After the drug angle appeared in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, two men has been detained for involvement in supply of drugs. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) detained the two men for selling marijuana in the Andheri area in Mumbai.
According to reports, the two men used to sale dried flower of the marijuana plant that sells for around Rs 5000 per gram. They allegedly used to sell drugs to actors and artists in the city. Reportedly they used to import drugs from Europe and America through couriers during the lockdown.
An official said, “The suppliers will be placed under arrest on the charge of possessing narcotics. We will be questioning them to find out who all they supplied the contraband to and what was Rhea’s role in this.”
The drug angle in the case had emerged after WhatsApp chats of Rhea Chakraborty with her acquaintances were recovered by the ED where they were seen discussion about the purchase of drugs. A series of WhatsApp messages which was allegedly sent from Rhea Chakraborty’s mobile phone revealed Rhea’s occasional use of drugs like MDMA, marijuana, etc. The chats were deleted and have been retrieved during the investigation by ED. The messages also contained communications with a drug dealer named Gaurav.
After recovery of the messages, ED had informed the same to the NCB, after which NCB had registered a case in the matter and started a probe. ED is probing the money laundering angle in the case.
The CBI, which is probing the main death case, is expected to probe the connection of drug dealers with the film industry in Mumbai.
Taking cognisance of the horrifying viral videos in which a woman was seen brutally crushing a speechless puppy under her feet, the Lucknow police have filed a case against the accused and arrested her.
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE LUCKNOW (@lkopolice) August 28, 2020
The action was taken after Ms Kamna Pandey filed an FIR against the accused, Pooja Dhillon, and her husband Raj Dhillon, under Animal Rights Acts and Section 429 (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle) of the Indian Penal Code. The police then filed a complaint against Pooja Dhillon and arrested her from her Lucknow residence.
However, according to reports in the media, the woman and her husband have been able to secure bail in the case.
Video showing a woman torturing a speechless puppy had gone viral on the Internet
Just a couple of days ago, social media websites were awash with horrifying visuals of an innocent puppy being trampled on by accused Pooja Dhillon. In the video, one can see the puppy howl in agony as the woman keeps crushing it.
Another video that has made rounds show the woman (presumably the same person) crushing another puppy at the back of her car. She is accompanied by a man who seems to be giving her suggestions on how to torture and kill the puppy.
The scandalising video had caused massive outrage on social media websites, with users demanding exemplary action against the offender for seeking sadistic pleasure from needlessly torturing a speechless animal.
Months after China refusing to acknowledge the death of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers who lost their lives during the Galwan valley clash, reports are emerging that provides evidence of Chinese casualty in the recent clash with the Indian troops.
According to M Taylor Fayler, a Chinese expert from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one particular image showing the tombstone of a 19-year-old Chinese soldier who died in the “China-India Border Defense Struggle” in June 2020 has gone viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
The images of a tombstone of a Chinese soldier in Galwan valley was shared on a military forum in China, which describes details of the slain soldier. The picture identifies the soldier as Chen Xiangrong.
A picture is circulating on Weibo, showing the tombstone of a 19 year old Chinese soldier who died in the “China-India Border Defense Struggle” in June 2020. He was from Fujian Province. https://t.co/Brrw5o7h4z
“Tomb of Chen Xiangro. Soldier of the 69316 troops, from Pingnan, Fujian. He sacrificed his life in the struggle against India’s border troops in June 2020 and was posthumously remembered by the Central Military Commission.” read the epitaph, written in Mandarin.
The tombstone also reportedly read that the soldier, who was ‘Killed in Action (KIA) was born in December 2001 and was just 19-year-old.
According to Fravel, the tombstone also reveals information regarding the deceased soldier’s unit. The 69316 unit, mentioned in the tombstone appears to be a border defence company based in Tianwendian near the Chip Chap River valley, north of the Galwan Valley. He added these new set of images provided a narrow glimpse into the Chinese units that were deployed the Galwan River Valley.
Another source close to Fayer also said to him that the unit is part of the 13th Border Defense Regiment. This unit was named as “united combat model company” by the Central Military Commission.
Another source states it is part of the 13th Border Defense Regiment (边防团).https://t.co/Brrw5o7h4z
As these images have gone viral on social media platforms in China, the Chinese government has arrested the soldier who put up the photo on the internet.
These are the first set of evidence linking to the heavy casualties PLA troops suffered in the recent skirmish between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
However, the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People’s Liberation Army have remained tight-lipped about the casualties of its soldiers. Most importantly, China is yet to issue any official information regarding the number of casualties it suffered during the Galwan clashes.
China had denied funeral services to its fallen soldiers
Earlier, we had reported on how the Chinese government had strictly denied an opportunity to the family of deceased PLA soldiers to hold a public funeral.
After a severe loss of face for China against India in the clashes along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the Chinese government had reportedly passed strict orders to the family of the deceased PLA soldiers not to hold a public funeral for them as it could reveal details regarding the real losses to the Chinese in the recent clashes along the LAC.
China had failed to accept the fact that its soldiers were killed in the border clash with the Indian soldiers at Galwan Valley. Apparently, the CPC wanted to hide the losses in the incident and present a tough image to the world.
The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs has reportedly directed the family members of deceased Chinese soldiers who killed in the Galwan Valley that they should abandon conventional burial services and instead cremate the soldiers in a discreet manner.
The Indian intelligence had revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including the dead and seriously injured. Even, American intelligence estimates that 35 of the Chinese soldiers were killed in the Galwan clash.
According to experts, China fears that images of gravestones for its fallen soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army could further stoke those sentiments if spread on Chinese or international social media.
Galwan valley clash
On June 15, the Chinese troops had attacked the Indian troops along the LAC near Ladakh border. The clashes had resulted in India losing 20 of its soldiers.
The fallen Indian soldiers were honoured by the government and their last rites were performed in the presence of government representatives, accorded them the due status of martyrs. PM Modi and the COAS had also visited to meet and speak to the injured soldiers.
On Friday, riots broke out in the city of Malmo in Sweden after a member of the ‘Stram Kurs’ group burnt a copy of the Quran.
The burning of the Quran was a part of an anti-Islam protest which took place in the city, following the arrest of one Rasmus Paludan. He is the leader of a Danish anti-immigration political party ‘Hard-Line’ and was supposed to hold a meeting in the city.
Authorities have informed that Paludanone had been banned from Sweden for two years due to concerns about him breaking the Swedish law. As such, he was stopped at the border and was denied entry into Malmo. Last year, Paludan had set a Quran on fire after wrapping the book with a piece of bacon.
The arrest of Ramasus Paludan
In response, Paludan had put up a post on Facebook that read, “Sent back and banned from Sweden for two years. However, rapists and murderers are always welcome!” Reportedly, Paludan was supposed to take part in an anti-Muslim rally and had earlier urged his supporters to burn the Quran.
His arrest had sparked outrage among his followers who then went ahead with the rally and set a copy of the Quran ablaze. Besides, three men were seen kicking the Quran around a public square during the day.
In a viral video, a member of the ‘Stram Kurs’ group could be seen setting spraying gasoline over a copy of the Quran and then setting the book on fire during the day. The man was then seen pointing towards the burnt Quran and condemning Islam in Swedish.
However, by night, an angry Muslim mob hit the streets and shouted chants of ‘Allah hu Akbar’ while setting tyres on fire. The Swedish police have arrested three people for burning the Quran and promoting ‘racial hatred.’
Muslims mobs unleash mayhem on the streets of Sweden
The incident triggered radical Islamists to take to the streets and unleash violence. While the rioters first protested against the actions of the group, they soon resorted to burning tyres and pelting rocks at the police.
Following the events of the day, rioters pelted rocks at vehicles and police personnel who were trying to maintain the law and order situation in the city.
Rioters pelting stones at a police convoy (Photo Credits: TT News Agency/AFP)
In another picture, a rioter is seen carrying tyres so that it can be set ablaze as a ‘mark of protest’.
Man carrying unburnt tyres (Photo Credits: TT News Agency/AFP)
The city of Malmo in Sweden was covered in dense smoke with rioters gathering in large numbers, engaging in arson and destruction of public property after a video of the burning of the Quran went viral and riots broke out.
Malmo covered in dense smoke amidst riots (Photo Credits: EPA)
In a statement, the police have informed that they are trying to restore the law and order situation in Malmo. “We don’t have this under control but we are working actively to take control. We see a connection between what is happening now and what happened earlier today,” a police spokesperson, Calle Persson, was quoted as saying.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to impose a pre-broadcast ban on Sudarshan TV from telecasting ‘Bindas Bol’ programme. The news programme, which was scheduled to be telecast on Friday, was all set to report on the alleged infiltration of Muslims in the civil services, however, hours later, the High Court decided to impose a ban on the telecast of the show while hearing a separate petition.
According to senior journalist Utkarsh Anand, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and KM Joseph, refusing to stay the TV show, said it has to be careful in imposing such prior restraint on publication or the airing of views.
“At this stage, we have desisted from imposing a pre-broadcast interlocutory injunction on the basis of an unverified transcript of a forty-nine seconds clip. The Court has to be circumspect in imposing a prior restraint on publication or the airing of views,” the bench said.
Interestingly, the order from the Supreme Court came just hours before Delhi High Court stayed the program on Sudarshan News that was scheduled to be aired on Friday. However, despite the Supreme Court’s order, Delhi High Court had imposed a stay on the telecast of the show.
The court also noted, “We note that under statutory provisions, competent authorities are vested with powers to ensure compliance with law, including provisions of the criminal law intended to ensure social harmony and the peaceful coexistence of all communities”.
The plea against Sudarshan TV in the Supreme Court was filed by an advocate Firoz Iqbal Khan. In his plea, the petitioners had raised objections over the show, saying that show was derogatory to a particular community and had a divisive potential. In the High Court, the petition was filed by Jamia Millia Islamia students.
Supreme Court issues notice to respondents, to appoint amicus curiae
Hearing the petition, the Supreme Court issued notice to Centre, Press Council of India, News Broadcasters Association and Sudarshan News.
The Supreme Court also said that prima facie, the petition raises significant issues bearing on the protection of constitutional rights. The bench also said that it will consider appointing amicus curiae to assist it towards achieving a resolution that protects constitutional rights.
“Consistent with the fundamental right to free speech and expression, the Court will need to foster a considered debate on the setting up of standards of self-regulation,” the apex court said.
The petition seeking a ban on Sudarshan TV show came after its editor Suresh Chavhanke had tweeted a trailer of his upcoming show, in which he had said to expose on the infiltration of Muslims’ in the Civil Services. In the video, Suresh Chavhanke had allegedly referred to those passing out of Jamia’s Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) and clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as “Jamia ke Jihadi”.
Delhi High Court stays the broadcast of the show
On Friday, the Delhi High Court had imposed a stay on the broadcast of the Sudarshan TV show ‘Bindas Bol’ after a petition was filed by Jamia Millia Islamia students. The petitioners in the Delhi High Court had alleged that the program may incite hatred against Muslims.
The stay order stopping the broadcast of the show was passed by Justice Navin Chavla after an urgent hearing. The petition was filed by advocate Shadan Farasat on behalf of current and former students of Jamia.
However, Sudarshan News chief editor Suresh Chavhanke had then taken to Twitter to inform that the channel will be sticking to the schedule and the said program on UPSC Jihad will be aired at 8 pm on Friday.
Sudarshan TV programme on infiltration of Muslims into bureaucracy
The controversy erupted yesterday after Sudarshan News chief editor Suresh Chavhanke shared a snippet of its upcoming program scheduled to be aired tonight at 8 PM.
He had announced that it will be the channel’s big campaign against the ‘bureaucracy jihad’ and ‘UPSC Jihad’ and had warned in the video saying ‘imagine jihadis from Jamia becoming your district commissioner and secretaries in every ministry’.
After the controversial video was posted, it attacked criticism from various sides, notably from left-liberals and Islamists. It was alleged that Suresh Chavhanke is spreading hate against Muslims, and leftist portals started publishing articles criticising him and his channel. Soon, Muslim activists started filing cases against the editor and the channel at various places across the country.
A lot is being said currently regarding the influence of certain Islamic organisations in recruitment for the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service. Concerned individuals have made the claim that certain extremely problematic Islamic organisations have an undue influence over the recruitment process. One organisation that is often touted to be a concern is the Zakat Foundation of India (ZFI).
In the recently declared final results of recruitment into the UPSC, Zakat Foundation announced that 27 candidates it had supported had been selected for the civil services. The ZFI has as its President Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood and the organisation prepares Muslim students for recruitment into various government jobs.
Under such circumstances, it is pertinent to note the ideological dispositions of the Zakat Foundation considering the fact that a significant section of individuals are gaining entry into government jobs under the influence of their ideology.
In that regard, a particular PowerPoint presentation it had prepared provides great insight into the ideology of the organisation.
Zakat Foundation presentation from February 2019
The presentation was made at a “Conference on Issues of Indian Muslims and their Solutions” on the 3rd of February last year at the Vidarbha Intellectual Forum in Nagpur. In the presentation, the link to which is available on its website, the organisation makes its motivations behind its philanthropy abundantly clear.
Zakat Foundation said that in the Union Council of Ministers in the first term of the Modi government, there was only one Muslim minister among 72. The organisation said that consistent with ‘proportional propriety’, there should have been 12. The meaning of ‘proportional propriety’ will soon become evident.
The presentation also criticised the government for apparently ‘opposing the minority character’ of the Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Milia Islamia University. It also said that the University Grants Commission had stopped aid to “centres of minority empowerment”. It also appeared to criticise the move to make Surya Namaskar compulsory in BMMC.
Opposition to Citizenship Amendment Act and Uniform Civil Code
It is claimed that the CAA is “Unconstitutional faith-based discrimination against Muslims”. The ZFI also says that there is too much emphasis on the UCC. It also claims that the Constitutional order which mandated that only Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs could be recognised as Scheduled Castes is “patently unconstitutional”. Thus, quite clearly, it wants the State to recognise Muslims as ‘Scheduled caste’ as well, despite Muslims claiming continuously that Islam does not have the concept of caste.
‘Shamshan pitched against Qabristans’
The Zakat Foundation said in its presentation, “The prime minister knows well that a large number of half a million Waqf properties in India are under unauthorized occupation. There is widespread encroachment of Muslim graveyard land (Qabristan) and it is the Government’s statutory duty to protect these properties. On the other hand, there exists no such issue pertaining to Hindu cremation grounds (Shamshan). But during the UP Assembly election speech delivered at Fatehpur in February 2017 the PM pitched Shamshans against Qabristans.”
‘Proportional propriety’
The meaning of ‘proportional propriety’ becomes clear when the Zakat Foundation speaks of the proportion of Muslims in the Indian population. It says that as per census, Muslims are 14.2% of the Indian population and hence, there should be 77 Muslims in the Lok Sabha. It claims that between 1952-2014, the average number of Muslims in the Lok Sabha have been 25.
It also claims that the delimitation of reserved seats for Schedules Castes has been done in a wrongful manner. It says that certain constituencies where the percentage of Muslims is higher than the SC population have been reserved for the SC community in contradiction with existing laws. It seeks a change in that.
ZFI says, “Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies with substantial Muslim presence but negligible SC percentage have been reserved for SCs. On the other hand, there is another set of constituencies in the same states where Muslim presence is negligible but SCs are in high percentage. These constituencies have not been reserved.”
Muslim demands to concede Ram Janmabhoomi to Hindus
President of ZFI had made a list of eight demands for Muslims to concede Ram Janmabhoomi to Hindus while negotiations were underway between the Hindu and Muslim claimants to the sacred site. The Supreme Court had paved the way for the Ram Mandir in its verdict on the 9th of November in 2019. The demands were so atrocious that it defies belief.
Point No. 1 of the list of demands stated, “The constituencies of Lok Sabha and state assemblies where the Muslim population is very high while the Scheduled Caste percentage is not among the highest should be de-reserved. Instead, reserve those constituencies where SC percentage is among the highest, as recommended by Sachar Committee.”
Point no. 7 stated, “Give a proportionate share to Muslims in nominated posts and appointments under the state & central governments.” In simpe terms, Zafar Mahmood demanded that Muslims be provided reservations in the same manner that Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are provided reservations in employment opportunities.
The demand for ‘proportional propriety’, that is, proportional representation, came up during the Constitutional Assembly debates with regards to the matter of electoral representatives and was summarily rejected. In 2020, the Zakat Foundation has started demanding ‘proportionate share’ in government recruitment and delimitation of reserved constituencies for SCs with the objective of increased Muslim representation in the Lok Sabha. These are dangerous ideas which were deemed to be so by the Constituent Assembly itself.
Point No. 4 said, “The RBI proposal of allowing the banks to have a window for interest-less banking should be approved by the central government.” Point No. 6 said, “Any person who is charged with terror activity and is, after several years of multi-dimensional sufferance, exonerated by the court as innocent should be given Rs 50 lakh as compensation by the government. Later on, this money should be partly deducted from the salary/pension/provident fund/retirement benefits of the officer(s) who wrongly implicated him.”
It is pertinent to note here that the Sachar Committee mentioned by Zafar Mahmood, a panel constituted by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to investigate alleged ‘Muslim deprivation’, had the president of ZFI itself as one of its members.
Usual chants about Muslim victimhood
In the presentation, several headings are listed that are included with the sole objective of fanning Muslim victimhood. “Interfaith marital couples assaulted,” “Madarsas maltreated in U.P.,” “Muslims got lynchings,” “Lynching becoming part of Indian Culture,” and “Waqf properties have been mistreated” are some of the headings that were included to fan such sentiments.
Links to dubious organisations
The Zakat Foundation, in its submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs, has stated that it received Rs. 13,64,694.00 from the Madina Trust based in the United Kingdom during the financial year 2018-19. The Madina Trust-UK is known for anti-India activities.
On the 15th of August and the 3rd of September, 2019, there were attacks on the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom by unruly mobs. The Economic Times reported on the groups and leaders that were present at the violent protests, one of them was Madina Trust-UK. It was described by the ET as a ‘pro-Pakistan group’.
Zakat Foundation FCRA filings
Furthermore, Dr Zahid Ali Parvez, a trustee with the Madina trust is also a trustee at the Islamic Foundation-UK (IF-UK). The IF-UK was described as an Islamist organisation in a published paper on a UK government website. The paper has a lot to say about Parvez himself. He is claimed to have once said, “political power is essential in the eyes of Islam”.
The paper further states, “Zahid Parvez is the director of the Islamic Foundation’s Markfield Institute of Higher Education and chief executive of the Muath Centre. He has also been a trustee of the Islamic Foundation and Muslim Aid, a member of MCB’s national council, and a president of Young Muslims UK and the Islamic Society of Britain. Maulana Abu Sayeed is the chairman and former president of Dawatul Islam, a UKIM spin-off created to cater for Bengali speaking Bangladeshi Muslims. He is also the chairman of the Islamic Sharia Council. IFE was established by members of Dawatul Islam.”
Zakat Foundation and its links to Zakir Naik
Dr. Mohammad Jafer Qureshi is a director at the Zakat Foundation of India (International). He has a deep links with the Islamist preacher Zakir Naik. Between 2012 and 2016, he was a director at both the Islamic Research Foundation International (IRFI), an organisation of Zakir Naik and Zakatr Foundation of India (International). He resigned from his position at IRFI in 2016.
Sam Westrop, director at Islamist Watch, wrote in an article for FirstPost, “One of the companies previously registered to Qureshi’s address is Universal Broadcasting Corporation Limited, a key component of Zakir Naik’s network, and which serves as the umbrella organisation for Naik’s infamous Peace TV media outlets and various companies.” Qureshi resigned from the UBCL in 2016.
Zakir Naik, believed to be the inspiration behind Colombo Terror Attack’s mastermind, has made several controversial remarks over the years. He recently said that the construction of a Hindu Temple in Islamabad is not permissible since Pakistan is an Islamic country and that even non-Muslims cannot spend on it.
Zakir Naik had also exhorted Muslim countries to arrest non-Muslims living in those countries for criticising Islam and persecute them under blasphemy laws. In October 2019, it was revealed by the National Investigative Agency that most of the 127 arrested for links with ISIS were inspired by speeches made by the radical Islamic preacher.
Mohammad Jafer Qureshi was also a trustee at Muslim Aid-UK between 2005-15. It is also pertinent to note that Muslim Aid has been recognised as as Islamist organisation in the published paper mentioned. Westrop writes further, “In 2012, three terrorist operatives used Muslim Aid identities to raise money for a series of suicide bombings. Although Muslim Aid was apparently unaware of this scheme, Britain’s charity regulator later censured the organization for having “insufficient measures in place to monitor its spending” and activities, leading British officials to fear, among other things, that it might be “inadvertently funding a proscribed terrorist organisation.” Concerns over the charity’s management have continued to surface over the past few years.”
Concerns over the rising influence of Zakat Foundation on recruitment legitimate
Given everything that we know so far about the Zakat Foundation, their rising influence in recruitment in government services is a source for legitimate concern. Therefore, attempts that are being made to silence such criticism are borne of a misplaced sense of righteousness that could pose a serious threat to the national security of India.
On Wednesday, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader named Shivram Pandit had physically assaulted women in broad daylight in the Garhbeta town of West Medinipur, reportedSangbad Pratidin. The incident took place at the backdrop of a land dispute between the accused and his neighbours.
Reportedly, Shivram, who is a resident of Dhadika, has vacant land in front of his house. The property had become a bone of contention between him and his neighbours. On August 26, the TMC politician had a verbal confrontation with his neighbours owing to the land dispute. However, the matter escalated when Shivram got hold of a bamboo stick and began assaulting the women in the area. Later, the victims were able to seize the stick from the accused and thrashed him in return.
TMC politician assaults women in broad daylight
In a video that has now gone viral on social media, the TMC politician is seen hitting three women with bamboo sticks over the land dispute. “Dekho Shivram Pandit Trinamool er lok akhana may der attachar korcha… Dekhen kibhava mardhor korlo (Look how TMC worker Shivram Pandit is committing atrocities on women… See how he has assaulted women).Amidst the chaos, the injured victims were escorted by other women in the area.“
State where is woman is Chief Minister as well as Home Minister WATCh how women being Be@ten up by the TMC G00ns in Garbeta.
As per the report, several people were injured in the confrontation. And while the two sides have confessed to engaging in a physical confrontation, the police are now investigating whether there were other reasons that triggered the violence.
Senior Supreme Court advocate and former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve launched a scathing attack on the Mumbai Police for delaying the investigation and filing an FIR in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The senior advocate Harish Salve said that Mumbai police had made a mockery of the criminal investigation system while investigating Sushant Singh Rajput case
Speaking to Times Now, senior advocate Harish Salve said it was perplexing why the Mumbai Police did not file an FIR soon after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Pointing out the deliberate delay and suspicious behaviour by the Mumbai Police, Salve said it is very odd not to have the time of death.
“We have made a complete mockery of criminal investigation system and we have only one agency to thanks for this, Mumbai Police,” said Salve.
Harish Salve also questioned the Mumbai Police over the images of the mortal remains of the deceased actor being leaked to the media soon after his death. The senior advocate asked how could someone other than Mumbai Police could leak the morphed images as they were the first ones to reach Sushant’s residence on that fateful day.
Mumbai Police should have filed an FIR immediately
Harish Salve also noted that the Mumbai Police should have registered an FIR as soon as their family of the actor suspected a foul play and not waited for weeks to file an inquest report.
The senior advocate added that the Mumbai Police could have later filed a closure report if the actor had committed suicide, but should have registered an FIR and investigated on the same.
“The fairness of an investigation also must be transparent,” noted Harish Salve criticising the way Mumbai Police has been dealing with the suicide case of Sushant Singh Rajput.
“The first instinctive reaction should have been probe the murder in this case,” said Harish Salve as he blamed Maharashtra government for delaying the investigation by filing an inquest inquiry.
The senior advocate also added that India needs to get rid of this ‘chalta hai’ attitude while raising suspicion the investigation looked like the cover-up of what is possibly a homicide in SSR case.
Salve also dismissed the charges of “invasion of privacy” allegations saying every investigation is an invasion into privacy. Speaking on CBI investigation, the senior advocate said that CBI officials are not an easy bunch to fool adding that they will interrogate Rhea in their own way.
Media did the right thing reporting the Sushant Singh Rajput case, says Harish Salve
Highlighting the role of media, which have been relentless in covering the suicide case after the Mumbai police’s reluctance, Harish Salve added that in a functional system media should stand behind the issue when the investigation is going on.
“If today Bombay police find itself to be pilloried, it deserves to be pilloried,” Harish Salve said in sharp words citing the amount of criticism the Mumbai Police has been receiving due to their inabilities to fairly investigate the case.
“Thank God, somebody did it,” added Harish Salve while hinting that the Mumbai Police would have walked away with the stories that they were giving in the first few days. Salve also said that the police failed and that is why media rose to the challenge in investigating the case.
“If system has turned dysfunctional, media’s role is crucial,”noted senior advocate Harish Salve.
Even as CBI inquiry into the alleged suicide case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput deepens, a nefarious attempt is underway by media organisations, specifically India Today group, to paint Rhea Chakraborty, the prime accused in the late actor’s death probe, as innocent of committing any wrongdoing in the case.
After the actress was provided with a platform to defend herself in the case, India Today has now published an article, citing her “brilliance” in school, in what appears as an attempt to exculpate her in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s alleged suicide case.
The article published by India Today quotes the teachers who taught Rhea Chakraborty while she was in her school in Agra. In a bid to wash away the allegations levelled against the actress in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, the article highlighted Rhea’s scholastic achievements, her participation in extra-curricular and sports activities and her gregarious nature of bonding up with students older than her age.
One of the teachers who had taught Rhea from Class 5 to Class 9 at the St Clare’s Senior Secondary School in Agra was quoted in the article as saying that Rhea was “quite bright” in studies and very active in the classes. The teacher also added that Rhea was amongst the “favourites” of her teachers and her seniors in school.
“She was full of confidence even at that young age and her intelligence was evident from the way she interacted during class, trying to answer every question posed by the teachers,” the teacher said in an interview with India Today.
With Rhea Chakraborty right in the crosshairs of the investigative agencies for her alleged involvement in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s purported suicide case, this extenuating account by India Today serves to characterise her as innocent, even as investigation in the case is yet to be concluded.
Furthermore, by leaning on her past academic performances at a time when she is embroiled in the investigation of a death case, the report published by India Today implies that those who are intellectually brilliant in their childhood, seldom commit any murderous crime in their future. This fallacy is profoundly misplaced, as the historical evidence suggests that there had been many criminals with exceptional academic records.
Instances when media organisations have dishonestly proceeded to provide a humanising account of criminals
This is not the first time that an accused has been provided with a humanising account by the media organisations. There have been countless instances when the media organisations have proceeded to understate the offences committed by individuals, even terrorists, and provide prosaic accounts of their past lives to humanise them.
Most recently, several media organisations characterised Riyaz Naikoo, a top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, as a “Math scholar famous popular among students”. The dead Hizbul terrorist was quite active in the valley and responsible for various abductions and recruitment of fresh blood to the Hizbul Mujahideen over the years but the media outfits ignored these facts and exalted him as a math professor who was pushed to extremism by perceived inequities meted out to him by the Indian Armed Forces.
Similarly, another dreaded terrorist Zakir Musa was described in the media as if he was a rock star or a movie actor. The News 18 report published on him highlighted inconsequential information like how Musa’s father Abdul Rasheed Bhat, an engineer by profession, had received a packet containing an iPhone, iPod, and three debit cards in 2013. Zakir Musa’s decision to become an armed terrorist has been represented in the report as a father’s sorrow of his son ‘sacrificing’ luxury.
Likewise, Burhan Wani, former Hizbul Commander in Kashmir who was neutralised by the Armed Forces in an encounter in 2016, was characterised by journalist Barkha Dutt as a poor headmaster’s son. His murderous zeal and Islamist impulses were of no significance for the current YouTube journalist, but his father’s profession was considered as a more important nugget of information, that had to be used to describe him.
Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation assumed the investigation into the alleged suicide case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the prime accused in the case, Rhea Chakraborty, who happened to be his girlfriend, came out on national television to offer her side of the story. The interview was broadcast on Hindi news channel Aaj Tak and was conducted by Rajdeep Sardesai, ironically, the same journalist had earlier pointed fingers on Sushant’s family for holding a ‘media trial’ of Rhea Chakraborty.
Rajdeep’s discrepancies notwithstanding, the interview stirred a furore across the country, for the assertions made by Rhea with regards to the late actor. Several netizens took to social media websites to raise their scepticism over the claims made by Ms Chakraborty, which, according to them, did not jibe with reality.
Here are some of the inconsistencies pointed out by the social media users:
Rhea claims she had a house worth Rs 72 lakh in Mumbai’s Khar
In her interview, Rhea stated that she had bought a property worth Rs 72 lakh in Mumbai’s upmarket neighbourhood Khar before she met Sushant Singh Rajput. She added that she had drawn a loan of Rs 50 lakhs from HDFC bank for purchasing the property and had to pay monthly instalments of about Rs 17,000 towards that loan.
However, several Twitteratis raised aspersions on this claim made by Rhea. Some of them questioned as to how could one get a property for just Rs 72 lakhs in a plush neighbourhood of Khar where property rates are in crores. Others were perplexed as to how could a loan of Rs 50 lakhs only yield an EMI of just Rs 17,000.
Khar ne ₹72 lakh ki property.. itni sasti to Kharghar ke bhi nahi hai..
Twitter users posted screenshot of EMI calculator of HDFC, which shows that if the payment term is kept maximum and interest rate is kept minimum, the EMI for a loan of Rs 50,00,000 will be Rs. 33,097.
Social media users also used the HDFC website to conclude that for an EMI of Rs 17,000 on a loan of Rs 50 lakh, the interest rate has to be 1.4%, which is way lower than the lowest interest rate in the country.
Sushant uploaded a Disneyland video while Rhea claims he did not step out of his room in Paris
Another claim that is widely being contested on social media is Rhea’s assertion that Sushant Singh Rajput did not step out of his room for 3 days while they were vacationing in Paris last year. Soon after Rhea’s statement, a Disneyland video from Paris that was shared by Sushant Singh Rajput has gone viral on the Internet.
Rhea Said: Jab hum sab Paris me thhe tab Sushant 3 din room se bahar nahi aaye thhe A post from @itsSSR on Oct 9, 2019
— Omkar Dubey? #JusticeforSushant (@omkardubey01) August 28, 2020
Many social media users have been highlighting the tweet posted by Sushant Singh Rajput, where he is seen enjoying at Disneyland in Paris, questioning the validity of the claim made by Rhea. The tweet is from October 2019, the same time when Sushant Singh Rajput was on a vacation trip to Europe with Rhea Chakraborty.
Rhea Chakraborty’s lawyer is not representing the actress for free
Another inconsistency that has come to fore after the actor’s interview with Rajdeep Sardesai is regarding the appointment of lawyer Satish Maneshinde and his fees. Rhea’s claim in the interview that her lawyer did not raise bills, triggered speculations that the lawyer did not charge any sum for rendering his services for the actress.
Amidst conflicting reports, lawyer Maneshinde on Friday clarified that he has not revoked his fees for the actor as he represents her in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. He also rubbished the reports that claimed that it was him who had approached Rhea to represent her in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
Rhea’s claim that Sushant came in her dreams to goad her to open up on the matter raises doubts among social media users
Regarding the question over what made her to finally speak up on the raging controversy surrounding the alleged suicide case of Sushant Singh Rajput, Rhea said that it was Sushant Singh Rajput who came in her dreams and goaded her into speaking the “truth”.
However, this explanation rendered by Rhea has not sat well with the social media users, who have alleged the actress of cooking up stories. One of the Twitter users went so far as to assert that Rakhi Sawant, who had earlier claimed that the late actor had come in her dreams and told her that he is going to take rebirth, is more believable than Rhea.
Rhea said strange photos in a hotel room scared Sushant Singh Rajput whose dream was to spend a night alone at a graveyard
Rhea Chakraborty in her interview with Rajdeep Sardesai claimed that Sushant Singh Rajput was scared of strange photos in a room in a Gothic Hotel in Italy. But, many social media users questioned how an actor whose one of the dreams was to spend a night alone at a graveyard, could be afraid of a few strange murals in a hotel.
Lie no.1
Rhea said they stayed at a Gothic hotel in Italy, and there were strange photos in their room which scared him. But one of his dreams was to spend one night alone at a graveyard. How can such a man be scared of ghosts?#RheaDualFaceExposed
Video of Sushant Singh Rajput training on flight simulator surfaces even as Rhea claims him of being claustrophobic
In her interview, Rhea Chakraborty claimed that Sushant had claustrophobia of air travel and he was taking prescription medicine to treat it. However, soon after the clip of Rhea alleging Sushant of suffering from claustrophobia was shared online, a video was shared by Sushant’s former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande where the late actor could be seen training on a flight simulator.
Mr. @sardesairajdeep, please do your research before interviewing the prime accused.
Rhea Chakraborty said Sushant Singh Rajput was claustrophobic and he used take pills before boarding flights.
There are multiple loopholes in this claim made by Rhea about Sushant. It is known that Sushant was an aviation enthusiast and he was training to become a pilot. Besides dreaming of space travel, learning to fly an aeroplane was amongst the top in his list of dreams.
Sushant Singh Rajput was learning to fly the Boeing 737, and he was so serious about flying that he had purchased a Boeing 737 simulator for his training. He himself had posted a video of taking off an aircraft during his training in the simulator. It is highly unlikely that a person having claustrophobia of flying will train to become a pilot, and make large investments into it.
Rhea claimed Sushant’s mother died of depression but she had passed away because of brain haemorrhage
Another inconsistency highlighted by social media users in the interview was about the claims regarding the death of Sushant Singh Rajput’s mother. Rhea, in the interview, claimed that Sushant’s mother had died of depression.
Another bit of Rhea i/w which truely disgusted me was Rhea talking about Sushant’s deceased mother who he loved more than his life & always spoke so highly of her. Sushant has publicly mentioned she died by Brain hemorrhage while Rhea here says she was depressed & died cz if it. pic.twitter.com/vQfeKWLhv3
However, social media users were quick to point out the lie peddled by the actress as Sushant’s mother had died of brain haemorrhage and not by depression as asserted by Rhea.
Rhea’s revelation on Sushant Singh Rajput’s former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande
Following the claims made by Rhea Chakraborty in her interview, Ankita Lokhande, the former girlfriend of Sushant Singh Rajput, took to Twitter, to issue certain clarifications on the matter. While Rhea had alleged that Rajput had been suffering from clinical depression, Ankita claimed that Sushant had no such illness till the time they were both together.
Rhea also went on to claim that Sushant Singh Rajput had been paying the EMIs for the flat inhabited by Ankita Lokhande. However, Lokhande had earlier shared the flat’s documents and bank statement to prove that she had been paying the EMIs of her flat.
Ankita also denied the allegations levelled by Rhea that the former couple had spoken on phone. Ankita claimed that Sushant had only commented on her friend’s Instagram post about the pictures from the shooting of Manikarnika movie, which she acknowledged with a courteous response.
