Days after being stabbed by a Muslim classmate, the Hindu student involved in the Udaipur stabbing case succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
The victim, identified as Devraj, had been hospitalised following the incident and was receiving treatment. This update comes a day after the victim’s family claimed they were not allowed to visit him at the hospital. A large crowd, including the boy’s family, participated in a rally starting at Udaipur’s Mukherjee Nagar Chowk. The rally, which involved the chanting of slogans, made its way to MB Hospital, where they demanded that the family be permitted to see the boy.
The violent incident at a government school on Friday, August 16, sparked widespread communal unrest in the city. A Class 10 student allegedly stabbed another minor, triggering tensions that rapidly escalated. As news of the stabbing spread, a mob took to the streets, setting vehicles on fire and throwing stones, further exacerbating the situation. The reason behind the stabbing at the government school in Bhattiyani Chohatta remains unclear.
Communal tensions in Udaipur intensified as members of several Hindu groups protested the stabbing. The district administration responded swiftly, and on Saturday, with police support, used JCB machines to demolish the accused boy’s house. Officials stated that the house was constructed on forest land, which justified the demolition under existing regulations.
As tensions continued to rise in the evening, markets in Bapu Bazar, Hathipole, Ghanta Ghar, Chetak Circle, and surrounding areas were closed. Violent elements also attacked a shopping mall, damaging the glass gates of several shops. Hundreds of people gathered outside the government hospital, but the police eventually dispersed the crowd. In response to the growing unrest, the police imposed Section 144, banning the assembly of people to maintain order. Additionally, internet services were suspended in the city.
More than a week after a junior doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the counsel for the victim’s parents had lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
While speaking to ANI, advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya accused the TMC supremo of bribing families of rape victims into silence.
“You see, the role of the chief minister in the state of West Bengal is very condemnable. Wherever there is a rape, she wants to immediately get into the contact of the victim’s family, pay them money and then say everything is over,” he was heard saying.
#WATCH | West Bengal | RG Kar Medical College & Hospital rape & murder incident | Counsel for victim's family, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya says, "The role of CM in the state of West Bengal is very condemnable. Wherever there is rape she wants to immediately get into contact with… pic.twitter.com/i8UViNi7Ky
Bhattacharya further stated that Mamata Banerjee had fixed-rate cards for rape victims and accused her of purchasing witnesses.
“Unfortunately, she has fixed up rate card for the rape victims. Under the law, they are entitled to get compensation but that should wait till the investigation is over. Her attempt is to purchase the witnesses. That attempt was made in this case also,” he emphasised.
“The parents of the victim girl refused it (money) because they didn’t want to be a part of the game played by the chief minister,” the counsel of the victim’s parents continued.
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya lashes out at West Bengal police
He also slammed the ‘partisan’ conduct of the West Bengal police. “You see that police commissioner shouldn’t have done press conferences. Because we have seen that he is a complete failure in controlling the situation.
“The activities of the police even after the report of this death, according to me, was not satisfactory. When police, instead of discharging their duty, comes forward to defend and counter the public opinion, public views, shows that the police is not up to the mark,” he pointed out.
Besides being an advocate, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya is a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and a Rajya Sabha MP
On Sunday, 18th August, a 16-year-old girl identified as Pooja Pawar committed suicide 8 months after facing harassment at the hands of one individual identified as Kasim Yasin Pathan. The girl is believed to have jumped into a well ending her life in Aher village of Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. The incident was shared by one of the local BJP leaders Ram Satpute, demanding action in the case.
As per the local reports, the incident is said to have happened on Sunday, 18th August afternoon. Pooja studied in 11th from the science stream whereas the accused worked as a mechanic in a local garage. The girl was staying in the city as she had been admitted to a private coaching centre for her studies. However, she recently went to her village for the Rakshabandhan festival.
लव्ह जिहाद साठी यासीन पठाण च्या त्रासाला कंटाळून हिंदू तरुणी पूजा पवार हिने आत्महत्या केली. मतांसाठी तुष्टीकरण करणारे महाविकास आघाडीवाले यावर बोलणार का ? हिंदुनो जागे व्हा .. कडक कारवाई व्हावी . @CSNRuralPolice#LoveJihadpic.twitter.com/SXFGCWiglq
The accused as per the initial information liked the girl and forced her to accept his advances. He, in the past eight months, had threatened the girl saying that he would kill her brother if she failed to accept his love advances. The girl tried to avoid the accused in all the ways possible but to no avail. He kept on harassing her now and then.
At last, the girl lost hope and fed up with Kasim’s harassment, decided to end her life on Sunday, 18th August. The news of the suicide spread massively in the village enraging her relatives and neighbors gathering at the police station. The relatives of the girl demanded the strictest punishment against the accused.
The girl meanwhile was immediately recovered and taken to the hospital where she was declared dead. The police have booked the accused under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyay Samhita, 2023. Further investigations are underway.
On Sunday (18th August), a second-year B.Com student was arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly sharing three stories on social media regarding the rape and murder of a junior doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The police during the arrest claimed that the posts shared by the 23-year-old student were “provocative” and criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The arrested girl has been identified as Kirti Sharma. The authorities claimed that Sharma incited hatred against CM Mamata Banerjee and encouraged people to assassinate the CM.
According to a complaint filed with the police, the student posted three Instagram stories about the rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, purportedly revealing the victim’s identity and name, which is a punishable offense.
“The accused person also shared two stories against the CM of West Bengal containing offensive comments and threats to her life. An investigation into the case is in progress,” the Kolkata Police said.
The BNS sections 351 (2), 353 (1), and 352, which deal with intentional insults with the intent to create a breach of peace, as well as sections 72 and 79, which deal with words, gestures, and acts meant to offend a woman’s modesty, have been utilized for booking the student.
In the meantime, seven SFI-DYFI leaders also have received notices from Kolkata police to appear for questioning concerning sharing information related to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Another doctor has also received a warning for providing “misleading information.”
Not only this, notice has also been sent to TMC RS MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray for raising questions over the Kolkata Police’s investigation in the given case. “CBI must act fairly. Custodial interrogation of the Ex-Principal and Police Commissioner is a must to know who and why floated the suicide theory. Why wall of the hall demolished, who patronized Roy to be so powerful, why were sniffer dogs used after 3 days.. 100s of such questions. Make them speak,” TMC MP posted on X attracting summons from the state police.
A top BJP leader and two well-known doctors have also already received notices from Kolkata police requesting them to come to the police headquarters to address the illegal publication of the victim’s identity and the “spread of misinformation” on social media.
Numerous people are receiving notifications from police for allegedly disclosing the victim’s identity or disseminating “misinformation” regarding the rape-murder case. In two distinct cases of unlawful disclosure and “countering misinformation,” respectively, some 65 persons have received notice, as stated by police.
Also, on 16th August, 23-year-old Sagnik Laha, a polytechnic student was arrested by the Kolkata Police for criticizing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the rape-murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He had lashed out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo in a social media post. It was alleged that he used ‘derogatory words’ against Mamata Banerjee. Soon after, the young man was hounded by TMC supporters. A police complaint was eventually filed against Sagnik Laha, leading to his arrest from Alipurduar Junction on the 16th of August night.
What exactly happened to the girl on 9th August?
On 9th August, a semi-nude body of a female PG trainee doctor was found inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. It is a government-run hospital. Following the discovery, her father had said that she was raped and killed inside the hospital, and efforts were underway to “conceal the truth.”
The doctor had dinner with four of her coworkers at 2:30 am that night after seeing Neeraj Chopra’s javelin throw event during the Paris Olympics. Afterwards, she went to the seminar hall to relax. The main accused in the case, Sanjay Roy, had access to every department as he worked at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital police outpost. He was not affiliated with the institution but often went there. CCTV evidence shows him entering the premises where the doctor was discovered, that led to his arrest on 10th August. He returned home after committing the horrifying act and slept in late. Roy also cleaned the outfit he wore to remove any evidence. The police recovered his bloodstained shoes during a search.
The Doctor was brutally tortured before she was suffocated to death, according to the post-mortem report. The four-page report stated that she had been strangled and that “perverted sexuality” and “genital torture” had resulted in serious wounds in her private parts.
The Doctor’s thyroid cartilage was also shattered. A source stated that the rape and murder occurred on 9th August most likely between 3 and 5 am. Her lips, fingers, left leg, and abdomen were all covered with injuries.
According to sources, the Doctor’s head was slammed against a wall or the floor resulting in severe injuries and her mouth and nose were squeezed shut to stop the victim from shouting. The accused had reportedly beaten her up as she attempted to defend herself and resist. He then raped and killed her. According to the autopsy, the girl’s hands and face had cuts on them. Shards of glass from her spectacles broke and got into her eyes following an intense blow. The initial postmortem report ruled out suicide and stated that the trainee doctor had been sexually assaulted before being murdered.
A controversy has erupted in Kerala as the Muslim community objected to the sale of pork by the leftist student organization, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) to raise funds for relief efforts in Wayanad. Notably, 400 people died in Wayanad following a landslide and hundreds of others were displaced. To collect funds for relief work, DYFI announced that it would sell pork under the “Pork Challenge” in the Rajapuram area of Kasaragod on 10th August. A similar fundraising event took place on 18th August in Kothamangalam.
Muslims have objected to the sale of pork saying it has hurt their religious sentiments. DYFI stated that the funds raised from the sale of this pork would be used to aid victims of the Wayanad landslide disaster. The organisation has announced that it will continue to sell pork across Kerala to raise money. The funds will be used to rebuild 25 houses in Wayanad that were destroyed due to a landslide. Other items including 7,000 litres of milk have been sold to raise funds.
The Islamic fundamentalists in Kerala expressed their dismay over DYFI’s decision to continue the sale. Muslim clerics argued that selling pork is an offence to the religious sentiments of the Muslim community. A cleric from a Sunni organization remarked that some survivors of the Wayanad tragedy do not consume pork, making this act an insult to them.
Sunni cleric Nasar Faizi Koodathai stated that most of the families surviving in Wayanad are Muslim, and as Muslims, they are forbidden from eating pork. He criticized DYFI for raising funds by selling pork despite knowing this. Another Cleric Ziauddin Faizi wrote, “Muslims are not prohibited from accepting help from anyone who earns through haram or halal means. This rule applies to everyone, including an alcohol shop owner, a bank manager, or a pork trader.”
He further added, “But the question here is whether it is necessary to organize a haram challenge to help the poor. Will we see challenges like usury challenge, prostitution challenge, alcohol challenge, and theft challenge in the future?” However, later he withdrew his statement.
Responding to the criticism, Kerala government minister KT Jaleel criticised the fundamentalists and said, “Interest is also haram for Muslims. But why don’t these opponents of pork say that donations from banks are haram? Isn’t using money earned from interest a bigger sin than eating pork? Alcohol is prohibited for Muslims. But for Christians and Hindus, offering alcohol as part of their faith is not forbidden. These people do not say that alcoholics will not go to heaven.”
The landslide in Wayanad left hundreds of families displaced. 400 people died in the incident. The central government and the state government are making efforts to bring life back on track in Wayanad.
As the nation celebrates the Hindu festival of Rakshabandhan honouring the bond of brothers and sisters, yet another attempt has been made to ‘Mughalise’ a Hindu festival. On the 19th of August, Sudha Murty, the former chairperson of Infosys Foundation and author, claimed that the 16th-century queen regent of Chittorgarh and widow of Rana Sanga sent a Rakhi [sacred thread] to Mughal tyrant Humayun calling him her brother and seeking his help to protect her kingdom.
“Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of siblinghood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began, and it continues to this day,” Sudha Murty said,
Murthy’s video message posted on X received backlash as several netizens pointed out that the story of Rani Karnavati sending Rakhi to Humayun is devoid of any factual evidence.
Raksha Bandhan DID NOT begin with this so called tale of Rani Karnavati @SmtSudhaMurty ji. It began when Devi Indrani/Sachi tied a raksha thread or Rakhi on Indra deva’s wrist as a raksha kavach.
— Monidipa Bose – Dey (মণিদীপা) (@monidipadey) August 19, 2024
Did Rani Karnavati send Rakhi to Mughal king Humayun?
The fable which has gained traction in modern times, claims that Humayun rushed to Rani Karnavati’s help after receiving the rakhi, but arrived too late to save Chittorgarh. The Mughal cheerleaders in modern times claim that Humayun had immediately rushed to save his ‘sister’ from the attack of Gujarat ruler, Qutubuddin Bahadur Shah. However, historical evidence and reliable sources contradict this account. There is no trace of any correspondence between Rani Karnavati and Humayun in this regard. The story is a later fabrication, presumably designed to make a ‘Mughlai’ version of the Raksha Bandhan festival and secularise the Mughal tyrants.
This myth finds its origins in a book written by East India Company’s Colonel James Tod, who was at the Mewar court in the 19th century. In his book, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Tod termed Rakshabandhan as the festival of bracelet.
“A whole province has often accompanied the Kachhli, and the monarch of India was so pleased with this courteous delicacy in the customs of Rajasthan, on receiving the bracelet of the princess Karnavati, which invested him with the title of her brother, and uncle and protector to her infant Udai Singh, that he pledged himself to her service,” even if the demand were the castle of Ranthambhor.” Humayun proved himself a true knight, and even abandoned his conquests in Bengal when called on to redeem his pledge and succour Chitor, and the widows and minor sons of Sanga Rana,” Tod wrote.
Pseudo-historian James Tod’s work, however, has been deemed unreliable by historians. It is pertinent to mention that the infamous Jodha-Akbar ‘love story’ is also James Tod’s figment of imagination. While this fake Jodha-Akbar lie inspired Bollywood movies and television series, historians of Akbar’s time made no mention of Jodha in their texts.
In his book History of Medieval India, historian Satish Chandra writes that no contemporary writer has mentioned the incident of Karnavati sending a Rakhi to Humayun and this may be a lie.
Meanwhile, historian SK Banerji in his book “Humayun Badshah” mentions that Rani Karnavati sought help from Humayun in defending Chittorgarh from Bahadur Shah’s attack, however, he did not mention anything about the queen sending Rakhi to the Mughal ruler. In fact, as SK Banerji’s book, Humayun sided with Bahadur Shah since he was waging Jihad against Kafirs [infidels].
SK Banerji’s bookHumayun Badshah mentions correspondence between Humayun and Bahadur Shah during the Chittor invasion. Bahadur Shah had sent Humayun a letter alerting him that he was slaughtering ‘infidels’. In answer, Humayun wrote that the agony in his heart had turned into blood as if they were two people instead of one.
“From grief every fold of my heart has turned into blood (To think) that in spite of our oneness, duality is attributed to us,” Humayun wrote to Bahadur Shah.
The historical evidence indicates that neither Rani Karnavati sent any Rakhi to Humayun nor did the Mughal ruler ever intend to help her. Humayun attacked Bahadur Shah in AD 1535 defeating him at Mundi and Champaner, however, it has nothing to do with Rani Karnavati or any alleged Rakhi.
It is, thus clear that Sudha Murty has advertently or inadvertently ended up peddling the lies created by unreliable sources and propagated by contemporary Mughal cheerleaders. Being a renowned author herself, Sudha Murty should verify the historical evidence before furthering the lies and distortions around Hindu festivals giving mileage to the whitewashing of Mughal atrocities on Hindus. The very cheerleaders of Mughal tyrants have attacked her in the past for her practice of pure vegetarianism.
Falsely attributing Hindu festivals to Mughal invaders
This bogus ‘Rakhi’ narrative is part of a larger ploy to whitewash the Mughals’ crimes by claiming they were ‘ secular’. In addition, another sinister motive behind falsely attributing Hindu festivals and cultures to Mughal invaders is to establish the narrative that “Mughals brought culture to India”.
Notably, Hindu scriptures mention the festival of Raksha Bandhan even before the advent of Islam in the deserts of modern-day Saudi Arabia and the arrival of the Mughals in Bharat, thus cementing it as a Hindu practice. This unfounded fable seems like an attempt to alienate the festival from its Hindu roots and reinterpret it from a Mughal perspective.
Specifically, the Skanda Purana (Shravana Mahatmya, Chapter 21), Narada Purana, and Bhavishya Purana (Uttar Parva, Chapter 137) mention Raksha Bandhan. It is said that after the Rakshasas had been defeated in the Devasura Sangram, they went to their Guru Shukracharya to figure out the reason for their loss. Shukracharya revealed that Indrani Shachi [Lord Indra’s wife] had tied a sacred protective thread around Indra’s wrist to ensure his protection and that this Raksha Sutra rescued him. In Mahabharat, Lord Krishna told Prince Yudhishthira this story and how to perform this tradition. While Raksha Sutra can be tied to anyone, however, the festival has become majorly a celebration of the commitment of brothers and sisters to protect and stand with each other in good and bad times.
Left-liberals and their ever-burning desire to link everything good with Mughals
Notably, the Indian left-liberals have a perennial itch to associate Hindu festivals, food, and rituals with the Mughal era, as if culture and civilisation in the Indian subcontinent was a Mughal invention and nothing of note existed in the land before Mughals came to ‘civilise’ it. This opprobrious endeavour constantly entails romanticising the Mughals and portraying them as patrons of the ‘Hindustani’ culture, distorting historical facts. Back in 2021, OpIndia reported how a columnist credited Mughals for inventing “Petha”.
“Shah Jahan ordered his chefs to create something as pure and white as the Taj Mahal, and thus the petha was born. Will deniers of Mughal history give up petha now?” Shunali Khullar Shroff said citing a media report based on 100 percent limerence for Mughals and zero percent evidence. Pushpesh Pant, a noted Indian academic, critic and historian had outrightly rejected the claims made by the said report and said that “Petha is a poor man’s sweet and has no royal connection”.
In July this year, Pushpesh Pant said that “the idea that Mughlai food, which is often conflated with Indian khaana abroad, is an anachronistic invention that was lapped up by the British in the aftermath of the first war of Independence.” Interestingly, several mainstream media houses have attributed the invention of several popular Indian dishes to Mughals even though these dishes either had foreign origins or were locally invented by non-Mughals.
Another lie peddled by leftist historians is that the Mughal tyrants issued grants for the repair of temples destroyed in wars. Sadly, this blatant fabrication whitewashing the true iconoclastic nature of Mughals stemming from Islamic extremism found its place in NCERT history textbooks disseminating a completely distorted idea of Mughals and their policies towards Hindus. Back in 2021, in response to an RTI application, the National Council of Educational Research and Training admitted that it has no evidence to prove that Mughal emperors had rebuilt temples destroyed in wars as claimed in their textbooks.
Other than this, Kalyan Jewellers, one of the largest jewellery chain in India, had claimed in 2021 that nose rings were first introduced in India by the Mughals. “Nose rings were first in India by the Mughals from the Middle East,” it alleged. This came despite the fact that nose rings or “nath” have always been a part of “Solah Shringar” (16 adornments) used by Hindu women, particularly, Hindu brides. After an online backlash, the jewellery chain removed the Mughal reference from its controversial blog.
In another instance of ‘secularising’ the Hindu festival of Diwali, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed his zeal over an Urdufication of the Hindu festival by calling it “Jashn-e-Chiraagh”.
Similarly, clothing brand FabIndia named its Diwali collection as “Jashn-e-Riwaaz” as if it was some Islamic festival. After an online uproar, they had to remove the collection.
While Mughal tyrants like Aurangzeb inflicted countless atrocities on Hindus including reimposition or Jizya, forcing Hindus to recite Quran verses, destroying Hindu temples etc, their modern-day cheerleaders are making various attempts to whitewash their crimes by peddling falsely glorifying Mughals.
Left-liberals regularly perpetuate the fallacy that the Mughals somehow did a favour on India and Hindus by invading the country, portraying their reign as one of cultural enrichment as well as tolerance’. The narrative, however, is both misleading and malicious since it completely downplays the widespread destruction and atrocities carried out during the Mughal era. The Mughals, like earlier Islamic invaders, aspired to expand their empire through violence and torture which resulted in mass deaths, forced conversions, temple demolition, and severe taxation of non-Muslims under the jizya system.
The Mughals’ glorification also ignores their imposition of Islamic laws on the native population, as well as their systematic efforts to eliminate or weaken indigenous cultures and beliefs. Historical accounts prove that millions of Hindus were slaughtered under the Mughal rule, with numerous temples and religious sites being destroyed or converted into mosques. The Romila Thapar and Ramchandra Guha versions of history have penetrated the minds of a significant section of Indians and convinced them that the very oppressors of their ancestors are worth appreciating and even expressing ‘gratitude’ for invading India.
The attempt to romanticise the Mughals as compassionate rulers who fostered ‘Hindu Muslim unity’, and discovered/invented all our popular recipes and cultural events distorts history and disparages the millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-Muslim communities who suffered during that time. Forget addressing the devastation of lives, culture and Dharma caused during the Mughal rule, this narrative whitewashes the past by portraying the invaders as cultural benefactors rather than invaders. If a well-educated woman like Sudha Murty, who has authored many books and understands the importance of verifying facts before making a claim, believes the false story of Rani Karnavati sending Rakhi to Humayun while completely ignoring the festival’s Puranic origins, the impact of such lies on ordinary people can be alarming.
A startling incident of rape with a nurse has come to light in a private hospital in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. The accused identified as Dr Shahnawaz held the 20-year-old victim hostage and sexually assaulted her.
Another nurse Mehnaaz and a ward boy Junaid, who also worked at the hospital, helped the accused in this horrible act. All three have been arrested by the authorities.
The incident took place in ABM Hospital located on Thakurdwara-Kashipur Road, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Thakurdwara police station area of Moradabad.
Its director Dr Shahnawaz and his wife, both Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAUMS) degree holders run the facility together. Their residence is above the hospital.
The victim lives in a village near the Dilari police station in Moradabad. Her father filed a police complaint and stated that his daughter had spent the previous ten months working as a nurse at the ABM Hospital. She reported for duty at 7 pm on 17th August when the doctor sexually violated her and even threatened to kill her if she complained about the incident. The complainant further disclosed that Mehnaaz told his daughter that the doctor had summoned her to his room upstairs twice and was forcefully taken to Shahnawaz’s residence by Junaid and her when she refused to go there willingly. The two then pushed her inside and locked the door from outside.
Afterwards, the perpetrator kept her captive and sexually abused her at around 12:30 am as she repeatedly pleaded for help and screamed “Aunty” but to no avail. He hurled casteist abuses at her and issued death threats. He declared, “You are a worthless Ch*m*r. You people are nothing.” He even offered her money in return for her silence. Meanwhile, Junaid took her mobile phone to prevent her from calling the cops and informing them about the instance. She narrated the entire ordeal to a senior nurse who arrived at the institution on the morning of 18th August. She then reached home at around 10 am in an alarming condition and unveiled the occurrence in front of her family members after which they notified the authorities and launched a complaint. She is traumatised and scared after the incident.
A case against the doctor for rape under sections 61(2), 64, 351(2) and 127(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with relevant sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Act has been submitted by the police. Mehnaaz and Junaid have also been booked under conspiracy-related offences. OpIndia has a copy of the First Information Report (FIR).
According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural Sandeep Kumar Meena, the police have taken swift action in the case and apprehended Dr Shahnawaz, nurse Mehnaza and ward boy Junaid and they will be produced in the court. The victim has undergone a medical examination in a government hospital and her statement is being recorded. Circle Officer Rajesh Kumar mentioned that a case has been registered at Dilari police station on the complaint of the victim’s father. Mehnaaz and Junaid are being interrogated by the authorities.
The police and the health department team examined the facility on the night of 18th August at the Chief medical officer’s (CMO) order. The Community Health Center (CHC) superintendent deployed a team to the hospital to inquire about the condition of the patients admitted there so they could be shifted if the institution was sealed. Nine people were found to be admitted there.
A girl was sexually assaulted, and at least a dozen others were sexually abused at what was later discovered to be a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, according to police reports on Monday.
Eleven individuals, including the camp’s organizer, the school principal, two teachers, and a correspondent, have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Investigations revealed that the private school did not have an NCC unit, and a group had approached the school management, falsely claiming that hosting the camp would qualify them for one. The school failed to perform background checks on the group before allowing them to run the camp.
A total of 41 students, including 17 girls, participated in the three-day camp held earlier this month.
The girls were accommodated in the school auditorium on the first floor, while the boys stayed on the ground floor. No teachers were assigned to supervise the camp. The girls claimed they were lured out of the auditorium and sexually assaulted.
“The school authorities were aware of the sexual offences but chose to suppress the matter instead of reporting it to the police. The students were allegedly instructed not to take it seriously,” District Superintendent of Police, P. Thangadurai, was quoted as saying in news reports.
Police are also investigating whether the group responsible for the fake NCC camp has conducted similar camps at other schools.
The accused have been charged under the strict Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Medical examinations have been conducted on the girls, and the District Child Welfare Committee has initiated action. This case comes amid nationwide outrage over the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital.
On 18th August, the Muslims of village Chiksa of Tahirpur Upazila of district Sunamganj in Bangladesh banned music at weddings, birthdays or any other events, as per reports. It has been decided that anyone who plays music or any musical instrument will face legal action. The rule was implemented by the elders of the village.
A report in Desh Rupantor claimed that the rule was introduced as music was being played at high volumes during social events that disturbed the patients, elderly and children in the village. Furthermore, as music is forbidden in Islam, the elders decided to implement the rule that no one would play music in the town anymore. The Hindu residents of the town did not resist the directives.
It is pertinent to note that Hindus are a minority in Bangladesh and have also come under severe attack after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. There have been several cases of houses and businesses of Hindus being vandalised, Hindu women being raped, men being attacked and temples being vandalised.
Union Parishad member of Ward 9 in village Chiksa, Shafiqul Haque, told the media that the village is the largest in Sadar Union. 80% of the population is Muslim while the remaining are Hindus. Large speakers were often used in the town during weddings, birthdays and circumcision ceremonies. The loud noise caused significant distress to heart patients, the elderly and children. Thus, it was collectively decided to ban music at events.
He added that those who fail to comply would face legal action. He asserted that the elders banned music only for the Muslim families in the village and not on the Hindu families.
Chairman of Tahirpur Sadar Union Parishad, Junab Ali, said that loud music was causing trouble for many and has been legally restricted. Calling it a commendable initiative, Ali said that Chiksa is a large village with a Muslim majority population. He asserted there should be no objection to the decision and expressed satisfaction that so far no one objected or opposed the ban.
Sharing the information, author Taslima Nasreen wrote on X, “In a village of Tahirpur, Sunamganj, Bangladesh, mullahs declared that music would be prohibited from now on. People will be punished if they sing or play any musical instrument.”
In a village of Tahirpur, Sunamganj, Bangladesh, mullahs declared that music would be prohibited from now on. People will be punished if they sing or play any music instrument. #Islamizationpic.twitter.com/BBS93Yg3Oj
The report of ban on music has come at a time when Bangladesh is going through political turmoil. On 5th August, following series of violent protests, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, resigned from the post and fled to India. An interim government was formed in the country after Bangladeshi Army took over. Since then, attacks on Hindus have increased by several folds across country. OpIndia has been reporting the attacks extensively and can be checked here.
On Saturday (17th August), the police arrested a Muslim man for raping his underage daughter for over a year. The incident took place in Bijnor city of Uttar Pradesh.
He raped his 17-year-old child multiple times during the course of a year. The accused was apprehended after his wife filed a complaint with the police on Friday (16th August).
The development was confirmed by Circle Officer Anjani Kumar Chaturvedi. The accused was confronted by his wife about the sexual abuse of their daughter, following which he pronounced the instant triple talaq,
The wife then lodged a complaint with the police with the police, post which a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him. The man was arrested on Saturday (17th August).
He was booked under relevant provisions of BNS and the Prevention of Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. It had come to light that the wife of the accused learnt about the sexual abuse perpetrated on her minor daughter 2 weeks earlier.
The victim had confided in her mother about the heinous crime. Prior to his arrest, the accusedhad raped his daughter under the pretext of applying oil to her hair. He had also intimidated his underage victim into silence by threatening to kill the other family members.
