On Thursday, 22nd August, the Aligarh Railway Police charged one Afsan for deliberately placing an alloy wheel on the railway track to derail a moving train. The incident happened on Tuesday, 20th August when the accused made a deliberate attempt to recreate the Kanpur rail accident that happened on August 17th. Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishanav during the Kanpur case had confirmed that the derailment of the engine took place because of an object placed on the track.
Notably, twenty coaches of the Sabarmati Express passenger train had derailed near Govindpuri station in Kanpur after the engine hit an object placed on the track. In the Aligarh case also, Afsan placed an alloy wheel on the track to derail a train. However, a major train accident was averted due to the vigilance of the railway police team.
As per the reports, the railway police were informed that the alloy wheel was placed on the rail route of the Delhi-Kanpur freight corridor. The police immediately reached the spot and took down the wheel. The incident took place on the Talaspur railway track of the Roravar police station area.
Regarding the incident, Area Officer First Abhay Pandey said that a case at Roravar police station is being investigated. “Information was given by RPF in this matter. On receiving the information, the police force reached the spot, after which the railway track and the surrounding area were inspected. At the same time, a case was registered on the complaint given by the RPF in this regard and three police teams had been deployed to search for the accused,” he said.
The police have finally traced the accused and identified him as Afsan, as confirmed by the Times Now Navbharat.
Earlier, on August 17th, the engine of the Sabarmati Express train had derailed near Kanpur at 2.35 am. The Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared that the derailment of the engine had taken place because of an object placed on the track.
The engine of Sabarmati Express (Varanasi to Amdavad) hit an object placed on the track and derailed near Kanpur at 02:35 am today.
Sharp hit marks are observed. Evidence is protected. IB and UP police are also working on it.
No injuries to passengers or staff. Train arranged…
Notably, this won’t be the first incident of someone deliberately placing objects on Railway tracks. There are many YouTube channels operating where the “creator” puts random things on Railway tracks and then records the videos for likes and shares.
Earlier in August, a YouTuber named Gulzar Sheikh was arrested for putting different items on railway tracks including cycles, soaps, stones, and more in the name of content creation.
OpIndia investigated the matter and found that many YouTube channels have been uploading such videos for likes and shares. In most probability, these channels are earning hefty money by monetizing these videos where they attempt to derail trains by placing objects on the tracks.
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Ayodhya gang-rape accused Moeed Khan has been subjected to further severe measures by the Uttar Pradesh government of Yogi Adityanath, following the demolition of his illegal bakery. On 22nd August, the authorities destroyed a third of his shopping complex, which was constructed unlawfully on public property.
A team of district administration drove up with bulldozers to the shopping centre located in Bhadarsa town at around 11 AM. The complex including banks and other businesses housed in the mall was vacated before the action. Notably, the perpetrator is a close associate of Samajwadi Party leader and Ayodhya Lok Sabha MP Awadhesh Prasad.
#WATCH | Ayodhya gang-rape incident | Police and administration carry out demolition drive at shopping complex owned by accused SP leader, for illegal construction. pic.twitter.com/r9TXr7Lidw
The victim has undergone medical termination of her pregnancy at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) Lucknow and has since moved to a residence in Bhadarsa town with her family. Meanwhile, security has been strengthened to safeguard her. She and her family have been under constant threat, therefore the officials informed that over thirty well-armed and prepared police officers, including female constables, have been strategically stationed around the clock to assure their protection.
Moeed Khan and his employee Raju Khan are accused of gang-raping a 12-year-old Other Backward Class (OBC) girl in Ayodhya and recording the incident to use as blackmail against her for more than two months. The victim’s pregnancy-related health problems brought the crime to light. The filing of the First Information Report was delayed. Since 2012, the police station has been housed on Moeed Khan’s land. Arrests were made following public outcry and an investigation into the matter is currently underway.
Police Station In-Charge Ratanlal Sharma and Outpost In-Charge Akhilesh Gupta have been suspended by the Yogi Adityanath government. An official complaint has been lodged against Bharatkund Bhadarsa Nagar Panchayat President Mohammad Rashid Khan, another SP leader. According to the complaint, he and his aides issued death threats to the minor rape victim. “With the intention of killing the rape victim, Mohammad Rashid, along with Jai Singh and an unknown person, reached near the room of the women’s district hospital at 11 pm on Thursday (August 1, 2024).” The complaint mentioned that he had already intimidated the victim in her home.
Government lands and ponds have been illegally occupied by Moid Khan. Furthermore, he is charged with taking over the land belonging to multiple Dalit families. In a letter to the District Magistrate, Bajrang Dal stated that Janaki Prasad, a Dalit, possesses plot numbers 1675 and 1676, and Moeed’s bakery in Bhadarsa Bhahar was also situated on this land. A high-level probe of his possessions and activities, as well as those of Ratanlal Sharma, were demanded by the outfit.
On Thursday, 22nd August, Madhya Pradesh police took strict action against Islamists who pelted stones and created a ruckus in Chhatarpur Kotwali police station on Wednesday afternoon. The Muslims are believed to have protested against Ramgiri Maharaj from Maharashtra who allegedly made derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed last week.
The police registered a case against 150 people involved in the ruckus after the orders were issued by CM Mohan Yadav. The FIR includes 50 named and 100 other people who pelted stones at the police station injuring two officers. After this, Chief Minister of the state, Dr Mohan Yadav directed the police to take strict action against the culprits of this incident. Reportedly, the state administration began demolishing the houses of the accused who pelted stones at the Police at Kotwali Police Station.
As per the local reports, the bulldozer action is underway amid heavy police force and administration team present on the spot. As notified to the media, accused Haji Shahzad Ali’s house in Mastan Sahab Colony of Chhatarpur city was being demolished with the help of a bulldozer at the time of writing of this report.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav wrote on X, ”Today an unfortunate incident took place in Chhattarpur district in which on receiving information about some policemen getting injured, I immediately got information about the incident from higher officials and gave instructions for proper treatment of the jawans. Madhya Pradesh is a ‘State of Peace’, anyone taking the law into their own hands in a planned manner will not be tolerated at all. I have given clear instructions to the senior police officials to identify the culprits quickly and take strict action against them so that such incidents do not recur in the future. It is our priority to maintain peace and harmony in the state.”
It is important to note that the members of the Muslim community in Chhatarpur demonstrated against Ramgiri Maharaj at around 4 pm on Wednesday. During this, the Muslims resorted to stone pelting and rioting, damaging some vehicles and injuring two police officers. Ramgiri Maharaj had allegedly made objectionable remarks targeting Prophet Mohammad and Islam last week. The Hindu saint during one of his sermons in Nashik, indicated that several Islamists have disrespected women in the past because of the religious doctrine they follow. The remarks sparked wide outrage in several districts of Maharashtra including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Mumbai, and Pune with several Islamist leaders and organizations filing FIRs against Ramgiri Maharaj for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.
Chhatarpur DIG Lalit Shakyawar said that about 300-400 people led by religious leaders Syed Haji Ali and Syed Javed Ali had come to the police station to submit a memorandum on Wednesday, 21st August. They were demanding to register a case against Ramgiri Maharaj, against whom several FIRs are already registered in Maharashtra.
Shakyawar said that the crowd suddenly became aggressive and started pelting stones, which continued for about ten minutes, after which the police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. The DIG said that due to stone pelting, Kotwali police station in-charge Arvind Kujur has suffered serious injuries in his hand and head. He is undergoing treatment. Constable Bhupendra Prajapati has also been injured.
The National Conference and the Congress will contest the forthcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir together and have formed an alliance.
The formal announcement of the tie-up was made by NC patron Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar on Thursday.
The announcement was made after Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
“The alliance has been finalised and by this evening the details of seat-sharing will be announced. The Alliance is for 90 seats,” Farooq Abdullah said.
“People have suffered much in the last 10 years. Statehood is the prime concern for us. And we want all the powers of the state. Our common program is to fight divisive forces. Our doors are open for all, let’s first win the election. My heart is happy today,” the NC patron added.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi asserted that it was his and his party’s duty to ensure that the people of Jammu and Kashmir get their democratic rights back and that statehood is restored.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Rahul Gandhi said that it is the priority of both the Congress Party and the INDIA alliance to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible.
“We had expected that this would be done before the elections but elections have been declared. It is a step forward and we are hoping that statehood will be restored as soon as possible and the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, democratic rights will be restored to them. This is the first time since independence that a state has become a union territory. This has never happened before. Union territories have become states but it is the first time that a State has become Union Territory. So, we are very clear in our national manifesto as well that it is a priority for us that the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh get their democratic rights back,” he said.
“My message to the people of Jammu and Kashmir is…we can help you, the Congress Party is always there. We understand that you’re going through a very difficult period, a tough period, and we want to remove violence,” he added.
Kharge slammed the BJP-led central government and said that the promises made to Jammu and Kashmir were not fulfilled.
“Our party has decided that under the leadership of Rahulji, we will restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, and we make this promise. So far, Union Territories (UTs) mentioned in the Constitution have been made into states, but Jammu and Kashmir, which was a state, was made into a UT, and today, there is no council, assembly, panchayat, or municipality here. Instead of protecting democracy, it has been dismantled,” he said.
“No matter how much BJP and PM Modi try, they cannot suppress the voice of the people. We will stand with the people and strive to fulfil their aspirations,” Kharge added.
The Congress and the NC had fought the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance with each other. The National Conference won two seats – Anantnag and Srinagar. The Congress could not win any seat.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1.
The Election Commission has issued notification for the first phase of assembly seats for 24 seats.
This is the first assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir since abrogation of Article 370.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) is questioning Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkatta, on a regular basis following the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the institution. He was forced to resign from his position amid major protests and strikes by doctors and other medical professionals. He was then appointed Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital’s principal following his ouster, however, he was removed from the post as well on the orders of the Calcutta High Court. Now, he has been made OSD (Officer on Special Duty) by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration.
As per reports, Ghosh has been appointed as OSD at the Health Ministry of the West Bengal government, as per a notification issued on Wednesday.
The High Court had slammed the decision to make him the principal of National Medical College after which he took a leave of absence. However, the students of RG Kar Medical College relentlessly called for his dismissal and on the night of 21st August a delegation of students assembled at Swasthya Bhawan. Afterwards, a total of four medical officers including Sandip Ghosh were transferred and the latter was also removed from the post.
However, Sandip Ghosh’s removal has been followed by reports of his appointment as an officer on special duty. The government’s decision not to suspend him in spite of the numerous accusations levelled against him has been questioned by the outraged pupils. On the other hand, the authorities claimed that the termination procedure is drawn out in accordance with government regulations. Sandip Ghosh would be able to testify at the departmental hearing even if the vigilance report declares him guilty. Otherwise, he could approach the court to challenge the ruling. The students countered that the government had the option to at least send him on leave, but they chose not to do it.
Government officials, however, maintained that he was no longer a college professor or the principal. The government has made the decision to temporarily house him in the Swasthya Bhawan rather than the medical college. It is unclear if he would be given departmental responsibilities as OSD or not. However, concerns have been expressed over his selection to a government position since the CBI is investigating him regularly regarding the rape and murder case.
Akhtar Ali, the former Deputy Superintendent of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, had earlier accused him of corruption and malpractice, claiming that Sandip Ghosh had sold unclaimed dead bodies, trafficked biomedical waste to contacts in Bangladesh, taken a 20% commission on each tender and purposefully failing students to demand money. He had filed a criminal case against the latter in the Calcutta High Court.
In the meantime, Suhrita Paul, who was made the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital after the resignation of Sandip Ghosh, has also been transferred to Barasat Medical College. Manas Banerjee, the current principal of Barasat Medical College, has been appointed as the principal of RG Kar Medical College.
After Suhrita Paul was made the new principal of RG Kar Medical College, her role in the investigation of the case was questioned by the protesting students. The hospital was vandalised by pro-TMC goons during her tenure. She was OSD in the health ministry before her appointment at the hospital. Reportedly, she continued to function from the Swasthya Bhawan, and visited the hospital only once, inviting the anger of the students.
Besides, Bulbul Mukherjee has also been relieved from the duties of MSVP of RG Kar Hospital and Dean of Students. He has been only retained as a professor in the Department of Physiology at the medical college. Also, Arunabh Dutta Chowdhury, head of the chest medicine department at RG Kar, has been transferred to Maldah Medical College in North Bengal. Notably, the victim was a doctor and a PG student at the chest medicine department.
A major reservation row broke out in West Bengal after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government included the Muslim community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota without due diligence, only to cater to her party’s minority vote bank. Notably, the All Indian Trinamool Congress administration not only continued but even added to the appeasement policy adopted by the previous Communist Party of India (Marxist) government in the state. Now, the AITC regime is being slammed for arbitrarily introducing 77 castes, 75 of whom are Muslim, into the OBC category.
In a landmark judgment on Wednesday (22nd May) this year, the Calcutta High Court had cancelled Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued to 77 groups by the Left and Trinamool Congress governments between 5th March 2010 and 11th May 2012.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government filed an affidavit and defended its decision in the Supreme Court after a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud in its 5th August order sought details regarding the procedure adopted for inclusion in the OBC category. However, the astounding details in it revealed the extent to which it flouted all norms to pander to its Muslim voters.
Complex 3-tier process, but many red flags
The government claimed that the OBC list was expanded through a complex three-tier process which involved two surveys and a hearing by the Commission for Backward Classes, reported The Times of India. On the other hand, it was unveiled that for some Muslim groups, the process was concluded in less than a day, which otherwise would have been an impossibility given the complexity of the work and the rate at which government machinery operates.
The Khotta Muslim community applied on 13th November 2009 and they were made part of the OBC list by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes recommended on the same day. Likewise, the Jamadar Muslim group which submitted an application on 21st April 2010 was awarded the OBC category, the very same day. The OBC Commission acted with equally surprising speed. It recommended the incorporation of Gayen and Bhatia Muslim communities within a day, the Chutor Mistri Muslim community in four days and the addition of a dozen other Muslim groups to the OBC list in less than a month.
There were instances where the sub-categorization survey was carried out even before community members applied to the Commission to be put in the OBC category. While surveys for Kazi, Kotal, Hazari, Layek, Khas and some other Muslim communities were completed in June 2015, their applications were submitted considerably later, even a year or two afterwards. “It was only after a detailed enquiry and/or upon consideration of the material before it in oral or documentary nature, that a final report on each of the 34 communities was prepared along with the final recommendation by the Commission,” the West Bengal government claimed in the apex court.
According to the affidavit presented by Abhijit Mukherjee, the process begins with an application by communities who intend to be included in the OBC list, providing information about the name of the class, its population size, its concentration area, as well as social, educational, marital, occupational and economic data. Abhijit Mukherjee is the additional secretary and ex-officio joint commissioner of reservation at the backward classes welfare department. The affidavit asserted that the state meticulously adhered to the three-tier process.
The commission conducts field surveys through its members (before 2012) or through the Cultural Research Institute (CRI) of the state government and the anthropologists working with them (after 2012) upon the filing of a request. The commission notifies the public of the application hearing and any opposition to the claim during such a survey. The commission reviews documents, poll responses, questions and evidence presented at public hearings before making a decision on whether to approve or disapprove the proposal. The state stated that this recommendation is “ordinarily binding” on the government upon acceptance and introduces the group to the OBC list. The cabinet is then asked to approve it and is subsequently published in the official gazette following the authorization.
On 5th August the Supreme Court directed the West Bengal administration to “explain the process” used to classify 77 communities as OBC between 2010 and 2012, as well as the type of survey that was conducted on the two issues of social and educational backwardness and inadequate representation in state services. Mamata Banerjee’s government lodged an appeal against a Calcutta High Court ruling to revoke the inclusion of such communities in the OBC list without conforming to the proper protocol. Notably, the Supreme Court declined to halt the High Court order.
Observations of Calcutta High Court
In May this year, a two-judge bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha had cancelled the Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued to 77 groups by the Left and Trinamool Congress governments between 5th March 2010 and 11th May 2012. The judges observed that the West Bengal administration utilized the Sachar Committee Report of 2006 “extensively” which notoriously concluded that Muslims in India were in worse condition than members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The Sachar Committee Report used by the state to support the claims of backwardness of Muslims and classify them as OBCs lacked constitutional validity, per the Calcutta High Court.
The court also took issue with the West Bengal government-appointed Commission’s negligence in failing to execute a thorough investigation to ascertain the degree of social deprivation of the groups admitted into the OBC category. It made clear that it is untenable to notify OBC categories between 2011 and 2022 based solely on the out-of-date Mandal Commission report.
Additionally, the Calcutta High Court noted that by passing the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012 and eliminating the Commission’s involvement in the process of identifying new OBCs, the West Bengal government had engaged in a “fraud on the Constitutional power of the State.” The erudite judges further emphasized how the Commission disregarded constitutional provisions in order to classify Muslims as OBCs.
The court further pointed out that the University of Calcutta’s Anthropology Department collaborated with the earlier Left government to justify the decision to announce the first group of new OBCs centred only on religious criteria. The West Bengal administration was harshly criticized by the judges for treating Muslims as a “political commodity” and employing them to further its political agenda.
“I don’t accept Calcutta High Court’s verdict. OBC reservation will continue as it is,” Mamata Banerjee declared after the Calcutta High Court cancelled around five lakh OBC certificates issued after 2010 by her government. The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) discovered in June 2023 that OBC certificates had been issued to Rohingyas and undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh in West Bengal. NCBC further found that, although Hindus make up the majority population in West Bengal, there were more Muslim OBC castes in the state.
Background of the controversy
66 classes were designated as OBCs between 1994 and 2009 by the CPIM government, which ruled the state prior to TMC. The Muslim community comprised about 12 of the classes. The CPIM government issued seven executive orders between 5th March and 10th September 2010 recognizing 42 additional classes as OBCs, presumably with the 2011 elections in mind. The Muslim community accounted for forty-one of them. As a result, these new groups qualified for representation and reservations in jobs offered by the West Bengal government. A 10% reservation for Muslims in government positions was also announced by the CPIM in February 2010 to further accommodate its Muslim voting bank.
Mamata Banerjee maintained the Left regime’s appeasement policy after taking office as chief minister of West Bengal in May 2011. An additional 35 new classes were established as OBCs by the TMC administration in an executive order dated 11th May 2012. Thirty-four of the classes, predictably, belonged to the Muslim community and in just two years, the Left and TMC governments added 77 new classes (75 of which belonged to the Muslim minority) to the OBC group. The 77 groups were further divided into OBC A (More Backward) and OBC B (Backward) categories by the Mamata Banerjee government, which also passed the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012.
A man named Amal Chandra Das filed the first petition on 18th January 2011, contesting the Left government’s decision. He questioned the decision to designate 42 castes as OBCs based only on religious beliefs. He emphasized that the survey performed by the Commission, which was established by the West Bengal government to help with the identification of OBCs, was prefabricated and the classification was not based on any reliable evidence.
From 2012 until 2020, Amal Chandra Das, Purabi Das and Atmadeep filed three more petitions contesting the constitutionality of the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012, as well as a number of its provisions. All four petitions were tagged and heard concurrently in the Calcutta High Court which pronounced its decision on 22nd May.
Days after the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) sent a warning letter to the Finance Ministry warning about exhausting usable reserves of the country, the state’s usable dollar reserves have actually run out, reported Adhadhu, a local media outlet.
This is the first time in the history of Maldies that its reserves have gone to negative. The MMA and the Finance Ministry failed to comment on the issue, but Adhadhu claims to know that the country’s remaining dollar reserves have been exhausted on Wednesday, 21st August.
Two different reputable sources confirmed to Adhadhu that usable dollar reserves are currently negative. As per the report, the government held a USD 25 million oil payment due, and the reserves could run out and go negative if the bill was paid.
The useable dollar reserve in Maldives is the amount of money held by the government to repay loans and spend on critical imports. The reserve is made up of dollar revenue received by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), grants from the state, and budget support. The reserve is also used to send funds to students studying abroad, as well as to sell dollars to Maldivians travelling abroad. It is also used to distribute cash to banks and government entities.
According to the most recent data given by the MMA as of July 24, the official reserves stood at $365.44 million, while the usable reserves of the country stood at $21.97 million. Experts who talked with Adhadhu suggested the Sovereign Development Fund (SDF) may need to be used if the state’s dollar reserves run out.
However, both the government and the MMA dismiss the prospect of encountering such a circumstance. The Finance Ministry and the MMA told several local media sources that the situation would not deteriorate and that the reserves would stabilize by the end of this month.
“The authority continues to publish reserve data on a monthly basis. Maldives’ usable reserves are expected to increase by August from the level at the end of July,” the MMA said in the statement.
On Monday, 19th August the finance ministry issued a letter requesting that companies stop paying salaries in dollars. Maldives requires $70 million each month to import vital supplies. As a result, the latest MMA reserve data reveal that there is enough money to import products for 0.9 months. According to data, the Maldives requires $508 million this year to repay its foreign loans.
The flood situation in southern Bangladesh has deteriorated due to continuous rainfall and rising river water levels, stranding nearly 1.5 million people. The roads and highways connecting the Feni, Cumilla, and Noakhali districts remain completely submerged in floodwaters, making them appear as islands. Amid this several Bangladeshis are blaming India for allegedly opening the Dambur Hydroelectric Project in Tripura state.
Bangladeshi ‘students’ who staged a protest on Wednesday, 21st August, regarding the issue claimed that the Indian project has caused devastating floods in Bangladesh’s Feni, Comilla, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur districts. The video of the protests is making rounds on social media.
Students of Dhaka University protest the sudden opening of the Dambur Hydroelectric Project in India’s Tripura state, which has caused devastating floods in Bangladesh’s Feni, Comilla, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur districts. Video: Md Al Amin Saf on Facebook pic.twitter.com/ZOtNSAZBqI
Amid this, on Thursday, 22nd August, the Government of India in its official release clarified that floods in Bangladesh have nothing to do with the opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura.
“We would like to point out that the catchment areas of Gumti River that flows through India and Bangladesh have witnessed the heaviest rains of this year over the last few days. The flood in Bangladesh is primarily due to waters from these large catchments downstream of the dam. Heavy rainfall has been continuing since 21 August in the whole of Tripura and adjoining districts of Bangladesh. In the event of heavy inflow, automatic releases have been observed,” the official statement read.
The Dumbur dam is located quite far from the border, over 120 Km upstream of Bangladesh. It is a low-height (about 30m) dam that generates power that feeds into a grid from which Bangladesh also draws 40MW power from Tripura. Along the about 120 km river course, India has three water level observation sites Amarpur, Sonamura, and Sonamura 2. The government stated that automatic release was observed amid heavy inflow of water.
“Amarpur station is in part of a bilateral protocol under which we are transmitting real-time flood data to Bangladesh. Data showing a rising trend has been supplied to Bangladesh up to 1500 hrs on 21 August 2024. At 1800 hrs, due to flooding, there was a power outage leading to problems in communication. Still, we have tried to maintain communication through other means created for urgent transmission of data,” the statement added.
Floods on common rivers in India and Bangladesh are a shared problem that causes pain for people on both sides and necessitate close mutual collaboration to resolve.
“As two countries with 54 shared cross-border rivers, river water cooperation is a significant aspect of our bilateral relationship. We remain dedicated to resolving issues and concerns about water resources and river water management through bilateral conversations and technical meetings,” India indicated.
It is important to note that several Bangladeshis are spreading an anti-India narrative amid the floods claiming that India has deliberately the Dambur Hydroelectric Project in Tripura state. “India is effectively breaching international law on a regular basis. India has consistently ignored UN obligations and has never acknowledged the rights of Bangladesh and its people under international law. Despite these hostile actions, Indian officials continue to claim that they are friendly neighbors—yet they wonder why Bangladeshis hold such deep resentment against them. Is India truly a friendly neighbor to Bangladesh? Their actions speak louder than their words,” alleged Sultan Mohammed Zakaria, a Bangladeshi ‘expert’ on democratic governance and human rights.
#Bangladesh: India's Reckless Actions Are Worsening the Flood Crisis in Southeast Bangladesh
For the first time in generations, Bangladesh's entire southeastern region is facing its worst flooding in history affecting millions of people. The cause? Indian authorities opened the… pic.twitter.com/GK5JzLLBcz
Derek Grossman, a senior defence analyst at RAND focused on a range of national security policy and Indo-Pacific security issues also blamed India for deliberately causing floods in Bangladesh. “If India indeed opened the Dambur hydroelectric project in Tripura state without notifying Bangladesh, and if this was done in political retaliation against the new govt, then New Delhi must be held to account. To be fair, heavy rains preceded this event,” he claimed.
Many others alleged that India had created fake floods in Bangladesh due to the fall of the Awami League Government which led to atrocities against the Hindu community in the country.
India has created an artificial flood in Bangladesh by releasing water from its dams and you still wonder why people hate India so much? pic.twitter.com/4WRpsn6GpL
Asif Mahmud, a Bangladeshi student activist, who is currently an advisor to the Bangladesh interim government also commented on the issue blaming India for floods. “Sheltering murderer Sheikh Hasina, opening the water gates without notice and causing floods may lead to the deterioration of Bangladesh’s relations with India. A clear explanation should be given to the people of Bangladesh,” he said. Notably, Mahmud was the key coordinator of the ‘students protest’ which led the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform culminating in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
"Sheltering murderer Sheikh Hasina, opening the water gates without notice and causing floods may lead to the deterioration of Bangladesh's relations with India. A clear explanation should be given to the people of Bangladesh."
The students at Dhaka University meanwhile again began protesting against India yelling slogans of ‘Boycott India’ amid the flood situation. “If people die in the flood, There will be no Seven Sisters. Boycott Boycott India Boycott,” the students could be heard yelling.
Students in Bangladesh raising slogans,
“If people die in the flood, There will be no Seven Sisters”
Bangladesh is floating in the flood caused by India. Hundreds of deaths have already been reported. A few Thana in Feni district were completely submerged. There is no way to reach out for help.
“You don’t need to be a foreign expert to understand why India’s neighborly relations are not good. India has released the river for no reason without informing Bangladesh. Which creates an artificial flood in Bangladesh, millions of people of Bangladesh are now trapped in water,” commented one of the Bangladeshi netizens spreading an anti-Indian narrative.
You don't need to be a foreign expert to understand why India's neighborly relations are not good. India has released the river for no reason without informing Bangladesh. Which creates artificial flood in Bangladesh, millions of people of Bangladesh are now trapped in water. pic.twitter.com/jvHWVeyTJA
Apart from netizens, several media houses also claimed that India was behind the floods that have shaken Bangladesh currently. Borok Times said that the switchgate of the Dumbur Reservoir in Tripura had been opened after 31 years causing floods. However, it stated that the opening of the Dumbur Reservoir’s switchgate was deemed necessary to prevent the reservoir from overflowing, which could have led to even more catastrophic flooding downstream.
Even, the Business Standard claimed that India had opened the switch gates causing floods in Bangladesh.
“India’s unilateral construction of dams and its arbitrary control of water flows have become a constant threat to Bangladesh, causing either drought or flooding downstream. This reckless behavior has devastated millions of lives and wreaked havoc on the environment. For example, over 80% of Bangladesh’s 20 million small farmers depend on water flowing through these transboundary rivers to grow rice,” stated Sultan Mohammed Zakaria, a Bangladeshi ‘expert’ on democratic governance and human rights further citing a 21-year-old article by the Guardian media who is habitual of spreading anti-India narrative across the globe.
Notably, India has clarified that the gates were not opened as claimed by many including credible media houses, but automatic release of water due to heavy rainfall was observed. Floods in Bangladesh have created havoc.
Water levels in Cumilla’s Gumti and Muhuri rivers have risen dramatically as a result of severe rainfall. Furthermore, the water levels in the Kushiyara, Manu, Dhalai, Khowai, Muhuri, Feni, Gumti, and Halda rivers have already reached unsafe levels, according to the reports.
Water levels in some locations, notably the Hobiganj district in northeastern Bangladesh, have reached levels not seen in the last 50 years, statistics from the Bangladesh Water Development Board’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) state. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department predicts medium to heavy rain in the southeastern and eastern regions, as well as nearby upstream areas, in the coming 24 hours. The situation remains tense.
The CBI has made several shocking revelations in its status report on the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The probe agency, along with Kolkata Police, submitted their respective status reports to the Supreme Court, as the apex court is hearing the matter.
CBI has alleged that the crime scene was altered and tampered with before the case was handed over by Kolkata Police, there was long delay between discovery of the crime and registration of the case, the FIR was registered after the body was cremated, and there an attempt to cover up the case. The CBI also mentioned that the family was initially told that it was a suicide, as already revealed.
The Solicitor General representing the CBI told the court that the FIR was registered at 11:45 PM, after the body of the victim woman was cremated. He added that CBI has not been handed over the medical report of the injury of the accused, saying the agency was not told that such a report exists. The SG said that after the discovery of the body, senior doctors and colleagues of the victim asked for videography, which means even they felt there was a cover-up.
SG: we didn't know there is such report, we entered the investigation on the 5th day, everything was altered
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud noted the timeline of the events, and said that one aspect is extremely disturbing, the long delay in registering the case. He noted that the General Diary entry of the death was recorded at 10:10 AM as per police records, but securing of the crime scene, the seizures etc was done at 11:30 at night.
Justice Mishra noted that while autopsy was conducted on evening hours, the general diary entry of unnatural death was recorded after that, at 11:30 PM. Kapil Sibal representing Kolkata Police said that the post mortem examination was done from 6:10 PM to 7:10 PM.
The CJI read out the timeline of the events on 9th August, which started at 10:10 am with the recording of the general diary based on a phone call received that a PG lady doctor was found unconscious at 3rd floor. The medical board verbally opined that death was due to strangulation, with the possibility of sexual assault. Then the post mortem was done at 6-7 PM, after which the police started investigation. Then, unnatural death was recoded at 11:30 PM and the FIR was registered at 11:45 PM. The CJI noted that a blue jeans was found on the dias.
CJI: (reads) after PMR, and inquest, the body is handed over to mother, after return to the police station a UD case is registered, all police superiors were informed….it appears that initial report of UD was received and registered at 10:10 AM, after they recieved they return…
Justice Pardiwala said that when it was decided to conduct Post Mortem, it means that this is a case of unnatural death. Because post mortem test is not done for natural deaths. But despite that, unnatural death was recorded hours after post mortem, at 11:20 PM and FIR was registered at 11:45 PM. He said that this is very surprising, because post mortem is done after recording unnatural death.
However, Kapil Sibal claimed that the unnatural death case was registered at 1:46 PM. But the court noted that this is not mentioned in the report. The court said that even 1:46 PM is very late, given that the body was discovered in the morning itself. When the timeline mentioned by Sibal didn’t match with the records, the court wondered what document he was referring to. The court asked the presence of a responsible police officer in the next hearing to avoid such mismatches.
Kapil Sibal claimed that the recorded 11:30 PM is the time the police officer reached the police station after conducting the procedures, but the court refused to accept that. The CJI said that if the case was registered after the police returned to the police station after the post-mortem was done and body was handed over to the family, how the inquest report prepared in the afternoon refer to the unnatural death report.
Justice Pardiwala said that he has not come across such a case in 30 years, where there is such a long delay in recording a case after discovery of a dead body with clear signs of unnatural death. He also noted that the conduct of the Assistant Superintendent of Police is also very doubtful.
Justice Pardiwala: give us the hard copy only.
Justice Pardiwala: Let the CBI look into this.. it looks like this has been inserted later
When Sibal referred to a report showing that the general diary entry for unnatural death was recorded at 1:45 PM, not 11:30 PM, the court said it looks doubtful. Justice Pardiwala said that it looks like it was inserted into the records later, and asked the CBI to look into it.
Both the CBI and the court agreed that the case was registered at 11:30 PM, not in the afternoon as claimed by Kolkata Police.
Apart from questioning the lapses in handling the case, the court also questioned the role of police during the vandalism of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
On Wednesday, August 21, an FIR has been filed against a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker at the Bolpur police station in Birbhum district for the rape and torture of a married woman. Following the incident, the accused, Firoz Khan, has gone into hiding.
Khan, a resident of Karimpur in the Bahiri Panchchoa Gram Panchayat area, is alleged to have forcibly abducted the married woman at gunpoint and taken her to his cowshed, where he tied her hands and legs and raped her.
The accused allegedly tortured the victim by inserting a gun into her genitals. He also took pictures of the victim during the assault. Her four-year-old son, looking for his mother, arrived at the cowshed. Upon seeing her in that condition he started to cry and shout. The accused TMC worker threatened him and tied him up in a gunny bag.
Another Alarming R@p€ Incident in West Bengal ⚠️
TMC leader Firoz Khan has been accused of brutally R@ping a woman in Bolpur, even threatening her with a gun.
When her 4-year-old son witnessed the assault and tried to protect his mother, Khan reportedly attempted to k!11 the… pic.twitter.com/94mRH5MqeK
In the video, the victim recounts that the accused, Firoz Khan, had been harassing her for several days. He made advances and offered her money to be with him. When she rejected his proposal, he threatened to kill her by holding a gun to her head. On the day of the incident, she went to get water. Khan found her alone and forcibly took her to a secluded location at gunpoint, where he raped her. She also said that he attempted to kill her son by tying him up in a sack.
After the assault, the victim was admitted to the Bolpur District Hospital.
According to police, the victim was hesitant to report the incident for several days out of fear of public shame. Ultimately, her husband encouraged her to file a complaint against the accused. An FIR was registered at Bolpur police station based on the victim’s and her husband’s complaint, and the police are actively searching for Khan. Investigations began after recording the victim and her husband’s statement on Wednesday, August 21.
This incident has sparked significant public outrage in Bolpur, especially in light of the recent murder of a trainee female doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital.
The victim claimed that Khan had been threatening her for some time to engage in an illicit relationship.
On Saturday afternoon, Khan allegedly kidnapped the woman at gunpoint. He took her to his cowshed, where he raped her; and reportedly tied her 4-year-old toddler in a sack during the assault.
Following the incident, the victim attempted to commit suicide. The police are conducting raids on Khan’s residence and other potential hiding places.
