On Tuesday, the Delhi Police filed charge sheet in the Mehrauli murder case to reveal that the accused murderer Aftab Poonawala had several girlfriends from Delhi to Dubai and that this was the main reason of frequent quarrel between him and Shraddha.
Poonawala, 28, is charged with strangling Walkar on May 18 of last year, dismembering her body, hiding the fragments for over three weeks at his home in South Delhi’s Chhattarpur neighbourhood, and then dispersing the pieces around the city.
Police said in the 6,629-page charge sheet that Walkar had previously been lived in constant fear of getting killed or being physically beaten on minor problems before her live-in partner brutally murdered her. The document stated that Poonawala used to beat her viciously and at times used to strangle her close to death. Shraddha lacked support from her family as she was living with Aftab against the wishes of her father and brother.
According to the reports, Aaftab Poonawala had a number of girlfriends, one of whom was in Dubai, and his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar questioned his loyalty, which caused them to quarrel frequently. The murderer also confessed that he was friends with two women, one who lived in Nagpur and the other in Gurugram. “Walkar doubted that he was cheating on her and he also disclosed that it was the main issue of his quarrel with Walkar. He disclosed that he used to beat her over these issues,” the charge sheet said.
Soon after Walkar’s murder, Poonawala communicated with many women using the dating app Bumble. It is through the same dating app, that he also met Walkar in 2018–19, and they later started a live-in relationship.
Police interviewed a witness who said that Sharddha Walkar frequently took sick days from work under the excuse of illness because Poonawala assaulted her. Walkar used to work at a call centre in Mumbai and informed her team supervisor that Poonawala had assaulted her and that she was unable to go to work.
Reports further mention that Aftab used to invite one of his girlfriends to his apartment. When his new friend would come to visit him at his house, he would remove Walkar’s body parts from the fridge and store them in the kitchen. He used to immediately put the parts back in the refrigerator after his new friend’s departure. “He came in contact with one such girl who is a psychologist and called (her)… to his flat. However, when she used to visit his flat, Aaftab used to clean the fridge and used to put the body parts of Shraddha on the upper shelf and at times on the lower shelf of the kitchen,” the charge sheet said.
The charge sheet stated that Poonawala had even gifted a silver ring to his new friend. The silver ring originally belonged to Walkar. However, the woman who was gifted the silver ring after Shraddha’s murder joined the investigation in November of last year and gave the authorities the ring. “On November 11, 2022 (she)…joined the investigation and handed over the silver ring and stated that this was the same ring that Poonawala gifted to her. Later on, the said ring was identified by (two of her friends) during test identification proceedings (TIP) as the Walkar’s ring,” the charge sheet said.
Police were informed by one of Walkar’s acquaintances that she warned him in July 2021 that Poonawala would murder her if she continued to stay with him. According to the charge sheet, Poonawala was vague in his responses during the initial investigation and told police that Walkar had split up with him and departed on May 5 of last year. He said that he had lost contact with her after that.
Poonawala revealed that following the murder of Walkar, he visited a local hardware store and bought a saw, three blades, a hammer, and a plastic clip. “Thereafter, I came back to the flat and shifted the body of Shraddha in the bathroom and cut her hands from the wrist and kept them in a white polythene,” the chargesheet quoted Poonawala’s disclosure statement. According to the police, the deceased corpse was divided into 17 parts over the course of the following four to five days, including three pieces from each hand (six pieces), three pieces from each leg (six pieces), the head, chest, two pieces from the pelvis, and the thumb.
The charge sheet also states that Poonawala had first established physical relations with Shraddha in May, 2019. “Walkar’s family, however, raised objections to their relationship after finding a pregnancy test kit, following which Poonawala took Walkar to a rented accommodation in Mumbai in October 2019,” the report read.
Earlier it was reported that the accused had burnt the pieces of the corpse with petrol and crushed many of Shraddha’s bones in a grinder and threw its powder on the road.
On Tuesday, the vice-chairman of the conglomerate GVK, GV Sanjay Reddy refuted the allegations made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who said that the government had tweaked rules in favour of Adani Group and that the provision prohibiting the participation of those lacking experience in airport development was repealed. Refusing the accusation, Reddy said that the Mumbai Airport deal was executed with absolutely no pressure from the Adani Group or anyone else.
“Our company was looking at fundraising because in our airport holding company, we had raised debt nearly 10 years ago when we acquired Bengaluru airport and that debt was becoming due. Gautam (Adani) bhai approached me and he said he has a lot of interest in Mumbai airport and whether we are willing to do a transaction with him at the same terms and conditions – the only difference being that he said he will ensure he will conclude the entire transaction in one month, which was very important for us,” Reddy said, as per a report in Businesstoday.
He added that before Gautam Adani approached, the company was talking to other investors who had agreed to deal with the company, but they had many conditions. “Then we were hit by Covid. For three months, the airport business was shut and we had zero revenue. It put more financial pressure on us, and so we were trying to work with them to complete the transaction quickly. But it was not happening. It is around that time that Gautam Bhai approached to deal with GVK,” the vice-chairman said. Adani Airport Holdings Ltd took over Mumbai airport from GVK in July 2021.
Rahul Gandhi, who led the opposition’s attack on the Adani-Hindenburg controversy in the Lok Sabha, said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election was to blame for Gautam Adani’s meteoric rise and claimed that after 2014, “magic” actually happened that spurred the businessman from 609th to second place on the world’s wealthiest list. “Their relationship began many years ago when Narendra Modi Ji was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. And when most of India’s business was asking questions to the Prime Minister, one man stood shoulder to shoulder with him”, Rahul Gandhi said referring to Adani.
Regarding the specific claim made by Gandhi in the Parliament that GVK was coerced into selling Mumbai Airport to the Adani Group, Reddy said that the deal was executed because GVK was in need of the deal. “We had to repay lenders and there was no pressure from anybody else at all. As far as other aspects of what is being said in parliament, I would not like to comment as I would not like to get into the politics on it,” he added.
Reddy meanwhile also praised Gautam Adani and said that he deals directly without anybody’s assistance. “The deal was very simple, very straightforward. We did not have a lot of conditions, the time frame was very specific so that we could conclude it quickly and take care of the lenders, which was the top priority. And he also gave comfort to the lenders by saying he will do this fast so they need not worry. So my dealing with him has been excellent, with no issues at all. Whatever was committed, whatever was understanding, we kept it up, we concluded,” reddy stated further.
Rahul Gandhi yesterday in the Parliament claimed that the Centre changed a few rules and developmental projects of six airports were given to the Adani Group. He said that the GVK was forced by the CBI and ED and the Indian government to put the Mumbai Airport in Adani’s hands. Additionally, he criticised Adani Group for its ‘interest’ in the defence industry and raised questions about how it came to be awarded contracts to make drones while having no prior experience.
Further, he claimed that the Adani Group received contracts to develop wind farms in Sri Lanka and deliver electricity in Bangladesh as part of a “foreign policy” to expand Adani’s empire. Rahul Gandhi also mentioned a report by Hindenburg Research linking the Adani Group’s use of shell companies in Mauritius to national security and asked how much Adani had invested in the BJP in bonds as he wrapped off his speech.
US First lady Jill Biden kissed Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff ‘on the lips’ ahead of the State of the Union Address on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Fox News reported.
On Tuesday night at the national Capitol, President Biden delivered his second State of the Union address, the first after he lost the majority in the US House of Representatives. Soon after, the moment of the two sharing a kiss went viral on Twitter, with several social media users passing remarks.
“Jill Biden just kissed Kamala Harris’ husband on the lips. Didn’t see that one coming,” a person wrote on Twitter. “Did Jill Biden just kiss Kamala’s husband on the LIPS?!,” another said.
“Sexy start to the State of the Union tonight with Dr Jill Biden and Kamala’s husband with a heck of a hello kiss,” wrote another.
After the Republicans seized control of the House of Representatives, Biden is giving his first significant speech before a divided Congress.
He pushed Republicans “friends” to cooperate.
Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) in his State of the Union address said that the American economy is better positioned to grow “than any country on Earth,” despite disruptions from Covid-19 and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden began his remarks by greeting newly elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, showing early signs of bipartisanship. The president also acknowledged Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black party leader in the House and the minority leader of the House.
On February 7, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra was seen using abusive language inside the Parliament. In a viral video, she was heard using the word ‘hara*i’ while another lawmaker, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu of the Telugu Desham Party was speaking. The MP from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party went on an unhinged rant following the uproar on social media over her actions. The netizens questioned her ulterior motive, which further irked the TMC leader.
At 7:23 PM on February 7, 2023, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu presented his remarks during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha. As per the uncorrected discussion text available on Lok Sabha’s website, Mahua said, “Kitne [word removed] bante hain… Kitne mahaan… aapko to pata hoga…”Several members of the Parliament objected to the language and demanded an apology from her.
The Chairperson mentioned that none of her statements would go on record. He said, “No harsh word need be used in the House, that too, offensive word should not be used. When it has been used, as we all know, I will request the Leader of the concerned Party and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to consult and take an appropriate decision.” The concerns were noted by the Chairperson and were referred to the Speaker.’
Text from uncorrected discussion in Lok Sabha. Source: loksabha.nic.in
As noted by the Chairperson, “Hon. Minister, in your absence, some untoward incident has happened inside the House. Harsh words have been used. Offensive words have also been used. At that time, Mr Naidu was speaking. But across the House, some harsh and offensive words have been exchanged. So, I had requested that the Leader of the Party concerned and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs should sit together and sort it out.”
Replying to the statement, BJP leader Prahlad Joshi said, “As directed, I will speak to the Leader of the Trinamool Congress Party. But the word — which was made known to me — was very unfortunate. Courtesy demands that she should apologise. If she does not apologise, then I will leave it to them because ultimately, it shows their culture. That is all, Sir.”
Text from uncorrected discussion in Lok Sabha. Source: loksabha.nic.in
The text of the statements has been picked from Lok Sabha’s website without any edits.
Reaction from the netizens
Though the video of Mahua using abusive language inside the Parliament was not added by Sansad TV, it was made available on social media by several netizens criticising her.
Investigative reporter Vijay Gajera questioned, “Why has Mahua Moitra lost her mind in Parliament today?”
Why has Mahua Moitra lost her mind in Parliament today?
Twitter user Sumeet Bhasin requested Speaker Om Birla to suspend Moitra from the House. He said, “Request honourable Speaker Om Birla Ji to throw this lady out of the House for this session for her words. Unfortunately, she is the poster woman for many, but for us, she is a stupid lady without any ethics.”
Request honourable speaker @ombirlakota Ji to throw this lady out of the house for this session for her words. Unfortunately she is poster woman for many but for us she is stupid lady without any ethics. https://t.co/ArCRe55HdF
Twitter user Yo Yo Funny Singh demanded action against her. He said, “Why so irked Mahua Moitra that you resort to using unparliamentary language and call other MPs’ Har*mi’ on the house floor? BJP MPs should move a privilege motion against her. She has a history of being uncouth and despicable. No amount of paid PR can hide the real her.”
Why so irked Mahua Moitra that you resort to using unparliamentary language and call other MPs ‘Haraami’ on the floor of the house.
BJP MPs should move a privilege motion against her.
She has a history of being uncouth and despicable. No amount of paid PR can hide the real her. pic.twitter.com/YtWyeheQqe
Major Gaurab Arya (Rtrd) said, “Mahua Moitra Ji, you have certainly not been elected to represent the world’s largest democracy to accept censorship. Then why to enforce it? Please give back Prof. Ambikesh Mahapatra his 11 years. And “uncensored” me while you are at it.”
Mahua Moitra Ji, you have certainly not been elected to represent the world’s largest democracy to accept censorship. Then why enforce it? Please give back Prof. Ambikesh Mahapatra his 11 years. And “uncensor”me, while you are at it. pic.twitter.com/TtrMBdJOz0
Mahua Moitra went on an unhinged rant justifying her behaviour
Following the uproar, Mahua Moitra went on an unhinged rant on social media. Claiming no one was “behind her”, she said, “Nobody is behind Mahua. Mahua is behind the truth. (And truth can’t be silenced by thug hecklers).”
Unhinged rant of Mahua Moitra. Source: Twitter
In another tweet, she called the netizens criticising her “monkey brigade”.
Mahua Moitra called netizens “monkey brigade”. Source: Twitter
Mahua Moitra’s history of fake statements and rants
This is not the first time Moitra has made headlines for the wrong reasons. On several occasions, she made fake, misleading and derogatory statements in and out of the Parliament. Recently, she was caught lying about SBI’s exposure to the Adani Group. Later, when the netizens called out her lie, she deleted the tweet.
In August last year, when the opposition parties, including TMC, were creating a ruckus in the Parliament over price rise, she was seen hiding her Louis Vuitton bag worth 1.6 lakhs. She was called out for her hypocrisy.
From derogatory remarks against Maa Kali to making bizarre statements on social media, the lawmaker, who is much-loved by the liberal media, is often in the news for creating controversies.
When you take up any project (small or big) at your school, college, work or in life, one of the first things you visualize is how to quantify your results. What do you intend to achieve? How will you go about achieving it? Can you make it novel? How can you stand out from your peers? These and many such thoughts go through your mind and you work towards achieving them.
Now imagine when you hear about a political project by the Congress party at the scale of Bharat Jodo Yatra. We were constantly told about how this Yatra is aimed at unifying India and stopping hatred. So, the least you would expect is that the Congress party will at least stay united and not spread hatred in the country.
But how can any of these be achieved when there is no inherent sincerity in the man leading this yatra? For example, he was in Hyderabad. He addressed a public gathering right in front of the Indira Gandhi statue, at what is famously called the Necklace Road. Right across the road, if you literally walk for about 100 feet, is the statue of another former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Map of the statue
Rahul Gandhi and the entire Congress party did not even bother to pay homage to this statue. In fact, this statue was not constructed by the Congress party in the first place! You may have observed the “P.V. Narasimha Rao Marg” right next to the statue of P.V. Narasimha Rao. Do you know where that leads to? Let’s take a look at the map below:
map of the area
That road leads to P.V. Narasimha Rao’s samadhi – P.V. Gyan Bhoomi. Rahul Gandhi and the entire Congress party did not bother to go to P.V. Gyan Bhoomi and pay homage to him. It was as if the statue and the samadhi didn’t even exist for them. And therefore when Rahul Gandhi did the drama of visiting the samadhi of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi, it was not very difficult for the common citizen to see through the vile nature of the Gandhi family. Rahul Gandhi’s favourite newspaper, The Hindu, though ignored this contradiction. In fact, they told us that “By paying tributes to A.B. Vajpayee, the first Prime Minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr Gandhi has sought to make a distinction between the current iteration of Hindutva from its own original content and intent, tenuous as that may be.”
P.V. Narasimha Rao was a lifelong congressman and stepped up at one of the most crucial moments for both the party and the country. What real “unification” can someone like Rahul Gandhi achieve when he can’t even adhere to the basics of that concept in his own party? Very conveniently, in their entire coverage and analysis of the BJ Yatra, The Hindu makes zero mention of Rahul ignoring and insulting a Prime Minister from the Congress party.
The inherent lack of sincerity doesn’t end with this example alone. At the beginning of the yatra, The Hindu told us that “Bharat Yatris to eat, sleep on the road for 5 months”. For some strange reason, The Hindu has different headlines on the web and print editions, for the same story!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
You would imagine that Rahul Gandhi and his 119 co-walkers, called Bharat Yatris, will actually “tough it out” and actually “sleep, and eat on the road”. Hidden in the news report is a small detail – they will actually sleep in containers mounted on trucks – a total of 60 containers have been used by the Congress party. Not mentioned at all in these reports of The Hindu is the nature of these “containers”. NDTV made a brief attempt to show the movement of these containers but it looked like there was some pressure not to highlight them.
NDTV headline
Towards the end of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, The Wire was commissioned to elevate Rahul Gandhi’s “sufferings” but this brilliant OpIndia piece dissects and shows us the luxurious lifestyle that Rahul Gandhi has lived all along the yatra. All of these were AC containers fitted with luxury beddings and bathroom fittings, but newspapers like The Hindu very conveniently chose, not only to hide such luxury but to lie to all of their readers in a blatantly insincere attempt to elevate Rahul Gandhi.
The Hindu’s elevation of Rahul Gandhi, all through the yatra, is a great journalistic lesson on how to be more loyal than the king! In various instances, we have been told how ambitious and audacious this yatra is. We were told by The Hindu that “his message of harmony is as inspiring as it is innocently idealistic.” The “message of harmony” took a severe beating right from the start of the yatra itself – when Rahul “innocently” met Pastor George Ponnaiah, who fiercely advocated the breaking of India; met Uday Kumar who stalled many development projects in the country; met Medha Patkar who was the reason for the misery of crores of people; met Naxal sympathizers such as Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan all along his yatra. Now, imagine the wordplay The Hindu would have resorted to if BJP did a program aimed at “Jodo” (unify) and met with those who practice the exact opposite! But they conveniently chose to ignore all of these severe incidents and continued to elevate him.
Just a month after Rahul Gandhi left Telangana, elected MLAs, MPs and other leaders raised a banner of revolt and came up with a “Save Congress” plan. The Hindu wrote a glowing report on November 9th on how Rahul Gandhi united and enthused Congress leaders and cadres. And on December 18th, a banner of revolt was raised by the exact same leaders!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
And of course, The Hindu decides not to comment on the futility of the “Jodo” yatra (especially when it gave a glowing tribute when Rahul was touring!). We were told that there was widespread excitement when Rahul Gandhi was touring Kerala for a full 18 days (in Sep-Oct of 2022). This is also the state from where he is an MP too. He wanted to fight against hatred, communalism and whatnot.
And in February 2023, we are treated to this opinion article that describes the various problems plaguing the Kerala Congress – and that includes how they bullied (i.e. spread hatred) against their own leader and forced him to resign. The only fault of Anil Anthony was to stand up for India!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
The February 6th article makes no references to Rahul’s “message of harmony”; does not point out the irony of Rahul conducting a Bharat Jodo (Unify India) yatra and then firing his own leaders for doing the exact same thing. It’s as if the Bharat Jodo Yatra didn’t even happen in the first place! The article tells us that “Political observers feel that there is a crab mentality in the Congress leadership”. What a brilliant way to escape naming Rahul Gandhi as the “Congress leadership” (after all he is an MP from this very state!)
Rahul goes to Punjab and the party splits there – notice the stark difference between The Hindu’s headline and of the other media.
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
The severe infighting in Rajasthan that led to unprecedented chaos for the Congress’s own Presidential election happened just a couple of weeks after the Bharat Jodo Yatra began. After the Yatra left Rajasthan, the Congress was still a disgruntled unit. Before the Yatra entered J&K, leaders resigned from the Congress party, but we saw zero references to these critical events in The Hindu’s analysis of the BJ Yatra.
News18 headline
Instead, we were treated to glowing articles that tell us that “Bharat Jodo Yatra is not for the faint-hearted or the weak-kneed — the pace is back-breaking, the terrain can be challenging.” You read it right, they wrote this!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
We are told that in fact “The frenetic yatra is also an escape for Mr Gandhi from the malfunctioning Congress.” This kind of analysis totally confuses me. What kind of a leader escapes from problems in his own party? And more importantly why does the same newspaper then elevate him with flowery language such as “The march is on. Long. Arduous. Lonely.” Such strong prose by The Hindu in the same article where they also say that Rahul is escaping from responsibilities is confounding!
The Hindu published such glowing pieces very regularly all through the BJ yatra – and not a single one of them touched on any tangible benefit to the Congress because of this yatra! My personal favourite is Kamal Hasan’s “A yatra that is the darn to repair India’s gashes” – so vacuous in its content that it’s a miracle it occupied so much space!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
In addition to the multitude of glowing articles, The Hindu also published three editorials on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. In the first editorial, at the beginning of the yatra, we have been told that the yatra should not be about Rahul.
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
Such sagely advice from The Hindu was not followed by The Hindu themselves! It has already been shown how The Hindu focussed so much on Rahul Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi alone. They have even isolated him from the problems of Congress and of course, they have even isolated him from the other “Bharat Yatris” who travelled along with him. Have you seen a single story about those yatris, who perhaps faced more hardship than Rahul Gandhi actually did? Nope. It is understandable that the Congress party doesn’t want such stories, but what explains media like The Hindu ignoring those stories? Especially when they themselves have sermonised that the BJ Yatra should not be about Rahul!
In the same editorial, The Hindu wrote that “The notion that NGOs and actors outside the Congress structure will give buoyancy to his politics is wrong and misplaced.” Yet another sagely advice. Now let’s see what The Hindu analysed when the situation ended up with NGOs and literally actors outside the Congress structure getting involved.
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
I don’t understand how you can lose elections if you “establish a direct connection”. And if the yatra failed in establishing a direct connection, then what exact purpose has it served?
Their second editorial was ambivalently titled as “Clarity and Confusion”. The editorial is a masterclass in creating confusion and not providing any clarity!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
Take a look at the line below the title for example – “Use moral clarity for a roadmap for electoral success”. The use of lofty phrases such as “moral clarity” may make them sound intellectual but such phrases have zero value to anyone. In fact, in this editorial, we are told that Rahul Gandhi’s “intentions are beyond reproach.” The language is baffling – it’s as if we should not question Rahul Gandhi at all.
Their third and final editorial was poetically titled “Miles to Go”. If the conclusion after literally walking miles, is that there is still “Miles to Go”, it really speaks volumes about the nature of the yatra!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
But why are they saying that there are “Miles to go”, after publishing so many articles telling us that Rahul Gandhi was the best?
Because, for starters, this yatra has not seen any electoral benefit for the Congress – they lost an important bypoll in Telangana when the Yatra was in the state; they lost the Gujarat elections very badly; the Himachal victory was despite of Rahul Gandhi!
Because no new political alliances were formed even after so much walking. Some zillion parties were invited – most of them declined to participate. The only place where regional parties showed excitement was J&K. Everywhere else, not a single new alliance was formed. Not a single new friend was made.
Because no new narrative was created. It was all rhetoric about “hatred” at every single state he went to. Local issues were referred to in passing only. The overall message always boiled down to how brave Rahul Gandhi is and how he is fighting against “hatred”. And towards the end of the yatra, Rahul Gandhi ended up boasting how he hasn’t seen any hatred in the country. If the very premise of your yatra has been dismantled, then ofcourse you have “miles to go”!
The Hindu’s coverage of the entire yatra was bereft of all these contradictions. The focus of their coverage was to elevate Rahul Gandhi, even though there is no substance. Their coverage is truly a great lesson to be taught in journalistic schools – how to be more loyal than the king! However, amidst all of this, the best headline also came from The Hindu, which aptly summarized the entire BJ Yatra!
The Hindu’s coverage of Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra
Mumbai-based start-up Pocket Aces has laid off 25% of its workforce. Pocket Aces runs popular channels like Gobble and FilterCopy on various social media platforms such as YouTube. This decision is taken by the company as a cost-cutting measure. 50 personnel from the production, post-production and content departments have been affected by the development. The business added that it is attempting to create a new operating model that would enable it to rely on freelancers for long-form content.
Aditi Shrivastava, the CEO of Pocket Aces, said, “It has been a tough decision to part with some of our talented team members and friends. However, we must continue to innovate our operating models, as this is the only way to ensure that we remain agile with changing audience preferences.”
She added, “We deeply care about the people leaving us and will provide them with financial support, ongoing health insurance coverage, and help with their transition. We will also continue to work with many of them as freelancers and assist others with outplacements.”
Pocket Aces, which was established in 2013, also runs the gaming software Loco and the talent management platform Clout which manages over 100 digital actors and influences. It also handles a number of YouTube channels, including Filtercopy, Dice Media, Nutshell, and Gobble. On YouTube, it has 8.9 million subscribers, and on Clout, 8.5 million users.
Pocket Aces has raised $20 million in investment since it was founded. Its most recent round saw the company get $17 million in debt financing from Stride Ventures in January 2021. Other investors supporting the business include Infosys, Sequoia Capital, North Base Media, 3One4 Capital, and DSP Group. The business anticipates reaching profitability in the fiscal year (FY) 2024.
Aftab Poonawala, the accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, has confessed to his crime. In the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police, there have been many shocking revelations from Aftab’s confession. In this, the accused told how he disposed of the pieces of Shraddha’s corpse. The accused said that he burnt the pieces of the corpse with petrol and crushed many bones in a grinder and threw its powder on the road.
Shraddha Walkar and Aftab Poonawala first went on a trip
According to a report by ABP, the accused Aftab Poonawala has written in his confession, “We both planned trips to improve our relationship. We both left Mumbai on 28-29 March 2022 for a trip and reached Haridwar. Then after visiting Rishikesh, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Manali, and Chandigarh, we reached Parvati Valley where we met a boy named Badri whom we had befriended with Bumble App. He asked us to come to his home in Delhi.”
This friend in Delhi asked them to move out
Aftab Poonawala further said in his confession, “We reached Badri’s house in Chhattarpur hill in Delhi on 5th May 2022 after traveling for about a month and a half. We stayed at his house for about eight-ten days and there were fights between me and Shraddha there too. For this reason, we had a breakup. Due to frequent fights between me and Shraddha, Badri asked us to leave his house. After staying somewhere else about two days later, on May 16, 2022, both of us rented a house in Chhattarpur Hill through broker Rahul Roy and started living.”
The live-in couple had fights over small issues
Aftab Poonawala further said that while living together, he and the deceased Shraddha Walkar frequently had fights over small issues. He wrote in his confession, “At that time, both of us did not even have a job and most of the money was spent on the trip. Here too, there was a lot of quarrel between the two of us over small things. On May 18, 2022, she told me that she wants to go to her rented house in Vasai and bring household items, but I told her not to leave saying I was unwell. This made her angry and she started saying that both of us have only two bags and there is no food to eat. She said that eating outside food daily is not good for health.”
The culprit accused the victim of abusing him
Aftab Poonawala said, “I told her to pay half the money for the expenses, on which she got angry and started abusing me. I decided to get rid of her quarreling habit forever and get rid of her. Then on May 18, I grabbed her to kill her and dropped her on the floor and sat on her chest, and held her throat tight with both my hands until she died.”
Disposal of the corpse
Aftab Poonawala further said in his confession, “After this, I hid her dead body in the bathroom. Then I planned to cut it into small pieces and put it in a big briefcase to dispose of her dead body and bought a hammer, a saw, and three blades from a hardware shop on a 60-foot road from Chhattarpur hill. After this, I started cutting her dead body into pieces. On May 19, 2022, I bought a trash bag, a knife, and a chopper from a shop near Chhatarpur on temple Road. I put the knife in the bag and was going to hang the bag on my back, at that time, I got a cut on the tattoo made on my right hand. I got five stitches on the cut from the neighboring doctor.”
The dead body was put into a fridge
Aftab Poonawala added, “After this, I bought a fridge for 25 thousand rupees. The fridge was delivered to my address by the shopkeeper in the evening of the same day. In the evening, I packed some body parts in a trash bag and put some body parts in the freezer. I bought toilet cleaner, bleach, handwash, and other items from the shopping app to clean the blood spread after cutting the body parts. When the goods were delivered, I cleaned the blood spread.”
The briefcase
Aftab Poonawala further mentioned in his confession, “On May 20, I bought a large red briefcase from Mehrauli Market as part of a plan to dispose of the dead body pieces. When I bought the briefcase and brought it home, I put pieces in it, then the weight of the briefcase became heavy. In such a situation, this plan was abandoned for fear of being caught. Then I planned to throw small pieces at different places in the forest to dispose of her dead body.”
Disposing of the pieces of the corpse at various places
explaining the disposal of the dead body in detail, the accused said, “I burnt the pieces of the corpse with petrol and ground many bones in a grinder and threw its powder on a 100-foot road. Some parts of her body were put in polythene and put in a dustbin kept on the 60-foot road Chhattarpur hill. Some of her other body parts were dumped in the forest near the cremation ground of Chhattarpur hill, the forest behind Rain Basera Uttarpur Enclave, MG Road leading to Gurugram, and the forest near Chhattarpur hill. Many of them were burnt by pouring petrol for the purpose of destroying evidence. About three to four months after the incident, her head was thrown into the forest of Chhattarpur Enclave.”
Deceiving victim’s friends and family
Even after killing Shraddha Walkar, Aftab Poonawala continued to communicate with her friends pretending to be Shraddha. He confessed, “After the incident, Shraddha’s Instagram was logged in to my phone, from which I pretended to be Shraddha and replied to her friend Laxman. On the day of killing her, I transferred Rs 54,000 from her mobile phone to my account twice. After this, I went to Mumbai in the first week of June to get goods from my rented house in Vasai. After this, I came back to Chhatarpur hill. When I was called by the Maharashtra Police to inquire about Shraddha, I lost shraddha’s phone while coming back from there.”
Aftab Poonawala concluded by saying, “After the incident, I bought a new phone and sold my previous phone on Amazon in an exchange offer. I put the stud on Shraddha’s lips and one of her mobile phones in a compartment and threw it while going to Manikpur police in a moving train in the Mira Road area of Mumbai. I murdered Shraddha and erased evidence by cutting her body and disposing of it at different places. I made a mistake, I’m sorry.”
The Kashimira police at Mira Road in Maharashtra arrested a 22-year-old man named Imtiyaz Chaudhary for assaulting and raping his former girlfriend. The accused not only assaulted the victim but also recorded the act and was using it to blackmail her. The incident reportedly took place on January 29.
According to reports, Imtiyaz committed the crime after getting angry over a breakup. The victim had reportedly broken off ties with the accused after he refused to marry her due to their different faiths.
The police said that Imtiyaz had been in a relationship with the victim since 2021, however, the latter stopped responding to the accused’s calls and messages after he refused to marry her. This miffed Imtiyaz, who called up the victim and asked her to meet him at a hotel named Kashimira lodge on Mira Road. The accused threatened to circulate private photographs and videos of the woman if she failed to turn up.
“The woman got scared at his threats and agreed to meet him on January 29,” said an officer attached to the Kashimira police.
On January 29, Chaudhary allegedly summoned the woman to a hotel and assaulted her sexually. He then began spitting on the floor of the room and forced her to lick it in order to torment and punish her for breaking their relationship.
Later, the accused released the victim on the condition that she will not tell anybody about her ordeal and not approach the police. He threatened her with death if she didn’t comply with his demands. The woman, however, went to Kashimira police station with a friend and a social activist and reported the assault.
Based on the victim’s statement, the Kashimira police registered an FIR against Imtiyaz Chaudhary on February 1, 2023, under sections 376 (rape), 377 (sodomy), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
“After learning that an FIR had been registered against him, Imtiyaz switched off his mobile and has been on the run. He sometimes switches on his cell phone and has been continuously changing his location. He is active on social media. Our team has been chasing him, and soon we will arrest him,” a police officer from Kashimira police station had said before the accused was arrested.
“We have traced the accused and are in the process of arresting him. The statements of the hotel staff have also been recorded,” another police officer from Kashimira police station was quoted as saying.
On 7th February 2023, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi delivered a speech in the Lok Sabha. During his address, the Wayanad MP took up the Adani controversy in the parliament. Rahul Gandhi went on to relentlessly make ridiculous statements during his address.
Rahul Gandhi said, “From Tamil Nadu, Kerala to Himachal Pradesh we have been listening to one name everywhere ‘Adani’. Across the entire country, it’s just ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’, and ‘Adani’.”
From Tamil Nadu, Kerala to Himachal Pradesh we have been listening one name everywhere ‘Adani’. Across the entire country, it’s just ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’…people used to ask me that Adani enters any business and never fails: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in LS pic.twitter.com/5LV5nRNM8V
He further said, “People used to ask me if Adani enters any business and never fails. The youth asked us, Adani is now in 8-10 sectors & that how his net worth reached $140 billion from $8 billion from 2014 to 2022.”
Youth asked us that Adani is now in 8-10 sectors & that how his net worth reached $140 billion from $8 billion from 2014 to 2022: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in LS pic.twitter.com/fUlND3FuIk
Taking his imagination to a next level, Rahul Gandhi added, “Only Adani is being talked about from apples of Kashmir, Himachal to ports, airports, and even the roads we are walking on.”
Only Adani is being talked about from apples of Kashmir, Himachal to ports, airports and even the roads we are walking on: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in LS pic.twitter.com/C0HP1QHdNH
Rahul Gandhi then tried to establish a relationship between the businessman and PM Narendra Modi. He said, “Relationships begins many years ago when Narendra Modi was Gujarat’s CM. One man stood shoulder to shoulder with PM Modi, he was loyal to the PM and helped Mr Modi to construct the idea of a Resurgent Gujarat. Real magic began when PM Modi reached Delhi in 2014.”
Relationships begins many years ago when Narendra Modi was Gujarat CM…one man stood shoulder to shoulder with PM Modi, he was loyal to PM and helped Mr Modi to construct idea of a Resurgent Gujarat. Real magic began when PM Modi reached Delhi in 2014: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/zYOBfO3O1s
Taking a jibe at Adani getting contracts to operate airports, Rahul Gandhi said, “There’s a rule who doesn’t have prior experience in airports can’t be involved in the development of airports. This rule was changed by the Government of India. This rule was changed & Adani was given six airports. After that India’s most profitable airport ‘Mumbai Airpot’ was hijacked from GVK using agencies like CBI, and ED & was given to Adani by Govt of India.”
This rule was changed & Adani was given six airports. After that India’s most profitable airport ‘Mumbai Airpot’ was hijacked from GVK using agencies like CBI, ED & was given to Adani by Govt of India: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/mcSz4VPjfX
However, BJP MP Dr Nishikant Dubey replied in the Lok Sabha saying that the rules regarding the infrastructure companies GMR and GVK were changed by the UPA government led by former PM Dr Manmohan Singh.
Another fact-check of one of the lie spoken by Rahul Gandhi in parliament today. pic.twitter.com/IBQaSbL6nQ
After this, the Congress leader commented on the undertakings of the Adani group in various sectors. He said, “Now, Adani has zero experience in the defence sector. Yesterday PM said at HAL that we hurled the wrong allegations. But in reality, HAL’s contract of 126 aircraft went to Anil Ambani.” Rahul Gandhi was referring to the allegations of wrongdoing in the Rafale deal despite the apex court of the country expressly stating that it did not find malpractices in the said deal.
Now, Adani has zero experience in the defence sector. Yesterday PM said at HAL that we hurled the wrong allegations. But in reality, HAL’s contract of 126 aircraft went to Anil Ambani: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/Tfo1HXHhG3
Rahul Gandhi seems to have drawn no lessons from the Rafale deal fiasco when he and his ecosystem tried very hard to project PM Modi as corrupt but ended up humiliating themselves when the Supreme Court said there was wrongdoing in the deal.
He added, “Adani never made drones but HAL and other companies in India do that. Despite that PM, Modi goes to Israel and Adani gets the contract.”
Adani never made drones but HAL, other companies in India do that. Despite that PM Modi goes to Israel and Adani gets the contract: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/iJg0RFjRYe
Rahul Gandhi also tried to establish a correlation between PM Modi’s tours and various contracts secured by the Adani group. He said, “PM Modi goes to Australia and by magic, SBI gives a $1 billion loan to Adani. Then he goes to Bangladesh & then the Bangladesh Power development board signs a 25-yrs contract with Adani.”
PM Modi goes to Australia and by magic, SBI gives $1 billion loan to Adani. Then he goes to Bangladesh & then the Bangladesh Power development board signs a 25-yrs contract with Adani: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/07sQuPQiCB
What Rahul Gandhi has insinuated is that Adani has not won any contract due to his competitiveness, effective pricing, or any other business factor, but PM Modi has helped him in landing projects. Of course, the Gandhi scion has no proof to back the claim and relies on rhetoric to further his allegations—to paint PM Modi with the same brush as that of Congress—corruption.
Intriguingly, the Wayanad MP did not mention when Adani visited the Congress-ruled states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, his company got contracts worth Rs 60,000 crores and Rs 1000 crores respectively in those states. Contradictorily, Rahul Gandhi had at that time defended the Rajasthan government’s decision.
Rahul Gandhi also made a serious allegation about India’s foreign policy by saying that it is designed in a way that suits to benefit the Adani group. He said, “In 2022, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka electricity board informed the parliamentary committee in Sri Lanka that he was told by Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksa that he was pressured by PM Modi to give a wind power project to Mr Adani. This isn’t India’s foreign policy, it’s the policy for Adani’s business.”
In 2022,Chairman of Sri Lanka electricity board informed parliamentary committee in Sri Lanka that he was told by Pres Rajpaksa that he was pressured by PM Modi to give wind power project to Mr Adani. This isn’t India’s foreign policy,it’s policy for Adani’s business:Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/V4lR4jjb3h
After this, he asked questions about the electoral bonds and money allegedly given by Gautam Adani to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said, “Earlier PM Modi used to travel in Adani’s aircraft now Adani travels in Modiji’s aircraft. This matter was earlier of Gujarat, then became of India, and now has become international. How much money did Adani give to BJP in the last 20 yrs & through electoral bonds?”
Earlier PM Modi used to travel in Adani’s aircraft now Adani travels in Modiji’s aircraft. This matter was earlier of Gujarat, then became of India and now has become international. How much money did Adani give to BJP in last 20 yrs & through electoral bonds?: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/iXCHKxGiit
Rahul Gandhi then flagged some posters of photographs of Gautam Adani with BJP leaders. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, at this time, instructed him not to do so. Om Birla said, “No posters please, if you will show posters then this side (BJP) will show posters of Rajasthan’s CM (with Gautam Adani). Showing posters isn’t appropriate.”
#WATCH | No posters please, if you will show posters then this side (BJP) will show poster of Rajasthan’s CM (with Gautam Adani). Showing posters isn’t appropriate: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/HHZIlymApr
Refuting Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “We condemn the baseless allegations levelled by Rahul Gandhi against our govt while speaking in Parliament today. I need to remind him-he, his mother & his brother-in-law are on bail. I want to ask him what are National Herald & AgustaWestland scandals?”
We condemn the baseless allegations levelled by Rahul Gandhi against our govt while speaking in Parliament today. I need to remind him-he, his mother & his brother-in law are on bail. I want to ask him what are National Herald & AgustaWestland scandals?: BJP leader RS Prasad pic.twitter.com/Nu19xiLV5O
It is notable that Adani Group stocks have suffered sharp losses due to allegations of fraud from Hindenburg Research. The investment firm had accused the Adani Group of accounting fraud and stock manipulation, triggering stock prices of its companies to hit lower circuits. The Group has, however, denied the allegations and accused Hindenburg Research of spreading malicious disinformation.
Gwadar, the port city located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan, is in news for the past two months due to the ongoing protests led by Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman. The Haq Do Tehreek (Give Rights to Gwadar) protests are termed to be anti-Chinese, as the protestors are asking the Chinese nationals to vacate the port area while demanding rights for the local Baloch people.
Rehman warned Chinese citizens residing in Gwadar that if the government chooses to ignore their peaceful rallies, the populace has the right to take up and use guns and weapons to defend their rights. According to the reports, thousands of protesters in Balochistan have used Chinese nationals as a negotiation chip to get their concerns addressed.
The protest saw violence in the last week of December in which a policeman was killed, as the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Balochistan, Rehman asked the Chinese to leave the port area. Due to Chinese influence and total negligence by the Pakistani government, Balochistan is said to have been experiencing various issues for a long time. Chinese nationals at the Gwadar port have recently been asked to leave within a week due to the lack of development and economic growth fueled by Chinese colonialism in the area.
Demands put up by the Baloch protesters at Gwadar
After the violence, Maulana Rehman was not arrested as he slipped away from the protests and disappeared from Gwadar. However, the Police managed to arrest his second-in-command, Hussain Wadala. The Police also arrested 100 other people, including local journalists, for the violence at the sit-in protests by the Baloch community. The demonstrators want a halt to China’s unlawful trawling and are asking for the supply of necessities like water, electricity, and jobs, as well as the opening of the border with Iran to trade.
“I did not want to run away but my movement colleagues wanted me to leave the port town as they feared for my life. But I am going back to Gwadar to face my cases,” Maulana Rehman said.
However, he refused to have a problem with the Chinese leaving Gwadar. “I am neither against the Chinese nor am I against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” he claimed and added that weapons were used because the illegal trawlers that travel from Karachi to rob the local fishermen of their livelihood were not being dealt with by the authorities. “Our demands are simple and they are not anti-constitutional,” he affirmed.
Police conducted a crackdown to disperse the crowd
Maulana Rehman held his protests in Y Chowk in Gwadar, which is close to the city’s main port area, drawing a sizable audience. After that, his group of protesters proceeded to the intersection of the deep sea port and the Eastbay Expressway, which connects the port to the major Makran Coastal Highway. There, they attempted to obstruct the flow of traffic to the port. The crackdown that happened on the evening of December 26, 2022, on Maulana Rehman and his supporters was the result of these sit-ins.
Reports mention that the security personnel who conducted the crackdown were masked and fired tear gas in an attempt to try and disperse the crowd. While this continued, some of the Baloch protesters thought that their leader was shot. Though the Maulana had earlier said that the protests would be non-violent and peaceful, the protesters also set the police DIG’s (Deputy Inspector General) office gate on fire. “The cops did not serve us biryani last night so why should we be peaceful and non-violent!” the protesters yelled.
The police in the crackdown reportedly arrested hundreds of protesters including Maulana’s elder brothers Aslam Baloch and Mohammad Jan Baloch, and his second-in-command Hussain Wadala. However, the Maulana managed to escape to Karachi and is said to soon return to the protest site. The government also brought peace to Gwadar by banning gatherings and cutting off internet connectivity.
Locals support Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman and the Gwadar movement
Many Baloch locals seem to support Maulana for holding the protests and the demand for their rights. Mohammad Jan, elder brother of Maulana Rehman said that he had nothing to do with the politics but was concerned about the rights of the Baloch fishermen. “I am a government employee in the fisheries department. I wonder why the authorities arrested me and my elder brother, who is a fisherman, despite the fact that we have nothing to do with his politics. Unlike Aslam, the cops beat me up before putting us behind bars. They did not serve us anything for three consecutive days in that jail,” he said.
Maasi Zainab, who brings women to Maulana Rehman’s protests and sit-ins said that people in Gwadar are deprived of their livelihood. “In Gwadar’s sea, trawlers rule the roost and they leave nothing for us to fish, including the eggs of the fish. Maulana speaks out against this injustice, among other things. This is why he has been arrested.”
Another local stated that residents in Gwadar are being forced to demand that their way of life and means of subsistence be protected, and not be sacrificed on the altar of projects as a result of the entry of Chinese laborers for CPEC-related projects.
“Entire communities have had to be relocated as the port has grown to make room for the relentless steam train of progress. For many locals, this has resulted in the systematic eradication of their way of life in addition to the loss of their property, access to certain fishing grounds, and towns. It appears that these complaints have finally boiled over since they have been progressively increasing over the previous 20 years,” he added.
“The people in Gwadar are on the roads because they have been frustrated for quite some time now. On the other hand, over the last two decades, the expectations from the locals have increased from successive governments, which say that Gwadar should be the second Dubai or Singapore. All this, while the people of Gwadar are still deprived of basic amenities,” social activist Nasir Rahim Sohrabi was quoted as saying by the Dawn.
According to the reports, Sohrabi is correct to argue that the people of Gwadar have not suddenly fought for their rights. Their problems are numerous, and intricate, and have been lingering for many years. The people have been living on their own property for decades, but as a result of development projects that have taken place throughout the whole area, not just the port town, they have been losing their ground swiftly.
Protest posing a potential threat to China-Pakistan relations
Notably, Pakistan’s current largest issue is preventing the collapse of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a cornerstone under development in the Balochistan port city of Gwadar. The protests are now posing potential harm to bilateral economic relations between China and Pakistan as the Gwadar post is a key component of CPEC.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), frequently hailed as Pakistan’s future lifeline, is centered on Gwadar. The Gwadar port project has been in the news since the beginning of 2000, during the reign of former dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who praised China’s support at the Gwadar opening ceremony.
Following the 2015 announcement of CPEC by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the port city of Gwadar gained significant prominence. Since then, Gwadar has been referred to as CPEC’s crown jewel, and CPEC has been referred to as the centerpiece of Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Pakistan’s close diplomatic ties with Beijing preclude it from taking legal action against Chinese trawlers engaged in deep sea fishing. China, which is putting more effort into the development of a deep-sea port, has also kept quiet on the subject. Chinese President Xi Jinping had asked Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to boost security for Chinese nationals working in Pakistan over two months ago. Beijing has also pressed Islamabad to provide more funding for the CPEC projects and to settle debts owed to Chinese businesses.
The Baloch community, meanwhile, has suspicions about the economic ties between Beijing and Islamabad. It is obvious that the long-held frustrations of the inhabitants in Gwadar will continue to intensify the escalating tensions as long as the current situation in the city prevails.
