As the investigations in the Shraddha Walkar murder case are underway, shocking revelations are coming to the fore proving that accused Aftab and Shraddha were in a toxic relationship and that the latter was physically assaulted by the former. On Saturday, the Delhi Police released WhatsApp chats of Shraddha and her friends from 2020 where the victim is seen describing the incident when Aftab had brutally beaten her.
According to the reports, the Police made public Shraddha’s chats with her then-manager Karan Bhakki and also some of her friends Laxman and Rahul Rai. “I won’t be able to make it today from all the beating yesterday I guess my bp (blood pressure) is low and my body hurts”, she had told Karan Bhakki. She further added that she had no energy left to even get out of bed because of the ‘beatings’.
“So everything got sorted after going to his parent’s house. He is moving out today. And I won’t be able to make it today because of all the beating yesterday I guess my bp is low and my body hurts. Energy nahi bachi he bed se uthne ki. Also, I need to make sure he moves out today,” the message from November 24, 2020 read.
WhatsApp chat of Shraddha with her friends
In the conversation, she also refers to an unnamed person and says that she needs to make sure ‘he’ moves out of the house soon. “Sincere apologies for the trouble I have caused you and the way it impacted work,” the message added.
Shraddha mentioned moving out of her current residence in another text from November 23, 2020. She further stated that she would go to the police station to meet the ‘Mahila Mandal.’ She also provided a photo of herself with facial injuries, indicating she would use it as documentation for taking a vacation from work.
In yet another WhatsApp chat with another acquaintance, Shraddha is seen sharing her bruised image to which the friend says, “Bacchae don’t be scared. We all are with you.” Walkar further says, “It’s gonna take some time. I need to do some more rounds to the police station in a while now so I can’t come today.” Walkar is asked to meet the Mahila Mandal people in reply and move out of the house.
One Instagram chat story between Shraddha and her friend is also making rounds on social media in which Shraddha is seen hiding the incident in which she was brutally beaten by Aftab. Shraddha happened to send him/her the photo in which she had attained bruises to which her friend said, “Jesus what happened to your nose love? Fell or something?” Shraddha replied that she fractured it as she fell from the stairs.
Shraddha’s Instagram chat revealed
Earlier, it was reported that Walkar was admitted to the Ozone Multispeciality Hospital in Vasai on December 3, 2020, with acute pain in her back and spine. It is suspected that she was assaulted by Aftab, which prompted the back discomfort that necessitated her to be hospitalized. The medical reports also reveal that she had been suffering from severe pain for 4 to 5 days before she was admitted to the hospital. Reportedly, the timeline of the text revealed from November 24, 2020, aligns with a doctor’s report from December 3, 2020.
Shraddha Walkar murder case
On November 14, the Delhi Police solved the six-month-old murder case of Shraddha Walkar and arrested Aftab Poonawala for murdering her, and then chopping her into 35 small pieces. Aftab executed the murder on May 18 and stored her body parts in the refrigerator. He then disposed of the body pieces in Delhi’s Mehrauli forest during the next 18 days.
The accused was arrested based on the complaint filed by Shraddha’s father on November 10. He stated in the complaint that the accused and the deceased had rented an apartment in Delhi and were staying in an unhealthy live-in relationship. He said that he had always opposed their relationship as Aftab used to physically assault Shraddha.
The girl, a resident of Palghar was adamant about continuing her relationship with accused Aftab and shifted to Delhi with him. Three days after they shifted to Delhi, they engaged in a quarrel and Aftab happened to kill Shraddha. He confessed his crime on November 14 and stated that they used to fight a lot. He said that he murdered Shraddha on May 18 as she was forcing him to get married to her. They also fought over who would manage the domestic household expenses.
The accused has been arrested and a case under IPC section 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed) have been registered. Further investigations into the case are underway.
Manchester United, the iconic England club, has asked its lawyers to explore the options to act against their superstar player Cristiano Ronaldo after his interview with Piers Morgan. In the explosive interview with Piers Morgan on Talk TV, Ronaldo criticised the owners, the manager, and the way the club is run.
Following the interview, Manchester United started exploring legal options to terminate Ronaldo’s contract, under which, he earns half a million Pounds every week. Criticising the manager Erik ten Hag and the owners, the Glazer family, is seen as a breach of contract by the club and they are looking to terminate his contract.
Even though United is not in the running or even close to the Premier League title, they have been having a decent season as they chase the Champions League spots. However, their season has been totally overshadowed by the soap opera around Ronaldo. Erik ten Hag has laid down the law as he dropped players like Ronaldo and even club captain Harry Maguire in order to improve the club’s performances.
With Ronaldo looking to leave, and the club also deciding that he will never play for the club again, Ronaldo’s exit during the January transfer window is inevitable. Only question is if United will end up paying for the remaining duration of Ronaldo’s contract or not, and for that the club is seeking advice of its legal team.
What this means is that Cristiano Ronaldo will never play for United again, the club where he rose to prominence after he was signed as a teenager from Sporting Lisbon. After winning 3 Premier League titles, one FA Cup, 2 League Cups, and one Champions League with the English giants, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid where he tasted even more success and became one of the best-ever players in football history.
Ronaldo left Madrid for Italian giants Juventus in 2018 for a 100 Million Euros transfer fee in a 4 years deal, however, after a couple of seasons, he returned “home” to Manchester United. After a promising first season upon his return when he was the highest scorer for the club, he was benched frequently by new manager ten Hag as the team kept performing much better without him than with him.
This will not be the first time when Manchester United will part company with a club legend following a controversial interview. Club legend and one of United’s greatest-ever captains Roy Keane was let go after an interview for MUTV back in 2005 where he criticised many United players after a defeat to Middlesbrough. The interview was never broadcast to the public but it ended Keane’s United tenure on a very sour note.
Now it looks like Ronaldo will get the same ignominious exit as Roy Keane from Old Trafford, an arena he lit up with his performances in the 2000s.
Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who is in jail in a 200 crore extortion case, has been dropping letter bombs on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), making serious allegations against its leaders including incarcerated Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain and party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. In his sixth letter, issued to the media late on Friday (November 18) evening through his lawyer Ashok Singh, the conman revealed that Satyandar Jain had sought his help to convert 20 million dollars into Indian rupees and bitcoins, reports Republic TV.
Sukesh Chandrashekhar stated that Jain called him at 2 am in February 2017 asking for his assistance in converting $20 million in Indian rupees and bitcoin. The AAP politician, according to the conman, indicated that the money must be collected from his business associates who operate a well-known distillery in Bengaluru.
After mentioning that this money is being given to the AAP, Jain allegedly demanded that it be converted and brought to Delhi by 11 am, said Sukesh Chandrashekhar in his letter.
The letter added that when Chandrasekhar was unable to organise the event on short notice, he was given the task of collecting the money and delivering it to a jewellery store in Bengaluru. Following that, he claimed that his Bengaluru office personnel obeyed and delivered four bags carrying the aforementioned amount to the jewellery store. The conman, who claims to have communications to back up his allegation, has dared AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to accept a CBI investigation.
“I promise you I will expose you every bit and I won’t back out what pressure you are sending through jail administration,” read the letter.
Excerpt of the letter issued to the media late on Friday (November 18) evening through Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s lawyer Ashok Singh (source: Republic TV)
Excerpt of the letter issued to the media late on Friday (November 18) evening through Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s lawyer Ashok Singh (source: Republic TV)
Excerpt of the letter issued to the media late on Friday (November 18) evening through Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s lawyer Ashok Singh (source: Republic TV)
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla reacted to the aforementioned letter. He said, “All these allegations are very serious and if these allegations are not true, why doesn’t Kejriwal undergo a lie-detector test along with Satyendar Jain and Kailash Gahlot whose names have surfaced? Was Satyendar Jain kept as a Minister only so that he could indulge in more such corruption and extortion inside Tihar jail? The question needs to be asked why Satyendar Jain who has been denied bail for 5 months, who hasn’t got relief from courts, is continuing as a Minister?”
Sukesh Chandrashekhar levels serious accusations against AAP
Sukesh Chandrasekhar has written a number of letters to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena in recent days, levelling allegations against AAP and its leaders. To begin, Chandrashekhar confessed to providing Rs 10 crore as “protection money” to incarcerated Aam Aadmi Party minister Satyendar Jain. Chandrashekhar stated in a letter to Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena that he has known the AAP leader since 2015.
He also claimed to have given Rs 50 crore for party funds. He also alleged he was asked to raise funds for Punjab and Goa elections.
Chandrashekhar also claimed to have bought luxury watches for Kejriwal and Jain.
In another shocking accusation against the Delhi CM, Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged that Kejriwal used his money and PR agent to publish paid news to promote the ‘Delhi school/education model on the front page of an American newspaper.
In his letter, although Chandrashekhar did not mention the name of the newspaper, however, on August 19, 2022, Delhi CM Kejriwal tweeted an image of the front page of the New York Times, which featured Delhi’s education minister and an accused in excise policy scam, Manish Sisodia and lauded his education model.
Who is Sukesh Chandrashekhar
For the uninitiated, Sukesh Chandrashekhar is being investigated by the Delhi Police in connection with an alleged Rs 215 crore criminal conspiracy, embezzlement, and extortion case. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police had previously filed an FIR against Chandrasekhar for allegedly defrauding the spouses of erstwhile Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of Rs 215 crore.
There are over 20 other cases of extortion registered against the conman who operated a racket from inside his jail cell.
Notably, Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez was also charged as an accused in the extortion case involving conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar by the Enforcement Directorate. According to the central agency, Jacqueline was aware that Sukesh was an embezzler.
A Panjab University student has been arrested on suspicion of terror financing. The accused has been identified as Arshdeep, originally from Sangrur, Bhawanigarh district of Punjab. Arshdeep is doing MA at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) has taken the suspect into custody. On the basis of confidential information, the SSOC team arrested the accused youth from Chandigarh. Accused Arshdeep is a co-conspirator with Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Goldie Brar and Lakhbir Singh Landa, who is currently living abroad.
In addition, ISI agents in other nations were sending funds into Arshdeep’s bank account. The culprit was apprehended based on his bank account details. Arshdeep was brought before a judge, after which he was sent to police custody for three days. Through a sleeper cell working for ISI, a Punjab-origin person was sending money to Arshdeep from Dubai, the United States, the Philippines, Italy, and Malaysia.
SSOC will now examine Arshdeep’s bank accounts. The amount of money that has already been deposited into his account and the locations where it has been spent will also be investigated. It has also been disclosed that he corresponded with Goldy Brar and Lakhbir Landa.
OpIndia reported on September 8, 2022, that Punjab police had uncovered a massive terror module in Tarn Taran. The Punjab Police nabbed three people in possession of 1.5 kg IED-RDX and two firearms. The three accused were connected with Canadian mafioso Lakhbir Singh Landa and Pakistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda.
Lakhbir Singh Landa (33) hails Tarn Taran, he fled to Canada in 2017. He was the one who planned the Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) terror attack on the Intelligence Headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali. An IED was also planted at his behest under the car of sub-inspector Dilbagh Singh in Amritsar. He is believed to be an associate of Pakistan-based wanted terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda.
Mohammed Zubair, the Alt News co-founder who keeps begging for donations on Twitter when he is not engaged in dog-whistling against his ideological opponents, recently took to the microblogging website seeking alms for the Indian media from the new Twitter CEO, Elon Musk.
In response to Mr Musk’s tweet asking what Twitter should do next, Zubair, currently out on bail in connection with his denigratory posts on Hindu Gods and Goddesses, tweeted, “Invest in Indian Media.”
Source: Twitter
Mr Musk has sent shockwaves across the social media and tech industry, first by acquiring Twitter in a $44 billion deal and then by instituting a slew of changes, including laying off half of Twitter’s 7,500 employees, in what he touted as imperative measures aimed at building Twitter 2.0—an ambitious plan to revitalise the social media behemoth.
Even so, Musk’s policy moves and his vision to transform Twitter have sent the global left into consternation, with many expressing anxiety and dread that the billionaire entrepreneur’s commitment to absolute free speech may dilute the existing content moderation mechanism on Twitter, which has largely been built keeping in mind the sensitivities of the global left.
That angst of losing control over conversations that take place on arguably the world’s most influential social media platform, along with the fear of losing the status of belonging to an elite group as Musk doubles down on his efforts to democratise and commercialise the blue tickmark has further exacerbated the apprehensions harboured by the global left.
How Mohammed Zubair’s penchant for peddling propaganda, and Hinduphobia turned him into a blue-eyed boy of the Indian left
Mohammed Zubair has been a loyal footsoldier of the global left and one of the many blue-eyed boys the Indian left ecosystem has deployed in its larger propaganda war to undermine the Modi government and precipitate its undoing.
Recently, the Indian left-leaning media firmament and the global left went into overdrive, casting Mohammed Zubair as a victim of state-sponsored intimidation after Delhi Police arrested him for derogatory posts mocking Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
Elaborate articles and op-eds were published in local and global publications arguing how the Modi government was stamping out dissent with the arrest of Mohammed Zubair, though his arrest took place on an independent complaint filed by a Twitter user complaining against the Hinduphobic tweets the Alt News co-founder had posted in the past.
Ironically, it was Mohammed Zubair who had shared an incomplete video of Nupur Sharma’s riposte to Taslim Rehmani’s incendiary remarks on Shivling during a Times Now debate that galvanised Islamists across the country into baying for the former BJP leader’s blood and organising ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ protest rallies against her—all in the name of blasphemy against the Islamic prophet. Several Hindus, including Kanhaiya Lal and Umesh Kolhe, lost their lives for simply expressing their solidarity with Sharma in the resultant chaos touched off by Zubair’s dog-whistling against her.
He was even projected as a journalist by his sympathisers, even though he had scoffed at being referred to as a ‘journalist’ and has dissociated himself from the profession. But his treachery is not limited to this alone. Earlier this year, Zubair allowed fake news of his nomination to the Nobel Peace Prize to pervade across Twitter, even though he fashions himself as a ‘fact-checker’ who takes pride in being prompt at debunking ‘fake news’.
October 5 was no less than Eid for the liberal cabal as their two favourite self-proclaimed fact-checkers and founders of propaganda website Alt News, Muhammed Zubair and Pratik Sinha, made the list of Time’s “favourites to win the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize“. The list of “favourites” was published by Time based on nominations that were made public via “Norwegian lawmakers, bookmakers’ odds, and a personal shortlist by the director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).”
As it turned out, Zubair and Pratik Sinha were not nominated for the prestigious Nobel Prize but the duo allowed the elaborate PR stunt to run unhindered, milking the new-found attention to raise funds for their propaganda outlet Alt News. Normally, the duo which claims nimbleness in “debunking” fake news reflected in the glory of fake news that they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, without bothering to inform their followers that the reports of their nomination had been misleading.
Zubair asks Musk to invest in Indian media while relentlessly attacking Indian business magnates Ambani and Adani
Even as Zubair seeks an American entrepreneur to invest in Indian media, he has not hesitated in denigrating successful Indian business magnates who have forayed into media organisations, reflecting the colonial hangover of the brown sahebs in reposing faith in foreign entrepreneurs while pouring scorn over the native home-grown businessmen. It personifies a deep sense of contempt and disrespects that pervades among the brown sahebs, who are perpetually on the mission to ingratiate their white masters and run down those who seek to challenge their authority.
The Alt News co-founder has often targeted Ambani and Advani to insinuate cronyism by the Modi government. The attack on the duo also coincides with the Congress party’s relentless campaign alleging that the Modi government has helped only a few businessmen, pejoratively referring to the group as “Ambanis and Adanis”.
Source: Twitter
But more importantly, Zubair’s salvos against Ambani are directed at his ownership of the News 18 group for running reports that expose Alt News’ meticulously crafted narrative of shielding Islamists and perpetuating Muslim victimhood.
Source: Twitter
Referring to News 18 as the Ambani channel or journalist working for News 18 as an Ambani employee has been a constant refrain from Zubair, seemingly to discredit the organisation and its employees without proffering any evidence for the same. By using the epithets that link the channel to Ambani, Zubair tries to insinuate that the organisation does not have an independent editorial board and it is Reliance Industries Pvt Ltd’s owner who is calling the shots at the media outlet.
Source: TwitterSource: Twitter
Therefore, it is deeply amusing to see Mohammed Zubair beseech Elon Musk for investing in Indian media, for Musk is known for concentrating powers in his hands and using a heavy-handed approach to manage organisations under his control. Musk also is the poster boy for the Global non-left and holds ‘values’ enshrined by the Global Left in utter contempt, often mocking them on various forums and expressing his disgust for them. In the Indian context, Musk is more ‘Sanghi’ than even Modi, given the general definition of “Sanghi” thrown around by the Indian left. So Good luck to Zubair for asking him to invest in Indian media. If Musk indeed invests, it won’t be surprising that Zubair and his friends at Alt News be the first ones to lose their sleep and ring alarm bells over the state of Indian media.
On November 9, 2022, a rocket scientist at Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Praveen Maurya, took on LinkedIn to allege that some spies have been coercing him to share certain classified information on India’s space program with them. He further alleged that those spies threatened him when he refused to yield to their demands. Furthermore, Maurya said some senior officers of ISRO and Kerala police were involved in the matter.
OpIndia spoke to Mr Maurya who gave us access to complaints and other documents that Maurya shared with Prime Minister’s office and other departments related to the threats and harassment he faced. He requested an intelligence inquiry into the matter.
Communication regarding bad APAR grading to stop the promotion
In January 2022, Maurya wrote to the Chief Controller at VSSC, ISRO alleging the senior officials were creating hurdles in the promotion of certain employees to stop them from reaching a decision-making post. He alleged that such acts were being achieved by either giving bad APAR grading or by not recommending the employee for promotion despite good APAR grading.
Maurya said he had faced mental harassment during his promotion in 2018, and to avoid similar circumstances, he expressed his unwillingness not to apply for a promotion due in January 2022. However, his seniors asked him to attend the promotion interview. He alleged the scenario was different during the interview, and the seniors allegedly told him that he “does not deserve a promotion. Department is seriously considering to terminate you”. He further added that he was given bad APAR grading and questioned whether he was told that it “was felt to give you this grading”.
Source: Documents shared with OpIndia by Praveen Maurya
In March 2022, he received a reply retaining his previous rating with a remark that no further communication on this concern would be entertained.
The case against Maurya under POCSO Act
A person named Ajikumar Surendren, who he alleged was working for some people in Dubai, approached him to carry out espionage. He promised him colossal money in exchange for some confidential information from ISRO.
Praveen Maurya further alleged that Ajikumar Surendren offered him to become a permanent spy. When he refused, Ajikumar Surendren used his daughter to implicate him in a false POCSO case. This, Maurya alleged, was done in collusion with Kerala police. Some senior ISRO officers were also helping Ajikumar Surendren to execute his plan. Thereafter Ajikumar offered to take back the POCSO case if he agreed to comply with his demands, alleged Praveen Maurya.
As per the documents accessed by OpIndia, the said case was registered in February 2022. In a written request on April 14, 2022, to Thumba Police Station and Commission of Police, Trivandrum, for a thorough and impartial inquiry into the matter, Maurya detailed how he was allegedly trapped in the case.
He wrote he was on an evening walk after dinner as per his schedule on February 5, 2022. After walking for a while, he sat on a bench and started listing to audiobooks with headphones. “After some time, one teenage girl came near the bench and started smoking. As I am a non-smoker and it was a public place, I asked the girl not to smoke there. She was unaffected by my request and kept on smoking and replied to me, “If you want to smoke, you can also smoke”. I got flabbergasted by her audacity and inquired about her studies. After some time, a boy also came there, and I inquired about his studies, ambition, and career goals. Then they both left, and I was still sitting there on the bench listening to audiobooks with my headphones.”
Source: Documents shared with OpIndia by Praveen Maurya
The situation did not strike as unusual at first, but he was met with a shock when at around 11:30 PM, police came to his doorstep. He said, “I was preparing to sleep, but suddenly my doorbell rang. When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Two Policemen, Ajikumar and his friend and that boy. My first reaction to the police was, “Was this a setup? Were you people planning to trap me?” The Police arrested me and took me to the police station immediately at around 11:50 PM on February 5 2022. The FIR was filed the next day, February 6 2022. I was sent to jail on February 6, and currently, I am suspended from my post at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.”
First communication to PM
On April 27, 2022, Maurya wrote to the Prime Minister about the case in which he provided more information about Ajitkumar. He said Ajitkumar had approached him in the last quarter of 2021. He had informed him that he lived in the same building as Maurya on the 19th floor. He questioned if Maurya worked at ISRO and questioned about the projects he was working on, to which Maurya told him he was working on the Gaganyan project.
A few days later, Ajitkumar again met him and asked more questions about ISRO, its missions and projects. This time, Maurya refused to answer his questions. In the second half of January 2022, he visited Maurya’s flat and said, “If you provide me with the required information and data about ISRO as and when asked, I know some people in Dubai, we both will be handsomely rewarded. Your name will never come out as it will be done with utmost secrecy, and you don’t need to worry about anything.”
Source: Documents shared with OpIndia by Praveen Maurya
Maurya asked him to leave immediately. He threatened Ajitkumar not to contact him in the future or else he would report it to the police. While leaving, Ajitkumar allegedly threatened him to beware and “not to take any decision in haste”.
In the FIR, it was claimed that Maurya pretended to be friendly and constantly followed a minor living in the building with an “intent to sexually assault her”. The complainant claimed Maurya approached the minor, spoke to her in an obscene manner, touched the side of her right shoulder with his face, and compelled her to remove the mask. As per another communication to PMO in August 2022, it was mentioned that the FIR claimed Maurya attempted to sell weed (ganja) to the minor.
They alleged, I was selling weed (Ganja). How on earth a rocket scientist starts selling drugs to unknown minor girl at night 10:30 pm. I am there in Kerala for the last 12 years. Kerala police couldn’t find any evidence of drugs with me. Need Justice!
In his letter to the PM, Maurya alleged Sub Inspector Ashok Kumar N was allegedly threatening him to “obey and act in accordance with the dictates of Shri Ajikumar Surendren or otherwise I have to face serious consequences”. Maurya added, “He also informed me that if I undergo compromise with Shri Ajikumar Surendren, he will help me to get reinstated in ISRO as he is having good network among ISRO officials. As per the letter, from February 13, 2022, to April 25, 2022, he was allegedly contacted by SI Ashok Kumar N thirteen times.
Furthermore, Maurya said during his research about Ajitkumar, he found that that particular person lived in Dubai and returned to India in 2020. He was married to a Philippian woman and bought a lot of property in one year.
MP wrote to PM urging an investigation into the matter
On May 17, 2022, Praveen Maurya said that MP Ravindra Kushawaha wrote to the Prime Minister, urging him to order an inquiry into the matter. In his letter, Kushwaha said that the matter was serious as spies were approaching Maurya to leak mission secrets of ISRO. He further added that Maurya orally informed his higher officials, but no inquiry was initiated.
Maurya alleged VSSC employees were involved in the racket
In a letter to the ISRO Chairman, Prime Minister of India, and Home Minister of India on May 30, 2022, Maurya alleged that VSSC employees were not only present at the police station the day he was arrested but also passing on his personal information to SI Ashok Kumar N.
He alleged that this individual was passing information on him to SI Kumar, which was further forwarded to Ajitkumar. He urged an investigation into the alleged actions of this individual. Maurya alleged that SI Kumar already knew that his suspension might get revoked at least 16 days before it was actually revoked. Furthermore, SI Kumar knew the decision made by the committee at ISRO about revoking the suspension two days before it was communicated to Maurya.
He said, “Sub-inspector Ashok Kumar N had already known the details about the committee at ISRO headquarters, which is going to consider and revoke my suspension on April 25, 2022. He even knew the details of the letters which were sent from VSSC to ISRO headquarters from the beginning. Furthermore, I learned through the office that my suspension was revoked at 16:00 hours on May 11, 2022, while the sub-inspector Ashok Kumar N had already known this information at 09:48 hours on May 9 2022.” Maurya also shared a call recording on YouTube where the SI informed him about his suspension being revoked.
Furthermore, he alleged that an employee of his group was in contact with Ajitkumar and passing down the internal information of ISRO, for which he was ready to provide proof. He further named Dr Deependran B or someone under him to be involved with Ajitkumar and urged an investigation into it.
Allegations of racism at ISRO
Maurya, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, also alleged that there was evident racism at ISRO. He alleged that scientists and employees from the North or from outside Kerala were prohibited from getting promoted. He said, “It is a well-known fact that ISRO is infested with regional/language favouritism, and there is a covert movement in ISRO to sideline Hindi native scientists/engineers, but I could never imagine in my wildest dream that VSSC will stoop so low to falsely implicate its own officer in such a heinous crime by shaking hands with the enemy of the motherland, just because the said officer was not born in Kerala and does not speak the local dialect. For your kind information, even in my FIR, it is written that “Praveen is a north Indian.” Is being a north Indian a crime in Kerala?”
On May 31, 2022, Maurya informed the ISRO director he would not be able to rejoin work due to safety concerns.
On July 15, 2022, Maurya submitted a transfer request stating he would be able to contribute to ISRO with peace of mind and requested to transfer to any of the ISRO bases located in Delhi, Dehradun, Lucknow, Bhopal or Ahmedabad.
The alleged honey trap attempts
In another complaint to the Prime Minister’s office on August 5, 2022, Maurya mentioned after he got bail, there were attempts to honeytrap him. Maurya shared some of the screenshots of the WhatsApp messages sent for the alleged crime.
There were eight numbers from which Maurya received messages and requests to have video calls. When we checked those numbers, some were spam and fraudulent. One of the numbers was saved by someone as “Frod Girls”. Another number was saved as “Harassing with their videos”. Three out of eight numbers were marked as spam. Screenshots of the chats and Truecaller search are added below.
One of the chats shared by Maurya had number displayed as ‘Harassing with their videos’ on Truecaller.
One of the chats shared by Maurya had number displayed as ‘Frod [fraud] Girls’ on Truecaller.
Recce of UP house
Maurya further alleged that people claiming to be officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were seen doing recce at his house in Uttar Pradesh.
The complainant gave different statements
Maurya informed PMO that the statement given by the minor was different in FIR from the one that was given under Section 164 CrPC. The statement in FIR was given in the presence of the father, Ajitkumar and the statement under Section 164 CrPC was given in the presence of her mother. Notably, in her 164 statement, the complainant said, “Whenever I (the girl) was passing him (accused), he (accused) did not talk to me.” Maurya said that the girl was following and stalking him and not the other way around.
Furthermore, Maurya pointed out that there was no evidence or eyewitness of the alleged incident. Also, no electronic or telephonic communication ever happened between the accused and the complainant. Maurya and the girl never knew each other before the incident.
Letter to the Chief Justice of India
On August 9, 2022, Maurya wrote to the Chief Justice of India and urged them to direct investigating agencies to take up his case.
‘Complaints disposed of by ISRO without inquiry’ alleged Maurya
In a letter to the Chairman ISRO on November 5, 2022, Maurya alleged that he received “absurd and irresponsible” replies from the seniors for his complaints. He pointed out that the matter was being suppressed and ignored, possibly due to “political reasons”. Maurya alleged the senior officials, including the director at VCCS, were “blindly support[ing] the employees who speak their mother tongue even though the said employees were involved in anti-national activities.”
He questioned why intelligence inquiry was not allowed, and his request to PMO was disposed of without enquiry multiple times. He further pointed out that his transfer request was forwarded to B Anilkumar, who had earlier alleged to be involved with Ajitkumar. He also accused Deependran B of threatening him of termination on multiple occasions and said, “Just because Deependran is the relative of a former chairman, does not mean that he can get away with anything.”
On Saturday, CCTV footage of Delhi minister Satyendar Jain being meted out special treatment in Tihar jail went viral following which a controversy erupted. Jain was seen given head and foot massages, surrounded by several people, and a TV remote, bottled water etc things were seen on his bed in a cell. Now Delhi deputy Chief minister Manish Sisodia defended the VVIP treatment being given to Satyendar Jain claiming it to be “treatment for injury.”
The deputy chief minister of Delhi claimed that a doctor had instructed physiotherapy for the minister due to a spinal injury. “Only the BJP can make cruel jokes by leaking CCTV footage of a patient’s treatment… “Satyendar Jain’s spine was damaged, and that’s on record,” Sisodia told the media.
Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia terms the video of jailed Delhi minister & AAP leader Satyendar Jain that surfaced “treatment for injury”, says, “Only BJP can make cruel jokes by leaking CCTV footage of an injured person’s treatment… His spine was damaged, it’s on record” pic.twitter.com/zzPriSLeFQ
Manish Sisodia addresses a press conference after the video emerged, and attacked BJP for raising the issue, claiming that what was seen in the footage is a regular incident that happens in every jail.
“Satyendar has been jailed for 6 months. He had been injured after a fall at the time he was arrested. His spine’s L5-S1 disc has been damaged. This is documented. He was admitted to the hospital after his nerve was pinched. He had two surgeries there. Nerve blocks were inserted after two operations. In addition, while discharging him, the doctors recommended physiotherapy,” he continued.
The AAP leader stated while trivializing the presence of other people in Jain’s cell “There are no rules prohibiting prisoners from meeting each other in jail. Before spewing nonsense, BJP leaders should read the jail manual.”
Sisodia however, failed to give even a bizarre excuse in defence of Jain being provided fresh-cut fruits, salads, mineral water, and special food. Jain who Sisodia said had suffered a spine injury was seen in the CCTV footage being given a foot massage by an unidentified person.
मौज है मौज। सत्येंद्र जैन का तिहाड़ी मसाज पार्लर जैन की मौज सत्येंद्र जैन का मसाज वीडियो वायरल ! जेल में बंद सत्येंद्र जैन का वीडियो। #SatyendarJainpic.twitter.com/KasD0LP9kP
In another video, he was seen sitting on a chair while getting a massage on the head. Netizens are questioning why head and foot massages were given for spinal injuries. Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga refuted the claims in his own style, saying that he also had a spinal injury, and argued with his physiotherapist for not giving him a head massage and foot massage for injury to his spinal injury.
Notably, in June of this year, AAP leaders launched a propaganda campaign alleging that the ED assaulted Satyendar Jain while he was in its custody. They claimed that the ED tortured and physically assaulted him while he was in custody. However, after CCTV footage of Tijar jail was released on November 19, it was revealed that the claims made by AAP leaders at the time were false, as Jain was receiving foot and head massages while jailed.
Earlier on November 1, the ED informed the Delhi Court that AAP Minister Satyendar Jain, who was charged in a money laundering case, was receiving special treatment in Tihar jail. The ED submitted Tihar jail CCTV footage, which allegedly showed Jain receiving preferential treatment inside Tihar Jail.
According to the ED, Jain was given foot and body massages while in his cell and was served fresh-cut fruits and green salad directly in his cell by an unidentified individual. The ED also claimed that an unidentified person is cleaning, mopping, and brooding Jain’s cell under the supervision of co-accused Ankush Jain.
The ED also stated that Jain was constantly and easily able to meet co-accused Ankush Jain, Vaibhav Jain, and his wife, Poonam Jain, who visits him in the cell on a regular basis. The ED claimed that the accused was breaking all jail rules and meeting with the jail superintendent every day, which is against the rules.
The ED attached assets worth Rs 4.81 crores linked to Jain and his family in April this year. The probe agency launched an investigation in the case based on an FIR which was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jain and others under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In a dramatic u-turn, Qatar, which is hosting FIFA World Cup has banned the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages at the World Cup stadiums just two days before the mega tournament begins. While football fans from around the world who have made their way to Qatar are left disappointed with the sudden flip by the organisers, several English fans have demanded a refund after this decision.
Many fans have even said that they would not have come to Qatar, had they known about the alcohol ban earlier. The ban at stadiums came into force after the royal family of Qatar reportedly demanded a total ban on the sale of alcohol inside stadiums during the tournament.
Most fans were taken aback by the ban, which came after FIFA had previously assured them that despite the country’s strict alcohol laws, they would be able to purchase it while watching the games. Meanwhile, fans who will be seated in corporate boxes, where tickets cost more than $22,450 each, will be able to enjoy a variety of alcoholic beverages.
“Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations, and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,” FIFA said in its statement.
The sale of Bud Zero, which is Budweiser’s nonalcoholic beer will not be affected and will be available to fans at the World Cup stadiums. Budweiser is one of the official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup.
“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful, and pleasant experience for all fans,” according to the FIFA statement. “The tournament organizers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and ongoing support of our joint commitment to catering for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” said the tournament’s organizers.
The decision calls into question the tournament’s $75 million sponsorship by Budweiser and is likely to enrage many organisers and attending fans who are already frustrated by the restrictions imposed by Qatar for the World Cup.
Qatar initially eased its alcohol prohibitions in order to allow Budweiser, the World Cup’s exclusive beer distributor since 1986, to sell its products at official Qatar World Cup venues, specifically stadiums and fan zones.
In a now-deleted tweet, Budweiser’s official Twitter account responded to the beer ban and wrote, “Well this is awkward…”
Screengrab of the now-deleted tweet by Budweiser
Notably, despite strict controls on its sale and consumption, the Islamic country initially consented to serve alcohol at matches and inside fan zones.
Although Qatar does not completely prohibit visitors from consuming alcohol, but its sale and consumption are strictly regulated. Alcohol is typically only permitted in a few specially licensed hotels and restaurants away from street view.
Qatar, the controversial World Cup host
Qatar hosting the most popular sporting event has attracted criticism since the decision was made in December 2010. The country has been slammed over various issues including human rights violations, slave labour, restrictions for fans, and its position on LGBTQs.
Recently, many Western countries including Germany criticized Qatar over the above-mentioned issues and called for the boycott of the Qatar-hosted World Cup.
HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s Foreign Minister, reacted to the criticism by labeling the opposing countries “arrogant” and “racists”. Speaking to the media, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani accused Germany of ‘double standards’. He also reminded the people that the European countries have no problem with Qatar when it comes to energy partnerships or investments.
In an interview with Sky News, the minister launched an attack against critics, pro-LGBTQ activists, and human rights activists.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) November 7, 2022
LGBTQ+ rights aren’t the only problem with Qatar hosting the World Cup, there have been some concerns raised over the use of “slave labour” and poor working conditions in the Gulf state. Thousands have reportedly died while working on the infrastructure for the World Cup due to poor working conditions.
However, the football governing body FIFA, which has banned Russia for the Ukrainian invasion, has chosen to overlook all these human rights abuses. In a recent press statement, FIFA had asked participating teams to focus on the game and not to drag the game into issues of politics and ideology.
On 16th November 2022, Uyghur Human Rights Project published a report on the measures taken by the Chinese government to promote intermarriage between Uyghur Muslims and Han Chinese ethnic groups. The means employed by the Chinese government consist of both incentivization and coercive actions underlines the report.
It is notable that Uyghur Muslims are an ethnic minority living in the Xinjiang region of China while Han Chinese is the primary ethnicity in the country. The Uyghur Human Rights Project examined Chinese state media, policy documents, testimonies of government-approved marriages, as well as accounts from women in the Uyghur community, and discovered that since 2014, the government has increased incentives and coercion to encourage interethnic marriages.
The report is titled ‘Forced Marriage of Uyghur Women: State Policies for Interethnic Marriage in East Turkistan’. Andréa J. Worden, Nuzigum Setiwaldi, Dr. Elise Anderson, Dr. Henryk Szadziewski, Louisa Greve, and Ben Carrdus are the authors of this report. According to the report, “The Chinese Party-State is actively involved in carrying out a campaign of forcefully assimilating Uyghurs into Han Chinese society by means of mixed marriages.”
The United Nations and Western countries acknowledge that Chinese practices in Xinjiang constitute or may amount to genocide or crimes against humanity, which coincides with the conclusions on forced marriage from the Washington, DC-based NGO. Britain, Canada, the European Union, and the United States have all imposed sanctions on China for its use of forced labor, prison camps, and other features of its governance in Xinjiang.
The research by UHRP is based on state-approved propaganda films, state-approved internet reports of interethnic marriages and weddings, state-approved personal online testimonies from persons in interethnic marriages, and government comments and policy directives.
The report cited that these policies took an aggressive nature from 2014. After Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a “new era” at the Xinjiang Work Forum in 2014 and praised a strategy of fostering interethnic “interaction, exchange, and blending,” interethnic rules gained traction.
Nuzigum Setiwaldi a co-author of the report said, “Uyghur-Han intermarriage has been increasing over the past several years since the Chinese state has been actively promoting intermarriage. The Chinese government always talks about how interethnic marriages promote ‘ethnic unity’ and ‘social stability,’ but these actually are euphemisms for assimilation.”
The attractions for these intermarriage include cash payments, help with housing, medical care, government jobs, and tuition waivers. On the other hand, the coercive actions
In a press statement by UHRP, Omer Kanat, UHRP Executive Director said, “This report brings to light another form of gender-based violence that demands action from concerned states, relevant UN agencies, and women’s groups. The Chinese government targets women in its ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people. Uyghur women report routine sexual violence in China’s concentration camps and prisons, and evidence of the forced sterilization was integral to the genocide adjudication of the Uyghur Tribunal.”
The UHRP requested various action steps in this regard. They demanded that analyses of gender-based violence against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples should include state-sponsored forced and incentivized marriage. Civil society, governments, and multilateral bodies should raise this form of state-sponsored forced marriage and sexual violence as well a core element of ongoing atrocity crimes. Also, UHRP urged women’s rights advocacy campaigns to call for accountability and end forced and incentivized marriages suffered by Uyghur and other Turkic women.
UHRP asked the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to thoroughly examine evidence of gender-based crimes in its 2023 country review of China and called on the Chinese government to implement measures to effectively end and prevent such state-sponsored forced marriages and sexual violence.
China did not immediately respond to the news with any comments. According to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement from last month, the human rights of individuals from various ethnic origins are now better safeguarded in Xinjiang. It also claimed that the main goal of the U.S. and some other Western nations behind their Xinjiang narrative is to restrict China.
On Saturday, during the investigation into the Shraddha Walkar murder case, the Delhi Police obtained a CCTV footage video of October 18 in which accused Aftab is seen with a bag. The Police suspect that Aftab was carrying the remaining body parts of Shraddha to dispose of it into the Mehrauli forest area of Delhi.
According to the CCTV footage, Aftab made three trips with the bag. The Police believe that he was out with the bag to dump off the body parts of Shraddha he had stashed in the 300-litre fridge before discarding them throughout the national capital over many days. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police searched Mehrauli forest for the sixth day in a row for searching the missing critical evidence in the Shraddha murder case.
Reports also mention that the accused Aftab was under severe influence of drugs on the day he murdered Shraddha Walkar. Poonawala was accustomed to using cannabis, and Walkar routinely chastised him for it; possibly she did the same on the day she was murdered.
In connection with the murder probe, Delhi Police teams have been dispatched to Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. After leaving Mumbai, Walkar and Poonawala went to many locations that are being investigated by authorities to see whether anything happened on those excursions to trigger the murder.
On Friday, a team investigating the murder visited the Gurugram office of a private business where Aftab worked. Following a search, officers were seen carrying a black-coloured plastic bag holding objects found in the bushes near the office. Aaftab worked in Cvent India in Gurugram, but he was reportedly fired as he took a leave of one week without informing his higher authorities.
Screenshots of Shraddha’s WhatsApp conversations with her friends and coworkers have also surfaced, indicating that she was a victim of Aaftab’s abuse and continuous beatings. On Friday, a photo of Shraddha with injuries on her nose, neck, and cheek circulated on social media channels.
Aaftab had abused Shraddha several times, and when she attempted to make a police complaint against him, he allegedly threatened her with death if she did so. In 2020, Shraddha was hospitalized at a hospital in Vasai after she complained of acute back pain. Last year, she also saw a Mumbai-based doctor regarding her despair and Aftab’s aggressive behaviour.
Shraddha Walkar murder case
On November 14, the Delhi Police solved the six-month-old murder case of Shraddha Walkar and arrested Aftab Poonawala for murdering her, and then chopping her into 35 small pieces. Aftab executed the murder on May 18 and stored her body parts in the refrigerator. He then disposed of the body pieces in Delhi’s Mehrauli forest during the next 18 days.
The accused was arrested based on the complaint filed by Shraddha’s father on November 10. He stated in the complaint that the accused and the deceased had rented an apartment in Delhi and were staying in an unhealthy live-in relationship. He said that he had always opposed their relationship as Aftab used to physically assault Shraddha.
The girl, a resident of Palghar was adamant about continuing her relationship with accused Aftab and shifted to Delhi with him. Three days after they shifted to Delhi, they engaged in a quarrel and Aftab happened to kill Shraddha. He confessed his crime on November 14 and stated that they used to fight a lot. He said that he murdered Shraddha on May 18 as she was forcing him to get married to her. They also had a fight over who would manage the domestic household expenses.
The accused has been arrested and a case under IPC section 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed) have been registered. Further investigations into the case are underway.
