The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Rajasthan High Court seeking custodial interrogation of Robert Vadra in a benami property case. The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur will accordingly hear the matter.
According to reports, the ED has sought the High Court’s permission to question Robert Vadra and his associate Mahesh Nagar in the Bikaner land dealing case in its custody. A single judge bench of justice P S Bhati will hear the matter on Monday.
The case relates to purchasing of land by Vadra’s associate Mahesh Nagar on behalf of Skylight Hospitality, a company owned by Vadra. Nagar had power of attorney issued by the company, using which he had done land dealings on behalf of the company. In a sting operation done by Republic TV, Mahesh Nagar had said that Robert Vadra used different fronts and names for his land deals.
ED is also proving a land deal by Vadra’s company in Bikaner, where the land may have been obtained from farmers by looting and duping them. The state government had cancelled the transfer of 374.44 hectares of land sold in various deals after it was found that land allotments were made in the name of fake persons.
The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in this matter in 2015, after the state police had filed FIRs based on a complaint by local tehsildar alleging forgery in the deal. It is alleged that Skylight had sold 69.55 hectares of land to Allegeny Finlease at ₹7.41 lakh per hectare, but it had purchased the land at the rate of ₹ 1 lakh per hectare. Mahesh Nagar had bought and sold land on behalf of Skylight Hospitality.
The amount used by Allegeny Finlease to buy the land came from a loan given by Bhushan Power and Steel company (BSPL). In the same year, BSPL was granted an exemption of ₹500 crore by the Income Tax Settlement Commission (ITSC), a decision which has come under the scanner.
Earlier OpIndia had published an exclusive report with documents showing that Mahesh Nagar had signed on purchase documents on behalf of Robert Vadra. He had said that he was getting money from HL Pahwa, who is deeply involved with the Gandhi-Vadra family in land deals.
The web series Tandav, which was released on January 15 on Amazon Prime, is gaining criticism for Hinduphobic content. Viewers have alleged that it not only has castist content but also insults Lord Shiva and Lord Ram. Amid growing criticism of the Saif Ali Khan starer show, BJP’s Ram Kadam has filed a complaint against actor Zeeshan Ayyub and the web series demanding an apology for insulting Hindu Gods. He asked why films and web series are regularly indulging in spreading Hinduphobic content.
Why is it becoming a trend amongst films and web series makers to demean Hindu gods? Latest culprit seems to be the series #Tandav. #SaifAliKhan again part of a film or series which attempts to target Hindu deities. Director Ali Abbas Zafar needs to remove that scene which mocks pic.twitter.com/AausBUh2ky
In his complaint, Kadam wrote, “I would like to inform you that in web series Tandav, Hindu Gods have been insulted. This has hurt feelings of the Hindus. Ali Abbas, director of web Series, is glorifying leftist ideology. Zeeshan has insulted Lord Shiva. Request you to file charges on OTT platform, director, producer, writer and actors and stop the streaming of series. Also, specific communities have been insulted in the series. So please take necessary action (Translated from Marathi).”
Complaint filed by Ram Kadam
Police issued summons to the makers
After receiving a complaint from Kadam, the police has issued summons to the makers of Tandav. A case has been filed under Section 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), Section 67A of IT ACT (sexually explicit act or conduct) and Atrocities act.
Kapil Mishra complaints to I&B minister
BJP leader Kapil Mishra has also shared his views on the controversy. He has appealed to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar to ban the TV series. Mishra has released a video in which he alleged that the web series is a conspiracy to stir violence in the country. He further alleged that Dalits were insulted in the series.
Earlier, the Bombay High Court lawyer Ashutosh Dubey sent legal notices to Ali Abbas Zafar and Amazon Prime Video for the Hinduphobic content.
I have served the legal notice to @aliabbaszafar & @PrimeVideoIN for Amazon Prime Video & Tandav Web Series hurts the Hindu sentiments by casting a Controversial scene in the web series through mocking character of the Hindu god Shiv Ji & Narad Muni Ji! pic.twitter.com/upzC9NkxcZ
Ali Abbas Zafar’s web series Tandav has some names that have a history of propagating against Hindus and often stand with anti-India forces. One such name is Zeeshan Ayyub, who portrays Lord Shiva in a very derogatory manner in the first few minutes of the series. The complete series is full of Hinduphobic content that can only be deemed as a propaganda-driven series. The big star cast includes Saif Ali Khan as well, who was recently criticized when he claimed that the upcoming movie on Epic Ramayana would justify Devi Sita’s kidnapping.
The controversy erupted from the first fifteen minutes of the series itself, in which Ayyub has portrayed Lord Shiva in a very derogatory way. The problematic content does not stop here. It continues to show the infamous ‘Azadi’ slogans on the pretext of JNU. In another scene when Sandhya Mridul asks her husband to sign the divorce papers, a jilted Dino says, “When a lower caste mandates a woman belonging to a higher caste, he is exacting revenge for centuries of oppression through just that one woman.”
There has been an alarming development in the state sanctioned persecution against Arnab Goswami initiated by the Maharashtra Government. Former Chief Minister of the state from the Congress party and an elected MLA from the ruling alliance, Prithviraj Chavan, has admitted that it was the Mumbai Police which leaked the private chats of the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV.
Prithviaj Chavan said, “The voluminous transcript of Mr Goswami’s chats released by Mumbai Police is deeply disturbing. Who gave access to such sensitive information from national security to constitutional amendments and political appointments?”
“The Government of India must launch a thorough probe. Also the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence must take this matter with utmost priority,” he added. The admission by Chavan is, again, a stark reminder of the extent to which the Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra Government have gone to in order to target Arnab Goswami.
The leaked WhatsApp chats pertain to discussions between Arnab Goswami and former BARC CEO Partho Dasupta. The leaked chats surfaced ‘magically’ on the internet recently and has been a matter of hot debate among the opposition parties and their puppets in the media. Now, of course, we know that the private chats were leaked by Mumbai Police itself.
Opposition parties make mountain out of a molehill
Opposition parties are going hammer and tongs against the Modi government, as is their wont, and are demanding a formal inquiry into the whole matter regarding portions of the chat. The portions that they claim to be concerned about is regarding the Balakot airstrikes.
According to opposition parties, Arnab Goswami knew three days prior to the airstrikes that the government was planning some ‘big action’ against Pakistan. The leaked chat shows Arnab saying, “Bigger than a normal airstrike. And on the same time something major on Kashmir. On Pakistan the government is confident of striking in a way that people will be elated. Exact words used.”
The only problem here is that it doesn’t prove any allegation that opposition party politicians have been making. “If what a section of Media is reporting is correct then it points towards a direct linkage between Balakot air strikes and 2019 General elections. Was National Security milked for electoral purposes? Needs a JPC investigation,” Congress MP Manish Tiwari said on Twitter.
Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram asked Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on the social media platform, “Did a journalist (and his friend) know about the retaliatory strike on Balakot camp three days before the actual strike? If yes, what is the guarantee that their ‘source’ did not share the information with others as well, including spies or informers working for Pakistan? How did a “For Your Eyes Only” decision find its way to the government-supporting journalist?”
TMC MP Mahua Moitra commented, “Transcript of whatsap chats shows clearly Government gave prior information about both Balakot strikes & abolishing Article 370 to tv anchor. What is going on? Am I the only one who thinks ModiShah owe us answers?”
Why the Arnab Goswami Balakot chats are a non-story
Opposition parties have, perhaps, forgotten the sentiments prevailing in the country since the Pulwama terror attack. It is not surprising given that their conduct was deplorable, to put it mildly. And one has to take a moment here to appreciate the change of stance of opposition parties. Because unlike earlier, at least now they are not questioning the fact that India did conduct airstrikes and inflict damage; something they were prone to doubting at the time.
Nevertheless, the chats by Arnab Goswami only point towards the great expectations from Indians that Pakistan will not be permitted to walk away without any consequences this time around. The expectations were heightened by the Surgical Strikes in 2016 and by 2019, people took it for a fact that the Modi government will hit back amidst public outcry.
And the comments made by Prime Minister Modi in the immediate aftermath of the Pulwama Terror Attack made it abundantly clear that there would be repercussions. Narendra Modi had said on the 15th of February, 2019, a day after the terror attack that the blood of the people was boiling and that the terrorists had committed a “grave mistake” and would pay a heavy price for it.
The Prime Minister went to the extent of saying that “our neighbouring country forgets that this (India) is a country with new intent and new policy.” In the backdrop of this, it was abundantly clear that something big was indeed coming.
“Trust the brave soldiers of the country and trust the Modi government…This time, everyone will be taken to justice and complete justice will be served,” Prime Minister Modi said on the 23rd of February, 3 days prior to the attack, “Your pradhan sevak is busy finishing terror…If I am destined to put locks to the factory of terror, so be it.”
Such comments are to be found in abundance making it clear that an attack was imminent. Karan Thapar in his 24th February column for Hindustan Times also suggested that an attack was pretty much imminent. He said, “The question is how they will respond? Is it an opportunity to step up strikes, because it will embarrass the Modi government, or will it give them reason to reconsider, because they know Modi will hit back hard?”
Not merely that, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Kahn himself was pleading with the UN to defuse the situation. Under such circumstances, with such comments by Narendra Modi himself already in public domain, does Arnab Goswami sound conspiratorial in his chats? It is absolutely absurd to assume that he said anything or was told anything that had not already been indicated by the Prime Minister himself in his message to Indians.
The sentiment was such that a Twitter user told Imran Khan on the 25th of February 2019, the night before the Pulwama terror attack, that India was going to attack that night and he should take care of himself. A case was filed in Dehradun and the poor man was questioned regarding the enthusiastic tweet. Opposition parties are acting exactly like those people who believed that the warning from the Twitter user was based on genuine information.
The Kangana Ranaut chats
In one of the chats, the other person calls Hrithik Roshan “dumb” and Kangana Ranaut “schizophrenic”. The chats were from 2017. In 2019, the two again discussed Kangana Ranaut when Arnab Goswami called her a ‘massive rating cruncher’.
Somehow, people are linking it to the interview Kangana Ranaut gave to Republic TV in light of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death which occurred in 2020. Akash Banerjee appears to somehow link the 2019 chats to SSR’s death, which is a ridiculous claim to make.
Another of his chats that has attracted great attention is where Arnab Goswami says that Smriti Irani will be the new I&B Minister in 2017 and that he was happy for her because she is a great friend. Now, the allegations are that the Republic TV Editor was aware of the appointment before it was disclosed and that he might have had something to do with it.
But even that falls flat because the chat regarding the appointment occurs at least 5 minutes after Prime Minister Modi had already announced the appointment on social media.
18-07-2017 10:51, PMO India tweeted that Smriti Irani will be next I&B Minister.
In alleged chat of Arnab 18-07-2017 10:57, Arnab tells that Smriti is next I&B minister.
How is this ‘Probable’ new I&B minister as it was already tweeted by PMO? Kuchh bhi leak kar rahe ?? pic.twitter.com/2PfKYLbRod
Narendra Modi tweeted at 10.51 am on the 18th of July 2017 and Arnab informed the former BARC CEO of the matter at 10.57 am the same day. Now what does it say about the intellectual capabilities of people who are reaching conspiratorial conclusions based on this?
The real reason why Mumbai Police leaked Arnab Goswami chats
The actual reason why the Mumbai Police leaked Arnab’s chats are sufficiently clear given the nonsensical controversies they have generated. In order to tarnish his reputation and so that the opposition parties and their puppets in the media could have more ammunition to slander their respective enemies, the chats were conveniently leaked.
The fundamental message that is being conveniently ignored by vested interests in the media and political establishment is that there is absolutely nothing incriminating in the chats at all. If there were indeed incriminatory material, then the focus would not have been on nonsensical conspiracy theories.
Another thing that is being ignored is that there are no circumstances under which the Mumbai Police leaking private chats of a journalist can be justified. It is a great breach of privacy that deserves condemnation from all quarters.
Furthermore, the leaked chats also reveal that Arnab Goswami did not know anything at all about the inner functioning of the government apart from ordinary politically informed citizens. For all their allegations of ‘Godi Media’, the only evidence they could provide for it was that he told the former BARC CEO that India will retaliate strongly to the Pulwama terror attack. Even Imran Khan could have provided this information given the numerous phony calls for peace he made.
The actions of the Maharashtra establishment during the entire TRP scam fracas has been a matter of grave concern to say the least. There have been allegations that the Mumbai Police was coercing witnesses to deliver adverse statements against Goswami. The family of Partho Dasgupta has also alleged that someone was being paid to torture him while he is lodged in Taloja jail till he delivers statement against the Republic TV Editor.
The Supreme Court also took a harsh view on the Bombay High Court for rejecting his bail application following his arrest in a separate case where the apex court observed that an abetment to suicide charge was not established in the FIR. Under such circumstances, leaking Goswami’s private chats appear to be another vindictive action of the Mumbai Police against him to tarnish his reputation.
The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested a 30-year-old man, named Mohammed Taslim, for sharing porn videos in a Whatsapp group with women as members, reportedZee News.
As per reports, the accused was apprehended from Bashir Khan area in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh by the Cyber Crime Branch. Mohammed, a TV mechanic by occupation, would frequently share obscene images and porn videos in the said Whatsapp group. Irked by his indecent behaviour, a woman had filed a complaint against him with the police.
According to the cops, Mohammed would steal phone numbers of women from Facebook and Whatsapp groups and then forward objectionable videos to them. The police have recovered a Sim card, which the accused had purchased using a fake ID card.
UP Police puts accused behind bars, registers case
While speaking about the development, Station House Officer (SHO) Shrikant Dwivedi of Kotwali Pilibhit police station informed that Mohammed Taslim has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 294 (obscene acts or words in public) and Section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) of the Information Technology (IT) Act. The accused has now been remanded in custody.
Minor girl raped Faiz Sheri, threatened to leak obscene video
Earlier, a minor girl was allegedly raped repeatedly by her ‘boyfriend’ Faiz Sheri he promised marriage to her. He even made their intimate videos and shared them with his friends. Following that, his friends blackmailed that they will make the videos viral and then raped her. While a case of gang rape has been registered against all five accused, all are currently absconding.
As per reports, the victim claimed that Faiz Sheri promised her marriage a year ago and has been raping her since. He also made obscene videos and photos of hers which he made viral on social media on January 1. After her family got to know of it, they approached the police. The police have also recovered the video and have sent it for forensic testing. Teams have been formed for arresting the absconding accused.
Recently, the former One Direction star was heard singing Mohammad Rafi’s Chaudavi Ka Chand in the track Tightrope.
At around 1:55 into the song, he could be heard singing Chaudavi Ka Chand. It is part of his album “Nobody is Listening”.
Zayn is a Pakistani British citizen and has discussed his fondness for Bollywood music and films in past interviews. He was raised a Muslim but in his 2018 interview with British Vogue he said he no longer identifies himself as a Muslim. Malik, with his partner Gigi Hadid, American model of Palestinian descent, welcomed their first child in September 2020.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stoked a massive controversy on Sunday after he claimed that his government is committed to incorporating into the state the areas of Karnataka where Marathi-speaking people are in majority.
This will be the “true tribute” to martyrs of the cause, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a tweet.
कर्नाटकव्याप्त मराठी भाषिक आणि सांस्कृतिक प्रदेश महाराष्ट्रात आणणे हीच या सीमा लढ्यात हौतात्म्य पत्करलेल्या सैनिकांना आदरांजली ठरणार आहे. त्यासाठी आम्ही एकजूट आणि कटिबद्ध आहोत. या अभिवचनासह हूतात्म्यांना विनम्र अभिवादन??
“Bringing Karnataka-occupied Marathi-speaking and cultural areas in Maharashtra will be the true tribute to those who accepted martyrdom in the boundary battle. We are united and committed to it. Respects to the martyrs with this promise,” the Chief Minister claimed.
Will incorporate ‘Karnataka-occupied areas’ where Marathi-speaking people are in majority into Maharashtra. It will be the true tribute to those who attained martyrdom in the boundary battle: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray
Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, a regional organization, has been demanding the merger of Belgaum and some other border areas with Maharashtra. It also observes January 17 as the ‘martyrs’ day’ for those who laid down their lives for the cause in 1956.Uddhav
Maharashtra claims regions belonging to Karnataka on the basis of language
Maharashtra claims areas belonging to Karnataka such as Belgaum and some other areas, that were part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency but currently falls in Karnataka after the re-organisation of states in 1956.
The Maharashtra government has often tried to disrupt the peace between the two states by claiming Karnataka regions including Belgaum, Karwar, and Nippani as part of the state by making contentious claims saying that the majority of the population in these areas is Marathi- speaking. The dispute between the two states over Belgaum and other border areas is pending before the Supreme Court for many years.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last year had appointed Maharashtra ministers Eknath Shinde and Chhagan Bhujbal as co-coordinators to oversee the state government’s efforts to expedite the case related to the boundary dispute.
A day after former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta was admitted to JJ Hospital by Taloja jail officials presumably in a very critical condition, the wife of Dasgupta has registered a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleging custodial torture against her husband by the Maharashtra police to falsely implicate Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.
In a letter to NHRC, Samrajni Dasgupta, wife of Partho Dasgupta, has mentioned that her husband was admitted to JJ Hospital by Taloja officials presumably and is in a very critical condition. She said that Dasgupta was brought to the hospital at 1 pm on January 15 with a high blood sugar condition, in an unconscious state unable to respond to voice commands.
“It was only after he regained consciousness that could he share my number with the attending Navi Mumbai police officer. I was informed at 3.20 am on 16th January about his critical condition. When we reached the hospital, we found him critical in the emergency ward. He was without any pillow or sheet either on the bed or to cover him. He told us that he has not been given anything to eat since Jan 15th. All he could tell us was that he was mercilessly beaten up even in Taloja Jail,” Samrajni Dasgupta narrated.
The wife of the former BARC CEO also alleged that someone was paid to beat her husband in jail to falsely admit that he had taken money from Republic TV in the TRP scam case. In her letter, Samrajni said that Partho has been mentally harassed all these days at the Taloja Jail as well.
“He was shifted to the ICU only at 6.30/7 am. Since then we have not been able to see him or talk to him. The doctors at JJ refused to share any report of the tests conducted and medication given,” Samrajni narrated her ordeal in the letter.
Accusing the Maharashtra government of torturing her husband, Samrajni Dasgupta in her complaint has stated that the treatment meted out to her husband was violative of his fundamental right as he deserves proper treatment. Secondly, she stated that the family needs to be told what treatment is been given
“My daughter has been constantly sending emails to the Taloja Jail requesting a call with her father, which is a right the accused has as per rules of the Jail, in which she has always shared her phone number. Even at 6 pm on 15th January, when she sent an email to the Jail, we were not informed of his condition. Why is his family being kept in the dark despite the authorities having ALL access to the family?” she asked.
Concluding her letter, Samrajni Dasgupta asked why are they being harassed in spite of cooperating at every step from the very beginning. We have not objected to the legal whatever steps it deems fit, so why is his fundamental right being denied. We want Partho safe. He should not be harmed and made to give a false statement to satisfy people’s vested interests, she wrote in a complaint letter to NHRC.
Mumbai Police and its city crime branch had arrested Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC)’s former CEO Partho Dasgupta on the 25th of December 2020 in connection with the fake TRP scam. It is being alleged that the former BARC CEO has been allegedly tortured to give false statements against Arnab Goswami to implicate him in the case.
Daughter writer a letter to Prime Minister seeking his intervention to save her father’s life
Earlier, Pratyusha Dasgupta, the daughter of former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, had appealed to Prime Minister Modi to save her father’s life. She said that Mr. Dasgupta was admitted to the hospital on the 15th of January in an unconscious state. He is currently in judicial custody over the TRP scam. She said that she got a call at 3:00 AM and immediately, they rushed to JJ Hospital.
Pratyusha and her mother found Mr. Dasgupta lying in the emergency room with not even a bed-sheet covering him. There, he was incoherent and unable to express himself properly. His blood sugar levels had shot to alarming levels, 516 to be precise, she said. She adds that Mr. Dasgupta suffers “from a number of serious ailments for many years, including diabetes, hypertension, and ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune disorder.”
She concludes her message to Prime Minister Modi saying, “My plea to you, sir, is to please save my father’s life by allowing proper medical treatment in a reputed hospital at our expense. Without intervention at the highest levels, I am now fearful for his life.”
OpIndia reached out to the family of Mr. Partho Dasgupta to understand what really happened and the extent of the alleged physical and mental torture suffered by Mr. Patho Dasgupta.
Alarmingly, OpIndia was told by the family that Mr. Dasgupta was in a critical condition since the afternoon of 15th January 2021 and was taken to JJ Hospital. However, the Taloja Jail officials did not give any information about him to the Navi Mumbai Police and hence, the family was not contacted about his condition for almost 15 hours. Afternoon, when Mr. Dasgupta was taken to JJ Hospital, a bail hearing was underway at the sessions court where his daughter and wife both were present.
Speaking to OpIndia, Pratyusha questioned why the authorities did not inform the family for so long while Dasgupta was unconscious in the hospital. She suspects that the authorities hid information about his critical health at the time because his health condition would be a valid ground for bail and the police did not want the information to be revealed during the hearing itself.
Breaking down, Pratyusha narrated the abysmal condition in which her father was found. She said that when they finally reached the hospital in the wee hours of the morning on the 16th, her father had no blanket over him and was semi-conscious. Further, he did not even have a pillow only making worse his spondylitis issue.
She said that while in the hospital, the staff asked them why they did not reach the hospital earlier, since he was admitted in critical condition, with his sugar level over 500, in the afternoon on 15th itself. On being asked, the authorities said that they could not get in touch with the family since they did not have their contact numbers.
Family of ex-BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta file petition in Bombay High Court
Samrajni Dasgupta has now filed a petition in the Bombay High Court detailing the mental and physical torture being suffered by Partho and his critical health condition.
In the affidavit, she says that when she reached the hospital, there was “blood all over the stretcher” in which Partho was made to lie down and he was breathless with ice-cold feet. She said that even the doctors ignored her request to give him urgent medical attention. She further says in the affidavit that it was only after a hue and cry was created was Partho taken to the ICU at 6:30 AM on 16th, while he was at the hospital since the afternoon of 15th January. She claims that she has still not been informed about his prognosis or health status thereafter.
Saying that his life is in real and imminent danger, she urges the courts for immediate medical attention to Partho Dasgupta, her husband. She says that since the doctors at PD Hinduja Hospital are aware of his ailments if he is not shifted to the hospital, she “fears he may lose his life”. She ends the prayer by saying that his present medical condition is due to the continuous physical and mental abuse he has been subjected to in Taloja jail.
Fake TRP scam
In October, Mumbai Police had made some sensational claims against some TV channels saying that they were manipulating TRP ratings. In a press conference, the Mumbai Police commissioner had said that three TV channels, including Republic TV, were involved in manipulating viewership data of BARC by paying those households where Bar-o-meters, the devices that track TV viewership, are installed.
The police had specifically mentioned that Hansa Research had filed a complaint with the police. Hansa Group is an organisation that regulated the devices to record TRP for BARC. Interestingly, in this FIR that was filed by Hansa Research, Republic TV was not mentioned even once. The channel that was mentioned several times was India Today.
During the investigation, several evidence and witnesses came forward that alleged Mumbai Police have been intimidating them to speak against Republic TV, including Hansa officials. Hansa has also complained that they are being harassed by the Mumbai Police to give statements against Republic TV.
‘Comedian’ Munawar Faruqui, who was earlier denied bail by the Madhya Pradesh High Court for his derogatory remarks against Hindu Gods and Goddesses, is in trouble yet again. In a new development, the Uttar Pradesh police have submitted a production warrant for him, in a case registered against him in April last year.
As per reports, the production warrant has been submitted on January 7 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Indore and the Indore Central Jail, where Munawar Faruqui is serving his judicial custody. The said case was lodged at the George Town police station on April 19, 2020, in Praygraj district of Uttar Pradesh, following a complaint by one advocate named Ashutosh Mishra.
Screengrab of the First Information Report against Munawar Faruqi via Newsroom Post
The police had booked the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion) and Section 65 and 66 IT Act, 2008. The case is based on the YouTube video, uploaded by Faruqui, wherein he was seen making derogatory remarks against Hindu deities, mocking the deaths of Hindus in the Godhra train burning case and insinuating the role of the RSS and Home Minister in the carnage.
Judicial custody of Munawar Faruqui extended till January 27
Munawar Faruqui, who has been in judicial custody for the last two weeks, will continue to remain in jail as the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday adjourned his bail hearing until next week. Indian Express journalist Iram Siddique took to Twitter to inform that the bail hearing at High Court in Indore was adjourned as police failed to produce his case diary.
‘Comedian’ Munawar Faruqui had moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking bail after the magistrate’s court as well as the sessions court had rejected his bail plea on January 5 (Tuesday) and 2 (Saturday) respectively. His bail pleas were not only rejected but, Chief judicial magistrate Aman Singh Bhuria also extended Faruqui’s judicial custody till January 27.
Faruqui’s advocate, Anshuman Shrivastav alleged that it appears to be a tactic by police to harass his client. Advocate Anushman Shrivastav further argued before the court that the police should be ordered to get the diary and matter be heard in the second half. However, the court scheduled the hearing for next week.
The author of the book ‘Didda-Kashmir Ki Yoddha Rani,’ Ashish Kaul, accused Kangana Ranaut of copyright violation and sent her a legal notice. The notice was sent for the upcoming film ‘Manikarnika-The Legend of Didda,’ and Kaul demanded a reply within 72 hours.
Ranaut has alleged that the claims are baseless, and the film was not based on his book.
Ashish claims sole copyright on the story of Warrior Queen Didda
As per Kaul, he holds the sole copyright of the story of warrior queen Didda who ruled the valley directly or indirectly for over five decades. The author had earlier said that he had shared details of the content of the book with Ranaut in an e-mail and requested her to write a foreword. Kaul had earlier shared the image of copyright notice in his book on Twitter.
Humbled by the support ! Some people have rightly wanted to know of my personal #Didda connect and how i am the sole owner – here it is ! pic.twitter.com/oaGdJLlzgs
The notice added that Kaul was shocked to learn that the storyline that the proposed film follows is similar to the narrative he had shared with Ranaut. It read, “Our Client was further appalled to discover that the nature and treatment of the character of Didda in the Proposed Film, was identical to the Narrative Text, the Book and the information communicated by Our Client in his e-mail of 11 September 2020. To add further insult to injury, Kangana Ranaut and Kamal Kumar Jain have since issued public statements alleging that their proposed film is not based on the book. It is re-iterated that the description of Didda as identified by Kangana Ranaut to promote the film is identical to as set out in the book.”
Trolled and abused by Kangana’s fans – alleges Kaul
Kaul said that Kangana’s followers are abusing and trolling him on social media because of the actions of Kangana Ranaut and Kamal Kumar Jain. The notice said,” [He] has suffered extreme mental anguish.” It further added that there is a risk that Kaul will face financial losses as he was in discussion with major producers and studios for the production of a film based on his book and script that was registered under his name in 2017. “The actions and representations of Ms. Kangana Ranaut, Mr. Kamal Kumar and Ms. Rangoli Ranaut will severely impact all opportunities of commercial exploitation of the Narrative Text, the Book, and the Script by Kaul,” it added.
Kaul has demanded a reply from Kangana in 72 hours, failing to which he will take further legal action against her. The movie is set to hit the floor in Jan 2022.
Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has announced that he will make a contribution towards the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. In a heartwarming video message, the actor also appealed to people to contribute as per their capabilities so that coming generation continue to be inspired by Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram.
बहुत खुशी की बात है कि अयोध्या में हमारे श्री राम के भव्य मंदिर का निर्माण शुरू हो चूका है…अब योगदान की बारी हमारी है l मैंने शुरुआत कर दी है, उम्मीद है आप भी साथ जुड़ेंगे l जय सियाराम ?? pic.twitter.com/5SvzgfBVCf
During the video message, Akshay Kumar narrated the story of the famous squirrel which etched itself across the memories of the Hindu Civilization by contributing towards the construction of the Ram Setu.
Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has already announced that the Temple will be built through voluntary donations by Hindus. A campaign has also been launched to invite donations for the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir.
Producer Manish Mundra has also donated Rs. 1 crore towards the same and donations are pouring across the country for the Ram Mandir. One can also contribute towards Ram Mandir construction through the official website of the trust.
