The apex court on Friday refused to entertain the petition filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan in connection with the decongestion of jails during the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Refusing to pass a general instruction in the matter, the court asked Bhushan to approach concerned High Courts for specific cases.
When Mr Bhushan asked the court to take suo moto cognisance of the matter, the Supreme Court responded, “Why don’t you understand our point of view on some occassion at least? You may withdraw the petition, we grant you liberty to approach the jurisdictional HC.”
PB – Why can’t you hear it with suo motu matter which is listed on 8th? You can hear the amicus & I on the issue.
CJI – Why don’t you understand our point of view on some occassion at least? You may withdraw the petition, we grant you liberty to approach the jurisdictional HC.
Appearing for petitioners, advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that jails in the country are overcrowded, running the risk of being a hotspot of coronavirus. He insisted the court intervene and issue a general instruction for the states to release minor offenders who are still languishing in the jail as coronavirus sweeps through the country.
However, the Supreme Court bench headed by CJI Bobde sternly denied interceding, claiming that the coronavirus situation in different states varied greatly and broad instructions cannot be issued in the case.
However, Bhushan relentlessly continued insisting the court to take cognisance of the matter and issue general directions to the states to comply with the instructions.
“Yes, it is not the same. At this stage, you may ask states to inform what is happening in their state. How many have been released, how many haven’t, & why so. How many undertrials who are in jail for minor offences (under 7 years), how many above 60 released ?” Bhushan asked.
“Will you withdraw or should we dismiss”?
However, the top court remained firm in its denial to consider advocate Bhushan’s plea. The court asked Bhushan to approach the jurisdictional HC and inform them of the situation of their state. Bhushan retorted back asking, “Who will pursue the case in the HCs?”, to which the court replied, “There are many advocates who will be willing.”
CJI – Will you withdraw or should we dismiss ? We would like the advantage of hearing you after hearing the view of the HC. We are not asking you, specifically, to go to HCs.
Slamming Bhushan for his repeated insistence to the court to hear his plea, the CJI said, “Will you withdraw or should we dismiss? We would like the advantage of hearing from you after hearing the view of the HC. We are not asking you, specifically, to go to HCs.”
In February, Delhi saw widespread riots and bloodshed when the anti-Hindu riots erupted. One of the individuals who have been arrested in connection with the riots that occurred in Delhi in February is Safoora Zargar. She is an MPhil student from the Jamia Milia Islamia University and was arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Of all the arrested accused, the arrest of Safoora Zargar has attracted the most attention because she is currently pregnant.
Recently, her bail was denied by the Additional Sessions judge at the Patiala High Court in Delhi saying it found “no merits” in her application. “I do not find merits in the bail application, it is accordingly dismissed,” said Additional Sessions Judge at the Patiala House Court, Dharmendra Rana, while dismissing the plea filed by Zargar. She has been booked under UAPA for allegedly leading the anti-CAA protests at the Jaffrabad metro station of Delhi in February 2020 has been earlier denied bail on two previous occasions.
It is being alleged, mainly by people from the Left, that she has been targeted unfairly primarily because she is pregnant. Many believed that she should be granted bails on the grounds that she is pregnant and even has PCOS (Poly-cystic ovaries). But is there any merit to the matter? Is Safoora Zargar being unfairly punished and should she be granted bail because she is pregnant? Is her situation unique?
Let us try to answer some of these questions. While one can always make an emotional plea as many have, the law is impervious to emotions and thus, it must be analysed whether the legal system has provisions for such cases, or is Zafoora a unique case that is now creating the outrage.
Can pregnant women be arrested?
The outrage around the arrest and denial of bail of Safoora Zargar almost implies that her arrest itself and then the denial of bail was illegal since she was pregnant. It thus becomes necessary to find out what the provisions of the law says. There is nothing in the law that prevents the arrest of pregnant women and they indeed can be arrested if a case is made out against them. However, the law has provisions on how women are to be treated while the arrest is being done and post the fact.
Apart from the usual provisions like being arrested by a female officer, being segregated from the male prisoners, avoidance of being arrested post sunset etc, the provisions specifically say that all necessary pre-natal and post-natal care should be provided to females who are arrested.
The law also says that restraints should only be used on pregnant women as a last resort. Their safety or the safety of their foetus should never be put at risk. Women must never be restrained during labour.
The circumstances that Safoora Zargar finds herself in is not novel. The jail manual says that proper pre-natal and ante-natal care shall be provided to the prisoner according to the advice of a qualified medical officer. Additionally, adequate and timely food and nutritional supplements shall be provided to pregnant women.
The jail manual
The manual said that even if a prisoner is suspected of being pregnant, arrangements shall be made at the earliest to get her medically examined. The detailed report of the examination is then sent to the Inspector General of Prisons.
Further, the manual says that Gynaecological examination of the female prisoner shall be performed in the District Government Hospital and proper pre-natal and ante-natal care shall be provided to the prisoner. The manual also says that adequate and timely food, including supplemental nutrients etc will be given to the mother.
Will the nutritional needs of pregnant women be fulfilled in prison?
The Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) states, “The calorie intake and variety of food is to be increased for women prisoners who are pregnant or lactating and require more protein and minerals than usual.” Furthermore, pregnant women shall receive additional milk, sugar, vegetables, fish/meat, curd, fresh fruits and other such things as per the prison manual.
The manual also states, “Pregnant and lactating women should receive advice on their health and diet under a programme to be drawn up by a qualified health practitioner. Inmates should not be discouraged from breastfeeding their children. Medical and nutritional needs of women prisoners who have recently given birth whose babies are not with them in prison, women who have undergone abortion or have had a miscarriage should also be included in treatment and nutrition programmes.”
Numerous other facilities and recommendations have also been made in order to ensure that the health of pregnant women is not compromised.
What about Childbirth and children?
The MoWCD states, “The birth certificate of the child born to a woman in prison should never mention the prison as place of birth to protect them against social stigma.” Lactating women would also received advise regarding their health and diet from a qualified health practitioner. Inmates would also not be discouraged from breast-feeding their children. Directions are also given to the prison authorities to ensure that the child does not face any problems in case he or she is living in the prison with his/her mother.
Is Safoora Zargar the only pregnant women in jail currently?
The answer is definitely not. A pregnant woman in Maharashtra recently tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus. Even the fact that guidelines with respect to pregnant women in prison exist should have been evidence enough that the case of Safoora Zargar was not unique as such guidelines wouldn’t have been necessary if there were no such cases.
Furthermore, as per latest records, which happens to be from 2015, 419623 people are in the prison of which 17934 were women. It is not far-fetched to assume that at least some of these women would have been pregnant at some point during their time in prison. And yet, no liberal ever found the time to shed tears for all those women.
In a 2013 article, it was revealed that one pregnant woman delivers a child every 2 and a half months in Tihar jail. Thus, it is safe to say that Safoora’s situation is in no way unique and certainly does not deserve the level of outrage that has come from the Left.
How liberals have reacted to the denial of bail
Liberals have been demanding that she be given bail and after her bail was denied for a third time on Thursday, people are busy claiming that it is oppression of the highest order. They claim it is inhumane that a pregnant woman has been locked up in prison.
Some have said that the order denying bail to the accused is “shameful”.
Safoora Zargar denied bail. The word shameful doesn’t cut it.
Sagarika Ghose, allegedly a journalist, claims that the order is ‘remorseless’ and ‘dehumanizes’ a young woman.
Jamia student #safoorazargar is pregnant, in no position to destroy evidence, had been protesting a law as is her Constitution-given democratic right. Charging her under draconian #UAPA, now denying her bail is not just remorseless but even de-humanises a young woman pic.twitter.com/jTaaX0xEHi
Others demanded that Prime Minister Modi intervene personally to ensure that she is given bail. After crying for years that Narendra Modi is undermining an independent judiciary, it does seem rather hypocritical that they are openly demanding that he interfere with the functioning of the judiciary so that the demands of the liberals are fulfilled.
Sir, @narendramodi there is a pregnant woman lying in jail {name- Safoora Zargar}.She carries life inside her. I urge you to reconsider her living conditions during this crises. Maybe placed in isolation?The mothers of the country will feel safe with your decision #JaiHind
— Ali Fazal M / میر علی فضل / अली (@alifazal9) June 5, 2020
The real reason why liberals are crying so much over Safoora Zargar
Liberals are of the belief that unless people stand by the side and vocally support the most radical elements within the Muslim community, then they are not really liberal or secular. It is this reason that makes them glorify genocidal maniacs such as Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. It is the same reason why they are found writing mercy petitions for terrorists.
Claims that their concern is driven by he fact that certain facilities are not available to pregnant women in jail cannot be taken seriously. If it is not present for Safoora Zargar, then it is not present for any other pregnant female inmate. Where is the concern for the others? Of course, it is because they are not radical they are not worthy of defence.
That is how terrorist Burhan Wani became the son of a school master. Intriguingly, liberals who are so concerned about the health of the pregnant Safoora Zargar, without any real cause for concern at all, did not flinch one bit when an infant lost its life after being exposed to the harsh winter of Delhi during the anti-CAA protests night after night.
All of this is just emotional blackmail so that one of their own does not have to face the consequences of their actions. It is just another opportunity for them to cast aspersions on the Narendra Modi government. Or they could even be setting the state for something far more sinister. Because liberals have demonstrated time and again that there is no low they will not stoop to in their defence of Radical Islam.
After the recent incident, where a pregnant elephant died in Kerala after a fruit filled with firecrackers burst in her mouth, triggered nation-wide outrage, a video of a pregnant cow injured in a similar fashion has been circulating on social media. In the video being shared online, one Gurdiyal Singh, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, who claims to be the owner of the injured pregnant cow, describes how the cow’s mouth had been injured after one Nandlal fed her explosives.
Video of the injured pregnant cow being shared on social media
In the video shared online, it can be seen that the mouth of the pregnant cow has been injured very badly with a lot of blood oozing out of her mouth. He said that the cow was injured after she was fed firecrackers, which exploded in her mouth.
Though OpIndia could not independently verify when this brutal incident depicted in the video happened, we are trying to get in touch with Gurdiyal Singh to know more about the incident. The video has gone viral on social media because of the Kerala elephant case, due to similarities of both the incidents.
Owner of the preganant cow blames neighbour for the brutal act
Meanwhile, Gurdiyal Singh confirmed that Nandlal, the alleged accused, works as a mechanic in Singh’s neighbourhood. Singh said that Nandlal has no remorse for his action. Nandlal has said that he is not scared of the repercussions and that he will continue to do whatever he deems fit. “Even the village sarpanch cannot harm me”, challenged Nandlal when confronted by Singh.
The video of this brutal act was circulated soon after social media was aflutter with outrage and anger over the demise of an elephant in Kerala. Amid outrage, the district police on Thursday (June 4) constituted a special investigation team under a DSP-rank officer to probe the matter.
One suspect arrested in Kerala elephant killing case
The forest department in Kerala has arrested one suspect in the case of death of a pregnant wild elephant in Kerala. The person is being interrogated in the matter. The elephant had died after she was fed a pineapple filled with firecrackers by some villagers.
The autopsy report of the dead elephant has revealed that the crackers stuffed in the pineapple which was fed to the elephant burst in her mouth leading to severe injuries. The elephant was not able to eat anything due to the deep wounds, due to which she fell and drowned due to weakness. The elephant’s preliminary post-mortem examination was conducted at the Mannarkkad Forest Division. It revealed that the animal died as a result of drowning, followed by inhalation of water which led to lung failure. This has been identified as the immediate cause of the death of the elephant.
The investigation in the case has been moving on a faster pace and the forest department has started interrogating the suspect in custody. As per reports, three people are under suspicion of feeding the pineapple full of crackers.
Pregnant elephant dies in Kerala after cracker-filled pineapple burst in its mouth
Recently, in an act of utmost cruelty, a pregnant elephant had died after some locals fed her cracker-filled pineapple which later exploded in her mouth. The incident took place in Malappuram district of Kerala when the elephant had wandered into a village in search of food. It is being believed that some villagers stuffed pineapples filled with firecrackers on her tusks while she was walking on the streets.
A startling study about the emergence of Wuhan coronavirus in India has revealed that the country’s patient zero, the first confirmed COVID-19 case from Kerala on January 30, was afflicted with the strain of the virus that belonged to the Wuhan ancestor. The scientists from the top Indian research institutes believe that the ancestor of the novel coronavirus strain which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan may be prevalent as early as November 2019.
While India’s first #COVID19 case was confirmed in Kerala on 30 January, a new study has claimed that the virus strain with Chinese roots was in circulation as easily as November 2019. @PriyankaSh25 brings you more details pic.twitter.com/YAeqJI4nP8
Though the first case of coronavirus in India was reported from the southern state of Kerala on January 30, 2020, the top researches of the country estimate that the ancestor of the novel coronavirus strain, a virus with Chinese roots, was in circulation in India by December 11, 2019. The scientists have used a technique called ‘the most recent common ancestor’ or MRCA to determine that the ancestor of virus strain now rampant in Telangana and other states had its genesis between November 26 and December 25. The median of the time period being December 11.
Scientists are unclear whether this strain coronavirus was introduced by passengers travelling from China to India prior to January 30 as no widespread testing was conducted during that period.
A different strain of coronavirus
Furthermore, researchers, including those at Hyderabad’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and other institutes have also discovered a distinctly different strain of coronavirus and named it as Clade I/A3i.
A ‘clade’ is defined as a group of organisms believed to comprise all the evolutionary descendants of a common ancestor.
Dr Rakesh Mishra, director CCMB, told to Times of India that the virus which was found at the first coronavirus case in Kerala had its roots in Wuhan but the one found in Hyderabad(Clade I/A3i) is starkly different from the first reported COVID-19 case in the country and seems to have its origins in a South Asian country, not in China. Dr Mishra is not certain about the country from which the new strain of coronavirus might have emerged.
The MRCA of Clade I/A3i was discovered to be in circulation between January 17 and February 25, with the median being February 8. Another clade A2a, which is the prevalent clade in India had an MRCA of 2nd Jan 2020 with the period of likely emergence lying between December 13, 2019, and January 22, 2020, Mishra added, as per the TOI report.
Single point spread
The scientists believe that the new clade was introduced in India from a single point and it was from a single outbreak. Later, it saw a rapid spread across multiple regions in the country. Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Delhi have the highest proportions of the new clade, informed Dr Mishra.
After actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s niece filed a case against his brother Minaz for sexual harassment and physical assault, she has come up with more details about her allegations. In an interview with PinkVilla, she said that when she had shared her ordeal with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family, she was told that she is the child of a Hindu mother, and hence a liar. Her parents had a love marriage against the wishes of her mother’s parents. The girl has also stated that her mother had left the Siddiqui family and had taken divorce due to the continuous harassment and physical violence she was subjected to.
Years of sexual and physical harassment
In the interview, Siddiqui’s niece Shasha Siddiqui has stated that the sexual assault started when she was only nine years old. At that time, she did not understand what is happening to her, but with time she learned about the difference between good touch and bad touch. She tried to convince her family, but no one came to her rescue. When she was in 8th, her father reportedly refused to continue her education as he believed girls should not pursue an education.
The girl has stated that one night when she was in Delhi, her uncle Minaz came into her room and tried to force her into a sexual relationship. When she refused, he got angry and beat her with his belt. She further stated that she had the photographic evidence of the physical assault that she had shared with her then-boyfriend, to whom she is now married.
Nawazuddin’s family harassed her husband and in-laws
The girl has also stated that after she decided to get married, her father’s family had filed cases against her husband and in-laws with a number of false accusations. She further told that they had falsified documents and had claimed that she is underage, which was later proven wrong in court. She has added that Nawazuddin’s family, including her own father, has been constantly harassing her husband’s family with threats and court cases for years. She has alleged that physical assault, violence, threats and domestic abuse is a common thing in the Siddiqui family and many women have faced it. She alleged that even Nawazuddin’s wife (who has filed for divorce), her own mother and her other aunts have faced physical abuse and violence at the hands of family members. She alleged that Nawazuddin’s brothers are angry, abusive by nature and the family atmosphere is usually violent.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui approached her after FIR
In the interview, the girl also stated that when Nawazuddin Siddiqui learned about the FIR she has filed, he had called her to talk. He asked her to take back the complaint, but she refused to do so. She had earlier mentioned that Nawazuddin had ignored and dismissed her concerns when she had told him about the harassment she was facing by his uncle, telling her that Minaz Siddiqui is her uncle and he can never do such a thing.
In the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan that wrought havoc in West Bengal, the State Government had decided to compensate people with ₹20,000 who had suffered damage to their houses. But, now it has emerged that the amount has been credited to the bank accounts of several individuals in Nadia whose houses had remained unaffected by the cyclone, reports the Ananda Bazar Patrika. Many of them are politicians and Panchayat members, and reportedly associated with the ruling TMC.
As per the report, the owners of intact one-storey and multi-storey houses in Madanpur II Gram Panchayat of Kalyani block in Nadia had received money by falsely claiming that they were the victims of Cyclone Amphan. A report was submitted in the Block alleging that 28 people had been victims of the catastrophe.
After the cyclone hit the state, CM Mamata Banerjee had announced that 5 lakh victims whose houses have been damaged will receive Rs 20,000 each from the government. The amount was directly transferred to the accounts of the beneficiaries.
However, it was found that 20 houses in the 28 did not suffer even the slightest damage, as they are pucca houses. Reportedly, the accused could siphon off money due to their connections with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Local resident Narayan Haldar has lodged an official complaint with the Block Development Officer (BDO) Deep Chatterjee and the sub-divisional magistrate regarding this issue. “I was shocked to see the list of beneficiaries. They are highly accomplished people. All of them have pucca houses. It is a serious case of corruption,” Haldar was quoted as saying in the report in Anand Bazaar Patrika.
Justification by the accused
Local panchayat member Somnath Adhikari, a businessman by profession and one of the beneficiaries of government compensation, said, “Sobkichu toh manusher er jonnoi. Tai sorkari taka ami niyachi (The compensation is for the people. That’s why I have taken the money.)” On being informed that the amount was disbursed for poor and affected people, he said, “Whoever gets the opportunity will take government’s money. There is nothing poor or rich about it.” Adhikari lives in a 2-storey building with 8 rooms which was not at all affected by the cyclone.
Another accused Pavitra Santra, a panchayat member in Mazdia’s Santrapara, also received compensation by taking undue advantage of the system. He too lives in a 2-storeyed house. His wife Mukul Santra confided, “Four tiles in the kitchen are broken. I will buy tile with ₹200. I will deposit the rest of the money in the bank.” On knowing that the questioner was a journalist, she confessed, “now it seems that we should not have taken the money. I thought of taking advantage of the situation since I have political power.”
The report cited many other beneficiaries not suffering any damage, who admitted that they had taken the government money while fully aware that it was for the victims of the Cyclone Amphan and they are not the intended beneficiaries.
Indifferent Administration
BDO (Kalyani) Deep Chatterjee shrugged, “The investigation is underway. Nothing can be concluded until the report on it is prepared.” According to Rupali Saha, a district council member and a local resident, the misuse of public money had taken place under the watch of the panchayat. “Only the panchayat can give the answer,” she remarked, as per the report.
Reportedly, several people applied for government compensation by showing pictures of demolished houses belonging to the real victims of the catastrophe. On receiving multiple complaints, the Block officials are now conducting door-to-door verification. Kalyani Block Trinamool President Pankaj Kumar Singh, however, said, “I have also heard about the incident. I have spoken to the BDO. It should be investigated. People’s confidence must be restored. “
Relief work languishes in West Bengal
In the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan, the simmering tensions among the disenchanted population against the Mamata Banerjee-led government’s inept handling of the relief activities crystallised on the streets as protest mounted against the state administration for its bungled response to the catastrophe. Several areas in the State saw angry protesters swarming the roads against the establishment. Protests were held in prominent areas, including Behala, New Alipore, Regent Park, and Jadavpur. People put up road blockades demanding restoration of power.
Speaking to ANI, a local resident of the Baghajatin area in Kolkata had informed, “It has been misreported in the media that the supply of electricity and water has been resumed in our area. But, for the last 6 days, we have neither electricity nor water.” Directing towards a lamp post lying unattended on the road, he conceded, “None has come to fix it.”
Recently, the killing of an African-American man, George Floyd, by the Minneapolis personnel had stirred a furore across the world, especially the United States, where a raft of protesters in several cities, hit the streets in protest against the rampant racial discrimination that continues to plague the American society. The unfortunate death of Mr Floyd touched off protests not just in America but across the globe where demonstrators are staging protests either in solidarity with the victims of racial discrimination in the US or opposition to the perceived inequities faced by them in their respective countries.
While the world continues to roil with the death of Mr Floyd, Indian media organisations are drawing a dangerously false equivalence between the African- American’s killing by police officials with an incident from Rajasthan where a thug was beaten up by cops. A video of a scuffle between a thug and police officials in which one of the cops kneels on the neck of the ruffian is doing the rounds on the Internet. However, several media organisations in India quickly proceeded to equate the incident with the American instance where Mr Floyd was wantonly attacked by the Minneapolis police officers, leading to his death.
Times Now channel characterised the incident as ‘India’s George Floyd moment’, claiming that cops assaulted a man while kneeling on his neck.
Source: Times Now
ABP news channel also characterised the skirmish between the cops and the hoodlum as ‘George Floyd-like incident’ in India.
ABP news likening the Rajasthan scuffle with George Floyd incident.
Several other organisations also likened the cold-blooded murder of George Floyd with the fight that erupted between the police officials in Jodhpur with a hooligan. Here’s the entire video of the incident.
The reality of the scuffle between the thug and the police officers in Jodhpur
The incident pertains to the city of Jodhpur where police cops found a named Somakaran sitting in a public place without a mask. With not wearing a mask in public places being punishable, the police officers accosted the man and tried to challan him for violating mask-wearing guidelines. However, the man refused to comply and assaulted the police officers instead, which can be seen in the videos that had gone viral. After being attacked by the thug, the police officers pinned Somakaran down and kneeled on his neck to bring him under control.
Stark difference between death of George Floyd and punitive action against thug Somakaran in Jodhpur
This event is in stark contrast to the killing of Mr Floyd in the United States. Mr Floyd had not employed violent means to fend off the police officials. Instead, as a law-abiding citizen, he meekly complied with the police directives and yet was subjected to assault, presumably on account of his race, leading to his death. America has a historical context to the racial crimes committed against the coloured population. George Floyd was a victim of institutional racial atrocity against the African-American community, perpetrated by the American police which has a long history of perpetuating brutality against the people of African American origins.
By contrast, the incident in Jodhpur was about police officials trying to restrain a wrongdoer who had not only violated the state-mandated guidelines amidst the coronavirus crisis but had also assaulted them when accosted for his defiance of norms. The cops did not intentionally launch an attack against the thug. They were compelled to employ harsh measures against the hooligan after he assaulted them. Besides, Mr Floyd’s death once again brought to the fore the racial fissures that continue to bedevil American society. On the other hand, India’s issues vastly differ from the racial tribulations that continue to beleaguer the United States. India has been a beacon of pluralism with no record of committing atrocities along the racial lines and it is disingenuous to compare stray incidents in India with the wanton and deliberate racial atrocities in America.
However, this nuance was lost on most of the Indian news organisations, who in their bid to sensationalise every issue, painted the disciplinary action against a thug by the police officials as “India’s George Floyd moment”. It appears that there is brewing desperation among some sections in the society to incite nationwide upheaval and throw the country into chaos.
Recently, Aakar Patel was seen egging on the minorities in India to stage US-like protests in India. A case was subsequently filed against him under the charges of provoking and instigating people from minority communities to foment unrest in India. Before that, Ashok Swain, ostensibly a professor, called for ‘Muslim Lives Matter’ protests in India along the lines of violent protests in the USA following the death of George Floyd.
The unwarranted likening of the murder of George Floyd with Indian police’s action against the thug could result in unintended consequences. The casual extrapolation of America’s racial woes to the Indian context could spell doom for the country which is already staggering under the economic and human toll of the coronavirus crisis. The anti-national lobby, harbouring deep-seated hatred for PM Modi, is on the prowl for issues that can be exploited to stoke anarchy and corner the Modi government. The news organisations are doing to a great disservice to the journalism profession and the country by drawing a false equivalence between Mr Floyd’s death and rightful action against the thug by Jodhpur police personnel.
On the 26th of May, a video was surfaced and went viral on social media. In this video locals of Danuk area of Turbat can be seen catching a thief and later on handing him over to the police. At first, it seemed just like another normal story of a thief breaking in and getting caught but the anger of the local people suggested something else. The public reaction was clearly showing that the people of Turbat have been bearing these injustices for a long time and on that night they had decided not to remain silent any longer.
The next news came after that video clip was about the murder of Baloch women in a burglary. Her four-year-old daughter was also wounded in the incident. And within minutes everyone was spreading the news on social media and claiming that the arrested person is a member of a local death squad who is recruited by Pakistan’s Military Intelligence (MI) to do their dirty work in Kech district of Balochistan. The head of the gang is known as Sameer Sabzal a member of Balochistan’s ruling party Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).
The local people claimed that this local death squad is being supported and backed by the finance minister of Balochistan Zahoor Buledi and the MI. The local death squads are mostly used in Balochistan to abduct and kill Baloch Political and Human rights activists. The death squad members are also involved in military operations in their local areas.
The current incident of Bramsh Baloch has not only exposed the relation of Pakistani state with the burglars, killers, death squad members, but it also unveiled the hidden dirty faces of Parliamentarians Like Zahoor Buledai, Zia Langov and Jam Kamal who are trying their best to save the murderers of innocent Baloch women and denying justice to her four-year-old little daughter.
The Government of Balochistan and the Personnel of Army, FC, ISI and MI tried their best to stop this campaign and they did everything to stop the people from demonstrating against this inhuman act of brutality. But it seems the people of Balochistan are already awakened and they have decided what they should do against these inhumane acts of state-backed death squads.
To condemn this cowardly act of state-backed death squads and to condemn those who are trying to protect these criminals, thousands of people have protested in different parts of Balochistan including in Buleda, Dalbandin, Gwadar, Kharan, Turbat and Washuk. Other parts of Balochistan including Dasht, Karachi, Khuzdar, Pasni, Panjgur and Quetta are going to hold protests in coming days to condemn this inhuman act and to demand justice for Bramsh.
The Baloch social media activist are continuously using #JusticeForBramsh and #JusticeForBramshBaloch hashtags to show their condemnation and demand justice. Unfortunately, just like any other news from Balochistan, this news was also missing from prime time Pakistani media slots. And the international media and community have maintained their previous stand and remained silent on the issue of Balochistan allowing Pakistani state forces to continue their gross human rights violations in Balochistan.
The Turbat incident is not the first one nor it will be the last one. Because the brutal forces of Pakistan will never listen to the peaceful protesters and it will not change their mentality of killing innocent people or looting their resources.
The Baloch nation has not given up their right to protest and they will continue to protest in future too against the injustices of Pakistani forces. The only thing that the Baloch nation expects from the neighbouring countries and the international community is to take notice of Pakistani oppression in Balochistan and support them in their struggle against the injustices and to regain their lost freedom.
The Kerala police have arrested one person identified as P Wilson in connection with the death of a pregnant wild elephant in Kerala, reports Hindustan Times. According to the report, Kerala forest minister K Raju said that P Wilson, who is an employee of an estate that cultivates cash crops and spices, was arrested on Friday.
Palakkad Superintendent of Police G Siva Vikram reportedly said the accused was one of the three persons who was taken into custody for interrogation on Thursday. The SP also said that more arrests in the case will be made on Friday.
The accused reportedly said to the interrogators that they had set up a trap of fruit filled with crackers to scare wild boars, which destroy their farms often.
The Forest Department has identified three people suspected to be involved in the case, however, let off two persons after interrogation. The Forest Department has filed an FIR in the case and another FIR was registered in the case by the Mannarkkad police in Palakkad against unknown persons on June 6.
The 15-year-old Elephant had died due to sever injuries in mouth
The one-month pregnant elephant died in Palakkad on May 27, days after it injured its jaws due to explosives packed in a pineapple that it had eaten. The incident had come to light on May 27 when Mohan Krishnan, a forest officer, wrote a Facebook post after witnessing the death.
The elephant rushed to nearby Velliyar river after eating the cracker-filled fruit and died at the spot even as forest officials tried to rescue it. Reportedly, some locals saw the female elephant on 25 May when she came to their village and she died on May 27 after standing in water for the whole day.
The autopsy report of the dead elephant had revealed that the crackers stuffed in the pineapple which was fed to the elephant burst in her mouth leading to severe injuries. The elephant was not able to eat anything due to the deep wounds for almost two weeks, due to which she fell and drowned due to weakness.
The post-mortem report had revealed that the animal died as a result of drowning, followed by inhalation of water which led to lung failure. This has been identified as the immediate cause of the death of the elephant.
The killing of the 15-year-old elephant had triggered a massive outrage across the country as Bollywood actors, business icons and sports persons took to social media to condemn the action.
A lawyer and a native of Mallapuram district in Kerala has filed a complaint against BJP Leader Maneka Gandhi and others for allegedly involved in the hate campaign against Mallapuram and its residents following the death of a wild pregnant elephant which was fed pineapples packed with firecrackers in the state. Advocate Subash Chandran hailing from Mallapuram filed a plaint with the superintendent of police of the district seeking an FIR against the leader.
The complaint stated that Maneka Gandhi’s remarks on Mallapuram are derogatory and delivered to malign the image of the residents of the district. Secondly, the unfortunate demise of pregnant elephant occurred in Mannarkad of Palakkad district that gained mileage on social media in the last two days, and not in Mallapuram. The complaint alleged that a group is trying to give a communal colour to the incident citing the population demography of Mallapuram district, which is a Muslim majority area.
The complaint also clarified that the elephant died on 29 May in Palakkad and not in Mallapuram. The complaint also included the name of political commentator Tarah Fateh for allegedly indulging in the hate campaigns against the Mallapuram district and the minority community.
Subhash Chandran in the plaint sought FIR against the leader and others under section 153 A and 120 B etc of the Indian Penal Code.
Statement of Maneka Gandhi
BJP Leader and environment activist Maneka Gandhi stated that people of Mallapuram are repeat offenders in this matter and questioned why Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi is not taking any action.
— Maneka Sanjay Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) June 3, 2020
She said, “Action should be taken against everyone who is suspected in Malappuram. These are repeat offenders. Whether it is children being sold in orphanages, as we have found, it is Malappuram. Whether it is people being killed, look at the crime rate in Malappuram. What is being done in Malappuram? Nothing. Look at the communal conflict there. Highest in Malappuram. We take so much action against other districts, why is no action being taken against Malappuram. Rahul Gandhi is from the area, why is he not taking action?”
Mallapuram is know for its intense criminal activity specially with regards to animals. No action has ever been taken against a single poacher or wildlife killer so they keep doing it. I can only suggest that you call/email and ask for action pic.twitter.com/ii09qmb7xW
— Maneka Sanjay Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) June 3, 2020
Maneka Gandhi had also tweeted that Mallapuram is known for its intense criminal activity especially with regards to animals. She alleged that no action has ever been taken against a single poacher or wildlife killer in the district so they keep doing it.
Elephant death case
A pregnant elephant had died after some locals deliberately fed her cracker-filled pineapple which later exploded in her mouth. Allegedly, the incident took place in Malappuram district of Kerala when the elephant had wandered into the village in search of food. However, some villagers stuffed pineapples stuffed with firecrackers on her tusks while she was walking on the streets. The crackers exploded in her mouth that caused severe wound in her mouth because of that she could not eat for weeks and died due to starvation.
The autopsy report of the dead elephant has revealed that the crackers stuffed in the pineapple which was fed to the elephant burst in her mouth leading to severe injuries. The elephant was not able to eat anything due to the deep wounds, due to which she fell and drowned due to weakness. The elephant’s preliminary post-mortem examination was conducted at the Mannarkkad Forest Division. It revealed that the animal died as a result of drowning, followed by inhalation of water which led to lung failure. This has been identified as the immediate cause of the death of the elephant.
Female elephant’s jaw was broken
Chief Wildlife Warden Surendra Kumar had revealed that her jaw was broken and she was unable to eat after she chewed the pineapple which exploded in her mouth. The issue came to light when forest officer Mohan Krishnan shared about it on social media. He said that she was standing in the river with her head dipped in water. He wrote on Facebook, “She trusted everyone. When the pineapple she ate exploded, she must have been shocked not thinking about herself, but about the child, she was going to give birth to in 18 to 20 months.”
