Pahadi Korba, belonging to the Scheduled Tribes, are referred to as the President of India’s ‘adopted children’. Agriculture and animal husbandry are their primary sources of income. In Chhattisgarh, this tribal community committed to Sanatan Dharma struggles to save its homeland.
“Korba and Nagesia are tribes with little to no conversion,” manager Ram Bhagat told OpIndia. “The Churches exert pressure on them in a variety of ways, but they are adamant that they will survive by eating roots, fruits, and flowers but would not convert. However, their properties are now being taken over as part of a conspiracy,” said Bhagat, who now serves as the vice-president of the Jashpur District BJP Tribal Morcha (BJP ST Morcha). He is also the District Vice President of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram’s Sarhul Puja Committee.
Pahadi Korba.
To understand the threat Bhagat is referring to, we travelled to the village of Harrapath. This village is located in the Manora Block of Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur District, which borders Jharkhand. Pahari Korba dwells in this settlement beside the road. Except for a few Yadav houses, the majority of the population is tribal.
In a conversation with OpIndia, Nandkumar Yadav of Harrapath, who claims to be affiliated with the BJP, stated, “The people of the tribal class who dwell in this village are the adherents of Hindu Sanatan culture. However, with the arrival of the Congress government, Christian missionaries have been attempting to convert people here as well. They are deceiving people. They were also seizing the land of Pahadi Korba in my village to build a cathedral.”
Pahadi Korba’s 24.88 acres of property in Harrapath was illegally registered in the name of Ashish Bhagat, son of Amarjeet Bhagat, the state’s Food and Culture Minister. Bhagat was also the minister in charge of Jashpur at the time of the scam.
Lal Sai Ram is one of those whose land was lost as a result of this deception. “That entire land (approximately 25 acres) belongs to our ancestors,” he told OpIndia. “We have several family members involved in this. We were transported to Jashpur under the guise of obtaining a government grant. They received our approval and signed some documents there. We just found out about the land transaction when the patwari arrived to measure it,” he further said.
Pahadi Korba Lal Sai’s house and BJYM leader Nitin Rai
When they learned about the land transaction through the patwari, the family proceeded to the home of local BJP politician Krishna Kumar Rai with a cheque. Rai held the position of minister in the preceding Raman Singh cabinet. “We have an attachment to these villages since our forefathers,” Rai’s nephew and BJYM’s Surguja division in-charge Nitin Rai told OpIndia.
“These individuals presented us with cheques. When we investigated, we discovered that Amarjit Bhagat, the minister in charge here, had purchased land in the name of his son by duping the tribals. In this scenario, the brokers informed them that a mighty minister has taken their property and nobody can take the land back. We were ignored by the district administration. We then took these individuals to Governor Anusuiya Uikey. As the conflict escalated, Amarjit Bhagat was forced to return the land,” Rai further added.
According to Nitin Rai, Christian missionaries are also occupying Pahadi Korba lands. Bhuneshwar Ram is the Korba of this village (Harrapath), and there was an effort to seize his land as well. This case is also ongoing. Bhuneshwar showed OpIndia his acreage next to the road, which is still under construction. He informed us that Ghuda Ekka and Daya Kujur were occupying their property. When he chased them away, the work came to a halt. “These folks have become Christians. They wanted to construct a cathedral here. When BJP leader Prabal Pratap Singh Judeo interfered in this matter, the administration took action in the matter”, he said.
Construction on the plot of Bhuneshwar Ram.
These are the Pahadi Korba-related issues that have come to light, whether in the case of Lal Sai or Bhuneshwar Ram. Due to political pressure, the tribal class’s land was eventually spared. Hundreds of similar examples of fraudulent land registration of Scheduled Tribes have been documented. “The brokers are keeping a careful check on the lands here,” Nitin Rai told OpIndia. Bauxite is the explanation behind this. Thousands of acres of land in Pandara Pat’s Garden region have been fraudulently registered. If it is checked, all of the property of Pahadi Korba can be restored.
The questions don’t end with Amarjit Bhagat handing over the land. His misdeeds are not wiped away by his removal as the minister in charge of Jashpur. The regulation states that the judge must provide this information prior to purchasing the property. Was this done by his son Ashish Bhagat? In this case, people who acted as brokers and identified as Congress employees, was any action taken against them? Was Amarjit Bhagat’s friendship with them investigated? When it came to surrendering the land, Amarjit Bhagat maintained that the regulations were followed in this transaction.
The Pahadi Korba, on the other hand, is a protected tribe. Even other tribes cannot purchase their land. So, how did Amarjeet Bhagat’s son, from the Oraon tribe, manage to do this? Obviously, there was administrative complicity in this deal as well. However, after a year, no action has been taken against any officer in this incident. After all, what is the ‘qualification’ that keeps Amarjit Bhagat in Bhupesh Baghel’s cabinet even today? The answers to these questions are yet to be uncovered.
Rajasthan Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested six people, including a woman, in a minor Dalit gang rape case. 18-year-old Salman of Kothdi Police station area, 19-year-old Sameer of Gumanpura Police Station area, 27-year-old Shahrukh Khan of Indra Nagar DCM Udyog Nagar Police Station Area, 23-year-old Sahil of Kothdi Gumanpura Police Station area, 18-year-old Arbaaz of Bombay Yojna Udyog Nagar Police Station Area, 25-year-old Sangeeta of Raipur Yojna Police Station area have been arrested in the matter. As per reports, the victim is from the Ramganj Mandi Police Station area of Kota. She had gone missing from her house on September 14 and was found on September 18.
Furthermore, Assistant Sub-Inspector Raunak Ali of Kota Police, who was investigating the matter, has been accused of molesting the victim. He has been suspended, and an investigation into the matter is underway.
The victim is a 14-year-old studying in class 10. On September 14, she left her house and reached Kota via train. She met a friend who was a senior in her school. She forcibly kept her in Kota till September 18, during which she was allegedly raped several times by multiple accused. After her disappearance, her family members filed a complaint at the Police station. On September 18, the accused dropped the victim outside a park and fled the scene.
The girl was handed over to the police. ASI Raunak Ali was investigating the matter of who took the girl to the ‘Child Welfare Committee’ in Kota on September 19 after taking her to the Police station. On September 23, the victim was handed over to the family members after counselling. When Hindu organisations came to know about the matter, Bajrang Dal demanded strict action against the culprits. The victim’s medical was done, and her statement under Section 164 was recorded before the magistrate.
ASI was accused of molesting the girl
The family members of the victim accused the police of negligence. They alleged that the police were trying to suppress the matter and save the accused. Reports suggest that ASI Raunak Ali was also accused of molesting the girl at the police station. ASI Ali was also accused of using abusive language with the victim and her family. Following the allegations, he was suspended by senior officials.
उक्त घटना के संबंध में मुक़दमा दर्ज कर लिया गया है मामले की जाँच सहायक पुलिस अधीक्षक रामगंजमंडी को सौंपी गई है अग्रिम अनुसंधान जारी है
On September 25, BJP MLA and other leaders filed a complaint to the IG in the matter, following which SIT was formed for fair investigation by SP Kota Rural Kavendra Singh under the supervision of ASP Saurabh Tiwari. SIT raided several locations linked to the accused, who were identified with the help of CCTV footage.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge sheet before a special court in Mumbai in which it confirmed that no evidence was found against Republic Media Network and Arnab Goswami in the fake TRP case. On Wednesday, Judge MG Deshpande of the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court took cognizance of the charge sheet.
The charge sheet that has been filed by the ED categorically said that the investigation by the Mumbai Police and the charge sheet filed thereof was at “variance” with the findings of the ED. According to the charge sheet, the panel households denied taking money to watch Republic TV or Republic Bharat. The charge sheet said that the regional managers who admitted to paying household panels to watch particular television channels denied doing the same for Republic TV. There was no indication of Republic TV or Republic Bharat engaging in these practices, “either by a statement or by digital data evidence,” it noted.
The charge sheet by ED also elaborated how the Mumbai Police, especially Sachin Vaze had accepted bribes during the investigation of the TRP case. It details how BARC had paid Rs 25 lakhs as a bribe to Sachin Vaze to spare them the harassment during the investigation. “Thus, it appears that illegal gratifications have been received by investigator-A of the Mumbai Police. As the matter was of serious nature, the same was referred to CBI on 01.07.2021. The outcome of CBI investigation on the above-said input is awaited for further action at this end”, the charge sheet says.
While Republic TV has been given a clean chit by the Enforcement Directorate, the charge sheet also details which channels could have been manipulating TRPs and other channels that are under investigation for manipulation.
As reported earlier by OpIndia, The raw data of the panels where the alleged manipulation in favour of Republic TV took place were sought and analysed by the ED. The ED then places a table where it is evident that these households, that Mumbai Police said were paid to watch Republic, were watching other channels and not Arnab Goswami. The channels that were being watched by these households were Box Cinema, Fakt Marathi, Mahamovie, Aaj Tak, India Today and News Nation. Apart from these channels, another name that comes up in the ED charge sheet is that of TimesNow, saying that this channel is now under investigation.
What the ED charge sheet says about India Today and TRP manipulation
It is pertinent to note here that the initial complaint by Hansa Research had named India Today, however, the Mumbai Police had held a press conference, falsely blaming Republic TV for TRP manipulation. During the investigation by the ED, data of households were analysed for the period between November 2019 to June 2020. This was done to analyse the basis of the data provided by BARC to ED. It is in this investigation that ED said no evidence was found against Republic TV and Arnab Goswami. The same portion of the ED, however, says the following about India Today:
“During the course of the investigation, ED has come across certain leads indicating that certain Households were watching News Nation and India Today Channels in lieu of receiving cash amounts from RMS. Further investigation in this regard is under progress”, cites the charge sheet.
During the PMLA investigation by the ED, Nitin Deokar, the Deputy General Manager of Hansa Research was spoken to. Deokar revealed that “Vishal Bhandari admitted that he has been approached telephonically by a person named Shri Vinay to convince 05 Panel Homes in Mumbai to watch India Today Channel daily for two hours and for the said task Shri Vishal Bhandari was paid Rs. 5000 as a commission and Rs. 200 per month were distributed to each Panel Household; that as per Shri Vishal Bhandari’s confession before BARC team, he has done this work of paying panel Households for watching India Today channel for the period from November 2019 till May 2020; that Shri Vishal Bhandari also confessed distributing the money to certain other Panel Households; that Shri Vishal Bhandari also provided the details of Panel household where the money was distributed”. Vishal Bhandari in this case is an employee of Hansa Research.
The charge sheet further says, “Statement of Shri Dharamveer Mahecha, Head-Vigilance and Investigations of M/s Broadcast Audience Research Council: On being asked about his directions to Shri Abhijeet Mehendale for conducting investigation of Household Panel of Shri Ved Bhandari, he stated that on 25.02.2020, the Market Analytics Team of BARC informed the Vigilance Team about the abnormal viewership growth during Middle of January, 2020 to Middle of February, 2020 of India Today in Mumbai; that the information was received by Shri Arijeet Banerjee, Manager of Market Analytics Team of BARC, who looks after the Viewership Trend of English News genre; that the BARC vigilance undertook field investigation for the same; that as per process, the channel was again re-investigated after 13 weeks and therefore, top 25 household panel were selected wherein the higher viewership with respect of India Today Channel was observed and the above mentioned panel homes information was provided to Shri Abhijeet Mehendale for conducting panel home investigation; that during the course of above investigation, Shri Abhijit Mehendale found that one of the panel homes had an additional meter lying in the house; the house belongs to Mr. Vishal Bhandari, who was working as Relationship Manager with Hansa and that Shri Vishal Bhandari was questioned by Mr. Abhishek Sarkar from M/s Hansa Research Pvt ltd and Mr. Abhijit Mehendale, AVP BARC India, about the presence of another meter in his house. Shri Vishal Bhandari stated that he had been approached by an unknown person and paid money to induce panel homes to watch India Today channel“.
What the ED charge sheet said about TimesNow and TRP manipulation
A surprising channel name that has emerged in the ED charge sheet is that of TimesNow. The PMLA investigation intothe forensic report that was made on the instruction of BARC has revealed some troubling details. ED in its conclusions about the forensic report, that had apparently implicated Republic TV, says, “From the above discussion and table, it becomes apparent that the allegations made in the report are superficial and based on the analysis of limited aspects. Various other aspects such as the response of the Key Management Persons, video recording regarding allurement to three Households & show cause to Times Now, software developed by BARC to counter the TRP due to Landing Page, Vigilance Complaints, impact from surveying companies such as M/s Chrome were not taken into account while preparing the report”.
The charge sheet says there are two video recordings of two households that point towards the fact that TimesNow had paid them to watch their channel. “A Show Cause was also issued to Times Now in this regard. This indicates certain irregularities vis a vis Times Now, which needs to be properly investigated”, it said.
“From the plain reading of these showcase notices and replies therein, it is apparent that there were three video clips of panel households wherein the panel households were supposedly indicating malpractices in viewing Times Now. There was further raw data analysis which showed an abnormal increasing average time spend watching Times Now vis-a-vis other English News Channels. The time period of this alleged maleficence on part of Times Now coincides with the period taken in the BARC audit report. In this regard, it may also be added here that viewership of English News Channel is very limited and even few compromised Households can increase TRP manifolds”, it says.
Further, the charge sheet says, “Further, BARC has also reported that they had received several complaints regarding certain Households that they are being paid money for watching Times Now channel and it is learnt that BARC vigilance team recorded videos of these Households stating that they are being paid for watching Times Now Channel. Further, BARC was requested to provide the said video through mails, however, the same has not been provided yet. Further investigation in this regard is under progress”.
Interestingly, the charge sheet alludes to the statement issued to ED by Dharamveer Mahecha (Retired Lt. Col.), Head-Vigilance and Investigations of BARC. On being asked about the investigation, he said that there were vigilance inputs regarding TimesNow manipulating TRPs and thus, an investigation was carried out. The field investigation confirmed that TimesNow had paid certain households to watch their channel.
ED charge sheet
The charge sheet then says, “On 28.11.2017, representatives from the channel visited BARC office, where they were shown the Times Now data Analysis (raw data) reflecting a spike in the viewership in week 15 to week 16 and week 25-26, 2017 while indexing the channel to other English News Channels, Week 34 to 39, 2017 in Mumbai, week 31 to 39, 2017 in Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, week 30 to 40, 2017 in UP/Uttarakhand. The channel representatives were also shown videos of three-panel homes, where the household alleged that certain individuals approached them and asked them to watch Times Now. He further stated that Shri Romil Ramgarhia, then COO of BARC was aware of the above vigilance proceedings on Times Now”.
ED chargesheet
In November 2017, the charge sheet says that Times Network sent their second response to these charges after being shown the videos of their manipulation. In December, they sent another response saying that they were not involved in the manipulation of TRP. Interestingly, there is no further information available on this. It is clear that BARC had evidence of TRP manipulation, but no information is available as to what steps were taken by BARC after Times Now said they were not involved in manipulation, despite being faced with video and data evidence.
Interestingly, when BARC got ACPCL to conduct a forensic audit, the ACPCL ex-founder and Managing Director told ED that they were not given the information regarding the vigilance inputs regarding TimesNow’s manipulation of data or the video evidence that BARC had in its possession. “On being shown the inputs/documents relied upon in vigilance proceedings conducted against Times Now during 2017 and asked whether the said inputs related to vigilance proceeding was shared with him during the forensic audit. he stated that he was not shared with any specific inputs to vigilance proceedings against Times Now for the audit period”, the charge sheet says.
It is to be noted that ED has asked BARC to produce the video evidence in its possession against TimesNow, however, the same has not been furnished yet. The ED says that investigation in this matter is on, therefore proving that TimesNow is now under ED investigation as far as the TRP case is concerned.
Sachin Vaze and Param Bir Singh had revealed that Anil Deshmukh wanted Arnab Goswami falsely implicated and arrested in the TRP case
While the ED has given a clean chit to Arnab Goswami, it is pertinent to remember why this saga had erupted. In September 2021, Sachin Vaze, the Maharashtra police officer currently under arrest had told the Enforcement Directorate that the former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh had wanted Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami to be arrested in the TRP rigging case.
The tainted cop had revealed that Anil Deshmukh, NCP leader and former Maharashtra Home Minister, had been personally involved in the attempt to get Arnab Goswami arrested, apart from demanding bribes and extortions worth crores from business owners.
Sachin Vaze had submitted before the ED that after he was reinstated into the force by Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh after paying Rs 2 crores, Anil Deshmukh used to personally call him at his office or home to brief him on various cases. These included the TRP rigging case, Arnab Goswami’s arrest in the abetment to suicide case regarding the death of architect Anvay Naik, Dilip Chhabria’s case, and the social media fake follower case.
“In the TRP case Anil Deshmukh wanted to arrest Arnab Goswami. In the Dilip Chhabria Case, Anil Deshmukh wanted me to get some kind of settlement with his partner of approx. Rs.150 crores. In Social Media Fake follower case he wanted to have all-out action against the culprits.” Vaze revealed this in his statement to the ED.
It is also pertinent to note that recently, the tainted ex-Police Commissioner of Mumbai Param Bir Singh, facing a probe by central agencies in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren murder case, confirmed that the TRP case against Republic Media Network was a hoax and part of a planned conspiracy against Journalist Arnab Goswami. During an interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Singh also alleged that ex-Police Officer Sachin Vaze was taking instructions from the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in the TRP case along with other cases.
Navratri, the nine-night long festival is here. Being away from home, I make do with the pictures, videos my folks send me and the Instagram reels I come across, thanks to the algorithm. Since the festival is celebrated across India in various ways, but the basis is the upasana (worship) of the Devi Shakti. The Mother Goddess.
Some people fast for these nine days, surviving only on water, some don’t even take water. They pray to the Maa, welcome Her in all her finery and there is absolute joy everywhere. Amongst many forms of worship is the dance form. Which in Gujarat is ‘garba’. Once I had the privilege of going to Ambaji, one of the 51 Shaktipeeth in Gujarat during Navratri and in the ‘chowk’, right outside the sanctum sanctorum the devotees were dancing their heart out. Women were wearing their finest clothes all dressed up because ‘they have come home to their mother’, I was told. And why not?
The idol, image of the Maa Amba is put in centre of an open space and men, women and children dance around it in circles to traditional songs which talk about the goddesses. With time, things have changed and commercialisation has crept in, but the basis still remains dance as a means of worship. No matter which place you go, garba will always start with an Aarti of Maa Amba.
I’ll just put it out here because I am feeling nostalgic and I miss home and Navratri back home.
Coming back. The very essence of Navratri is invoking the Maa and worshipping Her.
So, while the ‘liberals’ in India may want to appropriate it and call it a ‘cultural’ festival, they are wrong. Navratri is very much a Hindu religious festival. The dance is a form of worship of Maa. It is as religious as it could get.
Which is they I don’t understand the force-fitting of secularism. When people who do not believe in our gods and goddesses, including atheists, why should they be participating in the worshipping? Especially when their faith propagates idol worship is a sin, why do you then want to whine when you are denied entry into garba events.
Every year, much hue and cry is raised that Bajrang Dal volunteers are checking IDs of people entering the venue. ‘Liberals’ cry hoarse about discrimination. But then, what is wrong to ensure only those who at least by virtue of their birth are born into a faith that worships the goddess are allowed to enter the venues? Of course, one should not take law into their hands and India being a free country, one could not deny someone entry to public places. But then why would anyone want to go to a place which is a sin?
Of course, there is this thing about mutual respect and I am all for it. So, if you agree to bow down to the goddess and accept the prasad, maybe then you could too participate in this dance form of idol worship.
Because my Maa nurtures, protects and blesses those who believe in Her.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court rules that the rights granted to married women under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1973 to abort a foetus would be extended to unmarried women. While the 1971 Act is concerned with married women, the statement of purposes and reasons for the 2021 amendment did not distinguish betweeerefore “all women entitled to safe and legal abortion,” said a bench comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud, AS Bopanna and JB Pardiwala.
The Court found that it is unconstitutional to exclude unmarried women who conceive outside of a live-in relationship from the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules. According to the reports, the issue was whether the exclusion of unmarried women from Rule 3B of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules is valid. Rule 3B mentions the categories of women whose pregnancy in the duration of 20-24 weeks can be terminated.
SC says, meaning of rape must be held, incl marital rape, for purpose of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act SC says,distinction b/w married&unmarried women “artificial&constitutionally unsustainable”,it perpetuates stereotype that only married women indulge in sexual activities
“If Rule 3B(c) is understood as only for married women, it would perpetuate the stereotype that only married women indulge in sexual activities. This is not constitutionally sustainable. The artificial distinction between married and unmarried women cannot be sustained. Women must have autonomy to have free exercise of these rights”, Justice Chandrachud said.
“The rights of reproductive autonomy give an unmarried women similar rights as a married women”, the Court stated adding that excluding unmarried women would be violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. Reports mention that the foetus survives on the woman’s body and as a result their decision to terminate stems from their right to bodily autonomy. “If the state forces a woman to carry an undesired pregnancy to term, it is an insult to her dignity”, the Court maintained.
The case came to the fore when a 25-year-old unmarried woman approached the Delhi High Court seeking termination of her 23-week-and-5-day pregnancy, saying that her pregnancy was the result of a consensual relationship. She said she couldn’t give birth to the child because she was an unmarried woman and her partner had refused to marry her.
A split judgement by a bench of the Delhi High Court comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, however, denied her temporary relief. The High Court found that unmarried women whose pregnancy resulted from a consensual relationship were not protected by any of the clauses in the 2003 Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules. She subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court, which issued an ad-interim decision on July 21, 2022, permitting her to terminate her pregnancy subject to a medical board convened by AIIMS Delhi deciding that the unborn might be aborted without endangering the woman’s life.
The Supreme Court panel concluded that the Delhi High Court had taken an unduly ‘restrictive approach’ since Rule 3(b) refers to a woman’s ‘change in marital status,’ which is followed by the phrases widowhood or divorce. The bench considered amendments made to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act in 2021, which replaced the word ‘husband’ with the word ‘partner’, and concluded that excluding unmarried women and single women from the statute goes against the purpose of the legislation.
“There is no basis to deny unmarried women the right to medically terminate the pregnancy, when the same choice is available to other categories of women”, the Court noted on September 29.
On September 28, a video of Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal went viral on social media where he was seen running away from a New Delhi Municipal Corporation meeting after Bharatiya Janata Party’s New Delhi General Secretary and NDMC member Kuljeet Singh Chahal confronted him over AAP government’s claims about school development. Chahal cited an RTI query where multiple questions were asked, and one of them was about if Kejriwal utilised funds from his MLA quota for development in NDMC schools. As per the reply to the RTI query, not even a single paisa was given by Kejriwal from 2015-16 to 2021-22.
➡️ केजरीवाल ने MLA फंड से अपनी नई दिल्ली विधानसभा के स्कूलों में कोई विकास क्यों नहीं? ➡️ #NDMC शिक्षकों, छात्रों व अभिभावकों के साथ कोई भी मीटिंग क्यों नहीं
Notably, Kejriwal is an ex-officio member of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation. During the members’ meeting, Chahal raised questions over the claims made by CM Kejriwal and the Delhi government about the development of the Schools. Chahal cited the RTI during the meeting and questioned Kejriwal over his inactions towards the development of the schools.
Instead of answering Chahal, Kejriwal got irked and left the meeting in a hasty manner. The video of the meeting has gone viral on social media platforms.
RTI revealed Kejriwal’s inaction toward the development of NDMC schools
In the RTI application submitted to the NDMC Education Department by Chahal himself, he had asked eight questions. In the first question, it was revealed that from 2015-16, CM Kejriwal did not visit a single school under NDMC.
Furthermore, in answer to the second question, it was revealed that CM Kejriwal did not talk even once to the parents of the students studying in NDMC schools. The next question was if Kejriwal talked to the teachers of these schools and the answer remained the same. CM Kejriwal did not hold any talk with the teachers of NDMC schools.
The answer to the fourth question revealed that CM Kejriwal did not have any conversation with the officials to discuss the development of NDMC schools. The next answer revealed that a request for filling posts of 298 teachers was sent by NDMC to the Delhi government. However, there was one more part of the question where information was sought on if Kejriwal took any action on demand. There was no reply to that particular part of the question. It is fair to assume that the CM did not take any action.
The Education Department of NDMC said in answer to the sixth question that there was no information available if Kejriwal took any action to fill the empty posts of the teachers on at urgent basis.
While answering the seventh question about the allotment of funds from the MLA quota by CM Kejriwal for the development of the schools in the area, the NDMC’s Education Department revealed that since 2015-16, not even a single paisa was released by CM Kejriwal from his MLA fund for the same.
On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government rejected permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to perform a march on October 2, citing law and order concerns. This is after the RSS had served a notice to senior state government officials, including the Home Secretary, in response to the Tiruvallur police department’s refusal to provide permission for the march, despite a Madras High Court judgment in its favour.
Earlier on September 22, the Madras High Court had directed the Tamil Nadu government to approve the proposed march by RSS on October 2 at 50 locations in the state. A bench of justice GK Ilanthiraiyan had said that the state government must grant the permission on or before September 28. But despite the High Court order, the Tamil Nadu Police on Wednesday denied permission to the march by RSS, saying that the law and order situation in the state in the aftermath of the ban on PFI is not conducive for the march. The state govt said that it will not grant permission to any organisation for rallies or marches.
Following the refusal of permission for the march, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh members served a legal notice on State Home Secretary Phanindra Reddy, DGP C Sylendra Babu, the local SP, and the town police inspector, asking why they should not face contempt charges for defying the court order.
#UPDATE | Tamil Nadu Government denies permission for RSS march which was planned to be held on October 2, citing law and order issues.
RSS counsel B Rabu Manohar argued in his legal notice that in light of Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan’s judgment dated September 22, none of the four had any jurisdiction to reject permission or set any new conditions for the event other than those imposed by the High Court.
“It is the duty cast upon the police to give adequate protection, enabling the successful completion of the mission without acting otherwise. The rejection order passed by the inspector (attached to Tiruvallur town police station) is ex facie illegal and contemptuous, as the three are parties before the High Court and are duty bound to ensure strict compliance of the order, failure of which would amount to committing contempt”, the notice read.
B Rabu Manohar also asked the four authorities to unconditionally lift the rejection decision and allow the route march and public gathering on October 2. He further threatened that failure to comply would result in contempt proceedings before the High Court for willful disobedience of the September 22 order, with costs.
Last week on September 22, the Madras High Court granted permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to march in several venues across Tamil Nadu on October 2 with reasonable limits. A bench led by Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan had urged authorities to allow the RSS authorization by September 28. RSS had requested authorization and petitioned the High Court to arrange a parade on October 2 with its members dressed in their uniforms, led by a music band, and followed by a public assembly.
During the hearing, the petitioners stated that every person has the right to lawfully assemble within acceptable limits and that because the organization has not been outlawed, there is no reason why they cannot carry out their parade. The RSS stated that the march would be held to promote social and communal peace and that no members of the RSS would be allowed to carry weapons. The organization further asserted that while other states and the union territory of Puducherry had been granted permission to carry out the parade, “Tamil Nadu’s representation was put on hold”.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge sheet before a special court in Mumbai in which it confirmed that no evidence was found against Republic Media Network and Arnab Goswami in the fake TRP case. On Wednesday, Judge MG Deshpande of the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court took cognizance of the charge sheet.
The charge sheet that has been filed by the ED categorically said that the investigation by the Mumbai Police and the charge sheet filed thereof was at “variance” with the findings of the ED. According to the charge sheet, the panel households denied taking money to watch Republic TV or Republic Bharat. The charge sheet said that the regional managers who admitted to paying household panels to watch particular television channels denied doing the same for Republic TV. There was no indication of Republic TV or Republic Bharat engaging in these practices, “either by a statement or by digital data evidence,” it noted.
As the ED charge sheet gives a clean chit to Arnab Goswami in the TRP manipulation case, one is reminded of the harassment that Arnab Goswami faced in a case that was clearly rigged against him. The charge sheet by the ED clearly says that the Mumbai Police’s charge sheet in the case has missed the mark and that the ED findings in the case are in conflict with that of the Mumbai Police, essentially indicating that while the police had implicated Republic TV and Arnab Goswami, the ED has found no evidence against the channel.
While the case was being investigated by the Mumbai Police, Arnab Goswami was interrogated and several employees of Republic Media were harassed for hours. In what is a vindication for the channel and its representatives, the charge sheet also mentions Sachin Vaze and how he recieved a bribe by BARC in order to stop them from harassing BARC officials in the case.
“Thus, it appears that illegal gratifications have been received by investigator-A of the Mumbai Police. As the matter was of serious nature, the same was referred to CBI on 01.07.2021. The outcome of CBI investigation on the above-said input is awaited for further action at this end”, the charge sheet says.
In the charge sheet, Enforcement Directorate says under PMLA 2002, conducted raids against two entities in Delhi after they received specific vigilance inputs. The charge sheet says, “The searches and the statements of concerned persons of these entities revealed that they had received an amount of around Rs. 30 lakhs from M/s BARC through a circuitous route. The stated purpose of receipt of this amount was civil renovation work of M/s BARC office in Mumbai, however, the money (Rs. 25 lakhs) was returned in cash to BARC after deduction of usual commissions and GSTfTaxes etc”.
The charge sheet further said that on the 24th of March 2021, a complaint was filed by BARC stating that they were forced to pay a bribe of Rs 25 lakhs to Sachin Vaze the API of Mumbai Police, to allegedly escape undue harassment in the TRP case.
Charge sheet filed by ED
The charge sheet said that a detailed investigation was carried out by the ED in this regard and it was found that one Santosh Kotwal, Police Inspector of the Crime Investigation Unit of Mumbai Police had received the cash from BARC. When the ED questioned Kotwal, he admitted that he had indeed received a bag allegedly “containing papers” related to the BARC investigation in a “private place”. Thereafter, the bag, on the instructions of Sachin Vaze, was handed over to him in his private cabin.
“Further, it is highly improbable that papers relating to investigations will not be received in office but in a private place outside the jurisdiction of Mumbai Police”, said the charge sheet.
“With reference to abovesaid findings, statements of following individuals were recorded Section 50(2) & (3) of PMLA, 2002:- 1. Statement dated-24.03.2021 of Shri Dharamveer Mahecha, Head-Vigilance and Investigations – of M/s Broadcast Audience Research Council; 2. Statement dated 25.03.2021 of Shri Sameer Saddrudin Gilani, Assistant Vice President of BARC: 3. Statement dated 25.03.2021 of Shri Varun Krishan, Senior Vice President — Finance of BARC; 4. Statement dated 25.03.2021 of Shri B. Shivaraman, Financial Controller of BARC; and Statement dated 07.06.2021 of Shri Santosh Baban Kotwal, Police Inspector, Mumbai Police“, the charge sheet added.
It is, therefore, the observation of the Enforcement Directorate that illegal gratifications and bribes had been received by the Mumbai Police officials while investigating the TRP case. The CBI is further investigating the extent of the bribery and how it affected the investigation into the TRP manipulation case. The findings of the report by the CBI are awaited.
Sachin Vaze and Param Bir Singh had revealed that Anil Deshmukh wanted Arnab Goswami falsely implicated and arrested in the TRP case
While the ED has given a clean chit to Arnab Goswami, it is pertinent to remember why this saga had erupted. In September 2021, Sachin Vaze, the Maharashtra police officer currently under arrest had told the Enforcement Directorate that the former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh had wanted Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami to be arrested in the TRP rigging case.
The tainted cop had revealed that Anil Deshmukh, NCP leader and former Maharashtra Home Minister, had been personally involved in the attempt to get Arnab Goswami arrested, apart from demanding bribes and extortions worth crores from business owners.
Sachin Vaze had submitted before the ED that after he was reinstated into the force by Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh after paying Rs 2 crores, Anil Deshmukh used to personally call him at his office or home to brief him on various cases. These included the TRP rigging case, Arnab Goswami’s arrest in the abetment to suicide case regarding the death of architect Anvay Naik, Dilip Chhabria’s case, and the social media fake follower case.
“In the TRP case Anil Deshmukh wanted to arrest Arnab Goswami. In the Dilip Chhabria Case, Anil Deshmukh wanted me to get some kind of settlement with his partner of approx. Rs.150 crores. In Social Media Fake follower case he wanted to have all-out action against the culprits.” Vaze revealed this in his statement to the ED.
It is also pertinent to note that recently, the tainted ex-Police Commissioner of Mumbai Param Bir Singh, facing a probe by central agencies in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren murder case, confirmed that the TRP case against Republic Media Network was a hoax and part of a planned conspiracy against Journalist Arnab Goswami. During an interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Singh also alleged that ex-Police Officer Sachin Vaze was taking instructions from the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in the TRP case along with other cases.
On Tuesday, the managing director of the Bihar Women Development Corporation, IAS Harjot Kaur Bhamra sparked outrage after giving a shocking response to a school girl who asked if they can be provided with sanitary pads at Rs. 20-30.
“The government provides a lot of freebies. Can’t they offer us sanitary pads that cost Rs 20-30?” a student inquired.
To this question, IAS officer Harjot Kaur said, “Is there any end to the demands? You’ll say tomorrow that the government can provide jeans and nice shoes. Eventually, when it comes to family planning, you’ll want free condoms as well.”
When the girl said that the votes of the people determine who rules, the officer replied, “This is the height of stupidity. Then do not vote. Pakistan, Ban Jao (become like Pakistan). Do you vote for money and facilities?”
To that barb, the student responded, “I am an Indian. Why should I?”
The incident occurred during a workshop called “Sashakt Beti, Samriddh Bihar” (Empowered Daughters, Prosperous Bihar), which was part of a program called “Towards Enhancing the Value of Girls.”
The senior official’s remark has sparked widespread outrage on social media. Bihar BJP secretary Amrita Rathod slammed the IAS officer over the “ban jao Pakistan” remark while sharing a video of the incident. Amrita Rathod took to Twitter and wrote, “Meet an IAS officer of the Nitish-Tejashwi government who wants a student to go to Pakistan for having asked for sanitary napkins.”
अब नितिश-तेजस्वि सरकार के IAS से मिलिए। हरजोत कौर बिहार की बेटियों को सानिटरी नैपकिन माँगने पर पाकिस्तान भेजेंगी। pic.twitter.com/VjVv0EF0AP
Harjot Kaur later issued a statement in which she stated, “I am well-known for being one of the most outspoken advocates for women’s rights and empowerment. Some wicked elements, against whom WCDC has taken rigorous action for omissions and commission of wrongdoing, have now resorted to such low level tactics to slander my character, having lost at every forum.”
According to reports, an unidentified gunman opened fire inside a dental clinic in Karachi, Pakistan, on Wednesday, killing a Chinese national and injuring two others. This is the latest in a string of attacks in Pakistan targeting Chinese nationals. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack yet.
According to Dawn, South SSP Asad Raza told reporters that one person was murdered and two others were injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. He verified that the three people were Chinese. He stated that an unidentified individual acting as a patient entered Dr Richard Hu’s private dental office on Preedy Street and waited in the waiting room for dental treatment.
Pakistan | A Chinese national was shot dead and two others were injured on Wednesday after unknown assailants opened fire on a clinic in Karachi’s Saddar area, a police official said: Pakistan media
The assailant then entered the clinic area after around 15 to 20 minutes and opened fire with a 9mm pistol on Dr Richard Hu, his wife Mrs Phen Teyin, and Ronald Raymond Chou. The suspect managed to flee the murder scene with the assistance of an accomplice who had parked his motorcycle around the corner on Preedy Street.
Dr Richard and Phen Teyin were injured by bullets as a consequence of the shooting, and Ronald, their employee, died on the scene. The dentist and his wife were both Pakistani-Chinese citizens who had long worked at the dental clinic.
Following the incident, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah asked the chief secretary of Sindh to provide a report on the shooting and to apprehend the offenders as soon as possible. He criticised the act and expressed condolences for the death of the Chinese citizen in a tweet.
ایسے واقعات ناقابل برداشت ہیں؛ ملزمان کو جلد سے جلد گرفتار کیا جائے۔ وزیر داخلہ
It is worth noting that Chinese nationals have been the target of persistent attacks in Pakistan. Three Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide bombing at Karachi University in April by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army, which is hostile to China’s involvement in Balochistan and accuses China and Pakistan of exploiting the resource-rich province. Several other incidents in Pakistan have also been linked to extreme Islamic terrorist groups.
Gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on a van carrying two Chinese manufacturing workers at Karachi’s Nuclear Power Plant in July 2021, injuring both. In November 2018, BLA rebels attempted to raid the Chinese embassy in Karachi’s Clifton neighbourhood, killing four people, including two police officers and two of the assailants.
According to reports, Pakistan’s security systems are no longer trusted by the Chinese population, particularly the Chinese labourers there. Chinese employees in Pakistan feel frightened and don’t trust Pakistan’s security apparatus to keep them safe in an emergency. It is worth noting that China has made significant investments in Pakistan’s infrastructure. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) is one of the projects that heavily relies on Chinese labour and funding.
