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‘Highways are not parking space for tractors’: SC orders Haryana and Punjab to explore partial reopening of Shambhu border within one week

OpIndia Staff
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‘Highways are not parking space for tractors’: SC orders Haryana and Punjab to explore partial reopening of Shambhu border within one week

On Monday (12th August), the Supreme Court directed the Chiefs of both Haryana and Punjab Police to explore partial reopening of the Shambhu border, where protesting farmers have been camped since 13th February. The court directed them to hold a meeting along with the SPs of adjoining Patiala and Ambala districts within one week for partially reopening the highway. However, the court categorically observed that the Highways are not a parking space for tractors and trolleys as it asked the Punjab government to persuade the farmers to remove their tractors from the road.

Notably, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan has been hearing the plea of the Haryana government challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order. The HC had asked it to remove barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala within a week. The national highway at the Shambhu border between the States of Punjab and Haryana has been facing blockade in the wake of farmers’ protest. 

The bench also asked the Haryana Government to explore the possibility to keep at least one lane available for the passage of vehicles carrying senior citizens, females, people going for medical treatment etc. The bench said that partial opening of the road at Shambhu border is needed to facilitate movement of ambulances, essential services, senior citizens, women, girl students and the local commuters of adjoining areas. 

In its order, the bench directed that if both sides are able to resolve such modalities, they need not wait for any order from this court and let such resolution be directed immediately.

It said, “We will pass a brief order on the terms of the panel to be constituted for talking to protesting farmers at Shambhu border.”

During the hearing, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh requested the court to issue directions to relax blockade for vehicles involved in essential purposes and daily commuters. Responding to his request, the bench suggested the Punjab government to first persuade the protesters to remove the tractors and trolleys from the site.

Justice Kant told the AG, “Why do not you persuade the farmers…because highways are not parking space for tractors, trolleys etc.”

However, the bench turned down another plea filed by the Haryana government seeking a stay on the High Court’s order which directed a judicial probe by a retired judge into the death of a protesting farmer who allegedly died of a bullet injury. Earlier, on 10th July, the  Punjab and Haryana High Court had observed that farmer Shubh Karan Singh, who died at the Khanuri border during farmer protests in February 2024, got shot with a shotgun, a weapon that Haryana police or the other security forces stationed at the site do not possess.

Nonetheless, appearing for the Haryana government, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said that the committee has been asked to examine if the force used by the police was proportionate. He objected to this direction, and said that a judicial commission can never ascertain this fact. He added that this direction can “demoralise the police force.” 

To which, the bench replied, “this can also strengthen the police.” The bench observed that the committee’s finding is ultimately an opinion and it will be for the High Court to decide whether to accept or not.

Meanwhile, further, during the hearing, the bench appreciated the Punjab and Haryana government for suggesting a list of names of apolitical persons who could be included in the panel proposed by the Supreme Court to hold negotiations with the protesters and the government.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to suggest the names of some neutral persons for an independent panel which would reach out to the protesting farmers over their demands including the legal guarantee of MSP.

In February, the Haryana government had barricaded the Ambala-New Delhi national highway after the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced that protesting farmers would march to Delhi.

Kerala: Wayanad Youth Congress embroiled in scam allegations, President of local unit reportedly accuses VP of embezzling landslide relief funds

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Wayanad Youth Congress embroiled in scam allegations, President of local unit reportedly accuses VP of embezzling landslide relief funds

Congress party’s youth wing Chelannur unit has landed itself in a major controversy over the allegation of ‘embezzlement’ of funds ‘wrongly’ collected for the Wayanad Landslide relief work. As per reports, Ajal Divanandan is the President of Youth Congress Chelannur constituency. Recently, he wrote a complaint letter to the IYC State President Rahul Mamkootathil in which he accused two Youth Congress leaders of embezzling funds collected for the relief work in the area.  

According to Divanandan’s complaint, Chelannur unit’s vice president Aswin Edavalath and youth Congress worker Anas raised funds allegedly in the name of KSU State Secretary Sanuj Kuruvatur. He also alleged that they later embezzled the funds. 

The complaint also alleged that the two individuals did not participate in the activities held in Chelannur for collecting essential items. It added that the controversial fundraiser has hampered any possibilities of another fund collection. The complaint also demanded action against them. 

In his defence, Aswin Edavalath, one of the accused of embezzling funds, said that he would lodge a complaint with the party’s state leadership over the baseless allegations levelled against him. He claimed that the complaint was part of an internal rivalry in the local unit of the Youth Congress. He said that if the allegations are found to be true, he will quit public activity.  

However, when the Congress party’s youth wing started facing backlash for embezzling funds collected to help Wayanad landslide victims, the Chelannur unit issued a clarification and claimed that no fund scam took place. 

Strikingly, the constituency president who initially highlighted the scam in the fundraiser and filed the complaint in this matter, did a U-turn. He issued a new statement in which he denied any such complaints. He claimed that the complaint was false after it was leaked in the media, leading to a major controversy for the Congress party. 

The leadership of the constituency committee also claimed that no such complaint was filed. While the Youth Congress district leadership went into denial, the party’s state leadership of the Youth wing claimed that no complaints related to fund collection from Chelannur have come to their attention.

Wayanad Landslide

On 30th July, due to incessant and heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, a major landslide occurred at Mundakki, Chooralmala, Vellarimala Village, in district Wayanad. According to the state government, the landslides killed 229 people, while over 130 are still missing.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the landslides-hit Wayanad district and assured that the Central government will “spare no effort” in helping Kerala in relief and rehabilitation while describing the tragedy as “nature displaying its furious form.” He also conducted an aerial survey over disaster-affected areas in Kerala.

During the aerial survey over Chooralmala, Mundakkai, and Punchirimattom areas, PM Modi was accompanied by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

Academicians and professionals including Dr Vikram Sampath, J Sai Deepak, Ashwin Sanghi, write to Centre seeking asylum for Hindus fleeing Bangladesh

OpIndia Staff
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Academicians and professionals including Dr Vikram Sampath, J Sai Deepak, Ashwin Sanghi, write to Centre seeking asylum for Hindus fleeing Bangladesh

On Monday, 12th August, around 57 Indian authors, columnists, researchers, and scientists raised their voices against the atrocities being faced by the Hindu community in Bangladesh amid the political crisis. In an open letter to the Indian Parliament, they stated that the Hindu community in Bangladesh is in the minority and that they need to be protected from the Islamists who have been launching deliberate attacks on the community after the country’s PM Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post.

Indicating that the Hindus were facing genocide in Bangladesh at the hands of Islamists, an official statement released by the authors read, “Recent incidents have brought global attention to a renewed and alarming pattern of targeted violence against Hindus in the region. The current developments in Bangladesh have destabilized the situation, resulting in increased attacks on minority communities.”

The statement added that the Hindu community in Bangladesh has always been facing attacks and atrocities at the hands of Islamists and these attacks intensify during periods of political instability. “Since 1971, when the Pakistani regime murdered 2.5 million Hindus before the formation of Bangladesh, there has been an ongoing and systematic pogrom against Hindus,” the note added.

As per the reports, there have been over 3,600 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh since 2013. A Bangladeshi human rights organization identified as Deutsche Welle discovered that over the last 10-12 years, Hindus have been targeted with vandalism and arson, destroying nearly 550 homes and 440 businesses. Over 1,670 incidences of vandalism and arson attacks on Hindu temples, idols, and places of worship were documented during the same time period.

“In recent days we have observed deeply troubling events, including the burning of an ISKCON center in Meherpur, the vandalism of multiple Hindu temples across the country, and the dissemination of videos showing rioters celebrating the lynching of Hindus,” open letters by Hindu authors added.

These further moved to urge the Parliament to pass a unanimous resolution recognizing the ongoing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and condemning this wave of communal violence. They also asked the Indian Parliament to collaborate with international bodies, such as the United Nations, to press the Bangladeshi authorities to take concrete steps to protect their Hindu minority and hold the perpetrators accountable.

“We, the undersigned, urge the Indian Parliament to also advocate for the provision of humanitarian assistance and asylum options for Hindus fleeing persecution in Bangladesh,” the open letter added.

The authors and academicians who have signed the letter include Dr AK Singh, Abhishek Banerjee, Ashwin Sanghi, Dr. Amit Thadhani, Dr Ratan Sharda, Hindol Sengupta, Rajeev Mantri, Smita Barooah, Dr Vikram Sampath, Pankaj Saxena, Srinidhi Balasubramanian, and more.

Hindus in Bangladesh are facing constant attacks at the hands of Islamists after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in the country. Islamists have left no stone unturned to target Hindu homes, businesses, and temples. Several similar incidents have been reported by OpIndia exposing the pain that the Hindus in the country are forced to suffer.

On 9th August, a video emerged on social media showing the pain of a Hindu identified as Bimal Chandra Dey who recorded the arson attack at his automobile shop. As per the video, Dey owned a bike shop named ‘City Bike Centre’ in Comilla, Bangladesh which was set ablaze by Islamists amid the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh.

“Has anyone seen that your dreams have been shattered in front of your eyes? I am seeing that. I am seeing how my future is being destroyed. My workplace is burned. I worked yesterday here, in my shop and now it has been destroyed,” Dey could be heard saying in the video.

On 9th August, a video went viral on social media in which a woman could be heard saying, “They came and looted our house. They took away our money, gold, and whatever valuable that was left with us. They also abducted my 14-year-old boy. I don’t even know their identity. They vandalized our house and took everything away. They also beat us severely.” The woman could be seen continuously crying in the video.

In another Facebook video, one Hindu woman narrated how her family was targeted overnight by Islamist mobs. She stated that her 15-year-old brother was assaulted at knifepoint. They also stole Tk 3 lakh from the family.

“Look how they have vandalized our houses…Is this the work of a human? They are claiming that this is an independent country now. See what they have done to my underage brother,” she narrated the ordeal.

“It’s a curse to be a Sanatani in Bangladesh. I, as a student, am asking why my house is being targeted,” the Hindu woman continued. She pointed out that 3-4 other Hindu houses were attacked similarly.

“Who will give us justice? Who is there to protect us Hindus? Today, they are attacking me. Tomorrow, they will attack you. If we do not stand up to it now, then, we will not be able to survive tomorrow.”

On 7th August, a video showed Islamists breaking new benchmarks for savagery and hatred towards Hindus. In the video, Islamists could be seen encircling a dead victim lying on the ground. There was a pool of blood beneath the deceased man’s broken head, and his hands were bound in handcuffs. Many men were gathered around him. With the aid of a stick, one man, whose face cannot be seen in the video, strips the deceased person naked and checks the victim’s private part for circumcision. Shouting ‘Hindu, Hindu’ over the corpse, the crowd hovering over the dead body laughs, realizing that the man is a Hindu because he is not circumcised.

On 5th August, it came to light that Jihadis attacked Hindus’ houses, shops, and temples in Bangladesh in the guise of protests against the Sheikh Hasina government. Despite the resignation by Hasina from the Prime Minister’s post, the protests continued and so did the attack on Hindus. Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar has also expressed concerns over attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. Earlier, OpIndia reported about the list of 54 attacks released by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and attacks reported by The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi newspaper. Several videos and photos of attacks on Hindus surfaced on social media.

As the day passed by, more details of the attacks with photos and videos surfaced. Apart from the 54 attacks reported earlier, by today, OpIndia has detailed several more incidents of targeted violence against Hindus in Bangladesh after the coup against Sheikh Hasina. Details of Islamist attacks against minority Hindus in Bangladesh can be read here.

Shashi Tharoor condemns violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, but cushions it with the trope of Muslims protecting Temples

OpIndia Staff
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Shashi Tharoor condemns violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, but cushions it with the trope of Muslims protecting Temples

“Sad to see images like this of statues at the 1971 Shaheed Memorial Complex, Mujibnagar, destroyed by anti-India vandals,” Tharoor tweeted in a post on X. “This follows disgraceful attacks on the Indian cultural centre, temples, and Hindu homes in several places, even as reports came in of Muslim civilians protecting other minority homes and places of worship,” he added.

A student-led uprising that devolved into Islamist insurrection in Bangladesh, forced the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and several other senior officials. The protests, which lasted over a month, resulted in at least 450 deaths and led to Hasina’s departure on August 5.

The protests have also had a severe impact on the Hindu community in Bangladesh, with numerous attacks targeting Hindu homes, temples, and businesses. Hindus, who form the largest minority in the predominantly Muslim country, are known to be strong supporters of Hasina’s party, the Awami League.

Since the government’s collapse, over 205 incidents of violence against minority communities have been reported across 52 districts.

Shashi Tharoor has called on the new caretaker government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammed Yunus, to take urgent action to restore law and order in the country.

While Shashi Tharoor specifically called out the religiously motivated attacks against the Hindus in Bangladesh, he also cushioned it with the trope that Muslims were protecting religious places. It is interesting that those who use this trope to shield the Muslim community from taking any responsibility for their targeted hate attacks against Hindus fail to ask the few Muslims whom were they protecting the Temples from. In fact, what is far worse is that while thousands attack Hindus, this trope seems to insist that the 5 Muslims protecting the Temple are the norm while the thousands attacking Temples are the exception.

The liberal-Islamist ecosystem repeats the same trope every single time to condition the masses to elicit a particular kind of social reaction. The first and foremost is to never blame the Muslims or hold them accountable for the mayhem they cause as they are merely a victim of their circumstances. They never initiate any violence and only respond to the events that are thrust upon them. Even when it occurs at the hands of Muslims, the bloodshed simply unfolds as a result of the situation and they are not responsible for it. Hence, anyone could be blamed including the administration, the state, and even the Hindus who are usually victims during such times, but never the Muslims. Lastly, fabricate tales to demonstrate that the Muslim community was not only innocent but was defending Hindus and their holy places to bend the propaganda to the advantage of the former. Notably, in the scenario, the rioters don’t have any religion but the ‘human chain’ always does.

Note: A previous version of this article included details about a statue vandalized as claimed by Shashi Tharoor. However, this claim is not verified and hence, it has been removed from this article. The headline and the article has been changed to that effect.

“Give Bharat Ratna to Vinesh Phogat”: As Khap panchayats make unreasonable demands, here’s how the wrestler’s heartbreaking disqualification is being politicised

Shraddha Pandey
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“Give Bharat Ratna to Vinesh Phogat”: As Khap panchayats make unreasonable demands, here’s how the wrestler’s heartbreaking disqualification is being politicised

Ever since the disqualification of star wrestler Vinesh Phogat before her gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics, attempts are being made to politicise the issue in poll-bound Haryana. After Congress and its supporting ecosystem blamed the Modi government for Vinesh’s disqualification for being overweight, the Khap panchayats in Haryana have also made unreasonable demands concerning Vinesh Phogat, including demand for Bharat Ratna.

‘Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat’ in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri demanded ‘justice’ for Vinesh Phogat, who belongs to the state. The Khap leaders also demanded that a sitting Supreme Court judge should investigate the matter. Khap leader, and Charkhi Dadri MLA, Sombir Sangwan said that the persons who accompanied Vinesh Phogat were responsible for ensuring her weight did not increase, yet she was found overweight during the weigh-in. He questioned how Phogat’s weight increased suddenly.

Furthermore, the Khap leader demanded that Vinesh Phogat be entitled to all benefits of a silver medal winner by the state as well as central government. Moreover, Sangwan said that they will honour Vinesh Phogat with a gold medal and that she should be honoured by the Central government with Bharat Ratna.

“The main agenda of today’s panchayat was to expose the betrayal and deceit experienced by our daughter and ensure she gets justice. The entire khap and her village will honour her… We have seven demands- a sitting SC judge should hold an enquiry into the matter and the accused be punished, second, Vinesh Phogat should be entitled to all benefits of a silver medal winner by the state as well as central government, third, we will honour Vinesh with a gold medal… we will ask Vinesh to reconsider her decision to retire from wrestling, we demand she is honoured with a Bharat Ratna”, Sangwan said.

While Phogat’s disqualification was a heartbreaking moment for the wrestler and for Indian fans, making such unreasonable demands in complete disregard for the rules reflects the blatant politicisation of the incident rather than genuine concern for her. Demanding such benefits for Vinesh Phogat, despite her disqualification, undermines the essence of sportsmanship and fair play. Javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal in the recently concluded Paris Olympics to follow up on his Gold at Tokyo Olympics, no one is demanding a Bharat Ratna for him. Meanwhile, Vinesh despite her best efforts could not achieve the required weight and thus disqualified, is entitled to Silver medal winner benefits and the highest civilian honour?

Wrestler Aman Sehrawat, unlike Vinesh Phogat, was not accompanied by his own training and conditioning staff but only the staff provided by Sports Authority of India (SAI) and yet managed to reduce 4.6 kgs in 10 hours to meet the 57kg weight limit. Sehrawat not only cut his weight to meet the standard but also won his Bronze medal bout.

Several netizens raised questions over the demands presented by the Khap leaders.

One X user said: “Gold medal for weight gain??? She is yet to say sorry to the nation n people want Bharat Ratna for her!!”

Another one said: “Khap Panchayat should be done in Paris. Aren’t they going to Europe to protest? The Indian Government should send these panchayat leaders to Europe to expose the Olympics. N0nsense….!!

One user Amit said: “Bharat Ratna??? What about Neeraj Chopra? He Won Silver this time. Nobody is asking for him. Why?? This is something bizarre to talk about. Simply a political agenda. In the name of sympathy, they are creating drama now.”

Interestingly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has already announced to give Vinesh Phogat benefits equal to those of a silver medallist, which risks eroding the fundamental concepts of justice and merit in sports. Notably, according to its sports policy, the Haryana government grants Rs 6 crore to Olympic gold medallists, Rs 4 crore to silver medallists, and Rs 2.5 crore to bronze medallists.

Such demands not only politicise the situation but also give unfair importance to one athlete over others who may have competed under the same stringent criteria, as seen in the case of Aman Sehrawat. Is only Vinesh Phogat “Bharat ki Beti” not Manu Bhaker, are Aman Sehrawat or Neeraj Chopra not “Bharat ka Beta”? Sports have rules for a reason, and disregarding them to benefit an individual, particularly in response to political pressure, undermines the sport’s credibility. It establishes a precedent in which political influence and populist demands trump athletic achievement and rule adherence. Ironically, Khap leaders are demanding Bharat Ratna for a disqualified wrestler Vinesh Phogat but nothing for those who fought and lost by a whisker.

While the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is yet to rule on Vinesh Phogat’s appeal challenging her disqualification, the politics around the incident reflect the desperation of politicians and their supporters to build a narrative in their favour ahead of the state elections.

Notably, the CAS will decide on Vinesh’s plea on the 13th of August. If the CAS decides in favour of Vinesh Phogat and she is given the silver medal, Congress will claim that despite the Modi government’s ‘conspiracies’, Phogat braved them all, and won silver. If the CAS rejects her plea, the opposition parties will play the “Modi’s ego is more important than the silver medal for India” narrative. In both cases, politics will win. It is apparent that Vinesh Phogat is getting all the political attention solely due to her participation in protests against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in an alleged sexual harassment case.

Despite it being against the rules, Vinesh Phogat was allowed to contest in qualifiers in both the 50 kg and 53 kg categories. She lost the qualifying match in the 53 kg category but won in 50 kg. Therefore, she had to keep her weight below 50 kg because she qualified for the 50 kg category in the Paris Olympics. However, she was struggling to maintain her weight below the allowed limit for several months now. Her weight was around 2.7 kg above the limit a day before the finals, and despite various efforts, including cutting hair, shortening clothes, and sitting in the sauna, the weight could not be brought below 50 kg. Consequently, she was disqualified. Even though Phogat was disqualified on technical grounds and the ruling government had no role in it but had only backed her, the politics over the matter is not subsiding.

Suppose Vinesh Phogat had not participated in the Wrestlers’ Protests or had taken a pro-BJP stand in the past. In that case, the very opposition leaders making absurd claims and malicious allegations against the Central government would have cried ‘favouritism’ when Phogat was given a double chance.

If the opposition parties and the Khap panchayats are demanding Bharat Ratna for a disqualified sportsperson, they should have long back demanded the same for Javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra who won gold in the Tokyo Olympics and silver in the Paris Olympics. However, since Chopra does not provide any political fuel, no such demands are raised for him.  

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified as she was unable to achieve the weight restrictions, which are a crucial criterion in combat sports. The standards are in place to maintain fairness, and her disqualification was due to standard rule enforcement rather than bias.

Demanding prestigious awards and benefits for someone who did not match the minimum eligibility requirements for competition undermines the principles of merit and excellence represented by these accolades. The Bharat Ratna is bestowed for exceptional service and contributions to the nation, and even though Vinesh Phogat has made an unforgettable impact in wrestling, it would be inappropriate to bestow such an honour in the present context.

These demands, which are driven by political motives rather than objective merit, establish a dangerous precedent in which standards and regulations are bent to meet populist demands. This not only reduces the value of such awards but also communicates the message that accountability and responsibility in athletics fall secondary to influence and pressure. It is critical to safeguard the integrity of sports and honours by adhering to the values of fairness, merit, and accountability. If the CAS rules in Vinesh’s favour and gives her the silver medal she has all the right to receive the relevant benefits, however, if this does not happen, the authorities should refrain from providing such benefits and set the right precedent for the future.

UP: Kanpur DM orders probe after 3 Muslim students of government inter college start wearing hijab flouting uniform dress code

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Kanpur DM orders probe after 3 Muslim students of government inter college start wearing hijab flouting uniform dress code

The District Magistrate of Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur has taken cognizance of the case of three female students suddenly appearing in Hijabs inside a college. On Saturday (10th August), Kanpur DM directed the Sub-District Magistrate (SDM) to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, the parents of the three girls have accepted their mistake and assured that they will send their daughters to college in the prescribed uniform.

In this case reported a week ago, the Kanpur District Magistrate Rakesh Singh ordered Sub-District Magistrate Rashmi Lamba to investigate the matter and submit a report on 17th August. This study will be conducted on three points. The first question is whether these students were studying at the college from the start and came wearing hijabs at their own will. Secondly, whether the pupils were aware of the college dress code or not. The third point to be investigated is whether anyone pushed the three students to wear hijab to college.

Notably, the incident unfolded on the 3rd of August 2024 in the government inter-college located in the Bilhaur area of ​​Kanpur. Here, three Muslim girls started coming to college wearing Hijab. One of their teachers, Jyoti scolded them for violating the rules and asked them to come to college in the prescribed uniforms only. However, her instructions did not affect the three Muslim girls. They said that even if they are expelled from the college they come to college wearing Hijab.

When the matter reached the college’s principal Surjeet Singh Yadav, the Muslim girls reiterated their stand by giving it in writing that even if their names are cut from the college, they will come to study wearing Hijab. Consequently, the principal took strict action and banned the entry of students wearing anything other than the prescribed dress in the college.

Principal Surjeet Singh also informed the parents of the three students of intermediate about the matter. It is being told that the parents of the three students have accepted the mistake. They have also assured to send the students in the dress prescribed by the school in future.

Adani-Hindenburg case: A chronology of events from January 2023 to now

ANI
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Adani-Hindenburg case: A chronology of events from January 2023 to now

As the Adani-Hindenburg saga was about to end with SEBI investigating the 24th and final case, US short seller Hindenburg has published fresh allegations against the market regulator’s chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch of investing in an offshore fund linked with Adani.

While the US short seller made allegations in January 2023 against the Adani group, now it has published allegations against the market regulator for not acting against the conglomerate.

In its report on August 10 the US short seller has expressed surprise at SEBI’s “lack of interest and not investigating” Adani’s alleged undisclosed web of Mauritius and offshore shell entities.

Here is a timeline of how the Adani-Hindenburg saga has unfolded over the last one-and-a-half years.

On January 24, 2023, Hindenburg Research released a report titled, “Adani Group: How The World’s 3rd Richest Man Is Pulling the Largest Con in Corporate History”. Following the release of the report Adani group stocks tanked by up to 10 per cent.

The report came during the period when Adani Enterprises issued Rs 20,000 crore follow-on public offer (FPO).

The Hindenburg report also alleged that SEBI had launched investigations of transactions done by the Adani Group, but it had gone nowhere after over one and a half years of investigations, due to political pressure.

On January 26, the Adani group responded to the claims, stating they were “baseless” allegations meant to bring down their share price. Shares of Adani Enterprises and other group companies fell substantially. The report led to major losses for the company and the retail investors.

On January 31, 2023, Adani Enterprises FPO was fully subscribed 1.12 times.

In February 2023, a PIL was filed at the Supreme Court asking to set up a committee to investigate the claims of Hindenburg Research

On March 2, 2023, the Supreme Court asked SEBI to complete the probe of the allegations made in the report within two months to find whether stock price manipulation and other financial irregularities had taken place.

The apex court also set up a six-member panel of experts to investigate the matter and report to the court.

On March 8, the six-member expert panel submitted its initial report before the Supreme Court in a sealed cover. The report says there was “no evident pattern of manipulation” in Adani’s group of companies and there was also no regulatory failure.

On May 17, 2023, the court extended the time for SEBI to produce their investigation report on August 14, after SEBI pleaded that it is difficult to complete the probe in two months as getting information from external agencies takes time.

The market regulator on August 14 asked the apex court to grant 15 more days to file its report. Finally, SEBI filed an affidavit on August 25, which says that out of its 24 investigations in the Adani-Hindenburg matter, 22 are final in nature, and 2 are interim. SEBI is awaiting responses from external agencies on two probes. The interim probes had covered 13 overseas entities of Adani’s companies. It has further sought details from five countries on FPI investment.

On November 24, the apex court reserved its verdict after hearing a batch of pleas on the allegations made in the Hindenburg report against Adani.

In January 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea asking for a probe by the CBI into the allegations against the Adani group. The court said that it is the sole jurisdiction of the SEBI to look into matters of market regulation and stock price manipulation. The Supreme Court also asked SEBI to complete its probe in another three months.

Gautam Adani on January 3, 2024, posted on X saying, “The Hon’ble Supreme Court’s judgement shows that: Truth has prevailed. Satyameva Jayate. I am grateful to those who stood by us. Our humble contribution to India’s growth story will continue. Jai Hind.”

By June 2024, Adani group companies’ share prices recovered to their pre-Hindenburg report prices.

On July 2, 2024, Hindenburg revealed that SEBI had slapped a show cause notice to them alleging violation of Indian regulations. It said that SEBI has accused them of sharing its findings on the Adani group with a New York-based hedge fund manager and allowed him to trade with this information.

Hindenburg Research denied SEBI’s claims and said that this was an attempt to silence them for exposing corruption against those with political high-ups.

On Saturday, August 10, 2024, Hindenburg Research posted a cryptic message on X saying, “Something big soon India”.

The same day, they released a report that claimed that SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch had investments in an offshore firm used in the Adani money siphoning case.

The report also alleged that the SEBI chairperson’s involvement showed a lack of transparency in the market regulator when it came to investigating the Adani group.

The next day on August 11, SEBI chief Madhabi Buch and her husband released a joint statement, calling the report baseless and saying that their financial records were an open book.

In a detailed joint statement issued later in the day by Madhabi Buch and husband Dhaval Buch rejected all allegations of Hindenburg as baseless.

The statement said that investments in the funds were made of their corporate jobs earnings, from salaries, bonuses and ESOPs. Investments in the alleged firm were made because the CIO of the fund Anil Ahuja was Dhaval Buch’s childhood friend and had nothing to do with Adani’s.

Before that alleged fund 360 One Wam also informed the exchanges through a filing that, the fund operated between 2013 and 2019 and they had zero investment in any Adani group companies. It also informed that 90 per cent of the fund was invested in debts.

On Sunday Adani Group also released an official statement, stating, “We completely reject these allegations against the Adani Group which are a recycling of discredited claims that have been thoroughly investigated, proven to be baseless and already dismissed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in January 2024.”

The day ended with a late evening unusual press release by SEBI asking the investors to be calm and do due diligence before taking a call on their investments. Experts also suggest investors to be cautious as markets may be volatile when open on Monday.


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

Rape and murder of doctor in Kolkata: FORDA calls for nationwide strike demanding justice for victim in RG Kar Medical College case

ANI
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Rape and murder of doctor in Kolkata: FORDA calls for nationwide strike demanding justice for victim in RG Kar Medical College case

A meeting was held between all the Delhi RDAs and members of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) regarding the nationwide strike call and demands for justice for the tragic death of a second-year PG resident at RG Kar Medical College.

During the meeting, they discussed and demanded CBI inquiry, fast track court, removal of the principal of RG Kar Medical College, and the formation of the Central Protection Act Committee, said FORDA in a statement.

The tragic incident, which occurred on August 9, has led to widespread outrage and protests.

Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, and Maulana Azad Medical College in the national capital will suspend elective services in solidarity.

The tragic incident has ignited a political storm in West Bengal. On August 10, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee proposed introducing an ordinance or bill for expedited rape trials, criticising the politicisation of the issue.

On Saturday, August 10, a group of doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal, in Madhya Pradesh, held a candlelight march to protest the death of a female post-graduate trainee (PGT) at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal’s Kolkata.

Similarly, doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi also protested, demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident. Protesters carried posters and chanted slogans such as, “We want a CBI inquiry.”

Meanwhile, in the wake of the rape and murder of a female post-graduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal government has appointed Professor Dr Bulbul Mukhopadhyay as the new Medical Superintendent cum Vice-Principal of the college.

Dr Mukhopadhyay, currently a Professor of Physiology at the college, replaces the former Medical Superintendent cum Vice-Principal, who has been transferred to Kolkata National Medical College as a Professor in Physiology.


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

Bangladesh: Muhammad Yunus, interim govt chief advisor, ‘acquitted’ in bribe case, 4 days after he was ‘acquitted’ in a labour law violation case

Nupur J Sharma
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Bangladesh: Muhammad Yunus, interim govt chief advisor, ‘acquitted’ in bribe case, 4 days after he was ‘acquitted’ in a labour law violation case

Bangladesh Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus was acquitted in a bribe case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the misappropriation of funds from the Grameen Telecom Workers and Employees Welfare Fund, Bangladesh-based daily, Dhaka Tribune reported.

As per the report by Dhaka Tribune Justice Md Rabiul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 on Sunday pronounced the verdict after the ACC sought to withdraw the case filed under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Health Advisor and Managing Director of Grameen Shikkha, a non-profit organization, Nurjahan Begum, was also accused in the graft case, Dhaka Tribune reported.

This move comes four days after Yunus was acquitted in another case of labour law violation, as per Dhaka Tribune.

On August 7, the Labour Appellate Tribunal overturned the six-month jail sentences of Yunus in a case filed over the violation of the labour law, Dhaka Tribune stated.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan stepped down from his post as the head of Bangladesh Judiciary. The resignation came in the face of the tumultuous situation in the country, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor Prof Asif Nazrul made the announcement in a video on Facebook on Saturday.

“I feel it is necessary to share a special news with you. Our chief justice has reigned few minutes back. His resignation letter has already reached at the law ministry. We will send it to the president without delay for taking necessary measures,” he said in a video message in his Facebook post.

In his resignation letter, Obaidul Hassan wrote: “To protect the Supreme Court building and its records, to protect the court premises, to protect the homes of the judges, to protect the Judges Tower, to protect the judges from physical assault, and to protect the district courts and record rooms, I had to make this decision,” Dhaka Tribune stated. 

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

Pakistan: Salman Waheed caught digging recently-buried grave of a woman and sexually abusing her corpse, admits raping several dead women in the graveyard

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Salman Waheed caught digging recently-buried grave of a woman and sexually abusing her corpse, admits raping several dead women in the graveyard

On Friday (9th August), Karachi Police arrested a 40-year-old man who ‘confessed’ to desecrating recently-buried graves and sexually abusing dead women at the Korangi graveyard in Karachi, ARY News reported citing police. For those unversed, committing sex with corpses is called necrophilia. According to the police, the accused confessed that he desecrated four graves of women and subjected their dead bodies to sexual abuse. The locals caught him desecrating the grave of a recently buried 55-year-old woman. They thrashed him before handing over to the Police. 

Speaking to a TV channel, crime reporter Tahir Abbas identified the accused as Salman Waheed. 

The Police added that the accused, who was arrested from Bagh Korangi Cemetery, confessed to the crime and revealed a shocking tale of sexual abuse and desecration of female graves. According to the Police, accused Saleem used to target fresh graves of women, exhume bodies, and commit sexual abuse.

In a statement, the Korangi police stated that the accused was arrested “on the rape charge” in the Bagh-i-Korangi graveyard. 

Based on the complaint submitted by the son of the deceased woman, the Awami Colony police registered a case against the accused under sections 297 (trespassing on burial places, etc), 376 (punishment for rape) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

As per a person’s complaint stated in the FIR, he had buried his mother in the graveyard on Thursday evening. At around 10:30 pm, he learned that the accused desecrated the grave and molested the body. However, some of the locals caught him and thrashed him. They then handed him over to the local police. The FIR states that the accused was found using an emergency light to commit the heinous crime.

During interrogation, he told the police that he used to keep an eye on the burials of women, and during nights he dug up graves to commit the heinous crime against the dead.

Strikingly, the accused was arrested 8 years ago as well for committing similar crimes in a graveyard in Korangi. In 2016, he was apprehended by locals from a graveyard in Korangi No.01.

Meanwhile, Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the accused was brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a medical examination. Additionally, the deceased victim’s body was exhumed and a post-mortem examination was conducted on the victim’s body. In Police oversight, DNA samples were also collected from the deceased woman’s son. The relatives of the deceased woman later re-buried her dead body.

Earlier on 22nd June, a shocking incident came to light from Lahore. Hours after the burial, the body of a three-month-old child went missing from the grave. The horrific incident occurred in Miani Sahib Graveyard, Lahore. The child’s father, Abdul Rahman found that the body of the child went missing from the grave the next day, finding the shroud outside. He then alerted the police. 

Subsequently, the Police arrested three individuals, including a security guard, in connection with the offense. According to the FIR, the incident occurred on 23rd April this year.

It is pertinent to note that numerous cases of necrophilia have been reported from Pakistan.

Cases of necrophilia

In May 2022, some unknown men dug out the corpse of a teenage girl and raped it in the Chak Kamala village in Gujrat, Pakistan. The deputy secretary-general of the Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) had shared that 17 suspects were being interrogated in that case.

In August 2021, a case of necrophilia came to light from the Thatta district. Some unknown men had dug out the corpse of a freshly-buried 14-year-old girl who had died of natural causes. They raped the teenage girl’s corpse. The incident took place in Maulvi Ashraf Chandio village near coastal town Ghulamullah.

In December 2020, a teenage boy in Lahore confessed in police custody that he committed necrophilia after murdering his seven-year-old cousin at a village in Mohlanwal area and then dumped her body in a pond.

In 2019, OpIndia also reported about in similar crime wherein a group of unidentified men dug up the grave of a woman in a graveyard in Karachi’s Landhi Town area and raped the dead body.

A stomach turning case was reported in 2011. The North Nazimabad police station official informed that an arrested accused identified as Mohammad Riaz confessed to having defiled the corpses of 48 women in the Paposh Nagar graveyard in the last eight years.

Amid a major concern of necrophilia in Pakistan, a writ petition was filed in Lahore High Court to stop necrophilia through strict laws and policies. A lawyer named Syeda Izzat Fatima submitted in her petition that there had been numerous reported and unreported incidents in Pakistan where individuals had been caught molesting dead bodies but there were no specific laws to charge the culprits. 

She had also cited the case of Mohammad Riyaz who was accused of molesting 48 bodies in Karachi’s North Nazimabad Town.

Incidentally, apart from Pakistan, an Afghan woman who came over to India had revealed that the Taliban commit the heinous act of indulging in sex with dead bodies. The woman, called Muskan by News18, worked in the police force in Afghanistan and came to India due to fear of the Taliban. 

She revealed that the Taliban either picked up women or shot them. According to her, they want women from every family.

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