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United States: Man who received pig heart in groundbreaking transplant dies after 2 months

OpIndia Staff
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United States: Man who received pig heart in groundbreaking transplant dies after 2 months

A man in the United States who got his failing heart replaced by that of a genetically altered pig died on Tuesday afternoon at the University of Maryland, two months after the groundbreaking transplant.

David Bennett Sr, 57, a patient of severe heart ailment, had his heart replaced with that of a pig’s in January this year after he was rejected from many waiting lists to receive a human heart.

The historic surgery, which took place on January 7, underwent successfully as the doctors were able to replace Bennett’s heart with that of an experimental pig’s. He was recovering since. However, his health began deteriorating in the last few days and the hospital announced his death on Wednesday.

The University of Maryland Medical Center said the cause of Bennett’s death is not clear yet. Hospital spokeswoman Deborah Kotz said there was no obvious cause at the time of his death, adding that researchers are planning to conduct a thorough review of his death and publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal.

“We are devastated by the loss of Mr Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family,” said Dr Bartley Griffith, the surgeon who led Bennett’s transplant. “Mr Bennett became known by millions of people around the world for his courage and steadfast will to live.”

Although the transplant was deemed successful initially and Mr Bennett’s body did not reject the pig heart for the first thirty days—a critical milestone for the transplant patients, things started to deteriorate in the second month. Even so, his surgery was not completely without risks. The patient was fully informed of the procedure’s risks and also that the procedure was experimental with unknown risks and benefits.

Mr Bennett had been admitted to the hospital six weeks before he got his heart transplanted. He was suffering from life-threatening arrhythmia and was connected to a heart-lung bypass machine to remain alive. In addition to not qualifying to be on the transplant list, he was also deemed ineligible for an artificial heart pump due to his arrhythmia.

A heart arrhythmia is a disease where the patient suffers from irregular heartbeats. Heart rhythm problems occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart’s beats don’t work properly. The faulty signalling causes the heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly.

However, Dr Griffith was optimistic that Mr Bennett’s body would be able to accept the pig’s heart, heralding a significant step of scientific progress in heart transplants.

“We are proceeding cautiously, but we are also optimistic that this first-in-the-world surgery will provide an important new option for patients in the future”, Dr Griffith had then said.

Pakistani flag would flutter over Junagarh: ‘Nawab of Junagadh’ Jahangir Khan, who lives in Pakistan, claims the former princely state will become part of Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani flag would flutter over Junagarh: ‘Nawab of Junagadh’ Jahangir Khan, who lives in Pakistan, claims the former princely state will become part of Pakistan

The self-proclaimed so-called ‘Nawab of Junagadh’, Jahangir Khan has said that Junagadh was and would continue to be part of Pakistan. He made this remark while addressing the faculty and students of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) Rawalpindi Campus on 8th March 2022. He was accompanied by the so-called Dewan of Junagadh Sahibzada Ahmed Ali. It is notable that the ‘Nawab of Junagadh’ is based in Pakistan.

So-called Nawab of Junagadh says ‘Junagadh is a part of Pakistan’

Jahangir Khan said, “Junagarh belongs to Pakistan. It is time for Pakistan to raise its voice about India’s occupation of Junagadh. It’s against international law. Junagadh also has strategic importance. The day is not far when Junagadh will join Pakistan. The story should be taught in schools. The slogan of United India is the biggest fraud. India is fated to see the independence of the Junagadh state”

He added, “I would like to thank Imran Khan for giving a place to the Junagadh princely state in the map of his country. Hindus there also want to meet in Pakistan. The merger of Junagarh with Pakistan was approved in 1947, but India has been illegally occupying it for the last 74 years.”

Jahangir Khan recalls bygone days of Junagadh

Describing in detail the situations of Junagadh at the time of independence, he said “Junagadh had the unique dispensation of being the second largest among the Muslim states and a rich one, ranked fifth in terms of revenue generation among the 561 British India princely states. It was one of the major princely states of British India with an area of around 4,000 square miles and its own standing army besides a proper system of governance.”

This is a habitual claim of Jahangir Khan

This is not the first time that the so-called Nawab of Junagadh Jahangir Khan has claimed Junagadh to be a part of Pakistan. He lives in Pakistan. 2 years ago he had made similar claims. At that time, he had said, “I will always tell Modi that Prime Minister Modi, Junagadh was part of Pakistan yesterday, it is part of Pakistan today and will be part of Pakistan tomorrow as well.”

The former princely state of Junagadh is a city and district in the Indian state of Gujarat. After India’s independence, the then Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan with his pet dogs, jewels, and treasures. Junagadh, of course, continues to be part of India, along with Jammu & Kashmir, part of which is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan.

Pakistan: Islamists outrage against Aurat March held on International Women’s Day, burqa-clad women launch ‘Haya March’ to oppose it

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Islamists outrage against Aurat March held on International Women’s Day, burqa-clad women launch ‘Haya March’ to oppose it

Islamists in Pakistan were outraged after thousands of women in the country held ‘Aurat March’ on International Women’s Day. This annual event, which was started about four years ago, drew severe backlash from the Islamic fundamentalists, who targeted the march with mockery, threats, counter-rallies, slut-shaming, and called its participants “agents of Western immorality”.

Pakistani women, however, displayed unflinching courage and determination in persisting with the Aurat March, organized in various cities across the country, despite the abuses and threats they received against the event, especially in a country where non-obedience could result in catastrophic consequences in a predominantly patriarchal Pakistani society.

Aurat March was first organized in 2018 on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, after which it has become an annual event. On this day, women march in various cities of Pakistan demanding equality and freedom. Like every year, this year’s Aurat March had also become the target of the Pakistani Islamists who got triggered over the women raising their voice.

Islamists in Pakistan slam Aurat March, organise counter-rallies in the form of ‘Haya March’ to oppose it

Women wing of the Islamist political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan has posted from its Twitter handle, “As Muslim Women, we vehemently oppose the insanity of Aurat March. Stop spreading obscenity.” It has also shared an image that reads “These few funded women are unquestionably no the representatives of the Pakistani Muslim women. We are proud of our unwavering acceptance of every Islamic order, like no other religion in the world can even consider treating women with the same respect that Islam does.”

Another Twitter user Elahy Zahoor posted pictures of ‘Haya March’ in which burqa-clad women are seen rallying with placards in their hands. The caption with these pictures reads, “This is the real women’s day march.”

Still another Twitter user posted from his account named @im_honk saying, “Outside Aurat march there were mullahs courtesy of ‘Haya March’ openly proclaiming on loudspeakers that they wanted to fight, and were willing to get violent to shut down the Aurat march. How can protests that openly proclaim promise to violence be given permission to happen?”

Another user Amna Khan shared an incident from the Aurat march on her Twitter handle. She tweeted, “The only provocative slogan I heard at the Aurat March today was when the peaceful ‘Haya March’ shouted, in auroton ka sar tan se juda kar daingay. Government of Pakistan, isn’t this incitement of violence?”

A social media user named Taha Waqas shared a video by Islamist preacher Dr Ashraf Asif Jalali on his Twitter account. In the video, Dr Jalali is seen raising slogans in support of ‘Haya March’, that is the rally of burqa-clad women opposing the Aurat March. Taha Waqas has called these slogans ‘Necessary and important slogans for 8 march (Aurat march)’.

Rehman Shakir, a Twitter user, posted a picture of Muskan Khan, who had caught attention during the Karnataka hijab row. He writes in his tweet, “Yes I support Aurat March. Our Muslim women should have a right to wear hijab. These are the queens.”

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that ‘Aurat March’ has faced such stiff resistance from detractors. Earlier in 2021, Pakistani Islamists had similarly denigrated the Aurat Marches held on International Women’s Day. In 2020 too, burqa-clad women in Pakistan, along with Muslim men took to the streets against “Aurat March” which seeks equal rights for women at par with men. This year, in February 2022, the minister of Religious Affairs in Pakistan had written a letter to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to declare International Women’s Day as the International Hijab Day. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan has held Haya March of burqa-clad women in various cities to oppose the Aurat March on women’s day.

Maharashtra: Minor girls rescued from brothels reveal they were sexually exploited by one Firoz Shaikh, had earned by forcing them into prostitution and selling their videos

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Minor girls rescued from brothels reveal they were sexually exploited by one Firoz Shaikh, had earned by forcing them into prostitution and selling their videos

On Wednesday, the Mumbai Police charged a 50-year-old man for allegedly molesting 5 minor girls after sedating their drinks and recording the act to earn money. The accused has been identified as Firoz Shaikh and has been booked under the relevant sections of the IPC, POCSO, and Information Technology Act.

The incident came to light when one of the minor girls aged 17, lodged at a children’s home in Dongri revealed that she, her three little sisters, and another girl were sexually assaulted by Shaikh several times since 2018. She said that Shaikh used to film sexual acts and sell them for money.

According to the reports, Firoz Shaikh also used to force the girls to drink beer and watch porn films. He had also forced the girls into the flesh trade for money. He used to earn by sending the girls to his associates’ places for sexual acts. The assaults took place in the Ashok Nagar and Indira Nagar areas of Chembur between 2018 and 2021.

The five girls aged between 11 to 15 were rescued two years ago from the sexual brothel by the Chembur Police Station and were lodged at the Mankhurd shelter home. Later they were shifted to the Asha Sadan Children’s home in Dongri where the counselling of the girls began.

The 17-year-old girl during the counseling session informed the authorities about all that she faced due to Firoz Shaikh. The Children’s home then contacted the RCF police. The other minor girls also spoke about the sexual assault on them for the past three years after they were counseled on the directions of the Police.

According to the reports, accused Firoz Shaikh is still on the run. Senior inspector of RCF police station has stated to the Hindustan Times that the police have got leads on the accused and would soon catch him.

The accused has been charged under sections 376 (2)(i), 376 (2)(a), 376 (2)(b), 376 (2)(e) of Indian Penal Code, Sections 4, 6, 8 and 12 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 3, 4, 5 of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and 66(E) and 67 of Information Technology Act. The Police has assured that accused will be arrested soon.

‘Be ready with bamboos & sticks’: Samajwadi Party supporters threaten bloodshed after Akhilesh Yadav spreads EVM hacking allegations

OpIndia Staff
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‘Be ready with bamboos & sticks’: Samajwadi Party supporters threaten bloodshed after Akhilesh Yadav spreads EVM hacking allegations

Some ardent Samajwadi Party supporters have taken to the social media to threaten bloodshed and violence ahead of the counting of assembly polls tomorrow. The remarks have come in response to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s EVM rigging allegations, which began to pour in shortly after exit polls in Uttar Pradesh predicted a landslide victory for the BJP on Monday.

While Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party, dismissed the pre-poll survey, he took to Twitter on Tuesday to rake the bogus EVM hacking bogey. He claimed that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been tampered with and that he no longer trusted the poll body, the Election Commission.

Claiming that the Varanasi district magistrate was transporting EVMs without informing the local candidates, Yadav Tweeted in Hindi on March 8, which roughly translated as, “The news of an EVM being captured in Varanasi has sent a message to every assembly in Uttar Pradesh to be on the lookout. All SP-alliance candidates and supporters should be prepared with cameras to thwart any attempt to rig the vote-counting process. Become soldiers in the counting of votes to protect youth democracy and future!”

Without trying to put in any sort of effort to know what the truth is, some supporters of the Samajwadi Party were quick to threaten with bloodshed and violence. Responding to Akhilesh Yadav’s Tweet one of his supporters going by the handle @kyabolti2 Tweeted, “Only Mobile in hand is not enough. The workers should ready with bamboos & sticks”.

He tagged SP chief Akhilesh Yadav; Jayant Singh Chaudhary, the national president of Rashtriya Lok Dal Party; Priyanka Gandhi, the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in charge of Uttar Pradesh and Om Prakash Rajbhar, the president of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party in his Tweet.

Continuing his ‘EVM hacking rhetoric,’ Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav released another snarky poem in Hindi today (March 9) that translated to, “I’m writing in the hope that my conscience will awaken.” I’ve become ignorant, and I’m not sure why some news is unfamiliar to me.

In response to this Tweet also, another Akhilesh fan Arvind Yadav, who uses the Twitter handle @arvinddy, took to Twitter to threaten bloodshed. “Don’t mistake it to be Bihar, there would be bloodshed on the streets,” wrote the Twitter user.

Though Arvind Yadav soon deleted his inflammatory Tweet, one social media user @dimaagkoshot shared the screenshot of Arvind Yadav’s Tweet.

Strikingly, a glance at Arvind Yadav’s Twitter bio reveals his admiration and devotion to the Samajwadi Party.

Varanasi DM, CEC refute EVM hacking claims made by Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav

Shortly after Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav alleged EVM fraud, Varanasi district magistrate on Tuesday said that voting machines that were being taken were for “training purpose” only and were not polled ones.

Brushing off Yadav’s charges, Varanasi DM Kaushal Raj Sharma said, “Counting workers’ second training is scheduled for tomorrow at a UP college. 20 EVMs were being taken on a pickup van for hands-on training. It was stopped by some people, and confusion arose among them if they were polled EVMs.”

“Later a huge crowd gathered. All officers came here, they tried to explain to them but due to the crowd now all candidates and chiefs of political parties have been called for their satisfaction that the EVMs that were being taken, were for training purposes only,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has also refuted Akhilesh Yadav’s baseless allegations of “EVM hacking” and assured that no one could hack an electronic voting machine. In response to recent allegations of tampering, Chandra insisted that everything polled was “strongly secured, safe, transparent,” and in the presence of each political party. “Nobody has the ability to hack an EVM. It is a completely secure machine. Every citizen should be proud that India has taken the lead and made the leap toward EVMs,” he stated.

Refuting SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s claims, he further claimed that there was no bias or manipulation. “This is just an attempt to mislead voters and spread misconceptions. The EVMs in Varanasi were out for training purposes. The EVM used for polling is secured by a 3-tier structure,” Chandra retorted.

All political parties have to accept the results given by the EVM as it is the result by the voters of this country, the CEC added.

Jhansi Police practices use of mild force before counting of votes

Amidst all the hullabaloo over the EVM hacking bogus theories being peddled by the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, it was reported today, how the Jhansi police practised using mild force before counting of votes yesterday.

Meanwhile, ahead of the counting of votes in the recently held Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Additional Director General of Police (law and order) said on Wednesday that the Uttar Pradesh police have increased their presence and that those disturbing the peace on the day of the results will face action.

Censor Board passed ‘The Kashmir Files’ with ‘A’ certificate and minor cuts: Read how they asked to remove “Islamic Terrorist” but Vivek Agnihotri refused

OpIndia Staff
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Censor Board passed ‘The Kashmir Files’ with ‘A’ certificate and minor cuts: Read how they asked to remove “Islamic Terrorist” but Vivek Agnihotri refused

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s much-awaited movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ is set to hit theatres this Friday, i.e on March 11. While the Censor Board of India passed the movie with an ‘A’ certificate and 7 minor cuts, Vivek Agnihotri recently revealed how the Board wanted him to drop the words “Islamic Terrorist” from the movie but he stood his ground and vigorously defended their usage.

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Vivek said that the examining committee of the CBFC had a laundry list of cuts that he had to fight out. Prominent among them was their insistence to get the “Islamic Terrorist” reference removed from the movie. The members, Vivek said, had issues with the use of the words “Islamic Terrorist” and had asked him to remove it from the movie. He further added that more than two dozen cuts were recommended by the CBFC committee members.

However, Vivek refused to budge and provided the CBFC members with proof and documents to back his point. It was only after he furnished the evidence that the CBFC members relented and allowed the film without the aforementioned cuts.

“How can they dispute the facts?” questioned Vivek while adding that it took around two months to complete the entire process of convincing the CBFC members.

Nevertheless, the movie still had to undergo seven minor cuts in order to be passed by the Censor Board. One of the changes suggested by CBFC members was to change the name of the University from JNU to something else. Vivek was initially against this change but he later realised that changing the name of the university won’t dilute the essence of the movie. Therefore, the university‘s name was changed from JNU to ANU.

Leading OTT platform wanted The Kashmir Files to not use the term ‘Islamic Terrorism’

While Censor Board was not the only entity that had reservations with the use of the words “Islamic Terrorist” in the movie ‘The Kashmir Files’. A few days back, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, in a candid conversation with OpIndia CEO Rahul Roushan, recounted an incident when the head of a leading OTT platform demurred at the mention of ‘Islamic Terrorism’ in the movie and wanted him to remove the reference from his film.

Speaking on the question of why he chose not to go with the OTT platform and release it exclusively in theatres, Vivek said he was not willing to give up his Intellectual Property(IP) and strike comprises that deals with the OTT platforms normally entailed. He highlighted an incident on how he was bluntly asked by an OTT executive to remove the reference to ‘Islamic Terrorism’ from his movie.

Vivek said he was taken aback when the executive openly asked him whether any specific adjective was used for terrorism which is talked about in the film. According to Vivek, the executive asserted, “We have a global policy that we do not use the term ‘Islamic Terrorism’ in any of our films. I hope you are not using that.”

“How is this even possible? When the calls of Ralive, Tsalive, Galive (Convert to Islam, leave the valley or die) were given, it was nothing but Islamic terrorism. The calls of converting to Islam, Raj Karega Allah (only Allah will rule) were openly given.” Vivek replied staunchly. He further added, “This was not the case of targeting political opponents telling people to leave the valley because they don’t agree with their ideology. This was also not a case of cultural targeting alone where say the celebration of festivals like Diwali was opposed.”

Though Vivek Agnihotri didn’t directly name the OTT platform, he hinted that the executive who asked him to remove the reference to ‘Islamic Terrorism’ had admitted about his platform not doing well in Indian markets. Incidentally, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had recently confessed in public about the slow growth of the video streaming company in the Indian market.

Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance ship, lost 107 years ago, found at the bottom of the Weddell Sea off Antarctica

OpIndia Staff
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Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance ship, lost 107 years ago, found at the bottom of the Weddell Sea off Antarctica

Endurance, the lost ice ship of Ernest Shackleton, has been found at the bottom of the Weddell Sea of the Antarctic. The Endurance ship was crushed by a pack of ice when it was on a voyage to cross the Antarctic continent in 1915. Members of the Endurance22 expedition have found, filmed, and surveyed the wreck. This expedition was set out in February 2022 to search the submerged Endurance ship.

The Endurance22 Expedition

The Endurance22 expedition had started in South Africa in February 2022. It was headed towards Antarctica where the Endurance ship had sunk in November 1915. The expedition was given a time of 35 days with a possible extension of 10 days to find the century old wreckage. The expedition had to take an extension and it has found the Endurance ship submerged in the Weddell Sea in the last week of the extended time limit.

According to a report by History Hit, the Director of Exploration of the Endurance22 expedition, Mensun Bound has said while talking to Discovery, “We are overwhelmed by our good fortune in having located and captured images of Endurance. This is by far the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen. It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact, and in a brilliant state of preservation.”

The submerged ship was found at a depth of 3008 meters. It is protected by the Antarctic treaty. According to this, it is now identified as ‘Historic Site and Monument’ and it cannot be disturbed. Advanced underwater search vehicles and surveying tools were used by the Endurance22 expedition team to survey and document the wreck site without disturbing it. Knowledge Bengu captained the expedition. Marine archaeologists, engineers, scientists, and extreme environment filmmakers were part of the expedition team.

Ernest Shacklton’s Endurance Ship

Ernest Shackleton had attempted the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent in his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition that he had planned from 1914 to 1917. He had departed on his Endurance ship from South Georgia in the southern Atlantic Ocean to Antarctica on 5th December 1915. On 18th January 1915, the ship was trapped in the ice of the Weddell Sea.

It remained wedged within the ice pack for the next 10 months. It later sank on 21st November 1915. The crew of 28 people survived and returned to South Georgia. The Endurance ship was lost in the waters of the Weddell Sea which is now discovered by the Endurance22 expedition after almost 107 years.

Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis, other BJP leaders detained by Mumbai Police amid protests demanding Nawab Malik’s resignation

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis, other BJP leaders detained by Mumbai Police amid protests demanding Nawab Malik’s resignation

On Wednesday, the Mumbai Police detained Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders of the party as they staged protests at the Azad Maidan demanding the resignation of State Minister Nawab Malik. The leaders addressed the protest at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan with the motto ‘Nawab Malik Hatao, Maharashtra Bachao’.

According to the reports, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrakant Patil has also been detained by the Mumbai Police and the duo along with other BJP members were taken to the Yellow Gate Police Station. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis confirmed his detention and said on social media that he and his colleagues had been detained by the MVA government. “At the Yellow Gate Police Station, Mumbai after MVA Government detained me and colleagues”, he tweeted.

Former CM Devendra Fadnavis along with other BJP leaders staged protest in Mumbai demanding Nawab Malik’s resignation. “Mumbaikars are out on streets of Mumbai. They are angry, they are hurt. We demand Nawab Malik’s resignation! It’s clear Nawab Hatao Desh Bachao! MVA wake up!”, he tweeted. In the series of tweets further, he added that the party had no intentions to stop until Nawab Malik resigned from the Ministry.

“Nawab Malik’s connection with Dawood Ibrahim is shameful for Maharashtra. The state government is dedicated to terrorist and gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The govt is being sympathetic towards those who helped Dawood and his aides, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts”, he said in his address at the Azad Maidan today.

As reported earlier, the ED arrested Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik for his alleged links with Dawood Ibrahim. The opposition parties in the state have been demanding Malik’s resignation since then.

The MVA govt and the National Congress Party (NCP) is supporting Malik and has no intentions to make him resign from the Ministry. On March 2, the NCP had toughened its stand in the case and cleared that Malik would continue to be the Minister.

Fadnavis had then condemned the decision to retain Nawab Malik as a minister in the govt and had opined that for the first time in Maharashtra, a minister was behind bars but his resignation hadn’t been taken. “This government is coming together to save people who keep relations with Dawood. That’s why we have started protests and we demand that his resignation be taken immediately,” he had reiterated.

Linkages between Nawab Malik and 993 Mumbai Blasts accused terrorist

The ‘Malik saga’ actually kicked off when the ED arrested NCP leader Nawab Malik in the case pertaining to a PMLA instance related to elements linked to Dawood Ibrahim and the underworld. There were reports saying that Malik was involved in the Hawala transfers operated by Dawood Ibrahim. NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had criticized the act and said that Malik was being deliberately arrested because he was a Muslim. “If there is a Muslim activist who is their opponent, it is their (BJP’s) habit to link his name to Dawood. When I was the CM of Maharashtra, they had tried to link my name with Dawood as well. This is an attempt to harass those who are speaking against the misuse of central agencies,” he had said.

On February 15, the ED had conducted multiple raids in South Mumbai in connection with a money laundering case against the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Close to 9 places in Mumbai and 1 in Thane had been raided including the residences of Dawood Ibrahim’s late sister Haseena Parkar and brother Iqbal Kaskar.

The agency later took into custody Iqbal Kaskar on February 19 and presented him before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court. Also, the National Investigation Agency had said that Dawood Ibrahim was planning to launch terror attacks in India and that he was transferring funds through Hawala channels to provide financial help to all those involved in a planned attack. Nawab Malik’s name appeared in the process of investigation after the intelligence inputs directed the agency to look into the Hawala transactions while probing a money laundering case against Ibrahim, Iqbal Mirchi, Chhota Shakeel, Parkar and Javed Chikna.

Earlier in November 2021 also, Fadnavis had stated that Malik and his family had bought land parcels from people linked with the underworld. The ED in the investigation process reportedly learned that Malik had actually purchased land worth Rs 3 crores in the year 2005 from Haseena Parkar at Rs 30 lakhs. The sale deed was deliberately made to look like the cost of the land was Rs 30 lakhs when the practical cost transacted was at Rs 85 lakhs. The market value of the land today is around Rs 300 crores, as per reports.

The case is under investigation by the ED who is tracing all the linkages of illegal money transfers, land purchases and involvement of NCP’s Nawab Malik in the Dawood Ibrahim case.

Supreme Court grants bail to Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict AG Perarivalan despite severe opposition from centre

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court grants bail to Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict AG Perarivalan despite severe opposition from centre

On Wednesday, March 9, the Supreme Court granted bail to AG Perarivalan, who was one of seven convicted in the assassination case of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi. The bail was granted despite severe opposition from the Assistant Solicitor General KM Nataraj. Perarivalan has been serving a life sentence, as sis death penalty was commuted to life term imprisonment by the Supreme Court verdict in February 2014.

The Supreme Court was hearing the plea of 47-year-old Perarivalan, who was seeking a stay in the case until the MDMA investigation was completed.

While granting the bail, the apex court stated that the bail will be subject to trial court conditions and that Perarivalan must report to the CBI officer on the first of every month.

The apex court has been deliberating whether to grant bail to Perarivalan because the Governor has yet to rule on his petition for release from prison. The bench of justice L Nageswara Rao, however, granted the bail stating that AG Perarivalan had undergone imprisonment for 32 years.

The bench, which also included Justice B R Gavai, noted that there is no dispute about Perarivalan having served 32 years in prison and that the court was informed he had been released on parole twice previously with no complaints.

Perarivalan in his bail petition had stated that the Governor had yet to rule on his request for remission and that the delay was a basis for bail.

Centre objects bail of Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict AG Perarivalan

The centre had objected to the bail, claiming that Perarivalan’s request should be decided by the President. “In case of offences to which the executive power of the Union extends, it is the Centre which is entitled to decide on plea for release,” it said.

It also argued that Perarivalan had already reaped the benefit of a death sentence reduction to life imprisonment by citing a delay in deciding his mercy plea and that he could not reap the benefit again by citing another delay.

“It’s for life. Imprisonment is till life. He is a death row convict”, argued ASG KM Natraj, opposing the SC’s decision granting bail to AG Perarivalan.

On this, the Supreme Court said, “In view of the stand taken by the Union of India that the state government does not have the power to entertain the application especially after the sentence of death imposed on the convict has been reduced to life, the matter will have to be decided finally”. It further said that “sufficient material has been produced by the applicant to prove his conduct during the long incarceration, acquisition of degrees and ill health.”

Perarivalan, who was arrested in the case at the age of 19, was sentenced to death in May 1999. He was charged with purchasing the 8-volt battery used to detonate the belt bomb that killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. During the lengthy pendency of their mercy petitions, his sentence and that of two others, Murugan and Santhan (both Sri Lankans), were commuted to life in prison in 2014. Soon after, the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu ordered the release of all seven of the case’s convicts.

While the Governor did not consider Perarivalan’s pardon request in 2015, a Supreme Court order on a related petition in September 2018 clarified that the Governor was “deemed fit” to decide on the pardon. The AIADMK government recommended that all seven convicts be released within three days.

On September 9, 2018, the Tamil Nadu government recommended to the state Governor the early release of Perarivalan and six other convicts in the case.

The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to release all seven convicts, AG Perarivalan, V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini Sriharan, wife of V Sriharan under Article 161 of the Constitution is still pending with Governor. Four of the convicts – Sriharan, Santhan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar are Sri Lankan nationals.

13 others killed with Rajiv Gandhi

Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bomb attack on 21 May 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. On that fateful day, along with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, 13 others had lost their lives. When Rajiv Gandhi’s family, including Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, chose to ‘forgive’ the convicts and said they had no objection if the killers are released, the kin of those who had died along with Rajiv Gandhi were not too happy with the move. How could Sonia Gandhi or her children decide on behalf of family members of 13 others who lost their lives along with Rajiv Gandhi, they said

Ahead of counting, opposition parties raise EVM bogey as exit polls suggest BJP clean sweeping UP assembly polls

OpIndia Staff
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Ahead of counting, opposition parties raise EVM bogey as exit polls suggest BJP clean sweeping UP assembly polls

The counting for Assembly elections in five states that are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand, is scheduled for March 10. The exit polls have shown Bharatiya Janata Party winning the UP elections comfortably, which has triggered the opposition parties. As always, the leaders of the opposition parties have raised the EVM bogey to hide their inability to win elections.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, called the reports of EVM mishandling serious. He said, “The reports of EVM mishandling are very serious. If EVMs are being found in Garbage trucks, what does that say about the state of our electoral democracy? Does the EC have any answers? Has it become an extended arm of the BJP govt?”

He was referring to the incident where Samajwadi Party workers have alleged EVMs were being shifted from a strong room in Varanasi. In reality, those EVMs were not used in polls and were marked for training purposes. Before counting, Election Commission trains the counting officials how to check and record the votes on EVM machines. The machines that were “captured” by the SP workers had a clear mention on them that they were for training purposes, and it was clarified by the District Magistrate of Varanasi as well.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Varanasi DM is transporting EVMs without giving any information to local candidates. EC should look into it. We need to be alert if EVMs are being transported this way. This is theft. We need to save our votes. We may go to court against it but before that, I want to appeal to people to save the democracy.”

SP Maurya, SP, alleged EVMs were found outside strong rooms. He said, “EVM machines were found outside the strong room in Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Bareilly & Unnao. This raises questions on respective dist. administrations. If any EVM needs to be transported, it’s done in presence of all stakeholders. I urge EC to take action.”

RJD Uttar Pradesh claimed if people are scared of foul play in EVMs, there must be something substantial as such reports were not coming from Punjab.

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “This EVM being moved from an election sensitive state for training in another state is a bit far fetched and hard to believe! Why would ECI at a time when state results are awaited want to move machines from that state only? Winning or losing aside, it is a matter of concern!”

Mukul Wasnik, General Secretary, Congress, shared a video of SP workers hijacking a small truck that was transferring EVMs marked for training purposes and said, “It’s a free for all in Modi Regime it seems. EVM machines being flaunted like trophies after election in Uttar Pradesh.”

The training for poll counting

According to information available on ECI’s website, the EVMs and VVPATs used for training purposes are added to the poll day reserve. That means these machines cannot be used unless the polling has been done at all centres. Once the polling is done, ECI provides training to the officials so that they are aware of the process of counting votes on EVM machines. When required, a set of rules are followed to take out the EVMs and VVPATs marked for training purposes from the strong room. ECI clearly mentions that these machines must be marked with a specific sticker that says the machines are for training purposes only.

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