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Maharashtra: Another small step towards normalcy in an area previously gripped by Naxal terrorism, first bus service started after independence in Markanar village

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Another small step towards normalcy in an area previously gripped by Naxal terrorism, first bus service started after independence in Markanar village

Marking a significant feat in the restoration of normalcy in the Markanar village of the Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, once a Naxal-affected area, a state-run bus service to the village commenced for the first time since independence.

As the first bus arrived in the Markanar village on Wednesday (16th July), villagers cheered and welcomed it by waving the national flag. This was the first time the villagers had seen a bus service arrive in the village in over 7 decades since independence. The bus service started by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will connect the area with the state transport network. According to a police release, about 1200 locals, including students, from Markanar and the nearby villages of Murumbhushi, Phulnar, Koparshi, Poyarkothi and Gundurwahi will benefit from the bus service. Next year, the bus service is expected to reach Murumbhushi.

“We were able to launch the MSRTC bus service after Markanar and the adjoining areas adopted the government’s ‘gaobandi’ scheme, banning entry of Maoists in return for development schemes. Commandos began reclaiming liberated zones and extended protection to road construction and the setting up of mobile phone towers. The rest is history now,” said SDPO Bhamragarh division Amar Mohite.

Mohite said that earlier, the MSRTC bus linked Aheri to Kothi via Bhamragarh, but now, after the construction of a road, the bus will travel another 5 km to Markanar. “Barely 800m are left to link remote Murumbhushi to Markanar. Security forces provided cover to labourers and equipment, but the rains halted work,” the SDPO said.

Markanar village is situated at the foothills of Abujhmad, a former Naxal stronghold, in Bhamragad subdivision of the Gadchiroli district. The bus service, which will run from Markanar to Aheri, is said to have become a reality with the efforts of the local police. The district has struggled with poor connectivity and transport for a long period of time due to the Maoist activities.

Central and State governments working to uproot left-wing terrorism

The central and state governments, along with the security forces, are making collaborative efforts to uproot naxalism and connect naxal-affected areas with the mainstream. Earlier this month, the Maharashtra government introduced a bill titled the Maharashtra Public Security Bill 2024 to curb the spread of the Maoist ideology in the state. While presenting the bill in the state assembly, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the Bill is meant to punish those who wish to overthrow the established institutions of the country. Explaining the reasons for the introduction of the Bill, Fadnavis said that the influence of the Maoist ideology is growing in the urban and rural areas of the state, particularly in districts like Gadchiroli and Konkan.

The central government had adopted a multipronged strategy to eliminate the menace of left-wing terrorism, including aggressive military operations and development efforts. The government has also been working towards strengthening security as well as civil infrastructure in the Naxal-affected areas by setting up security camps and enabling development projects.

Last year in January, the central government launched ‘Operation Kagar’ to completely eradicate the left-wing terrorism in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra (Gadchiroli), Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. Under the operation, around 1 lakh para-military troops, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite CoBRA units, District Reserve Guards DRG), and state police, equipped with modern technology, have been deployed in the left-wing terrorism affected areas to completely uproot the naxal terrorism from its last remaining strongholds. The security forces have been successful in eliminating the top leadership of the Naxal cadres under the operation, pushing the left-wing terrorism to the verge of extinction.

Kota: Razak claims to be Adi to trap minor Hindu girl, attempts to take her away with him, arrested after the victim got suspicious

OpIndia Staff
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Kota: Razak claims to be Adi to trap minor Hindu girl, attempts to take her away with him, arrested after the victim got suspicious

An alarming incident has been reported from Kota of Rajasthan where a minor girl, who was preparing for NEET, fell victim to the nefarious plan of a young Muslim man. He befriended her while concealing his true name and religion and attempted to lure her out of Kota. The accused identified as 25-year-old Razak, masqueraded as Adi. He is originally from Uttar Pradesh.

He has been arrested and the matter is being viewed as an incident of “love jihad.” The offender formed a friendship with the student on social media and attempted to lure her out of Kota through deception. While en route, she grew suspicious and successfully saved herself.

The girl then proceeded immediately to the police station. The cops detained him and brought him to Kota, after obtaining information. She was presented before the Child Welfare Committee. The members counselled her and then handed her over to her family. Child Welfare Committee Chairman Rajendra Singh Rathore stated that the underage girl believed the lies of the perpetrator who introduced himself as Adi on Instagram and tricked her.

Rathore added that the culprit travelled to Kota to meet her and then persuaded her to leave with him. According to him, the former broke her SIM card to ensure that no one could track them down. Nevertheless, she became wary of him when he was speaking to someone at his home. She noticed that the language he used sounded different and suspected he was a Muslim.

The girl managed to take the mobile phone from him and shared all the details with her elder sister who instructed her to promptly visit the nearest police station. With assistance from the driver, she arrived at the police station and recounted the entire occurrence after which Adi’s reality was exposed.

He was nabbed and is currently being questioned at the Bilal Kundi police station. He even lied about his age and claimed to be 18 years old. Given the gravity of the case, the cops are conducting an extensive investigation and more significant revelations pertaining to the case are expected.

Govt approves โ‚น20,000 project to convert 6 former Air India planes into AWACS aircraft with next gen surveillance systems: Read how the โ€˜eyes in the skyโ€™ will boost IAF capabilities

Chandrani Das
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Govt approves โ‚น20,000 project to convert 6 former Air India planes into AWACS aircraft with next gen surveillance systems: Read how the โ€˜eyes in the skyโ€™ will boost IAF capabilities

The Union government has granted approval for the production of next generation airborne early warning and control system, giving a much needed boost to the Indian Air Force. As per reports, IAF will get six AWACS aircraft under the project expected to cost around โ‚น20,000 crore. These command and control centres in the air will have the capabilities of tracking enemy aircraft and ground based threats at long distances, besides guiding IAF fighters during a battle.

These AWACS planes will be built on Airbus A321 planes bought by IAF from Air India. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will partner with multiple Indian firms and Airbus to integrate a sophisticated radar antenna and related systems onto the A321 aircraft, which served as passenger planes in the past. The AWACS planes carry a big distictive radar antena above their fuselage.

These planes will undergo extensive structural modifications, including the installation of a dorsal radar fin, to enable full 360-degree radar coverage. The main component that will turn the planes into AWACS is Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS), also known as Netra. The second generation of the system, Netra MK-II, will be installed on the A321 planes.

The conversion of the passenger jets will reportedly take place in a Airbus facility, either in France or Spain. Seats and everything related to commercial operations will be removed, the fuselage will be structurally strengthened to accommodate the heavy radar and sensor arrays. The active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar panels are big and heavy, and therefore structural modification is required.

Moreover, an auxiliary power unit will be installed to meet the increased power demand of the systems, the cockpit instrumentation will be overhauled to military specifications, and consoles will be installed in the belly for mission operators. The planes will get active noise cancellations systems for efficient operations.

This is a crucial move enhancing the Indian Air Forceโ€™s (IAF) operational reach, elevating India into an elite group of nations with indigenously developed airborne surveillance technology.

The AWACS project represents a major leap in indigenous defence capabilities. While it reinforces the spirit of the “Make in India” initiative, it also moves a step ahead by embracing “Design and Develop in India”, marking a shift from simple manufacturing to full-scale innovation and systems integration.

As per a report by The Economic Times, the estimated time of completion of the project is three years. After completion of the project, it will benefit India by giving Indian companies hands-on experience in developing and integrating complex systems.

AWACS: the eyes in the sky

The Netra MkII, part of the AWACS India programme spearheaded by DRDO, has gained fresh momentum following government approval for the prototype production of Indiaโ€™s fifth-generation Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

These aircraft effectively operate as battle managers and early warning systems, coordinating air fights, spotting impending threats and providing real-time intelligence to interceptors and command centres. Their primary functions are air defence command and control as well as long-range radar surveillance. They can detect, track and identify air and surface contacts over long distances because of their enormous radar dome.

In a notable shift, this marks the first instance of an Airbus platform being used for such a mission, an area traditionally dominated by Boeing. This strategic move could also open up potential export avenues in the future.

At present, the Indian Air Force operates smaller Netra airborne warning systems built on Brazilian Embraer 145 aircraft, which have demonstrated their effectiveness in past conflicts with Pakistan. The IAF also fields three IL-76-based ‘Phalcon’ systems, developed jointly with Israel and Russia, although these have faced recurring issues related to availability and technical reliability.

The government signalled to work on the indigenous project to build six AEWC air aircraft in 2021, which will act in modern warfare as powerful โ€œeyes in the skyโ€, to bolster the IAFโ€™s surveillance capability, especially along the borders with China and Pakistan.

The Cabinet Committee on Security on September 8, 2021, approved the project of DRDO, which will entail mounting indigenous 360-degree coverage AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars on six Airbus-321 passenger aircraft to be acquired from the existing Air India fleet.

TOI reported, the IAF felt the operational necessity for more such aircraft during the aerial skirmish with Pakistani fighters in February 2019 after the cross-border Balakot air-strikes. The recent attack at Pahalgam has further accentuated the need.

Air India crash report: Indian officials slam WSJ for twisting facts to save Boeing, say โ€˜no evidence of deliberate fuel cut-offโ€™

Shriti Sagar
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Air India crash report: Indian officials slam WSJ for twisting facts to save Boeing, say โ€˜no evidence of deliberate fuel cut-offโ€™

Top government sources has rubbished the recent report by the Wall Street Journal and told CNN-News18 that thereโ€™s no justification for twisting the cockpit conversation in this way. They emphasized that no evidence so far suggests the fuel cutoff was deliberate. They also noted that the senior pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, has a strong aviation background. He was the son of a retired Civil Aviation Ministry official. โ€œThere is no basis to suggest he was under any kind of stress.โ€ 

The Wall Street Journal’s recent article on the Air India crash on the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI171, which killed 260 people, is again at fault for what many are describing as a “deliberate attempt” to deflect blame from American plane manufacturer Boeing and place it on Indian pilots, even though no new facts have been discovered since the interim investigation report came out. 

The Wall Street Journalโ€™s recent article centred on cockpit voice recordings, asserting that it was the senior pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who shut off the fuel controls in mid-air. Yet this assumption is founded on what amounts to speculation rather than any firm facts. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) never actually identified which pilot flipped off the switches, if indeed it was done at all.

WSJ attempts to twist the narrative

The initial AAIB report did say that one pilot asked the other if the switches had been turned off, and the other pilot said no, but it did not identify these voices with names. The Wall Street Journal took it a step further, reportedly based on “people familiar with U.S. officials’ early assessment”, to identify the calm pilot as the captain and the hysterical one as the co-pilot. This subtle but important turn of events creates the impression that the captain might have either intentionally or accidentally caused the crash, although the official Indian report makes no such inference.

This is not the first time the Wall Street Journal has leapt to Boeing’s defence. It was only a few days since the crash when the Wall Street Journal published an article on 10th June saying, “The probe into last month’s Air India disaster is targeting the behaviour of the jet’s pilots and does not yet indicate a flaw with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.” Once again, they referenced anonymous US officials to imply that the US-made plane had nothing to do with the crash.

WSJ’s pattern of deflection

This seems like a trend in the way the Wall Street Journal covers aeroplane crashes with Boeing. The story tends to shift rapidly towards “pilot error” before thorough data are analysed. In the present instance, both Air India pilots, Captain Sabharwal, who had more than 15,000 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had over 3,400 flying hours, were experienced. 

However, rather than dwelling on potential technical defects, design faults, or maintenance issues, the American media is opting to raise doubts regarding the behaviour of the cockpit crew.

What does the report say?

Indian authorities, however, have been more nuanced in their approach. The initial 15-page report by AAIB, released last week, provided an exhaustive technical analysis. It happened that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner departed from Ahmedabad to London and had only just crossed 180 knots when the two engines lost power instantly. The two engine fuel control switches were toggled from the “RUN” to the “CUTOFF” position one second apart from each other, resulting in full engine shutdown. 

Although the switches were turned back on about 10 seconds later, the plane had already started losing altitude and crashed shortly after, killing 260 people, including 19 on the ground. Only one person survived.

The Ram Air Turbine (RAT), which automatically deploys in case of total power loss, was found to be deployed by the report, which further confirms that both engines had failed. Notably, the AAIB report eliminated the possibility of a bird strike or obstruction during takeoff. The engines and important components are currently undergoing detailed scrutiny.

Investigation still in progress, but media trial already underway

Though Indian officials have yet to determine if the switch-off was a technical glitch, pilot mistake, or potentially a design flaw, the WSJ is in a rush to throw fingers. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has already advised workers and the press against making hasty assumptions. He correctly noted that the investigation is far from over and is still being conducted.

US officials, such as Jennifer Homendy of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), have not made a conclusive statement holding the pilots responsible, either. Homendy stated that the aim is to find out if there is any urgent safety threat to other Boeing 787 flights quickly. No safety notice from Boeing or the FAA has been made so far for the Dreamliner.

Former NTSB official Ben Berman has suggested that the flipping of both fuel switches only a second apart may have appeared intentional, yet even he does not go so far as to call it pilot error. That’s because, before the engines shut off, there were no indications of trouble or distress in the cockpit.

Pilots object to WSJ and US Media reports

Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) raised concerns about how the preliminary report was interpreted and presented publicly by WSJ and other Western media.

“At the outset, we would like to register our dissatisfaction with the exclusion of pilot representatives from the investigation process… Assigning blame before a thorough, transparent, and data-driven investigation is both premature and irresponsible,” the statement said.

Odisha: Crime Branch probe ordered in FM Colelge student self-immolation case, state-wide Bandh called today, friend says victim was being used as political tool by NSUI

OpIndia Staff
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Odisha: Crime Branch probe ordered in FM Colelge student self-immolation case, state-wide Bandh called today, friend says victim was being used as political tool by NSUI

On Thursday, 17th July, Several opposition parties called for a statewide bandh in Odisha. The Bandh has been called to protest the self-immolation death of Soumyashree Bishi, a 20-year-old student at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore. The political firestorm ignited by the tragedy intensified with revelations that Congress’ student wing orchestrated online harassment campaigns against the victim, even as senior party leaders positioned themselves as champions of justice.

The crime branch takes command of the investigation

On Wednesday, 16th July, the Odisha police handed over the case to the Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW). DSP Iman Kalyan Nayak has been appointed as the chief investigating officer. He is very well known for handling sensitive cases. He will be supported by Inspector Panchali Rout. The team will function with the powers of the Officer-in-Charge of Sahadev Khunta Police Station, where the case was originally registered.

This investigation focuses on the charges under Section 75(1)(iii) for sexual harassment, Section 78 for Stalking, Section 108 for abetment to suicide and Section 351(2) for criminal intimidation of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Authorities confirmed the probe will re-examine evidence and witness statements while scrutinizing the role of college authorities. “There is sufficient evidence against the two (Principal Dillip Ghosh and HoD Samir Kumar Sahoo) to prove abetment of suicide,” a senior police officer revealed.

A desperate final act

On 12th July, Soumyashree’s ordeal reached its peak when she set herself on fire outside Principal Ghosh’s chamber. CCTV footage obtained by police shows that the victim entering Ghosh’s office crying, staying for approximately 30 minutes, and emerging weeping before her final act. Minutes earlier, she had reportedly called a friend, revealing the principal was pressuring her to withdraw her sexual harassment complaint against HoD Samira Kumar Sahoo.

As per the friend, earlier the principal had asked for more timem, but did nothing even after 7โ€“8. “In fact, he warned the victim of consequences if she failed to prove her complaint,” the friend said.

That friend said that she was trolled by juniors, who called her a โ€œbad girl” on social media and campus and assassinated her character. โ€œOn June 30, us friends accompanied her for support. She had gone to the principal earlier too, but wasnโ€™t heard. On June 30, we all went with her to demand action. The principal asked for 7-8 days but did nothing. The HoD instigated students to defame her.”

On 14th July, despite emergency treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Soumyashree succumbed to her injuries due to 95% burn injuries. Her death certificate listed the immediate cause as “septicemic shock” resulting from extensive burns, but the underlying causes traced back to alleged institutional betrayal.

Statewide Bandh demands accountability

A statewide Bandh was called in Odisha on Thursday, 17th July, led by the Congress party with the support of Left factions and other opposition parties. Shops remained shut and traffic was disrupted in many areas, including Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. In Bhadrak, markets were closed and public transport was affected. Over 200 police platoons were deployed statewide to maintain order.

Protesters brandishing placards with Soumyashree’s image blocked highways and staged rail roko demonstrations. They demanded the rโ esignation of the Education Minister, local MLA, and MP, Immediate termination of accused college officials, and a Judicial probe into institutional failures. OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das framed the bandh as moral rather than political: “Every school, college, and university is at risk if we don’t act now”.

Hypocracy of Congress’ in its peak

Once again hypocrisy of the Congress party has emerged when their leaders marched in protest. Rahul Gandhi spoke with Soumyashree’s father, calling the incident “a wound to the entire society” and blaming the “BJP’s system” for her death. But it has been revealed that members of the Congress students wing NSUI themselves were harassing the girl.

As per the victim’s friend who talked to media, Soumyashree was used as a political tool by opposition student union NSUI.

Documents and social media archives reveal that the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party, launched a malicious online defamation campaign against her when she was alive. NSUI-affiliated accounts circulated posts branding Soumyashree as “Unstable and manipulative” for political gains, engaged in an “affair with the Education Minister for favours”, โ fabricating allegations to “gain sympathy marks”.

NSUI member Ajay Kumar Panda made a vile post claiming that Soumyashree has a transactional relationship with a senior minister. This post went viral, shattering Soumyashree’s morale and will, isolating her socially and psychologically. Taking to X, BJP spokesperson Sanju Verma shared pictures of Sourav Behera, an NSUI worker and Rahul Gandhi fan, calling him an accused in the 20-year-old girlโ€™s self-immolation. Verma suggested that the deceased victim was associated with the BJPโ€™s student wing ABVP and claimed that the victim was being harassed by Behera.

An Investigation was conducted by ABVP (BJP’s student wing) which shows images of the accused HoD, Dr. Sahu, dining comfortably with NSUI leaders.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Suresh Panigrahi demanded judicial intervention, saying, “The victim appealed to everyone from local MLA to Education Ministerโ€ฆ nothing happened”.

Family’s anguish amid digital persecution

Speaking to India today, Soumyashree’s father broke down, he said, “She did this after coming out of principal’s room. Something must have happened. I was not there…My daughter was forced to die. They should all be charged.”

Soumyashree’s brother filed a formal complaint at Bhograi Police Station, citing continued cyber-harassment even after her death. He stated, “People are making derogatory remarks and posting filthy posts… In our bad times, we are being made to bear this unnecessary trolling”. The FIR names four individuals for exploiting the tragedy politically and disseminating defamatory content.

Madhya Pradesh: Gym trainer Aman Khan uses fake Hindu identity, molests co-worker and forces the victim to convert to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Gym trainer Aman Khan uses fake Hindu identity, molests co-worker and forces the victim to convert to Islam

On Tuesday (16th July), a police complaint was filed by a Hindu woman against one Aman Khan in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh for inappropriately touching her and forcing her to convert to Islam.

According to reports, the victim worked as a receptionist at a local gym named Sai Fitness Gym, where the accused Aman Khan worked as a trainer.

As per the Station-in-charge Praveen Kumre, the victim said that Aman Khan used to inappropriately touch her and hurl abuses. Khan also used to force her to convert to Islam, and explain the ‘benefits’ of converting to Islam.

When she refused to convert, Aman Khan threatened that her that he would make her quit her job. She said that several women who worked in her position in the past had to quit because of Aman’s harassment.

The victim said that she complained about Aman’s behaviour to the gym owner earlier, but nothing happened. Thereafter, the victim approached the members of the Hindu Tiger Force, who accompanied her to the police station, where she filed a complaint.

The members of the organisation surrounded the police station and demanded swift action against the culprit. Subsequently, the police reached the gym to arrest Aman Khan, but he had fled by the time they arrived.

Police kept searching for him at several places, including his residence, but he was not found. Later on, on receiving the information that the accused had gone to the gym to take his things, the police reached the gym and nabbed him there.

The accused has been sent to judicial custody. A case under the relevant provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, and section 75 of the BNS has been filed against the accused.

Mukesh Rajak, a member of the Hindu Tiger Force, said Aman Khan used to hide his identity and pose as ‘Aman Raj’ before the women who used to come to the gym for training.

Sanjana Vishwakarma, a member of the Hindu Tiger Force, said that for a long time, the organisation has been receiving complaints about women being touched inappropriately while training at the gym.

But none of them came out to file a formal complaint out of fear. She said that the organisation had asked the administration to shut down the gyms that do not have female trainers.

MNS workers assault Rajasthani shopkeeper in Mumbai over WhatsApp status considered โ€˜offensive for Marathi peopleโ€™, force him to apologise

OpIndia Staff
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MNS workers assault Rajasthani shopkeeper in Mumbai over WhatsApp status considered โ€˜offensive for Marathi peopleโ€™, force him to apologise

In another incident of language violence, a shopkeeper in Mumbaiโ€™s Vikhroli was assaulted by workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) over a WhatsApp status. The status was deemed to be offensive to the Marathi-speaking community.

The Rajasthani shopkeeper had posted a WhatsApp status that read, “Dekh liya Rajasthani ka power. Hum Marwari hamare saamne kisi ki nahi chalti” (Witnessed the power of a Rajasthani. No one can stand before us Marwaris).”ย 

Later, a video came into light that depicts the shopkeeper being forced to apologise publicly. He was also threatened and physically attacked. The assault took place in the Tagore Nagar area of Vikhroli, a bustling suburb in Mumbai. This highlights the latest series of confrontations involving MNS workers over Marathi identity.

The WhatsApp status shows bragging of Marwari dominance over Marathi people, according to the local MNS workers, which has sparked outrage amongst them. The alleged video shows the man being slapped and verbally berated by them. The workers demanded that he apologise to the Marathi community for his remarks. In the footage, the shopkeeper is seen holding his ears and pleading, “I will not repeat such a mistake.” 

The MNS workers issued a serious warning to him that if he posts any further messages against Marathi people, whether by him, his family, or his employees, he will meet serious consequences. ย The video of his assault was recorded, edited, and circulated, including a Marathi song in the background and a caption that reads: “This is how people will be treated if they say or write or speak anything against the Marathi people.”ย 

The MNS logo is prominently displayed, a move that directly contradicts Raj Thackeray’s public directive to his workers to avoid recording such incidents. During a recent address, Mr Thackeray had instructed party members to refrain from filming their actions to avoid legal repercussions. 

This is not an isolated example of MNS workers forcefully imposing their power on the Marathi language. On July 12, a similar incident was followed when an auto driver, Raju Patwa, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, was slapped by a group, including women, on a busy road near Virar railway station. The police have registered a case against 20 persons, including office bearers of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, for assaulting the autorickshaw driver over his anti-Marathi remarks and refusal to speak the language.

Uday Jadhav, the Virar city chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), was present at the scene and later defended the assault, stating, “If anyone dares to insult the Marathi language, Maharashtra, or Marathi people, they will get a reply in the true Shiv Sena style.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray have come together after nearly 2 decades. They seem to be aligned together against the Hindi language after a bitter family fight lasting decades.

Reacting to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement that attacking random shopkeepers for not knowing Marathi is hooliganism, Uddhav Thackeray said, โ€œMr Fadnavis said we wonโ€™t tolerate hooliganism for language. If a Marathi manus (person) is asking for justice, and if you are calling us goons, then we are goons.โ€

Karnataka Congress govt puts entire blame on RCB for Bengaluru stampede in ‘status report’, absolves itself of any wrongdoing: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka Congress govt puts entire blame on RCB for Bengaluru stampede in ‘status report’, absolves itself of any wrongdoing: Read details

The High Court received the Karnataka government’s report on the stampede in Bengaluru that killed eleven people. However, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has been held accountable for the tragedy by the Congress administration. They submitted that the crowd was invitedย ‘unilaterally’ and ‘without consultation or permission’ from the local authorities,ย to Chinnaswamy Stadium for a victory parade.

The Karnataka High Court ordered the report to be made public and rejected the state government’s request to maintain its confidentially, concluding that there were no legitimate reasons to agree to their appeal. According to the report, on 3rd June when the team eventually managed to clinch the IPL trophy after 18 years, its management called the police and told them about a potential victory parade.

“This was in the nature of an intimation, not a requisition for permission as required under the law,” it insisted and added that permissions of this kind must be secured at least seven days prior to the event. It aruged that the applicant or organizer failed to submit any applications to the licensing authority in the required formats. Therefore, the license-granting authority was unable to grant them a favourable consideration in the absence of the information that was needed in the formats specified.

The report read, “Accordingly, the PI of the Cubbon Park Police Station did not grant the permission to the request made by KSCA on 03.06.2025 at around 6.30 pm, due to a lack of information regarding the expected approximate gathering, arrangements made, possible bottlenecks, and the like, for both possible outcomes of the final match, i.e., whether RCB won or lost.”

Report cites RCB’s social media posts

According to the report, at 7:01 am the following day, RCB shared a picture on its official social media accounts “informing that there is free entry for people and inviting the public to participate in the Victory Parade, which would commence at Vidhana Soudha and conclude at Chinnaswamy Stadium” without first consulting the police.

The report then referred to similar posts that the team had shared on social media. It asserted, “Subsequently, on 04.06.2025, at 8:55 am, the RCB shared a video clip of Virat Kohli, a prominent player of the RCB team, onteam’s official handle @Rcbtweets on X, in which he stated that the team intended to celebrate this victory with the people of Bengaluru city and RCB fans on 04.06.2025 in Bengaluru.”

It further conveyed, “Thereafter, RCB made one more post at 3:14 p.m on 04.06.2024, announcing a Victory Parade to be held from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, stating that this victory parade would be followed by celebrations at Chinnaswamy Stadium. This post mentioned, for the first and only time, that free passes (limited entry) were available on shop.royalchallengers.com, and until this point, there had been no information regarding the disbursement of passes, implying that the event was open to all based on RCB’s prior posts.”

The report mentioned that the posts from the RCB handles had a total of 44 lakh views and attracted an extensive amount of traction online. It stressed, “This led to a public gathering of immense proportions, exceeding 3,00,000, individuals. One basis for estimating the crowd size is the BMRCL ridership numbers for 04.06.2025, which transported around 9.66 lakh persons on that date (with the average ridership on regular days being around 6 lakh persons per day). Therefore, including those who travelled on foot, used public transport, and private means on 04.06.2025, the estimated gathering would be well beyond 3,00,000, individuals.”

Large crowds flooded the streets

According to the report, a significant number of people had gathered along the roads from HAL Airport, the team’s landing location, to Taj West End which was their destination, a distance of around 14 kilometres, besides the crowd that had assembled in and around the Chinnaswamy Stadium. “This created a need for extensive deployment of police personnel en route to manage such crowds and prevent any mishaps,” it pointed out.

The report stated that netizens shared visuals of this spontaneous crowding which intensified the mood and attracted more individuals to the stadium and on the way there. It contended, “This impromptu gathering of crowds on the roads necessitated the urgent deployment of large numbers of police personnel along the routes, in addition to those required at the stadium and surrounding areas. This situation arose due to a lack of proper planning by the Organisers and the failure to provide the necessary information in advance to the concerned authorities.”

The report informed that there was an unexpected spike in the number of persons near Chinnaswamy Stadium on 4th June at approximately 3 pm. It highlighted, “Around 3,00,000 individuals gathered in this limited space, far exceeding the stadium’s capacity of merely 35,000. Such a crowd concentrated at the entry gates of the stadium following posts made by the RCB/organisers on their official handles stating that entry to the event would be free for all.” 

The report accused that the situation exacerbated when the organisers, RCB, DNA and KSCA in charge of gate control failed to open the gates in a timely manner and in an uncoordinated manner, causing agitated throngs to line up at the gates. “This prompted the crowd to force their way into the stadium by breaking open Gate Nos. 1, 2, and 21, due to complete mismanagement by the organisers,” it added.

Stadium gates 02, 2A, 6, 7, 15, 17, 18, 20, and 21 “experienced sporadic stampedes,” based on the report. Furthermore, it lauded the authorities and claimed, “In every instance mentioned, the police personnel at and around the gates responded immediately and effectively to regain control and deescalate the situation.” 

Justification for not cancelling the celebrations

A sudden closure of the stadium’s victory celebrations “could potentially incite violence among the gathered crowd and adversely affect overall law and order across the city,” according to the report and hence the event was not stopped.  It alleged that “a measured response was taken by curtailing the duration of the function. Instead of complete termination, a measured approach was adopted by allowing the event to proceed with significantly curtailed duration and enhanced monitoring.”

The report indicated that the decision was made after considering all factors involved. It stated, “This tactical decision considered the evolving ground situation, crowd psychology, the massive scale of gathering, and the information asymmetry amongst the assembled masses.”

The report further argued, “The risk of large-scale rioting both within the stadium premises and throughout Bengaluru necessitated this careful balancing approach, prioritizing overall public safety over immediate event cessation. It is common and known in Law & Order situations, that cancellation of anticipated events can incite the crowd tremendously and lead to widespread mob violence, as has been seen in several events were such decisions have been taken.”

CAT blames RCB

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was previously found guilty by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for the stampede, claiming that the event was staged without the required permits. The Karnataka government’s suspension order against senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, who was the subjected to the disciplinary action following the incident, was also overturned by the tribunal in its ruling.

The order pronounced, “Prima facie it appears that the RCB is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people. The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the Police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of aforesaid information the public were gathered. Because of shortage of time on 04.06.2026, the Police was unable to do the appropriate arrangements. Sufficient time was not given to the Police.”

On 24th June, the tribunal’s Bengaluru bench which included administrative member Santhosh Mehra and Justice B K Shrivastava, reserved its decision.

DCP’s letter exposes Congress government

Despite the government’s report about the instance, an official letter has already exposed how the Congress governemnt was eager to capitalize on the success of the RCB while disregarding all the warnings.

MN Karibasavana Gowda, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Vidhana Soudha, had protested against holding the RCB felicitation ceremony on the grand staircase of Karnataka Vidhan Soudha. He had brought attention to security issues, including a paucity of personnel in the security wing of Vidhan Soudha, inadequate time for preparation actions and the absence of CCTV at the crucial facility.

“As the Royal Challengers Bangalore team has a large fan following across the country, holding the felicitation at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha may attract lakhs of cricket fans, potentially creating security challenges due to a shortage of officers/staff in the Vidhana Soudha security wing,” the official wrote in a 4th June letter.

He stated, “The event is to be held at 4:00 PM on 04.06.2025. There is a high chance that Secretariat officers/staff may bring their family members to the venue. Therefore, it is requested that orders be issued prohibiting staff from bringing families and declaring an afternoon holiday for Secretariat staff on the said date. Further, they should be instructed not to attend the event venue.”

He even highlighted, “Coordination with the Law & Order and Traffic Police departments is essential for such a large-scale event, and the current time frame seems inadequate for full preparedness. All online and offline passes for public entry to Vidhana Soudha be completely restricted on that day.”

The top cop asserted, “Organisers should be informed to make the stage available for inspection at least two hours in advance. As electrical equipment will be used at the event, a fitness certificate must be obtained from the concerned PWD (Electrical) Assistant Executive Engineer. A formal letter should be sent to them for this purpose.”

He emphasised that the government’s decision should be definitive and any harm to the heritage building Vidhan Soudha must be avoided at all costs. However, the government sought to profit off RCB’s 2025 IPL championship. For this, two events were organised. The Chinnaswamy Stadium hosted one and Karnataka Vidhan Soudha’s grand staircase hosted the other.

The event was approved by Congress to be held on 4th June, in the Legislative Assembly. A Rs 10,000 sanitation charge, a Rs 15 lakh refundable deposit and liability for any damage were demanded of the organisers.

Patna: Md Shoib Ali got Jitendra Mehta killed, wanted to marry the lawyer’s daughter despite being already married and having a child

OpIndia Staff
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Patna: Md Shoib Ali got Jitendra Mehta killed, wanted to marry the lawyer’s daughter despite being already married and having a child

In a shocking case of the murder of Lawyer Jitendra Kumar Mehta, the Patna police in Bihar have made a significant breakthrough. The incident took place on July 13 in the Sultanganj police station area. The police have revealed the whole case in just 24 hours. The murder was planned by the lawyerโ€™s elder daughterโ€™s lover, Mohammad Shoib alias Sonu.

According to the police, Shoib had given a contract of Rs 1.5 lakh for the murder of the lawyer. He has also given Rs 10,000 in advance. The suspected reason behind this is said to be the Lawyerโ€™s disagreement with the relationship between his daughter and Shoaib.

Kartikeya Sharma, SSP, while addressing the media, said the deceased lawyer was angry about his daughterโ€™s relationship with her Muslim boyfriend. He had strictly refused their marriage. This angered Shoib, who hatched a conspiracy to kill the lawyer.

Police have arrested all eight accused who reside in Patna. In which the main conspirator, Mohammad Shoaib alias Sonu, the main shooter, Aditya Kumar, Niranjan Kumar, Nandan Kumar, Akash Usen, Mohammad Ali alias Sahil, Himanshu Kumar, and Roshan Kumar have been arrested by the police.

Police have also recovered a stolen FZ motorcycle, a pistol, two magazines, and five live cartridges from them.

“The main accused, Mohammad Shoib, is already married and has a child. Despite this, he was in a relationship with the deceased lawyer’s daughter and was pressuring her for marriage,” said Kartikeya Sharma, SSP

The police are now probing the criminal records of all the arrested accused. The SSP also said that if needed in the investigation, the lawyer’s daughter will also be questioned.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses AAP of financial irregularities in Jai Bhim Chief Minister Talent Development Scheme, says the party looted the future of Dalit children

ANI
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses AAP of financial irregularities in Jai Bhim Chief Minister Talent Development Scheme, says the party looted the future of Dalit children

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party, accusing them of having “looted the future of Dalit children” by citing irregularities in the ‘Jai Bhim Chief Minister Talent Development Scheme’ which was introduced during the AAP regime in Delhi.

In a detailed ‘X’ post, the Delhi CM stated that the Aam Aadmi Party have insulted the “ideals” of Dr BR Ambedkar and tainted the field of education with their “corrupt” policies.

“The Aam Aadmi Party has looted the future of Dalit children by seizing power in the name of Dalits. They have insulted Babasaheb’s ideals and tainted the sacred field of education with their corrupt policies”, Rekha Gupta wrote on ‘X’.

Alleging financial irregularities in the ‘Jai Bhim Chief Minister Talent Development Scheme’, the Delhi CM said that the budget of the scheme was only Rs 15 crore but the AAP government pushed forward files by creating “fake bills” of Rs 142 crore.

“In the year 2020-21, serious financial irregularities have come to light in the “Jai Bhim Chief Minister Talent Development Scheme” run by the ‘AAP’ government. The budget for this scheme was only โ‚น15 crore, but the ‘AAP’ government pushed forward files with fake bills amounting to over โ‚น142 crore”, the ‘X’ post said.

Rekha Gupta noted that AAP made claims in the name of Dalit children who were supposed to receive coaching without documents, applications without signatures, and the claims of many institutions were found to be 100% fake.

“Claims were made in the name of Dalit children who were supposed to receive coaching, without documents, applications without signatures, and the claims of many institutions were found to be 100% fake”, she wrote on ‘X’.

CM Gupta informed that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will investigate the matter and stated that the AAP, which “indulged” in corruption in the name of Dr BR Ambedkar, will have to “account” for every single penny.

“The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) will now investigate these financial irregularities. Very soon, the truth will be separated from the lies. The Aam Aadmi Party, which indulged in corruption in the name of Baba Saheb, will have to account for every single paisa”, the ‘X’ post said.

Rekha Gupta vowed that AAP’s “true” face will be exposed in front of the public, stating that their “politics” has always been about “pretence” against Dalits.

“The politics of ‘AAP’ has always been about pretense in the name of Dalits, but when it came to fulfilling responsibilities, they did not hesitate to rob the very rights of those they claimed to represent. Now their true face will be exposed before the public”, Rekha Gupta wrote on ‘X’.

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

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