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Fed up of being confused with China amid coronavirus outbreak, Taiwan redesigns its passport cover

OpIndia Staff
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Fed up of being confused with China amid coronavirus outbreak, Taiwan redesigns its passport cover

Taiwan has decided to issue new passports to ensure better differentiation from China across the International community. The new design will give more focus on the word “Taiwan”, as opposed to the current design that mentions its official name “Republic of China” more prominently.

The problem with the old design

The official name of Taiwan is “Republic of China”, while the official name of mainland China is “People’s Republic of China. This often creates confusion in foreign countries, and many times Taiwanese passport is confused with the Chinese passport. In the 1940s, the government that controlled China was defeated in the civil war and had fled to modern-day Taiwan. Taiwan uses the word “China” for a long time. Beijing also claims that Taiwan is its territory though the Communist Party has never ruled the nation.

Confusion during Covid-19 pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s controversy being recognized as a part of China has emerged again. The government of Taiwan has successfully controlled the epidemic on its own. However, as it is considered a part of China by several nations worldwide, they were included in the list of travel bans imposed against Chinese nationals by such countries. It gave the much-needed push to the demand for a name change.

The competition organized by Taiwan

The government held an online competition in search of a new passport cover. It drew hundreds of submissions. Though the competition terms clearly mentioned that the winner design might not make it to the final design of the passport, it attracted the attention of the young generation in Taiwan to explore and reimagine the national identity. Taiwan is attempting to get recognition as a distinctive country independent of China’s connection. Many submissions for the new passport design featured famous Taiwanese foods, including braised pork rice, bubble tea, and more.

The new design and why there were minimal changes

During a press conference, Taiwanese officials explained why they chose the new design and its significance. They said that the new design has the word “Taiwan” written in bigger font in the center. The officials claimed that it would help in causing less confusion. The phrase “Republic of China” is written in smaller letters circling the sun emblem of Taiwan. The officials said they wanted to improve Taiwan’s recognition with minimal changes. The color of the new passport design remains the same as the old one.

Criticism from the Taiwanese

The citizens of Taiwan have, however, ridiculed the new design. Some critics said that Taiwan chose the safest option in terms of design. They said that it does not achieve the purpose of amplifying Taiwanese identity. Catherine Chou, assistant professor of pre-modern European history at Grinnell College, said in a tweet that though the design is geopolitically clever, “I feel compelled to represent the diaspora who left Taiwan who left precisely to escape the Republic of China and have never lost sight of their ultimate goal: a Republic of #Taiwan.”

Taiwan has tweaked the design several times

The Taiwanese passport has seen changes in the design multiple times over the years. They added the word “Taiwan” to the cover in 2003. The Taiwanese started to put stickers with the words “Republic of Taiwan” on their travel documents that led to the denial of their entry into China, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

The government will start a bureaucratic process to notify all nations across the world and the International Air Transport Association about the passport change. They aim to issue the new passport in January 2021.

Amid rising popularity of online dating, Pakistan bans Tinder, Grindr and other dating apps for ‘immoral’ and ‘indecent’ content

OpIndia Staff
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Amid rising popularity of online dating, Pakistan bans Tinder, Grindr and other dating apps for ‘immoral’ and ‘indecent’ content

In a major decision, the Pakistan authorities on Tuesday blocked access to Tinder and several other dating apps in an effort to control “immoral” and “indecent” content.

According to the reports, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said it has banned users from accessing Tinder, Grindr, SayHi, Tagged and Skout after the social networking apps after it failed to “moderate… content in accordance” with laws of Pakistan. The PTA said the ban addressed the negative effects of immoral and indecent content

According to PTA, these apps could request to have their blocks lifted if they show they are “moderating the indecent/immoral content through meaningful engagement”.

The decision to ban dating apps comes just days after Pakistani regulators had threatened to shut down YouTube for similar reasons. Last week, the PTA asked YouTube to immediately block all videos they consider “objectionable” from being accessed in the country.

Right campaigners criticise Pakistan authorities

Meanwhile, the ban on apps has been criticised by rights campaigners who fear creeping censorship and control of Pakistan’s internet and printed media.

Shahzad Ahmad, director of digital rights group Bytes For All, slammed the PTA’s “moral policing”. Ahmad said if adults choose to be on app, it is not for the state to dictate whether someone uses an app or not. He described the ban as “a completely ridiculous move” that people would find ways to circumvent.

Pakistan threatens to boycott TikTok

In July, after banning video-sharing app Bigo Pakistan had threatened a ban on TikTok after receiving numerous complaints regarding ‘obscene and immoral’ content.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had issued a statement saying that they have received complaints against apps like TikTok and Bigo from various segments of the society. The complaints alleged that immoral, vulgar and obscene content had become “normal” on these social media apps.

PTA using its powers had said, “A final warning to TikTok to put in place a comprehensive mechanism to control obscenity, vulgarity and immorality through its social media application”.

G*ndu, boxing batau kya?’ shirtless father of alleged drug peddler kicks AajTak reporter, netizens fondly recall Rajdeep Sardesai

OpIndia Staff
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G*ndu, boxing batau kya?’ shirtless father of alleged drug peddler kicks AajTak reporter, netizens fondly recall Rajdeep Sardesai

In a shocking incident, a reporter from Aaj Tak news channel was physically assaulted by the father of arrested drugs peddler Zaid Vilatra in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

The Aaj Tak journalist was reporting from outside Zaid’s home, seeking the reaction of his parents on the arrest of their son in the high profile case of the alleged suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput. However, after initially shutting their door on the Aaj Tak reporter, Zaid’s half-naked father opened the door and aggressively pushed and shoved the journalist while hurling choicest of abuses at him.

“I am telling you one thing. Understand it. Get out of here. Get out of here you bas***ds,” Zaid’s father said menacingly while pushing the Aaj Tak reporter. “G*ndu, boxing batau kya,” he said.

Netizens remember “boxer” Rajdeep Sardesai over the assault incident

Soon after the video of the assault went viral on the Internet, netizens reminisced the ugly brawl that took place at the Madison Square in New York years ago when India Today journalist Rajdeep Sardesai had displayed his exemplary boxing skills to attack a Modi supporter. The incident took place in 2014 when Modi was supposed to address Indian diaspora at Madison Square in New York. Rajdeep Sardesai had exchanged blows with a Modi supporter after the former’s needling questions in relation to Gujarat riots 2002 and the United States’ denying Modi visa, earning him the monicker ‘boxer’.

One of the Twitter users suggested Aaj Tak send “boxer” Rajdeep Sardesai next time to fend off attacks from truculent respondents.

Another Twitter user asked “boxer” Rajdeep Sardesai to ask Maharashtra government to provide security for his colleagues.

One Twitter user highlighted the irony of “boxer” Rajdeep Sardesai lamenting over news channels carrying out a media trial of Sushant Singh Rajput death case while his own channel also partook in the same activity.

Many also pointed out the irony in the reporter’s behaviour, especially since their own colleague Rajdeep Sardesai often mouths off platitudes on social media and on India Today, AajTak’s sister channel.

Recently, after questioning ‘media trial’ over a ‘less known actor’ Sushant Singh Rajput, India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai had flown to Mumbai to interview the deceased actor’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty whose role is currently being probed by investigative authorities.

Zaid Vilatra arrested in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput death case

The Narcotics Control Bureau on Tuesday night arrested another drug peddler, Zaid Vilatra, from Mumbai’s Andheri in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Zaid was arrested by the NCB and his CDR analysis revealed that he was in contact with Basit Parihar and Suryadeep Malhotra. The two have links with Rhea Chakraborty’s brother, Showik Chakraborty. Besides, Showik also had chats with the two men regarding drugs consumption and procurement.

Mumbai Police Commissioner likes a tweet asking public shaming of Kangana Ranaut, the actress asks whether it is safe to be in Mumbai

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai Police Commissioner likes a tweet asking public shaming of Kangana Ranaut, the actress asks whether it is safe to be in Mumbai

In a shocking act, the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was caught bullying and attempting to publicly shame Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, the National Award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut, who is spearheading a movement seeking justice to the deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput, shared screenshots exposing Commissioner of Mumbai Police Param Bir Singh, who liked a tweet which asked for publicly shaming her.

“Liking derogatory tweets about people who are fighting against the murderers of Sushant,” Kangana Ranaut wrote while accusing the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh of bullying her and encouraging others to public teas her, instead of condemning it.

In another tweet, the Bollywood actress asked the Mumbai Police whether she was safe in Mumbai after such an incident. She wrote, “When @CPMumbaiPolice is openly intimidating me like this, encouraging bullying and crime against me, will I be safe in Mumbai? Who is responsible for my safety?”

Mumbai Police Chief likes a tweet which asks for public shaming of Kangana Ranaut

The shocking act of Mumbai Commissioner to bully and encourage public teasing against Kangana Ranaut comes a day after a series of derogatory graffiti had come up in Mumbai that targeted actress Kangana Ranaut, BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra, Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and ZEE News editor-in-chief Sudhir Choudhary.

In an act of vandalism of public property in Mumbai, a person identified as “tylerstreetart” had painted “Azadi” slogan and other derogatory graffitis on the streets of Mumbai. He had created a graffiti of “Wall of Shame” where he had inscribed the names of nationalist icons of the country on those graffitis in an attempt to shame them.

Devang Dave, National Convener of BJYM, had shared two tweets in which he mentioned the “Azadi” and “Wall of Shame” graffiti that had emerged in the city.

A day later, another social media user “Neander’thala” had commented on the above post to say that it was not just enough to put the names of Kangana Ranaut on the “Wall of Shame” graffitis, but wanted the artists to draw faces of these nationalistic icons on that graffitis.

Instead of stopping acts of vandalism that promoting hatred and public teasing, the Mumbai Police Commissioner hit a new low by liking the tweet made by “Neander’thala” that had asked for intense public shaming of people like Kangana Ranaut.

Mumbai Police denies ‘liking’ the tweet

Perhaps the Mumbai Police chief, who has been receiving severe criticism over his inability to fairly investigate the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case, attempted to take potshots at Kangana Ranaut for actively campaigning for a fair probe in the case.

After facing severe embarrassment over their insensitive act on social media, Mumbai Police responded on the matter to claim that Mumbai Police had never liked any such image. They said that the cyber police station has been asked to examine the screenshot.

Image Source: Mumbai Police

‘In France, we have freedom of expression’: President Emmanuel Macron refuses to condemn Charlie Hebdo cartoons of Prophet Mohammad

OpIndia Staff
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‘In France, we have freedom of expression’: President Emmanuel Macron refuses to condemn Charlie Hebdo cartoons of Prophet Mohammad

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has refused to condemn cartoons of Prophet Mohammad published by Charlie Hebdo. On Tuesday, while speaking during his visit to Lebanon, Macron said that it is essential that France’s citizens show respect for each other. They should avoid a “dialogue of hate.” However, he refused to criticize the decision of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo to republish the cartoon on Prophet Mohammad.

According to a report published in BFM TV, he said, “In France, there is a freedom to blaspheme which is attached to freedom of conscience. I am there to protect all these freedoms. I do not have to qualify the choice of journalists. They can criticize a president, governors, blaspheme.”

“It’s never the place of a president of the Republic to pass judgment on the editorial choice of a journalist or newsroom, never. Because we have freedom of the press”, Macron added.

Tribute to the victims of attack on Charlie Hebdo office

Macron also paid tribute to the victims of the January 2015 attacks at the Charlie Hebdo office after they published cartoons of Prophet Mohammad for the first time. He said, “we will all have a thought for the women and men who were cowardly shot because they drew, wrote, corrected, were there to help, to deliver.”

The trial in the case begins this week. Charlie Hebdo republished the article yesterday that stirred the controversy to mark the beginning of the trial against the alleged attackers and accomplices. He further added, “Beyond the trial that will begin tomorrow, and I don’t have to express myself on this point as president, we will have a thought for all those who fell.”

The attack on Charlie Hebdo office

On 7th January 2015, two Islamist terrorists entered the offices of Charlie Hebdo forcefully in Paris. They gunned down 12 and injured 11 in the attack. They identified themselves as members of an Islamic terrorist group Al Qaeda and claimed that the attack was against the magazine’s cartoons on Prophet Mohammad. The assailants were later identified as two brothers named Said and Cherif Kouachi.

Pakistani network running pro-ISI, anti-India propaganda busted by Facebook and Stanford researchers, hundreds of accounts suspended

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani network running pro-ISI, anti-India propaganda busted by Facebook and Stanford researchers, hundreds of accounts suspended

An investigation by Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) has exposed a network of Pakistan-based Facebook and Instagram accounts that indulged in mass reporting of social media accounts and posts that were critical of Pakistani ruling establishment.

The investigation by the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) has revealed that as many as 103 Facebook Pages, 78 Facebook Groups, 453 Facebook accounts and 107 Instagram accounts have been taken down by Facebook on August 31, 2020, for engaging in ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’ in an effort to silence the critics of Pakistani ruling and military establishment.

“On August 31, 2020, Facebook suspended 103 Pages, 78 Groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. As it notes in its takedown report, Facebook attributed this network to individuals in Pakistan,” the SIO report read.

The SIO reports said that the Facebook had shared a portion of this network with the SIO recently after which they carried out an investigation and brought out the report.

Pakistan posted anti-India propaganda, indulged in mass reporting of accounts

The report highlights how social media accounts that originated in Pakistan posted pro-Pakistan, pro-Islam propaganda on social media platforms. In addition to that, these Pakistani accounts targeted Indian government by peddling false narratives against India.

The report also stated that these social media groups also resorted to mass reporting of social media accounts. These networks operated, with Group and Page administrators who mobilized social media users to report accounts that were critical of Islam or the Pakistani military/government.

Some of these pages and groups also targeted Ahmadi religious community, one of the persecuted Muslim groups in Pakistan.

“In our investigation, we find that the network engaged in mass reporting: the coordinated reporting of accounts ostensibly for violating a platform’s terms of service. The network encouraged users to mass-report accounts that were critical of Islam and the Pakistani government, and in some cases accounts that were part of the Ahmadi religious community,” read the SIO report.

The SIO report also stated that many pages on the network focused on posting Pakistani nationalist content, praising Pakistan’s ISI, the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Their posts also focused on criticising India’s ruling BJP and PM Narendra Modi.

Report by SIO

Pakistan social media pages targeted accounts using insulting fake names

According to Shelby Grossman, a research scholar at SIO, these groups also boasted regarding their successes frequently and targeted accounts by intentionally using insulting fake names which were clearly in violation of Facebook’s policies.

“The network used a Chrome extension called Auto Reporter to report accounts in bulk, and likely to generate the direct reporting links,” said Shelby.

These pages and groups posted Pakistani nationalist content, promoting ISI, the Pakistan’s intelligence agency and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The SIO report also noted “the repeated invoking of duty towards religion and nation for mass reporting”.

Facebook had suspended a pro-Pakistani military network in 2019 too

Reportedly, this is not the first time that Facebook has suspended social media accounts that are linked to ISPR of Pakistan Military. In April 2019, Facebook had suspended a network of accounts linked to the Pakistani military establishment.

According to Digital Forensic Research Lab, that network “represented a significant influence operation, apparently aimed at boosting support for the army inside Pakistan and boosting support for Pakistan abroad.”

It was revealed that the Pakistani politicians work directly with prominent social media trolls to get pro-Pakistan hashtags trending on Twitter.

India calls out Pakistan over false propaganda on social media

Meanwhile, India has responded to the dirty tricks played by the Pakistani establishment to indulge in a false social media propaganda. On Wednesday, India accused Pakistan of propagating fake news through social media platforms.

Calling it malicious propaganda, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations shared the report by the Stanford Internet Observatory(SIO) which said that Pakistan based Facebook and Instagram accounts leveraged mass reporting to silence critics.

UnAcademy educator provokes students to pick up AK47s, many online coaching centres found peddling political agenda

OpIndia Staff
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UnAcademy educator provokes students to pick up AK47s, many online coaching centres found peddling political agenda

Varun Awasthi, an UnAcademy educator, has been found provoking students to pick up AK-47s in one of his videos.

A clip of his live video is making rounds on social media in which he addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, “Jis tarah Mahatma Gandhi keh ke gaye the Hindustan ki aatma gaon mein basti hai, jab tak gaon ka vikas nahi karoge Hindustan ka vikas nahi hone wala. Waise hi Modi ji itna jaan lo agar desh ko nahi jhukne dena hai na, to is yuva ko apne saath leke chalna hai. Nahi to woh din door nahi ke jis wajah se aapne Jammu Kashmir ko block kiya hai na udhar se, yahan par har yuva kalam chod ke AK-47 pakad lega. (Mahatma Gandhi said that India’s soul lives in villages, till we do not ensure the rural areas’ progress, we cannot progress as a nation. Similarly, if you do not want the nation to bend its knees, Modi Ji ensure you walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the young generation. Otherwise, just like Jammu and Kashmir, the youngsters of India will pick up AK-47s.)

After the video went viral, educator Awasthi removed the said video from his Facebook profile. However, OpIndia accessed the 20-minute video and confirmed that he tried to instigate students to pick arms. The video is about the delayed results of the SSC Railway exams. When we further dug the mentioned hashtags in the video, we found out that several educators from different coaching centers have posted similar provocative videos.

UnAcadamy initiates investigation

After the clip of Varun Awasthi went viral, Unacadamy replied to a couple of tweets saying that they do not support any such behaviour and statement made by any educator associated with the company. They added that they have initiated an investigation and will take appropriate action.

Countless ‘educators’ running a political agenda through videos

Another name that stood out from the “educators” crowd with such videos was “Bhutesh Sir,” who runs a channel by the name e1 coaching center on Youtube. He uploaded a video on 30th August in which he mocked the Ram Mandir movement. He said, “Tumhein mandir bana ke de diya aur tumhein zindagi mein kya chahiye. Ayodhya mein mandir ban gaya, uska pujan ho gaya aur is se bada mudda kya hai. (You got Ram Mandir. What else you want in your life? The Temple is being constructed in Ayodhya, Bhoomi Pujan has been done. It was the biggest issue.)”

He further added, “tumhein job dila di to yeh Hindu Muslim ke naam par ghrina kaun failayega? Jaat paat ke naam par dange kaun karwayega? Inke IT cell ki jhoothi khabrein kaun failayega agar yuva ko job dila di to? (If youth get a job, who will spread hatred between Hindu and Muslim? Who will instigate riots in the name of caste and religion? Who will spread the fake news of IT cell?).

There is one channel that goes by the name Khan GS Research Center. The teacher in that video, “Khan Sir,” uploaded a video on 31st August in which he said claimed that officials leak the papers so that they can earn money to take their families to Switzerland. The list does not end here. Videos by Rajasthani Tinger, Education Affairs, Time Coaching, and countless others are provocative, politically biased and even seem to be doing indirect political campaigning for certain opposition parties, rather than helping students with their studies. A simple search of hashtag “SpeakupforSSCRAILWAYStudents” shows how deep this nexus of coaching center goes.

It is notable here that the above-mentioned hashtag was actively promoted by Congress leaders recently, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

BJP MP Arjun Singh says jihadi elements destroyed Maa Kali idol in Murshidabad temple, police claims ‘fire accident’

OpIndia Staff
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BJP MP Arjun Singh says jihadi elements destroyed Maa Kali idol in Murshidabad temple, police claims ‘fire accident’

BJP MP Arjun Singh late on Tuesday night took to Twitter to share images of burnt idols of Maa Kali from a temple in Murshidabad.

He said that some people belonging to ‘one religious group’ attacked and destroyed a temple and burnt the idol of goddess Kali. However, Murshidabad Police has denied the claims.

Taking to Twitter, the police claimed that the temple committee stated that it was a fire incident that destroyed the idol.

The police has claimed that the incident took place on the intervening night of 31st August and 1st September which left only the idol destroyed. The rest of the temple is intact.

OpIndia tried to reach out to the temple authorities but the calls remained unanswered. We shall update the article when we know more.

Rajasthan HC dismisses plea of sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt requesting discontinuation of narcotics case

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan HC dismisses plea of sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt requesting discontinuation of narcotics case

Rajasthan High Court today dismissed a plea filed by sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt requesting the closure of a case filed under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) as reported by Live Law. The case was reportedly going on before the Special Court (NDPS) in Palanpur, Gujarat.

In his petition, Bhatt had contended that the Jodhpur Special Court had first taken cognisance in the NDPS case and later on a charge sheet was filed against him in the Gujarat Special Court. According to him, both the proceedings have the same foundation, therefore, section 186 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1873 (CrPC) is attracted. Under section 186 of the CrPC, a High Court can decide the place of inquiry or trial of an offence where two or more courts have taken the cognisance of the same offence and a question has arisen as to which one of them should inquire into or try the offence.

In the order dismissing the plea, Justice Manoj Kumar Garg observed that the two complaints registered in Gujarat and Rajasthan are distinct. The complaint registered in Gujarat relates to conspiracy and offence relating to the NDPS Act by placing contraband and the complaint filed in Rajasthan pertains to the false implication in NDPS case arising out of a property dispute. He clarified that section 186 applies only in a case where the complaints filed in different courts are related to the same offence. Noting that the petition lacks merit, the court observed, “Moreover, the conduct of the present petitioner is writ large from the observations made by Honourable Gujarat High Court mentioning that the applicant has scant respect for the courts”.

Bhatt was arrested by the Gujarat CID on the accusation of falsely implicating a lawyer Sumersingh Rajpurohit by planting opium in a hotel room in Palanpur. The tainted cop’s lies were also exposed by the Nanavati Commission in its report wherein it debunked his allegation on the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi that he had called a meeting at his residence post-Godhra riots to allow Hindus to vent out their anger against Muslims.

Bihar: Naxals kidnap and murder a pujari, dump mangled body in jungle

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Naxals kidnap and murder a pujari, dump mangled body in jungle

In Bihar’s Lakhisarai, Naxals kidnapped a pujari, Neeraj Jha, and killed him a week later. His body was later dumped in a jungle. This has angered the local residents. Jha was kidnapped by Naxals on 23rd August who used his phone to make ransom call demanding Rs 1 crore to his family. Even as the family members awaited his safe return, the Naxals killed him and dumped his body in the jungle.

The body was so badly mangled that the family took very long to ascertain whether it was Neeraj Jha. At first the family members failed to recognise him. Later, his brother Pankaj Jha, recognised him from the janeu he was wearing.

The incident comes a month after Maoists kidnapped three people including a teacher who was later set free. Later, a fierce encounter broke out between the security forces and the Maoists at the Lakhisarai-Munger border. Unconfirmed reports later suggested that the remaining two, the mukhiya of panchayat and the moneylender, were also released.

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