On Monday (March 7), the US Department of Defense informed that an Al-Qaeda terrorist would be sent back to his native country of Saudi Arabia for ‘psychiatric treatment’ after spending 20 years in detention at Guantanamo Bay facility.
In a press release, the Defense Department stated that the 46-yea-old Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani did not represent a ‘significant threat’ to the country anymore. This was determined in an assessment conducted by the Periodic Review Board (PRB) on June 9 last year.
“Therefore, the PRB recommended that al-Qahtani be repatriated to his native country of Saudi Arabia, subject to security and humane treatment assurances. On Feb. 4, 2022, Secretary of Defense Austin notified Congress of his intent to repatriate al-Qahtani to Saudi Arabia. In consultation with our Saudi partners, we completed the requirements for responsible transfers,” it said.
The press release further read, “United States appreciates the willingness of Saudi Arabia and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility.”
Guantanamo detainee Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani, called ‘the 20th Hijacker’ of 9/11 is sent home by the Biden Administration, will get ‘mental health’ treatment. pic.twitter.com/gX4XOwD9HF
Legal fight against Al-Qaeda terrorist was dropped by Biden administration
Reportedly, al-Qahtani was trained by Islamist terror outfit Al-Qaeda and had tried to enter the United States unsuccessfully on August 4, 2001, to participate in the deadly 9/11 attacks. The Saudi Arabian native was slated to become the 20th hijacker but his plans were foiled by the US security forces.
“Lawyers for al-Qahtani obtained a federal court order in 2020 requiring a medical examination of the prisoner by an independent medical panel, which could have ordered his repatriation under Army regulations if the diagnosis of his doctors was confirmed. The Trump administration contested the order, a legal fight that was dropped under Biden,” reportedThe Guardian.
Al-Qahtani was caught from Afghanistan and sent to the Guantánamo, where he was allegedly subjected to assault, sleep deprivation, extended solitary confinement, and exposure to extended temperatures. The Al-Qaeda terrorist reportedly suffers from mental illness including schizophrenia, talks to non-existent people and hears voices.
On March 7, the Chinese state media Global Times shared fake news from its official Twitter handle that India lit up Qutub Minar in Russian flag colour amidst the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. In its tweet, Global Times wrote, “India lit up the Qutb Minar, one of the landmark buildings in New Delhi, with the colours of the Russian flag.”
Source: Twitter
The reality was far from what the Chinese government’s mouthpiece propagated on Monday. Qutub Minar was illuminated on March 5 to mark the fourth year of Jan Aushadhi Diwas, which is celebrated every year on March 7 under Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadi Pariyojana (PMBJP). The official handle of the scheme had shared the images on March 6 and wrote, “Historical Monument of our Country, Qutub Minar illuminates on the occasion of Jan Aushadhi Diwas 2022. This great moment captured in the camera will leave a mark in the history.” Interestingly, “Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadi Pariyojana” is clearly written in the images shared by Global Times.
— Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (@pmbjppmbi) March 5, 2022
PIB also fact-checked Global Times and wrote, “Global Times has claimed in a tweet that Qutub Minar was lit up with the colours of the Russian flag. This claim is misleading. Qutub Minar was illuminated as a part of the #JanaushadhiDiwas2022 celebrations.”
.@globaltimesnews has claimed in a tweet that Qutub Minar was lit up with the colours of the Russian flag.#PIBFactCheck
‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)’ is a central government initiative launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in association with Central Pharma Public Sector Undertakings. The aim is to provide medicines at affordable prices via dedicated outlets known as ‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra’. These outlets provide generic medicines with the same potency compared to branded medicines at a much lesser price. Currently, 1451 types of drugs and 240 surgical items are available at these outlets across the country.
PM Narendra Modi has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a phone call on Monday 7th March 2022. In his conversation with Putin, PM Modi suggested that a direct conversation between him and President Zelenskyy may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts to solve the ongoing Ukraine Russia crisis.
On 7th March 2022, Press Information Bureau has published a press release regarding this telephonic talk between the two leaders. It is said in the press release that the two leaders have discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine. President Putin has briefed PM Modi about the status of negotiations between the two countries involved in the conflict.
The press release by the PIB states, “The two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine. President Putin briefed Prime Minister Modi on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams. Prime Minister Modi welcomed the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and expressed hope that they would lead to the cessation of the conflict. He suggested that a direct conversation between President Putin and President Zelenskyy may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts.”
It further says, “Prime Minister Modi conveyed his deep concern for the safety and security of the Indian students still remaining in Sumy. President Putin briefed Prime Minister about the ongoing measures related to humanitarian corridors for facilitating the evacuation of civilians including Indian students.”
The Russia Ukraine war started on 24th February 2022 and PM Modi had immediately spoken to President Vladimir Putin on the same day about the safety and evacuation of the Indian citizens in Ukraine. Operation Ganga has successfully brought back more than 13000 Indians who were stranded in the war-hit Ukraine.
Russia launches ‘military operations’ against Ukraine
Today is the 12th day of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. It all started on February 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced limited military operations against Ukraine in East Ukraine.
Putin had added explicitly that Moscow did not plan on occupying Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.
A special PMLA court in Mumbai has remanded Maharashtra cabinet minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik to judicial custody till 21st March 2022 in the money laundering case linked to Dawood Ibrahim, registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The order was passed by special judge RN Rokde on Monday 7th March 2022.
ED had arrested Nawab Malik on 23rd February 2022 because he had allegedly purchased a property at a rate lower than the market value from Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. While remanding Nawab Malik to ED custody, judge RN Rokde has reasoned that sufficient time would be required to investigate proceeds of crime that traversed over the last 20 years. The judge had also observed that the allegations against Malik were prima facie well-founded.
#WATCH | Maharashtra Minister & NCP leader Nawab Malik arrived at Arthur Road Jail. He was sent to judicial custody till 21 March by Special PMLA court in connection with Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case
Malik has separately moved a Habeas Corpus petition before the Bombay High Court alleging that his arrest was illegal. The Enforcement Directorate has opposed Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik’s habeas corpus petition on the grounds of maintainability and asserted that his arrest was legal.
Defending the allegations by Malik of being forcibly picked up and served a summons in the ED office, ED claimed that Malik was arrested at 2.45 PM on February 23, before which he was served a summons and his statement was recorded after he “voluntarily” visited the ED office accompanied by his son.
Nawab Malik has been sent to Arthur Road jail. He will remain in the custody there till 21st March 2022. In February 2022, ED had conducted raids in South Mumbai in connection with a money laundering case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Close to nine places in Mumbai and one in Thane were raided by the ED including the residences of Dawood Ibrahim’s late sister Haseena Parkar and brother Iqbal Kaskar. The agency also took into custody Iqbal Kaskar who is imprisoned in Thane in an extortion case and presented him before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.
Nawab Malik’s name appeared in the process of investigation after the intelligence inputs directed the agency to look into the hawala transaction while probing a money laundering case against Ibrahim, Iqbal Mirchi, Chhota Shakeel, Parkar, and Javed Chikna. The agency traced several hawala transactions linked to money illegally obtained through extortion, drug trafficking, sale of real estate in Nagpada and Bhendi Bazaar area of Mumbai, and other unlawful activities.
Amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia, underage children are being taught to use deadly weapons of war under the pretext of ‘civilian self-defence classes’ on the outskirts of the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine.
It must be mentioned that the recruitment of children, below the age of 18 years, in hostilities violates the human rights law. The International Criminal Court defined the use of ‘child soldier’ (children below the age of 15) as a war crime.
Despite this, a section of the media has been glamorising the use of children in armed conflict. On Friday (March 4), Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor reposted images, originally published by news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), wherein children were seen using assault rifles.
In a tweet, The Daily Monitor wrote, “Children learn how to use an AK-47 assault rifle during a civilians self-defence course in the outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine, on March 4, 2022.”
Screengrab of the news report by The Daily Monitor
The Ugandan newspaper and AFP did not pay heed to the fact that the disturbing images glorify the use of ‘child soldiers’ and increase their recruitment amidst the Russian invasion in Ukraine. These pictures violate the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on non-sensational coverage of child soldiers.
“This policy protects against the sensational use of images that show armed child soldiers acting or posing as aggressors – including all those holding weapons…As children, however, they are also, by definition, forced combatants. While recognizing the importance of reporting on them, UNICEF emphasizes their status as children and coerced victims, a status that is much harder to emphasize if they are represented in sensationalized ways,” states UNICEF.
Photographs lionizing child soldiers are extremely troubling and a journalism organization needs to adhere to ethics. These are @UNICEF guidelines, extremely disappointing @AFPphotopic.twitter.com/HpuEtKf7sS
Besides irresponsible reporting by a section of mainstream media, several videos have surfaced on social media where children as young as 8 were heard giving calls for defending Ukraine. One such video was posted by popular Twitter user, Red Bait (@red_baiting)
“My father Stephan Baida is a defender of Mariupol. In 2014, he liberated Marinka, Shirokino and Mariupol and now he is defending Mariupol till the last. I am 8. That’s how much my father is fighting,” the child ‘soldier’ was heard as saying.
He called upon all Ukrainians and Europeans to defend the city of Mariupol, which is located in the Eastern part of the country. “Give them weapons, close the sky! Mariupol is Ukraine. Ukraine is me,” the minor boy announced.
Azov using a child for propaganda to call for a no fly zone to protect his father Stepan pic.twitter.com/Zi7F7dI2WW
The problem with Ukraine’s child soldiers is not new. Eighteen-year-old Yaroslav Hrytsiuk, who returned from Canada to fight for his home country Ukraine, had confessed about receiving military training in high school.
“Born in Ukraine in 2004, Mr Hrytsiuk said he has been battle-trained. He learned how to use Kalashnikov assault rifles and bayonet knives as a younger teenager in Ukraine before he came to Canada in 2021 to stay with relatives and pursue a better education,” reported The Globe and Mail.
18-year-old Yaroslav Hrytsiuk is returning to his home country Ukraine to fight the invading forces of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He hopes to join his father, who is preparing to fight Russians invading their home city of Lviv. https://t.co/Tz9Ffrw1BOpic.twitter.com/trrqrbEESt
Prior to the breakout of the full-fledged war, The Daily Mail had reported on February 5 as to how Ukraine had placed school children, including 4-year-olds, in military training camps in the hopes of thwarting a Russian invasion. The children were trained either with wooden replicas of Ak-47 or with live rounds.
While speaking about providing military training to her two 4-year-old sons Taras and Bohdan, their 35-year-old mother had remarked, “I don’t think they understand the war and what is happening but they love everything to do with the military. If they want to be soldiers when they grow up and fight to defend their homeland I will not stop them.”
Screengrab of the news report by Daily Mail
In January, The Sun had reported how the Ukrainian military conducted training for young children.
The article read, “CHILDREN get to grips with guns as they prepare to defend their country from a looming invasion threat. Some were shown how to use live weapons yesterday, while others were taught how to hold wooden replicas of Russian Kalashnikov rifles in case they need to use the real thing.”
It further added, “The Ukrainian military held a training day in Kyiv, where civilians of all ages were given expert tips from experienced weapons instructors.”
Military training to a minor child by the Ukrainian military, image via The Sun
A day after Russia invaded the Eastern European country, the Official Twitter account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on February 25 this year called upon civilians, of all ages (including ‘minors’) to join the armed conflict.
“Today, Ukraine needs everything. All procedures for joining are simplified. Bring only your passport and identification number…There are no age restrictions,” read the tweet.
Even in 2014, Ukrainian media were seen hailing a 17-year old boy for working as a sapper for 2 months in a conflict zone. BBC reported, “Speaking from hospital, he told 5 Kanal that he had lied about his age to enlist in a volunteer battalion. But his commander seemed to be aware of how young he was.”
Ukraine has been using child soldiers to fight Russian forces in complete violation of international human rights laws, with the media aggravating the issue with glossy coverage and sensationalisation.
The unexpected meeting between Punjab CM and Home Minister Amit Shah naturally had the netizens wondering about the plausible cause for the duo to meet.
People on the Internet speculated many reasons behind this meet—while some said it has a political basis as the leaders met each other ahead of assembly poll results, some went further ahead to suggest that Channi might be joining the BJP while breaking Congress MLAs looking at the disappointing performance of the party as predicted in the assembly exit polls. All the exit polls have predicted a landslide victory of the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.
? With the wave showing AAP getting majority seats, are Congress & BJP planning to make an alliance.
The real cause behind Punjab CM Channi seeking an audience with HM Amit Shah
However, it was earlier reported on March 6, that CM Channi had sought a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah to take up with him the issue of a recent change in rules for the selection of members of the Bhakra-Beas Management Board. While the issue has gained much importance in Punjab politics, this came after Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh met Governor Banwarilal Purohit over the same issue on February 28. The speaker said the recent change in rules for the selection of two members of the BBMB would be detrimental to the interests of Punjab and Haryana.
Confirming the same, CM Channi spoke to the media after his meeting with Amit Shah. He said, “Main issue was BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board), officers should be deployed like earlier. The Centre wants to deploy people from outside. I requested HM to reconsider it,” According to Channi, HM Shah assured him that the issue will be discussed with the concerned minister in 1-2 days and the decision will be taken as per Punjab’s wish.
As per Channi, the issue of bringing students hailing from Punjab back from Ukraine was also on the cards for his meeting. Channi said, “997 of our students were in Ukraine out of whom 420 have returned, 200 have gone to Poland & are safe but some people are still stuck. I made a request for them, Home Minister assured me that they are monitoring and the students will be back,”
However, this was not the first time when the two leaders showed signs of mutual agreement in the national political scene. When AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was accused earlier in February of sabotaging national interests while giving tickets to people with Khalistani links in Punjab, Punjab CM Channi wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him to probe the matter. Wasting no time, Amit Shah assured Channi, “I assure you that no one will be permitted to disturb the nation’s unity. The Government of India is taking this issue seriously and I will personally look into the matter in depth.”
The BBMB deployment issue
The Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) is a statutory body formed under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, that manages water resources of rivers Sutlej and Beas. As per the laid rules, the body has a full-time chairman with the member for power from Punjab and the member for irrigation from Haryana, which is elected by a board of senior engineers. Reportedly, the centre’s decision to allow anyone to apply for these posts has created a controversy in Punjab.
Congress leader from Punjab, Sunil Jakhar had accused that the Center has tweaked the BBMB rules to the detriment of Punjab and wrote to Channi to take up this issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BBMB clarified saying that there is no attempt to change the already existing system to give due representation to Punjab and Haryana. After the assurance of Amit Shah to make a decision in favour of Punjab, the controversy of the appointment of BBMB members will likely go down the drain.
Zahoor Mistry, one of the five terrorists who hijacked the Indian plane IC-814 in Afghanistan’s Kandahar in 1999 has reportedly been killed in Pakistan’s Karachi. According to reports, Mistry who was living under a fake identity of Zahid Akhund In Karachi was shot dead in Karachi’s Akhtar Colony on March 1.
It is being learnt that Zahoor who was one of the five terrorists involved in highjacking the IC-814, was living as ‘Zahid Akhund’ in Pakistan for years and also owned the ‘Crescent Furniture’ store in Akhtar colony in Karachi. According to News 9, Pakistani media agency Geo TV had reported about the killing of a certain businessman in Karachi. According to the CCTV footage available, two people on a motorcycle were recceing the Akhtar colony in broad daylight until they entered a furniture warehouse to target the trader.
While GeoTV has not described details of the victim, sources in the Pakistani media have confirmed the identity of the person to be Zahoor Mistry. According to the source, the media has been asked not to report about the matter for some strange reason. The funeral prayer of Zahoor was by top Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists including Rauf Asgar who happens to be the brother of Jaish chief Masood Azhar.
The highjack of IC-814
On December 24, 1999, an Indian Airlines plane (IC-814) was highjacked by five terrorists belonging to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen from Nepal. The plane which was supposed to reach Delhi made suspicious stops at Lahore, Amritsar and Dubai before being stationed at Afghanistan’s Kandahar which was under the control of the Taliban.
Around 178 people and 11 crew members aboard the plane were made hostages for a week while it ended after India was forced to release three JeM terrorists like Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar from its custody. The hijackers demanded the release of thirty-five terrorists from Indian prisons, including the dreaded terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar in addition to US$200mn in cash. The hostage ended on December 31, 1999, after a team of Indian negotiators including the present NSA Ajit Doval agreed to free three terrorists.
The BJP is all set to return to power in Uttar Pradesh, the exit polls to the recently concluded 2022 assembly elections have predicted. Besides, the Aam Aadmi Party is poised to register a landslide victory in Punjab, defeating the incumbent Congress party in the state.
The last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections was completed on March 7, 2022. The media houses and poll agencies have released the exit polls for all the five poll-bound states. The exit polls were aired after the seventh phase of UP elections was officially over on Monday.
The results published by exit polls reveal that BJP might be marginally ahead in Goa assembly elections while in Uttarakhand it might be facing tough headwinds from the Congress party. In Manipur, most exit polls suggest BJP will return to power comfortably.
Notably, as per the regulations of the Election Commission, the news and poll agencies are not allowed to release any data of the exit polls before the last phase of the elections is over. So in case, multiple states go for polling, the media houses have to wait till the last phase of the elections, even if some of the states had polls done weeks ago.
This time, the elections were done in Uttar Pradesh, the population-wise largest state of India, in seven phases. While polling for Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand Assembly Elections were done in single-phase, in the case of Manipur, the polling was done in two phases.
Uttar Pradesh
The parties or alliances that are in the race for UP Assembly elections are National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Congress+, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The exit polls by all organisations predict BJP returning to power in Uttar Pradesh. While Jan Ki Baat polls predict 222-260 seats for BJP, the P-Marq claims BJP will win 240 seats. The TV9 Bharatvarsh has been conservative in its prediction, stating that the Yogi Adityanath will return to power by polling 211-225 seats.
The Congress party, which focused its poll campaign to woo women in Uttar Pradesh, has not been able to create an impact with the UP voters. All exit polls forecast dismal performance by the Congress party, pushing it to the fourth position, behind BJP, SP and BSP. They have predicted that Congress would be restricted to within single-seat figures.
Exit Poll
BJP+
Congress+
SP+
BSP
Others
P-Marq
240
4
140
17
2
ABP-CVoter
228-244
4-8
132-148
13-21
2-6
TV9 Bharatvarsh
211-225
4-6
146-160
14-24
00
Jan Ki Baat
222-260
1-3
135-165
4-9
3-4
India Today-Axis
288-326
1-3
71-101
3-9
2-3
Chanakya
275-313
0-2
86-124
—
0-2
Goa
In Goa BJP, Congress+, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), and National Congress Party+ (NCP) are in the fray. The incumbent BJP is facing tough headwinds from a reinvigorated Congress, but it will still be the largest party in the assembly elections, a majority of exit polls numbers reveal. Congress is marginally behind the BJP in Goa, which goes to show that it will be a close contest and might require astute political manoeuvrings to form government in the state.
Exit Poll
BJP
Congress+
AAP
TMC+
MGP+
Others
P-Marq
13-17
13-17
2-6
2-4
—
0-4
ABP-CVoter
13-17
12-16
1-5
—
5-9
0-2
TV9 Bharatvarsh
11-19
11-13
1-4
—
—
2-7
Jan Ki Baat
13-19
14-19
3-5
—
—
1-3
India Today-Axis
14-18
15-20
—
2-5
—
0-4
Chanakya
Punjab
In Punjab, all exit polls predict a landslide victor for Aam Aadmi Party, with the Chanakya giving a whopping 111 seats to the party led by Arvind Kejriwal out of the total 117 assembly seats that went to polls. Congress is the second-largest party, followed by SAD, according to exit poll results.
Exit Poll
BJP+
Congress+
AAP
SAD+
Others
P-Marq
1-3
23-31
62-70
16-24
1-3
ABP-CVoter
7-13
22-28
51-61
20-26
1-5
TV9 Bharatvarsh
1-6
24-29
56-61
22-26
0-3
Jan Ki Baat
3-7
18-31
60-84
12-19
0
India Today-Axis
1-4
19-31
76-90
7-11
0-2
Chanakya
0-2
3-17
89-111
1-11
0-1
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand could throw unpredictable results in the recently concluded assembly elections. While some exit polls claim BJP might narrowly scrape by to form a government in the state, others say Congress might be in for an upset and could turn the tables to stake their claim on the government.
Exit Poll
BJP+
Congress+
AAP
Others
P-Marq
35-39
28-34
0-3
0-3
ABP-CVoter
26-32
32-38
0-2
3-7
TV9 Bharatvarsh
31-33
33-35
0-3
0-2
Jan Ki Baat
32-41
27-35
0-1
0-4
India Today-Axis
36-46
20-30
2-4
2-5
Chanakya
37-50
17-31
—
0-6
Manipur
In the case of Manipur, NDA, Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance (MPSA), Naga People’s Front (NPA), and National People’s Party (NPP) are in the race, along with the BJP and Congress. The BJP is set to emerge as the largest party in Manipur, according to exit poll results announced by P-Marq and Jan Ki Baat. Out of the total 60 seats, of which 31 seats are needed to form government, the P-Marq exit poll suggest that BJP might be on borderline to rack up the desired number, failing which it might have to seek alliance with either NPP or NPF. The Congress is predicted to bag 10-17 seats.
Exit Poll
BJP
Congress
NPP+
NPF+
Others
P-Marq
27-31
11-17
6-10
2-6
3-7
ABP-CVoter
23-27
12-16
10-14
3-7
2-6
TV9 Bharatvarsh
Jan Ki Baat
23-28
10-14
7-8
5-8
8-9
India Today-Axis
33-43
4-8
—
—
10-23
Chanakya
The results for the Assembly elections in all five states will be announced on March 10, 2022.
Note: The results for some exit polls are yet to come. They will be updated as and when they arrive.
Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General of India, told a Supreme Court bench of Justices Chandrachud and Surya Kant today that Raghav Bahl, the founder of The Quint and an accused in a money laundering case, can travel abroad if he and his wife produce an undertaking on the date of return and provide the itinerary, reports Law Beat.
BREAKING:
SG Tushar Mehta informs the court that @TheQuint founder @Raghav_Bahl and his wife Ritu Kapur can travel abroad upon furnishing an undertaking about the date of their return and submission of their complete itinerary
In December 2021, the Supreme Court had granted Raghav Bahl interim protection in relation to the money laundering case filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate.
After the Delhi High Court refused to award him protection in the case, Bahl turned to the Supreme Court. Following a complaint from the Income Tax Department and allegations that he had laundered funds to buy a mansion in London, the ED opened a money-laundering inquiry against Bahl.
When the case came up for hearing today, Bahl’s lawyer, Sr Adv Shyam Divan, stated that Bahl and his wife need to travel abroad for health reasons and that the Court’s order protecting Bahl does not specify whether or not he can travel. The bench first deferred the hearing until Wednesday when SG Tushar Mehta, standing for ED, stated that he needed to receive directions in this respect.
However, as the bench was rising, the SG informed them that he had received instructions and that Bahl and his wife might travel if they provided an undertaking on the date of return and the itinerary.
After hearing the SG’s remarks, the Court asked Diwan’s opinion on the matter. The court deferred the case until Friday (March 11) for compliance after Diwan agreed.
The money-laundering case against Raghav Bahl
In June 2019, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a case against the media giant and founder of The Quint, Raghav Bahl, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The department had picked up on the complaint filed by the Income Tax (IT) department against Bahl under Section 50 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act 2015, the ED had initiated action against him. The law enforcement agency had lodged an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), a police FIR equivalent, based on the complaint.
According to the IT department, Bahl has not disclosed his foreign assets, a property bought in London, UK for 31 lakh pounds. The economic intelligence agency has sought details from the IT department regarding the offence allegedly committed by Bahl.
Bahl was served a Show-Cause notice on May 1, 2019, seeking information about the property and the source of funds for an investment made in that property.
On October 11, 2018, the IT officials had searched The Quint owner’s premises. Sleuths from the department had raided his residence in Noida to search for documents and other pieces of evidence related to the case.
Raj Kumar Modi, in an admission to the tax officials under oath, had alleged Bahl of using his shell company to launder money and evade tax. Modi is the Managing Director of PMC Fincorp, a shell company, which Bahl had invested money in.
Modi has reportedly made a statement to IT officials where he claimed that Bahl’s chartered accountant had given him ₹100 crores in cash “to convert into white”.
Bahl, on his part, had denied the allegations levelled against him. He has asserted that every transaction had been fully disclosed and assessed to tax. Bahl had claimed the money invested in the property is from the income on, which taxes have been duly paid. He also claimed the information has consistently been disclosed in the Foreign Asset Schedule of the Income Tax Returns of Raghav Bahl, his wife and children.
As the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to have catastrophic consequences, various Hindu groups, trusts, and temples have stepped forward to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict. In times when individuals prefer to flee and hide in order to preserve their lives, Hindu organizations have stayed steady to serve mankind.
This underscores the commitment of Indians and especially Hindus who continue to serve humanity even after being called ignorant and intolerant. In times of crises, we have seen liberals and harbingers of secularism play foul stating that it would be preferable to build hospitals rather than temples. Liberal apologists rush to justify those funds are wasted by constructing temples and would have been utilized if a school was made instead. Even under normal conditions, the indignation remains to denounce any activity involving the Hindu religion.
Despite the fact that the construction of temples, schools, and hospitals are not synonymous, a determined attempt is made to guilt-trip Hindus in every manner conceivable and even though such ideas are unsupported by facts, efforts are made to promote them as a widely accepted narrative.
However, this narrative-building fails when it comes to reality on the ground. Whether it’s a coronavirus outbreak or a natural disaster, Hindu groups have always come forward. So is now, with the current crisis in the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. Several Indian and Hindu groups have vowed to assist the victims of the Russia-Ukraine war in whatever manner they can. Here are a few organizations and trusts that have volunteered to help those who have been devastated by the war.
Art of Living
The Art of Living is a non-profit educational and humanitarian organization formed in 1981 that operates in 156 countries. Through a variety of humanitarian programs, the Art of Living movement has encouraged growth and advancement throughout communities. During all of the coronavirus pandemic’s waves, they were highly engaged at community levels. Their involvement in the present Russia-Ukraine conflict is also noteworthy.
As the Ukraine-Russia war continues, volunteers from the Art of Living in Hungary Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Germany have all taken steps to assist refugees leaving Ukraine, including Indian students. They have provided shelter and basic necessities such as food and water to Indians who are crossing borders into other European nations.
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha is an organization that has stood up for assistance in any humanitarian crisis. The BAPS emphasizes Seva, selfless service to society.
As thousands of refugees continue to pour across the Ukraine-Poland border, BAPS volunteers from across Europe, UK, and USA continue to selflessly serve with love, compassion, and care. pic.twitter.com/8aiDV8RMPq
As the crisis unfolded, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally called Brahmaviharidas Swami at midnight on Sunday, February 27th, according to a BAPS notice, requesting assistance from the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in ensuring the safe passage of Indian nationals on the Polish, Romanian, and Hungarian borders with Ukraine.
After which, volunteers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Poland gathered to the scene to help with the emergency relief operation. They also set up a mobile field kitchen in Rzeszów, Poland, which has been serving roughly 1,000 hot vegetarian meals daily to migrants of all religions and countries.
Sewa International
Sewa International, a non-profit organization, has been able to assist as many as 30,000 persons who are stranded in Ukraine due to the ongoing war. While Indians have made the majority of the requests for assistance, this organization has also been able to assist citizens of other nations, including Africans and Ukrainians.
Volunteers from Sewa are arranging bus, rail, and other kinds of transportation for Indian students to cross the western border and avoid danger. Working with local hotel owners, they are ensuring that indian students have food and a safe place to stay.
ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has extended its temple doors to the people affected by the Russia-Ukraine war. ISKCON is providing refuge to people inside the temples. ISKCON members have also initiated a big food aid effort in Hungary, at the request of the Indian Embassy, to provide fresh food and drink to students going home. On Saturday, ISKCON Vice-President Radharamn Das declared that 54 ISKCON temples in Ukraine are ready to assist people in need.
ISKCON has over 54 temples in Ukraine & our devotees & temples r committed to serve those in distress. Our doors r open for service. Hare Krishna!
