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Mamita Meher murder case in Odisha: Charred, buried body recovered, opposition demands removal of minister Dibyashankar Mishra

OpIndia Staff
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Mamita Meher murder case in Odisha: Charred, buried body recovered, opposition demands removal of minister Dibyashankar Mishra

In Odisha’s Kalahandi district, a 24-year-old teacher named Mamita Meher had gone missing on October 8. On October 19, a badly charred and decomposed corpse of a woman was found buried in an under-construction stadium that is owned by the same institution where the teacher worked.

Though the identity of the body is yet to be confirmed, there is a strong possibility that it was the missing school teacher.

The case has created a political storm in the state. Accusations have been hurled at Dibyashankar Mishra, a BJD Minister and MLA of the same constituency where the incident has occurred. Both BJP and Congress have called for protests in the state.

Balangir’s BJP MP Sangeeta Singh Deo has called the incident shameful. Mamita hailed from a village in the Balangir district and had been working in the neighbouring Kalahandi district as a teacher in Mahaling Sunshine School.

Allegations against state minister and BJD leader Dibyashankar Mishra

A barrage of allegations, from involvement in a sex racket to complicity in the disappearance and possible murder of the schoolteacher, have been levelled against minister Dibyashankar Mishra. Mishra is an MLA from Junagarh, the constituency where Mahaling school is located.

On October 19, when the said corpse was being dug out from the Mahaling stadium with the help of an excavator, local political leaders stated that the minister was a frequent visitor to the schools and even stayed there in the night.

Speaking to Odia daily Sambada, Kalahandi Zilla Parishad chairperson Namitarani Sahu alleged, “Many ministers used to visit this school. Dibyashankar Mishra visited this school every week. There are three other colleges in this constituency, why did he have to visit this particular institution every time? He was also granting govt aid to this institution. He even stayed here in the night.”

It is notable here that the schoolteacher Mamita Meher was also the warden of the Girls’ hostel run by the Mahaling institution. There are some reports claiming that Mamita was on the verge of exposing an alleged sex racket running in the school before she suddenly disappeared.

Main accused flees from police custody, nabbed two days later

Gobinda Sahu, the main accused in the Mamita Meher disappearance (and now most likely murder) case, was nabbed and was under the custody of Titilagarh police when he escaped on October 17. The escape of the main accused has further irked the public and political opposition. Sahu was later arrested from Budhipadar in Bangomunda block, Balangir district on October 19.

Odisha police drew sharp criticism after Sahu’s escape. He had escaped from Titilagarh police barracks. The escape has further consolidated the allegations of complicity of ruling party leaders in the case.

Gobinda Sahu is the Management Committee president of the school where Mamita worked. As per reports, Sahu had called Mamita to come and meet him on the day she went missing. Reports say that Sahu and some other persons were allegedly sexually exploiting some women employees and Mamita had threatened to expose it.

Sahu was reportedly close to minister Minister Dibyashanakr Mishra. He had been involved in government projects and had also got grants from MPLAD and MLALAD funds.

Burned, then buried

The case was already under investigation after Mamita’s family filed a missing complaint. On October 19, the police brought in an excavator to dig in a spot at the under-construction stadium that is owned by the Mahaling institution. A badly charred body was then recovered from the ground.

Though the body, decomposed beyond recognition, was sent for forensic examination, Mamita’s family present at the spot confirmed that the gold chain, handbag and some other items found on the body belonged to their daughter.

As per the latest reports, the accused Gobinda Sahu, who was nabbed after 2 days of fleeing from custody, has now confessed to killing Mamita.

Latest reports say that Mamita’s murder was pre-planned. A car involved in the murder (OD08K 1002) has been confiscated by the police. Mamita was reportedly murdered after an argument with Gobinda Sahu. The body was burned and was later buried in a pit that was dug up on October 6. The suspected car was seized on October 14, and Mamita’s anklet and a jar of petrol was found in the car.

Bangladesh ISKCON Twitter account removed days after attacks on Hindus

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh ISKCON Twitter account removed days after attacks on Hindus

The Twitter account of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bangladesh Chapter, has been removed from Twitter days after series of attacks on Hindus. If someone tries to visit the handle, it shows that the account does not exist.

Screenshot of deactivated/deleted ISKCON Bangladesh Twitter Account. Source: Twitter

ISKCON, from its official Twitter handle, questioned Twitter the reason behind the removal. They said, “We call on Twitter to clarify the reason on why @IskconBDH and @unitycouncilBD  are currently unavailable: Yudhistir Govinda Das, ISKCON Communications.”

Yudhistir Govinda Das, Director of Communications for ISKCON in India, raised doubts if the removal of the account was because of the pressure from the Bangladesh government or Twitter’s headquarters. He said, “Twitter needs to explain why have they shut down @IskconBDH and @unitycouncilBD amidst the brutal attacks. Is this pressure from the #Bangladesh government or @Twitter? Why are Hindu voices are being silenced in the midst of an emergency.”

ISKCON Communication Director questioned Twitter and raise doubts if the account was deactivated under pressure of Bangladesh govt. Source: Twitter

Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

A series of attacks on the Hindu minority took place in the neighbouring country Bangladesh between October 12 and October 17. It was reported that the series of attacks took place after alleged disrespect of the Quran at a Puja Pandal. Notably, the Hindu community has pointed towards a conspiracy against Hindus in Bangladesh. In the wee hours of Wednesday (October 13), radical Islamists reportedly entered the Nanuar Dighir Par Durga Mandir in Cumilla district. They placed a copy of the Quran on the feet of the idol of Bhagwan Hanuman. According to Shibu Prasad Dutta, the general secretary of Cumilla Mahanagar Puja Udjapon Committee, someone carried out the mischief in the morning when the guard was asleep.

As per reports, houses and temples were burnt down. ISKCON was one of the Hindu organizations that faced the attacks by Islamic radicals in Bangladesh. The attack happened on Friday, October 15. A frenzied mob of radical Islamists attacked the ISKCON temple in the Noakhali district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. Disturbing videos of mob attacking the temple surfaced on social media networks. Reports suggest that 400-500 strong mob of radical Islamists were seen desecrating the temple.

Advertisements of ‘Muslim only’ colony being built in Uttarakhand surface in some districts of UP, locals concerned

OpIndia Staff
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Advertisements of ‘Muslim only’ colony being built in Uttarakhand surface in some districts of UP, locals concerned

Posters of a ‘Muslim only’ colony being built in Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur district have sparked outrage amongst the locals. As per a Dainik Jagran report, several advertising banners and posters for purchasing a plot in this colony have surfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Baheri and Bilaspur district 

The banners read, “First time in Lalpur (Rudrapur), a Muslim colony. 50 square meter plot available for Rs 2.5 lakhs.”

Alaska Residency, the company selling these plots has also announced special offers on purchase and EMI options for buyers. Reportedly, the booking is open only for Muslims. 

The company has also set up an office near Janta Inter College to facilitate the purchase of this plot in Uttarakhand, the advertisement announced. 

Locals protest against ‘Muslim only’ plots

The locals have taken strong objection to the selling of plots on the lines of religion or faith. President of District Bar Association, Divakar Pandey said that no land can be sold on the basis of religion. 

Vice President of District Development Authority (DDA), Harish Chandra Kandpal also stated that nobody has the authority to sell land only to people belonging to a certain community. He also said that the builder will not be permitted to carry out the selling of plots on religious lines. 

Mithilesh Singh, SP Crime, Udham Singh Nagar said, “The matter has been brought to our notice and we will initiate an investigation. Strict action will be taken against the colonizer.”

OpIndia speaks to Alaska Residency

OpIndia reached out to Alaska Residency, the real estate company name mentioned in the advertisement. While the owner Satpal Yadav was unavailable, an associate informed that the owner had purchased a 3-acre plot and planned to sell it to Muslims. But the proposal did not work out.

We were further told that the owner has now sold the land to a businessman for setting up a factory. The associate informed us that the advertisement was put up four months back and the plots are no longer available.

Concerns over demographic change in Uttarakhand

We had reported earlier on how the influx of Muslim workers and settlers from neighbouring states and the subsequent problem of land encroachment in Uttarakhand has become a major source of concern for state officials. 

Many reports have highlighted the concerns that the Muslim migrants, who have settled in many towns in Uttarakhand, have now started interfering and snatching businesses from the locals living there.

The government’s intelligence agencies believe that Muslim migrants’ intervention in the leasing of horses, taxis, ferries, tourist guide jobs, and hotels has increased significantly in the recent decade.

Andhra Pradesh: YSRCP workers vandalise TDP offices, attack TDP national spokesman K Pattabhi Ram’s residence

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh: YSRCP workers vandalise TDP offices, attack TDP national spokesman K Pattabhi Ram’s residence

YSRCP workers have reportedly vandalised TDP offices across Andhra Pradesh including TDP’s Central Office in Mangalagiri and TDP national spokesman K Pattabhi Ram’s residence in Vijayawada.

According to reports, TDP offices located in 13 districts including Amaravati, Mangalagiri, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam were attacked in what appears to be a coordinated attack. Property was damaged and workers were also assaulted.

Office of DGP Andhra Pradesh has issued a statement where it said, “We will take strict action against attackers and also on those making provocative speeches. Additional forces have been deployed across the state. We request citizens to co-operate in maintaining peace and to not get provoked.”

According to reports, the YSR Congress Party has denied its involvement in the attacks saying, “The YSRC party has nothing to do with the attacks. Making such abusive statements against a loved CM and leader could’ve provoked fans of our beloved leader but the party has absolutely nothing to do with what unfolded.”

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu said that the attacks on TDP were an attempt to stifle voice of the opposition party. Stating that law and order situation in the state has declined, he called for the President’s rule in the state. He also spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan and sought security cover by central forces.

Priyanka Gandhi ducks question on Congress MLA’s son accused of rape while preaching women empowerment in Uttar Pradesh

OpIndia Staff
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Priyanka Gandhi ducks question on Congress MLA’s son accused of rape while preaching women empowerment in Uttar Pradesh

Priyanka Gandhi in a press conference in Lucknow announced Congress party’s decision to give 40% tickets to women in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. It was the party’s attempt to court the women vote-bank in the state ahead of polls.

She said, ‘We have decided that in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, we would give 40% tickets to women. It is our promise that women would be a part of Uttar Pradesh politics.’ She also spoke about the alleged discrimination against women in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad University and that the decision is based to empower women in Uttar Pradesh.

However, a journalist raised questions about the absconding Karan Morwal, the son of Congress’ Badnagar MLA Murli Morwal who has been on the run for the past seven months in an alleged rape case where the victim is a functionary of Youth Congress.

In the video, it could be seen that the journalist was left disappointed with no answer from Priyanka Gandhi.

Earlier this year, on International Women’s Day, Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda led a protest march called ‘tractor march’, where women Congress leaders were seen manually pulling the tractors.

Just recently, Rajasthan’s Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra sparked a controversy with his demeaning remarks against female employees at a women empowerment event. He had said, “As the chief of my department, I must say whichever school has more women staffers, squabbles are bound to happen for various reasons.”

Fabindia claims Jashn-e-Riwaaz was not their Diwali collection, after deleting tweet that mentioned ‘festival of light’

OpIndia Staff
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Fabindia claims Jashn-e-Riwaaz was not their Diwali collection, after deleting tweet that mentioned ‘festival of light’

Fabindia, after removing its ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ collection, has claimed that it was not their Diwali collection. The claim comes after the brand made a reference to the ‘festival of love and light’ in one of their deleted tweets.

The Fabindia spokesperson said, “Our current capsule of products under name Jashn-e-Riwaaz is celebration of Indian traditions. The phrase means that, literally. Capsule is not our Diwali collection of products. Our Diwali collection ‘Jhilmil si Diwali’ is yet to be launched. Please keep a look out.”

Jashn-e-Riwaaz can no longer be found in the collection list on their website at all. In one of their deleted tweets regarding the Jashn-e-Riwaaz collection, they mentioned the ‘festival of love and light’, a phrase used to describe Diwali often.

Deleted tweet by Fabindia

Fabindia received severe backlash over the collection, following which they removed their tweets and attempted to remove it from their post on other social media platforms. They were accused of appropriating a Hindu festival by users on social media, who were incensed over the name that was chosen for the collection.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya had said, “Deepavali is not Jash-e-Riwaaz. This deliberate attempt of abrahamisation of Hindu festivals, depicting models without traditional Hindu attires, must be called out. And brands like Fab India must face economic costs for such deliberate misadventures.”

Following the controversy, the brand has come up with a collection titled ‘Jhilmil si Diwali’, which is much more in sync with the Hindu ethos of the festival. However, it appears that the brand wants its customers to forget that the Jashn-e-Riwaaz fiasco ever happened at all.

Watch: Samajwadi Party worker goofs up, campaigns for BJP during rally before realising mistake

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Samajwadi Party worker goofs up, campaigns for BJP during rally before realising mistake

A video clip from a Samajwadi Party protest has emerged on social media where a Samajwadi Party worker could be seen campaigning for the BJP inadvertently. The worker seemed to be convinced when he said that a win for BJP is not just a win for BJP but also a win for the Samajwadi Party.

He said ‘..when there was no road, and I want to tell all my brothers that Bharatiya Janata Party’s win is not just the win of Bharatiya Janata party, this is also a win for us. And if we strongly vote for Bharatiya Janata Party, the stronger we get..’

Amusingly, all the people and the party workers present there were listening attentively to the speech. Before long, however, they realized their folly and quickly began to chant Samajwadi Party.

SP leaders and workers have been committing plenty of goof ups in recent times. Recently, Samajwadi Party State President Naresh Uttam Patel was caught sleeping at the stage while other leaders gave speeches during a political rally in Jalaun. Naresh Patel also inadvertently ended up blaming Akhilesh Yadav for destroying farmers.

Naresh Patel had said “There is no difference between Congress and BJP. Congress is BJP and BJP is Congress. The Congress Party ruled for 45 years. They destroyed the farmers. Now they are shedding crocodile tears. Farmers have been destroyed by our leader Akhilesh Yadav.” 

Asaduddin Owaisi turns ‘Love Guru’, says Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya: Here’s his advise for Muslim youth

OpIndia Staff
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Asaduddin Owaisi turns ‘Love Guru’, says Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya: Here’s his advise for Muslim youth

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi speaking at the Jalsa-e-Rehmat Ul lil Alameen at Darussalam, Hyderabad advised couples to refrain from affairs outside of marriage and get married instead if they liked each other.

Owaisi in his speech said, ‘Stay away from extramarital affairs, if the boy likes the girl and the girl likes the boy, and the boy is decent and says he can take care of the girl then do it. Get married. What is wrong in that?’

Owaisi also quoted the popular Bollywood dialogue ‘Jabh pyar kiya toh darna kya’ (Why fear when you are in love?).

The AIMIM president told the Muslim youth that taking care of their wives is their responsibility. He said, ‘Stay away from women. If you like a girl, or if the girl likes a boy and if the guy is decent, then do it. Get married. What is wrong in that? But taking care of your family is your job.’

Asaduddin Owaisi has been making such statements. Recently, he had refused to talk about Aryan Khan’s case during a rally in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh saying, “You are talking about a superstar’s son. At least 27 per cent of undertrial prisoners in UP jails are Muslims. Who will speak for them? I will fight for those who are voiceless and weak, not for those whose fathers are powerful.”

Captain Amarinder Singh to float new political party, look to ally with the BJP, says he believes Lakhbir Singh did not commit sacrilege: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Captain Amarinder Singh to float new political party, look to ally with the BJP, says he believes Lakhbir Singh did not commit sacrilege: Details

The former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh will be floating a new political outfit, reports said.

The decision to form a new political party came weeks after he tendered his resignation as Punjab CM. Amarinder Singh had resigned from the post of chief minister on September 18 saying that he can’t continue with the humiliation he was facing in the party. He had taken the decision after the party had called for a meeting of the Congress legislative party in Punjab without informing the CM, who is also the leader of the legislative party.

The political drama in Punjab started with the appointment of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the president of the Punjab Congress in July despite opposition from Amarinder Singh. The drama reached a crescendo when Singh refused to take the humiliation lying down and decided to call it quits. 12 days later, on September 30, Captain announced that he is quitting the Congress party as well.

In an interview with Shekhar Gupta at ThePrint, Amarinder Singh said that he would look to ally with the BJP and breakaway factions of the Shiromani Akali Dal. On being questioned, he said that he does not believe the BJP is a communal anti-Muslim party. Whether he will partner with the BJP depends on the resolution of the farmer protests, which he hinted could be headed towards a resolution soon.

On the murder of the Dalit Sikh man at the farmer protest site, Singh said, “I don’t believe that he was doing be-adbi or sacrilege because there were too many people. The person who did it (killed him) was in a frame of mind he could not control. He could have been intoxicated. Nihangs are known to take ‘sukha’ (a form of intoxication).”

After Captain’s exit from Congress, speculations were rife of him floating a new political party

Soon after his acrimonious exit from the post of Punjab CM, speculations of Captain Amarinder Singh’s future political steps started doing the rounds. His meeting with Amit Shah also added to the rumours of him joining the BJP. However, Singh dispelled those rumours as unfounded, stating that he did not intend to join the saffron party. After Singh’s denial, media was replete with speculations that Singh will float a new political party.

News18 had quoted sources as saying that a dozen Congress leaders and MLAs are also likely to join him, the report had said. According to sources, not only legislators are on board, but also certain prominent figures who are disgruntled with the Akalis.

After he quit Congress, India Today had reported that Amarinder Singh would form a new party, whose primary focus would be on security issues for which he had likely met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at his residence in New Delhi on September 30.

From Minister Smriti Irani finding hidden cam at a store to illegal use of the word ‘Khadi’, here are most talked about controversies around FabIndia

OpIndia Staff
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From Minister Smriti Irani finding hidden cam at a store to illegal use of the word ‘Khadi’, here are most talked about controversies around FabIndia

In 2015, Union Minister Smriti Irani claimed to have found a camera pointing towards the trial room of a FabIndia outlet located in Candolim, Goa. Four people were booked in the case. Nevertheless, it is not the only controversy that revolves around the ethnic-wear chain, FabIndia. It flaunts being one of the top ethnic wear stores in India. With over 300+ outlets across the country and over-priced clothes and accessories, the store has made its way into the upper-middle and higher-income groups with its sparkling advertisements. In its 60-year long run, the company has found itself in more controversies in recent years than ever.

The 2015 hidden camera case

On April 3, 2015, Union Minister Smriti Irani spotted a CCTV camera positioned towards the changing room in a way that it could record illicit videos. Reports suggest that she immediately informed her husband about the camera and then called the local BJP legislator Micheal Lobo. He later filed a complaint at the local police station based on which FIR was registered against four Paresh Bhagat, Raju Payanche, Prashant Naik and Karim Lakhani.

The four were arrested and later granted bail by the court. They were booked under IPC sections 354C (voyeurism), 509 (intrusion into privacy) and IT Act’s section 66E (capturing, publishing image of the private area of any person without his/her consent). On April 12, it was reported that the Police had zeroed down to Bhagat as the main accused as he had the password for the DVR. Then Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Kartik Kashyap has told the media that Bhagat was caught changing the direction of the camera soon after the Minister had raised the alarm.

FabIndia issued a statement in which they apologized to the Minister for the incident but claimed there were no hidden cameras in the shopping area. They said, “The camera in question at Candolim-Goa store was a part of the surveillance system at the store and was installed in the shopping area. There were no hidden cameras anywhere in the store, including the trial rooms. These cameras are in full public view, and the fact that surveillance cameras are installed prominently displayed in all the stores.”

The case continued till 2017 when a charge sheet was filed against the four accused. Since then, no update has been available in the case. OpIndia tried to reach out to Micheal Lobo over the phone as he had filed the complaint. We could not connect to him. Once we have a word with him about the case, we will update the story.

Another case of ‘secret filming’ was caught in Kohlapur outlet

A similar incident was reported on March 31, 2015, where a salesman at Kohlapur outlet was arrested by the Police for secretly filming a female customer. 25-years-old Prakash Ananda Ispurle was arrested on April 1 after the complaint of a female customer. In her complaint, she alleged that when she was trying on clothes, Ispurle had placed his mobile phone in video recording mode in the gaps between the trial room door and the floor.

When she noticed the phone, she immediately raised the alarm, after which Ispurle pulled the phone out and deleted the videos. During the investigation, Police found that Ispurle was caught on CCTV filming the woman. He was arrested, and a case was filed against him under Section 354C of the IPC.

Illegal use of the word ‘Khadi’

In February 2018, the Khadi Commission or Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Govt. of India had sued FabIndia for using the Khadi brand without permission. KVIC had demanded Rs. 525 crores in damages from the ethnic wear retail outlet for illegally using the trademark Charkha and selling apparel under the khadi tag. When the company was first sued by KVIC, they said the claims made against them were baseless, and they would fight them in court.

In a statement FabIndia said, “We are in receipt of the notice from lawyers instructed by KVIC, and are surprised at its contents. We have made it clear to the KVIC through extensive correspondence and in multiple meetings over the last two years that Fabindia is not in violation of any of the provisions of the KVIC Act or regulations framed thereunder. The claims made in the notice are baseless. The notice has been entrusted to our lawyers, and any action taken in pursuance of the notice will be defended by us vigorously.”

However, later in the month of June, KVIC moved to the court, and things started to fall apart for FabIndia. In August 2018, FabIndia said it would not use the word Khadi or any trademark related to Khadi in any of its collections and would inform KVIC in advance if it would want to use it. As of now, the case is still pending in the Bombay High Court.

The feud between KVIC and FabIndia started in 2015 when KVIC sent a legal notice to the company warning against the use of Khadi trademarks. FabIndia replied that it had stopped the use of the word Khadi and its trademarks in the advertisements. However, in 2017, KVIC learned that FabIndia kept using the trademark and name despite the undertaking. A fresh legal notice was sent that further led to the court case.

It is noteworthy that the government body KVIC has acted against over 1000 private firms, including FabIndia, for misusing the brand name “Khadi” and taking unethical advantage of the brand’s goodwill.

The recent controversy of ad campaign ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’

Recently in October 2021, FabIndia launched a campaign to promote its Jashn-e-Riwaaz collection for the festival season that revolves around the Hindu festival Diwali. Interestingly, FabIndia did not use the word “Diwali” or “Deepavali” or mention the Hindu festival at all in the campaign. The trick to possibly secularize the Hindu festival did not go well with the netizen, and a fierce campaign was launched by Netizens collectively against the brand. Seeing the campaign backfiring, the company decided to drop the phrase ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ and changed the collection’s name to ‘Jhilmil Si Diwali’.

About FabIndia

FabIndia was founded by John Bissell in 1960, an American businessman who also worked for Ford Foundation in New Delhi. It started as a company exporting home furnishing. The company expanded its roots to garments by the 1980s and further to non-textile range in 2000, personal care products in 2006 and jewellery in 2008. Currently, John’s son William Bissell is the chairman of the company.

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