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They called her ‘kafir’: Hindu woman Santola Devi was lynched to death by 7 Muslims in UP, her family alleges police apathy and threats

OpIndia Staff
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They called her ‘kafir’: Hindu woman Santola Devi was lynched to death by 7 Muslims in UP, her family alleges police apathy and threats

Santola Devi, a 62-year-old sweet shop owner, from Uttar Pradesh’s Jaganipur village of Fatanpur police stations area in Pratapgarh, was mercilessly beaten up by her Muslim neighbour family with sticks and stones on May 26. She was admitted to a Prayagraj hospital in grievous conditions. After fighting for a day, Santola Devi succumbed to her injuries. 

Notably, the Hindu woman was brutally hacked to death, merely a day after Eid. Owing to her age, the helpless woman could do little to save herself. OpIndia learnt that she was assaulted merely because she intervened in a fight that transpired between two people and sided with the one who was right. This irked the Muslim man who along with his family had attacked Santola Devi.

However, some media houses had reported that Santola Devi was attacked for raising objections on one Khalil’s goat entering her shop and ruining the sweets which she painstakingly prepared to run the shop she ran with her disabled son. When she complained, Khalil, first got into an argument with her and soon he was joined by his family members who started assaulting the old lady. 

Seven members of the Muslim family, including the women of the house Nazbeen Bano and Anari Begum, participated in brutally lynching the old lady.

Muslims in Jaganipur, Pratapgarh called Santola Devi ‘Kaafir’ and an ‘enemy of Islam’

Jaganipur in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh is a Muslim dominated village. According to reports, for the last 4-5 years, she was regularly being targetted by her Muslim neighbours, who called her a ‘Kaafir’ (a derogatory reference to non-Muslims) and an ‘enemy of Islam’. But what prevented her from leaving the village was her love for her ancestral house and her shop.

After her death, there was a lot of commotion in the village. Initially, the laxity shown by the police and administration in handling the case miffed Santola Devi’s family, who along with other members of the community, protested by placing her dead body on the road and demanding the arrest of all the culprits and compensation for the victim family. Later the SP and the local MLA intervened and took cognisance.

The son of the Hindu woman took to social media to allege police inaction

This three-month-old case recently regained traction after a video of Santola Devi’s son surfaced on social media in which he was seen pleading for justice and making serious allegations against the police.

OpIndia got in touch with one of the three sons of the deceased. Pradeep Kumar, who lives in Goa, gave us the details of what exactly transpired on the day Santola Devi was assaulted.

Pradeep told us that what happened with his mother had been brewing for a very long time. The Muslims in the area had been allegedly harassing, abusing and threatening her for a long time. Santola Devi had often complained about this to the local police, but they did not take her seriously. Whenever Santola Devi spoke about this with Pradeep, he advised her to come and live with either of his two brothers, Sushil Kumar and Satish Kumar who lived nearby, but she did not want to leave her house as it was their ancestral property and she had many memories attached to it, recalled the aggrieved son.

Pradeep told us that one of his brothers is disabled. But that day, when he heard of the assault, he immediately rushed to help his mother. But he could not do anything because of his physical condition. After this, his wife tried to save the mother, all in vain.

In a while, his second brother also reached his mother’s home along with his wife. They rushed to the police station to lodge a complaint against Khalil and his family members. But they were made to wait in the police station for two hours, recolleted Pradeep, furthering that after waiting for almost two hours, the police registered the complaint.

Complaint registered by Pradeep where he accuses police of inaction

The brothers rushed Santola Devi to the local hospital. She was referred to a hospital in Allahabad and then Lucknow, but due to financial constrains, she was brought back to her house. After they somehow arranged for the money, Santola Devi was re-admitted to a nearby hospital where she succumed to her injuries.

Santola Devi’s autopsy report also stated that she sustained injuries at three places and died due to excessive blood loss.

Santola Devi’s post mortem report

Furious at the police authorities, Pradeep said that his 65-year-old mother was mercilessly lynched by 7 people, including Khalil, Aashiq Ali, Arshad, Minaj, Jahanabano and others, but the police did not initiate any action against them until the local MLA, Dheeraj Ojha and the SP took cognizance of the matter.

Family of the Hindu women threatened, pressurised to withdraw case from various quarters

“Even after the woman’s death, the Muslim neighbours had no remorse”, Pradeep told OpIndia. When his brother returned to his mother’s house, the mother of one of the accused – Arshad, came there and threatened him. “Let my children be released from police custody, we will show you’ll”, Arshad’s mother threatened Pradeep’s brother. She added that they have already “sent the money” for the same.

If Pradeep is to be believed, some locals have also been pressurising his family to accept the money the accused family is offering and withdraw the case against them. But Pradeep said sternly, “We want justice, not the money. Today this has happened with us, tomorrow someone else will be targeted”.

Notably, Santola Devi’s son Pradeep has alleged that when his brother spoke to the police regarding the arrest of Jehanabano, the inspector threatened him and said: “You shut up or else you will be trapped and put in jail”. As per Pradeep, the police officer had told him, “Sooner or later, the lady would have anyways died”.

The grief-stricken son said that the reason why he did not return to the village was its hostile environment for the Hindus. “There are hardly 10 Hindu families living amidst 100 Muslim families in Jaganipur village”, said Pradeep adding that the police apathy had added up to the trauma of losing their mother and has been causing immense grief to the family.

6 accused have been arrested

Meanwhile, the Pratapgarh police have taken to Twitter to inform that 6 accused have been arrested.

Santola Devi’s son has also confirmed this to OpIndia, furthering that the accused woman is still absconding. She has been using the burqa to conceal her identity. The victim’s family has, however, demanded that she too is arrested soon. Pradeep is heard mentioning the names of the accused. He names- Khalil, Ashik Ali, Arshad, Hasmin, Minhaj, Bitan, Anno, who he confirms have been arrested, while the police have failed to capture Jehanabano.

Pratapgarh police accused of shielding the Muslim family

One Twitter user has uploaded the video, wherein Santola Devi’s son can be seen pleading for justice.

He accuses the police of favouring the accused family and shielding the culprits. The police were forced to register a case after the local MLA intervened and pressurised them to do so. “However, we are still being pressurised to withdraw the case”, alleged the son.

According to Pradeep, attempts are being made to implicate his brothers in false cases. He has claimed that some persons have threatened him that unless the family takes back their case, they will be harassed by implicating them under false allegations.

Tatra Truck scam: All you need to know about the UPA-era scam of over 750 crores where culprits went unpunished for ‘lack of evidence’

OpIndia Staff
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Tatra Truck scam: All you need to know about the UPA-era scam of over 750 crores where culprits went unpunished for ‘lack of evidence’

The Defence Ministry has imposed a one-year ban on all business dealings with Vectra Advanced Engineering Private Limited in relation to the Tatra truck scam that was unearthed in 2012 during the UPA era. At that time former Army Chief General VK Singh alleged that he was offered a bribe of Rs.14 crore for clearing procurement of 600 all-terrain Tatra Trucks from Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).

Tatra Trucks and its history with Indian Army

BEML had signed a contract with Tatra Trucks to supply trucks to Indian Army in 1986. For more than two decades, the company had a monopoly in providing vehicles to the army. In 2010, the Indian government changed the rules of procuring the vehicles for the Army so that other companies could apply as a supplier in open bidding. Tatra trucks are widely used by the Army in transport, artillery and mounted guided missile launchers.

BEML, and the involved Army officials had allegedly flouted norms in this regard because Indian Army procurement guidelines state that all purchases are to be made directly from the manufacturing company.

Tatra is a truck manufacturing company from the Czech Republic. It was alleged that the company sold the trucks to Venus Projects, Hong Kong at a 35 per cent discount. Venus Projects is the trading arm of Vectra Worldwide. The company further sold the trucks to Tatra Sipox Ltd, which is the UK based holding company of Vectra Worldwide. It is owned by Ravi Rishi who is known for several controversies. Ravi, a UK citizen, was also questioned by the CBI in 2012.

While Rishi did not pay taxes on the trucks because of the treaty between the two countries, the price of the trucks went up by 30 per cent. Tatra Sipox then sold the trucks to state-owned BEML after further adding 15 to 20 per cent as profit. BEML offered the trucks to the Indian Army after adding 25 to 35 per cent profit on the price, making the MRP much higher than the original price.

If Tatra sold trucks directly to the Indian Army, it could have offered a 35 per cent discount directly that it gave to Venus Projects. However, because the truck went through multiple channels, the final price went up by 100 to 120 per cent compared to the original price.

Thousands of overpriced trucks sold to Indian Army

It was alleged that in 2010, a lobbyist ex-Lieutenant-General Tejinder Singh met then Army Chief General VK Singh for clearance of a batch of 600 trucks that were supposed to be purchased by the Army. For this, he offered General Singh 14 crore as a bribe. General Singh in an interview said that he was offered a bribe to clear 600 sub-standard trucks for purchase. He alleged that in two decades, the company had already supplied 7000 trucks at an inflated price to the Indian Army.

The inflated price was not for the trucks only but also the spare parts. For example, Jacks for the Tatra truck were available at Rs 3000 at that time, but the Army bought them for Rs 30,000 per piece. Indian companies like Ashok Leyland or Tata Motors could have supplied similar trucks for Rs.16-18 lakhs that were bought from Tatra at around Rs.1 crore per truck.

In a statement, then-Defence Minister AK Antony told parliament that when he heard about the bribe in 2010, he was shocked. He said, “I was shocked. I told him to take action, but he said ‘I refuse to pursue the matter.”

CBI Investigation

CBI initiated the investigation in the case in March 2012. In their charge sheet filed in July 2014, the investigation agency said, “AK Antony, the then Raksha Mantri (defence minister), in his statement in parliament March 27, 2012, and the one recorded under Section 161 CrPC during the investigation, has confirmed having been informed by General VK Singh about such offer of bribe made to him about 1-1.5 years ago by Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh.” CBI included a list of 20 witnesses in the case that included Antony’s name.

The scam allegedly led to siphoning off Rs.750 crores from the Government funds. Senior advocate KS Periyaswamy who sought the intervention of President in the case and asked for CBI probe alleged that 15% of the money sanctioned for the procurement of the trucks was siphoned off as commission. CBI submitted a closure report in 2014 saying that it did not find enough evidence in the case. The CBI had informed the court that it did not even find enough evidence to file a charge sheet in the case.

Questions raised by special Court

In 2019, a special Court pulled up CBI and the Ministry of Defence for not following the basic rules. In a strongly-worded statement, the court said that it was shocked to learn that the investigation agency failed to produce the defence procurement manual. Judge Pramachala said, “This is a bit surprising and shocking to see that CBI has completed investigation even without laying a hand over such manual, so as to make the relevant assessment.” The case was pulled for re-consideration. The Ministry of Defence, while mentioning the case, imposed a one-year ban on Vectra Advanced Engineering Private Limited.

How can there be a Hindu Colony in Hindustan? When Dr Hedgewar visited ‘Hindu Colony’ and explained the philosophy of ‘Hindu Rashtra’

Nivan
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How can there be a Hindu Colony in Hindustan? When Dr Hedgewar visited ‘Hindu Colony’ and explained the philosophy of ‘Hindu Rashtra’

In pre-Independent India, when the Union Jack was still fluttering over the Indian parliament as a sign of slavery, RSS founder Dr Hedgewar (fondly called ‘Doctorji’ by RSS karyakartas) was invited for a discussion by residents of ‘Hindu Colony’ in Dadar (an area in Mumbai). The residents were pondering over the idea of dropping the word ‘colony’ from the name and adopting another word since they considered it to be too Western for their nationalist sentiments. 

Since many of them had heard about Dr Hedgewar and respected him for his work in Nagpur, they thought that his input in the discussion would help them reach a conclusion to the controversy. On Doctorji’s arrival, the residents welcomed him and began to discuss their concern. 

After patiently listening to the residents, Doctorji suggested that the word ‘Hindu’ should be dropped from the name. Aghast, the residents asked him why he suggests that despite being a staunch Hindu. 

Doctorji responded by saying, “I am not opposed to the word ‘Hindu’ as such. I am only opposed to its use in the present context, which denotes that in our own country the Hindus have formed a colony! How can there be a colony of Hindus in Hindustan?”. (Reference: MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, pg 116)

Dr. Hedgewar was an ardent believer of ‘Hindustan for Hindus’, and believed that the existence of a “Hindu colony” in Hindustan was unnecessary. According to Dr. Hedgewar, using the name ‘Hindu colony’ was diluting the fact that Hindustan belonged to Hindus, since it gave the perception that Hindus are just one of the multiple communities of India, and not the natural nationals of the country. 

Doctorji continued, “If some Englishmen come, stay in a particular locality in Hindustan and call it a ‘British Colony’, it can be understood. So also it is, if you go to England, live in a particular locality and call it a ‘Hindu Colony’. But a ‘British Colony’ in England an ‘American Colony’ in the United States and a ‘Hindu Colony’ in our land Hindusthan are all absurd..” (Reference: MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, pg 116)

By the above quote, Doctorji very openly proclaimed that India is a country for Hindus, and that Hindus are the natural nationals of India. All other communities such as Muslims, Christians, Parsis or Jews either came as invaders or took refuge in the country due to persecution being faced in their homeland. 

Moreover, this also explained why Doctorji chose the name ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’ for the organisation. According to Dr Hedgewar, the word ‘Rashtriya’ naturally meant ‘Hindu’. Using the word ‘Hindu’ instead of the word ‘Rashtriya’ would dilute the importance of Hindus to merely a community living in India and hide the reality that the land belongs to them. 

Sangh believes that the word ‘Hindu’ is a cultural identity and not faith. Anyone who considers himself to be a son/daughter of the motherland and adopts the local culture automatically becomes a ‘Hindu’. 

M.S Golwalkar (also known as ‘Guruji’ by Swayamsevaks) in his book ‘A Bunch of Thoughts’ explains the ideology of Hindutva and the Sangh. He explains that Muslims and Christians identifying themselves as ‘minorities’ is a major concern for the Sangh since they are alienating themselves from India’s nationalist movement.

According to Golwalkar, the term ‘religious minorities’ harden the shells of religion and separate them from nation-building. He says that Muslims and Christians should shake off their foreign complexes and adopt the local culture. (Reference: Bunch of Thoughts, pg 133)

Elaborating his point of view, he takes the example of Persia (where the Persian is still used instead of Arabic, despite being an Islamic country) and Indonesia (where Ramayana is still enacted in plays and the Hindu culture is still followed). Golwalkar says that adopting the local culture of a place won’t obstruct the faith of Muslims and Christians, but will bring them to mainstream nationalism where they no longer feel alienated. (Reference: Bunch of Thoughts, pg 134)

Golwalkar also says that Muslims and Christians will not be harmed in a Hindu Rashtra, and gives the example of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha empire. He reiterates that Islam and Christianity weren’t suppressed during the time of Marathas and that Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj even arranged for an Islamic funeral of Afzal Khan in Pratapgarh despite his treachery and betrayal. (Reference: Bunch of Thoughts, pg 135)

Hindu Rashtra, though a controversial topic due to misinformation propagated by Marxists, is a very practical concept for India. Hinduism isn’t just a religion but the very identity and culture of India that is renowned world over.

Even when the Muslim invaders from Central Asia invaded our country, they referred to the residents of our land as ‘Hindus’, thus making it clear that the term ‘Hindu’ and ‘Indian’ are synonyms to each other and can be used interchangeably. 

Prashant Bhushan’s conviction for contempt of court: Here is why it was completely justified

B.V. Acharya
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Prashant Bhushan’s conviction for contempt of court: Here is why it was completely justified

By judgment dated 14.08.2020 pronounced by a Bench of 3 Judges of the Supreme Court, Prashant Bhushan, an Advocate practising before the Supreme Court and having a standing over 30 years, was found guilty of having committed criminal contempt of court and the case is adjourned to hear regarding the sentence.

This judgment has evoked strong protest by a group of advocates and also a section of the press. Some articles and write-ups published found fault with the judgment on the ground that the same infringes Fundamental Right of Freedom of Speech and Expression. Certain procedural irregularities, such as want of consent of the Attorney General, are also pointed out to contend that the decision is vitiated. It appears that an attempt is being made to create and influence public opinion in favour of the Prashant Bhushan, not only in the country but also abroad.  

It is shocking to find that the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales has thought it fit to plead for contemnor (Prashant Bhushan) and has demanded the repeal of the statutory provision regarding criminal contempt. This is a clear case of interference in the internal affairs of the country and in particular the sovereign power of the Indian Parliament which is competent enough to take decisions without any external influence.  

A group of advocates are trying to enlist support from lawyers and carrying on a signature campaign as if the matter is to be decided on the basis of the opinion of the majority and not on the merits of the matter. These developments are both disturbing and unfortunate.  

The basis for action for contempt are two tweets admittedly posted by the contemnor. The first one reads as follows: 

“CJI rides a 50 lakh motorcycle belonging to a BJP leader at Rajbhavan, Nagpur without a mask or helmet at a time when he keeps the SC in lockdown mode denying citizens their fundamental right to access justice”

The second tweet reads as follows: 

“When historians in the future look back at the last six years to see how democracy has been destroyed in India even without a formal emergency they will particularly mark the role of the Supreme Court in this destruction and more particularly the role of the last 4 CJIs”

A preliminary objection is raised with regard to procedure. It seems a private party had filed the contempt petition alleging contempt with regard to the first tweet without the consent of the Attorney General. It appears on the administrative side an order was passed to list the matter before the court. Accordingly, it was listed.  

The Bench on a consideration of the matter decided to take suo moto action for contempt and directed issue of notice not only in respect of the first tweet but also in respect of the second one which appears to have been published in the English daily that day.  

The Supreme Court has rightly rejected the preliminary objection relying on several earlier decisions of the Supreme Court. There is no dispute that the Supreme Court has the power to take action suo moto and that, in such an event, consent of the Attorney General is not required. It is only when a private party intends to move the court, such consent is required.  

In the present case, no doubt, a private party has moved the court regarding the first tweet without the consent of the Attorney General. The court is entitled to take suo-moto cognizance when the information regarding contempt comes to its notice from any source.  It could be even a petition filed before it. Therefore, there is no illegality in the court taking suo-moto action on the basis of information found in the petition filed before it.  It is impossible to contend that cognizance taken is without jurisdiction.  

The assertion in an article that “once a petition is filed, it is only for the Attorney General to decide whether it amounts to criminal contempt or not” is clearly an erroneous statement of law. The power to decide whether it amounts to criminal contempt or not is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. There is no law which has transferred this power to the Attorney General.  

The consent of the Attorney General is provided only to lend assurance that there is a prima facie case. The decision of the Attorney General is also not final and the same is subject to judicial review.  Even where permission is refused by the Attorney General, it is open to the party to approach the court with relevant information and the court is entitled to take suo-moto action.  

In the present case, even at the earliest stage, the court has made it clear that it has taken suo-moto cognizance and issued notice accordingly.  The judgment of the Supreme Court has effectively answered this preliminary objection and rightly rejected the contention which is of a highly technical nature without any merit.

Even on merits, the judgment appears to be totally sound with cogent reasons for its conclusions. To decide whether the remarks amount to criminal contempt or not, one has to see the effect of such imputation in the mind of the public. In the first tweet, the allegation that CJI was riding the motorcycle is admittedly not true and hence the question of wearing a helmet does not arise. Reference to the owner of the motorbike as a BJP leader and reference to the premises of Rajbhavan is also not without significance. Evidently, the contemnor intends to inject politics into the episode.

More than all this, as pointed out in the judgment, the averment that the “CJI has kept the Supreme Court in a lockdown mode, denying citizens of their Fundamental Right to access justice” is patently false. The court has been functioning even during lockdown through video conference and the contemnor himself has approached the court both as a litigant and a lawyer and has obtained relief.  

The tweet read as a whole is calculated to create an impression that the Chief Justice of India has closed down the Supreme Court disowning his responsibility and is enjoying the ride in a costly motorcycle. Undoubtedly this remark (which is partly false), is scandalous and calculated to undermine the dignity and authority of the court.  

So far as the second tweet is concerned, not much argument is required to show that it amounts to gross criminal contempt by Prashant Bhushan. The clear meaning of the imputation is that the Supreme Court in general and the four Chief Justices of India in particular, have been responsible for destroying democracy in this country during the last 6 years.  

This is a clear case of the condemnation of the Supreme Court and four Chief Justices, as responsible for the destruction of democracy.  What will be the impression created in the mind of the public? – That an institution which has to protect democracy has destroyed it. Undoubtedly it lowers the dignity and authority of the Supreme Court and four Chief Justices, in the estimation of the public in general.  It is impossible to comprehend, that these assertions have been made bonafide in the public interest.

The circumstances clearly indicate that remarks have been made in the two tweets with malicious intention to malign the Supreme Court and its Judges. They are portrayed as people who have destroyed democracy in the country. These remarks are scandalous, tending to bring the court into disrespect and disrepute. Such remarks shake the confidence of the people in the judiciary in general and the Supreme Court in particular. Therefore the finding that the contemnor is guilty of criminal contempt is unexceptionable.     

Under the circumstances, raising a hue and cry and claiming that the judgment holding Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt has dealt a deathblow to the Fundamental Right of freedom of speech and expression is totally unjustified. The demand for the repeal of the law relating to criminal contempt is certainly not advisable. It is also dangerous, in as much as, in such an event, vested interests will be free to scandalize the judges and lower the dignity and authority of the courts with impunity. 

Footprints Publication to publish ‘Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story’ in Tamil

OpIndia Staff
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Footprints Publication to publish ‘Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story’ in Tamil

Chennai-based Footprints Publication will publish Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story in Tamil, the publishing house has announced on social media. The same was confirmed by co-author of the book Monika Arora on Tuesday.

The book has attracted a lot of attention after Bloomsbury India caved into bullying by the outrage mob comprised of liberals, Congress supporters and Islamists and decided to withdraw the book. Subsequently, Garuda Prakashan had decided to publish the book in Hindi and English.

Supreme Court defers 2009 contempt case against Prashant Bhushan, adjourns hearing to September 10

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court defers 2009 contempt case against Prashant Bhushan, adjourns hearing to September 10

The Supreme Court has listed the 2009 contempt case against senior advocate Prashant Bhushan to an “appropriate bench” that will take up the matter on September 10. The apex court passed the order while hearing two contempt of court cases against Bhushan.

The matter was heard by a bench of Justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari decided to place the larger questions emanating from the 2009 contempt case filed against Advocate Prashant Bhushan before an appropriate bench.

One of the two cases in which Bhushan is held for contempt is his tweets on judiciary and Bhushan’s statements in which he has refused to offer an unconditional apology. The other case is related to the decade-old contempt case in which Prashant Bhushan had alleged that half of the past 16 CJIs were corrupt.

Prashant Bhushan had said half of past 16 CJIs were corrupt

In an interview with Tehelka magazine in 2009, Bhushan had said that half of the 16 erstwhile chief justices of the Supreme Court had been corrupt. While Tejpal offered an apology for publishing the interview, Bhushan said that his allegations were not referring to the financial status of the judges or their families but the lack of propriety. He said if the court felt otherwise, he regrets his statement. However, the Supreme Court of India earlier this month refused to accept the ‘regret’ offered by advocate Prashant Bhushan for his comment in an interview to Tehelka magazine in 2009.

Russia approaches Modi government to collaborate on Coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V

OpIndia Staff
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Russia approaches Modi government to collaborate on Coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V

The Russian Ambassador Tuesday formally approached the Modi government for the coronavirus vaccine – Sputnik V. Russia sought to collaborate for the mass production of the Covid-19 vaccine – Sputnik V and has also expressed its willingness to share data with India.

According to reports citing government sources, Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev has formally approached the office of the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India professor K. VijayRaghavan, Secretary DBT (Department of Biotechnology), Ranu Swarup and secretary, department of health research and Dr Balram Bhargava, who is also the director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research.

“The Russian ambassador in India is engaging with the offices of the principal scientific advisor and the secretaries of the department of health research and department of biotechnology. The Russian government is keen to collaborate with India on the vaccine. They have also actively shared a lot of information and data on Sputnik V but most of the safety and efficacy data that we are looking for, is yet to be shared,” a health ministry official said.

India Embassy engaging with the developers of Covid-19 vaccine – Sputnik V

The Indian embassy in Moscow has been in talks with the Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which has developed the vaccine, to get safety and efficacy data on the vaccine trials.

On August 11, Russia became the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine.

Russia’s vaccine Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo) is based on the DNA of a SARS-CoV-2 type adenovirus, a common cold virus. The vaccine uses the weakened virus to deliver small parts of a pathogen and stimulate an immune response.

Russia has sought India’s help to mass-produce its first Covid-19 vaccine.

The number of Covid-19 cases in India crossed 31 lakh mark on Tuesday with 60,975 new cases and 848 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

Haryana Police arrest woman for brutally beating 82-year old mother-in-law after video goes viral on social media

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana Police arrest woman for brutally beating 82-year old mother-in-law after video goes viral on social media

A woman has been arrested by the Haryana Police after a viral video of her brutally thrashing her 82-year-old mother-in-law went viral on the social media.

In the video, the woman identified as Saroj was seen physically assaulting her 82-year-old mother-in-law. The incident is from Sector 23 of Haryana’s Sonipat. Besides the woman, her mother has also been arrested for abuse, the police had informed.

As per reports, the action was initiated against the assaulter after the son of the 82-year-old woman filed a police complaint that her mother was physically assaulted and abused. A case under various provisions of the IPC, including punishment for voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, has been registered against the two.

The video that went viral on the Internet is believed to have been captured by Saroj’s children on mobile phones. According to the sources, Saroj was an ANM in the health department at RCH dispensary on Kakroi road.

Video had caused outrage on socia media

Prominent personalities on Twitter took cognisance of the video after it started doing the rounds on the Internet. BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga had shared the video on his Twitter page to seek more details about the location of the incident.

The National Commission for Women chairperson, Rekha Sharma, also took notice of the video and assured that help will be provided to the victim lady.

In the video, the accused Saroj was seen hitting the old lady with a dustpan, holding her throat and violently shaking her while the frail old lady looked scared and helpless. It has been reported that Saroj was forcing the 82-year-old woman to do household work.

The Saga of Juhi Colony and case of ‘Love Jihad’: Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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The Saga of Juhi Colony and case of ‘Love Jihad’: Here is what we know so far

Recently a case has surfaced where a Hindu girl named Shalini Yadav, a resident of Barra area in Kanpur had converted to Islam to marry one Muslim boy named Mohd Faisal, belonging to Kanpur’s Juhi colony. This case has thrown Kanpur’s Juhi colony in the spotlight, which according to media reports has recently emerged as the epi-centre for cases of “Love Jihad”.

Shalini Yadav, who now identifies herself as Fiza Fatima, had been absconding for the last two months. Shalini had reportedly gone missing on July 29. Recently, she had uploaded a video on Facebook. In the video uploaded on August 8, she had confessed to marrying Mohd Faisal on her own will. Refuting the ‘Love Jihad’ allegations made by her parents while filing a missing complaint, Shalini aka Fiza had sought police protection, alleging threat from her family. In the viral video, the girl narrates how she had left home, on the pretext of a college exam, only to run away and get married to Mohd Faisal. She had also confirmed that she had converted and accepted an Islamic name.

Hindu girl’s family alleges girl has either been pressurised, threatened or brainwashed by the Muslim youth from Kanpur’s Juhi colony

Shalini’s parent’s had, meanwhile, filed a complaint against Mohd Faizal at the Kidwai Nagar police station. They said that their daughter, under the influence of the Muslim boy, ran away with Rs 10 lakh cash and jewellery from the house. They have accused Faizal of brainwashing, thereafter forcefully converting Shalini’s religion before marrying her. Based on the complaint, a case had been registered against accused Mohd Faisal in Kidwai Nagar police station under section 364, 360, 120-B and 511.

Shalini’s brother had also accused Mohd Faizal of either brainwashing or pressuring his sister. He demanded that his sister should be first separated from the boy, and then she should be interrogated. He said that Shalini is at the moment, either completely brainwashed or is being threatened or pressurised to give such statements. “She is being made to travel to several places. She is being tortured”, alleged the brother.

Brother alleges a gang working to lure Hindu girls in Kanpur’s Juhi colony

He alleged that an entire “Love Jihad” syndicate was working in Kanpur’s Juhi colony, the area from where Mohd Faisal hails. The brother speaking to ABP News said that the gang regularly targets Hindu girls from nearby areas. He said that four more girls along with Shalini have been targetted by this gang which trains Muslim boys to lure and brainwash the Hindu girls, who then fall into their trap.

The Bajrang Dal workers alleged that this was a case of ‘love jihad’, and Mohd Faizal should be arrested at the earliest. Dilip Singh Bajrangi, the district convenor of the Bajrang Dal, said, “This is a case of love jihad. The man has lured the girl and brainwashed her. We will not rest until the police takes action in this matter.”

Moreover, Shalabh Mani Tripathi, the media advisor to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, had also Tweeted about the incident and called it a case of Love Jihad. He wondered, that if it was not a case of Love Jihad, then why did Shalini feel the need to change her religion, and why couldn’t Faizal embrace Hinduism instead.

Meanwhile, the CO of Babu Purwa PS, Alok Singh confirmed that a police team was sent to Ghaziabad to meet Shalini. He added that Shalini had confirmed that she is an adult and she had married the Muslim man out of her own volition.

Love Jihad cases in Juhi colony

As Shalini Yadav’s case gained traction, similar cases of Love Jihad have surfaced from Kanpur’s Juhi colony. According to a report in Jagran, four more such cases have come to the fore, in the last two months, and in all the cases the boys hail from Kanpur’s Juhi colony. These cases of Hindu girls ending up abandoning their families, converting to Islam and marrying Muslim boys have given rise to allegations of organised love jihad.

On July 2 two Hindu siblings, from the Kalyanpur area had eloped with two Muslim boys, both named Shahrukh. Interestingly, both these youths are residents of Juhi colony.

Two sisters hailing from Kanpur’s Panki Ratanpur colony, fled with accused Mohd Moseen. He too is a resident of Kanpur’s Juhi colony.

The Jagran report claims that these are only a few of the many cases that have transpired in Juhi colony. It is believed that most cases have been dismissed as love affairs, but if properly traced, over a dozen cases of Muslim men from Juhi colony ‘trapping’ Hindu girls would emerge from the area. Locals have alleged that an entire gang is operating in this colony. The fixed pattern and the modus operandi of the perpetrators point to the fact that these youths are being trained to lure and brainwash Hindu girls by a particular syndicate, who are also providing financial support and other resources to the Muslim men to carry out the task.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that on the demand of these distressed Hindu families, the IG has stated that a team will be constituted to look into these emerging “love jihad” cases in Kanpur’s Juhi colony.

Coronavirus: How ‘corona box’ technology is helping fight COVID-19 pandemic and opening up trade market in African countries

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: How ‘corona box’ technology is helping fight COVID-19 pandemic and opening up trade market in African countries

Ultraviolet light has established itself as one of the most convenient way to disinfect during coronavirus crisis. Unlike chemical approaches to disinfection, UV light provides rapid, effective inactivation of microorganisms through a physical process. We can put up a (UV) lamp in a room, close it and in 15 minutes, the entire room becomes safe to use. Few Indian companies had identified the need and opportunity in early days of the spread of coronavirus and developed some wonderful products which are useful for a variety of applications. 

Now established as a trend, Indian companies again have been able to develop technologically advanced UV Products in a cost-effective manner. These companies thus not only able to get traction inside the country, but their products are also now becoming popular abroad.

African countries, where India has always been the preferred exporter of engineering products, have increasingly become favoured destination for various other products too. In fact, Modi Government has been looking at increasing export to India-friendly countries in the African region. Indian manufacturers are increasingly looking at export opportunities to offset the loss in domestic sales. Recently, UV-C products have also shown good promise in the African market.

Despite transportation problems and high freight charges, significant number of UV products have been exported in June, July and August to Africa. The demand is high particularly for the UVC disinfection boxes, which are equally useful for both offices and households, and UVC lamps which have found good traction in offices, doctors’ clinics, education institutes and hotels. South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco are seeing a late but rapid surge in covid cases and hence are good markets for disinfection products.  

Mr. Nana Yaw Frimpong, a businessman from Ghana while speaking on market of disinfection products said, “There is a big need of UVC disinfection products in Ghana, in both public and private sector. We trust Indian manufacturers and have been dealing with them and hence placed initial orders of Disinfection lamps with the company Nessa. The performance is excellent. These products would help revive the economy by opening offices and Govt departments fast. Given the market scenario, items, I feel the need of this will grow more and more.”

One of the Indian companies leading the pack is Ahmedabad based Nessa Illumination Technologies, founded by IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus Akshat Khare. The company, which has been manufacturing LED products, has been able to quickly generate good demand for its UV Products. Within two months of launch, Nessa is now getting orders across India. The company has also made inroads in African and Middle Eastern companies for its UC products.

Products like Coronabox, surface and air disinfection lamp, handheld battery operated UVC lamp priced in the range of Rs 4990 to 13990 are available for sale on the company website as well as e-commerce platform like Amazon. Since UVC radiation is harmful to humans, Nessa has got safety certifications and NABL lab test reports for its UVC products.

Speaking to OpIndia on the effectiveness of UVC technology on coronavirus, Khare said, “Our research is further substantiated by recent research papers being published worldwide by various universities and laboratories which show UVC radiation, especially 254 nm and 222 nm wavelength, effectively deactivates coronavirus if supplied in the right dose.”

At a time, when the government is working hard to increase export to improve the trade balance, UVC Products have shown a ray of hope. The usage of UV Products is not only important for the economic growth of the country but it is also critical in our fight against Coronavirus. With the help of UV products, we can reduce the spread considerably. More importantly, it will reduce the fear amongst people to use an object or a room once it gets sanitised with the help of UV light. 

In the current coronavirus pandemic, such products can greatly help control the crisis while ensuring safety of all and help the government in its “Unlocking” process. 

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