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AAP shares fake data to show India is doing far worse than US and UK in vaccination: Here is how they lied

OpIndia Staff
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AAP shares fake data to show India is doing far worse than US and UK in vaccination: Here is how they lied

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday peddled vaccine statistics that could only ever be considered unadulterated garbage. Despite spreading blatant fake news, Twitter is yet to add a label to the fdalse claims being made.

In a video statement released by the party, AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj claims that 88% of the people in the United Kingdom have received the vaccine and the same is 84% for the United States of America. The number for India he cited was 13%.

AAP spreads fake news on vaccine stats

These numbers cited by the AAP are patently false, engineered to cast the ruling dispensation at the centre in poor light.

UK Vaccine Stats

In the United Kingdom, a total of 37,943,681 first doses of the vaccine have been administered thus far as per the government website. Calculating the percentage given that the population of UK is 6.6 crores, 57.49% of the population has received at least the first dose of the vaccine.

A total of 22,643,417 doses of the vaccine has been administered, which indicates that 34.30% of the population has been fully vaccinated. It also indicates that 72% of total adults have received the first dose of the vaccine and 43% have received the second dose as well.

Furthermore, vaccination has not been opened up for all adults in the United Kingdom. Currently, vaccination has not been opened up for those under 34 years of age in England, under 25 in Northern Ireland and under 30 in Scotland. In Wales, it has been opened up for adults in most areas.

Thus, the figure of 88% that the Aam Aadmi party has come up with is a figment of their own imagination.

USA Vaccine Stats

In USA, 49.2% of the population has received at least the first dose of the vaccine. 49.6% of adults have been fully vaccinated and the figure is 73.9% for those above 65 years of age. A total of 39.2% of the population has been fully vaccinated.

US Vaccine Stats as of May 23 (Screengrab from NPR)

It is a far cry from the 84% as claimed by the AAP MLA. Even if we assume that Saurabh Bharadwaj meant that the 84% figure represents the stats among the eligible, even then it is simply not correct.

India vaccine stats

India has administered a total of 15,29,30,249 first doses in the country so far. Assuming that the Indian population is 125 crores, it translates to at least to 12.23% of the population having received at least the first dose of the vaccine.

How AAP lied

Given that India has a far larger population than the USA and UK both, it is only natural that India will take longer to vaccinate its entire population. The USA has an estimated population of 32.82 crores and the UK’s population is only 6.6 crores as of 2019. Quite clearly, AAP is attempting to play petty politics over the Covid-19 vaccination drive.

‘It’s pleasant here, farmers won’t have a problem’: Rakesh Tikait camps at Hisar, says will continue protest until 2024

OpIndia Staff
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‘It’s pleasant here, farmers won’t have a problem’: Rakesh Tikait camps at Hisar, says will continue protest until 2024

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday said that the farmers will not leave Hisar in Haryana until the farm laws are repealed. Tikait said that the farmers have liked the place and do not mind camping there until 2024.

The BKU leader opined “Badhiya jagah hain yeh (this is a nice place), the weather is pleasant here, the farmers would not have any problem sitting here until June, or July 2024.

Asked until when he expects the central government to yield to the ‘farmers’ demands, the confused BKU leader said: “Ho jayega..6-8 mahine mein ho jayega, agle saal ho gayega, June, July 2024 tak ho jayega” (It will happen, maybe in the next 6-8 months, may be next year, may be by the month of June or July in 2024).

Interestingly, at the beginning of the year, Tikait had also said that the farmers are prepared to protest against the Centre’s new farm laws “till May 2024”.

Again on April 29, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait had asserted that the ‘farmers protests will continue and insisted that his drama at the border will continue despite the sharp uptick in the coronavirus caseloads.

Though Tikait has been making the same assertions time and again, what is baffling is that on what basis Tikait has earmarked the year 2024 for ending the farmer’s protest.

Security beefed up in Hisar

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up in Haryana’s Hisar district as farmers have planned to picket the residence of a senior police officer Tuesday to protest criminal cases filed against ‘farmers’ who had turned violent towards the police to disrupt Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar’s event on May 16.

CM ML Khattar’s event attacked by ‘farmers’

On May 16 OpIndia had reported how farmers protesting the Farm Bills charged at police personnel near a toll close to the event location which resulted in a lathi charge. The farmers also attacked DSP Abhimanyu, leaving him seriously injured.  The farmers who were protesting near the Ramayan Toll travelled 18 kilometres to ransack the event. They also charged at the security barricades using tractors to pave their way to the event.

Bhartiya Kisan Union plays politics over the dead body of a 69-year-old member

According to reports, a 69-year-old farmer and member of the Bhartiya Kisan Union collapsed and died after he got breathless and had a cardiac arrest, while on the way to Haryana’s Hisar to take part in a demonstration on Monday.

Shockingly, instead of rushing the farmer to the hospital, BKU leaders carried the body of Ram Chander to the protest site. They wrapped the deceased body in the Tricolour and kept it amid the crowd of over 7,000 people. Declaring Chander a “martyr”, the BKU leaders present at the protest site, asked the farmers present to observe “one minute of silence for the shaheed”. Interestingly, none of these protesting ‘farmers’ was wearing a mask or following any Covid-19 protocols.

Black Day on May 26

Meanwhile, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, announced on Saturday that they will observe May 26 as “Black-Day” to mark six months of their protest against the three Farm Bills proposed by the Centre. The farmer leaders have urged the protesters to raise black flags from their houses. Thousands of farmers from across the country are currently protesting at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders surrounding the national capital while the nation is going through a surge in new Covid-19 cases.

Medical team that visited a village in Ujjain for Covid vaccine awareness attacked, FIR against 4

OpIndia Staff
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Medical team that visited a village in Ujjain for Covid vaccine awareness attacked, FIR against 4

Despite the proven efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy has been a growing problem leading to many incidents of misconduct against doctors and healthcare workers. In another such case, a medical team that was sent to Malikhedi village under Unhel tehsil of the Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh to create awareness about COVID-19 vaccination was attacked on May 24 (Monday).

Following the incident, the Ujjain police registered an FIR against 4 people. Two persons were later arrested in this connection, Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Bhuria told the media. 

A video of the incident was also shared on social media wherein the healthcare workers were seen fleeing after the ruckus created by some people at Malikhedi village. The user claimed that the assaulters verbally abused and assaulted the medical team, injuring two members including an additional Tehsildar in the attack.

Medical team visited the village in Ujjain to dispel the rumours and myth surrounding the vaccines

Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Bhuria confirmed that the health personnel had visited the village earlier too. The locals were not ready to take the vaccine shots compelling the team to return. On Monday morning, the health personnel went back to the village. They were trying to dispel the rumours and myth surrounding the vaccines and encouraging the sceptical locals to be a part of the inoculation drive when some villagers allegedly attacked the husband of a woman panchayat office-bearer, who was part of the medical team.

According to sources, rumours have spread in villages especially among illiterate residents that people are dying because of vaccine.

The ASP said that two arrests have been made so far and efforts are on to identify the others who were involved in the incident. Additional police force has been deployed in the village to avert any untoward incident, he furthered.

Violence against healthcare workers on the rise since the first phase of the pandemic

Despite their dedication and hard work to limit the spread of the Chinese pandemic,, frontline workers, doctors, medical and nursing staffs have been on the receiving end of violence ever since the pathogen started wreaking havoc in India last year. Multiple attacks on medical staff and health care workers were reported during the first phase of the pandemic as well.

There had been reports of Tablighi Jamaat members molesting nurses in UP, defecating in corridors in Delhi and even spitting at the healthcare workers. The Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi’s Nizamuddin has emerged as a hot spot contributing to approximately 30% of coronavirus cases in India.

Instances of violent attacks against healthcare workers were reported from Madhya Pradesh’ Indore and Karnataka’s Bengaluru too.

Modi govt brings ordinance to end violence against healthcare workers

In a significant measure to stop the attacks against the healthcare workers in the country, Modi Government had in April last year brought an ordinance to end violence against health workers. The new ordinance had provisions to punish the assaulters with imprisonment from 6 months to 7 years.

President Ram Nath Kovind had approved The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 on April 24, 2020, which made attacks on healthcare personnel or their property, including their living and working premises, cognizable, non-bailable offences. The ordinance also included provisions for compensation for injury and damages in such cases.

Spot Aaditya Thackeray, get free COVID-19 jab: BJP MLA says ‘Guardian Minister’ is touring a jungle, is absent in times of crisis

OpIndia Staff
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Spot Aaditya Thackeray, get free COVID-19 jab: BJP MLA says ‘Guardian Minister’ is touring a jungle, is absent in times of crisis

In a blistering attack against Aaditya Thackeray, the Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburban District Government of Maharashtra, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar has asked Mumbai residents to spot the Shiv Sena leader and get a free COVID-19 jab in return, highlighting the conspicuous absence of Thackeray from the public space after the devastation wreaked by cyclone Taukte in the state’s coastal region, including Mumbai.

“I am going to start a scheme on behalf of BJP to locate Aaditya Thackeray, the Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburbs. Anyone who finds him in the Mumbai suburbs will get a free vaccination, which is currently on hold for the group of 18-44 in the state,” said Atul Bhatkhalkar. Bhatkhalkar tweeted a video on his Twitter handle, accusing the Shiv Sena leader of taking a stock of the damage caused by the cyclone Taukte to Mumbai’s beaches.

“One and a half years have passed since the appointment of Aaditya Thackeray as the Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburbs. Only one meeting of the District Planning Committee was held during this period. No action has been taken by the Guardian Minister on the suggestions made by the people’s representatives in that meeting. The cyclone has caused losses to the tunes of crores of rupees to fishermen in Versova, Madh, Malvani, Gorai. A person lost his life after a tree branch fell in Malad. Several others have borne the loss caused by the devastation caused by the cyclone. Despite repeated requests from myself and the Bharatiya Janata Party, no financial help was given to the people in the suburbs,” Bhatkhalkar said.

Bhatkhalkar alleged that Aaditya Thackeray is secretly touring the Tadoba Jungles in eastern Maharashtra and has not visited any COVID care centre and hospital in Mumbai since the start of the pandemic last year, even though the city was amongst the worst affected by the menace of the coronavirus. In his video, Bhatkhalkar asked what has Aaditya Thackeray done for the people of Mumbai, whose residents had to put up with inadequate medical facilities even as the virus continued to rip through the city.

Maharashtra tops the list of the states with the highest number of reported coronavirus cases. In April 2021, the state recorded more than 50,000 daily cases, a major part of which has powered by the alarming rise of the cases in Mumbai. Maharashtra on Sunday reported 26,672 fresh COVID-19 cases and 594 deaths, taking the tally to 55,79,897 and the toll to 87,894, the state health department said.

Mumbai on Sunday reported 1,431 fresh coronavirus positive cases and 49 deaths on a day when 23,314 tests were conducted, the city civic body said. With the addition of the new cases, Mumbai’s COVID-19 caseload went up to 6,97,810 and the death toll to 4,623, it said in a statement.

Islamists, communists launch propaganda warfare against Lakshadweep administrator Praful Patel, accuse BJP of ‘saffronisation’

OpIndia Staff
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Islamists, communists launch propaganda warfare against Lakshadweep administrator Praful Patel, accuse BJP of ‘saffronisation’

Some Islamists backed by Kerala politicians in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep have unleashed propaganda warfare against Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel and his administration in a desperate attempt to block new reforms. 

As per an exclusive report by the Organiser, the Islamists accuse Patel of trying to undermine the ‘Islamic character’ of Lakshadweep where Muslims constitute 96% of the total population.

Social media is also actively being used to propagate misinformation claiming that the rise in new Covid-19 cases on the island is due to the administration’s decision to relax quarantine norms. However, Collector Asker Ali in an interview with The Print refuted the claims and informed that it was wrong to blame the surge in cases entirely on the relaxation in quarantine measures. 

He cited the increased movement of people with economic activity resuming and the “very high” transmission rate of the new strain’ as the two main reasons for the rise in coronavirus cases.

Reforms brought by Praful Patel

As per the report, alcohol and drug addiction among the youth in the UT has been on the rise. Immediately after assuming responsibility in December 2020, Praful Patel had conducted 18 raids across the UT to fight the growing menace.

Additionally, Goonda Act was imposed in the Union Territory to restrict the smuggling and distribution of alcohol and drugs.

The administration also had pulled down Anti-CAA/NRC posters placed by radical Islamist outfits throughout the island.

Patel has reportedly been trying to bring in infrastructure and development projects in the Islands, aiming to boost its tourism potential.

Many social media handles were seen opposing the reform policies of Patel, terming his administration as ‘fascist’. Usual suspects who peddle anti-BJP propaganda on social media were also seen propagating the hashtags against Patel.

Among the policies of the new administration that are being opposed are, banning candidates with more than 2 children from contesting Panchayat polls, a rule that is already in use in several states, the removal of illegal storage facilities along the coast, and the strict order to boat owners against leasing/renting their boats to individuals without proper permission from authorities.

Addressing security threat

While the Islamists claim the island to be crime-free, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has raised concerns of illegal berthing of foreign vessels and poor handling of foreign vessels by the police agencies.

In recent weeks, Rs 3000 crore worth of drugs were seized by the Coast Guard off Minicoy Island. A Sri Lankan fishing boat Ravihansi with 300 kgs Heroin and 5 AK-47 rifles with 1,000 live rounds was also caught by the security agencies.

In 2019, there were intelligence reports which suggested the movement of 15 ISIS terrorists from Sri Lanka to the Lakshadweep Islands.

CPIM and Congress leaders extend support to Islamists

As per the Organiser report, As Islamist organizations gear up for ‘protests’ against the administration, CPIM leader and Rajya Sabha MP Elamanam Kareem has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind extending support to the protests against Patel and urging him to recall the Lakshadweep administrator. 

Kerala Congress leader VT Balram too announced solidarity with these ‘protests’. Sensationalizing the issue, he alleged that the ‘Sangh parivar’ is trying to ‘turn Lakshadweep into Kashmir’.

As protests flare-up in the region, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran on Monday came out in the support of the people of the Union Territory drawing the attention of the authorities.

Promoting Lakshadweep as a tourist destination

Patel administration has been trying to prioritize development, boost tourism and improve the security of Lakshadweep due to its strategic importance.

With the Maldives becoming the new preferred holiday destination, the administration aims at fixing the poor infrastructure of the island to turn it into the most sought out tourist destination. However, some groups with vested interests and fundamentalist attitudes are trying to prevent development works in the islands, the report said.

Gujarat police nab arrests three people for smuggling ‘whale vomit’: Here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat police nab arrests three people for smuggling ‘whale vomit’: Here is what happened

On Saturday (May 22), the police have arrested three people in connection to the smuggling of whale vomit or ambergris in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It must be mentioned that ambergris is highly expensive and is produced in the intestine of sperm whales.

As per reports, the accused were apprehended while trying to sell it to a client in Ahmedabad from Junagadh. They were identified as Sharin Cheda (46), Khalid Ofi (50), and Sumer Soni (40). The cops also seized about 7 crores worth of whale vomit from them. While Cheda hailed from Junagadh, Ofi resided in Bhavnagar. Soni is a resident of Udaipur in Rajasthan. The trio was booked under relevant Sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

Accused arrested, cops initiate probe into the racket

The police informed that sperm whale is listed as an endangered species in India. As such, possession, and sale of ambergris is a punishable offence. In a statement, DP (Zone VII) Premsukh Delu informed, “We have arrested three persons for smuggling 5.35 kg ambergris. They are part of a network in which so far 10 people are suspected to be involved. Further investigation into the case is underway.” The police have also identified the client who tried to procure the whale vomit.

Another senior official said, “We had received a tip-off that a group of three persons were bringing in a consignment of ambergris to sell in Ahmedabad. A team held the three accused from a four-wheeler outside the Devpriya complex in the Anandnagar area. Prima facie, the accused have told us that they procured the ambergris material from Junagadh and were trying to sell it in Ahmedabad. A total of 15-20 persons can be involved in this racket and further investigation is on in the case.”

Ambergris used for manufacturing rare perfumes

Reportedly, ambergris is grey or blackish in colour. Besides, the expensive substance is solid, flammable and waxy. As stated earlier, it is extracted from the intestine of a sperm whale. The substance is produced by the whale to protect its gut from the sharp beaks of its prey, squid. It is often found floating in tropical seas and is used in manufacturing rare perfumes and fragrances. Often, sperm whales are preyed upon for the extraction of ambergris and then exported to Gulf countries for exorbitant prices.

After Khalsa Aid received six-figure donation from JK Rowling’s trust in the name of COVID-19 relief work, ‘farmer’ movement gains momentum

OpIndia Staff
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After Khalsa Aid received six-figure donation from JK Rowling’s trust in the name of COVID-19 relief work, ‘farmer’ movement gains momentum

The ‘farmer protests’ which was on a decline in recent times have suddenly gained a lot of momentum. As we speak, more and more farmers are reaching the Delhi-Haryana border to mark the 26th of May as a ‘Black Day’ on the occasion of the completion of 6 months of protests.

The protests against the farm laws have received support from the opposition parties and 12 of them, including the Congress and its allies in Maharashtra, apart from Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) and others, have extended their support to the protests.

Incidentally, the sudden growth in momentum comes days after Khalistan sympathiser organisation Khalsa Aid received a six figure donation from JK Rowling’s charitable organization, The Volant Charitable Trust. Assuming that the six figure amount was in Pound, it would translate it into crores of rupees in INR.

Hemkunt Foundation also received huge donations for their campaign to help people amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, we had reported how the foundation could possible be violating the FCRA Laws in the country.

The disclaimer in the fundraiser’s description reads, “Hemkunt Foundation has tied up with United Way of Bengaluru to accept foreign donations on this campaign. The funds will be transferred to the vendor assigned by Hemkunt Foundation.” According to the recent amendments in FCRA laws, no FCRA registered organization can collect foreign funds for a non-FCRA organization.

According to the Terms of Use and Guidelines published by Ketto, Foreign Funding is disabled by default. The organization is responsible for submitting FCRA certificate if they want to accept foreign funding. The foreign funding to their campaign runs in crores of rupees.

Recently, the Central Government had transferred Rs. 23,000 crore to the accounts of over 9 lakh farmers in a record breaking procurement of wheat.

Alt News ‘fact-checker’ dismisses expert who hailed India because of his Twitter following: Here is a list of his real-life accomplishments

OpIndia Staff
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Alt News ‘fact-checker’ dismisses expert who hailed India because of his Twitter following: Here is a list of his real-life accomplishments

Besides offering ludicrous justifications and flimsy arguments to defend the opposition parties, propaganda outlet AltNews meticulously tries to discredit everyone who speaks in favour of India and the Modi government. Recently, the founder of propaganda outlet AltNews, Pratik Sinha, took to Twitter to belittle an expert who hailed India as the biggest rising power despite the COVID-19 crisis and called India’s power structure as stable and Modi government secure.

In an article published in the Arab News, American foreign policy expert Dr John Hulsman argued that despite the raging COVID-19 crisis, India remains the greatest rising country on the planet and has inherent virtues that would help her in becoming the “most powerful” countries in the world. Hulsman also noted that the Modi government is politically secure in a way that other “developing countries can only envy”.

Naturally, praise for the country and the Indian government did not sit well with the AltNews co-founder, who was quick to dismiss the foreign policy expert’s opinions by casting doubts on his credibility. Raising aspersions on the credentials of the author, Sinha tweeted that the American foreign policy expert had only 160 followers on Twitter.

Source: Twitter

Social media following is hardly a touchstone of measuring one’s credibility and authenticity. Countless personalities continue to excel in their respective fields even if they have no active presence on social media. Some do have dormant accounts on social media platforms with less following because they are largely inactive. Just because someone is not famous on social media or does not command a huge following on Twitter is not a good enough reason to insinuate that they lack credibility.

There are some self-proclaimed fact-checkers with dubious credentials, operating a so-called neutral ‘fact-checking’ website that colludes with political parties to give them clean chits, and who have an outsize sizeable Twitter following, even though their lies have been busted on more occasions than one. Their Twitter following is in no way a mark of their credibility.

In short, the follower count on Twitter has no bearing on a person’s credibility in his/her field of work. Even people with shallow morals and no credibility have a large following on social media websites.

As such, there is a life beyond Twitter and social media websites, and some folks may not be interested in engaging with people on social media.

Dr John Hulsman’s professional accomplishments

While Sinha raises questions on the credibility of the expert who praised the Indian government, it must be noted that Dr Hulsman is an esteemed foreign policy expert and the president and managing partner of John C. Hulsman Enterprises, a prominent global political risk consulting firm.

Hulsman was the Alfred von Oppenheim Scholar in Residence at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. He is also a senior columnist for the City AM, the newspaper of the city of London. Hulsman also contributes research papers to the Aspen Institute of Italy and is a senior research fellow at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies.

In the past, Hulsman used to write for the Heritage Foundation, besides being a senior research fellow in international relations there. He also taught European security studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and world politics and U.S. foreign policy at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

Furthermore, Hulsman also authored 3 books—Ethical Realism, The Godfather Doctrine, and a biography of Lawrence of Arabia titled To Begin the World Over Again.

Controversies, brawls, underworld connections: All we know about the murky life of wrestler Sushil Kumar

Jhankar Mohta
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Controversies, brawls, underworld connections: All we know about the murky life of wrestler Sushil Kumar

Several new revelations have been made following the arrest of Olympian medalist wrestler Sushil Kumar. He was arrested by a team of Delhi Police Special Cell on May 23 (Sunday) morning in connection with the Chhatrasal Stadium brawl that led to the death of a wrestler named Sagar Rana or Sagar Dhankad (as named by few media houses).

Sushil Kumar was absconding after the purported May 4th incident.

According to police, the wrestler had a video of the incident filmed to terrorise the wrestling circuit in the city. “Sushil had asked (his friend) Prince to make that video. He and his associates thrashed the victims like animals. He wanted to establish his fear in the wrestling community,” the police told in the Delhi court which sent the wrestler to six days’ police custody, reported NDTV.

Some reports also suggest that Kumar wanted to circulate the video to give out a message to his associated gangster to not mess around with him.

As it turns out, the Olympian medalist wrestler had connections with many dreaded gangsters. Police sources revealed that several criminals used to take shelter in a flat which was in the name of Sushil Kumar’s wife. A history-sheeter named Sandeep alias Kala Jathedi, wanted by the Delhi Police was also given shelter by Sushil.

Who is Sandeep alias Kala Jathedi?

As per reports, Sandeep alias Kala Jathedi is an alleged gangster from Haryana’s Sonepat. Jathedi had escaped from the custody of the Haryana Police in Faridabad after his seven accomplices waylaid the prison van in which Jathedi was being escorted from Faridabad court to Bhondsi jail on February 1, 2020. Jathedi had recently orchestrated the shootout at GTB Hospital to free his associate, Kuldeep Fajja, who was later killed in a police encounter.

Reports suggest that Kumar, who was on the run after the killing of the 23-year-old Sagar Rana, was not only trying to escape the police but was also trying to run away from Sandeep aka Kala Jathedi, who is currently believed to be in Dubai. In fact, despite knowing the repercussion of using an electronic device while being on the loose, Sushil Kumar continuously tried to establish contact with Kala Jathedi using a dongle for internet on his phone.

Sources said he was trying to contact Jathedi to seek forgiveness. Even after his arrest by a Special Cell team led by Inspector Shivkumar, Inspector Karambir and supervised by ACP Attar Singh, Kumar reportedly begged police to save him from Jathedi’s men in jail, suggesting he failed to strike a truce with the dreaded gangster while he was on the run for 18 days.

“These people, who I am up against, are criminal-minded people and I will suffer at their hands,” Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing the accused, told the court on behalf of Sushil Kumar. Luthra informed the court that Sonu present during the brawl is a history-sheeter and is a member of a gang headed by Kala Jathedia.

What is the connection between Sushil Kumar and gangster Kala Jathedi?

It may be recalled that on May 4, a quarrel took place between Sushil Kumar, Ajay, Sonu, Sagar, Prince, and others in the parking area of the Chhatrasal Stadium. 

The accused Sonu, who has 19 cases of murder, extortion and robbery lodged against him, is Kala Jathedia’s nephew. As reported by Navbharat Times, Jathedi treated Sonu like his son and carried out large-scale land grabbing and extortion in Delhi through Sonu and other associates.

Sushil Kumar had allegedly joined hands with Jathedi and through him, obtained a flat in M2-Block of northwest Delhi’s Model Town, where the purported incident took place on May 4.

This flat was being used to shelter criminals belonging to the Jathedi-Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who hatched many criminal plots there. According to reports, Kumar had formulated an understanding with the gangsters, according to which all the land grabbing and extortion proceeds would be distributed equally amongst Kumar and Jathedi.

However, in the last few months, Kumar had established proximity with Jathedi’s rival gangs, including henchmen of jailed gangsters Neeraj Bawana and Naveen Bali, which created distrust leading to drift between Kumar and Jathedi.

When Jathedi pressed Kumar for money and sale of the flat in M2-Block of northwest Delhi’s Model Town, the latter asked Sagar, who was living in the flat then, to vacate the premises.

This miffed the gang members of Jathedi, who started foul mouthing Kumar publicly. Enraged by this, Kumar challenged Sagar and his associates for a face-off. Sonu was convinced until then that Kumar would not cross lines given Jathedi’s clout. However, Kumar, known for being short-tempered, took the help of Jathadi’s rival gang members to teach a lesson to Sagar and his aides.

For this reason, Kumar asked Prince to record the assault, so that it could be circulated and a strong message could be given out to the members of the Jathedi gang to not mess with him.

However, Sagar’s death prompted Jathedi to declare a full-fledged open war against Kumar and his aide with a threat to eliminate them. According to reports, until his arrest, Jathedi’s men were still in the lookout for Kumar and his associates, to seek revenge for Sagar’s killing. This fear has now compelled Kumar to plead with the police to save him from Jathedi’s men in jail.

A wrestler told the media on the condition of anonymity that Kumar was afraid of being caught by the members of the Jathedi gang. “Sushil had contacted Jathedi but the talks between them were inconclusive. Jathedi had also threatened to kill him and others involved in the incident,” he said. 

The Olympian medalist wrestler is not new to controversy

Sushil Kumar, one of India’s ace wrestlers has a life marred with controversies. In fact, the man who brought India an Olympic silver and bronze from London and Beijing respectively has been one of the country’s most controversial athletes in recent times. Below is a list of Sushil’s trysts with controversies.

Sushil Kumar accused of having a role in spiking Narsingh Pancham Yadav’s food: In 2016, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had chosen Narsingh Pancham Yadav to represent India at the Rio Olympic Games. Sushil moved the Delhi High court seeking the organisation of a trial bout against Narsingh to determine India’s entry in the 74 kg wrestling event at Rio. The court refused Sushil’s demand.

Then when Narsingh Pancham Yadav failed the dope test, he accused Sushil Kumar of having a role in spiking his food. 

The wrestling federation also accused Sushil of being more inclined towards his commercial interests than training and competing.

After all the arguments, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Kumar’s plea for a trial against Narsingh Yadav to decide on a berth in the 74kg category at the Rio Olympic berth. 

Sushil Kumar’s appointment as national observer questioned: In 2017, Sushil’s rival wrestler Narsingh Yadav has objected to Sushil Kumar’s appointment as a national observer, raising conflict of interest allegations in a letter to the Sports Ministry.

Narsingh also questioned how Sushil was appointed observer despite allegations of sabotage levelled against him before Rio Olympics, which led to four years of suspension for the Mumbai-based wrestler.

Sushil Kumar received three walkovers en route to gold: Sushil Kumar had received three walkovers before he was crowned the new national champion in the 74-kg category in November 2017 raising eyebrows at his national win. Sushil had qualified to represent his employers, Railways Sports Promotion Board, for the Nationals without a single bout. The manner in which he had then became the national champion was termed more a political victory rather than performance.

During the 2018 Commonwealth Games trials, when Sushil Kumar beat Praveen Rana in the final, the latter claimed that Kumar’s supporters beat him and his elder brother “for daring to take the ring” against him.

Rana also alleged that Sushil’s supporters have given him death threats and dared him to participate in the upcoming Pro Wrestling League.

The Delhi Police had then registered an FIR under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code against wrestler Sushil Kumar on charges of attacking Parveen Rana and his brother Naveen.

Feuds with co wrestlers and coaches: Kumar also had a feud with wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, who won the Bronze Medal for the country along with Sushil at the London Olympics. Yogeshwar used to train at the Chhatrasal Stadium itself. Due to a dispute with Sushil, he left the Chhatrasal Stadium after the London Olympics. Apart from Yogeshwar, other wrestlers namely, Jeetendra Kumar and Praveen also left the Chhatrasal Stadium. Apart from these, wrestler Bajrang Punia, who won the medal in the World Wrestling Championship, also left the Chhatrasal Stadium due to the controversy.

Sushil’s dispute has not only been with the players but fed up with his behavior, many coaches have too left the Chhatrasal Stadium. Coach Ramphal left the Chhatrasal Stadium after the London Olympics. At the same time, 6 months ago, Virender Singh, who was considered to be Sushil’s special, also kept away from Sushil due to controversy.

Sushil Kumar accused of deliberately injuring fellow wrestler: During the trial bout for the 2019 World Championship, Sushil was accused of deliberately punching wrestler Jeetendra in the eye. In the trials held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in 2019, Jitendra faced Sushil in the final.

During the bout, Sushil allegedly first twisted Jeetendra’s finger, then punched his left eye. Jeetendra had then told the media that the injury he suffered stopped him from making an appearance for a while. 

The recent brawl leading to the murder of Sagar Rana: On May 4, an incident of a brawl among some wrestlers namely, Sushil Kumar, Ajay, Sonu, Sagar, Prince, and others were reported at Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi. In the incident, Sagar Rana succumbed to his injuries and Olympian Sushil Kumar was named as one of the accused in the case.

Sushil Kumar travelled between Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana while trying to evade arrest

Police said that Kumar had been travelling between Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana while trying to evade arrest. The wrestler had spent May 5 and 6 at a yoga guru’s ashram in Haridwar, sources said. During his bid to evade arrest, the wrestler kept switching his mobile phone off and made WhatsApp calls to connect with his aides. It is also suspected that he was helped by his friends and some gangsters to stay off the grid.

The use of a dongle to browse the internet on a mobile phone, which was without a SIM card, helped police narrow their search. Apart from this, human intelligence also played a major role in the arrest.

At least 14 teams from different units of Delhi Police, including northwest district and Special Cell, had been chasing Kumar ever since he went into hiding.

Wrestler’s political connections questioned

Wondering who gave shelter to Sushil Kumar while he traveled between Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana to evade arrest, the deceased Sagar Rana’s uncle Anand, opined that Delhi police should thoroughly investigate who provided shelter to Kumar despite a reward on his head. He also said that his links with high-profile politicians who are providing tactical support to Kumar should be brought to the fore.

Delhi police arrest Olympian medalist wrestler

Sushil Kumar has now been arrested and sent to 6-day police custody. Kumar had been absconding since the shootout and the Delhi Police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information that leads to his arrest. 

The Delhi Police had registered a case under Sections 302, 365, 120B of the Indian Penal Code. Sushil Kumar’s associate Ajay Kumar, who had been accompanying the wrestler ever since Sagar Rana’s murder has also been arrested. One of the accused identified as 24-years-old Prince Dalal was arrested shortly after the incident. 

Sagar succumbed to his injuries at the hospital while Amit and Sonu are undergoing treatment.

Madurai couple get married inside chartered SpiceJet flight, DGCA seeks reports from airlines, airport authorities

OpIndia Staff
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Madurai couple get married inside chartered SpiceJet flight, DGCA seeks reports from airlines, airport authorities

After the videos and images of a couple from Madurai tying the knot mid-air on board a chartered flight went viral on social media, the DGCA has called for an inquiry into the matter. The airline has been directed to lodge a complaint against those who flouted the Covid-19 protocols with relevant authorities.

In a bizarre incident amidst the pandemic, a couple booked a private SpiceJet chartered flight for a duration of two hours from Madurai Airport to Bengaluru for getting married mid-air. 

Soon, the video of the entire function with the guests blessing the couple from their designated seats went viral on social media.

Video of mid-air marriage ceremony. Source: ABP News

The businessman who booked the flight for the marriage asked all the 160 guests on board for the marriage to carry a negative Covid-19 report.

However, it is well known that to travel by plane one has to mask up, wear the face shield and the PPE suit. But not more than two guests can be seen following the protocols in the viral video. Let alone face shields or gloves, most can be seen with no masks or masks lowered to their chins. 

There was very little scope to maintain social distancing too with the guests packed and cramped in the flight. 

The viral video has now invited trouble for not just the airline but even the airport authorities who claim they were unaware of the mid-air marriage ceremony. 

As per reports, the crew in the SpiceJet flight have been off-roastered.

Madurai Airport director, S. Senthil Valavan, in a statement to ANI said, “A SpiceJet chartered flight was booked yesterday from Madurai. Airport authority officials were unaware of the mid-air marriage ceremony.”

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