Amidst the coronavirus lockdown, a gang of five cattle smugglers namely, Naeem Farooq Quereshi (28), Shahrukh Saleem Qureshi (23) Altamas Salim Qureshi (21) Salim Suleman Quereshi (50) and Munna Bashir Syed (35) were arrested on April 26, for illegally transporting cattle in Nashik, Maharashtra. The vehicle which these cattle raiders used to consummate the crime was one with ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’ written on it.
According to a report in a local Marathi news portal, one local farmer Anil Boraste saw two cows and four calves being taken away in an inhumane manner for slaughter in the vehicle, which had a Maharashtra registration number, near Gondkar Vasti on Ojhar Sakore Mig Road in Nashik, Maharashtra on the night of April 26. The farmer immediately raised an alarm to alert the locals about the incident. As the news spread, some villagers rushed to the spot, intercepted the vehicle and rescued the bovines.
After getting the information, police inspector Bhagwan Mathure rushed to the area where the locals had intercepted the vehicle. He arrested the five men and took the bovines into his custody. Nashik police also impounded the vehicle, and seized two motorcycles worth Rs two lakh and two thousand, belonging to the criminals.
Case filed against the five accused
A case against the five accused has been registered in the Ojhar police station under IPC section 11, 11 (d) (d) of the Maharashtra Animal protection Act 1976, and for violating district collector’s curfew orders imposed amidst the Coronavirus outbreak.
Illegal cow slaughter in Banswara, Rajasthan
On April 23, a cow was illegally slaughtered by several drunken men in the Banswara district of Rajasthan. The case falls under the Patan police station area which is considered to be a hotbed of Christian Missionary activities.
The All India Agricultural Cow Service Association (AIACSA) has alleged that Christian missionaries are behind the rising cases of indiscriminate cow slaughter in the area. Reportedly, Ramila Khadiya, the independent MLA from Kushalgarh, has also been accused of trying to save the perpetrators through political arm-twisting.
The Gujarat government on Monday said that the low recovery rate and higher mortality in the coronavirus cases in the state could be attributed to the dominance of ‘L’ strain of the COVID19 virus present in the state.
In a video briefing this morning, Gujarat state health secretary Dr Jayanti Ravi said that there are two strains of the coronavirus-‘S’ strain and ‘L’ strain. She added that the ‘S’ strain which is witnessed in cases in Kerala and other states has a mild impact while the ‘L’ strain as witnessed in the patients in Gujarat is much more fatal, claiming that the heightened virulence of the strain found in Gujarat is the reason for the lower discharge rates and a higher number of COVID-19 related deaths in the state.
She also said that the Gujarat government arm-Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre(GBRC) has come out with the entire genome sequence of the virus, adding that samples of ‘L’ strain are to be collected from the patients including those who die of the deadly contagion.
Strains of coronavirus
As per a study published in the National Science Review, the more virulent L type of coronavirus was found more in the initial stages of Wuhan outbreak, but its rate of occurrence diminished due to human intervention. Titled as- ‘On the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2’, the study asserted that based on the population genetic analyses of 103 SARS-CoV-2 genomes, it was revealed that these viruses evolved into two major types (designated L and S), that are well defined by two different SNPs that show nearly complete linkage across the viral strains sequenced to date.
“While the L type was found in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan, the commonness of the L type decreased after early January 2020. One of the reasons for this could be the human intervention that posed selective pressure on the L type, which might be more aggressive and spread more rapidly. On the other hand, the S type, which is the ancestral version and less aggressive, may have increased in relative frequency due to relatively weaker selective pressure,” according to the study.
As per a report published in the Indian Express, an infectious disease specialist at the Sterling hospital, Atul Patel claimed that the mortality rate in Kerala is extraordinarily low because most of the patients in Kerala came from Dubai which has the milder S strain. He also added that the ‘L’ strain, which is viciously aggressive, was more prevalent in European countries like Italy and Spain, which have seen a large number of coronavirus casualties. “In the US, the New York data is entirely different from the rest of its states. Patients from New York were all travellers from Europe,” he said.
Out of over 3000 confirmed cases of the disease, Gujarat has seen 133 deaths.
Social Media is abuzz with the video of a man recuperating from the scourge of coronavirus in a hospital in Bhopal and making unreasonable dietary demands. The man, who identifies himself as Saeed Bhopali in the video claims that he has grown tired of eating Dal-Rice daily and thus wants nut-bolts such as “Chicken Murga”, “Mutton” and “Machhli Tandoori” to eat.
“Do you want to make us sick again? I am fed up of eating Dal Rice daily. My gums are aching after consuming Dal Rice every day. I am Saeed Bhopali, a lion’s cub, a military man. Mutton is my staple food. This food(Dal Rice), I am not going to eat this now. Till the time I was ill, I ate it. Now, I am healthy and I am not going to eat it now. I want nut-bolts to eat, Chicken Murga and Macchli Tandoori(Fish),” he said.
Casting the plate of food aside, Bhopali says if the administration does not fulfil his dietary demands, he will get his choice of the food from his home, adding that he is not saying criticising the food provided to him but that he only wants food that he is used to eating.
“Take this food away. I am not going to eat this. If you can’t fulfil my demands, I will the food of my choice from my home. I am not saying the food provided by the hospital administration is bad. No, It is absolutely fine but my gums have started aching after eating this food. I want my staple food,” he said.
Tablighi Jamaat members in Kanpur demand non-vegetarian food
Yesterday, Tablighi Jamaat members quarantined at a centre in Kanpur made a similar preposterous demand of being fed with non-vegetarian food. The Tablighi Jamaat members in Kanpur who are quarantined Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College continue to misbehave said Dr Arti Lalchandani, Principal. Speaking to media, Dr Lalchandani said that the members kicked the plate filled with food and demanded biryani and non-vegetarian food.
“We have been giving them full meals consisting of roti, sabzi, dal and rice along with salad twice a day along with fruits and also bun-maska twice a day. We are providing them with mineral water every day. Despite that, they continue to throw tantrums and misbehave. They are rude and not talking nicely. Yesterday when a ward boy went to serve a meal, they kicked the plate demanding biryani and non-vegetarian food. When informed that their demands cannot be fulfilled, they mounted an attack on the ward boy who had to literally run to save his life,” she said.
On Sunday the Special Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested one Shifa-Ur-Rehman, the president of the Jamia Alumni Association (JMA), for involvement in the Delhi Anti-Hindu riots under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Sources have revealed that he was called for questioning on Sunday and was subsequently arrested after incriminating evidence was found against him.
As per reports, Delhi Police have stated that Shifa was caught on CCTV footage in riot-hit areas of North East Delhi. Technical evidence such as call records and Whatsapp messages have suggested his role in inciting mobs during the Delhi Anti-Hindu riots. Shifa-Ur-Rehman has been remanded to 10 days in judicial custody by a local court.
Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested one Shifa-Ur-Rehman in connection with North East Delhi riots case, his questioning is underway: Delhi Police
As per reports, Delhi Police in its application demanding custody of Shifa said that the interrogation of witnesses has revealed that Shifa Ur Rehman received funds from alumni association of JMI based in Middle Eastern countries and he was coordinating at the protest sites. “He is also found actively involved in a conspiracy hatched in setting up anti CAA/NPR/NRC protests at various sites in Delhi, giving hate speeches that led to the riots in February 2020 at various protest sites, i.e., Jamia Nagar, Shaheen Bagh, Seelampur, Khureji, Inderlok and Hauz Rani,” Delhi Police said in its statement.
Umar Khalid arrested by Delhi Police
Earlier, JNU student leader Umar Khalid was booked under UAPA in a case related to the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi. Two other leaders from the Jamia Coordination Committee, Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar were booked under the same Act. The two are now in judicial custody after they were arrested last week. The Police had claimed in the FIR that the communal violence was a “premeditated conspiracy” by Khalid and others.
Zargar is the media co-ordinator of the Jamia Coordination Committee and Haider is a member. So far, 10 people have been arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police that is looking into the Delhi riots that were orchestrated timed with US President Donald Trump’s visit to India.
The Delhi Riots
Massive communal riots broke out in the national capital during Donald Trump’s visit to India. The riots cost huge losses to life and property. Over the course of the investigation, the role of Radical Islamist organization PFI and others came to the fore. Home Minister Amit had promised on the floor of the Parliament that a thorough investigation into the matter would be carried out and the guilty would be punished.
Two people allegedly associated with the Congress party who had attacked Republic Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and his wife have been granted bail by Bhoiwada Court in Mumbai, ANI has reported. Meanwhile, Arnab Goswami is still being interrogated by the Police after he appeared at the NM Marg Police Station to subject himself to interrogation by the Mumbai Police. The duo have been granted bail on a bond of Rs 15,000 each.
Mumbai: Two people who were arrested in connection with the attack on Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami have been granted bail by Bhoiwada Court.
Arnab Goswami issues statement after being summoned for interrogation
Earlier, on Sunday, Arnab had received two notices in 12 hours from the Mumbai Police seeking to interrogate him, which he said he would comply with as a law-abiding citizen. In his statement, he said that despite his repeated requests to the Mumbai Police to mention the role of Vadra Congress and its leadership in the attack and celebrating it, the police has refused to do so. He has also shared further facts with Mumbai Police so that the role of Vadra Congress is not erased. “I am sure the Mumbai Police will not sidestep the detailed evidence available on the role of the Vadra Congress and delete the element of conspiracy and assault in the attack,” his statement said.
Arnab Goswami attacked
Arnab Goswami and his wife Samyabrata Ray were followed by two Congress goons little past midnight on Thursday when they were returning home from the Republic studio. The goons threw bottles at Arnab’s car and were eventually apprehended by his security personnel. Arnab has mentioned in his complaint that the Mumbai police had refused to name Youth Congress in their FIR. The two goons, identified as Arun Dilip Borade and Prateek Kumar Shyam Sunder Mishra of Mumbai of Youth Congress, had allegedly confessed that they were sent by their ‘higher-ups’.
Arnab questioned Sonia Gandhi’s silence over Palghar incident
Launching an attack against Sonia Gandhi, Arnab Goswami had questioned if she would have maintained the silence she is exhibiting today had Christian padres been killed instead of Hindu sadhus in the horrifying lynching incident in Palghar. However, soon after, Congress leaders and many journalists started abusing Arnab Goswami, and by extension Prime Minister Modi implying he was responsible for the Republic Editor-in-Chief questioning Sonia Gandhi’s silence.
In a viral video shared by a local activist with Swarajya Magazine journalist Swati Goel Sharma, a fruit seller and his associate, reportedly Dalit Hindus, can be seen recounting the tale of harassment faced at the hands of local Muslims in Begusrai in Bihar for putting up a saffron flag on their cart.
They narrated how they were stopped on their way and interrogated about the flag on their cart. “What are you trying to prove by showcasing this flag?”, the group of Muslims intimidated the duo. Since they were outnumbered, the duo wanted to steer clear of any confrontation. The fruit seller said, “If I don’t sell my fruits, then, it will hurt me financially. We are daily wage earners. If we suffer loss for a day, then, we won’t be able to cope up with it.”
But, the group which was irked by the display of saffron pushed his cart in a bid to provoke him. He was evidently unwelcome in the locality. The Dalit man warned, “The flag will remain intact. If someone believes that he has the might to overturn my cart, then, let him try his hand. We were standing on the road and not on private property.” The group then left them and went about their way.
Rest of the video. “Just because we installed a saffron flag, have we become different persons now?” asks the vendor pic.twitter.com/GHaBe0mwur
He narrated how the lockdown has affected his business. The poor vendor, however, clarified that he will sell items to all, irrespective of religion and that the saffron flag has nothing to do with it. “I am Hindu and I will sport the saffron flag”, he reaffirmed.
“They have stopped me on the road today. I am a not a thief. Why should I vacate my cart? Tomorrow, they might as well tell me to not go home.”, the vegetable seller said.
Police harassment for displaying saffron flags in Nalanda
This is not the first time that a poor shopkeeper was harassed for displaying saffron flags. Earlier, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against some shop owners in Nalanda in Bihar, for sporting saffron flags in their shops. The FIR was lodged after a complaint was lodged by a block officer named Rajiv Ranjan at the Laheri Police station in Biharsharif on April 20.
The police had pressed charges under several Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections such as 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 153A (promoting enmity between religions), 188 (Disobedience) and 295A (Malicious act to outrage religious feelings).
Hindu banners removed in Jharkhand
On Saturday, a group of fruit sellers in Jamshedpur were booked by the city police for writing “Vishwa Hindu Parishad ki anumodit Hindu fal Dukan” which translates to “Hindu fruit shop approved by Vishwa Hindu Parishad”. In addition, the banners of the shop also carried the photos of Hindus deities– Lord Shiva and Lord Rama along with the phone numbers of the shop owners.
However, wearing one’s identity on their sleeves did not sit well with the Jamshedpur police which acted on a complaint raised by one Twitter user, Ahsan Razi, about the overt manifestation of religion by the shop owners. The police reached the spot and got the banners removed.
As many as 53 students from 3 madarsas in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, have tested positive for coronavirus, reports ABP News. However, administration is stating that only 40 are unwell, of which some may be infected with COVID-19. The entire area has now been declared ‘danger zone’ because of increased number of positive cases.
As per reports, the age of most of these madarsa kids is between 10 to 20 years. The report further states that Tablighi Jamaat members would regularly visit the madarsas. As per an Amar Ujala report, the Kuli Bazaar area in Kanpur has emerged as a hotspot where as many as 42 students have tested positive. In other two madarsas, 8 and 6 students have tested positive, respectively.
All of these are now under quarantine. As per District Magistrate Brahmadev Ram Tiwari, some of these are also showing improvement in health.
Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz
Many Muslims who attended the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi stayed at various mosques and madarsas across the country. These Jamaatis would go to the madarsas to impart training. After Nizamuddin Markaz emerged as a hotspot, many Jamaatis in Kanpur tested positive for coronavirus. After that, those who had come in contact with them were also traced and many of them have eventually tested positive for coronavirus.
Reports have emerged that some of the Tablighi Jamaat members who are undergoing treatment at various hospitals across India have also been been behaving badly with the healthcare workers as well as administration including pelting stones at doctors, police and even spitting at them. There have been reports of them molesting nurses as well. On Sunday, Dr Arti Lalchandani, Principal, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College in Kanpur said that some of the Tablighi Jamaat members undergoing treatment kicked food and even beat up a ward boy.
On Sunday, a cleric was diagnosed with the Wuhan Coronavirus after he led Ramazan prayers on Saturday for nearly 24 people at a Mosque in Adadanga village in Magura district, Bangladesh. The local administration is now preparing a list of all those people who attended the prayers at the mosque so that they can be tested for possible symptoms of Coronavirus. Lockdown has also been imposed in the Bagharpara Pashchima village where the cleric lived.
Bangladesh cleric tests positive for coronavirus after leading Ramzan prayers https://t.co/vhd2pPM8Zk
The Ramzan prayers at the mosque were conducted by the cleric in violation of the emergency notice issued on April 6 by Bangladesh’s Ministry of Religious Affairs that barred religious congregation at Mosques in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak. The order allowed a maximum of 10 people to attend Friday Namaaz in mosques.
As of April 27, Bangladesh has reported 145 deaths and 5,913 cases of the Chinese virus infection. The Islamic country had initially announced a nationwide holiday on March 26 for a period of 10 days. With the rising number of cases in the country, the Government was forced to extend the lockdown till May 5.
Pakistan bows down under pressure from Muslim Clerics
On April 18, Pakistani President Arif Alvi announced that restrictions on mosque gatherings will be lifted during the month of Ramzan. The decision was taken following a meeting with political representatives and Islamic clerics. The Imran Khan-led-Government which earlier allowed only a congregation of 5 people at one time in a mosque, owing to the outbreak of the Wuhan Coronavirus, had to give in to the mounting pressure from Islamic preachers.
However, the Government has reiterated the mandatory use of protective masks and adherence to social distancing guidelines during Ramzan prayers. The mosque visitors have been asked to maintain a distance of 2 metres while the administration has been directed to disinfect the mosques every day. Reportedly, the Pakistani Government had warned to tighten the restriction if people were found violating the guidelines.
With the country trying to battle the Coronavirus pandemic, especially, the exponential spike in cases after the Tablighi Jamaat members infecting thousands, hiding in mosques, refusing cooperation and misbehaving with medical personnel, the conduct of sections of the Muslim community has been under the scanner throughout the country. In several cases, videos have emerged where members from the Muslim community can be seen contaminating the fruits they are selling, throwing current notes for others to pick up and even spitting on medical personnel. With such videos and news articles emerging, the ecosystem that functions on peddling Muslim-victimhood has been on an overdrive to shield the community from any criticism or questioning. One such portal is AltNews and it has been working exceptionally hard to spread fake news, under the garb of fact-check, trying to mislead people and shield the Muslim community.
Recently, a video went viral where a Muslim man was seen throwing a currency note, almost deliberately, inside the petrol pump premises. The video was shared by ABP journalist, TV9 Gujarati and several people on social media.
— Vikas Bhadauria (ABP News) (@vikasbhaABP) April 25, 2020
In the video, it could be seen that from his left hand, the Muslim man hands over the money he owned to the attendant and then, with the right hand, he dropped a currency note before mounting his scooter and driving away.
The video, as suspected, created quite the furore among people. At a time when social distancing is the norm, any attempt to deliberately put other people in harm’s way would illicit a similar response.
However, since the individual seen in the video was a Muslim, AltNews published a shoddy ‘fact-check’ that simply included senseless conjectures to prove that not only was the Muslim man in the video innocent, but also the victim himself.
The AltNews story essentially said that the man in question has partial paralysis in his right hand and hence, he dropped the currency note by accident. It cites police personnel and the man in question himself, who is identified by them as one Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh, a resident of Valsad.
There are, of course, several loopholes in AltNews’ alleged ‘fact-check’ that tries to exonerate the Shaikh, who is seen in the viral video.
Here are some obvious question that should have been asked by AltNews, but they weren’t because they were far more interested in peddling an agenda.
Partial paralysis – could not handle a currency note but could ride the scooter?
The AltNews’ fact-check makes one key assertion that they use to exonerate Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh. They say that Shaikh has partial paralysis in his right hand, and hence, could not effectively handle the currency note that then accidentally fell on the ground. It cites a police officer who said that “during questioning” they found that his hand was paralysed and thus, the note fell out accidentally. Then, AltNews cites Shaikh himself who says, “I had left in the morning to travel to Dabhel and stopped at a gas station en route to fill petrol. Since I was riding on the highway I was wearing spectacles and a mask. I met with an accident in 2009 and since then, I am unable to hold things in my right hand. There is movement in the hand but I cannot use it effectively. I didn’t even realise when the notes fell out of my hand.”
There is one key problem here, however.
The distance from Valsad to Dabhel is about 30 KMs according to Google. That is an approximately 40 minute drive during lockdown since there would hardly be any traffic. A man who claims to have partial paralysis to a point that he could not handle a currency note and did not even notice when it fell, could drive a scooter for over 30 KMs. That assertion in itself sounds rather outlandish.
Further, as astutely pointed out by one Twitter user, the Accelerator on a scooter is on the right side. A man who is supposedly partially paralysed in his right hand would not be able to then handle the accelerator for which he would have to use his right hand only.
Accelerator on 2-wheelers is on the right “ side. According to fact fakers @free_thinker@AltNews, the man has partial paralysis, his right hand is incapacitated, hence he dropped the currency note. Then how did he operate the accelerator of his scooter with the same right hand??
— Strategic Spaminder Bharti (@attomeybharti) April 27, 2020
Further, if one looks at the video, after dropping the currency note, the man with much ease grips the right handle of the scooter, the very hand that is allegedly paralysed to a level where it is incapable of handling a currency note.
There were several other loopholes noticed by Netizens too.
3. The guy saw the note when he dropped it. 4. The note fell right before his feet where it must’ve been clearly visible to him.
5. You’re declaring him innocent because he said so citing he’s partial paralysis WHICH doesn’t mean he didn’t do it intentionally to spread panic.
The assertions seem rather outlandish given that his hand seems completely functional in the video.
Police did not declare him innocent
The AltNews report cites the police officer in a bid to declare Shaikh innocent. However, it is pertinent to note that the police officer simply repeated what Shaikh had told him under interrogation and in no way, at least as cited by AltNews, does he say that the man did not have any intention to create panic as far as Coronavirus was concerned.
Following is the statement of the police officer.
“After watching the CCTV footage, the owner of the petrol pump contacted the police. We brought in the man seen in the clip for questioning. His name is Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh, a resident of Valsad. During the questioning, we found that his right hand is paralysed after he had met with an accident. His right-hand does not function properly which is why the notes fell out of his hand. A complaint has been filed against him for travelling from Valsad to Navsari during the lockdown.”
It is evident that the police simply regurgitated whatever Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh asserted to them. That is also evident since similar statement was given to AltNews by Shaikh. However, there is no statement from the police as far as his intent goes.
Why has Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh been “advised home quarantine”
The AltNews report says, “Brahmabatt was further asked if Ilyas is coronavirus positive or has symptoms for the disease. “We took him for a medical examination and found that he does not have symptoms. He has been advised home-quarantine,” the inspector replied”.
The obvious question that should have been asked by AltNews is why Shaikh was advised home quarantine to begin with. This question, however, is not answered by AltNews and the statement is added simply to ensure that no question are raised.
Strange explanation for how the currency note got “stuck” in his right hand
The strange explanation offered by AltNews is almost laughable. AltNews says that he took money out of his pocket using his left hand and then, held the money with both his hands. In the process, one note got “stuck” in the fingers of his right hand and since he is partially paralysed, he did not even “notice” that the note was there. Interestingly, the entire report has no mention of whether this accident affected his eye-sight as well and hence, the explanation that he did not even see the note being “stuck” is rather amusing. Also, the report mentions ‘Partial paralysis’. The sequence of events that are described by AltNews would need a man to be fully paralysed and partially blind for it to be plausible.
After these obvious question were left unanswered, AltNews published the blatant lies of Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh as the ‘gospel’ truth.
OpIndia also got in touch with inspector P P Brahmabatt of Navsari police and one quick conversation revealed the selective reportage and blatant lies being peddled by AltNews and Shaikh.
Fact-checking AltNews fact-check: The right hand of Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh is NOT completely paralysed, police confirms
When OpIndia reached out to inspector PP Brahmabatt of Navsari police, he confirmed that they did get to know later that the accused met with an accident, however, it cannot be said that his handi is “paralysed”. Inspector Brahmabatt confirmed that in his right hand, 3 fingers don’t work properly due to the accident but 2 fingers of Shaikh work perfectly fine. Interestingly, this detail was carefully hidden by AltNews to create the impression that his right hand was paralysed and thus, he could not have possibly known that the note “accidentally” fell out of his right hand.
If Shaikh’s two fingers are working perfectly fine, it defies logic to assert that he had no idea that the note fell out of his hand. This would also explain the obvious discrepancy as to how a man with a “paralysed right hand” could right a scooter that has the accelerator on the right side as well.
Fact-checking AltNews fact-check: Here is why Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh has been quarantined – something AltNews missed out and Shaikh blatantly lied about
AltNews in its report simply mentions that Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh has been “advised home quarantine”. Further in the report, they also say that Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh could not have possibly done this deliberately since the has no symptoms of Coronavirus and thus, without having Coronavirus he couldn’t spread the infection “deliberately”.
AltNews also peddles the blatant lies by Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh.
Fake news spread by AltNews
The statement by Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh makes two important assertions. One that the police “accepted” the explanation that he did it by mistake and Two, that he is now staying home “was advised by the doctor” because of the pain in his back.
When OpIndia spoke to the inspector in question, he said that Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh has been asked to stay in Home Quarantine because his sample has been sent for testing. When asked why he was kept in-home quarantine and was there any suspicion of him being Coronavirus positive, the inspector said that there are many such videos doing the rounds that show Coronavirus positive patients spitting on currency notes and then throwing them to infect others, and hence, he has been asked to stay at home till his Coronavirus results are known.
Fact-checking AltNews fact-check: Only court will decide if he is innocent or guilty, says police
The police officer in question was asked about his views on whether Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh is guilty or innocent, considering the article by AltNews regurgitates Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh’s statement that the police “accepted” that he had dropped the currency note by mistake. To this, the police officer said that an FIR has been filed against him under the Disaster Act and now, only the Court can decide whether he is guilty or innocent. The officer could not immediately confirm the charges levied since he said the FIR was not in front of him but did say that the usual charges under Disaster Act have been applied.
Thus, not only does Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh seems to be lying, but AltNews seems to have selectively quoted the police officer or asked him questions that only led to the selective truth, so as to exonerate Mohammed Yusuf Ilyas Shaikh prematurely, simply because he is a Muslim. The fact that two of his fingers work just fine, that he was booked under the ‘Disaster Act’, and that he has been advised home quarantine till his Coronavirus test results come back are facts that were all missed, conveniently so, by AltNews in their desperation to declare Shaikh innocent.
Richa Bharti, the young girl from Ranchi who was ordered by a court to distribute copies of Quran last year, has been facing harassment Islamists and the Jharkhand state administration.
“I am afraid of staying in India. Has Jharkhand become another Pakistan? If we are harassed like this, then where should we go?”
These are the words uttered by Richa Bharti’s father in despair. The same Richa Bharti from Ranchi, who was ordered by a lower court in Ranchi to distribute copies of the Quran as a condition to secure bail in a case regarding her objectionable post on Facebook. However, Richa had refused to comply with the court order. Since then, she and her family are being continuously harassed. Richa and her family have alleged that the Jharkhand Police are doing this work at the behest of the Jharkhand government.
On Thursday (April 23, 2020), out of the blue, 5-6 policemen allegedly came to her house and seized her mobile phone. Despite repeatedly inquiring about the issue, reason or the complaint they were acting on, the Jharkhand police remained tight-lipped and did not reveal the reason why they had impounded Richa’s cellphone.
Richa Bharti’s father, Prakash Patel, humbly asked the police officials if they could furnish papers or order that authorised them to seize his daughter’s mobile phone but the police failed in showing anything. With no search warrant, the police barged into Richa Bharti’s house and started examining the mobile phones of other family members. Their private messages were also investigated. Richa’s brother’s mobile phone was also thoroughly scrutinised. When the family members questioned why they were being subjected to arbitrary investigation, the police officers remained close-mouthed about it.
The police just kept telling them that they had to take their mobile phones for inspection. This is not the first time that Richa Bharti’s family is being harassed by the police. A few weeks ago, the police came and took away Bharti’s mother’s mobile phone. Even then no reason was provided to the family. Prakash Patel kept visiting the police station to get his wife’s mobile phone back but to no avail. The police officers told him that a seizure list has been prepared. It was a Redmi A-1 handset.
On April 23, the police officers at Richa’s house were accompanied by the DSP of cybercrime, who said that they are ready to give in writing that the police are carrying their mobile phones. However, he did not reveal why were they being targeted or on whose complaint the police was acting. While talking to Opindia, Richa expressed apprehensions that a few Muslims on Twitter may have made filed complaints against her and tagged government leaders and police, after which the police suddenly started taking action against her.
परिवार को प्रताड़ित किया जा रहा है। जब-तब पुलिस पहुँच जाती है और घर के सारे सदस्यों के मोबाइल फोन लेकर प्राइवेट मैसेजों तक को चेक करती है।
राँची, झारखंड: ऋचा भारती कोर्ट के निर्णय के ख़िलाफ़ खड़ी हुई थीं, जब उन्हें कुरान बाँटने कहा गया।
Richa’s father Prakash gets emotional narrating his ordeal. He said that he and his family are being treated in such a way that they are now ashamed to live in India. He claimed that when the police confiscated the mobile phone, they scrambled towards the police station but when they reached there, they did not find anyone at the police station. Later, in the evening, a posse of 15-20 policemen again arrived at their house.
For about an hour, cybercrime officials checked all the mobile phones in the house. The family cooperated in the investigation by following the instructions given by the police. Richa’s mother is very ill. Amidst all this persistent harassment by the police, her health deteriorated further. She has been advised by her doctor to take complete bed rest. Recently, she underwent a tumour operation. In addition, she had also undergone another surgery.
During the police interrogation, her health suddenly worsened. She was quickly rushed to the hospital with the help of the police. She was treated there and later discharged when her health stabilised. Meanwhile, many fake Facebook accounts in the name of Richa Bharti have cropped up after the court order mandating Richa to distribute copies of the Quran. Her written complaint to the police station, requesting action against those fake Facebook accounts went unheeded.
A pertinent point to note here is that discussions about Richa have become a common thing among the Muslim members in the area. According to a medical store owner in the neighbourhood, a man named Shehzad made objectionable remarks against Richa and her family. When he heard the news of Richa’s house being investigated by the police, he sparked a rumour that the police had jailed them. He also said that they will all together beat up Richa and her family.
The medical store owner added that some of the Muslims in the neighbourhood were having discussions about thrashing Richa’s family. Wary of the retribution from Muslims, the family informed the police in this regard. It was only a few days ago when Richa’s family was sitting on the terrace and her cousin sister was standing near the terrace railing when 2-4 Muslim youth passing by their house beckoned towards Richa’s house and then spat on their door.
The group of Muslim men had spat on the door almost 4-5 times by the time the family members reached the entrance. As soon as the family members arrived at their gate, the youth ran away. The family says that they are constantly being instigated so that if they act in response, the other side gets a good-enough reason to create a ruckus. The family has also alleged that the local police is not cooperating with them at all. A day after the latest mobile phone seizure incident, Richa’s father, who had gone to the police station to submit an application was tormented by the station in-charge.
The police in-charge made him visit the police station thrice before refusing to take his application. In the application, the police kept pointing out trivial errors so as to discourage Richa’s father from submitting the application. Later, after a complaint was filed with the DSP, the local police officers accepted the application but made some changes to it. The application was tampered with without the consent of the complainant. This incident is from Kanke Pithoria Station area. The victim’s family has demanded intervention from Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is still silent on this matter.
Application submitted by Richa Bharti to the police regarding her multiple fake accounts on Facebook and Twitter
Richa’s father Prakash Patel narrated the harrowing tale of his harassment by the police officers. He said that when he went to the police station to file his application, the station-in charge screamed at him, asking if he wants him to shoot everyone. Exasperated by the routine police harassment, Prakash responded back saying it would be better if the police shoot his entire family instead of shooting others. Though Richa’s mobile phone has been returned but the family is still reeling under the shock of harassment at the hands of law enforcement officials.
Citing the incident from Jamshedpur where banners of fruit-sellers with Hindu written on them were removed by the police and the news of killings of Hindus in Bengal, Richa’s father said that it doesn’t appear like they are staying in a secular country. It is as if we are living in an Islamic country, he said. The family also fears that if any fabricated evidence is found against Richa, she will be lodged in jail yet again.
Richa Bharti’s family write to the police seeking protection
When asked why is he not outing the names of police officials who mistreated his family, Richa’s father said that he fears reprisal from the officers involved in the case for disclosing their identities in media. “When I haven’t taken their names, I am being subjected to relentless harassment, imagine, what will happen if I disclose their identities,” he said. Pithoria’s police station was also contacted by OpIndia, who denied the allegations. The police have claimed that the more the help they are extending to Richa’s family, the bigger the “drama” they are doing.
Pithoria police official said that when the health of Richa’s mother deteriorated, she was sent for treatment by the police car. The family, on the other hand, says that this was possible due to the support of DSP, who is a woman herself. Refuting the allegations of ‘fear’ raised by the family, the station in-charge defended the police saying the patrolling team passed through Richa’s house several times a day, ensuring that there is no untoward incident in the area. He also denied that the application was tampered with.
Richa Bharti has also released a video in which she alleges that on the basis of the tweets of some Muslims, the police came to her house repeatedly to check their mobile phones. Richa requested the police to take action against those who are throwing spit in various places and against those who disrespect our soldiers. She had alleged that the abuse of Hindus in the state started as soon as the government in Jharkhand changed.
When the family is repeatedly alleging that the movement of suspicious people around their house has increased and local Muslims are talking about killing them, then why is the police not taking any action or why is the government not taking steps to provide them security? On the contrary, to what extent it is correct to dismiss the allegations of someone as a ‘gimmick’? That too when the family is struggling with a host of other problems.
In July 2019, a Ranchi court had granted bail to Richa, who was arrested for allegedly hurting ‘religious sentiments’ by writing about Tabrez Ansari’s death on her Facebook account. However, while granting the bail, the court had put up a condition that she should distribute copies of the Quran to various Islamic organisations.
Bharti had refused to follow the court order saying that the order shows the duplicity of the court. Defending her Freedom of Expression, Bharti had questioned the courts that if any Muslim accused of sharing objectionable content online had ever been asked to perform a Ramayan or Durga path like she had been asked to distribute the Quran copies. She also stated that if she agrees to comply with the court order, tomorrow they might even be asked to embrace Islam too.
