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Rana Kapoor and Wife booked for taking bribes to the tune of ₹307 crores through the purchase of posh Delhi bungalow

OpIndia Staff
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Rana Kapoor and Wife booked for taking bribes to the tune of ₹307 crores through the purchase of posh Delhi bungalow

The Central Bureau of Investigation has booked Yes Bank Founder Rana Kapoor and his wife Bindhu Kapoor for receiving ₹307 crore bribe from Avantha Realty Ltd. in connection to the purchase of a 1.2-acre uber-luxe bungalow at 40, Amrita Shergill Marg, New Delhi that was valued at ₹550 crores. Yes Bank is accused of not initiating actions to recover ₹1900 crores from the Avantha Group, despite the group of companies defaulting on its payment.

Avantha Group had mortgaged the said bungalow to two banks, namely, ICICI Bank and DCB Bank and around 380 crores were outstanding in March 2016. Yes Bank rescued the realty firm with a loan of ₹400 crores. Reportedly, the outstanding dues of the realty firm towards Yes Bank stood at ₹1,333 crores and it was ineligible for a loan. Nevertheless, the bank owned by Rana Kapoor took charge of the posh property in Lutyen’s Delhi.

Interestingly, the principal loan repayment for the first year was kept at Rs 5 lakh per month. It was 100 times lower than the rental income the property was projected to fetch. When Avantha Group came under stress (₹12 crores of principal liabilities and unpaid interest) after a year later, a decision was made to sell the property.

Read: ED likely to summon Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for questioning over sale of painting to Yes Bank founder, may attach her cottage near Shimla

Bliss Abode Pvt Ltd., the director of which is Bindhu Kapoor, pitched in to purchase the property at Rs 378 crore. It readily received a nod from the Management Credit Committee (MCC) and a no-objection certificate (NOC). The MCC was headed by Rana Kapoor.

Bliss Abode Pvt Ltd., where Rana Kapoor was a co-borrower, then mortgaged the bungalow to Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited in exchange for a total loan of Rs 685 crores. Out of the total loan amount, ₹310 crores of further loans were obtained from Imagine Estate Pvt Ltd and Imagine Home Pvt Ltd. As interesting as it may, both had Bindhu Kapoor as its director.

The fact that Bliss Abode Pvt Ltd. (where Kapoor was a co-borrower) bought the property (in charge with Yes Bank, the founder of which is Rana Kapoor) was a clear case of conflict of interest. This vital information was withheld from the Yes Bank Board and the MCC in violation of the bank’s code of conduct and the Companies Act, 2013.

The FIR read, “This appears to have been done with an ulterior motive to acquire the property as illegal gratification for various favours extended by Rana Kapoor to AG companies. These loans are yet to be repaid to Yes Bank Limited and there is stated to be a total outstanding of Rs 1900 crore against various credit facilities extended by YBL to AG companies by January 2020.

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate was investigating whether a dummy company controlled by Kapoor and two of his daughters, Doit Urban Ventures, received kickbacks to the tune of ₹600 crores in return for granting a ₹4,450 crore loan to Dewan Housing Financial Corporation Limited (DHFL).

Despite the firm failing to return the money, the Yes Bank management did not initiate any action. Officials suspect that DHFL had siphoned off ₹13,000 crores (including the ₹4,450 crores Yes Bank loan) through 79 dummy companies. Kapoor is also believed to be involved in Employees’ Provident Fund (PF) where the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (UPPCL) invested ₹4,100 crore worth of funds in DHFL without seeking required approval.

Rana Kapoor’s Yes Bank which is under scanner over allegations of financial irregularities prospered greatly during the UPA regime. According to the IPO filing of the bank, the Government Relationship Management (GRM) group of Yes Bank group has “developed robust relationships with over 300 entities across India”. Not limited to that, Yes Bank had also provided financial and advisory services to Ministries of the Union Government.

Such progress within the space of six and a half years is likely to raise a few eyebrows. It has also been revealed that a letter dated 1st May 2010 has emerged written by senior Congress leader Milind Deora, the then Member of Parliament, to Yes Bank chief Rana Kapoor, suggesting he buys the Rajiv Gandhi painting in Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s possession. The Congress-Gandhi link in Yes Bank surfaced after it was revealed that founder Rana Kapoor had bought the painting for Rs 2 crore.

Not a single tree should be cut: Telangana High Court stays Indian Navy’s ELF Radar Project

OpIndia Staff
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Not a single tree should be cut: Telangana High Court stays Indian Navy’s ELF Radar Project

The Telangana High Court passed an interim order to stay the Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radar project to be executed by Eastern Naval Command in Damagundam forest of Vikarabad district, reports Times of India.

Hearing a PIL petition filed by ‘Damagundam Forest Protection Joint Action Committee’ on Wednesday, a division bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy directed the authorities to ensure that not a single tree is to be felled for the project. 

The Hight court made it clear to the state, central governments and the Indian Navy that they cannot ‘cut a single tree’ till they filed their counters on what they are proposing to do with the ecosystem at Damagundam forest near Vikarabad in Ranga Reddy district. The court asked as to how the forest department could allow construction of a low-frequency radar in a forest area.

“We understand the defence of the country is crucial and is an important aspect, but the environment is also our concern,” the Chief Justice said. Everyone knows that low frequency affects the wildlife, the flora and fauna and the forest ecology adversely, he said. It is surprising that the forest department agreed to the idea of ELF Radar in the area without Navy obtaining environment clearance, the Chief Justice added.

Assistant Solicitor General N Rajeswara Rao urged the bench to restrict the status quo for a few days, but the bench made it clear that it will remain there till the centre and other authorities file their response. The bench has deferred the matter to April 15.

This Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Radar project is being set up by the Eastern Naval Command of Indian Navy. The Telangana government has provided 2,900 acres of land to the central government in the Dammagudem reserve forest in Vikarabad district for the ELF radar centre.

Six burqa-clad rioters who had attacked Delhi police identified: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Six burqa-clad rioters who had attacked Delhi police identified: Report

The Delhi Police Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi, has identified six burqa-clad women who were part of the mob which attacked Delhi Police personnel, reports Zee News.

According to the Zee News report, the SIT has identified at least six burqa-clad women after examining several video footages which revealed how these women accompanied the Muslim mob mercilessly attacked head constable Ratan Lal during violence in the Gokul Puri locality on February 24, leading to his death.

The SIT has now examined the CCTV footage and the videos on violence in Chand Bagh and Gokul Puri localities. Following that, the SIT is now preparing to arrest these women for further questioning in connection with the attack on police personnel and head constable Ratan Lal’s brutal murder.

At least 70-80 women wearing a burqa were seen in the CCTV footage obtained by the police from Chand Bagh and other nearby localities where the violence erupted.

The SIT has also questioned several local residents of Chand Bagh for more information on the attacks. In the videos, these burqa-clad women can be seen pelting stones at the police team, which was trying to control the situation.

The SIT had earlier arrested seven people in connection with the murder of a Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal during the anti-Hindu riots in the national capital that has taken the lives of more than 50 people.

During the attacks by the Muslim mob on February 24, DCP Amit Sharma was also grievously injured along with another Delhi police officer ACP Anuj Sharma. Anuj Sharma was attacked and injured as he had tried to rescue DCP Amit Sharma who was brutally thrashed by Muslim mobs, led by women during the riots in the national capital. During the same incident, constable Ratan Lal was killed by the rioters as he tried to save IPS Sharma.

A video had surfaced in which a violent Muslim mob was seen attacking the Delhi Police officers with stones and sticks. It is believed this was the attack which injured DCP Shahdara IPS Amit Sharma and claimed the life of constable Ratan Lal.

Soon another video of anti-Hindu Delhi riots surfaced, presumably of February 24, in which violent rioters, comprised of mainly Muslim women at Chand Bagh area in East Delhi were seen pelting stones at police personnel as they try and rescue injured DCP Shahdara Amit Sharma.

The videos showed how a mob of over 2,000 anti-CAA rioters, mostly Muslims, had attacked badly outnumbered policemen, throwing stones at them and even firing, as they are huddled over the divider, trying to escape the fury of the mob.

Injured cop ACP Anuj Sharma had also narrated the incident, where he had to rescue his colleagues including Shahdara DCP Amit Sharma on February 24 when they were attacked by violent Muslim mobs in North-East Delhi during the anti-Hindu riots. Anuj Sharma too had suffered injuries from mob attack as he tried to rescue his colleagues from the violent mob.

Echoing similar statements, Pooja Sharma, the wife of injured Delhi cop DCP Amit Sharma had said that she was extremely pained to see visuals of women attacking her husband during the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi.

“My husband had gone to have a dialogue with the protesters. It was a group of only women. They took off his helmet and then the mob attacked him,” she had said.

From bar-hopping, deliberately spreading the infection, to escaping medical facilities: How some reacted to Coronavirus around the world

OpIndia Staff
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From bar-hopping, deliberately spreading the infection, to escaping medical facilities: How some reacted to Coronavirus around the world

On March 11 (Wednesday), the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global pandemic after 1,18,000 confirmed cases and 4,291 deaths in 114 countries were reported. Following the announcement almost all countries, including India, have scaled up its responses and put in place even stricter controls to contain the spread of coronavirus cases.

Even as the world tries to contain COVID-19 and grapple with its fallout there are many across the globe who are exhibiting the most bizarre reactions to the spread of Coronavirus, knowingly or unknowingly becoming a deterrent in tackling the epidemic.

With more and more people searching online for information about the coronavirus outbreak, they can easily encounter a barrage of misleading and potentially dangerous information, which is probably prompting them to react in the mindless way as they have been doing.

Read: South Korea: Christian sect with secret religious practises spread coronavirus across the country, criminal charges to be filed against the cult

It was reported today that a man who has been tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Thrissur in Kerala and has been in contact with nearly 1000 people, had at first, denied having travelled in the same flight in which the Ranni-based family who came from Italy and later tested positive for the Coronavirus travelled. He reportedly also resisted treatment, but later, the health department forcefully admitted him in the hospital.

The man was traced only after those who came from Italy were diagnosed with the disease. This Thrissur native is now under treatment in a district hospital.

At the time when the government of India has virtually shut down the country off to foreign tourists as a preventive measure and making foolproof arrangements to tackle the spread of the deadly virus, it was reported how at least seven COVID 19 suspects have gone missing in Punjab. 

The wife of the Google employee in Karnataka has also been tested positive. In her case, she had fled from the quarantine facility on March 8 and had taken a flight to Delhi and a train to Agra. She was found by healthcare workers in Agra to be living with 8 family members. She could only be taken away to be kept in isolation after the police intervened. Her family even tried to lie that she has gone back to Bengaluru.

In case these suspects who have gone missing are found to be infected with the deadly virus, they would inadvertently be spreading the virus to other people as the novel Covid-19 is highly contagious. It is being believed that people infected with the novel coronavirus shed large quantities of the virus early in their illness.

However such rashness is not only limited to India. Despite the virus’ low fatality rate, the sudden outbreak and rapid spread of the novel virus and the myths surrounding it has sparked fear and anxiety across the world. Some people’s bizarre psychological reactions, which is a result of this fear, is doing them more harm than good.

It was reported on March 8th, how a man in Japan, infected with the Coronavirus, went on a pub crawl to deliberately infect others after finding out he had been infected with the virus. Before he left, he allegedly told a family member: “I am going to spread the virus.” He is now understood to be in isolation at a hospital.

In another such bizarre incident, an NBA player, who has been tested positive for coronavirus had reportedly gone on a peculiar spree before he even knew that he is infected with the novel Covid-19 virus. While attending a news conference the player attempted to mock the coronavirus crisis by deliberately touching all the mics and recording devices at the venue. Rudy Gobert, of the Utah Jazz, became the first player in the NBA confirmed to have the coronavirus on Wednesday night.

Gobert’s bizarre gesture took place in an interview room after the NBA barred reporters from entering locker rooms because of the outbreak. As he left, he appeared to touch all the mics and recording devices in apparent mockery.

On Thursday, the Jazz announced that a second player on the team tested positive for Covid-19 after the entire team and travelling staff had been tested.

Recently in Iran, it was reported that 44 persons were killed after drinking toxic alcohol, after believing the rumours that alcohol can prevent coronavirus.

Coronavirus is a highly contagious, deadly respiratory disease, the outbreak of which was first reported from Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019. The transmission of the virus takes place when someone who is infected comes in contact with another person. According to medical experts, coughing, sneezing or even shaking hands with an infected person can cause exposure.

“Whoever wears a red cloth declares himself President of Hindu Mahasabha”: Kashi Vidvat Parishad Minister says Chakrapani Maharaj is an imposter

OpIndia Staff
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“Whoever wears a red cloth declares himself President of Hindu Mahasabha”: Kashi Vidvat Parishad Minister says Chakrapani Maharaj is an imposter

It is often seen that Indian media does not leave any chance to mock the faith of Hindus. In this era of social media, media easily gets such opportunities to mock and it doesn’t take them a long time making it a sensation. This time the sensation created by media is named- Chakrapani Maharaj.

Indian media is consistently referring to a person named as Chakrapani Maharaj as the President of Hindu Mahasabha. But the Kashi Vidvat  Parishad has a different opinion about it. When OpIndia approached Dr. Ramnarayan Dwivedi of Kashi Vidvat Parishad to know the reality of Chakrapani Maharaj, he called Chakrapani Maharaj, a so-called Mahatama in clear terms.

While talking to OpIndia, he said, “He’s a Srivastava, a native of Ghazipur. No one knows when and how he became Chakrapani Maharaj. Similarly, many so-called saints have been defaming our religion. Cow urine definitely protects against many ailments but by ridiculing it by referring to the treatment of coronavirus, we should avoid such mild talks and jokes. What basis do they have to say such a thing? They should reveal if they did any research to say this. People of our country need to be careful from such imposters.”

He added that he is going to write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi because whosoever in this country puts the name of saints starts spreading misrepresentations and misconducts. He said to stop the slander of Hindutva from such fake saints it is important that these so-called saints to do carry identity as evidence, regarding their Akhara, on what basis they have taken the initiation, after including these things they should take a decision.

In very harsh words, Dr. Dwivedi said one whoever is feeling like becoming a saint wears a red cloth and later the entire community is maligned because of them. Professor Ram Narayan Dwivedi is currently a minister in Kashi Vidvat  Parishad and also holds the post of Associate Professor in the Faculty at Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan, Banaras Hindu University.

Another activist said that because of imposters like Chakrapani Maharaj, the Hindu Mahasabha is dividing into factions and all of them are fighting to make themselves the national president of Hindu Mahasabha.

In fact, celebrities like Chakrapani Maharaj are only invented by leftist media. Because such people help them in fulfilling their purpose of maligning the dignity of Hindutva. The reality of Chakrapani Maharaj has often been questioned. On social media, he is often described as an agent of the Samajwadi party, although it is not appropriate to believe such allegations at once, then the leftist media are also noted working on the same system that is very irrelevant to any person to capitalize on the vote. They carry only one objective- to push their anti-Hindu propaganda.

Generally, the left media gangs who deny Hindutva and Hindu monks rush towards imposters like Chakrapani Maharaj, as exemplified by many other left media gangs such as The Print.

Other than The Print, some other media houses have also published news on coronavirus identifying Chakrapani Maharaj as the President of Hindu Mahasabha, saying that he is going to organize a Cow urine party so that the coronavirus will be treated. It claims that a cake made from cow dung will be cut at this party.

Everyday people on social media are giving clarification on this fake news of The Print that this Chakrapani Maharaj is an imposter and a hypocrite, which has already been denied by Hindu Mahasabha. Despite this, the media is publishing the story stating him as a President of Hindu Mahasabha. Because they also know that without associating his name with Hindu Mahasabha, Chakrapani is not serious enough to publish. But the real objective of media heads is to damage the image of Hindutva and its institutions.

Coronavirus outbreak: Union govt invokes Disaster Management Act to regulate prices and ensure availability of vital protective items

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus outbreak: Union govt invokes Disaster Management Act to regulate prices and ensure availability of vital protective items

Amidst the unprecedented scare kindled by the spread of the novel Coronavirus, the central government has decided to invoke the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Epidemic Act of 1897, to ensure regulation of prices and availability of surgical and protective mask, hand sanitiser and gloves.

There have been reports that the medical stores across the country have run out of surgical masks, gloves and hand sanitisers. Due to the sudden spike in the demands, these products are either going out of stock or being black marketed. To address this issue and to enhance the preparedness in the wake of the crisis, the Modi government has invoked these two laws.

Disaster Management Act, 2005:

The Centre noted that the powers held by the home ministry under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 shall be “delegated” to the health ministry so as to prepare India against the outbreak.

The Union Home Ministry order said the powers are exercised by the Union Home Secretary under Section 10 of the Act, as he is the chairperson of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The section talks about monitoring the implementation of the national plan and the plans prepared by the ministries or departments of the central government and gives overarching superintendence power to the officer executing it.

In order to abide by the directions conveyed by the health ministry, vide order dated March 13, 2020, under clause (I) of sub-section (2) of section 10 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has been ordered to regulate the availability and prices of the surgical and protective masks, hand sanitisers and gloves.

Accordingly, NPPA vide order dated March 13, 2020, has directed to all State /UT Governments, in the public interest, in order to deal with the situation arising out of COVID-19, to take necessary steps to ensure sufficient availability of Surgical and protective masks, Hand sanitizers and Gloves at prices not exceeding the maximum retail prices (MRP) printed on the pack size.

State and the Union Territory Governments have also been directed to monitor the production and distribution of above-mentioned items by the Manufacturers or Importers, Stockists and Retailers and ensure that hoarding, black marketing and profiteering may not happen.

On March 12, 2020, during the review meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, the centre had decided to invoke Epidemic Act 1897 to ensure that multiple government advisories issued from time to time by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/State/UTs on COVID-19 becomes enforceable. In this regard, all the states and union territories (UTs) of India are advised to invoke the provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897.

Epidemic Disease Act 1897:

The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, is the nodal legislation meant “to provide for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases”. It allows the State Governments and the Central Government to adopt any measures to prevent the outbreak of a dangerous disease once confirmed as an epidemic.

Section 2A of the Act allows the Central Government to take any measures and prescribe regulations for the inspection of any ship or vessel leaving or arriving at any port, or to detain any person arriving or leaving on such a vessel.

Violations of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, invite penalty under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

“When the central government is satisfied that India or any part thereof is visited by, or threatened with, an outbreak of any dangerous epidemic disease and that the ordinary provisions of the law for the time being in force are insufficient to prevent the outbreak of such disease or the spread thereof, the central government may take measures and prescribe regulations for the inspection of any ship or vessel leaving or arriving at any port in the territories to which this Act extends and for such detention thereof, or of any person intending to sail therein, or arriving thereby, as may be necessary,” says the Act.

The British-era Act was mainly used to control plague in the late 1800s. 

Officials said the Act can be used to restrict the movement of suspected coronavirus patients to prevent further spread of the disease. They said that the need to invoke the Act was felt to empower the central government to tackle the outbreak.

“Health is a state subject, but by invoking Section 2 of the Epidemic Act, advisories and directions of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are enforceable across the country,” they said.

Why is invoking both laws simultaneously important:

Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, gives the Central and State Governments overarching powers but it lacked speedily set up management systems required for a coordinated and concerted response. Therefore, the Disaster Management Act, 2005, also enacted to provide for an exhaustive administrative set up for disaster preparedness.

The novel Covid-19 has recently been declared as a pandemic by the WHO after the disease was found to have transmitted at an alarming rate across the world. So far, approximately 4600 people have died of the contagion, with about 3000 in Mainland China alone. Outside Asia, Italy has been the worst-hit country as the death toll crossed the 1000-mark.

South Asia too has been reeling under the novel coronavirus as the cases in India have steeply risen to 75, including the death of the 76-year-old Karnataka man who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia. Delhi has reported 6 confirmed corona cases while Uttar Pradesh has registered 10. Maharashtra has 11, Karnataka has 5 and Ladakh three. Kerala has reported 17 cases so far. Besides, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each.

Both Central and State governments of India are leaving no stone unturned to fight the zoonotic contagion Coronavirus.

MEA receives request for immediate deportation of South Asia Bureau Chief of WSJ for his “anti-India behaviour”, sent to appropriate department for action

OpIndia Staff
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MEA receives request for immediate deportation of South Asia Bureau Chief of WSJ for his “anti-India behaviour”, sent to appropriate department for action

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday took cognisance of the complaint seeking deportation of Wall Street Journal’s South Asia Deputy Bureau Chief Eric Bellman, asking the Indian Embassy in the United States to file a request for the immediate deportation of the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), who is based in India, for exhibiting “anti-India behaviour”.

However, the Ministry of External Affairs claimed that request for deportation has not been made as of yet. It added that a complaint was registered against Mr Eric Bellman by a private individual on Govt’s Online Grievance Redressal platform and it had simply referred the complaint to the concerned office as per the standard procedure. A complaint was filed against the WSJ South Asia Bureau chief with the MEA on March 2 following police complaints against the WSJ for its fallacious report on the gruesome murder of the Intelligence Bureau official Ankit Sharma during Delhi riots.

In the wake of ghastly anti-CAA Delhi riots, the American Daily Wall Street Journal published a report with concocted quotes attributed to slain IB sleuth Ankit Sharma’s brother. The report titled as “India’s Ruling Party, Government Slammed Over Delhi Violence” claimed that Ankur Sharma, the brother of the deceased IB officer allegedly said to them that the rioters had come armed with stones, rods, knives, and even swords, and shouted slogans ‘Jai Shri Ram’ before attacking his brother Ankit Sharma, thereby implying that Ankit was killed by Hindus.

However, Ankit Sharma’s brother Ankur Sharma categorically denied the WSJ fabrications and invalidated its report. “I have never given such a statement to the Wall Street Journal. This is a ploy to defame my brother and my family. The Wall Street Journal is lying,” he had said to Prasar Bharati News Service.

Ankit’s family and his brother were consistent in their statements that their Ankit Sharma was dragged by a Muslim mob that had come from AAP councillor Tahir Hussain’s house. Multiple eyewitnesses had also corroborated that Sharma was dragged by an enraged Muslim mob from inside the house of AAP leader Mohammad Tahir Hussain and subsequently killed by them. Sharma, having stabbed hundreds of times with his intestines pulled out, was found dead and abandoned inside a ditch in Chand Bagh neighbourhood.

However, despite Ankur’s repeated assertions blaming Muslim mobs under Tahir Hussain’s tutelage being responsible for his brother’s murder, the Wall Street Journal went ahead to demonise Hindus by blatantly misquoting Ankit Sharma’s brother and passing the buck of barbarity on Hindus.

After WSJ’s lies were busted, police complaints were lodged against the American daily with Delhi Police and Maharashtra Police on the charges of “defaming a particular religion and propagating communal hatred” in connection with its misreporting on the murder of IB sleuth Ankit Sharma during the vicious anti-Hindu Delhi riots.

Journalists and employees of Prasar Bharati denounce former CEO Jawhar Sircar’s tweet casting aspersions on broadcaster’s integrity

OpIndia Staff
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Journalists and employees of Prasar Bharati denounce former CEO Jawhar Sircar’s tweet casting aspersions on broadcaster’s integrity

Journalists and Employees of Prasar Bharati have condemned the former CEO Jawhar Sircar’s tweet in which he questioned the integrity of the national broadcaster.

A press statement signed by employees and journalists was released in which the Broadcaster denounced former CEO’s defamatory assertions against the channel after the current CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati’s passed up an offer to attend an event hosted by BBC, citing its “one-sided” reportage of the communal violence in Delhi as a reason for declining its invite.

Calling out International Media’s biased and fake reportage on the Delhi Riots incident, the press release by Prasar Bharati’s employees read, “The prejudiced International Media had deliberately purveyed Fake News surrounding the Delhi riots. It is, therefore, a matter of pride and honour for us Employees/Journalists at Prasar Bharati that the chief executive Shashi Shekhar Vempati rejected the offer made by the BBC and drew its attention towards its biased reporting in the case, especially highlighting its provocative reportage against the police officials and law enforcement personnel who put their lives on the line to perform their duty.”

The Press Release further said that it is unfortunate that the former CEO Jawhar Sircar, instead of standing beside the organisation he once served, insulted the organisation by disparaging it on its current stand against BBC’s deliberately falsified reportage on the Delhi riots.

Earlier, following Vempati’s refusal to attend the BBC event, Sircar took to Twitter to allege that Prasar Bharati has turned into BJP’s Prachar Bharati, calling into question Prasar Bharati’s probity and moral ethic.

BBC and other International Media ran a slanted version of the Delhi riots last month, painting the ghastly Riots as a state-sponsored pogrom of Muslims in the country’s capital. The riots, which took place in north-east Delhi, saw widespread violence against Hindus, their settlements, their source of livelihood and their places of worship. However, the International Media swept under the carpet attacks on Hindus to project that only Muslims were victims of the riots.

The Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi Shekhar Vempati, cited BBC’s incorrect and profoundly misleading reports on Delhi riots to reject the offer to attend a program hosted by the BBC. However, this did not sit well with the former CEO Jawhar Sircar, who raised aspersions on the integrity of the organisation, calling it BJP’s mouthpiece.

It is noteworthy to mention that while Sircar questions Prasar Bharati’s integrity, his own conduct as former CEO wasn’t very exemplary. Years after he had resigned from the organisation, Sircar wanted Prasar Bharati to officially defend him in the District and Sessions Court, Haveri, Karnataka, which had issued a summon to him in a case filed by Mahesh Joshi, former Additional Director General of Doordarshan. Joshi has accused several Doordarshan officials of filling a false sexual harassment case against him, after charges against him were found fabricated by Delhi Police and Delhi High Court. Prasar Bharati had rejected his request to defend him officially in the court.

UP Cabinet approves Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public Properties Ordinance, 2020, to enable recovery of damages from rioters

OpIndia Staff
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UP Cabinet approves Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public Properties Ordinance, 2020, to enable recovery of damages from rioters

The Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna today announced that the state cabinet has approved the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public Properties Ordinance, 2020, thereby providing the authorisation to the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh to confiscate properties of individuals involved in damaging property during riots in the state, including the recent anti-CAA riots.

Addressing the media, Suresh Kumar Khanna said that the cabinet unanimously decided to bring the ordinance today. He said that the Supreme Court in its order on the writ petition no 77/2007 had specifically said that a strict law is needed to prevent the damage to property during protests, agitations, bandhs, hartals etc by rioters. The apex court had also ordered the videography of such incidents, and to recover damaged from the rioters. He said that the details of ordinance will be known when the rules regarding this are formulated, which will be done very soon.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had told the Uttar Pradesh government that there is no law as of then to support its action of putting roadside posters of those accused of vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in Lucknow, referring the issue of privacy to the larger bench.

In a bid to name and shame the hoodlums who indulged in vandalism during the anti-CAA stir in UP, the Yogi Adityanath government had put up hoardings carrying names, addresses and photographs of anti-CAA rioters, who were accused of damaging public property. On March 9, the Allahabad High Court had ordered the UP government to remove the hoardings, saying that there is no law backing the action of the government. The High Court has said that the posters were “unwarranted interference in the privacy of people”. But the Yogi government had filed a plea at the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order, saying that those vandalising public and private property have no right of privacy. Although the vacation bench of the apex court didn’t pass any order and referred the case to a larger bench, it had noted that no law allows publication of details of accused like this.

With the cabinet nod for the UP Recovery of Damage to Public Properties Ordinance-2020, Yogi Adityanath government has now ensured that his government’s action passes the legal muster and the troublemakers responsible for fomenting unrest and damaging public property are shamed as well as they are made to compensate for the financial losses borne by the state and private individuals.

Second batch of evacuees from Wuhan in China quarantined at ITBP quarantine centre test negative for coronavirus, dispersal begins

OpIndia Staff
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Second batch of evacuees from Wuhan in China quarantined at ITBP quarantine centre test negative for coronavirus, dispersal begins

All persons evacuated from Wuhan in China on 27 February and kept at the ITPB run Quarantine facility at the Chhawla Camp near New Delhi have tested negative after the end of the quarantine period. 112 people were kept in the quarantine facility after their arrival from China. This was the second batch of people evacuated from Wuhan and kept at the facility for the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days.

Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, along with DG SS Deswal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police met the inmates from Coronavirus epicentre Wuhan on 1st and 2nd February and those who were released after being tested negative at the ITBP Quarantine facility after successful completion of their quarantine period.

Nityanand Rai while addressing the people said that under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and planning of Home Minister Amit Shah, the nation is ready to effectively deal with the COVID-19 epidemic. All the Central Armed Police Forces stand ready at the service of the nation in these times.

He asserted that we all are determined and prepared to take the message of Prime Minister Modi to every citizen of India in this fight against COVID-19.

In the first batch, 406  people were housed in the facility, who had arrived from China on 1st and 2nd February, and all of them were subsequently discharged after they had tested negative for the presence of coronavirus. After that, the ITBP quarantine facility at Chhawla Camp had admitted the second batch of 112 persons evacuated from China on 27 February that included 76 Indians, 36 foreign nationals, including 8 families and 5 children. The group of foreign nationals includes 23 from Bangladesh, 6 from China and 1 each from Myanmar, Maldives, Madagascar, South Africa, and the US.

Two samplings were conducted- first on day 1 and the second on Day 14 of the quarantine period in which all the samples were resulted negative. People were provided with all the basic amenities at the centre. Daily monitoring and check-ups were also undertaken by ITBP medicos essentially from time to time.

The ITBP centre at the Chhawla camp in New Delhi was set up by Indo Tibetan Border Police in just 48 hours before the arrival of the first batch of people evacuated from Wuhan on 1st February 2020. The centre has successfully quarantined 518 people, that is the biggest number of any single quarantine centre in the country till now.

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