Hospitality chain OYO Rooms founder Ritesh Agarwal’s father died after falling from a highrise building in Gurugram on Friday.
According to Gurugram Police, information of a person falling from 20th floor in DLF The crest society in Sector 54 was received at around 1 pm. A police team of Sector 53 visited the spot and the fallen person was identified as Ramesh Prasad Agarwal. Ramesh Agarwal was then rushed to Paras Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
“Police took the statement of the deceased’s son Aashish Agarwal and an inquest report under section 174 CRPC was carried out. The Station House Officer, Sector-53 Police Station inspected the incident site. The postmortem was carried out in GH GGM and the body has been handed over,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Gurugram Virendra Vij.
In a statement, OYO Rooms founder Ritesh Agarwal said, “With a heavy heart, my family and I, would like to share that our guiding light and strength, my father, Shri Ramesh Agarwal passed away on March 10. He lived a full life and inspired me and so many of us, every single day. His death is a tremendous loss for our family. My father’s compassion and warmth saw us through our toughest times and carried us forward. His words will resonate deep in our hearts. We request everyone to respect our privacy in this time of grief.”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Friday, March 10, during his appearance in Patiala House Court conman, Sukesh Chandrasekhar alleged that Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal would be the next to be arrested in the Delhi liquor excise policy case.
“Kejriwal is a wazir (kingspin). I will expose each one. There will be more arrests in liquor policy scam. Kejriwal is doing his job well… I have nothing to do with liquor policy” said Sukesh Chandrasekhar, adding that he has been closely associated with the AAP from the year 2015 and that he would expose all party members.
On being asked about the arrest of AAP leader Manish Sisodia he said, “Truth has prevailed, and next will be Arvind Kejriwal.”
#WATCH | “Truth has prevailed, and next will be Arvind Kejriwal,” says arrested conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar in Delhi.
Notably, today, a Delhi court sent former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to seven-day ED custody over his alleged involvement in Delhi’s excise policy case. Sisodia was questioned by ED officials before his arrest in Tihar jail where he has been lodged following his earlier arrest on February 26 by the CBI over the same policy.
Sukesh Chandrasekhar and his series of allegations against AAP
Meanwhile, Chandrasekhar has in the past, raised various allegations against Kejriwal, Sisodia and other AAP leaders. On December 20, conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar alleged that he gave Rs 60 crores to the Aam Aadmi Party. A video of him giving the statement to the media has gone viral on social media.
Prior to this, Sukesh had written a series of letters to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the media, wherein he levelled a series of allegations against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. He alleged to have paid Rs 10 crores to AAP ministry Satyendar Jain as “protection money”. He further said he was harassed and threatened in jail.
Conman Sukesh levels allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as well. He also alleged that AAP leaders were siphoning money meant for the welfare of Children’s education.
In another letter, he alleged to have paid Rs 50 crores to Arvind Kejriwal for the Rajya Sabha seat. He added there was another demand of Rs 200 crores.
On November 5, another letter surfaced alleging that he is receiving severe threats from jailed state government minister Satyendar Jain and Director General Prisons Sandeep Goel.
On November 19, he alleged that Satyandar Jain had sought his help to convert 20 million dollars into Indian rupees and bitcoins.
On December 16, a three-member panel recommended a central agency probe against the allegations raised by Sukesh.
On December 18, in a fresh letter, Sukesh warned Kejriwal and his party leaders that he would expose them very soon.
On Friday, 10th March 2023, a Delhi court remanded former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till 17th March 2023. The court ruled this while hearing a money laundering case filed in connection with the Delhi liquor policy regarding the excise policy for the year 2021-2022.
Special judge MK Nagpal heard the case. Lawyers Dayan Krishnan, Mohit Mathur, and Siddharth Aggarwal argued for Manish Sisodia while advocate Zoheb Hossain appeared for the ED. Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation and was sent to judicial custody in the Delhi liquor policy case.
Advocate Zoheb Hossain argued, “We have put materials that we’ve gathered under different heads. First is on implementation of excise policy and the role of the accused. The policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business to certain private companies. There was a conspiracy to frame the policy in such a manner as to ensure illegal benefits to some persons. There was no suggestion from the public to fix 12% of the wholesale profit margin to private entities.”
Hossain: There was conspiracy to frame the policy in such a manner so as to ensure illegal benefits to some persons. There was no suggestion from the public to fix 12% of wholesale profit margin to private entities.#ManishSisodia#LiquorPolicy#ED
Advocate Zoheb Hossain further said, “Conspiracy was coordinated by Vijay Nair and others along with South Group. The new policy was brought out for extraordinary profit margins for wholesalers. Members of the South group further got control of 9 zones, therefore, making a serious cartel in the excise business in Delhi. Vijay Nair was acting on behalf of the Chief Minister and Deputy CM of Delhi. The investigation revealed that Sisodia personally got the file of Indo spirits cleared by the excise department.”
Hossain: The investigation revealed that Sisodia personally got the file of indo spirits cleared by excise department. #ManishSisodia#LiquorPolicy#ED
Advocate Zoheb Hossain added, “The arrestee used sim cards issued and phones purchased in the name of others. He himself used a phone purchased in some other person’s name. Purchased on Flipkart and the arrestee has not given payment. The proceeds of the crime were quantified for over Rs. 292 crores. Considering the magnitude of the matter, we need to identify the completed modus operandi. We need to confront other persons who we have summoned. Seven persons we have issued. We are seeking a remand of 10 days.”
Hossain: The proceeds of crime quantified for over Rs. 292 crores. Considering the magnitude of the matter, we need to identify completed modus operandi. We need to confront other persons who we have summoned. Seven persons we have issued. We are seeking remand of 10 days.
Manish Sisodia’s counsel Dayan Krishnan argued that not a single penny was recovered from the former deputy chief minister. He said, “In money laundering, you’re (judge) expected to look at concealment, possession, and use. It has to be traced to the individual. Not a single penny has been traced to me. So they say Vinay Nair portrayed himself as the representative of Manish Sisodia. It is laughable, to say the least. We are talking about a premium investigating agency. Why have they not been able to trace a single penny to me?”
Krishnan: We are talking about a premium investigating agency. Why have they not been able to trace a single penny to me?#ManishSisodia#LiquorPolicy#ED
He further argued, “Under this draconian Act, the power to arrest is an extreme position. Where you’ve (judge) to decide that their subjective satisfaction would show that I’m likely to be guilty. Look at their document, everything is I heard I heard I heard.”
Krishnan: Burden is extremely heavy not only on the prosecution but also on the court.
Advocate Dayan Krishnan also doubted the timing of Sisodia’s arrest in the money laundering case. He said, “I was never summoned by ED. Till one fine day, while remand applications were going on in the CBI case, my bail application was fixed. One day before the hearing of the bail application, I’m arrested. ECIR is of August 2020. This kind of conduct must concern the court. The process itself is illegal here. It can’t be that a person is kept in custody in a special Act (PMLA) just to ensure that he does not get bail.”
Krishnan: The process itself is illegal here.
It can’t be that a person is kept in custody in a special Act (PMLA) just to ensure that he does not get bail. #ManishSisodia#LiquorPolicy#ED
Senior Advocates Siddharth Aggarwal and Mohit Mathur also argued for Manish Sisodia. Advocate Aggarwal said, “Without any money trial and without any money coming to me, can we say that in their assessment that I am guilty of money laundering?”
Aggarwal: …..whithout any money trial and without any money coming to me, can we say that in their assessment that i am guilty of money laundering?#ManishSisodia#LiquorPolicy#ED
The court deferred Sisodia’s bail application hearing until March 21 while making the decision about ED’s remand, citing a lack of time. Manish Sisodia is remanded to ED custody till 17th March 2023. Manish Sisodia was arrested by CBI on 26th February 2023.
On March 10, 2023, Rajasthan police arrested BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena and the wives of three Pulwama martyrs from Jaipur. The widows of the three slain soldiers were sitting in protest outside Congress MLA Sachin Pilot’s residence when they were detained in the wee hours of Friday.
The BJP leader reportedly sustained injuries while he was resisting the arbitrary action of the Rajasthan police. He was referred to Jaipur’s SMS Hospital. The BJP leader, notably, has been at the forefront to help the widows of the Pulwama martyrs to get their due compensation promised by the Congress govt in Rajasthan. He had accompanied the widows of the 2019 Pulwama attack martyrs to the protest site.
Speaking to the media after the arrest, BJP leader Meena said, “The police tried to kill me, but I was saved by the blessings of the brave women, the youth, the unemployed, and the poor. I am hurt. I have been referred to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur from Govindgarh Hospital.”
“Why is the government so afraid of 3 women warriors that the police picked them up overnight? Don’t know where they have been taken? The women are only pleading to meet Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ji. Why is the chief minister so nervous to hear them?” Meena told reporters.
According to reports, the three women were detained by the Rajasthan police at around 3 am when BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who was supporting the protest by the widows, had gone to his residence, one of his close aides said. Later, Meena left to meet the wives of the martyrs but was stopped by Samod police falling under Chomu town in the Jaipur district.
“I was going to visit Samod Balaji with my supporters, but Samod police stopped me and abused and manhandled me. Is standing with the wives of martyrs such a big crime that the @ashokgehlot51 government is behaving like this with a people’s representative?” Meena tweeted in Hindi.
मैं अपने समर्थकों के साथ सामोद बालाजी के दर्शन करने जा रहा था, लेकिन सामोद थाना पुलिस ने मुझे रोका और मेरे साथ दुर्व्यवहार व हाथापाई की। क्या वीरांगनाओं के साथ खड़ा होना इतना बड़ा गुनाह है कि @ashokgehlot51 सरकार एक जनप्रतिनिधि के साथ इस तरह का आचरण कर रही है? pic.twitter.com/OqkuLH2ZcB
He added in a tweet, “Sitting on a dharna outside the SEZ police station. The government will not be able to suppress the voice of the martyrs’ wives on the strength of the police. An autocratic and dictatorial government will be resisted with more force.”
Notably, the widows have been protesting to get their due compensation promised by the Congress govt in Rajasthan since February 28. They have demanded a change in rules so that their relatives and not just children can get government jobs on compassionate grounds. Their other demands include the construction of roads and the installation of statues of the martyrs in their villages. The Congress-led Rajasthan government and the widows of Pulwama martyrs have, however, reached a deadlock over the demands.
Video of Rajasthan police manhandling Pulwama martyrs’ wives goes viral, NCM takes cognisance
Amidst the deadlock, the Rajasthan police have been receiving severe criticism for the insensitivity it has shown in handling the issue.
In fact, on March 9, 2023, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took cognisance of the video that went viral on social media on March 4, showing Rajasthan cops, working at the behest of the Congress govt, assaulting the widows of 2019 Pulwama attack martyrs.
आज तीनों वीरांगनाओं के साथ राज्यपाल महोदय @KalrajMishra जी को ज्ञापन देने राजभवन गया था। ज्ञापन सौंपने के बाद वीरांगनाएं मुख्यमंत्री जी से मिलने के लिए मुख्यमंत्री आवास की ओर पहुँची तो पुलिस ने उनके साथ अभद्रता व मारपीट की। 1/2 pic.twitter.com/OyG5DKFVRs
— Dr.Kirodi Lal Meena (@DrKirodilalBJP) March 4, 2023
In the video, a huge group of Rajasthan police, mostly female officers, can be seen manhandling and dragging three women protesting against the unfulfilled promises made by the Ashok Gehlot Govt.
According to reports, the women were protesting against the unfulfilled promises on part of the state government and were on their way to meet CM Ashok Gehlot when they were dragged and thrashed by Rajasthan cops. Reports said that some women protesters were injured during the face-off while a few of them had fallen sick.
CM Ashok Gehlot accuses BJP of using the martyrs’ wives for political mileage
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday targeted the BJP, saying some of its leaders were disrespecting the widows of martyrs and using them to gain political mileage.
Without directly naming BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who has been sitting on a dharna with the widows of the martyrs, Gehlot said in a statement, “Some BJP leaders are disrespecting the wives of the martyrs by using them to gain political mileage. This has never been the tradition in Rajasthan. I condemn it.”
Ever since Supriya Shrinate gave up the pretence of being a ‘neutral’ journalist and ‘officially’ joined the Congress party, she had resorted to vile and uncouth behaviour to stay in the political limelight.
While her shenanigans know no bounds, the Executive Editor of India TV Saurav Sharma refused to put up with her unhinged behaviour. He had questioned Supriya Shrinate about Rahul Gandhi’s repeated demand for foreign intervention in the affairs of the Indian State.
Instead of responding to his valid question, the Congress leader chose to mock the journalist instead. “Saurav Sharma, Rahul Gandhi does not seek your approval,” she said with an air of arrogance.
When Sharma rebuked Supriya Shrinate in a similar fashion, she was not impressed. “I replied to you the way you replied to my question,” the journalist emphasised. This further agitated the Congress leader who then went on to attack him instead of answering his question.
“What you think does not affect me…Behave like an anchor. I don’t need lessons in civility from a news anchor,” she continued. At that point, Saurav Sharma reminded Supriya Shrinate of her past behaviour on live TV and reiterated that he did not need to learn civility from her.
Last month, the Congress leader used dehumanising language for Delhi police personnel, a day after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested in connection to the liquor policy scam case in the National Capital.
“Neither the agencies of the Central government nor the impotent/eunuch (napunsak) police can scare us (Congress party),” she was heard saying during a press conference.
In May 2021, Supriya Shrinate went on a vitriolic tirade against BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra during a political debate on Aaj Tak. “You are a 2 rupee insect that dwells in drains. Shut up Naali ke Keeda. oh, Naali ka keeda. Shut up liar,” she had displayed her uncouth behaviour before the nation.
In July of that year, Supriya Shrinate insinuated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spied on female party leaders such as Smriti Irani and Vasundhara Raje for ‘intimate content’ using the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware.
During a debate on News 18 on the issue of the baseless snooping scandal, the Congress leader said, “Why is the government affixed to the phones of Smriti Irani and Vasundhara Raje? Go and ask them once.”
She further claimed, “I don’t know what they want to check in women’s phones.” With a sinister grin, Shrinate suggested that the mobile phones of female BJP leaders were being tracked for explicit content.
“How can you make such cheap comments despite being a woman? This is the height of vulgarity. What is this nonsense? I object to this kind of language,” Sambit Patra had questioned.
The repeat offender had earlier mocked the Indian army and referred to it as ‘nonsense’ four times during a debate over the standoff between India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). On being questioned by the BJP spokesperson, Supriya Shrinate claimed that she was referring to Sambit Patra as nonsense.
When this ARROGANT spokeswoman called me & My Party President “NONSENSE” multiple times .. I courteously reminded her that “RAHUL GANDHI IS THE BIGGEST NONSENSE OF INDIA” ..Not just Nonsense ..a TRAITOR too ..#NonsenseRahulpic.twitter.com/t9PwuBe60j
The Congress party is now endowed with several abusive spokespersons but Supriya Shrinate ranks at the top of the list. Earlier, Renuka Chowdhury held the distinction of being the vilest, and uncouth leader in the grand-old party.
In June last year, she grabbed the collar of a Sub Inspector during a protest called by the All India Congress Committee over Enforcement Directorate’s summons to Rahul Gandhi.
In a world that has woken up to the perils of George Soros, not many editorials will be written about BJP winning state elections in 87% Christian Nagaland. It does not fit into the global narrative of an India ruled by a Hindu dictator where democracy has ceased to exist. Rahul Gandhi said so this week in London, two days after losing three state elections in the North East.
‘Indian democracy has ceased to exist, why is the west not doing something’, he thundered. Do what? Sanction India? Invade her? That spiel will get plenty of press. That is the narrative the west wants to hear. As frustrating as that is to a person like me who likes to believe he is a free citizen of a free India, this article is not about that.
This is about another aspect of the North East that doesn’t get enough attention. Perception of the North East has changed across India in the last 9 years. People now know it is part of our national identity. Today, nationally we know leaders from these states who are immensely popular either due to their politics, such as Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, or social media star and BJP Nagaland president Temjen Imna Along.
It is not uncommon to see travel reels from the NE pop up on your screen or overhear young people at the coffee machine planning a trip. Separatist violence has fallen sharply too. Union home minister Amit Shah informed in December 2022 that in the last eight years, rebellious incidents in the region have come down by 70 per cent. Attacks on security personnel have also been reduced by 60 per cent while civil casualties have come down to 89 per cent.
The improvement is so solid, that the government has voluntarily withdrawn the much-questioned AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act) from 60% of Assam, seven districts of Nagaland, and 15 police stations in six districts of Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya. At the same time, the perception in the NE about the rest of India has also improved. More and more people from NE are moving to mainland cities for work.
Connectivity has improved with Indian Railways making steady inroads. More airports have got operationalised and explosion in internet usage has brought us all closer together. All this reflects on the ground and in the law and order statistics.
What is interesting to note, is all this has happened as Congress and Communists have lost power in the North East. In 2013 -14, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur and Mizoram had Congress governments. Tripura was under Communist rule. Today these “liberal” parties don’t rule any of the 7 states and the area is better integrated with rest of India than ever before. Is this a happy coincidence?
Different leader, different politics – PM Narendra Modi has visited NE more than 50 times during his tenure. According to some estimates, that is more than all other prime ministers put together. Add to that 400-plus visits by other union ministers. The push to reduce physical distance has been matched with talk to reduce the distance of the minds. NE has 25 Lok Sabha seats. It is not critical for BJP’s success. The people know this. They know the government is not putting focus on them just for votes. That has led to a reduction in distrust towards Delhi.
While “liberal” parties ruled NE for decades, the states were taken for granted, even ignored. Nehru’s absolutely shocking decision to leave NE at the mercy of a foreign born Christian missionary Verrier Elvin was one of the biggest reasons for deliberate alienation and Christianisation of NE. Even current Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio had left Congress as he accused them of deliberately blocking a Naga peace accord.
This is not an exception, right from Punjab, Tamil Nadu to Kashmir, Congress has a history of playing dangerous separatist politics for short-term electoral gains, with the nation paying a huge price for those misadventures. It is one thing to name your rally “Bharat Jodo”, but actually uniting a nation takes hard work and common sense. In NE, BJP invoked local freedom fighters and gave a local flavour to Indian Nationalism. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi is telling our former imperial masters how India is not a nation but a Union of States. It is not a happy coincidence. It is politics with a difference.
Are we out of the woods yet? The cautious answer is NO. North East India is indeed a very diverse and complex landscape and fault lines run deep and in all dimensions. A new indigenous peoples front called “The Tipra Motha” has already emerged in Tripura as the largest opposition. Globally there is no shortage of patrons for such projects today.
As always, the demands transcend existing state boundaries and new trouble can be created by invisible hands. While things are much better today, it is not time to relax. Indian state will have to consolidate on the progress made in the last nine years. Good news is, Bharat Jodo party is not in power in North Eastern states.
The Union Ministry has confirmed that two deaths related to the H3N2 virus have been reported from Karnataka and Haryana. The H3N2 virus causes an influenza-like illness with symptoms very similar to Covid-19. The two deaths have come from the states of Karnataka and Haryana.
In Karnataka, 82 years old Eregowda was admitted with Influenza-like symptoms at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences. He passed away six days after he was brought to the hospital. He had co-morbidities like diabetes and hypertension. The Health Officers in the district have surveyed the primary and secondary contacts of the deceased, however, so far nobody has tested positive for the illness.
The Health Minister of Karnataka Dr K Sudhakar said the infection clears up within 2 to 5 days. “People who suffered from Covid-19 earlier seem to have a more intense cough after being infected with H3N2. More cases of infection are being seen in children below 15 years and those above 65 years. Pregnant women are also more likely to get infected.”
In the Kanpur district of UP, nearly 50 patients with Covid-like symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, and cough were admitted at Hallet Hospital. Dr Richa Giri, Head of the Medicine Department of Hallet Hospital told IANS, “It is difficult to differentiate this virus from Covid-19 and it is possible only after the test because it is a subtype of influenza A. It becomes difficult to test it because there is a separate kit for each subtype.”
Most cases of H3N2 can be clinically treated in about a week. But people in the high-risk groups need to take special care to avoid getting the virus.
Dr Randeep Guleria while talking to the press said “It spreads the same way as COVID, through droplets. Only those who have associated comorbidities need to be careful. For precaution wear a mask, wash hands frequently, and have physical distancing. For influenza also there is a vaccine for high-risk groups & elderly.
It spreads the same as COVID, through droplets. Only those who have associated comorbidities need to be careful. For precaution wear a mask, wash hands frequently, have physical distancing. For influenza also there is a vaccine for high-risk group & elderly: Dr Randeep Guleria pic.twitter.com/MzOzq959qG
The symptoms are persistent cough, fever, chills, breathlessness, and wheezing. Nausea, sore throat, body ache, and diarrhoea have also been seen in patients. The persistence of these symptoms for up to a week is possible. But experts have said that the virus is highly contagious and spreads through coughing, sneezing, and close contact with an infected person.
Covid-like precautions such as washing hands, avoiding crowded spaces, and wearing face masks should be helpful in this illness too.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has yet again been denied stage time at the Oscars. Zelensky had hoped to address the awards show remotely after he was featured in several other award shows, but the Academy rejected the proposal. The probable reason for this denial is the academy’s desire to be seen as a non-political entity. Allowing its stage to be used for furthering the Ukrainian cause would have meant the Academy is not a non-partisan institution.
Notably, the President of Ukraine had, last year as well, expressed his desire to speak at the Oscars which was declined. Although he has managed to appear virtually in multiple award shows including the 64th Grammy awards.
Oscars 2023 will be held on March 12 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. This is the second year in a row that Zelensky’s request to speak at the Oscars has been declined. Volodymyr Zelensky’s team has engaged Mike Simpson, a top agent at William Morris Agency-Endeavor, to convince film festivals and award shows to let the Ukrainian president address the events.
“For the past year, Volodymyr Zelensky has been greeted with open arms by awards shows, film festivals, and even the New York Stock Exchange. But when it comes to landing airtime on the most coveted telecast of all — the Oscars — the Ukrainian leader is being met with a cold shoulder. For the second year in a row, the Academy has snubbed Zelenskyy, who was hoping to follow up his Berlin Film Festival (remote) appearance last month with a virtual spot on Sunday’s Oscar telecast on ABC. Sources say WME power agent Mike Simpson made a plea to the Academy to include the comedic actor-turned-politician but was shut down. The Academy declined to comment” a report published by Variety said.
For the second year in a row, the Academy has snubbed Zelenskyy, who was hoping to follow up his Berlin Film Festival (remote) appearance last month with a virtual spot on Sunday’s Oscar telecast on ABC. https://t.co/WwRUhDjeod
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Zelenskyy appeared via video-link at both the Cannes and Venice film festivals as well as at the Grammy Awards and virtually rang the Opening Bell of the New York Stock Exchange too. At the Golden Globes in January, Zelensky was introduced by Sean Penn, where Zelensky repeated his message that Ukraine will win the war against Russia and applauded the free people of the free world who were supporting the Ukrainian people.
It is notable that Sean Penn along with Aaron Kaufman is the director of a documentary titled Superpower, which is based on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The documentary was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February.
But not everyone is on the same page with giving Zelenskyy more airtime. Last year, Oscars producer Will Packer stopped a Zelensky appearance. Packer voiced his concerns that Hollywood was only showering Ukraine with attention because those affected by the conflict are white. On the other hand, Hollywood has ignored wars around the globe that impact people of color, he argued. Like the Academy, the organisers of Toronto Film Festival also declined a request from Zelenskyy to appear via satellite.
Ukraine and Russia have been at war for more than a year now. In 2014, Russia captured Crimea from Ukraine and has been controlling it ever since. The war started after Russia felt provoked by Ukraine’s inclination to join NATO which is largely an anti-Russia coalition of western nations. Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago and the battle is being fought on Ukrainian soil. Ukraine has received immense support from the west but the support is gradually fading. Ukraine has seen massive losses in men and territory.
On March 9, women police officers from Damoh ran a bulldozer over the house built by one Kaushal Kishore Choubey, a rape accused who had also built an illegal structure on govt land.
The house of Kaushal Kishore Choubey, who is charged with raping a minor girl in the Raneh police station area of the Damoh district three years ago, was bulldozed by authorities in the state, on Thursday.
Madhya Pradesh | A minor girl was raped by 4 people. 3 accused were arrested earlier & one accused (Kaushal Kishore Choubey) was arrested today.The accused Kaushal K Choubey had encroached on govt land, which was removed using bulldozer: P Kurmi, Raneh PS in-charge, Damoh (09.03) pic.twitter.com/8Y9d5Nv3NV
Officials stated that Choubey had encroached upon government land and had built an illegal structure there.
He was arrested along with Arvind Chaurasia, Parshottam Soni and Nandu Raikwar in connection with the gangrape that occurred 3 years ago and came to light recently after videos of the incident were shown to the victim’s parents. The victim in the case had never dared to report the incident. An FIR has also been lodged under the POCSO Act against the accused.
According to the Raneh Police Station in-charge, P. Kurmi, “Three individuals were previously arrested. On Friday, Kaushal Kishore Choubey, another accused, was taken into custody.”
The perpetrators even recorded the horrific incident.
As per reports, the victim kept the incident a secret from her family at the time out of fear. The issue then came to light after one of the accused, Chaurasia’s sister-in-law found the video and showed it to the girl’s mother, last week.
Bulldozer action against rape accused in the past
Notably, this isn’t the first time the Madhya Pradesh administration has taken stringent action against such criminals in the state.
In September 2022, bulldozers were pressed into service by the administration which led to the razing of the residences of three accused in the Rewa gang rape case.
A teenage girl was gang-raped by six men, in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa, close to the well-known Ashtbhuji temple, in Naigarhi. She and her friend had gone to the temple together, when the accused did the horrible act, battered the two women, and stole their cell phones.
The accused dragged the victim where she was raped in turn in front of her friend. The culprits further threatened the young girl and her friend with severe repercussions if they told anybody about the assault and departed the scene.
The unlawfully built home of a 32-year-old Bhopal school bus driver who was arrested for raping a 3.5-year-old nursery student in front of a female attendant was destroyed with hammers, that same month.
Her mother discovered the incident when she noticed that the clothes she was wearing have been changed with an additional set kept in her bag. Both her teacher and the school’s principal denied changing her clothes when the mother questioned them.
Eventually, the girl began to complain about the pain in her genitalia. The following day, the parents went to the school to file a complaint with the authorities, and the child identified the driver.
In a similar incident in March 2022, following a directive from the district administration, the house of the prime accused in the gang rape of a 28-year-old was demolished in the Sohagpur police station area in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh | District Administration demolished the residence of the main accused in rape case in Shahdol.
Vandana Vaidya, District Collector, Shahdol informed, “The investigation led by police and district administration revealed that Shadab Usmani (alias Abdul) had constructed a house illegally and it has been demolished.” She disclosed that the other two accused Rajesh Singh and Sonu George were his housekeepers, who lived in a rented property.
He apparently had been in love with the woman for the previous one and a half years and had brought her on a picnic to a location in the Kshirsagar region, around 20 km from the Shahdol district headquarters.
He invited his two friends to the location and drank. Then they alternated raping her. The victim was given a poisonous chemical by force, and as a result, she passed away in the district hospital.
On March 17, 2022, Mohsin, Riyaz, and Shehbaz were arrested for gangraping a 17-year-old tribal girl. Houses constructed by the three accused were bulldozed by the administration team with the assistance of the local police.
The assault occurred when the young girl and a male acquaintance visited a neighbouring forest area adjacent to the Rampura Dang neighbourhood. The accused blocked their path, overpowered the male companion and raped the girl before running away. Later, the girl went to the police station and reported that the three young people had raped her.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is being referred to as ‘Bulldozer Mama’ in the state, in the fashion of to UP CM Yogi Adityanath who is termed ‘bulldozer Baba’, for his government’s strict action against mafias and gangsters.
According to reports, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting raids at the Delhi residence of Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, in connection with the land for jobs scam investigation. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader’s home is in the New Friends colony in Delhi, where the ED investigators began the raids at 8.30 am.
Not just Tejashwi Yadav’s residence, searches are going on at several other locations in connection with the case. According to reports, several teams of ED are conducting raids at over 15 locations in Delhi, NCR and Bihar. The locations include residents and offices of suspects and beneficiaries of the land for job scam.
Along with Tejashwi Uadav’s house, searches also took place at the residence of former RJD MLA Syed Abu Dojana at Phulwari Sharif in Patna. Premises linked to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughters Misa Bharti, Rohini Acharya, Ragini Yadav, Chanda Yadav, and Hema Yadav are also being reportedly searched by the ED.
Bihar | Enforcement Directorate conducts a raid at ex-RJD MLA Syed Abu Dojana’s premises at Phulwari Sharif in Patna. pic.twitter.com/acIjns71rh
Lalu’s daughter Rohini Adharya criticised the raid at Tejashwi Yadav’s house, questioning the searches conducted at the house of a pregnant woman, referring to Tejashwi’s wife. “We will remember this injustice. Everything will be remembered. What crime have the sister’s little children committed? What crime has the pregnant sister-in-law committed? Why is everyone being tortured? Everyone is being tortured since this morning. The only crime of these people is that the Lalu-Rabri family did not bow down in front of fascists and rioters. You will get the answer to this injustice when the time comes. Now all this is beyond tolerance,” she tweeted in Hindi.
यह अन्याय हम याद रखेंगे। सब याद रखा जाएगा। बहन के छोटे – छोटे बच्चों ने क्या गुनाह किया है ? गर्भवती भाभी ने क्या गुनाह किया है ? क्यों सबको टॉर्चर किया जा रहा है ? आज सुबह से सबको टॉर्चर किया जा रहा है। इनलोगों का गुनाह सिर्फ इतना ही है न कि फासिस्ट और दंगाईयों के आगे कभी
Days before the raid, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned his parents, former Bihar Chief Ministers and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi separately, on the scam.
After conducting raids at Rabri Devi’s home in Patna on Monday, a group of CBI officials interrogated her for about four hours. Lalu Prasad Yadav was interrogated in his daughter and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti’s house in Pandara Park.
His daughter, Rohini Acharya, attacked the Center, for ‘intimidating her ailing old father.’
पापा को ये लोग तंग कर रहे हैं अगर उनके तंग करने के कारण उन्हें ज़रा भी परेशानी होगी तो दिल्ली की कुर्सी हिला देंगे। अब बर्दाश्त करने की सीमा जवाब दे रही है।
The properties connected to Lalu Yadav and his family are among those being searched in Delhi, NCR and Bihar by the ED. In Bihar’s Patna, raids are also transpiring at the house of RJD leader and his aide Abu Dojana.
Almost 15 different areas are being searched. The ED simultaneously investigated these premises, which included the homes and businesses of suspects and others who allegedly profited from the purported fraud.
Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi, along with 14 other people are accused by the CBI of engaging in criminal conspiracy and violating the Prevention of Corruption Act. All of them are charge sheeted by the agency.
Special Judge Geetanjali Goel issued summons to the accused persons for March 15 while taking cognizance of the chargesheet.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, the leaders of the opposition parties alleged, that the government was abusing central agencies to settle political scores. Tejashwi Yadav too, was among the signatories.
Nine Opposition leaders including Arvind Kejriwal have written to PM Modi on the arrest of former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case. They have stated that the action appears to suggest that “we have transitioned from being a democracy to an autocracy”. pic.twitter.com/ohXn3rNuxI
The letter listed Lalu Yadav and AAP leader Manish Sisodia, among opposition leaders being pursued by investigating agencies.
What is land for job scam
CBI has alleged, that Lalu Yadav, who served as the minister of railways from 2004 to 2009, received financial benefits in the form of the transfer of landed property into the names of his family members in exchange for the appointment of substitutes to ‘Group D’ posts in various railway zones.
The recruitment took place between 2004 and 2009 without the positions being announced.
According to the agency, up to 12 Patna residents were hired for ‘Group D’ positions. Lalu Yadav’s family received seven parcels of property in the city and elsewhere for a pittance in exchange for these appointments.
The RJD chief’s family reportedly paid Rs 26 lakh for more than 1 lakh square feet of land, even though the circular rate at the time estimated the land’s total value at more than Rs 4.39 crore.
The agency through the investigation discovered that Lalu Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi and daughter Hema Yadav received gifts of land from job seekers who were subsequently hired by the railways.
In addition to the 12 individuals who obtained employment in the railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur, those named in the FIR as accused include Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi and his daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav.
