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Sambhal violence: Police raids SP MP Zia ur Rehman Barq’s locality, guns recovered from Mahbar and Tajwar’s house, smack recovered from Mulla Asif’s house

OpIndia Staff
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Sambhal violence: Police raids SP MP Zia ur Rehman Barq’s locality, guns recovered from Mahbar and Tajwar’s house, smack recovered from Mulla Asif’s house

In the Sambhal violence case, the administration’s action continued and the police raided the locality of Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rehman Barq on Monday (9th December). During the raid, a consignment of narcotics along with illegal weapons was also recovered and 34 bikes were challaned, in addition, 4 bikes were seized.

Reports say that as part of the action in Sambhal violence wherein an Islamist mob attacked the police on 24th November during a court-ordered survey of the disputed Jama Masjid, the police raided the Timardas Sarai area of ​​Nakhasa police station area on Monday at around 3 pm. During this, 13 houses were thoroughly searched and of these, 93 packets of smack were recovered from the house of Mulla Asif. Meanwhile, 315 bore pistols were recovered from the houses of Tajwar and Mahbar. The police detained Mahbar, who had already served a jail sentence in a murder case in 1999.

The police stated that 315-bore bullets were also recovered from the bodies of rioters killed during the violence. At present, the police took the people found in the houses of Mahbar, Mulla Asif and Tajwar to the police station. A judicial inquiry is going on in the entire case, and the administration is talking about taking strict action against the rioters. The police also marched twice in front of SP MP Ziaur Rahman’s house and are conducting thorough checking of the vehicles in the Sambhal district.

Meanwhile, Sambhal Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said that the search operation is being conducted on the information of the presence of outsiders in the district. It is being verified who has come from outside and why. According to the SP, the search operation will continue further. SP Bishnoi added that the recovered goods are being sealed and investigation and other necessary legal action are being taken.

Zia Ur Rehman Barq’s alleged role in Sambhal violence

Notably, Barq is among those charged in connection with the violence unleashed by Islamist mobs on 24th November in response to a court-ordered survey of the disputed Jama Masjid.

According to the FIR filed against him, Barq visited the mosque days before the violence without permission and incited unrest. Barq, however, has denied the allegations. In a statement, he claimed that when the violence broke out, he was not in the state, let alone in Sambhal. He accused the UP Police of conspiring against him.

The FIR read, “On November 22, Zia ur Rehman Barq visited the Jama Masjid. After offering namaaz, he gathered a crowd without administrative permission and made provocative statements. For political gain, he incited the crowd to disturb communal harmony.”

Furthermore, the FIR mentioned Suhail Iqbal, son of MLA Iqbal Mahmood, as being present in the crowd on the day the violence broke out. The FIR read, “Suhail Iqbal incited the crowd by saying, ‘Ziaur Rahman Barq is with us, we are also with you. We will not let anything happen to you; fulfil your intentions.’ As a result, the crowd became more violent.”

Barq has been named “Accused No. 1” while Iqbal has been named “Accused No. 2” in the FIR. Seven hundred to eight hundred unidentified individuals have also been booked in the same FIR. According to the FIR, a mob comprising 700–800 armed individuals gathered to disrupt the court-ordered survey at Jama Masjid. The FIR further stated that the mob snatched official weapons from police personnel and targeted the police with intent to kill. It read, “One person from the crowd fired at Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary to kill him. Anuj was shot in the leg and sustained injuries.”

A detailed OpIndia profile of Zia-ur-Rehman Barq can be read here.

Court-ordered survey at Jama Masjid in Sambhal and violence that erupted on 24th November

On 19th November, a court-mandated survey was conducted at Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. The court ordered the survey in response to a petition filed by Supreme Court Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, and seven co-plaintiffs, asserting that the mosque occupies the site of a temple dedicated to Bhagwan Kalki. The site in question is a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904. The survey was carried out under the supervision of the Advocate Commission. A heavy police force was deployed in the area to ensure the survey proceeded peacefully.

However, on 24th November, during the second round of court-mandated survey at Jama Masjid, Islamist mobsters gathered outside the mosque and engaged in violence. They pelted stones at police, opened fire at police personnel and set ablaze vehicles and shops. At least 20 police personnel were injured during violence and four mobsters were killed in the mayhem, likely from illegal guns carried by rioters.

In the aftermath of the Sambhal violence on 24th November, police have clarified that the deaths of three individuals occurred due to firing by rioters, not by the police. Post-mortem reports revealed that two victims were shot with country-made pistols, while the 315-bore bullet was found inside the body of another victim, a type not used by Uttar Pradesh Police. Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi stated that the police initially fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the mob but were fired upon by rioters.

During the survey, however, Muslims living in the area gathered outside the Jama Masjid and raised religious slogans. The District Magistrate of Sambhal confirmed that the survey was completed in around two hours and stated that a report would be submitted to the Civil Court, which will review it on the next date of hearing, 29th November 2024. OpIndia accessed the petition filed by the plaintiffs in the case.

As of now, the Supreme Court of India has stayed the hearing in the District Court, Sambhal, in response to a plea filed by the Muslim side. Furthermore, the survey report submitted by the Advocate Commissioner has been ordered to be sealed and not to be opened till an order is passed by the High Court in the matter. The next hearing on the matter will be in January 2025. A judicial committee was formed by CM Yogi Adityanath to investigate the cause of the violence.

OpIndia’s detailed report on a petition filed at the court can be checked here.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah says the ‘Darbar Move’ practice of shifting capital to Jammu during winters will be restored

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J&K CM Omar Abdullah says the ‘Darbar Move’ practice of shifting capital to Jammu during winters will be restored

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday reiterated that the now-defunct Darbar Move would be restored.

He also questioned why the issue of the Darbar Move started making headlines only after the assembly elections.

“I don’t understand why this issue did not come up during the elections. The issue of the Darbar Move started to emerge only after the elections. However, we have repeatedly assured in meetings that the Darbar Move will be restored,” CM Omar told reporters after interacting with members of the civil society.

He also highlighted the importance and uniqueness of Jammu.

“Jammu has its own significance, its own speciality, and we will not let it diminish,” he said.

Earlier this month, he emphasised the need to showcase Jammu’s rich cultural heritage. “Our Dogra culture is a treasure unique to Jammu. Our traditions, food, and specialities are unmatched and must be leveraged as key selling points for tourism.”

On December 9, CM Omar Abdullah stated, “The hallmark of Jammu city was the biannual Darbar Move. For six months, people from Srinagar would work here, creating a lively environment. It fostered interaction between people from both sides of the mountains, whether at Wave Mall, Residency Road, or Gole Market. I assure you that we will resume the Darbar Move in the future. Unfortunately, time constraints prevented us from doing so this time.”

The Darbar Move referred to the biannual relocation of the secretariat and all other government offices of Jammu and Kashmir from one capital city to another. From May to October, government offices operated in the summer capital, Srinagar, while for the other six months, they functioned in the winter capital, Jammu.

In April 2021, for the first time in history, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir decided to defer the Darbar Move due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Andhra Pradesh: 8-year-old girl dies in Church after 40-days of ‘miraculous healing’ for brain tumour

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh: 8-year-old girl dies in Church after 40-days of ‘miraculous healing’ for brain tumour

On Monday, 9th December, a tragic incident was reported from the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh sending shock waves across the state. An 8-year-old minor girl identified as Bhagyashree who was suffering from a brain tumour was reported dead after her parents took her to attend prayers at a church that claimed miraculous healing. The girl and her family spent around 40 days inside the church praying and fasting for miraculous healing of the girl but to no avail.

The incident happened on Monday, 9th December evening raising serious concerns over the ‘miracle’ healing events hosted by Christian missionaries in the name of treatment.

As per the local reports, the minor girl, a resident of Dalit Colony in Balaji Raopet, Kaluvai Mandal, suffered from constant headaches and vomiting. Her parents Lakshmaiah and Lakshmi, belonging to a poor financial background, took her to several doctors in Nellore and Tirupati for treatment. However, the doctors found out that the girl had a brain tumour and recommended surgery. The parents of the girl, however, could not afford surgery and sought help from the relatives and also the hospital.

Following this, some of the relatives of the family suggested they take to girl to a church in Adurupalli for miraculous healing. They claimed that praying there to the Almighty might help the girl recover her health. The family then travelled to the church with Bhavyashree. They stayed there for around 40 days, fasting and praying for her healing.

The family meanwhile could see that the health of their daughter was deteriorating but they still continued to offer prayers and believed in the Church healings. Even the church authorities who were believed to be concerned about the child’s deteriorating condition, did not suggest medical help for the child. They instead reinforced their belief that divine intervention would heal the child.

Unfortunately, Bhavyashree breathed her last at midnight on 9th December 2024 in the church premises where the parents of the girl had been praying for her health. The death of the child has raised severe concerns about the so-called responsibility of religious institutions and whether more should have been done to address the child’s medical needs. So far, no complaint in this case has been lodged.

Jammu: UNHCR team meets Rohingya Muslims amid heated debate over water and power supply, CM Abdullah says either deport them or provide amenities

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu: UNHCR team meets Rohingya Muslims amid heated debate over water and power supply, CM Abdullah says either deport them or provide amenities

A two-person delegation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) met Rohingya Muslims at a slum in the Kiryani Talab area of Narwal, Jammu on Monday. Notably, the development took place in the midst of a contentious debate about whether or not to supply water and power to unlawfully settled immigrants. On 9th December, Senior Protection Officer Tomoko Fukumura and Protection Associate Ragini Trakroo Zutushi met with some locals and Rohingya Muslims.

The team’s leader would return to Delhi on the night of 11th December, according to an official, as their attempt to meet with some police officers was unsuccessful. Javed Ahmed Rana, the Jal Shakti Minister for Jammu and Kashmir, announced on 7th December that the water supply would not be cut off to the immigrant slums until the centre called for their deportation. His remarks followed claims by Rohingyas residing on three plots of property in the Narwal neighbourhood that, despite being registered with the UNHCR, their water and electricity supplies had been shut off recently.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declared two days later that the Rohingya intruders in Jammu should not be left to perish from cold or malnutrition and that the union government should make the final decision. “It is a humanitarian issue. The central government should decide about them (Rohingyas). If they are to be sent back, do that. If you can, send them back. If you cannot send them back, we cannot starve them to death. They cannot be allowed to die of cold. The Government of India should tell us what we have to do with them. As long as they are here, we need to take care of them,” the vice-president of National Conference (NC) alleged and added that they were not brought to Jammu by them.

He mentioned, “They have been brought and settled here. If there is a change in policy at the Centre, take them back. As long as they are here, we cannot treat them like animals. They are humans and they should be treated as such.” 

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) referred to the arrival of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas in Jammu as a significant “political conspiracy” and called for a Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) investigation to determine who was responsible for their transportation and settlement in the city. On 10th December, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the former chief minister and president of the National Conference declared that the Rohingyas were brought to J&K by the Indian government and that it is the responsibility of the local administration to provide them with the necessities of life.

The party accused the National Conference government of protecting the settlers by providing them with power and water connections because they were members of a “particular community.” More than 13,700 foreigners, primarily Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals, have lived in Jammu and other districts of Jammu and Kashmir, where their numbers grew by more than 6,000 between 2008 and 2016, according to government data.

Over 270 Rohingyas, including women and children, were discovered by police during a verification sweep in Jammu city in March 2021. They were then placed in a holding center within the Kathua sub-jail. Ajay Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police, City South Jammu, announced on 25th November that 18 FIRs (First Information Report) had been filed in a significant campaign against landlords who were renting out their properties to Rohingyas and others without giving police information, based on the order of the district magistrate.

“The civil administration has also launched a drive to identify the people who facilitated electricity and water connections to the plots housing Rohingyas,” he informed. India considers Rohingyas to be “illegal immigrants” since it is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention which describes the legal duties of nations to safeguard refugees and their rights.

After Maharashtra poll debacle, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut calls for Syria-like coup in India

OpIndia Staff
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After Maharashtra poll debacle, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut calls for Syria-like coup in India

Weeks after the Maharashtra assembly elections that resulted in a resounding victory for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, Shiv Sena UBT leader is still in denial about the poll outcome and insinuated that a Syria-like coup can happen in India to force a regime change and “safeguard democracy.”

“How can you blame the opposition when the democracy is being killed? You should ask this question to the Prime Minister about this country. Will all this work in the country in the name of democracy? And for how long will people tolerate this? Some day or the other, the public will rise in rebellion and oust the leader just like people of Syria drove Bashar al-Assad out of their country,” Raut said.

Raut’s remarks were made during an interview with The Wire, the far-leftist propaganda portal known for publishing hitjobs against the Modi government, most notably Tek Fog and Meta stories that the portal had to ignominiously withdraw after being called out for its lies.

However, the portal has continued with its propaganda peddling, platforming voices notorious for gaslighting the public with fake allegations against their political rivals. Raut, too, has been indulging in similar behaviour, attempting to foment an insurrection against the Centre on the lines of Syria where its President Bashar al-Assad had to flee after rebel groups took over the country. But Syria has been a hot bed of ISIS terrorists and Islamic extremists, where President Bashar al-Assad was propped up to lead the nation with the help vested interests like Putin’s Russia.

India, on the contrary, is a democratic country that follows the norms enshrined in the constitution framed by the founders of the nation. It is for this reason, the opposition leaders, including Raut, and propaganda portals like The Wire stoke unfounded fears of “democracy in danger”—in a bid to discredit the popular mandate received by the BJP and instigate their supporters to pull off a “Syria-like coup” in India. Perhaps, the opposition leaders want Syria-like turmoil and unrest that characterise the Middle East just because they are out of power and the people of the country have exercised their democratic right to vote Modi and his party to power at the Centre and many other states.

Even before leaning on the volatility in Syria, the opposition and its cheerleaders in the media had tried to stir up rebellion by hailing the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh as a “democratic expression” against tyranny. But ever since the Islamist takeover of Bangladesh, the persecution of minorities has been going on unabated, with Hindu voices championing the cause of minorities suppressed and jailed.

However, Raut’s atrocious remarks follow the stupeduous victory of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party which performed extraordinarily well in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The BJP contested 149 seats, out of which it secured victory in 133, which equates to an 89% hit rate. Notably, during Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, the BJP-led alliance managed to win only 17 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The Shiv Sena UBT was among the worst performing parties in the elections and Raut’s statements underscore palpable desperation among the opposition ranks, especially after the stunning reversal from the Lok Sabha elections, signifying a remarkable shift in the voting preference of the people of Maharashtra.

Bareilly court awards 20 years imprisonment to Fareen Ahmed for raping 7-year-old girl by claiming to be a Kinnar

OpIndia Staff
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Bareilly court awards 20 years imprisonment to Fareen Ahmed for raping 7-year-old girl by claiming to be a Kinnar

On 9th December, a court in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district sentenced an alleged kinnar (transgender/eunuch) who raped a girl to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 12,000 on the man who misled people by pretending to be a kinnar. On 29th March 2022, Fareen Ahmed kidnapped a 7-year-old girl in the name of giving her cucumbers and raped her.

According to reports, the hearing of the case took place in the Bareilly POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) Special Court. Fareen kept asserting his innocence by claiming that he was a kinnar. His gender was tested on Judge Uma Shankar’s order and the results showed that he was male. It was also discovered that he had been deceiving people for a long time by posing as a kinnar. He started crying during the hearing as his truth was exposed.

The perpetrator requested a lighter sentence from the court. However, the prosecution referred to the crime as serious and demanded a stiff punishment from the court. Fareen was awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 12,000 after the arguments from both sides were concluded. The jail term would be extended for one more year if he failed to pay the amount. Fareen was immediately taken into custody by the police and sent to jail. The fine amount will be given to the little girl.

On 9th April 2022, the girl’s mother reported to the police that her daughter had gone to the accused’s aunt’s house on 27th March from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. to watch television. She was bleeding from her private areas when she returned from the house after which she took her to the doctor. She then received treatment for ten to twelve days. The girl’s mother filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the local police station on 27th March, 2022, charging that he had sexually assaulted the youngster after persuading her to go to his residence to watch TV, per other reports.

“He raped her at his house and threatened to kill her if she dared to tell anyone about the incident. My daughter came home in a critical condition and was bleeding. She was admitted to a local hospital for two weeks,” the woman disclosed in the FIR (First Information Report). 

On 22nd June, police filed a chargesheet. The defence attorney claimed that his client “belongs to a transgender background and wears women’s clothing and lives like a woman” in a petition submitted to the court on 24th August 2023. Additionally, in a statement, the culprit stated that he is “female transgender by birth and cannot commit rape.”

The prison administration validated his gender as “male” on 18th September of this year at SGPGI (Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences) Hospital in Lucknow, in accordance with the court’s decision. The prosecution presented the gender test report in court on 27th September. “The accused was booked under IPC (Indian Penal Code) sections 376AB (rape on a woman less than 12 years of age), 506 (criminal intimidation) and the POCSO Act. Judge Umashankar Kahar found the man guilty based on the girl’s testimony and the medical evidence and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment on Monday. A cash fine of Rs 12,000 was also imposed on the convict, which will be given to the girl as compensation,” stated Additional district govt counsel (ADGC) Rajeev Kumar. Section 6 of the POCSO Act was slapped against him.

The case was handled under “Operation Conviction,” according to Anurag Arya, Senior Superintendent of Police, Bareilly. “Manush Pareek, Additional Superintendent of Police, Bareilly, was the nodal officer and the case was heard on a fast-track basis,” he added.

Punjab and Haryana HC awards Rs 2 lakh compensation to man falsely booked under Narcotics Act for carrying paracetamol tablets

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab and Haryana HC awards Rs 2 lakh compensation to man falsely booked under Narcotics Act for carrying paracetamol tablets

On 3rd December, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Government of Punjab to pay compensation of Rs 2 lakh to a 36-year-old man who was wrongfully arrested and incarcerated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Gurdeep Singh (name changed) was returning from his field when he was stopped by the Punjab Police. He was arrested on the accusation of possessing narcotic capsules which turned out to be paracetamol. In a strongly worded judgment, Justice Kirti Singh criticised the Punjab Police for its “high-handedness”. OpIndia accessed the copies of judgment and FIR in the matter.

Background of the case

According to the FIR filed in the case, SHO Sultanpur Lodhi, along with other police personnel, saw a car coming from the side of the cremation ground of Mothawala. Gurdeep, who was driving the car, tried to flee the scene, but the tyre of his car got stuck in a paddy field. The police claimed that he attempted to dispose of the narcotic capsules when he saw the police approaching his car. Gurdeep was eventually arrested and sent to jail under the NDPS Act.

Notably, the FIR in the matter was not registered on the day he was arrested but two days after the arrest. For two days, he was kept in illegal confinement. According to the court documents, Gurdeep was arrested on 24th June and the FIR was registered on 26th June. Interestingly, the capsules were sent for forensic analysis, and it was found that they contained paracetamol and not any narcotics. The report was sent to the police on 31st August 2024. However, it was only 19 days after the report was issued that Gurdeep was released on bail, and that too after the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

During the hearing, Gurdeep’s counsel argued that he was innocent and that the police arrested him only because he did not give way to the VIP vehicle coming behind him.

Court’s critique of police conduct

In the judgment, the court criticised the police for their high-handedness and delay in presenting the cancellation report. Justice Singh noted, “This is a case before this Court where, due to the high-handedness of the police authorities, the petitioner was subjected to prolonged incarceration for a period of about 13 days despite the fact that the recovery made from him was tablets containing the salt Acetaminophen (Paracetamol), and the concerned police authorities, despite having received the FSL report on 31.08.2024, failed to act promptly and get the petitioner immediately released/discharged in accordance with the law.”

The court added, “This Court is deeply troubled by the high-handedness of the police authorities, who have flagrantly disregarded the fundamental rights of a citizen as envisaged in the Constitution of India.” Notably, Singh was released on bail on 13th September 2024, only after the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Court awards Rs 2 lakh compensation

Justice Singh directed the Punjab Government to pay compensation of Rs 2 lakh to Gurdeep. Notably, the court instructed the government to recover half of the amount from the salary of Sub-Inspector Rajinder Singh, who was the investigating officer in the matter.

The order read, “The State of Punjab shall pay compensation to the tune of Rs. 2,00,000/-, which shall be paid to the petitioner within a period of one month, and 50% of this compensation amount shall be recovered from the salary of the erring official, Sub-Inspector Rajinder Singh.”

Right to privacy maintained by the court

Furthermore, the court mandated the masking of the petitioner’s name in the Digital Court records related to the case. The move can be seen as an effort to maintain the Right to Privacy of the petitioner, noting that he was wrongly incarcerated.

Section 498A being misused to force husband to fulfil unreasonable demands, for personal vendetta: Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Section 498A being misused to force husband to fulfil unreasonable demands, for personal vendetta: Supreme Court

Amidst a nationwide outrage over the suicide of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash over alleged harassment by his wife and in-laws, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (11th December), hearing a different case, said that Section 498A which penalises cruelty by husband and his family against women, is being massively misused.

During the hearing of a case, the Supreme Court bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh noted that while some laws were originally meant to protect women against domestic violence and harassment, they are being widely misused by some women to compel husbands and their family into complying their unreasonable demands. Moreover, laws like Section 498(A) of the Indian Penal Code are being misused by some wives to unleash personal vendetta against husbands and their families.

Calling out the arm-twisting tactics, the court said, “Sometimes, recourse is taken to invoke Section 498A of the IPC against the husband and his family in order to seek compliance with the unreasonable demands of a wife. In recent years, as there have been a notable rise in matrimonial disputes across the country, accompanied by growing discord and tension within the institution of marriage, consequently, there has been a growing tendency to misuse provisions like Section 498A of the IPC as a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife. Making vague and generalised allegations during matrimonial conflicts, if not scrutinized, will lead to the misuse of legal processes and encouragement for use of arm twisting tactics by a wife and/or her family.”

The apex court made these observations while setting aside a cruelty case filed against a man and his family under Section 498(A). The Telangana High Court had earlier refused to dismiss this case.

The Supreme Court further stated that the Telangana High Court “committed a grave error” in not rejecting the petition, alleging that it was submitted by the wife with ulterior motives to settle personal scores.

Quashing the case, the top court said, “We are not, for a moment, stating that any woman who has suffered cruelty in terms of what has been contemplated under Section 498A of the IPC should remain silent and forbear herself from making a complaint or initiating any criminal proceeding. That is not the intention of our aforesaid observations but we should not encourage a case like as in the present one, where as a counterblast to the petition for dissolution of marriage sought by the first appellant-husband of the second respondent herein, a complaint under Section 498A of the IPC is lodged by the latter.”

Over 300 vials of deadly virus samples go missing from a lab in Australia in major biosecurity breach, probe launched

OpIndia Staff
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Over 300 vials of deadly virus samples go missing from a lab in Australia in major biosecurity breach, probe launched

In a major distress to the people in Australia, the Queensland government on Monday, 9th December revealed that samples of hundreds of deadly viruses had gone missing from a laboratory in Australia. Following this, the government directed Queensland Health, Australia’s public health department, to launch an investigation into the case and trace evidence revolving around the major historical breach of biosecurity protocols.

As per the initial reports, around 323 vials of multiple infectious viruses consisting of the Hendra virus, Lyssavirus, and Hantavirus have gone missing from Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory. The govt Virology Laboratory provides state-wide specialist diagnostic services, surveillance and research for viruses and mosquito and tick-borne pathogens. Notably, the samples have been missing since August 2023, but the investigation into the case was launched this week.

The state released an official statement on the case and said that a Part 9 investigation in the case has been lodged to know whether the infectious samples were stolen or destroyed deliberately, adding that there is no evidence of risk to the community.

“With such a serious breach of biosecurity protocols and infectious virus samples potentially missing, Queensland Health must investigate what occurred and how to prevent it from happening again. The Part 9 investigation will ensure nothing has been overlooked in responding to this incident and examine the current policies and procedures in operation today at the laboratory. This investigation will also consider regulatory compliance and staff conduct,” Minister Timothy Nicholls said in the release.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commented on the lost viruses and said that Hendra is a zoonotic (animal-to-human) virus that has only been found in Australia while Lyssavirus is a group of viruses that can cause rabies.

Nicholls meanwhile also added that Queensland Health has since then taken serious measures including retraining staff on required regulations and conducting audits to ensure correct storage of materials.

The investigating officials further revealed that the samples are supposed to have gone missing sometime after a freezer used to store them broke down. “It’s not known whether the samples were moved elsewhere and then lost, or if they were destroyed without being recorded as such. It’s this part of the transfer of those materials that is causing concern,” Nicholls said.

“As it stands, there doesn’t seem to be a reason for major concern. There haven’t been any recorded cases of Hendra or lyssavirus in the area over the past five years, and no recorded cases of hantavirus ever. And if the samples were misplaced and left out in the open, they would likely cease being a danger to anyone very quickly,” the officials added.

They also added that the viruses become non-infectious once taken out of the freezer. They reiterated that there’s at present no risk to the community.

UP: Christian conversion racket busted in Amethi, three arrested for targeting Dalits with financial inducements to convert to Christianity

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Christian conversion racket busted in Amethi, three arrested for targeting Dalits with financial inducements to convert to Christianity

On Tuesday (10th December), Amethi Police exposed a Christian conversion racket in the Agresar village and arrested three people. The accused identified as Ramlal Kori, Sandeep Kori, and Omprakash organised a Bible reading session on Tuesday wherein they promised financial and other incentives to the people belonging to the Dalit Hindu community to lure them into converting to Christianity.

According to the FIR registered at the Ramganj Police Station based on a Hindu man named Govind’s complaint, Om Prakash, Ramlal Kori and Sandeep Kori used to visit the Agresar village and lure Hindu Dalits to convert to Christianity by offering them money and other benefits. The FIR was filed against them under the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Following this, the police arrested the three accused and questioned them.

Meanwhile, Ramganj SHO Yajendra Patel said that the accused had been jailed and a thorough investigation is underway.

Notably, a similar case has been reported in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, wherein a pastor and his associates organised a ‘prayer meeting’ called Masihi Prathana Sabha to lure over 50 Hindus to Christianity by promising monetary and other assistance. The accused in his case were organising similar events in various cities of the state with the same modus operandi.

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