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Tiranga, our pride: The history of the tricolour and how our current flag came to be

Mita Nath Bora
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Tiranga, our pride: The history of the tricolour and how our current flag came to be

In February-March 2022, at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, thousands of Indian students were stuck in a war zone cut off from supplies, food and essentials and signalled to return to their country. Colleges and universities were shut down, and Ukrainians were moving to safe places, taking shelter in nearby countries but foreigners were left helpless. Indian students studying there were clueless about how to escape and were desperate for a way out. Ukrainian administration could not provide any solution or help nor come to rescue, as they were themselves caught in the sudden war. 

Luckily for Indians, Russia announced to allow safe passage to Indian students back to their homeland, if they travelled to the nearest airport with the Tiranga flying or placed atop their vehicle. Within the next 13 days, in the midst of war, around 18,000 Indian citizens were evacuated and saved and brought back to their motherland. It was our National Flag, not money, wealth, high connections or network, that saved Indians from a warzone. In fact, not just Indians but even Pakistanis and Turkish nationals used our Tiranga to travel to safety back to their country, as the Russian warplanes announced not to target any vehicles plying with Tiranga over it.

That’s our Tiranga saving human lives – Priceless. 

Our national flag, though, had its own difficulties and testing journey. In 1904, still under British rule, the first known Indian flag was made by Sister Nivedita, an Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda. The flag was red and contained a yellow figure of ‘Vajra’ (thunderbolt) and a lotus. It had the words “Bonde Matoram” written in Bengali script. 

On August 21, 1907, the Indian national flag was unfurled for the first time in a foreign land at an International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany by fiery lady Bhikaji Rustom Cama who was staying in exile outside India. One thousand representatives from across the world attending the conference stood up and saluted the flag. She announced, “This is the flag of independent India. I appeal to all gentlemen to stand and salute the Flag,” drawing attention to human rights, equality and autonomy from Great Britain.

The flag she unfurled was co-designed by Cama and Shyamji Krishna Varma. In the flag, the top green stripe had eight blooming lotuses representing pre-independence India’s eight provinces. ‘Bande Mataram‘ was written across the central saffron stripe in Hindi. On the bottom red stripe, a half moon was on the right and the rising sun on the left, indicating the Hindu and Muslim faith.

In 1931 Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour with a ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel) in the centre, and this was adopted as the official flag of the Indian National Congress. 

On December 30, 1943, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was the first freedom fighter to hoist the Indian flag at Port Blair, Andaman, a British-occupied territory, and announced the islands as the first Indian Territory freed from the British rule. The place of hoisting the flag was the Gymkhana Ground (now named Netaji stadium).

In 1947, the then official flag designed by Pingali Venkayya was adopted as the national flag of India, but the ‘charkha’ in the centre was replaced with the ‘Ashoka Chakra’ (a wheel with 24 spokes). And hence, our mighty National Flag came into being on 22 July 1947, a few days before India’s independence from the British on 15 August 1947.

There have been regions in our country where citizens had difficulty hoisting or unfurling the Tiranga, like in Assam and Kashmir. In Assam, the banned terrorist outfit ULFA since its inception in 1979 has been giving calls for boycott and bandh of Independence Day and Republic Day. For decades it prevented any celebration, killed the spirit of freedom, of happiness and joy and forced from rejoicing these days. Consequently, there were subdued small official events only. Kashmir has, on the other hand, always been under Pakistan-backed terrorist influence that also prevented the celebration of Independence Day, Republic Day and hoisting of the national flag. However, in 1991, our present PM Narendra Modi than an active political party worker and a member of the National Election Committee of the party conceived, designed and planned an Ekta Yatra with a challenge to hoist the flag in Kashmir Lal Chowk. Death threats and warnings were given but on 1992, 26th January Republic day saw history in the making when he along with Murli Manohar Joshi unfurled the Tiranga- the national flag at Lal Chowk. 

In 2020, for the first time ever, New York’s iconic Times Square hoisted the Indian flag and the Empire State Building was lit up with tricolours to commemorate India’s Independence Day. It was an extra special August 15, 2020, India Independence Day celebration in the US.

On 26th January 2002, the Indian flag code was modified and after several years of independence, the citizens of India were finally allowed to hoist the Indian flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day and not just on National days as was the case earlier. Under the revised flag code now Indians can proudly display the national flag in their homes 24 hours a day including at night, as long as the provisions of the Flag Code are strictly followed to avoid any disrespect to the tricolour.

From 13th August to 15th August 2022 as part of the celebration of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the 75th anniversary of the country’s Independence, on the appeal of PM Narendra Modi 154 crores (1.54 billion) Indians hoisted the Tiranga at their homes. A record-breaking flag hoisting movement in the entire world showering respect, love and affection for our national flag, the tricolour, a symbol of freedom.

A mass nationalist movement never ever seen before in the last 75 years and a matter of immense pride for all Indians. Our Nation was coloured in Tiranga and a new history was made.

Did AAP or FRRO under MHA request EWS flats for illegal Rohingyas? All your questions answered after confusion created by misleading claims

Raju Das
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Did AAP or FRRO under MHA request EWS flats for illegal Rohingyas? All your questions answered after confusion created by misleading claims

The issue of Rohingya Muslims living in India created a major storm yesterday after union Housing & Urban Affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri claimed that the government has decided to settle Rohingyas living in camps in Delhi EWS flats. Calling it a landmark decision, the union minister had said that the flats meant for the Economically Weaker Section in the Bakkarwala area of Delhi will have all basic amenities, police protection and they will also be provided UNHCR IDs.

While this announcement was welcomed by left-liberals, it triggered massive outrage among the right wing on social media, the primary support base of the BJP. People were not only outraged but also confused because the comments of Hardeep Singh Puri went completely against everything the government has been saying about Rohingya Muslims. In courts, in parliament, and in press statements, the govt has been saying that Rohingyas are illegal foreigners, security threats, and they will be deported.

Amid the outrage, the union home ministry issued a statement yesterday afternoon rejecting the claims made by minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The ministry said that it has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi. While Puri had used the words Rohingya refugees, MHA called them Rohingya illegal foreigners and said that they will be kept at the current location at Kanchan Kunj, Madanpur Khadar till their deportation. MHA also added that it has directed the Delhi govt to declare the Madanpur Khadar camp as a detention camp.

The confusion and what really happened

While the MHA statement ensured that the Rohingyas will not be shifted to govt flats built for people of the Economically Weaker Section at Bakkarwala, it didn’t end the confusion on the matter. This also led to a war of words between BJP and AAP, as the MHA statement said that the Delhi govt had proposed to shift the Rohingyas to a different location. BJP leaders also produced a letter showing that the Delhi govt has written a letter asking for the allocation of EWS flats for Rohingyas. But AAP leaders were quick to point out that that letter said the Delhi govt had received the request from an office under the union home ministry, and they were merely forwarding the request to concerned authorities. Based on this, AAP also claimed MHA had decided to shift the Rohingyas without discussion with the Delhi govt.

Also, the confusion remains that why a senior minister like Hardeep Singh Puri talked about shifting the illegal foreigners to EWS flats if there was no such proposal. While official information in this regard is limited, from what has been made available till now, it can be concluded that, in fact, there was a proposal to shift the Rohingyas from Madanpur Khadar to the Bakkarwala EWS flats. However, this was to be purely for logistical reasons, the flats were to be used as detention centres, and the Rohingyas have not been given refugee status by the govt as Puri’s tweets suggested.

Most of this can be ascertained from the letter written by the Delhi government to the News Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) for allocation of the EWS flats to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to be used as a detention centre for Rohingyas, which was used by both BJP and AAP to target each other. As FRRO is under the union home ministry, AAP leaders used this letter to target the BJP, alleging that MHA is lying that it didn’t direct shifting of the Rohingyas.

The letter, authenticity of which has not been denied by anyone, shows that FRRO had found that the detention camps used to keep Rohingya and Bangladeshi illegal immigrants in Delhi had run out of space, and they needed a bigger place. Moreover, according to the ANI report that Hardeep Singh Puri had relied on for his tweets, the Delhi govt also wanted to shift the camps because it was paying Rs 7 per month rent for the tents.

Media reports also mention that the decision to shift the Rohingyas to the EWS flats was taken in a meeting chaired by the Delhi chief secretary on July 29. Quoting minutes of the meeting, the reports say that FRRO’s Delhi office was directed to take over the EWS flats and convert them to a detention centre. FRRO was asked to work with NDMC, the Delhi govt and the Delhi police, and the process was to be completed by August 2022.

While Puri’s tweets gave the impression that the Rohingyas were being rehabilitated and they were being provided with better facilities, the Delhi govt letter to NDMC quoting FRRO, and minutes of the meetings reported by media show that it was to be a routine transfer of detainees to a bigger location for logistical reasons only. The letter also makes it clear that the foreign inmates are kept in the camps till their deportation, therefore there is no question of rehabilitating them. The EWS flats were just to be used as a detention centre and were not to be handed over to the inmates.

This was a simple transfer of inmates from one detention centre to another, a regular administrative process that regularly happens. Except in the case of high-profile inmates, the transfer of inmates from one jail or detention to another does not make news. But minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s tweets created a wrong impression about the move. He chose to present it as some sort of humanitarian move of the Modi govt, and used words that do not comply with India’s stated position on refugees, Rohingyas and illegal foreigners.

People assumed that EWS flats were being handed over to Rohingyas, and govt is settling them in India. This created confusion and eventually forced the home ministry to issue the statement that there is no plan to relocate the Rohingyas to the EWS flats.

Misleading claim on India’s stand on Rohingyas and refugees

Hardeep Singh Puri claimed that India always welcomed those who sought refuge in the country and that India respects UN Refugee Convention 1951, which is not entirely correct. While India does provide asylum to foreigners, the govt does not use the term ‘refugee’. Moreover, since their influx in 2017, the Indian govt has been saying that Rohingyas are not welcome in India and that they will be deported.

Home minister Amit Shah, MoS Home Nityanand Rai and former MoS Home Kiren Rijiju have said on record multiple times that Rohingyas are illegal immigrants, and they will not be allowed to live in India, and they will be deported. Therefore, Puri’s statement of ‘welcoming refugees’ while talking about Rohingyas went completely against the stated position of the Indian govt on the issue.

Indian govt does not use the term ‘refugee’ because the country has no specific policy for refugees. India has not signed the UN Refugee Convention, and the country has no specific law for refugees. All foreigners are dealt with as per the Foreigners Act, and accordingly, foreigners are either legal or illegal in India, there are no refugees. People who are granted asylum by the govt are issued visas and they are treated as regular legal foreigners. Hardeep Singh Puri created confusion by using the term refugee, as it suggested that the govt recognises the Rohingyas are refugees, which is incorrect.

Misleading claim on UNHCR registration

Puri made another mistake while quoting the ANI report. He had claimed that after shifting to the EWS flats, Rohingyas will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs and round-the-clock Delhi Police protection. While there are no issues with the first and third matters, basic amenities are needed to be provided in jails and detention centres, and police protection will be needed to ensure that the detainees remain under detention and don’t escape, and also to ensure the protection of the detainees. But the claim that the govt will issue UNHCR IDs to the Rohingyas is incorrect.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency that works to aid and protect refugees, and it provides Identity documents to those refugees who register with it. It is obvious that UNHCR is a global body under the UN and the Indian govt has no control over it, therefore, the govt of India can’t issue UNHCR ID to anyone.

Moreover, the ANI report actually says that the Rohingyas at Madanpur Khadar camp are already registered with UNHCR and they have been issued unique IDs by the agency, therefore their details are on record. This shows, minister Puri made a mistake while claiming that the Rohingyas will be issued UNHCR IDs, as they already have the IDs, and GOI can’t issue this ID.

Therefore, based on available information, it can be concluded that the FRRO office had planned to shift the Rohingyas to a new detention centre set up at the EWS flats with the coordination of Delhi govt, but minister Hardeep Singh Puri wrongly presented the move which caused massive outrage, and it forced the Union Home Ministry to scrap the move.

The available sources also show that AAP is wrong in claiming that it was not consulted in the process. The letter to NDMC asking for handing over the flats to FRRO was written by the Deputy Secretary of the Home Department of the Delhi government, and the meeting where the decision was taken was chaired by the Delhi chief secretary. When such senior officials of the Delhi govt were actively involved in the move, AAP can’t claim that the Delhi govt was not consulted.

Misleading claims by netizens

If the confusion created by the union minister was not enough, more misleading claims were made by netizens on the issue. After MHA issued the clarification, several people claimed that Minister Puri and MHA were talking about different groups of Rohingyas. Referring to the terms ‘Refugees’ and ‘Illegal Foreigners’ used by Puri and MHA respectively, it was claimed that Rohingya refugees will be given EWS flats, and illegal Rohingyas will be not.

However, this claim is completely wrong, and there no separate group of Rohingyas in India. The ANI report that Minister Puri used said that the concerned Rohingyas are living in Madanpur Khadar, and the MHA statement also refers to Rohingyas living at Madanpur Khadar. Therefore, both Hardeep Singh Puri and MHA were talking about the same group of people, only that Puri wrongly used the term refugee.

As already explained above, India does not have any law on refugees and the government does not use the term refugee in official communications. Moreover, the govt has repeatedly said that all Rohingyas in India are illegal foreigners and they will be deported. Therefore, there is no question of designating refugee status to some Rohingyas. To declare anyone as a refugee, the govt will have to bring in law on it first, as the Foreigners Act does not have any provision for that at present.

Another claim was actually made by some supporters of the govt, who were defending the move to shift the Rohingyas to the new detention camp before MHA denied it. They were claiming that Indian govt is forced to keep Rohingyas for a long time because there is a Supreme Court stay order on the deportation of Rohingyas. This is an incorrect claim, and there is no blanket stay on deportation.

However, there are some individual stay orders, as some Rohingyas marked for deportation had moved courts and they were able to obtain stay orders. However, these stay orders are specific only to the petitioners and do not apply to all Rohingyas as a whole.

Challenges to the deportation of Rohingyas

Even though there is no legal hurdle to the deportation of Rohingyas, there are several other challenges, which have forced the govt to arrange detention centres to keep illegal foreigners till they are deported. The biggest challenge is, that there is no place to deport them. Rohingyas are stateless people, even though they lived in Myanmar before fleeing the country, they don’t have citizenship of the country.

The Myanmar government does not consider them citizens and considers them Bengalis as they are immigrants from Bangladesh. Initially, Myanmar was not even ready to accept Rohingyas back. They signed an MOU with UNHCR and UNDP for the repatriation of Rohingyas, but the process has not progressed much.

The Rohingyas themselves are unwilling to return to Myanmar, alleging that they will again face violence in the country. They also allege that they were not part of the MoU, and they are not aware of the details of the agreement which have not been made public.

At present, the focus of UNHCR, UNDP and aid agencies is mainly on Bangladesh, where above one million Rohingya refugees are living in Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar. Due to overcrowding of the camp that has led to crimes and lawlessness, the Bangladesh govt has started to relocate them to Bhasan Char Island in the Bay of Bengal, where the Bangladesh govt has built hundreds of houses to settle one lakh Rohingyas. The UN agencies and international aid agencies are working together along with the Bangladesh govt to run the refugee camps.

Calcutta HC summons daughter of arrested TMC ‘strongman’ Anubrata Mondal, asks her to produce her Teachers’ Eligibility Test certificate

OpIndia Staff
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Calcutta HC summons daughter of arrested TMC ‘strongman’ Anubrata Mondal, asks her to produce her Teachers’ Eligibility Test certificate

On Thursday, Calcutta High Court asked Sukanya Mondal, the daughter of Trinamool Congress ‘strongman’ and national executive committee member Anubrata Mondal to produce her Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) certificate before the court. It also asked her to submit her mark sheet for all further hearings to take place in the TET case. The next date for the hearing has been fixed for September 1.

Just last week, CBI arrested Anubrata Mondal in connection with the cattle smuggling case in West Bengal.

Notably, Sukanya Mondal appeared before the court after the Bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed her and five other relatives and close acquaintances of Mondal to appear before it today before 3 pm.

The order was issued in response to a petition alleging that Sukanya and others were illegally hired in state-run schools despite failing to pass the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).

According to the petitioner, Sukanya Mondal, and Anubrata Mondal’s PA, Arko Dutta were given appointments at the Kalikapur Primary School in the Bolpur West Circle without clearing the required exam. Satyaki Mondal, his nephew, was hired at Kunjabehari Bolpur Junior Basic School in the same neighbourhood. According to the petition, Anubrata Mondal’s brother, Sumit Mondal, was hired as a teacher at Nowadangal Primary School, and two of Mondal’s close friends, Kasturi Chowdhury and Sujit Bagdi, were hired as teachers at schools in the Bolpur Intensive Circle. According to the petition, none of the accused ever qualified for TET.

Sukanya, according to the petition, has never worked since she was hired, despite the fact that her school is in the Bolpur circle, close to where she lives. Another shocking allegation made by the petitioner was that the school’s attendance register was sent to her house for her to sign.

The arrested TMC leader, however, refuted the allegations leveled at his daughter. “My daughter has passed everything. She has certificates,” on his way to the Alipore Command Hospital, Mondal told the media. “The court will decide about this. Court has not summoned her. Just asked her to submit documents,” added the arrested TMC leader.

Sukanya Mondal refuses to talk to CBI

Incidentally, on Wednesday, 17th August 2022, CBI traced FDs worth approximately Rs 16.97 crores in the name of TMC leader Anubrata Mondal and his family which are frozen by them. His daughter Sukanya Mondal was also supposed to be questioned in connection with the case, but reportedly she refused to talk to CBI officials.

According to a report by Jagran, a CBI team reached Anubrata Mondal’s residence in Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal at around 12.30 pm on Wednesday. The team also included a woman officer. During this time, the officials entered the house, but Sukanya Mondal refused to cooperate with them and answer their questions. According to CBI sources, Sukanya Mondal said she was not in a state of mind to talk as her father was in custody, and she lost her mother a year ago, and she was upset because of all these things. The CBI team tried hard to convince Sukanya Mondal for about ten minutes and asked her to cooperate in the investigation, but she refused to talk.

Sources said Sukanya Mondal’s questioning has become necessary after the CBI traced two companies — ANM Agrochem Foods Pvt Ltd and Neer Developer Pvt Ltd — where she is one of the directors. The second director in these companies is Vidyut Gayen. The CBI suspects that these two companies are shell companies to divert the proceeds of the illegal cattle trade created to hide black money raised from illegal cattle smuggling.

A primary school teacher by profession, Sukanya Mondal owns huge assets. CBI sources said, apart from these two companies, Sukanya Mondal has several personal and joint bank accounts with other family members including her father Anubrata Mondal. 

TMC leader Anubrata Mondal arrested by CBI

Notably, the CBI, in a rather dramatic arrest, picked up the heavyweight leader of Trinamool Congress (TMC) from his house in Bolpur, West Bengal, at around 10 in the morning of August 11 in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case. As per reports, a team of the CBI went to his residence with the CRPF being deployed outside and arrested Mamata Banerjee’s top aide. The CBI team was accompanied by a team of 100 CRPF personnel, who had surrounded the residence while the CBI officials entered the house and arrested the TMC leader. 

Angelina Jolie anonymously files suit against FBI for giving clean chit to ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2016 case: All you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Angelina Jolie anonymously files suit against FBI for giving clean chit to ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2016 case: All you need to know

Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie is said to have filed a lawsuit against the FBI in April, anonymously as Jane Doe, requesting documents related to an investigation involving Brad Pitt. She did so reportedly in an attempt to learn why no criminal charges were brought against her ex-husband following their alleged fight onboard a private jet in 2016, that led to the couple’s divorce.

The suit seeks the FBI to release information related to the investigation after Jolie claimed Pitt had physically assaulted her and their children on a private flight in the year 2016.

The attorney for Jane Doe said in April that she couldn’t comment on the identity of her client. But the lawyer noted that her client was “seeking such records for years but has been stonewalled and has had to resort to court action to receive needed records.”

According to Daily Mail, the FBI documents, which have yet to be publicly released, were obtained by several news outlets on Tuesday. As per the agency’s document, the assistant United States attorney and the assistant United States chief of the Criminal Division discussed the case in November 2017 before a decision was reached not to proceed with charges against Brad Pitt.

The documents revealed how Jolie told FBI officials that Pitt yelled at her, “grabbed her by her head,” shook her, “pushed her into the bathroom wall” and repeatedly punched the ceiling of the plane.

The records said the altercation occurred 90 minutes into the flight between France and Los Angeles on September 14, 2016.

It was reportedly the same flight where Angelina Jolie allegedly sustained injuries from a physical altercation and gave an agent “a photo of her elbow in an attempt to corroborate this.” Jolie had claimed there was $25,000 of damage done to the private jet.

She alleged that he punched the ceiling of the plane four times after telling her, “You’re f—ing up this family.” When the kids asked, “Are you OK, Mommy?,” Pitt allegedly replied: “No, she’s not OK, she’s ruining this family, she’s crazy.”

Jolie had further claimed in her statement that Pitt’s actions scared their six children, who ranged in age from 8 to 15 at the time.

At this point, one of the kids, whose name was redacted from the report, yelled, “It’s not her, it’s you, you p**k!,” according to the report. Pitt then allegedly ran toward the child, but Jolie held him back, suffering injuries to her back and elbow in the process.

‘Angelina Jolie trying to inflict the most amount of pain by reviving plane incident’, says a source close to Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt, meanwhile, denied all the accusations meted out at him by his ex-wife. A source close to Pitt claimed that both he and Jolie had the FBI documents in question for six years, and Jolie likely meant to “revive an issue that was painful for everybody and was resolved six years ago.”

“They investigated it. They prepared materials, reviewed it together and decided not to charge him,” says the source.

“What are the motivations of a person to take up court time and public resources in filing an anonymous FOIA request for the material they have had for years? There’s only one: to inflict the most amount of pain on her ex. There is no benefit to this. It is harmful to the children and the entire family for this to be made public,” said Brad Pitt’s source.

“It’s wave after wave of attempts to hurt him,” added the source. “He has remained virtually completely silent other than to acknowledge things he could do better. He has remained silent on this issue because he knows that’s the best thing for his kids, what’s best for everybody. He has maintained that stance despite a never-ending barrage of attacks and attempts made to use the courts against him.”

Brad Pitt given clean chit in 2016 case

According to NBC News, the actor was officially cleared by the FBI of any wrongdoing involving his children on November 22, 2016. Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman, issued a statement saying, “The FBI has conducted a review of the circumstances and will not pursue further investigation. No charges have been filed in this matter.”

Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt 4 days after the altercation

Notably, the altercation between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt took place on September 14, 2016. On September 19, Jolie filed for divorce from The Fight Club actor Brad Pitt. After 11 years of marriage, the former Hollywood couple has been embroiled in a messy legal battle. Despite the fact that Jolie and Pitt are legally divorced, the couple is still fighting over custody of their minor children.

Legal cases between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had been together for nearly a decade before marrying in 2014. Their relationship also began amid controversy, as most reports at the time stated that the couple met in 2004, while Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were still married to each other. Jennifer and Pitt, on the other hand, made it clear in an official statement to People magazine that they were splitting up after considering various issues, and it had nothing to do with what the tabloids had to say. They also stated that they were splitting up amicably.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed for divorce in 2016, and their marriage was declared null and void in 2019. According to TMZ, Angelina Jolie was dissatisfied with Brad Pitt’s excessive alcohol and substance consumption, which she felt was endangering their children. Brad Pitt’s team was quick to respond, stating that the actor was a devoted father. Brad Pitt later told People magazine that the most important thing for them right now is the well-being of their children.

Within the next few days, an investigation was initiated on Brad Pitt, over child abuse allegations, which was being processed by the FBI and LA DCFS.

No substantial evidence against Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie was initially granted full custody of her children for more than three weeks, but the case quickly reached the courts as Brad Pitt sought joint custody. The investigating authorities stated in November 2016 that there was no substantial evidence of physical abuse against Brad Pitt.

The Fight Club actor attempted to keep the case out of the public eye. It was later settled in January 2017 because the ex-couple wanted to keep the matter private for the sake of their children.

Angelina Jolie was dissatisfied with the proceedings thus far

After Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s divorce was finalised in 2019, their custody case fell silent for a while. Angelina Jolie attempted to remove Judge John W Ouderkirk as the judge-in-charge in August 2020, despite the fact that he was unanimously appointed by the couple, in order to keep their case as private as possible. She claimed that the judge was biased against her, but the courts denied her request.

Court granted joint custody of children to Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie was of the opinion that the judge ignored a specific incident that pointed to physical abuse. She also stated that she had substantial evidence that could be proven if the minor children were permitted to testify. Children over the age of 14 are permitted to testify under California law, but Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s children’s testimony was not taken at this time. Brad Pitt was granted joint custody over the next few months, while Angelina Jolie still continues to fight for full custody of the children.

Maharashtra: Suspicious boat carrying weapons including AK-47 found abandoned along the Raigad coast, high alert sounded

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Suspicious boat carrying weapons including AK-47 found abandoned along the Raigad coast, high alert sounded

On Thursday, a high alert was issued along the coastal area of Maharashtra after a suspicious boat carrying weapons was found abandoned on the beach of Harihareshwar, Raigad. The Police and the security agencies immediately reached the spot to conduct a preliminary investigation into the case.

According to the reports the boat, which is now in the custody of the security agencies, was full of weapons which included rifles like AK-47 and other explosives. The residents of Raigad district and the nearby areas are also concerned after the incident. However, the police are trying to pacify and control the situation. The officers have asked the residents to not believe in the rumors and stay calm instead.

The collector of Raigad, Dr. Mahendra Kalyankar, elaborating on the incident said that people are scared since the incident was first reported. “There is no need to be scared. If you come across any suspicious thing or person, please inform the department so that further action can be taken in the interest of the safety of all”, he said addressing the people of Raigad and nearby areas.

To note, the police are investigating to know the details of the boat that was found abandoned in the water with weapons. The police stated that there was no person on board the boat. The papers and materials recovered from the boat are being inspected by the Police. The district administration has also informed Coast Guard and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) regarding the incident.

Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare also highlighted the severity of the threat and said, “This is serious. Earlier in 1993 similar suspicious boat was discovered and we all know what happened after that. In this case, proper investigation is required and even the center needs to look into the matter”, he said. “I will raise this issue. I don’t want to hamper the investigation. Let people of Raigad know the truth cause their security is in question”, he added.

Reports mention that the weapons discovered from the boat are dismantled and are of no use to anyone. A team of the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad is also leaving Mumbai for Alibaug and ATS chief Vinit Agrawal is accompanying the team. Further, the bomb squad has also been rushed to the spot.

Madhya Pradesh: Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra suggests ‘flop and frustrated actor’ Arjun Kapoor should focus on his acting rather than threatening public

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra suggests ‘flop and frustrated actor’ Arjun Kapoor should focus on his acting rather than threatening public

Arjun Kapoor’s statement expressing displeasure over the boycott trend of Bollywood films is getting a lot of reactions from all quarters. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra has termed Arjun Kapoor’s statement as a threat to the public. He has also called Arjun Kapoor a ‘flop and frustrated actor’ and suggested that he should focus on his acting skills rather than standing by ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’.

On 17th August 2022, while answering a question about Arjun Kapoor’s reaction to the boycott trends against Bollywood movies, Dr. Narottam Mishra said in a press conference, “Now if a flop actor threatens the public, I do not believe it is right. I think it will be better if instead of threatening the public, he focuses on his acting. I have a question for him. Does he or those who are supporters of the tukde-tukde gang have the courage to make a film on another religion? Can they use abusive language for any other religion and demean the gods of any other religion? You do this all with the Sanatan Dharma and threaten the people when they boycott your films. Wait, Arjun Ji. Now the public has become aware.”

What did Arjun Kapoor say?

Arjun Kapoor, Boney Kapoor’s son, whose father, uncles, cousins, stepmother, and step-siblings have all been part of the tinsel town, in a recent interview with Bollywood gossip website ‘Bollywood Hungama’ said that the film industry people need to come together to end the boycott trend. “We have stayed silent for too long and thought our work will speak for itself,” he said. He added that now people are used to making boycott calls and the hashtags that run are far from reality.

Arjun Kapoor further claimed that the shine of the film industry has come down over the past few years because they (film industry people) didn’t do much and ‘allowed’ muck to be thrown at them. Kapoor’s interview came close on the heels of much anticipated big-budget films like Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan tanking at the box office miserably. While many netizens have claimed the films had a weak opening because of the boycott calls made for the films owing to the Hinduphobic nature of people associated with the films, critics have also noted that the films were badly made and were more like an assault on sensibilities of the audience.

Bihar: Vegetable vendor’s 15-year-old daughter killed in broad daylight in Patna, video caught on CCTV

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Vegetable vendor’s 15-year-old daughter killed in broad daylight in Patna, video caught on CCTV

On Thursday, a vegetable vendor’s 15-year-old daughter was shot in the neck allegedly over a love affair in the Indrapuri area of Sipara in Patna. The incident happened at around 7:30 in the morning when the girl was returning from coaching classes. Police investigating the case said that they have identified the accused but he is yet to be arrested.

According to the reports, the CCTV footage of the incident went viral over the internet where the girl studying in class 9 was shot by a man. The man in the video could be seen waiting for the girl to arrive at the spot. He then pulled out a gun from his bag, shot her in broad daylight, and then ran away.

The Police reached the spot after around one and a half hours of the incident. The victim girl was then shifted to the hospital and is currently undergoing treatment. Reports mention that the condition of the girl is critical.

To note, the incidents of murder, theft, and other crime have been on the rise since CM Nitish Kumar resigned from his position to join hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the state. Earlier on August 11, a journalist named Gokul Yadav was shot dead in broad daylight in Gopalganj. He was shot five times by five miscreants leading to his death on the spot.

On the same day, a Ram Janki temple priest named Rudal Sah was murdered in Bettiah, Bihar. While the objective of the murder is as yet unclear, reports mention that the murderers carried the severed head of the priest to Pipra Kali temple. Also, the Buddha Toyota showroom was robbed of Rs 9 lakhs in Patna, Bihar. As reported, 12 miscreants had entered from the back door, killed a private security guard, and looted the showroom cash and 6 laptops.

Considering the trail of incidents, the BJP had slammed Nitish Kumar govt saying that with the return of RJD, ‘jungle raj’ had returned to the state of Bihar. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra last week held a press conference to state that several people, including journalists, had been killed and a temple priest was beheaded since the two parties joined hands to form the government. “Disorder is spreading in the state at a fast pace. It will not be an exaggeration to say that ‘jungle raj’ returns to Bihar,” Patra was quoted.

He stated that the BJP’s presence in the state government had previously served as a deterrent to crime, even though the party did not have home department.

West Bengal police arrest two suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists from North 24 Parganas, interrogation reveals 17 others active in the region

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal police arrest two suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists from North 24 Parganas, interrogation reveals 17 others active in the region

On Wednesday, the special task force (STF) unit of the West Bengal Police foiled a massive terror bid as it arrested two suspected terrorists having links with Al-Qaeda from the Shashan village of Barasat block in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

The police have also seized several pieces of radical literature indicative of waging war against the Union of India from their possession.

The STF source confirmed that the detained persons have been identified as Abdur Rakib Sarkar, a resident of Gangarampur, District Dakshin Dinajpur, and Kazi Ahasan Ullah, a resident of Arambagh, District Hooghly. The duo might be active members of the banned terrorist outfit in the Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS), an affiliate group of Al-Qaida, said the police.

According to reports, the STF received a tip on Wednesday night about alleged Al Qaeda terrorists hiding in North Parganas, along with incriminating materials including anti-national documents. Following the tip, the STF raided the Kharibari area of Shashan, North Parganas, and apprehended the alleged terrorists.

Sources in the STF said that their team learned that Sarkar would arrive late Wednesday evening to meet Kazi Ahshanullah at the latter’s residence in Shashan in North 24 Parganas. Accordingly, STF sleuths laid traps and nabbed Sarkar along with Ahshanullah as soon as they reached Shashan.

It has been learned that several cases have been registered against Sarkar and Kazi Ahshanullah at various police stations in West Bengal. STF was looking for both of them for a long time for active involvement in insurgency activities.

According to reports, during interrogation, the duo admitted to being active members of AQIS. The STF investigators are currently questioning them about their other associates in the West Bengal terrorist chain or sleeper cells. STF sources said that the accused named 17 others who have been active in the region during their interrogation. The police, accordingly, is now initiating a specific case under the various provisions of the UAPA and IPC against the two detained accused and the other 17 names revealed during their interrogation thus far.

Meanwhile, the duo will be presented in a lower court in Barasat on Thursday, where the STF will seek their custody for further questioning.

‘Business as it should be’: Airtel’s Sunil Bharti Mittal tells how 5G spectrum allocation was done within hours of payment, details

OpIndia Staff
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‘Business as it should be’: Airtel’s Sunil Bharti Mittal tells how 5G spectrum allocation was done within hours of payment, details

On Thursday, the Bharti Airtel founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal lauded the PM Modi led-government for ease of doing business after the company received an allocation letter for the designated 5G spectrum within hours of payment of the dues.

“No Fuss, No Follow Up, No running around the corridors, and No tall claims. This is the ease of doing business at work in its full glory”, Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said in an official statement released on August 18. He also appreciated the Department of Telecommunications which comes under the Ministry of Communications and said that the current government had made business easy.

“In my over 30 years of first-hand experience with DOT, this is a first! Business as it should be. Leadership at work-Right at the top and the helm of telecom. What a change, change that can transform this nation – power its dreams to be a developed nation,” he added.

The statement revealed that the company paid Rs 8,312.4 crore to the Department of Telecom (DoT) towards dues for spectrum acquired in the recently concluded 5G auctions. The company said that it paid four years of 2022 5G spectrum dues upfront. Mittal praised the Modi-led govt and said, “Leadership at work- Right at the top and at the helm of telecom. What a change! Change that can transform this nation- power its dreams to be a developed nation”.

Reports mention that the Department of Telecommunications has received an upfront payment of around Rs 17,876 crore from companies including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Adani Data Networks, and Vodafone Idea for the 5G spectrum they won in a recent auction.

While all telecom providers have chosen to pay in 20 yearly instalments, Bharti Airtel has paid in four annual instalments of Rs 8,312.4 crore. Reliance Jio has paid Rs 7,864.78 crore, Vodafone Idea has paid Rs 1,679.98 crore, while Adani Data Networks has paid Rs 18.94 crore. While the first three are telecom operators, Adani Data will use the spectrum to offer B2B solutions. The company said that it will use its own 5G network for its data centres and for the supper app it is building to support various kinds of businesses.

The country’s largest telecom spectrum auction ever attracted a record Rs 1.5 lakh crore in bids, with Mukesh Ambani’s Jio capturing nearly half of all airwaves offered with an Rs 87,946.93 crore offer. Gautam Adani’s business has offered Rs 211.86 crore for 400 MHz in a spectrum that is not utilized for providing public telephone services. Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Bharti Airtel successfully bid Rs 43,039.63 crore, while Vodafone Idea Ltd purchased spectrum for Rs 18,786.25 crore.

Delhi HC restrains ED from proceeding against Rana Ayyub in money laundering case after she approached court challenging ED attachment of funds

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC restrains ED from proceeding against Rana Ayyub in money laundering case after she approached court challenging ED attachment of funds

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday barred the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from taking further steps under Section 8 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against alleged journalist Rana Ayub in a money laundering case. Justice Yashwant Varma issued the notice after Ayyub filed a petition against her assets being attached.

On Ayyub’s petition, the court served notice to the investigating agency and requested a response within six weeks.

The court, additionally, also restrained Ayyub from disposing of or creating any third-party rights over the attached funds in certain bank accounts.

“Till the next date of listing, the respondent (ED) shall stand restrained from taking further steps as contemplated under Section 8 (Adjudication) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The petitioner shall also stand restrained from disposing of or creating any third party rights or encumbering the property which forms the subject matter of the provisional order of attachment,” ordered the court.

The bench of Justice Yashwant Varma said that the order will stay in effect till the next date of hearing on November 17.

Notably, ‘journalist’ Rana Ayyub on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the attachment of funds by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Ayyub, represented by advocate Vrinda Grover, one of the torchbearers in saving terrorist Yakub Memon from the gallows, claimed that the provisional attachment order issued in February 2022 had lapsed and ceased to exist after 180 days, and the Adjudicating Authority therefore can no longer pass an order of confirmation.

Allegations of fund embezzlement against Rana Ayyub

It may be recalled that on February 10, OpIndia had reported that ED seized Rs 1.77 crore in Ayyub’s and her family’s accounts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. A few days after the expose, Ayyub alleged in a statement that she was being framed for her “journalism” and that she did not misuse the money.

However, all her claims were debunked by a Twitter user Hawk Eye who was the first to share details of alleged charity fraud last year. The ED has, in its attachment order, said, “Rana Ayyub has cheated the general Public Donors in a pre-planned manner and with the intention to cheat the general public donors.”

The order emphasised that the ‘scam’ started from the time she received the funds, which she did not use for Covid-19 relief work. She instead made a fixed deposit of ₹50 lakhs and transferred the amount to the savings account of her father, and sister through net banking. You can read the details about the allegations of misuse of Covid-19 funds by clicking on the link here.

On March 29, Rana Ayyub was stopped by Indian Immigration officials from boarding a flight to London due to the pending money laundering case against her. On April 4, she was granted permission to travel abroad by the Delhi High Court with the pre-requirement that she divulges details of her travel, contacts and her place of stay.

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