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Zakir Naik’s agent converted my son Saurabh to Salim, I wrote to UPA govt seeking ban on Zakir Naik’s speeches, says father of the arrested HuT module chief

OpIndia Staff
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Zakir Naik’s agent converted my son Saurabh to Salim, I wrote to UPA govt seeking ban on Zakir Naik’s speeches, says father of the arrested HuT module chief

Ashok Raj Vaidya, the father of arrested Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) module chief Mohammad Salim aka Saurabh Rajvaidya, has opened up about how his son was lured to convert to Islam. Ashok Raj Vaidya told the media that his son was brainwashed by one Dr Kamaal who was an agent of Indian fugitive and radical Islamist preacher Zakir Naik.

Mohammad Salim aka Saurabh Rajvaidya was one of the 16 members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) who were arrested in a coordinated operation with the Intelligence Bureau and the Telangana Police on May 9. Mohammad Salim was the chief of this HuT module. He was a professor at Asaduddin Owaisi-owned Deccan Medical College in Hyderabad.

After the arrest, the Madhya Pradesh anti-terrorist squad (ATS) revealed that as many as 8 of these terrorists had converted to Islam. ATS had also revealed that three arrested members of this terror module had married Hindu girls and later forced them to convert to Islam.

Speaking on this matter, Saurabh’s father Ashok Raj Vaidya said, “In our family, we allow our children to choose their life partners from other faiths and do not call it religious conversion.”

When questioned about when he felt Saurabh was embracing Islam, Ashok Raj Vaidya, who is an Ayurveda doctor by profession said, “I first observed Saurabh’s activities and arguments in 2011. He began distancing himself from our family functions and religious festivities. Sometime later, his wife also started wearing Islamic dresses. It was then that I tried explaining things to him.”

“I asked Saurabh to leave our house,” he added.

Vaidya further stated that he reported the entire incident to the police. However, the police refused to take any action because Saurabh had willingly converted to Islam.

Saurabh’s father said one Dr Kamaal used to be around Saurabh during his college days. “We later discovered that Dr Kamaal was an agent for controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, and he was arrested. He taught my son Islamic prayers,” he explained.

Wrote to the Congress-led Centre seeking a ban on the broadcast of Zakir Naik’s speeches: Arrested HuT chief’s father

“Saurabh used to watch speeches of Zakir Naik on his computer. I even recovered several Islamic books from his room. Watching Syrian news on TV, Saurabh used to talk about Islam and why they were attacking Syrians,” Vaidya said.

Mohammad Salim aka Saurabh Rajvaidya’s father further confirmed that he had even written to the Congress-led Centre seeking a ban on the broadcast of Zakir Naik’s speeches.

Asked about his son’s arrest, Vaidya stated that he felt Saurabh was not involved in any terrorist operations. He did, however, stress that his family weren’t going to accept Saurabh back into their home unless he quit Islam.

Saurabh Rajvaidya aka Mohammad Salim, a professor at Asaddudin Owaisi’s College, had forced his wife to convert to Islam

It may be recalled that earlier we reported the arrested chief of this module, Mohammad Salim aka Saurabh Rajvaidya was a professor at Asaduddin Owaisi-owned Deccan Medical College in Hyderabad. While some reports identify him as ‘Saurabh Rajvaidya’, a report in the Dainik Bhaskar identifies him as Saurabh Rajvaidya Jain.

In the year 2010, Saurabh converted to Islam. His parents and the community were against his conversion. Later, in 2012, Saurabh’s wife also embraced Islam. Saurabh aka Salim first tried to get a conversion certificate made in Bhopal but when his attempts failed he travelled to Maharashtra to procure the certificate. He later relocated to Hyderabad, where he worked as a professor in the Biotechnical Department of the Deccan College of Medical Sciences. Salim used to give provocative speeches and lectures to brainwash others to embrace Islam and join the terrorist organisation.

In a coordinated operation with the Intelligence Bureau and the Telangana Police on May 9, the Madhya Pradesh anti-terrorist squad (ATS) dismantled a Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) module and apprehended 16 people. Officers informed that the accused persons, including a professor from a college in Hyderabad and a computer engineer from Bhopal, intended to foment terrorism and wage war against the country.

IAS Tina Dabi, who ordered demolition of houses of Hindu refugees from Pakistan, assures to resettle them at a new place within a week, protest withdrawn

OpIndia Staff
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IAS Tina Dabi, who ordered demolition of houses of Hindu refugees from Pakistan, assures to resettle them at a new place within a week, protest withdrawn

On Thursday, 18th May 2018, IAS Tina Dabi held a meeting with representatives of the Hindu refugees from Pakistan whose houses were demolished as per her order on Tuesday 16th May 2023. The District Collector and Magistrate of Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan has assured that the aggrieved Hindus will get to resettle at some other place within a week. She shared this information in a media interaction after the meeting. The refugees who were on a sit-in protest outside the collector’s office have now stopped their protests after this assurance by the collector.

As the controversy over the bulldozer action escalated, today District Collector Tina Dabi held a meeting with Hindu refugees from Pakistan. In the meeting, she explained her stand to them and assured them of resettlement in alternative locations. Following this, the refugees announced the conclusion of their protest.

Tina Dabi informed the media that the land on which the alleged encroachment was cleared had either been previously allocated by the UIT (Urban Improvement Trust) or fell within the catchment area. She said, “We explained to those people that if they settled in that area, they would face difficulties in the future. However, they did not agree, which is why the encroachment was removed on Tuesday.”

District Collector Tina Dabi stated that according to their demand, the UIT will provide them with a new location within a week, ensuring no inconvenience to them or the local residents. She said, “Additionally, a team will be formed to conduct a survey. During the action to remove encroachments, all the affected families of Hindu refugees from Pakistan whose shelters have been demolished will be provided free accommodation and meals in temporary shelters. Those who have already acquired citizenship will be allocated land. The remaining individuals will receive land allocation after obtaining citizenship.”

After the orders from Jaisalmer Collector Tina Dabi, the UIT, with the help of the police, used bulldozers to demolish the shelters of Hindu refugees from Pakistan. As a result, they were forced to live under the open sky. Subsequently, Tina Dabi faced public anger on social media.

‘They said not wearing burqa is like prostitution,’ Hindu victim talks about how Maulanas and Muslim friends coerced her into wearing Islamic outfits

Jhankar Mohta
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‘They said not wearing burqa is like prostitution,’ Hindu victim talks about how Maulanas and Muslim friends coerced her into wearing Islamic outfits

On Tuesday, May 16, OpIndia met with some victims from Kerala who had fallen victim to the systematised crime of indoctrination in the name of Islam, which has been going on in various parts of the country with the help of various Islamic organisations.

In our first report, we detailed parts of our conversation with Shruti, a Brahmin and native of Kasargod in Kerala where she explained how this cartel follows a pre-planned step-by-step process to bring vulnerable and ignorant people into the folds of Islam. Sharing her own life experience, Shruti told OpIndia that she was radicalised to the extent that she wouldn’t shy away from killing a person who objected to the ideology and did not convert to Islam.

As the discussion progressed, Shruti explained how this cartel brainwashes its prey to not only hate one’s own religion but completely surrender themselves to Islam. Shruti said that they trick you into believing that their lifestyle and attire are the only acceptable forms for any woman to adopt.

“They said not wearing a burqa is like prostitution,” Shruti recalled being told by the maulanas, her Muslim friends and colleagues, which completely convinced her to wear a burqa she said.

“Whenever I spoke to the Maulanas, my Muslim friends, or associates, they all told me that if I wanted my Namaz and Roza to be valid, I needed to legally convert to Islam. They told me to start acting like an actual Muslim woman. They spun various stories about the significance of a burqa in order to persuade me to wear one. They said stuff like- when men see your bare skin, that’s prostitution. You will end up in prostitution without even realising it,” Shruti explained, revealing how this cartel cleverly manipulates you to mindlessly follow its ideals and practises.

Another victim Vishali Shetty also shared her experience of conversion. She said, “My radicalisation and my brainwashing into Islam happened in my workplace. I was working in an IT company in Bengaluru. I started in Kerala and then went to Bengaluru. This is when my radicalisation into Islam started. My colleagues approached me. They started asking me questions about my Dharma which initially I tried to defend with common sense and logic but later I did not have answers to their questions. So at that time, there started creating confusion in my mind. They could sense that void and they started feeding me with Islamic ideologies by presenting their ideologies in such a way that it appears to be logical and one starts thinking that what they say is right. You start feeling that what Dharma you have been following till now, what culture you followed till now all these years in your life is totally wrong. So that is how it happened to me,” she said.

Vishali, however, said that was not radicalised to the extent that she started following Islamic practices like wearing a burqa and offering Namaz. She said she realised soon that she was being trapped. “I was able to come in contact with the Arsh Vidya Samajam from where we were able to understand the fallacies of the radicalisation and come back to the Sanatana Dharma once again,” Vishali asserted.

In our previous report, we detailed parts of the interview where Shruti went on to describe how they question their targets’ religious practices, and when they see the target has no idea how to respond, they begin condemning their faith even more passionately and dangerously, creating a sense of inferiority complex in the individual. Shruti mentioned that they put you in a position where you develop such an aversion to your faith that you don’t even want to consider or talk about it.

When the victim reaches this level, they paint such an appealing portrayal of their ideas, culture, and religion that the person gets completely riveted. As the victim reaches an addiction stage, they begin injecting their ideological views into your system like slow poison, Shruti described the systematic and methodical method that these cartels operating in various parts of the country, particularly in South India, employ to carry out this organized crime.

This organized process of indoctrination in the name of Islam, which Shruti spoke about, is a raging issue that has been very well depicted in Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story which has been breaking all box office records since it hit the theatres on May 5, 2023. The movie tells the story of ‘ISIS brides’ from Kerala, women from the state who had joined ISIS and married ISIS terrorists in Syria, including Hindu and Christian women who had converted to Islam.

Though the movie is based on true incidents, since the release of its trailer, opposition particularly the left and the Congress, and Islamist groups, have been attempting to delegitimize the movie.

They went on to label it as propaganda cinema and tried to prevent its screening. Despite the criticism, however, the movie has inspired people to promote ‘The Kerala Story’ among Hindu women on their own. It has also made people realize how they didn’t recognize the efforts to influence them earlier.

OpIndia reported on Anagha Jaigopal and Vishali Shetty, two such women who narrated their experiences of conversion and coming back to the Sanatana Dharma. They described in detail their experience and testified that the film depicts the reality of what is happening in not just Kerala or other states in the country but across the globe.

OpIndia also wrote about one such Hindu woman who, after seeing the movie, shared her own life experience with the media. The woman said that indoctrination in the name of Islam documented in the movie is not a figment of anyone’s imagination but a real problem raging across not only India but the world. She confessed how she herself had fallen prey to this trap when she was in college.

This is not a case where we can grant you interim relief: Supreme Court refuses to overturn Patna HC order suspending caste survey in Bihar

OpIndia Staff
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This is not a case where we can grant you interim relief: Supreme Court refuses to overturn Patna HC order suspending caste survey in Bihar

The Patna High Court’s interim decision suspending the caste survey by the Bihar government was not overturned by the Supreme Court on Thursday. The Bihar government conducted its initial caste survey between January 7 and January 21 and the second round was scheduled to begin on April 15 and last through May 15.

Justices Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Rajesh Bindal’s bench stated that it would need to determine if the current effort is a census being conducted under the guise of a survey. During the hearing, justice Bindal said that several papers indicated the exercise was actually a census.

The bench ruled, “We are making it clear, this is not a case where we can grant you interim relief.” The highest court observed that the high court had scheduled the main petition hearing for July 3rd.

“We direct that this petition be listed on July 14. If for any reason, the hearing of the writ petition does not commence before the next date, we will hear further submission canvassed by the senior counsel for the petitioner (Bihar),” the bench remarked.

Senior attorney Shyam Divan, representing the Bihar government, argued from the opening that the high court is wholly mistaken and that the current activity is just a voluntary survey rather than a census. He claimed that the caste count is of a specific quality and must be conducted over a given amount of time in an effort to distinguish between the two.

“For census, you have to respond. If you don’t you are met with a penalty. Not so for the survey. Quantifiable data is required for state policies. Supreme Court judgements say so,” he contended.

The high court’s worry for privacy, according to the senior attorney, was one of its issues. “Data would be stored only on the servers of the Bihar government and not on any other cloud. It is a foolproof system. We are open to suggestions by the court.”

The top court, however, informed him that these subjects had previously been covered by the high court. “High Court has gone into it and said stop for now. The High Court had flagged data privacy issues.”

Another defence put out by Shyam Divan was that resources had already been deployed and that 80% of the survey work had already been finished. But the apex court ordered that the state government present its case before the high court on July 3 while the matter is still pending.

The Bihar government alleged that the delay will negatively impact the entire process in an appeal it filed before the Supreme Court in response to the high court’s judgement of May 4. According to the state administration, Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution require the collection of caste-based statistics.

The Constitution’s Article 15 specifies that the State shall not discriminate against individuals solely on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any combination of these factors, and Article 16 mandates that all citizens shall have equal access to employment opportunities and appointment to all positions held by the State.

“The State has already completed more than 80 per cent of the survey work in some districts and less than 10 per cent of work is pending. The entire machinery is working at ground level. There shall be no harm in completing the exercise subject to final adjudication of the dispute,” the plea mentioned.

“The time gap to complete the survey would adversely affect the survey since this would not be contemporaneous data. The stay of collection of data itself would cause a huge loss to the State since, if finally the action of the State is upheld, the State would be required to put logistics in place with additional expenditure and burden on public exchequer,” it added.

After hearing a number of petitions, the high court ordered the state government to suspend the caste-based survey as soon as possible and to make sure that the information already gathered is safeguarded and not shared with anybody until final decisions are made.

“Prima facie, we are of the opinion that the state has no power to carry out a caste-based survey, in the manner in which it is fashioned now, which would amount to a census, thus impinging upon the legislative power of the Union Parliament,” the High Court had ruled.

The court expressed concern and pointed out that the administration intended to share the survey results with the leaders of various parties represented in the state parliament.

The greater concern of the right to privacy, which the Supreme Court has deemed to be a component of the right to life, is undoubtedly raised in this situation, it had pronounced.

The court noted, “The state cannot attempt to carry out a caste census in the garb of a survey, especially when the state has absolutely no legislative competence and, in that circumstance, neither can an executive order be sustained under Article 162 of the Constitution of India.”

“The essential difference between a ‘census’ and ‘survey’ is that the former contemplates collection of accurate facts and verifiable details, while a survey is intended at collection and analysis of opinions and perceptions of the general public which may be aimed at a specific community or group of people or the extended community of a polity,” it proclaimed.

Social groups and some individuals who had last month petitioned the Supreme Court after having their request for an interim remedy in the form of a stay on the survey denied filed petitions before the high court. The top court had refused to interfere and referred them back to the high court with the direction that their petition be decided expeditiously.

Uttar Pradesh: Javed Alam abducts, assaults, rapes, and forcefully converts the religion of a Hindu minor girl, arrested after he was torturing her on a train

Siddhi Somani
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Uttar Pradesh: Javed Alam abducts, assaults, rapes, and forcefully converts the religion of a Hindu minor girl, arrested after he was torturing her on a train

On May 13, the Uttar Pradesh Police filed an FIR against a Muslim person named Javed Alam for abducting a minor Hindu girl, assaulting her and then forcefully converting her religion to Islam. The accused also trapped the minor girl in a love affair and forcefully married her. The incident is said to have happened in the Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the police has booked the accused under sections 363, 366, 506, 323, 376 of the Indian Penal Code and under sections 3 and 4 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act and under sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition Of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

The Uttar Pradesh police filed the FIR based on the complaint of one of the Hindu activists named Naveen Singh who was informed by an unknown source about the accused who was forcefully taking the girl via Bihar Sampark Kranti Express to Bihar and was assaulting her inside the train.

“I received a call from an unknown number saying that a Muslim boy was hitting a minor girl on the train and was forcing her to travel with him. I immediately called the Kanpur GRP who informed the state police. The boy and the girl were taken into custody by the Police in Lucknow,” Singh said.

The accused identified as Javed Alam belongs to Chapra in Bihar whereas the victim girl belongs to the Siwan region of Bihar. The victim girl who was born in the year 2006 was forcefully abducted by the accused from her home and was taken to Delhi. The accused forced her to stay with him for 8 months and also assaulted her in the meanwhile. He is said to have established physical relations with the girl without her will. The accused also forced the minor girl to change her religion to Islam and then forcefully married her.

Accused identified as Javed Alam has been arrested by the Police.

The victim girl confirmed the event in a video that was posted by one of the journalists of the Organizer named Subhi Vishwakarma. The victim girl in the video could be heard saying that she was forced to convert her religion to Islam and that her name was also changed. She also could be heard saying that she was introduced to the accused through a friend named Armaan Alam.

“I was threatened and told that my family would be murdered and I would be killed if I don’t convert my religion. Some Maulana converted me and gave me a new name,” she said. The girl was also impregnated as per the tweet and was being taken to Bihar via Bihar Sampark Kranti Express.

The accused identified as Javed has been arrested by the GRP and Kanpur police and has bee booked under sections 363, 366, 506, 323, 376 of the Indian Penal Code and under sections 3 and 4 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act and under sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition Of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. Further probe in the case in underway.

Satyendar Jain reduced to a skeleton, lost 35 kg in jail: Abhishek Manu Singhvi tells Supreme Court in bail plea of the former AAP minister

OpIndia Staff
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Satyendar Jain reduced to a skeleton, lost 35 kg in jail: Abhishek Manu Singhvi tells Supreme Court in bail plea of the former AAP minister


Satyendar Jain, the former minister of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has allegedly experienced a significant weight loss of 35 kilograms as he is currently held in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in a money laundering case. His lawyers, while seeking bail from the Supreme Court, have presented these arguments. During the hearing of his petition on Thursday, May 18, 2023, Justice A.S. Bopanna and Justice Himani Kohli of the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking a response.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi appeared on behalf of Satyendar Jain in the Supreme Court. Citing serious health issues, he requested the court for an exemption from appearing in the regular court and instead be heard by a vacation bench.

The senior advocate stated, “The man is a skeleton. He has lost 35 kgs. He is facing extreme health problems. He is 416 on the waiting list.” In response, the Supreme Court granted permission for the former Health Minister of Delhi to appeal before the vacation bench, providing him relief.

Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju appeared on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate. He stated, “I am on caveat.” Currently, the court has not fixed a date for the next hearing.

The Delhi High Court denied bail

Satyendar Jain has been in Tihar Jail since May 2022. After his bail petition was dismissed by the Delhi High Court on April 6, 2023, he approached the Supreme Court. The High Court had rejected his bail plea in the money laundering case, upholding the decision of the lower court. The court stated that Satyendar Jain is an influential person who could tamper with evidence if released from jail. Therefore, the bail petition was dismissed.

Videos of Satyendar Jain getting a massage in jail had gone viral

Several videos have emerged from within Tihar Jail featuring Satyendar Jain. Some of these videos showed him receiving massages, some depicted him conducting “darbar” (a court-like gathering), and others showed him eating food from outside. In one video, he was even seen sitting with the suspended jail superintendent. After the release of these videos and the court’s strict approach, VIP treatment in the jail was discontinued. Satyendar Jain accused jail officials of threatening him. Recently, Jain requested to be shifted to a different cell, citing concerns about isolation. Following this, two inmates were shifted to his neighbouring cell while adhering to the rules. After the incident came to light, a show-cause notice was also issued to the Tihar Jail superintendent.

Rajasthan: Supporters of Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot clash before a crucial party meeting with state co-in-charge Amrita Dhawan in Ajmer

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Supporters of Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot clash before a crucial party meeting with state co-in-charge Amrita Dhawan in Ajmer

There seems to be no end to the ongoing dispute between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. In the latest news, the supporters of both the Congress leaders clashed before a convention that was scheduled to take place in the presence of the national secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and co-in-charge of Rajasthan, Amrita Dhawan.

The altercation erupted even before the Congress leader arrived in Ajmer and became so heated that the meeting space was cleared of microphones, sound equipment, and other recording devices by the party workers.

She planned to visit the venue, Govindam Resort, to gather input on the administration and the organisation. The arrangements were made by Vijay Jain, a Sachin Pilot supporter but were hindered by the arrival of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) Chairman Dharmendra Rathore, a close associate of Ashok Gehlot and his followers.

According to Vijay Jain, the event was put together by the city Congress and has nothing to do with the latter. He also stated that Amrita Dhawan will be notified of the development first.

However, Dharmendra Rathore and his people declared that they wouldn’t go out of there. Vijay Jain turned off microphones, sound systems, etc., in retaliation and left the area amidst an argument with the opposing side.

The situation worsened when he and his supporters started sloganeering against Dharmendra Rathore which escalated into a physical altercation. They also charged that Congress is doing poorly in Ajmer because of the RTDC supremo. In view of the volatile circumstances, the police intervened and the latter was safely evacuated from there.

Vinay Jain alleged that some people unnecessarily vitiated the atmosphere because they didn’t want to let the truth come before the National Secretary. He asserted that they wanted to inform Amrita Dhawan about the situation of the outfit and the administration in Ajmer.

Because of the conflict between the Gehlot and Pilot divisions, she decided to postpone the programme. She was supposed to attend the meeting but now she decided to visit the Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Brahma Temple in Pushkar instead.

MLA Masuda Rakesh Pareek, former MLA Ramnarayan Gurjar, attorney Hari Singh Gurjar, Vipin Bansal, and Pratap Yadav were among those who walked out of the meeting with Vinay Jain.

Supreme Court stays West Bengal government’s ban on ‘The Kerala Story’ film

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court stays West Bengal government’s ban on ‘The Kerala Story’ film

On Thursday, 18th May 2023, the Supreme Court intervened and halted the ban imposed by the West Bengal government on the screening of the film ‘The Kerala Story’. Additionally, the Court acknowledged the statement made by Additional Advocate General Amit Anand Tiwari on behalf of Tamil Nadu, affirming that there is no explicit or implicit prohibition of the movie in the state. Furthermore, the Court issued directions to the State of Tamil Nadu to ensure the safety of theatres and moviegoers by providing adequate security.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, scheduled the next hearing for July 2023. The matters to be heard include the filmmaker’s petition against the ban imposed by West Bengal, the alleged shadow ban in Tamil Nadu, and other petitions challenging the Kerala High Court’s decision to not stay the film’s screening. The bench will also consider whether it should personally view the film to determine if it contains any offensive content.

In its interim order, the bench noted that the decision of the West Bengal Government appears to suffer from being too broad in scope.

During the hearing, the bench raised questions regarding the film’s claim that 32,000 women from Kerala have been converted to Islam and recruited by ISIS. Senior Advocate Harish Salve, representing the film producer, agreed to include a clarification in the disclaimer stating that there is no verifiable data supporting the claim of 32,000 conversions or any other specific figure. He stated that the disclaimer will be added by 5 PM on May 20. The disclaimer will specify that the film presents a fictionalized version of the subject matter.

Advocate Harish Salve argued for the makers of ‘The Kerala Story’

During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Harish Salve, representing the film producer Sunshine Productions, cited the affidavit filed by the State of West Bengal. The affidavit mentioned that surveillance conducted by the state police in theatres revealed instances where individuals, after watching the film ‘The Kerala Story’, made communal statements against Muslims, thus disrupting communal harmony. Salve highlighted that the State’s decision was influenced by reports from intelligence officers who had viewed the movie.

“They pick up 12-13 people, who say that the movie is terrible and will cause riots”, Salve said. During the proceedings, Harish Salve also brought attention to an annexure attached to the State’s affidavit, which indicated the possibility of clashes between supporters and opponents of the film. Additionally, Salve pointed out that the West Bengal affidavit mentioned a Maharashtra incident of violence allegedly linked to an Instagram post about the movie, even though Maharashtra had not imposed a ban on the film ‘The Kerala Story’.

Salve referred to previous Supreme Court judgments, including those related to the film “Aarakshan,” emphasizing that the State cannot challenge the certification granted by the Central Board of Film Certification and prohibit the exhibition of a movie by citing law and order concerns.

Regarding Tamil Nadu, Salve argued that there is a de facto ban on the film. He contested the Tamil Nadu government’s claim that the multiplexes withdrew the film due to a lack of audience reception. To support his argument, Salve presented documents showing the theatre collections in Tamil Nadu during the first two days, which demonstrated that the film was running to packed halls.

“I want a direction that adequate security is given by the State and that there is no informal messaging by the State the film should not be screened”, he said, “Today I have a valid censor certificate. Two Courts(Kerala and Madras HCs) have declined interim order against it.”

Salve also referred to the judgment authored by Justice Chandrachud in the case of Indibly Creative, where the West Bengal Government was ordered to provide a compensation of Rs 20 lakhs to a film producer whose film faced an unofficial ban. Harish Salve also cited a judgment delivered by Justice Chandrachud during his tenure at the Bombay High Court in the case of FA Picture International vs Central Board of Film Certification. The judgment emphasized that a controversial subject can only be depicted in a controversial manner and that art, including written works and paintings, often involves exaggeration as part of creativity. Salve argued that artistic expression should be provocative and that the mere claim of hurting community sentiments cannot suppress liberal thoughts.

The film includes a disclaimer stating that it draws inspiration from true events as narrated by video testimonials of real victims and families. It acknowledges that certain cinematic liberties have been taken to fictionalize and dramatize these events. Harish Salve clarified that the initial claim of 32,000 women being converted was removed from the teaser, and the film itself does not provide a specific figure for conversions. However, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the West Bengal Police, contested this submission and maintained that the movie indeed makes such a claim.

West Bengal government imposed a ban on ‘The Kerala Story’

On May 8, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, announced the decision to prohibit the screening of ‘The Kerala Story’ in order to prevent any incidents of hatred, and violence, and maintain peace in the state. The Government justified this action by invoking the powers granted under Section 6(1) of the West Bengal Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1954.

In response to this ban, the filmmakers approached the Supreme Court, invoking Article 32 of the Constitution and arguing that the State Government lacks the authority to ban a movie that has received certification for public viewing from the Central Board of Film Certification. The petitioners contend that the State Government cannot use law and order concerns as a justification to halt the movie’s screening, as it would result in a violation of their fundamental rights. Furthermore, the petitioners have raised objections to the validity of Section 6(1) of the West Bengal Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1954, asserting that it confers arbitrary and unguided powers upon the State Government.

Regarding the situation in Tamil Nadu, the petitioners allege that the film exhibitors in the state withdrew the movie following informal communication from the state authorities. The film has been embroiled in controversy due to allegations of tarnishing the reputation of the entire Muslim community and the state of Kerala while portraying the story of women who were deceitfully recruited into ISIS.

High Court had already cleared the path for ‘The Kerala Story’

On May 5, a division bench of the Kerala High Court, consisting of Justice N. Nagaresh and Justice Sophy Thomas, declined to grant a stay on the screening of the film ‘The Kerala Story’. The Court observed that the film explicitly mentioned being “inspired by true events” and had received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for public viewing. After watching the film’s trailer, the bench stated that it did not find anything offensive towards any specific community. The bench also took note that none of the petitioners had actually watched the film and acknowledged that the producers had included a disclaimer stating that the film was a fictionalized portrayal of events.

Mirzapur: Arif Khan posed as Abhay Mishra to trap a married woman, raped her for a month in captivity forcing her to wear burqa, offer namaz

OpIndia Staff
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Mirzapur: Arif Khan posed as Abhay Mishra to trap a married woman, raped her for a month in captivity forcing her to wear burqa, offer namaz

In a shocking case of love jihad, a married woman from Uttar Pradesh was held captive in Ambala, Haryana, for nearly a month and was raped by a Muslim man named Arif Khan who posed as a Hindu named Abhay Mishra. Accused Arif forced the victim to offer Namaz and wear Burqa when he kept her captive. On Tuesday, May 16, the victim, who managed to flee, filed a complaint against Arif Khan with the Mirzapur police.

The victim alleged that she received a call from an unknown caller who claimed to be one Abhay Mishra. However, the two started to talk after the first call to the wrong number, and the two drew closer as they continued to talk over the phone. When the woman went to her maternal home in Mirzapur on March 24, Arif also reached there. Following this, the accused took the woman to Haryana’s Ambala. Arif is a resident of the Padri police station area of ​​Mirzapur, while he lives in Ambala.

In Ambala, the woman got to know the real identity of Arif Khan, which led to a confrontation between the two. After this, Arif Khan held the woman captive for 25 days and raped her during this period. He also filmed the act and used the clip to blackmail the victim and raped her multiple times for over a month. Reportedly, Arif’s sister helped him in his misdeeds with the woman. He also forced her to wear a burqa and forced her to offer namaaz, the Islamic prayer.

In the meanwhile, the woman’s husband filed a missing person report with the police after his wife went missing. After nearly a month, the woman found an opportunity to escape from Khan’s captivity in Ambala, and she reached Mirzapur. When police questioned her, she said that she had gone in search of a job, and returned after not getting any employment.

But after that, her husband received a video showing her in an obscene act, along with a threat. Arif Khan threatened to kill her husband if she does not return to him. He also threatened to make her obscene videos viral if she does not comply with his demands. The woman’s husband lodged a complaint with the Padari Police Station regarding the same. When police questioned his wife on the video, she revealed everything.

The victim’s husband has appealed to the SP to protect his family. In his letter submitted to the SP, the victim’s husband alleged that the accused Arif Khan posed as Abhay Mishra, who took his wife away with him to Haryana, raped her and forced her to wear Burqa and perform namaz.

SP Santosh Mishra has said that this is a case of love jihad and the police are investigating the matter and necessary action will be taken.

Truck carrying 63 minor Muslim boys to a madrasa in Kolhapur from Bihar, UP and WB seized, driver and two assistants run away

OpIndia Staff
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Truck carrying 63 minor Muslim boys to a madrasa in Kolhapur from Bihar, UP and WB seized, driver and two assistants run away

On Wednesday, the Maharashtra Police intercepted and seized a truck carrying 63 minor Muslim boys in the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra. These Muslim boys, all aged between 7 to 13, belonged to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and were bought to the city via train from Bihar.

As per the preliminary information, the boys were brought in numbers and they were being sent to a Madarsa at Azra in Kolhapur district for education. The incident came to fore when Vijayendra Mane, one of the members of a Hindu organization, saw the truck in the Ruikar colony of the city and raised suspicion. Mane’s suspicion hardened as the truck driver and two others with him absconded from the spot after asking about the minor boys.

Vijayendra Mane called the police and other members of the Hindu organizations, who demanded strict action in the case. The police detained the children and checked the train tickets which were handed over to them by some unidentified individuals. During interrogation, the minor Muslim boys revealed that some of them were from Bihar, some from Uttar Pradesh and some from West Bengal.

The Hindutva organizations have raised several questions about the incident. They have sought a detailed inquiry into the case asking relevant questions like- who these children are, why exactly did these children come to Kolhapur, whether they were forced, why were they being taken in a truck etc. The organizations have also expressed concern regarding the safety of the children as the primary reason for transporting the children is uncertain.

The members of the Hindu organization who helped the police in intercepting the truck and raised suspicion are Vijayendra Mane, Vijay Khade, Vivek Vhora, Nitin Misal, Aniket Patil, Aniket Modki, Sunil Patil, Prasad Patole, Ameya Bhalkar, Bajrang Dal’s Banda Salunkhe, Prashant Kagle, Anil Chaughule, Sujit Patil and Avdhoot Bhate.

Vijayendra Mane, who is also associated with BJP while talking to the media stated that the students had no relevant identity cards or documents. “I saw the truck this morning in the Ruikar colony as it was standing against a hotel here named Maharaja Hotel. I asked the children who they were, why had they come here. But they had no concrete answers. Later it was revealed that they were being taken to a Madarsa in Azra, Kolapur. They also don’t have any relevant identity documents.”

Officer Mangesh Chavhan of Kolhapur Police Station meanwhile confirmed that the students had been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee for further procedure. “We conducted detailed inquiry in the case. We came to know that these students have been studying at the Azra Madarsa for long time. They had been sent to their homes in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for vacations. Now they have been brought back,” he added.

The Police however also said that a detailed investigation in the case will be conducted and the students will be made to appear before the committee which will be organized by the State Child Welfare Association. Notably, some media organizations claim that there were a total of 69 minor Muslim boys while others have said that 63 minor Muslim students have been detained.

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