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Uttar Pradesh: Female lawyer Mohini Tomar’s kidnap and murder case – Police arrest Mustafa Kamil, Asad Mustafa, Haider Mustafa, and Salman

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Female lawyer Mohini Tomar’s kidnap and murder case – Police arrest Mustafa Kamil, Asad Mustafa, Haider Mustafa, and Salman

On 4th September, the body of advocate Mohini Tomar was recovered from Hazara Canal near Rekhpur Minor in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh. Mohini had gone missing from the district court gate on 3rd September. The incident sent shockwaves through the region. Her husband filed a complaint, leading to an investigation. As the matter unfolded, it was found that fellow advocates were behind Mohini’s murder. Four suspects have been arrested by the police, including Haider Mustafa and Salman Mustafa.

Escalation from a cricket match dispute

During questioning, police found that the roots of Advocate Mohini’s murder were traced back to a seemingly trivial dispute during a cricket match in Soronji, Kasganj, that took place around two months ago. During that match, an altercation broke out between two of the accused, Haider and Salman, and a local youth named Shivshankar. After Haider and Salman’s team lost the match, they verbally abused Shivshankar. Later, on 30th July, they encountered him in the court premises during a case hearing, where they physically assaulted Shivshankar.

Advocate Mohini Tomar was representing Shivshankar in the case. She persisted in taking the matter to the High Court despite the threats. When she refused to back down, she was kidnapped, killed, and thrown into the canal. Her husband, Brijendra Tomar, mentioned in his complaint that Mohini had been receiving continuous threats from the accused, who were pressurising her to withdraw the case and settle the matter out of court. However, Mohini ignored the threats, leading the accused to allegedly orchestrate her abduction and murder.

Content of the FIR

Based on Mohini’s husband’s complaint, an FIR was registered under Sections 140(1), 103(1), 61(2), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita (BNS) against advocates Mustafa Kamil, Asad Mustafa, Haider Mustafa, Salman, Keshav Mishra, and advocate Munazir Rafi.

In his complaint, Brijendra detailed the events leading up to her murder. He said that on 3rd September, around 2 PM, he dropped his wife outside the main gate of the Kasganj District Court. Soon after that, individuals identified as Mustafa Kamil, his son Asad Mustafa, Haider Mustafa, and Salman, along with Munajir Rafi and Keshav Mishra, conspired to abduct Mohini. He stated that all of them practice law at the same court. They orchestrated a plan to lure Mohini outside the court gate and subsequently kidnapped her. Later, they killed her at an undisclosed location.

He further added that Mohini’s body was recovered from Hazara Canal near Rekhpur Bridge on the evening of 4th September. He and Mohini’s sister Rajni were called to identify the body at the Kasganj mortuary. He mentioned that Mohini had been visibly distressed for 20-25 days before the murder. When he asked about the reason, she revealed the threats she had been receiving of dire consequences for opposing the bail of Mustafa Kamil’s sons in court. She was frequently harassed and threatened by the accused within the court premises and feared for her safety.

He emphasised that Mohini had previously opposed the bail of Munajir Rafi in the 2018 Chandan Gupta murder case, where she was representing the victim’s side. The case is still ongoing.

Police action in the matter

On 4th September, Mohini’s partially clothed body was recovered from Hazara Canal. There were signs of physical assault, confirming it was a murder case. Following the recovery of the body, protests broke out across the district. Police acted swiftly in the matter and arrested four accused from their homes in Soron’s Bada Bazaar area. They were sent to 10-day police remand. Two of the suspects, Munajir Rafi and Keshav Mishra, were arrested later.

There has been a strong reaction from the legal fraternity over Mohini’s murder. Lawyers blocked the Kasganj-Bareilly highway, demanding swift justice. They refused the police’s request to disperse and vowed to continue their protests until all suspects are apprehended and prosecuted. They have also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of the deceased and a government job for one of her family members.

‘We can’t interfere in country’s foreign policy’: SC dismisses plea by Hamas simpers, including Harsh Mander, to halt India’s military exports to Israel

OpIndia Staff
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‘We can’t interfere in country’s foreign policy’: SC dismisses plea by Hamas simpers, including Harsh Mander, to halt India’s military exports to Israel

On 9th September, the Supreme Court denied a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) asking for the suspension of India’s military shipments to Israel in light of the continuing conflict with Gaza. The court ruled that as the issue fell entirely under the purview of foreign policy, it was beyond its authority to order the Government of India to stop exporting resources to any nation. The bench included Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

A writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution asking to “cancel any existing licences/permissions and halt the grant of new licences/permissions, to various companies in India, for exports of arms and other military equipment to Israel” was heard by the apex court. The petitioners argued that since India was exporting weapons to Israel, it was breaking the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide because Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

The bench pronounced that Article 162 of the Constitution grants the Union Government the power and jurisdiction to deal with international affairs. The court additionally noted that it would need to determine the accusations made against Israel which is an independent sovereign state outside the ambit of Indian courts, before it could award the requested relief.

The court further pointed out that granting the relief would be equivalent to issuing a court order for the Indian corporations’ potential breach of the contracts they might have had with foreign businesses and could face legal action for the same. The government alone has the authority to decide whether to forbid international trade with any nation under the relevant legislation. The court is not authorized to assume such responsibilities. The bench explained that it had not made any observations regarding the merits of India’s foreign policy or the behaviour of any other independent sovereign country when it dismissed the case.

“How can the court adopt this kind of jurisdiction? We can’t tell the government that you shall not export to a particular country or cancel the licenses of companies exporting arms to that country. It is a matter of foreign policy which is to be handled by the government. How can the court tell the government that there should not be exports of arms to a country? Where does the court get that sort of power? National self-interest has to be evaluated by the government,” the CJI remarked.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was representing the petitioners contended that the court might intervene if the national policy violated both the law and the Constitution. He claimed that India cannot permit exports that are used for genocide and insisted that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing rulings from the International Court of Justice. He added that it would be similar to encouraging genocide and breaking the Genocide Convention, which India has ratified. He further alleged that since the Genocide Convention is incorporated into our local laws, the court must halt any policies that violate the international agreement.

“What is the fall out on international relations is something we are not aware of,” the bench stressed. In a fictitious instance, CJI questioned whether the court could order the government to cease importing oil from Russia while the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on. “See Bangladesh too, there are disturbances there. What should be the degree of economic engagement with that country is a matter of foreign policy. In Maldives also we had some issues. Can we then ask the government to stop investments there,” he asked.

According to Prashant Bhushan, Israel’s situation is unique since numerous international organizations have concluded that they are perpetrating genocide. “Here is a very special situation, a very unusual situation. Spain stopped a ship which was carrying arms from India to Israel, they said they could not allow this ship to berth,” he stated. Several Indian firms may have had contracts with Israeli entities, per Justice Pardiwala, and if the Court were to grant the plea for instructions, it might result in legal action being taken against the Indian companies for allegedly breaching their commitments. However, Prashant Bhushan asserted that Israel was “committing genocide- no doubt about it.”

“That is a very generic statement. Let’s not unnecessarily get into all this. It will create problems for our court,” retaliated Justice Pardiwala. Prashant Bhushan mentioned that the United Kingdom government discontinued exports to Israel in response to a petition signed by more than 600 jurists. However, the CJI underlined that the UK Government, not the UK Supreme Court, carried out the decision.

What is the petition?

The ongoing export of weapons and other military hardware to Israel during the country’s siege of Gaza, according to the plea filed violates Articles 14 and 21 read with Article 51(c) of the Indian Constitution, which aims to “foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organized peoples with one another.” According to the petition, licenses for the shipment of weapons and ammunition to Israel have been given to at least three Indian businesses that deal with the production and export of such goods, even during the current Gaza conflict. These licenses, which were secured from the Department of Defence Production (DDP) or the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), permit the export of weapons and munitions for both dual-use and particularly military reasons. The plea was filed by the members of the ‘liberal ecosystem’, including a controversial former bureaucrat and Delhi riots accused Harsh Mander.

Ever since reports of the Israeli military importing arms from India surfaced, the leftwing liberal lobby has had ants in their pants, with periodic calls to the Centre to ban sales of armaments that are aiding Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched a war against Hamas, a terror group that controlled the Gaza Strip, after being inflamed by the October 7 terror attacks, when hundreds of Hamas terrorists from the Palestinian enclave intruded into the border villages of Israel and inflicted unspeakable atrocities.

Israel launched an operation to flush out Hamas terrorists and rescue over 200 Israelis held captive by the terror outfit. But its military operation to protect its sovereignty and bring back the abductees has raised the hackles of the Islamists the world over, including in India, who are in a stew as Hamas loses ground in Gaza while conveniently ignoring the plight of the minority Hindus facing an existential threat by bloodthirsty Islamists running amok closer home, in Bangladesh.

Islamic ‘scholar’ Kamran Malik defends sabotage attempts to derail trains, says it can be a ‘revengeful’ act against Yogi and Modi govt

OpIndia Staff
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Islamic ‘scholar’ Kamran Malik defends sabotage attempts to derail trains, says it can be a ‘revengeful’ act against Yogi and Modi govt

Amidst rising cases of sabotage attempts to derail trains post the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, an Islamic ”scholar’ has now come out to give cover fire to miscreants indulging in such incidents which could have caused loss of civilian lives and public property. Notably, on Monday (9th September), Zee News media panellist Kamran Malik said that the sabotage attempts to derail trains could be “revengeful” acts against the Law and order handling of the Yogi Adityanath and Modi governments. 

The incident unfolded on Monday when the media channel was holding a debate on how a conspiracy to derail a train was averted in Kanpur. As per reports, a loco pilot averted a major train mishap by applying an emergency brake as some miscreants had placed a gas cylinder on the railway track where Kalindi Express was coming. 

Now during the debate, the Zee News anchor asked if there was a larger conspiracy in play to derail trains as miscreants had been caught placing boulders, gas cylinders, wooden logs, etc. 

Islamic ‘scholar’ Kamran Malik replied saying UP sarkar ka..Central government ka…Inka jo law and order ko control karne ka jo rawaiya hai wo is tarah ka hai ki log “revengeful” ho sakte hai. (Translation –The way the UP government and the Central government are controlling law and order is such that people could become ‘revengeful’.) 

When the anchor strongly objected to his words and asked him to take back his words, he brazenly defended it and replied, “I am saying the right thing.” 

White trying to explain why he argued that these could be ‘revengeful acts’, Malik invoked the government’s demolition drive and alleged custodial deaths. 

Nonetheless, the Zee News anchor slammed the Islamic scholar for giving cover fire to miscreants stating that it should be shameful to claim that if the bulldozer action would be taken, the miscreants would derail trains.

Incidentally, another media panellist and Islamic Scholar Ghulam Sarwar also tried to justify Malik’s remarks and defend the miscreants indulging in such acts. 

It is pertinent to note that Kamran Malik has often appeared on Zee News debates as a media panellist and as an Islamic ‘scholar’. An alumnus of Jamia Milia Islamia, Malik is a Supreme Court advocate. As per his Twitter timeline, he once made an open appeal to the public to vote for Congress. 

In one of such debate, Malik had opposed the public movement of the Hindu community seeking to reclaim the birthplace of revered deities, Lord Ram, Lord Shiva, and Lord Krishna in Ayodhya, Kashi, and Mathura. Opposing the Hindu community’s rights, Malik argued that there is no importance of the birthplace of a deity, adding that even the birthplace of Prophet Mohammad is not at all important.

Rising cases of sabotage attempts to derail trains, and the clarion call for radicalisation to derail trains by Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist

The Indian Railways and probing agencies are investigating multiple sabotage attempts to derail trains, the recent one being reported from Uttar Pradesh. A major train accident of Kalindi Express (14117) travelling on the Anwarganj-Kasganj Route in Kanpur was averted after the loco pilot applied an emergency brake. As per the reports, a deliberate attempt was made to derail the Kalindi Express by placing a gas cylinder on the route. 

A few days ago, on 31st August, a loco pilot averted a major train derailment and loss of life by promptly applying emergency brakes after the goods train he was operating collided with motorcycle scrap placed on the railway track in Rajasthan’s Baran district. Initial reports indicated that an unidentified person had placed bike scrap on the railway track near Chachauda village in the Chhabra area.

Click here, to read about all the attempts to derail trains reported in the recent past.  

As reported earlier, the Indian authorities are currently reviewing train derailment incidents that transpired in the recent past after a video of a Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist, Farhatullah Ghori surfaced online. Notably, the Pakistani terrorist has posted a video on Telegram instigating his supporters to carry out large-scale train derailments in Delhi, Mumbai, and other Indian cities. 

Inciting the Jihadis to interrupt the railway lines and their transportation system, Ghori said that it would cause havoc in India. The terror recruiter on the intelligence establishment’s most wanted list stated, “The government is targeting our properties through ED and NIA, but we will remain steadfast and usurp power sooner or later.” In the three-minute video, Ghori asked the mujahideen to launch an “ishtishadi jung” or “fidayeen war” against Hindu leaders and police.

Notably, the Farhatullah Ghori who was designated a terrorist in 2020 has been involved in several terror attacks in India. Ghori was the mastermind of the 2001 Akshardham Temple attack which left 30 dead and 80 injured, the 2004 suicide attack on the Task Force office in Hyderabad, and the 2023 Rameshwaram Café blast case. Terrorist Farhatullah Ghori is originally from Hyderabad, India.

Annual ritual of blaming Diwali: AAP government in Delhi bans production, sale of firecrackers till January 1

OpIndia Staff
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Annual ritual of blaming Diwali: AAP government in Delhi bans production, sale of firecrackers till January 1

In a bid to ‘combat air pollution’ during the upcoming winter season, the Delhi government led by the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to ban the production, sale, and usage of firecrackers in the national capital.

According to Environment Minister Gopal Rai, the ban extends to the internet sale and distribution of firecrackers. “The ban on the production, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers will remain in force till January 1, 2025,” Rai said in the statement.

An action plan will be developed in consultation with the Delhi Police, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, and the Revenue Department to firmly enforce the ban, he added. As per the reports, this is part of the Delhi government’s winter action plan to ‘control pollution’, which consists of 21 emphasis points. 

It is important to note that the hazardous air of Delhi has always been a concern for which the AAP government has always chosen to blame the Hindu festival of Diwali despite research proving that it is the stubble burning from neighboring states, primarily Punjab in recent years, that is behind the bad air quality in the national capital in winter months. The government has a year-after-year imposed bans on the sale and production of the firecrackers. However, the air quality in Delhi has had no effect.

As reported in January this year, the air quality of Delhi slipped to a ‘severe’ condition even after the state imposed a ban on firecrackers weeks before Diwali 2023. Gopal Rai while imposing the ban had said that people should avoid bursting crackers on the Hindu festival as it would make it difficult for everyone to breathe. Even while wishing people on the occasion of Diwali from his X handle, he urged people to take a ‘pledge’ not to burst firecrackers.

Notably, the government has been giving a clean chit to the stubble burning in AAP-ruled Punjab which is majorly responsible for Delhi’s poor air quality.

The emphasis on banning firecrackers and attributing pollution entirely to Diwali appears to be political laziness and an inability to impose constructive policy changes. Instead of blaming a 1-day festival, the govt needs to emphasize on a more comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying causes of pollution.

Rahul Gandhi peddles anti-India agenda in the USA again, claims there is a ‘battle’ going on between Hindi and other languages: How Congress has been fuelling it

Rukma Rathore
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Rahul Gandhi peddles anti-India agenda in the USA again, claims there is a ‘battle’ going on between Hindi and other languages: How Congress has been fuelling it

“India is not one entity and is consistently engaged in an intense linguistic war,” is the message that Congress leader and Raebareli Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi is keen to convey to the rest of the world as proven by his regular statements during his foreign visits. He recently reiterated his standard “India is not a nation, but a union of states” narrative during an interaction with the Indian American community at the University of Texas on 8th September. It was exacerbated by his contentious remarks on the language dispute in the country as he furthered his portrayal of India as a nation with many conflicts and no shared similarities.

He stated, “We started here with the Indian National Anthem and while it was playing, I was thinking to myself that it mentions all our states equally. It doesn’t start by saying this state is the best, this state is the second best and this state is the third best. The song describes India as a union of states, very much like the United States.

He expressed, “People often say that we share the fact that we (India and the US) are the two biggest democracies, but we share another very important fact we are both union of states. In our constitution, it’s clearly stated, ‘India, that is Bharat, is a union of states,’ which means just like in the United States, no state is superior to any other state, no religion is superior to any other religion and no language is superior to any other language.” He did not, however, specify who in India made such claims of supremacy or labelled any language, area or religion as inferiors, that is, besides members of his party, coalition or ecosystem.

To emphasise his inflammatory agenda, he pointed at a Sikh sitting in the audience and added, “My brother who is wearing a turban there deserves the same respect as somebody who doesn’t wear a turban. We cannot say that we don’t like him because of his turban or like him because he doesn’t wear one or we don’t like him because he speaks Tamil or like him because he speaks Hindi.” Notably, he didn’t clarify whether the brutal 1984 anti-Sikh riots were caused by his party’s dislike towards Sikhs.

A spectator then shouted Malayalam and he slyly remarked, “We cannot say that he speaks Malayalam so we don’t like him,” amidst loud cheers from the crowd as he realised that his polarising views had found resonance with his audience. Hence, the Gandhi scion then brought up Telugu to suggest that Dravidian languages are allegedly subjected to some kind of linguistic apartheid in India.

“When we say Telugu, we are not just talking about the language since history, tradition, music, dance and food among other things are embedded inside it. If you say to the people of Andhra Pradesh that Telugu is not as important as Hindi, you are insulting them because you are telling them that their history, tradition, music, dance, food and even forefathers are not important. This is the battle that is being fought in India. The RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) believes that India is one idea and we believe that India is a multiplicity of ideas,” he alleged without elaborating on the source or evidence of his accusation.

How Congress has been fuelling linguistic divide to revive their political fortunes

It is pertinent to note that Rahul Gandhi who named RSS for flaring these tensions in India conveniently forgot to mention the provocative statements of his own party leaders and alliance partners. “We are all Kannadigas, people speaking different languages have settled in Kannada land since the unification of Karnataka. Everyone living in Karnataka should learn to speak Kannada,” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared in October of last year. He added, “Instead of Kannadigas teaching our language to others, we are learning their language first. In some parts of the state, the diaspora does not speak Kannada at all. This is happening because of the generosity of the Kannadigas.” Notably, just two months after his provocative statements, language supremacists in December attacked several businesses after claiming that they failed to use or prominently display the required percentage of Kannada language on their signboards.

In February 2022, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had cautioned the locals not to let people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar into their state as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra laughed and applauded the incendiary remarks which later triggered a massive backlash. Afterwards, the two claimed that the remark was misconstrued.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Congress alliance partner from Tamil Nadu, has not lagged in fanning the linguistic divide either. “Hindi-speaking people are cleaning toilets and roads for us,” Lok Sabha MP Dayanidhi Maran declared last year, in a shameful display of linguistic chauvinism. Senthil Kumar another Lok Sabha MP from the party also used the derogatory term “gaumutra” to make fun of the Hindi-speaking regions of northern India.

Similar sentiments were voiced by KN Nehru, a minister in the Tamil Nadu cabinet. In 2021, he stated, “Over 4,000 people from Bihar are currently working at the Golden Rock Workshop of Southern Railway located in Tituchy. The majority of the gatekeepers at railway crossings are Biharis. This is all due to the handiwork of Lalu Prasad Yadav. When he was the railway minister, he had all his fellow Biharis pass the railway exams by copying and then got them appointed in railway jobs. These people know neither Tamil nor Hindi and lack the brains that we Tamils have. Yet they are working in Tamil Nadu.” DMK’s hatred for Sanatan Dharma has already been exhibited by its stalwarts including Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son and minister Udhayanidhi Stalin which led to a firm response from the Supreme Court.

Perhaps as a result of selective amnesia, Rahul Gandhi likewise failed to remember that he had also been engaging in the same. The parliamentarian who claimed his Bharat Jodo Yatra was all about “love, brotherhood and harmony” himself stirred up the locals vs outsiders argument in 2023. “Earlier, locals of Jammu used to do business here. Locals of Jammu & Kashmir used to run Jammu & Kashmir. Today ‘outsiders’ are running it. Our rights, and our voice, are not heard by the administration. The entire trade-in Jammu & Kashmir is being done by outsiders. The people of Jammu & Kashmir are just watching them. Secondly, unemployment is highest in Jammu & Kashmir in entire India,” he alleged while he was in the union territory during his yatra.

He even attacked the Uttar Pradesh voters and their political acumen after he lost to BJP candidate Smriti Irani in Amethi in the 2019 general election. “For the first 15 years, I was an MP in the north, I had got used to a different type of politics. For me, coming to Kerala was very refreshing as suddenly I found that people are interested in issues, and not just superficially, but going into detail,” he claimed in 2021.

“PM Modi claimed that UP has adopted him, but does UP need to adopt an outsider for development,” Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had asked in 2017 during a rally in Uttar Pradesh after which she was severely criticised. Interestingly, despite their constant sermons on equality and unity among all citizens, the brothers and sisters regularly dig up fault lines to further create divisions among the country and its people.

Rahul Gandhi’s comments where he talks about equal respect and opportunities for everyone as well as feigns sadness over the smallest incident might seem genuine but in reality, his party and its partners have shamelessly taken advantage of every situation to sow the seeds of discord among people to further their political agenda all the while blaming the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Every time he has the platform to speak about India abroad, he presents a negative picture of the nation instead of putting politics aside and highlighting its greatness and positive aspects, as he should not only as a member of parliament but also as an Indian.

Surat: Bulldozer action starts against illegal encroachments in area where stones were pelted at Ganesh Puja pandal

OpIndia Staff
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Surat: Bulldozer action starts against illegal encroachments in area where stones were pelted at Ganesh Puja pandal

A day after stones were pelted at the Ganeshotsav Pandal in Surat, several enraged Hindu locals and organizations demanded bulldozer action against the accused persons arrested in the incident. As per the reports, several Hindu organization members gathered at the police station in Surat, Gujarat, and raised slogans praising UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The locals demanded strict administrative punishment against the accused like the one which has been ordered by Yogi Adityanath in several cases.

As a result of this, the local administration in the Sayedpura area of Surat began bulldozer action razing illegal properties of the accused arrested in the case. The videos of the bulldozer action are making rounds on social media with people also praising Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi for the same.

On the 7th and 8th of September, stones were pelted at a Ganeshotsav pandal in the Lal Gate area of Surat, Gujarat. As per reports, some Muslim minors pelted stones at the pandal, leading to hundreds of Hindus protesting and demanding strict action. The police swiftly swung into action and made 27 arrests. Security has been increased in the area.

According to OpIndia Gujarati’s report, the incident took place at the Ganesh pandal in the Variyali Bazar area of Lal Gate. Some minors, reportedly from the Muslim community, pelted stones at the pandal. After the stones were thrown, Hindus filed a police complaint. The news spread quickly around the city, and crowds swelled, demanding action.

Reportedly, stone-pelting incidents took place on 7th and 8th September, prompting Hindus to inform the police. Speaking to OpIndia, Yagnesh Patel, a Bajrang Dal activist from Surat, said that when police came to investigate the matter, stones were pelted at them from the Muslim area. Hindu organizations have alleged that stone-pelting also took place from nearby mosques.

Reportedly, the Hindus gathered at the police station and demanded bulldozer action against the accused persons.

Home Affairs Minister for Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, then took note of the incident and ordered strict action. In a post on X, Sanghvi said, “As I promised, we have caught the stone-pelters before sunrise! 6:30 am #Surat Update. Here are the details: 27 stone pelters were arrested. CCTV, video visuals, drone visuals, and other technical surveillance work is still ongoing. Strict action will be taken against all accused. Our teams have worked the whole night to identify the stone pelters and bring them to justice. Jai Ganesh!!”

The bulldozer action in the Sayedpura area of Surat is underway. Peace has been imposed otherwise in the area.

IC814- The Kandahar Hijack: ANI sues Netflix and makers of the controversial web series promoting ISI propaganda for copyright and trademark infringement

OpIndia Staff
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IC814- The Kandahar Hijack: ANI sues Netflix and makers of the controversial web series promoting ISI propaganda for copyright and trademark infringement

Asian News International (ANI) has filed a lawsuit against Over-the-top (OTT) service provider Netflix and filmmakers of the recently released mini-series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, as reported by Bar and Bench. ANI has accused the filmmakers of using its copyrighted footage without a license and thus filed a case for copyright and trademark infringement.

In its plea, ANI has stated that the makers of the IC814 series have used ANI footages that show clips of PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pakistan’s General Parvez Musharraf, and terrorist Masood Azhar, and others without any license. 

After hearing ANI’s plea in this matter, the Delhi High Court has issued notices to Netflix and other producers of the web series IC814. 

Today (9th September), Justice Mini Pushkarna heard the matter briefly and asked Matchbox Shots, Benaras Mediaworks, and Netflix to file their replies to the petition filed by ANI for interim relief within two days. The matter will be heard on Friday (13th September). 

Appearing for the news agency ANI, Advocate Sidhant Kumar categorically noted that they do not want to be associated with a show which exonerates Pakistan of its role in the plane hijack and which is basically a public relations exercise for the Pakistani spy agency ISI.

He added that the movie producer did approach them with a request for the use of their footage in the year 2021 but there was no agreement between the two sides regarding the use of the same.

Kumar said, “This show is not only (sic) controversial but anti-national and unpatriotic in the eyes of the public. I do not want to be associated with them… Four out of the six episodes use my footage extensively. I engaged a cameraperson in Pakistan who possibly has the only shot of Masood Azhar being released in Pakistan.” 

He further stated that in one of the footage, ANI’s logo is visible which amounts to infringement of the agency’s trademark. He urged the court that the four episodes of the show using ANI footage must be taken down and its logo be blurred. 

However, the counsel appearing for the movie producers rejected the claim.

Appearing for one of the producers of the web series, Advocate Hiren Kamod claimed that real news footage used in the show had been obtained through two other firms named Conceptual and Wilderness and an amount of ₹1.75 crore was paid for it. 

He further claimed that Reuters (a shareholder of ANI) had given this footage to the other firms and show producers had a deal with them. 

Stating that the show has been produced with a budget of over ₹100 crore, he asked, “Is it believable that we will not pay for the use of the footage.”  

Another counsel appearing for Netflix argued that from the very beginning of the series, it is clear that the hijack was the work of ISI and the reason why ANI’s logo is in one of the footage is because it was the first statement by PM Vajpayee to the media.

The Counsel appearing for Netflix told the High Court, “The ANI just happened to be there. The purpose of showing its logo is not to take advantage or ride on the ANI name. The show glorifies the pilots and our forces.”

Manipur: Security forces unearth large weapons cache in Jiribam amid fresh violence, CM Biren Singh calls for targeted move against Kuki terror camps

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: Security forces unearth large weapons cache in Jiribam amid fresh violence, CM Biren Singh calls for targeted move against Kuki terror camps

On 7th September, a large search and rescue effort to find Kuki terrorists was underway in Manipur a day after fresh violence in the Jiribam district claimed the lives of at least six people due to drone and rocket assaults. The security authorities also found large weapon caches in a huge gun haul in the state, which has been roiled since the ethnic conflict started in May of last year. Intense shooting broke out between different factions at the Rashidpur Part-II Tea Estate, in the Jiribam district, after the attack.

Law enforcement reacted swiftly but was met with resistance. They opened fire in response during the ensuing altercation and were eventually able to take control of the situation. Five bodies were found at the scene of the altercation by authorities after they had secured the area after which three of them were revealed to be Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) terrorists and one was a volunteer from the hamlet who was believed to have triggered the attack.

The bodies were identified as Seiminlen Khongsai, son of Thangtinngam Khongsai from Sijang Village, Churachandpur, Haogoulen Doungel (31), son of Holmang Doungel from Yangnomphai Village, Churachandpur and Nehboithang Haokip (26), son of Tongjam Haokip from Moajang Village, Churachandpur. All three were from KLA while Lhunkhohao Haokip (31), son of Hemtinthang Haokip from Mongbung Sejang, Jairolpokpi, Jiribam was the volunteer. Baspatimayum Lakhi Kumar Sharma (41), a native of Dibong Khunou, Jiribam district, and a member of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF-P), was identified as the fifth body. Yurembam Kulendra Singha (63), a native of Rangar Part-I, Cachar, Assam who was staying in Ningthem Khunou (Nungchappi), Jiribam also lost his life which led to the gun battle between the two sides.

Three of the assailants, according to the authorities, covered a long distance from Churachandpur District to Jiribam to carry out the brutal operation. One MA-1 Rifle, two MA-1 magazines, twenty-four 7.62 (SLR) empty cases, eight 7.62 (AK) empty cases, seven 5.56 (INSAS) empty cases, one 30-06 empty cases, one .303 empty case, five 5.56 live rounds, one twelve bore ammunition (empty case), one INSAS magazine (broken), one raincoat, one camouflage t-shirt, three magazine pouches were recovered from the location.

Meanwhile, on 8th September Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh visited Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at Rajya Bhavan for the second time in less than a day and sought targetted assaults on bases of Kuki terrorists which are situated in the hills, according to media reports. He reportedly informed the governor that a “professional approach” was necessary to address the current problem, which has grown more severe by the drone attack in Imphal West on 1st September and more “subject experts” needed to be involved.

He met with the Governor behind closed doors along with many (National Democratic Alliance) NDA ministers and MLAs. During the meeting, he also delivered a document to the governor. Drone attacks and gunfights have killed at least nine Meitei and Kuki-Zo community members, including a woman, since 1st September. The chief minister’s son-in-law and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 2nd September stating that the centre “has to hand over” unified command to the state because the “current set up isn’t able to halt such violence.”

Background of the fresh conflict

A drone attack by Kuki terrorists on the morning of 6th September resulted in increased hostility in the Bishnupur region of Manipur. Rockets were shot from the Churachandpur district’s hilly regions towards the village of Tronglaobi, which is located roughly 45 kilometres from Imphal, according to police reports. Two buildings, a community hall and an empty room were damaged by the rockets, which took the life of a priest and injured five others. The Kuki terrorists then brutally murdered an elderly man from the Meitei community, in the Jiribam district.

They were fired from a distance of more than three kilometres. The concerns of the locals spiked when they observed several drones flying low above Kumbi hamlet, which is close to Tronglaobi, on the night of 5th September. The rocket assaults were swiftly followed by severe fire exchange by the security troops, reported from the Bishnupur district. The Manipur Police stated that suspected Kuki terrorists were responsible for the strikes, which marked the first time in Indian history that weaponized drones had been used by suspected insurgents to drop bombs on innocent targets.

One person was killed when such projectiles were fired at Moirang Mairenbam Leikai in the same district in the afternoon when a missile detonated at the late Mairenbam Koireng’s house, former chief minister of the state. An eyewitness named Mairenbam Kelvin unveiled that R K Rabei Singh (70) was instantly killed when the rocket struck the wall of the residence and burst. According to him, the incident happened while the late former chief minister’s family was preparing for a funeral service for a family member. Five others were wounded in the assault.

On 1st September, a week earlier, Kuki terrorists used drones to drop rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) on security personnel and civilians in the Koutruk region in a different instance that happened in Imphal West. These attacks appear to have involved highly skilled personnel with access to cutting-edge technology, as evidenced by the employment of sophisticated drones. A as result, a woman was slain and numerous others, including children and security personnel, were injured. Three civilians were injured in a similar bomb attack using drones at Senjam Chirang Maning Leikai in Imphal West district.

“The CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) has also tested an anti-drone system and given it to the force deployed in the State. Some more anti-drone guns are being brought to the State by the CRPF shortly. The State police have also started the process for procurement of an anti-drone system to enhance its security measures and tackle threats from drones effectively,” a police statement read.

The chief minister’s convoy stopped on 2nd September, the day following the drone assault, as he was travelling to Koutruk and Senjam Chirang in Imphal West to meet with another woman who had been hurt in the attack. He reportedly received a call from Union Home Minister Amit Shah informing him to leave the area since his presence might have led to more assaults. 92 checkpoints have been installed in Manipur’s districts, both in the valley and the hills. 129 people have been taken into custody by the police thus far for violations in various state districts.

Notably, since May of last year, ethnic conflict between the Meiteis, who live in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo, who live in the nearby hills, has resulted in over 200 deaths and thousands of homeless people.

Uttar Pradesh: Mohammad Arif and Mohammad Rizwan gangrape a minor Dalit girl in a moving car in Gonda, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Mohammad Arif and Mohammad Rizwan gangrape a minor Dalit girl in a moving car in Gonda, arrested

A heinous case of gang rape of a minor Dalit girl has come to light from Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district. The victim’s mother has filed a complaint against two accused Mohammad Arif and Mohammad Rizwan. According to the complaint, the duo lured the Dalit minor girl inside a car on the pretext of giving her a mobile phone. They then took her to a secluded place where they gang-raped her in the moving car. However, the accused ran away when the car collided with an electric pole. The Police have arrested both the accused. 

The victim was sent for medical examination at the Gonda District Women’s Hospital and her statement has been recorded in front of the magistrate.

The police have also recovered the car used in the crime. One of the accused, Arif said that he had borrowed the car from a friend by telling him that he had to go to attend the last rites of some relative, the officer stated.

As per reports, instead of going to the last rites, Arif took the car to Balrampur where he was joined by his 20-year-old friend Mohammad Rizwan. After reaching a locality near the Gonda Nagar Kotwali area, the accused lured a 17-year-old Dalit girl with the promise of giving her a phone. They drove from Munnan ka Chauraha towards Maharajganj under the Nagar Kotwali area and gang-raped the Dalit girl inside the Swift Dzire car. However, the speeding car collided with an electric pole and a shop’s shutter in front of Maharajganj Police Station. 

Subsequently, the entire matter came to light, and the locals alerted the Police. The Nagar Kotwali police immediately reached the spot and the victim was taken to the Nagar Kotwali. Soon her family members were informed. Afterwards, they filed a case against both the accused.

Nagar Kotwal Manoj Kumar Pathak said that Mohammad Arif (20) and Mohammad Rizwan (20) have been arrested and sent to jail. 

City Police Station in-charge Manoj Kumar Pathak said that a case has been registered based on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother on Sunday, September 8. In her complaint, she stated that the girl was raped, after which they arrested both the accused.

In her complaint, the woman stated that her daughter was lured by Mohammad Arif and Mohammad Rizwan. They then dragged her inside their car. According to the complaint, they took the girl to a secluded area on the Circular Road where they raped her inside the moving car. While committing the crime, they lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the car collided with an electric pole. 

The Police officer added that the accused fled the scene and abandoned the car.

The girl managed to reach home and informed her family about the incident, after which her mother filed a police complaint on Sunday (8th September).

A detailed investigation is underway. 

Jamaat-e-Islami holds first election rally in Kashmir since 1987: Their crimes against Hindus and why this drama must not be believed

Anurag
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Jamaat-e-Islami holds first election rally in Kashmir since 1987: Their crimes against Hindus and why this drama must not be believed

On 8th September, the banned Islamic terrorist organisation Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) organised a large rally in the Bugam area of Kulgam district in South Kashmir. This was the first political rally of JeI since 1987. Notably, the organisation was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GoI), in February 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). In February 2024, after a suicide bombing on a CRPF convoy at Lehtpora in Pampore near Kashmir, the ban was extended for another five years. When Article 370 was abrogated in August 2019, several JeI leaders were detained by Central agencies, and their properties were seized.

JeI has supported independent candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections, scheduled to take place in three phases starting from 18th September. As the organisation was banned by the GoI, its members are contesting the elections as independents in Kulgam and Pulwama. Hundreds of JeI supporters were present at the rally. In the first phase of the Assembly Elections, three of its former members, Dr Talat Majeed, Sayar Ahmad Reshi, and Nazir Ahmad, are contesting as independents. Furthermore, Ajaz Ahmad Mir, who was denied a ticket by the PDP, is also contesting as an independent and receiving support from JeI.

JeI-backed candidates had been holding low-key door-to-door campaigns for several weeks before organising a massive rally on 8th September. Notably, an 8-member committee of JeI had approached the GoI to lift the ban imposed on the organisation so that it could participate in the elections. However, the request was denied by the Central Government. The organisation has claimed it would support any pre-poll and post-poll alliance with parties that believe in “restoring the dignity of the people” of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement, one of the candidates, Sayar Ahmad Reshi, said, “We will support the Constitution of India. But if there is suppression, we will call it suppression. We will also plead for peace and tranquillity.”

Ban imposed on Jamaat-e-Islami in 2019, terror funding and more

On 28th February 2019, the Government of India banned Jamaat-e-Islami following the Pulwama attack. Several leaders were detained, and properties were seized following the ban. As per reports, 350 leaders were detained, 70 Srinagar-based bank accounts were seized, and assets worth Rs 52 crore were confiscated by the government. The organisation was running 400 schools, 350 mosques, and 1,000 seminaries across Jammu and Kashmir at that time. It was estimated that the organisation possessed properties worth Rs 4,500 crores.

In June 2022, the Jammu and Kashmir administration ordered the suspension of academic activities at schools run by the Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), an offshoot of JeI. The decision was taken following a probe by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police, which revealed major illegalities, open fraud, and widespread encroachment of government lands by FAT. The FAT was created in 1972 and is linked with Jamaat-e-Islami. The SIA discovered that all FAT schools, totalling over 300, were built on fraudulently obtained government and community land, where land was occupied through coercion, at gunpoint, and collusion with revenue officials who committed fraud and forgery by deliberately distorting entities in revenue documents.

In October 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out searches at multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with its ongoing probe into a terror funding case. The raids were conducted about the suspicious activities of Al Huda Educational Trust, Rajouri, which is backed by JeI. The trust came under scrutiny for its involvement in terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the rest of India. It was reported that the funds collected by the trust were allegedly being diverted to terrorist organisations, such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba, for promoting terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. The case against the trust was filed by the NIA suo moto in February 2021.

Again, in November 2022, nine properties of the organisation were seized. JeI was suspected of funding the terror organisation Hizbul Mujahideen, in the valley’s Shopian district. In December 2022, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) seized properties worth hundreds of crores belonging to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami in several districts, including Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal, and Kupwara. The SIA has identified as many as 188 JeI properties across Jammu and Kashmir, which have either been notified or are in the process of being notified for further legal action.

The radical Jamaat-e-Islami J&K has long been at the centre of the Kashmir dispute, supporting separatist ideas and contesting Indian sovereignty over the area. It adheres to the teachings of Hasan Al Banna, Syed Qutb and Maulana Maududi which state that politics and society must be in line with Sharia. It backs Pakistan’s illegal claim to Kashmir. The Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest indigenous terrorist group in Kashmir was regarded as JeI’s military wing in the 1990s. Security services suspected that even though the JeI publicly disassociated itself from the Hizbul in 1997, it is still secretly supporting the outfit.

It is said that JeI is supporting demands for secession from India, and has been supporting terrorist and separatist groups. Its notorious leaders include Abdul Hamid Fayaz, Zahid Ali, Mudasir Ahmad and Ghulam Qadir.

Jamaat-e-Islami extended support to Hamas

Following the horrific terror attack in Israel by the Islamic terrorist organisation Hamas on 7th October, Jamaat-e-Islami came out in support and organised an event in Kerala. The poster of the event, written in Malayalam, reads “Zionist Adhinivesha Bheekarathakkethire,” meaning “Against Zionist Occupying Terrorism.” The Islamist organisation reportedly extended invitations to the Ambassador of Palestine to India, Adnan Abu Alhaija, and the Islamic University of Gaza Vice Chancellor, Dr Kamlain Shaa’ath. To everyone’s shock, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal participated in the event virtually and addressed the attendees which was criticised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

Support for Hijab protests

In July 2021, an audio clip of senior Malayalam journalist MP Basheer, former editorial head of the now-defunct Indiavision, went viral. In the clip, Basheer revealed how radical Islamic organisations funded projects promoting Islamism in India. He recounted that, while he was Editor at Indiavision, T Arif Ali, secretary-general of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, invited him to the organisation’s office in Trivandrum. During the meeting, Ali expressed concerns about three women reporters not wearing Hijab and subtly warned that their conduct sent the wrong message to Muslims.

Basheer also disclosed that Jamaat-e-Islami had requested King Abdul Aziz University in Saudi Arabia to increase funding to promote Islamic dress codes in India. He said that the organisation had been running a project for three decades, supported by Saudi funds, to promote the Hijab in India, and many top Muslim journalists were allegedly employed to assist in this initiative.

Apart from the Islamisation of India’s educational institutions, the JeI Hind and its affiliated units in India have been holding events to radicalise Muslim youth and lure non-Muslims, particularly Hindu girls to Islam. 

Incidentally, in March 2023, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind put out a poster stating that it was holding an “awareness program” for Muslims to make them “full Muslim”. The banner read, “‘poore ke poore Islam mein aa jao’ (turn fully to Islam)”. It is supposed to mean that Muslims who practice the faith but half-heartedly should embrace it fully and become ‘full Muslims’.

Additionally, in October 2022, JeI Hind organised a get-together event for ‘non-Muslim’ girls in the Karimnagar area of Telangana. However, the Telangana Police refused to grant permission for the event after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) intervened in the matter.

Backed Tahir Hussain, ex-AAP councillor accused of killing IB officer Ankit Sharma

In March 2020, Jamaat-e-Islami supported Tahir Hussain, the former AAP councillor accused of the brutal murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the anti-Hindu Delhi riots of 2020. JeI claimed Tahir was innocent and being framed, arguing that his voluntary surrender indicated he was guilt-free. They also asserted that Hussain had not instigated violence but was merely defending himself, which they stated was his constitutional right.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s actions put the lives of Hindus in Bangladesh under threat

After Sheikh Hasina’s removal, the situation for Hindus in Bangladesh deteriorated significantly due to the actions of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). As reported by OpIndia, JeI and other radical groups have escalated their attacks on Hindu communities, including creating lists of Hindu businesses and homes to systematically target them. This has led to widespread looting, vandalism, and arson of Hindu properties and temples, with numerous reports of Hindu homes being burned and Hindu women being raped. In some cases, Hindu women have come forward describing the brutal assaults they faced, including threats of murder and the destruction of their homes and temples​. JeI members blocked roads, preventing Hindus from fleeing to safer locations, effectively trapping them in their communities. The violence against Hindus has been so severe that even hospitals were reportedly refusing to treat injured Hindus.

OpIndia spoke to a few Bangladeshi Hindus who told us that the dire situation is only getting worse for Hindus. They said that Jamaat-e-Islami members have been making a list of Hindu businesses and Hindu houses since the fall of Sheikh Hasina. “They have made a list of the Hindu houses and Hindu businesses. There are some local Muslims who are trying the help us, but thousands are trying to kill us”, the man said.

JeI has continued to support radical elements, but now it seeks to participate in elections. This highlights that the radical Islamist organisation aims to increase its influence in the country through politics and defy the ban imposed by the Government of India. Its involvement in terror funding, links to terrorist groups, and efforts to promote Islamist agendas within and outside India are more than enough reasons not to be swayed by its claims that it would adhere to the Constitution of India.

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