The Enforcement Directorate has attached a house worth Rs 3.64 crore of Archana Nag, prime accused in an alleged sextortion case of Odisha, under the anti-money laundering law, the federal agency said on Wednesday.
“A luxurious house of the prime accused Archana Nag worth Rs 3.64 crore has been attached in connection with ongoing money laundering investigation into the high-profile sextortion racket being run in and around the city of Bhubaneswar,” the agency said in a statement. The ED said the state police complaint states that the lady blackmailer namely Archana Nag, and her husband (Chand) with the assistance of Shradhanjali Behera and Khageswar Patra generated properties worth crores of rupees through extortion by way of honey trapping high profile and rich people and secretly making their videos and threatening and blackmailing them for lodging false police cases against them and making viral of their videos in social media.
Earlier, the ED seized two high-end vehicles worth Rs 56.5 lakhs under section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
ED had recorded an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) for taking up an investigation under the provisions of the PMLA against Archana Nag, her husband Jagabandhu Chand, Shradhanjali Behera, and Khageswar Patra on the basis of two separate FIRs registered by Bhubaneshwar Police.
The central agency is probing the assets and cash amassed by alleged blackmailer Archana Nag, her husband Jagabandhu Chand and their associates, over a few years.
The ED has traced Rs 2.5 crore deposits in the bank accounts of Archana and Jagabandhu between 2017 and 2022 and investigating the matter.
Archana Nag belongs to Kalahandi and she is accused of amassing over Rs 30 crore along with her husband between 2018 and 2022 by blackmailing and threatening some politicians and affluent people.
Bhubaneshwar Police arrested Archana, her husband and her Associate Khageswar on the charges of blackmailing and are now lodged in Bhubaneshwar jail.
Further investigation, in this case, is under progress.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks in his recent interview with Organiser and Panchjanya had knickers of some of the usual suspects in a twist as they fulminated against him for asking Muslims of India to abandon rhetorics of supremacy.
From CPM leader Brinda Karat to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, a raft of opposition leaders objected to Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks in his latest interview wherein he affirmed that Muslims have nothing to fear in India and advised them to jettison their boisterous rhetoric on supremacy.
CPM leader attacks RSS chief
Senior CPM leader Brinda Karat on Wednesday attacked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat over his recent remark, saying his statement was “highly objectionable, anti-Constitution and provocative”.
“The RSS chief’s statement is against the Constitution. It is objectionable and provocative. The court should also take suo moto notice of his statement,” Karat said as reported by ANI.
The former Rajya Sabha MP further added, “It seems Bhagwat ji will prepare and decide the criteria (for living in India). Bhagwat ji and all his Hindutva brigade should read the Constitution, especially articles 14 and 15, among others. Every citizen has equal rights in our country irrespective of religion.”
“Should Mohan Bhagwat decide how we behave? Former RSS Chief Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar had said if Muslims want to live in India then they will have to remain subordinate. The present RSS chief wants to impose this understanding and thinking even today,” she alleged.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi targets Mohan Bhagwat for asking Muslims to abandon the boisterous rhetoric of supremacy
Similarly, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi too appeared to lose his mind over statements made by the RSS chief in his interview. The fact that Mr Bhagwat belled the cat and confronted the harsh truth without coating it in politically correct terminology seemed to have raised the hackles of the AIMIM chief, who went on a long tirade against the RSS supremo for asking Muslims to relinquish their maximalist beliefs.
“Who is Mohan to give Muslims “permission” to live in India or follow our faith? We’re Indians because Allah willed it. How dare he put “conditions” on our citizenship? We’re not here to “adjust” our faith or please a bunch of alleged celibates in Nagpur. Mohan says there is no external threat to India. Sanghis have been whining about the bogey of “internal enemies” & “state of war” for decades…” Owaisi ranted.
“Why this “chori” for China & “seenazori” for fellow citizens? If we’re indeed at war, has Swayamsevak sarkar been sleeping for 8+ years? RSS’s ideology is a threat to India’s future. The sooner Indians recognise the real “internal enemies”, the better it will be. No decent society can tolerate such hatred and radicalism in the name of religion. Who elected Mohan as the representative for Hindus? Fighting elections in 2024? Welcome” Owaisi further bellowed.
“There are enough Hindus who feel the boisterous rhetoric of supremacy of RSS, leave alone how every minority feels. You can’t say Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam for the world if you’re busy building divides in your own country. Why does PM hug all Muslim leaders of other countries but is never seen hugging a single Muslim in his own country? What are this awakening and war stuff if not rhetoric and hate speech?,” the AIMIM chief asked.
Congress MP Kapil Sibal also weighed in on his opinions on Bhagwat’s remarks, concurring with his ‘Hindustan should remain Hindustan’ statement, but adding “Insaan (human beings) should remain Insaan” to it.
What RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said about Muslims and the belief in religious supremacy
While opposition leaders are ranting and raving over comments made by Mohan Bhagwat, it is worth dwelling on what the RSS chief said in his interview with Organiser and Panchjanya.
From challenges facing the Sangh to its intricate relationship with politics, the newfound assertiveness among Hindus, issues plaguing the young generation of the country, the socio-political transformation primarily driven by technology and modernisation, to the population policy and the population imbalance, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke on a plethora of issues and provided insights about the Sangh’s views on them.
When asked what he thinks how to solve something as complex as the population policy and the population imbalance question, Mr Bhagwat said Hindus must bear in mind that the belongingness they feel for the country is because of their numerical superiority. Expanding on the population imbalance issue, he highlighted that it had been a global problem caused by the aggressive nature of people and civilisations.
“Only the Hindu society stands apart, showing no aggression whatsoever. In the interest of pacifism, non-violence, democracy, secularism etc., the preservation of those who are not aggressive is essential,” emphasising the salience of preserving the Hindu majority of the country in the face of aggressive civilisations striving for homogeneity.
“Hindu is our identity, our nationality, our civilisational trait—a trait that considers everyone as ours; that takes everyone along. We never say, mine is only true and yours is false. You are right at your place, I am right at mine; why fight, let us move together – this is Hindutva. As long as adherent of this value stays in the majority, Bharat remains united,” Bhagwat added.
Stressing why preserving the Hindu society is important, Bhagwat said, “This united Bharat, in turn, provides unity and strength to the entire world. It is not just about Bharat but concerns the welfare of humanity at large. Imagine for a moment the consequences if the Hindu society was to disappear. Other races will start a war for supremacy. This is inevitable. Then what is the guarantee (to save us from this volatile possibility), it is the presence of Hindus.”
“The simple truth is this—Hindusthan should remain Hindusthan. There is no harm to the Muslims living today in Bharat. If they wish to stick to their faith, they can. If they want to return to the faith of their ancestors, they may. It is entirely their choice. There is no such stubbornness among Hindus. Islam has nothing to fear. But at the same time, Muslims must abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy,” Bhagwat said.
Warning how supremacy could foment chaos and inter-religious clashes, Bhagwat accentuated the need to abandon a narrative that promotes uniformity and demonises diversity. “We are of an exalted race; we once ruled over this land and shall rule it again; only our path is right, rest everyone is wrong; we are different, therefore we will continue to be so; we cannot live together—they must abandon this narrative. In fact, all those who live here—whether a Hindu or a communist—must give up this logic,” he said.
On January 10, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced that soon Non-Resident External (NRE) and Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) account holders with international mobile numbers linked to their accounts would be able to use Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Initially, the service will be available for NRIs from Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, the USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Notably, NRIs have requested the Government of India to allow UPI services on their Indian bank accounts linked to their international mobile numbers on several occasions and the issue was raised many times on social media platforms. The decision came at a time when India is celebrating its 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, an event dedicated to the Indian Diaspora living abroad.
As per reports, NPCI has instructed members of the UPI ecosystem to allow NRE/NRO accounts with international mobile numbers to register on UPI. So far, the service was only available for accounts with Indian numbers (+91) linked to them.
Notably, NCPI has specifically instructed the member banks to ensure such accounts are allowed as per the regulations set by Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). They have to follow the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from time to time. That means there will be a set of regulations that NRIs have to follow while using the UPI ecosystem. NPCI has asked the members to comply with directions by April 30, 2023. The services may start in May this year, however, the exact dates have not been announced yet.
Furthermore, it will be the remitter and beneficiary banks’ responsibility to ensure the regulations and guidelines to combat money laundering, financing terrorism, and compliance validation are in place.
From time to time, NRIs have raised the issue with the Government of India and asked to allow them to use UPI with international numbers linked to NRE/NRO accounts. On January 6, replying to a Twitter post, Dr Deepak Megeri, a UK-based Indian Psychiatrist, said that it was unfortunate that NRIs did not have the luxury to use the UPI payment system as it does not work with NRE/NRO accounts. “We must keep drawing the cash as most shops do not use card machines,” he wrote.
Unfortunately there is no such luxury for NRIs who have only NRE / NRO Account. UPI payments does not work with NRE / NRO Account. We have to keep drawing the cash as most shops do not use card machines. @RBI@nsitharamanoffc@PMOIndia@AxisBank@FinMinIndia
Dr Deepak Megeri was replying to a tweet by Moneycontrol editor Chandra R. Srikanth, where she had said it amazes her that she can now pay for everything in India with just a phone.
Tarak Allamsetty, on January 6, had mentioned he could not use UPI as his NRE account was linked to the Canadian phone number.
ok..so I have to be honest here, did not read the article, but as an Indian who has been to India after 4 years, I had go to ATM for cash, as UPI is not available for my NRE account since it has Canadian phone number linked.
Last year on January 2, Tarun Agarwal wrote, “NPCI BHIM, please permit UPI payments via NRE accounts at least. We have to use cash to do transactions while coming to India if I honestly follow FCRA rules for not keeping a domestic bank account.”
@NPCI_BHIM please permit UPI payments via NRE accounts atleast. We have to use cash to do transactions while coming to India if I honestly follow FCRA rules for not keeping a domestic bank account.
Speaking to OpIndia, Nilay Singh, an NRI from Germany, said, “It is a great initiative by NPCI. I hope they will soon allow NRIs from other countries to join the cashless movement. The other day, we were discussing the issue on Twitter, and it is exciting to see how government listens to the requests.”
New records in UPI payments
In December 2022, payments via UPI touched a record high of Rs 12.82 lakh crore. A total of above 782 crore transactions were done in a single month on the platform. In November, 730.9 crore transactions were recorded worth Rs 11.90 lakh crore.
NRE and NRO accounts
NRE account stands for Non-Resident External Account. NRIs use it to transfer money to India from Abroad. The money transferred in these accounts is non-taxable. NRO account stands for Non-Resident Ordinary Account. NRIs use it to manage the income earned in India. The money in this type of account is taxable.
On Wednesday, January 11, director SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ bagged the Best Original song trophy for its song ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the 2023 Golden Globes. As the nation rejoiced over the spectacular win, singer-composer Adnan Sami schooled Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for promoting regionalism with his ‘Telugu flag’ remark for congratulating the ‘RRR’ team.
Quoting CM Jagan’s tweet, Sami wrote, “Telugu flag? You mean the INDIAN flag right? We are Indians first & so kindly stop separating yourself from the rest of the country…Especially internationally, we are one country! This ‘separatist’ attitude is highly unhealthy as we saw in 1947!!! Thank you…Jai HIND!”
Telugu flag? You mean INDIAN flag right? We are Indians first & so kindly stop separating yourself from the rest of the country…Especially internationally, we are one country! This ‘separatist’ attitude is highly unhealthy as we saw in 1947!!! Thank you…Jai HIND!?? https://t.co/rE7Ilmcdzb
This comes after the Andhra Pradesh CM in a tweet stated that with the ‘Naatu Naatu’ victory at Golden Globes 2023, the “Telugu flag is flying high.”
“The #Telugu flag is flying high! On behalf of all of #AndhraPradesh, I congratulate @mmkeeravaani, @ssrajamouli, @tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan, and the entire team of @RRRMovie. We are incredibly proud of you! #GoldenGlobes2023,” CM Jagan tweeted.
It is notable that the ‘Naatu Naatu’ song has been composed by veteran music director MM Keeravaani and penned by Kala Bhairavi and Rahul Sipligunj. ‘Naatu Naatu’ was nominated alongside Taylor Swift’s ‘Carolina’ from ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’, ‘Ciao Papa’ from ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’, Lady Gaga’s ‘Hold My Hand’ from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and Rihanna’s ‘Lift Me Up’ from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’.
RRR’s ‘Naatu Naatu’ wins Best Original Song at Golden Globes 2023
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ bagged the Best Original song trophy for its song ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the 2023 Golden Globes 2023.
While accepting the award at the 2023 Golden Globes, Keeravaani expressed gratitude for his team and also thanked N. T. Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan for their performance on the song. He said, “Thank you NT Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan danced in full stamina on the song.”
RRR is a fictional story based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Ram Charan and Jr NTR played lead roles, respectively.
The Enforcement Directorate are carrying out searches at various locations in Shivamogga district of Karnataka in connection with the Mangaluru blast case.
Searches are being conducted at the houses of suspected terrorists, including Mohammed Shariq, the main accused in the November 19 pressure cooker blast in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru.
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Wednesday. “ED officials are in the area where the houses of suspected terrorists Shariq, Maz Muneer and Mateen are located in Thirthahalli (Shivamogga). Their houses are being searched. Officers are also collecting information from neighbouring houses,” Jnanendra said.
A moving auto-rickshaw had exploded on November 19 last year triggered by a bomb in a pressure cooker that led to unravelling of a terror plot aimed at fuelling communal tensions in the coastal region and in the state, police had said.
Shariq, who was carrying a pressure cooker bomb made IED and Purushottam Poojari, the autorickshaw driver were injured in the blast.
Shariq was en-route to a pre-decided location for carrying out the blast when the explosion took place. The Forensic Science Laboratory Division (FSL) team reached the house rented by Shariq in Mysore the next day and recovered materials used to make explosives.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
TV actor and Bigg Boss fame Rakhi Sawant, known for her mercurial outbreaks and a knack for courting controversies, has hit the headlines once again. This time, though, Sawant is in the news for secretly tying the knot with her long-time beau Adil Khan Durrani. The actor had a low-key court wedding and is yet to make it official on her Instagram account.
However, social media are replete with pictures of the couple which suggest the two are married. In the pictures, Rakhi and Adil are seen holding what appears to be a wedding certificate and posing for the camera. Rakhi is seen donning a red suit while Adil is wearing a black shirt over a distressed pair of jeans.
In another picture, Rakhi is seen signing the wedding certificate. However, it appears that the marriage was registered last year, and it’s only now that the photos have emerged online. The certificate shows July 2, 2022, as the date of the couple’s marriage.
Rakhi Sawant first shot to fame after her infamous row with singer Mika Singh. Since then, she has remained in the headlines for her eccentric take on matters and idiosyncratic behaviour. Rakhi also was a part of ‘Rakhi Ka Swayamvar’, a reality show broadcast on NDTV Imagine. In its finale, Rakhi Sawant selected Elesh Parujanwala, a Canadian businessman from Toronto, as her future bridegroom from among the three finalists.
However, the relationship did not last long. After her stint in Bigg Boss Marathi 4, Rakhi made her first public appearance with her then-beau Adil.
The duo had started dating after Rakhi separated from Ritesh, another man who she claimed to have married. She reportedly filed for divorce from him, and later introduced Adil, a businessman from Mysore as her boyfriend, to the media and her fans.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Wednesday that it has arrested two terror operatives in connection with the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case.
The operatives, identified as Mazin Abdul Rahman and Nadeem Ahmed KA, were arrested in connection with a conspiracy hatched by the accused to further terror activities of the Islamic State (IS) in India. Four other accused persons had been arrested in the case earlier.
The case was initially registered on September 19 last year at Shivamogga Rural Police Station in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district and was re-registered by the NIA on November 4 last year.
NIA investigations revealed that the accused, Maaz Muneer, had radicalised and recruited Mazin, a resident of Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.
However, another accused Syed Yasin radicalised and recruited Nadeem, who belongs to Davanagere in Karnataka. Both were radicalised and recruited for furthering the terror activities of the Islamic State in India, the NIA said in a statement.
“The accused persons recced and attempted or committed acts of sabotage and arson, as part of the larger conspiracy, to further the activities of Islamic State,” the elite anti-terror probe agency said. Further investigations in the case are underway.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On January 8, famous culinary expert Pazhayidom Mohanan Namboothiri announced he would not participate in the tender for serving food at school fests in the state. His decision came after Namboothiri was attacked for his Brahmin identity. Notably, he has been serving food at school fests for over 16 years and has served over two crore students to date.
Namboothiri, who is known for his culinary expertise, expressed his displeasure over communal hatred. He said, “Supervising the kitchen has become tiresome. I will not be cooking for the Kerala School Kalolsavam anymore. I am wondering how I will face a generation that scatters seeds of communal hatred, even in matters concerning food in youthful verve. This makes me very uncomfortable.”
Namboothiri spoke to Manorama News about the controversy over serving vegetarian food during the school fest. He added, “The school fest kitchens were my treasure. However, when the new generation of sycophants come forward with these allegations, it is not right of me to hold on to that jewel.”
Namboothiri has been serving food at school youth festivals, science festivals, and athletic meets in the state for over 16 years. He said, “I have served food to more than 2.25 crore students. I am satisfied I was able to serve food to those tired participants after their performances. But this allegation, which I think was targeted at me personally, pained me a lot. I can understand if the allegation was against the quality of the food. But they should not have given a religious colour to it.”
He further noted that the State Government decided to serve vegetarian food, and he had no objection to preparing non-veg food for the festival. “If the government takes a call to include non-vegetarian food in the menu, then there was no scope for any complaint,” Namboothiri added.
Namboothiri further explained that when food is prepared for large-scale events, it is challenging to prepare and serve healthy non-vegetarian food. There were 9,000 students at the Kalolsavam, and a total of 24,000 people were served food during the festival.
Interestingly, Namboothiri noted that he had served non-vegetarian food in the state athletic and games meet. “Apart from that, I have not taken an order for any meat preparations,” he clarified. It was clear that Namboothiri did not object to serving non-veg food, but it was the State government’s decision to go with the vegetarian menu.
Namboothiri added, “For over half a decade, I have been serving non-vegetarian food at sports meets. I was never hesitant to take up the job citing my religion or caste. When it comes to serving food, all are alike for us.”
Following the controversy, Namboothiri has decided not to participate in the tendering process for future state youth festivals. He would not be serving food at the South Indian Science Fair at Thrissur scheduled from January 26 to January 31.
Namboothiri even had to restrict entry to his kitchen, fearing attacks on him. “I cannot perform with such fear. That is why I have decided not to participate in kalolsavam,” he said.
About the controversy
On January 4, Arun Kumar, a famous TV news anchor and a professor at Kerala University, published a post on his Facebook account condemning the decision to serve only vegetarian food during the School Youth Festival organised by State Government in Kozhikkode, Kerala.
Source: Facebook
The contract was given to Namboothiri after following the due process. It was the government’s decision to serve only vegetarian food during the festival. However, because Namboothiri is a Brahmin, it was turned into an anti-Brahmin agenda.
He added – “This is a school festival food pavilion and not a place to serve vegetarian prasad. There is true renaissance in a place like this NOT WHEN A BRAHMIN REACHES THE KITCHEN but when a variety of food gets served, when there is no imposition of beliefs of purity” 7/15
Notably, every year vegetarian food is served during the festival. In his post, Kumar accused Namboothiri of imposing vegetarianism on others by not serving non-veg food during the festival. In his post in Malayalam, Kumar claimed that most of the students attending the festival were non-vegetarian, but only vegetarian food was served. He added casteism and the concept of purity and impurity to the rhetoric. He said, “This is a school festival food pavilion, not a place to serve vegetarian prasad. There is a true renaissance in a place like this, not when a Brahmin reaches the kitchen but when a variety of food gets served when there is no imposition of beliefs of purity.”
His post sparked a controversy in the state, and the government announced they would consider serving non-vegetarian food from the following year. Education Minister and senior CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty claimed, “My idea was to give biryani to the children”. In a Facebook post, he said, “This is a festival of diversity and the Education Department will initiate steps to promote that. Over the years, only vegetarian dishes have been served at the festival. This is going to change and from next year, there will be non-vegetarian food at the table.”
It is evident that while the chef was not against serving non-vegetarian food at the fest, just because he was a Brahmin, controversy was created, claiming he was imposing so-called vegetarianism on the students participating in the fest.
Congress leader objected to serving only veg food
Congress leader VT Balram and others objected to serving only vegetarian dishes by a “Brahmin cook”.
Muslims want vegetarian food to be served
While people like Arun Kumar opposed serving only vegetarian food, the Muslim community vouched for vegetarian food. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) called the controversy unfortunate. They urged the government to continue serving vegetarian food during the fest. IUML’s KPA Majeed said the demand for non-veg food came from the Left circle and accused LDF government of disturbing harmony in the society.
He said, “It’s unfortunate that such a controversy came up with regard to the food served for the state school youth festival. The whole responsibility lies with the State government and the Education Minister. The food has been served for the youth festival for many years and there was never a controversy like this.”
He added, “Vegetarian food can be consumed by everyone but some people may not be able to eat non-vegetarian dishes and this is why the youth festival has only one kitchen serving vegetarian dishes. There is no need to divide the kitchen and it’s impractical. The Minister, without discussing with anyone, declared that non-vegetarian dishes will be served and it’s not right.”
A shocking revelation has come to the fore in the disappearance case of a 9-year-old child named Chaita Kohla from Sayali, Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH). The police have arrested three persons accused of killing the 9-year-old minor in ‘human sacrifice’ for black magic rituals to bring themselves economic prosperity and power.
On December 31, a mutilated body of a child was found in the Daman Ganga canal passing near Karwad in Vapi. Initially, the police assumed the case of a homicide. However, after investigation, the police found that the child was killed as a part of black magic rituals allegedly performed by the accused.
The child had gone missing on December 29, when his family filed a missing person complaint at the Sayali village police station. The family said that the boy had gone missing from their house’s courtyard. They searched through the neighbourhood and in the village but could not find him, the family said in its complaint to the police.
Later, the police found a child’s leg and head near Sayali’s cremation ground in Dadra Nagar Haveli. The family identified them to be of their child based on the thread tied to his leg. The probe found that the 9-year-old was killed as a part of black magic rituals carried out by the accused to amass wealth and power.
The police revealed that the boy was ‘sacrificed’ by the accused for black magic rituals. An investigation by the Dadra Nagar Haveli Police revealed that 53-year-old Ramesh Shanwar, 28-year-old Shailesh Kohkare and a minor accused were involved in the murder of this innocent child.
Reportedly, the arrested minor is the mastermind behind the killing of Chaita. As per police, he lured the 9-year-old Chaita to come along with him and sought the help of his two friends, Shailesh and Ramesh, to kill him and gain monetary benefit from his death.
“The detained minor had kidnapped Chaita. The detainee said that he had seen videos on YouTube on how to carry out a human sacrifice to get monetary gains. Both Shailesh and Ramesh helped him to kill the boy and carry out rituals,” DNH Superintendent of Police R P Meena said, adding that the 16-year -old boy has been sent to Children’s Remand Home in Surat.
The police recovered sharp weapons from the accused and registered a case against them under IPC sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 120(b) (criminal conspiracy).
On Monday, January 9, the Kerala High Court observed that a worshipper of Swami Ayyappa is duty-bound to exercise their right to worship with respect to the tradition of Sabarimala temple. The court also noted that worshippers should not be allowed to carry posters and photographs of celebrities and politicians inside the temple’s sanctum sanctorum or Swami Sannidhanam.
A bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice P.G. Kumar directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure that the ceremonies and rites are performed in accordance with the prevalent traditions of the temple.
Citing the court ruling in Sajeev Sastharam Vs State of Kerala which held that the worshippers are duty-bound to exercise their ‘right to worship’ in an accustomed manner and subject to tradition and practice prevalent in Sabarimala, the bench said that no pilgrim could be permitted entry to Sabarimala Sannidhanam, through Pathinettampadi or to have darshan in front of the Sopanam of Sabarimala Sannidhanam, carrying posters and photographs of celebrities, politicians, etc.
“The restrictions imposed at Sabarimala during Maasa Poojas and festival seasons, including Mandala-Makaravilakku festival season, are applicable to all ‘worshippers’, who are duty-bound to obey such restrictions, in order to ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims in front of the Sopanam of Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple and darshan for all pilgrims in the queue,” the court ruled.
The bench further ordered TDB to ensure that none of the worshipers carries posters and huge photographs of celebrities and politicians inside the Swami Sannidhanam. The court order noted that on average 80,000-90,000 pilgrims visit Sabarimala each day, which means 70 to 80 pilgrims will have to move through ‘Pathinettampadi’ (holy 18 steps) and through the barricades in front of the Sopanam of Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple in a minute. Therefore, if they carry large posters or any such items, they cause disturbance and slow down the queue. As a result, the court asked the temple authorities to ensure that nobody is allowed in carrying such large posters and photographs.
The High Court ordered the Kerala state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board to take necessary steps to ensure that every worshipper of Lord Ayyappa exercises his right of worship at Sabarimala Sannidhanam, in an accustomed manner and subject to the practice and tradition in Sabarimala.
It is notable that the High Court in December had suo motu registered a Devaswom Board Petition (DBP) on the basis of a complaint filed on November 30, 2022.
In a plea mailed to the Registrar General of the High Court, a devotee complained about pilgrims bringing posters and photographs of celebrities to Sabarimala Swami Sannidhanam. The complainant also attached three photographs of devotees carrying posters of politicians and movie stars including that of late Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar, and Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar’s Thunivu movie poster, to the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
Screengrab of Kerala court order (Image via Lawbeat)
Besides posters and photographs, the court also took into account the news that a drummer named Sivamani played drums in front of the Sopanam of Sabarimala Sannidhanam. The court directed TDB to ensure that pilgrims do not play drums or any other musical instrument in front of the Sopanam of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
