The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has imposed a penalty exceeding ₹3.44 crore on BBC World Service India for violations of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regulations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Additionally, three of its directors—Giles Antony Hunt, Indu Shekhar Sinha, and Paul Michael Gibbons—have each been fined over ₹1.14 crore each.
In addition to the principal penalty, BBC WS India faces a daily fine of ₹5,000 for each day after October 15, 2021, until compliance is achieved. The directors were fined for their roles in overseeing company operations during the period of contravention. BBC WS India violated the FEMA norms by not reducing its FDI to 26%.
An ED official told the media, “We have issued an adjudication order on Friday, levying a penalty of ₹3,44,48,850 on BBC WS India, along with a fine of ₹5000 for every day after 15.10.2021 till the date of compliance, for violation of provisions of FEMA (foreign exchange management act), 1999.”
The officer further added, “additionally, directors – Giles Antony Hunt, Indu Shekhar Sinha, and Paul Michael Gibbons have each been fined ₹1,14,82,950 for their roles in overseeing company operations during the period of contravention”.
The adjudication proceedings commenced following a show-cause notice issued on August 4, 2023, to BBC WS India, its three directors, and the finance head for various contraventions under FEMA. The ED’s investigation revealed that BBC WS India, a company with 100% FDI, continued to engage in uploading and streaming news and current affairs through digital media without reducing its FDI to the mandated 26% cap. This cap was stipulated by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in Press Note 4, issued on September 18, 2019, which requires digital media entities to limit FDI to 26% under the government approval route.
The ED initiated its FEMA probe against BBC India in April 2023, following findings from an Income Tax Department survey conducted in February 2023. The survey suggested discrepancies between the income reported by BBC’s various entities and the scale of their operations in India, indicating potential tax evasion on certain remittances.
As of now, BBC has not issued a public statement regarding the ED’s recent adjudication order.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday criticised Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remark on Kashmir and said that it has lodged a strong protest with the Turkish ambassador.
Turkish President Erdogan last week reiterated support for Pakistan on Kashmir and called for UN dialogue to address the issue during his visit to Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported.
In a weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We reject such objectionable comments on matters that are eternal to India. We have lodged a strong protest with the Turkish ambassador. Such unwarranted statements on India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty are unacceptable.”
Jaiswal asserted that J-K is an integral part of India and mentioned that Pakistan’s cross border terrorism policy against India remains the biggest threat to the people of UT.
“Jammu and Kashmir are integral parts of India. It would have been better if Pakistan’s policy of using cross-border terrorism against India, which remains the biggest threat to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, has been called out,” Jaiswal said.
According to The Express Tribune, Turkiye President Erdogan praised Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and reiterated Turkiye’s unwavering support for Pakistan on international issues, including the Kashmir dispute.
He affirmed Turkiye’s solidarity with Kashmiris and called for resolving the conflict through dialogue under UN resolutions.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude for Turkiye’s consistent support on Kashmir. He said the partnership between the two nations is built on compassion and mutual respect.
Meanwhile, following the death of a 20-year-old Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha, Randhir Jaiswal expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the safety and well-being of all international students.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of the Nepali student at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and convey our heartfelt condolences. The Government of India accords high priority to the safety, security, and well-being of all international students in the country. The MEA has been in constant touch with the Odisha government and KIIT authorities since the matter and this situation came to light,” Jaiswal said while addressing a media briefing in Delhi.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Thursday (20th February), Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav announced that he would send a Hindi copy of a ‘Harvard study’ on the 2013 Kumbh Mela to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Yadav suggested that Yogi Adityanath did not know how to read English and was therefore sending a Hindi copy of a study, which the Samajwadi leader believed praised his administration for organising the Kumbh Mela 12 years ago.
“The Kumbh study by Harvard University was sent to the Chief Minister through the Speaker…It was in English…Now, I am sending a Hindi version for him to read.”
Failure to prevent the infamous stampede during the 2013 Kumbh Mela
OpIndia reviewed the 448-page book [pdf] titled ‘Kumbh Mela: Documenting the Ephemeral MEGACITY.’ Conducted by the Harvard University South Asia Institute (SAI), it found several lapses and mismanagement on the part of the then-state government.
For instance, the study noted that the government failed to prevent the stampede which took place on 10th February 2013 and claimed 42 lives.
At that time, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Congress was in power at the Centre. The criticism is highlighted in Pages 162-167 of the study. The relevant text is highlighted below:
Page 162
A great number of resources were once again marshaled to prevent stampedes at the 2013 Kumbh Mela. Yet, on February 10, on Mauni Amavasya, the most auspicious bathing day, when thirty million visits were reported at the Sangam, a stampede at the Allahabad railway station resulted in thirty- six dead and twice as many injured.
Page 163
A significant number of additional trains had been deployed on previous auspicious bathing days prior to this date, but had not been utilized to capacity. Fearing further financial losses, the federally run Railway Ministry had cut back on the number of trains requested by the Kumbh Mela police for the main bathing day.
Page 164
The security forces policing the city belonged to four different units—the city police, the state police, the federal Rapid Action Force, and the Indian Army, each of which functioned independently without a joint incident commander coordinating response at the scene, as is warranted during such mass casualty incidents.
The lack of coordinated triage and dispersal resulted in all patients arriving at the nearest tertiary facility. Since the government had instructed the hospital that no one be turned away, less acute cases often blocked up the hospital beds, and sicker patients, arriving later had to be sent forth to more distant hospitals.
The stampede was not a freak accident as it was made out to be, but was rather the inevitable result of rigid, centralized planning. The lone footbridge that bore the crush of pilgrims on February.
Page 165
The lone footbridge that bore the crush of pilgrims on February 10, 2013, quite literally represented the weak link between various arms of government, each individually committed to the Kumbh Mela’s success, yet inefficient together
Page 166
The 2013 Kumbh Mela stampede was a highly visible and highly reported event.
Page 167
The crowd mitigation strategies worked successfully throughout the Kumbh Mela except on the day of the stampede, when they probably mattered the most. Again, the system collapsed under stress. Weighed down by its bureaucracy and inflexibility, the administration was unable to generate the rapid and efficient response the injured warranted.
Poor sanitation at the 2013 Kumbh Mela
The book noted that sanitation facilities provided by the State government during the 2013 Kumbh Mela did not cover a significant number of devotees. As a result, there was large-scale prevalence of Open Defecation. Here are some of the observations made in the study.
Page 84
Needless to say, it is unlikely that the sanitation facilities serve all attendees. If we consider that they were used sixteen hours a day, then each person would need to evacuate in 2.5 minutes. It is for this reason that we can assume that much of the defecation will be done out in the open, leading to major health concerns.
Page 154
In spite of reasonably fairwater and sanitation facilities, the threat of the spread of food-borne disease was real and high. People ate in close quarters, shared very large communal meals, ate with their hands, and had poor hand hygiene.
Large-scale pollution at the event organised by Akhilesh Yadav govt
The book by Harvard University South Asia Institute (SAI) noted how Swami Chidananda launched his own initiative after witnessing the effectiveness of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP), which is headed by PM and CM of States (including Akhilesh Yasdav) where Ganga flows.
It further pointed out the failure of the State government to provide adequate sanitation and minimise pollution and waste. The book acknowledges that the Akhilesh Yadav government failed on the front of tackling pollution despite dubbing the festival as ‘Green Kumbh.’
Page 44
The internationally known teacher, Swami Chidananda from Paramarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh, launched a series of green initiatives. Noting the ineffectiveness of the Government of India’s Ganga Action Plan, Chidananda took the GAP acronym for the Ganga Action Parivar (parivar meaning “family”).
Page 349
The 2013 Kumbh Mela was also coined the “Green Kumbh.”…But there was also much physical waste revealed ex post, and much room for improvement, as the numerous activists made vociferously clear. The extensive electrical power and the universal use of pit toilets, plus the millions of humans bathing in the two rivers, were not particularly sustainable.
Page 352
Minimal sanitation, as witnessed by environmental pollution and waste
Page 354
Sadly, no action on pollution despite rhetoric that this was the “Green Kumbh.” Massive debris left over after Kumbh ended. (FAILING IN OUR VIEW)
Failure in combating health challenges
The book noted that despite spending a sizeable budget on providing healthcare facilities at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, much of the effort was wasted on ‘sub optimal care.’ It highlighted the need for an extensive arrangement to meet supply and demand of public health needs.
The study also pointed out how the government missed the opportunity to track data on the patients, which could have had a positive impact on the healthcare system in the State. Here are some of the excerpts from the book.
Page 159
A sizeable portion of the mela budget is spent on healthcare; yet, most of it is wasted on providing sub-optimal care. The large healthcare infrastructure could perhaps be better utilized to implement much needed public health interventions
Page 167
Healthcare delivery may be improved by paying closer attention to matching supply with demand, adopting clinical or public health policies backed by evidence, and taking advantage of the access to the mela’s captive population by implementing much needed public health messaging and interventions.
Page 349
The overarching thought we hear most is if you had real-time numbers about location, personal profiles, and individual health, what would you do with the knowledge? India could use the information from the largest group of people ever assembled. This was christened the “Big Data Kumbh,” in that the authorities were awash in data, although data management seems to have played a minimal role in orchestrating the event.
Conclusion
While it is true that a section of the book praises some of the actions of the State government, it in no way eulogies Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for organising the 2013 Kumbh Mela. The Samajwadi Party leader seems to be under the impression that the study found no evidence of mismanagement across health, pollution, security and sanitation. As such, he is seen challenging incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with his own make-believe inferences about what the book by Harvard University entails.
In a flagrant display of callousness, the terrorist organisation Hamas held an exhibition ceremony of the coffins carrying the remains of four Israeli hostages in central Gaza on 20th February. The bodies were said to be of Shiri Bibas, her two sons Ariela Bibas and Kfir Bibas and a veteran peace activist Oded Lifshitz who were taken hostage during the ghastly attacks carried out by Hamas on Israel on 7th October, 2023. The hostages were 32 years old, 4 years old, 9 months old and 83 years old respectively at the time they were captured. Yarden Bibas, father of Ariel Bibas and Kfir Bibas, was released by Hamas on 1st February.
Four black coffins were placed on a podium for display with loud music blaring in the background. The podium had a background poster showing the pictures of the dead hostages and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The poster read “The war criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi Army killed them missiles from Zionist warplanes”. The podium was surrounded by masked men carrying lethal weapons. A huge mass of people had also gathered to witness the ceremony. This is the first time that Hamas has released the remains of dead hostages.
The caskets of Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas (5), and Kfir Bibas (1) have been paraded across a stage with Hamas terrorists to cheering Gazan “civilians” surrounded by terrorist propaganda.
Hamas is openly and publicly celebrating that they kidnapped and murdered an… pic.twitter.com/OVL4UGnZxD
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of the bodies of the hostages by Hamas. Red Cross, which received the bodies of the hostages from Hamas, expressed concern that the release was not done privately and in a dignified manner.
Israel says the body returned was not of an Israeli hostage
Israel accused the terrorist organisation Hamas of breaching the ceasefire deal after finding that the body returned by Hamas on Thursday was not that of Shiri Bibas. In a statement posted on X on Friday (21st February), the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that it was revealed during the identification of the four bodies that the body of Shiri Bibas was not among them.
“During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received was not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage. This is an anonymous, unidentified body. This is a violation of utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organisation, which is obligated under the agreement to return four deceased hostages. We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all our hostages, “the IDF wrote.
The IDF alleged that the forensic assessment of the bodies revealed that the two kids were brutally murdered in November 2023. “According to the assessment of professional officials, based on the intelligence available to us and forensic findings from the identification process, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were brutally murdered by terrorists in captivity in November 2023,” the IDF said.
Hamas claims the Bibas family was killed by Israeli airstrikes
Responding to the IDF’s claim regarding the unidentified body, Hamas said that it would examine the allegations seriously. A Hamas official named Ismail al-Thawabteh reportedly claimed that Shiri’s body “turned into pieces after apparently being mixed with other bodies under the rubble”. Hamas claimed that Shiri Bibas and her two kids were killed in an Israeli airstrike. “We also point out the possibility of an error or overlap regarding the bodies, which may have resulted from the occupation targeting and bombing the place where the family was with other Palestinians,” a Hamas statement reportedly published on Telegram said. The terrorist organisation demanded Israel to return the unidentified body claiming it to be of a Gazan woman.
Under the ceasefire deal signed between Israel and Hamas on 15th January 2025, the terrorist organisation had agreed to release 33 hostages in exchange for 1,900 prisoners within the first six weeks of the ceasefire. Israel was expecting that 8 bodies would be handed over. So far, twenty-eight hostages and over 1000 prisoners have been exchanged.
On October 7, 2023, around 1200 people were reportedly killed in the attack carried out by Hamas on Israel. Around 251 people were taken hostage in Gaza. Sixty-six hostages are reportedly still being held in Gaza.
On Friday (Feb 21), the Indian Express published an “investigative” report claiming that USAID funding of 21 million dollars for voter turnout did not go to India, but to neighbouring Bangladesh.
The report was published in the wake of serious allegations faced by the Indian National Congress party of using alleged external influence in India’s electoral process and tipping the scales in its favour.
The controversy erupted after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), United States, published a post on X announcing a list of funding initiatives that were recently stopped or cancelled. According to the list posted by DOGE, $486 million was given to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), which included $21 million for ‘voter turnout’ in India—equivalent to ₹182 crore as per today’s USD to INR value.
Later, US President Donald Trump reacted to the development, lashing out at the outgoing Biden administration for pumping money into India for “getting someone else elected.” Mr. Trump voiced these statements during the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Notably, Trump doubled down against the Biden government in yet another public event, labelling ’21 million dollars for voter turnout in India a kickback scheme and questioning the need for such financial assistance to India. He also highlighted $29 million designated for Bangladesh’s political affairs and $19 million for Nepal’s biodiversity, making Indian Express’ ‘fact-check’ even more foolish.
“$21 million for voter turnout in India—why are we even concerned about their turnout? We have enough issues of our own. We should be focusing on our own voter turnout, shouldn’t we? Can you believe all that money going there? I wonder what they think when they receive it. It’s a kickback scheme. They don’t just get and spend the money; they send it back to the people who allocated it. In many cases, when no one understands what’s happening, it usually means there’s a kickback involved,” he said.
“$29 million allocated to enhance Bangladesh’s political landscape—whatever that means. Nobody knows what they mean by ‘political landscape.’ What does that even refer to? Then there’s $20 million for fiscal federalism and $19 million for biodiversity in Nepal, along with $47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia. Why should I care about any of this?” Trump added.
Indian Express’ misleading fact check on USAID funding for external interference in India
Barely hours after allegations of receiving kickbacks—a form of corruption that leaders of the Indian National Congress have been accused of in the past—began swirling, the Indian Express rustled out an “investigative” report claiming that USAID grants meant for voter turnout was not for India, but for Bangladesh.
The newspaper ironically agreed to the fact that DOGE’s list of cancelled grants included a $29.9-million USAID funding to Bangladesh (which was mentioned both by Donald Trump and the official tweet by DOGE).
Later, it went on to claim that DOGE and Trump mistook ‘Bangladesh’ for ‘India’ over the $21 million grant. The Indian Express claimed that the funds for ‘voter turnout’ in India were given to Bangladesh about 2.5 years ago.
This confidence with which the Indian daily touted their ‘fact-check’ is astonishing, given that both USAID and CEPPS have shut down their respective websites. At the same time, DOGE has not yet responded to the claims.
Throughout the article, The Indian Express failed to provide any direct evidence that could rule out the fact that no US federal agency projects were meant to ensure ‘voter turnout’ during Indian elections.
The report said that in 2022, USAID sanctioned a grant to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) for the “Amar Vote Amar” (My Vote is Mine) program in Bangladesh, later renamed the “Nagorik” (Citizen) program.
Jay Mazoomdaar a staff at ICIJ, which in turn is a part of OCCRP
Even as The Indian Express published a grossly misleading “fact-check” to downplay external interference in Indian elections, the rather intriguing part is the author of the article and his links to USAID and the US deep state, making it an unambiguous case of direct conflict of interest.
The Indian Express article is authored by Jay Mazoomdaar. Interestingly, Mazoomdaar is a part of the International Committee of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), an international organisation with journalist affiliates worldwide, including India.
ICIJ, in turn, is a partner of Open Society-funded Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which although poses as a non-partisan organisation, is funded by the likes of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF), the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, according to information available on its website suggests.
OCCRP funded by George Soros’s Open Society and USAID
OCCRP, founded in 2007 in Bosnia’s capital city Sarajevo by a ‘journalist’ named Drew Sullivan, has always been operating in cahoots with the US government. It has spread its ‘network of journalists’ to every continent and has connections to 50 media partners.
In a report published in December 2024, OpIndia highlighted how OCCRP received significant funding from U.S. government agencies, including USAID and the State Department, as well as from organizations like the Open Society Foundations. The link between OCCRP and USAID makes it crystal clear that the grant it receives may influence OCCRP’s reporting, potentially serving U.S. government interests and propagating specific narratives against foreign governments and corporations. And its past attack on the Adani Group only reinforces the belief that it is a mercenary organisation doing the bidding of its masters.
The conflicting reports surrounding USAID’s $21 million voter turnout grant raise serious questions about foreign influence in India’s electoral process. While The Indian Express attempted to dismiss concerns, its report lacked concrete evidence and was authored by an individual with clear ties to USAID-linked organisations, representing a compelling case of conflict of interest.
On Thursday (20th February), as many as 1000 Chinese nationals were airlifted from Myanmar to China after being rescued from online scam centres. In recent days, thousands of Chinese nationals who were lured to Thailand on the pretext of jobs and trafficked into Myanmar, have been rescued and repatriated as a part of a crackdown on online scam centres in Myanmar.
These Chinese nationals were forced to carry out romance and investment scams among others. Karen Border Guard Force, a group allied with Myanmar’s military government has announced that it will be deporting all these Chinese nationals from the Myanmar-Thailand border region.
Among those rescued some victims are from India and East Africa, as per the Myanmarese authorities. In December 2024, 6 Indian nationals who were trapped in a job scam were released for deportation back to India. So far, hundreds of Indians have been rescued and deported to India.
The rescued individuals were moved across the border from Myawaddy, Myanmar, to Mae Sot, Thailand. From there, they were flown back to China on chartered flights operated by China Southern Airlines.
The first group of 200 Chinese nationals departed on 20th February, with some flight landing in Nanjing, China, rather than the pre-decided Yunnan Province. The Chinese state media labelled these returnees as “fraud suspects” with visuals of them being handcuffed also emerging on social media.
Deported Chinese nationals handcuffed as they arrived in China (Image via Xinhua)
Notably, Thailand, China and Myanmar are working together to end the menace of online scam centres around the Thailand-Myanmar border. As per the UN estimates, around 1,20,000 people are working in these scam centres operated by criminal gangs taking advantage of instability in Myanmar.
Around 1 lakh people are trapped in similar scam compounds in Cambodia and many in other such centres in Southeast Asia.
Reports say that nearly 7000 people rescued from scam centres in Myanmar are awaiting transfer to Thailand for repatriation to their home countries. Last week, around 260 victims from 20 nations including China, Kenya, and Ethiopia among others were transferred to Thailand.
The recent action against online scam facilities and criminal gangs in the Thailand-Myanmar region began after Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to Thailand in January, on the pretext of getting a role in a film. Xing was trafficked across the border to Myanmar, however, he was rescued soon after. This incident sparked a discussion on social media about these scam centres etc.
Modus operandi of scamsters
The scamsters defrauded their victims through romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes. The victims are manipulated into sending money or investing in fraudulent schemes often involving cryptocurrency and fake trading platforms. Besides, several online platforms operated from these scam centres trick users into betting money, with the operations rigged to ensure losses.
40,000 Chinese nationals involved in online scams were deported in 2023
Notably, this is not the first wave of repatriations. Back in 2023, China repatriated over 4o,000 of its citizens from scam facilities in northern Shan State after ethnic insurgent victories disrupted syndicate activities.
As OpIndia reported back in December 2023, in addition to being a centre for the trafficking of crystal methamphetamine, the northern Shan State in Myanmar is also home to numerous other illicit operations in outposts along the Chinese border. These activities are fuelled by the continuous military conflict and civil turmoil under the junta that took control of the state in a coup in 2021. Being surrounded by China, the northern Shan state has developed into a hub for Chinese scammers preying on their own people.
Between early September and mid-December 2023, more than 40,000 Chinese people were detained and deported in connection to the online scam operations.
A 24-year-old man who was charged with raping a 14-year-old girl was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on 17th February. The court noted that the victim ‘voluntarily’ stayed with the accused for four days and had ‘sufficient knowledge’ and ‘capacity’ to understand the ‘full consequence of her acts’. The decision was pronounced by the bench of Justice Milind Jadhav.
He took into account the underage girl’s claims that she had a consensual affair with the accused and added that she was conscious of her conduct. She had also mentioned that she spent more than three days and three nights with him. Additionally, he emphasized that although while the penalties outlined in Sections 4, 6, and 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act are severe, the court could nevertheless grant or deny bail in order to uphold the objectives of justice.
The court stated, “According to victim both of them known to each other for the past 2 years prior to the incident and had developed a love relation with each other. Insofar as the incident is concerned all that is stated in the statements as per record is that for three days and three nights. The victim wandered along with the applicant and on the 3rd night he ravished her modesty and committed assault on her. Prima facie the statement appears to be suspect.”
“The conduct of the prosecution in this case is indicative of the fact that she left her home without informing her parents by her own will and also stayed with applicant for 4 days. No doubt that the prosexutrix under the purview of POCSO Act is a minor, however the facts of the present case indicate that she had sufficient knowledge and capacity to know the full import of her actions and what she was doing and had only thereafter voluntarily joined and stayed with the applicant for 4 days,” he declared.
Additionally, she had altered her account regarding the exact date of the occurrence, the court noted. It further mentioned that aside from that, it was evident that she was well known to the man because he had previously worked at the same hotel where her father was employed “and in fact on reading the statements of witnesses which have been recorded out of which one witness statement is of the hotel owner it is seen that he had also warned the applicant during one of the three days during which she was missing on call.”
The accused was warned that he would lose his job if he persisted in having relationship with the girl and the court stated, “Therefore on reading of the FIR it is prima facie seen is that the father of victim was aware about her love relationship with the applicant.”
The bench pointed out that numerous rulings from the Supreme Court and other courts have supported the release of juvenile offenders on bail pending trial in order to prevent the regressive consequences of the jail environment and to keep in mind the best interest principle in the specific case at hand. As a mitigating circumstance, the court highlighted that the victim was not violently harmed and that the perpetrator had no past criminal history.
“Insofar as the present case is concerned, it is seen that victim has left her parents’ house without informing the parents and has stayed with Applicant for 3 days and 3 nights as also she has confessed that she was in love with the applicant and travelled alongwith him to different places and had a consensual encounter,” the judge conveyed. The culprit, who was caught in 2019 at the age of 19, had already served more than five years, two months, and twenty-three days in prison, which was also considered by the court before granting him bail under certain conditions including “bond in the sum of Rs. 15,000 with one or two sureties in the like amount.”
What’s in the FIR
It was the minor’s father who filed the complaint. According to the First Information, the teenager was living in Malad at the time told him that she was going to visit her married sister who was staying in Andheri. After four days without hearing from her, he contacted his younger daughter to find out about the victim’s whereabouts. When the former arrived, she told him that the girl went to the older sister’s home on the first day but had departed immediately and never returned. According to the father, he discovered his daughter and the applicant wandering about Juhu Chowpatti four days later and brought her home after which the official complaint was registered.
After withdrawing from global bodies like WHO and the UN Human Rights Council, the Trump administration may withdraw the United States from the United Nations itself. Republican lawmakers have already introduced legislation advocating for the withdrawal citing the UN’s failure to promote American interests and aligning with Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Spearheaded by Senator Mike Lee of Utah, the “Disengaging Entirely from the United Nations Debacle (DEFUND) Act” aims to terminate U.S. membership and funding to the UN and its affiliated bodies.
Introducing the bill on February 20, Senator Lee expressed concerns that the UN operates contrary to American interests and sovereignty. Rep. Chip Roy will introduce the bill in the House on Friday. He said that the U.N. and its bodies don’t advance the interests of Americans. Several other Republican lawmakers co-sponsored the legislation.
“The United Nations has devolved into a platform for tyrants and a venue to attack America and her allies. We should stop paying for it. As President Trump revolutionizes our foreign policy by putting America first, we should withdraw from this sham organization and prioritize real alliances that keep our country safe and prosperous,” Lee said in a statement.
“No more blank checks for the United Nations. Americans’ hard-earned dollars have been funnelled into initiatives that fly in the face of our values, enabling tyrants, betraying allies, and spreading bigotry,” Lee added. He further said, “The DEFUND Act would stop all forms of U.S. financial support to the UN and hold this wayward organization accountable for placating Hamas terrorists and the Chinese Communist Party.”
This legislative move reflects a growing sentiment among certain political factions that question the efficacy and alignment of international organizations with U.S. policies. Notably, US is the biggest donor of the UN, which gave over $18 billion in the year 2022. US donation is around one-third of the UN budget.
Chip Roy said, “The United Nations has enjoyed American tax money while often undermining our interests, attacking our allies and bolstering our adversaries.” Calling the UN a corrupt globalist organization, he said that it has failed to prevent wars, genocides, human rights violations and even pandemics for decades.
“No sane country would stand for this,” Roy said in his statement.
This initiative aligns with a series of recent actions by the Trump administration to distance the U.S. from various international agreements and organizations. Notably, on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14162, titled “Putting America First In International Environmental Agreements,” which directed the immediate withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. This marked the second time the U.S. had exited the accord, with the administration citing concerns over economic impacts and perceived unfair burdens on American industries.
The administration also reinstated the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) shortly after the inauguration. The Trump administration’s stance is rooted in criticisms of the WHO’s handling of incidents of health crisis including the pandemic and a desire to prioritize national interests in public health policy.
Additionally, on February 3, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the UN Human Rights Council and halting funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). These actions were justified by allegations of bias against Israel and concerns over the council’s effectiveness in addressing human rights abuses.
Notably, UNRWA has come under fire from even Democrats for being partial to Palestinians in the war. Notably, several UNRWA officials have been found to be involved in terror activities of the Hamas, and several such officials have been killed by Isarel in action.
Ironically, while Republican lawmakers push to sever ties with the UN, the organization’s headquarters remains located in New York City.
Historically, proposals for the U.S. to withdraw from the UN have surfaced periodically. Legislation such as the “American Sovereignty Restoration Act” has been introduced multiple times since 1997, though it has consistently faced minimal support and failed to advance. The current DEFUND Act represents the latest effort in this ongoing debate over the U.S.’s role in international organizations.
Actor Swara Bhasker on Friday (February 21) was forced to express regret after she found herself in the eye of a raging storm over her comments belittling the sacrifices made by Hindus, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his intrepid son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
Perhaps realising the challenges that entail electoral politics, Bhasker, who was recently seen canvassing for her husband, Fahad Ahmad, expressed regret over her post on Chhava, a Bollywood movie depicting the heroic life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
“My tweet has sparked significant discussion and, unfortunately, some misunderstandings. I have the utmost respect for the courageous legacy and contributions of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, particularly his principles of social justice and respect for women,” Bhasker tweeted in a long-winded post on X.
My tweet has generated much debate & avoidable misunderstanding. Without any doubt I respect the brave legacy and contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.. especially his ideas of social justice & respect for women. My limited point is that glorifying our history is great… https://t.co/YKk1QgiQRG
Prevaricating about her post that sparked social media outrage, Bhasker said, “My limited point is that glorifying our history is great but please don’t misuse the glory of the past to hide the mistakes & failures of present times. Historical understanding should always be used to unite people & not to divide and divert attention from current issues.”
“If my earlier tweet has hurt any sentiments that is regretted.. Like any other proud Indian, I am also proud of our history. Our history should unite us and give us strength to fight for a better and more inclusive future,” Bhasker concluded, tapping into leftwing tropes of “inclusion” and “unity” to discredit online criticism directed at them.
Bhasker was cut to size by social media users for her atrocious remarks denying documented atrocities meted out on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj by Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb and his forces with her comments on Vicky Kaushal starter Chhaava, a movie that portrays the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son, Sambhaji Maharaj.
A society that is more enraged at the heavily embellished partly fictionalised filmy torture of Hindus from 500 years ago than they are at the horrendous death by stampede & mismanagement + then alleged JCB bulldozer handling of corpses – is a brain & soul-dead society. #IYKYK
“A society that is more enraged at the heavily embellished partly fictionalised filmy torture of Hindus from 500 years ago than they are at the horrendous death by stampede & mismanagement + then alleged JCB bulldozer handling of corpses – is a brain & soul-dead society. #IYKYK” Bhasker had tweeted, drawing fierce criticism online, with several social media users asking the former actor to read history and acquaint herself with the bloody legacy of the Muslim invaders who held Hindus captive, took their women as slaves, tortured them over refusal to convert to Islam, usurped their places of temples and raised mosques over them to humiliate them and break their moral resolve to fight against the Islamist forces.
However, Bhasker’s latest post following online criticism reveals she hasn’t had the realisation she is pretending to have acquired from the opprobrium on social media. If anything, her convoluted post only betrays the political compulsions a budding politician’s wife undertakes to ensure her loud-mouthing on social media doesn’t hurt the electoral fortunes of her partner.
Vicky Khaushal’s recent film, “Chhaava,” which is based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second Maratha emperor, had the largest opening of 2025 and his career to date. The story recounts the Maratha warrior’s bravery as he persisted in following his father, the great Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj and eventually made the ultimate sacrifice for Dharma during his fight against the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb. The film has a remarkable net collection of Rs. 219.75 crore in India after a successful seven-day run. It also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna in pivotal roles.
As anticipated, the project evoked strong feelings in viewers, who were observed crying after seeing Sambhaji’s painful, valiant journey on the silver screen. Some people found it difficult to contain their tears as they left the theaters, while others were in awe of Kaushal’s acting prowess. The film did, however, portrayed a significant chapter of Indian history on the big screen which profoundly affected the people.
Look how people cry after watching cinema on sambhaji maharaj(chaava), how brutally he was tortured by Aurangzeb for not converting to islam?? pic.twitter.com/0xzed5gLzc
— பாஜக சந்திரசேகர்(மோடியின் குடும்பம் ) (@ChandrasekarVi1) February 18, 2025
It should come as no surprise that the film’s popularity and the emotional bond it created with the public rattled Islamists and their supporters, who believe in some imagined greatness of the Mughals, whom many of them regard as their ancestors and take pleasure in the violence Sambhaji endured.
One such tweet was shared by “journalist” Kavish Aziz who wrote, “They are content with their victory in the movie because they were unable to win in real life” and uploaded a scene from the movie that showed a wounded Shambhaji and the sadist Aurangzeb as she referred to the former as the art and the latter as the artist, relishing in the violence.
Small time actress and full time propagandist Swara Bhasker infamous for her anti-Hindu and anti-India antics was also unable to conceal her hatred and lashed out at the Hindus for for taking pride in their heritage. She termed Hindus “a brain and soul-dead society” and defined “Chhaava” as “a heavily embellished partly fictionalized filmy torture of Hindus from 500 years ago,” alleging that people are reacting to a movie rather than being outraged about stampedes and poor management.
The actress was soon schooled by a member of her own pseudo-Liberal cabal, Swati Chaturvedi, who highlighted that she had been a history student from Delhi University and asserted that there was “nothing remotely fictional about the torture inflicted by Aurangzeb on Sambhaji Maharaj” and Bhasker should not “play games with our history.”
Another extremist Muslim praised the brutal Mughal emperor and termed “Chhaava” as “fake Bollywood movie.”
While Islamists and their apologists were being slammed for their highly divisive views and lies, a tweet by Dilip Mandal shed light on the reality of the Mughal-Maratha struggle and the current condition of the descendants of the ‘glorious, victorious Mughals’ in the country. He remarked, “Aurangzeb could not even go back to Delhi because all his might was invested in facing the challenges posed by Maraths. He spent 23 years imprisoned in the Deccan, where he eventually perished. The Mughal Sultanate was reduced to the Red Fort of Delhi in less than 40 years. The Mughal descendants now operate tea stalls and a tailoring cart in Kolkata. Justice of history and time.”
मराठा शौर्य से टकराने में औरंगज़ेब इतना थक गया कि दिल्ली भी न लौट सका। 23 साल दक्कन में फँसा रहा और वहीं मर गया। 40 साल के अंदर मुग़ल सल्तनत दिल्ली के लाल क़िले तक सिमट गया।
मुग़लों का ख़ानदान इन दिनों कोलकाता में चाय की ठेली लगाता है और कपड़े सिलता है।
Destitute heirs of Mughal empire live a life of misery
Sultana Begum is the widow of Mirza Bedar Bukht, Bahadur Shah Zafar II’s great-grandson, who was born in 1920 in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar) and died in 1980 in Kolkata. She married her husband in 1965 when she was just 14 years old and he was older by 32 years. He was a soothsayer and made little money but he was unable to support his family. She had already lived a hard life before becoming a widow and was compelled to relocate to the ghetto where she then resided. “Poverty, fear and lack of resources pushed him to the brink,” she conveyed, according to a 2021 report in Al Jazeera. Her belongings included documents attesting to her marriage to Mirza Mohammad Bedar Bakht.
Begum lived in a small shack with one of her grandchildren and shared a kitchen with her neighbors and used a community tap down the street to wash clothes. She used to run a little tea store close to her house but it was destroyed to expand a road. She then began to receive a pension of Rs 6,000 a month from the Indian government as a legitimate heir of Bahadur Shah Zafar II, as per reports.
Sultana Begun walks by an alley in the locality she lives in Kolkata. (Source: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP)
She informed, “We were living in Taltala and subsisted on the pension he received as the legal heir of Bahadur Shah Zafar II, which was a few hundreds of rupees. In 1984, I shifted to Howrah with my children, trying to raise them single-handedly. After he died, I worked from time to time, running a tea stall, making bangles but now age has caught up and I am confined to bed most of the time,” reported “The Indian Express” in 2024.
She claimed that Bukht was the final recognised direct male descendant of Zafar, who was first granted a British pension. According to her petition, he thereafter received a pension from the “central government, the Nizam and the Hazrat Nizamuddin Trust.” Begum, who stayed in a hutment in Howrah near Kolkata claimed to be in desperate need of money. “I have a son and five daughters. The eldest of my daughters died in 2022, delaying the filing of the appeal. My children remained uneducated, none of them could finish school and we continue to live in penury,” she pointed out.
Begum’s claim over Red Fort
In 2021, Begum staked claim on Red Ford that was once occupied by the Mughal rulers and asserted that she is the heir to their dynasty as she spent many years asking with authorities to acknowledge her royal position and provide her with the compensation after his death in 1980. She filed a lawsuit to be recognized as the legitimate owner of the iconic Red Fort that was once the center of Mughal rule in the 17th century. “I hope the government will definitely give me justice. When something belongs to someone, it should be returned,” she claimed.
“Can you imagine that the descendant of the emperors who built the Taj Mahal now lives in desperate poverty,” Begum further asked. Her argument was based on her assertion that the last monarch to rule, Bahadur Shah Zafar was the ancestor of her late husband. The Mughal empire had dwindled to the limits of the capital by the time of Zafar’s coronation in 1837, following the conquest of India by the East India Company, a British trading enterprise.
When colonial authorities ordered the Red Fort to be renovated around the turn of the 20th century, the complex had fallen into disrepair and many of its buildings had been destroyed in the years after the rebellion. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, marked the country’s independence on August 1947 by raising the national flag from the fort’s ramparts. His successors now carry out the tradition every year.
Sultana Begun works on a garment inside her house in Kolkata. (Source: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP)
The main argument in Begum’s legal battle was that the property, which she alleged should have been inherited, is occupied illegally by the Indian government. However, the Delhi High Court dismissed her plea as a “gross waste of time” and concluded that her legal team had not provided sufficient evidence to explain why Zafar’s descendants had not filed a case of this nature in the 150 years since his exile.
On 20th December 2021, the petition was refused by Justice Rekha Palli’s as the court pronounced, “Even if the petitioner’s case were to be accepted that late Bahadur Shah Zafar II was illegally deprived of his property by the East India Company, as to how the writ petition would be maintainable after such an inordinate delay of over 164 years when it is an admitted position that the petitioner’s predecessors were always aware of this position.”
Begum’s lawyer Vivek More expressed, “She has decided to file a plea before a higher bench of the court challenging the order,” after the verdict as she voiced, “I hope that today, tomorrow or in 10 years, I will get what I’m entitled to. God willing, I will get it back. I’m certain justice will happen.” The suit was filed “in the hope that the government will take note of her and help her out financially.”
According to her, the British unlawfully took control of the Red Fort on 19th September 1857. She contended that she was legally entitled to compensation for the Union government’s alleged unlawful usage of Red Fort, which she inherited from Bahadur Shah Zafar II.
Red Fort (Source: Britannica)
Begum filed an appeal against the 2021 order in last November, arguing that “the Union government is having illegal possession of the Red Fort, which is the appellant’s ancestral property and the government is not willing to give compensation or possession of such property, which is a direct violation of petitioner’s fundamental right and constitutional right.”
However, her bid to take possession of the struture was again not entertained by the Delhi High Court last year. Her appeal against the December 2021 judgment of a high court single judge was denied by a bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, who noted that the challenge was brought more than two and a half years after the decision was pronounced which could not be justified.
Last nail in the coffin of Mughal dynasty
A massive uprising that took place in May 1857 led by freedom fighter Mangal Pandey and is now regarded as India’s first battle of independence witnessed insurgent soldiers name the now-fragile 82-year-old Zafar who was the emperor from 1836 to 1857 as the rebillion’s leader. He was a reluctant leader who knew the disorganized insurrection was doomed.
Sultana Begun holds up a picture of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in her house in Kolkata. (Source: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP)
Within a month, British troops had encircled Delhi and brutally put an end to the uprising, putting all ten of Zafar’s surviving sons to death even though the royal family had surrendered. After being banished and forced to travel under surveillance on a bullock cart to neighboring Myanmar, an improvished Zafar passed away five years later. His death put an end to the lineage of Mughal rulers in India.
The Mughals whose brutality is aptly depicted in “Chhaava” used the money they took from India to build the Red Fort and Taj Mahal, among other buildings. The fundamentalists might take pleasure in their violence and slaughter, but the fringe, frayed remnants of the Mughal dynasty has actually been condemned to a life of abject poverty, and obscurity. On the other hand, the current generations of Shivaji and Sambhaji are elected to the Parliament and lead a proud and honorable life. Perhaps, Dilip Mandal is correct is stating that justice has indeed been served by history and time.
