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Sushant Singh Rajput revealed to his sister about the plans of ex-partner Rhea Chakraborty to falsely implicate him: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Sushant Singh Rajput revealed to his sister about the plans of ex-partner Rhea Chakraborty to falsely implicate him: Reports

The mystery surrounding the tragic and untimely death of 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput is getting deeper with each passing day. In a shocking revelation made by News 18 journalist Marya Shakil on Twitter, the Bihar police have filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India claiming that the late actor had told his sister that his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty would falsely implicate him if he did not pay heed to her.

“On 08.06.2020, the petitioner (Rhea) took away cash, jewellery, laptop, credit card and important documents with her and left the house of the deceased actor. The deceased actor informed his sister that the petitioner will falsely implicate him, if the deceased did not pay heed to her. On 14.06.2020, the deceased actor committed suicide due to torture by the petitioner,” the affidavit emphasised.

CBI files FIR against Rhea Chakraborty and her family members

On the day the Union government handed over the actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case to CBI on the request of Bihar police, the Central agency registered an FIR in the case. The FIR named 6 people including Sushant’s former girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, apart from her mother, father, brother, and two others. It was registered in Delhi in response to a complaint filed by Sushant’s father KK Singh with Bihar police under section 154 of the CrPC. The FIR invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, abetment of suicide, wrongful restrain, wrongful detention, theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal intimidation.

After Sushant Singh and Sameer Sharma, Bhojpuri actress Anupama Pathak found dead, had shared Facebook video before alleged suicide

OpIndia Staff
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After Sushant Singh and Sameer Sharma, Bhojpuri actress Anupama Pathak found dead, had shared Facebook video before alleged suicide

Bhojpuri film actor Anupama Pathak was found dead in her Dahisar residence in the Mumbai Metropolitan area. The police said that the actor had allegedly killed herself.

The 40-year-old actor’s body was found hanging at her rented apartment on August 2, the police said. A suicide note was also reportedly recovered from the late actor’s residence.

Pathak had shared Facebook video saying she has been cheated

Pathak hailed from Patna, Bihar and had moved to Mumbai to work in Bhojpuri films and TV shows. Before allegedly committing suicide, the late Bhojpuri actor, in a Facebook video, shared that she had been cheated and was unable to trust anyone. In the video, Pathak lamented about trust issues and about not having friends who can be of help.

Facebook Live video uploaded by Anupama Pathak

“If you tell someone that you are having problems and at times feel suicidal, that person, no matter how good a friend he or she is, will right away ask you to keep them away from your problems so that they don’t get into trouble after your death. People also make fun of you and disrespect you in front of others. Therefore, never share your problems with anyone and do not consider anyone your friend,” Anupama said in her Facebook live video.

The police have alleged that Pathak was unhappy because one of her friends had not returned her two-wheeler and was stressed with no work because of the coronavirus-induced lockdown. According to news reports, the suicide note written by Pathak also mentioned about an investment of Rs 10,000 in a company named Wisdom Producer Company in Malad, which refused to give her money after the maturity date in December 2019.

Another TV actor named Sameer Sharma was also found dead in his house in Mumbai’s Malad West on Wednesday night. On June 14, actor Sushant Singh Rajput was also allegedly found dead. His death has sparked up a lot of suspicions over Mumbai Police’ investigation and the details still remain a mystery.

Rhea Chakraborty’s sole aim was to grab Sushant Singh’s money, gave him an overdose of medicine: Bihar Police to Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Rhea Chakraborty’s sole aim was to grab Sushant Singh’s money, gave him an overdose of medicine: Bihar Police to Supreme Court

The Bihar Police on behalf of the Bihar government filed an affidavit on Friday in the Supreme Court, saying that father of Sushant Singh Rajput, KK Singh, has said that Rhea Chakraborty and her family were administering an overdose of medicine to the late actor to “grab” his property.

The affidavit, which was filed by the Superintendent of the Bihar Police, says that Rhea Chakraborty came into contact with the late actor for the sole purpose of usurping his money and later falsely projecting him as a victim of mental illness.

The affidavit also alleged that the transfer petition filed by actress Rhea Chakraborty, who is accused of criminal conspiracy and abetment of suicide in Sushant Singh Rajput death case, is ‘misconceived and not maintainable’.

The Bihar Police also accused the Mumbai Police of being unforthcoming in the investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, claiming that despite their non-cooperation, they had found several leads in the investigation when they had gone to Mumbai to probe the late actor’s death case. They told the Supreme Court that since the death case of Sushant Singh Rajput is a sensitive matter and has inter-state ramifications, they suggested a CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Earlier today, Rhea Chakraborty had requested the Enforcement Directorate to defer recording of her statement till the Supreme Court’s next hearing. However, the ED passed up her request. Rhea is expected to record her statement to the ED in the money laundering case against her.

Centre transfers case of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput to CBI, files FIR against Rhea Chakraborty

The death case of Sushant Singh Rajput has been transferred to the CBI after the Centre issued a letter to the CBI on request of the Bihar Police. A case was registered by Sushant’s father KK Singh with Bihar Police on 25th July in which he alleged that Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant’s ex, pushed him to the point that he committed suicide. Ankita Lokhande, Rajput’s ex-girlfriend and co-actor, provided crucial information to Bihar Police. She also offered chat history between her and Sushant, where he claimed he wanted to end a relationship with Rhea.

CBI has formed an elite SIT (Special Investigation Team) will probe the Sushant Singh Rajput case. According to reports, the SIT will be led by IPS officer Manoj Sashidhar. DIG Gagandeep Ghambir and SP Nupur Prasad are also part of the team.

On the day the union government handed over the actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case to CBI on the request of Bihar police, the central agency registered an FIR in the case. The FIR names 6 persons including Sushant’s former girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, apart from unknown persons. It has been registered in response to a complaint filed by Sushant’s father K K Singh with Bihar police.

The FIR has been registered under section 154 of the CrPC, and it invokes charges of criminal conspiracy, abetment of suicide, wrongful restrain, wrongful detention, theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal intimidation. CBI has registered the FIR in Delhi.

The FIR names the following persons:

  1. Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant’s former girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, who has been accused of manipulating Sushant and misusing his money.
  2. Indrajit Chakraborty, father of Rhea Chakraborty
  3. Sandhya Chakraborty, mother of Rhea Chakraborty
  4. Showik Chakraborty, Rhea’s brother
  5. Samuel Miranda, Sushant Singh Rajput’s house manager hired by Rhea
  6. Shruti Modi, Sushant’s manager and Rhea’s former manager
  7. Unknown persons

All these persons were named by K K Singh in his FIR filed with Bihar police, which has been now transferred to the CBI by the central govt. The case has been filed under sections 341, 342, 380, 406, 420, 306, 506, 120B of the Indian Penal Code. Addition SP with CBI, Anil Kumar Yadav will lead the investigation.

Evidence of tampering surfaces after several pages from the diary of actor Sushant Singh Rajput found missing: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Evidence of tampering surfaces after several pages from the diary of actor Sushant Singh Rajput found missing: Reports

The story surrounding the untimely death of the 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput is getting murkier with every passing day. The diary of Sushant, wherein the late actor documented the daily events and his future milestones, had been tampered with, reported Times Now. As per the report, four pages of the diary were been ripped off.

According to journalist Navika Kumar, the fact that Sushant maintained a diary was first revealed by his former partner Ankita Lokhande in an interview that was aired on July 31. Despite being a crucial piece of evidence, the Mumbai police have remained silent about the possible tampering of evidence.

“Diary pages being ripped off is a clear indication of someone who wanted to remove the facts of the case so that they did not fall in the orbit of investigation,” Kumar was heard as saying. Journalist S Shivshankar said the diary contain names but the media organisation cannot reveal it at this point.

Siddharth Pithani did not allow the blacksmith to enter the room of Sushant Singh Rajput

The creative manager of Sushant Singh Rajput, Siddharth Pithani, was the first to see the corpse of the late actor. According to journalist Navika Kumar, Pithani called in a blacksmith instead of trying to find the duplicate key.

Reportedly, he refused to allow the key maker to enter the room of Sushant and instead saw him off. Later, Pithani and another man Dipesh opened the door, entered the room, and allegedly brought down the ‘hanging body’ of the deceased actor. She accused the Mumbai police of inaction and not interrogating the duo who first saw the corpse of Sushant.

CBI takes up the case of Sushant Singh Rajput;

The Union government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it has accepted Bihar police’s request to hand over the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case to CBI. This has come as a big blow to the Maharashtra govt, which has been vehemently opposing handing over the case to the central agency.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the apex court hat the notification for the CBI investigation will be issued soon, preferably by the end of the day. The court gave all the parties three days to place their respective stand on record. Also, the court ordered the Mumbai Police to submit a report on the investigation so far.

‘Kashi Mathura Baki Hai’: Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas set up in Mathura, 80 sadhus from 14 states named as members

OpIndia Staff
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‘Kashi Mathura Baki Hai’: Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas set up in Mathura, 80 sadhus from 14 states named as members

Days after Prime Minister Modi performed the Bhoomi Pujan for the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, Hindu organisations are now gearing up to reclaim the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura. In an effort to liberate the Krishna Janmabhoomi at Mathura, Hindu sadhus have now formed the ‘Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas’ on the lines of Ram Mandir trust.

According to the reports, Acharya Devmurari Bapu, the head of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas, said that they have registered the trust on July 23 on the occasion of ‘Haryali Teej’. Nearly 80 saints from 14 states are part of the new trust, which also includes the 11 saints from Vrindavan.

The Acharya also said that a signature campaign will soon be launched to connect other saints and seers for the ‘liberation’ of the Krishna Janmabhoomi.

“After the signature campaign, we will launch a nationwide movement on the issue. We had started the campaign in February, but we did not proceed further due to the lockdown,” he said.

The Shahi Idgah Mosque stands at the Krishna Janmabhoomi site in the city of Mathura. The Islamic invader Aurangzeb had destroyed the ancient Keshavnath temple and built the Shahi Idgah Mosque on its plinth in 1669.

Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas wants to reclaim mosque to build community hall

The Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas is now hoping to reclaim to the four-and-a-half-acre land next to the mosque to use it as a ‘Ranga Manch’ for religious and cultural functions organised by it and the temple authorities.

Ever since the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has been calling for the ‘liberation’ of Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

Following the Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi case, there has been a growing demand among Hindus to reclaim Kashi and Mathura, along with Ayodhya. Taking back the disputed sites of Kashi Vishwanath temple and Krishna Janmabhoomi temple at Mathura has now become a priority for various Hindu groups in the country.

The Gyanvapi Mosque was built by the Islamic invader Aurangzeb after destroying the original Kashi Vishwanath temple. The remnants of the ancient Hindu temple can still be seen on the walls of the Gyanvapi Mosque. The temple was an earlier restoration of the original Kashi Vishwanath temple, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times in history. The current Kashi Vishwanath was built on a site near to the Mosque in 1777 by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar.

Places of Worship Act – a major hurdle

However, the major roadblock for the Hindus to reclaim its spiritual and cultural sites that have been lost due to Islamic conquest in the past comes in the form of Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which was passed by the then PV Narasimha Rao government. The controversial law prohibits conversion of places of worship – like churches, mosques and temples – into places of worship of a different religion.

Section 4 of the Act claims to preserves the “religious character” of a place of worship, as it existed on August 15, 1947. It also says that any court proceeding regarding any such conversion would cease after the Act came into force.

However, there was a relaxation in the law concerning the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute as Section 5 of the Act specifically mandated an exemption to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute under the law and its court proceedings.

Meanwhile, Acharya Devmurari Bapu, expressing his hope, said, “These are minor hurdles and we will cross the bridges when we come to them. Our resolve to liberate Krishna Janmabhoomi is firm”.

Senior lawyer K Parasaran who fought Ram Mandir case is not on Twitter, colleagues clarify after fake account gets followers

OpIndia Staff
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Senior lawyer K Parasaran who fought Ram Mandir case is not on Twitter, colleagues clarify after fake account gets followers

The 500-year-old struggle to reclaim Ram Janmabhoomi and ensure that Ram Lalla Virajaman gets his home back finally culminated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing the Bhoomi Pujan at Ayodhya this week. The struggle to reclaim Ram Janmabhoomi has seen several heroes rise to the call of their Dharma and fight, some inside the courtroom and others outside. One of those heroes who rose to the challenge and was instrumental in the reclamation of Ram Janmabhoomi is 93-year-old K Parasaran, who successfully led the legal fight of Hindus.

After Hindus won the case in Supreme Court and especially after the Bhoomi Pujan, social media was rife with discussions about the heroes who made the reclamation of Ram Janmabhoomi possible. One of the names most discussed was unsurprisingly that of 93-year-old K Parasaran.

Amidst the discussions, a Twitter account in his name came up with the handle @KPrasaran. The account used the picture of Mr Parasaran and its Twitter following grew exponentially since people thought it was an authentic account that belonged to the veteran lawyer.

The first tweet that the account posted was on the 4th of August, a day before the Bhoomi Pujan.

On the 5th of August, the account also hailed the judgement by tweeting a picture of the veteran lawyer.

In one of the latest tweet by the account, it says that Kapil Sibal had said that he will commit suicide if the Ram Mandir is ever made.

With the euphoria of the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan, many assumed that the account was authentic and started following it. At the time of writing this report, the account had 3,737 followers in a short span of time.

OpIndia reached out to the team that worked with him during the Ram Mandir case in the Supreme Court. Advocate Yogeshwaran, who had worked withMr K Parasaran during the case informed OpIndia that the account was indeed fake and that K Parasaran was not on Twitter.

Two other people in the know and who have been associated with the team also clarified that the veteran lawyer is not on Twitter.

The fact that the account was fake was evident from the language being used in the tweets since a 93-year-old veteran lawyer would not use statement so loosely.

Interestingly, the account’s latest tweet about Kapil Sibal is also fake. Congress leader Kapil Sibal had never said that he will commit suicide if the Ram Mandir was built. This claim was debunked by many and there is no authentic record of Sibal ever making that statement.

K Parasaran and his illustrious career 

K Parasaran is a senior Supreme Court advocate who in a legal career spanning over six decades, served as the Attorney General of India from 1983 to 1989. He had earlier served as the Advocate-General of Tamil Nadu in 1976. 

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in 2003 and 2011. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Indian President in 2012 for a period of six years.

K Parasaran said that the historic wrong was committed by Babar and it needed to be corrected

In the 40 gruelling days of final arguments of Ramjanmabhoomi case, Parasaran would exhibit infectious energy and would go well prepared every day for the sessions that began at 10.30 am and closed around 4 or 5 pm. It was K Parasaran’s legal brainchild to make Ram Lalla a litigant in the case, which cemented the case for the Hindu litigants.

During the course of the hearing, Parasaran argued that a historic wrong was committed by Babar 433 years ago when he constructed a Mosque at Lord Ram’s birthplace and it needed to be corrected.

One of the most notable arguments by Parasaran, in this case, was, “Muslims can pray in any other mosque in Ayodhya. There are 55-60 mosques in Ayodhya alone. But, for Hindus, this is the birthplace of Lord Ram, which we cannot change”.

Since 2016, Parasaran’s court cases have been rare. He has picked up only two cases after that – the Sabarimala case and the Ayodhya dispute. During the hearings, he expressed his deep desire when he had said: “My last wish before I die, is to finish this case.”

Trump signs executive order to ban TikTok, WeChat in 45 days, cites India’s example

OpIndia Staff
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Trump signs executive order to ban TikTok, WeChat in 45 days, cites India’s example

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump has issued executive orders, preventing US transactions with Chinese tech giants such as Tencent and ByteDance after 45 days. The move comes in the backdrop of stalled trade and escalated tensions between the United States and China, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.

Donald Trump invoked the legal authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and National Emergencies Act to curb the use of Chinese apps such as WeChat and TikTok which are owned by Tencent and Byte Dance respectively. In its executive order addressing the threat posed by TikTok, the US government noted, “TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories.”

The executive orders basically means that TikTok cannot operate in the US after 45 days unless it is sold to an American Company within that period.

The order pointed out that the personal data and proprietary information of American users, collected through the Chinese video-sharing social media app, are shared with the Communist Party of China (CCP). The US government emphasised that the data theft and privacy breach can be used by the Chinese authorities to blackmail, facilitate ‘corporate espionage’, and track the location of Federal employees.

The executive order revealed that TikTok regularly censors ‘politically sensitive’ content such as the HongKong protests or the persecution of Uighurs in Xinjiang. ” This mobile application may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party, such as when TikTok videos spread debunked conspiracy theories about the origins of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus,” it reiterated.

Donald Trump cites India’s ban on TikTok in his executive order

Donald Trump also cited the example of India and the ‘digital strike‘ carried out on 59 Chinese apps in June this year. He said, “The Government of India recently banned the use of TikTok and other Chinese mobile applications throughout the country; in a statement, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asserted that they were stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.”  He also informed that the Chinese video-sharing app has been banned by the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, and the United States Armed Forces.

The Executive Order by Trump gives India’s example

Donald Trump issues executive order against WeChat

In the executive order highlighting the threat posed by WeChat, the US government noted that the Chinese authorities keep track of not just the American citizens using the said app but also Chinese nationals visiting the States. “In March 2019, a researcher reportedly discovered a Chinese database containing billions of WeChat messages sent from users in not only China but also the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia,” the executive order read. It also accused the Chinese app of censorship of politically inconvenient content on the behest of the Chinese authorities. The order further emphasised, “The United States must take aggressive action against the owner of WeChat to protect our national security.”

Trump had hinted about banning TikTok a week earlier

On July 31, US President Donald Trump informed that he might ban TikTok, a Chinese video-sharing social media app, in the country. “We are looking at TikTok. We may be banning it… A lot of happening. We are looking at other alternatives with respect to TikTok,” President Donald Trump said addressing the media.

US tech giant Microsoft is in discussion with ByteDance to acquire TikTok. Trump had also earlier stated that if Microsoft fails to but TikTok within a stipulated time frame, he will ban the app.

Prime Minister stresses the importance of handloom for ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’ on National Handloom Day

OpIndia Staff
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Prime Minister stresses the importance of handloom for ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’ on National Handloom Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated his suggestion to increase the use of handloom and handicrafts in personal lives, apart from spreading awareness about the same, to achieve the objective of self-reliance i.e. Aatmnirbhar Bharat.

He shared his thoughts on the occasion of National Handloom Day, which is being celebrated on 7 August. A part of his ‘Man Ki Baat’ radio address was shared on Twitter:

Textile Minister Smriti Irani also took to Twitter to make the same appeal. She said that the day was to commemorate India’s rich & diverse handloom and acknowledge contribution of weavers in conserving our heritage.

She also talked about the history associated with the day. “National Handloom Day instituted on 7th August 2015 is a tribute to Swadeshi Movement which was launched on the same date in 1905. Our ancestors fought for ‘Swaraj’, let us contribute towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ & support #Vocal4Handmade,” she said.

A social media campaign was also launched to celebrate the day. People are sharing their thoughts with hashtag #Vocal4Handmade on Twitter.

BMC releases Bihar IPS officer Vinay Tiwari after forcefully putting him in quarantine, but with conditions: Here is what he needs to do

OpIndia Staff
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BMC releases Bihar IPS officer Vinay Tiwari after forcefully putting him in quarantine, but with conditions: Here is what he needs to do

Two days after Supreme Court had rapped the Maharashtra government over confining the Bihar police officer Vinay Tiwari, the Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Friday released the IPS officer from quarantine and asked him to return to Patna on August 8.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allowed Bihar IPS officer Vinay Tiwari to return to Bihar. The BMC has stated that it will free the senior police officer from the quarantine centre on a condition that he would leave the city before August 8.

IPS officer Vinay Tiwari was the head of the four-member Bihar Police team, which visited Mumbai to investigate the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

The BMC has also released a statement, which read, ”The Municipal commissioner of MCGM has is asking to exempt IPS officer Vinay Tiwari from home quarantine to facilitate his return to Patna to resume his duties.”

Image Source: Zee News

The BMC has also stated that Tiwari will need to share his travel documents with them to prove he is going back and will no longer stay in Mumbai.

This development comes after Bihar Police had written to the BMC officers requesting the release of Vinay Tiwari. The Bihar Police had cited the observations made by the Supreme Court, directing the release of Bihar’s IPS Vinay Tiwari from quarantine.

On August 6, Bihar police chief Gupteshwar Pandey had warned of legal action if the IPS officer was not released from “forcible quarantine” by the end of the day. The Bihar government had even argued in the Supreme Court against the quarantine of Bihar Police IPS officer Vinay Tiwari.

The Bihar Police had stated that Tiwari was not even provided accommodation meant for IPS officers and had to stay in a guest house.

The Supreme Court had observed that the manner in which the IPS officer was quarantined in Mumbai sent out a wrong message. Despite such observation by the apex court, the BMC had refused to budge earlier and had refused to free the senior IPS officer.

CBI takes over Sushant Singh Rajput death case

Meanwhile, the CBI on Thursday took over the investigation into the Sushant Singh Rajput death case and registered the Patna police FIR related to the criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide against his rumoured girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family members.

The case will now be investigated by a special investigation team, Reports have stated that Manoj Sashidhar, an IPS officer and a joint director of CBI, will lead the team. He is to be assisted by DGP Gagandeep Gambhir and Anil Yadav. The FIR has been registered in response to a complaint filed by Sushant’s father KK Singh with Bihar police.

The Bihar government had appealed for a CBI investigation after the Maharashtra government and Mumbai police created hurdles for Bihar police officers investing the case after KK Singh’s complaint. 

In addition to the CBI probe, the Enforcement Directorate is also probing the financial angle in the case after Sushant’s father had alleged that money from his son’s account was transferred to other accounts that do not belong to Sushant. ED has registered a money laundering case in the matter.

The 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14.

Palghar case: Maharashtra govt to file status report, SC asks for inquiry report against cops who handed over Sadhus to mob

OpIndia Staff
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Palghar case: Maharashtra govt to file status report, SC asks for inquiry report against cops who handed over Sadhus to mob

On Thursday, the 6th of August, Supreme Court asked the Maharashtra government to file a status report in connection with the brutal lynching of two Hindu sadhus and their driver in Palghar on April 16. 

The Supreme Court has asked the state government to submit the charge-sheets it had filed in the case and asked what action has been taken against the police personnel who handed over the two Hindu Sadhus to the violent mob.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and R Subhash Reddy has asked the state government to file the affidavit within three weeks. 

The Supreme Court questioning the probe being conducted by Maharashtra government noted that the police have filed an affidavit dated July 29 “which mentions in paragraph 3 that two charge-sheets have been filed in July 2020”, and that “a departmental enquiry against the police personnel was ordered and show-cause notices have been issued”.

“Let the State bring the charge-sheets on record … Let details of the inquiry, including the action taken against the police personnel as well as the inquiry report, be also brought on the record,” the bench said.

Two petitions filed seeking CBI, NIA probe into Palghar mob lynching

The top court was hearing a petition seeking a separate investigation by the CBI and the NIA into the brutal lynching of Sadhus. The Supreme Court has also sought a response from the Maharashtra government on the petitions seeking CBI, NIA probe.

The petition was filed by sadhus of “Shri Panch Dashban Juna Akhara” and relatives of the deceased seers. Their plea stated that the Maharashtra police are conducting the investigation in a biased manner. Another plea, seeking an NIA probe into the incident, has been filed by Ghanshyam Upadhyay.

Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, appearing for one of the petitioners, sought a CBI probe and stated that there has been no action against the police personnel till now.

Advocate Ashutosh Lohia, representing Juna Akhara, said Maharashtra Police had filed two FIRs and the accused will be acquitted even if a charge-sheet is filed. Questioning the police role, the petitioner added that monitoring is required to preserve the evidence.

Meanwhile, Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said media reports suggest that the charge-sheets filed in the case has more than 10,000 pages. He said the court should consider whether policemen were involved in the lynching or were there any dereliction of duty by them.

Addition to the Maharashtra government, the Centre, CBI and the Director-General of Police of Maharashtra has also been respondents in the matter.

Maharashtra police rules out ‘communal angle’

The Maharashtra Police had filed two separate charge-sheets in connection with the mob lynching of two Hindu Sadhus and their driver and had ruled out any ‘communal angle’ to the heinous incident.

The CID filed two charge-sheets of around 11,000 pages, naming over 250-plus accused in the mob lynching case to claim that lynchings of Hindu Sadhus were fuelled by rumours of a gang of thieves and not a pre-planned attack. The charge-sheets categorically denied any religious angle behind the attack of the three Hindu men.

Palghar Mob Lynching incident

On 16th April 2020, two Sadhus associated with the Juna Akhara, 70-year-old Kalpavrishka Giri Maharaj, and 35-year-old Sushil Giri Maharaj along with their driver 30-year-old Nilesh Telgadewere were on their way from Mumbai to Gujarat to give Samadhi to another Sadhu. At Gadakchinchale village, a wild and frenzied crowd of over more than 100 people attacked them. The villagers deemed them as thieves and started attacking them. The police claim that their team which had rushed to the spot to rescue the 70-year-old man also came under the attack of the violent mob.

But later videos emerged which completely debunked the claim of police, as it was seen that the sadhus were in the custody of the police, but the police personnel allegedly handed them over to the mob. The mob then proceeded to beat them to death in front of the policemen.

Later, it was also reported that the killing of the Sadhus may have been intentional and politically motivated. The involvement of Christian Missionary organisations and some local NCP leaders and leftists were also suspected.

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