top wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat met over dinner at his house in January following which they withdrew their protest after gaining assurances that the latter would take appropriate measures regarding the matter.

However, they returned to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on April 23 after their initial protest in January, to demonstrate against WFI head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. They demand an investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment of female wrestlers by Bharatiya Janta Party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh during his tenure as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India.

The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs and ten complaints against the politician regarding the case. The FIRs and complaints were registered at Delhi’s Connaught Place police station. The complaints were registered on April 21, and the FIRs were filed on April 28.

According to the FIRs, he was charged with requesting sexual favours. Ten molestation accusations were also brought against him. The claims included specifics about his attempts at inappropriate contact, which comprised of placing his hand over the girls’ chests and moving it to the back, among other things. The first of the two filed FIRs contained the assertions made by the wrestlers, while the second described complaints presented by the parent of a juvenile.

As part of its probe, the Delhi Police took testimonies from his friends and others who work at his Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, home, according to authorities on Tuesday. They added that the girl whose confession served as the foundation for the POCSO Act has recorded a new statement in accordance with section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

In accordance with the officials, police are gathering evidence in relation to the complaint brought against him and will present a report in court as a result. There have apparently been over 125 persons interviewed and their statements recorded, involving family members and friends from both sides. He has reportedly also been interrogated twice.

In the meantime, the BJP leader has refuted all of the charges and stated that he has complete confidence in the country’s legal and judicial systems.

Modi government announces hike in MSP for Kharif crops for the 2023-24 season

OpIndia Staff
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Modi government announces hike in MSP for Kharif crops for the 2023-24 season

On Wednesday, June 7, the Modi government approved the increased Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Kharif crops during the 2023-24 marketing season. 

The cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has authorised a Rs 143 increase in paddy MSP to Rs 2,183 per quintal for 2023-24, with Moong MSP recording the highest increase at Rs 8,558 per quintal.

The support price of ‘A’ quality paddy has been raised by Rs 163 to Rs 2,203 per quintal, up from Rs 2,060. The support price for Jowar-Hybrid and Jowar-Maldandi has been hiked to Rs 3180 and Rs 3225, respectively. Meanwhile, the support price for Bajra, Ragi, Maize, and Toor/Arhar has been increased in this marketing season to Rs 2500, Rs 3846, Rs 2090, and Rs 7000, respectively.

Soybean MSP which earlier was at Rs 4300 now stands at Rs 4,600 per quintal, sesamum MSP is Rs 8,635 per quintal with an Rs 805 increase from last year’s MSP, niger seed MSP is Rs 7,734 per quintal (Rs 7,287 last year), and cotton (medium staple MSP is Rs 6,620 per quintal witnessing an increase of Rs 540. Cotton’s MSP (long staple) has been raised from Rs 6380 to Rs 7,020 per quintal.

MSP for Kharif marketing season 2023-24 (Image via PIB)

Moreover, the MSP for Urad has been increased by Rs 350 to Rs 6950, last year it was Rs 6600. Groundnut MSP has been hiked to Rs 6377 and Sunflower seed to Rs 6760.

According to an official press release, the hike in MSP for Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24 is consistent with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of “setting the MSP at least 1.5 times the All-India weighted average Cost of Production, with the goal of providing farmers with relatively fair remuneration.”

The predicted margin to farmers over their cost of production for bajra is estimated to be 82%, followed by tur (58%), soybean (52%), and urad (51%). The margin to farmers over their cost of production for the remaining crops is projected to be at least 50%.

The press release further stated that the government has encouraged the cultivation of crops other than cereals, including pulses, oilseeds, and Nutri-cereals/Shree Anna, by increasing the MSP for these crops.  Furthermore, the government has “developed several schemes and initiatives to encourage farmers to diversify their crops, such as the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and the National Food Security Mission (NFSM).”

Calling the Modi government “a partner in the prosperity of the farmers” Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar tweeted, “Today, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Shri  @narendramodi ji, the Union Cabinet took an important decision in the interest of the farmers… Unprecedented increase in Minimum Support Price for Kharif Marketing Season 2023-24.”

Jamia professor Shoaib Jamai spreads lies about Hindu religious texts, claims Apsaras are same as Hoors in Islam, here are the facts

OpIndia Staff
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Jamia professor Shoaib Jamai spreads lies about Hindu religious texts, claims Apsaras are same as Hoors in Islam, here are the facts

A film titled 72 Hoorain (72 Hoors) depicting the dark face of Islamic terrorism is soon to release. The teaser of the film was launched on 4th June 2023. After the teaser of this film was released, Dr Shoaib Jamai, Chairman of India Muslim Foundation and a professor of Jamia Millia Islamia University, posted a thread of tweets spreading fake things about Hindu religious texts to whitewash the concept of 72 Hoors in his faith that is Islam.

Hoors (meaning beautiful virgin ladies) promised to Muslim men when they go to Jannat (meaning paradise or heaven) after attaining martyrdom while on the path of Jihad is one of the most alluring baits to join Jihad and unleash Islamic terrorism. The terror masters of various terrorist outfits lure Muslim youths with jannat and 72 hoors to kill infidels (non-Muslims) and wage jihad against them. Trapped in this greed, Muslims become terrorists and then get ready to kill others and themselves. When the film’s teaser calling out this Islamic belief was released, Dr Shoaib Jamai took to Twitter to write false things about Apsaras described in various Hindu scriptures, and compared them with Hoors.

He wrote, “Those who don’t marry and spread hatred over social media in an attempt to get 1000 Apsaras of heaven are nowadays preaching knowledge on 72 hoors. Kalyug is astonishing.”

With this post, he shared two images with multiple purported verses from Hindu scriptures which said that if a warrior attains martyrdom in a war, one thousand Apsaras of heaven wish to become his wife. Dr Shoaib Jamai’s post quoted from Hindu scriptures like Devi Bhagwat, Matsya Purana, Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahabharata, etc.

Dr Shoaib Jamai further wrote, “Literary proof of the existence of Apsara From Rigveda and Vishnu Purana.”

With this tweet, he shared some alleged translations of the said Hindu scriptures describing the creation of Apsaras. Dr Shoaib Jamai essentially tried to imply that like Muslims kill non-Muslims to get 72 Hoors in paradise, Hindus also kill others so that they get 1000 Apsaras.

However, these are false claims, and while Hindu scripts mention Apsaras, nowhere it is written that Hindus will get 1000 Apsaras. Apsaras are described as celestial maidens associated with the court of God Indra, and they are associated with several important incidents described in Hindu texts. According to the Mahabharata, Apsaras, along with Gandharvas, were engaged in divine tasks, and they worshipped God Brahma through hymns and chants. Nowhere it is mentioned that Apsaras are ‘available’ for ordinary men as prizes, like how Hoors are described.

The Jamia professor’s claims were debunked by author Anshul Pandey who quoted relevant references and authentic translations of Hindu scriptures to show how Dr Shoaib Jamai spread misinformation about the Hindu holy books.

Out of the references quoted by Dr Shoaib Jamai, Van Parva of Mahabharata – verse number 168.6-7 did not mention Apsaras. Jamai gave a false translation. Anshuman Parva’s reference from Mahabharata – verse number 13.79.27 was also cross-checked by Anshul Pandey – the author who holds exceptional authority on Mahabharata. That reference also did not mention Apsaras.

Atharva Veda’s verse number 4.34.2 was also quoted by Dr Shoaib Jamai. Anshul Pandey provided a proper translation of the text and underlined that it talks about women and not Apsaras.

Dr Shoaib Jamai also quoted the 31st verse of the 3rd chapter of the Parashar Smriti. Anshul Pandey gave the original script and translation of yet another verse and proved that it does not contain any word which means women or Apsaras.

Similarly, Dr Shoaib Jamai implied that Rig Veda 10.103.3 and Atharva Veda 2.2.5 mention Apsaras. While the Rig Veda reference – as cross verified by Anshul Pandey – did not contain the word Apsaras while the other reference called Apsaras as wives of Gandharvas and that they should be worshipped.

The only reference that was found quasi-factual was the one from Mahabharata. Dr Shoaib Jamai said that Shati Parva (12) 98.46-48 of Mahabharata says that a warrior gets 1000 Apsaras after attaining martyrdom. Anshul Pandey providing proper translation tweeted, “You mentioned about Mahabharat Shanti Parva (12).98.46-48. Here Apsara is mentioned but it says that a Beautiful woman is waiting for his Husband in Swarga lok, And nothing wrong in having intimacy with her husband. You translated as per your convenience.”

Explaining the difference between the concepts of Apsaras and Hoors, Anshul Pandey told Dr Shoaib Jamai, “Enough of evidence now, If you really want to know more about Apsaras in our scriptures then do your Ghar wapsi. Apsara is a celestial term in Sanatan and Worship them, you can’t compare them to hoors, Are Hoors worshipped in heaven? No right? it is a completely different concept.”

He further explained how Apsaras were made by Brahma for Natya Shastra – the classical theatre that roots in Indian in fact Hindu mythology. He also underlined the difference between a Hoor and an Apsara. While a Hoor is only meant to give sexual pleasure to the Muslim who attains martyrdom during Jihad against non-Muslims, an Apsara is meant for the art it is created for. wrote, “In Natya Shastra, it’s mentioned that they Originated for Abhinay. If you find any verse in the Scriptures to have the pleasure of Apsaras means you need to watch their Natya (Not for Sex). It is up to you with what intentions you are seeing that Natya of that girl.”

This explanation, however difficult to comprehend for someone like Dr Shoaib Jamai holds importance because in the guise of giving a rebuttal to something as indefensible as the concept of 72 Hoors, Islamic professors like Dr Shoaib Jamai start misquoting the false translations of Hindu scriptures to whitewash the superstition in their religion.

Shoaib Jamei is known for his controversial acts and comments. He was a media coordinator of the Shaheen Bagh protests.

Obsessed with true crime shows and books, a South Korean woman killed a private tutor ‘out of curiosity’ about murders and process of hiding bodies

OpIndia Staff
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Obsessed with true crime shows and books, a South Korean woman killed a private tutor ‘out of curiosity’ about murders and process of hiding bodies

On May 27, a woman identified as 23-year-old Jung Yoo-Jung was arrested in Busan’s Geumjeong district of South Korea for allegedly killing and dismembering a woman who was in her 20s. As per Chosun Ilbo’s report, Jung initially said she killed the woman who worked as a tutor during an argument. However, it was revealed the crime was committed out of “curiosity about murder”.

Korea Times report suggested that Jung was obsessed with true crime-related TV shows and books. The incident took place on May 26.

Jung was fascinated by the concept of murder and then concealing the body. To do “research” on the process of concealing the body after murder, Jung decided to kill someone in reality. During the investigation, Busan Police said that they found she used her phone and borrowed books from a library to get information on how to commit the alleged crime.

Jung decided to find her victim through a tutor aggregator application that connects parents to private tutors. She contacted the victim over the phone, posing as the mother of a ninth-grader who wanted to learn English. After finalizing the meeting over the call, she told the victim that her “daughter” would come to her home for a consultation after two days.

Jung bought a school uniform online to make sure she looked like a student. She went to the victim’s house, where she allegedly stabbed her to death. In a statement, the police said, “Jung is short, and with the uniform on, the victim probably mistook her for a middle-school student.”

After the murder, she bought bleach and trash bags from a nearby supermarket to dispose of the body and clean the crime scene. She dismembered the victim and placed some of her body parts in a suitcase. Jung then hired a cab to go to the Nakdong River to dispose of the body parts.

Jung planned the whole scenario to make it look like the victim has disappeared. She kept her mobile phone, ID, and wallet in an attempt to commit the “perfect crime”. However, the cab driver she hired was suspicious of her actions and informed the police. During the search, the police found bloodstained clothes and the rest of the mutilated body at Jung’s house.

As per the police, Jung had been planning the murder for three months. Her search-related history showed she looked for “murder without a corpse” online. Speaking to the media, her grandfather claimed she was studying to become a civil servant. “I want to express my sincerest apology to the victim’s family for failing to raise my granddaughter properly,” he said to the media.

After getting arrested for the crime, Jung said she was “sorry” for the victim’s family and claimed she was “out of her mind”. Police have called for a psychological test of Jung to determine if she is a psychopath. During a press meeting, the police described Jung as a loner and a recluse who has been unemployed since graduating from high school five years ago. The matter has been transferred to prosecution for further investigation and indictment.

The police revealed Jung’s identity on June 1. The victim’s identity was not revealed.

Maharashtra: College student found raped and murdered at her hostel room in Mumbai, accused found dead near railway tracks

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: College student found raped and murdered at her hostel room in Mumbai, accused found dead near railway tracks

In a shocking incident, a female college student, aged 18, was reportedly raped and murdered in a room of the government-run Savitri Phule Women’s Hostel, next to the Police Gymkhana, in the posh Marine Drive area of south Mumbai. The girl was a student of a government polytechnic in suburban Bandra.

The accused identified as Prakash Kanaujia (between 30-33 years old) was found dead on railway tracks near the hostel. It has been regarded as a suspected suicide by the police. He was married and resided in Colaba and had been a guard there for fifteen years.

The police were alerted between 4 and 5 pm on Tuesday, June 6, after the girl who hailed from Akola, Vidarbha in Maharashtra became untraceable, with her fourth-floor hostel room in the Charni Road area locked from the outside. When a police team entered the hostel room, they discovered signs of forced entry as well as her being strangled to death with a piece of cloth. The investigation into the unfortunate occurrence was launched by the police and a group of forensic and fingerprint specialists.

The deceased may have been the victim of sexual assault, but unambiguous evidence isn’t available, per an official, until the autopsy results. The cops noticed the perpetrator leaving the hostel around 5:00 in the morning after checking the CCTV video. He had left his cell phone behind before leaving.

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the security guard under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) within the jurisdiction of the Marine Drive police station based on a complaint from the student’s cousin and circumstantial evidence.

Additional Commissioner Abhinav Deshmukh informed, “We got information that at Savitri Bai Hostel, a girl was missing and her room was locked from the outside. She was found dead inside with a dupatta around her neck. Police suspect that she was murdered after rape. A man working at the hostel had been absconding ever since the incident. We are investigating the matter.” The suspect was also unreachable and the authorities started a probe to apprehend him.

Police formed a squad led by the Additional Commissioner and Marine Drive Senior Inspector Nilesh Bagul to find the accused. The accused was, however, found dead at a nearby train station on Tuesday around 5:30 p.m.

The accused allegedly proceeded to the Charni Road station, which lies behind the hostel on Netaji Subhash Road, and laid at platform number 1. According to the preliminary investigation, he passed away after being run over by a train leaving Churchgate station. Later, his corpse was sent to Gokuldas Tejapl (GT) Hospital for an autopsy. His father was summoned from Colaba to identify the deceased, confirming that it was indeed his son.

It is not known if the offender was hired directly by the hostel administration or via a security firm. Furthermore, it’s uncertain if the required background checks were done, especially if he was hired through an agency.

Maharashtra: 17 arrested after stones pelted at Sakal Hindu Samaj rally at Samnapur, Hindu orgs say ‘attack escalation of Sangamner violence, no pelters arrested’

Siddhi Somani
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Maharashtra: 17 arrested after stones pelted at Sakal Hindu Samaj rally at Samnapur, Hindu orgs say ‘attack escalation of Sangamner violence, no pelters arrested’

On Wednesday, the Ahmednagar Police in Maharashtra arrested 17 persons after massive violence erupted in the Samnapur village of Sangamner amid a rally organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj, an umbrella organization of several Hindutva outfits. However, it has been alleged that no stone pelters have been arrested, and the 17 arrested are Hindu youths.

The Hindu organizations had organized a peaceful march in Sangamner protesting against several recent incidents of Love Jihad and atrocities and assaults on the Hindu community. The march was concluded peacefully but while on their return, the members of the Hindu organization were attacked by people from another community who pelted stones and also damaged vehicles. Sources confirmed to OpIndia that the arrested persons have been charged under section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the local reports, several vehicles were damaged and two people have been reported injured in the incident. The violence is said to have happened at around 12.30 pm, half an hour after the rally organized by Hindus concluded. Sources said that it was people from another community who attacked the Hindus first after which a fight broke between the two communities.

However, the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) said that the Ahmednagar Police has arrested only Hindu persons and none of the stone pelters have yet been arrested. The organization has also demanded severe action against the administration for allegedly encouraging the stone pelters.

“17 Hindu youths arrested by Ahmednagar Police after massive stone pelting on Sakal Hindu Samaj march in Sangamner by Peacefuls (Muslims); no stone pelter has been arrested so far! Serious action needed against MLAs, MPs and Police officers who are encouraging Jihadis,” the tweet by LRO read.

The Ahmednagar District Police after the violence was quoted as saying that provisions pertaining to rioting and causing hurt would be invoked among other sections of the Indian Penal Code. Confirming that two were injured and five vehicles were damaged in the violence, Ahmednagar Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ola said, “We have launched a probe into this incident. The law and order situation is under control.”

The police at present have deployed massive force in the city to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Around thousands of Hindus gathered in the Sangamner region of Ahmednagar for a huge rally in protest against the rising recent incidents of Love Jihad, atrocities on Hindus, and assault by the minority community.

Attack on Hindus is escalation of Jorve Naka violence reported on May 31

Sources further confirmed to OpIndia that the attack on Hindu organizations on June 6 was an escalation of the Sangamner violence that happened on May 30 in which 150 people from another community had launched an attack on 6 Hindus with swords and rods over a minor issue. “Yesterday’s Hindu rally was supported by many people from nearby villages including Samnapur. The Muslims in the area illegally set their businesses up in small vehicles and carts on the main roads which disturbs the regular road movement. Last week 6 Hindus were attacked by around 150 Muslims for honking horns in the traffic. The traffic in the area is because of them only. After that, the administration happened to take action in the Jorve case and attempted to remove the encroachment. But the same was opposed by the minority community members,” one of the members of the Hindu organizations confirmed on the condition of anonymity.

He further added that Samnapur is one of the crucial regions in the district and people from nearby areas often travel there for work. “Samnapur and Jorve fall in the middle of the town and the city. So these areas are always busy as people from Taluka have to visit these before reaching the district. Hindus from nearby regions have been beaten by minority community members there in the past. This is a long-standing matter. Yesterday’s attack was an escalation of it,” he stated.

People from Samnapur extended support to Hindu rally, say Muslims deliberately harass Hindus and women

Reportedly, the villagers of Samnapur also extended support to the rally organized by Hindu organizations on June 6. Earlier on June 3, the villagers had demanded strict action in the Jorve violence case and also had demanded the removal of illegal encroachment by Muslims in the region. “The Muslims have illegally set up their business in the area and are creating disturbance in the regular moving traffic movement. They (Muslims) are more in number there so they threaten Hindus over small matters deliberately and also tease women. They constantly engage in brawls with Hindus and then harass them,” the letter by Gram Panchayat, Samnapur read. The copy of the letter has been obtained by OpIndia.

Samnapur villagers demand removal of illegal encroachment by Muslims (Copy obtained by OpIndia)

Jorve Naka violence case

It was reported on May 31 that a mob of around 100 to 150 Muslim people attacked 6 Hindu persons with swords and sharp iron rods, resulting in severe injuries. The incident happened in the Jorve village of Sangamner city on Sunday after the a few Hindus stuck in the traffic at Jorve Naka tried to get out of the traffic by honking their vehicle’s horn. Some of the people in the area belonging to the specific community objected to the usual honking and thrashed the boys in the traffic. The Hindus then filed a police complaint after which the Muslims later in the day attacked the Hindus again for filing a police complaint.

“These are the same people who have filed a police complaint. We’ll not spare them. They won’t go home alive,” the attacking mob could be heard saying. The mob attacked the Hindus with sharp weapons including knives, iron rods, bamboo sticks, and swords. The FIR against 150 was filed under sections 307, 324, 143, 147, 148, and 149 of the Indian Penal Code and also under the relevant sections of the Arms Act.

It was also reported that the Sangamner administration, after the incident had launched an anti-encroachment drive to raze down all the illegal businesses but the drive was opposed by people supposedly belonging to a specific community. The people forced the administration to stop the drive. However, on the next day the administration removed the controversial encroachments at Jorve Naka in Sangamner in presence of heavy police deployment. The encroachments were creating permanent obstacles to the regular road movement.

In the current case, the Police has arrested 17 Hindus in the case and have filed an FIR under section 326 of the Indian Penal Code. However, no stone pelters have yet been arrested in the case, as informed to OpIndia. Team OpIndia tried calling the Ahmednagar Police but the calls remained unestablshed. The report will be updated once we hear from the authorities.

Manipur: Meitei woman, her injured son, and a relative killed after mob sets ambulance on fire in West Imphal

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: Meitei woman, her injured son, and a relative killed after mob sets ambulance on fire in West Imphal

On Sunday, June 4, an ambulance escorting an injured child along with his mother and a relative was set ablaze by a mob in West Imphal of Manipur. The fire resulted in the death of the eight-year-old boy, his mother and a relative. 

The incident transpired on Sunday evening in Iroisemba, while the child was being taken to a hospital by his mother and a relative in Imphal after sustaining a bullet wound in his head during a shoot-out.

The police have identified the three deceased persons as eight-year-old Tonsing Hangsing, his 45-year-old mother Meena Hangsing, and Lydia Lourembam, aged 37.

An Assam Rifles officer confirmed the incident, stating that security had been tightened in and around the camp.

Tonsing, the son of a tribal man, and his Meitei mother were reportedly sheltering at an Assam Rifles relief camp at Kangchup. A gunfight broke out in the area on the evening of June 4, and although Tonsing was inside the camp, he was injured by a bullet.

A senior Assam Rifles officer immediately contacted Imphal police and arranged for an ambulance. “Because the mother was from the majority community, it was decided to take the child by road to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal”, he said.

The ambulance was escorted by the Assam Rifles for a few kilometres before being taken over by the local police. The ambulance was reportedly set ablaze by locals in Isoisemba at 6.30 PM. The three people in the vehicle were killed and the dead bodies have not been recovered so far.

According to an Indian Express report, the Meitei woman was married to a Kuki man. A senior official said that only some bones were recovered from the ambulance that was set on fire. An FIR has been registered in the matter with murder charges added. 

Gin Hangsing, a relative of the victims and a resident of the village said, “The women and children of our village had been staying at an Assam Rifles outpost nearby for the past month while the men have been doing village defence work. On Sunday, Tomshing was shot in the head from a distance, we don’t know if it was a stray bullet or if it was directed at him.”

Manipur saw massive ethnic violence earlier this month following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised by tribal groups on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. They were also protesting against the eviction of Kuki villages from reserve forest land. According to the CM and Meitei groups, most of those Kuki people are from Myanmar.

Conditions becoming favourable for onset of monsoon in next 48 hours: India Meteorological Office

ANI
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Conditions becoming favourable for onset of monsoon in next 48 hours: India Meteorological Office

Meteorological conditions are becoming favourable for the onset of monsoon over Kerala during the next 48 hours, India’s weather office India Meteorological Office (IMD) said in a statement on Wednesday.

IMD had in May predicted arrival of monsoon on June 4. Southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1 with a standard deviation of about seven days.

The conditions are also favourable for further advance of monsoon into some more parts of South Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep, some more parts of Southwest, Central and Northeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of Northeastern states during the next 48 hours, the IMD said.

Monsoon is crucial specially for kharif crops dependent on rains. India has three cropping seasons — summer, kharif and rabi.

Crops sown during June-July and harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January-March depending on maturity is Rabi. Crops produced between rabi and kharif are summer crops.

Meanwhile, severe cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea around Goa is likely to intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ during the next 12 hours.

“It is very likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. It would move nearly northwards during next 24 hours and then north-northwestwards during subsequent three days,” IMD said.

Fishermen are advised not to venture in such cyclone-hit areas in Arabian Sea and those who are out at sea are advised to return to coast.

In other forecast, IMD said heat wave conditions likely to continue over Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during next 4-5 days.

Heatwave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to the human body when exposed, according to IMD.

The heat wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degree Celsius or more for plains and at least 30 degree Celsius or more for hilly regions. 

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

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