Dalits and Tribals of the Naxal-affected region have written a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India seeking an interrogation of Justice Shinde, one of the Justices who had recently granted bail to Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence case.
The letter was written by the ‘Communist Hinsa Pidit Adivasi Dalit Sangharsh Committee’, a group based out of Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. In the letter, the committee has asserted that the decision to grant bail to Varavara Rao has angered the Dalit and Tribal victims of Naxal violence.
Source: lawmarathi.com
The committee has mentioned in the letter that Varavara Rao is a Maoist and has openly advocated and supported violent Maoists across the country. It has asked Justice Shinde and his family members to come and live in the Naxal-affected areas and witness the atrocities committed by them.
Besides, the committee has also demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the bail order granted by Justice Shinde to the accused ‘Urban Naxal’ Varavara Rao. It has also asked the apex court to direct the Income Tax Department to investigate Shinde for allegedly possessing illicit assets.
Source: lawmarathi.com
Furthermore, the committee has also urged the top court to appoint a committee of Supreme Court judges to investigate the cases presided over by Justice Shinde so far.
Bombay High Court grants bail to Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence accused Varavara Rao
Last week, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Varavara Rao, an 81-year-old poet-activist and an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, on medical grounds for six months. The order was passed by a bench of justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale.
Rao was arrested in November 2018 along with nine others in relation to the Bhima Koregaon case which was transferred by Pune police to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). In July this 2020, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) had accused Rao of attempting to take undue advantage of the Coronavirus outbreak after he applied for bail on grounds of health.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the Governing Council Bureau of Indian Standards members in a virtual meeting on the 1st of March. During the meeting, he noticed that the cameras of some of the members were off. Goyal asked the members to switch on the cameras and cautioned them of action if they were missing from the meetings three times in a row.
‘I am unable to understand why you keep your video off’ – Piyush Goyal
Goyal was talking about improving the quality of the products. He asked the CO of FSSAI to switch on his camera, after which the minister cautioned everyone to be attentive during the meetings. He said, “If you switch on the video, I will be able to know if you are actually attending the meeting. Everyone should at least switch on the video at intervals during the meeting. Otherwise, it is impossible to figure out if you are at your desk or have left the room. I am unable to understand why you keep your video off. If people are visible, it is easier to see if everyone is showing interest in the governing council.”
‘Take attendance and replace irregulars,’ says Piyush Goyal
He then asked Pramod Kumar Tiwari, DG Bureau of Indian Standards, to take all the members’ attendance and notify those who are absent from the meetings for two and ask them if they want to be in the governing council or not. He further asked to replace the member in case he misses the meeting three times in a row.
“Only then people will show interest in the meetings. Otherwise, members keep making stories that they were busy somewhere. If they are busy, let them leave the council. Invite new members who are interested in the proceedings of the council,” he added.
He further asked to replace the members even if the absentee is a member of parliament or a senior official. “No one is permanent in the governing council. Those who cannot contribute should not be in the council.” The clip of the Union Minister cautioning members of the council has gone viral on social media platforms.
Nitin Gadkari had earlier taken bureaucrats to class
Piyush Goyal is not the only minister who is unhappy with the attitude of some bureaucrats. Earlier, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had also shown displeasure over the slow pace of work. In October 2020, while inaugurating a building via video conferencing, Union Minister had decided to go all guns blazing against them, exposing them for their “perverted ideology”, “unworthiness” and “corruption”.
Taking a swipe at the NHAI officials, he said, “During a ceremony like this, the convention says that one should congratulate people involved in the completion of the project. But I don’t know how should I do that. The plan of the construction of the building was ready by 2008 and in 2011 it won the tender for the construction. It took 9 years for the completion of this Rs 200-250 crore project. It took two central governments and 8 chairmen to ensure that the work is completed.”
Four years after helping the Congress party come to power in Punjab, Prashant Kishor is returning to the state to assist Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ahead of the assembly elections that are scheduled to be held next year.
On Monday, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced that poll strategist Prashant Kishor has joined him as his principal advisor.
Taking to Twitter, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said, “Happy to share that @PrashantKishor has joined me as my Principal Advisor. Look forward to working together for the betterment of the people of Punjab”.
Prashant Kishor (political strategist) has joined me as my Principal Advisor. Look forward to working together for the betterment of the people of Punjab: Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh pic.twitter.com/CgdsX27T5d
The Punjab Cabinet has also cleared Prashant Kishor’s appointment as Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister.
Prashant Kishore and his IndianPolitical Action Committee (I-PAC) had handled Amarinder Singh’s election campaign in Punjab in the 2017 assembly polls, in which the Congres party had secured a massive victory. The Congress party had won 77 out of 117 seats in the Assembly polls against the SAD-BJP alliance, which had ruled the state for over a decade.
Reportedly, Captain Amarinder Singh was trying to bring in Prashant Kishor to his team since last year, however, due to Kishor’s other commitments, he had expressed his inability to take the assignment. Currently, Kishor and IPAC are handling the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress’ campaign for the upcoming West Bengal elections.
Meanwhile, Amarinder Singh has spoken to Prashant Kishor and has asked him to formulate the party’s strategy for the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. There were also reports that AAP was keen to hire Prashant Kishor for the next elections, but the party has denied it.
Gender has become an extremely politicized matter in western countries. With the ascendency of Gender Identity politics, there is increasing concern among citizens regarding the impact it has had in the younger generations. Now, a recent Gallup poll has emerged which shows an exponential rise of individuals identifying as LGBT among the youth in the United States.
The poll suggests that 15.9% of Generation Z (those born between 1997-2002) identify as part of the LGBT community while the same is 9.1% for Millennials (1981-96). The percentages for Generation X (born 1965-1980), Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) and Traditionalists (born before 1946) are 3.8%, 2.0% and 1.3% respectively. Overall, 5.6% of Americans identify as LGBT.
Gallup poll
The poll also shows that the most rapid growth has been among Bisexuals, Lesbians and Transgenders while the Gay population has remained fairly constant. The percentage of Bisexuals has grown from 1.8% for Generation X to 5.1% for Millennials and 11.5% for Generation Z.
The transgender growth has been from 0.2% for Generation X to 1.2% for Millennials and 1.8% for Generation Z.
Gallup poll
The growth has attracted concerns among political commentators. Daily Wire’s Matt said, “The number of kids who identify as LGBT, especially trans and bisexual, has absolutely skyrocketed. If you think this is a natural or organic development, you’re deluded. The media, Hollywood, and the school system actively recruit children into the LGBT ranks.”
Prominent journalist Glenn Greenwald, noting that lesbian activist have argued that masculine girls are now encouraged to identify as transgenders, said, “Clearly, the massive increase in Americans self-identifying as LGBT — an increase due overwhelmingly to more “bi” and trans self-identifiers — is partially a function of increased societal acceptance. But that’s clearly not the only factor. And I doubt it’s the primary one.”
Proponents of LGBT activism argue that the exponential rise is due to an environment where people feel more comfortable expressing their true gender identity. But that proposition remains controversial as not everyone believes that to be the case.
Abigail Shrier, in her book titled ‘Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters’, makes it very clear that teenage girls, who do not necessarily suffer from gender dysphoria, come to believe that they are ‘trapped in the wrong body’, as a consequence of which they undergo medical procedures that at least some of them come to regret later and others have their lives turned upside down.
US President Joe Biden’s nominee for the position of health secretary Dr Rachel Levine refused to answer whether she believes little children should be permitted to undergo sex change procedures without parental consent. There are legitimate concerns for India too since gender identity politics is making in roads in our country as well.
The Chief Justice of India SA Bobde Monday granted a 23-year-old government employee in Maharashtra, accused of repeatedly raping a minor girl in 2014-15, protection from arrest for four weeks, as he questioned the accused whether he would be interested in marrying the survivor.
The accused, Mohit Subhash Chavan, a technician with the Maharashtra State Electric Production Company had allegedly raped a then 16-year-old schoolgirl in 2014-15 and now faces charges under the POSCO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012.
The accused had approached the Supreme Court seeking protection from arrest after the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) on February 5 cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to Chavan by a Sessions court, on an application filed by the girl. He had then challenged this order in the Supreme Court, demanding anticipatory bail in the case.
“Will you marry her?”, CJI SA Bobde asked the petitioner’s lawyer when the matter was taken up for hearing, further suggesting: “You should have thought before seducing and raping the young girl. You knew you are a government servant.”
If you want to marry, we can help you. If not, you lose your job and go to jail: CJI SA Bobde
In response, the lawyer appearing for the accused said, “Initially, I wanted to marry her. But she refused. Now I cannot as I am already married.” To this, Bobde further said: “If you want to marry, we can help you. If not, you lose your job and go to jail.”
The apex court granted the accused protection from arrest for four weeks and directed him to apply for regular bail.
The 2014-15 rape case which accused a Maharashtra Govt employee of repeatedly raping a minor
The incident dates back to the year 2014-15 when both the accused and the victim were minors. The accused, presently aged 23 years used to stalk the victim. Since the two were distant relatives, they visited each other’s houses frequently. The victim had alleged that once while her parents were out of town, Chavan, clandestinely entered her house from a backside door and committed rape on her. He allegedly gagged the victim’s mouth and tied her hands and legs.
The victim claimed that the accused started repeatedly raping her, thereafter. She has also stated that sometimes, he used to use a contraceptive.
Since the accused threatened her that he would throw acid on her face if she disclosed the incident to anyone and also cause harm to her family members, the victim did not disclose her plight to anyone.
At last, in 2019, the victim decided to brake her silence and approached the police with a complaint against Chavan. Based on this, an FIR was lodged against him under sections 376, 417, 506 of the Indian Penal Code and under Sections 4 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act).
The victim claimed that when she had earlier tried to lodge a police complaint with the help of a social worker, the mother of the accused dissuaded her from doing so. She had persuaded the family of the victim by assuring that she would get her son (the accused) married to the victim when the latter attained majority. The accused, however, backtracked from his promise and married someone else.
The accused’s mother had also dishonestly got the illiterate mother of the victim to sign a stamp paper which stated that there was an affair between the two and with her consent, they both had indulged in sex.
Similar observations made by a Mumbai court
Earlier, in a similar incident, a special court in Mumbai had granted bail to a 25-year-old man who raped and impregnated a 16-year-old girl after he expressed willingness to marry the minor girl. We reported how the POCSO Act court had granted bail to the accused, who is already married after it found that their relationship was ‘consensual’. The 16-year old’s mother has also submitted an affidavit seeking the release of the accused stating that her daughter had given birth to their daughter. The court had then noted that the man was ‘willing’ to marry the minor after two years when she is an adult.
The hatred harboured by some individuals for PM Modi is so intense and irrational that it has often led them to take leave of their good senses. Ever since PM Modi came to power, a section of chronically cynical people has persistently cast doubts about the decisions made by the Prime Minister. One such individual is AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who had today raised aspersions on the efficacy of the Serum Institute of India’s COVISHIELD vaccine, one of two vaccines approved by the Indian government for emergency use.
“As per Germany govt, COVISHIELD isn’t as effective for people aged 64 & above as it’s for people aged b/w 18-64. Can Govt clarify the confusion? It’s a coincidence that PM took Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN vaccine today. However, I urge all to get vaccinated,” the AIMIM chief said.
As per Germany govt, #Covishield isn’t as effective for people aged 64 & above as it’s for people aged b/w 18-64. Can Govt clarify the confusion? It’s a coincidence that PM took Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN vaccine today. However, I urge all to get vaccinated: Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM pic.twitter.com/6k0CajsVh0
The question over the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India was raised by Asaduddin Owaisi after PM Modi got jabbed with Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN. Owaisi cited the German government to allege that Serum developed COVISHIELD might not be effective for people above the age of 64.
However, Owaisi has not been entirely truthful. After the German government recommended that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine only be used for people between the age of 18-64, the company CEO responded to the Economic Times‘ email query, stating that “Reports that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine efficacy is low in adults over 65 years is not an accurate reflection of the totality of the data.”
Earlier today, PM Modi, who is 70-years-old, was administered a dose of Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN, an indigenously developed vaccine. In the first phase of India’s ambitious COVID-19 vaccination drive that was started on January 16, only healthcare workers and frontline staffs were administered the vaccines. In the second phase of the immunisation programme, which started today, people over 60 and those between 45 and 59 but have other illnesses are eligible to get the vaccine.
In a bid to instil confidence among people regarding the efficacy of the vaccines, PM Modi was amongst the first in the second phase of the vaccination drive to receive the jab. After receiving the vaccine, PM Modi took to Twitter, urging people to take the vaccine when their turn came.
“Took my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at Aiims [hospital]. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against Covid-19. I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India Covid-19 free,” he tweeted.
Detractors raise aspersions over the indigenously made COVID-19 vaccines
Ever since the central government approved the two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use, a host of detractors, motivated by their political agenda against the Centre, have opposed the move and sought to sow apprehensions among people regarding the safety of the vaccines. They have tried to stoke fears among the population by claiming that the vaccines approved by the Indian government have not been adequately tested.
Several opposition politicians and even those who claimed themselves to be experts called the move “premature” and raised questions of the Drug Controller of India for approving Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, claiming that the indigenously developed vaccine was yet to complete the final stage of human clinical trials. Some naysayers had even criticised Serum Institute’s COVISHIELD, stating that the statistics disclosed by the company were dubious.
After PM Modi took the COVAXIN jab, the criticism, which was largely directed towards the Bharat Biotech’s vaccine, has now been deflected to the one developed by the Serum Institute of India. However, while leaders like Owaisi can fuel apprehensions over the COVID-19 vaccine to score political brownie points against PM Modi, such attempts could prove catastrophic, especially when the vaccine hesitancy is rising and India’s ambitious coronavirus vaccination drive is falling victim to a growing mistrust among the beneficiaries.
Delhi was in throes of violent anti-Hindu riots in the last week of February last year. The communal flare-up was most evident in the city’s northeastern region, including Shiv Vihar, where Rajdhani Public Senior Secondary School was repurposed by a rabid Islamic mob as a hub to direct violence against Hindus.
A big catapult was found on the roof of this school, from where an attempt was also made to target the nearby Shiva temple. A large heap of stones, petrol bombs and slingshots were recovered from there. The DRP public school next door was burnt down. Although classes have been going on in both the schools since January, one year since the riots, people in the region claim there is still an atmosphere of fear and tension, especially on Fridays, the holiest day of the week as per Muslims and on which special congregational prayers are offered.
As life is slowing limping back to normal, the vivid memories of the macabre riots that swept the area last February are still fresh in the minds of the residents. At the time of the riots, roads in the neighbourhood were strewn with debris and stones. A parking area located next to the DRP school, where dozens of cars were parked was first ransacked and then set on fire by the vandals. A heavy loss was reported from the parking. Now, a year after the incident, Gajendra Parihar, the owner of the parking area, spoke to OpIndia.
While speaking to us, Parihar said he has so far received any only Rs 50,000 in compensation as against the colossal loss that he had endured during the riots. Parihar has no hopes of receiving additional aid to compensate for his losses. On the contrary, he burned out his own savings to make up for the losses. He even added that those whose cars were ransacked and later burnt did not receive any compensation for their losses. Gajendra had, in all, borne a loss of Rs 13 lakhs.
This is how a parking lot looked like a year ago during the Delhi riots
Gajendra said he no longer runs parking services because of the prevailing fear of riots. Instead, he rents out the place for conducting small programs. According to Gajendra, giving out the place for functions such as marriages significantly reduces the risks and provides him with an opportunity to earn money and restore normalcy in his life. Gajendra also confirmed that tensions in the region soar on Fridays. He was even afraid by the storming of the Red Fort on Republic Day by a legion of rampaging demonstrators, stating that he felt fearful that the hoodlums would visit the neighbourhood and create a ruckus.
Though Gajendra has not received any threats from the rioters, he has still refused to identify those who were responsible for burning down his parking. In his defence, Gajendra claims that the number of rioters then was 2000-2500 and it was impossible to identify them because they had worn masks. Gajendra further added that the rioters carried many weapons, including swords and batons. The violence started at around 5 PM on 24 February 2021 and the robbery in cars parked in the parking area happened on February 23.
Recalling the scene, he said that the glass panes were broken and valuables in the car were robbed a day before the violence broke out. He said that petrol bombs were also hurled, along with stones and slingshots were used to target people from Rajdhani School. The owner of the parking area also confided that he has not mentioned many things in the FIR out of fear and because he has to spend the rest of his life living in the area.
It is for this reason, Gajendra has only spoken about the damages done to his property in the FIR filed against the rioters. He still has no answers for who should be blamed for the riots that rocked Shiv Vihar. Speaking to OpIndia, Gajendra revealed that he barely managed to save himself during the riots and returned to his place only after 3-4 days. It took him a year to recover from the losses he had to borne due to the riots.
Besides Gajendra, OpIndia also spoke to the caretaker of the aforementioned parking area. The man said the stone-pelting had started an hour after the midnight of 23 February 2020, adding that a large number of petrol bombs were hurled from the terrace of the Rajdhani School to set the cars on fire. The caretaker stated that children playing marbles were also among the casualties of those killed due to slingshots. About 250 to 300 people had barged inside the parking area, he said.
“Some of them robbed car batteries, others took with them expensive music systems installed in the cars. On February 25, the car parking was set on fire. I was also badly hurt. I have not received any compensation so far. My son was also with me at that time. Somehow we escaped,” the caretaker recalled.
The caretaker further added that the pain and grief of the incident are still fresh in his memory, and, therefore, he refrains from speaking about them in media. The man also highlighted that though the atmosphere in the neighbourhood has improved considerably, confidence and trust among people is still lacking. He pointed out police presence and the overriding concern of people to make up for their losses as primary reasons for the peace and tranquillity in the region.
During ground reporting of Opindia a year ago, local people said that the parking area was destroyed by the same set of people who used the Rajdhani Public School as their ‘attack base’. It was a well-known fact that the school was used by an Islamist mob to foment unrest in the neighbourhood. Even the door of the school was inscribed with: “No CAA, No NPR”.
According to news reports, a total of 170 vehicles were set on fire in two-three parking areas located nearby. Many vehicles were junk. Stones and bombs were found lying on the roof of the parking lot. Not just cars, even houses and shops of Hindus located in the area were set ablaze. Police officers were also injured. In a bylane next to a Hindu temple, people fought to save the honour of their daughters.
After reports had emerged that Chinese hackers had infused malware that resulted in the power outrage in Mumbai and the surrounding areas last year, the Centre has denied any data breach in the attempt made by Chinese hackers to target the country’s power grid system. The Power Ministry also said that there has no impact from the alleged Chinese hacking attempt against India’s power grid system.
A report from New York Times had suggested that the power outage that occurred across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai was suspected to be the result of a sophisticated sabotage attempt to target the country’s power utilities. The report had said the power outrage in Mumbai and the surrounding areas last year might have been the handiwork of the Chinese, who wanted to launch a widespread cyber campaign against India’s power grid as to send a message that “if India pushed too hard, the light could go out”.
The Mumbai blackout had come just a few months after Chinese and Indian troops had clashed in Galwan Valley. The India China standoff had lasted months and had caused casualties on both sides.
Responding to the news reports, the power ministry said, “An email was received from CERT-In on 19th November 2020 on the threat of malware called Shadow Pad at some control centres of POSOCO. Accordingly, action has been taken to address these threats.”
The Power Ministry further said that NCIIPC informed them through mail on February 12 about the threat by a Chinese state-sponsored threat actor – Red Echo through malware Shadow Pad, targeting the Indian Power sector’s Regional Load Dispatch Centres along with State Load Dispatch Centres.
NCIIPC informed through mail on Feb 12 about threat by Red Echo through malware Shadow Pad that “Chinese state-sponsored threat Actor group known as Red Echo is targeting Indian Power sector’s Regional Load Dispatch Centres along with State Load Dispatch Centres”: Power Ministry
The power ministry also said that the government took prompt action by blocking all IP addresses and domains listed in NCIIPC mail. All systems in control centres were scanned and cleaned by antivirus, the ministry further said.
“Observations from all RLDCs and NLDC shows that there is no communication & data transfer taking place to the IPs mentioned. There is no impact on any of the functionalities carried out by POSOCO due to the referred threat. No data breach/data loss has been detected due to these incidents,” the ministry’s statement said.
Chinese hackers behind malware attack against Mumbai power grid, claimed US research org
Earlier, a US firm named Recorded Future had quoted in NYT, claiming that the Chinese are targeting India’s power grid system through malware. The report said that the massive power outage in Mumbai last year was also a result of the online intrusion.
The new research quoted by NYT showed that the two incidents might have been related as China may have played a role in Mumbai blackout by initiating a malware attack against the power grid. The research organisation claimed that as the stand-off continued between the two sides at the Himalayas, the Chinese had hacked the power grid’s control systems through malware.
According to Recorded Future, most of the malware infused into the power grid was never activated. As Recorded Future was unable to enter the Indian power system, they could not look into the details of the code placed in strategic power distribution systems across the country. It has notified Indian authorities, but so far, they have not reported what they have found.
The finding raised serious questions about the security of the country’s strategic assets, especially in a city like Mumbai, and hints at whether it was a message from Beijing about what would happen if India pushed hard more aggressively.
As per the report, Indian officials had cautioned about the cyberattack originating in China against a nearby power load management centre. They had also launched a formal investigation. The Indian officials were also concerned with the malware intrusion into the country’s power grid.
A popular LGBT activist Divya Dureja has been accused of wrongful confinement and sexual assault by a yoga trainer named Elodie Gendron.
The incident came to light when Elodie who identifies herself as a ‘queer’ took to Instagram to share her ordeal. In a post uploaded on Sunday (February 27), the victim wrote, “Last week, I was abducted, assaulted, and sexually molested by an Indian acclaimed psychologist, TEDx speaker, LGBTQ Activist, and Mental Health Advocate: Divya Dureja.” She informed that although she was initially hesitant about calling out her perpetrator online, the victim felt that the move was necessary in the larger interest of the LGBT community.
Elodie said that she was contacted on Instagram by Divya. They then decided to meet for lunch on February 23 (Tuesday), along with another friend, at Sea View Resort in Ashwem in North Goa. “Divya asked me to come to her room to help her with her hair. Under the false pretext of helping me with my chronicle back pain, she drugged me and locked me in her room for 6 hours, where she forcefully performed a so-called shamanic ritual, claiming we were meant since our past lives to be reunited, and that this ritual was what we needed to be together forever,” the victim narrated.
“After confining her in the room, Divya continued with her assault. She forced me to drink one full liter of water without interruption, to clean myself from negative energies. She then pulled me from behind forcing me to burb, yelling ‘you can do it, baby’. Following this, she obliged me to close my eyes and to stand against the wall. It lasted for four hours, and every time I tried to open my eyes, she started to scream very loudly,” the victim added.
Accused Divya digitally penetrated the victim
Under the pretext of performing a shamanic ritual, the accused went about her sexual assault. Elodie said, “I was terrified, in shock, and under the influence of the drug she’d given me. I could not move or do anything to defend myself.” After about 4 hours, the victim was allowed to lay on her bed. “She, then forcefully introduced her hand in my vagina, for long minutes, getting deeper and deeper, regardless of the physical pain she was inflicting me, claiming she was planting a tree,” the victim recounted.
FIR registered, accused in custody
She wrote, “As the effects of the drugs finally were evaporating, I told her I wanted to leave, and she screamed ‘No baby, no baby. Let’s make love.’ Finally, she started yelling ‘the spirit allows me to let you go, you can leave.’ And I could leave the room, in shock.” Elodie drove to her friend’s house in Arambol who then took her to the Pernem police station, where a First Information Report (No.33/2021) was registered. Divya was booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 342 (wrongful confinement) and 354 (sexual assault).
Screengrab of the FIR
The victim informed that Divya was arrested on February 25 by the police. Elodie is now recovering from the scars of the assault. Expressing her deep-seated fears, she wrote, “She’s (Divya) been arrested but I fear she will eventually be freed on bail and might assault someone else.” The victim lamented that although several waiters and even the owner heard her screams, they did not come to her rescue.
Elodie has been living in India for some time and has completed 500-hour coursework in ‘Hatha, Vinyasa & Ashtanga’ from Yoga teacher training school in AlakhYog. She was fascinated by the public profile of Divya Dureja, without realising the ‘predatory behaviour’ of the activist. Interestingly, Divya had once told Quint, “The important part is that it (lovemaking/sex) is consensual, communicative and a positive experience for all involved. At no point should there be any coercion felt or a purposely induced feeling of being ‘less/incomplete’.”
The Aligarh police have begun investigating the case in which a 16-year-old Dalit girl was found dead in a field in a village in Akrabad tehsil of Aligarh on Sunday, 28 February. The police have registered a case against unidentified persons for rape and murder. The body of the deceased has been sent for post mortem. While prima facie investigations suggest that the girl was strangulated, the police await the autopsy report to ascertain the real cause of death.
As per reports, the minor girl was found dead in a dishevelled condition and locals think that it may be a case of rape and murder. The Aligarh police have registered a case under Section 376 and 302 of the IPC and POCSO Act.
Giving more information about the case, Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police Muniraj said that at around 6 pm on Sunday evening police was informed that the body of a 17-year-old girl has been found lying in the field. Following the information, the SHO, along with his police team reached the spot. He was soon joined by other police personnel including 5 station house officer (SHO) and 2 Circle Officers (CO). The officer said that the police who have formed five teams to investigate the case has sent the body of the deceased teenager, found in the Akrabad area, for autopsy.
@sspaligarh द्वारा प्रकरण का संज्ञान लेते हुए FSL,डॉग स्कवायड सहित घटनास्थल का निरीक्षण कर शव को P.M. हेतु भेजा गया।FIR पंजीकृत कर संदिग्धों को हिरासत में लेकर पूँछताछ की जा रही है। ग्रामीणों द्वारा पुलिस का सहयोग किया जा रहा है।L&O सामान्य है, के सम्बन्ध में @sspaligarh की बाइट। pic.twitter.com/G1CNEq28vq
Meanwhile, the police said that some locals have been detained for questioning and assured that they would soon solve the case.
Muniraj also said the police were investigating the allegations that the girl was sexually assaulted. “Everything will be clear when the post-mortem report is received,” he said.
Yesterday, SSP Muniraj had informed that the deceased had left her home at around 10-11 am to collect fodder for the cattle in the fields from where she went missing. The family and villagers began looking for her when she didn’t return home until 4 in the afternoon. Later they found her body in a field.
प्रकरण में मृतिका के शव को पोस्टमार्टम हेतु भेजा गया, परिजनों की तहरीर के आधार पर सुसंगत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत कराया जा रहा है । घटना के शीघ्र अनावरण हेतु 05 टीमों का गठन किया गया है । घटना के सम्बन्ध में @sspaligarh श्री मुनिराज जी द्वारा दी गई #बाइटpic.twitter.com/NRXWu0FXMe
It was reported that when the police team reached the spot and tried to take the body for post-mortem, angry villagers blocked their way by setting fodder on fire and also attacked by pelting stones at them. The SHO of the Gangiri police station Pranendra Kumar was reportedly injured in the attack.
