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Maharashtra Assembly: BJP’s Rahul Narwekar elected as the new speaker with 164 votes, 107 MLAs voted against him

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra Assembly: BJP’s Rahul Narwekar elected as the new speaker with 164 votes, 107 MLAs voted against him

On July 3, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rahul Narwekar was elected as the speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. Narwekar got 164 out of the total 288 votes. The voting was done by a headcount instead of ballot voting. During the process, every member of the Legislative assembly spoke up his/her name and number in support of the candidate.

Narwekar had filed his nomination for the post of the speaker on July 2. The seat of the speaker was lying vacant since last year after the resignation of Congress leader Nana Patole from the post. Since then, Narhari Zirwal, deputy speaker, has been acting speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

Who is Rahul Narvekar?

Rahul Narvekar is Bharatiya Janata Party’s MLA from the Colaba constituency in Mumbai. Before joining BJP, he was part of Shiv Sena for 15 years and NCP for around five years. In 2019, he joined BJP just before the state elections.

45-years-old Narvekar comes from a political family. His father, Suresh Narvekar, was a municipal councillor from Colaba, and his brother Makarand Narvekar is currently serving as a municipal councillor from the same seat. His father-in-law Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar is an NCP leader. He is currently serving as chairman and speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

In the 2019 state elections, he won the assembly seat with a margin of over 15,000 votes and defeated Ashok Jagtap of Congress.

Second blow for MVA after Eknath Shinde was elected as the CM of Maharashtra

This is the second blow in quick succession for the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance after losing the CM chair. Following the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray from the CM post, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra with support from BJP. Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis was elected as the new Deputy Chief Minister.

Pakistan: 27 Samsung employees detained for committing blasphemy by using a WiFi network name insulting to Ummayad Caliph

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: 27 Samsung employees detained for committing blasphemy by using a WiFi network name insulting to Ummayad Caliph

According to sources familiar with the matter, the Karachi police in Pakistan have filed an FIR against Samsung employees under Section 298A of the Pakistan penal code. As per reports, Samsung Pakistan employees have been booked for allegedly creating a WiFi network name that was derogatory to Ummayad Dynasty Caliph Muavia.

Reports suggest that cops detained 27 other Samsung employees after an unruly mob staged violent protests all over Karachi suspecting blasphemy. According to a police official in Pakistan, they are working with the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing to trace the individual who installed the gadget.

In a statement, Samsung Pakistan stated that it remains neutral regarding religious views. Internal investigations into the matter had quickly commenced after the incident, said the corporation in its official statement.

What is the whole issue?

After news of alleged blasphemy by Samsung Pakistan spread, scores of Islamists from the radical Barelvi organisation Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) went on the rampage in the mobile market of Karachi, Pakistan. After discovering that the company had committed “blasphemy” against Islam, the demonstrators tore down Samsung’s billboards in the city’s mobile market and engaged in vandalism.

Initially rumours circulated that Samsung Pakistan used an ‘offensive’ QR code against Islam, and that led to mayhem on Karachi roads as TLP members took to the streets.

However, later it was revealed that the main issue was that a Samsung employee named their WiFi network after the Caliph of the Ummayad era, which was offensive to Pakistanis. The Umayyad Caliphate was the second caliphate established after the death of Prophet Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty based in Syria. The Umayyad Caliphate was founded by Muavia I who became acknowledged Caliph at the end of the First Islamic civil war in 661 AD.

Blasphemy in Pakistan

Over purported blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad and personalities in Islam, Pakistan has seen significant communal violence and rioting. An unfavourable allusion to Prophet Muhammad, or blasphemy, is commonly used as a rallying cry by Islamists to instigate murder and communal riots against ‘non-believers.’ There have been several accounts of non-Muslims being subjected to violence and barbarity in the name of blasphemy and disrespect to Prophet Muhammad or Islam.

Loosely written QR Codes are single-handedly responsible for what’s happening in Pakistan

Rahul Roushan
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Loosely written QR Codes are single-handedly responsible for what’s happening in Pakistan

(by Qazi Shams Wardiwala, M.Tech from Supreme College of Islamabad)

I’ve seen a lot of Islamophobic comments around the fact that some faithful Pakistanis have peacefully protested against Samsung for coming up with a QR code that was blasphemous. I am shocked beyond belief that people are mocking what protesters are doing instead of discussing the root cause.

Earlier, equally faithful Pakistanis had equally peacefully protested against Pepsi for an equally blasphemous QR code. So there is a clear pattern where there is an attempt to provoke faithful Pakistanis, who have shown admirable restraint by protesting peacefully against such provocations.

Yet, people are blaming peaceful protests than the needless and offensive QR codes that are clearly the reason why protests have erupted.

Before we go to the root cause of these protests, let us remember that Islam means peace. Consequently, anything Islamic is peaceful, including such protests, whether in Pakistan, Kashmir or Udaipur. Thus any commentary calling the protests violet or lumpen or uncivilized reeks of Islamophobia. Commentators must control their tongues and use words carefully.

The fact of the matter is that QR codes are totally needless and unnecessary invention. Our civilized world already had URL shorteners that were working just fine. Modern phone cameras can read and interpret text after we point camera lenses to them, thus URL shorteners could have done the same job as QR codes are doing.

Furthermore, QR codes take much more space that URL shorteners. While a QR code takes up a big rectangular space for it to be displayed, a URL shortener needed just one line. All these facts go on to prove that QR codes are totally unnecessary and an example of loosely written codes.

These loosely written codes are single-handedly responsible for all that is happening in Pakistan today. Inflation, infighting, political instability, and many more issues have been created due to these QR codes. In post-Covid world, it was so necessary that businesses get back on track, but the QR codes have created a controversy that has needlessly created troubles and slowed down businesses.

Any technological invention should be a life saver. It should make our lives simpler and more meaningful. Imagine if the modern technology could create donkeys that could fly, the donkey-carts carrying Pepsi bottles and Samsung products in Pakistan could have reached various corners of the country quickly, and without consuming petrol.

That’s what I call a meaningful technology that would have helped businesses and made our life simpler. Not just business products, even human beings could have ridden on these donkeys with wings. Let us remember that our great nation Pakistan has a lot of donkeys. We export them to China, instead of inventing technologies that would make this natural resource more useful.

QR codes are not at all useful. They neither help businesses nor make our life simpler. In fact, they have proved to be a security threat to the entire nation. I can’t believe that some coders are still supporting this needless code when the civilized society should have come together to ban these codes for ever lasting peace in our great nation.

These coders should come live on Facebook and apologize to the whole nation. In fact, they should apologize to the entire humanity, because they have disturbed peace with their loose coding. I hope better sense prevails and we ban QR codes.

TV actress and ex-Roadie Niharika Tiwari gets death threats after supporting Nupur Sharma

OpIndia Staff
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TV actress and ex-Roadie Niharika Tiwari gets death threats after supporting Nupur Sharma

On Wednesday (June 29), TV actress and MTV Roadies contestant Niharika Tiwari received death threats for supporting Nupur Sharma, in the aftermath of the gruesome killing of Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan’ Udaipur

“I had posted a story yesterday regarding the Nupur Sharma case. Whatever she said was wrong but she did not start the mud slinging. The ‘blasphemy’ saga was started by someone else. You can watch the video,” she said.

“Murders are being executed openly and our Prime Minister is being given threats. Is this right? Do we Hindus slit open someone’s throat in the name of Lord Shiva?” Niharika added.

“Did you ever hear that a Hindu killed someone in the honour of Lord Shiva? Nothing of this sort ever happens. When someone abuses out Faith (referring to the Shivling), it is obvious that we will feel angry about it. Nupur has been suspended but what about those who mocked our Shivling? There needs to be action against them too,” the TV actress was heard as saying.

In a video shared by Nai Dunia, Tiwari was seen complaining about a slew of death threats directed at her by Islamists. “They have warned me that I will step out of my house on 4 shoulders. I am being accused of spreading hate although there I am only airing my point of view,” she remarked.

Tiwari added, “The tale of hate can be witnessed in the incident of the beheading of Hindu tailor. He was going about his work when he was killed and the video was shared on social media. They are saying that those who speak ill of Islam will be treated in a similar way.”

“No religion teaches you to take a human life. This is no humanity. What was the mistake of the poor tailor?” she further inquired.

22-year-old man receives death threats for an Instagram post 

A 22-year-old man in Chhattisgarh is at the receiving end of Islamist ire after he posted a story on Instagram supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma.

Raja Jagat, a resident of Bhilai city, had been receiving death threats for extending support to the beleaguered leader who is under attack for quoting Islamic Hadiths on Prophet Muhammad.

According to the police, Raja had shared a post on his Instagram account, extending his support to Nupur Sharma, following which he started receiving death threats on the social media platform.

Spooked by the death threats and in the wake of the Udaipur incident, Raja approached the police and filed a complaint against accounts that had threatened to kill him.

The complaint filed by Raja said that one of the accounts that threatened him was operated by one Kashif, while the other one showed the name of ‘Ritika Nayak’.

Can be discussed at appropriate forum, says Kiren Rijiju on SC judges’ oral remarks on Nupur Sharma case, ‘not proper’ as law minister, he adds

OpIndia Staff
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Can be discussed at appropriate forum, says Kiren Rijiju on SC judges’ oral remarks on Nupur Sharma case, ‘not proper’ as law minister, he adds

On July 3, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a statement that even if he strongly objects to the observations made by the Supreme Court bench on Nupur Sharma, being a law minister, he would not comment on the observation. He further added that the matter could be discussed at an appropriate forum.

News Agency ANI quoted him saying, “As Law Minister, it’s not proper for me to comment on judgment and observation by SC bench. Even if I have serious objections, I would not like to comment. It can be discussed at an appropriate forum. It is an oral observation, not judgment.”

Observations made by the Supreme Court bench

On July 1, the bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice JB Pardiwala of the Supreme Court of India blamed former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for the brutal Udaipur murder and stated that her ‘loose tongue’ had set the entire country on fire and she should apologise to the whole country.

The SC judges did not stop at just blaming one woman for violence and murder committed by religious fanatics in the name of Islam, they also refused to grant any relief to Sharma and has rejected her application to transfer all FIRs against her to Delhi. The oral observations were not included in the final order.

Nupur Sharma had approached the apex court to transfer all FIRs registered against her across the country to Delhi. Sharma has been receiving death threats since her remarks on Prophet Mohammed were shown in a grossly misinterpreted manner on social media. Islamist propaganda page Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair initially shared the clip of her remarks in which he allegedly edited the remarks made by Islamist panellists against Bhagwan Shiv that irked Nupur Sharma in the first place. Zubair is currently lodged in Tihar jail in judicial custody after investigation in a blasphemy case on him revealed FCRA violations, destruction of evidence amongst other things.

Murder of Kanhaiya Lal

Supreme Court bench claimed Nupur Sharma was responsible for the brutal death of Kanhaiya Lal, a Hindu tailor from Udaipur. The bench accused Nupur Sharma of giving provocative remarks that “angered” the Islamists.

Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded in Udaipur, Rajasthan, after a post was made from his phone supporting Nupur Sharma. On June 28, two Islamists identified as Mohammed Riyaz Akhtar and Mohammed Gos entered his shop posing as customers. When Kanhaiya Lal was busy taking measurements, one of the killers attacked him while the other recorded the whole incident. He was dragged out of the shop and beheaded in broad daylight.

Notably, his neighbour Nazim had earlier filed a complaint against Kanhaiya Lal, and he was arrested for the same. Nazim also allegedly leaked his phone number, photograph and address to his community groups. Nazim and his associates allegedly provoked everyone to kill Kanhaiya Lal in the groups.

Fearing for his life, Kanhaiya Lal shut his shop for six days and approached Police for protection. Instead of giving him protection, the Police asked him to compromise with the Islamists who were threatening him. After six days, when he opened his shop, two Islamists came as customers and beheaded him. The two attackers, identified as Mohammed Riyaz Akhtar and Mohammed Ghous, were arrested by the Police. National Investigation Agency is probing the case.

Widow of late Kamlesh Tiwari, who was killed by Islamists over ‘blasphemy’, gets death threats

OpIndia Staff
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Widow of late Kamlesh Tiwari, who was killed by Islamists over ‘blasphemy’, gets death threats

Amid the ongoing turmoil over Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal’s murder in Udaipur, it has come to light that Kiran Tiwari, widow of the Hindu Samaj Party’s former chief, late Kamlesh Tiwari, received a death threat in an anonymous letter. As per reports, Kiran found the letter written in Urdu in her Lucknow-based home on June 22. It was delivered in a white envelope to her residence.

As per reports, the letter contained photographs of several people, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The photographs were crossed with large ‘X’ marks with the handwritten word ‘target’ next to them.

As per the Police, an investigation into the matter is underway.

Upon translation of the threat letter received by Kiran, it was found that the sender had threatened her. It read, “We will send you where we had sent your husband.” The Police have increased security outside her house. It is noteworthy that there was no stamp or sender’s name or address on the letter, which shows it was likely hand-delivered to her house.

The Police said Kiran did not approach them earlier about the threat. An activist of the Hindu Samaj Party published the letter on social media, after which it went viral. The Police approached Kiran and enquired about the letter.

SP Yogesh Kumar said, “There were two pages in the letter. A similar threat letter was found in 2019 at her house as well. A case was registered at Naka Police Station in that matter. A high school certificate and civil engineering mark sheet was attached to the letter. The Police are investigating that as well.

Who was Kamlesh Tiwari?

Kamlesh Tiwari was the President of a Hindu organisation named the Hindu Samaj Party. In December 2015, he allegedly made some derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammed, following which Muslim groups led protests at several locations across India demanding he “should be beheaded”. He was and spent considerable time in jail.

Three years after the incident, he was brutally murdered by the Islamists who came to meet him on the pretext of working for his outfit. The murderers had allegedly come dressed as Hindus. His throat was slit, and then he was shot dead. Post his death, her wife Kiran Tiwari took over the President post at the organisation.

Kanhaiya Lal’s murder by Islamists in Udaipur

On June 28, a Hindu man named Kanhaiya Lal was brutally murdered in Udaipur, Rajasthan, over an alleged post in favour of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The post was allegedly made by accident from Kanhaiya Lal’s phone by his 8-years-old son while playing a video game.

His neighbour Nazim filed a complaint against Kanhaiya Lal, following which he was arrested. Nazim also allegedly leaked Kanhaiya Lal’s number, photograph and address to his community groups. After being released on bail, he continued to receive threats.

Fearing for his life, Kanhaiya Lal shut his shop for six days and approached Police for protection. Instead of giving him protection, the Police asked him to compromise with the Islamists who were threatening him. After six days, when he opened his shop, two Islamists came as customers and beheaded him. The two attackers, identified as Mohammed Riyaz Akhtar and Mohammed Ghous, were arrested by the Police. The case has been taken over by NIA under the Ministry of Home Affairs’ direction.

Godhra massacre convict Rafiq who caught after being on the run for 19 years, sentenced to life imprisonment

OpIndia Staff
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Godhra massacre convict Rafiq who caught after being on the run for 19 years, sentenced to life imprisonment

On Saturday (July 2), the Godhra Sessions court sentenced a man named Rafiq Hussain Bhatuk to life imprisonment for setting the Sabarmati Express on fire.

As per reports, he was found guilty of conspiracy to murder. The development was confirmed by senior public prosecutor (SPP) RC Kodekar.

Rafiq was successful in evading the law enforcement authorities for 19 years and was arrested on February 14, 2021, from Godhra. When his name came up during the Godhra investigation, he fled to the national capital.

He was part of the core team that hatched the entire conspiracy. Besides, Rafiq also incited the Muslim mob and arranged petrol bombs to set Hindus on fire. A total of 59 karsevaks (including 27 women and 10 children) were burnt alive in the Godhra massacre that took place on February 27, 2002.

According to Panchmahal Superintendent of Police Leena Patil, Rafiq used to work as a labourer at Godhra railway station. He was arrested after a team of Godhra police raided a house in the Signal Falia area, located near the railway station, based on insider information.

“After fleeing Godhra following the incident, Rafiq spent most of his time in Delhi where he worked on railway stations and also at construction sites as a labourer. He also sold household items on a handcart”, the SP said.

The police had received information that Rafiq has changed his house and that he visited his family in the past but he could not be caught as he did not stay at his home for long.

Two more arrested in Umesh Kolhe murder case: Mastermind Irfan Sheikh and Veterinary doctor Yusuf Khan 

OpIndia Staff
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Two more arrested in Umesh Kolhe murder case: Mastermind Irfan Sheikh and Veterinary doctor Yusuf Khan 

Two more persons have been arrested in the case of the murder of Umesh Kolhe murder that took place in Amravati, Maharashtra, for his social media post supporting Nupur Sharma. One of them is main accused Sheikh Irfan Sheikh Rahim (age 35), while the other is a veterinary doctor who had instigated people against Kolhe.

Mastermind Sheikh Irfan Sheikh Rahim was arrested from Nagpur on 2nd July 2022. The accused runs an NGO and was the one who motivated Shamim and his friends to commit the murder as well as gave them logistical support.

Amravati ACP Aarti Singh said that the interrogation of the main accused Sheikh Irfan is going on. She said Irfan had promised to give Rs 10,000 each to the accused and help them escape safely in a car. 54-year-old deceased chemist Umesh Kolhe was killed in Amravati for allegedly making a social media post in support of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma on 21st June 2022. Sheikh Irfan is the seventh accused arrested in the case.

Before that, the police had arrested the sixth accused Dr Yusuf Khan Bahadur Khan (age 44) in Amravati on Friday night. Dr Yusuf Khan is a veterinary doctor who runs a clinic in the city. According to police, Khan had circulated a message against Umesh Kolhe on WhatsApp groups. He had written that Kolhe was supporting Nupur Sharma, which provoked the accused in the case who decided to kill the Hindu man. “Khan instigated the other accused,” a police officer said. The doctor was produced before a magistrate who sent him in police custody till July 4.

Maharashtra Police have already arrested five persons in connection with the murder. The accused are Muddasir Ahmed alias Sonu Raja Sheikh Ibrahim (age 22), Shahrukh Pathan alias Badshah Hidayat Khan (age 25), Abdul Taufiq alias Nanu Sheikh Taslim (age 24), Shoheb Khan alias Buriya Sabir Khan, Atif Rashid Adil Rashid (age 22).

While the police was claiming that it was a case of robbery gone wrong, they have finally admited on Saturday that Kolhe was killed for Nupur Sharma. They changed their position after MHA handed over the case to NIA. Many people had expressed doubts over the robbery angle in teh case, including Maharashtra leaders, who were saying that Umesh Kolhe was actually killed for supporting Nupur Sharma. They had pointed out that the accused had no criminal history, which is unlikely for robbers, and also the fact that they took nothing from the victim after killing him, even though he was carrying substantial amount of cash.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Amravati city) Vikram Sali said, “The motive behind the murder is for seeking revenge for the post made by him (Kolhe) in support of Nupur Sharma. Khan had made a post on a WhatsApp group against Kolhe saying he was circulating posts supporting Nupur Sharma. This provoked the accused against Kolhe and they decided to murder him. So, Khan instigated the other accused.”

On the night of June 21, Umesh Kolhe was murdered. CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced. In this footage, it is seen that three accused killers riding a bike approached Umesh Kolhe when he was returning home from his shop, stopped him, and stabbed him to death near a school building. Umesh Kolhe was going home on his scooter, after shutting down his medical store at around 10 pm. Umesh Kolhe’s son Sanket Kolhe and Sanket’s wife Vaishnavi were also travelling on a separate scooters.

Complainant Sanket Kolhe has mentioned in his police complaint, “We were moving from Prabhat Chowk and our scooters had reached New High School’s gate. Two men on a bike suddenly came in front of my father’s scooter. One of them had a knife in his hand. They stopped my father’s bike and one of them stabbed my father in the neck with the knife. My father fell to the ground and he was bleeding from his neck. I stopped my scooter and started screaming for help. Another man came and the three sat on the bike and fled from the spot.”

Kolhe was taken to a neighbouring hospital with the assistance of others, where he died the same night amid treatment. Within 24 hours, Amravati police apprehended two guys, while three others were later arrested based on an investigation. With the arrests of Dr Yusuf Khan and Sheikh Irfan getting the total number of arrests, in this case, is 7 now. Ten days after Umesh Kolhe’s murder, the National Investigation team has taken over the probe into the case.

‘He only forwarded some messages’: Brother of Umesh Kolhe narrates how he was killed for supporting Nupur Sharma

OpIndia Staff
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‘He only forwarded some messages’: Brother of Umesh Kolhe narrates how he was killed for supporting Nupur Sharma

On the night of 22nd June 2022, Chemist Umesh Kolhe was killed by some Islamists in Amravati of Maharashtra for allegedly sharing a social media post supporting former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The 54-year-old Medical professional ran a pharmacy ‘Amit Medical’ in the Tehsil office area, in Maharashtra’s Amravati. Ten days after Umesh Kolhe’s murder, the National Investigation team has taken over the probe into the case. While earlier the local police had clamed that it was a robbery attempt gone wrong, they have finally admited that Kolhe was killed for supporting Nupur Sharma on social media.

Meanwhile, Umesh Kolhe’s brother Mahesh Kolhe shared information about his brother’s murder while talking to the news agency ANI. He said that while his brother had forwarded some messages in support of Nupur Sharma in some WhatsApp groups, they didn’t think it will cause any trouble. He also said that his brother or the family didn’t get any threats.

Mahesh Kolhe said, “He never received any threats. My brother never told me that he is getting any death threats. He never shared any such thing. Now, from the day of the incident, the mobile is in the custody of the police. Therefore, we cannot even crosscheck the data and find whether he had received any threat call or not. Yes, there are some WhatsApp forwards from him which are sent almost 15 days ago. There was no reason for us to have any suspicion about anyone because we could not understand why anyone would murder him. So there is no question of suspecting anyone.”

About the false details published by some of the newspapers, Mahesh Kolhe said, “In the initial phase of the investigation, we were just being told that two accused are arrested and then four accused are nabbed, and so on. But we were not being told the exact reason for the murder. Some newspapers published that it is a loot or robbery case. Though the police officials assured us that they have not told any such thing to any reporter. Some newspapers went on to publish that there was a brief scuffle between the attackers and my brother, but this is not the fact. The fact is just that they came, stabbed the knife, and ran away.”

Deceased Umesh Kolhe’s brother further said, “There were a few WhatsApp forwards sent by my brother a few days back. The forwards were about Nupur Sharma. They were shared in some groups just like any other messages. He did not send those messages to anyone in personal chats. But we are yet to understand why someone is killed just because of mere forwarding a message to some group.”

On the night of the murder, on June 22, Umesh Kolhe was on his way home with his son Sanket and daughter-in-law Vaishnavi on different bikes, when the culprits stopped him and then slit his throat using a Chinese knife. In the attack, Kolhe was attacked with a knife from the back of his neck and he was seriously injured. With heavy blood overflowing, Kolhe died on the spot. As per reports, a total of 5 people have been arrested so far. They include Mudasir, Shahrukh, Abdul, Shoaib, and Atib.

Alt News Razorpay account for seeking donations stands deactivated after Mohammed Zubair’s lawyer admitted to receiving foreign funding

OpIndia Staff
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Alt News Razorpay account for seeking donations stands deactivated after Mohammed Zubair’s lawyer admitted to receiving foreign funding

The Razorpay account of propaganda website Alt News for receiving donations is deactivated hours after Mohammed Zubair’s advocate admitted in the court that the company had received foreign funding.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, who was representing Mohammed Zubair in a case for hurting the religious sentiments of people, categorically admitted in the Delhi court that her client did not receive foreign funding and it was his company that had received donations from abroad.

Hours later, the Razorpay link for donation to Alt News shows up an error message saying “Oops, looks like this payment page was deactivated or does not exist…”

Alt News
Source: https://pages.razorpay.com/altnews

The ‘Donate’ page on Alt News now shows “Some error occurred” in place of the Razorpay button that previously existed for making donations to the organisation.

Alt News
Source: https://www.altnews.in/donate/

Notably, the ‘Donate’ page on Alt News said, “We do not accept foreign remittance as we are not registered under the FCRA Act.”

Mohammed Zubair’s lawyer admits Alt News accepted foreign funding, implying that it committed FCRA violations

However, advocate Vrinda Grover, representing Mohammed Zubair said that it was Alt News that had received the foreign contributions and not her client.

She stated, “Your honour was misled when told that the accused has received it (foreign contributions). AltNews runs under a company under Section 8. They are saying I am a journalist, I cannot receive FCRA. This is to the company, not to me.”

Advocate Vrinda Grover also put out a categorical statement that foreign funds did not go to the bank account of Zubair but to that of Alt News.

Grover was responding to Delhi Police’s submissions which said that Mohammed Zubair had received donations through Razor Pay from countries like Pakistan, Syria and Australia, which required a thorough investigation.

Significantly, only organisations with FCRA licences can accept foreign contributions. Those who receive foreign funding without registration have essentially violated FCRA regulations and are therefore liable to prosecution under relevant sections of the law.

OpIndia has reached out to Razorpay to determine if they took action after complaints by authorities or if Alt News deactivated themselves. We will update the report when Razorpay responds.

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