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‘Someone recording the act is proof enough that it was a murder’: Says SCBA president demanding CBI probe into the death of Dhanbad Judge

OpIndia Staff
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‘Someone recording the act is proof enough that it was a murder’: Says SCBA president demanding CBI probe into the death of Dhanbad Judge

An Additional District Judge (ADJ) of Dhanbad district, Uttam Anand, died after being hit by a three-wheeler in broad daylight on Wednesday. The CCTV footage of the incident suggested foul play, as the vehicle moved left from its lane to hit the judge when there was no other vehicle in that spot. The incident was brought to the notice of the Supreme Court by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Vikas Singh who demanded a CBI probe into the shocking incident.

Singh had mentioned before the SC bench of Justice DY Chandrahcud that the murder of a judicial officer for not granting bail to a gangster is an assault on the judiciary. He said, “this is a brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary. The video of the incident, which went viral, was taken by someone who had prior knowledge of the attack”.

According to reports, Judge Anand had recently rejected a bail plea filed by an alleged contract killer Ravi Thakur and Anand Verma from Uttar Pradesh, who are linked to gangsters Abhinav Singh and Aman Singh. Ravi Thakur is currently lodged in Dhanbad jail for his alleged involvement in a high-profile murder case of Ranjay Singh. 

‘Person seen zooming in the visuals as if to ascertain that the judge was killed’, SCBA president tells SC while demanding a CBI inquiry

The SCBA president appeared certain that the Dhanbad Judge was killed for rejecting the bail application of the gangsters. The fact that someone was recording the entire act is proof enough that Judge Anand was murdered, said Advocate Vikas Singh.

He also told the Supreme Court that a person was seen zooming in the visuals as if to ascertain if the judge was killed and it was shocking. He demanded that the probe into the killing of the senior judicial officer must be entrusted to the CBI.

However, the advocate seems to be mistaken about the video, as it was captured by a CCTV camera and was not recorded by someone ‘having prior knowledge about the incident’. The footage has ‘RV Chouk to Police Line’ written on lower right corner, which means that it was captured by CCTV cameras mounted on traffic light poles. The video which has emerged is not the original video, but it was video recorded from a monitor playing the CCTV footage. This video was zoomed in while recording the original video, and there is no zooming in the original CCTV video.

Therefore, although the incident in the video shows that it was probably an intentional act, the fact that it was recorded on camera is not proof that it was a murder, as it is from a CCTV which remains on all the time.

The case of the ‘road accident’ of Dhanbad Judge being probed by SIT

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Police formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. Police said in a statement that the SIT would analyze the footage of other CCTV cameras in the area to identify the vehicle and to see if there was a pattern.

The CCTV footage which emerged shows a three-wheeler suddenly turning to the extreme left of the road and hitting the Judge. It did not stop even for a second and fled the scene.

As per the reports, the incident happened at around 5 AM on July 28, when Judge Anand was jogging. The passers-by rushed him to Medical College, Dhanbad, where he was declared brought dead.

BJP MP accuses Mahua Moitra of calling him ‘Bihari Goonda’, had hurled derogatory insults like ‘chotiwala rakshas’ and ‘vanar sena’ previously

OpIndia Staff
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BJP MP accuses Mahua Moitra of calling him ‘Bihari Goonda’, had hurled derogatory insults like ‘chotiwala rakshas’ and ‘vanar sena’ previously

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra is back in news for the same old reason- hurling derogatory and regionalist jibes. This time, BJP MP from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey has accused Moitra of calling him a “Bihari Goonda” thrice on Wednesday.

The faceoff between the opposition and ruling BJP MPs over the Pegasus controversy got intense, with the confrontation continuing outside the parliament as well. 

Dubey took to Twitter accusing Moitra of displaying her hatred for Hindi speaking people and North Indians. Dubey wrote, “Trinamool @AITCofficial has abused the entire Hindi speaking people along with Bihar by using the word Bihari Gunda.”

Tagging TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Dubey further wrote, “@MamataOfficial Yes, this abuse of your MP Mahua Moitra has brought to the fore your party’s hatred towards North Indians and especially Hindi speaking people in front of the country.”

Moitra, however, expressed shock over the allegations and claimed, “Am a bit amused by charges of name-calling. IT mtng did not happen because NO quorum – members did not attend. How can I call someone a name who was not even present!! Check attendance sheet!”

War of words between Dubey and Mahua Moitra

As per reports, the IT committee met to record evidence from officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of Telecommunication on the subject “citizens’ data security and privacy”. However, some 10 BJP MPs insisted that the panel should not hold the meeting given the lack of quorum.

When it was brought to notice that 19 members were present, the BJP members said they had not signed the attendance sheet. As per rules, the MPs cannot be considered present if their signatures are not there. Referring to this ‘attendance sheet’ on which Dubey had not signed, Moitra denied allegations. On Twitter and several television interviews, Moitra claimed that the attendance sheet did not have Dubey’s signatures, which implies he was not present for the same.

Dubey also alleged that both Congress and TMC do not discuss the issue when called upon in the session but indulge in made-up controversies outside of the parliament to gain mileage. 

He also said he will be taking the matter of Moitra’s insults with the Speaker on Thursday. “Mahua Moitra called me a goonda. In my 13 years of parliamentary experience, no one has behaved like this with me. I was shocked that a woman MP used such language against me. We will take up the matter with the Speaker tomorrow,” he said.

Well, this is not the first time that Moitra hurled snide remarks involving caste, region and religion aainst her fellow politicians. 

‘Guddu ji ki vanar sena’

Accusing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of supposed ‘gunda-raj’, Moitra insulting Hindu Gods had Tweeted, “So Yogi CM comes to WB today, says he will kill “TMC goondas” one by one. Gudduji – listen up – your thok do culture may work in the vanar sena commune you ruled, doesn’t work here.”

‘Chotiwala Rakshas’

In March this year, Moitra referred to BJP leader Giriraj Singh as “Chotiwala Rakshas”. To explain the meaning of this phrase, “Chotiwalas” refers to devout Brahmin observers of Hinduism who follow the Shikha tradition of Brahmins, and a “Rakshasha” which literally translates to monsters.

In the same Tweet, Moitra said she is “proud” of the fact that Giriraj Singh accused Mamata Banerjee of being from the “Rohingya clan”.

‘Susu-potty Republic’

Moitra’s Hinduphobia is out in the open for everyone to see. In May this year, when the Delhi Police had knocked on the doors of Twitter India to serve a notice, Moitra Tweeted, “Welcome to our Susu Potty Republic! Drink Gaumutra, smear cow dung and flush the rule of law down the toilet.”

Mahua Moitra’s ‘susu-potty’ jibe. Image Source: Twitter

“Delhi Police issue notice to Twitter and land up in their offices for rightly calling out BJP’s fake document as manipulated media. Go figure,” she continued leaving the audience to wonder what the susu-potty jibe had to do with the situation. 

Moitra calls WB Governor ‘uncle ji’

Miffed with West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar for trying to highlight the law and order situation in Bengal, Moitra accused him of appointing his family as officers on special duty (OSDs) in Raj Bhavan. 

“And Uncleji- while you’re at it- take the extended family you’ve settled in at WB RajBhavan with you,” she Tweeted.

For some reason, Moitra’s arguments against the people who do not agree with her have been all about verbal insults, derogatory words and rants.

Imran ‘Taliban’ Khan bats for terrorists in Afghanistan, calls them ‘normal civilians’

OpIndia Staff
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Imran ‘Taliban’ Khan bats for terrorists in Afghanistan, calls them ‘normal civilians’

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday again openly expressed his support to the terrorist outfit Taliban by referring to them as “normal civilians” and claimed that Pakistan could not kill them.

In the interview with PBS Newshour that aired on Tuesday night, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the US “really messed it up” in Afghanistan by initially finding a military solution and later looking for a political solution.

On the allegations of Pakistan’s direct support to the Taliban in the ongoing terror and more than 10,000 Pakistani fighters travelling to Afghanistan to assist the Taliban, Imran Khan claimed that they were not Taliban or its supporters, but normal civilians, who are returning to their country.

In the interview, Imran ‘Taliban’ Khan, known for his close relations with the radical Islamic terror outfit, said that Pakistan is home to three million Aghan refugees, of which the majority are Pashtuns, the same ethnic group as the Taliban terrorists.

“Now, there are camps of 500,000 people, there are camps of 100,000 people. And Taliban are not some military outfits, they are normal civilians. And if there are some civilians in these camps, how is Pakistan supposed to hunt these people down? How can you call them sanctuaries?” he argued.

According to UN Security Council, more than 6,000 terrorists of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have joined their counterparts in Afghanistan. It is alleged that Pakistan has facilitated the travelling of Pakistani fighters into Afghanistan to assist the Taliban in their war against the Afghan national government.

Pakistan has been long accused of helping the Taliban militarily, financially, and with intelligence inputs in their fight against the Afghan government, however, Imran Khan claimed that it was “extremely unfair” to make such accusations.

Imran Khan’s love for terror outfits such as ‘Taliban’

Imran Khan, who has often supported the Taliban’s war in Afghanistan, believes that the Taliban is fighting a holy war or “Jihad” against the enemies of Islam in Afghanistan.

In 2012, Imran Khan had repeatedly tried to justify the Taliban’s terrorism, calling it a ‘holy war’ for Islam.

Imran Khan has proved time and again that he is a terrorist sympathiser. Imran Khan has extreme admiration for Al-Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden and had even referred to him as a “freedom fighter”.

To justify Osama Bin Laden’s terror activities, Imran Khan had compared him with George Washington and had said that he was a terrorist for the British, while a freedom fighter for Americans.

Besides the Afghan Taliban, Imran Khan has shown his soft stand towards terrorist groups that operate and unleash terror inside Pakistan. Imran Khan has a good working relationship with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, an Islamic terror group that is made of Pashtun tribesmen just as the Afghan Taliban. In June 2013, when a US drone strike killed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s deputy chief Waliur Rehman Mehsud, Khan stirred controversy by referring to him as “pro-peace”.

It is no surprise that Imran Khan has referred to the Islamic terrorist outfit as a “normal” civilians as Pakistan has often used terrorists disguised as civilians to carry out terror attacks on its neighbours, both Afghanistan and India.

Dear Shashi Tharoor, here is how you can check availability of slots for COVID vaccines on CoWIN

OpIndia Staff
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Dear Shashi Tharoor, here is how you can check availability of slots for COVID vaccines on CoWIN

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor- who seems to be quite fond of looking for wrong things at the wrong places, once again lost his way. Tharoor took to Twitter to claim that no vaccination slots are available on CoWIN, a platform to book vaccination appointments. 

The meme shared by Tharoor reads, “Upar wale tera jawaab nahi, aur Cowin pe vaccination ka slot nahi (no vaccination slots available on Cowin).”

Shashi Tharoor’s Tweet claiming non-availability of vaccine stock. Image Source: Twitter

We are not sure which application did the Congress MP from Kerala log onto to check the availability of slots, but here’s what we found on India’s ‘CoWIN’ dashboard.

Apart from the government centres, New Delhi’s Goyal medical centre shows the availability of roughly 2500 doses till August 04. 

Availability of slots in New Delhi. Image Source: CoWIN

A glance through North West Delhi’s vaccination centres also shows the availability of slots till August 02.

Availability of slots in North West Delhi. Image Source: CoWIN

South East Delhi centres too have the stock available till the coming week. 

Availability of slots in South East Delhi. Image Source: CoWIN

The same is the case with West Delhi where slots till August 02 are available on majority of vaccination centres.

Availability of slots in West Delhi. Image Source: CoWIN

Abundant slots available in Kerala

To give Tharoor the benefit of doubt, we checked the vaccine slot availability in his home state Kerala too. Kerala media is abuzz with claims of complete exhaustion of the vaccine stock and no help from the Centre. 

One quick check and one can see as many as 14000 vaccine doses available at a single vaccination centre at Kerala’s Ernakulam, thereby, diffusing the false claims.

Availability of slots in Kerala’s Ernakulam. Image Source: CoWIN

Vaccination centres at Kerala’s Idukki are also replete with stock till the next week. 

Availability of slots in Kerala’s Idukki. Image Source: CoWIN

Netizens mock Tharoor for his Tweet

Tharoor, however, is being mocked for his ill-informed Tweet by the netizens. Using the same meme template, here’s how the social media users are responding. 

Some questioned him if he was trying to find vaccine slots on the wrong applications.

Another user noted Tharoor’s downfall from an intellectual to a troll.

While some pointed how he adopted the wrong technique to search for vaccine slots.

From igniting vaccine hesitancy to creating a farce vaccine-scare, the opposition has religiously acted as an obstacle in India’s vaccination drive. 

Fact-check: No, Gita Press Gorakhpur is not shutting down. It is doing very well

Anurag
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Fact-check: No, Gita Press Gorakhpur is not shutting down. It is doing very well

Different posts on social media platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp and others are making rounds that Gita Press Gorakhpur is about to close.

One such post reads, “SAD news. Gita Press Gorakpur is about to close. Gita Press is not in a position to pay if Gita press closes, that will be a great loss to the Hindu religion. We can’t get even a tea of fewer than 10 rs, but you can get Hanuman Chalisa for 1 or 2 Rs. published by Gita Press.” Another post claimed that they were looking for donations and urged the public to donate to Gita Press.

Gita Press is not closing down

The rumours that Gita Press is shutting down are absolutely baseless. OpIndia has recently got in touch with Lalmani Tiwari, the Manager of Gita Press and talked in detail about the Press and the rumours that often find their way to the social media platforms about its closure. Tiwari told OpIndia that the root of the rumour goes back to 2015 when some of the employees went on strike.

At that time, they had alleged that the publication house was not paying them enough. The case went to the authorities, and later it was found that the Gita Press was paying above the minimum wages as suggested by the government. The case should have been ended there, but the rumours never stopped.

Tiwari said, “Every now and then, we hear such rumours have found the way back to the social media platforms. We do not need charity or donations. Since 2015, we have expanded our Press exponentially and even during Covid time, we have installed a new German Printing Press.” He further added that they had to remove their account details from the website because people had started sending donations.

“If someone sends us a cheque as a donation, we humbly reply to them with a letter of appreciation and return the cheque. Gita Press Gorakhpur is doing well, and we prefer to serve the community with our books,” he added.

Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan’s statement

In June, Ravi Kishan, who is MP from Gorakhpur, visited Gita Press. In his video statement, he said, “It is a large campus covering two lakh square feet. I have seen Japanese, Italian and German printing machines that I haven’t seen before. These machines cost anywhere between Rs.5 crore and Rs.15 crore. Every month the Press pays salaries that clocks close to Rs.80 lakh. I want to put a full stop to the rumours that Gita Press Gorakhpur needs any funds or financing. The Press continuously prints lakhs of books in 15 different languages.”

He further added that Gita Press does not take even a single rupee in donations and urged everyone not to donate in the name of Gita Press.

Scam artists might be at play to collect money illegally

While talking to OpIndia, Lalmani Tiwari said that there had been reports where people tried to collect money in the name of donations for Gita Press. He said, “We do not take donations and have never asked anyone to collect money on our behalf. If you find any message circulating regarding donations to Gita Press, do not fall for it as it could be a scam.”

About Gita Press

Hanuman Prasad Poddar had founded Gita Press in 1923 in Eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district. It is the largest publisher of Hindu religious texts.

Jharkhand: CCTV footage of Dhanbad Judge’s ‘road accident’ raises questions, SIT to probe the case

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: CCTV footage of Dhanbad Judge’s ‘road accident’ raises questions, SIT to probe the case

A CCTV footage of the road accident that claimed the life of district and session Judge Uttam Anand has emerged that raised several questions about the incident. As per the reports, at around 5 AM on July 28, Judge Anand was hit by a three-wheeler when he was jogging. The passers-by rushed him to Medical College, Dhanbad, where he was declared brought dead. At that time, no one was aware that he was a judge.

The video hints it was an intentional hit

The CCTV footage shows a three-wheeler suddenly turning to the extreme left of the road and hitting the Judge. It did not stop even for a second and fled the scene. After the video emerged, the Police formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. Police said in a statement that the SIT would analyze the footage of other CCTV cameras in the area to identify the vehicle and to see if there was a pattern.

Sanjeev Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Dhanbad, said the SIT led by city SP would look into all possibilities. He said, “I have constituted an SIT led by the city SP who will look into all possible reasons. The CCTV footage and all related aspects would be analyzed and identify the vehicle.”

The auto involved in accident was stolen a night before

Hindi daily Jagran reported that the auto that was seen hitting Judge Anand belonged to one Sugni Devi. It was reported stolen a night before the accident. Kriti Sinha, wife of Judge Anand, filed an FIR at Dhanbad Police Station against unknown people.

The judge was identified hours after the death

When the Judge was rushed to the hospital, no one was aware of his identity. The family of the Judge got worried when he did not return home by 7 AM and informed the Police. The judge’s driver had accompanied the Police to the hospital after they were informed about the accident and identified the body.

Judge had rejected bail in a high-profile murder case

Hindustan Times reported that Judge Anand had recently rejected a bail plea filed by an alleged contract killer Ravi Thakur and Anand Verma from Uttar Pradesh, who are linked to gangsters Abhinav Singh and Aman Singh. Ravi Thakur is currently lodged in Dhanbad jail for his alleged involvement in a high-profile murder case of Ranjay Singh. Officials said as the investigation is at an early stage, it would be too early to link it to any case that Judge Anand had or was involved in.

Pakistan: Five men booked for abducting, gang-raping and killing a goat

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Five men booked for abducting, gang-raping and killing a goat

A case has been registered against five men in Pakistan for raping and killing a goat in Okara on Tuesday, reports Express Tribune.

According to the reports, the shocking incident of bestiality took place in the jurisdiction of the Satghara police station. Five men – Naeem, Nadeem, Rabb, Nawaz and another accused abducted one goat that belonged to a labourer named Azhar Hussain. After abducting the goat from Azhar’s house, the five men dragged the goat into a nearby compound.

Later, the accused raped the animal one after another, tortured and then brutally murdered it. According to the locals, the accused ran away after sexually assaulting and killing the animal.

Meanwhile, the owner of the goat has filed a complaint, after which a case has been registered by the police.

Following the complaint, the police recovered the body of a sexually assaulted goat and shifted it to a nearby hospital. The medical report confirmed the goat was raped before it was killed. The police have launched a search operation to arrest the rapists.

Taking notice of the incident, DPO Faisal Shehzad ordered Satghara SHO Javed Khan to arrest the culprits immediately. SHO Javed Khan said the suspects accused would be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, the local residents of the area are outraged against the raping and killing of the goat and have demanded strict action against the rape accused.

China’s sh*t talker-in-chief Chen Weihua tells US Senator to ‘send the troops’ after he accused China of genocide

OpIndia Staff
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China’s sh*t talker-in-chief Chen Weihua tells US Senator to ‘send the troops’ after he accused China of genocide

Chen Weihua, associated with Chinese state-affiliated media China Daily, on Wednesday asked US Senator Tom Cotton to ‘send the troops’ after the Senator from Arkansan accused China of committing a genocide. The comments came after Tom Cotton condemned Coca Cola for not taking a stand against China’s human rights violations.

Chen Weihua vs US Senator Tom Cotton
Source: Twitter

It is unclear whether Chen Weihua meant the words literally or figuratively when he dared Senator Cotton to send the troops. He has built a reputation for himself as China’s sh*t talker-in-chief. He found himself in the media spotlight after calling another US Senator a ‘lifetime b*tch’. On another occasion, he called former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a ‘sh*t face’.

Senator Tom Cotton said in the tweet, “Coca-Cola: We stand up for what is right across the world.” Then said, “Also Coca-Cola: We will not condemn the Chinese Communist Party for committing genocide, and we will support the Winter Olympics in Beijing.”

The senator was highlight Coca Cola’s hypocritical stand on issues of human rights. Paul Lalli, global vice president of human rights at Coca-Cola, had responded to his queries, “No, senator. We stand up for what is right across the world. We apply the same human rights principles that we do across the world.”

“We’re aware of the reports of the State Department on this issue as well as other departments of the U.S. government,” he said before adding, “We respect those reports, they continue to inform our program.”

Coca Cola will be a sponsor of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger goes from laughing like a clown to crying within seconds during Capitol riot hearing, invites widespread mockery

OpIndia Staff
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger goes from laughing like a clown to crying within seconds during Capitol riot hearing, invites widespread mockery

The January 6 Select Committee started off with sentimental histrionics as Illinois lawmaker Adam Kinzinger went from laughing like a clown to weeping inconsolably within seconds during the Capitol Riot hearing.

“I by no means anticipated at present to be fairly emotional for me because it has been,” Kinzinger said while choking up. He had been beaming and expressing gratitude to his colleagues only a few moments before.

“I believe it’s necessary to inform you proper now, although,” he went on. “You guys could like really feel individually somewhat damaged, in regards to the results you must take care of, in regards to the influence of that day,” he said as he fought off tears streaming from his eyes.

But the abrupt transition from chortling during the hearing to sobbing inconsolably within a matter of just a few seconds was not lost on social media users, who called out the legislator and mocked him for his theatrics.

Adam Kinzinger’s theatrics during Select Committee hearing draws flak on social media

One of the Twitter users tersely said, “This guy is a Con man.”

Another commented that this entire Committee is just going to be one large group therapy session for clinically insane narcissists.

Yet another user commented, “And the Oscar goes to”, implying that Rep. Adam Kinzinger was acting during the committee hearing.

A Twitter user said, “America is run by these theatre kids.”

Responding to the video where Adam Kinzinger was sobbing moments after he was seen laughing, a Twitter user said, “Do these people not realize we have something called the internet and can see all the video footage for ourselves? Everyone now knows this was not an “insurrection” . It’s pretty obvious this was a staged psy-op.”

The theatrics witnessed during Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s testimony also led many social media users to raise questions over the actual purpose of the Committee investigation, with many claiming that it was just an emotional attempt to “reframe” the narrative about the riots at Capitol Hill.

The House select committee was formed in the aftermath of the January 6 riots on the US Capitol when scores of disgruntled people stormed the hallowed federal structure to mark their protest against the election results. The committee convened its first hearing on Tuesday, hosting a panel of four police officers who defended the building against a mob that descended on Capitol Hill.

Court sanction, police apathy and political patronage to conversions: Human Rights report sheds light on the abysmal state of Hindus in Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Court sanction, police apathy and political patronage to conversions: Human Rights report sheds light on the abysmal state of Hindus in Pakistan

A 2019 field investigation report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reaffirmed an unpleasant reality that is already known for far too long—minorities in Pakistan live under constant fear of persecution as their perpetrators enjoy court sanctions, support from the influential and affluent section of the society and patronage from political leaders.

In May 2019, the fact-finding team of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan visited Ghotki district with the purpose of assessing complaints regarding the forced conversions of Hindu girls, with reference to the case of Reena and Raveena, two underage Hindu girls who disappeared from their homes in Daharki city and were later found to be married to Muslim men after being converted to Islam.

The Hindu community protested against the incident but the local police reportedly refused to file a complaint. An FIR was filed in the case only after heavy protest from the Hindu community and after the video of the two girls went viral on social media in which they claimed that they had converted to Islam and married two Muslim men from their locality.

The family of the two girls claimed that they were underage but the commission formed by the Islamabad High Court to ascertain the facts of the case found that the girls were of marriageable age. The Islamabad High Court ordered the Ghotki sisters to return back to their Muslim husbands Safdar Ali and Barkat Ali after two girls allegedly confessed in front of the court that they had willingly converted to Islam given they were impressed by the Islamic teachings.

A High Court bench led by Chief Justice of IHC Athar Minallah made the decision after a five-member commission had submitted the report, which was tasked to probe whether the conversion of the Hindu sisters to Islam was forced or otherwise. The High Court had also ordered earlier that the two sisters be shifted to a shelter home in Islamabad until the hearing was completed.

Against the backdrop of these developments, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan met with the Hindu residents of the Ghotki district and understand the apprehensions harboured by them. The leaders or the mukhis of the Hindu Panchayats of various districts admitted to being victims of the high-handedness of certain powerful groups and individuals. A majority of them complained that they faced some kind of discrimination from the ‘powerful’ or the ‘influentials’.

Pakistani Hindus admit they are victims of the high-handedness of certain powerful and influential people

The commission found that most Hindu residents who once lived here migrated to India after facing frequent cases of banditry and forcible seizures of their property. Many others who met the fact-finding team lamented that be it for political or religious issues, the support for the community when a case of forced conversion occurred was not forthcoming.

One of the leaders who met the Human Rights Commission said that Hindu girls were held in captivity for several days for seemingly piddly mistakes and testimony were coerced out of them after their conversion. It was also alleged by others that such girls were subjected to rapes and torture while in the custody of kidnappers. Even the courts, including the Supreme Court, they claimed, were unsympathetic to the predicament of the Hindu girls.

Some of the Hindu residents also bemoaned the dichotomy of Pakistan’s constitution of granting equality of citizens but not allowing non-Muslim residents from holding the highest positions in the state and government. They further added that properties belonging to Hindus were forcibly seized by powerful individuals and that there was always an ‘element of coercion’ involved in the conversion of Hindu girls to Islam.

Police officials, bureaucrats and authorities turn a blind eye to the atrocities meted out on Hindus: Human Rights Commission report

The brother of Reena and Raveena, Mr Shaman Das Meghwar, attended the meeting with the Human Rights Commission and stated how the administration and the police refused to act to their family’s complaint. He said neither the police nor the government had responded to their protests. The SSP only visited three days later, he said, adding that the NADRA office did not issue birth certificates for his sisters despite ten days of continuous efforts by the family. Instead, the SSP proceeded to whitewash the case of forced conversion of Reena and Raveena. He asserted that there was a willingness on the part of Hindu girls to choose Muslim boys.

Furthermore, the Commission of Human Rights found out that authorities in Pakistan were more concerned about Pakistan being maligned globally after cases of forced conversions came to the fore rather than providing justice to the victims of said atrocities.

Additionally, there was also general apprehension among minorities in Ghotka districts that Mian Mithoo was using his heft with the shrine of Bharchundi Sharif and frequenting cases of conversion of Hindu girls in the region. Mithoo was also present in the Islamabad High Court during the hearing of the Reena and Raveena case. The political patronage enjoyed by the culprits and the lack of action by the administration was also considered as one of the reasons behind the rampant conversions in the Ghotki district.

The Commission also found that the fear was so widespread among the Hindu community that many cases of forced conversions went unreported. The panchayats and the Hindu community were even reluctant to follow up cases of conversions that were previously reported, for the fear of retribution.

About 90 per cent of the cases of conversion were forced, the members of the Hindu community told the fact-finding team. While the conversions of Hindu girls were celebrated, but the conversion of Hindu boys was seen with disapproval and they were often forced into destitution. As the conversions continued to take place across the district, the administration officials and the police officers in the region were either involved in the act or remained mute spectators, the residents alleged.

Court sanction to the abductions and rampant forcible conversions of Hindu girls

The Hindu leaders also highlighted the Court sanction to the rampant forcible conversions taking place in their region. In this regard, they pointed out the case of one Rinkle Kumari who was allegedly kidnapped and married off to a Muslim man in 2012. They contended that the converted girl had at one stage expressed her desire to go with her mother but she was not allowed to do so.

The courts in Pakistan have consistently failed in providing justice for Hindus in Pakistan. In fact, in some cases, the courts have empowered the culprits responsible for abducting and forcibly converting the Hindu and Christian minorities. In the case of Reena and Raveena, the Supreme Court granted only 5 minutes for the mother to meet her daughters. The mother later reportedly said that both her daughters were continuously weeping and looked fearful. Similarly, in June 2020, a district magistrate allowed a Muslim man to keep his Hindu wife even after the parents of the girl alleged that their daughter was kidnapped and forcibly married off to the man.

Even Pakistan’s civil society turns a blind eye to the sufferings of the Hindu families whose daughters are abducted, forcibly converted and married off to older Muslim men. Most good lawyers hesitated in taking on such cases, fearing social ostracism, the residents lamented. The lack of access to legal counsel was also exacerbated by the fact that most of the Hindus in Pakistan lived in abject poverty, which severely hampered their ability to afford legal services.

Political patronage to conversions emboldened perpetrators and normalised violence and persecution of Hindus in Pakistan

The Commission found that the districts of Ghotki and Daharki were among the most affected by the scourge of rampant conversions was because they were business-oriented towns and were, therefore, accessible to trade routes and networks of madrassas. As a consequence, there was considerable political influence in these districts, which the victims said played a part in normalising and legitimising the unceasing incidents of abductions and conversions of Hindu girls in the region.

The perpetrators often tended to target non-Muslims and enjoyed political support due to the state’s economic interest in the local areas. The businesses of non-Muslims were also targeted if they went against Muslim residents for the kidnapping and conversion of their daughters into Islam.

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