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Australia: Khalistani supporters chant anti-Hindu slogans outside Indian Consulate in Brisbane, MEA refutes reports that it was closed down

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: Khalistani supporters chant anti-Hindu slogans outside Indian Consulate in Brisbane, MEA refutes reports that it was closed down

On Thursday, the Khalistani supporters gathered outside the Honorary Indian Consulate in Australia’s Brisbane and chanted anti-India slogans at the entrance for some time. Australian media also reported that the consulate was forced to shut down for a short period after Khalistani supporters impeded entry into the consulate by yelling anti-Hindu slogans outside it. However, the Ministry of External Affairs has denied it and said that the consulate continued to function normally. This comes days after the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese pledged to stop the spread of anti-Indian animosity in the nation.

According to the reports, the Khalistani activists raised anti-India slogans at the Consulate and called the Hindus as ‘supremacists’. The Consulate is located on Swann Road in the Taringa suburb of Brisbane.

“Indian Consulate was forced to close today due to safety concerns after Sikhs for Justice targeted them with their propaganda. They have been shouting Khalistan Zindabad slogans,” Sarah L. Gates, Director of Hindu Human Rights was quoted as saying.

In the videos of the incident, the Khalistanis are seen carrying placards saying that “Hindu mobs killed 570 Sikhs, injured 13,000” in 1966.

According to the Queensland Police, it was an unauthorised gathering by the Khalistanis, but still, they were allowed to enter the consulate premises and block the entrance. As a result, people who had appointments with the consulate had to reschedule their appointments, according to Australia Today.

Responding to queries regarding the incident, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the issue was raised with Australian authorities, and they should take action. “PM already spoke about such issues when Australian PM was in India,” he added.

Arindam Bagchi clarified that it is an honorary consulate of India located in Brisbane, and it is not a Consulate General of India. He further refuted media reports that it was closed down due to the Khalistanis. He said that a small number of protestors had gathered outside it and chanted slogans for some time, but the consulate continued to function normally. He said that there were some disruptions for a while, but the consulate was not shut down as claimed in media reports.

Arindam Bagchi refused to comment on video footage of the incident, saying it is not possible to comment on unverified videos. He added that teams of India and Australia are in touch, and the matter was raised immediately with the Australian authorities.

It is notable that an honorary consulate is a type of consulate that is headed by an honorary consul, who is not a professional diplomat and does not receive a salary. Honorary consuls are typically citizens or residents of the host country where they live. They are designated by a foreign government to look after the affairs of its citizens.

While honorary consuls do not receive a salary for their services, but they may receive certain privileges and benefits associated with their position, such as diplomatic immunity, tax exemptions, and access to official functions and events. The main role of an honorary consulate is to promote trade, cultural exchange, and other types of cooperation between the host country and the country they represent. They may also provide consular services, such as issuing visas, assisting citizens of their home country who are travelling or living in the host country, and handling legal and administrative matters.

Honorary consulates are typically established in cities or regions where there is a significant population of nationals from the country they represent, but where there is not enough demand or resources to justify a full-fledged embassy or consulate. They may also be established in remote or less developed areas where a full-fledged consulate would be impractical or too expensive.

The development in Brisbane occurs only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s worries about the attack on several Hindu temples by demonstrators calling for Khalistan during his meeting with Albanese in Delhi.

On March 11, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the anti-India and anti-Hindu activities happening in Australia and said that the country won’t tolerate any extreme actions and attacks on any religious buildings. “I gave him the assurance that Australia is a country that respects people’s faith. That we don’t tolerate the sort of extreme actions and attacks that we’ve seen on religious buildings, be they Hindu temples, mosques, synagogues, or churches. This has no place in Australia,” he had said.

“And we will take every action through our police and also our security agencies to make sure that anyone responsible for this faces the full force of the law. We’re a tolerant multicultural nation, and there is no place in Australia for this activity,” the statement further quoted him saying.

Earlier last month, after the visit of India’s foreign affairs minister S. Jaishankar, Khalistani flags were discovered affixed to the Indian embassy in Brisbane. EAM Jaishankar then talked about the matter with his Australian colleague Penny Wong during their meeting.

“Noted the forward movement on our bilateral agenda. Emphasized the need for vigilance against radical activities targeting the Indian community,” Jaishankar tweeted. Yet, on the same day, some Khalistani followers attacked two Hindu temples while they were celebrating Mahashivratri, 

Further, in the last two months, Australia has seen four separate anti-Hindu attacks on Temples initiated by pro-Khalistani elements living in the country. On March 4, Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple in Brisbane’s Burbank suburb was vandalized with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti defacing its walls. According to local media reports, the vandalism was carried out by pro-Khalistani supporters. The miscreants wrote anti-Hindu, anti-India, and pro-Khalistani slogans on the walls near the temple during the vandalization.

On February 16, 2023, in Melbourne, a Kali Mata temple received a warning against holding a Bhajan program. A woman priest of a Kali Mata temple in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in Australia received threats from Khalistani terrorists for organizing a Bhajan program of Indian singer Kanhiya Mittal.

On January 23 a similar attack by Khalistani elements took place at the Hare Krishna Temple located at Albert Park in Melbourne city of Australia. The temple served as the centre of the Bhakti Yoga movement in Melbourne and is run by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). As per reports, temple walls were defaced with anti-India slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Hindustan Murdabad.’ The miscreants had also hailed slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a martyr.

On January 17, Khalistani supporters vandalised the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs in Melbourne. During the vandalisation, the miscreants wrote anti-Hindu and anti-India slogans on the walls near the temple. ‘Target Modi’, ‘Modi Hitler’, and ‘Hindustan Murdabad’, read the slogans that were painted on the walls of the temples during vandalization.

On January 12 (local time), the Hindu community living in Melbourne woke up to a shock as the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, located in the northern suburb of Mill Park, Melbourne, was vandalised by Khalistani attackers. The walls of the temple were defaced by spray painting anti-India and anti-Narendra Modi slogans.

‘Forgive me Yogi ji, I made a mistake:’ fearing encounter, wanted criminal in UP reaches police station with a placard to surrender

OpIndia Staff
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‘Forgive me Yogi ji, I made a mistake:’ fearing encounter, wanted criminal in UP reaches police station with a placard to surrender

On Thursday, March 16, a wanted criminal reached Mansoorpur Police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district to surrender before the police, because he was scared of getting killed in an encounter. The accused carried a placard in his hand when he reached the PS, which read in Hindi, “Yogi ji, forgive me, I made a mistake.”

Muzaffarnagar police tweeted about the same.

The accused, who was identified as Ankur aka Raja, was a member of a gang of motorcycle thieves. He was a wanted criminal.

Speaking to the media, Mansoorpur SHO said that the accused reached the police station with the village head and members of his family, fearing an encounter. “He also sought forgiveness and pledged that he would never commit any crime again. He has been taken into custody and sent to jail. He is wanted in several cases, including attempted murder (IPC section 307) and loot (IPC section 390),” the SHO added.

Significantly, the criminal surrendered a day after a police encounter with his gang. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (Khatauli) Ravi Shankar Mishra, two members of the notorious gang were arrested on Tuesday while one managed to escape.

“We have recovered three bikes and illegal weapons from the accused,” he added.

Notably, after Yogi Adityanath took over as CM of UP, the state has seen a severe crackdown on criminals by the police. Law and Order was one of the main focuses of Yogi Adityanath’s poll campaign and his government has taken it seriously. UP has seen several encounters in recent months where many dreaded criminals were eliminated and hundreds have been arrested. Despite repeated notices from the National Human Rights Commission, Yogi Adityanath’s government has maintained its stance on encounters.

The above case, in fact, is not the first of its kind in UP. The surrendering of miscreants and tainted criminals has become the new normal in Uttar Pradesh. OpIndia reported last year how at least 50 criminals had surrendered within 15 days after the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government returned to power in Uttar Pradesh on 10th March 2022.

Interestingly, many of these criminals walked into the police stations holding placards with a message written on them – ‘I am surrendering, please don’t initiate an encounter.’ 

As propaganda event ‘Let Kashmir Speak’ gets cancelled in Delhi, lets look at the organisers behind it

Anurag
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As propaganda event ‘Let Kashmir Speak’ gets cancelled in Delhi, lets look at the organisers behind it

On March 15, Delhi Police cancelled the permission for a propaganda event scheduled for 3 PM on Wednesday at Gandhi Peace Foundation, Delhi. Titled “Let Kashmir Speak”, six speakers were mentioned on its poster, Former Justice of J&K High Court Justice Hussain Massoodi, Prof. Nandita Narain, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, Mir Shahid Saleem, Sanjay Kak and Anil Chamadia.

Source: Aditya Raj Kaul/Twitter

The Delhi Police cited the anonymity of the organisers as the reason behind the event’s cancellation. Notably, Pakistani media has extensively talked about the event in the past few days, hinting towards a possible link between Pakistan and the organisers of the event.

Demanding the release of “all political prisoners” in Kashmir, it appeared the speakers would have talked about the so-called “media blackout and repression in Kashmir”. Several netizens, including journalist Aditya Raj Kaul and media houses, mainly Times Now, alerted the authorities through their reports. In his tweet, Kaul said, “Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi on March 15 to host an anti-India propaganda event which has been widely reported in Pakistan media. An investigation needs to be carried out about the funding of such an event and who is behind it. This is no civil society movement. Pak ISI?”

In the order, SHO Sanjeev Kumar, IP Estate Police Station, wrote to Kumar Prashant of Gandhi Peace Foundation that it received information/local input that some anonymous group was planning/organising a public meeting on “Media Blackout in Kashmir” at 3 PM on March 15, 2023, at Gandhi Peace Foundation.

“Efforts to get the details of members of the anonymous group have been made, but the same could not be verified. There is discreet input of disturbance in law & order situation in view of organizing this above public meeting. In view of the above, you are requested to cancel the booking & intimation may kindly be sent to undersigned at the earliest,” the order read. OpIndia tried reaching out to SHO Kumar but could not connect.

Source: Aditya Raj Kaul/Twitter

In a press release, Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), which organised the event said, “The program was to address the question of continuing harassment and incarceration of Journalists in order to suppress the grim realities of state repression in Kashmir. This undemocratic action of cancelling the event on the frivolous pretext of “law and order situation” is also part of the same attempt at creating information blackout and narrative building.” The organisation added it was not anonymous and “renowned” personalities were speakers and progressive organisations were behind the event.

Statement by CASR. Source: Facebook

The speakers of the event

National Conference (NC) party leader and Former Justice of J&K High Court Justice Hasnain Masoodi

Hasnain Masoodi is an NC MP from the Anantnag constituency. He served as J&K High Court judge from 2009 to 2016. Hasnain’s name was mentioned as Hussain on the event poster. In 2021, after the Government of India repealed three agriculture laws, Masoodi demanded that the abrogation of Article 370 should be reversed as well.

Former DUTA president Prof. Nandita Narain

Professor Nandita Narain is the former president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association. She often propagated the “Free All Political Prisoners” campaign via her Twitter handle and echoed the same for Professor Sai Baba, who was arrested for his alleged Maoist links. From supporting anti-CAA protests to Teesta Setalvad and Mohammed Zubair of Alt News, Narain has sided with anti-India forces on several occasions. In a social media post, she said, “CANCELLED!!! The police tried the same thing with the Bharat Bachao programme at HKS Surjeet Bhavan on 11th and 12th March, but the organisers managed to get a court order allowing the programme to be held. This outrageous cancellation at the last minute only serves to reinforce the widely held belief about suppression of free speech, not only in Kashmir, but all over India, including in its capital Delhi.”

Source: Facebook

J&K CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami

Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami is a J&K CPI(M) leader and spokesperson at Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (JKPAGD), an alliance of the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Awami National Conference. Tarigami was put under house arrest following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

United Peace Alliance Chairman Mir Shahid Saleem

Mir Shahid Saleem is the Chairman of the United Peace Alliance. Saleem often raises his voice against the abrogation of Article 370 in the valley. While speaking at an event in February this year, he claimed the Central Government took several steps to intimidate and frighten the people of Kashmir. He further claimed that the Central government had oppressed the people in Kashmir since August 5, 2019.

Filmmaker Sanjay Kak

A left-leaning filmmaker, Sanjay Kak is often seen siding with Father Stan Swamy, Professor Sai Baba and others. In an op-ed on The Kashmir Files, he refused to accept that Kashmiri Hindus faced genocide leading to their exodus from the valley. He also claimed that blood-soaked rice was never fed to Ganjoo’s wife. Interestingly, he conveniently skipped the horrific story of Girija Tickoo, a Kashmiri Hindu woman cut in half with a chainsaw while alive.

In a statement to The Wire, he said, “People need to take note that this silencing does not – and will not – stop at discussions of Kashmir alone: it has already fallen on various expressions of democratic rights in India. And this silence is not simply a matter of choking self-expression. It is fast becoming the throttling of democracy itself.”

Journalist Anil Chamadia

Senior Journalist Anil Chamadia often sides with the left ideology. He has spoken in favour of the anti-CAA protests and was one of the signatories who wrote against UAPA imposed on Gautam Navlakha.

Organisations supporting the event

The organisations that were behind the event were part of an umbrella group called Campaign Against State Repression (CASR). There are 32 organisations under this group.

AIRSO: All India Revolutionary Students Organisation (AIRSO) is a left-leaning student organisation that often holds events with AISA and other left organisations. It is one of the organisations that criticised Jamia Millia Islamia university for cancelling admission of anti-CAA violence accused Safoora Zargar.

AISA: All India Students Association (AISA) is a CPIML(L). It is infamous for left-leaning politics in universities across India. AISA was one of the frontrunner student organisations in anti-CAA protests.

AISF: All India Students’ Federation (AISF) is another left-leaning student organisation. It was allegedly involved in JNU violence during anti-CAA protests.

APCR: Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) was founded in 2006 by KA Siddique Hassan, former vice president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, that recently organised a “get-together” for non-Muslim girls. The Police’s permission for the event was denied after Vishwa Hindu Parishad intervened. APCR has extensively worked against CAA-NCR and challenged CAA in the Supreme Court which can be checked here.

Bhim Army: It is an Ambedkarite organisation and a political party founded by Chandra Shekhar Azad ‘Ravan’ and others. Bhim Army‘s Azad allegedly created trouble during Delhi Riots, Hathras case and farmer protests.

Bigul Mazdoor Dasta: A left-wing group which often organises protests and campaigns for the “suppressed” voices. The group members were involved in anti-CAA protests and were questioned by the security agencies. The left media made a lot of noise when Bigul Mazdoor Dasta and other organisations’ members were questioned for their alleged involvement in the Delhi riots.

BSCEM: Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch is a student political organisation that follows left ideology. It protested against the ban on the propaganda documentary by BBC against PM Modi and has called for the “death of Brahmanism” in its social media posts and protests. The organisation also called for rebuilding the disputed structure in Ayodhya. It was also involved in anti-CAA protests.

DISSC: Dayar-I-Shauq Students’ Charter is a student political organisation that follows left ideology. The organisation supported Safoora Zargar when her admission at Jamia was cancelled. The organisation was involved in anti-CAA protests.

Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan: A left-leaning organisation that often organises protests on different issues. It has protested against Agnipath Scheme as well.

NAPM: National Alliance of Peoples Movements is a left-wing organisation. It participated in anti-CAA protests and demanded the release of those arrested for involvement in the violence, including Sharjeel Imam.

NTUI: New Trade Union Initiative is a left-wing organisation. It is one of the organisations that protested against the new labour laws.

People’s Watch: Founded in 1995, the organisation claims to be actively engaged in the protection and promotion of human rights. It was one of the organisations involved in anti-CAA protests.

Rihai Manch: It is a political front that claims to resist repression. It was involved in an array of protests including anti-CAA and farmer protests.

SFI: Students’ Federation in India is a left-wing student organisation. OpIndia has covered the organisation extensively. It can be checked here.

United Against Hate: It is a Muslim organisation that was accused in Delhi Riots case. United Against Hate was involved in farmer protests as well.

Other organisations in the group include BASF, BCM, CEM, CRPP, CTF, Disha, DSU, DTF, Fraternity, JAPL, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Patrika, Mehnatkash Mahila Sangathan, Morcha Patrika, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, NBS, Nowruz, Samajwadi Janparishad, Smajwadi Lok Manch, Satyashodak Sangh, WSS, and Y45.

‘Let Kashmir Speak’ – The Pakistan connection

Coming to the ‘Let Kashmir Speak’ campaign, it is important to note that it goes back to August 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. ‘Let Kashmir Speak’ had some online presence before August 2019 but was limited to only a few social media posts.

On August 16, 2019, Amnesty International, the dubious organisation whose India office was shut after it was found that the organization illegally sent money to India without FCRA approval, released a video titled “Let Them Speak”. The 59-second-long video propagated against the security measures taken by the Government of India in view of possible law and order situations after the abrogation of Article 370.

It was soon converted into “Let Kashmir Speak” mainly with Pakistan’s involvement. Let Kashmir Speak became full-fledged Pakistani propaganda and it found space on the official websites of Pakistani embassies and media houses. For example, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Tehreek-e-Insaf propagated the campaign.

A dedicated page for Let Kashmir Speak is on the website of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Athens, Greece.

Let Kashmir Speak campaign by Pakistan Embassy, Greece. Source: Pakistan Embassy, Greecce.

A similar section is on the Embassy of Pakistan in Japan.

Let Kashmir Speak campaign by Pakistan Embassy, Japan. Source: Pakistan Embassy, Tokyo.

It also found its way to Pakistan Embassy in Thailand.

Let Kashmir Speak campaign by Pakistan Embassy, Thailand. Source: Facebook.

Pakistan’s media has also covered the now-cancelled event. Pakistan Observer wrote, “Demand for release of all Kashmiri political prisoners and lifting of media restrictions and repression in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir will be raised by participants of a seminar scheduled to be held in India’s capital New Delhi on Wednesday.”

As the Lok Sabha elections are approaching, such campaigns and propaganda-filled events or protests are more likely to take place across India.

Taapsee Pannu recalls how her family was saved by Hindus during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984

OpIndia Staff
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Taapsee Pannu recalls how her family was saved by Hindus during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984

In a recent interview, actress Taapsee Pannu discussed the 1984 Sikh genocide. She described how her father was the lone Sikh in Shakti Nagar, Delhi, at the time, and what might have happened if there had been no Hindus around. 

Taapsee revealed in an interview with The Lallantop that she never grew up believing that her family had gone through anything bad despite what had occurred to them during the riots. Nonetheless, she claimed that once she was old enough, she realized that she belonged to a minority religion.

She responded in Hindi when asked about her memories of the riots, “My parents weren’t married then. My mother used to live in East Delhi. My father used to reside in Shakti Nagar. Everything I know about that time, I’ve heard from my parents. My mother told me that it was safe on her side of the town. But in Shakti Nagar, we were the only Sikh family. At that time, we had a Jonga parked outside our house, not many people owned cars.”

The Indian Army used a Nissan-designed vehicle called the Jonga. Jabalpur Ordnance and Guncarriage Assembly were referred to as Jonga.

Moreover, Taapsee describes how a car parked in front of her father’s house helped the rioters identify their residence.

“When people arrived brandishing swords and petrol bombs, the Jonga was discovered. They were aware that our family was the only Sikh family in the area. There was no point in trying to escape because our family knew they were being surrounded, so they turned off all the lights and hid. Four tenant families used to reside in the house where we used to stay. All of the others were Hindus. As the rioters arrived, they protected us. They had seen the car and knew it belonged to us, so they had come to our door. Our neighbours, however, informed them that we had left town. The automobile was destroyed by fire. We survived because our neighbours protected us.”

It is notable that before the Sikh genocide in 1984, Operation Blue Star was conducted. The purpose of this operation was to drive out the Khalistani terrorists who had taken over the Harmandir Sahib premises and were regularly targeting Hindus. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Khalistani terrorists and just after her death, anti-Sikh riots, where many Congress leaders were involved, engulfed Delhi.

700 Indian students face deportation from Canada for producing fake admission documents for the visa

OpIndia Staff
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700 Indian students face deportation from Canada for producing fake admission documents for the visa

The Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) has issued deportation notices to over 700 Indian students after their admission offer letters from educational institutions were found to be fake. These fake offer letters were used to get a Canadian visa on the pretext of entering for studies.

The racket came to light when these students applied for permanent residence in Canada after the completion of the duration of their course.

As per reports, about 700 students applied for study visas through Education Migration Services, Jalandhar, headed by one Brijesh Mishra. These visa applications were filed from 2018 to 2022.

Each student was charged between 16 to 20 lakh rupees for all expenses, including admission fees for a premier institute. Air tickets and security deposits were not included in the payment to the agent.

One of the students, Chaman Singh Batth told IndiaNarrative, “After the students landed in Toronto and were heading to Humber college, they received a telephone call from Mishra telling them that all seats in the courses offered to them got filled, adding that they would now have to wait till the start of the next semester after 6 months or else they could get admission to some other college.”

However, Mishra returned their Humber college fee which further made students believe his genuineness. Unsuspecting students did what Mishra had asked them to do, they went to another college, and took admission in available 2-year diploma courses. The classes started and after completing their respective courses, these students got work permits. On becoming eligible for permanent resident status in Canada, the students, as per the rule, submitted relevant documents to the immigration department.

Batth further adds, “The trouble started when CBSA scrutinised the documents on the basis of which visa was granted to the students and found admission offer letters to be fake. Deportation notices were issued to all the students after granting them an opportunity for a hearing.”

Many of these students are now facing an uncertain future after investing significant time and money in Canada. Some have also expressed anger at the fact that they were not aware of the fraudulent nature of their visas, and are now paying the price for the actions of others.

The CBSA has refused to consider the students as victims because they do not have any evidence to prove that they were duped by Mishra.

When the parents of cheated students tried to contact the agent in Jalandhar, his office was found locked and the calls to his number went unanswered.

Amruta Fadnavis alleges her friend offered her bribe to talk to bookies to earn money, read details

ANI
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Amruta Fadnavis alleges her friend offered her bribe to talk to bookies to earn money, read details

Amruta Fadnavis, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has filed a complaint with Mumbai Police alleging she was threatened and offered a bribe of Rs 1 crore by an acquaintance named Anishka, a designer. 

The designer allegedly offered to provide Amruta with information on some bookies who can help her earn money, police said. “A case was registered against a woman designer, Aniksha and her father after they allegedly tried to bribe Rs 1 crore and threaten Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis,” Mumbai Police said on Thursday. 

Anishka had known the Deputy Chief Minister’s wife for over 16 months, police said. 

After receiving calls and messages on her phone Amruta lodged a complaint at the Malabar Hill Police Station on Thursday, police said. 

The Mumbai police booked Anishka and her father under sections 120 (B) (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 8 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 

No arrest has been made as of now, police said. 

Further investigations are underway. 

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

Bihar: Saran police rescue kidnapped RJD leader Sunil Rai, two kidnappers Md Irfan and Md Alamtab Khan arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Saran police rescue kidnapped RJD leader Sunil Rai, two kidnappers Md Irfan and Md Alamtab Khan arrested

On 15th March 2023, Bihar police rescued retired Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Sunil Rai, who was kidnapped by miscreants on 14th March 2023. The Saran police in the Chhapra district of Bihar have arrested two persons in connection with the case. They are identified as Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Alamtab Khan.

Sunil Rai’s father Ram Vilas Rai had shared details of the kidnapping case that took place on the morning of March 14. The incident took place near the market committee of the Mufassil police station area. Sunil Rai received a call from a person who asked him to meet. After this call, at around 4 am, he left his house and went towards the office.

At the same time, a white Scorpio car arrived there. Some people got down from the car and started dragging Sunil Rai inside the car. He resisted a lot, but the kidnappers dragged him in. After this, all of them fled away. The incident was caught on a CCTV camera. There were around six kidnappers in all, and all of them were carrying weapons. No one else was present around during the incident.

The police issued a press note after Sunil Rai was found safe. In this press note, a case related to land is cited as the prime reason behind the kidnapping. However, according to Ram Vilas Rai, no one has a grudge against his son.

During interrogation, accused Mohammad Alamtab Khan said that they had given Rs 1.80 crore to Sunil Rai to buy land. Of this, Rs 90 lakh was transferred through bank accounts and the rest was given in cash. The accused say that the RJD leader neither gave them the land nor returned the money. Therefore the accused kidnapped Sunil Rai.

According to the accused, their motive was either to take money from the RJD leader or to kill him. The Special Investigation Team of Bihar police raided and recovered the vehicle used in the incident. They also found Sunil Rai’s damaged phone.

SP Gaurav Mangla said, “The incident occurred as a result of a land dispute. Sunil Rai, the RJD leader, was abducted in a land dispute. The police are investigating and will take appropriate measures.”

It is notable that Sunil Rai is a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran, who currently works as a property dealer and he is a leader in the RJD. He hails from Saran. He also contested an election as an independent candidate. Later he joined RJD.

Land for Job scam: Tejashwi Yadav says he will appear before CBI on March 25 when there will be no session in the Bihar assembly

ANI
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Land for Job scam: Tejashwi Yadav says he will appear before CBI on March 25 when there will be no session in the Bihar assembly

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday assured the Delhi High Court that he will join the CBI investigation on March 25 for questioning in connection with the land-for-jobs scam case.

Yadav’s lawyer assured the court after noting the submissions of CBI that “at this point of time, there is no endeavour to arrest him.” During arguments on Thursday before Delhi High Court, senior advocate Maninder Singh appeared for Tejashwi Yadav and submitted that CBI has been calling him while the budget session is underway.

“I can appear through Video Conferencing. I am constantly telling them that I am a resident of Bihar. I have been served with three summons by the agency in just a few days,” Singh said representing Yadav.

CBI advocate DP Singh said, “The budget session is not on Saturday. He (Tejashwi Yadav) was in Delhi during the first summon but he refused to join the investigation. We need his appearance before us as there are documents to be shown,” add a CBI lawyer.

The bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma on Thursday after noting the submissions of both sides disposed of the matter and granted liberty to the petitioner to re-approach the court if any grievance occurs in the future in this regard.

Tejashwi had submitted that notice under section 160 of the CrPC can only be issued to a person, who is situated within the local jurisdiction of that police station or is within the adjoining police station. Therefore, the Impugned Notices have been issued in gross violation of the provisions of the CrPC more particularly the provision stipulated in Section 160 of the CrPC.

However, the petitioner has received the above-mentioned Impugned Notices from the Respondent, requiring him to appear in New Delhi. The same is, however, in disregard of the law, the Yadav’s lawyer said.

Tejashwi Yadav through plea also prayed that directions be issued to the CBI that whenever Yadav is interrogated in the present FIR, he is allowed the presence of his advocate(s) at a visible but not audible distance, as per the law laid down by the Supreme Court of India.

He also said the petitioner (Tejashwi Yadav) is duty-bound to render full cooperation and assistance in the ongoing investigation.

Tejashwi Yadav also sought the issuance of direction, especially in the nature of mandamus for quashing of summons dated February 28, 2023, March 4, 2023, and March 11, 2023, issued by the CBI for appearance before the New Delhi branch of CBI.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday granted regular bail to ex-Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, ex-Bihar CM Rabri Devi, their daughter-RJD MP Misa Bharti and other accused in Land for Job alleged scam case.

Special Judge Geetanjali Goel on Wednesday while granting regular bail to all accused in the case noted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had not arrested any accused in the case and the chargesheet was filed without arresting.

The CBI in its first chargesheet filed in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam stated that irregular appointments of candidates were made in Central Railway, violating the laid down norms and procedures of Indian Railways for recruitment.

As a quid-pro-quo, the candidates directly or through their immediate relatives/family members, sold land to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav (then Union Railway Minister) at highly discounted rates up to 1/4th to 1/5th of the prevailing market rates, stated CBI.

CBI further stated that investigation has revealed that Lalu Prasad Yadav during the period 2007-08 when he was Union Minister of Railways, with the intent to acquire the land parcels situated in Vill- Mahuabagh, Patna and Vill-Kunjwa, Patna which were situated adjacent to the land parcels already owned by his family members; entered into a criminal conspiracy with his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misha Bharati, Officers of Central Railways namely Sowmya Raghvan the then General Manager, Kamal Deep Mainrai, the then Chief Personnel Officer, and residents of Vill-Mahjabagh, Patna and Vill-Bindaul, Bihta, Patna and Patna City namely Raj Kumar Singh, Mithlesh Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, Ravindra Ray, Kiran Devi, Akhileshwar Singh, Ramashish Singh.

According to the CBI, all the candidates after their engagement as substitutes were subsequently regularized.

In lieu of getting them appointed in Railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav got the lands transferred owned by candidates and their family members in the names of his wife Rabri Devi and Misha Bharti for sale consideration which was much lesser than the prevailing circle rates as well as the prevailing market rates.

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

Woman kills her mother, chops up her corpse and hides body parts for months, arrested by Mumbai Police

OpIndia Staff
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Woman kills her mother, chops up her corpse and hides body parts for months, arrested by Mumbai Police

On Wednesday, March 15, Mumbai Police arrested a 23-year-old woman named Rimple Prakash Jain residing in the Ibrahim Kasam building in the Lalbaug area. Rimple allegedly killed her 55-year-old mother, amputated her limbs, and hid the body parts for months.

The  Kalachowkie police on Wednesday found the decomposing body of the deceased in a plastic gunny bag in a cupboard and her severed limbs in a water tank in the bathroom. A case has been registered under section 302 of the IPC and the Arms Act. On Thursday, the accused who was presented before the Mazagaon metropolitan magistrate’s court has been sent to police custody till March 20.

Veena Prakash Jain, the victim, was last seen alive on December 26 by a neighbour, according to the police. Veena used to reside with her daughter and alleged murderer, Rimple Jain. The accused used air fresheners and perfumes to cover the foul smell coming from the rotting corpse. Rimple, a Class 12 dropout, lost her father around 20 years ago.

The incident came to light when on Tuesday evening, one of Veena’s nieces went to the Lalbaug house to give her money for monthly expenses. When Rimple did not open the door, the niece inquired about them from the neighbours where she came to know that Veena has not been seen for over two months.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IV) Pravin Munde added, “The niece informed her mother and an aunt, who went to the Lalbaug house. As they kept on knocking on the door, Rimple opened the door after some time but closed it soon after.” Following this, the suspicious relatives barged into the house where they found a strong rotting smell. They took Rimple to the police station where a missing person complaint was registered based on Veena’s brother’s complaint.

When the police visited the house, they found the victim’s torso and head wrapped in a saree and stuffed inside a polythene bag, and her limbs were found in a steel drum in the bathroom.

Moreover, the police team discovered a sickle and an electric marble cutter inside the home, and they suspect that these tools may have been used to amputate Veena’s limbs. Rimple was interrogated after the remains of the deceased victim were sent for postmortem at KEM hospital. She allegedly told the police that Veena had fallen off the first floor on December 27 last year.

Reportedly, a police officer has said that Rimple has confessed her crime however, she has not made any revelation regarding the motive behind murdering her own mother.

CBI registers FIR against former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the Feedback Unit case

OpIndia Staff
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CBI registers FIR against former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the Feedback Unit case

A second case has been registered against former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is already in jail after his arrest in the excise policy scam case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against him in its ongoing probe into a “snooping case” related to the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) alleged Feedback Unit (FBU) snooping scandal. The CBI has filed the First Information Report (FIR) against seven individuals, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in connection with the case.

The CBI conducted a preliminary inquiry into the matter and discovered that the Feedback Unit established by the Delhi government to combat corruption had also gathered “political intelligence”. Based on its findings, an FIR is now filed in this case against Manish Sisodia. Among those accused in this case are Sukesh Kumar Jain, Rakesh Kumar Sinha, who works as a Special Advisor to the Chief Minister and Joint Director of the Feedback Unit, Pradeep Kumar Punj – the Deputy Director of the Feedback Unit, and Satish Khetrapal, who works as a Feedback Officer for the GNCT of Delhi. Additionally, Gopal Mohan, who serves as the Anti-corruption Advisor to the Chief Minister of Delhi, is also among the accused.

The Union Home Ministry has given permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute Sisodia in the case on 22nd February 2023. The Home Ministry communicated this decision to the principal secretary of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, stating that the sanction was granted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought sanction to prosecute Sisodia after its preliminary investigation suggested that the ‘Feedback Unit was used to carry out ‘political snooping’ against the political rivals of AAP. It was found that the FBU was spying on political leaders, bureaucrats, and even judges. CBI’s request to sanction the prosecution of Sisodia was approved by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi Vinay Kumar Saxena. 

The Delhi LG wrote in his note that the seeds for the establishment of an extra-constitutional/extra-judicial body modeled after a private intelligence organization and answerable to a single person were planted at the inception.

Feedback Unit

After AAP won the election in Delhi in 2015, the vigilance division’s Feedback Unit was set up to keep the government updated on various activities taking place in multiple ministries, autonomous bodies, and institutions under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government. 

The Arvind Kejriwal-led government established a ‘Feedback Unit’ after losing control over the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in 2015. Later in 2019, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan ruled that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and by extension, the Centre will have jurisdiction over Delhi’s anti-corruption bureau.

In September 2015, the Kejriwal government established a Feedback Unit- an Extra Constitutional-Extra Judicial Intelligence Agency which became operational in February 2016. The FBU was staffed by 17 contract employees, the majority of them former officers of the Central Armed Police Forces and the Intelligence Bureau.

Manish Sisodia is already arrested in the Delhi Liquor Policy Scam Case

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.

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.

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