According to media reports, the largest plantation drive in India has been announced by Gautam Adani, the richest man in the country. In keeping with its pledge to the Paris COP 21 conference, the company stated that it would plant 10 crore trees by 2030. Adani Group made the announcement during the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting currently being held in Davos, Switzerland.
The Adani group tweeted about the same on January 17, 2023.
At the World Economic Forum’s “Trillion Trees Platform,” the group promised to plant 100 million trees, in support of the program titled ‘UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’. This is a multi-stakeholder platform leading a global campaign to conserve, repair, and cultivate 1 trillion trees by 2030.
In Davos, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting began on January 16. This year’s conference will focus on “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.” The summit’s goal was to discuss the most pressing global problems and to support creative solutions.
“The sheer scale of ambition to plant a trillion trees is simply inspiring. It is a reflection of the resilience of humanity and what can be achieved through the collective power of like-minded people that are determined to fight for a cause,” Adani said about the group’s plantation pledge.
“Restoring ecosystems, reversing the loss of biodiversity, and reducing soil erosion are all essential for building a greener world. The move is part of India’s declaration to take a leading position in its commitment at Paris COP 21 to create additional carbon sinks of 2.5-3.0 billion tons of CO2,” the Adani Group Chairman added.
Additionally, by 2030, the Adani Group wants to plant 63.08 million terrestrial trees.
The trillion trees initiative seeks to slow down climate change by removing significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, bringing about much-needed advancements in the fields of biodiversity and climate.
Mangroves and other terrestrial trees would help the environment by lowering air pollution, preserving coastlines, preventing soil erosion and saline water intrusion, recharging groundwater tables, providing fish breeding grounds, and providing many other advantages.
Notably, in 2021, the Adani group sealed the world’s largest power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The conglomerate had also signed a pact for a total of 6000 MW of green power generation with SECI. The remaining 2000 MW pact will be sealed in the coming months. The firm has a total operational and under-construction power generation portfolio of 20.3 GW. AGEL has signed a deal with France’s Total for 25 GW of green power generation by the year 2025. For an investment of $2.5 billion, Total has acquired a 20% stake in AGEL.
On the late night of Wednesday, January 18, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal was allegedly molested and dragged for 10-15 meters by a drunk driver opposite the Delhi AIIMS gate 2. Maliwal was dragged by the drunk driver after her hand got stuck in the car’s window. The driver was subsequently arrested by police.
According to police they received a PCR call at around 3:11 am, when the accused identified as Harish Chandra, a resident of Sangam Vihar, pulled up the window of his car as Maliwal was rebuking him for asking her to sit in his car. The caller told the police that a man inside a Baleno car dragged and molested a woman. The incident took place when Swati Maliwal was standing on a footpath along with her team.
(DCW chief)Swati Maliwal,dragged by car for 10-15 meters,at around 3.11 am opp AIIMS gate 2, after her hand got stuck in car’s window as driver, Harish Chandra, suddenly pulled up glass window while she was reprimanding him as he asked her to sit in his car: Delhi Police pic.twitter.com/fZh5GXhbIP
The police informed that the 47-year-old accused was in an inebriated state when he allegedly misbehaved with the DCW chief, adding that he has been detained on charges of molestation and voluntarily causing hurt.
“Our special patrolling vehicle had made the PCR call after the personnel spotted a lady outside the hospital,” said Chandan Chowdhary, DCP (South).
“Her name was Swati Maliwal. She said that a drunk driver of a Baleno pulled up next to her and asked her to get inside with bad intentions. He asked her to sit in the car, and when she declined, he left before returning and asking her again. She resisted once again and walked up to his side to scold him. Her hand got stuck as the car’s driver quickly rolled up the window. She was then dragged for ten to fifteen meters,” DCP Chaudhary added.
Swati Maliwal confirmed the incident through a post on Twitter. “Late last night I was inspecting the situation of women’s security in Delhi. A car driver molested me in an inebriated condition and when I caught hold of him, he locked my hand in the car window and dragged me. God saved my life. If the Chairperson of the Women’s Commission is not safe in Delhi, then imagine the situation,” Maliwal’s tweet in Hindi read.
कल देर रात मैं दिल्ली में महिला सुरक्षा के हालात Inspect कर रही थी। एक गाड़ी वाले ने नशे की हालत में मुझसे छेड़छाड़ की और जब मैंने उसे पकड़ा तो गाड़ी के शीशे में मेरा हाथ बंद कर मुझे घसीटा। भगवान ने जान बचाई। यदि दिल्ली में महिला आयोग की अध्यक्ष सुरक्षित नहीं, तो हाल सोच लीजिए।
An FIR has been filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354 (criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and 509 (act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) as well as sections of the Motor Vehicle Act. Apart from arresting accused Harish Chandra, police also seized the car involved in the incident.
This comes after days after the Kanjhawala hit and drag case wherein a 20-year-old woman was hit by and dragged by a car for over 12 kilometers. On January 1, 20-year-old Anjali Singh died in an accident in Kanjhawala. The woman was on her way home on a scooty when a car hit her and dragged her for about 12 km. The police had arrested seven people, including five occupants of the car, in connection with the case.
On Wednesday, 18th January 2023, the dead body of Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the nominal eighth Nizam of Hyderabad, was buried at the Makka Mosque in Hyderabad. He was the grandson of Nizam Mir Usman Ali Khan who was the ruler of the Nizam state at the time of Operation Polo through which the territory in the Deccan was merged with India. The full name of this nominal Nizam was ‘Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah Bahadur Asifjah the Eighth’.
The 89-year-old heir of the Nizam dynasty died on 14th January 2023 in Turkey. His dead body was kept at the Chowmahalla palace for the locals of Hyderabad who wanted to pay him respects one last time. Though it was supposed to be held till 1 pm on Wednesday, many prominent admirers of the Nizam rule from the old city gathered in the palace delaying it to 2 pm.
The dead body was brought to the Makka Mosque at around 4:30 pm where Maulana Hafiz Qari Qureshi offered funeral prayers. The nominal Nizam’s lifeless body was buried after the evening Namaz. The funeral was attended by his relatives, many other trust members, and a large number of Muslims.
Telangana’s chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao paid floral tributes to the nominal Nizam at Chowmahalla Palace. The Telangana government led by KC Rao gave the guard of honour at this time, which is seen as a disrespect to thousands of Hindus who fought against the Islamic rule of Nizam to get the state merged with India, in the 75th year of their independence which they got 13 months later than rest of the then British India. Notably, according to his last wish, this nominal Nizam’s dead body was wrapped in the flag of the Nizam state.
KC Rao is in alliance with the All India Majlis e Ittihadul Muslimin (AIMIM) which is an ideological successor of the Islamic ruler Nizam. The decision of giving a guard of honor to the nominal Nizam was taken by the state government in its own capacity neglecting the fact that Mukarram Jah had nothing to do with India. The decision was taken by the government because the AIMIM allegedly asked the state government to do so. Though Mir Usman Ali Khan was named the governor of the Hyderabad region after the province was merged with India, his heirs – especially Mukarram Jah had nothing to do with India.
He did not hold any constitutional post. He was not a noted public figure in India. He was not a Padma Awardee. He was not a war veteran or someone who gave supreme sacrifice in the national interests. He was not some great messenger of humanity whose death should be mourned by the state by giving him a guard of honour. He represented the dynasty of the last recognized Islamic state on Indian soil and unapologetically said that his last wish is to be wrapped in the flag of the Nizam state that persecuted Hindus to the worst level an Islamist rule can degrade at. An Indian state giving him a guard of honor for wooing Muslim voters is therefore an insult to the freedom fighters.
The dead body of the nominal Nizam was wrapped in the flag of the Nizam state. Image Source: Siasat
Mukarram Jah – the nominal Nizam – was born on October 6, 1933, in France. Azam Shah, son of Mir Usman Ali Khan was his father, and Durru Shehvar, the imperial princess of the Ottoman Empire was his mother. In this way, he was related to the Ottoman dynasty of Turkey. He was coronated as the Eighth Nizam on April 6, 1967, as Mir Usman Ali Khan died in February 1967. This nominal Nizam lived in Australia till 1996. After that, he sold everything he had in Australia and settled in Turkey where he finally died.
The coronation ceremony of the nominal Nizam.
This nominal Nizam is survived by his wife Esra and their children among others. The nominal Nizam was an heir of the Nizam dynasty that persecuted Hindus who were its subject before getting annexed to India in 1948, a year after the so-called independence.
Persecution of Hindus in the Nizam rule
At the time of partition in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan was in a dilemma to choose which union he’d like his country to merge with and initially agreed to the ‘standstill agreement’ where the Republic of India would handle the external affairs and defense of Hyderabad but won’t interfere in the internal affairs. This was however violated by the state of Hyderabad when it secretly loaned 15 million pounds to Pakistan and raised a semi-private military (Razakars) in the country.
Under the rule of Nizams, Hindus were brutally suppressed by the rulers. Hindus were routinely discriminated against due to their religion during their appointment to government posts and the state army. Of 1765 officers in the State Army, 1268 were Muslims, 421 were Hindus, and 121 others were Christians, Parsis, and Sikhs. Of the officials drawing a salary between Rs. 600 and 1200 per month, 59 were Muslims, 5 were Hindus and 38 were of other religions. The Nizam and his nobles, who were mostly Muslims, owned 40% of the total land in the state, showing the vast inequality in the distribution of wealth.
Frightened by the growing awareness amongst the Hindu population in Hyderabad, Nizam Khan ordered the formation of a semi-private army called ‘Razakars’ to suppress the agitations. The Razakars were a wing of the Majlis-e-Itihadul Muslimeen (MIM, or AIMIM as it is presently known). The Razakars managed to raise 1 lakh Jihadis in their army within a span of days. The army managed to suppress the Hindus by mass-murdering and abducting Hindus in Urban Telangana, the Marathwada section of present Maharashtra, and the northeast Karnataka region of present Karnataka.
By 1948, Nizam didn’t want the growing public opinion of Hindus that Hyderabad should accede to India to grow roots in the state and ordered the Razakars to suppress the Hindu population brutally. Qasim Razvi was made the chief of the Jihadi forces.
Toothless-ness of Nehru and the wrath of Patel
After receiving the details of the exodus of Hindus by the Nizam of Hyderabad, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was afraid that any attack on the princely state would attract retaliation from West and East Pakistan. Nehru was hesitant to take the decision to storm into the state and annex it.
On the insistence of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Nehru hesitantly agreed to the annexure of Hyderabad and ordered the Indian Army to annex the state of Hyderabad and storm into the state from all fronts.
On 13th September 1948, the Indian Army launched an attack on Hyderabad; this operation was named ‘Operation Polo’. The Indian Army, in a 5-day battle, annexed Hyderabad from the Nizam and integrated it into the territory of India.
Tushar Gandhi continues the Nehruvian legacy
MK Gandhi’s grandson Tushar Gandhi mourned the death of the nominal Nizam of the Islamic state in the Deccan and displayed his colonial mindset. He tweeted, “Rest in Peace, Al Vida, Nizam Muqarram Jah, the 8th and last Nizam of Hyderabad Khuda Hafiz.”
Rest in Peace, Al vida, Nizam Muqarram Jha, the 8th and last Nizam of Hyderabad Khuda Hafiz??
The Delhi High Court issued a series of directions to help reduce the trauma of POCSO victims, including hybrid and in-chamber hearings, after noting that many of these victims were being invariably made to face their alleged tormentors when they appear physically or virtually in court for bail application hearings of the accused.
The bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh in an order passed last week noted that many of the victims in Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases were being asked to appear physically or virtually in Court at the time of hearing bail applications of the accused. This has led to a situation where the victims were being forced not only to interact potentially with the alleged accused person but also be present in Court when arguments regarding the offence were taken up for hearing.
The court while issuing directions said, if these directions are implemented in their true letter, spirit, and intent may help in reducing the trauma of POCSO victims.
The psychological impact on a POCSO victim being present in Court during the arguments is grave as there are allegations, accusations, doubting the integrity, character, etc. of the prosecutrix, her family, etc. The presence of the prosecutrix victim in Court at the time of arguments, according to me, has an adverse impact on the psyche of the prosecutrix, said the Court.
The prosecutrix is forced to be present in Court with the accused, who is the same person who has allegedly violated her. It was felt that it would be in the interest of the victim that she is not traumatized again and again by reliving the said incident by being present in Court proceedings.
In this view of the matter and in addition to the practice directions issued earlier, it is further directed that during bail hearings of a POCSO case, the Investigation Officer shall ensure that timely service of notice of bail application is made on the victim/ prosecutrix so that she gets a reasonable amount of time to enter appearance and make her submissions.
The victim can be produced virtually before the Court (either by the IO/ Support person before the Court) (by way of Video Conferencing) or by taking assistance from the District Legal Services Authority.
A hybrid form of hearing bail applications would suitably address the concerns of the victim while at the same time safeguarding the rights of the accused. The victim and the accused shall not come face to face in this manner and this can prevent the re-traumatization of the victim, said the court.
If the victim gives it in writing that her counsel/ parent/guardian/ support person shall appear on her behalf and make submissions on the bail application, insistence on the physical or virtual presence of the prosecutrix shouldn’t be made.
A written authorization of the victim authorizing another to make submissions on her behalf (after the victim is duly identified by the IO) and said authorization is forwarded by the SHO, should suffice, directed Delhi High Court.
Whenever the victim comes to court for a hearing on the bail application, the support person provided to her should be present with her so as to provide the necessary psychological or logistical support to the victim/prosecutrix.
In certain exceptional cases, in-chamber interaction with the victim can be done and her submissions qua the bail application can be recorded in the order sheet passed on that day so that the same may be considered at a later stage.
While recording the submissions/ objections/ statement of the victim qua the bail application, appropriate questions may be put to the victim to elicit her responses instead of bluntly asking her, “Do you want bail to be given to the accused or not?” Rather questions can be put to her to ascertain what her apprehensions and fears are in case the accused is granted bail in the matter, for bail is to be granted by the Court concerned on the basis of overall appreciation of facts and circumstances of the case and in the light of well-settled principles governing the grant of bail.
It may further be clarified that the victim’s presence may not be insisted on in cases under the POCSO Act, where the accused is a child in conflict with the law because the considerations for grant of bail to the child in conflict with the law are not dependent on the apprehensions of the prosecutrix.
Section 12 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015 delineates separate parameters for considering the grant of bail to children in conflict with the law, and giving an audience to the prosecutrix will not have any bearing on the same, Delhi High Court said while issued several more practice direction in POCSO Case.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Delhi High court on Thursday dismissed the plea of Aam Aadmi Party’s leader Amanatullah Khan challenging the order of Delhi Police declaring him as a “bad character”. Amanatullah Khan is a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly and represents the Okhla assembly.
Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while dismissing the plea, granted liberty to Amanatullah Khan to move representation before the concerned Authority on Thursday. The Court had kept the order reserved in October 2022.
Earlier, Advocate M Sufian Siddiqui appeared for Amanatullah and argued that the order of the Delhi Police is mechanical, without material and application of mind. There is a malafide intention on the part of the Delhi Police to malign the image of the petitioner MLA.
He also argued that the history sheet which is supposed to be confidential was leaked to the spokesman of a rival party and was on social media. This news was taken up by all the media houses and this affected the image of the petitioner.
Advocate Siddiqui had argued that there was no material to form an opinion about the petitioner for opening the history sheet. There is not a single complaint by any neighbour. He also argued that the Delhi Police has not even initiated an inquiry into the leakage of the history sheet. This demonstrates that the action of the police was malafide and maligning the image of the petitioner.
It was argued that there were 18 cases against the petitioner, out of which in 14 cases there was an acquittal, discharge or compounding. In two cases out of four, the investigation is pending. One case has been challenged before the Allahabad High Court. There is no material to form an opinion against the petitioner.
On the other hand, ASG Sanjay Jain had submitted before the court that there was no malafide on the part of the police, there was an application of mind and approval was given on the basis of material forwarded by the forwarding authority. There was sufficient material to form an opinion on the matter.
Earlier, it was also submitted that declaring a person a bad character is confidential. This information about the process can not be shared with the person against whom the process started.
He had also submitted that the decision is taken by a competent authority on the basis of material available with DCP, in this case, including a list of cases.
It is right that the petitioner is not a convict but there are cases against him.
On this basis, his name has been entered into the register and a history sheet has been opened. This decision was taken with the proper application of mind.
It was submitted that the information can’t be shared with the petitioner but it can be shared with the court for judicial scrutiny.
Earlier the High Court had issued notice to Delhi Police on a plea moved by AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan. He has challenged the order issued by Delhi Police declaring him a bad character of the area.
The petitioner had stated that the dossier was leaked to the media in contravention of rules and regulations, which mandates it to be kept confidential. The petitioner said it is a classic case of brazen abuse of the process of law by the Delhi police.
(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 Thursday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat was asked to step down from the stage during a wrestlers’ protest against Wrestling Federation of India coaches and officials at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The video of the incident went viral over the internet where wrestler Bajrang Punia could be seen requesting Karat not to “politicize” the protest and to leave the platform.
“Madam, I request you to please come down. Please don’t politicise the protest. This is the wrestler’s protest. Please get down from the stage,” Punia could be heard saying to the CPI (M) leader.
#WATCH | CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat asked to step down from the stage during wrestlers’ protest against WFI at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/sw8WMTdjsk
In a video shared by ANI, Brinda Karat was seen being insistent on getting to the podium and speaking. However, Bajrang Punia, who was speaking, was alerted by other wrestlers about her presence. The Olympian then asked Brinda and others to get off and not to politicise the protests.
Olympians and renowned wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia and many others have levelled harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) officials and coaches on Wednesday and staged a sit-in protest against the national federation President’s dictatorship at Jantar Mantar, which entered its second day today.
Wrestler Babita Phogat arrived at the protest location on behalf of the government, promising an impartial investigation into the situation. “I have assured them that the government is with them. I will try that their issues are resolved today,” Phogat said after addressing the gathering in Delhi.
According to the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Union Sports Ministry has also requested an explanation from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) about claims of sexual exploitation levelled by wrestlers including Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalists. The Ministry has asked WFI to respond to the wrestlers’ allegations within 72 hours, it added.
Meanwhile, WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh denied claims of sexual misbehaviour and stated that pressure was put on some wrestlers to conduct sit-in protest against him over allegations of sexual harassment.
He said that wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malikkh met him a week earlier and they had no problem then. “Maybe, they didn’t like some of the decisions I took as President but I only took those decisions in the interest of the sport,” he said.
On Thursday, January 19, Bigg Boss fame actress Rakhi Sawant Fatima was reportedly arrested by Amboli Police in connection with a case filed against her by actress Sherlyn Chopra in November last year. It is notable that Rakhi Sawant changed her name to Rakhi Sawant Fatima last year after she converted to Islam to marry Adil Khan Durrani.
Taking to Twitter, Sherlyn Chopra said that Rakhi Sawant has been arrested and that her anticipatory bail application was rejected by Mumbai Sessions Court.
“Amboli Police has arrested Rakhi Sawant in respect of FIR 883/2022. Yesterday, Rakhi Sawant’s ABA 1870/2022 was rejected by the Mumbai session court,” Chopra tweeted.
BREAKING NEWS!!!
AMBOLI POLICE HAS ARRESTED RAKHI SAWANT IN RESPECT WITH FIR 883/2022
YESTERDAY, RAKHI SAWANT’S ABA 1870/2022 WAS REJECTED BY MUMBAI SESSIONS COURT
— Sherlyn Chopra (शर्लिन चोपड़ा)?? (@SherlynChopra) January 19, 2023
Rakhi Sawant Fatima was taken to Amboli Police Station for further questioning, said the Mumbai Police. The police will present Sawant in the Andheri court later in the day. Rakhi Sawant’s anticipatory bail application was rejected by a Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday, after which she was arrested on Thursday.
Sherlyn had filed a complaint against Rakhi Sawant alleging that she released her objectionable photos and videos on social media.
It is notable that Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra were at loggerheads last year after Rakhi Sawant came out in support of MeToo accused filmmaker and BiggBoss contestant Sajid Khan. Sherlyn Chopra had earlier accused Sajid Khan of sexually harassing her. In October last year, Chopra filed a police complaint against him for criminal intimidation and sexual harassment.
In November last year, both Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra filed FIRs against each other. On November 8, the Amboli police filed an FIR under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult), and 509 (insulting a woman’s modesty by act, word, or gesture) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 67 (transmission of obscene content in electronic form) of the IT Act against Sawant and her lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt. Following this, the Oshiwara police filed an FIR under sections 354A and 509 of the IPC against Chopra on the basis of Rakhi Sawant’s complaint.
Rakhi reported to the police that on November 6, 2022, Sherlyn Chopra posted a video on YouTube and Instagram in which she made offensive remarks about her and used abusive language.
Irked by the support extended by Sawant for Sajid Khan, Sherlyn not only released several videos on Instagram but also spoke to the media on multiple occasions. On November 4, videos of Sherlyn went viral on social media where she was speaking to the paparazzi. She hit out at Sawant and called her ‘dimag se paidal’ (brainless).
Besides her spat with Sherlyn Chopra, Rakhi Sawant is also in news over her Nikah with longtime beau Adil Khan Durrani, conversion to Islam, and changing her name to ‘Rakhi Sawant Fatima’.
On January 19, reports emerged that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru in Karnataka, has announced a cash reward to anyone who would provide information leading to the arrest of the two absconding accused involved in the case.
According to the NIA, anyone providing information regarding the accused, Mohammed Sherif (53) of Kodaje in Bantwal taluk and K A Masud (40) of Nekkiladi, will be rewarded with Rs 5 lakhs. According to the central agency, the two are members of the now-banned Islamist terrorist organisation PFI and have been on the run since the incident happened in July last year.
The identity of informers would be kept strictly confidential, according to the NIA. People with information can contact the office of NIA, 8th floor, Sir M Visvesvaraya Kendriya Sadana, Domlur, Bengaluru- 560071 or call 080 29510900 or 8904241100 (Email: [email protected]), the agency added.
NIA declares cash rewards for information on 4 absconding PFI members accused in murder of Praveen Nettaru
It may be recalled that in November 2022, NIA announced Rs 5 lakh each for information on the two accused and Rs 2 lakh each for information on the two other accused, and therefore a total of Rs 14 lakh had been announced.
According to the reports, the accused PFI jihadis on whom the reward was declared were identified as Mustafa Paijaru of Budu house in Bellare village of Sulya taluk (Rs. 5 lakhs cash reward), M.H. Tufail of Madikeri city, Kodagu district (Rs. 5 lakhs reward), M.R. Umar Farooq of Sullia (Rs 2 Lakh reward) and Abu Bakr Siddique alias Painter Siddique alias Gujari Siddique of Bellare village in Sullia (Rs. 2 lakhs reward).
The case
On July 26, a Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death by unidentified assailants. In the late evening, the killers came on a bike in Bellari, Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka, and attacked Nettaru with sharp weapons. Nettaru, who ran a poultry business, was coming returning home when the attack happened. The assailants escaped after the attack. Nettaru was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved.
Two assailants identified as Zakir (29) from Savanoor in Haveri district and Mohammed Shafiq (27) from Bellare were arrested in July in the case. The case was then transferred to the NIA on July 29.
On January 9, 2023, a bill was moved in the US House of Representatives to strip Pakistan of its Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status. The bill (HR 80) was introduced by Republican Congressman Andy Biggs who represents the fifth Congressional district of Arizona.
Before it can be signed into law by the US President, the bill requires to be passed by the House and the Senate. Currently, the bill has been sent to House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Demands raised in the bill
The bill seeks the termination of the Major Non-NATO Ally status accorded to Pakistan.
“The designation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally pursuant to section 517(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k(a)(1)) or any other provision of law is hereby terminated,” the bill reads.
Moreover, the bill asks the US President to submit a certification that Pakistan has to meet certain conditions listed in the bill, and until then the President may not issue a separate designation to Pakistan.
The conditions listed for the certification include Pakistan’s military operations against the Haqqani network disrupting its safe haven and free movement in Pakistan.
“Pakistan continues to conduct military operations that are contributing to significantly disrupting the safe haven and freedom of movement of the Haqqani Network in Pakistan,” the bill reads.
Furthermore, the bill asks the US President to certify that Pakistan has taken measures to stop the Haqqani network from using its territory as safe haven for terror activities.
Besides that, the bill states that the president has to certify that the Pakistani government is coordinating with the government of Afghanistan to restrict the movement of militants such as the Haqqani Network along the Pak-Afghan border and that Pakistan has progressed in arresting and prosecuting senior and mid-level operatives of the Haqqani Network.
It is notable that if the bill gets passed, it will not only bring major embarrassment to Pakistan but will also deprive it of several privileges it enjoys as a non-NATO ally (MNNA).
Major Non-NATO Ally status
According to a factsheet available on the US Department of State website, the “MNNA status is a designation under U.S. law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation. The Major Non-NATO Ally designation is a powerful symbol of the close relationship the United States shares with those countries and demonstrates our deep respect for the friendship for the countries to which it is extended.”
Countries including Pakistan designated as MNNA under 22 US Code 2321k are entitled to privileges such as “eligibility for loans of material, supplies, or equipment for cooperative research, development, testing, or evaluation purposes.”
In addition, the designated nation is qualified to host U.S. War Reserve Stockpiles on its soil outside of US military installations.
Moreover, the designated country can enter into bilateral or multilateral agreements with the United States for the cooperative provision of training, provided that the financial arrangements are reciprocal and cover reimbursement of all direct costs incurred by the United States.
Additionally, the MNNA qualifies for depleted uranium ammunition purchase consideration and priority delivery of Excess Defense Articles.
Haqqani Network
The Haqqani network is an Islamist terrorist group with its leadership based in Pakistan and operating from Afghanistan. The Haqqani Network is responsible for high-profile attacks like – June 2011 assault on the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel, suicide bombings—in 2008 and 2009—against the Indian Embassy in Kabul, and the 2011 attack on US Embassy, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters, the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul.
Sirajuddin Haqqani and his network were designated as a terrorist in 2012 because of their ties to the Islamic terror groups – Taliban and Al-Qaeda. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, he was appointed as the Interior Minister of Afghanistan.
The Allahabad High Court rejected anticipatory bail to a man who is accused of enticing 90 Hindus to convert their religion to Christianity by promising them financial and other advantages.
The bail appeal was filed by Bhanu Pratap Singh, and was denied by Justice Jyotsna Sharma’s bench. According to the reports, the FIR, in this case, was registered by Himanshu Dixit who alleged that on April 15, 2022, around 90 Hindus had gathered at the Evangelical Church of India, Hariharganj, Fatehpur, with the intention of converting their religion to Christianity.
On being informed, the government authorities arrived and interrogated the pastor named Vijay Massiah, who revealed that the conversion process had been going on for 34 days and would be completed in 40 days. The government officials discovered 35 people (listed in the FIR) and 20 unknown people involved in the conversion case.
The accused parties were also charged with attempting to convert even patients admitted to the Mission Hospital, and the hospital workers were actively engaged in this effort. The FIR was filed in accordance with sections 153A, 506, 420, 467, and 468 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3/5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.
Singh’s attorney pushed for pre-arrest release, claiming that he had been unfairly accused in the case. The attorney further claimed that the co-accused in the case had previously been granted anticipatory bail. However, the court determined that, according to the evidence presented, 26 people were detained on the scene, including Singh.
The court also noted that one of the witnesses stated in his statement under Section 161 CrPC that during the medical treatment of one of his family members, he met a woman named Lily See, who advised him to convert to Christianity because he would be given free medical assistance for the rest of his life and his children would be given jobs and money.
According to the witness, Lily See then led him to the Evangelical Church of India in Hariharganj and presented him to the accused. Besides that, the witness stated that on the day of the incident, there were around 60-70 members of one community who were being enticed to convert by the accused assuring the same guarantees.
The court also observed that identical remarks had been made by the other witnesses. As a result, the court denied Singh’s request, adding that anticipatory bail is an unusual remedy to be used only in appropriate instances.
