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Death of UPSC aspirants in Delhi could have been averted: How AAP-led MCD ignored student’s complaint about possibility of major accident

OpIndia Staff
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Death of UPSC aspirants in Delhi could have been averted: How AAP-led MCD ignored student’s complaint about possibility of major accident

A month before three UPSC aspirants drowned in the flooded basement of their coaching centre, a student had written to the AAP-controlled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) about the illegal use of basements as study centres and libraries.

On 26th June this year, a student named Kishor Singh Kushwah filed a complaint on the Public Grievance Portal of MCD against several coaching centres in South Patel and Old Rajinder Nagar.

He highlighted the possibility of a major accident on account of operating coaching classes and libraries in basements. The student had included Rau’s IAS Study Circle in his list of accident-prone coaching centres.

The complaint by Kishor Singh Kushwah read, “Despite not having permission, they are running a classroom without NOC (No Objection Certificate) in the basement. They are running test classes, which are affecting the lives of students and staff. There is a possibility of a major accident.”

Rau’s IAS Study Circle was also running a library from the basement of its building, where 3 UPSC aspirants died, without any permission.

The complaint by Kishor Singh Kushwah fell on deaf ears. He wrote again to MCD on 15th July and 22nd July, reiterating the urgency of the situation and the need for immediate action. However, the municipality did not take any action.

He stated, “The responsibility for such incidents lies entirely with the administration. The government should take appropriate steps and take concrete action against such establishments.”

Following the deaths of the three students, the MCD swung into action and sealed 13 coaching centres in Old Rajinder Nagar for violation of rules.

Had it previously ensured enforcement of building norms, the three UPSC aspirants may have been alive today.

Stalked, abducted, raped, and forcibly married: Shadab, Yusuf, and 2 more booked for victimising a minor girl in Ahmednagar. Read FIR details

Siddhi Somani
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Stalked, abducted, raped, and forcibly married: Shadab, Yusuf, and 2 more booked for victimising a minor girl in Ahmednagar. Read FIR details

Last week, on 26th July, Maharashtra Police booked 4 individuals identified as Shadab Tamboli, Yusuf Chaughule, Kunal Shirole, and Ayaz Pathan for harassing, and sexually assaulting a minor girl for around 2 years and threatening her with death. The incident is said to have happened in the Ghargaon village of Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.

The accused persons have been booked by the police under sections 137(2), 87, 123, 64(2), 351(2), 49, 74, 75, 78, and 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyay Samhita, 2023 and 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

As per the exclusive complaint copy obtained by OpIndia, the primary accused person identified as Shadab met the girl in the year 2020 after her father died. He and his friend Yusuf used to go to the village to play cricket and meanwhile, they began keeping watch on the girl who was studying in standard 9th then.

In January 2020, Yusuf approached the girl and lured her to be ‘friends’ with Shadab. He told her that Shadab was in ‘love’ with her and that he wanted them to be together. The minor girl got carried away and began talking to Shadab. The accused somehow meanwhile managed to get the phone number of the girl and began talking to her forcefully over the phone.

In February 2020, Shadab forcefully kissed the girl to which the latter resisted saying she didn’t like such behaviour. In the meantime, the family of the girl learned about the accused and warned him to stay away from their daughter. After this, Shadab kept his distance for a few months until the girl left her village to be admitted to a high school college in Sangamner.

“In 2021, he began calling me constantly to meet. One day he came outside my college and forced me to meet in a nearby cafe. He forcefully captured photos with me and said that he was in love with me. He also tried to forcefully kiss me and on refusing he threatened saying that he would make my photos viral on social media,” the girl said in the complaint.

In the year 2023, the girl shifted her college to Otur, Junnar for her further studies. However, the accused followed her there and began harassing her. He blackmailed the victim and forced her to marry him. Along with Shadab, Yusuf also blackmailed the girl and forced her to marry Shadab. “I was fed up and tensed. I asked the duo to stop blackmailing and told them that I would commit suicide if harassed more. I also told them that they would be blamed for my death. After this Shadab stopped harassing me and began talking nicely to me. He told me he would delete all my photos and stop following me. At that time Kunal Shirole approached me and began proposing to me for marriage on behalf of Shadab. He said Shadab was in love with me and insisted I marry him. I thought that was it but I was wrong,” the girl added.

On 7th July this year, the accused Shadab called the girl and asked her to meet to end the matter once and for all. However, he abducted her and took her to Pune. In this, another accused Yusuf also helped Shadab. The girl was fed with some spiked water after which she began feeling unconscious.

“They transferred me to another vehicle and took away my bag and phone. I was half unconscious so I could not recognize what was happening to me. Shadab and Yusuf took me to some men named Adil and Ayaz Pathan. One woman was also helping them. Ayaz then asked Shadab to take me to Mumbai’s Sanpada area. We reached some hotel where Shadab threatened me and sexually assaulted me,” the girl said.

She added that the accused blackmailed her saying that he had her photos which he would release on social media platforms. “I kept on refusing. However, Shadab sexually assaulted me. Later he took me to Ayaz who threatened me to death and asked me to cooperate,” she added.

The girl was again sexually assaulted on 8th July. The next day, the accused persons, Shadab, Yusuf and Ayaz forcefully married the girl to Shadab. They forced the girl to sign some Urdu documents and threatened her with dire consequences. Later Shadab explained to that girl that they were now married and that she was his legal wife.

“I was shocked. I told him that I did not believe in this marriage and the documents. However, he threatened and continued to sexually assault me,” the girl said.

The incident came to the fore on 10th July when the accused was trapped by the police and brought to the police station. The girl narrated her ordeal and confirmed that she was abducted, threatened and sexually assaulted by the accused.

Based on the complaint filed by the girl, the accused persons Shadab Tamboli, Yusuf Chaughule, Kunal Shirole, and Ayaz Pathan have been booked by the police under Bhartiya Nyay Samhita, 2023 and 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Further investigations into the case are underway.

Balochistan rises up in protests against the Pakistani govt: Atrocities, firings fail to prevent thousands marching for Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar

Shraddha Pandey
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Balochistan rises up in protests against the Pakistani govt: Atrocities, firings fail to prevent thousands marching for Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar

Thousands of Baloch people have gathered near Gwadar port city for the Baloch National Gathering, popularly known as Baloch Raaji Muchi. The Baloch participants, however, who could not reach the scheduled venue in Gwadar due to hindrances created by the Pakistani state have been reported to organise sit-ins on the spot where they are being stopped, creating multiple peaceful protest locations across Balochistan.

In a post on X, the Baloch National Movement’s Foreign Committee’s Hakeem Baloch said, “All the tactics used by the state to disperse and defeat the Baloch Raji Muchi have failed. Baloch are now protesting across Balochistan against state brutality and Baloch genocide. On the other hand, thousands of people have arrived in Gwadar.”

“All the barbarities, including kidnapping, intimidation and shooting of people by the Pakistani state seem unsuccessful and helpless in front of the peaceful struggle of the Baloch Solidarity Committee. While the caravan of Baloch mothers, sisters and daughters is moving towards the destination with success,” he added.

An exiled Baloch leader and media head of the Baloch National Movement, Jamal Baloch, highlighted the critical situation in Balochistan. He said that a large number of people gathered on Marine Drive are moving towards Padi Zirr in Gwadar.

In a post on X, Jamal Baloch stated, “Gwadar #Balochistan: Thousands of people have gathered on Marine Drive, moving towards the gathering place, Padi Zirr in Gwadar. Meanwhile, Padi Zirr is surrounded by a large number of Pakistani forces to prevent people from assembling.”

Earlier in the day, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee said that shopkeepers and entrepreneurs have observed a shutter down strike in most areas of Balochistan, including Khuzdar, Kalat, Mangchar, Nushki, Dalbandin, Mastung and Kharan, against state oppression and brutality at the Baloch National Gathering and the imposition of curfew in Makran, including Gwadar.

The BYC said that the state cannot stop the struggle against the Baloch genocide by use of force, violence and false propaganda. It further stated that this struggle will end the Baloch genocide. In the video shared by BYC, shops were shut as people proceeded to attend the Baloch National Gathering.

Taking to X, the BYC stated, “Voluntary foundations by shopkeepers and entrepreneurs in most areas of Balochistan including Khuzdar, Kalat, Mangchar, Nushki, Dalbandin, Mastung, Kharan today against the state oppression and brutality on Baloch Raji Machi caravans and the imposition of curfew in Makran including Gwadar. But the shutter down strike is going on.”

“This is a people’s struggle against Baloch genocide, which has all the support and support of the Baloch people. The state cannot stop this struggle either by using force and violence or by false propaganda and narrative. The Baloch Raji Machi held in Gwadar on July 28 has spread throughout Balochistan today. This struggle will completely end the Baloch genocide on the Baloch land with the power and strength of the people,” it added.

Addressing the crowd on Sunday, the BYC’s central organiser Dr. Mahrang Baloch condemned the oppressive measures employed by the Pakistani forces to suppress the Baloch national movement. “Protest is our constitutional right. We have come out for justice and will secure our rights. Today’s massive gathering in Gwadar has proven that the Baloch will never compromise on their rights. The Raaji Muchi you tried to stop by force is now happening across all Balochistan. Today, all of Gwadar is here to declare that we do not need your presence, nor do we want your oppression. This land is ours,” Mahrang said.

“Attempts are being made to suppress the Baloch national movement by force. It is time for the state to come to its senses and end the oppression and brutality in Balochistan,” she added.

Baloch National Gathering

The ongoing clashes in Balochistan over the Baloch National Gathering are an outcome of longstanding hostilities between the Baloch people and the Pakistani government. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) organised the event on 28th July to urge solidarity and opposition to the Pakistani state’s genocidal campaigns. The announcement of the event was received with a heavy-handed response from Pakistani security forces, including crackdowns, arrests, and even the use of violent force against protestors, causing casualties and increased turmoil.

Taking to X, Baloch activist Faiz Baluch called Sarfaraz Bugti the “butcher of Balochistan and accused him of using state forces to crush peaceful protest. He added that despite hundreds of Baloch activists were abducted, injured and many killed, the BYC managed to bring everyone together in Gwadar for the Baloch National Gathering (BNG) event.

“The military puppet CM @PakSarfrazbugti, “The Butcher of Balochistan,” used all state forces against peaceful activists. Hundreds were abducted, dozens injured, and several killed, but the BYC still managed to gather thousands of people in Gwadar for the #BalochNationalGathering,” Baluch posted.

In a press release addressed to the media and journalists, the BYC highlighted several incidents of human rights violation by the Pakistani forces within 48 hours of the Baloch National Gathering’s announcement. The release stated that an “unannounced curfew” was imposed in Gwadar and no one was allowed to enter or leave the area.

In the Mastung area, the Pakistani military opened direct fire on the peaceful Baloch National Gathering’s caravan, which included hundreds of Baloch women and children. During the gunfire, 14 participants were injured, three of whom were critically injured and are undergoing treatment at Quetta Trauma Center. “After this, the military forces burst the tyres of all the convoy’s vehicles, rendering them useless, and shattered the windows with direct fire. The caravan intended for the Baloch national gathering is currently holding a peaceful sit-in in Mastung.” the BYC said.

At the Talar Checkpoint situated 60 km away from Gwadar, Pakistani troops used extreme violence, firing directly, and shelling tear gas leaving several injured and one dead. The Internet services in this area have also been suspended. In Karachi, the BNG activists were stopped by the authorities after being held for 12 to 14 hours. These activists including women were allowed to proceed, however, they were stopped again 200 kilometres later at Buzzi Top Hingol, where their vehicle tyres burst, and they were not allowed to proceed further.

Drawing attention towards the incidents of forced disappearances the BYC said, “To sabotage the Baloch National Gathering, in the past week, peaceful activists preparing for the national gathering have been raided in various parts of Balochistan. Five people from Karachi and several from Quetta have been forcibly disappeared, and several false FIRS have been registered against peaceful activists in various parts of Balochistan.”

On 28th July, a complete shutdown strike was imposed in most parts of Balochistan against the brutality and oppression of the Pakistani state against the Baloch National Gathering. “In addition, sit-ins are ongoing in front of Balochistan University in Quetta, on the Quetta-Karachi highway in Mastung, and the Coastal Highway in Hingol,” the BYC said.

The Baloch rights body further slammed the Pakistani mainstream media for not covering the “war-like situation in Balochistan, the complete curfew in Gwadar, and the severe brutality and oppression by the Pakistani state.”

Notably, it was reported that on 26th July, a violent clash between the two sides in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) killed five people, including Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti’s nephew, Fahad Ahmed Nawaz Bugti, in Khayaban-i-Nishat. According to reports, the conflict involved two groups of the Bugti clan, one led by Fahad Bugti and the other by Ali Haider Bugti. While Pakistani authorities said that the conflict began as a personal dispute and erupted into a gunfight near Ali Haider’s home, it is speculated that the ISI was involved.

Canada: ‘Liberal’ Trudeau govt allows Khalistanis to hold yet another anti-India referendum on Punjab, raise posters glorifying terrorist Talwinder Singh Parmar

OpIndia Staff
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Canada: ‘Liberal’ Trudeau govt allows Khalistanis to hold yet another anti-India referendum on Punjab, raise posters glorifying terrorist Talwinder Singh Parmar

On Sunday, 28th July, thousands of Sikhs gathered at Calgary’s Municipal Plaza, to vote in the so-called Khalistan Referendum, which called for the establishment of an independent Khalistan in Punjab, India.

This farcical exercise was carried out at the Municipal Plaza after authorities said they could not regulate how the public space was used. It is being said that around 55,000 participated in the ‘referendum’ out of nearly 1 lakh Sikhs residing in Calgary.

During the event, anti-India slogans were raised by the Khalistanis. In one of the videos, Khalistanis are heard raising “Kill India” slogans. Moreover, the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had put up posters of Talwinder Singh Parmar, the mastermind of the bombing of Air India flight 182, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and others.

The anti-India ‘referendum’ was allowed by the PM Justin Trudeau-led government despite the Indian High Commission in Ottawa strongly opposing the usage of public property for a separatist event attacking the territorial integrity of India.

This, however, is not the first time that Khalistani separatists tried to use a government facility for their so-called referendum. In September last year, a government-controlled Tamanawis Secondary School in Surrey, British Columbia was registered for Khalistan referendum. However, on 3rd September, a spokeswoman for the Surrey District School Board stated in a release that it had “cancelled a community rental of one of our schools due to a violation of our rental agreement.” Eventually, the voting was held on 10th September at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surry. Before this, the Punjab Referendum Commission held the voting on 18th September in 2022 at a government facility in Brampton.

The Trudeau government has been allowing the Khalistani terrorists to use the Canadian soil to peddle their anti-India propaganda and target the territorial integrity of India.

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Elon Musk says Google has ‘search banned’ Donald Trump in US, Republican Senator orders inquiry: What we know about the autocomplete feature

OpIndia Staff
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Elon Musk says Google has ‘search banned’ Donald Trump in US, Republican Senator orders inquiry: What we know about the autocomplete feature

On Sunday (28th July, US local time), American billionaire Elon Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform that Google has imposed a ‘search ban’ on Donald Trump.

In a tweet, he wrote, “Wow, Google has a search ban on President Donald Trump! Election interference?” Musk shared a screenshot where the search term ‘president donald’ did not show the name of the former US President.

The search term provided autocomplete prompts for only ‘president donald duck’ and ‘president donald regan.’ The tweet by the American billionaire stoked fears about the possible interference of tech giants in the run-up to the 2024 US Presidential elections.

In the meantime, the Republican US Senator(Kansas) Roger Marshall accused Google of withholding information about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump by Thomas Matthew Crooks.

He also assured an official inquiry into the tech giant this week.

“Why is Google suppressing the search about the Trump assassination attempt? These are all screenshots from this morning. Has there been a dramatic increase in Truman biographers in the last two weeks?” he inquired.

However, some social media users pointed out that the autocomplete feature of the Google search engine could not be compared to the actual search results (the screenshots of which were not posted by Elon Musk and Roger Marshall).

In its own words, Google says, “Autocomplete is a time-saving but complex feature. It doesn’t simply display the most common queries on a given topic.” The tech giant states that it prevents ‘predictions’ that may violate its policies pertaining to search, including –

  1. Dangerous content
  2. Harassing content
  3. Hateful content
  4. Sexually explicit content
  5. Terrorist content
  6. Violence and gore
  7. Vulgar language and profanity

As such, it is quite possible that the assassination bid on Donald Trump did not feature due to the preventive features of Google autocomplete. However, it remains unexplained as to why ‘president donald’ did not provide predictions for Trump.

Different autocomplete rules in different cases

Interestingly, The New York Post performed a series of tests using the Google autocomplete feature. It suffixed the term “assassi” against the names of ex-US Presidents  John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Teddy Roosevelt.

It noted, “In each instance, a helpful list of recommended search terms related to the attempts on their lives sprang into view. However, when Trump’s name was used Autocomplete offered no suggestions whatsoever.”

“Even the keywords “Trump assassination attempt” yielded no additional terms from Google,” added The New York Post. It however pointed out that the search results were accurate.

Autocomplete suggestions provided during the test run by The New York Post

It must be mentioned that The New York Post also found that autocomplete did not provide suggestions regarding the alleged assassination attempt on Joe Biden.

While speaking about the matter to the publication, a Google spokesperson said, “We’re working on improvements to ensure our systems are more up to date. Of course, Autocomplete is just a tool to help people save time, and they can still search for anything they want to. Following this terrible act, people turned to Google to find high quality information– we connected them with helpful results, and will continue to do so,” the spokesperson said.”

The official claimed that no manual interventions are done to autocomplete predictions.

Thousands of illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis settled illegally in UP districts with fake birth certificates, Aadhar: Accused Zeeshan tells UP ATS the network is vast

OpIndia Staff
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Thousands of illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis settled illegally in UP districts with fake birth certificates, Aadhar: Accused Zeeshan tells UP ATS the network is vast

The Uttar Pradesh ATS made shocking revelations on 26th July saying that fake birth certificates were being made in several UP districts to settle the Rohingya Muslims illegally. The UP Police learned this last week after it interrogated Zeeshan, who was arrested by Rae Bareli police on charges of making fake birth certificates. Zeeshan was charged with making fake certificates in the Palahi and Nooruddinpur villages of Rae Bareli. However, the police discovered that Zeeshan had been working for a gang that provided him with a list of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis who needed fake identity certificates to settle in India.

As per the reports, in the Palahi village of Rae Bareli, there is only one Muslim family out of 4500 total residents, however birth certificates for 819 Muslims have been allegedly produced by the accused. Another village, Nooruddinpur, has a population of 8,000, however, birth certificates for almost 12,000 persons were recovered from here. All these fake birth certificates reportedly belonged to Muslims. 

Zeeshan who has been arrested by the Police on the charges of making fake certificates worked as the operator of Jan Suvidha Kendra. He issued these certificates before UP Police uncovered the crime and launched an investigation into the case. Zeeshan during the interrogation revealed that fake certificates are not only made in Palahi and Nooruddinpur village of Rae Bareli. According to him, he is associated with a network that is spread across Prayagraj, Kanpur, Unnao, Barabanki, and Lucknow.

UP Police commented on this issue and said that they learned that Zeeshan was provided with a list of people for the purpose of creating bogus certifications. “The list comprised all Rohingya and Bangladeshi young men, women, and children. Among these, Zeeshan was urged to keep many people’s religion as Hindu. He had applied for about 19,184 fraudulent certificates and issued them under the login ID of Vijay Yadav, the Village Development Officer. Other documents, such as an Aadhar card, could be created using these birth certificates,” the police said. 

Zeeshan has told the police and UP ATS that he had issued birth certificates only at the addresses of these two villages Nuruddinpur and Palahi, but those who had given him the list of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have a network that is spread far and wide. He informed that the kingpin has got lakhs of fake birth certificates made from the people running public convenience centers in Kanpur, Prayagraj, Barabanki, Unnao, Amethi, and Lucknow and has also settled the Rohingyas in settlements. UP ATS has now become active in Prayagraj, Lucknow, Kanpur, Unnao, Amethi, and Barabanki after this revelation by Zeeshan. As a part of the investigation, the UP Police has decided to investigate a large number of birth certificates made at one address in the last few years. Apart from this, efforts are being made to gather information about who provided the list to Zeeshan and from where.

Image- Zee news

Following Zeeshan’s detention, Salon MLA Ashok Kumar claimed that Pakistan’s organization ISI is behind the problem of issuing bogus birth certificates. Fake birth certificates have been created with the goal of granting citizenship to Bangladeshis. Not only this, there is also foreign funding behind it. He said that voter ID and other documents are prepared through fake birth certificates and these, fake people also seem to have voted in the Lok Sabha elections of Rae Bareli-Amethi district. Higher officials have been informed about the entire incident, which is under investigation.

Notably, the entire incident came to the fore after security authorities in Kerala arrested a member of the banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI). All of the documents discovered from him were made in Palahi village, Rae Bareli. The investigation found that these documents were issued from Zeeshan’s public convenience center. The arrested PFI member admitted that the birth certificates of several of his comrades in Kerala, Maharashtra, and Gujarat were made here.

Islamists hail Algerian Judo player as hero, falsely claim that he ‘refused’ to fight Israeli judoka in support of Palestine. Here is the truth

OpIndia Staff
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Islamists hail Algerian Judo player as hero, falsely claim that he ‘refused’ to fight Israeli judoka in support of Palestine. Here is the truth

On Sunday (28th July), Islamists took to social media to hail the ‘greatness’ of an Algerian judo player named Redouane Messaoud Dris.

They branded him as a ‘hero’ for supposedly refusing to compete against Israeli judoka Tohar Butbul during the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics. The Islamists also claimed that his refusal to play against Butbul came in the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war and his unwavering support to Palestine.

“Algerian judoka Dris Messaoud, who was scheduled to fight against his Israeli opponent Tohar Butbul in the Paris Olympics, has withdrawn in support of Palestine and the non-normalization of the existence of the State of Israel. Legend,” tweeted ‘Suppressed News.’

While accusing Israel of committing genocide, one Islamist stated, “BREAKING: Algerian judo competitor Ka Dris Messaoud has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics because his next opponent is an Israeli and he refused to compete against an Israeli athlete while Israel commits genocide.”

Another Islamist hailed judoka Redouane Messaoud Dris as a ‘legend.’

“The right thing to do. Every athlete, every country should refuse to face off against Israel. #Paris2024,” another X handle brazened out.

“Well done Dris Messaoud. Israel should not be participating. Very unfair for the other athletes taking part.,” wrote one Sabrina

The Truth behind the viral claims

Contrary to the false bravado of Islamists on social media, Algerian judo player Redouane Messaoud Dris did not ‘refuse’ to play against his Israeli judoka over ‘Palestine’.

In reality, he was disqualified for being overweight and was not allowed to compete against his Israeli counterpart in the under-73kg judo event by the International Judo Federation (IJF).

In a statement, the Olympics officials informed, “Redouane Messaoud Driss has been disqualified…Dris, entered in the men’s -73 kg event, failed the weigh-in. Therefore his opponent Tohar Butbul will win the scheduled contest by walkover.”

Had Algerian judo player Redouane Messaoud Dris intentionally forfeited the match against Tohar Butbul for virtue of his Israeli nationality, he would have been served with a 10-year ban.

Such a precedent was laid down in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when another Algerian player named Fethi Nourine refused to compete and was suspended for 10 years by the International Judo Federation (IJF). His coach Amar Benikhlef also suffered the loss of accreditation.

The duo was suspended for violating the code of ethics of IJF and the Olympic charter, which prohibits the use of Games for protest and promotion of political and religious propaganda.

Delhi: Basement of 13 coaching centers sealed, illegal ‘libraries’ vacated after drowning of 3 students at Rajinder Nagar

ANI
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Delhi: Basement of 13 coaching centers sealed, illegal ‘libraries’ vacated after drowning of 3 students at Rajinder Nagar

 After the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) initiated action against coaching centres violating building bye-laws, the owners of the institutes asked students using the basement libraries to vacate on Monday.

The MCD sealed the basements of 13 coaching centres in Karol Bagh on Sunday for violating building bye-laws amid protests by students. Mayor Shelly Oberoi has directed strict action against coaching centres operating illegally in basements.

Three students died after the basement of the building housing a centre for coaching IAS aspirants in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar was flooded following rains. The students complained that biometric access was mandated to enter libraries, which were located mostly in basements.

“What happened on July 27 was that the biometric got blocked, because of which students got trapped inside when the basement was being flooded with water. This tragedy could have been averted,” Manish Kumar, a student, said while speaking to ANI on Monday.

Manish further said that alternatives to biometrics need to be ensured so that another such tragedy can be averted.

Another student, Punit Singh, complained that there is no way to rescue the occupants of the buildings housing the institutes in case of any emergencies.

“The entry and exits of most of the buildings here need biometric access. In case of an emergency or unforeseen incident, there is no balcony in the entire building, and there is no way to rescue any occupants of a building in case of a fire. We will not be able to escape and no one will be able to enter the building without a biometric,” Punit Singh said.

“Who will be held accountable for our lives and safety?Access to 70-75% of libraries in the region is controlled by biometrics and the libraries are located in basements,” he added.

The student protests continued in the early hours of Monday also in Karol Bagh, raising various demands, including action against coaching centres and owners running libraries in basements, a rent regulation bill or code of rent regulation to control irrational rent and brokerage, and an insurance cover or grievance redressal mechanism for students.

They have also demanded that the government take steps to avoid waterlogging or electrocution in the area during rain.

The Delhi Police have arrested the owner and coordinator of the coaching centre in connection with the incident. They have been booked for culpable homicide, among other charges. 


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

Convicted rapist of a 12-year-old British girl steps on Olympic field representing Dutch beach volleyball team, gets booed by the audience, BBC panellist who wished him ‘best of luck’ apologises

श्रवण शुक्ल
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Convicted rapist of a 12-year-old British girl steps on Olympic field representing Dutch beach volleyball team, gets booed by the audience, BBC panellist who wished him ‘best of luck’ apologises

In a shocking turn of events at the Paris Olympics, a convicted rapist of a minor British girl was allowed to step on the Olympic field and represent his country, the Netherlands, at the mega event. The controversial incident came to the fore before world media when Steven van de Velde, a Dutch beach volleyball player, faced a loud booing noise from the audience as he entered the court for the opening match against Italy on Sunday (28th July 2024). 

Steven van de Velde committed the heinous crime against a minor British girl when he was 19 years of age. In 2014, he contacted the minor victim through Facebook and then travelled to Milton Keynes from the Netherlands. After meeting her, he raped the 12-year-old British girl after intoxicating her. 

It was established in the court that he had full knowledge of her age, yet he sexually assaulted the minor. He pleaded guilty to three counts of child rape. Subsequently, he was sentenced to four years at Aylesbury Crown Court in 2016.

However, Van de Velde served only 12 months in a UK prison as he was then transferred to his home country, the Netherlands, where he was released after a few months of jail time. He was released in 2017 and has continued playing beach volleyball right away. The controversial athlete was named to the Dutch Olympic team last month.

While the convicted rapist has been allowed to represent his country, the victim reportedly has not been able to recuperate from the trauma ever since, indulging in self-harm and drug overdose.

During their opening match against Italy on Sunday, the audience made loud booing noise as the stadium announcer at Champs de Mars Park announced his name.

Dutch side defends their athlete

The National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands said that he has served his sentence and completed an extensive rehabilitation program. The experts also claimed that there was no risk that the Dutch player would again commit such a crime. 

The Dutch Olympic committee had told World Volleyball that he had shown “self-insight and reflection“. They claimed that he has consistently met their “high standards” and fully engaged with their requirements to compete. They added that he remained transparent throughout the last 10 years.

His 22-year-old volleyball partner Matthew Immers described him as “like a second father” with whom he feels “comfortable” with. 

Furthermore, the country’s team boss, Pieter van den Hoogenband, said that he was “surprised by the fuss” over the inclusion of the convicted child rapist. He said “measures” have been taken including housing him away from the athletes’ village.

The convicted rapist, Steven Van de Velde, has been kept in a high-security hotel away from the Olympic village

Since there is no age limit at the Olympics and athletes as young as an 11-year-old girl are also participating in the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Federation did not take the responsibility of accommodating the convicted criminal in the Olympic Village. 

He has been banished from the Paris Olympics athletes’ village as there was a massive outrage over his inclusion in the athlete pool for this year’s Olympics games. In protest against his inclusion, more than 81,000 people had signed a petition demanding that all known sex offenders should be banned from the Olympics indefinitely.

Earlier, when he arrived in Paris by train, a huge security team surrounded him and they took him away to an alternative hotel room in the capital. Reportedly, the Olympic Committee of the Netherlands has accommodated him in a hotel on their guarantee.

BBC panellist apologies for wishing him ‘best of luck’ earlier

During an interview, BBC sports expert and former Olympian Paula Radcliffe shockingly wished him ‘best of luck’. She had defended her act saying that she wished him good luck because he had turned his life around and is married. 

Speaking to LBC, Paula had said, “It’s a tough thing to do to punish him [van de Velde] twice and if he’s managed to successfully turn his life around after being sent to prison and to qualify and be playing sport at the highest level, then I actually wish him the best of luck.”

However, her remarks triggered a social media outage and she faced massive criticism for wishing good luck to a convicted rapist of a minor girl child. After facing massive backlash, Radcliffe apologised for her remarks.

Issuing an apology, she said, “I want to sincerely apologise and emphasise how much I categorically condemn the crime of rape. I am ashamed that my words so inaccurately represented myself. It was a mistake not to clearly denounce this at the beginning.” 

Meanwhile, contrary to convicted rapist Steven van de Velde’s case, another athlete Charlotte Dujardin was not allowed to take part in Paris Olympics 2024 as she was caught whipping her horse ‘24 times’ in footage four years ago. She is rightly facing an investigation by the sport’s governing body and her public funding has been axed. Additionally, she has now been dropped as an ambassador for a horse charity. 

While the sporting body acted tough in her case, Dutch beach volleyball rapist Steven van de Velde’s presence has marred the mega event. His presence at the Paris Olympics 2024 has disgraced the sporting event as it is a major setback for the world in setting a deterrence against criminals, especially those who commit heinous crimes against minors.

US to provide consultancy to India to build advanced UAVs under $3.1 billion deal for 31 MQ-9B Predator drones

ANI
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US to provide consultancy to India to build advanced UAVs under $3.1 billion deal for 31 MQ-9B Predator drones

As part of the USD 3.1 billion 31 MQ-9B Predator drone deal between India and the US, American side is proposing to provide consultancy to Indian entities for developing an indigenous advanced unmanned aerial vehicle.

India and the US have been holding discussions for the drone deal for the last few years, under which the three services will get the 31 drones, with the Navy getting 15 birds and the Air Force and Army and Air Force getting eight each.

The American offer to provide consultancy to Indian entities for developing an advanced Indian drone as part of the project is expected to be taken up for discussion and clearance at the Defence Acquisition Council meeting scheduled to be held on Monday, defence sources told ANI.

This would be the first meeting of the DAC under Narendra Modi 3.0 and is expected to provide boost to the indigenization process in defence sector under Rajnath Singh.

Sources said that the consultancy is expected to cut down the time taken for development of a highly advanced drone by a significant margin.

The MQ-9B drones are planned to be deployed at four places, including INS Rajaji near Chennai and Porbandar in Gujarat, by the Indian Navy, while the other two services will keep them jointly at two bases in Sarsawa and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh at Air Force bases due to long runway requirements.

The American firm involved in the government-to-government deal is General Atomics, whose officials held discussions with Indian side in the last few weeks in this regard, the sources said.

Sarsawa and Gorakhpur as bases will help in boosting military surveillance capabilities all along the Line of Actual Control with China, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.

The drone deal is being done at the tri-service level, with the Indian Navy leading the negotiations for it with the American side.

The MQ-9B drones require a significant runway length for take off and landing which are available with the Indian Air Force. As per the drone deal with the US, 31 MQ-9B drones are being acquired of which 15 would be for coverage of the maritime zone and would be deployed by the Indian Navy.

The IAF and the Army will have eight each of these highly capable long endurance drones and would be able to cover almost all the areas of interest along the LAC with support from other existing assets.

The American side has given its letter of acceptance to the Indian side at a price tag of around USD 4 billion but India is not planning to take the entire package and the cost for it would be lower than that.

With a flight time of over 36 hours at heights over 40,000 feet, the drones can be armed with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs, this fighter-sized drone specializes in(intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) missions.

The Predator drones are expected to significantly enhance India’s ability to conduct unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and along its land borders with China and Pakistan.

MQ-9B has proven to be a critical asset in safeguarding India’s security interests, as it was used to extensively to monitor anti-piracy operations from naval headquarters to get a clear picture of the actions taking place almost 3,000 km from Indian shores.

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

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