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Madhya Pradesh: Nihal Khan hides religion and traps physiotherapist into relationship, refuses to marry unless she converts to Islam, case registered

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Nihal Khan hides religion and traps physiotherapist into relationship, refuses to marry unless she converts to Islam, case registered

On Friday, the Madhya Pradesh Police registered an FIR against a person named Nihal Khan for deceitfully assaulting a Hindu woman and allegedly forcing her to accept the religion of Islam. The 31-year-old victim, who is a physiotherapist by profession, said that Nihal never revealed his full name and developed physical relations with her assuring of marriage.

According to the reports, the accused Nihal Khan is the Director of a General Hospital in Bhopal. The victim used to visit the General Hospital at Depot intersection area of the city on call. The duo met there and soon became friends. The victim in a video statement said that Khan never revealed his full name and always introduced himself as just Nihal. The victim also never bothered to ask his full name as they had become good friends. “We started sharing personal things about ourselves. He came to know that I was already a divorcee and that I was alone. He used to show sympathy. This is how he started visiting my house”, she said.

On November 20, 2018, when the parents of the victim were not at home, Khan arrived and proposed to her for marriage. He promised that he would never leave her and after that developed physical relations with her. He kept on repeating the act, while the victim started to press him for legalizing the relationship.

“I pressed him for marriage. He started ignoring me. Later to my shock, he told me that he didn’t believe in the religious marriage system but believed only in Nikah. He asked me to convert my religion to Islam and refused to marry if I didn’t convert”, the victim stated. She added that he hit her and abused her as she told him that she would complain about the incident to the Police. “He said he did not believe in the Police and the Courts and also threatened to kill me”, she said.

The victim in the Police complaint also mentioned that the accused had duped her for money. The hospital that she owned in the Ashoka Garden area of Bhopal was deceitfully acquired by the accused. “Also I was a partner at the General Hospital. It cost me more than Rs 8 lakhs. Nihal forged the documents of both the hospitals and discharged my name from the papers. He said that he would return me the assets only if I get converted to Islam”, she noted in the FIR.

Recent cases of Grooming Jihad:

It is important to note that this is not the first time that such a case of Grooming Jihad has been reported. Last month, a minor girl was raped, blackmailed and exploited by a man named Kasim who had allegedly claimed to be Rahul. Kasim had allegedly lured the girl into a relationship online by identifying himself as ‘Rahul’. He belonged to the same neighbourhood as the victim and had gradually gained her confidence, eventually raping her and making obscene video clips to blackmail her further.

In Mumbai, a 23-year-old man named Mohammed Ansari was arrested in connection to the brutal murder of an 18-year-old NEET aspirant girl named Sonam Shukla. The victim had gone missing after she left her home for tuition. As per the police, the teenager did not attend her tuition classes and instead went to one of her female friend’s houses before leaving the place. The 19-year-old had gone to the residence of Mohammed Ansari, a graduate student and a bakery owner, where he killed her over a heated argument with her.

The Haridwar police had arrested a youth named Sadiq who posed as a Hindu to befriend a minor girl and raped her thereafter. According to the FIR filed in the case on April 10, 2022, Sadiq had introduced himself as Ratan Tyagi to lure the Hindu girl. He then threatened her with her intimate pictures and sexually assaulted her.

Besides this, there are several similar cases of Love Jihad, where Muslim men have lied about their religious identity to trap innocent non-Muslim women to forcefully marry and sexually abuse them. OpIndia has documented several such cases over the last few years.

The Madhya Pradesh Police in the recent case has registered an FIR against accused Nihal Khan and has booked him under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act. The Police officers have also launched a manhunt to nab the accused who is absconding. The investigations are underway.

“Farmers know they received money in their accounts”: R Madhavan hails PM Modi’s push for micro-economy at Cannes, says this is ‘new India’

OpIndia Staff
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“Farmers know they received money in their accounts”: R Madhavan hails PM Modi’s push for micro-economy at Cannes, says this is ‘new India’

Actor R Madhavan on Thursday lavished praises on PM Modi as he hailed the central government’s push for the “micro-economy” while speaking at the Cannes film festival. The Rocketry-The Nambi Effect actor said while the world at large was sceptical about the Centre’s embrace of the digital economy, believing that digitisation would be big “disaster” for the country where farmers are uneducated, the story changed in a couple of years believing that digitisation would be a “big disaster” in a country where farmers may not know as India became one of the largest users of micro-economy in India.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurah Thakur shared a snippet of Madhavan’s response on Twitter, tweeting, “When our PM @narendramodi introduced a micro-economy & digital currency there was a furore…it is going to be a disaster. In a couple of years, the whole story changed & India became one of the largest users of micro-economy in the world. This is #NewIndia.”

“When the PM started his term, he introduced the micro-economy and digital currency. There was a furore around the world among the economic community which said it’s not going to work, it’s a disaster because how are you going to get farmers and people who are uneducated in small villages to handle a mobile phone and handle their accounting,” Madhavan said.

He further added, “Micro-economy was considered as a big disaster in India. In a couple of years, the whole story changed and India became one of the largest users of micro-economy in the world. And You know why that happened? It is because farmers need not be educated to know if they have got their money, who they have sent their money, and if they have received the money in their accounts. This is New India.”

‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, which is India’s official selection for its world premiere at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, saw its grand premiere at the convention centre of Palais des Festivals. Madhavan is playing the character of Aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was caught in the throes of a spying scandal and falsely accused of espionage during Congress rule in the mid-90s.

Over 1200 people turn up for Namaz at Gyanvapi, enter through the gate of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, police on alert

OpIndia Staff
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Over 1200 people turn up for Namaz at Gyanvapi, enter through the gate of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, police on alert

A huge crowd gathered at the disputed structure in the Gyanvapi complex during Friday prayers on 20th May 2022. According to locals, they have never seen the disputed Gyanvapi structure so crowded. Now that Shivling has been reportedly discovered inside Gyanvapi Mosque, a large number of people came to offer Namaz on Friday.

Earlier, when the survey of the Gyanvapi complex was conducted, a similar crowd had gathered at that time. For the first time since the Gyanvapi complex survey, a large number of Muslims had arrived during the Friday prayers. During this time, the Masjid management had to announce on behalf of the mosque committee and tell the Namazis to go back due to the crowd. People were diverted to Raziya’s Masjid which is situated nearby.

As the number of Muslims arriving at the disputed structure for offering prayers increased, they were being allowed to enter from gate number 4 of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex. All the necessary security measures were ensured by the local police. When the Muslims came out of the so-called mosque at the disputed structure, none of them was seen interacting with the media or other people. Reportedly, the mosque committee had asked the Namazis not to say anything to anyone in order to avoid any possible conflict if someone makes any sensational statement accidentally.

Still, while talking to Zee News, one of the Muslims coming out of the mosque said, “People have come here to offer the Friday Namaz. The whole mosque was full. On almost every Friday there is such a crowd. Look, it is related to people’s feelings, so they come here and offer the Namaz. It is true that this time there is an increase in the number of people attending the Friday Namaz. But everything was carried out with discipline and there is no law and order problem.”

According to reports, since the wuzukhana was sealed after the discovery of Shivling there, the administration had also provided an alternative arrangement for wuzu before offering the Namaz in the so-called mosque.

Sharing the news, journalist Shivam Pratap wrote on Twitter, “People from the Muslim community arrived in large numbers for the Friday prayers. Thousands of Namazis arrived, entry of Namazis from gate no.4 of Kashi Vishwanath temple. On the spot, seeing the crowd of Namazis, it seems that this is the only mosque in the whole of Kashi!!”

In a subsequent tweet, he wrote, “Announcement of mosque management: Gyanvapi mosque was filled with Namazis, offer prayers elsewhere. People are not ready to listen, now gate no. 4 has been closed!! The local shop owners said, “There has never been such a crowd, today a countless number of Namazis reached, the hands and feet of the administration are swelled!!”

Reacting to the developments in Kashi, Bharatiya Janata Party’s spokesperson Ajay Sehrawat tweeted, “Namazis are adamant about going inside the Gyanvapi temple, the full capacity of the mosque is 700 but more than 1200 people are present. Isn’t this a kind of show of strength??”

Meanwhile, among the latest updates in the Gyanvapi case, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the Gyanvapi case to District Judge, Varanasi on 20th May 2022. The Supreme Court ordered that a senior and experienced judicial officer of UP Judicial services will hear the case.

Gyanvapi case: SC says Places of Worship Act does not bar determining the religious character of a place, refuses to overturn orders

OpIndia Staff
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Gyanvapi case: SC says Places of Worship Act does not bar determining the religious character of a place, refuses to overturn orders

The Supreme Court of India today refused to struck down the Varanasi court’s orders to do survey of the disputed structure of Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the subsequent orders to seal parts of the structure after Hindu symbols including a Shivling was discovered in the survey. The court said that its order in the case will continue, which included sealing of the Wazukhana in the premises, which reportedly contains the Shivling. The status quo is to be maintained till the case is heard by the local courts.

The court also transferred the Gyanvapi dispute case to Varanasi district court from the civil court in Varanasi. A three-judge bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and PS Narasimha said that given the complexities of the case and the sensitives involved, the case should be heard by a senior and experienced judge.

Justice Chandrachud said that while the bench was not casting aspirations on the judicial officials in Varanasi hearing the case, the case needs to be heard by someone senior and the Varanasi District Judge has experience of 20-25 years and they know how to handle such cases.

The Supreme Court bench ordered the district court to hear the petition of the Muslim side against the court judgement on priority, while saying the interim order of the Supreme Court will continue till the plea of the Muslim side is decided and for 8 weeks after that. The court also ordered the District Magistrate to make arrangements for Wazu, or ritual washing before Namaz, for the Muslim devotees visiting the disputed site.

During the hearing, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi who was representing the masjid committee, said that the matter has to be nipped in bud, and all orders issued by the Varanasi court, like appointing commissioner for survey of the structure to its sealing the site are illegal and they should be declared as void. “My submission is right from the date the Commission was appointed till date, all these orders shall be declared as void and null,” he said.

However, the Supreme Court said that it can’t decide on the maintainability of the suit of the Hindus because the Masjid Committee has already filed a petition against the suit in a Varanasi court.

Ahmadi pressed hard to get the Varanasi court order overturned, but the apex court refused to accept his arguments. The Masjid Committee lawyer even issued a veiled threat of violence by talking about ‘ramifications’ across the country.

The lawyer claimed that a status quo of over 500 years have been violated, and it is disturbing communal harmony and will cause public mischief. He argued that the mosque has been in existence for 500 years, and the court orders violate the places of worship act.

However, the apex court rejected his arguments, and defended the Varanasi court order for survey of the structure. In a significant observation, justice Chandrachud said that under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, there is no bar on ascertainment of religious character of a place. The bench also said that there are various nuances of the Act, which will fall for consideration, rejecting Ahmadi’s argument that the act puts a blanket ban on changing the character of religious places.

The judge noted that the ascertainment of religious character of a place as a processual instrument may not fall foul of Section 3 or 4 of the Act. “These are matters where we will not hazard an opinon in our order. We are in a dialogue,” he added.

Justice Chandrachud said that hybrid religious structures are not unknown in India, where symbols of different religions are found in the same place. He said just because some place has a cross, it does not become Christian place automatically.

Advocate Ahmadi also claimed that the Shivling found by the survey team is actually a fountain, and asked that the taps present in the area should be made available for Wazu. But the bench refuses saying they don’t have photographs of the area, so they can’t pass judgements on this. The court instructed the District Magistrate to make arrangements for Wazu instead. It is notable that even before the Supreme Court order, the magistrate had already arranged two drums of 1000 litres of water and 50 mugs for today’s Jumma Namaz.

Today’s order by the Supreme Court means that the place inside the structure where the Shivling has been discovered will remain sealed, and Muslims won’t be able to use the pond for Wazu. It is notable that while Varanasi court had ordered to seal the entire mosque, the Supreme Court had changed that to seal only the part where Shivling was found, and had allowed Namaz to go on inside the structure. However, today the Masjid Committee requested the people to not come to the mosque in large numbers for Friday prayers, because the Wazukhana and the toilets have been sealed as per court orders.

Bhojshala: An educational centre and a historic temple of Goddess Saraswati. How it became the Kamal Maulana mosque

Pallav
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Bhojshala: An educational centre and a historic temple of Goddess Saraswati. How it became the Kamal Maulana mosque

On May 11, the Madhya Pradesh High Court accepted a petition seeking a stay on Muslims performing Namaz in the compound of the Bhojshala monument in the state’s Dhar district. The Court also served the summons to the Madhya Pradesh government, the Union government, and the Archaeological Survey of India.

The case was made by the ‘Hindu Front For Justice,’ which was challenging an order issued by the ASI Director-General on April 7, 2003. The ASI decree had enabled Muslims to offer Namaz in the compound of the 11th-century structure known as the ‘Kamal Maulana Mosque.’ The Hindu organisation said that the monument is a religious heritage structure revered by Sanatan Dharma followers.

The Hindu organisation also requested the installation of a statue of Goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi) in the Bhojshala complex, as well as the production of coloured pictures of the complex’s inscriptions. It also requested that the Union government undertake radiocarbon dating on the antiquities and sculptures housed within the monument.

What is Bhojshala?

The ‘Bhojshala’ is a unique and historic temple dedicated to Mata Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom. Raja Bhoj (1000–1055 AD), the greatest emperor of the Parmar dynasty and a devout promoter of education and literature, founded a college at Dhar that became known as Bhojshala and attracted students from far and wide.

This Mata Saraswati temple lies in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, which was then Raja Bhoj’s capital. Many students used to come here to learn music, Sanskrit, astronomy, yoga, Ayurveda and philosophy. Bhojshala was a massive educational establishment that accommodated thousands of students and intellectuals.

भोजशाला सरस्वती मंदिर: इस्लाम नहीं कबूला तो 1200 छात्र-शिक्षकों की हत्या
The pillars in the corridors of the Bhojshala complex.

The current Kamal Maulana Mosque, which was erected by Muslim conquerors after the temple was razed, has remnants of the Bhojshala. The carved pillars used in the mosque are the same ones utilised in the Bhojshala. Engraved stone slabs affixed to the mosque’s walls still contain valuable works. These inscriptions go into great depth about Sanskrit grammar. Besides that, some inscriptions praise the emperors who came after Raja Bhoj. There are also inscriptions in classical Sanskrit with theatrical compositions. These inscriptions are notable for being written in characters from the 11th and 12th centuries A.D.

Bharatkalyan97: Lat ki and Kamal Maula Masjids are of unusual architecture; evidences of earlier Siva, Sarasvati temples at the location
Yagna Kund inside the Bhojshala premises.

The temple was considered to be the centrepiece of Dharanagari’s 84 squares, the city of palaces, temples, universities, theatres, and gardens. The goddess Saraswati’s statue is presently housed at the London Museum. The royal poet Madan mentioned this Mata Saraswati shrine in his poems as well.

The Islamic invasion and destruction of the Bhojshala complex, Hindu students were massacred, temple destroyed

In 1305, 1401 and 1514 AD, Muslim monarchs repeatedly wrecked the majestic temple and centre of learning at Bhojshala. In 1305 AD, the ruthless and barbaric Muslim tyrant Alauddin Khilji destroyed Bhojshala for the first time. Nevertheless, the process of Islamic invasion began 36 years before, in 1269 AD, when a Muslim Fakir named Kamal Moulana reached Malwa.

Kamal Moulana utilised deceitful methods to convert many Hindus to Islam. He spent 36 years gathering extensive information on the Malwa area and turning it over to Alauddin Khilji. Khilji massacred 1200 Hindu students and teachers at Bhojshala for refusing to convert to Islam, and he demolished the temple complex. The current mosque has the name of the same Kamal Maulana.

The Kamal Moulana Makbara

Another Muslim conqueror, Dilawar Khan, demolished Vijay Mandir (Surya Martand temple) and attempted to turn a portion of Saraswati Temple Bhojshala into a dargah in 1401 AD. Muslims perform Namaz at the same Vijay Mandir today. Again in 1514 AD, one  Mehmudshah besieged Bhojshala and attempted to transform it into a dargah. He encroached on the area outside Saraswati Temple and established ‘Kamal Moulana Makbara.’ It is on this basis that Bhojshala is being claimed to be a Dargah.

The entry of the British into the scene

Malwa was taken by Marathas in 1703 AD, thereby ending Muslim rule. The East India Company seized Malwa in 1826 AD. They, too, invaded Bhojshala, destroying several monuments and shrines. Lord Curzon removed the deity’s idol from Bhojshala and placed it in England in 1902. The statue is currently on display at a museum in London.

Saraswati idol from Bhojshala, currently in London

For the first time since Muslim rule, Muslims attempted to offer Namaz by entering Bhojshala during British authority in 1930. This attempt, however, was thwarted by Hindu activists from Arya Samaj and Hindu Mahasabha.

Post-independence

In 1952, the Central Government gave up Bhojshala to the Archaeological Survey of India. In the same year, campaigners from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Hindu Mahasabha began to educate Hindus about Bhojshala. Around the same period, Hindus established Shri Maharaja Bhoj Smruti Vasantotsav Samiti.

Following that, in 1961, Padmashri Dr Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar, a well-known archaeologist, artist, writer, and historian, visited London and established that the Vagdevi idol kept in London was the actual one installed by Raja Bhoj at Bhojshala.

Prior to March 12, 1997, Hindus were permitted to take darshan but unable to do puja. However, in 1997, CM Digvijaya Singh issued an order permitting Muslims to offer Namaz at Bhojshala every Friday but prohibiting Hindus from even entering Bhojshala. Hindus were only permitted to enter and offer puja at Bhojshala during Vasant Panchami.

Bhojshala was opened for Hindus in April 2003. Darshan was allowed to Hindu devotees every day, apart from Tuesday, when they may worship using flowers.

In order to regain complete access to the entire premises for worship, the current petition filed has stated that the destruction of a temple and its continuation in the same form is a continuing trauma for the worshippers, denying them spiritual power, and in such a situation, the worshippers’ lives remain in jeopardy, giving day to day tease and a feeling of humiliation done by the invader, and such continued wrong has to be rectified under the sweep of Article 13 (1) of the Constitution of India to protect the life and religious rights guaranteed under Article 21 and 25 of the Constitution of India.

Bengal SSC Scam: TMC Education Minister Paresh Adhikari’s ‘teacher’ daughter loses job, Court orders refund of tenure salary

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal SSC Scam: TMC Education Minister Paresh Adhikari’s ‘teacher’ daughter loses job, Court orders refund of tenure salary

On Friday, May 20, the Calcutta High Court disallowed West Bengal’s Education Minister Paresh Adhikari’s daughter Ankita Adhikari from entering the school premises where she worked as a teacher and also asked her to refund the salary for the tenure she has already served. The Court was hearing a case related to the SSC scam being investigated by the CBI.

This decision came a day after the CBI registered an FIR against Minister Adhikari and his daughter for skipping the CBI summons deadline that was set by the Calcutta High Court. He was summoned for illegally recruiting teachers in government-aided schools and also for allotting a job to his daughter despite her absence from the merit list.

The agency had also quizzed senior TMC leader and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee as the alleged recruitment scam had taken place when he was the education minister. Adhikari however, who is the minister of state for education was grilled on May 19.

Meanwhile, the BJP leaders protested on the streets against the Mamata Banerjee-led government over the issue of the SSC scam and demanded the resignation of both Paresh Adhikari and Partha Chatterjee.

What is the SSC scam?

The CBI has been investigating several cases where teaching and non-teaching staff in the state of West Bengal were allegedly appointed illegally in schools following recommendations by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC).

The West Bengal Teacher’s recruitment scam, more commonly referred to as the SSC scam, looks into the recruitment process conducted through the State Level Selection Test (SLT) conducted by SSC from 2014 to 2016. Candidates who appeared for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) exam had alleged that many candidates who secured fewer marks ended up with higher ranks on the merit list. They further stated that the candidates who were not on the merit list were also sent appointment letters.

Also, in the year 2016, multiple allegations of corruption cropped up regarding the recruitment of Group C and Group D employees in secondary and higher secondary schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. The matter came to light in March this year after irregularities were noticed in the recruitment process of teachers in the state government schools.

Earlier, the single bench had ordered the CBI to interrogate the former chairman of the SSC advisory committee, SP Sinha, and other former members of the panel. The court had asked the CBI to file a report after interrogating the former members. In April, the CBI also registered an FIR against West Bengal Directorate of School Education former deputy director Alok Kumar Sarkar and unidentified officials of the SSC.

According to the FIR, the accused had extended the undue advantage in appointing around 500 undeserving candidates for Group-D staff posts. Reportedly, they had also flouted the departmental rules and used forged documents for the purpose. The FIR was filed by the central agency’s anti-corruption bureau under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged documents or electronic records as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code.

On April 8, the accused were questioned by the CBI and a detailed report was submitted before the Court. The Court further asked the then Education Minister Partha Chatterjee to appear before the CBI. The CBI has charged the Minister Paresh Adhikari and his daughter Ankita Adhikari under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and Prevention of Corruption Act 7 (Obtaining an undue advantage, to perform or cause the performance of public duty improperly or dishonestly).

Rajasthan HC grants interim relief to Arnab Goswami on Pawan Khera’s complaint over a news show on temple demolition in Alwar

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan HC grants interim relief to Arnab Goswami on Pawan Khera’s complaint over a news show on temple demolition in Alwar

The Rajasthan High Court Friday granted interim protection from arrest to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in a case registered against him by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, under IPC section 153A for promoting enmity between religious groups, reported the legal news portal Bar and Bench.

Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani mentioned the matter before Justice Sandeep Mehta, who ordered the police not to take any coercive action against the people named in the FIR and posted the matter for the next hearing on May 23.

According to Bar and Bench, the court passed the order while hearing a plea submitted by Arnab Goswami seeking the quashing of the FIR filed against him on May 17 at Ambamata Police Station in Rajasthan’s Udaipur. The FIR was filed based on a complaint lodged against the journalist by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera.

Khera had taken objections to a particular news show televised by Republic Bharat, the Hindi channel of the Republic network, on the demolition of an old Hindu temple in Rajgarh and houses of several Hindus in Alwar Rajasthan.

The lawsuit alleged that the FIR was filed with the intent of harassing and entangling Republic TV in legal cases. It said that the Congress member had filed a complaint in a case where the Congress Government of the state of Rajasthan was being questioned, alluding that Khera was attempting to intimidate and silence the media merely because his party was being questioned.

“The current FIR has been filed at the behest of Mr. Pawan Khera who is the Spokesperson, All India Congress Committee and represents the Indian National Congress in various TV talk shows, discussions/debates that are held on different news channels etc. as per his own complaint. It must be noted that in a case where the Congress Government of the state of Rajasthan was being questioned, a member of the Congress has filed a complaint. This establishes how the entire case is motivated and made to harass and embroil a legitimate news network and its members in a litany of cases,” the plea said.

The Republic Bharat show, which the Congress spokesperson took offence to, was a show related to the alleged demolition of a temple in Rajgarh and a demolition drive in Alwar.

Notably, OpIndia had also reported on April 22, 2022, how in Rajgarh, district Alwar in Rajasthan, the authorities have demolished an old Hindu temple, inviting criticism and condemnation from locals. As per reports, a JCB was brought in to destroy the temple’s roof and pillars. Idols of the temple have been damaged in the demolition drive. The Shivalingam inside the temple was also uprooted by using drills.

Moreover, the Rajgarh authorities had demolished the houses of over 85 Hindu families in a ‘road-widening’ drive citing a city masterplan. Locals whose houses and shops have been demolished have stated that they had the valid documents of their properties. Despite this, the municipality has demolished their buildings. In a drive that started on 17 April, over 150 houses and shops, including old temples have been demolished so far.

In fact, the Republic Bharat show was also on the aforementioned news. Arnab Goswami, in his plea, argued that the broadcasts were intended to maintain communal harmony rather than disrupt it.

Regarding the issue of temple demolition in Rajgarh, the plea said, “In fact, the channels also covered how a Muslim Group had filed a complaint naming Congress Zilla Head Yogesh Mishra for vitiating harmony in the region. Therefore, far from causing strife, Republic was exposing it.”

Notably, for the Alwar demolition drive, the program had used the words ‘Jahangirpuri ka badla?’ In his plea, Arnab Goswami explained that the aforementioned line was made not in reference to any community but to question if it was an apolitically motivated demolition drive.

“It is submitted that there was an uproar over a demolition drive in New Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on 20-21st April, 2022. This demolition was being done by the Delhi MCD which is headed by the BJP. Soon after, there was news of the Alwar Demolition in Rajashtan where there is a Congress government in power. Therefore, the question about “Jahangirpuri Ka Badla” were being raised in the context of it being a political battle over demolition,” the petition said.

Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing Arnab Goswami argued that allowing the proceedings to continue would have a chilling effect on free speech and would be in breach of Article 19(1)(aguarantee )’s of freedom of speech and expression. After hearing the plea, the Rajasthan High Court bench of Justice Sandeep Mehta granted the Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami interim relief from arrest and ordered the Rajashthan police not to take any coercive action against the journalist.

2019 Hyderabad rape and murder case: Supreme Court says police encounter of criminals was fake, cops should be tried for murder

OpIndia Staff
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2019 Hyderabad rape and murder case: Supreme Court says police encounter of criminals was fake, cops should be tried for murder

The Supreme Court-appointed committee has held that the 2019 Hyderabad encounter was fake and recommended that the ten police officers in charge of the case be tried for murder for the killing of four rape and murder accused.

According to the reports, the Supreme Court-appointed panel on Friday said that the four accused of gang rape and murder of a 27-year-old veterinarian, who was killed in a police encounter in Hyderabad were “deliberately fired upon with an intent to cause their death”.

In 2019, a 27-year-old veterinarian was kidnapped, raped and murdered near a toll plaza at Tondupally, Shamshabad, and her body was dumped and burnt at Chatanpally near Shadnagar, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

“In our considered opinion, the accused were deliberately fired upon with an intent to cause their death and with the knowledge that the firing would invariably result in the death of the deceased suspect. We are of the opinion that at the relevant time, Jolu Shiva, Jolu Naveen, and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu were minors,” the Supreme Court-appointed panel said 

The commission also pointed out lapses in the investigation and recommended that ten policemen be tried for murder. Three of the four rape-accused were minors, the report said.

The SC has ordered the sharing of the sealed cover report of the three-member inquiry commission on the encounter killings and transferred the matter to the Telangana High Court to take appropriate action.

The Supreme Court had set up the panel on December 12, 2019, to examine the circumstances that led to the encounters and had asked to submit the report in six months. Later, the commission, headed by former SC judge VS Sirpurkar, was granted six months by the apex court to file the final report on the encounter killings.

The commission members include former Bombay High Court judge Rekha Sondur Baldota and former CBI director DR Karthikeyan.

Hyderabad encounter

The four accused – Mohammed Arif, Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu, Jolu Shiva and Jolu Naveen – were arrested for gang-raping and murder of a veterinary doctor in November 2019. On December 6, 2019, the Telangana police said all the four accused were killed in an encounter.

The Hyderabad police had gunned down all the four accused in an encounter on the NH-44 near Hyderabad, where the investigating officials took them to recreate the crime scene. The police had said that they had shot the accused in self-defence as they had snatched weapons and were trying to escape.

Calcutta HC orders CBI-NIA probe into forceful conversions in Malda: VHP demands a strong anti-conversion law

OpIndia Staff
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Calcutta HC orders CBI-NIA probe into forceful conversions in Malda: VHP demands a strong anti-conversion law

On Thursday 19th May 2022, the Calcutta High Court ordered a joint probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the allegations of forceful religious conversions at Kaliachak in Malda district of West Bengal. Vishwa Hindu Parishad applauded this historic directive by the High Court and demanded a strong anti-conversion law.

The high court bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed the Malda district police superintendent to file an affidavit detailing the actions taken so far over the issue. Justice Mantha has directed the central probe agencies to submit a report to the high court by June 21.

Recently, a group of Hindu women in Malda in West Bengal had accused the Inspector-in-Charge of a local police station of forcibly trying to convert them and their husbands to Islam. The incident took place in Kaliachak town in the Malda district of West Bengal. Considering the gravity of the matter, Justice Mantha ordered a joint probe by the CBI and the NIA.

VHP demands strong anti-conversion law

Amiya Kumar Sarkar, east zone secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanded a strong anti-conversion law for the state to check illegal proselytization of innocent Hindus and stop Jihadi barbarism. He said in a press statement, “The state administration has gone too far. Therefore the Sanatani Hindu society no longer has any confidence in the Babus of the administrative departments of the state. And if this demand is not complied with then the Vishwa Hindu Parishad will take necessary action for starting a mass movement in the state.”

He further said, “Yesterday the high court has given the good news that the two central agencies had been given the task of investigation. Thus, the fact that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has always been on the side of the traditional Hindus is proved once again. It is also clear how the Islamic Jihadists and the local police are working in tandem with the TMC goons.”

Advocate Anindya Sundar Das appeared as the counsel for the plaintiff. He said, “Two persons were missing from Kalichak Malda. They are masons by profession. Jihadis present in Kalichak of Malda are responsible for their forceful conversion. In addition, there have been allegations of explosives in this incident. Therefore, CBI and NIA have been given the responsibility to jointly investigate the incident.”

The matter came to light after a video of a female BJP worker, narrating the ordeal of the said women, went viral on social media. In the undated video, the BJP worker informed that several posters had come up near the post office in the Englishbazar area of the Malda district. The protesting women were seen holding several placards saying that the police officer is forcing them to convert to Islam. They had also hung several banners behind them in front of the Malda post office saying that they will resist this and will not change their religion.

Rajdeep Sardesai outraged during Hardik Patel’s ‘exit interview’, asks him who dictated the resignation letter to him

OpIndia Staff
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Rajdeep Sardesai outraged during Hardik Patel’s ‘exit interview’, asks him who dictated the resignation letter to him

India Today journalist, Rajdeep Sardesai, appeared visibly perturbed after Patidar leader Hardik Patel wrote a scathing letter announcing his resignation from the Congress party. In an interaction between the two, which seemed more like an ‘exit interview’ of Hardik Patel, an uptight Sardesai raised doubts over the resignation letter signed by the former Congress leader.

“While the signature on the resignation letter is yours, words do not appear like yours, Congress has alleged. Who has dictated those words to you? Congress has alleged that the words in your resignation letter bore an uncanny resemblance to the allegations levelled by the BJP members,” Rajdeep asked Hardik Patel.

Unfazed by Sardesai’s question, Patel answered that Gujarat Congress leaders were not bothered with putting up a fight against the BJP and were involved in trivialities as to where should they go for breakfast during senior Congress leaders’ visit to Gujarat or from where should they arrange for chicken sandwiches for Rahul Gandhi.

“Leaders in Congress Gujarat are interested in what the opposition should be doing. They are not sincere in their efforts to challenge the BJP. Although I was made the working president of the Congress party, what’s the importance of designation if I am not given work to do?” Patel answered when Rajdeep highlighted how Congress had made him a party functionary after he had joined the party.

Miffed by Patel’s cutting remarks on Gujarat Congress leaders, Sardesai then proceeded to remind the Patidar leader what changed in one’s week time, given that Patel was upbeat about the visit of the senior leadership to Gujarat just a few days before tendering his resignation.

Responding to the question, Patel said, “I had spoken to you a week ago, and I had told you then that I was optimistic about resolving the issues. But in the last week, there was no discussion over the issue. I keep saying that in Gujarat, we will have to talk about the honour of Gujaratis, but if you continue targeting Gujaratis then it won’t work.”

“Gujarat is a business state. Ceaselessly attacking Ambani and Adani won’t help you. I spoke to Congress leaders about the party’s continuous attack on business people of Gujarati origin. Did Ambani and Adani spring up after 2014? They were there in Gujarat even before 2014. Attacking them is a wrong move by Congress,” Patel elaborated.

“Maybe you don’t like the Prime Minister. But just because the PM is a Gujarati, will you question every Gujarati? Will you vilify every Gujarati?” Patel said as Rajdeep asked him about his disillusionment with the Congress party.

Hardik Patel resigns from the Congress party

Earlier this week, Hardik Patel tendered his resignation from Congress just months ahead of state assembly elections. Patel resigned and sent his resignation letter to the party’s interim president, Sonia Gandhi. As per sources, he has since gone ‘underground’.

In the tweet, he wrote, “Today I courageously resign from the post of Congress Party and primary membership of the party. I am sure that my decision will be welcomed by all my colleagues and the people of Gujarat. I believe that after this step of mine, I will be able to work really positively for Gujarat in future.”

Hardik Patel stated in the letter that the lack of seriousness about all issues is a major problem with the Congress Party’s senior leadership. He went on to say that the Congress party has restricted itself to opposition politics. He claimed that the country desired a solution in the form of such decisions, whether it be the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the CAA-NRC, the removal of Article 370 from Kashmir, or the implementation of GST, but the Congress party has always objected to such matters.

“It is unfortunate that workers like us, who travel 500 – 600 km in our cars in a single day to meet people, get to see that Big leaders of Congress in Gujarat are far away from issues of Gujarat but are more focussed on ensuring that Chicken Sandwich for leaders who have come from Delhi is delivered on time!’ Hardik Patel stated in the letter.

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