The Mumbai police have registered an FIR of rape against actor-producer Aditya Pancholi based on the allegations levelled by actor Kangana Ranaut. Kangana had accused Aditya Pancholi of ‘assault and exploitation’ for an alleged incident that took place almost a decade ago.
Versova Police Station has registered a case against Pancholi under sections 376, 328, 384, 341, 342, 323, 506 of the Indian Panel Code.
The Versova police had launched a probe against the senior actor Pancholi after nearly two weeks after they received an email complaint filed by Kangana’s siter Rangoli, on behalf of Kangana Ranaut. In the email complaint, Rangoli had explained in detail the physical torture and mental harassment Kangana had to endure at the hands of Aditya Pancholi. Soon thereafter Aditya Pancholi had filed a defamation case against Kangana claiming that she is falsely implicating him in the rape case.
Aditya Pancholi also had lodged a complaint against Kangana Ranaut and her lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui fearing arrest under rape accusations made by them. Pancholi asserted that Kangana’s lawyer Siddiqui was asking him to withdraw the defamation case against Kangana to avoid the rape case.
Aditya Pancholi has refuted the allegations of rape levelled by Kangana Ranaut claiming that she was misusing the law to settle a personal score with him. He even alleged that Kangana was not forthcoming in recording her statement with the police. However, Kangana’s sister slammed Pancholi and his PR agency for spreading fake news about her sister Kangana.
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has sprung to action after a complaint was received on NaMo app, which claimed that at least 125 Hindu families have migrated from Prahlad Nagar in Meerut because of harassment of Hindu women by Muslims in the area.
Prahlad Nagar which comes under the Lisadi Gate police circle is predominantly a Muslim dominated area with about 425 Hindu families residing there.
The complaint which was registered on the app by a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhavesh Mehta on June 11 alleged that in Prahlad Nagar, around 125 Hindu families have migrated to “safer” localities after selling their property. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), on the same day, forwarded the complaint to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). And the CMO, in turn, sought a report on the matter.
As per reports, the women of the Hindu families in Prahlad Nagar are living under constant threats. Fearing harassment from Muslims and alleging lack of action from the police, the Hindu residents have been migrating from the area. The local Hindu residents claim that crimes like eve-teasing, harassment, theft, snatching are “routine” matters in the area. They also informed that they are threatened by the locals if anyone dares to raise their voice against the atrocities. Moreover, these families also alleged that objectionable things are often thrown in front of their houses if they try to voice their resentment.
A local resident claimed, “We avoid moving out unless we are accompanied by a male member. We complain to the police but they invariably hush up the case. We hope that the government takes some action and makes life bearable for us”.
Despite such assertions, a senior police officer rubbished any such claims. The police officer maintained that “When people start earning more, they prefer to move to bigger houses. There has been no panic in the area and complaints of harassment of women have been dealt with strictly,” the official in the rank of an ASP said.
He alleged that a television channel had stoked the controversy. “You people sensationalize minor incidents and increase the communal divide,” he said.
Nevertheless, the Hindus who are in an urgency to move out of Prahlad Nagar, are being forced to dispose of their houses at rates much lesser than the current market value. Many houses in the area still display the “for sale” notice. The latest Hindu family to leave their house in Prahlad Nagar was reported on June 25, 2019.
A board displayed outside a house in Prahlad Nagar reads ‘plot for sale’
Local BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal said that the situation was “serious” and he will speak to the Chief Minister in this regard. The Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh has also written a letter to the Chief Minister, seeking security for Hindus in Meerut.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has directed senior police and civil officials to mobilise the local intelligence units and deal firmly with complaints in this regard. After receiving instruction from the CMO, the SSP passed on the order to the Kotwali police station on June 13 to expedite the inquiry.
In March 2018, there were reports where poor Hindu families living in Muslim-majority Panchali Buzurg village in Meerut, UP had also been forced to flee their village due to harassment by some locals and apathy of local police
Last year in June, clashes between two communities owing to a trivial argument over the credit of supply of cold drinks had forced a Hindu family to flee from their village, Banheda Khas, in Devbandh, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier in 2016, a report by NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) reported exodus of over 250 Hindu families from Kairana in Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh. The inquiry was undertaken after a complaint was received of a woman belonging to Kashyap caste was abducted, gang-raped and killed.
The Bombay High Court today upheld the Maratha Reservation by declaring the State Reservation (of Seats for Admission in Educational Institutions in the State and for Appointments to the Posts in Public Services under the State) for Socially and Educationally Backward Category Act, 2018 (SEBC Act) as constitutional. The Act was passed by the State Legislative Assembly on 29th November 2018 granting 16 % reservation to Marathas.
A Division Bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharti Dangre today upheld the validity of the SEBC Act which was enacted on the recommendations of the State Commission for Backward Classes headed by retired judge Justice MG Gaikwad constituted under the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission Act, 2005.
Several petitions were filed against the SEBC Act and the Gaikwad Commission report on the ground that the 16% reservation granted to Marathas violated the 50 % cap prescribed by the Supreme Court in the landmark case of Indira Sawhney v Union of India.
The court observed that the 50% ceiling could be exceeded under exceptional and extraordinary circumstances and the reservation was based on justifiable data submitted by Gaikwad Commission. However, the court has asked the state to cap the reservations at 12% for jobs and 13% at educational institutions.
It was the contention of the petitioners that the Supreme Court judgments mandate the lists to be revised every ten years so that the classes that cease to be backward classes can be excluded and new classes can be added. The petitioners argued that the State government passed the SEBC Act on the basis of unqualified data and without revising the list in the light of the provisions of the existing list of backward classes. They also questioned the Gaikwad Commission report contending that it failed to follow the mandate in Indira Sawhney case and the Mandal Commission report.
Senior Advocate Arvind Datar who appeared on behalf of one of the petitioners argued that the Act was in violation of Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution. He contended that only the President can notify or de-notify a list of backward classes whether at the Centre or in the State.
The insertion of Articles 342A and 366(26) in the Constitution through the 102nd Amendment Act, 2018 had vested the power to identify and specify the socially and educationally backward classes with the President and the Parliament. The ACt, therefore, stood repealed in the light of the 102nd Amendment Act.
However, the court rejected the arguments and held that the State government’s competence to enact the law is not affected by the Amendment.
In the proceedings of the lower house of the parliament today, responding to a query raised by TMC’s Saugata Roy, the Minister for The Minister of State for the ministry of housing and urban affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri responded saying that the Union Government of India didn’t receive any proposal on free rides to women in Delhi Metro by the Delhi government.
However, many media outlets resorted to spreading inaccurate news about the matter claiming that the central government had rejected Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s idea of offering free rides to women in Delhi Metro.
Republic TV had published a report saying that the central government has rejected AAP government’s proposal to offer free rides in Delhi Metro.
Big Setback to Arvind Kejriwal: Centre says no to AAP government’s proposal to make Delhi Metro rides free for womenhttps://t.co/hdBn4VjNZx
An article in Times Now read that the BJP government at the centre rejected AAP government’s ‘free metro ride to women’ sop.
In yet another face-off between the Centre and the Delhi government, this time over the ‘free ride’ sops given to women in the national capital region, the central government rejects Aam Aadmi Party’s scheme proposal.https://t.co/kxMB6cp7DD
Another news outlet, Zee News published an article on a similar line. The report said that the central government has rejected Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s proposal to make Delhi Metro ride free for women.
The aforementioned reports stating that the central government has rejected the scheme of free rides to women in Delhi Metro are grossly misleading. However, in reality, the proposal was not placed before the Union government for them to reject it. The same had been enunciated by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in the parliament stating that they didn’t receive any proposal on free rides to women in Delhi Metro from the Delhi government. Such misleading reports by prominent news organisations lend credence to what appears as a big fat lie affirmed by Arvind Kejriwal.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that there is no need for his government to send any proposal to the central government to implement the free metro ride for women scheme.
Delhi CM: Legally Delhi govt doesn’t need to send a proposal to Centre regarding free ride for women on Delhi Metro. Both Delhi Metro & Delhi govt ready to work on this proposal. Being the Delhi CM, I assure women of Delhi that we will implement free metro ride for women in Delhi https://t.co/CnwNYtM6M6
On Wednesday, the Vedanta Group told the Madras High Court that the 2018 anti-Sterlite protests were orchestrated by a group of NGOs and activist operating for profit and with ulterior motives. The Sterlite copper smelter plant at Tuticorin was shut down by the state government in May 2018 after a massive protest that claimed 13 lives.
The company accused the Tamil Nadu state government of yielding to the pressures of such organisations and its order of permanent closure of the plant as a ‘knee jerk reaction’ to appease people with vested interests. They said that even Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had admitted that anti-social elements were behind the protests that led to the police firing at the protesters.
In a rejoinder the to the counter-affidavit filed by the government, the company said that it was clear from the large scale public demonstrations against the company that the Sterlite plant has been targeted by groups with vested interests.
The state government had filed its counter in response to the petitions filed by the company, challenging the orders of closure and refusal of consent, passed by the state government and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
The company had also said that various reports by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in support of the Sterlite Copper Smelter unit cannot be ignored.
In November 2018, the National Green Tribunal had labelled closure of copper producing Sterlite Plant as unjustified. It then directed the Tamil Nadu state pollution regulator to pass a fresh order of renewal of consent for the smelter within three weeks and has directed the company to spend Rs 100 crore within 3 years for the welfare of the people in the area.
However, just a few days later the Madras High Court intervened and ordered the rollback of NGT’s order of reopening the Sterlite plant based on a petition filed by an activist. The Vedanta Group has complied with the NGT’s order and announced welfare projects worth Rs 100 crore.
An Air India flight from Mumbai to Newark made an emergency landing in London due to a bomb threat. Ait India flight AI191 had taken off from Mumbai at 4.49 AM this morning, but it turned around after over Northern Ireland airspace and made a precautionary landing at the Stansted airport in London at around 10.15 AM local time.
Flight path of AI191 on flightradar24
The Boeing 777-337(ER) headed to Newark airport in New York had taken off more than three hours late, as its scheduled departure time is 1.30 AM. Air India had tweeted about the precautionary landing, but later they deleted the tweet.
Air India’s deleted tweet about AI191
The London Stansted Airport was closed for some time due to the emergency landing and the presence of the fighter planes. The official Twitter handle of the airport later confirmed that the airport was re-opened after the landing of Air India flight.
#UPDATE Our runway has now re-opened and is fully operational following a precautionary landing of Air India flight.
We are sorry for any disruption caused by the incident and would like to thank you for your patience.
— London Stansted Airport (@STN_Airport) June 27, 2019
According to reports, two Typhoon jets of Royal Air Force were scrambled to escort the Air India aircraft. The jets flew at supersonic speed, which caused a loud sonic boom over Derbyshire. The Derbyshire police tweeted to inform that the loud bang that the people might have heard came from the sonic boom of the RAF fighters.
If you heard a loud bang over #Derbyshire today, this was as a result of a @RoyalAirForce jet passing over that caused a sonic boom.
The aircraft has been taken away from normal flight operations and parked on an isolated stand at the airport, and it was being checked by the police. Essex police were at the airport when the flight landed.
Update: According to a Reuters report, an Air India official has said that the bomb threat was a hoax.
UPDATE: Air India official says bomb threat on Mumbai-Newark flight was a hoax, plane back in the air pic.twitter.com/eQPFfyeIDS
The central government of India on Thursday denied having received any proposal from the Delhi government regarding the proposed free metro ride for women.
Unstarred question asked by Saugata Roy to Central Government
The Minister of State for the ministry of housing and urban affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri responded to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, stating that the Centre hasn’t received any proposal from the Delhi government for free Delhi Metro ride.
A few days back, in what appeared like a political gimmick to attract voters following a humiliating defeat on all 7 Lok Sabha seats, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that women be allowed to travel free of cost in all DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) buses, Cluster buses and metro trains in Delhi. He said that this has been to ensure that women can have safe travel experience, and access mores of transport which they were not able to do so due to high prices.
The Delhi CM had said that they will not require approval from anyone to implement this scheme. He also added that Delhi govt will bear the cost of the subsidy, as the centre didn’t agree to his proposal to not increase prices of metro tickets or to give 50% subsidy on raised ticket prices.
However, according to Minister of State for the ministry of housing and urban affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi CM Kejriwal had been misleading people with his claim that a proposal for a free Metro ride for women in Delhi was sent to the Centre for seeking approval.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, on the other hand, has maintained that the proposal was submitted by the Delhi Metro which is ‘in principle’ agreeable to Delhi government.
On our request, Del Metro has submitted its proposal. In principle, their proposal is agreeable to us. However, Delhi govt is studying its details.
I repeat that, as announced, Delhi govt is committed to provide free metro rides to women https://t.co/urD6haxePo
The Delhi Metro Corporation is jointly owned by Union Government and Delhi Government with 50% share each. As Delhi govt is paying the subsidy, it will not require permission from others for the scheme, Kejriwal had earlier claimed.
In Ahmedabad, Karnaj police nabbed a 32-year-old man on Tuesday for making an ISIS hoax call to the police. Ahmedabad police were on high alert after they received the call informing them of a possible ISIS attack in the city.
The arrested man, Mohammad Uvais Syed, a resident of Karanj had called the police control room from his home number informing them about the ISIS agent’s plane. He said that the agent named Yusuf Pathan was seen analysing the route of Rath Yatra and would be attacking in three days. He said that the agent was standing near Lal Darwaja and he had recently visited Pakistan.
The police later discovered that the man was mentally unstable. He had become paranoid after seeing numerous news reports on the ISIS organisation. Police also seized 250 ISIS related news clippings from him.
After receiving the call on Tuesday night, the police tracked him down to investigate the authenticity of the information. Syed could not give any satisfactory answer as to how he got to know about the ISIS plan.
Reportedly, Syed failed to identify Pathan after he was asked to do so by the police. Yusuf Pathan is a resident of Phool Gali in Karanj. The police said, “When we grilled Syed, he told us that he had heard from someone that Yusuf Pathan had got into a fight in the area. Then, he presumed that Pathan must be involved with ISIS”. The police then called Syed’s father and brother, who told that he was whimsical and would presume anything.
Inspector Faiz Nayab of Karanj police station said, “Syed has been so exposed to news reports about ISIS that he began suspecting terror attacks everywhere”. He was later released on bail.
In December last year, a Muslim youth who had issued a bomb threat against the residence of Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy was arrested by the Bangalore police.
In another case of sexual crimes against women, a mother-daughter duo was beaten, molested and were tonsured by a group of residents of a village in Bhagwanpur, in Vaishali district of Bihar. As per reports, the mother and her daughter had resisted a molestation attempt by the perpetrators.
The police, taking cognisance of the shameful act, registered a complaint against five miscreants. The main accused, Khurshid, a local ward member, and another accused were arrested.
On the night of June 25, a group of perverts allegedly barged into the house of the victims and tried to molest them. When the duo opposed and resisted the attempts, the accused persons allegedly assaulted and abused the women calling them characterless.
The accused persons then called a local barber and tonsured the victims. The victims were then paraded around the village by the accused persons. It is reported that the victim family is extremely poor.
Following this, the duo registered a complaint in the Jodhpur police station, Bhagwanpur district, Bihar, against six people in their neighbourhood. The officer at Jodhpur police station, Sanjay Kumar, taking cognisance of the disgraceful act, assured that strict action would be taken against the accused.
Last year on August, in a similar act, another woman in Bihiya, a small town in Bhojpur district, Bihar, was stripped, thrashed and paraded by some goons on the suspicion of being involved in the murder of a young man. An RJD leader was later found to be one of the prime accused in the case. In December last year, RJD leader Kishori Lal Yadav and 4 others were convicted for the crime and were sentenced to 7 years in prison.
According to the Noida resident Jannati Begum, her father Mohammed Shakil Ansari has married two new wives after her mother’s death in February this year and is now pressurising and coercing her and her husband to evict their house in order to accommodate his two new wives. Begum has filed a complaint against her father alleging that her father had attacked her and abused her after she and her husband refused to vacate the house, says a TOI report.
Begum has claimed that her 55-year-old father had married a 16-year-old girl named Shahnaaz two months after her mother’s death. Ansari belongs to Bihar’s Purnia where he went to after his wife’s death in February and soon married Shahnaaz. “We had no inkling of his new marriage. We came to know about his marriage only after he brought Shahnaaz home. He started pestering us to leave the house to accommodate his new wife. However, I remonstrated his marriage saying that it has brought dishonour to the family and refused to leave the house,” Begum said.
In the police complaint lodged at Phase III police, Jannati had alleged that she has been at the receiving end of thrashings and abuses over the matter by her father.
Begum’s husband defended their move of refusing to move out of the house claiming that they had invested money in the construction of the house along with the purchase of the land. “We had made a contribution of Rs 2 lakhs to buy this plot of land in 2007. In addition to this, we had also spent Rs 5 lakhs in its construction,” he said.
Begum has further asserted that last week her father asked them to vacate the house claiming he had married yet another woman who needs to be accommodated in the house. “Since Shahnaaz is housed in the shop and he had married another woman, we need to leave the house to make a place for his new wife,” she said.
Ansari, on the other hand, has claimed that she had married only Shahnaaz and not a third woman. “I said I married the third woman as they were not vacating the house, he said.
The investigation is underway and on confirmation of the allegations levelled by Jannati Begum, her father Ansari will be arrested. The police have lodged a complaint under IPC Sections 506(criminal intimidation) and 504(intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) against Ansari.
