Home Blog Page 578

Who is Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old arrested in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder? What we know so far

Rukma Rathore
-
0
Who is Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old arrested in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder? What we know so far

In USA, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan on 4 December by a masked man who pulled out his gun and fired at least three close-range shots. 50-year-old Brian Thompson soon passed away from his injuries. The incident has since captured people’s attention and has been a hot topic on social media.

Now, in another twist in the ongoing investigation, one Luigi Nicholas Mangione (26) was taken into custody by police in the US state of Pennsylvania on 9th December (Monday) following days of speculation and debate on the identity and motivation of the shooter. According to Commissioner Jessica Tisch of the New York Police Department (NYPD), Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, over 400 kilometre away from New York, after a staff member recognized the suspect from police images and informed the police. Officials from the New York Police Department reported that he is anticipated to be extradited to New York.

Authorities informed that Mangione was wearing a blue surgical mask and sat at a table, looking at a silver laptop. A criminal complaint disclosed that he “became quiet and started to shake” when questioned if he had lately visited New York. Tisch added that when Mangione was apprehended, he had several false identification documents with him, including a passport from the United States and one using the name Mark Rosario, which he had used to check into a hostel in New York City prior to the shooting.

He revealed his true name after being warned that lying about it would result in his arrest. “I clearly shouldn’t have” was his response to inquiries as to why he lied. Authorities mentioned that he also possessed a gun and a silencer, “both consistent with the weapon used in the murder.” Police believe the weapon to be a “ghost gun,” which is a handgun that is put together at home without a serial number and could have been produced with a 3D printer.

A loaded magazine containing six rounds of 9mm ammo were found when his backpack was searched. He was also carrying $10,000 in cash, including $2,000 in foreign currency, per the prosecution, but Mangione denied the figure in court. He initially provided his home address as Towson, Maryland and stated that he had been employed as an engineer until a year ago. Later, he maintained that he relocated regularly while giving an address in Honolulu. He claimed to be drug and alcohol-free and to have no criminal background.

Tish indicated that he had a “handwritten document” with him that details “both his motivation and mindset” for killing Thompson. Mangione was accused by authorities late Monday with murder, unlawful firearm possession, forgery and presenting a false identity to police. Homicide charges would be brought against him later. He was earlier considered a person of interest in the case and only faced gun charges without any charges for the murder.

Mangione was earlier caught trespassing a State Parks sign located at the Nuuanu Pali Lookout on 12th November 2023, in Honolulu, revealed a criminal affidavit. According to court documents, he was convicted and fined $100.

Message and motivation

The handwritten message and its contents have not been made public by the police. The words “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologise for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done” were included in the note, per media, which cited anonymous law enforcement sources. Investigators unveiled the words “defend,” “deny” and “depose” were inscribed on shell casings recovered at the murder scene.

Many people have speculated that Mangione might have acted out of resentment at the US health insurance business by interpreting the remarks as a reference to strategies reportedly employed by the company to avoid paying claims to patients. An empathetic critique of Industrial Society and Its Future, widely known as the ‘Unabomber Manifesto’, published from what seems to be his Goodreads account offers further insight into his potential reasoning.

According to his review, Ted Kaczynski was a “extreme political revolutionary” who carried out a decades-long bombing campaign around the United States that left three people dead and twenty-three injured. It further read, “It’s easy to quickly and thoughtlessly write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it’s simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out.”

The review also labelled people who disagree with the idea that “violence is necessary to survive” when all other means of communication are ineffective as “cowards and predators.” Author Kurt Vonnegut’s quote, “America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves,” was also liked by the same Goodreads account.

New York Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny also informed that a three-page handwritten memo discovered in his possession indicated that he harbored “ill will towards corporate America.”

Background and origin

Luigi Mangione was born into an affluent family in Maryland, United States where he was named valedictorian of his high school class in 2016 after graduating from the Gilman School, a prestigious private school exclusively for males. He comes from the famous Baltimore family. His grandmother, Mary C. Mangione, is a philanthropist and his grandfather, Nicholas Mangione, is a well-known real estate developer in Baltimore.

He also had ties to San Francisco, California. Afterwards, he went to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics from the Ivy League university in 2020. Mangione used to play assassins with a gang of Ivy League gamers. Some of the players in the game “Among Us” are secretly assigned to be killers in space, performing various tasks while attempting to keep other players from suspecting them. He reproduced the same in his life after the killing and took measures to try to avoid being noticed by authorities.

Nino Mangione, his cousin, is a Republican congressman in Maryland. He took to X (previously Twitter) share a post by the latter’s family who are “shocked and devastated over his arrest,” adding they cannot comment on the reports. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved,” they further voiced.

Stanford University revealed that an individual with the same name worked as a head counselor for the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies program from May to September 2019. According to his LinkedIn profile, Mangione, who created a game app as a youngster, began working as a “data engineer” at TrueCar, a car-buying company, in November 2020 and left it in 2023, based on a spokesperson of the firm. Mangione’s X account stated that he lived in Hawaii and frequently shared posts on fitness, artificial intelligence and healthy living. His last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii.

He recently reposted about American neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s podcast episode about anxiety and depression as well as author Jonathan Haidt’s latest book, “The Anxious Generation.” Another repost complained about the void created by religion’s decrease in the West and the rise of progressive ideas like diversity, equity and inclusion in its stead. An X-ray of a person’s lower back with what looked like screws and plates implanted into it was included in the banner on his profile. Furthermore, additional reviews about health and back pain relief might be found on Mangione’s Goodreads account, such as Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery.

Interestingly, he enjoys a large following on social media. One person wrote in October that “nobody has heard from you in months” in a series of posts to his account on X which implied that friends had been repeatedly attempting to get in touch with him.

Judge laughed, wife asked why aren’t you dead yet? Techie Atul Subhash’s suicide note goes viral, wife and her family accused of false case & judicial harassment

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Judge laughed, wife asked why aren’t you dead yet? Techie Atul Subhash’s suicide note goes viral, wife and her family accused of false case & judicial harassment

In an unsettling turn of events, a 34-year-old software engineer Atul Subhash committed suicide at his home in Marathahalli, Bengaluru, leaving a 24-page suicide note behind. He had pasted a sheet of paper with the words ‘Justice is Due’ while killing himself. In a roughly one-and-a-half-hour video posted on Rumble on 9th December, the man stated that he was taking extreme measures owing to harassment by his wife and her family. In the video, Atul Subhash said that his estranged wife who works in a reputed software company had filed nine bogus cases against him and was seeking an unreasonable maintenance amount (Rs 3 crores).

According to the police, Subhash had dropped a message on the WhatsApp group of an NGO dealing with domestic harassment-related issues. In his message, the techie informed about his decision to end his life. Reports say that the victim was suffering from depression. On Tuesday, a member of the group saw Subash’s message and alerted the police. Subsequently, the police reached Subash’s location and found his dead body hanging with a note pasted on his chest reading “Justice is Due”. The police recovered several A4 sheets containing information about Atul Subhash’s routine as well as information related to the legal battle he was involved in.

“He had pasted a detailed to-do list before ending his life, and titled it ‘Final task before Mukti’ and pasted it on a cupboard in the room. It also had instructions on where his death note and keys were kept, along with a list of completed and pending tasks over two days,” the police said.

In the video, Atul Subhash said that shortly after the marriage, his wife returned to Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh from Bengaluru and filed dowry harassment and domestic violence cases against Subhash and his parents. Mentioning the names of his wife and her family, Subhash said that these five people are responsible for his death. The victim said that his wife and in-laws hatched a big conspiracy to extort money and his family members were implicated in false cases.

Further in the video, Atul said that till now 120 court dates have been fixed and Atul himself had gone from Bangalore to Jaunpur 40 times. Apart from this, his parents and brother also have to visit the court. It is surprising that nothing happens in the court on most of the dates and sometimes the judge is not there and there is a strike. During the hearing, the lawyer of any party can demand the next date.

Atul also said that he used to get only 23 holidays in a year and he was tired of this system. He added that his wife has filed 6 cases in the lower court and three at the High Court. Atul Subhash alleged that his wife made false allegations against his parents and brother like murder, attempt to murder, unnatural sex, domestic violence, and taking dowry. He emphasised that these allegations have such sections in which it is difficult to get bail. The wife alleged in one case that in 2019, Atul’s family demanded a dowry of Rs 10 lakh, due to this shock her father died. It was proved in the cross-examination that Nikita’s father had heart disease which led to his death and it was due to his illness that their wedding was hastened. Later in the video, Atul alleged that his wife demanded alimony of Rs 2 lakh every month in exchange for divorce. She also kept their child away and was Atul never allowed to meet him.

Moreover, Atul Subhash alleged that bribing the bench clerk (Peshkar) was required to get a date in the court of the Jaunpur Principal Family Court. Atul alleged that the judge in the court pressured him to pay maintenance of three crore rupees. Also, the judge allegedly asked for five lakh rupees to settle the case this month. When he said that his wife was instigating him to commit suicide, the judge laughed. In 2022, the same judge had earlier also allegedly demanded three lakh rupees bribe through the Peshkar. When Atul did not give the bribe, alimony and maintenance orders were issued, in which he had to pay 80 thousand rupees every month.

In a page from the alleged ‘suicide note’, Atul has written that the judge in UP’s family court where his wife has filed a case against him, was seeking Rs 5 lakhs in bribe to ‘settle’ the case. He added that the judge also laughed when the wife asked him why he has not committed suicide yet.

In his suicide note, Atul Subhash listed several of his last wishes with one being that all his case hearings should happen live and “people of this country should know about my case and learn the terrible state of the legal system and misuse of law these women are doing.” Another is that his suicide video and not be admitted as his statement and evidence.

Expressing his apprehension that the said judge might “tamper” the documents, pressurise witnesses causing an adverse effect on other cases. “Based on my experience, the Bengaluru courts are relatively more law-abiding than UP courts too. I request to run the cases in Karnataka in the interest of Justice and keep her in Judicial and Police Custody in Bengaluru till the trial goes on. Below is the judgment on why Justice is also seen to be done. I hope that it also applies to men,” Subash’s suicide note reads.

Atul Subhash’s suicide has sparked a debate on social media around India’s judicial system and the legal hustle one has to go through to find justice. His last two X posts have gone viral.

In one of these posts, Subhash said that a “legal genocide of men” is ongoing in the country.

In the other, he appealed to Elon Musk and US President-elect Donald Trump to “save” people from woke ideologies, and “restore freedom of speech” in India. “A dead man is requesting @elonmusk @realDonaldTrump to save millions of life from Woke Ideologies, Abortion, DEI and restore freedom of speech in India,” Subhash said.

Meanwhile, appalled by the incident, netizens are demanding justice for Subhash under #JusticeforAtulSubhash. Many social media handles are also circulating pictures of a woman, allegedly Atul’s estranged wife, and calling her names.

Karan Adani, MD of Adani Ports, announces Rs 7.5 lakh cr investment plan for Rajasthan at Rising Rajasthan Global Summit

ANI
-
0
Karan Adani, MD of Adani Ports, announces Rs 7.5 lakh cr investment plan for Rajasthan at Rising Rajasthan Global Summit

Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd, unveiled an ambitious Rs7.5 lakh crore investment plan for Rajasthan at the Rising Rajasthan Global Summit held on Monday at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC) in Sitapura.

He stated, “The Adani Group plans to invest over Rs 7.5 lakh cr across various sectors of the state (Rajasthan) economy. With over 50 per cent of this investment being made over the next 5 years.”

Outlining the group’s vision, Karan Adani highlighted plans to build the world’s largest integrated green energy ecosystem in Rajasthan.
He said, “We plan to build the world’s biggest integrated green energy ecosystem involving 100 GW of renewable energy, 2 Million tons of Hydrogen, and 1.8 GW of pump hydrostorage. These investments will turn Rajasthan into an oasis of green jobs.”

Apart from green energy, the Adani Group’s plans extend to the cement industry, underscoring Rajasthan’s importance in the group’s ambition to become India’s largest cement producer.

Karan Adani said, “Beyond energy, Rajasthan is critical to our ambition to become India’s largest cement company. We will set up 4 new cement plants to build additional capacity of 6mn tonnes per annum in the state.”

The group also aims to enhance Rajasthan’s infrastructure with initiatives such as the development of a world-class facility at Jaipur Airport to improve connectivity and boost tourism. The creation of multi-modal logistics parks will support the state’s ambitious infrastructure and economic transformation plans.

Adani emphasised, “In addition, there are other investment plans such as developing world-class facility at Jaipur airport, multi-model logistic parks that will support your transformative plan for Rajasthan.”

During the opening remarks, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, stated, “So far Rs 33 lakh crore of MoU are signed under Rising Rajasthan.”

The Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit 2024, which is happening from December 9 to 11 in Jaipur, is expected to attract global investors, industry leaders, policymakers, and government officials.

The occasion, graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, promises to highlight Rajasthan’s strides in development, innovation, and industrial growth.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

UP: Bulldozer action against Noori Jama Masjid in Fatehpur over encroachment, mosque committee cries foul

OpIndia Staff
-
0
UP: Bulldozer action against Noori Jama Masjid in Fatehpur over encroachment, mosque committee cries foul

On the morning of 10th December, the rear portion of Noori Jama Masjid, which is situated in Sadar Bazar of Lalauli town in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, was taken down because of encroachment related to a drain construction project. ADM Avinash Tripathi and ASP Vijay Shankar Mishra were in attendance throughout the process along with a sizable police presence, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) to ensure law and order in the region.

On 24th September (17th August per other reports), the Masjid Committee received a notice from the PWD department while surveying for the construction of a drain. According to the reports, 133 homes and businesses, as well as the back side of the mosque, were illegal. The Masjid Committee had asked for a month to clear the construction, but they didn’t complete it in the time frame.

A bulldozer was employed to remove the unlawful portion of the mosque. The RAF, PAC and revenue team were stationed on-site for security and regular movement was restricted there. According to ASP Vijay Shankar Mishra, the demolition was executed in a peaceful manner and solely targeted the area at the back of the building that was found to be unauthorized. However, Syed Noori, the secretary of the Noori Jama Masjid Committee, claimed that the demolition went against a writ that had been filed against the notice in the Allahabad High Court and was set for hearing on 13th December. According to him, the action was equivalent to contempt of court.

The management committee of the Noori Jama Masjid had approached the Allahabad High Court against the state government’s road widening project and appealed that PWD’s plan to demolish a part of the mosque for the road widening project will harm a vital section of the mosque and it must be stopped. The mosque is around 180 years old. The petition also sought to acknowledge it as a heritage site and alleged that the demolition would cause ‘irreparable harm’ to the nation’s cultural heritage and local communities.

Syria: 250 Israeli strikes hit military targets as ‘rebels’ seize control of country, US and Turkey also target “strategic weapons”; Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Syria: 250 Israeli strikes hit military targets as ‘rebels’ seize control of country, US and Turkey also target “strategic weapons”; Details

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad in Syria looked improbable a short while back, however, Syrian rebels, who were with Al-Qaeda and ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria) terrorists not too long ago, executed a swift march to power, ushering in an unpredictable new era for the nation after 13 years of civil war. Bashar al-Assad and his family are reportedly in Moscow after the country gave them asylum on humanitarian grounds and an agreement was reached to protect Russian military bases.

The rebels may claim to have liberated Damascus, but the recent turmoil in yet another Middle Eastern country, the area which is prone to similar uprisings and disorder, has also sparked a lot of concerns about potentially dismal future amid further violence. More significantly, there are grave concerns regarding the weapons that Bashar al-Assad accumulated, and the possibility that they would fall into the wrong hands following the overthrow of his regime.

Notably, on 8th December Israeli Air Force (IAF) began a series of intense raids on strategic and military targets throughout Syria, which continued the next day in light of the latest developments. The strikes targeted weapons that Jerusalem believed could fall into the hands of hostile elements. Numerous locations have been pounded by dozens of IAF planes, with an emphasis on eliminating “strategic weapons.”

Israeli planes struck at least three key Syrian army air facilities that held dozens of helicopters and warplanes, according to two Syrian security officials on 9th December. This was the largest round of air base assaults since Assad was overthrown. According to the sources, the strikes targeted Aqrba airport southwest of the capital Damascus, Shinshar base in the Homs region and Qamishli air base in northeast Syria. A day earlier, IAF strikes destroyed tanks, helicopters and aircraft belonging to the Assad’s military in addition to hitting advanced missile storage centers, air defense systems, weapons manufacturing facilities and chemical weapons locations.

It is estimated that Israel has launched about 250 strikes on Syrian military installations since al-Assad’s exit. According to the Ynet news site, Western intelligence sources estimated that about 300 strikes have been launched against Syrian military targets. Officials asserted that if the strikes maintain their present pace, the Syrian Air Force will be virtually destroyed in a few days, making it impossible for the rebel groups and any future government to threaten the Jewish state.

Israel carried out several strikes on military targets in Syria on 9th December, including a research center in Damascus that is suspected of having ties to in the creation of chemical weapons, a British war monitor told AFP. Syria also claimed that the IAF attacked the port of Latakia, to destroy the ex-regime’s naval assets.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also seized control of the Golan Heights buffer zone between the two countries. Israeli forces occupied positions inside the buffer zone between Israel and Syria for the first time since the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement was signed after the Yom Kippur War. Israel annexed the Golan in 1981 after capturing it from Syria in the final stages of the 1967 Six-Day War. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that IDF was only making “a very limited and temporary step” taken for “security reasons.”

Meanwhile, the United States also launched dozens of strikes on Islamic State targets in central Syria. Over the weekend, reports surfaced of hundreds of airstrikes on strategic targets in Syria. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), it has hit over 75 targets, including ISIS commanders, operatives and camps to prevent the group from exploiting the chaos that has followed the ouster of Assad. Turkey is also involved in the airstrikes in Syria.

“Turkey has no eye on the territory of any other country. The only aim for our cross-border operations is to save our homeland from the terrorist attacks,” declared Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The civil war in Syria, which began in 2011 as a revolt against Assad’s government, attracted significant foreign powers, gave Islamic extremists a platform to plan attacks globally and forced millions of people to flee to neighboring countries. Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, a terrorist organization from Lebanon, have all provided crucial assistance to Assad.

Syria’s new rulers

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the strongest faction of the rebel coalition, is regarded as a terrorist organization by the US and other Western nations. It was affliated with Al-Qaeda and many Syrians are fearful that the outfit would impose brutal Islamist rule on them. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the commander of HTS, has tried to reassure the world community that he opposes jihadi attacks abroad and claimed he will not interfere with the minorities.

Jolani was sent to Syria by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS supremo, to create the Al-Nusra Front, a division of Al Qaeda, when the country’s bloody civil war broke out in 2011. Two years later, their disagreement intensified. Baghdadi’s demands to disband the Nusra Front and merge it with ISI to create ISIS were turned down by Jolani. He instead vowed to support Al Qaeda, which subsequently distanced itself from ISIS.

Afterward, the Nusra Front joined Al Qaeda as an affiliate in Syria and fought ISIS for supremacy in the struggle against Assad. Eventually, in 2017, Jolani severed the connection with Al Qaeda and changed the name of his group to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS. The outfit has its origins in radical Islamist terror outfits and is classified as a terrorist organization worldwide. The United States put a $10 million reward on Jolani’s head in 2018.

Jolani is putting a lot of effort into presenting himself as an upgraded version of his past self, yet his fundamentalist heritage and previous statements are seriously undermining his tall claims. Sunni extremism has caused catastrophic casualties in Syria, and minorities including Christians, Alawites, Druze and Yazidis have good reason to be concerned about the rise of extremist rule.

Jolani’s position seems to have changed, but it’s unclear if this is for real or just a calculated re-branding, similar to what the Taliban did after again seizing power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Andhra Pradesh: Trainee Christian nun at St.Joseph Convent Hostel delivers child, kills by throwing newborn out of window

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Andhra Pradesh: Trainee Christian nun at St.Joseph Convent Hostel delivers child, kills by throwing newborn out of window

In a shocking incident, a newborn baby was thrown out of a window by a young teenage mother at St.Joseph Convent Hostel, run by the Diocese of Eluru in Andhra Pradesh. The incident has sent shock waves in the nearby area raising serious concerns about the oversight and accountability of church-run institutions.

As per the initial reports, the teenage mother from Nandyal is a second-year intermediate student who has been residing at the hostel in the church-run institution. On 8th December, the girl gave birth to a child and threw it immediately out of the window resulting in its death. The Police were immediately informed after the body of the infant wrapped in its umbilical cord was found on the campus.

Following this, the police team led by 2-Town Circle Inspector Ramana reached the spot and began an investigation into the case. The officials from the Women and Child Welfare Department were also informed later.

DSP Shravan Kumar who is looking into the case interrogated the hostel administrators. They said that the girl was under training to become a nun at the convent institution. However, she got involved with a trainee Christian padre. The girl after giving birth to the child faced deteriorating health after which she was taken to the Sarvajana Hospital for medical care.

Further, the dead body of the child was also sent to the hospital for further examination. The suspect in the case, a trainee Christian Father has been taken into custody and is being questioned. The girl’s roommates and friends are also being interrogated.

It is crucial to note that the incident has raised concerns over the operations of the Convent Hostel. It reflects the failure of the institution and the administration to monitor the lifestyle of the students. It is believed that the fellow residents of the girl and others at the Hostel helped the girl and concealed the pregnancy, despite health issues. The residents did not report the incident to the authorities, further making the entire incident look worse.

DSP in the given case confirmed meanwhile that a police case has been filed and suspects have been detained.

As per the report, St. Joseph Convent in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh is run under and looked after by the Diocese of Eluru. It is a part of a broader network of Christian missionary institutions in India. The institution operates to provide education and religious training to young students. It further trains them to become nuns and Fathers in accordance with Christian values. However, the death of a newborn baby at the convent has raised serious concerns about administrative oversight, particularly given the institution’s mission to uphold moral and ethical standards rooted in Christian principles. The incident has also raised severe questions about sthe afety of women in such institutes.

Gujarat: Health workers Shehzad Ajmeri and Zahir Solanki sterilized unmarried Hindu man after forcing him to drink alcohol to achieve their ‘target’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gujarat: Health workers Shehzad Ajmeri and Zahir Solanki sterilized unmarried Hindu man after forcing him to drink alcohol to achieve their ‘target’

In Gujarat’s Mehsana district, a shocking sterilisation scandal has been uncovered, wherein, health workers Zaheer Solanki and Shehzad Ajmeri sterilized two youths without their consent to meet their ‘target’. One of the victims, a 30-year-old man named Govind Dhantari, who was about to get married in a month, was sterilized by the accused under pretense. Consequently, the bride’s family called the marriage off.

Reports say that health worker Shehzad Ajmeri lured Govind Dhantari, a resident of Navi Shedhavi village in Mehsana, with the promise of a job and told Govind that he would be taken to work in the fields. However, instead, he was taken to Adalaj Hospital. After reaching the hospital, Govind was made to drink alcohol and his thumb impression was taken on a consent form for sterilization. He was shown as married on the papers so that the violation of rules could be concealed.

Narrating his ordeal, victim Govind said, “The ordeal began when I was lured with the promise of picking guava and jujube trees. The next day, I was taken to a village in a government vehicle and forced to drink alcohol. Later, under the pretext of visiting a guava site in Joranag village, I was given alcohol worth Rs. 100, which left me unconscious. In that state, I was taken to Adalaj hospital. When I returned home the following day, I felt severe pain while urinating and noticed signs of an operation or a vein cut done without my knowledge or consent.”

Shehzad was one operation short of his ‘target’ for sterilization operations, to achieve that, he and Zaheer sterilized Govind. Both the health workers are now suspended. Shehzad claimed that he was innocent and it was Zaheer who brought the Hindu man and got the operation done.

This incident has exposed the target-based sterilization campaign in the department, and Health Officer GB Gadhvi admitted that 375 operations were carried out on a target basis in Sabarkantha. However, Health Minister Rishikesh Patel refuted these allegations and said that sterilization is completely voluntary.

The department, however, took action against the accused Shehzad Ajmeri, and has suspended him. Further, he has been transferred from Dhanali Health Center in Mehsana to Kheralu Health Center. Meanwhile, the Health Department has issued notices to 8 other employees and ordered a detailed investigation of the matter. After this scandal, the department started investigating all 28 sterilization operations that took place on 22nd November 2024 at Adalaj Hospital.

Meanwhile, Mehsana District Health Officer Dr Mahesh Kapadia said, “The NSV sterilization camps are running statewide in Gujarat, adhering to government guidelines. In the Mehsana district alone, 28 beneficiaries underwent the procedure since November 22, with necessary family consent typically required. However, in this case, our employee failed to secure consent from the beneficiary’s wife or his family member, as mandated, and proceeded despite the beneficiary being unmarried…”

UP: Cow smuggler Umar dressed as Hindu sadhu, wearing saffron and holding Trishul, UP police arrest gang of 7

OpIndia Staff
-
0
UP: Cow smuggler Umar dressed as Hindu sadhu, wearing saffron and holding Trishul, UP police arrest gang of 7

On Monday, 9th December, the Uttar Pradesh Police in the Barabanki area of the state arrested 7 individuals for smuggling cows. As per the initial reports, a shootout broke out in the region as the accused persons were trying to flee from the spot. Two of the accused were shot in the legs by the police in due course. The arrested persons are Sarwar, Gufran, Umar, Ankul Gupta, Irfan, Navijan, and Aziz. The police also meanwhile revealed that one of the accused persons, Umar used to dress up like Hindu sadhu to avoid suspicion.

Umar wore a tilak on the forehead, a saffron scarf around the neck, and held a trident in his hand to pose like a Hindu Sadhu to avoid suspicion. The image of the accused is making rounds on social media.

According to local reports, the Sathrikh Police in Barabanki were informed about a suspicious vehicle moving towards the jungle from the Guriya Ghat road area. The Police immediately reached the spot to investigate the matter and discovered that the suspicious pick-up van had harmful weapons, such as a knife, belt, and cutter, stored in it.

In the meantime, the accused cow smugglers saw the police moving towards the vehicle so they hid in the nearby jungle. Later when they saw the police investigating the vehicle, they began firing at the officers from the jungle, following which a shootout broke out. The police teams also then launched retaliatory firing injuring two of the smugglers identified as Sarvar and Gufran.

The other accused cow smugglers were arrested by the police while they made efforts to flee from the spot and the two injured were sent to the hospital for treatment. The smugglers have notably been shot in their legs.

Barabanki Additional Superintendent of Police South, Dr Akhilesh Narayan Singh commented on the matter and said that two illegal pistols, two used cartridges and three live cartridges were recovered from the possession of injured smugglers Sarwar and Gufran.

“The accused are vicious criminals and are involved in heinous crimes like cow smuggling. Some of these also have a long criminal history in different police stations. An iron chapad, a knife, a wooden stick, two sticks, 9 bread packets, a pickup vehicle, an eco van, and a motorcycle have been recovered from the possession of the arrested smugglers,” he added.

Telangana High Court strips former BRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh of Indian citizenship, imposes fine of Rs 30 lakh

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Telangana High Court strips former BRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh of Indian citizenship, imposes fine of Rs 30 lakh

On 9th December, the Telangana High Court, in its judgment, stripped former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh of his Indian citizenship and declared him a German citizen. Furthermore, the court imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Chennamaneni for concealing information about his German citizenship and misleading the judiciary. This judgment marked the first instance in Indian history where a former legislator lost Indian citizenship.

In the judgment, Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy noted that Chennamaneni’s actions since 2009 deprived genuine Indian citizens of their right to contest elections. Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs had already cancelled his Indian citizenship due to his status as a German citizen. The decision of the Union Home Ministry was upheld by the Telangana High Court.

A writ petition was filed by Chennamaneni in the High Court challenging the Central Government’s 2019 order stripping him of Indian citizenship. However, the High Court found that the decision of the Union Ministry was in accordance with the law. Notably, Rs 25 lakh of the Rs 30 lakh fine is to be paid to the current Vemulawada MLA, Aadi Srinivas, who has consistently fought a legal battle against Chennamaneni for several years, challenging his citizenship.

The remaining Rs 5 lakh will go to the Telangana State Legal Services Authority, as per court orders. The court further noted that Chennamaneni failed to present any documents from Germany confirming that he was not a German citizen, as he had claimed in court.

The court observed that Chennamaneni had travelled multiple times to Germany and had served as the MLA for Vemulawada despite being a German citizen. The detailed copy of the judgment is yet to be uploaded on the High Court’s website.

Congress leader Aadi Srinivas, through Advocate V. Rohith, argued in court that Chennamaneni had naturalised as a German citizen in the 1990s after settling there. Chennamaneni worked, married, and raised his family in Germany, according to Rohith. Chennamaneni entered politics in 2009 and has since been elected as MLA from Vemulawada four times.

Notably, Srinivas has consistently claimed that Ramesh was a German citizen and accused him of concealing this information to contest elections in the state. In a post on social media platform X, Aadi Srinivas wrote, “The High Court dealt a blow to former BRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh, who was found to have been elected as an MLA using false documents while holding German citizenship. The court imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Ramesh, directing him to pay Rs 25 lakh to petitioner Adi Srinivas and Rs 5 lakh to the Legal Services Authority.”

An inquiry initiated against Ramesh by the Home Ministry revealed that he retained his German passport and citizenship despite acquiring Indian citizenship in 2008. The central government, in 2020, informed the Telegana High Court that his German passport was valid till 2023 and an order to revoke his citizenship was already in process.

Chennamaneni’s father, Ch. Rajeshwara Rao, was the CPI floor leader in undivided Andhra Pradesh. Later, he joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Chennamaneni was first elected as an MLA in 2009 on a TDP ticket. In 2010, he shifted to the BRS (then TRS) and won the by-elections. He became an MLA on a BRS ticket in the 2014 and 2019 Assembly polls.

In 2009, Aadi Srinivas contested against Chennamaneni but was defeated by a narrow margin of 1.5% votes. He later contested against Chennamaneni on a BJP ticket and lost again. In 2018, he faced defeat once more. However, in 2023, he won the election against the BRS nominee, Chalimeda Laxmi Narasimha Rao. By that time, Chennamaneni’s citizenship issue had become a significant topic in Telangana’s political landscape, and he was denied a ticket by the BRS. However, he remained in key positions within the party.

Chhattisgarh: Man commits suicide after accusing wife and in-laws of forcing to convert to Christianity

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Chhattisgarh: Man commits suicide after accusing wife and in-laws of forcing to convert to Christianity

In Chhattisgarh, a 30-year-old man committed suicide on Saturday (7th December), after being fed up with the alleged harassment by his wife and in-laws to convert to Christianity. The victim’s dead body was found at his house in Potiadh village under the Arjuni police station precinct.

A social media post purportedly published by the deceased victim Linesh Sahu stated that his wife Karuna and his in-laws were harassing and pressuring him to undergo religious conversion to Christianity. The police learnt the reason behind Sahu’s suicide after checking his mobile and found that he had put up a WhatsApp status revealing his ordeal before ending his life.

“I am fed up with my wife. She harassed me a lot to change my religion. When I got to my in-law’s place, her mother and two sisters also harassed me to change my religion, saying they would later convince my mother and father (to change their religion),” Sahu wrote in his WhatsApp status.

The victim got married in September 2023. The police said that Sahu’s wife Karuna (27), her sister Kiran (31) and parents Gauri (48) and Rajkumar Sahu (54) have been arrested and have been booked on charges of abetment of suicide under Section 108 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Meanwhile, efforts are on to trace Karuna’s younger sister Kanishka.

Speaking about the matter, ASP Manishankar Chandra said, “Initial investigations revealed that the victim was deeply troubled by his wife and in-laws’ alleged pressure for religious conversion. After posting his ordeal on social media, he took the extreme step.”

1...577578579...7,577Page 578 of 7,577