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Family members of deceased BJP leader Sonali Phogat claim she was raped before her death and she was murdered

OpIndia Staff
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Family members of deceased BJP leader Sonali Phogat claim she was raped before her death and she was murdered

On Thursday 25th August 2022, deceased Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sonali Phogat’s family members claimed that she was raped before her murder. On Monday, August 22, the 42-year-old BJP leader and TikTok star Sonali Phogat died of a heart attack. The BJP leader was in Goa at the time of her untimely death.

According to a report by DNA, Rinku Dhaka, Phogat’s brother, stated on Thursday that he noticed blue marks on his sister’s body. He also claimed that not a single BJP leader aided them. Sonali Phogat’s family claims she was raped by her PA Sudhir Sangwan and his friend Sukhwinder. They also claimed that she was brutally murdered in cold blood rather than dying of a heart attack.

Rinku Dhaka said, “We will get the post-mortem done again in AIIMS Delhi. We are not being heard here. My sister was committed to the BJP but not a single BJP leader came here to help us. We want justice.”

He added, “Police say that FIR will be registered on the basis of the doctor’s opinion. They are not registering our FIR. I’ve seen my sister’s body and her face, and ears are blue and this happens when the poison is inside the body, not in a heart attack. My sister was healthy.”

Previously, Rinku claimed that Sangwan mixed up his sister’s meal with illicit substances and sexually abused her. He claimed she told her brother-in-law that Sangwan committed theft in her home three years ago and that she planned to report him to the law enforcement agencies on August 23.

Rinku reported to the police that Sangwan had her phones, property records, ATM cards, and house keys. She also said Sangwan had given her food laced with some intoxicants, raped her and made a video, and was threatening to make the video viral on social media.

It is notable that, Sonali Phogat who was in Goa with some of her employees had complained of uneasiness to her staff on Monday after which she was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead.

Illegal mining case: Jharkhand govt warns of legal action against media if news reports on ED raids link it to CM Hemant Soren

OpIndia Staff
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Illegal mining case: Jharkhand govt warns of legal action against media if news reports on ED raids link it to CM Hemant Soren

Hours after the Enforcement Directorate arrested Ranchi-based businessman Prem Prakash in the illegal mining case, the Jharkhand government issued a warning to the media houses for publishing news reports linking Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s name to Prakash. The government said that all the media houses that try to establish links between the duo would face legal action.

According to the reports, the Enforcement Directorate yesterday conducted raids at the residence of Prem Prakash in Harmu Housing Colony and found two AK-47 rifles hidden in the old iron cupboard. Though SHO Argora Police Station, Vinod Kumar, confirmed the incident and said that the arms recovered belonged to the Jharkhand Police, the ED stated that the rifles would be handed over to the police only after the investigation in the case was completed.

In the statement released on Wednesday, the CM’s secretariat said that certain media platforms, including a few national media channels, were releasing ‘misleading’ reports claiming that Prakash was a close aide of CM Hemant Soren. “Certain news reports by media platforms including a few national TV channels point to a misleading ploy and attempt to intentionally link the Chief Minister of Jharkhand to a private individual. If the state government comes across any further malicious reports and tweets/ digital posts (by media platforms), it will be dealt with as per due legal provisions”, the statement read.

The CM’s secretariat also added that the Jharkhand government has provided cooperation to all investigations undertaken by central agencies and that it supports the freedom of the press.

Meanwhile, elaborating on the ED’s raid, the Ranchi Police said on August 25 that the rifles recovered from prem Prakash’s house belonged to the Ranchi Police. “As it was raining, two constables while returning from duty on August 23 had left their weapons with Prakash’s staff whom they knew. The two constables were suspended with immediate effect”, the Police was quoted.

To note, The BJP’s Godda MP Nishikant Dubey also posted a tweet in connection to the case and had said that Prakash is an ‘associate of Jharkhand CM and his family friend Amit Agarwal’ and that Prakash’s links with the CM should be investigated by the NIA.

Pertinently, Jharkhand CM is likely to get disqualified from the assembly. As per the reports, Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais will soon announce the report sent to him by the Election Commission. This is after the BJP in the state had demanded disqualification of Soren as an MLA and accused him of extending himself a mining lease. BJP MP Dubey demanding fresh elections said on Thursday, “CM Hemant Soren should head towards mid-term polls, on moral grounds. Assembly should be dissolved and there should be elections in all 81 Assembly constituencies. BJP has been demanding this”.

He also added, “Journalists say that Jharkhand CM has lost his membership. That had been recommended to the Governor by the EC. As a BJP worker, it’s a matter of joy because it’s the BJP that had complained to the Governor. It is the day to celebrate”.

In the current case, the arrested Prem Prakash is a Ranchi-based businessman whose premises were searched by the central agency yesterday in the illegal mining case. During the search, ED recovered two AK-47 rifles along with 60 live cartridges and also incriminating documents from his residence. It is believed that Prem Prakash has a hand in every major tender and transfer posting of IAS and IPS officers.

Delhi: BJP workers to sprinkle Ganga Jal at Rajghat, say Arvind Kejriwal’s visit ‘desecrated the place’

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: BJP workers to sprinkle Ganga Jal at Rajghat, say Arvind Kejriwal’s visit ‘desecrated the place’

Members of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party said that they will sprinkle sacred Ganga Jal at Rajghat claiming that Arvind Kejriwal’s visit desecrated the place. West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh said that MK Gandhi always opposed liquor and Arvind Kejriwal – the one who supports liquor mafias – has visited Gandhi’s samadhi Rajghat and desecrated it.

It is notable that on Thursday 25th August 2022 in the morning, AAP leaders including Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal visited Rajghat.

Parvesh Sahib Singh tweeted, “Arvind Kejriwal – the one who supports liquor mafias – visited the samadhi of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi who always spoke against alcohol. Arvind Kejriwal has desecrated the Rajghat. The workers will go there at 3 o’clock and sprinkle Ganga Jal at the place where the feet of corrupt people fall.”

Parvesh Sahib Singh dismissed the allegations that the BJP was trying to poach 40 AAP MLAs by offering them ₹20 crores each. He said, “If the charges were brought against us in 2013, people would have believed. But now even if we get 50 MLAs from AAP, we won’t be able to have our government. So it is all lie.”

He added, “Kejriwal must be watching movies and making scripts. He alleges that BJP leaders are threatening them, but is not disclosing their names. Then he claims his MLAs are missing, but again he won’t name them. If he gives us the name of the MLAs who apparently were missing, we could have looked for them.”

BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh further said, “He is very focused on the development and that’s why got a swimming pool in his government residence worth ₹21 crores. He does not drink but makes our children drink. He permits restaurants to remain open till 3 am. Apart from all these, he is a good leader, it seems. He is also a patriot who questions the surgical strike and gets praised in Pakistan. “If these people visit Rajghat, it obviously becomes unholy. That is why our leaders will go there and sprinkle Ganga Jal.” He also said that Arvind Kejriwal’s ministers get treatment in private hospitals.

In the midst of the current conflict between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party, the nation’s capital on Thursday saw tension and drama. It was said that certain MLAs were out of reach before the AAP meeting at Kejriwal’s home. Finally, 53 out of 62 MLAs showed up to attend the meeting. The BJP, according to the AAP, was the one who spread the rumor about the missing MLAs. Following the meeting, the AAP MLAs, led by Kejriwal, went to Rajghat, where he claimed that the BJP was planning to poach 40 MLAs.

1458 sales deeds recovered, ‘Gifted’ land deeds signed by Rabri Devi as beneficiary accessed: Read details of land-for-job scam in Indian Railways under Lalu Prasad Yadav

OpIndia Staff
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1458 sales deeds recovered, ‘Gifted’ land deeds signed by Rabri Devi as beneficiary accessed: Read details of land-for-job scam in Indian Railways under Lalu Prasad Yadav

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the land-for-job scam that dates back to Lalu Yadav’s tenure as the Railways Minister, has recovered as many as 1458 sales deeds during the raids at the premises of several RJD leaders in Bihar, reports CNN-News 18.

CBI sources have reportedly told the news channel that the agency is also in possession of a hard disk that has a list of candidates who gave their lands to Lalu Yadav in lieu of jobs. According to the CBI investigation, as many as 16 cases have been verified and proven correct as of now. The agency is further probing the rest of the names available on the hard disk and would be writing to the Indian railways to know more about these candidates.

News 18 has reported that Bhola Yadav, the then OSD to former Railway Minister Lalu Yadav, has confirmed to the agency that several candidates, despite forged documents, got appointed in Railways after they allegedly gifted land to the Lalu Yadav family when the RJD supremo was the Railway Minister in the UPA government.

The channel has claimed that Bihar’s deputy chief minister and RJD supremo Tejashwi Yadav might get arrested as the agency has found very strong evidence against him.

Meanwhile, Republic TV has accessed ‘gifted’ land deeds that have the signature of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi as the beneficiary. Bhola Yadav, who has been arrested, has signed as a witness. According to the media report, the value of the land parcels is estimated to be Rs 4.4 crore.

Yesterday (August 24), as part of the investigation into the alleged scam, CBI conducted raids at the houses of four RJD leaders in connection with the land-for-jobs scam. The raids were carried out at the premises of RJD MLC Sunil Singh, Rajya Sabha MPs Ashfaq Karim and Faiyaz Ahmed, and former MLC Subodh Rai, officials said.

CBI raids Urban Cubes mall allegedly owned by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav

Besides, the agency had also raided a mall in Gurugram, Haryana. The Urban Cubes mall which was raided is allegedly owned by Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. This mall is situated in Sector 71 and the CBI raid was in connection with the land-for-job scam in Bihar.

Apart from the mall, the CBI also raided many other places including Whiteland Corporation Private Limited located in the Worldmark building in Sector 65 of Gurugram. According to a report by ABP News, construction of the Urban Cubes mall was done by the Whiteland company. Tejashwi Yadav’s family owns a share in this company. Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has denied that he owns the mall. He said that the mall does not belong to him and that a BJP MP inaugurated it.

The land-for-job scam and its alleged links to Lalu Prasad Yadav

It may be recalled that the CBI initiated a preliminary enquiry in September 2021 into the charges that when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the railway minister during UPA 1, obtained benefits in the form of the transfer of property in the names of his family members in exchange for the appointments in Group “D” posts in various Railway zones.

On May 18, 2022, CBI filed a new case of corruption against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and his daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, accusing them of obtaining land plots as bribes from some people who were recruited in the Railways. The CBI also named 12 others in this case who were given jobs in the railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur.

In the FIR, CBI alleged, “In lieu thereof, the substitutes, who were residents of Patna themselves or through their family members, sold and gifted their land situated at Patna in favour of the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav and a private company controlled by family members, which was also involved in the transfer of such immovable properties in the name of family members.”

According to the agency, no advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointment of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur.

The CBI investigations revealed that Lalu’s family obtained over one lakh square feet of land in this manner for just Rs 26 lakh, despite the fact that the land’s actual value is over Rs 4.39 crore.

In connection with the case, the CBI arrested Bhola Yadav, the former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, earlier in July. At the same time, authorities arrested Hridayanand Chaudhary, a railway employee suspected of being a beneficiary of the land-for-jobs scam.

In a statement following Bhola Yadav’s arrest, a CBI official stated, “During the investigation, it was found that the then OSD to former railway minister was involved in the alleged conspiracy in the appointment of substitutes. The accused was managing affairs for the transfer of land by the family members of the substitutes to the family members of the former railway minister.”

This scam is not the only scam that Lalu Prasad has allegedly been involved in. In fact, Lalu’s scams and crimes spanned from the 1990s till 2014 – almost over two decades.

Lalu Yadav’s previous Convictions in the Fodder Scam

Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted for the first time on September 30, 2013, in the Chaibasa treasury case. He was accused of a scam of Rs 37.70 crore in this case, resulting in his disqualification from the Lok Sabha and a jail term of five years. He was later granted bail by the Supreme Court in December 2013. In December 2017, Lalu was convicted again pertaining to his involvement in the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury. While Lalu was sentenced to 42 months of jail term, in this case, he was out on bail within six months.

In January 2018, Lalu was again sentenced to five years of imprisonment for his involvement in the withdrawal of Rs. 33.13 crores from the Chaibasa treasury. Also in March of the same year, the special court found him guilty of illegal withdrawal of Rs. 3.76 crores from the Dumka treasury and sentenced him to 14 years of imprisonment.

Nitin Gadkari warns AAP’s Sanjay Singh of legal action for circulating edited video, earlier Kejriwal had said sorry to Gadkari

Anurag
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Nitin Gadkari warns AAP’s Sanjay Singh of legal action for circulating edited video, earlier Kejriwal had said sorry to Gadkari

On August 25, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari issued a statement warning mainstream media, social media, and some persons in particular not to publish his statements out-of-context. In a series of tweets, the union minister pointed out that there have been continuous efforts to run a nefarious and fabricated campaign against him.

He added that though he does not get affected, if such attempts continue, he would take legal action in the “larger interest of our Government, Party and millions of our hardworking Karyakartas.”

He said, “Today, once again, efforts were being made to continue the nefarious & fabricated campaign against me for political mileage on my behest by some section of mainstream media, social media and some persons in particular by concocting my statements at public programs without context or correct reference.”

He added, “Although I’ve never been disturbed by such malicious agendas of fringe elements, all concerned are hereby warned that If such mischief continues, I will not hesitate to take them to the law in the larger interest of our Government, Party, and millions of our hardworking Karyakartas. Therefore, I’m sharing the link to what I actually said.

The reaction from the union minister came after an edited video of his was made public by several media houses, netizens, and leaders, including Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh, published a video with a caption asserting that Gadkari might be leaving Bharatiya Janata Party. The edited video started with Gadkari saying, “It does not matter what happens. Even if I lose my post, it will not matter. I am not a political person.” For the rest of the video, he talked about his humble middle-class background.

On examining the video shared by Union Minister Gadkari, OpIndia found that the edited video does not even contain the statement in continuity. It was stitched from two different parts of the video, and the context of what the minister said has nothing to do with his association with the party, but it is about the work he has been doing and his department.

The minister shared a video comparison to show how his statement was presented in a misleading way.

Gadkari was speaking at the launch of the book ‘Naukarsyahi Ke Rang’ written by Dr Dnyaneshwar M Mulay. While sharing his experience as the minister in Maharashtra during the 90s, he said, “I remember around 2,500 children had died of malnutrition. It made headlines across the world. Then-CM Manohar Joshi said to me things cannot work like that. So many villages have no access to roads.”

The area fell under the forest region. There were a lot of obstacles in getting the work done and building roads to connect the villages to cities. Due to a lack of infrastructure, government aid could not reach the villages. The farmers were unable to bring their produce to the market, and there was no road for the children to go to school.

Gadkari said he took responsibility for ensuring 450 villages got the required road infrastructure. He told the ministers and officials, “I will do this work. If you want, you can stand with me, or else we will see what happens. I do not care if I lose my post.” This statement is at the 9:27 timestamp in the video.

Further, during his speech, he talked about how experience teaches a lot in life. He said, “I often say, I am a common man. I am one of those who love eating on the footpath, watching films in third class, and watching plays from backstage.” The statement was used in the video and had nothing to with Gadkari’s association with BJP, but he was talking in general about experiences in life. This statement is at the 19:10 timestamp in the video.

It is clear that the video being circulated with misleading caption has been extensively edited, and the statements were taken out of context to make it look like an anti-BJP statement by the minister. The claims made by AAP leader Sanjay Singh and others that Nitin Gadkari might leave BJP are false.

OpIndia tried reaching out to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari but could not connect.

‘Why Nora Fatehi is a witness and I am an accused’: Jacqueline Fernandez accuses ED of discrimination in the ₹200 crore money laundering case

OpIndia Staff
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‘Why Nora Fatehi is a witness and I am an accused’: Jacqueline Fernandez accuses ED of discrimination in the ₹200 crore money laundering case

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez has questioned the role of the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case against conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in which she also has been named as an accused. In an appeal filed by the actress’ lawyer Prashant Patil, she has asked why Nora Fatehi has been made a witness and Jacqueline Fernandez is an accused in the same case.

It is notable that both Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi received expensive gifts from Sukesh Chandrasekhar. While Jacqueline was made an accused in the case by ED last week, Nora was made a witness in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case in December last year. Now, Jacqueline Fernandez has questioned this accusing ED of discrimination against her.

According to reports, Jacqueline Fernandez argued that she is not the only one to accept gifts from Sukesh Chandrasekhar, and asked why only she has been made accused. She pleaded, “I am a woman cheated under the influence of Sukesh Chandrasekhar’s gifts and ‘political power’. The loss I have suffered cannot be measured in money.”

Accusing the ED of acting out of malice, Jacqueline Fernandez has said, “Nora Fatehi and some other celebs were also duped by Sukesh Chandrashekhar by giving gifts, but they were made witnesses and I was made an accused. This clearly shows that I am being acted upon in the wrong spirit. All this money that the ED has seized is earned by my hard work. My FD has no connection with Chandrashekhar and was created even before the thug existed.”

It is notable that, after attaching Jacqueline Fernandez’s fixed of Rs 7.2 crore, the ED named Jacqueline as an accused in its charge sheet. In response, the actress filed an appeal on August 22, claiming to be a victim. In her response, the counsel of the actress said, “She is a victim of the modus operandi adopted by the main accused, Mr. Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Sukesh Chandrasekhar has cheated Jacqueline. If you look at the records, it clearly tells about this deception. Unfortunately, the ED’s attitude seems to be quite mechanical and motivated by biases, so no one is looking at the fact that what the respondent (Jacqueline) has lost cannot be counted with money.”

It is notable that the first charge sheet filed by the ED detailed how Chandrashekar utilized the allegedly swindled money. Its supplemental charge sheet says that Chandrashekar offered Fernandez gifts worth over Rs 5 crores from the money he swindled. It has identified the actress as an accused, stating that she was aware that the gifts were purchased with illicit money.

The 200 crores extortion and money-laundering case

While jailed as an undertrial, Sukesh Chandrasekhar allegedly extorted 200 crores from the wife of the promoter of Religare enterprises Shivinder Mohan Singh. Pretending to be a senior government official, Sukesh conned Shivinder Singh’s wife Aditi Singh assuring her that he can secure Shivinder’s bail. Sukesh and his wife, actress Leena Maria Paul used hawala routes and shell companies to launder the proceeds of their scam.

Sukesh Chandrasekhar and his wife were then arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) over an alleged extortion racket being run from jail. Sukesh was allegedly bribing prison authorities to keep his cons running from the prison. Several Bollywood personalities like Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi allegedly kept coming to the prison to meet him during his stay.

The ED had recorded Jacqueline’s statements in August and October last year. In the statement, she had admitted to taking gifts and loans from Sukesh during the course of the questioning. Sukesh Chandrasekhar, in his statement to ED last year, had claimed that he had gifted jewellery worth Rs 7 crore to Jacqueline Fernandez. She was also given the BMW X5 car. Sukesh Chandrashekhar had also reportedly gifted a Maserati car to Jacqueline’s parents and a Porsche car from Bahrain to her mother.

Captured terrorist Hussain confesses he was paid Rs 30,000 by Pakistani Colonel Yunus Chaudhry to attack the Indian Army

OpIndia Staff
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Captured terrorist Hussain confesses he was paid Rs 30,000 by Pakistani Colonel Yunus Chaudhry to attack the Indian Army

A Pakistani terrorist identified as Tabarak Hussain who was arrested by the Indian Army from Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, revealed on Thursday that he was tasked by a colonel of the Pakistani Army to launch an attack on the Indian soldiers. He said that Pakistani Colonel Yunus Chaudhry had given him around Rs 30,000 to carry out the suicide mission.

“I along with four-five others had come here on a suicide mission. We were sent by Pakistan Army’s Colonel Yunus who gave me Rs 30,000 to target the Indian Army. Had recced one-two posts of the Indian Army,” the terrorist said confessing that he is long associated with terrorism.

Hussain further said that he was trained by Major Razak of the Pakistan Army for the operation, and he was caught because his associates betrayed him. “I was betrayed (by accompanying terrorists) and subsequently captured by the Indian Army. I underwent six-month training and visited several (terrorist) camps (run by the Pakistan army) for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) members,” he was quoted.

According to the reports, Hussain was arrested by the Indian Army officials on August 21 while he tried to enter the Indian territory along with four other suspected terrorists. He was injured after the alert Indian Army troops intercepted the intruders. The other four reportedly fled from the spot and left Hussain in injured condition in the Indian territory.

The Indian Army officials then shifted the injured Pakistani terrorist to the military hospital in Rajouri and also administered blood. The terrorist received first aid including three bottles of blood from the Indian Army officials. The Army men also fed him food with their hands. “He came to bleed our troops but they saved his life, gave him their blood, and fed him by their hands,” Brigadier Rajeev Nair, the commandant of the military hospital in Rajouri was quoted.

Reports mention that the now-captured terrorist is a resident of Sabzkot village of Koti in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Indian Army interrogated Hussain to learn that he and his associates had crossed the border to launch an attack on the Indian Army and that they were sent by Pakistan colonel Yunus Chaudhry who had paid him Rs 30,000.

Brigadier Rajeev Nair elaborating on the incident further said that Hussain was pleading for his life when he was arrested. He was heard shouting, “Mai Marne ke liye aaya tha, Mujhe dhoka de diya. Bhaijaan Mujhe yahan se nikalo (I had come to die but was betrayed. Brothers, pull me out from here)”. Hussain meanwhile also disclosed that he and his brother Haroon Ali were detained by the Indian Army in the same region in 2016 and were returned on humanitarian grounds in November 2017.

The Indian Army briefed the media on August 25 to inform them that Pakistan had made two back-to-back attempts to disturb peace in the Jammu area. “The first attempt was made on August 21 when alert soldiers deployed in Jhangar spotted movement of two to three terrorists from across the LoC in the early hours. One terrorist tried to cut the Indian post fence when he was challenged by alert sentries. The terrorist trying to flee was brought down by the effective fire. The other two terrorists who were hiding behind fled the area by taking cover of dense forest and broken ground. The injured Pakistani terrorist (Hussain) was captured alive then and provided with immediate medical aid”, Brigadier Rana confirmed.

He further said that on the night of August 22 and 23, a gang of two to three terrorists attempted to enter the Lam region. “As they proceeded forward into our minefields, a series of mines were detonated, killing two terrorists on the spot. The other terrorist may have been injured and is hiding in the vicinity, or has returned to take advantage of the bad weather and dense forest”, he added.

The Army officials on August 23 recovered the dead bodies of the two terrorists. They flew a quad-copter over the heavily mined area to identify the dead bodies. “A deliberate operation was launched through the heavily mined area and the bodies of both the terrorists were recovered along with one AK-56, three magazines, and a large quantity of ammunition”, the Army said.

‘He failed even though he was informed two hours before that PM will use that route’: SC holds Ferozpur SSP responsible for Modi’s security breach in Punjab

OpIndia Staff
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‘He failed even though he was informed two hours before that PM will use that route’: SC holds Ferozpur SSP responsible for Modi’s security breach in Punjab

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Ferozepur SSP Avneet Hans was responsible for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security breach during his visit to Punjab on January 5 this year.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana observed that the Ferozepur SSP “failed to discharge his duty” despite receiving information in advance that the Prime Minister will use the route. The apex court was perusing the report submitted by the independent panel led by Justice (retired) Indu Malhotra, appointed to probe PM’s security breach in Ferozepur, Punjab.

“Ferozepur SSP failed to discharge his duty to maintain law and order. He failed to do this even though sufficient force was available and even though he was informed two hours before that PM Modi will use that route,” said CJI in court today.

The court added that the five-member committee has suggested remedial measures to strengthen the Prime Minister’s security. “We will send the report to the centre so that necessary steps can be taken,” the court said.

SC appoints independent panel to probe PM Modi’s security breach in Punjab

It may be recalled that a week after PM’s convoy was blocked for over 20 minutes by protestors at a flyover about 30 km away from Hussainiwala in Punjab, the Supreme Court, on January 10, had directed to appoint an independent panel to investigate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security breach in Ferozepur, Punjab. The panel will be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. The top court, while hearing a plea on the subject, told both the Centre and the Punjab governments that their investigations into the matter should be halted.

The court further proposed that the independent panel should incorporate the DGP Chandigarh, the IG National Investigation Agency, the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Courts, and the ADGP (security) of Punjab.

Notably, the three-judge panel chaired by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kanta and Justice Hima Kohli had taken the decision to form an independent panel to probe PM’s security breach based on a petition filed by the “Lawyers’ Voice” organisation.

The breach of PM’s security, according to the petition, was a deliberate failure on the side of the state authorities. It has urged the Supreme Court to take stringent action against the Punjab government’s “erring” officials. The PIL also raised concerns about why and how private individuals were granted access to PM Modi’s route.

On January 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cavalcade was stalled for about 20 minutes on a flyover in Punjab owing to farmer protestors blocking the flyover. A huge security breach occurred when private automobiles were spotted approaching the cavalcade. According to the MHA, the Punjab government failed to deploy adequate security to ensure the safety of any road traffic. The Punjab Police had reportedly directed the protesters towards the flyover where the PM’s convoy was about to pass.

‘Pegasus not found’: Supreme Court says no conclusive proof of the spyware found on the phones submitted for examination

OpIndia Staff
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‘Pegasus not found’: Supreme Court says no conclusive proof of the spyware found on the phones submitted for examination

On August 25, the Supreme Court said that no conclusive proof have emerged to support the claim that Indian govt was using the Pegasus spyware to snoop on people. CJI Ramana said that the apex court-appointed committee probing the matter has concluded that the Israeli spyware was not found in the 29 mobile phones it examined.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Hima Kohli noted that there was some malware found in 5 of the 29 devices, it was not Pegasus. The bench said, “We are concerned about technical committee 29 phones were given… in 5 phones some malware was found, but the technical committee says it cannot be said to be Pegasus. They say it cannot be said to be Pegasus.”

The committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice RV Raveendran submitted its report in July. Other members included in the committee were former IPS officer Alok Joshi and Chairman of the Sub-committee in International Organisation of Standardisation/International Electro-Technical Commission/Joint Technical Committee Dr Sundee Oberoi.

The Court further noted that the Government of India did not assist the committee in the probe. The Court noted that while considering the future of the case, the apex court might upload the report on the court’s website. The case has been adjourned for four weeks.

As per reports, the court-appointed committee has recommended the enactment of a law on surveillance and improving the right to privacy, enhancing the cyber security of the nation, strengthening the protection of the right to privacy of citizens, and also a mechanism for raising grievances regarding surveillance which is illegal.

The Court said that it might upload the committee report on the website after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Vrinda Grover said they have a right to know what kind of malware was found on the phones and sought a copy of the report. Sibal said, “We don’t have portions which have national security implications, but we need to know what the malware was and if a redacted version can be given to the ones who gave their phones.”

However, the CJI added that some people of the 29 who had submitted their phones for examination have requested that the report should not be made public. Therefore, the court will decide which parts of the report can be made public without compromising the confidentiality of the persons who submitted their phones.

The Pegasus controversy

The Pegasus snooping issue started on July 18, 2021, when a group of media networks and investigative reporters claimed that among the 50,000 phone numbers chosen for infection with the Pegasus malware were those of Indian ministers, legislators, activists, entrepreneurs, and journalists.

Notably, Israel-based company NSO which built the spyware, claims that it only deals with governments and not private entities. However, it never disclosed who its clients were. Several international media outlets, including The Wire from India, released a series of reports claiming the Indian government used the spyware. The reports were based on an “analysis” done by a team of Amnesty International. It is notable that the Supreme Court-appointed committee had also used the tool develop by Amnesty to detect the spyware, along with various other tools.

The issue was raised in Lok Sabha as well, where the Government of India categorically denied snooping or indulging in any illegal surveillance on any Indian citizen. So far, no concrete proof has been provided by any entity that could support the claims made against the government of India in the matter.

On August 6, a report in Hindustan Times noted that the committee had found no traces of Pegasus spyware in the gadgets it had examined.

Rajasthan: Class 7 student brutally thrashed for failing to answer questions in class test, teacher taken into custody

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Class 7 student brutally thrashed for failing to answer questions in class test, teacher taken into custody

On Wednesday, a Dalit boy studying in class 7 in a school in Rajasthan was brutally beaten by a teacher for failing to answer the questions in a class test. The accused teacher has been identified as Ashok Mali who works at a government school in Rajasthan’s Barmer.

According to the reports, the Police have taken the accused teacher into custody and are interrogating the case. The incident is said to have happened on Wednesday when the student failed to answer the questions asked in the class test. The furious teacher beat the student, and then pushed him on the floor after the student asked the reason for beating him.

The brother of the victim who also studies in the same class witnessed the incident and said that the teacher had slammed the victim’s head against the wall. One of the teachers further revealed that the brother of the victim came running to the other staff members and said that his brother had been beaten up by their teacher. “I brought the boy with me, and gave him water and food. His brother brought a tablet and gave it to him. I asked him about the medicine and tried calling the family. But the call didn’t get connected,” the other teacher added.

The victim fell unconscious at the school and was immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment. “The child complained of a stomachache and headache, but there was no serious injury. The condition of the child is stable. But, precautionary CT scan and sonography have been done,” said Dr. Dilip Chaudhary who is treating the child.

Meanwhile, Kotwali SHO Gangaram confirmed the incident and said that the family of the victim has not yet filed a complaint against the accused teacher. “Teacher has been summoned and action will be taken after a complete investigation of the case is done. The child is now stable”, he stated.

The family of the victim condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the teacher. The family members however claimed that the boy was beaten because he had submitted the class test answer sheet late. Several Dalit organizations also staged a protest against the teacher and the school in Barmer. Reportedly, the accused teacher identified as Ashok Mali was taken into custody after the severe protests.

Earlier a similar incident was reported in the Jalore district of Rajasthan when a 9-year-old Dalit boy named Indra Meghwal was thrashed for touching a pot of water that was meant for the teacher. The incident happened on July 20 after which the boy was shifted to the hospital for treatment. He died on 13 August during treatment, and the accused teacher was arrested.

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