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FIR against Resolution Professional Girish Juneja in Hindustan Glass case: How OpIndia had exposed malpractice in the longest running IBC case

Nupur J Sharma
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FIR against Resolution Professional Girish Juneja in Hindustan Glass case: How OpIndia had exposed malpractice in the longest running IBC case

On the 19th of October, Nashik Court ordered the MIDC Sinnar Police Station to lodge an FIR against Resolution Professional Girish Juneja in the Hindustan National Glass (HNG or HNGIL) case. His malpractice had led to a fire in the Nashik Plant on the December 29, 2023, endangering the sick company, the sanctity of the Insolvency process against it and the lives of the workers.

Joint Judicial Magistrate First Class (Jt. JMFC) K.S. Khandre of Sinnar Court said in his order of October 19 that the Hindustan National Gas & Industries Limited (HNGIL)’s RP, Girish Siriram Juneja was answerable not only to the company and the court, but also the public at large. The court said he was also responsible for ensuring the safety of the workers of the plant – endangered by the massive fire in 2023.

“While in charge, they committed dishonest misconduct, negligence, illegal and destruction of the company’s property and committed an act criminal in nature,” said Jt. JMFC Khandre, on the issue in which fortunately there were no human casualties of any kind.

Referring to a complaint by a senior employee of HNG, Manoj C. Wadhavane, the court also detailed the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board report of the Safety & Health Officer that showed a violation of the provisions of Maharashtra Factories Act and Maharashtra Factories Rules.

The court ordered a detailed police investigation in the case and directed for an FIR to be filed against Girish Juneja.

The court said that RP Girish Juneja is responsible not only to the company but the public at large and that the allegation is that while in-charge, he committed “dishonest misconduct, negligence, illegal and destruction of company property” and “committed acts criminal in nature”.

    Saying this, the court observed that the offences alleged against RP Juneja are cognizable in nature and that upon perusal of the complaint, it is clear that the complainant is not in a position to collect evidence. Therefore, a detailed investigation is necessary in the case. The court also, however, observed that at this stage, the court is not going into the merits of the case.

    What is the HNG Insolvency case

    The case started in 2020 with the DBS Bank initiating insolvency proceedings against Hindustan National Glass & Industries Limited (HNG) in NCLT Kolkata. Insolvency was admitted in the year 2021. Hindustan National Glass & Industries Limited is an Indian container glassmaker based in Kolkata. The company is the largest and one of the oldest glass manufacturing companies in India. In the year 2022, the CoC (Committee of Creditors) appointed Girish Juneja as the Resolution Professional. 

    After the issue of Expression of Interest, Juneja received 14 bids to acquire HNG. Once the RP received the applications, on the 24th of May 2022, a Request for Resolution Plan was issued and eventually, only three firms expressed interest in purchasing HNG – AGI Greenpac (AGI), International Sugar Corporation (INSCO) and Nirma Chemical.

    What follows is a long line of questionable conduct by RP Juneja, Edelweiss and its associate companies and the CoC, led by SBI, earning losses in the hundreds of crores since the IBC process began. The irregularities by the RP were noted by several legal luminaries as well. The list of questionable conduct included bending the rules to favour AGI over INSCO, bending the rules to gloss over the fact that the merger between AGI Greenpac and HNG would lead to a monopolistic market, indication that he was collaborating with Edelweiss and its allied companies to tilt the scale in AGI’s favour and more. Along with the RP, the conduct of the CCI (Competition Commission of India) has also been questioned.

    The full explanation on the alleged misconduct of the RP, Edelweiss, CCI and more can be read here, here, here and here.

    RP Girish Juneja, the Sinner plant and allegations of workers

    Girish Juneja, as mentioned above, was the Resolution Professional in the HNG IBC process. According to the IBC process and the laws governing it, it is the responsibility of the resolution professional (RP) to: 

    • Manage the affairs of the corporate debtor (CD) as a going concern during the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP),
    • Appoint and convene meetings of the CoC, so that they may decide upon resolution plans, and 
    • Collect, collate, and finally admit claims of all creditors, which must be examined for payment, in full or in part or not at all, by the resolution applicant and be finally negotiated by the Committee of Creditors (CoC). 

    According to the facts of the case and the legal opinion of former judges, the RP seems to have erred in all of his listed responsibilities, causing a delay in the HNG IBC process – leading to a Rs 30 crore+ loss daily – a loss being suffered by public sector banks in the CoC – eventually affecting the public exchequer. 

    Beyond the IBC process itself, the RP’s role in the Sinnar Plant fire of HNG has been specifically questioned, based on which, the court has now directed and FIR to be filed and investigation to be conducted. OpIndia had detailed the allegations against Juneja in its article on the 15th of July 2024.

    To understand how the RP may have derelict his duties as far as maintaining HNG as a going concern, we need to analyze one of the criminal complaints filed by one of the supervisors employed at HNG’s Sinnar plant in Nashik, Maharashtra. The complaint makes some serious allegations against the RP. 

    “In the aforementioned background, Mr. Girish Siriram Juneja, being the Resolution Professional and Mr. Ramchandra Parasram, Une, being the Sinnar plant head of the said Company, who are entrusted with and having dominion over the property of Hindustan National Glass &Industries Ltd., have dishonestly committed acts of misconduct, negligence misappropriations, dispossessions, destructions and criminal breach of trust, which have resulted huge loss to Hindustan National Glass & Industries Ltd. These acts have also posed serious risks to the lives of the 180 permanent employees and 600 workers of the said Company as well as to the people living in the vicinity and to the environment. The said dishonest and negligent acts of Mr. Girish Siriram Juneja and Mr. Ramchandra Parasram Une, are grave cognizable offences..”, the complaint said. 

    On 29th December 2023, there was a massive fire at the Sinnar plant resulting in molten glass leaking from the furnace. The complaint essentially points out that the RP and the plant head colluded to endanger lives for personal benefit. 

    Here are the allegations that the complaint makes: 

    1. RP Juneja and Une were informed that the furnaces used in container glass production needed repair. Furnace No.12 at Sinnar Plant, which has been affected by fire was commissioned in 2012. Consequently, Furnace No.12 at the Sinnar plant of the Company had exceeded its lifespan by 10 years and the same was also overdue for repair. Despite receiving warnings from specialized agencies, the essential upkeep and repairs of the furnace were neglected for an extended period.
    2. Molten Glass failed to flow into the designated tank during the leakage incident, which must be filled with water, but there, was no water in the designated tank to cool the leaked Molten Glass. This, the complaint says, was due to the negligence of the RP. 
    3. The complaint says that despite showing capital expense for fire safety norms and the purchase of firefighting equipment, the plant was functioning without a fire NOC. The plant only had a provisional certificate. 
    4. The disposal of hazardous waste generated during the production process was not carried out in compliance with regulations.
    5. The complaint says that it was the negligence of RP Juneja and Une that led to the fire of 29th December – resulting in a great risk to lives.
    6. The complaint says that the fire could have spread to the explosive material storage area, leading to loss of lives. The current damage owing to the fire amounts to Rs 500 crores. 
    7. The complaint says, “Mr. Juneja has not taken any steps to investigate the fire incident dated 29/12/2023 or to address the concerns raised by workers. Instead, his focus has solely been on pursuing insurance claims, which will benefit the resolution applicant. Mr. R.P. Une under instructions of Mr. Juneja has transferred the majority of the permanent employees to other plants of the Company which caused many employees to tender forced resignation, as, they were local residents, and canceled all contracts for the supply of labor, leading to loss of employment of all contract workmen”. 
    8. The allegation is that despite HNG having a balance of Rs 300 crores, RP Juneja has refused to restart the functioning of the plant. 
    9. The complaint says that the repair cost would be reimbursed by insurance, therefore, Juneja not utilizing the Rs 300 crores to restart the plant points to a conspiracy to shut down the functioning of the Sinnar plant, leading to loss of jobs and revenue for HNG. 
    10. “Juneja has provided 100% advance payment to various Corporate Operational Creditors Mr. Juneja exhibited favoritism towards certain corporate customers by providing them with 100% advance payments and placing orders at higher rates compared to smaller and local suppliers/traders”, the complaint claims. 
    11. It is further alleged that the RP has selected vendors showing favoritism, ignoring vendors who had quoted lower prices, pointing towards irregularities and personal gain. 
    12. It is also alleged that RP terminated the contracts of the security company and gave it instead to his preferred company at a higher cost, gaining personally. 
    13. The RP has refused to give increments to the staff. 

    “Thus, Mr. Girish Siriram Juneja, being the Resolution Professional, and Mr. Ramchandra Parasram Une, being the Sinnar plant head of the said Company, who are entrusted with and having dominion over the property of Hindusthan National Glass & Industries Ltd., have dishonestly misused their position and have committed cognizable offenses of misconduct negligence, misappropriations, dispossessions and destructions which shows their negligent conduct concerning fire or combustible matter, explosive substance, machinery and pulling down buildings. Mr. Juneja and Mr. Une ‘have also committed a criminal breach of trust, and so, being the responsible employee of Hindusthan National Glass and Industries Ltd. in the post of Supervisor for the last 6 years, I am filing the present written Complaint against Mr. Girish Siriram Juneja, and Mr. Ramchandra ‘ Parasram Une”, the complaint concludes. 

    Essentially, the complaint is alluding to the fact that RP Juneja is gaining personally and neglecting the needs of the HNG company itself, keeping it as a going concern and ensuring its adequate functioning. The complaint also alludes to the fact that the RP specifically wanted the Sinnar plant to not be functional again so that other plants could benefit instead. One has to wonder here if the complaint itself alludes to the fact that the RP may have been trying to increase the value of the Rishikesh Plant (which AGI wishes to divest) at the expense of the interest of the company HNG and minimizing the value of HNG itself in the process. 

    It is pertinent to note that not just Wadhawe, but various stakeholders including a statutory authority have filed criminal complaints against those operating the Nashik plant, seeking a criminal investigation of the fire incident at the Sinnar Plant on 29.12.2023. 

    In fact, K.T Zope (deputy director- of Maharashtra Industrial Safety Department) under Section 8(1) of the Factories Act, has submitted a report to the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Nashik. In the report by KT Zope, the negligence by the RP in the upkeep and maintenance of the Sinnar plant had been clearly pointed out. 

    KT Zope, who is the Deputy Director of Maharashtra Industrial Safety Department categorically submitted to the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Nashik that during his inspection, he found firefighting equipment in scrap condition, and therefore he had concluded that the occupier of the factory had contravened the Maharashtra Factory Rules, 1963. He further said that the contravention was punishable under Section 92 of the Factories Act, 1948. 

    With this finding by the Deputy Director of the Safety Department, it becomes evident that the fire incident at the Sinnar Nashik plant was not simply an accident but one that was a direct result of the negligence by the occupiers of the factory – in this case – Mukul Somany and Resolution professional Girish Juneja. 

    While the finding of KT Zope indicts the negligence of the RP and the other occupier, based on the complaint by the Supervisor of the Sinnar Plant, certain questions are pertinent to ask. 

    1. The Sinnar Plant being gutted in fire and not being restarted despite the RP having the resources to do so could potentially point towards collusion between the RP and AGI, as the letter accuses. Essentially, the non-functioning of the Sinnar Plant directly benefits AGI in two ways. Firstly, the business being conducted by the Sinnar Plant would go directly to AGI in the interim since AGI is the second largest glass manufacturer after HNG. Secondly, with one big plant non-functional, it also helps solve the AAEC (Monopoly) problem arising out of the combination of AGI and HNG. The negligence and actions of the RP are inexplicable and therefore, the complaint by the Supervisor alludes to a collusion between the RP and AGI. 
    2. We established in the previous articles that private institutions like Ernst and Young have established a stranglehold on the RPs and the IBC process. With the allegations against the RP, what is the culpability of EY in the IBC process of HNG and the gutting of the Sinnar plant? EY was appointed as the advisor to the RP in this case – being the advisor, was EY in the know about the RPs alleged shenanigans in the Sinnar plant? 
    3. There are grave allegations that the RP has been using the plant for personal financial gain and to benefit his preferred vendors. With such allegations, should it not then be incumbent upon the IBBI to remove Girish Juneja as the RP in the HNG case, investigate his role and the merits of the allegation, and appoint a different RP so the HNG resolution process is streamlined? 

    Workers Union of HNG say plant workers are threatening suicide, demand FIR against RP Juneja, allege collusion between RP and AGI – Letter to Union Labour Minister

    On the 9th of July 2024, a letter was written to Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Labour minister, by workers’ trade union Nala Sangam to bring to his attention the plight of workers stationed at the Puducherry plant and other plans of HNG “due to the arbitrary, illegal and negligent actions of the Resolution Professional (“RP”), Shri. Girish Sriram Juneja was appointed to conduct the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (“CIRP”) of HNGIL”. 

    The letter says, “The conditions of workers at plants of HNGIL is unsettling and disturbing. The workers are fighting every day with the management i.e., RP as they have been denied basic necessities for survival. It is disheartening to see the inhumane conditions under which they work for long hours, knowing that RP and AGI have funds and resources at their end to suppress the voice of the workers and ultimately achieve their illicit goals”. 

    The complaint states that Girish Juneja, in conspiracy with AGI, has deliberately not ensured the safety and security of the workers due to which, the workers are also threatening to commit suicide. The workers, most affected by the prolonged IBC process of HNG, have had to sell their personal belongings to sustain themselves because of the ‘illegal’ actions of the RP.

    This letter by HNG Nala Sangam employees union directly alleges that the RP is in conspiracy with AGI. Following are the points raised by the workers’ union with regard to the collusion between the RP and AGI and the role of the RP: 

    1. The letter says that “the present grave situation has arisen due to the RP’s misgovernance of the plants of HNGIL, one of which has already led to a serious fire incident (at Nashik) and other plants are also in risk of great danger”.
    2. The workers are the most affected stakeholders from the prolonged litigation of HNGIL for which they have no resources and no funds. The RP has protracted these litigations only to benefit AGI. The workers are on the verge of selling everything they have for a fair chance to be heard before the Courts of Justice. 
    3. The letter says that the RP, either through his inactions or by design, is seeking to help AGI Greenpac in overcoming and creating circumstances that would render the litigations pending before the Supreme Court and in the process is risking the lives of thousands of workmen of HNGIL.
    4. There was enough material, in the knowledge of the RP that the furnaces of the HNGIL were in dilapidated condition and any such incident may occur at any time. However, the RP did not take any concrete steps to repair/rebuild the said furnaces risking the valuable lives of thousands of workers of HNGIL.
    5. The workers of Sinnar Plant did complain and address the issue of the dilapidated furnaces directly to RP on several occasions. However, the RP ignored the same which resulted in the fire incident at the Sinnar Plant. 
    6. The Sinnar plant was run without a valid NOC, despite having capital expenditure for installing firefighting equipment.
    7. Following the Fire Incident at Sinnar Plant, highly skilled personnel crucial to the safety of the furnaces at Nashik are being coercively transferred to other units, while those refusing transfer orders are being pressured into resignation, exacerbating concerns regarding fair labor practices.
    8. Workers of HNGIL have expressed concerns that similar incidents could potentially occur at the other plants of the NGIL, posing a significant risk to the lives and livelihoods of the workers. 
    9. The malefice of the RP is evident from the fact that RP did not report the said fire and no investigation was conducted or ordered by him. It is evident that the RP was only interested in insurance claims which will ultimately benefit AGI Greenpac. Despite HNGIL having sufficient bank balance to repair the said plant, RP failed to do so as the cost of renovation plus loss of profit. The letter says this shows malafide intent of the RP. 
    10. The employees at the plant are being constantly harassed by the RP, who is denying the employees their salary and other reasonable dues. It is also clear that the RP is not even fulfilling the basic requirements/needs of the employees and has created an unhealthy working environment due to which there are high attrition of employees.

    Interestingly, the letter by the workers union categorically states what the potential intent of the RP could be, stating clearly the collusion between the RP and AGI. 

    The letter says: 

    The two main reasons behind RPs’ intentional interest in bringing down the plants of the HNGIL are:

    1. To make AGIs’ non-compliant plan, CI compliant b burning down plants of HNGIL and reducing the total capacity of HNGIL;
    2. By diverting al the customers of HNGIL to AGI and skilled workers to AGI; and
    3. To misappropriate the insurance proceeds of the said fire incident for the benefit of AGI and the RP himself.

    The workers union’s letter goes on to make certain demands, which include directing the IBBI to take action against RP Girish Juneja, conduct a proper investigation into the fire incident at Sinnar Plant where Nala Sangam is also heard, Direct State Labour Commissioner to look into the matter and submit a report to the concerned department of Labour Ministry, and most importantly, file an FIR against the RP. 

    It is well-established law that during the process of insolvency, the RP is the ‘occupier’ of the Corporate Debtor’s factory as held by landmark judgment Subrata Monindranath Maity v. The State as well. 

    In this landmark judgment, the Madras High Court has held that: (i) The protection to the resolution professional given under Section 233 of IBC is obviously only in respect of act done or intended to be done in good faith under the code. The failure or omission to provide safety measures in the factory cannot be stretched to inaction. (ii) The resolution professional is the occupier of the factory (as defined under Section 2(n) of the Factories Act, 1948) and he cannot abdicate his duties and responsibility of providing necessary safety measures in the factory as mandated in the Factories Act. (iii) The expression used in section 17 of the Code explicitly say that the resolution professional is the person who is vested with absolute control of the Corporate Debtor company. While so, for the violation or omission in the factory premises, Resolution Professional is responsible for the Proceedings if any, initiated against Resolution Professional under the Factories Act in his capacity as occupier. The said proceedings will not be covered under section 14 or 233 of the Code.

    It is therefore evident that the RP was responsible for the upkeep of the Sinnar Plant and if the complaint by the employees, the report by the deputy director- of the Maharashtra Industrial Safety Department and the subsequent magistrate order is to be considered, the RP seems to be responsible for gross negligence. 

    Muslim students at Jamia Millia Islamia University disrupt Diwali celebration event on campus, chant ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘Palestine Zindabad’ slogans

    OpIndia Staff
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    Muslim students at Jamia Millia Islamia University disrupt Diwali celebration event on campus, chant ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘Palestine Zindabad’ slogans

    On Tuesday, October 22 an altercation occurred at Jamia Millia Islamia University during Diwali celebrations, after a group of Muslim students kicked diyas and Ragoli prepared by other students at the campus. A video of the incident, which is now going viral on social media, shows a large crowd assembled on campus and chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘Palestine Zindabad’ slogans.

    The incident happened during the pre-Diwali celebrations- Jyotirmaya 2024 inside Gate No. 7 of the university in Delhi.

    The ruckus happened when two groups of students clashed during a Rangoli event that was held at the event.

    Reports suggest that some Muslim students on the campus used their feet to erase a Rangoli that the other group of students had prepared for the occasion, which provoked a strong reaction from the other group, resulting in chaos on campus. The group also kicked off diyas with their feet.

    Following the altercation, police were deployed outside the campus to maintain order. The situation has since been brought under control.

    Though an official statement from the university is still awaited, The Indian Express quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police Southeast Ravi Kumar as saying, “The incident occurred around 7:30-8 pm near gate 7. A group of students affiliated with the ABVP were putting up diyas and making rangolis for Diwali, which displeased another group of students. The other group wrecked the decorations, which led to a scuffle. Both sides engaged in sloganeering.”

    Notably, each year, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student union associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with university students, organizes the Diwali festivities. The video of the incident depicted a significant gathering, creating substantial disorder, with numerous men and women carrying backpacks seen walking through the campus as slogans in support of Palestine resonated in the background.

    Old video of Jemimah Rodrigues participating in an evangelical event goes viral after her termination from Mumbai’s top club over her father’s ‘religious activities’

    OpIndia Staff
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    Old video of Jemimah Rodrigues participating in an evangelical event goes viral after her termination from Mumbai’s top club over her father’s ‘religious activities’

    An old video, purportedly from 2015, member of the Indian women’s cricket team, Jemimah Rodrigues, being used by her father in an evangelical event has gone viral on the internet. The video surfaced after Jemimah’s Khar Gymkhana membership was revoked over her father’s ‘religious activities’. 

    In the video, a young Jemimah could be seen expressing gratitude to God while speaking to an auditorium packed with audience about scoring 25 off 37 balls in a match. As the host approaches her, she acts as if she is possessed and collapses on the ground. The video was shared by an X user who claimed both Jemimah and her father were involved with Bro Manuel Ministries, an evangelical organisation as per its description on its YouTube page. 

    Intriguingly, the YouTube page of ‘Bro Manuel Ministries’ says they have a Sunday one-day retreat twice a month at Khar Gymkhana. 

    The video surfaced hours after elite Khar Gymkhana terminated the playing membership of Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues after her father Ivan repeatedly booked its premises for ‘Christian conversion meetings’ using her ID. 

    Jemimah Rodrigues, who plays for the women’s cricket team, was the first female cricketer to be awarded the membership of the top sports club in March last year.

    According to Khar Gymkhana’s managing committee member Shiv Malhotra, Ivan Rodrigues booked the sporting club’s banquet hall for ‘meetings to religious conversions.’ 

    It was reportedly carried out between March 2023 and November 2024 at the behest of a Christian evangelical group called Brother Manuel Ministries. According to the bye-laws Rule 4A of the constitution of Khar Gymkhana, religious activities are not allowed on its premises.

    Kutch: Ziyad introduces himself as Jigar to minor Dalit girl, rapes and assaults her; accused was in contact with 28 non-Muslim girls

    OpIndia Staff
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    Kutch: Ziyad introduces himself as Jigar to minor Dalit girl, rapes and assaults her; accused was in contact with 28 non-Muslim girls

    A case of love jihad recently came to light from a village in Mandvi taluka of Kutch district in Gujarat. A Dalit girl has filed a complaint against a man named Ziyad who is from Pune, Maharashtra, after which he was taken into custody by the Gujarat Police and was subsequently sent to a three-day remand by the court.

    Now, the authorities have made several shocking disclosures regarding the matter. They stated that the accused Ziyad was in contact with 28 girls through social media, out of whom 22 were Hindu while 6 belonged to the Christian community.

    The incident is at present viewed as a specially hatched conspiracy. The cops mentioned that Ziyad first used to trap girls and then forced them to embrace Islam. These revelations were made during the offender’s remand, which pointed towards a systematic and well-planned plot of love jihad.

    Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) MJ Christian, who is looking into the matter, shared that 28 girls were messaged “Hi” and 22 of them were Hindus while the others were Christians. The details found on the mobile phone of the perpetrator were shocking. It also came to the fore that three more culprits were involved in the conspiracy apart from Ziyad. Currently, further investigation is underway.

    The background of the matter

    According to the complaint lodged at the police station, the victim moved to Mumbai from her native Kutch with her family, three years ago. Meanwhile, Ziyad created a fake ID with the name Jigar on an online gaming platform and introduced himself to her. Afterwards, she was assaulted and raped twice. She was a minor at the time.

    The complainant then asked Ziyad to marry her when he revealed his true identity and told her that he was a Muslim. She snapped ties with him just as she learned about his deceit, however, he continued to harass her to convert and wed him.

    The victim grew tired of his actions and went to her hometown along with her family for two years. A few months ago, the girl got engaged to a young man from her own community, which infuriated Ziyad, who released her obscene photographs on social media. The victim eventually went to the authorities and lodged a complaint against Ziyad in Bhuj Cyber ​​Crime.

    The police have filed a complaint against him under Section 4 of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, and Sections 4, 6, and 10 of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act since he sexually violated the girl when she was a minor. Furthermore, Sections 376(2)(n), 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and as well as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been invoked because she is from the Dalit community.

    Demolition of illegal Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla halted as Mosque committee says they have no money, Himachal Minister Aniruddh Singh comes forward to help

    OpIndia Staff
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    Demolition of illegal Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla halted as Mosque committee says they have no money, Himachal Minister Aniruddh Singh comes forward to help

    On October 5 this year, a Shimla Court had ordered the demolition of top three illegal floors of the Sanjauli Mosque in Himachal Pradesh. The Municipal Commissioner Court in Shimla ordered the demolition of illegally built floors of the Sanjauli Mosque. The Court gave two months to the Masjid committee and Waqf Board to complete the demolition process.

    The demolition process started on Monday, October 21, after getting a nod from Waqf Board. The Court had ordered that mosque committee and Waqf Board will bear the cost of the demolition of the illegal portion. However, now the mosque committee is saying that they don’t have money to demolish the illegal structure.

    President of the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, Mohammad Latif said that everyone comes forward to build a mosque but no one is willing to fund its demolition.

    As per Latif, demolition work will not be carried out till funds are secured for the illegal mosque’s demolition. Notably, Mohammad Latif’s statement comes on the day when demolition work started on the illegal mosque. However, Latif said that the contract was awarded only for the removal of the tin roof, and not the concrete structure itself.

    Meanwhile, Devbhoomi Struggle Committee, which has been fighting against this illegal mosque, said that despite court order to remove this illegal structure, there are attempts to bypass court orders.

    In the mean time, State Cabinet Minister Aniruddh Singh has said that he is ready to provide financial assistance if the mosque committee doesn’t have funds to demolish the illegal structure. He has said that he will help if the mosque committee approaches him.

    Hindus, run away or you will be shot: While Bahraich police calls claims of announcements from mosque as ‘misleading’, same claim repeated by a disabled eyewitness

    राहुल पाण्डेय
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    Hindus, run away or you will be shot: While Bahraich police calls claims of announcements from mosque as ‘misleading’, same claim repeated by a disabled eyewitness

    On 13th October 2024, a Durga Visarjan procession was attacked in Maharajganj, Bahraich. During the attack, Ram Gopal Mishra was killed. 70-year-old Vinod Mishra and Divyang Satyavan Mishra are among the victims who suffered serious injuries in this attack.

    Vinod Mishra, an eyewitness to this attack, said that the Muslim mob attacked Hindu devotees after being incited from the mosque. The Bahraich police had termed his claim on social media as ‘misleading’. Now a similar claim has been made by Divyang Satyavan.

    Speaking to OpIndia, Satyavan said that on that day, announcement was made from the mosque that, “Wherever you find a Hindu, kill him there.”

    Satyavan said that after this announcement, a mob of Muslims attacked the Hindu devotees present in front of Abdul Hameed’s house. He also says that people involved in the Islamist mob were saying, “Hey Hindus, run away from here or else I will shoot you.”

    The Islamic mob also attacked handicapped Satyavan

    Satyavan Mishra is physically more than 80% disabled since birth. OpIndia reached Satyavan Mishra’s house and spoke to him. Satyavan is disabled in both legs and one hand since childhood. He moves on a wheel chair. He cannot even drive the wheel chair for a long distance because the only hand working to drive it gets tired very soon. On the day of the incident, Satyavan Mishra was sitting in a trolley near the same idol in the procession of Maa Durga, which was targeted during stone pelting by the rioters. He was applying tilak to the devotees by distributing prasad with his one working hand.

    Satyavan is still trembling with fear

    When the OpIndia team reached Satyavan’s village, he was found lying on a cot outside his house. Satyavan Mishra had deep wounds on his face. His body was shaking while talking about the incident. Fear could be clearly seen in his eyes. Satyavan, who was injured by a sharp weapon below his lips, was not even able to speak. He started crying while remembering the violence. He showed us his back which had turned black.

    After a while, Satyavan, while regaining his composure, told us that he has been distributing prasad and applying tilak to the devotees during the immersion procession of Maa Durga for the last 25 years. He says that on the day of the violence, the DJ with his trolley was stopped at Abdul Hameed’s house. Abdul’s son Sarfaraz was hell-bent on stopping the DJ while he was abusing everyone else. When the devotees refused, Sarfaraz ripped off the DJ’s wire. As soon as Hindus protested against this, stones started raining from Abdul Hameed’s house.

    Had Abdul Hameed accepted his son’s mistake, there would have been no dispute

    Satyavan Mishra further tells us that the hand of the statue of Maa Durga was broken during stone pelting. After this, people of Hindu community sat on a dharna and started demanding action against Sarfaraz. In this chaos, Abdul Hameed also came out. The elders among the devotees were demanding that Abdul Hameed should accept his son’s mistake and rebuke him. However, Abdul Hameed did not agree to this. On the contrary, he kept justifying his son’s violent act.

    Satyavan further tells us that when Abdul justified the attack on Maa Durga idol, the devotees of Maa Durga sat on a dharna on the road and asked the police to arrest Sarfaraz. The police were not ready to arrest Sarfaraz. Following this, some devotees involved in the immersion yatra got furious, including Ram Gopal Mishra. They reached the roof of Abdul Hameed’s house and took out a green flag and waved a saffron flag.

    Both legs handicapped, Satyavan could not even run

    Satyavan further tells that a mob of Muslims reached his trolley during the riot. By then, all his companions present in the trolley had fled. Satyavan with his disabled legs tried to move but couldn’t, then about half a dozen attackers climbed the trolley and beat him badly with sticks. Satyavan suffered injuries on his head and back. Satyavan’s face was attacked with a sharp weapon.

    According to Satyavan, he bled a lot and gradually he became unconscious. Kallu’s son Lallu and Munna Kabadi etc. were among those who attacked him. It is said that the attackers had swords, knives and guns etc. Satyavan doesn’t even know who picked him up from the spot and took him to the hospital. His condition was very serious in the hospital. Finally, after being referred to Lucknow, Satyavan’s life was somehow saved in the trauma center there. Satyavan finally said, “We are Hindus. We were killed because we are Hindus.”

    OpIndia has access to a video of Satyavan Mishra being loaded into a government ambulance and taken to a hospital. Satyavan’s face is covered in blood in the video. There is a large cut mark below his lips. Satyavan has expressed hope that the Uttar Pradesh government will take strict action not only against the attacking Islamic fundamentalists but also against the guilty policemen.

    Hyderabad: Tensions erupt after Islamists raise ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans against a Hindu youth over charges of ‘blasphemy’

    OpIndia Staff
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    Hyderabad: Tensions erupt after Islamists raise ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans against a Hindu youth over charges of ‘blasphemy’

    On Sunday, 20th October, tensions erupted in the Rein Bazaar area of Hyderabad when a large mob of Islamists gathered to protest against a local youth, accusing him of blasphemy. The mob of Islamists was angered over an Instagram post that they claimed was offensive to Prophet Mohammad. The mob demanded action against the youth and raised slogans of “Sar Tan Se Juda.” The protests began at midnight and continued until the early hours, leading to unrest in the area.

    According to a report by Organizer, the incident took place after a 20-year-old hotel employee from the Rein Bazaar jurisdiction shared an Instagram post that allegedly offended the Muslim community. Within hours, a large mob of Islamists took to the streets and raised slogans of “Sar Tan Se Juda” against the young man. For those unaware, the “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogans, popularised by hardcore Islamists, call for the beheading of the person accused of “blasphemy.”

    The situation worsened as reports surfaced that over 60 people attacked a family near the Mahankali Pochamma Temple in Brahmanwadi, Yakutpura. The mob issued death threats, which heightened tensions near the temple. Notably, Rein Bazaar police station was in close proximity to the spot where the incident happened. However, the locals expressed their frustration over police inaction in the matter.

    Eyewitnesses further alleged that instead of addressing the tension, the police instructed the temple community to vacate the premises and remain silent. No official statement has been issued by the police regarding the threats or why no strict action was taken to defuse the situation.

    Series of similar incidents across the country

    In recent months, several such incidents where Islamist mobs raised slogans of “Sar Tan Se Juda” have been reported across the country including the recent incident in Hyderabad, in response to perceived insults to Islam. On 19th October, an Islamist mob took to the streets of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, and chanted the slogan following rumours of blasphemy against a Hindu man. As per reports, they were angered over an objectionable comment about Prophet Mohammad. The mob surrounded the local police station and demanded action. The accused was arrested by the police, and the authorities claimed the situation was under control.

    On 16th September, similar slogans were raised by a Muslim mob during a Barawafat procession in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, near a Hindu Temple. A video of the incident went viral. The incident took place in front of the Bharatbhari Temple, leading to an immediate investigation by the Siddharthnagar police.

    A similar incident occurred on 29th September following remarks by Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, head priest (Mahant) of Dasna Temple, during a public event. The mob, angered by his remarks, raised “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogans. Similar mobs protested and raised slogans against Narsinghanand at several locations across the country for days.

    In October, a heated exchange between a 14-year-old Hindu boy and a Muslim boy on social media escalated into a major incident. A video of Salman Azhari, known for insulting Hindus, was shared by the Muslim boy during the argument. In response, the Hindu boy retaliated with comments that were deemed objectionable by the Muslim boy. He shared screenshots on social media, and the Hindu boy was accused of blasphemy. After that, over 1,000 Islamists gathered outside his house and raised “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogans. A police officer was also assaulted during the incident, leading to multiple FIRs being registered against the mob.

    The Wire and its obsession with SFJ terrorist Gurpwatwant Pannun: How the rag insists the Khalistani terrorist threatening India and Hindus is an ‘activist’

    Anurag
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    The Wire and its obsession with SFJ terrorist Gurpwatwant Pannun: How the rag insists the Khalistani terrorist threatening India and Hindus is an ‘activist’

    Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an infamous Khalistani terrorist who has dual citizenship of the United States and Canada, has become the latest favourite of propaganda news portals like The Wire. Despite being designated as a terrorist by the Government of India, Pannun enjoys the label of being a Sikh activist, thanks to The Wire. The news portal, which is known for some of the biggest blunders in journalism’s history, including the “Meta-Wire Saga” and the fake reporting on “Tek Fog,” insists that the Khalistani terrorist, who day in and day out threatens India and Hindus, is an ‘activist.’

    OpIndia examined multiple reports published by The Wire regarding the activities of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and noticed that they have developed a love-like attitude towards the terrorist. The Wire’s reporters attempt to water down Pannun’s crimes by merely calling him an activist who, well, only wants to create a separate nation by breaking India—nothing big, right? The phenomenon was mentioned by several social media users on X. Vijay Patel, an investigative reporter, shared a screenshot of The Wire’s report and wrote, “So, according to the Wire, terrorist Pannun is an ‘activist.’ You must not be surprised because Siddharth Varadrajan, the owner of this propaganda website, is a US citizen, and her mother-in-law, Puspa Sunder, was an officer with the CIA-affiliated Ford Foundation.”

    Famous X user BefittingFacts wrote, “According to The Wire, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who just threatened to blow up Air India flights is ‘Sikh Activist’.”

    Interestingly, when we checked the said report, “activist” magically became “separatist”. Only The Wire can explain how and why this magic happened.

    Source: The Wire

    Here are a few of such reports by The Wire, where Pannun became a beloved Sikh/Khalistani activist, US Citizen and what not.

    On 1st May, an op-ed written by Siddharth Varadarajan described India as “banana republic”. In the same op-ed, he described Pannun as “Khalistani campaigner Gurpatwant Singh Pannun”.

    Source: The Wire

    On 17th June 2024, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was described as a “Sikh Lawyer” in a report by The Wire.

    Source: The Wire.

    In a post on X on 30th November 2023, Pannun was called a “Khalistani Activist”.

    Source: The Wire/X

    When we checked the report, he was mentioned as a “US citizen who runs a pro-Khalistani organisation” and his “organisation” that is “Sikhs for Justice” was called an “NGO in the US”. Pannun is a designated terrorist and SFJ is a terrorist organisation. But, anyway.

    Source: The Wire

    In the same report, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was a Canadian, was described as a “Khalistani Activist”.

    Source: The Wire

    We found multiple reports where he was being mentioned as a pro-Khalistan activist that can be checked here and here. In one of the reports, that can be checked here, he was called an “American National”. In the same report, Pannun and Nijjar were also mentioned as pro-Khalistan activists.

    Source: The Wire.

    Interestingly, The Wire is not the only news portal that is in “love” with Pannun. In an 18th October report, Al Jazeera referred to Pannun as an “American Citizen” and “Sikh American activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.”

    Source: Al Jazeera

    In a 22nd December 2023 report, the BBC called him an “American Citizen who advocates for Khalistan.” The report did mention that he has been designated a terrorist by India, but it seemed more like a taunt rather than taking India’s stance seriously. The report stated, “Delhi has made no bones about its dislike for the Sikh separatist—a man they designated a terrorist in 2020.”

    Source: BBC

    Romanticising terrorism needs to stop

    It is both disturbing and revealing that news portals like The Wire, BBC, and Al Jazeera have categorically failed to call Gurpatwant Singh Pannun a terrorist, which is an undeniable fact. Pannun has been involved in many anti-India activities, including threatening India and Hindus. He has played a vital role in the current Khalistani movement. His so-called referendum, where he is seeking votes to carve out Khalistan from India, is not a benign political campaign. It is part of a broader strategy of violence and secession. He often propagates violence against India and provokes young Sikhs to engage in violent activities against Indian officials, both in India and abroad.

    Yet, despite his designation as a terrorist by the Government of India, these portals continue to soften his image and refer to him as an “activist,” “campaigner,” and even just a “Sikh lawyer.” This is a deliberate attempt to water down Pannun’s violent agenda, which cannot be considered merely journalistic negligence. It is, in fact, an alarming example of how propaganda-driven news can be used to distort public perception.

    The Wire and other portals have failed to report Pannun’s history of extremism accurately and often dilute it. These media outlets are providing him with a shield and legitimising his dangerous activities in the eyes of their readers. The Wire, in particular, has repeatedly referred to him in softened terms and brushed aside his terrorist designation with vanilla words. Framing him as a mere “pro-Khalistani activist” does not do justice to his numerous threats directed at India, Indian officials, and Hindus. In doing so, they ignore the very real threats he has issued against Indian institutions and citizens.

    Al Jazeera and BBC are no different. These are international portals that claim to be journalistic masterpieces. They have the potential to command a global audience. However, in their irresponsible reporting, they downplayed Pannun’s extremist role, referring to him merely as a “Sikh American activist” or “campaigner.” While they did mention his terrorist status, it was almost as an afterthought. They framed Pannun’s portrayal as a terrorist as if it were a subjective label placed by the Indian government rather than a legal designation rooted in his long-standing promotion of violence and separatism.

    The pattern of these news portals painting a positive picture of terrorists is not limited to Pannun. From Osama Bin Laden to Burhan Wani, for some reason, they find ways to make it “let’s make him a hero for our audience.” Terrorism is a termite mound that is eating this world rapidly. It is high time these portals get their act together and stick to the basics of journalism—that is, present the news without any bias. Romanticising terrorism needs to stop—right here, right now.

    GST Scam Case involving “The Hindu” ‘Journalist’ Mahesh Langa: Gujarat Police raids Maritime Board’s office, finds data of private ports leaked

    OpIndia Staff
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    GST Scam Case involving “The Hindu” ‘Journalist’ Mahesh Langa: Gujarat Police raids Maritime Board’s office, finds data of private ports leaked

    Days after The Hindu journalist Mahesh Langa and others were arrested in the GST Scam case, the Gujarat Police conducted raids at the Maritime Board office at Gandhinagar, Gujarat’s capital. During the probe by Gandhinagar Police, it emerged that the data of some ports was leaked from the Maritime Board office.

    Six teams of Gandhinagar Police are conducting searches at the Maritime Board office and examining the documents after checking the phones of the accused persons, including The Hindu ‘journalist’ Mahesh Langa. It has been reported that that some officers working in the office of the Maritime Board were in touch with the accused and crucial data of private ports was leaked by them.

    After the investigation, more arrests are expected in this case in addition to several Maritime Board officers being questioned. It is also likely that the police will seize computer hard drives from the Maritime Board’s office and analyse them.

    As reported earlier, some government employees and police officers connected to ‘journalist’ Mahesh Langa of The Hindu were worried following his arrest in the GST scam case due to their involvement with the alleged journalist. Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also got involved in the probe of the multi-crore scandal and the agency is still in the early stages of its investigation.

    Mahesh Langa’s connection has also emerged with some government IAS-IPS officers, who used to pass him some sensitive information, which Langa used to deliver to opposition parties and some industrial groups. On 14th October, officials were shocked to learn that Ahmedabad police commissioner G S Malik had personally questioned Langa a day earlier.

    Earlier, on 17th October, the ED searched several cities in Gujarat as part of the investigation in the case. According to reports, the raids occurred at roughly 23 locations in the cities of Rajkot, Junagadh, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, and Veraval following the filing of a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    After receiving a complaint from the Central GST regarding the scam involving shell companies set up to defraud the government through fictitious input tax credits and fraudulent transactions, the Ahmedabad Police Crime Branch filed the FIR in the case against a number of individuals and entities.

    Over 33 individuals involved in running 12 bogus firms were arrested. In connection with this Rs 200 crore GST scam, the Crime Branch arrested The Hindu ‘journalist’ Mahesh Langa. The police also noted the alleged involvement of Langa’s family in this scam and seized Rs 20 lakh in cash and unaccounted gold from their possession.

    Indian Air Force signs MoU with Uber: Security concerns, data breaches faced by the ride-sharing app and a lesson from Strava

    OpIndia Staff
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    Indian Air Force signs MoU with Uber: Security concerns, data breaches faced by the ride-sharing app and a lesson from Strava

    On Thursday (17 Oct), the Indian Air Force (IAF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ride-sharing app Uber to offer exclusive benefits to serving Air Force personnel, veterans and families.

    The development was confirmed by the IAF on X (formerly Twitter). The MoU was signed by Air Vice Marshal Updesh Sharma and Abhinav Mittoo, the senior country General Manager of Uber, to facilitate travel of Air Force personnel and their families.

    “The collaboration with Uber represents an important step in the journey towards enhanced mobility solutions for Air Force personnel and families,” the IAF said in an official statement.

    At the same time, Uber stated, “We are proud to partner with the Indian Air Force to enhance mobility solutions… This partnership marks a significant step towards digitalisation by adopting shared mobility solutions. Through this MoU, we aim to support the Indian Air Force’s broader vision of leveraging technology for transformative progress”

    The IAF is reportedly going to use the ride-sharing app’s tailored enterprise version to facilitate official travel and daily commutes of serving personnel, veterans and their families.

    It remains unclear at this point whether the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Uber and the Indian Air Force is legally enforceable in a court of law.

    MoU sparks concerns of the public, veterans and experts alike

    The MoU has raised concerns about possible compromise of data, location tracking risks, and sharing and access of sensitive information by third-party apps.

    Lieutenant General (retd) Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon cautioned, “Someone needs to have a serious relook here…You are practically geo-tagging every Air Force personnel, making them vulnerable for live tracking @IAF_MCC. Jai Hind”

    Army veteran Major Madhan Kumar tweeted, “If the exclusive benefits is based on a promo code , it means the UBER will have the access to @IAF_MCC personnels name , their contacts, phone no, email I’d & location. Data security in #India ?”

    Independent journalist Saikiran Kannan outlined key problems surrounding the MoU between Uber and the Indian Air Force. These include challenges of sensitive data exposure on breach of Uber’s systems, profiling of IAF personnel and tracking of their movements.

    At the same time, Uber may be targeted by state-sponsored hackers and compromise of information can lead to disruption of military intelligence and operations.

    Journalist Rohit Vats highlighted that if the IAF personnel were to receive coupon codes, then, Uber could use them to create a separate database of such users and their families.

    “Depending on the usage rate, over a period, you can have a very large database of numbers tagged as ‘IAF’.Location of mobile number = location of the IAF personnel, or his family. If you go one step further, by hacking into telecom database, external actors can correlate mobile number(s) with exact name of the person,” he cautioned.

    Vats further added, “What happens next? Targeted malware into the phones of IAF personnel, tracking their movement, hacking their phone database and information etc. Sky is the limit!”

    Uber and its history of data breaches

    The ride-sharing app has faced multiple data breaches over the past 10 years and was even found guilty of concealing some of those breaches.

    2014: Unknown hackers accessed over 1 lakh names and their driving license numbers of Uber users. They also downloaded information about the bank accounts and domestic routing numbers of 215 users.

    2016: Uber was breached by 2 attackers, named, Brandon Charles Glover and Vasile Mereacre. The duo was able to access the personally identifiable information of more than 57 million users. The attackers then sent ransom mail to the ride-sharing app and informed that they had access to Uber’s database.

    Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Joey Sullivan paid the duo $50,000 to delete the compromised data and not disclose the breach. Sullivan kept it under cover and withheld information from other Uber employees and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

    He later pled guilty to one count each of obstruction of justice and Misprision of a Felony and was sentenced to 3 years probation. Uber was fined $148 million for hiding the data breach.

    2022: A hacker bought stolen credentials of an existing Uber employee from the dark web. He then attempted to access the network of the ride-sharing app but the account was protected by Multi-factor authentication (MFA).

    He contacted the Uber employee through WhatsApp and impersonated a member of the security team. The hacker kept on pestering the employee to approve the login notification.

    When the employee gave in, the hacker had access to the entire Uber network. He then hacked an employee’s Slack account and announced the data breach. However, he did not do anything and simply ‘walked away.’

    Strava heatmap episode: A case study

    In January 2018, a fitness tracking app called Strava was found publicly displaying a heatmap of exercise routes followed by military personnel of the US, UK and Russia in different bases of the world.

    Strava used a mobile phone’s GPS to track the exercise activity of its subscribers. It collects the data and provides insights on one’s performance and concerning others.

    The said heatmap, generated from data aggregated between 2015-2017, showed the jogging routes of active military personnel in Syria, Afghanistan, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands. The major security concern was first raised by Nathan Ruser.

    Strava was able to access the data since the military personnel had shared their location data with the fitness tracking app. While the location of military bases is often public knowledge, the common routes taken by soldiers are not available publicly.

    The app also showed routes where the military personnel underwent light training and heavy training, besides the ones used by aid workers and NGOs in remote areas. The information could have been exploited by hostile governments, secret agencies and terror outfits.

    While speaking to BBC, defence correspondent Jonathan Marcus noted, “Each piece of evidence is a fragment, but when added together it could pose a significant risk to security – in this case highlighting the location of formerly secret bases or undisclosed patterns of military activity.”

    The multiple data breaches faced by Uber, and the security compromise on the part of Strava highlight the need for better data protection. The MoU between the ride-sharing app and the Indian Air Force (IAF) is thus fraught with risks.

    Note: OpIndia has written to the Indian Ministry of Defence, Indian Air Force and Uber. The article will be updated once we receive a response from them.

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