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‘Politely told her I am not member of electoral college’: Himanta Biswa Sarma on Margaret Alva calling him as part of her VP election campaign

OpIndia Staff
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‘Politely told her I am not member of electoral college’: Himanta Biswa Sarma on Margaret Alva calling him as part of her VP election campaign

On 24th July 2022, Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in one of his tweets, took a dig at Margaret Alva – the opposition’s candidate for Vice-President election. Quoting a tweet by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in which he mentioned Margaret Alva kickstarting her election campaign for the polls by talking with various state chief ministers including Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Assam chief minister said that he politely informed Margaret Alva that he is not a member of the electoral college and therefore he can’t vote in the VP elections.

Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Smt. Margaret Alva took charge of her campaign office at 1, Pt Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane today. She spoke to CM Assam, CM Karnataka, & CM Delhi as part of her Vice Presidential campaign. The conversations were very cordial & friendly given her long political career & associations.”

Tweet of Jairam Ramesh

Quoting Congress leader’s tweet, Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, “Smt. Margaret Alva spoke to me this morning. I politely told her that I’m not a member of the electoral college. As such I have no role in the election of Vice President of India.” Interestingly, Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier shared the same tweet and deleted it. Later he tagged Margaret Alva in his tweet and posted it again.

Tweet of Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote and the voting in such election is by secret ballot. Therefore, only the members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are voters in the VP polls, members of state assemblies don’t vote in this election, ulike the presidential elections.

It is notable that speaking to chief ministers in different states and seeking support from them, therefore, does not make any sense in this election unless the chief minister has some decisive role in his party to guide the Members of Parliament from that particular party. Because it is only the MPs of the parliament who can vote in the election of the Vice-President of India.

Leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Navin Patnaik, KC Rao, YSR Rajshekhar Reddy, and Mamata Banerjee are not only chief ministers but decisive figures in their respective political parties. So talking to these chief ministers holds separate importance in the election of the Vice-President of India. That is not the case with Assam’s chief minister and Karnataka CM, as they are BJP CMs, and not part of BJP’s central leadership.

After the tweet by Himanta Biswa Sarma, Margaret Alva posted a response on Twitter, saying that she is reaching out to leaders from various political parties as part of her campaign for the Vice Presidential election. She tweeted that she is aware of of the electoral college for the elections, but talked to Sarma as an old friend.

“Mr Sarma is an old friend & we’ve worked together long enough for him to know that after 30 yrs. in Parliament, I know what constitutes the electoral college,” she tweeted. Margaret Alva added that she had a nice chat with Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Opposition candidate Margaret Alva is contesting against NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar in the polls, scheduled for 6th August. The results will be declared on the same day.

Ailing mother wanted to marry her off, friend claims she made her fortune through modeling. Here is what we know about Arpita Mukherjee

Dibakar Dutta
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Ailing mother wanted to marry her off, friend claims she made her fortune through modeling. Here is what we know about Arpita Mukherjee

The Mamata Banerjee-led-West Bengal government is under the national spotlight once again after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered a whopping ₹21.20 crores from the residence of actress Arpita Mukherjee on July 22.

Besides the cash, jewellery worth ₹20 lakhs, 22 mobile phones and ₹54 lakh worth of foreign currency were also seized by the central agency. Arpita was arrested on July 23 this year, hours after the arrest of TMC Minister Partha Chatterjee in the same case.

In a statement, the central agency said, “During the searches, the ED recovered cash amounting to approximately Rs 20 crore from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is a close associate of Partha Chatterjee.”

“The said amount is suspected to be proceeds from the said SSC (School Service Commission) scam,” it further added. The name of the actress has cropped up in a scam pertaining to the recruitment of candidates for the West Bengal Primary Education Board and West Bengal School Service Commission.

An actress by profession, Arpita Mukherjee has worked in Odia, Bengali and Tamil films. She has acted alongside Bengali superstars Jeet and Prosenjit Chatterjee in ‘Partner (2008)’ and ‘Mama Bhagne’ (2009) respectively.

Mukherjee’s close ties with the ruling Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal have dominated the public discourse since the ED’s raid, even though the party has tried to distance itself from her.

In its defence, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Trinamool Congress has no links with the money recovered by the ED. It is the responsibility of those individuals, whose names have surfaced in the scam, to answer questions posed to them.”

This is despite the fact that Arpita Mukherjee was the face of the Naktala Udayan Sangha, the Durga Puja committee of TMC leader Partha Chatterjee, in 2019 and 2020. A poster from the 2020 event is now doing the rounds of the internet.

Arpita Mukherjee was the face of the Naktala Udayan Sangha in 2020, image via India Today

To the party’s embarrassment, a 2019 video of Mamata Banerjee praising the scam-tainted actress had also gone viral on social media.

“Odishai kaaj koro. Valo more koro. oh, korte? (Arpita has worked in Orissa. Keep up the good work. You have worked in Odisha in the past?),” Mamta Banerjee was heard as saying.

“Odiya bolte paro valo more? Odisha te kaaj more Banglar meya…Agar baar o eschelo akhane… Bobby der okhane o jai (Can you speak Odiya? She is Bengal’s daughter who works in Odisha..She had come earlier too. She also visits Bobby [Firhad Hakim]),” the West Bengal CM remarked.

Citing sources, India Today had also reported that Partha Chatterjee frequently visited the residence of the actress. It was also confirmed by the security guard of Arpita Mukherjee’s flat.

According to her longtime friend Soumen Roy, the actress made a name in the industry through modelling. As her career progressed, she got into the nail art business and opened a few stores.

Soumen, who has been acquainted with Arpita Mukherjee since 2002, claimed that he has no idea about the money recovered from her home.

According to Arpita Mukherjee’s mother, she has no idea about the activities of her daughter besides modelling and acting. She informed that Arpita had visited her 3-4 days prior to the ED raid.

“She would come here once in a while and keep in touch…She had acted in several films in Odisha,” she said. “How would I know how Arpita got hold of such a stash of money? The law enforcement authorities will have knowledge about it,” she stated.

While speaking to TV9 Bangla, the elderly woman regretted that her daughter did not secure a central government job, unlike her husband. She said that if Arpita listened to her, then she would have married her off early.

Nonetheless, the Enforcement Directorate is looking into all aspects of the SSC (School Service Commission) scam case and tightening its noose around the accused.

Nepal: Police seize two kg Uranium before smugglers take it to India, 15 arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Nepal: Police seize two kg Uranium before smugglers take it to India, 15 arrested

Earlier this month, Nepal Police confiscated two kilos of uranium in Biratnagar near the Nepal-India border which were being smuggled into India. In addition, 15 persons were arrested in this case. While carrying illicit commodities, the traffickers attempted to smuggle the extremely radioactive substance into foreign countries via India. While the incident happened on July 1 and July 3, the news of the arrests and recovery of the Uranium has appeared in media now only.

According to a report by Jagran, the smugglers had planned to cross the border into India via Jogbani, a border town in Bihar’s Araria district. However, the Nepal police thwarted their strategy. The massive collection of radioactive material has sounded the alarm for Indian security officials.

Two kilos of uranium and other items were discovered to be in the custody of the arrested smugglers, who were lodging at two different hotels in Biratnagar, Nepal. They set off from Kathmandu with the intention of crossing the border into India. The recovered uranium is estimated to be worth crores of rupees. Morang SP Shantiraj Koirala confirmed the arrests and recovery of the Uranium in Nepal. He said that the enormous haul of uranium, weighing nearly two kilos along with other suspect materials, was seized from the two hotels in Biratnagar where the smugglers were staying. The police officer confirmed that the smugglers were trying to sneak into India along with the material.

As per a report by Nepal based portal Himalsanchar, 8 people were arrested with one kilogram Uranium on July 1, while another group of 7 people along with a kg of Uranium was arrested on July 3. However, the report said that the people who had the Uranium were trying to sale it. The report says that the first group was arrested when they were waiting for customers at Thuladai Hotel in Biratnagar.

The Indian security agencies is examining the interception of uranium consignments in Nepal. It is being investigated to see if it was utilized for anti-national actions. In addition, police and security services are involved in determining the availability of the radioactive element and syndicate members, reported DNA India.

Uranium is utilized in the production of nuclear weapons. It may also be used to make missiles, tiny shells, and bullets. Uranium-235 is also utilized as a nuclear fuel in power plants. In nuclear power plants, water is heated by uranium to produce steam, which is then utilized to produce electricity.

Bihar terror module case: Accused Marguv Ahmad Danish received cryptocurrency from Qatar for anti-India activities

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar terror module case: Accused Marguv Ahmad Danish received cryptocurrency from Qatar for anti-India activities

On July 24, Bihar Police revealed that Marguv Ahmad Danish, the accused in the Phulwari Sharif terror module case, had received funds in the form of cryptocurrency from Qatar. Danish was arrested by Bihar Police on July 15 for his alleged involvement in creating a terror module in Phulwari Sharif. He was operating two WhatsApp groups named ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ and ‘Direct Jihad’ to propagate anti-India activities.

A Police Officer was quoted by The New Indian Express as saying, “Evidence, collected during the investigation, revealed that Danish received funds in the form of cryptocurrency from Qatar-based organisation Alfalhi.” National Investigation Agency is probing the case. The Officer further added, “Investigations have also revealed that Danish was connected with the Pakistan-based fundamentalist group, Tehriq-e-Labbaiq. He was also in regular touch with Faizan, a Pakistani national.”

During the investigation, the Police found that he had sent messages disrespecting the national flag and symbol of the group (Ghazwa-e-Hind). The terror module was unearthed by the Police on July 14. Three people were arrested by the Police in this matter. On July 20, NIA carried out searches on several locations in Jamia Maria Niswa Madrasa, which is located in the East Champaran district of Bihar. They arrested a teacher named Asghar Ali in connection to the case. NIA took over the case formally on July 23.

Terror module case in Bihar

In the last few weeks, Bihar Police busted several terror modules where youth were getting trained to use arms. The training was provided by the dubious Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). Reports suggest that they had opened several training centres in 12 districts of Bihar. Several raids took place at Patna, Muzaffarpur, Purnia, East Champaran, Motihari, Saran, Darbhanga, and other districts.

To note, one of the documents named ‘India vision 2047’ that has been recovered by the Bihar Police talks about ‘subjugating coward majority community’ and bringing back the glory. According to the Police, the document is very objectionable and talks about the ‘rule of Islam in India’. “PFI is sure that even if 10% of whole Muslim population gather behind it, it will conquer frightened majority group and restore the glory,” Police said, quoting an excerpt from the eight-page long document titled ‘India Vision 2047’.

According to the Police, the document further states that in the event of a full-fledged conflict with the state, apart from relying on cadres, they would need help from their friendly Islamic countries. “In recent years, PFI has built cordial connections with Turkey, a flag-bearer of Islam,” the police official quoted from the document.

Finance Minister had warned against the use of cryptocurrency in terror funding

In April 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had warned that cryptocurrency could be used to fund terrorism in India. She had said that money laundering and terror funding are the biggest concerns when it comes to crypto transactions. Speaking at a seminar on Digital Currency titled “Money at a Crossroad: Public or Private Digital Money?” on April 18, she talked about the need for collective monitoring of crypto transactions to ensure the cryptos are not used to fund terror or for money laundering.

Smriti Irani sends legal notice to Congress leaders, details emerge as to how they dragged her daughter Zoish Irani in the controversy

Nirwa Mehta
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Smriti Irani sends legal notice to Congress leaders, details emerge as to how they dragged her daughter Zoish Irani in the controversy

Union Minister Smriti Irani has issued legal notice to Congress leaders for dragging her personal life into politics and casting aspersions on her 18 year old daughter, Zoish Irani. In a notice addressed to Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Jairam Ramesh, Netta D’Souza and the party itself through its President Sonia Gandhi, Irani has sought them to cease and desist from dissemination of defamatory, derogatory, false and misleading information and allegations on her daughter.

Irani has said that the above leaders have conspired with each other and with other unknown individuals and organisations to launch a series of scathing and belligerent personal attacks against her with oblique motive to malign, defame, injure her and the family’s reputation based on series of falsehoods and gross misinterpretation.

Irani said that the allegations against her daughter were made on behest of the congress leaders at the press briefing addressed at Congress party headquarters. Irani, in her legal notice, has reiterated that her daughter Zoish was never involved in running any bar in Goa and that she had also never applied for any licence for ‘running’ any bar or for any business enterprise. Further, she has also not been served any show cause notice from Excise Department of Goa till date.

In her legal notice, Irani said that the show cause notice issued by the Goa Excise Department was not even in her daughter Zoish’s name as mentioned by Congress in the press conference. She said how it was factually incorrect and the allegations were put across to sensationalise and magnify series of innuendos that has not only hurt Irani’s and her daughter’s reputation but also an attempt to outraging their modesty.

Irani said that the insistence of the Congress leaders to invoke value system of Irani with reference to her ‘sanskar’ were an attempt to make her and her young daughter social outcastes by insinuating that the act of running a bar makes the women disreputable.

She further said that the allegations were baseless and unsubstantiated and published and disseminated without any verification and hence it was a part of larger conspiracy to garner political mileage by sensationalising falsities, misinterpretations and false narratives. Irani added that the false allegations were intended to hurt her reputation as a minister and a person in public life and also to outrage her modesty and that of her daughter.

Subsequently, in her notice she has called upon the Congress leaders to tender a written and unconditional apology within 24 hours and the same should be widely disseminated in print media as well as social media. She has also said that the allegations be unconditionally withdrawn from all platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Congress leaders are also asked to further cease and desist from disseminating the content regarding the allegations on Zoish Irani. Failing this, Irani has said she will initiate civil and criminal proceedings against the Congress leaders.

Congress accused Smriti Irani’s daughter Zoish of running an illegal ‘bar’ in Goa

Congress leaders on Saturday accused her 18-year old daughter Zoish Irani of running an illegal bar in Goa and asked PM Modi to sack Irani from the cabinet. Rubbishing allegations against her daughter, Irani hauled Congress leaders over the coals and challenged them to show her daughter’s name in the show cause notice they had flashed in the press conference.

Addressing the media, Irani had said on Saturday, that the allegations against her daughter were levelled at the behest of the Congress leadership, i.e the Gandhi family, because she dared to hold a press conference and question Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi about the Rs 5,000 crore loot of the Indian treasury. 

Facts of Zoish Irani case

Zoish Irani is currently a student and pursuing her studies. She is neither the owner of the restaurant nor has any stake in it. According to sources, the licence of the restaurant was in name of one Anthony D’Gama and was applied for by his son. In February 2021, when the licence was issued, Anthony D’Gama was alive. The same was renewed in April 2021 and was valid till 31 March 2022 as is the norm.

However, when the license had to be renewed for the financial year 2022-23, the son of the owner applied on the same grounds as he had applied earlier and had specifically stated in the application that he would get the same transferred in his name within a period of 6 months as his father had passed away. As his legal heir, the process of transfer of licence has been initiated and prescribed fees have been paid as per sources. However, the renewed licence is yet to be issued.

Sources say that the person who has led the allegations, one Aires Rodrigues, himself has a series of legal cases slapped against him especially regarding his nationality and has a history of attacking the BJP as well as the leaders. Rodrigues had also wished death upon former Goa CM and ex Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who recently passed away after prolonged cancer. Rodrigues is one lawyer and also identifies himself as ‘RTI activist’.

On 21 July 2022, Goa’s Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad issued a show cause notice to Silly Souls Cafe and Bar in Goa on complaint of Rodrigues. Rodrigues had alleged that the licence obtained was “fraudulent and fabricated documents were produced”. However, as per a Times of India report, the RTI reply on Goa licence does not mention either Smriti Irani or her daughter, Zoish Irani.

Bihar: Six dead in Saran district after multiple explosions at an illegal firecracker factory run by one Reyaju Miyan

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Six dead in Saran district after multiple explosions at an illegal firecracker factory run by one Reyaju Miyan

On Sunday (24 July 2022), several explosions occurred in an illegally operating fireworks factory in Bihar’s Chhapra city in Saran district. Six people have been died in the incident so far. The blast occurred at the house of a man named Mohammad Reyaju Miyan Khan. The explosion was so powerful that it damaged numerous homes in the vicinity. Several people are feared to be trapped in the debris.

The incident occurred in the Khodaibagh village of the Khaira police station area in the Chhapra district. The villagers assert that Reyaju Miyan used to illegally manufacture crackers for fireworks in his own home. Reyaju Miyan is said to have resided with his brother Shabbir Miyan and his family in the house. Locals said that a series of blasts started at 10 AM and continued till 1 PM.

Following the explosion, local police arrived on the scene and began working to rescue the victims trapped beneath the rubble. The blast was so powerful that it completely destroyed Reyaju Miyan’s three-storey home. The FSL team is also on its way from Muzaffarnagar to investigate the matter. Looking at the explosion in Reyaju Miyan’s illegally operating firecracker factory, it is suspected that a highly strong explosive was being manufactured there. However, no information concerning his involvement in any criminal activities has been revealed as of yet.

Following the event, officers from multiple police stations, including Chhapra Sadar SDPO Muneshwar Prasad, Balwara SDPO Inderjit Baitha, Inspector Manju Kumari, Police Station President Vijay Kumar, and a team from the Fire Brigade, arrived on the scene. Five dead bodies have been recovered from the scene.

Gujarat: Ali Asgar of Chhota Udaipur pretends to be ‘Anil Jaiswal’, rapes and blackmails a Hindu girl

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Ali Asgar of Chhota Udaipur pretends to be ‘Anil Jaiswal’, rapes and blackmails a Hindu girl

A case of a Hindu girl being trapped, abducted, and abused by a young man from the Dawoodi Bohra community adopting a fake identity with a Hindu name has come to light in Kavant in Gujarat. The accused has been identified as Ali Asgar Parawala. The police has arrested the accused and the court sent him on a four days remand after he was produced in court.

According to the reports, Ali Asgar Parawala, a resident of Kavant, tried to befriend a 24-year-old Hindu girl living in the same town by pretending to be Anil Jaiswal. He used to call and message the girl and ask her to meet him saying that he was a gym manager.

Fed up with the repeated harassment, the girl went to the gym to convince him. However, there Ali Asgar physically molested the girl and took a selfie with her. After this, he used to blackmail the girl by threatening to make the selfie viral. The girl also succumbed to the fear of defamation. After this, Ali Asgar would often call her to the gym and molest her when there was no one in the gym. All this while, he pretended to be Anil Jaiswal.

After a few days, the girl found out that his real name was not Anil Jaiswal but Ali Asgar and that he was married. The girl informed her relatives and the relatives including the girl’s father went to Ali Asgar’s house and tried to convince him. But he also threatened the family members saying ‘do whatever you can, I will make her my wife’. He also threatened them of making the pictures with the girl viral on social media.

On July 18, when the girl left home for her job, Ali Asgar stopped her on the way and took her forcibly with him to Waghodia. From Waghodia, the two boarded a rickshaw and went to the railway station. Ali Asgar boarded the train and took the girl to Pune and from there to Lonavala.

He raped the Hindu girl several times at a hotel in Lonavala and also committed unnatural sex with her. Meanwhile, the two returned on July 20 after Ali Asgar’s brother called him to come back home and told him that the situation in the village was tense. After returning, the girl informed her family about the entire matter and the girl’s family members filed a complaint against the accused at the police station in Kavant on July 21.

On the basis of the complaint, the police registered a case under sections 366 (kidnapping a woman with intent to marry), 376 (2) (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 504 (derogatory remarks with intent to disturb the peace) and 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of IPC. The police arrested the accused within a few hours. The accused was produced before the court after he was arrested. The court granted his 4-day remand. Efforts were made to contact the police to get more details on the matter but could not be contacted.

Singer Arpita Mukherjee gets online hate after media houses mistake her for arrested TMC minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide, demands apology

OpIndia Staff
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Singer Arpita Mukherjee gets online hate after media houses mistake her for arrested TMC minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide, demands apology

After a huge stash of cash was recovered by ED from TMC minister Partha Chatterjee’s close aide Arpita Mukherjee, an actress, several media houses used the images of a different woman of the same name. Following this, Mumbai based singer Arpita Mukherjee has started to receive online hate mistaking her for the Kolkata based woman. Yesterday Kolkata-based Arpita Mukherjee was arrested after cash amounting to Rs 21.20 crore was recovered from her house, which is said to be the proceeds of SSC recruitment during the tenure of Partha Chatterjee as education minister of West Bengal.

On Saturday (July 23), Mumbai based singer Arpita Mukherjee issued a clarification after the issue of mistaken identity. While mistaking her for the actress, online trolls hounded her on social media. The winner of the ‘Golden Voice Hunt’ was thus forced to clarify that she wasn’t the actress arrested by the ED.

In a statement, she said, “I am singer Arpita Mukherjee, I am NOT the Arpita Mukherjee who has been detained by the ED. I have no connection with this case. The lady detained by ED is a Kolkata Tollywood actress.”

I am utterly surprised that people are confusing her with my profile when there is no similarity between us. But therein lies the problem with social media,” she added.

“People do not wait to verify facts before jumping the gun and grabbing an opportunity to malign or troll someone. This post is meant for all such “brilliant” minds,” Arpita Mukherjee concluded in her Facebook post.

The singer posted another comment on Facebook naming some media houses that used her image in reports related to the Bengal scam case.

Addressing Navbharat Times, News18 Bangla, Times Now, ABP News and HT Bangla, she said, “My Pictures have been WRONGLY used and put up on your news channel and YouTube channel to report on the detention and arrest of Kolkata based Tollywood actress Arpita Mukherjee. But I am NOT that Arpita Mukherjee who has been detained by the ED. I am a different person. I am in fact a Bombay based Professional Singer and Media Personality.”

She further added, “Do you seriously not verify facts before putting them up as news items?? Such irresponsible reporting by reputed news channels and portals that you put up pictures of a girl without verifying the identity first?? You defame and malign someone’s reputation with such alacrity and shamelessness?? I am appalled at this low level of journalism and reporting!” She said that she wants “a public acknowledgment of this grave mistake and an apology.” Arpita Mukherjee also said that if the media houses don’t apologise, she will be forced to take appropriate legal recourse.

Online Trolling and a case of mistaken identity

A casual glance at her recent social media posts reveals that people indeed mistook her for the Bengali actress. “Partha Chatterjee rocks (indicating her close ties with the TMC leader),” asked one Pranadev Basu.

“ED,” wrote another user. One Souradeep Sarkar inquired, “You in jail yet?”

Screengrab of the Facebook comments

The Background of the Case

On Saturday (July 23), the Enforcement Directorate arrested Bengali actress Arpita Mukherjee after the agency recovered over ₹21 crores in cash from her residence.

The name of the actress has cropped up in a scam pertaining to the recruitment of candidates for the West Bengal Primary Education Board and West Bengal School Service Commission, as cash of more than Rs 21 crore and other valuables have been recovered from her house.

According to the ED, the massive cash stash is suspected to be proceeds of crime in connection with the SSC recruitment scam. The visuals of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes, totalling more than 21 crores, show the scale of the scam. Other than cash and jewellery, ED also found 20 mobile phones at the residence.

Best Bakery Case: Accused facing trial seeks a transfer of his case, raises concerns of witness tutoring by Teesta Setalvad

OpIndia Staff
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Best Bakery Case: Accused facing trial seeks a transfer of his case, raises concerns of witness tutoring by Teesta Setalvad

One of the two accused in the Best Bakery Case, identified as Harshad Solanki, has submitted a plea before the Principal Sessions Judge Vrushali Joshi seeking transfer of his case to another Additional Sessions Judge. In his plea, he has alleged that the witnesses might have been tutored by activist Teesta Setalvad who is facing accusations of tutoring witnesses in cases related to the Gujarat Riots. She has also been accused of receiving funds from Congress leader late Ahmed Patel to tarnish the image of then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

In his plea, Solanki alleged that the existing trial judge did not take cognizance of his doubts that the witnesses in his case could have been tutored by the Special Public Prosecutor. He also raised doubts about the role of activist Teesta Setalvad as she was arrested by the Gujarat Police in a similar matter where she had allegedly tutored witnesses.

The application read, “The controversy in the said matter related to rights of accused for getting fair treatment when a witness in the previous separated trial makes an appearance in witness box. The accused had prayed that such witnesses ought to be examined afresh. It was the prosecution’s contention that the earlier deposition (i.e. notes of evidence) has to be continued/carried forward and that the present accused would get a right of cross-examination if the witness is available. When present advocates for the accused/applicant herein filed their Vakalatnama somewhere in February 2022, it was shockingly found that the Special Public Prosecutor had examined a few witnesses in furtherance of the earlier statement recorded by this Hon’ble Court in the previous trial. Such a hybrid method is completely impermissible in law.”

Accusing the Special Public Prosecutor of tutoring the witness, the application read, “In an instance in which an eye witness had described an accused but did not identify him due to his non-availability, the question of asking him to identify such accused may probably arise (without going into the merit of any such identification for evidential value) However if the witness had not referred to the accused at all either by name or by description, there is no question of Public Prosecutor asking the witness any further questions about identifying the accused. That would amount to improving the evidence by tutoring the witness.”

Solanki further alleged he had submitted his application before the trial court, but it is still pending. He also sought a day-to-day trial in his case. Citing the reports about Setalvad’s arrest, the application read, “It is specifically and categorically submitted that the accused is a victim of a conspiracy hatched by Ms Teesta Setalvad and her accomplices to implicate innocents in the infamous Best Bakery Case.” He has also written to the Gujarat Police seeking expansion of the investigation against Setalvad beyond Zakia Jafri’s case.

Solanki and one other accused, Mafat Gohil, were arrested in 2013, and they are facing trial for allegedly being part of the Best Bakery attack in Vadodara on March 1, 2002. Several people were killed in that attack. The violence of the Gujarat Riots had erupted following the burning of a train returning from Ayodhya in Godhra on February 27. 59 Hindus, including women and children, were burnt alive in Godhra.

Notably, a Vadodara court had acquitted all 21 accused in a Gujarat riots case as witnesses had turned hostile. Later, they alleged they were under pressure. National Human Rights Commission took cognisance of the matter and filed a petition before the Supreme Court that ordered a retrial of several cases, including the Best Bakery case. During the first phase of the trial, nine people were convicted out of 17 in February 2006 and were sentenced to life imprisonment. Eight of the 17 accused were acquitted.

Arrest of Teesta Setalvad

On June 25, a day after the Supreme Court said that false allegations of a ‘larger conspiracy‘ were made in the Gujarat riots case, Gujarat police filed a case against former IPS officers Sanjiv Bhatt and R B Sreekumar, and activist Teesta Setalvad.

The crime branch of Ahmedabad police has booked the three under sections 468 (Forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document or record as genuine), 194 (Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence), 211 (False charge of offence made with intent to injure), 218 (Public servant framing incorrect record), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the India Penal Code.

Teesta Setalvad was arrested and brought to Ahmedabad, where she is currently under judicial custody.

Uttar Pradesh: Faiz Mohammed of Muzaffarnagar goes for Kanwar Yatra after getting darshan of Lord Shiva in his dreams, adds ‘Shankar’ to his name

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Faiz Mohammed of Muzaffarnagar goes for Kanwar Yatra after getting darshan of Lord Shiva in his dreams, adds ‘Shankar’ to his name

A Muslim Youth named Faiz Mohammed living in Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh is heading for Kanwar Yatra. According to Faiz Mohammed, he saw Lord Shiva in his dreams 5 years ago and since then he is a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. For the last five years, Faiz Mohammed participates in the Kanwar Yatra. He has also started to write his name as Faiz Mohammed alias Shankar.

Faiz Mohammed lives in the Kadhli village of the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. He works as a labourer in a local company. Faiz Mohammed claims that five years ago, he got the darshan of Lord Shiva in his dreams, after this incident he developed faith in Lord Shiva.

Faiz Mohammed said that faith has no boundaries of caste and religion. He said that he has immense faith in Lord Shiva and that he will perform Jal Abhishek of Mahadev in Baghpat on the occasion of Shivaratri this year.

On Friday 22nd July 2022, Faiz Mohammed reached the Kanwar Seva Camp at the Triveni Sugar Mill near the Ganganagar Patri of Khatauli. People in the camp welcomed this devotee of Lord Shiva with a great deal of love and affection.

He said that till now he has been to the Kanwar Yatra five times. Faiz Mohammed also told that earlier he alone used to bring the Kanwar, but starting this year, another villager named Vishwambhar is also joining him to bring the Kanwar. They will bring the holy water of the river Ganga from Haridwar and offer it to Lord Shiva in the Aughadnath temple in the Kali Paltan area of Meerut.

Faiz Mohammed said that some people create a divide between religions and spread hatred for their political gains. He said that he has nothing to do with those people and he will continue to follow his faith.

It is notable that, just like Faiz Mohammed, Babu Khan of Baghpat also goes to the Kanwar Yatra in the month of Shravan for the last five years. However, he had to face a lot of difficulties while doing so. In 2018, when he was going on his very first Kanwar Yatra, Islamists threw him out of the mosque. Despite facing such troubles, he still continues to go to the Kanwar Yatra every year.

Babu Khan said, “When I went to the Kanwar Yatra for the first time, there was a big dispute within my family. But, somehow I managed to convince my family members. In 2018, I offered water to Lord Shiva in the Pura Mahadev temple and the next morning, I went to a mosque to offer Namaz. There, I was boycotted and thrown out of the mosque.”

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