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‘Tu naam ki Muslim hai’: Islamists abuse Sara Ali Khan again, this time for visiting Kedarnath Dham

OpIndia Staff
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‘Tu naam ki Muslim hai’: Islamists abuse Sara Ali Khan again, this time for visiting Kedarnath Dham

On Wednesday, May 10, Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan shared a few pictures from her recent visit to the Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand on her Instagram page. Actor Saif Ali Khan and actress Amrita Singh’s daughter often visits Kedarnath to have the darshan of Mahadev. While several people dropped positive comments, Islamists, however, were fuming over a Muslim girl committing a ‘shirk’ (sin) by visiting a Hindu temple.

Sara Ali Khan wrote a long caption expressing her gratitude, the caption read, “The first time I came to these places- I had never faced a camera. Today I can’t imagine my life without it. Thank you Kedarnath for making me who I am and giving me all that I have. Very few people are lucky enough to come to you, and I am full of gratitude and appreciation that I can come back to just thank you. Jai Bholenath.”

Reacting to Sara’s Instagram post, one Ali Sohrab commented, “Read Quran also, nobody is bigger than Allah”.

One Rehbar wrote, “La laha illallah means there is no god but Allah and this is the basis of Islam, either you can be a Muslim or a non-Muslim, you cannot become a non-Muslim while being a Muslim, this is what has been called Shirk (sin) and there is no forgiveness for shirk.”

Another one named Mohammad Bahauddin advised Sara to remove “Ali” from her name as she is practicing Sanatan religion, though she can keep Khan surname, which she got from her father. 

One Touhidurrahman claimed that Sara visiting a Hindu temple is disrespectful of Islam and Muslims as he wrote, “She just got a Muslim name nothing else. Stop supporting her. This is a disrespect for Islam and Muslims. Shirk is the major sin of Islam.”

Meanwhile, Amaan Pathan prayed to Allah to forgive Sara’s ‘sins’.

One Umair Khan wrote, “Tu naam ki Muslim hai (you’re a Muslim only by name).”

It is notable that the online attacks on actress Sara Ali Khan are not new or isolated incidents. She was abused for visiting the Ujjain Mahakal Temple, and Kedarnath Temple earlier as well. Not just visiting temples, she attacked also for wishing on Hindu festivals, like after she extended wishes on Maha Shivratri earlier this year. She was even targeted for wishing Home Minister Amit Shah on his birthday.

In almost every Hindu festival-related post by Sara, Islamists slide on her social media account’s comment section, berating her for Shirk, for being a ‘bad Muslim’ and advising, sometimes threatening her to either stop committing shirk or quit Islam if she is so attracted towards the kafirs and their faith.

Supreme Court reserves judgement on various pleas seeking recognition of same-sex marriage

ANI
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Supreme Court reserves judgement on various pleas seeking recognition of same-sex marriage

The Supreme Court Constitution bench on Thursday reserved judgement on various petitions pertaining to marriage equality rights for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The five-judge Constitution bench comprising of the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha is dealing with a batch of petitions pertaining to marriage equality rights for LGBTQIA+ community. 

“We are reserving the judgement,” said CJI DY Chandrachud. The order was reserved after counsel from all sides concluded their arguments.

Constitution bench has begun the hearing on the matter on April 18 and the hearing went on for nearly 10 days.

Supreme Court is handling various petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. One of the petitions earlier raised the absence of a legal framework allowing members of the LGBTQIA+ community to marry any person of their choice.

The court has clarified that it will deal with the issue under the provisions of the Special Marriage Act and will not touch the personal laws on this aspect.

According to one of the petitions, the couple sought to enforce the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to marry any person of their choice. 

It said that “the exercise of which ought to be insulated from the disdain of legislative and popular majorities.” The petitioners, further, asserted their fundamental right to marry each other and prayed for appropriate directions from this Court allowing and enabling them to do so.

The petition was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Saurabh Kirpal. Centre has opposed the plea and said that parliament and not the court, should consider the issue.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the entire architecture of laws is from the perspective of the welfare of the child being paramount and adoption is not an alternative to biological birth in families of heterosexual couples.

Centre on April 18 issued a letter to States, asking them to give their opinion on the issues relating to Same-sex marriage.

States of Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have opposed the legal recognition of same-sex marriages in the country whereas Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Sikkim sought more time to give their opinion on the same-sex marriage issue.

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

Shut hospitals if doctors can’t be protected: Kerala HC slams state govt and police for murder of Vandana, stabbed while treating accused in police custody

OpIndia Staff
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Shut hospitals if doctors can’t be protected: Kerala HC slams state govt and police for murder of Vandana, stabbed while treating accused in police custody

The Kerala High Court Wednesday (May 10) came down hard on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government and the police for the killing of a 23-year-old doctor at a taluk hospital in the Kottarakkara area of Kollam district by a man she was treating, saying it indicated their “failure” to protect doctors. The on-duty doctor Vandana Das was stabbed to death in the wee hours of Wednesday by the man she was treating.

Slamming the state establishment for their apathy and callousness, a special bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath said the police were trained and expected to protect women and children, but they failed to protect the young doctor.

Questioning the need for the police force, the court said, “It is a complete failure of the system. Having an aid post in a hospital is not enough. When you (police) knew the man was acting abnormally, you should have restrained him.”

“You should be able to anticipate the unanticipated. Else there is no need for the police. Over time, we have become casual, Did you not fail this girl?” the bench asked, adding that it had on several occasions in the past warned that such an incident would occur if nothing was done.

“This is what we were scared of. We had said in the past that something like this could happen,” the bench lambasted.

Worried that the incident would create a “fear psychosis” among other doctors and medical practitioners, the court asked what the Kerala government’s next course of action would be given that the doctors have gone on strike.

“Doctors have gone on strike. What excuse would you give for the denial of treatment to thousands of patients as a result? Can you blame the doctors for any problem caused to any patient today due to the strike?” the court asked the state government.

The rebuke came after S Sandeep, an accused in custody brought in by the police for treatment of his injuries killed a woman doctor at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital. The perpetrator stabbed the on-duty doctor Vandana Das to death in the wee hours of Wednesday in the Kottarakkara neighbourhood.

She sustained multiple stab wounds on her chest and neck and died after a few hours at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was admitted after the gruesome incident.

He also attacked the policemen, who attempted to stop him and brought him there for medical examination. He injured four people along with the doctor and vandalised some areas of the hospital.

In light of the unfortunate occurrence, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a twenty-four-hour statewide strike on Wednesday which lasted until 8 am on Thursday. The strike did not affect the intensive care units and emergency wings.

In Kottarakkara, medical professionals protested against the tragedy by taking to the streets. Other hospitals throughout the state also witnessed similar demonstrations. Doctors from the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) both protested against the episode throughout the state.

While both have a history of unholy alliances, Uddhav Thackeray along with Nitish Kumar try to school Maharashtra CM over ‘political ethics’ after SC decision

Siddhi Somani
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While both have a history of unholy alliances, Uddhav Thackeray along with Nitish Kumar try to school Maharashtra CM over ‘political ethics’ after SC decision

Almost an hour after the Supreme Court’s decision over the Maharashtra political crisis, former Chief Minister of the state Udhav Thackeray said that he would have been the Chief Minister today if he never had resigned in the first place. “I would have been the chief minister had I not resigned,” Thackeray said while schooling the incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Dy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The SC held today that it cannot order the restoration of the Uddhav government as he resigned without facing a floor test. The Court also said that the then Governor was right in inviting Eknath Shinde-led coalition to form the state government as former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray had already resigned.

“Petitioners argued for restoration of status quo ante. However, Thackeray did not face the floor test. Had Uddhav Thackeray not resigned, the status quo could have been restored,” the Court said.

The Court meanwhile also noted that the then Governor’s decision for a floor test was wrong and Speaker was wrong in appointing a whip of the Eknath Shinde group. Referring to former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Court said, “Governor ought not to have relied on the letter. The letter did not indicate that Uddhav Thackeray lost support. Exercise of discretion by the Governor was not in accordance with the Constitution.”

“Nothing in any of the communications relied on by the Governor indicated that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the government. Neither the Constitution nor the law empower the governor to enter the political arena and play a role either in inter-party or intra-party disputes,” it added further stating that floor test cannot be used to resolve internal party disputes.

Uddhav Thackeray took cognizance of the ruling and attempted to teach ‘ethics’ to the incumbent Chief Minister and the Dy Chief Minister. He said that CM Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis should resign if at all they have any ethics left. “I am not fighting for myself, we have to save democracy. If the current Maharashtra CM and deputy CM have any ethics, then they should resign,” said Thackeray while interacting with the media on May 11.

Notably, Thackeray was with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar while he was talking to the media after the SC’s decision on Maharashtra’s Political crisis. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met Thackeray today at his residence in an attempt to strengthen the opposition cabal against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Kumar and Yadav are also slated to meet Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar in the evening.

Thackeray disregarded ‘ethics’, ‘Hindutva ideology’ to form government

While Thackeray schooled the incumbent Maharashtra CM and his Dy CM over ‘ethics’, it seems that he forgot who was the one who led to this huge political drama in the state, ultimately resulting in the creation of a massive divide in the Shiv Sena party. Uddhav Thackeray who led the party after the death of its supremo Balasaheb Thackeray was a huge supporter and political ally of the BJP until it disregarded its ‘ethics’ and ‘Hindutva ideology’ to join hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the government.

The three parties after the 2019 state elections came together to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi or the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi and then on 28 November 2019, Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the 19th Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The alliance between Shiv Sena and BJP was formed in the year 1989 and was temporarily broken in the 2014 elections, although it was quickly reformed. The alliance continued till 2019 until Thackeray signalled a significant departure from its traditional pro-Hindutva stance and joined hands with the NCP and the Congress for power.

The MVA government however managed to rule only for around 2.5 years as Eknath Shinde, a senior Shiv Sena figure and dissident MLA then departed with 11 other MLAs for Surat in the BJP-ruled state of Gujarat. Thackeray was informed by Shinde that he had the backing of more than 40 MLAs, and he was pushed to sever the partnership. Thus the party broke into two factions- the Shinde faction and the Thackeray faction over ideological differences. The Shinde faction who still believed in the Hindutva ideology got back in alliance with the BJP and formed a new government in June last year.

Nitish Kumar also broke alliance with BJP last year

Interestingly, Nitish Kumar who was with Uddhav Thackeray while the latter talked to the media also has a history of ditching the BJP for power in the state of Bihar. In August last year, CM Nitish Kumar announced that his party, Janta Dal United was breaking the alliance with the BJP. The party had broken its alliance with the BJP earlier also. It walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2013 in protest against the announcement of Narendra Modi as the PM candidate.

However, after a brief affair with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nitish Kumar re-entered an alliance with BJP in 2017. After breaking the alliance with the BJP, JDU garnered support from the RJD and Congress and formed a new government. Recently, Nitish Kumar also said that he would prefer to die rather than think of rejoining hands with the BJP in the state. He also said that “going back to the NDA in 2017 was a mistake”.

At present, Nitish Kumar is working for the Opposition unity at the national level. He met Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha and then met former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray later today. He is also slated to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar to garner strong support ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.

Imran Khan’s arrest is illegal and contempt of court, present him before the court within an hour: Pakistan Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Imran Khan’s arrest is illegal and contempt of court, present him before the court within an hour: Pakistan Supreme Court

Pakistan’s higher court has asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the court within one hour. The Supreme Court has also termed the arrest illegal as it heard the petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the arrest of their party chief.

A three-member Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, heard PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The court said that it is very serious about the matter and added that it will issue an appropriate order today.

Imran Khan’s advocate said that he had approached the Islamabad High Court to seek pre-arrest bail, but he was arrested while in the process of getting his biometrics done for the plea. When the CJI noted that the court records show that the case had not been fixed for hearing, the lawyer said that the appeal could not be filed without completing the biometric process.

The court noted that Imran Khan had indeed entered the court premises, from where he was arrested. “How can anyone be denied the right to justice?” asked Justice Minallah. The bench strongly objected to the arrest by NAB inside the court premises. CJP Bandial said that there was a certain “respect” for the courts, and recalled an incident when the court har reversed the arrest of a suspect because that person was arrested from the parking lot of the Supreme Court.

The court also took objection to the fact that around 100 rangers came to the court to arrest Imran Khan. “What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises?” the CJP asked.

CJP Umar Ata Bandial observed that NAB had committed “contempt of court” by arresting Imran Khan inside the court premises. “They should have taken permission from the court’s registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse,” he said. The CJP emphasised that courts should be accessible to everyone for relief and that individuals should feel safe to approach the courts.

Imran Khan’s counsel demanded the immediate release of the former PM, saying that the arrest was made without an investigation officer present. The chief justice responded by saying that the court was currently examining the manner in which the arrest was conducted and whether contempt had taken place.

Earlier, Imran Khan was sent to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) remand for 8 days in the Al-Qadir Trust land deal case and was also indicted in the Toshakhana corruption case by a Pakistan court.

Imran Khan, was arrested by the country’s security forces under corruption charges on Tuesday, May 9. Since then, the country has seen several violent protests as Imran Khan’s supporters clash with the army and the ruling establishment.

Imran Khan had reportedly gone to the Islamabad HC to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him when he was arrested by Pakistan rangers.

The PTI chief reportedly has been arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case of the National Accountability Bureau as well as the Toshakhana case.

The arrest has led to widespread unrest and clashes across the country with several PTI supporters getting killed in the aftermath of the arrest.

Kerala boat tragedy: Officials ignored complaints against Atlantic and other ‘illegal’ tourist boats, and now the same officials will probe the irregularities

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala boat tragedy: Officials ignored complaints against Atlantic and other ‘illegal’ tourist boats, and now the same officials will probe the irregularities

On May 9, Kerala state police chief Anil Kant formed a special investigation team to look into the Atlantic tragedy that killed 22 people. The team includes Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das S, Tanur Deputy SP V V Benny, and Tanur station house officer (SHO) Jeevan George. However, concerns are being raised over the selection of the investigation team members as they allegedly ignored the complaints about the boat earlier.

The recreational boat named Atlantic capsized in Ottumpuram Thooval Theeram beach in Tanur in Kerala on May 7, killing 22 people, including 15 children, five women and two men, while 10 others were injured. It was a fishing boat converted to a passenger boat, and several irregularities related to it have emerged since it sank. Murder charges have been slapped against the owner of the boat and he has been arrested.

Speaking to Onmanorama, councillor Nisamudeen said that had these officers, who are part of the probe team, acted on the complaints against the illegal boats, many lives could have been saved. He said, “These officers should have never been in the investigation team. The boat accident happened because of their apathy.” Notably, councillor Nisamudeen has accused the police of ignoring his complaints against Atlantic.

The incident where the leisure boat Atlantic sank in Malappuram’s Poorapuzha River, killing 22 persons, took place on May 7. Only a day later, Tanur police arrested its owner 47-year-old Nassar Pattarakath. In the remand report filed at the magistrate court, the police said they were convinced Nassar was profiteered from running the illegal boat service for around 20 days. Deputy SP V V Benny urged the judicial magistrate to grant police remand of Nassar for 14 days stating he might influence and threaten witnesses and destroy the evidence.

Reacting to the arrest and investigation, councillor Nisamudeen said he was down with chickenpox when he learned about the boat service. He called Tanur’s sub-inspector and informed him about the running of illegal boat services for the tourists. The police, however, did not act on his complaint. He again called the police station on the landline number and sought intervention. He said, “I knew there would be crowding at Thooval Theeram on Eid ul-Fitr and asked the police to control the crowd or stop the service.”

Kerala High Court’s Observations on the matter

Kerala High Court’s division bench took the matter suo motu and directed Malappuram District Collector to file a report on May 12. The Court also sought the details of the port officer in charge of the area.

The court also criticised the Kerala Government for its inaction against officers responsible for the tragic boat incidents. “Why is there no action against them,” the court asked. The Division Bench headed by Justice Devan Ramachandran observed, “This is not the first time. There would be some investigation or recommendations whenever an incident occurs. Everything is forgotten. It’s happening again. People die. Nobody is responsible except the operator. Who is in charge of inland navigation?”

The lethargic behaviour of the administration might have led to the accident

Atlantic was a fishing boat, and it was converted into a leisure boat and started ferrying tourists to Thooval Theeram on April 15, Vishu Day. Now it has emerged that the boat started passenger services without final approval from the authorities. The boat owner was charging Rs 100 per person. From day 1, it was ferrying almost double its capacity, which was 22 persons. The fisherman in the area had complained about it as well.

Another fisherman named Nisar told Manorama he had called 100 to report the irregularities in the services provided by Atlantic, but the police did not act.

On April 22, the day of Eid Ul-Fitr, Tanur police acted on the boat services running at Thooval Theeram and stopped the services of four boats. Two eight-seater boats that had all the documents and required documents were asked to stop the services. Other than those two, boats named Atlantic and Jai Hanuman were also stopped. However, on April 23, both Atlantic and Jai Hanuman resumed services on the Poorapuzha River. According to Nisar, who owns two boats, Jai Hanuman is linked to the same people who ran Atlantic, and it was also a fishing boat which was converted to carry passengers.

Reacting to the incident, Justice JB Koshy, who is a former chairman of the Kerala State Human Rights Commission, said strict action should be taken against the officials who ignored the complaints against the boat services. Expressing his concerns over the same police officials handling the matter, he said, “They cannot be part of the police investigation. Those who flout rules peddle money and influence and escape punishment. Justice Koshy insinuated that the officials may escape the justice system in such cases.

In a statement, Justice B Kemal Pasha said the police were aware of the wrongdoings as they stopped the boat services. He accused Minister V Abdurahiman of making a call to allow the boats to resume services. He said, “They allowed the boat to resume service the next day. I have credible information that Tanur police allowed Atlantic to resume service because of a phone call from (Tanur MLA and) Minister V Abdurahiman.”

Minister of Sports and Minority Welfare Abdurahiman is MLA from Tanur. He was the minister of Fisheries and Harbour Engineering till January 2023. Justice Pasha called to check the call records of the minister for evidence. He added that the investigation should explore how a fishing boat was converted into a leisure boat and get approval. Justice Pasha said similar incidents might happen in Kumarakom, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam if the administration does not correct the course promptly.

Son-in-law of Kerala CM and PWD minister P. A Mohammed Riyas didn’t heed warnings about the boat’s condition

Two days after the Tanur boat accident, it came to the fore that Kerala Ministers, V Abdurahiman (Minister of Fisheries), and PA Mohammed Riyas (Minister for Public Works Department and Tourism) had ignored the complaints about the registration of the Atlantic boat issued to them by the boat operator.

One fisherman of Tanur and the boat operator Mamujin Puraikkal Muhajid said that he had complained about the illegality of the boat Atlantic when Ministers P A Muhammad Riyas and V Abdurahiman had arrived for the inauguration of the floating bridge in Tanur. He said Minister V Abdurahiman scolded him while Minister Riyas ignored the complaint.

It is important to note that Minister Mohammed Riyas who contested elections and won from the Beyopre constituency is son-in-law of CM Pinarayi Vijayan and was inducted into the Ministry by the CM in May 2021. It is also pertinent to note that Mohammed Riyas was associated with the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and has an extremely controversial past. Mohammed Riyas, who rose through the ranks in the Left serving in the Students’ Federation of India, the DYFI, and then CPI-M, has been accused of orchestrating violence in Kerala.

In fact, in March 2021, Riyas was sent to judicial custody for orchestrating violence near the Air India office in Kozhikode to protest against the air tariff hike and reduction of in-flight services by the national carrier. A case was registered against four people, including Rajesh, for breaking the law after the DYFI protests had turned violent. The two accused, including Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law Mohammed Riyaz, was later granted bail in the case. Riyaz is also infamous for leading ‘beef cooking’ protests after the centre sought to regulate cattle purchase and sale.

The dubious history of the boat ‘Jai Hanuman.’

In October 2022, Abdul Shukkur and his wife from Parappanangadi took a boat ride from Thooval Theeram in the Kapico boat. After the trip, Shukkur, who is a fisherman, wrote to the District Police Chief and Collector, expressing his concerns about the stability of the boat. He told Manorama, “I suspected the boat was illegally modified and did not have the required papers. And so I wanted the officials to investigate.” District Police did not reply to his complaint. However, after three months, he was informed by the Malappuram collector that Kapico was no longer in service.

However, Manorama’s report suggested Nissar Charath’s Kapico was given a makeover in March 2023, the white boat was painted black and it was relaunched in Poorpuzha River with a new name, ‘Jai Hanuman’. On the day Atlantic sank, Shukkur was at Thooval Theeram and recognised the renovated Kapico serving as Jai Hanuman. He said, “I told my friends that I had complained against the boat, and the collector wrote to me saying it was not in service. What else can a common man do.”

Since the incident, the name of Jai Hanuman has been reportedly erased, and the boat stands nameless.

Fishing boats cannot be modified into leisure boats

As per the Kerala Inland Vessels (KIV) Rules, fishing boats cannot be converted into leisure boats without permission. Atlantic was a 15-seater fishing boat. It was reportedly modified without permission at the Ponnani-based yard, which is not registered under the KIV Rules.

As per the regulations, boats can only be built or modified at KIV-accredited yards after the design’s approval from naval architects. Atlantic flouted the rules, and the officials showed reluctance in processing its application. Salim Kumar claimed he followed the rules. Manorama reported he wrote to the Port Authority in Alappuzha and Beypore Registering Authority in Kozhikode, asking them to initiate a stability test after imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 on the boat.

Contrary to the rules, The New Indian Express quoted a Kerala Maritime Board official that no rules prohibit the modification of a fishing board into a passenger boat. The Fisheries Department, however, countered the quote. In reply to an RTI query in January 2023, the Malappuram Deputy Director of the Fisheries Department said, “According to Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act, fishing boats registered with the Fisheries Department cannot be modified and used for tourism”.

Furthermore, the survey certificate noted that Praveen P was supposed to steer the boat, but it was being operated by one Dineshan, who Tanur Police arrested after the incident. Dineshan was not in possession of a valid shrank licence to operate a boat.

Book Excerpt of Dr Amit Thadani’s ‘The Rationalist Murders’: A journalist, links to underworld, Mukul Sinha, assassination plot of Modi and Dabholkar murder

OpIndia Staff
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Book Excerpt of Dr Amit Thadani’s ‘The Rationalist Murders’: A journalist, links to underworld, Mukul Sinha, assassination plot of Modi and Dabholkar murder

The Rationalist Murders, a book that points out serious inconsistencies and problems in the investigations of four rationalists, was released in Mumbai. The book deals with the investigations into the murders of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Communist leader Govind Pansare, Kannada writer Prof Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi and journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh.

The Rationalist Murders: Diary of Ruined Investigation has been penned by Dr Amit Thadhani and was released at the Shanmukhananda Hall at Sion in Mumbai on the 29th of April evening. Following is an extract from the book:

Ketan Tirodkar first came into the limelight in 2004, when as a string journalist he alleged that he had witnessed and facilitated top cop Daya Nayak handing over a local Bhavnagar criminal Sadiq Jamal Mehtar to Gujarat Police on 11th January 2003, two days before Sadiq was shot dead in an encounter. Gujarat ATS stated that Sadiq was part of a conspiracy to assassinate the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Tirodkar claimed that he was approached by Sadiq Jamal Mehtar, whom he knew from his days in Dubai, in Mumbai to take his help for letting him off from a gambling case in which he was recently arrested. Thereafter, Tirodkar said that he approached Daya Nayak to help Sadiq Jamal Mehtar but instead, Nayak arrested him. After interrogating him, Nayak supposedly handed him over to Gujarat ATS which shot him in a fake encounter on 13th January 2003. But this is just part of the story of how an underworld courier was turned into a social activist and crusader for justice.

Tirodkar, a small-time journalist working for “The Afternoon Courier”, came into contact with underworld dons such as Chhota Shakeel in Dubai in the late 1990s. In 2001, he returned to Mumbai from Dubai and befriended Daya Nayak, by acting as an informant. Nayak was then at his peak as a top encounter specialist responsible for gunning down 83 of the most notorious criminals the city had ever seen. After having collected enough information on Nayak through this so-called friendship, in 2001, Tirodkar filed a complaint against Daya Nayak with the CVC alleging that he had constructed a school in his native place Yennehole in Karnataka. The complaint was found to be bogus as Nayak had only donated about Rs.10,001 for the school, which was community-funded. In November 2003, Tirodkar filed a case against Nayak under the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Crimes Act), for having links with the underworld. This allegation virtually derailed Nayak’s illustrious career for the next several years. Inquiries followed and Nayak was arrested in 2006. He spent years in court battles until he was eventually acquitted in 2009, but the MCOCA case was only quashed by the Supreme Court in 2010. Daya Nayak was reinstated to his office in June 2012.

However, during the course of the investigation, it was found that Tirodkar himself was deeply involved with the underworld and had ties with Chhota Shakeel. He was arrested in 2004 and spent several months in Arthur Road Jail. While in jail, he was contacted by advocate Mukul Sinha. Sinha instructed Tirodkar to issue an affidavit reiterating his claims, based on which a CBI inquiry was demanded into the murder. Mukul Sinha was appearing in court on behalf of Jamal’s brother in the matter and was a known Narendra Modi baiter, who ran a propaganda portal truthofgujarat.com, targeting the then CM of Gujarat. He was also a regular speaker and trainer for Congress workers. After his demise, his son Pratik Sinha runs the portal along with a fact-checking website altnews.com. Tirodkar’s release from jail on bail was also ensured. In November 2003, Tirodkar also gave his first complaint on Daya Nayak handing over Sadiq to the Gujarat ATS.

Sadiq Jamal was in custody of Mumbai Police since 19th December 2002 and had already been handed over to Gujarat police on 3rd January 2003 for interrogation after an IB report. Hence, it was impossible that he could have been in Daya Nayak’s custody up to 11th January 2003, as alleged by Tirodkar. Given his long history of accusations against Daya Nayak, this allegation too should have been taken with a bucket of salt. However, this time he had the might of an ecosystem to back and promote him powerfully, as a whistle-blower, and thus began Tirodkar’s second career: as a social activist. In the following years, Tirodkar filed several PILs on various issues, from police housing and benami deals to Maratha reservations.

On 16th June 2011, the Gujarat High Court ordered the Daya Nayak case to be transferred to CBI in view of other matters such as the Ishrat Jahan and Sohrabuddin encounter cases being probed by that agency at the time. As he had himself admitted to being part of the conspiracy, Tirodkar was later again jailed by the CBI in 2012 as an accused in the case along with some police officers. He was granted bail as the CBI failed to file their mandatory charge sheet within 90 days. In 2014, Tirodkar was arrested for his defamatory statements against high court judges on Facebook. He eventually got bail after a warning from Supreme Court. In 2017, he was again arrested for his derogatory social media post on women.

In September 2013, less than a month after Dabholkar’s murder, Ketan Tirodkar filed a PIL in Bombay High Court, asking for transfer of the Dabholkar murder case to a Central agency as he lacked faith in the Maharashtra Police. His initial request was to hand over the case to NIA, and he was later allowed to amend the petition to include CBI. The PIL claimed that the Pune police had come across some information about possible involvement of astrology practitioners, against whom Dabholkar was about to start an agitation. He alleged that the astrology practitioners were in touch with Hindu right-wing extremists who often blamed Dabholkar for hurting religious sentiments. In response, Rajendra Bhamare, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Pune Crime Branch, said the contention that it was the handiwork of right-wing extremists was based only on the petitioner’s imagination, which was not supported by factual evidence. NIA Superintendent Suhas Warke filed an affidavit that under the NIA Act, the agency could probe only scheduled offences such as those falling under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He added that the PIL was based on a presumption on the role of Hindu activists in the murder, and was not based on law and facts. Therefore, legally, the NIA could not probe this matter. The CBI opposed the transfer of the case on the grounds that there were no allegations of incompetence against the Pune police that could justify this transfer. Dabholkar’s daughter Mukta was also allowed to intervene into the case. She argued that since the case was failing to make any headway, it should be transferred to a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Mukta’s application said her family felt that some precaution against political interference in the investigation was necessary due to the nature of the crime and in view of the upcoming elections. In May 2014, the Bombay High Court passed its judgment favouring Tirodkar and ordered the Dabholkar murder case to be transferred to the CBI.

Order link for the book: The Rationalist Murders.

Punjab: 2nd incident of a gas leak in the state in 2 weeks, several people including 25 students hospitalised in Nangal

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: 2nd incident of a gas leak in the state in 2 weeks, several people including 25 students hospitalised in Nangal

A gas leak was reported at a facility in Nangal in Ropar district in Punjab, on Thursday (May 11), marking the second such incident in two weeks in the state. It is noteworthy that on April 30, at least 11 people died after inhaling toxic gas on Sua Road near Eastman Chowk, Giaspura village in Ludhiana. 

Many people fell victim as a result of the gas leak in Nangal, including 24 to 25 children from the adjacent Centre Soldier Private School. Everyone was immediately transported to Nangal Civil Hospital after they complained of headaches and throat infections.

Multiple individuals were found in severe conditions, including a little girl who was referred to PGI Chandigarh as her condition deteriorated further. The administration has also communicated with her family and her condition is now steady. She was already sick for a few days before the instance happened.

Punjab’s Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains arrived at the location with senior officers, including Ropar’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Preeti Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vivek Sheel Soni, DSP Satish Kumar of Nangal, officials of Nangal Nagar Council, Nangal Tehsil, Block Development and Panchayat Office (BDPO). The area was completely sealed off as a safety measure. There were roughly 2400 pupils enrolled in the school at the time of the disaster.

Medical staff from nearby hospitals were also called by the Health Department to Nangal Civil Hospital. An additional police force, a significant number of health department employees, and ambulances were dispatched to the area. According to reports, 300 to 400 people are always present at the site of the incident where relief measures are currently underway.

Some students of Saint Soldier School were complaining of breathing difficulties and other issues around 2:00 PM. Nearly 24 of them, and a teacher who had the same symptoms, were admitted to the hospital. Out of them, 4 to 5 children have been kept for observation, while 18 to 19 received first assistance and were thereafter released. The ones under medical care should be released soon, as per the doctors.

As per the Ropar DC, a committee has been established by the district administration to look into the potential sources of the gas leak. In addition to the senior officers, experts from the Pollution Control Board are included in the committee. The committee is directed to finish the inquiry as soon as possible and present its findings. The Deputy Commissioner also urged the populace not to panic and assured that everything is under control at this point.

The incident happened in the Nangal area, which is around 55 miles from the Ropar district headquarters. There are two big factories of National Fertilizer Limited (NFL) and Punjab Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (PACL) in this region.

Most of the children who study at the school are from the surrounding villages. In the morning, as soon as the news of the gas leak broke, the families of these children and local villagers gathered and started raising slogans against both factories. Notably, both installations have experienced numerous gas leaks and explosions in the past.

The area where these factories are located is home to many colonies, government agencies, and 15 to 20 villages with thousands of people.

Sanjay Sahani, chairman of the Nangal Nagar Council, asked, “How was permission granted to operate a private school near the factories? This should be investigated.” He also added that he called the PACL factory manager on Thursday morning after a bad smell wafted through the area but during this time, GM unequivocally denied any gas leaks from the plant. 

Shivraj govt cracks whip on Jihadi network: 11 arrested, Islamist org HuT has network in 50 countries, banned in 16, was training Muslims for Jihad against Hindus

OpIndia Staff
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Shivraj govt cracks whip on Jihadi network: 11 arrested, Islamist org HuT has network in 50 countries, banned in 16, was training Muslims for Jihad against Hindus

On May 9, Madhya Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) raided multiple locations linked to the radical Jihadi outfit Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HuT) Islamists. ATS arrested 11 persons linked to the organisation from two cities in MP, and Telangana Police arrested five others from Hyderabad on the information given by the MP police. ATS has recovered anti-India documents, electronic equipment, radical literature, and other material from the accused during the raids. They have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) and relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Only a few weeks ago, Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that bigotry and extremism will not be tolerated. He had said so while ordering a survey of illegal Madrasas. Following this, a massive action on the Jihadi network has also been launched. Earlier, 22 Jihadis of PFI had been arrested in the state following raids.

MP Police stated that the members of the group were using drones to do recce of the areas that they had marked for the attacks. Furthermore, the members of the organisation included a coaching centre owner, a teacher, a private firm employee, a tailor, an auto driver, an engineer and more.

ATS conducted raids in Shahjahanabad, Aishbagh, Lalghati and Piplani areas of Bhopal, from where ten people were arrested. One person was arrested from Chindwada.

Similar raids have been conducted before against organisations like Popular Front of India and Jamaat-e-Mujahiddin (Bangladesh) on the instructions of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. 22 PFI Islamists were arrested during those raids.

List of people arrested from Madhya Pradesh

  • 29-year-old Yasir Khan, resident of Shahjahanabad. He works as a gym trainer.
  • 32-year-old Sayed Sami Rizvi, resident of Millennium Habitat, Shahid Nagar. He works as a coaching teacher.
  • Shahrukh, resident of Jawahar Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a tailor.
  • 29-year-old Misbah Ul Haq, resident of Housing Board Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a daily labour.
  • Shahid, resident of Jawahar Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as an auto driver.
  • Sayyed Danish Ali, resident of Sonia Gandhi Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a software engineer.
  • 25-year-old Mehraz Ali, resident of Masood Bhai’s house, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a computer technician.
  • 40-year-old Khalid Hussain, resident of Barela village, Lalghati, Bhopal. He works as a teacher and as a business.
  • Wasim Khan, resident of Umrao Dulha, Aishbagh, Bhopal.
  • 35-year-old Mohammad Alam, resident of Moormehel, Imambada Police Station Area, Bhopal.
  • Kareem, resident of Chindwada. He works in a private firm.

Radical outfit Hizb-Ut-Tahrir

Hizb-Ut-Tahrir has a network in over 50 countries. It has been banned in over 16 countries. The organisation wants to establish Sharia Law in India. It was establishing its roots in India and had started recruiting youth in the organisation. They brainwashed youth by teaching them that the current regime is against Muslims.

The arrested members of the organisation reportedly organised camps in the forest to give close combat training to its cadre. They also taught them how to shoot weapons. The experts from Hyderabad used to train the cadre during these camps. During these secret camps, they used to hold religious meetings where youth was brainwashed with radical speeches and literature. They identified youth who were not afraid of giving their lives to the organisation. The organisation’s members used dark web apps like Rocket Chat, Thrima and others to communicate. Organisations like ISIS commonly use these apps.

The organisation recruited Muslim youth and prepared them to launch Jihad against Hindus. The members of the organisation were also asked to collect money. They planned to attack cities and crowded places to spread fear among the public. MP Police said they had already marked several metro cities for their attacks. Hizb-Ul-tahrir Islamists used drones to do recce in these areas and prepared maps for possible attacks.

NDMC councillor starts telling the story of a ‘Dhongi Raja’ in CM’s style referring to the 40 cr mansion at tax-payers’ expense, Arvind Kejriwal walks out

OpIndia Staff
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NDMC councillor starts telling the story of a ‘Dhongi Raja’ in CM’s style referring to the 40 cr mansion at tax-payers’ expense, Arvind Kejriwal walks out

On Wednesday, May 10, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal walked out of a New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) meeting after BJP leaders raised the issue of the renovation of his official residence at the expense of taxpayers’ money. Following this, the BJP alleged that Kejriwal was absent in the last two NDMC meetings, and on Wednesday he walked out of it mid-way.

BJP leader and NDMC member Kuljeet Singh Chahal raised the issue of the alleged irregularities during the renovation of Kejriwal’s Flagstaff Road bungalow as he narrated the story of a ‘Dhongi Raja’. Chahal apparently referred to CM Kejriwal as a Dhongi Raja and went on to talk about the expenditure on the renovation of Kejriwal’s official residence as he said that the money used in renovating Kejriwal’s residence was taken from Delhi’s exchequer. He added that marble worth Rs 6 crore was used in Kejriwal’s residence.

Calling Kejriwal ‘dhongi’ and ‘chor’, Chahal asserted that Kejriwal will have to give an account of the public’s money squandered for his personal comfort.

Chahal had started narrating the story of “Dhongi Raja” in CM Arvind Kejriwal’s style. If one recalls, in April, Arvind Kejriwal had targeted PM Modi without naming him, by narrating a story about a less educated King in the Delhi Assembly. Chahal took a cue from the CM and narrated a similar story in his style about a Dhongi Raja.

“He (Kejriwal) used to say that I will not take a big bungalow, big car or jeep, but has spent every penny of the hard-earned money of the people of Delhi in revamping his house” Chahal said.

As can be heard in the video, Chahal asked Kejriwal not to stare at him and give intimidating looks. While Chahal repeatedly asked to respond to his allegations, CM Kejriwal walked out of the meeting without saying a word, behind him a person was seen raising “Arvind Kejriwal Zindabad” slogans.

Later in a press conference, Chahal stated, “I told Kejriwal that he has a habit of telling stories, so I will also tell him a story of a “Dhongi Raja,” he used to say that he will not take a bungalow, or car as he resides in a four-bedroom house and does not need a bigger house, the public of Delhi got influenced by his pretence.”

Chahal showed pictures of CM Kejriwal’s newly renovated residence, claiming that his kitchen costs Rs 1 crore and that the CM is unable to feed the poor. He went on to say that Kejriwal was staring at him while he continued to ask him to respond to his allegations and speak about the electricity bills, to which Arvind Kejriwal had no response.

This comes after a recent investigation by Times Now Navbharat found that the official bungalow of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Civil Lines was renovated at a cost of almost Rs 45 crore. The report, termed “Operation Sheesh Mahal,” said that Rs 44.78 crore of taxpayer funds were utilized for the renovations, raising questions about the Aam Aadmi Party’s commitment to promoting austerity.

It is notable that this is not the first time that Arvind Kejriwal has walked out of the NDMC meeting. In September last year, Kejriwal walked out of the NDMC meeting after BJP’s Kuljeet Singh Chahal confronted him over the AAP government’s claims about school development.

Chahal cited an RTI query where multiple questions were asked, and one of them was about if Kejriwal utilized funds from his MLA quota for development in NDMC schools. As per the reply to the RTI query, not even a single paisa was given by Kejriwal from 2015-16 to 2021-22.

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