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Andhra Pradesh: 10 students from 11th and 12th standard die by suicide in 2 days after declaration of intermediate exam results

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Andhra Pradesh: 10 students from 11th and 12th standard die by suicide in 2 days after declaration of intermediate exam results

In Andhra Pradesh, 10 students have committed suicide in the last 48 hours for performing poorly in intermediate exams. Two other students also tried to commit suicide but survived. On Wednesday, 26th April 2023, the Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education (APBIE) declared the results of the Class 11 and Class 12 board exams. These students have committed suicide due to low scores and failure in the exam.

According to the Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education, 10 lakh students appeared in the intermediate examination this year. In class 11, 61 per cent of students cleared the exam and in class 12, 72 per cent of students cleared the exam.

According to reports,  17-year-old intermediate first-year student Jagannatham Vani committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan in her hostel room in Vijayawada on Friday after her college principal and lecturers allegedly reprimanded her in front of her classmates for a backlog. While her parents had visited her to console her and assured her that she can clear it in the supplementary exams to be held in May, she decided to end her life.

In another such incident, B Tarun Dandu (age 17) committed suicide by jumping in front of a running train near Tekkali in Srikakulam district. Tarun Dandu was a resident of Gopalapuram village. The intermediate first-year student was said to be depressed after failing most of the papers. A 16-year-old girl committed suicide at her home in Trinadpuram under Malakapuram police station limits. She hails from Visakhapatnam district.

In another case, Akhilshree who was in the intermediate first year which is the 11th standard, committed suicide in Visakhapatnam. She was upset after failing some subjects. 18-year-old B Jagadeesh hanged himself at his house in the Kancharpalam area of Visakhapatnam. He was a 12th-standard student and had failed in one subject. Another 17-year-old student Tulaso Tharun ended his life by hanging in Visakhapatnam.

A 17-year-old girl named Anusha committed suicide by jumping into a lake in Chittoor district. She was nervous after failing the exam. A 17-year-old student Babu from Chittoor district committed suicide by consuming pesticides. He was also depressed after failing the exam. Another 17-year-old student T Kiran committed suicide by hanging himself at his house in Anakapalli. He was under stress due to low marks in the inter first-year exams.

Similarly, 17-year-old Mahesh in Hanakanahal of Anantapur district and 16-year-old Shaik Jaan Saida of Nandigama died by suicide by hanging. Another boy from Chillakallu of NTR district also committed suicide by hanging after failing the exams.

According to reports, two other students also tried to commit suicide, though they survived.

The pass percentage for the first-year intermediate examination was 61, while for the second year, it was 72. The news comes amid a series of student suicide cases being reported from India’s premium institutes like IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. 

Uttar Pradesh: BSP MP Afzal Ansari set to be disqualified after Ghazipur court sentences him to 4 years in prison

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: BSP MP Afzal Ansari set to be disqualified after Ghazipur court sentences him to 4 years in prison

On Saturday (April 29), a Ghazipur MP/MLA Court sentenced Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Afzal Ansari to 4 years in prison in connection to a case related to the Gangster Act.

A case was registered against Afzal and his gangster brother Mukhtar Ansari under the Gangster Act for abducting a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member Nandkishore Rungta in 1996 and murdering BJP MLA Krishnanand Raj in 2005.

Besides being sentenced to 4 years in jail, the court has also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the BSP leader. Given that Afzal has been sentenced for more than 2 years, his Lok Sabha membership stands disqualified as per the Representation of People Act of 1951.

It must be mentioned that Afzal Ansari won from the Ghazipur Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 by defeating incumbent Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Earlier today, a large contingent of security personnel were deployed in Ghazipur, ahead of the verdict, to prevent any law and order situation.

On Saturday (April 29), the MP/MLA court of Ghazipur sentenced gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari to 10 years in prison. He was asked to pay a fine of ₹5 lakhs. 

Arvind Kejriwal residence renovation row: Delhi LG orders inquiry into irregularities, seeks report in 15 days

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal residence renovation row: Delhi LG orders inquiry into irregularities, seeks report in 15 days

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has asked for a report on the alleged misuse of public funds to the tune of Rs 45 crore for the remodeling of Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence.

The development came in the aftermath of Public Works Department (PWD) documents that surfaced earlier this week and revealed that Rs 45 crore was spent during the Covid-19 outbreak to restore and renovate the Delhi CM’s official Civil Lines house.

The communication regarding the gross irregularities committed, while carrying out the renovation of No. 6 Flag Staff House by the PWD, stated that the Governor while taking note of these media reports and keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, has desired that all relevant records in this matter be immediately secured and taken into protective custody.

“Delhi LG took cognisance of media reports (on alleged gross irregularities committed during the renovation of the Chief Minister’s residence) and keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, directed the Chief Secretary to immediately secure and take all records relating to the matter into protective custody,” the LG’s office informed.

Further, it was mentioned that the chief secretary would be required to submit a factual report on the situation within 15 days after these records are examined.

The LG instructed the Chief Secretary to locate all the documentation connected to the refurbishment of the Chief Minister’s house on a priority basis, according to sources in the Delhi administration.

“Earlier in some cases, including excise policy matters, a few files went missing and the evidence was allegedly wiped out. Based on the files, the Chief Secretary will look into the roles of different officers in the PWD department and even the roles of ministers,” sources said.

Furthermore, they added that it will be investigated to determine if any financial regulations were also altered to make it easier to obtain permissions for renovations.

“On the basis of all the above, the Chief Secretary will file a detailed factual report in 15 days, which will also define the responsibilities of all those involved,” sources further unveiled.

Harish Khurana, a spokesman for the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party, welcomed the decision and encouraged the Aam Aadmi Party chief to stand up and offer an apology while there was still time, branding the Rs 45 crore expense as the tip of the iceberg.

“The misappropriation of funds will go up to Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore soon enough, given the fact that there is a large-scale expansion of the CM’s estate which is ongoing,” Khurana charged.

“What you spent on personal luxury was the taxpayers’ hard-earned money. CM Kejriwal, you have to answer to the people. You should step up to take responsibility and come clean on how much you have spent. You will have to apologise,” he added.

The BJP has stepped up its criticism of the AAP administration over the issue, despite the latter accusing the party of being behind the document leak in an effort to avoid addressing the “serious issues facing the country.”

In accordance with documents, the addition/alteration of Arvind Kejriwal’s government home cost a total of Rs 44.78 crores as opposed to the sanctioned price of Rs 43.70 crores. The money was invested in six tranches between September 9, 2020, and June 20, 2022.

The total cost was reported to be Rs. 11.30 crore for interior decoration, Rs. 6.02 crore for stone and marble flooring, Rs. 1 crore for interior consulting, Rs. 2.58 crore for electrical fittings and appliances, Rs. 2.85 crore for a fire safety system, Rs. 1.41 crores for wardrobe and accessory fitting, and Rs. 1.1 crores for kitchen appliances. 

An additional sum of Rs 8.11 crore out of the authorised amount of Rs 9.99 crore was spent on the camp office at the official property.

Mafia Mukhtar Ansari sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai

OpIndia Staff
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Mafia Mukhtar Ansari sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai

On 29th April 2023, the MP-MLA court of Ghazipur sentenced mafia Mukhtar Ansari to 10 years in prison. Mukhtar Ansari will also have to pay a fine of Rs. 5 lakhs. The court will also pronounce the punishment for Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari shortly. Government advocate Neeraj Srivastava represented the State.

A case under Gangsters Act was registered against Afzal Ansari on the basis of the case registered against him in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. Ansari was booked for his involvement in the kidnapping of Vishwa Hindu Parishad office-bearer and coal tycoon Nandkishore Rungta in 1996 and the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. In 2007, a case was registered against the two brothers at Muhammadabad police station.

The court has sentenced Mukhtar Ansari, who is lodged in Banda jail, to 10 years in jail. If Afzal Ansari gets the same punishment, then his Lok Sabha membership will also come to an end. He is a Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Ghazipur. Under the Representation of the People Act, a member of the House loses his membership if he is sentenced to more than two years in jail.

Afzal Ansari was earlier acquitted in the Krishnanand Rai murder case due to the retraction of witnesses. Mukhtar Ansari was initially acquitted in both Krishnanand Rai and Nandkishore Rungta murder cases. Both the mafia brothers were acquitted after witnesses retracted their statements.

Alka Rai, the wife of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, remarked just before this decision was pronounced. She said, “I believe in the judiciary. The era of goons, mafias is over. They will either stay in jail or perish.”

Mukhtar Ansari was earlier given a seven-year prison sentence in September of last year by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court for intimidating a jailer by abusing, pointing a pistol at him, and threatening to kill him in 2003. Shortly after, he was sentenced to five years in prison and was given a 50,000 fine under the Gangsters Act.

Uttar Pradesh: Rizwan kills wife in front of their two children to marry his own relative; arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Rizwan kills wife in front of their two children to marry his own relative; arrested

A shocking incident from in the Badayun neighbourhood near Mujariya police station has come to light where a man named Rizwan was apprehended by police after he shot and killed his wife, Rehana alias Furkana.

He confessed to his crime and disclosed that he was in an adulterous relationship with someone who was a relative of theirs and desired to marry her which was opposed by the wife. He, therefore, devised a scheme to get her out of his way.

The perpetrator lives in the hamlet of Ahmednagar Asauli, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Bilsi police station. He married the deceased, a native of Dinaura village, which is a part of the Dhanari area in the Sambhal district, 10 years ago.

Police also recovered revolver cartridges from his property. He was brought before the judge, who ordered him to be sent to jail in judicial custody.

Three years ago, he began an illicit relationship with a girl who lived in Delhi and was related to him. They grew close and started meeting each other. He also took her out in his car. The victim protested their extramarital affair when it became public knowledge.

He announced his intention to marry his girlfriend about nine months ago, which sparked heated arguments between the husband and wife. While the accused was in constant contact with the girl, the latter went to live with her mother. However, his wife’s fierce resistance prevented him from marrying a second time.

The girl also had been refusing to get married to him despite his repeated attempts, and a few days ago she told him that if he killed his wife first, she would tie the knot with him. Hence, he hatched a plot to carry out his evil intentions.

According to the strategy, he drove to his in-law’s residence and under false pretence brought his wife into the car where he shot her twice. He then loaded their two kids in the vehicle and proceeded to the Mujariya police station where he informed the officials that his wife’s dead body was lying beside the road. The police took him into custody and kept him at a covert location.

After receiving a complaint from the departed’s mother, Farookhan, late on a Thursday night, the police registered an FIR and revealed the arrest from the village of Rafinagar Khitaura Road on Friday. When questioned, the culprit admitted that his wife was against him getting married to his romantic liaison which prompted him to murder her.

Station Officer (SO) Mujariya Rajesh Kaushik affirmed that the reason Rizwan killed his wife was because of a love affair he had with a woman in his own relatives. He has professed his crime. He was brought before the judge, and after receiving judicial custody, he was taken to jail.

He continued to speak in a delirious manner while being interrogated. His mental equilibrium appeared to be seriously off. Although it was hard to determine if he was acting or just really depressed. He did unveil the affair to the police after they inquired him for a while.

ED raids three BYJUs premises in Bengaluru over FEMA violations

OpIndia Staff
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ED raids three BYJUs premises in Bengaluru over FEMA violations

On Saturday, 29th April 2023, the Enforcement Directorate raided three premises of Byju Raveendran, the founder, and CEO of ed-tech startup BYJUs. ED took this action under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The raids were conducted at the premises of Byju Raveendran and his company Think and Learn Pvt Ltd.

According to the agency, the officials seized incriminating documents and digital data during the searches. According to the probe agency, the company has received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth Rs 28,000 crore between 2011 and 2023. Apart from this, the company also sent money to different countries in the name of FDI.

According to the ED, Think and Learn Pvt Ltd, which runs the ed-tech platform BYJUs, had spent around Rs 944 crore in the name of advertising and marketing expenses. At the same time, the company did not prepare its financial statements from the financial year 2020-21 and did not audit the accounts. Therefore, it is being investigated.

According to the agency, this action has been taken on the basis of complaints made by private people. Many summonses were issued in Raveendran’s name, but he avoided ED and never appeared.

Earlier, last month, on Friday, March 24, the educational technology behemoth BYJUs drew flak on social media for sharing a distorted map of India which showed Jammu and Kashmir as a separate country and parts of Ladakh as China on the map. Even before that, in December 2022, the apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned BYJUs CEO Byju Raveendran over allegations that it is indulging in malpractices to lure parents and children to buy their courses.

‘So much casteism in every field in Bihar’, says Supreme Court, asks Patna High Court to re-examine plea for stay on caste survey

OpIndia Staff
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‘So much casteism in every field in Bihar’, says Supreme Court, asks Patna High Court to re-examine plea for stay on caste survey

The Supreme Court declared on Friday that casteism is pervasive in Bihar and may be seen in both the political and administrative spheres. A bench of Justices MR Shah and JB Pardiwala made the observations while considering a request for a suspension of the caste census being conducted in the State.

“There is so much casteism there. In every field. Bureaucracy, politics, service,” Justice Shah remarked. However, the court clarified that the Bench had not expressed its opinion on the merits of the case and the same is to be decided by the High Court.

The Patna High Court had declined to give any temporary injunctions regarding the survey that gave rise to the current case before the Supreme Court.

The High Court should have heard the case on the merits before deciding whether or not to provide temporary relief, according to the Supreme Court’s opinion. “One way or the other, (plea for) interim relief has to be considered on merits. Let a division bench consider it,” Justice Shah said.

The bench urged the High Court to act swiftly because it had not yet taken the same action. “We clarify that we have not said anything on merits and it is for the High Court to take a call on the same,” the bench said in its order.

An NGO called Youth for Equality, which campaigns against caste-based laws and reservations, initiated the current petition. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who represented the petitioner group at the hearing today, contended that it was a serious concern and that the caste census survey was being conducted in anticipation of elections.

He continued by saying that Bihar was a state where casteism was pervasive. The attorney for Bihar emphasised that several petitions have been submitted against the government’s action. However, Justice Pardiwala questioned the State counsel about why it was conducting this survey so quickly.

In response, the attorney cited the directive’s guiding principles. “What directive principles?” questioned Justice Pardiwala. The bench then issued an order allowing the petitioner to approach the Patna High Court for an urgent hearing on the requested interim relief, and requesting that the High Court resolve the matter, ideally within three days.

It is notable that a Supreme Court panel made up of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath turned down three public interest litigation (PIL) petitions in January of this year that contested the Bihar government’s intention to start a caste census in the State.

The bench had granted liberty to the petitioners to approach the Patna High Court. “This is a publicity interest litigation. If we allow this then how will they determine how much reservation to be given? You want to withdraw? Go and file before the High Court. Sorry we do not entertain such petitions,” Justice Gavai had remarked.

120 eminent citizens write to President Droupadi Murmu opposing attempts to legalise same-sex marriage in India

OpIndia Staff
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120 eminent citizens write to President Droupadi Murmu opposing attempts to legalise same-sex marriage in India

Amid the ongoing hearing by a constitution bench of the Supreme Court on a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition for same-sex marriages, a group of 120 eminent citizens wrote to President Draupadi Murmu, objecting to attempts to legalise same-sex marriages in India.

The highly accomplished individuals, ranging from ex-bureaucrats to retired high court judges dubbed the exercise as ‘unnatural’, ‘irrational’ and ‘highly objectionable’ in the letter written on Thursday (April 27),

They were aghast over the onslaught against the cultural traditions and religious tenets of India and urged the apex court to refrain from demolishing the institution of marriage, which falls under the purview of the Legislature.

“…If we revise the law to make same-sex sexual union rational, acceptable or moral, it will open the doors to same-sex sexual culture. Our society and culture do not accept same-sex behavioural institutions because it is offensive to our values, besides being irrational and unnatural,” the letter pointed out.

“It is widely appreciated that same-sex relationships can’t create long-term or stable institutions; and if they are allowed to adopt children, they can’t maintain stable and long-lasting relationships with their families, parents, relatives and partners,” the eminent citizens further added.

“The health and future of such children will be severely compromised… India cannot afford that its future generations live in such an atmosphere, which surely will produce more gays and lesbians, and tear apart and destroy the institutions of ‘family’ and ‘society’ irreparably,” they emphasised.

“They (Future generations) won’t know about their parents, ancestors, culture, religious tenets and age-old values,” the letter further warned. The eminent citizens pointed out that the issue of same-sex marriage is raised by pseudo-liberals under the garb of ‘progressive and liberated thinking.’

They requested President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and protect the Indian traditions, values and social fabric from being destroyed by ‘elitist progressiveness.’

The signatories included ex-CAG Rajiv Mehrishi, ex-Home Secretary L C Goyal, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, Justice (retired) S N Dhingra and Justice (retired) Lok Pal Singh.

Earlier, Bar Council of India passed resolution opposing recognition of same-sex marriage, saying it is against the culture and socio-religious structure of the country.

Kotak Mahindra Bank MD and CEO Uday Kotak says he inadvertently called USD ‘biggest financial terrorist’, here is what he meant

OpIndia Staff
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Kotak Mahindra Bank MD and CEO Uday Kotak says he inadvertently called USD ‘biggest financial terrorist’, here is what he meant

Kotak Mahindra Bank’s MD and CEO, Uday Kotak, made a significant remark against the US dollar on Friday. At a panel discussion for the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence 2023, he referred to the dollar as “the biggest financial terrorist in the world.”

He said, “all our money is in nostro accounts and somebody in the US can say- you cannot withdraw it from tomorrow morning- and you are stuck. That is the power of the reserve currency. I think we are at a crucial time in the world history where the world is desperately looking for an alternative reserve currency.”

He contrasted this dire condition with the current situation, in which the world is frantically searching for an alternative reserve currency, and emphasized a significant, once-in-a-hundred-years, chance for India to become the world’s reserve currency by using the Indian Rupee.

“I don’t think Europe can make their currency the reserve, because it is the disunited states of Europe. I don’t think UK or Japan have the heft to be taking that position, though both the British Pound and the Yen are free currencies. China, I think, has a major issue of trust with many many countries around the world,” he said.

Kotak continued by outlining the conditions that India must meet in order to establish the rupee as a reserve currency. He said, “It is a long, sustained walk and run,” noting that the nation “must create strong institutions.” It must provide a solid foundation that is independent of everyone’s whims and inclinations. India must be believed, he affirmed.

However, within 24 hours, Kotak corrected himself.

In a tweet, he said, “What I meant was that a reserve currency has disproportionate power, whether it is nostro account, 500 bps rate increase, or emerging countries holding $ for liquidity.”

Note: Report updated with his clarification tweet.

Pakistan: Three soldiers, seven terrorists killed in suicide bomb attacks, clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Three soldiers, seven terrorists killed in suicide bomb attacks, clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

In three overnight attacks in Pakistan’s perilous northwest, terrorists targeted Pakistani security personnel, leading to shootouts that resulted in the deaths of three troops and seven terrorists. The attacks, which began late on Thursday night in Lakki Marwat, a region in the Afghanistan-bordering province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), lasted for many hours.

According to a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a suicide bomber riding a motorbike detonated himself in the vicinity of a security forces camp within the Government Postgraduate College in the first strike. Afterwards, there was a fierce firefight in which four militants were neutralised.

The military’s media wing informed that the other two incidents occurred in the district’s Amir Kalam and Tajbi Khel areas and that another three terrorists, including a key commander Musa Khan, were killed. It also mentioned that weapons and ammunition were seized from their possessions.

In a statement released by their spokesman, Mulla Mohammad Qasim, Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan, a newly surfaced organisation, took credit for the ambush.

The attacks were reported on Thursday night, but military or security services didn’t issue any official statement regarding the instances or the number of casualties. ISPR allegedly thwarted all of the assaults in a short span of time.

The slain soldiers were identified as Naib Subedar Taj Mir, 40, resident of Nowshera district, Havaldar Zakir Ahmed, 38, from Abbottabad and Sepoy Abid Hussain, 29, from Dera Ismail Khan district.

“Sanitisation of the areas is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the military proclaimed.

The attack followed the twin bombings that took place late on Monday, within a 12-minute span and killed 17, including six police officers. The blasts occurred at an anti-terrorism police station at Kabal, Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which housed the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and a mosque.

Officials have established a fact-finding committee and begun an investigation into the instance, despite some media reports suggesting that it was a suicide attack.

Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for KP, told the media during a visit to the blast scene that preliminary evidence indicated the explosions were not the result of terrorism and happened after explosives kept in a police depot caught fire. There were also no signs of a forced entrance or gunshots, he added.

The army has launched a new offensive against terrorists in response to a recent uptick in attacks, including the bombing of a Peshawar mosque that left over 100 people dead and the onslaught on the building of the Karachi Police Chief (KPO).

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