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SFI members fight with students fasting on Maha Shivratri at Delhi’s SAU, clash with ABVP

OpIndia Staff
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SFI members fight with students fasting on Maha Shivratri at Delhi’s SAU, clash with ABVP

A clash between two student groups, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), erupted at South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi over food preferences in the university mess.

The conflict began when ABVP members requested the mess administration to serve sattvic food, as many students were observing a fast on the occasion of Maha Shivratri and accused leftist goons of trying to “spoil” the religious harmony on campus.

However, the members of the leftist student group SFI allegedly tried to forcibly serve non-vegetarian food in the mess designated for fasting students.

After the alleged incident of a woman student being beaten up inside a South Asian University went viral, the Students’ Federation of India Delhi blamed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for the incident, whereas ABVP alleged that leftist goons “deliberately tried to spoil” religious harmony.

According to the Delhi Police, the victim is being medically examined and “facts are being verified.”

The video of a girl student being beaten up inside a South Asian University is going viral on social media. According to Delhi Police, the video is from 26th February. “There was an argument between two groups of students in the canteen over an issue related to food and then a fight broke out. The victim student informed the police by making a PCR call. The police added tha the victim is being medically examined and facts are being verified,” the police said.

Ministry of Education refutes Sam Pitroda’s claims, says no speech or event in Ranchi where he was invited

ANI
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Ministry of Education refutes Sam Pitroda’s claims, says no speech or event in Ranchi where he was invited

 The Ministry of Education has refuted and condemned the claims of Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, who alleged that someone hacked his virtual interaction with IIT Ranchi students and objectionable content was played thereafter.

In a post on X, the Education Ministry highlighted that there is no “IIT in Ranchi.”

“It has come to the notice that Sam Pitroda shared a video on his X handle on Feb 22, 2025. He made a statement in that video that he was speaking at the IIT Ranchi to several hundred students, and someone hacked in and started playing some objectionable content, and thus, the event got disrupted,” it said.

“It is hereby clarified that there is no IIT in Ranchi. Therefore, the statement made in that video is not only baseless but also reeks of ignorance. It is pertinent to state that there is an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Ranchi. But IIIT, Ranchi has also confirmed that Sam Pitroda has not been invited by Institute to any conference/seminar to deliver a lecture, physically or virtually,” the Ministry said.

It added further that such a reckless statement seems to be an attempt to malign the image of an extremely reputed institution of the country, i.e., the Indian Institute of Technology.

“This institution has stood the test of time and produced some of the brightest minds in the country. Unlike such an uninformed person, IITs reputation is built on the merit, hard work, and achievement of many students, teachers, and academia,” it emphasized.

Further, the Education Ministry condemned Pitorda’s statement and said that such statements would face legal repercussions.

“Ministry of Education condemns the statement and reiterates that any such attempt to malign the image of the premier institution will face legal repercussions,” the Ministry of Education said on X.


(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Pune Airport compound wall modified to accomodate mazar: Complaint lodged against unauthorised mazar over encroachment concerns

OpIndia Staff
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Pune Airport compound wall modified to accomodate mazar: Complaint lodged against unauthorised mazar over encroachment concerns

The compound wall of the Pune International Airport in Lohgaon was adjusted at a section of the road due to the presence of an allegedly unauthorised mazar. 

The pictures show the compound wall running parallel to the road until a mazar comes up, where the wall bends inwards to accommodate the Muslim structure.

A complaint was lodged with Murlidhar Mohol, MoS for Civil Aviation of India, over encroachment of Pune International Airport's land by an unauthorised mazar.

A complaint was lodged with the office of Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation of India, to act to remove the encroachment that the complainant asserts often causes traffic congestion on that stretch of the road because of the existence of the unauthorised structure that the complainant said didn’t previously exist.

“A daily commuter has appraised the Minister’s officer about the emergence of what he says is an unauthorised mazar on the road close to the Pune International Airport,” a source privy to the matter told OpIndia. 

The situation raises concerns about the unchecked proliferation of such structures and the challenges faced by civic authorities in maintaining law and order while handling religious sentiments. Despite regulations against unauthorized religious structures on public or restricted land, such illegal mazars keep springing up now and then, sparking widespread concern.

In Pune, officials had to modify the airport’s boundary wall to adjust for the shrine, highlighting the difficulties in enforcing urban planning laws when faced with spontaneous religious encroachments. The case is an example of how unauthorised religious sites can influence public infrastructure, often leading to long-term administrative dilemmas.

Kendriya Vidyalaya teacher suspended after comments abusing Bihar and Biharis objecting to her posting in the state went viral

OpIndia Staff
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Kendriya Vidyalaya teacher suspended after comments abusing Bihar and Biharis objecting to her posting in the state went viral

A Kendriya Vidyalaya teacher has been suspended after she made extremely derogatory remarks against Bihar and Biharis protesting against her posting in Jehanabad in the state. An order issued by the Bihar regional office of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan said that teacher Deepali Sah has been suspended with immediate effect.

The order stated that the primary teacher has been suspended till further orders as per the provision of Rule 10 Sub Rule 1(a) of Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.

In videos uploaded on social media, Deepali Sah had objected that while her friends were posted in ‘good’ places like Ladakh, Darjeeling, Bengaluru, Silchar etc, she has been posted at the f**ked up state of Bihar. She made several objectional comments for people of Bihar, saying that they don’t have any civic sense.

She said that Kendriya Vidyalaya has so many regions, and she could have been posted in anywhere. Saying that she would have even accepted West Bengal which is generally not preferred by other, she questioned what was the enmity against her that she has been posted that “worst f**king region” in the country. She included several Hindi and English expletives in her monologue, triggering outrage. She added that she would have no problem with posting in Goa, Odisha, Himachal, Ladakh or anywhere in the south.

In another video, she said that Bihar is not just ‘hyped up’, but it is ‘f**ked up’, and that people have no civic sense in the state. She said that India is a developing country because of Bihar, adding ‘the day we remove Bihar from India, it will be developed.’

Reacting to the video, LJP MP Shambhavi Choudhary wrote to the KV commissioner seeking urgent action against the teacher. She said that the teacher’s comments are “highly inappropriate, unacceptable, and unbecoming of an educator who is responsible for imparting knowledge and values to students.”

The Jehanabad District Administration also posted a statement on X saying that the probationary teacher has been suspended for trying to hurt the dignity of Biharis by using abusive words. They added that it is a very condemnable act, and she has been suspended with immediate till further orders.

Deepali has also been ordered that her headquarters has been made Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mashrakh, Saran. It has also been directed that she will not leave the headquarters without obtaining prior permission of the Principal, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Masrakh, Saran.

Hawala racket busted: Customs department seizes Rs 3.5 crores between pages of books from three students at Pune airport

OpIndia Staff
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Hawala racket busted: Customs department seizes Rs 3.5 crores between pages of books from three students at Pune airport

The Air Intelligence Unit of the Pune Customs Department found $400,100 (Rs 3.5 crores) hidden between the pages of the books of three students travelling from Dubai to Pune.

In their interrogation, it came to light that the trolley bags carried by the three students belonged to one Khusbu Agarwal, a Pune-based travel agent who told the students her bags contained important office documents. The students had booked their Dubai travel package through Ms Agarwal. The students insisted that they didn’t know anything about the foreign currency concealed in their bags and simply did what was asked of them by Ms Agarwal.

“Just before they departed from Pune, she handed them two bags, claiming they contained urgent documents for her Dubai office. The students, unaware of the actual contents, agreed to carry them,” AIU sources stated.

Authorities uncovered the Hawala operation after receiving intelligence about large sums of US currency being smuggled out of India using unsuspecting passengers. The Customs Department alerted their Dubai counterparts and monitored the students.

When the students returned to Pune on a SpiceJet flight on February 17, AIU officers searched their luggage and recovered the hidden cash.

Ms Agarwal was detained, and her statement was recorded under the Customs Act.

Further investigation led officials to a forex firm in Mumbai’s Fort area, where foreign currency worth Rs 45 lakh was seized. Mohammed Aamir, who had supplied the US dollars, was also arrested.

Simultaneously, AIU and Customs officers conducted raids at 10 locations across Pune, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai as part of the ongoing investigation.

Bengaluru Tax Tribunal issued order based on ChatGPT research on cases that didn’t exist, recalls after finding out

OpIndia Staff
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Bengaluru Tax Tribunal issued order based on ChatGPT research on cases that didn’t exist, recalls after finding out

In an interesting incident, a tax order issued by the Bengaluru bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) was reportedly withdrawn after it was found that the order was based on ChatGPT research on cases that did not exist. According to a report in the Mint, the tax order was issued in the case of Buckeye Trust v PCIT -1 Bangalore (ITA No. 1051/Bang/2024) in December 2024. However, it was discovered later that the order relied on three Supreme Court and one Madras High Court judgements that did not exist. The order was reportedly revoked a week later through a notice citing inadvertent errors.

What was the case?

The case was reportedly about the taxability of a transaction in which a person created a trust worth Rs 669 crore, mainly by transferring interest in a partnership to the trust. Generally, transfers of more than Rs 50,000 without consideration, if made to non-relatives, are taxable in the hands of the recipient. However the lawyers for the assessee, inter alia, contended that interest in a partnership firm is not a property within the meaning of the tax law. The ITAT ruled in favour of the tax department holding that an interest in a partnership is a type of share (like a stock market share) and hence taxable. The ITAT ruling was rare, as typically, in such cases the ruling is passed in favour of the assessee, which is the Trust.

The Judgements relied on in the order did not exist

As per the report, the ITAT relied on judgements by the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court to rule in favour of the tax department. However, in reality, these judgements were fictitious, and they do not exist in the archives of the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court.

Three of the judgements cited in the order were – K. Rukmani Ammal v. K. Balakrishnan (1973) 91 ITR 631 (Madras High Court), S. Gurunarayana v. S. Narasinhulu (2004) 7 SCC 472 (Supreme Court of India) and Sudhir Gopi v. Usha Gopi (2018) 14 SCC 452 (Supreme Court of India). The citations of the first two cases do not reportedly exist while the citation of the third case leads to a different case which is K. Subba Rao v. State of Telangana. A fourth citation mentioned in the order – 57 ITR 232(SC) had a case law called CIT v Raman Chettiar but the case relates to a Hindu Undivided Family not filling ITR, and had nothing to do with partnership firms.

Even the bench did not verify the judgements

As per the Mint report, some tax department representatives used the ChatGPT to find case laws in favour of the tax department and used the results produced by the AI tool in its favour. Even the bench did not verify the judgements and merely copy pasted the case laws on the submission of the tax department without exercising due diligence. This rendered the judgment wrong.

AI is being increasingly used to perform research work, including legal research. However, sometimes AI tools are prone to ‘hallucinations’, they return results that don’t exist in reality. Therefore, it is important to cross-check references produced by AI tools.

US law firm warns AI can invent fake cases, lawyers fined

Notably, this incident comes just a week after a major US law firm warned that Artificial Intelligence can invent fake case law. Earlier this month, personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan sent an urgent email to over 1,000 lawyers saying that AI can invent fake cases and use of such cases in court filings can get the lawyers fired.

Recently a federal judge in the US threatened to sanction lawyers for using fictitious case citations in a lawsuit against Walmart. The court fined three lawyers totalling $5,000, including two from Morgan & Morgan. One lawyer admitted in court that he used AI to find citations, saying that the tool “hallucinated” the cases.

Pune Shocker: 26-year-old woman raped inside Maharashtra state transport bus at Swargate, police launches manhunt for accused 

OpIndia Staff
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Pune Shocker: 26-year-old woman raped inside Maharashtra state transport bus at Swargate, police launches manhunt for accused 

A manhunt has been launched after a man reportedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the busy Swargate bus stand in Pune, Maharashtra. The shocking instance transpired on 25th February. Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the accused with a criminal record is now evading capture and efforts are underway to capture him. Cases of chain-snatching and theft have already been filed against him. Swargate is one of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) largest bus junctions.

A working woman was on her way to her village and “was waiting for a bus to go back to her home around 5:30 to 6:30 am,” according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Smartana Patil on 26th February. “A man came and said that the bus to her place had been parked somewhere else and took the woman near the parked vehicle,” she disclosed.

The man persuaded the woman to enter the bus after she claimed there was no light inside by offering to let her use a torch to see if anyone else was seated aboard. “When the woman entered the bus, the man shut the bolt and raped the woman,” police added.

According to Patil, after the occurrence, the woman caught a different bus to her hometown and a friend urged her to report the matter to the police. The official remarked, “A complaint has been registered. We have identified the accused, and we are making all the efforts to nab him. The accused is identified as Dattatray Ramdas Gade. The victim is stable right now.” Police used CCTV evidence to identify the perpetrator and many teams have been established to find him.

The woman unveiled that at around 5:30 in the morning, she was at one of the platforms waiting for a bus to Paithan when a man came up to her and informed her that the vehicle arrived at a different station. Afterwards, he led her to a bus that was parked in a vacant area on the expansive station grounds. The victim informed authorities that while it was still dark, he followed her inside the bus, raped her and then absconded.

Maharashtra State Women’s Commission Chairperson Rupali Chakankar expressed, “I urge young girls and women to be cautious in public spaces and not trust strangers blindly. They should seek assistance from the authorities and prioritize their safety. Society has dangerous elements, and their numbers are increasing by the day. We must remain vigilant.” She affirmed that to guarantee prompt justice, the administration has been directed to speed up the investigation and offer counseling to the woman.

Meanwhile, members of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) broke windows and ruined furnishings in the security office and female activists chanted anti-government slogans. “The incident that took place here, happened in front of the security cabin. If a woman is raped in front of a security cabin, nobody has the right to sit there,” party leader Vasant More justified the attack.

“There is a police post nearby and the area is routinely patrolled. Still, such an assault takes place at Swargate, which shows that anti-social elements do not have any fear of law. The home department has failed to curb crime in Pune. The trial of this case should be held in a fast-track court and the accused must get a severe punishment,” voiced Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule.

Indian Navy registers case over financial wrongdoings of over ₹78 crore at tri-services defence club in Mumbai

ANI
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Indian Navy registers case over financial wrongdoings of over ₹78 crore at tri-services defence club in Mumbai

The Indian Navy has filed a case with the Mumbai Police in allegations of financial wrongdoings of around Rs 78 crore in the United Services Club located in the Colaba area in Mumbai.

The USI is a 97-year-old Tri-Services Club run by the defence forces. Defence officials said that a few months earlier, as part of a routine audit, a discrepancy was noticed by the Secretary of the Club.

This led to a special audit by the contracted Chartered Accountants and, subsequently, detailed scrutiny of the financial accounts was undertaken on instructions of the Club Management, whereupon significant anomalies were discovered.

“Accordingly, an FIR has been lodged with the civil police to properly investigate the matter. Further, a detailed Special audit by an independent Chartered Accountant has been ordered,” they said.

The Defence forces and US Club are committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct and financial probity, and all cooperation will be extended to the law enforcement and financial agencies to identify any wrongdoing and ensure justice, the officials said.

The Indian Navy top brass has zero tolerance in cases of financial wrongdoings and strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty in the probe, they said.

The initial Navy probe is pointing fingers towards a female employee who has been working with the club for over two decades and was looking after the running of the club, defence officials said.

The Indian Navy decided to hand over the case to the civil police after finding wrongdoings at its level and the involvement of the civilian persons in it.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Modiji stood by us, he was first to call, Biden administration was restrictive about weapons and support: Israel Ambassador in Delhi

OpIndia Staff
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Modiji stood by us, he was first to call, Biden administration was restrictive about weapons and support: Israel Ambassador in Delhi

Israel Ambassador to India Reuven Azar praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership saying that he was the first to call after the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel by terrorist organisation Hamas. In an interview given to IANS, Azar said that PM Modi stood by Israel during the last year and a half. He added that Israel valued the friendship of PM Modi and that India and Israel would collaborate on many things in future.

“Israel looks with admiration to the achievements of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His friendship is very dear for us. We saw he was the first to call us following the 7th of October. We saw how he stood by us during the last year and a half. We know that we think alike on many things. We look at things in a similar way. We have similar challenges. Therefore, I am confident that in the coming years, we’ll be able to do many more things together,” said Azar.

Azar urged leaders in and outside India to support Israel in its efforts to create a world free of violence. “Our expectation is that any peace-loving leader or party, wherever they are, in India or outside India, will join us with this quest of creating, a better world that is free of violence,” he said.

Israel had ‘some gaps’ with the Biden administration

The Israeli ambassador expressed optimism regarding the newly formed Trump government in the US based on Israel’s experience with the previous Trump regime which was instrumental in the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Distinguishing between the Trump and the Biden administrations, Azar said that Israel had ‘some gaps’ with the latter as it refused to provide certain weapons to Israel that the country needed for the Rafah operation. “We always had good relations with any American administration and also with the Biden administration but we had some gaps with them when it comes to the management of our struggle to defend ourselves from the Hamas attack. If you remember, the administration (Biden) tried to make us refrain from doing the Rafah operation and was also withholding some weapons that we needed for the war,” the ambassador said.

Expressing confidence in the present Trump administration, Azar said that Israel would not face any limitation under it as President Trump has openly declared support to Israel in its efforts to defend itself. He lauded President Trump’s offer to provide India with F-35 fighter jets emphasising that advanced military technologies are important to create an edge over adversaries.

Hamas leaders held a meeting in PoK

Ambassador Azar expressed concern over Hamas leaders holding a meeting in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “Unfortunately terrorist organisations work in networks and many times they find ways to support each other. In a way, that is detrimental for many countries, not just for our region. So the fact that, for example, there was a meeting only a couple of weeks ago in the areas under Pakistani control in Kashmir of leaders of Hamas. It tells you something about – (a) how these terrorist organisations are inspiring each other, and (b) that apparently, they are cooperating in order to achieve their common goal, which is to terrorise us and to terrorise you, “he said.

Azar called out the media outlets like Al Jazeera and the BBC for doing propaganda for radical Islamists. He said that such media outlets are posing a challenge to the civilised world by promoting the values that justify violence against non-Muslims.

What is Trump’s mineral deal with Ukraine? Is it aimed at stopping the war with Russia or just benefiting the USA? Explained

Anurag
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What is Trump’s mineral deal with Ukraine? Is it aimed at stopping the war with Russia or just benefiting the USA? Explained

On 26th February (local time), Ukraine reportedly reached a significant agreement with the United States that gives the US the upper hand in Ukraine’s natural minerals. The BBC quoted an unnamed senior official in Kyiv confirming the development. The details of the deal remain undisclosed. However, the official described it as a “positive outcome” after key amendments were made.

According to media reports, Washington has withdrawn its initial demand for $500 billion in potential revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources. However, Ukraine’s request for firm security guarantees has not been met. Instead, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated that the deal gives Ukraine “the right to continue fighting” along with $350 billion and a lot of equipment. He also emphasised that the financial and military aid provided by the US is crucial to Ukraine’s survival in the war.

Trump also hinted that the US might continue supplying arms and ammunition until it reaches a deal with Russia. Notably, this marks a significant shift in American policy towards ending the conflict.

Zelenskyy is reportedly scheduled to visit Washington DC soon, probably this week, to sign the deal. Trump has been projecting the deal as a way to recover US taxpayer money that has been spent on Ukraine so far.

The deal’s financial structure

Reports suggest that Ukraine has vast deposits of minerals, including oil and gas. These minerals and elements are essential for modern industries. Trump claimed that the deal would allow the US to recover more than what it has spent on Ukraine. Reportedly, the agreement includes a jointly owned fund, allowing revenue from Ukraine’s state-owned mineral resources to be used to rebuild the war-torn nation.

As per the terms of the deal, Ukraine would contribute 50% of its future proceeds from oil, gas, and mineral deposits to the fund. These funds would then be invested in infrastructure and economic projects within the country. Kyiv believes that this is a more favourable arrangement than earlier proposals. On the other hand, there are concerns that the financial stake arising from this deal will incentivise Washington to remain committed to Ukraine’s security in the long term.

The shifting geopolitics – is the US aligning with Russia?

The mineral deal comes at a time of uncertainty regarding Washington’s stance on the war. Not long ago, Trump labelled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war.

He also accused Zelensky of failing to negotiate peace and suggested that Ukraine had rejected a previous US-backed proposal that could have ended the war sooner. Meanwhile, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, also made a strategic move. He offered the US access to rare minerals, including those in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

The offer has heightened fears in Kyiv and across Europe that Ukraine could be sidelined in future negotiations between Washington and Moscow.

Rubio-Lavrov meeting: steps towards a US-Russia deal?

Earlier, OpIndia reported on the meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia on 18th February 2025. Interestingly, Zelensky was also in Riyadh at the time, but he was excluded from these talks.

After the meeting, the US State Department confirmed that discussions focused on restoring diplomatic staffing, supporting Ukraine peace talks, and enhancing US-Russia economic cooperation. Recently, Trump also held a call with Russian President Putin, during which they reportedly agreed on a ceasefire plan.

While Washington is shifting its priorities, there are discussions of a peace settlement that could limit Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, leaving Kyiv in a precarious position. Ukraine’s resources have now become an American economic interest, leading to a broader question: will the deal keep Ukraine secure, or is it merely a financial transaction designed to benefit the US?

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