On 9th September, the Supreme Court of India expressed concerns over the state government’s handling of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case. The court, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, highlighted a 14-hour delay in filing the FIR and the absence of critical documents for the autopsy, such as the challan for the body.
The court also urged the striking doctors in West Bengal to resume their duties by 5 PM on Tuesday and warned that if the boycott continues, it may order disciplinary action against them. Kapil Sibal, representing the state, assured the court that no punitive action would be taken against the doctors if they returned to work.
Court’s directives for safety and security
The court instructed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government to ensure a safe and conducive working environment for medical staff in hospitals across the state. It emphasised the need for secure duty rooms, clean restrooms, and CCTV coverage across campuses. Furthermore, the apex court ordered the police authorities to ensure the safety of the doctors, with assurances from district magistrates and superintendents of police for their protection. Reportedly, the funds earmarked to enhance facilities in government hospitals across the state have already been released by the state government.
Concerns over handling of the case and missing documents
During the hearing, the CJI expressed concerns over how the state government handled the case, specifically highlighting the 14-hour delay in filing the FIR and the absence of critical documents for the autopsy, such as the challan for the body. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), pointed out that the challan was an important document as it contains details of the materials sent with the body. The court questioned how the post-mortem could proceed without this formal request.
Discrepancies in forensics and investigation
The CBI raised several concerns during the hearing, including the handling of evidence, discrepancies in the timing of the unnatural death report, and the improper storage of blood samples. According to the CBI, the report indicated that the body was recovered at 9:30 AM in a semi-nude state with visible injuries.
The apex court asked for clarification on whether the complete CCTV footage was available and questioned who entered the premises after the accused had exited the crime scene. Sibal claimed that all evidence was video-recorded in the presence of a judicial magistrate. He also claimed there were some technical glitches in the CCTV, presenting it as the reason behind the submission of CCTV footage in parts.
State-central coordination issues
During the hearing, the court also addressed the matter of coordination issues between the West Bengal government and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed at the hospital. The CISF raised concerns about inadequate accommodation and the lack of security gadgets. The court directed both the state and CISF to resolve these issues by the end of the day.
The court directed the CBI to submit a fresh status report of the investigation by 17th September 2024.
Recently, Springfield residents slammed the local City Council for the large influx of Haitian immigrants stating that they have become the occupiers and have been replacing the native population in Springfield. Notably, Springfield, Ohio is a small city in the USA with a population of less than 60,000. However, it has been overwhelmed by roughly 20,000 Haitian immigrants in the last three to four years.
While the US media and concerned officials say that the Haitians have come to the US legally for jobs, locals have alleged corruption in allowing illegal immigration. According to them, ‘Illegal Haitians’ have been harassing them, occupying their properties, forcing them out of their houses, and eating their pets and wildlife adding that they “can’t take it anymore”.
Several videos of Springfield residents testifying before the Council meeting are doing rounds on social media. In many of these viral videos, they have stated that ‘Illegal Haitian’ immigrants have been stealing ducks, geese, and other pet animals including cats. According to them, after decapitating them, the Haitian immigrants eat these local livestock.
It is pertinent to note that while the Haitian population has been increasing rapidly in the last few years, tensions erupted last year after an immigrant driver from Haiti killed an 11-year-old boy and injured 23 others. The driver had rammed his truck into a school bus on the first day of school last August. Since this was the first city commission meeting after that incident, locals came down heavily on the City Council officials over demographic changes and a large influx of immigrants from Haiti.
During the 27th August City Commission meeting, one Springfield resident said that illegal Haitians were grabbing ducks from parks, decapitating them, and eating them. He also accused Commission members of getting paid off for allowing all this.
NEW: Springfield, Ohio man says Haitian illegals are decap*tating ducks from parks & eating them, accuses commission members of getting paid off for allowing it.
“They're in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking off with 'em and eating… pic.twitter.com/uE3wI3CXl3
He said, “Who is getting paid? Like how much money is y’all really getting paid? Like to bring them over here, like I know it’s deeper than them.”
Amazing. This is real. The evidence is overwhelming. The US government sent 20,000 Haitians (one of the worst countries/cultures on Earth) to this town.
And they're killing people's cats and dogs and eating them, killing ducks and geese in the parks and eating them, squatting on… https://t.co/M6GhWFNy0c
Another resident shared a Facebook post stating that their neighbour’s cat went missing. Inside the house of their Haitian neighbour, she saw it “hanging from a branch, like you’d do a deer for butchering, & they [the Haitians] were carving it up to eat.”
Springfield is a small town in Ohio.
4 years ago, they had 60k residents.
Under Harris and Biden, 20,000 Haitian immigrants were shipped to the town.
While several users alleged that it could be a racist fear-mongering and targeting of the Haitian community, others claimed they have receipts to show that cats are indeed part of Haitian cuisine. Some users also shared a 16th August 2024 media report when a woman was arrested in Ohio for killing and eating a cat in a “residential area in front of multiple people.”
Haitian immigrants are eating people’s cats, and strolling down the street with Canadian geese, getting ready for supper. https://t.co/c0bNWLADu9
As per reports, Allexis Ferrell (27) was arrested on 16th August 2024. She faced charges of prohibitions concerning companion animals, injuring animals, and disorderly conduct, according to jail records.
(Image Credits – Fox News)
According to the criminal complaint, Ferrell killed the cat by stomping on its head and then ate it. Responding to a Police officer’s query, eyewitnesses confirmed that the accused woman was “eating it”.
Hi Cathy Young, there's actually a video of a woman getting arrested for eating a cat in Ohio.
The video of the crime scene and her arrest also went viral. As per US media reports, when she was arrested, blood was observed on her feet, and hands, and fur was on her lips. Back then, the Police had stated that after taking the woman to Stark County jail, officers secured the “cat as evidence”.
Locals say Haitians have occupied their properties, forcing them out of their properties; replacing the native population
A resident named Glenda Bailey told the city committee, “They have become the occupiers. What they’ve done is they’ve replaced the population in Springfield.” She also warned that they would soon become the majority and kick everyone else out.
A frail woman lamented that the Haitian immigrants ‘squat’ on their lawns and had driven them out of the house in which they had been living for over 45 years. She recounted that she did all she could and made concessions with them and “tried to help” them but they “squat” on her property.
With a trembling voice, she said, “I’m done with what I’m seeing. It is so unsafe in my neighbourhood anymore.”
She added, “I have men that cannot speak English in my front yard screaming at me, throwing mattresses…throwing trash in my front yard. Look at me, I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn’t defend myself if I had to.”
Fearing for their safety, she revealed that her elderly husband had decided that they would leave their home of 45 years.
Absolutely HEARTBREAKING moment Springfield, Ohio, resident tells mayor that she "can't take it anymore" as Haitian migrants squat on her lawn, litter in her yard and harass her and elderly husband daily.
Slamming the City council officials, she asked, “I don’t know what you expect of us as citizens. I understand that they are here under temporary protective status and you are protecting them. Who’s protecting us if we’re protecting them? I want out of this town. Please give me a reason to stay.”
Earlier, in July, the City manager Bryan Heck wrote a letter to the Senate Banking Committee asking for more federal funding citing a surge in the immigrant population.
This dossier has been prepared with the purpose of detailing how Wikipedia is not a free, editorial intervention-free encyclopaedia which relies on the voluntary work of thousands of unpaid, passionate volunteers across the globe, as claimed by the Wikimedia Foundation. This dossier is made with a special focus on India, Indian laws and India-related content for the purpose of formulating recommendations about treating Wikipedia as a publisher, which is directly liable for the content published on its platform.
The dossier delves briefly into various aspects of Wikipedia and its parent company – the Wikimedia Foundation in order to understand the various claims made by the Wikimedia Foundation about Wikipedia being a free-for-all-to-edit encyclopaedia, using reliable sources, maintaining a neutral point of view, surviving on donations etc. It also delves into the grants that Wikimedia Foundation gets, the entities it gets the grants from and the entities and NGOs it gives grants to. Further, it aims to understand how the Wikimedia Foundation, without maintaining its presence in India, is functioning in India and funding various entities for its business goals.
The dossier first delves into the existing research on the pronounced Left bias of Wikipedia and the elements that contribute to that bias. In all 3 research papers quoted, the unambiguous conclusion is that Wikipedia has an inherent Left bias. Wikipedia’s “NPOV” (Neutral Point of View) guidelines do not mean that the entire spectrum of views would find equal representation in the article. The result of NPOV is merely that whatever details are mentioned in the “reliable source” would be mentioned. The pool of “Reliable sources” itself is tainted since the editors and administrators, who have disproportionate power in Wikipedia, ensure that “right-wing” (non-Left) sources are deprecated or blacklisted – which bars those sources from being cited as reference material in any of the Wikipedia articles.
Larry Senger, the co-founder of Wikipedia has categorically stated as well that Wikipedia has a pronounced Left bias. In several interviews and talks, he has spoken extensively about how Wikipedia skews the scale of balance, leading to the information being an inaccurate representation of reality, ridden with Left bias.
This research paper finds that the structure of Wikipedia itself gives unmitigated power to a handful of individuals who are called ‘administrators’. There are only 435 active administrators in the entire world who have the power to ban editors, blacklist sources, ban contributors and decide the edits that should be made or reverted on articles. These few administrators hold unbridled power in Wikipedia as far as the content is concerned. This research also finds that many of these editors and administrators are paid by the Wikimedia Foundation in the form of grants for Wikimedia-related projects and therefore, it is conclusively proven that Wikipedia is not the free-for-all-to-edit model that it claims it is. Jimmy Wales himself admitted as well that he is the final arbitrator of content on Wikipedia.
The research then delves into where the Wikimedia Foundation gets its money from and where it spends its money. This analysis is done with a specific focus on India. It is found that the Wikimedia Foundation gets millions of dollars from highly motivated donor-directed funds including from Foundations like the Open Society Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Tides Foundation and others. Google too donates millions to the Wikimedia Foundation and promotes Wikipedia content, including funding projects like Abstract Wikipedia which essentially aims to colonise the internet.
Wikimedia Foundation has intimate financial connections with the clandestine Tides Foundation, which is accused of funding the pro-Hamas protests in US Universities along with George Soros.
Wikimedia and Tides Foundation also fund several organisations which specifically work against the interest of India and undermine its sovereignty on various levels.
Connections between the Wikimedia Foundation and Tides Foundation have been found with dubious organisations like Hindus For Human Rights, Equality Labs, Art+Feminism, Access Now, the Hindenburg hitjobs against Indian industrialists and others.
In India, the Wikimedia Foundation has no presence. The presence they had in the form of a registered society was closed in 2019. Despite folding in India, the Wikimedia Foundation not only collects lakhs from India in the form of donations but also funds NGOs in India which furthers the business interest of the Wikimedia Foundation. All of these organisations funded by the Wikimedia Foundation and Tides Foundation are Left organisations.
As far as the content on Wikipedia is concerned, it is found in this research that a small group of editors and administrators skew the content in India, including one editor who has been booked in the state of Manipur for spreading disaffection and creating strife. The editors often stonewall attempts to add inconvenient facts and a different perspective to the Wikipedia articles. Further, there is a specific anti-Hindu and anti-India bias which is perpetrated by the editors, reflected in the content which defines the subjects due to the partnership between Google and Wikimedia Foundation.
In conclusion, there is a list of recommendations that the researcher makes to deal with the Wikimedia Foundation, which perpetrates an editorial line without submitting to Indian laws. While the Wikimedia Foundation claims that Wikipedia is merely an intermediary, it is found that Wikipedia meets all the standards set for ‘publishers’ under the IT Guidelines. This would mean that the Wikimedia Foundation should be held liable for all the content on Wikipedia and should be required to have a presence in India to submit to Indian laws, including laws governing FCRA, NGOs, IT Guidelines, Financial disclosure standards and more.
Recommendations in the paper
Following are the recommendations based on the research into Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia:
Declare Wikipedia as a publisher
Wikipedia has claimed to be an intermediary which depends on the wisdom of the crowd without content intervention and editorial line, based on ‘reliable sources’ and maintaining and neutral point of view. This, however, is far from the truth, as evidenced in the research. Wikipedia meets all the standards of publishers. They collate information on current events and historical events, they pay their editors and administrators and they are easily accessible by the people at large on the internet. Given that Wikipedia has an editorial stand based on the editors and administrators, the evidence suggests that they are no longer eligible to be considered an intermediary. Once declared a publisher, Wikimedia would have to have their offices in India, set up a grievance redressal system and submit to Indian laws about illegal content which undermines the sovereignty of India or creates disaffection.
Scrutinise financial transactions
Wikimedia Foundation conducts several financial transactions in India to further its business interests and fund Left organisations and individuals who end up undermining the sovereignty of India and creating disaffection. Any financial transactions in India, payments in India and fund collection from India are bound by Indian laws including IT laws, FCRA, laws governing NGOs and the IT Guidelines among others. The government should impress upon the Wikimedia Foundation that they, legally, need to establish an official presence in India and submit to financial scrutiny as per Indian laws.
Establish a browser extension that marks bias on Wikipedia articles
As is discussed in the research, the Wikimedia Foundation has paid thousands of dollars to Wikipedia administrator ‘Newslinger’ to create an app and a browser extension which would templatise the Wikipedia bias in the perennial sources – which essentially means that when anyone reads a website on the internet, it would be the bias opinions of Wikipedia editors that would pop up deciding which source is reliable and which isn’t. With the Wikimedia Foundation and Google being hands in glove, there is no doubt that this project could be implemented. The government of India should work on a browser extension that can potentially flag bias, misinformation, disinformation and fake news on Wikipedia articles, at the very least, pertaining to India.
Evaluate Wikipedia under the Competition Act 2002
The Competition Act, of 2002, is the primary legislation in India addressing antitrust issues. It was enacted to promote and sustain competition in markets, prevent anti-competitive practices, and protect the interests of consumers. Google in collaboration with Wikimedia Foundation is skewing the scale in favour of Wikipedia content and information, underming Indian media and content sources. The deprecating of sources and Google and Wikimedia Foundation ratifying the biased information results in a serious loss of revenue and ranking for Indian websites which they do not editorially agree with. Google and Wikimedia Foundation should be investigated for anti-competition practices.
On Monday, 9th September, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released its preliminary list of twenty candidates for the 2024 Haryana assembly elections. The announcement came amid ongoing talks between AAP and Congress about seat sharing in the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana to extend their coalition under the I.N.D.I. Alliance. However, the discussions between alliance partners have failed to reach any conclusion.
Notably, AAP has also fielded candidates on 11 seats where Congress has already declared its candidates. These seats are Uchana Kalan, Meham, Badshahpur, Naraingarh, Samalkha, Dabwali, Rohtak, Bahadurgarh, Badli, Beri and Mahendragarh.
The primary concern of the local Congress leaders throughout the discussions was that the AAP might get a chance to gain a foothold in the state on the pretext of alliance. Haryana lies between Delhi and Punjab, and AAP is in power in both those states. Congress has been ousted from power in both the states as AAP gained power.
The Congress vote bank has been taken over by the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and Punjab, and the grand old party does not want to repeat the same mistake in Haryana. That is why Congress cannot afford to just stand by while AAP uses its backing to establish itself in Haryana.
The Congress believes that people are in their favour on the ground. The state leaders of the party suspect that AAP wanted to take advantage of the situation by joining the alliance. However, Congress couldn’t grant the Aam Aadmi Party’s requested number of seats. Furthermore, Congress had its own strong contenders on many of the seats that AAP had listed, which could have led to open rebellion and damaged Congress prospects when the party is confident of its victory, hence it didn’t agree to AAP’s demand.
On the other hand, some experts also think that an alliance with AAP could have proved to be beneficial for Congress. There is a higher concentration of urban voters in several constituencies, and the Aam Aadmi Party enjoys greater support from them as compared to the Congress. The party could have benefited by giving seats to AAP, especially in the areas that are adjacent to Delhi or Punjab. It would have put a dent in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s vote bank and the transfer of Congress’ vote bank could have created a winning combination for the Aam Aadmi Party. However, certain leaders in Congress reportedly disregarded this calculation.
Meanwhile, Congress is already facing internal deadlock in the state. Many senior leaders are divided into factions. The high command is having a tough time reconciling groups of stalwarts including former CM Bhupinder Hooda, MP Kumari Selja, and Randeep Surjewala. There are thousands of candidates vying for 90 seats of Haryana assembly. Managing the alliance becomes more difficult due to the resentment of these claimants.
On Sunday, 8th September, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha interacted with the students at the University of Texas at Dallas in the United States and praised the Congress party saying that it respects women and empowers them to do whatever they want to when it comes to the party’s future. He said that Congress has always been a pro-women’s party.
He also meanwhile criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) for allegedly imposing restrictions on women. “This is the ideological fight between the BJP, RSS, and the Congress. BJP and the RSS believe that women should be restricted to a particular role. They should cook the food, not talk too much, right? And we believe that women should be encouraged to do whatever they want to do,” he said.
It is important to note that the Congress party which was massively praised by Gandhi for respecting women has been in the news in the recent past for expelling women for speaking against the party or exposing the male Congress leaders for molesting, and disrespecting them.
Recently, on 2nd September, the Congress party in Kerala expelled its senior leader and PSC member Simi Rosebell John for accusing the Congress party of having a “casting couch” culture. Rosebell claimed in an interview with a regional news channel that female members are frequently forced to endure exploitation to advance within the party.
Rosebell also accused various Congress leaders of sexual harassment, including VD Satheesan, claiming that women could only advance to key positions by ‘impressing’ male leaders, often ignoring the requirement for competence and experience.
In the year 2023, the Congress party expelled Assam Pradesh Youth Congress President, Angkita Dutta, from the primary membership of the Congress party under the guise of accusations of anti-party activities. The decision was taken by the party after she lodged a police complaint against IYC national president Srinivas BV, accusing him of harassment.
Also, in the year 2019, Priyanka Chaturvedi who was one of the most vocal spokespersons of the Congress party had tendered her resignation from all party posts and even the primary membership of the party. She said that she could not work with the party at the cost of her self-respect and dignity.
Chaturvedi was forced to tender resignation after some Congress workers misbehaved with her during a press conference. While at that time, the workers were suspended, they were reinstated after 2 days with the excuse that more hands were needed during the then-upcoming elections. Chaturvedi said that while the Congress party says it stands for women’s empowerment, safety, and dignity of women, this call was never reflected in the actions of some of its members.
During the interaction with the students at the University of Texas at Dallas in the US, Gandhi also said that one must focus and choose their battles carefully. Gandhi advised that one must not raise every issue but focus on addressing the fundamental ones.
Rahul Gandhi arrived in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday to begin his three-day tour to the United States. The Congress MP was met at the airport by Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, and members of the Indian community.
A female lawyer Mohini Tomar was murdered on Tuesday (3rd September 2024) in Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh. Advocate Mustafa Kamil, Asad, Haider, Salman, Munajir, and Keshav Mishra have been accused of this murder. So far, Mustafa Kamil, Asad, Haider, and Salman have been arrested in this case, while the other 2 are absconding.
One of the accused is named ‘Munajir Rafi’. Notably, in the year 2018, this Munajir was also accused in the Chandan Gupta murder case. At that time, his bail plea was opposed by Mohini Tomar. Now, since the name of the same Munajir has again come up in the Mohini Tomar murder case, OpIndia did a ground investigation while talking to the family members of Chandan Gupta and found out how Munajir was related to the Chandan Gupta case and how Mohini raised her voice against it.
Mohini Tomar’s husband has said in his police complaint that the deceased had opposed the bail of Munajir, accused in the Chandan Gupta murder case of the year 2018. In this regard, Chandan Gupta’s brother Vivek said that Mohini Tomar had applied for Vakalatnama to fight Chandan’s case. However, the case was fought by some other lawyer. When Munajir’s bail plea was being debated in Kasganj court, many Hindu lawyers stood up for Chandan Gupta. Mohini Tomar was also among these lawyers opposing Munajir’s bail.
Vivek Gupta says that Munajir’s bail plea was rejected due to the opposition of many lawyers, including Mohini Tomar, and the evidence presented by the police. However, many Muslim lawyers like Asad and Kamil tried their best to get Munajir bail. After spending 4 to 5 months in jail, Munajir was able to get bail from the High Court. Meanwhile, the case was transferred to the Lucknow court.
Mohini Tomar played an important role in sending Munajir to jail
Vivek further told us that when Munajir Rafi’s name came up in Chandan Gupta’s murder case, two groups of lawyers were formed in the court. Most of the lawyers in the first group were Muslims who were trying to get Munajir Rafi’s name removed from the case. Kamil and Asad Mustafa, accused in Mohini Tomar murder case, were also members of this group. The second group was of Hindu lawyers who wanted action to be taken against Munajir as per the rules. Mohini Tomar was the main lawyer of the Hindu group. Ultimately, the lawyers of the Hindu side won and Munajir was sent to jail.
Munajir, along with his brother, is also accused of being a part of the violent mob that killed Chandan Gupta
Munajir Rafi, named in the FIR related to Mohini Tomar’s murder, is a lawyer by profession. He practices in Kasganj court. It is alleged that Munajir was part of the mob that surrounded and killed Chandan Gupta on 26th January 2018, along with his brother Amir Rafi. Chandan Gupta’s brother Vivek told OpIndia that Munajir’s name had come up during the investigation. He was not only part of the mob that stopped the Tiranga Yatra but also of the mob that carried out the deadly attack. It was claimed that weapons were also seen in Munajir Rafi’s hands at that time.
Mohini Tomar murder accused Kamil and Asad were advocating for Munajir
Along with lawyer Munajir, his colleagues Kamil and Asad have been named in the Mohini murder case. Vivek Gupta told OpIndia that these three share a deep relationship. The root of the relationship is said to be Munajir, Kamil and Asad being lawyers and of the same religion (Muslim). Vivek Gupta claims that when, after the murder of his brother Chandan, Mohini Tomar and many other Hindu lawyers were demanding the arrest of Munajir, Asad and Kamil were standing in the opposing camp.
Vivek claims that after Munajir’s name came up in the Chandan murder case, Asad and Kamil played a major role in creating a lobby of Muslim lawyers in his support. Not only this, after failing to save Munajir from arrest, Asad and Kamil even went to Lucknow to plead for him. According to Vivek Gupta, Asad and Kamil not only helped lawyer Munajir in the Chandan murder case but also supported the other murderers.
Mohini Tomar used to help every suffering Hindu
Vivek Gupta openly admitted during the conversation with us that after the murder of his brother, Mohini Tomar was constantly helping his family. Vivek also said that Mohini Tomar used to come forward to help not only him, but also Hindus harassed anywhere, due to which she was on the target of fundamentalists.
We are no longer under pressure but facing threat to our lives
On 15th August 2022, OpIndia had spoken to Chandan Gupta’s father. Then he told us that his family was facing pressure from Muslims to withdraw the case. In this regard, Chandan Gupta’s brother said that now his testimony is done. Vivek said that before the testimony, there was a lot of pressure to withdraw the case but now his life is in danger. He has expressed hope that the administration of Kasganj will ensure his safety.
Notably, on 26th January 2018, some youths of Kasganj took out a Tiranga Yatra. This yatra was led by Chandan Gupta. Suddenly, an Islamist mob attacked this yatra. Chandan Gupta was killed in the attack. Curfew-like conditions prevailed in Kasganj for many days. Currently, the trial of this case is going on in Lucknow.
On 8th September, prominent Filipino pastor Apollo Quiboloy was arrested in the Philippines after a tense two-week standoff between police and his followers. He was wanted by both Philippine and US authorities for child sex trafficking. Quiboloy claims to be the “Appointed Son of God.” He was apprehended from his church compound, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC). During the standoff, there were violent clashes between the security forces and his followers, leading to the death of one from a heart attack.
Quiboloy’s church claims that he has seven million followers. He has denied the charges of child sex trafficking against him. Notably, in 2021, the Department of Justice charged him with child sex trafficking, fraud, coercion, and bulk cash smuggling. It was alleged that he trafficked girls and women from the Philippines to the US under the guise of a charity. He then forced them into fundraising and sexual servitude.
Despite the allegations against him, the pastor maintained a high profile. He served as a spiritual adviser to the former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. In 2022, when Duterte departed from office, Quiboloy’s fortunes started to fade away. The Filipino authorities subsequently charged him with human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual abuse.
His recent arrest became possible only after a two-week standoff that unfolded in the 30-hectare KOJC compound in Davao. In a statement, Interior Minister Benhur Abalos said that he was found hiding in the bible school of the compound. Though Quiboloy’s lawyer claimed that he surrendered to the authorities to avoid further violence, Abalos clarified that it was not a voluntary surrender.
Following his arrest, Quiboloy and four others were shifted to the national police headquarters in Manila. Interestingly, he has accused the “devil” himself of orchestrating the legal troubles against him. He dismissed the US involvement in the case. Notably, the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Junior, has dismissed the possibility of extradition of the pastor to the US and said it is not under consideration by the Philippine authorities.
The arrest of Quiboloy has once again brought the public rift between Marcos and Duterte’s political families to the forefront. When the US sought the pastor’s arrest, Duterte was in power. It was under Marcos’s administration that the pastor was finally arrested. During the time the pastor was hiding, Duterte admitted to knowing his whereabouts but refused to disclose the information to the police. Duterte’s daughter and Vice President Sara Duterte issued statements criticising police for allegedly using unnecessary force to arrest Quiboloy.
Quiboloy established his church in 1985. He claimed to have received a divine message during a Billy Graham event in 1973. Quiboloy was known for his luxurious lifestyle. He used to travel in a private jet and preached from a glass podium against a backdrop of his lush estate, the “Garden of Eden Restored.” He often used his influence in politics as well by endorsing candidates.
On 4th September, the body of advocate Mohini Tomar was recovered from Hazara Canal near Rekhpur Minor in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh. Mohini had gone missing from the district court gate on 3rd September. The incident sent shockwaves through the region. Her husband filed a complaint, leading to an investigation. As the matter unfolded, it was found that fellow advocates were behind Mohini’s murder. Four suspects have been arrested by the police, including Haider Mustafa and Salman Mustafa.
Escalation from a cricket match dispute
During questioning, police found that the roots of Advocate Mohini’s murder were traced back to a seemingly trivial dispute during a cricket match in Soronji, Kasganj, that took place around two months ago. During that match, an altercation broke out between two of the accused, Haider and Salman, and a local youth named Shivshankar. After Haider and Salman’s team lost the match, they verbally abused Shivshankar. Later, on 30th July, they encountered him in the court premises during a case hearing, where they physically assaulted Shivshankar.
Advocate Mohini Tomar was representing Shivshankar in the case. She persisted in taking the matter to the High Court despite the threats. When she refused to back down, she was kidnapped, killed, and thrown into the canal. Her husband, Brijendra Tomar, mentioned in his complaint that Mohini had been receiving continuous threats from the accused, who were pressurising her to withdraw the case and settle the matter out of court. However, Mohini ignored the threats, leading the accused to allegedly orchestrate her abduction and murder.
Content of the FIR
Based on Mohini’s husband’s complaint, an FIR was registered under Sections 140(1), 103(1), 61(2), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita (BNS) against advocates Mustafa Kamil, Asad Mustafa, Haider Mustafa, Salman, Keshav Mishra, and advocate Munazir Rafi.
In his complaint, Brijendra detailed the events leading up to her murder. He said that on 3rd September, around 2 PM, he dropped his wife outside the main gate of the Kasganj District Court. Soon after that, individuals identified as Mustafa Kamil, his son Asad Mustafa, Haider Mustafa, and Salman, along with Munajir Rafi and Keshav Mishra, conspired to abduct Mohini. He stated that all of them practice law at the same court. They orchestrated a plan to lure Mohini outside the court gate and subsequently kidnapped her. Later, they killed her at an undisclosed location.
He further added that Mohini’s body was recovered from Hazara Canal near Rekhpur Bridge on the evening of 4th September. He and Mohini’s sister Rajni were called to identify the body at the Kasganj mortuary. He mentioned that Mohini had been visibly distressed for 20-25 days before the murder. When he asked about the reason, she revealed the threats she had been receiving of dire consequences for opposing the bail of Mustafa Kamil’s sons in court. She was frequently harassed and threatened by the accused within the court premises and feared for her safety.
He emphasised that Mohini had previously opposed the bail of Munajir Rafi in the 2018 Chandan Gupta murder case, where she was representing the victim’s side. The case is still ongoing.
Police action in the matter
On 4th September, Mohini’s partially clothed body was recovered from Hazara Canal. There were signs of physical assault, confirming it was a murder case. Following the recovery of the body, protests broke out across the district. Police acted swiftly in the matter and arrested four accused from their homes in Soron’s Bada Bazaar area. They were sent to 10-day police remand. Two of the suspects, Munajir Rafi and Keshav Mishra, were arrested later.
There has been a strong reaction from the legal fraternity over Mohini’s murder. Lawyers blocked the Kasganj-Bareilly highway, demanding swift justice. They refused the police’s request to disperse and vowed to continue their protests until all suspects are apprehended and prosecuted. They have also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of the deceased and a government job for one of her family members.
On 9th September, the Supreme Court denied a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) asking for the suspension of India’s military shipments to Israel in light of the continuing conflict with Gaza. The court ruled that as the issue fell entirely under the purview of foreign policy, it was beyond its authority to order the Government of India to stop exporting resources to any nation. The bench included Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
A writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution asking to “cancel any existing licences/permissions and halt the grant of new licences/permissions, to various companies in India, for exports of arms and other military equipment to Israel” was heard by the apex court. The petitioners argued that since India was exporting weapons to Israel, it was breaking the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide because Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
The bench pronounced that Article 162 of the Constitution grants the Union Government the power and jurisdiction to deal with international affairs. The court additionally noted that it would need to determine the accusations made against Israel which is an independent sovereign state outside the ambit of Indian courts, before it could award the requested relief.
The court further pointed out that granting the relief would be equivalent to issuing a court order for the Indian corporations’ potential breach of the contracts they might have had with foreign businesses and could face legal action for the same. The government alone has the authority to decide whether to forbid international trade with any nation under the relevant legislation. The court is not authorized to assume such responsibilities. The bench explained that it had not made any observations regarding the merits of India’s foreign policy or the behaviour of any other independent sovereign country when it dismissed the case.
“How can the court adopt this kind of jurisdiction? We can’t tell the government that you shall not export to a particular country or cancel the licenses of companies exporting arms to that country. It is a matter of foreign policy which is to be handled by the government. How can the court tell the government that there should not be exports of arms to a country? Where does the court get that sort of power? National self-interest has to be evaluated by the government,” the CJI remarked.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was representing the petitioners contended that the court might intervene if the national policy violated both the law and the Constitution. He claimed that India cannot permit exports that are used for genocide and insisted that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing rulings from the International Court of Justice. He added that it would be similar to encouraging genocide and breaking the Genocide Convention, which India has ratified. He further alleged that since the Genocide Convention is incorporated into our local laws, the court must halt any policies that violate the international agreement.
“What is the fall out on international relations is something we are not aware of,” the bench stressed. In a fictitious instance, CJI questioned whether the court could order the government to cease importing oil from Russia while the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on. “See Bangladesh too, there are disturbances there. What should be the degree of economic engagement with that country is a matter of foreign policy. In Maldives also we had some issues. Can we then ask the government to stop investments there,” he asked.
According to Prashant Bhushan, Israel’s situation is unique since numerous international organizations have concluded that they are perpetrating genocide. “Here is a very special situation, a very unusual situation. Spain stopped a ship which was carrying arms from India to Israel, they said they could not allow this ship to berth,” he stated. Several Indian firms may have had contracts with Israeli entities, per Justice Pardiwala, and if the Court were to grant the plea for instructions, it might result in legal action being taken against the Indian companies for allegedly breaching their commitments. However, Prashant Bhushan asserted that Israel was “committing genocide- no doubt about it.”
“That is a very generic statement. Let’s not unnecessarily get into all this. It will create problems for our court,” retaliated Justice Pardiwala. Prashant Bhushan mentioned that the United Kingdom government discontinued exports to Israel in response to a petition signed by more than 600 jurists. However, the CJI underlined that the UK Government, not the UK Supreme Court, carried out the decision.
What is the petition?
The ongoing export of weapons and other military hardware to Israel during the country’s siege of Gaza, according to the plea filed violates Articles 14 and 21 read with Article 51(c) of the Indian Constitution, which aims to “foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organized peoples with one another.” According to the petition, licenses for the shipment of weapons and ammunition to Israel have been given to at least three Indian businesses that deal with the production and export of such goods, even during the current Gaza conflict. These licenses, which were secured from the Department of Defence Production (DDP) or the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), permit the export of weapons and munitions for both dual-use and particularly military reasons. The plea was filed by the members of the ‘liberal ecosystem’, including a controversial former bureaucrat and Delhi riots accusedHarsh Mander.
Ever since reports of the Israeli military importing arms from India surfaced, the leftwing liberal lobby has had ants in their pants, with periodic calls to the Centre to ban sales of armaments that are aiding Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched a war against Hamas, a terror group that controlled the Gaza Strip, after being inflamed by the October 7 terror attacks, when hundreds of Hamas terrorists from the Palestinian enclave intruded into the border villages of Israel and inflicted unspeakable atrocities.
Israel launched an operation to flush out Hamas terrorists and rescue over 200 Israelis held captive by the terror outfit. But its military operation to protect its sovereignty and bring back the abductees has raised the hackles of the Islamists the world over, including in India, who are in a stew as Hamas loses ground in Gaza while conveniently ignoring the plight of the minority Hindus facing an existential threat by bloodthirsty Islamists running amok closer home, in Bangladesh.
Amidst rising cases of sabotage attempts to derail trains post the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, an Islamic ”scholar’ has now come out to give cover fire to miscreants indulging in such incidents which could have caused loss of civilian lives and public property. Notably, on Monday (9th September), Zee News media panellist Kamran Malik said that the sabotage attempts to derail trains could be “revengeful” acts against the Law and order handling of the Yogi Adityanath and Modi governments.
The incident unfolded on Monday when the media channel was holding a debate on how a conspiracy to derail a train was averted in Kanpur. As per reports, a loco pilot averted a major train mishap by applying an emergency brake as some miscreants had placed a gas cylinder on the railway track where Kalindi Express was coming.
Now during the debate, the Zee News anchor asked if there was a larger conspiracy in play to derail trains as miscreants had been caught placing boulders, gas cylinders, wooden logs, etc.
Islamic ‘scholar’ Kamran Malik replied saying UP sarkar ka..Central government ka…Inka jo law and order ko control karne ka jo rawaiya hai wo is tarah ka hai ki log “revengeful” ho sakte hai. (Translation –The way the UP government and the Central government are controlling law and order is such that people could become ‘revengeful’.)
When the anchor strongly objected to his words and asked him to take back his words, he brazenly defended it and replied, “I am saying the right thing.”
White trying to explain why he argued that these could be ‘revengeful acts’, Malik invoked the government’s demolition drive and alleged custodial deaths.
Nonetheless, the Zee News anchor slammed the Islamic scholar for giving cover fire to miscreants stating that it should be shameful to claim that if the bulldozer action would be taken, the miscreants would derail trains.
Incidentally, another media panellist and Islamic Scholar Ghulam Sarwar also tried to justify Malik’s remarks and defend the miscreants indulging in such acts.
It is pertinent to note that Kamran Malik has often appeared on Zee News debates as a media panellist and as an Islamic ‘scholar’. An alumnus of Jamia Milia Islamia, Malik is a Supreme Court advocate. As per his Twitter timeline, he once made an open appeal to the public to vote for Congress.
In one of such debate, Malik had opposed the public movement of the Hindu community seeking to reclaim the birthplace of revered deities, Lord Ram, Lord Shiva, and Lord Krishna in Ayodhya, Kashi, and Mathura. Opposing the Hindu community’s rights, Malik argued that there is no importance of the birthplace of a deity, adding that even the birthplace of Prophet Mohammad is not at all important.
Rising cases of sabotage attempts to derail trains, and the clarion call for radicalisation to derail trains by Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist
The Indian Railways and probing agencies are investigating multiple sabotage attempts to derail trains, the recent one being reported from Uttar Pradesh. A major train accident of Kalindi Express (14117) travelling on the Anwarganj-Kasganj Route in Kanpur was averted after the loco pilot applied an emergency brake. As per the reports, a deliberate attempt was made to derail the Kalindi Express by placing a gas cylinder on the route.
A few days ago, on 31st August, a loco pilot averted a major train derailment and loss of life by promptly applying emergency brakes after the goods train he was operating collided with motorcycle scrap placed on the railway track in Rajasthan’s Baran district. Initial reports indicated that an unidentified person had placed bike scrap on the railway track near Chachauda village in the Chhabra area.
Click here, to read about all the attempts to derail trains reported in the recent past.
As reported earlier, the Indian authorities are currently reviewing train derailment incidents that transpired in the recent past after a video of a Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist, Farhatullah Ghori surfaced online. Notably, the Pakistani terrorist has posted a video on Telegram instigating his supporters to carry out large-scale train derailments in Delhi, Mumbai, and other Indian cities.
Inciting the Jihadis to interrupt the railway lines and their transportation system, Ghori said that it would cause havoc in India. The terror recruiter on the intelligence establishment’s most wanted list stated, “The government is targeting our properties through ED and NIA, but we will remain steadfast and usurp power sooner or later.” In the three-minute video, Ghori asked the mujahideen to launch an “ishtishadi jung” or “fidayeen war” against Hindu leaders and police.
Notably, the Farhatullah Ghori who was designated a terrorist in 2020 has been involved in several terror attacks in India. Ghori was the mastermind of the 2001 Akshardham Temple attack which left 30 dead and 80 injured, the 2004 suicide attack on the Task Force office in Hyderabad, and the 2023 Rameshwaram Café blast case. Terrorist Farhatullah Ghori is originally from Hyderabad, India.
