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SC stays death sentence of Ameer-ul-Islam, convicted of rape and murder of Jisha: All you need to know about how Islam killed Jisha, inflicting 38 wounds on her body

Siddhi Somani
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SC stays death sentence of Ameer-ul-Islam, convicted of rape and murder of Jisha: All you need to know about how Islam killed Jisha, inflicting 38 wounds on her body

On Tuesday (16th July), the Supreme Court stayed the Kerala High Court’s verdict and death sentence for Muhammed Ameerul Islam, the lone perpetrator in the horrific Jisha rape and murder case.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice B R Gavai and including Justices Sanjay Karol and K V Viswanathan, delayed Ameerul’s conviction and death sentence after hearing his appeal. The Supreme Court, while issuing certain directives, has scheduled a hearing after another twelve weeks.

“The respondent state (Kerala) shall place before this court the report(s) of all the Probation Officers relating to the appellant (Ameerul) within eight weeks. The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison & Correctional Home, Viyyur, Kerala, shall submit a report with regard to the nature of work that has been performed by the appellant while in jail and a report with regard to the conduct and behavior of the appellant while in jail, within a period of eight weeks,” the Justice Gavai-led bench said in the order.

The top court further stated that the Govt Medical College, Thrissur, shall form a qualified team to conduct a psychological evaluation of the appellant. It stated that the appraisal report should be given to the court within eight weeks by the standing counsel for the state of Kerala.

Ameerul, who was convicted and sentenced to death in the gruesome Jisha rape and murder case, recently filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to reverse the HC judgment. Ameerul, a migrant labourer from Assam, stated in his appeal to the Supreme Court that his conviction and punishment were based on supposition and surmise rather than strong proof. “The HC erred in convicting and sentencing him in the case,” he stated in his appeal filed with the Supreme Court.

He has also claimed that the police and investigators falsified evidence against him and that his arrest was irregular. “The prosecution also failed to establish that he had any motivation to conduct the crime, and the witnesses and evidence provided in the case do not inspire confidence,” he said.

Culprit Ammer-ul-Islam

According to the prosecution, the mangled corpse of Jisha, a Dalit student at Ernakulam Government Law College, was discovered in her Perumbavoor home on the morning of April 28, 2016, sparking widespread anger. Ameerul was arrested for rape and murder after allegedly breaking into Jisha’s home in a drunken state the night before. 

On May 20th this year, the Kerala High Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence imposed by an Ernakulam sessions court on Ameerul, the lone accused in the case. The Sessions Court and, eventually, the High Court declared Ameerul guilty and condemned him under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder), 376 (rape), and others.

Jisha Murder case: What happened in 2016?

In the years 2016 through the present, the Kerala High Court and the Ernakulam Sessions Court tried the Jisha murder case. The case was filed based on an FIR filed by the Kuruppambady Police Station.

According to the court document, a 30-year-old law student named Jisha, belonging to the Dalit community was found dead in her house beside the Periyar Valley canal in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam on 28th April 2016. Protests from her classmates at Government Law College, Ernakulam, assisted in pushing the case forward significantly.

The culprit, Ameer-ul-Islam, was apprehended by the Kerala Police. The accused was charged with murder and rape under the IPC by the Ernakulam Session Court on December 12, 2017, and sentenced to life in jail. However, on May 20th, 2024, the Kerala High Court revised the sentence to capital punishment.

According to the FIR filed on April 29th, 2016 at Kuruppambady Police Station, Jisha, a 30-year-old law student, had been discovered dead at her place of residence near the Periyarvallley canal in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam. The deceased’s mother discovered the body of the woman and gathered the neighbours by screaming for help. 

The front door to the residence was locked from the inside. The sub-inspector, who was on patrol then came through the back door. The victim was lying inside the centre of the room, partially naked and bleeding profusely. The deceased had many stab wounds and was also disembowelled.

The cops acquired evidence at the spot and sent the body for postmortem, which revealed that the death occurred between 12 noon and 9 pm on April 28th, 2016. Postmortem examination also revealed that the woman had 38 wounds on the body. The deceased was most likely raped and injured during the effort to resist these assaults.

The body also exhibited symptoms of strangling. The fatality was caused by a combination of strangulation, smothering, and haemorrhage. According to the report, the postmortem doctor, Dr. Liza John, verified the evidence of a sexual assault.

Accused Ameerul was arrested by the Police and tried in the Court

The investigating Police identified the accused as Ameer-ul-Islam and filed a case against him under the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Kuruppambady. The complaint was filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, claiming that the accused committed an offence punishable under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. On the 16th of June 2016, nearly two months after the incident, the Kerala Police apprehended Ameer-ul-Islam who was a 22-year-old migrant labourer from Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.

Court document accessed by OpIndia

Ameer, a migrant laborer who lived was accused of knowing that the victim was alone in their home and barging in with arms, intending to rape her.

The prosecution stated that the victim, who resisted the attempt, was brutally stabbed by the accused out of frustration, with one of the injuries being a grievous penetrating injury deep inside her genitals caused by repeated stabbing of her vagina in such a way that a small portion of her internal organs protruded from the body. The accused exited through the back door, walked toward the canal, and threw the knife aside. 

It was further stated that after the crime, the accused fled to Assam by train which he probably boarded from Aluva Railway Station.

Accused convicted of rape and murder

The accused was brought before the court, and charges were filed against him under Sections 449 (trespassing), 342 (wrongful confinement), 376, 376A (rape and murder), 302 (murder), and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Sections 3(1)(a), 3(1)(w)(i) & (ii), and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Advocate Biju Antony Aloor represented the accused who disputed the claims and pleaded not guilty.

Following an examination of around 100 witnesses, the Court considered 291 material shreds of evidence. After a lengthy trial, the court declared the accused not guilty of violating Sections 201 IPC, 3(1)(a), 3(1)(w)(i) and (ii), and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. However, he was found guilty of violations under Sections 449, 342, 376A, and 302, and was convicted of murder under special charges and sentenced to death, among other penalties in 2017.

Court order obtained by OpIndia

The crime gained momentum and attention from political parties as it happened around the state elections that year. Many politicians addressed the issue of women’s safety and condemned the gruesome murder. The film industry had also joined forces to demand justice for Jisha.

The government further promised to provide a financial compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Jisha’s family. Many artists and humanitarians also extended financial support to the case which resulted in additional controversies.

Controversy around Ameer’s arrest

Several people following the case raised questions over the arrest of the accused blaming the government for fabricating the evidence in the case. It was believed that the accused when arrested was 22 years old and malnourished and that he was incapable of holding a 30-year-old healthy woman captive. The authorities further discovered a pair of 9-inch slippers beside the canal that were suspected to be Ameer’s. But Ameer’s foot size was claimed to be 7 inches.

It is also alleged that Jisha’s mother Rajeshwari was hiding the facts from the authorities and that she had strained relations with her deceased daughter. The individuals supporting convict Ameer claimed that Rajeshwari was associated with INC leader PP Thankachan and that she knew who had murdered her daughter. She took financial assistance from those demanding justice for Jisha and allegedly used it to gamble around. However, the claims were denied by both Rajeshwari and PP Thnkachan.

However, the accused was found guilty of violations under Sections 449, 342, 376A, and 302, and was convicted of murder under special charges and sentenced to death, among other penalties in 2017.

Case reminding Nirbhaya brutality: Call for women safety

This case reminds of a similar gruesome murder of ‘Nirbhaya’, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who was raped and murdered by 6 men in a South Delhi bus. The men raped the woman in a moving bus and damaged her internal organs using an iron rod. They also assaulted her male friend and tossed the duo off a moving bus, leaving them naked and without their things on the side of the highway. 4

Nirbhaya was transported to Safdarjung Hospital, where she received emergency care and was discovered to have several bite marks and other injuries on her body. She was then transported to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital by air ambulance, where she died of her injuries on December 29th, 2012.

The case caused public anger and nationwide protests, highlighting the frequency of sexual violence against women in India, as well as the country’s insufficient response to their safety. In 2015, public outrage grew after the BBC aired a documentary called India’s Daughter, which featured an interview with one of the inmates who blamed the victim for what happened. The documentary caused such disturbance in India that it was prohibited, and television news outlets that were supposed to broadcast it instead showed a blank screen.

The six men accused in the case were Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh, Ram Singh, and a juvenile whose identity was protected. The four convicts – Akshay Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Mukesh Singh were hanged in Tihar jail in 2020 and the juvenile was released after three years of punishment. Ram Singh committed suicide.

Several terrible assaults against women continue to occur today, despite the implementation of strict regulations aimed at improving women’s protection. Women continue to be raped, assaulted, and murdered, yet justice is rendered in relatively few cases. The juvenile who murdered Nirbhaya was released; Aftab Poonawalla, who cut a 27-year-old woman into 30+ little pieces, is yet to be hanged; and, also in Jisha’s case, the SC has suspended accused Ameer’s death sentence.

Although the law protects women and their safety, there are various other laws that assist the accused in defending their case, leaving the families of the victim girls to struggle for justice. This is obviously unfair. Every perpetrator charged with a serious offense against a woman should be treated as a demon and hanged, ensuring justice for the victims and their families. This is the only way how women will feel protected and begin to have complete trust in the judiciary and the administration without any hesitation.

How Yogi Adityanath doubled down after Islamists protested: Order to declare names of owners was limited to Muzaffarnagar, now will apply to Kanwar routes throughout UP

Shraddha Pandey
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How Yogi Adityanath doubled down after Islamists protested: Order to declare names of owners was limited to Muzaffarnagar, now will apply to Kanwar routes throughout UP

As Islamists were riled up over the Muzaffarnagar administration’s order to vendors on the Kanwar Yatra route to declare names, the Uttar Pradesh State Government announced its decision to implement this order across the state. Adding to their agony, the CM Yogi Adityanath-led government has also announced that action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products.

CM Yogi Adityanath reviewed preparations for the Kanwar Yatra on Thursday, which begins on 22nd July, providing guidelines for water, power, urban development, and energy ministers to ensure peace and security during the event. He also issued directives for the Kanwar Yatra, Sawan Mela, and other festivals in the upcoming Shravan month, leading the Urban Development Department to release instructions aimed at enhancing cleanliness, lighting, and drinking water arrangements. 

Amusingly, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had on 18th July expressed joy over the Muzaffarnagar administration reportedly modifying its order from compulsory to voluntary, just hours later the BJP government announced the strict implementation of the order across the state. To much disappointment of Akhilesh Yadav, whose politics largely revolves around Muslim appeasement, the Yogi government also imposed restrictions on the sale of Halal-certified food items.

As OpIndia reported earlier, several Islamists and their sympathizers in politics, media, and social media had strongly opposed the Muzaffarnagar administration’s order to display the names of their owners and employees. They called it discriminatory and alleged that the administration is doing communal profiling of Muslims. This came even though this order applied to all shops and vendors on the Kanwar Yatra route and not just Muslims. However, in the “Udta teer” scenario the Muslim ‘journalists’, and politicians like AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi made it an issue of religious discrimination.

Owaisi condemned the order, likening it to apartheid and Nazi-era practices, and challenged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to issue a written order if he has the “courage.”

The Congress party went on to drag Dalits into the issue and its leader Pawan Khera insinuated that the order was meant to single out Muslims and Dalits.

The Congress party which has since the past few months developed a pathological fixation with caste, misses no opportunity to play its divisive caste politics. However, in this case, the Congress party forgot that even Dalits in large numbers participate in Kanwar Yatra. It is a widely known fact that in Kanwar Yatra there are more Dalits and OBCs than any other caste. In fact, Kanwar Yatra is one of those traditions that demolish the narrative of institutional oppression within Hindu Dharma peddled by liberals and the Hindu-hating AntiCaste acivitists.

The anti-BJP and anti-Hindu ecosystem had thought that heavy backlash from their end would deter the Muzaffarnagar administration and compel them to roll back their order. However, despite vehement opposition, CM Yogi remained steadfast, emphasizing the need for clear identification to prevent misrepresentation and maintain public safety, demonstrating his commitment to ensuring the purity of the faith of Kanwariyas despite protests.

Interestingly, what began as a district-level directive snowballed into a state-level order and has also transcended the state’s periphery as BJP-ruled Uttarakhand has also ordered that the restaurant/eatery owners display names on the Kanwar Yatra route.

Haridwar Police Administration issued an order to restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route. Informing about the order Haridwar SSP Padmendra Dobal said, “Regarding the preparations for Kanwar, we have given general instructions to the hotels, dhabas, restaurants and hawkers on the Kanwar route that they will write the name of the owner on their shops and if they fail to do so, we will take legal action against them… Many times, a situation of dispute arises due to this, hence this decision has been taken by us.”

Measures taken by the UP government to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra

The Kanwar Yatra is a significant Hindu religious pilgrimage, where devotees of Bhagwan Shiv, known as Kanwariyas, collect holy water from the Ganga River and carry it to Shiva temples. This year, the route for the Kanwar Yatra has been carefully planned and regulated. Starting from July 22, the pilgrimage will see participants traveling mainly from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other northern states. The primary route from Delhi follows NH-58 to Rishikesh, with significant stops including Haridwar and Neelkanth Temple.

Notably, the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh has laid out specific guidelines to ensure the safety and smooth conduct of the yatra. These include prohibitions on carrying weapons, monitoring the use of tricolor flags, regulating DJ sound levels, and setting height limits for Kanwar structures to avoid accidents. Additionally, liquor and meat shops along the route will remain closed during the yatra. Security measures involve extensive use of CCTV and drones, the establishment of rest camps, and the deployment of bomb disposal squads and intelligence teams​.

CM Yogi Adityanath has demonstrated strong leadership and firm commitment by implementing the order for shop owners and eateries to declare their names during the Kanwar Yatra. This measure aims to ensure transparency and respect for the dietary preferences of Kanwariyas, a key aspect of their pilgrimage. Despite facing significant outrage from Islamists and liberals, CM Yogi Adityanath remained steadfast, extending the directive across Uttar Pradesh. His decisive action underscores his dedication to safeguarding the religious practices and sentiments of the Hindus.

Moreover, the UP government’s decision to ban the sale of halal-certified food items on the Kanwar Yatra route is a significant move to respect and protect the religious sentiments of Kanwariyas, who follow strict dietary rules. This ensures that their spiritual journey remains uncontaminated by practices they may deem religiously inappropriate. The outrage from Islamists over this decision is pointless as it is not a matter of religious discrimination but one of ensuring religious accommodation and respect for the beliefs of Kanwariyas who follow the Saatvic diet.

OpIndia has discussed how there have been several incidents wherein Muslims were found to be running shops with the names of Hindu deities giving an impression that the shop is owned and run by Hindus, however, upon paying via UPI which displays the real name of the user, it turned out that the shop belonged to Muslim person. Also, it has been reported that several Muslim -owned shops and Dhabas were named after Hindu goddess Vaishnodevi. While the dhabas are named after Hindu deities. Yogi government’s decision reflects their commitment to ensuring that Kanwariyas undertake their journey in an environment conducive to their religious beliefs. Islamists and their cheerleaders can thus, keep crying and wait for visuals of the administration showering flower petals on Kanwariyas as they embark on their Yatra.

Remember cries of ‘mob lynching by Gau Rakshaks’ in Chhattisgarh? SIT says Saddam, Chand Miya and Guddu jumped to their death, no evidence of assault

Rukma Rathore
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Remember cries of ‘mob lynching by Gau Rakshaks’ in Chhattisgarh? SIT says Saddam, Chand Miya and Guddu jumped to their death, no evidence of assault

According to the chargesheet presented to the court last week, a Special Investigation Team stated that the three men who were discovered under a bridge in Arang, in the Raipur region of Chhattisgarh last month, “jumped” to their deaths and were neither lynched nor beaten. The deceased were identified as Saddam Qureshi (23) and his cousin Chand Miya Khan (23) who were from Saharanpur district and Guddu Khan (35) of Shamli district. The postmortem report revealed that their death was caused by their fall onto the rocks.

The chargesheet was submitted on 8th July but remained confidential until 17th July, when its single page appeared on social media. A previous First Information Report from the police included charges of assault and attempted murder. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) charged five men Harsh Mishra, Mayank Sharma, Raja Agarwal, Navin Thakur and Tanay Luniya under the counts of culpable homicide and common intention for the killings.

On 7th June, the three males were reportedly being pursued by the gau-rakshaks (cow-protectors) on suspicion of smuggling cows when they were taking cattle from Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund to the state capital Raipur. They were subsequently discovered lying on the rocks beneath a bridge. Chand Miya Khan lost his life immediately while Guddu Khan passed away on the way to the hospital that day and Saddam Qureshi died on 18th June from his wounds.

Initially, the incident was labelled a mob lynching. Afterwards, an SIT was formed to look into the matter and it filed a charge sheet in the court after concluding the investigation. Notably, the police personnel and the charge sheet disclosed that the Muslim men were never attacked. They leapt into the river out of fear and met their deaths.

The gau rakshaks were waiting for the trio in a car as they had information about cattle smuggling, according to the SIT charge sheet. The gau rakshaks tried to halt the four-wheeler and carry out an inspection but the latter drove away to escape for at least 54 kilometres as a long chase ensued. The Muslim men then got off their truck on the Mahanadi bridge located in Arang and plunged into the river believing that there would be water but it was dry and they ended up losing their lives. According to sources, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) could not establish assault.

The authorities earlier lodged a case under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide) and 307 (attempt to murder). Nevertheless, the police removed the attempted murder charge after Saddam Qureshi died because his autopsy report had no mention of assault-related injuries. “The assault never took place. The three got scared and jumped,” confirmed Additional Superintendent (Raipur Rural) Kirtan Rathore when questioned about the chargesheet on 17th July.

How the mob lynching narrative was peddled on social media

The Islamists and its ecosystem, whose primary goal is to provide a communal element where none previously existed and blame Hindus didn’t take much time to resort to their devious tricks in this case either. The members of the Muslim community flocked to the streets in Chhattisgarh to demonstrate against the ‘mob lynching’ as their religious and ideological brethren amplified the same lie online.

Social media commentator Harun Khan tweeted a video of a protest in Raipur against the alleged murders of the three Muslim men.

Another Muslim handle referred to the arrest of Harsh Mishra as the first one in the ‘mob lynching’ case and claimed that the latter was hiding at his girlfriend’s residence.

“Muslim Spaces” repeated the same falsehood, labelling the instance in Chhattisgarh as a “mob lynching of cattle transporters.”

Another popular user by the name of “Hate Detector” claimed that Raja Agarwal who identified himself as a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha was arrested in the ‘mob lynching’ of the three men.

Opportunistic Indian National Congress leader and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani also exploited the incident to attack the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party government and the authorities. He also alleged that the three Muslim males were murdered and demanded strict punishment for the perpetrators. He further threatened, “If justice is not served, we will organize massive protests against the BJP government. We demand accountability and swift action.”

Another netizen referred to the murders as “saffron terrorists” and called it “business as usual” implying that Muslims regularly die at the hands of Hindus in India. The person also highlighted that the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious on ten out of eleven Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh.

Unsurprisingly, after the facts emerged and it was determined that the occurrence was not a mob lynching, the same individuals would neither apologize nor retract their false statements and sectarian remarks they had previously circulated to disparage Hindus and the BJP. It is pertinent to note that the Islamist-liberal ecosystem has been exposed multiple times in the past, although they brazenly continue to point fingers at Hindus while simultaneously ignoring or whitewashing hundreds of similar assaults where the majority community has come under attack and killed by the Muslims.

Flights cancelled, businesses hit across the world as Microsoft ‘Blue Screen of Death’ strikes computers due to Crowdstrike glitch

ANI
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Flights cancelled, businesses hit across the world as Microsoft ‘Blue Screen of Death’ strikes computers due to Crowdstrike glitch

Global software giant Microsoft said on Friday that an outage in its online services has affected customers across the world, including in India.

Microsoft Windows users reported facing ‘Blue Screen of Death’ errors with many users taking to social media platform X to report about the issue.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike told US outlet NBC that it suffered a major outage on Friday impacting businesses globally. The outage resulted from an issue with the latest update, the company said. CrowdStrike is now in the process of rolling back that update globally, it said.

As per reports, Windows users are seeing blue screen errors on their screen with their latops or Personal computers getting stuck on restart loop.

Major US carriers including Delta, United and American Airlines, have grounded all flights grounded, regardless of destination, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Berlin Airport announced the suspension of all flights.

Bloomberg said that London Stock Exchange was reporting “technical glitches.”

In India, SpiceJet announced via X (formerly Twitter) that it was experiencing technical challenges with its service provider, which affected online services like booking, check-in, and managing bookings.

IndiGo tweeted, “Our systems are currently impacted by a Microsoft outage, which is also affecting other companies. During this time booking, check-in, access to your boarding pass, and some flights may be impacted.”

As per a heatmap of India, put out by Downdetector, which detects outages, users in various parts of India reported problems.

The National Cyber Security Coordinator of Australia in a post on X stated, “I am aware of a large-scale technical outage affecting a number of companies and services across Australia this afternoon. Our current information is this outage relates to a technical issue with a third-party software platform employed by affected companies.”

The Redmond, Washington DC headquartered American multinational corporation on Friday said that it was investigating an issue preventing users from accessing its apps and services.

On its support website, Microsoft said that “impacted services may include but are not limited to” Microsoft Teams, Viva Engage, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft 365 admin centre among others.

“We’re investigating an issue affecting access to multiple Microsoft 365 services. We’re working to identify the full impact and will provide more information shortly,” the official

Microsoft account for updates on certain Microsoft365 service incidents said on X.

Low-cost US carriers Frontier Airlines, Allegiant and SunCountry also reported that their operations had been impacted.

“The Allegiant website is currently unavailable due to the Microsoft Azure issue,” Nevada-based Allegiant said in a statement to CNN.

“Due to a global outage at a third party vendor, our booking, check-in, and trip-managing capabilities are temporarily unavailable,” SunCountry said on its site as reported by CNN.

The US media outlet said that Microsoft on its Azure cloud software status report site, said that around 6 pm ET, the service went down for some customers in the Central US region – “including failures with service management operations and connectivity or availability of services.”

“Our services are still seeing continuous improvements while we continue to take mitigation actions. More details can be found within the admin center under MO821132 and http://status.cloud.microsoft,” Microsoft took to X to state as users faced issues impacting their ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.

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

Jharkhand: Muslim mob of ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ attack Hindu houses after a Muslim boy was thrashed for making video of a girl in Pakur

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Muslim mob of ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ attack Hindu houses after a Muslim boy was thrashed for making video of a girl in Pakur

In Jharkhand’s Pakur district, a case of stone pelting on Hindu houses has sparked outrage. Reports say that a Muslim boy in Pakur recorded a video of a Hindu girl and intended to make it viral on social media, prompting Hindus to protest against it and thrash the perpetrator. Infuriated over Hindus protesting against the Muslim youth several Muslims stood outside Hindu houses in Taranagar village, and both sides began pelting bricks and stones.

During the clashes, several people were seriously injured and many houses were damaged. During this time, the police were also targeted, and three officers were reported to have been injured. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have expressed apprehension that Hindus are leaving the area after the clashes out of fear. The BJP leaders have alleged that Bangladeshi infiltrators from West Bengal are behind the attack on Hindus. They also questioned the ruling Soren government’s silence.

BJP leaders raise question over Bangladeshi infiltrators attacking Hindus

Speaking about the incident of violence against Hindus, BJP MP from Godda, Nishikant Dubey said, “In Jharkhand, under the rule of @INCIndia this Taranagar Ilami village of Pakur became deserted. What was the fault, a Muslim boy was blackmailing a minor girl by making her video. When she protested, Bangladeshi infiltrators came from West Bengal to make all the Hindus leave the village. @JharkhandPolice. Now helpless in the hands of the people of West Bengal. Santhal Pargana is on the way to becoming Kashmir Valley, where Hindus are displaced in their own country.”

Meanwhile, Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi equated the situation in Jharkhand to what was in Kashmir during the 90s and the present situation in Kerala-West Bengal.

“When Rome was burning, Nero was playing the flute’… In today’s context, this applies accurately to Hemant Soren as well. Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana region is burning in the fire of terror of Bangladeshi infiltrators, and Chief Minister Hemant Soren is busy touring. Due to the terror of infiltrators, the tribal natives of Santhal Pargana are now forced to migrate from their homes. The situation in Jharkhand is becoming worse like in Kashmir of the 90s and present Bengal-Kerala, where the state governments are turning a blind eye to the attacks on Hindus in the name of Muslim appeasement. In Taranagar village of Pakur, Bangladeshi infiltrators attacked the houses of Hindus when they protested against the blackmailing of a girl by a Muslim youth. The silence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren on such sensitive issues shows that these infiltrators have the silent support of his government. Hemant ji, remember that Jharkhand will not be allowed to become Taliban… Your government is a guest for a few months. Then these infiltrators and their patrons will also be driven out of the state,” Marandi posted.

Police say the situation is under control

According to Prabhat Khabar’s report, after receiving information about the incident, local police arrived at the scene and calmed the situation. A meeting is being held between the two communities in police presence. It is being said that the situation is under control and the issue will be resolved soon. The district authorities have issued a statement saying that the perpetrators of the incident in Taranagar village of Pakur have been identified and said that stern action will be taken against them.

Beyond ‘thook’ and Halal, here is another aspect of Muslim fruit sellers vs Kanwariyas controversy

Rahul Roushan
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Beyond ‘thook’ and Halal, here is another aspect of Muslim fruit sellers vs Kanwariyas controversy

The last couple of days saw a new ‘controversy’ where local administration in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh ordered roadside vendors, especially fruit sellers, to display their names on their carts and shops so that Kanwariyas can get transparent information about the identity of the sellers. The usual suspects started crying everything from discrimination to genocide, as they claimed that this was an attempt to make sure that Kanwariyas avoid Muslim sellers and buy only from Hindus.

The demand to ask vendors to display their names was made by some Hindu activists after multiple videos and news reports showed Muslim vendors spitting in food or sprinkling fruits with water that had urine traces. The issue was of purity and hygiene, as well as that of religious sentiments – because Kanwariyas must avoid occurrences that could defile their pilgrimage, which is subjected to strict adherence to various sets of rules – but it was turned into an issue of religious profiling and stereotyping, forcing the administration to semi-retracted their order by disclosing identity voluntarily. To be fair, the demand by activists obviously had an element of stereotyping, but as some nice bigots will say, ‘not all of them are bad. 98% of them give bad names to others.’

Leaving alone the issue of stereotyping, it was also pointed out by many, including here at OpIndia, that there was nothing wrong if Kanwariyas wanted to buy fruits only from the Hindu sellers. Why should Kanwariyas not have that choice when Muslims – everyone, not just those on some pilgrimage – insist on Halal-certified products, where the active and exclusive role of Muslims at some stage from manufacturing to sale is mandatory for certification? For example, only a male Muslim butcher must slaughter an animal while chanting the Islamic prayer for a market-ready piece of meat to be certified Halal. With Halal slowly becoming ubiquitous and universal, it means that non-Muslim butchers are never going to be employed by commercial slaughterhouses. Why is a “Muslim only” butcher okay, but not a “Hindu only” fruit seller? The question was raised.

There was also the issue of transparency and ‘branding’. Someone walks into a Dhaba named Shiva Dhaba because his ishtadeva is Shiva, but finally finds out while making the payment via the UPI QR code, that his money is going to someone called Zubair who definitely is not a Shiva bhakt. Does he have a right to feel cheated? Or is that bigotry? Is it not similar to buying a mineral water bottle in a hurry thinking you are buying Bisleri but after quenching your thirst you notice that it was actually Bilseri? If someone tells you not to bother till the water is pure, will you agree with that argument? Why should the original case be similarly not seen as that of misleading branding?

However, beyond these issues, lies another one that has largely been not touched – it is the representation of various communities in low-skilled jobs or the ‘unorganized sector’. Even the Sachar Committee report of 2006, which painted Muslims as the most marginalized and vulnerable socio-religious group of India, had recorded that the share of Muslims in the unorganized sector was above the national average, especially when compared with Hindu SC/STs and OBCs.

“The most striking feature is the relatively high share of Muslim workers engaged in self-employment activity,” the Sachar Committee mentions in its report, with more observations like “As compared to other SRCs, the participation of Muslim workers in the informal sector enterprises is much higher.”

The report notes that Muslims preferred to work in non-agricultural unorganized sectors i.e. working as technicians, mechanics, small industry workers, etc. The preference of Muslims for self-employed sectors too, such as street vending or owning other small businesses, was also far higher than other groups. For example, look at the chart below that has been taken from the official Sachar Committee report:

Muslim domination in street vending as per Sachar Committe report
Fig 5.7 of Sachar Committee report, 2006.

And mind you, this is data from like two decades ago, so things would have changed a lot since the time these numbers were recorded. There have been claims and reports that this preference and thus resulting domination has only increased over time.

Now Sachar Committee obviously puts this data in the context of Muslims being “forced” to take up such jobs as they don’t find jobs in the government or organised private sector. The attempt is to hint at systemic discrimination, rather than putting it as an outcome of how different communities prioritize education, family planning, skill development, etc. due to various economic and sociopolitical factors.

Whatever the reasons, the outcome is that the Muslim community dominates the informal sector and blue-collar jobs. The same has been recounted in anecdotes many times by ‘bigots’ on social media when they lament how they can’t find Hindu AC mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, tailors, etc.

There would be immediate demands to introduce quotas if say Hindu SC/STs and OBCs were so much under-represented in any other sector. Wait a minute, what if the Muzaffarnagar administration reintroduces their order as a form of some form of quota in street vending, making sure Hindu SCs and OBCs are adequately represented? I might want that to happen for the sake of popcorn, but let us not go there.

The issue is that unlike the Sachar Committee, which uses this trend in the unorganized and self-employed sectors as a tool to further demand concessions for Muslims, there is a need for honest analysis about why the Hindu socio-economic groups are seemingly not as “enterprising” as Muslims. Is the Muslim domination a result of a lack of other opportunities for them or it’s an outcome of shutting out opportunities for others e.g. the way halal shuts out opportunities for Hindu SC butchers? Or could it be the outcome of something else that we are missing?

Obviously, ‘bigots’ would imagine this as an outcome of Muslims ‘capturing’ one space after another once they get the opportunity, but there could be many other ‘secular’ reasons too.

One of my friends posited that this is an outcome of market dynamics as Muslim technicians, mechanics, etc. are able to offer highly competitive rates for their services and thus they are more successful. However, he had an interesting theory of what makes them offer this competitive price. He said that this is due to the fact that such service providers – e.g. garage owners, furniture shop owners, etc. – in turn employ fellow Muslims as workers at far cheaper labor costs. Now those workers don’t feel their low wages as ‘exploitation’ as the employer is often their relative, or some elder from the village who helped them migrate to urban areas, or someone else who otherwise uses religiosity to bond together. Since such service providers pay out wages that are way lower than what the government considers standard, their prices offered to end consumers are attractive, and that’s why they succeed and dominate.

There could be other reasons too like blue-collar or low-skilled jobs being maligned and mocked so much among Hindus – remember how pakoda selling as employment was mocked no end just because they wanted to spite Narendra Modi – that many don’t even try their hands and would rather spend all their lives trying to get a government job or some other ‘honorable’ job rather than try self-employment or small jobs.

This is a very tragic situation as we are dealing with groups that are largely poor and have limited resources for which they are competing against each other. However, this – the evident domination of one particular group in unorganized sectors and low-skilled jobs – is something that doesn’t need political correctness and virtue signaling as a solution, which is unfortunately what is always provided in abundance.

This uneven representation can give rise to other social problems in the future. We can either feel good about ourselves by blaming it all on ‘bigots’ or acknowledge it as a challenge that must be addressed.

Police car overturned, bus set ablaze, bricks hurled at officers: Violence in Pakistani-dominated Leeds, cops point fingers at ‘criminal minority’

OpIndia Staff
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Police car overturned, bus set ablaze, bricks hurled at officers: Violence in Pakistani-dominated Leeds, cops point fingers at ‘criminal minority’

On Thursday (18th July) evening, violence broke out in the Harehills suburb in Leeds city in Yorkshire county of England.

In visuals that have surfaced on social media, a frenzied mob was seen setting a bus on fire. The rioters also overturned a police car, broke the glass windows of another police vehicle and endangered the lives of officers seated inside it.

The cops were attacked with rocks and missiles. One rioter went on to use a child’s scooter to hammer it against a police car’s window. The police tried to pacify the violent mob but had to eventually flee the scene.

The complete breakdown of law and order in Leeds occurred after the social services took four children away from a family of Eastern European descent.

As per reports, one of the children was hospitalised a few days ago after being hurt by one of his siblings. The matter was reported to the police, which then notified the social services.

When the government agency workers removed the children on Thursday (18th July) evening, they faced attacks from the family and other inhabitants of the Harehills suburb.

While speaking about the matter, the West Yorkshire police said that the riots were orchestrated by a ‘criminal minority’ hellbent on creating communal disturbance in the Harehills suburb of Leeds.

“We want to make it very clear that the full weight of the law will be brought against those responsible. Police can also confirm that no-one has so far been reported to have been hurt in the disorder and police are treating the matter as a serious public order incident,” the statement said.

The cops further added, “We would strongly discourage residents from speculating on the cause of this disorder which we believe has been instigated by a criminal minority intent on disrupting community relations.”

Reportedly, Harehills has a long history of violence and racial tension. The suburb is home to immigrants, especially people of Pakistani origin

Bid to curb Hindu festivals? Ahead of Ganeshotsav and Krishna Janmashtami, Karnataka education dept bans use of school grounds for non-academic use in Mangalore

OpIndia Staff
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Bid to curb Hindu festivals? Ahead of Ganeshotsav and Krishna Janmashtami, Karnataka education dept bans use of school grounds for non-academic use in Mangalore

In Karnataka, the Congress government has stoked a controversy ahead of the Krishna Janmashtami and Ganeshotsav festivals. The outrage erupted after Dakshina Kannada District Director of School Education issued a circular on 16th July prohibiting the use of school playgrounds for non-academic purposes in Mangalore.

The Dakshina Kannada District Director of School Education has issued a circular to government, aided, and unaided schools stating that school grounds and buildings should not be used for non-academic purposes. The officer has also directed that no proposals be submitted to the Education Department for approval. The publication of this circular ahead of Ganeshutsava and Sri Krishna Krishna Janmashtami has provoked uproar among Hindu organisations.

“In any case, in government-funded/subsidized/non-subsidized schools, the school grounds/premises will be used for non-academic activities/purposes and permission will be given. Accordingly, all government/subsidized/non-subsidized schools in South Kannada district are advised to submit applications to this office for permission to use school grounds/premises. And at the school level, except non-academic activities, he said that permission should not be given to any other programs. In case of violation of this order, the concerned school head will be held liable,” the circular dated 16th July 2024 reads.

The authorities have warned that the school principals in question will be held accountable if this order is violated. While the order states that school grounds can’t be used for non-academic purposes, the order just ahead of Hindu festivals like Krishna Janmashtami and Ganeshotsav has been seen as an attack on the Hindu festivals. Reportedly the public Ganeshotsava festivities being held by village organisations on their own may be affected.

Notably, several Hindu rights organisations have raised objection to this directive. They say that people have for many years been organising Ganeshotsav and Janmashtami events in school playgrounds after obtaining permission. Harish Poonja, a BJP MLA from Belthangadi has demanded that the Congress government withdraw the outrageous order immediately.

Taking to X, Vishwa Hindu Parishad member Girish Bhardwaj accused the CM Siddaramaiah-led government of hatching a conspiracy to stop Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami, and Saraswati Puja in schools and college grounds. He added that Siddaramaiah used the same grounds during elections for his rallies and campaigning.

“Anti-Hindu Siddaramaiah’s government’s conspiracy to stop Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami, and Saraswati Puja in schools and college grounds is evident. The Department of Public Instruction has issued a circular stating that school and college grounds should not be used for any other purposes.  However, the same grounds have been used by Siddaramaiah for his political rallies and election campaigning. This shows his conspiracy against Hindu festivals being celebrated on school and college grounds. If the government doesn’t want religious events on school grounds, then the government should stay out of temples. The government should withdraw its involvement from temples entirely,” Bhardwaj posted.

Action against those selling Halal products, eateries to display identity of owners to maintain sanctity of Kanwariyas’ faith: Yogi Adityanath

ANI
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Action against those selling Halal products, eateries to display identity of owners to maintain sanctity of Kanwariyas’ faith: Yogi Adityanath

On Friday, the Uttar Pradesh State Government announced several measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra which will start on July 22. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mandated that food and beverage shops along Kanwar routes display the name and identity of the operator/owner to maintain the sanctity of the pilgrims’ faith during Kanwar Yatra. Additionally, action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products.

Earlier, the Muzaffarnagar Police had urged all eateries along the Kanwar route to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees, adding that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of “religious discrimination” but only to facilitate the devotees.

DIG Saharanpur Ajay Kumar Sahni said, “Instances have come to light earlier that Kanwarias had arguments over rate list for food at hotels and dhabas. Besides this, there have been instances where non-veg is available at some hotel/dhaba or a person of some other community has opened a hotel/dhaba under some other name and this has led to issues. In the wake of that, it was decided that the name of the proprietor/owner of shops/hotels/dhabas would be written clearly on the boards, rate lists would be written clearly and names of workers would also be written clearly so that no issues of any kind arise…Talks had been held with everyone, and all hotels/dhabas have agreed to it…This has been decided for our Kanwar route.”

However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition parties who have accused the UP Govt of singling out one community.

Former Samajwadi Party MP Dr. ST Hasan says,”…A message is being given to boycott Muslims and visit shops of Hindu…How long will this communal thinking last? Unfortunately, these kinds of incidents are happening…A gap is being created between the two communities. These kinds of orders should be cancelled…”

UP state Congress chief Ajay Rai said, “This is absolutely impractical. They are trying to impair the sense of brotherhood in society, trying to create distance among people. This should be cancelled immediately…”

Earlier on Thursday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav labelled the order as a “social crime” and called for court intervention, questioning the intention behind the government and administration’s actions.

“What will be known from the name of the person whose name is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fateh? The honourable court should take suo-motto cognizance investigate the intention of the government behind such administration, and take appropriate punitive action. Such orders are social crimes that want to spoil the peaceful environment of harmony,” he said in a post on X.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the order, likening it to apartheid and Nazi-era practices, and challenged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to issue a written order if he has the “courage.”

Addressing a press conference, Owaisi said, “Seeing this order of the Uttar Pradesh government, it seems as if the spirit of Hitler has entered them. Will you give so much importance to a trip that you will ruin the livelihood of others? Will you work for only one community? Where is the Constitution? I challenge Yogi Adityanath to issue a written order if he has the courage. Clear discrimination is happening against Muslims,” Owaisi added.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed preparations for the Kanwar Yatra, which begins on July 22, providing guidelines for water, power, urban development, and energy ministers to ensure peace and security during the event.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued directives for the Kanwar Yatra, Sawan Mela, and other festivals in the upcoming Shravan month, leading the Urban Development Department to release instructions aimed at enhancing cleanliness, lighting, and drinking water arrangements. 

NIA arrests key aide of terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa: Baljeet Singh involved in terror activity, extortion, supplying weapons to Khalistanis

ANI
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NIA arrests key aide of terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa: Baljeet Singh involved in terror activity, extortion, supplying weapons to Khalistanis

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key aide of designated individual Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa, in a major terror network case involving the supply of deadly weapons, the agency said on Friday.

Identified as Baljeet Singh alias Rana Bhai alias Balli, hailing from Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh, was arrested on Thursday from Punjab and found to be a major weapons supplier to Landa’s agents in Punjab.

As per the anti-terror agency, these supplied weapons were used to carry out large-scale terror activities, including extortions from businessmen and others.

NIA’s investigations in the case (RC 21/2023/NIA/DLI) led to the arrest of one Gurpreet Singh Gopi, identified as an associate of Landa and of another Khalistani terrorist, Satnam Singh Satta.

Investigations into the case, registered by NIA suo moto on July 10 last year, revealed that Baljeet Singh had provided weapons to Satta too as part of the larger conspiracy of various banned Khalistani terrorist organisations to destabilise India by unleashing violent acts in Punjab and other places.

“Both Landa and Satta are believed to be operating from foreign soil to promote terror in India,” said the NIA, adding it is continuing with its investigation as part of its crackdown on the Khalistani terrorist outfits.

(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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