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False narratives and selective outrage: Anti-Hindu agenda of IAMC and HfHR behind Ram Janmabhoomi float controversy during India Parade in New York

OpIndia Staff
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False narratives and selective outrage: Anti-Hindu agenda of IAMC and HfHR behind Ram Janmabhoomi float controversy during India Parade in New York

On Sunday, 18th August, the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE has planned the India Day Parade to mark the 78th Independence Day of India. One of the main attractions of the India Day Parade will be the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple float. However, some of the anti-Hindu organisations, including Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and others have objected to the float. They have started a campaign to write to local leaders against the float in the planned parade using fake reports and misinformation.

These organisations have claimed that VHPA, an offshoot of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) “has been designated as a militant religious organisation by the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook”. The organisations who wrote the letter conveniently skipped the fact that while it is true that VHP and Bajrang Dal were designated as “militant religious organisations” on 4th June 2018, the names were effectively removed from the list by 25th June 2018. It was a mistake to call these two organisations “militant” and the CIA itself had rectified it in less than a month.

Source: IAMC

The organisations then claimed that Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) was under active FBI investigation for forced labour and exploitation of lower-caste labourers from India. Interestingly, again, a recent fact was skipped from the assertion that over a dozen artisans withdrew from the case of forced labour and human trafficking against the BAPS temple saying that they were coerced into making false allegations. In July 2023, OpIndia reported that the artisans under the banner of Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh and Patthar Gadhafi Sangh stated they were threatened to be part of the deep-rooted conspiracy to stall the construction of the grand Hindu Temple.

Some of them contacted Rajasthan High Court Advocate Aaditya SB Soni. They informed him that an advocate from the US named Swati Sawant had misled them into making the complaint, and now they want to withdraw from it. “These artisans have made strong claims that Swati Sawant and her companions impressed upon them and misled them, using false temptations, to make a complaint against the temple management,” the press release read.

“These artisans have made strong claims that Swati Sawant and her companions impressed upon them and misled them, using false temptations, to make a complaint against the temple management,” the press release read.

The next claim these anti-Hindu organisations made was that the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya stands on the ruins of the historic “Babri Mosque” which was demolished in December 1992. “In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India controversially awarded the site to Hindus for the construction of the temple, thereby legitimizing an egregious act of violence against a Muslim place of worship. Despite this, the court acknowledged the criminality of the mosque’s destruction, noting it as an “egregious violation of the rule of law”,” The letter added.

Source: IAMC

The letter further said, “The proposed float for the parade is a blatant attempt to glorify the illegal demolition of the historical Babri Mosque and celebrate ongoing violence and terror against 200 million Indian Muslims. This is not merely a cultural display but a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and religious supremacy.”

Now, coming to the assertion that Ram Mandir stands on the ruins of a mosque is completely false. First of all, it was a disputed structure for centuries and Hindus used a legitimate legal system to claim the land. Furthermore, the disputed structure in question stood on the ruins of the Hindu Temple which was proven not only in the Archaeological Survey of India’s report on the land but also during the excavation for establishing the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in 2020. Pillars of old temples with Hindu symbols were found and duly reported. In May 2020, OpIndia reported that during excavation, remains of Hindu stone sculptures, including a Shivling, broken idols of Hindu deities, and carved pillars had been found near the site.

List of the organisations opposing Ram Mandir float

The list of the organisations that are opposing Ram Mandir float are:

  • Indian American Muslim Council
  • Council on American-Islamic Relations
  • Council on American-Islamic Relations – New York
  • Hindus for Human Rights
  • The Federation of Indian American Churches of North America (FIACONA)
  • New York State Council of Churches
  • Genocide Watch
  • Muslim Public Affairs Council
  • Association of Indian Muslims of America
  • Center for Pluralism
  • India’s Civil Watch International
  • American Muslim Institution
  • Crescent School
  • Islamic Circle of North America
  • The Sikh Coalition
  • Dalit Solidarity Forum
  • Great Truth
  • Justice For All
  • Asian Children’s Education Fellowship
  • CAIR-NJ
  • Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
  • Ambedkar King Study Circle

Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights are known for their anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda. In fact, because of their anti-India actions, their X accounts are withheld in India.

The Human Rights Practices report further used the Government of India’s decision to block accounts of organisations like Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) on X as examples of transnational repression. The report did mention the reason for the association of HfHR with Soros but in a very questionable tone, as if the Indian government “conspired” against these organisations as they were “working to advance human rights and religious freedom”.

OpIndia has detailed reports on both organisations and how they work against India. The Indian Americal Muslim Council has links [pdf] with the banned Islamic terror outfit, Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Besides, the Indian American Muslim Council has ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) through its founder Shaik Ubaid. The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.

Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA). As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019. Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ had also tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019. She is also the co-founder of an organisation named ‘Women for Afghan Women’, which is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF)/ Open Society Institute (OSI).

In July 2023, BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani questioned Rahul Gandhi for his alleged connections to IAMC’s president Tazeem Ansari and said Ansari has connections with Jamaat-e-Islami. “Even in Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the Global Vice President of the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros was found accompanying Rahul Gandhi. What is extremely distressing is the link with the Islamic Circle of North America. Those in the public domain who will research how the registration process for NRI interaction with Rahul Gandhi in New York ensued will find the contact of Tazeem Ansari – he has an organisational link with Jamaat-e-Islami,” Irani said. 

Hindu organisations hit back at propaganda

Hindu organisations in the US have hit back at the propaganda being run by these organisations. Hindu American Foundation strongly condemned the statements made by these organisations. In a post on X, HAF said, “After the thus far unsuccessful attempt to scuttle a Lord Ram parade float in NYC, @CAIRNational @IAMCouncil & partner fringe groups are asking for a federal investigation into Hindu temples and community orgs. These same groups’ actions were previously condemned by NJ legislators for anti-Hindu hate when they pushed a @teaneckdmc resolution asking that prominent Hindu groups like HAF undergo FBI surveillance. We strongly condemn this latest escalation of threats & scare tactics aimed at prominent Hindu temples such as @BAPS & Siddhivinayak temple that serve immigrant Hindu communities from around the world in New York and New Jersey. We ask@NYCMayor @TheJusticeDept @TishJames @DirectorWrayFBI to condemn this atrocious #Hinduphobic targeting emanating from a simple local dispute over a parade float.”

Executive Director of HAF, Suhag A Shukla wrote, “Could never imagine that the same groups that protested surveillance of Muslims and their mosques after 9/11 now demand that exact surveillance of prominent Hindu temples & Hindu community orgs—because they didn’t like a parade float. Yet here we are.”

OSINT handle ‘Disinfo Lab’ had earlier shared that the HfHR was actively promoting the misleading narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’. The same organisation was also seen endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ conference. As per Disinfo Lab, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI).

West Bengal: Cops arrest student for criticising Mamata Banerjee over RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, sent to custody for 14 days

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Cops arrest student for criticising Mamata Banerjee over RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, sent to custody for 14 days

On Friday (16th August), the West Bengal police arrested a youth for criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the rape-murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

As per reports, the accused was identified as 23-year-old Sagnik Laha. A polytechnic student by occupation, 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 Friday night.

Arrested Sagnik Laha, images via ETV Bharat

According to his lawyer Deepshika Roy, Laha was booked under Sections 79, 294 and 296A of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and 67A of the Information Technology.

A day later, he was produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate and sentenced to 14 days in custody. “There is one non-bailable charge, others are bailable offences…His bail has been rejected. He will be in custody till 31st August,” Roy remarked.

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Sagnik Laha said, “I am trying to pass my days because of my parents. Thank you so much.”

I don’t understand whom she is protesting against or from whom she is demanding punishment: Nirbhaya’s mother questions Mamata Banerjee

ANI
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I don’t understand whom she is protesting against or from whom she is demanding punishment: Nirbhaya’s mother questions Mamata Banerjee

Expressing her outrage over the rape and murder of a female resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Asha Devi, the mother of Nirbhaya, described the incident as “the most unfortunate thing that has happened.”

She criticised the ongoing political blame game, stating that “governments are accusing each other and holding protests instead of focusing on the case, women’s safety, and addressing shortcomings in the law.”

In a video message, Asha Devi criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister, questioning why she was protesting and demanding capital punishment despite having authority over the health ministry, police, and the legal system.

“The Health Ministry and the police fall under the Chief Minister’s jurisdiction. I don’t understand whom she is protesting against or from whom she is demanding capital punishment. The law is in her hands; the government can at least ensure the case is properly presented to the lower court,” she said.

Asha Devi further noted that whenever such incidents occur, Nirbhaya’s name is invoked, but questioned, “What have we learned from the Nirbhaya incident? What changes have been made to the system? … We are still stuck in 2012.”

She also demanded punishment for all those involved in the case and voiced concern for women’s safety.

“If more than one person was involved, all the accused must be apprehended immediately and punished without delay. It is still unclear whether the victim was assaulted by one person or gang-raped. Such a heinous crime occurred while a doctor was on duty in a hospital. If doctors are not safe inside hospitals, what hope is there for the safety of ordinary women and girls?” she said.

Earlier, on August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.

On August 14, the protest site and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalized by a mob, prompting security personnel to disperse the crowd. 

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

Telangana: Farmers stage protest in Adilabad against Congress government’s delay in crop loan waiver, takes out mock funeral of CM Revanth Reddy

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: Farmers stage protest in Adilabad against Congress government’s delay in crop loan waiver, takes out mock funeral of CM Revanth Reddy

On Saturday (17th August), angry farmers in Telangana staged protests against the Congress government over the delay and failure in waiving off their crop loans. They have charged the state Congress government with cheating and not waiving off their loans despite making tall election promises in God’s name. The angry farmers also took out a mock funeral procession for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

The farmers expressed disappointment and anger against the Congress government for not waiving loans across the erstwhile Adilabad district. As per reports, on Saturday, around 500 farmers hailing from several villages gathered at the Talamadugu Mandal centre where they took out a massive funeral procession for CM Revanth Reddy. They slammed the Chief Minister for the delay in the loan waiver and later burnt his effigy.

The protesting farmers also raised slogans “CM down down” and hit CM Revanth Reddy’s effigy with slippers. 

The farmers said that because of the delay in the release of the crop loan waiver, they have been unable to grow crops. They added that they have been forced to take loans from money lenders at very high rates. 

They said that while the Congress party made tall promises, Rythu Bharosa, it has duped them. 

The farmers came to the streets to protest against the exclusion of their names in Boath, Bela, Jainath, and Thamsi mandals. The farmers lamented that their names were not found in the list of beneficiaries released by officials of the agriculture department. They also urged the district authorities to include their names in the list. 

Furthermore, farmers also staged a rasta-roko in Nennal Mandal in Mancherial district pointing out that their crop loans worth Rs 2 lakh have not been waived off. The farmers also blocked traffic on National Highway 363 to seek Justice. They also stressed that the Congress government’s loan waivers have several irregularities at the Rebbena Mandal centre in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

CM Revanth Reddy faces stiff opposition from the BJP, BRS, and farmers over the crop loan waiver issue

It is pertinent to note that the Congress government-led by CM Revanth Reddy has claimed that it has extended massive loan waivers to the state farmers. 

On 15th August, CM Revath Reddy claimed, “Rahul Gandhi promised Telangana farmers that their loans up to 2 lakh rupees would be waived by August 15th. Within 8 months of the Congress assuming power, Rs. 31,000 crores in debt has been waived, making Telangana farmers debt-free.” 

As per reports, the Telangana government recently released the third and final installment of the crop loan waiver with an outlay of Rs 5,644.24 crore. With this, it has reportedly released a total of over Rs 17,000 crore for the Crop Loan Waiver Scheme.

However, several farmers across the state as well as the opposition parties, BJP and BRS have slammed the Congress government for cheating and betraying the state farmers in the name of crop loan waiver. They have emphasised that the government has not waived off loans of a large percentage of state farmers.  

Taking to X, Telangana BJP wrote, “During the elections, they believed that all the farmers would be given loan waivers. The authorities did not grant loan waivers to 60% of the farmers. Then they promised to give Rs 31,000 crores, but only around Rs 18,000 crores were given. Telangana farmers will not tolerate this fraud Revanth!”

A day earlier, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao said that the Congress government had winded up the loan waiver by writing off the debt of Rs 17,934 crore, up to ₹2 lakh a farmer. He added that it was extended to only 22 lakh farmers as the government had considered family as a unit and not individual farmers. 

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had promised to write off about Rs 41,000 crore of outstanding loans at Rs 2 lakh per farmer, but it was brought down to Rs 31,000 crore in the Cabinet meeting. However, only Rs 26,000 crore was allocated in the Budget. 
But when it came to implementation, the Congress government only waived off crop loans worth only Rs 17,934 crore, BRS leader KTR added.

Popular Congress troll accused of ransom and extortion after he claims movers and packers company stole his valuables: Here’s what the company said

OpIndia Staff
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Popular Congress troll accused of ransom and extortion after he claims movers and packers company stole his valuables: Here’s what the company said

Hours after Congress supporter Ankit Mayank accused Halef International, a movers and packers company, of stealing costly valuables, including jewellery, cash, gold earrings, and other paraphernalia from his house in Bengaluru, the company has rubbished the allegations and asserted that Mayank and his wife had unlawfully detained their team in their house and were extorting the company by manipulating their social media following and making baseless claims. 

In a lengthy statement, Halef International laid out in detail the sequence of events that had taken place between Mayank and them and exposed the discrepancies in the claims made by the Congress troll. 

“We deeply regret the recent situation involving a couple who used our packing and moving services on August 14th. We want to clarify the sequence of events and our commitment to law and order,” the statement released by Halef International said. 

Congress troll accuses team of movers and packers Halef International of stealing his valuables

The controversy erupted after Ankit Mayank, who goes by the handle @mr_mayank shared a video of a messy house with opened boxes lying disorderly throughout his apartment, blaming the movers and the packers company he had hired as responsible for the mess and for “stealing” valuables, money, and jewellery stored in them. His claims were supported by his wife, Rohini Anand, who sought help from Karnataka CM, Dy CM, and Bengaluru Police through her X account @mrs_roh08.

“I had to shift my house on 14th August, for which I had hired a movers & packers company ‘Halef International Pvt Ltd’ (@halefint2019), But that turned out to be the worst decision & the biggest nightmare of my life,” Mayank tweeted along with the video. 

In a subsequent post, Mayank claimed that a bag worth Rs 8 lakhs was stolen by their team of 7 people and cash of Rs 2 lakhs, gold earrings, 2 gold bangles and other things had gone missing. 

He further added that other expensive items like an imported Dior perfume, limited edition gold-plated 50-year-old pens, and a few bags are either missing or damaged. Tagging the Bengaluru Police, the Congress troll claimed that the organisation is denying responsibility for the ordeal they find themselves in and asked them to pursue the matter seriously and help them get justice. 

Company rubbishes allegations of Congress troll, accuses him and his wife of extorting money by manipulating social media following

But hours later, the company responded to the accusations as the thread went viral, with many mocking the Congress troll with “Khatakhat KhataKhat wealth redistribution” and “Karma hits back” jibes. Several other X users also questioned the wisdom of Mayank and his wife for entrusting a movers and packers company with the responsibility to shift valuables, gold ornaments, and cash. 

“@mr_mayank didn’t inform us while booking the services with us that he is availing the service for the transportation of cash, jewellery, antique and ancient valuable items as we don’t encourage or entertain such goods transportation. Other security agencies are specialized & authorized for such transportation,” it further added. 

The couple booked a packing and moving service on August 14th, the company said, adding that their belongings were moved in two trips, with one family member accompanying the first trip and the couple travelling on the second trip, they later claimed a bag was missing. This claim was made after everything was delivered and set up, despite no prior mention of the bag. The team, supervised by the couple and their family member, searched for the bag until 3:00 AM on August 15th but found nothing. They reported the issue to the Kodigehalli police, who investigated and found nothing suspicious, so no FIR was filed.

“Following this, the couple unlawfully detained the team and house arrested, confiscating the vehicle keys and holding them for 24 hours in their house(14th Aug to 15th Aug 2024). One of the team members was physically assaulted by @mr_mayank. Despite the Kodigehalli police denying their claims due to lack of evidence, the couple then demanded Rs 500,000 from our company as ransom. When we refused, they escalated the situation to the Vidyaranyapura police station, where the team was held in custody for further investigation for 24 hrs (15-08-2024 3:00 PM TO 16-08-2024 06:00 PM) before the FIR,” the statement said. 

The company attempted to mediate the situation and offered a reasonable settlement, which the couple initially considered but later rejected, demanding more money. After 72 hours, the couple filed an FIR, falsely claiming that items worth 14 lakhs were missing. However, Halef said that the claimed value in the FIR does not align with the circumstances.

A pen worth Rs 1.5 crore, a 70-year-old whiskey bottle valued at Rs 50 lakhs, documents worth Rs 10 crores, and more: List of things Congress troll reported missing to Halef International

“Over the course of 72 hours, the couple made increasingly outrageous claims, including a missing pen worth Rs 1.5 crores, a 70-year-old whiskey valued at 50 lakhs, and some court documents worth Rs 10 Crore and perfume worth Rs 2.5 Lakhs. However, on Twitter, they mentioned only 18 lakhs, revealing inconsistencies in their story,” the statement read, accusing the couple of extorting the company by manipulating their social media following and making baseless claims. 

“Mr Mayank was under a misunderstanding with the word international in the company’s name thinking that it could be some multinational company and a good opportunity to raise some funds over the situation,” the company said.

The organisation said that when it denied Mr Mayank’s demand to pay him an amount of “7 digits”, the Congress troll reached out to one of their employees and spoke for over 22 minutes negotiating with him over what would be the company’s “last counter offer” and threatened to defame the company if his demands weren’t met.

Outrage on rape and murder of trainee doctor opens a can of worm on Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College: Multiple times when it made headlines over suicides, deaths and other issues

OpIndia Staff
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Outrage on rape and murder of trainee doctor opens a can of worm on Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College: Multiple times when it made headlines over suicides, deaths and other issues

The harrowing rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee female doctor inside the premises of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College has sparked a massive outrage, with protests across India and throughout the world demanding Justice for Abhaya. While the case has underscored the need for strict laws in heinous cases of crime against women and timely delivery of Justice following an ‘impartial’ probe, it has also put Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the spotlight. 

Currently, the senior management of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is facing massive backlash for their initial response to the case. Initially, it claimed that it was a suicide case, but the probe revealed that it was a case of brutal rape and murder. The development has opened a can of worms for the hospital as this is not a one-off incidence when the medical institution made headlines for all the wrong reasons. On multiple occasions, RG Kar Hospital was in the news over allegations of one criminal activity or the other or for suspicious deaths. 

The mysterious death of a fourth-year student, Soumitra Biswas, snowballed into allegations of a porn ring being behind his ‘murder’

OpIndia earlier reported how a 23-year-old case of a medical student’s suspicious death was also initially passed off as a suicide. However, the High Court later ordered a probe when the family of victim Soumitra Biswas disagreed and demanded a probe saying that he was murdered for trying to expose a porn ring. Even though Auromita Das, a female student of the medical college, was arrested in connection with the case, the West Bengal Police CID could not make much progress in the case, and it remains unresolved. The police had questioned several members of SFI, the student wing of CPM, but could not find any clue.

Back-to-back instances of ‘suspicious death’/suicide and a failed bid at suicide

Two years later, in February 2003, the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital saw two back-to-back cases – one of ‘suspicious death’/suicide and another of a failed bid at ‘suicide’, taking the tally of such cases to four in close succession of a few years. 

These four cases included the case of Soumitra Biswas who lost his life in August 2001 and the family had alleged murder for trying to expose a porn ring. The other three being Madhusudan Sau (February 1999), Arijit Datta (February 2003), and Praveen Gupta (February 2003). 

In the first week of February 2003, a housestaff, named Arijit Dutta (24) reportedly committed suicide by “cutting his veins and then jumping off the roof” of the main hostel building of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He was a resident of Bamunpara, Suri, in the Birbhum district. No initial reason was reported for the suspicious death/suicide as no note or any other indication was found. 

Unlike the rest, it was reported that the fourth-year student of the college, Praveen Gupta, failed in his suicide attempt. As per reports, he hailed from the Lal Mohan Hostel at Maniktala where he tried to slash both his wrists when most of his hostel mates were, apparently, fast asleep.

However, a Telegraph report on the incident stated that medical experts were mostly sceptical about Gupta’s decision to slash both his wrists, which also baffled investigators. 

The Amherst Street police station officials had said that a “note written to his girlfriend” was recovered from Gupta’s possession. Based on the contents, the cops believed that a failed love affair caused the medical student’s “depression”. However, Metro reported that some of his close friends suggested otherwise. 

A decomposed body of RG Kar Medical College professor was found at home; the room locked from the inside, Police suspected a heart attack

In October 2016, Police found the severely decomposed body of a 54-year-old RG Kar Medical College professor, Gautam Pal, inside his rented South Dum Dum apartment which was locked from the inside. 

According to police, Pal, departmental head of RG Kar medicine unit No.6, had gone missing a few days earlier. 

After getting a strong stench from his house, his neighbours alerted the Police. After breaking his main door, which was bolted from inside, Police found his body on a bed in a room on the first floor but the bed was found to be in perfect condition, leading to the suspicion that Pal might have suffered a cardiac arrest. 

After examining the body, doctors told Police that Pal had died at least three days ago. 

But the Police said that no suicide note was found in the house and thus contents of Pal’s stomach were preserved to test for traces of poison. As per reports, investigators had also found blood stains on the floor of his room and some bruises in his face. 

Trainee Female doctor, Poulami Saha, reportedly committed suicide; no suicide note was found 

RG Kar Hospital was again back in the news in May 2020 in connection with the reported suicide of a trainee female doctor during the COVID pandemic. The 25-year-old junior doctor allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the 6th floor of the emergency building. 

The deceased, Poulami Saha, was a second-year Post Graduate Trainee at the sick neonatal care unit of the hospital. According to the police, the junior doctor jumped from the 6th floor around 11 am before starting her shift at the fever clinic of the hospital. 

The Police had stated that her body was sent for postmortem. While no suicide note was found, Police said that they had learned that she had been suffering from depression for the last few days.

It is pertinent to note that while it was reported that she jumped off the 6th floor, as per a report in Mumbai Mirror, the trainee doctor committed suicide by jumping off the 11th floor. The hospital authorities did not confirm suicide.

Unlike the past cases when the majority of the incidents unfolded within the hospital building, a fourth-year medical student of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital reportedly died when he was on a trekking tour with his friends in Uttarakhand in January 2023. 

The family members of a deceased medical student, Sayan Mondal, were informed that he had successfully trekked up the Brahmatal but collapsed while returning from there. As per reports, while climbing down, he was suffering from acute breathing trouble and fell unconscious on the way. He was rushed to the Dewal government hospital where he was declared brought dead. 

Intern dies of ‘drug overdose’

Last year in August, an intern of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital reportedly died in the hospital. The Tala Police had filed a case of ‘unnatural death’, but an overdose of an antidepressant drug was being pointed out as the cause of death. 

In the meantime, the Police had not found any suicide note and also ruled out any foul play in the mysterious death. The deceased, Suvorojyiti Das (23) was doing his internship after completing his MBBS. 

As per reports, his family members found him lying unconscious in his room after which he was rushed to RG Kar Hospital. He died in the hospital’s critical care unit.

Tainted Principal of RG Kar Hospital, Sandip Ghosh was accused of not taking action on the ragging complaint and threatening the student to say the issue was ‘resolved’

In September last year, a final-year medical student accused the then outgoing Principal, Sandip Ghosh, of not taking action on a ragging complaint. Strikingly, Sandip Ghosh has returned to RG Kar Hospital numerous times, despite transfers. 

Meanwhile, the final-year student also said that no action is taken against students who are close to Principal Sandip Ghosh. He added that a house staff close to Sandip Ghosh called him and threatened him to submit that his complaint of ragging has been “resolved”.  

Notably, the ragging complaint took place just four days before a ragging incident was reported at the Manicktala Boys’ Hostel of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital (RGKMCH. 

In an e-mail to Sandip Ghosh on 8th September, the medical student mentioned that he had been subjected to mental and physical ragging for more than three years which was taking a toll on his mental and physical health, hampering his career.

The final-year student had said, “I was expecting a positive response from the outgoing principal (Sandip Ghosh) as he is our utmost guardian at the institute. But instead, I got a call the next day from one of the house staff close to him questioning me why I wrote the mail. How did this senior come to know about the mail at the first place? It is clear that it was leaked to him.” 

As per reports, the house staff who called the final-year student to threaten him for filing a ragging complaint was one among the 13 who were named in the FIR for ragging at the Manicktala hostel.

The final-year student further stated, “The house staff even told me to write another mail to the outgoing principal saying that all my issues have been resolved. I refused to oblige.” 

He added, “There are many students like me who are regularly harassed for refusing to toe the lines of those handful of seniors who are close to the ex-principal.” 

The tainted Principal of RG Kar Medical College, Sandip Ghosh

Since he took over as principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2021, Sandip Ghosh has been a controversial appointee to the medical institution. He is a surgeon and professor of orthopaedics. As per reports, several medical professionals and students have said that he is well-known for his close ties with the ruling state party, Trinamool Congress. He had often been accused of using threats and intimidation to control the hospital autocratically. It is pertinent to note that he has returned to RG Kar Medical College on several occasions, even after getting transferred to another college. 

According to News18, a few months after he joined the college, students held a hunger strike in front of his office to register their protest against his refusal to establish separate student and residence hall councils.

Previously, he was the Vice Principal of Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC). 

He was transferred to Murshidabad Medical College in June 2023 but he locked the principal’s chamber and didn’t allow his replacement Sanat Ghosh to join RG Kar Medical College. In less than 48 hours, he was given a promotion, and the transfer order was cancelled. 

However, he was once again transferred in September 2023 over the ragging incident in the boys’ hostel. As per reports, following his transfer orders, students connected to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) blocked the newly appointed principal from taking over the charge for five days. And he was yet again reinstated to RG Kar Medical College in less than a month. 

According to reports, this came after a hospital deputy superintendent transferred him after accusing him of being a racketeer. 

In the recent tragic case of rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor, the Calcutta High Court came down heavily on the Police and the West Bengal government for reinstating him to another medical college hours after he resigned from his post of Principal of RG Kar Medical College following his initial response in this case.

Viscera and blood-stained items in the RG Kar Hospital case changed: Claims Suvendu Adhikari, asks CBI to seize phones of Mamata Banerjee and top cops

OpIndia Staff
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Viscera and blood-stained items in the RG Kar Hospital case changed: Claims Suvendu Adhikari, asks CBI to seize phones of Mamata Banerjee and top cops

As the CBI has started the investigation into the heinous rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari made several serious allegations against the state police today. He claimed that the police changed the viscera and blood-stained items in an effort to protect the accused.

Adhikari said that Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal was behind these changes. Suvendu Adhikari claimed that he has gathered the information from several reliable sources. He made the following claims in a post on X (Twitter):

  1. The viscera of the deceased victim Doctor has been changed by the Kolkata Police in the name of Investigation;
  2. The involvement of quite a few number of individuals in this heinous offence and on the place of occurance cannot be ruled out;
  3. The blood stained items/objects have been changed subsequently and what is reflected in the seizure made by Kolkata Police are not the actual items/objects which can be well ascertained by DNA testing;
  4. The wash basin has been replaced by a new basin;
  5. After murdering the victim Doctor in some other corner of the premises, the body was shifted to the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College;

He added that he hopes and trusts that CBI will also explore these angles during the course of Investigation. The West Bengal leader of opposition added that before the case was handed over to CBI by the Calcutta High Court, the state police were doing a “perfunctory Investigation to hush up the issue”, and it was “being directly monitored and conducted at the dictates of the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata.”

Suvendu Adhikari also demanded that CBI should confiscate the phones of CM Mamata Banerjee, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, RG Kar Hospital’s former principal Sandip Ghosh, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam. He claimed that when call records and other data of the phones are examined, everything will be clear.

Maharashtra: Situation under control in Nashik after mobs attack Hindu groups for protesting against persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

ANI
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Maharashtra: Situation under control in Nashik after mobs attack Hindu groups for protesting against persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

The situation in Nashik is now under control after violence broke out on Friday during a protest march against the anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh.

Nashik Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 1, Ravindra Kumar Chauhan said, “FIRs have been registered after Friday’s incident. 15 accused have been taken into custody. More people have been identified based on photos and videos. The arrest process is underway. The situation is under control.”

Several Hindu organisations had called for a “bandh” in Nashik to condemn the atrocities taking place in Bangladesh.

Ten people were injured when stones were pelted by the protestors and vehicles were damaged in the clash after shops were found open in the Bhadrakali area during the ‘bandh’.

On receiving the information of the protest, the police resorted to a mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control.

Commenting on the clash, State Minister Girish Mahajan said that tension was still prevalent in the Old Nashik Area and shops that remained open in the ‘bandh’ led to the verbal altercation. He appealed to the people of Nashik to maintain peace.

“The police had to resort to a mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control. There is still tension in the Old Nashik area, but the situation is now under control. While the rally was going on, some shops were open. This led to a verbal altercation. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace.”

Further, he added that he spoke to the Police Commissioner and the District Collector, who assured him that the situation was under control.”

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

Bihar: Under-construction Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge collapses for third time in 2 years, Bridge Corporation clarifies already damaged part collapsed, no new construction going on

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Under-construction Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge collapses for third time in 2 years, Bridge Corporation clarifies already damaged part collapsed, no new construction going on

The under-construction Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge over river Ganga in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, which collapsed twice in 2022 and then 2023, collapsed again for the third time in two years on 17 August. However, now the Bihar State Bridge Corporation Limited has issued a clarification saying that no new construction of the bridge collapsed, and it was the damaged part which was to be demolished.

After media reports claiming that the bridge has collapsed for the third time in 2 years, raising questions on the construction quality of the important bridge project, the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Ltd issued a press release with some clarifications.

The press release states that the bridge was first damaged on 30 April 2022, and another part was damaged on 4 June 2023. After the second collapse, the construction of the bridge was stopped. During the investigation, it was found that the design of the bridge was faulty, states the corporation. As a result, an order was issued to remove all parts of the bridge built using the faulty design.

Therefore, the faulty portions of the bridge were being demolished, and a portion of the same collapsed after the water level increased in the Ganga River. The collapsed portion was a part of the previously damaged part, and not newly built, the corporation clarified in the statement. They added that no new construction has taken place after last year’s incident.

Notably, last year the Patna High Court directed SP Singla Construction Company, which was tasked with building the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge on the river Ganga, to rebuild the bridge. Moreover, the court has directed that a steel bridge should be built between pillar number 9 to 13 instead of the cable-stayed bridge that was being built, and SP Singla will pay for the cost.

The damaged portion of the bridge collapsed around 7 PM on Saturday, however, no casualty has been reported so far.

The bridge, which is supposed to connect Sultanganj in Bhagalpur District to Aguwani Ghat in Khagaria District, has been under construction for nine years and has faced repeated setbacks since its construction began. A portion of the bridge collapsed on 4th June last year, and after that, the construction was stopped. Three pillars and the superstructure of girders joining them collapsed causing damage to more than 100 meters of the bridge at that time.

Before that in April 2022, a part of this bridge succumbed to the impact of storm and rains that lashed the area. A part of this bridge caved in near Sultanganj on 30th April 2022. Around 36 spans of the superstructure suspended from pillar number 5 had collapsed due to a storm. 

SP Singla Construction Company was tasked with building the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge on the river Ganga. Already, hundreds of crores have been sunk into constructing the bridge, which has collapsed thrice now. An investigation is underway to determine the exact causes of the collapses and to ensure that corrective measures are implemented.

In November 2022, a team of two experts from Canada visited Bihar to assess the reasons behind the bridge collapse that took place in April 2022. This team studied to find out how this bridge succumbed to thunderstorms and fast winds. However, its findings were not made public.

‘Entire aim is to corner Mamata Banerjee’: Rajdeep Sardesai first plays ‘neutral’, then attacks Opposition for demanding accountability from West Bengal govt over RG Kar hospital rape-murder case

OpIndia Staff
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‘Entire aim is to corner Mamata Banerjee’: Rajdeep Sardesai first plays ‘neutral’, then attacks Opposition for demanding accountability from West Bengal govt over RG Kar hospital rape-murder case

A week after a junior doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, controversial ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai took to his YouTube channel on Saturday (17th July) to shield West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from incoming criticism.

To give the impression of ‘neutrality’, he pointed out how the State government cannot ‘escape scrutiny and accountability.’

Sardesai claimed, “A government hospital comes under the direct jurisdiction of the state government. What happens within its precincts is the responsibility of the state. The Mamata Banerjee government, therefore, cannot pass the buck on this gruesome act that took place in the hospital in Kolkata.”

He also questioned the laxity of Kolkata police in protecting the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from vandalism and oversight on the part of the hospital authorities in discharging their duties.

Soon after, Rajdeep Sardesai channelled his energy to attack the Opposition in West Bengal for seeking accountability from Mamata Banerjee.

“The opposition has every right to put the West Bengal government on the mat, but it is increasingly apparent that both the BJP and the left parties in particular seemingly are taking out their angst on the Mamata Banerjee government after their Lok Sabha defeat recently,” he insinuated political motive behind Opposition demanding action from Mamata Banerjee.

Rajdeep Sardesai targets Opposition

“Rather than seek justice for the girl, it appears that the entire aim is how do you corner Mamata Banerjee. Just go through the BJP media handles and what one detects is a campaign to get Mamata Banerjee to step down,” the controversial ‘journalist’ defended the TMC supremo.

He further brazened, “Are we saying my friends that whenever a heinous crime occurs in this country, the chief minister must resign? That’s a dangerous political game to play.” Rajdeep Sardesai was quick to point out why seeking the resignation of Biren Singh was not dangerous.

“We need a responsible opposition, not one that seeks opportunity in a disaster. If there is evidence of state complicity in large-scale violence like there was in Manipur last year, a demand for resignation is justified,” he was heard saying.

Rajdeep Sardesai shifts loyalties, attacks Congress

Ever since his wife Sagarika Ghose was made Rajya Sabha MP by the TMC, Rajdeep Sardesai seems to have shifted his loyalties. He did not mince words before targeting the Congress party for not being politically shrewd.

“Mr. Gandhi puts out a statement hitting at the local administration and the police in Bengal. He is entitled to his view. But isn’t Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Gandhi, part of your India alliance? And if she is, why didn’t you pick up a phone and speak to her instead of tweeting in a manner that suggests only further divisions in the opposition ranks today?” he taught the Gandhi scion a lesson in political optics.

“Yes, Mr. Gandhi, you are a Congress leader, but you are also the leader of the opposition now. Your duty, in a sense, is to reach out and ensure justice in a meaningful manner. Instead of confronting your own ally publicly, only it appears for political point scoring. This is no time for that political point-scoring, sir,” he strongly conveyed his disapproval of Rahul’s public slander of Mamata Banerjee.

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