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Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case: Delhi Police files 800-page chargesheet against seven accused

OpIndia Staff
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Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case: Delhi Police files 800-page chargesheet against seven accused

On Saturday, the Delhi Police wrapped up its investigation and submitted an 800-page chargesheet against seven accused in the Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case.

The case has been set for discussion of the final report on April 13 before Metropolitan Magistrate Sanya Dalal. The Delhi police have arrested seven persons in the case, Deepak Khanna, Amit Khanna, Krishan, Mithun, Manoj Mittal, Ashutosh Bhardwaj and Ankush. After the inquiry was over, a chargesheet with about 117 witnesses and 800 pages was compiled.

Ashutosh Bhardwaj and Ankush were earlier granted bail by the court. The rest five were produced before the court, which extended their judicial custody till April 13. Earlier Deepak Khanna’s bail plea was rejected by a sessions court.

The police said, “On the basis of the material and evidence collected during the investigation, to the best of capabilities, sufficient material has come on record to prosecute the accused.” Amit Khanna, Krishan, Mithun, and Manoj Mittal have all been charged with murder, per the chargesheet. Amit and Ashutosh were also held in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act.

The chargesheet revealed that all of the accused had been charged with criminal conspiracy, evidence destruction, harbouring an offender, common intention, and false information with the intent to influence a public servant to use his official authority against another person.

Amit Khanna has been charged with further offences by the Delhi Police for reckless driving and injuring others by jeopardising their lives or personal safety. The police have sent in their chargesheet as required by the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) within the allotted 90 days.

The Indian Criminal Code’s Section 302 (murder) was recently invoked in the case by the Delhi Police. It was initially registered for reckless driving on public property and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sanya Dalal has posted the matter for consideration of the final report on April 13.

The case pertains to Anjali Singh, 20, who died in the early hours of January 1 after her scooter was hit by a car driven by the accused. She was dragged for more than 12 kilometres beneath the vehicle from Sultanpur to Kanjhawala.

Australia: Khalistani elements disrupt Vaisakhi mela, organisers threatened by Khalsa Aid

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: Khalistani elements disrupt Vaisakhi mela, organisers threatened by Khalsa Aid

On Saturday, April 1, 2023, a group of pro-Khalistani elements disrupted an event organised to celebrate the Vaisakhi festival in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, reported India Today. The event was organised by the ‘Punjabi Aussie Association of South Australia’ where the Consulate General of India to Sydney, Manish Gupta, was invited as the chief guest. 

The organisation that organised the event is run by a Hindu-Sikh couple. The couple Harmeet Kaur and Rajesh Thakur, who were farmer protests supporters, have reportedly been organising the festival for several years, but for the last two years, they have alleged that they have received threats from the dubious organisation Khalsa Aid for organising the event.

On Friday, March 31, the couple claimed that they were threatened with physical violence and their business destroyed by the dubious organisation Khalsa Aid for organizing the inclusive Vaisakhi fair. The couple claimed that they have also received boycott calls from one Sarabjit Singh Pipli on social media.

Harmeet Kaur further claimed that those behind the threatening messages are Khalistani supporters. She added that Sarabjit Singh Pipli told him over the call that he won’t tolerate any ‘insult in the name of Vaisakhi’ and the festival is an ‘insult to the Singhs’.

Last year, the couple had reportedly been threatened by dubious organisation Khalsa Aid’s South Australian coordinator Gurinderjit Singh Jassar, who allegedly made a threatening call to the couple, demanding to change the name of the fair. Thakur claimed Jassar said, “Vaisakhi belongs to us [Sikhs]”. When Thakur refused to budge in, Jassar allegedly got aggressive over the call and accused him of sexualising the festival. 

The Khalistani movement in Australia

There have been reports of Khalistani elements rising in Australia but failing to gain support like in Canada. However, the incidents have lately been on the rise. Three Hindu temples have already been attacked in Australia, and 2023 has just started. Apart from documenting the attacks on Hindu temples, OpIndia also chronicled some events that point towards the uprising of Khalistani elements in Australia, the details of which can be read here.

Another defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi, this time for calling RSS the ’21st century Kauravas’ during Bharat Jodo Yatra

OpIndia Staff
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Another defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi, this time for calling RSS the ’21st century Kauravas’ during Bharat Jodo Yatra

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, has been charged with criminal defamation for calling the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) the “21st century Kauravas” at the Bharat Jodo Yatra in January. The case has been filed by an RSS worker in a Haridwar court.

The complaint, according to attorney Arun Bhadoria, was brought on behalf of Kamal Bhadoria, an RSS volunteer. “We have filed the complaint under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). On April 12, the court will hear the complaint, he stated.

The two sections, which deal with criminal defamation, set a two-year prison sentence as the maximum sentence. According to Arun, the complaint is related to a speech made by Gandhi in Haryana during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

On January 9, Rahul Gandhi said in Ambala, “Who were the Kauravas? I will first tell you about the 21st-century Kauravas. They wear khakhi half-pants, carry lathi in hand and hold shakhas. India’s 2-3 billionaires are standing with the Kauravas.” However, Gandhi didn’t name RSS during his speech.

He had also asked, “Did Pandavas implement demonetisation, wrong GST, farmers bill? No, they didn’t because they were tapasvis, and they knew that demonetisation, wrong GST, farmers bill are methods of stealing”.

“There were five tapasvis on one side, and there was the Sangathan on the other side,” Rahul Gandhi had further said. The Congress leader also alleged that although Narendra Modi implemented “demonetisation, wrong GST,” it was done by some billionaires using him.

Talking about the case, Bhadauria’s lawyer Arun Bhadoria said, “Rahul Gandhi compared the RSS to the Kauravas of the 21st century. It is his indecent speech which reveals his mindset. RSS is such an organization that whenever there has been a calamity in the country, it has come forward to help.” He further informed that the court has registered the case and asked the plaintiff to appear for an advance hearing on April 12.

“A defamation case has been filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by RSS worker Kamal Bhadauria in Haridwar court. The hearing is on April 12. Rahul Gandhi said in Haryana that RSS is the Kaurava of 21st century,” he lawyer said.

Reports however mention that Gandhi has not yet responded to the notice that was sent on January 11. 

Earlier, Gandhi was found guilty of criminal defamation on March 23 and given a two-year jail term for saving that everyone with the Modi surname is thief, following which he lost his right to serve as a member of Parliament. Gandhi served as the Lok Sabha representative for the Kerala district of Wayanad.

Muslim intellectuals condemn attack on Ram Navami shobha yatras by Muslim mobs

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim intellectuals condemn attack on Ram Navami shobha yatras by Muslim mobs

After shobha yatras taken out by Hindu devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami celebrations were attacked by unruly mobs in ‘Muslim areas’ (as legitimised by leaders like Mamata Banerjee), various Muslim intellectuals – academics, jurists, journalists, authors, activists, bureaucrats, artists – have written an open letter condemning such behaviour by their co-religionists. The letter has been shared by various Muslim celebrities – actors, sportsmen, RJs, models, etc. – on their social media accounts.

You can read the letter below.

Seriously dude? You still think this would happen? Wouldn’t they rather play victim and worry about Islamophobia?

And check today’s date.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Rather, smell the burnt ashes.

That is the aroma of ganga-jamuni tehzeeb.

Mohammad Nurujjaman, Seikh Miraj Uddin arrested in detonator consignment case, 27,000 kgs of ammonium nitrate, enough to flatten a city, recovered

OpIndia Staff
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Mohammad Nurujjaman, Seikh Miraj Uddin arrested in detonator consignment case, 27,000 kgs of ammonium nitrate, enough to flatten a city, recovered

In the course of conducting searches at various locations in West Bengal, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) detained two additional individuals on Friday who were reportedly engaged in a detonator shipment case.

One of the two people detained has been identified as Mir Mohammad Nurujjaman, who NIA alleges worked as a contract worker in the IT department of West Bengal’s Education Ministry, Bikash Bhawan.

The NIA further said that the other individual was detained after a search in Asansol, which is part of the Paschim Bardhaman district. The second accused has been identified as Seikh Miraj Uddin. 27,000 kgs of ammonium nitrate, an ingredient used to build bombs, enough to flatten cities, were recovered from the accused.

On Saturday, both defendants were scheduled to be presented before the NIA special court. In July 2022, West Bengal’s Special Task Unit carried out a raid in Birbhum district’s Mahammad Bazar neighbourhood and detained a pick-up vehicle that was reportedly carrying 81,000 detonators.

The police said that the criminals planned an explosion but that the authorities jeopardised their plot by apprehending three persons in connection with the case. The Union Home Ministry had asked the NIA to conduct an inquiry after a significant amount of explosive materials were recovered.

Rintu Seikh, who was allegedly the case’s mastermind and the supplier of the detonators, was detained by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during the investigation. Two additional identities surfaced after Rintu Sheikh was questioned by the NIA.

The NIA conducted searches at Bikash Bhawan and Asansol as a result of the statement and intelligence from a secret source, arresting Mir Mohammad Nurujjaman and Seikh Miraj Uddin.

Kerala: IAS and IPS officers barred from accepting private awards without permission of the state government

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: IAS and IPS officers barred from accepting private awards without permission of the state government

All Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) personnel in the state of Kerala are prohibited from accepting awards from private organizations or individuals without first obtaining permission from the state government, according to an official order issued by Kerala Chief Secretary Dr VP Joy.

The order stated that going forward, all such officials would have to seek sanction through the General Administration Department. If any official fails to follow the procedures, strict action will be taken against them, the order said.

The directive comes after a section of the Kerala Police officials registered a strong protest over an IAS official getting an award from a private organisation for effective management of the devotees at a prominent temple in the state..

Awards are frequently distributed among persons who have important positions in the state, including clubs, organisations, and the corporate sector. Such awards are especially bestowed upon political figures and other influential figures like the IAS and IPS officers.

Full emergency declared at Delhi airport after Dubai-bound FedEx flight suffers a bird hit, takes off later after making a safe landing

OpIndia Staff
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Full emergency declared at Delhi airport after Dubai-bound FedEx flight suffers a bird hit, takes off later after making a safe landing

A Dubai-bound FedEx aircraft suffered a bird hit soon after taking off earlier today on Saturday, April 1, 2023, forcing authorities to declare a full emergency at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The flight landed safely and took off later in the day after technicians checked the plane for any technical glitches before giving clearance.

According to reports, the Dubai-bound FedEx flight FX5279 had taken off at around 10.46 am on Saturday morning. Minutes later, it had to make an emergency landing as it suffered a bird strike soon after taking off. The flight was grounded for a while after the incident and took off again at 1.44 pm once the technicians cleared it for flight after inspection. 

The aircraft in the incident is a Boeing 777-200LR operated by FedEx, the American logistics company.

“Delhi- Dubai FedEx flight was involved in air turnback due to a suspected bird hit at 1000 ft today. Delhi airport (DIAL) declared an emergency. Aircraft landed back safely. After inspection, it has been released for flight,” the DGCA later said in a statement.

A bird strike is often referred to as bird ingestion, a bird hit, or Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH). It happens when an airborne animal – such as a bird or a bat – hits an aeroplane in flight.

Similar incident of flight suffering bird hit reported earlier

Notably, bird-hit occurrences are not uncommon, but they pose significant technological hurdles and can be fatally dangerous. Last month, a bird strike prompted an Air Asia jet en route to Pune to make an emergency landing at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport. Just after taking off from the airport, the plane was hit by a bird.

Similarly, in February this year, an IndiGo flight from Surat to Delhi was forced to detour to Ahmedabad due to a bird strike during takeoff.

The incident was confirmed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), who added that the aircraft landed safely in Ahmedabad.

In October last year, an Akasa Air Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft flying from Ahmedabad to Delhi hit a bird at 1,900 feet, which caused sustained radome damage. On the same day, on October 15, a bird collided with a Mumbai-Bengaluru Akasa Air flight.

It may be recalled that in June last year, a helicopter ferrying Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had to make an emergency landing in the Holy city of Varanasi. As per initial reports, Yogi Adityanath was en route to Lucknow when a bird hit his helicopter, forcing an emergency landing.

Violence during Ram Navami in Bihar Sharif: Mobile phones worth Rs 3 crores looted amid stone pelting and gunfire, 27 arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Violence during Ram Navami in Bihar Sharif: Mobile phones worth Rs 3 crores looted amid stone pelting and gunfire, 27 arrested

On 30th March 2023 during Ram Navami celebrations, violence erupted in Bihar Sharif in the Nalanda district of Bihar. Miscreants set ablaze many houses and shops. Section 144 was imposed in the town after this violence. More than 27 people have been arrested in this case so far. During this violence, the miscreants also looted shops. It was reported that mobile phones worth more than Rs. 3 crores were looted in this incident. The police marched into the area to maintain the law and order situation.

The Ram Navami procession in the town was planned to go from the hospital square to Baba Maniram’s Akhada. When the procession reached the Deewanganj Mohalla, miscreants started pelting stones at the procession. This turned into a stampede as people started running here and there. During this attack on the procession, two groups clashed and the scuffle turned violent. A fierce round of stone pelting took place at the spot. Gunfires were also reported. The miscreants burnt several vehicles, households, and shops. Besides, dozens of shops were looted. A stationery store was torched, and books worth lakhs of rupees were burnt in that fire.

Several rickshaws, cars, and godowns were also burnt by these miscreants. A mobile shop was also looted in this riot. The shop owner Javed Azam lost mobile phones worth rupees 3 crores in this loot.

Javed Azam who lives in Mumbai owns a chain of 8 such stores in Bihar, including a mobile phone and electronics store named ‘Digital Duniya in Bihar Sharif. According to reports, miscreants attacked his store in Bihar Sharif during the violence and looted mobile phones, laptops and other items. CCTV images of the loot of this store were seen. However, it is not clear yet if Javed Azam has filed any complaint in this regard.

Javed Azam’s brother is attached to the Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP leaders Mangal Pandey and Shahanawaz Hussain were present at the time of the inauguration of this shop.

The local administration has imposed section 144 in Bihar Sharif after this violence. Internet services are also suspended. A heavy police force is also deployed in the town. SP Ashok Mishra told, “The police are patrolling the area and all forces are alert. Police have arrested 27 people for involvement in violence. In all, 8 persons were injured during this violence. 3 of them have sustained bullet injuries. We appeal to people not to spread any rumors and not to believe any rumors.”

Notably, Nalanda is the home district of chief minister Nitish Kumar. The worsening of the law and order situation here during the Hindu festivals poses serious question marks for the administration.

On 30th March 2023, Ram Navami processions were attacked and violence erupted in various places across the country. There were reports of stone-pelting and violence in many cities of the country. One person was killed in West Bengal and one in Maharashtra in these violent incidents. Apart from this, there have also been reports of stones pelting on the Shobha Yatra of Ram Navami in Gujarat, Bihar, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

Ram Navami or the birth anniversary of Lord Rama is an auspicious occasion in the Hindu calendar year. On that day, Hindus seek blessings from Lord Rama, provide food to the needy, perform rituals, take out processions, and so on. But Islamists have attacked these Ram Navami processions at many places in the country, as part of growing attacks on Hindu festivals.

Georgia becomes first American state to condemn Hinduphobia, passes resolution

OpIndia Staff
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Georgia becomes first American state to condemn Hinduphobia, passes resolution

The US state of Georgia became the first American state to denounce Hinduphobia. The House of Representatives recently passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry. The resolution was introduced by Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones from Forsyth County in the Atlanta suburbs. It was built on a Rutgers University report from last year that revealed a noteworthy rise in misinformation against Hindus.

The ordinance read, “In July 2022, a report released by Rutgers University titled “Anti-Hindu Disinformation: A Case Study of Hinduphobia on Social Media” detailed how hate messages in social media translate into real-life threats for people of the Hindu faith.”

It noted that Hinduism is one of the oldest and largest religions in the world, with more than 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries and encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect and peace.

It highlighted that the American-Hindu community has made significant contributions to many different fields, including manufacturing, energy, academia, health care, research and engineering, information technology, hospitality, and finance. It also mentioned how the community’s contributions of yoga, ayurveda, meditation, food, music, and the arts have enriched American society, been widely adopted, and improved the lives of millions of people.

The bill acknowledged that there have been documented cases of hate crimes against Hindu Americans over the past few decades in many regions across the country and asserted that some academics who support the deconstruction of Hinduism and charge its sacred texts and cultural practises with violence and oppression have exacerbated and institutionalised Hinduphobia.

“We urged for their help in combating such bigotry which advances hatred and creates the idea that Hindus and people of Indian origin need special laws and monitoring due to allegations around some inherent propensity to discriminate,” confirmed CoHNA General Secretary, Shobha Swamy.

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) is a Hindu advocacy group which revealed that Forsyth County is home to one of the largest Hindu and Indian-American diaspora communities in the state.

Hindus’ safety is now in severe doubt after a recent wave of attacks on Hindu temples around the globe. Several instances of vandalism of Hindu temples have been reported from Canada to Australia since the year’s commencement.

Amritpal Singh on the run: New CCTV footage surfaces, shows key aide Papalpreet Singh roaming around in Hoshiarpur

OpIndia Staff
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Amritpal Singh on the run: New CCTV footage surfaces, shows key aide Papalpreet Singh roaming around in Hoshiarpur

While the hunt for the fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh continues, another CCTV footage has emerged wherein his mentor and social media handler Papalpreet Singh can be seen casually roaming around in the compound of a dera in Hoshiarpur in Punjab. According to reports, Papalpreet Singh, who provided all logistics and contacts required to live in hiding for Amritpal Singh for the past 13 days, got separated from the latter in the same city. 

According to the police, the CCTV footage is believed to be from the March 29 morning, when Papalpreet Singh is spotted walking in the compound of Gurdwara Sahib and connecting link roads in Hoshiarpur.

The police believe that Amritpal Singh and his key aide Papalpreet Singh separated and chose to take different routes after the Innova SUV they were travelling in from Phagwara to Hoshiarpur got intercepted on March 28 evening.

The four people on board abandoned the Innova car beside a gurdwara in Marnaian hamlet, scaled a wall, and ran as the Punjab Police intelligence teams began chasing them from Rawalpindi police station that evening while they were on their way to an interview with a news channel in Hoshiarpur. While Amritpal Singh and another individual fled to one side, Papalpreet and driver Joga Singh went to the other.

While the authorities continued to scour the area, Papalpreet and Joga Singh sought shelter in a Hoshiarpur dera, the CCTV footage of which has emerged today.

According to authorities, as per new leads, Papalpreet and Joga Singh then headed towards Sahnewal. They also stopped at a gurdwara there. While Joga Singh was apprehended from Ludhiana in Punjab on Friday, Papalpreet is said to have fled yet again.

Notably, Joga Singh was driving the Innova car in which pro-Khalistan radical preacher Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet were travelling on Tuesday, and he managed to elude police in Kapurthala district. They eventually abandoned the automobile in Mernaian village in the Hoshiarpur district.

Following his arrest, Joga is said to have told authorities that Amritpal had given him his mobile to deceive the pursuing police teams.

The police sources further said that Amritpal had fled from Kapurthala on foot and could also be hiding in a dera. The cops believe that it will now be easier to catch him since he has lost his mastermind as a result of which he may be lacking in resources. They did not, however, rule out the possibility of both getting back together and planning their next move.

Meanwhile, after discovering the evidence of Papalpreet’s stay in Hoshiarpur, police teams utilised drones yesterday to track any suspicious movements. Several barricades were placed at key points and a thorough search of all vehicles in Marnaian and nearby villages including Harkhowal, Bibi Di Pandori and Bassi has been underway.

Notably, since the Punjab police began the search for the Waris Punjab De chief and pro-Khalistani sympathiser on March 18, multiple CCTV footages have emerged purportedly of Amritpal Singh in which he is seen casually roaming around, either on foot or in vehicles. Recently, Amritpal Singh, himself released his first video since the Punjab police action against him and claimed that it was not about his arrest but an attack on the Sikh community. He opined that the government could have arrested him at home if they had wanted to.

Amritpal declared that no one could hurt him and he does not fear imprisonment. Claiming that he would dispel the “terror” that the government had instilled in the public’s hearts, he asked Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to host a Sarbat Khalsa (meeting) on the occasion of Baiskahi at Talwandi Sabo.

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