Maharashtra Police News

'Amritpal, his aide were in Delhi, stayed with DU student in her flat’
The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | |
The Indian Express
12 hours ago | |

Days before Nepal put fugitive Amritpal Singh on its surveillance list, intelligence agencies have found that he was in Delhi. According to sources, a second-year Delhi University student purportedly provided shelter to him and his associate Papalpreet at her rented flat in East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar.A senior officer from the Delhi Police has confirmed the same. Intelligence agencies, along with Punjab Police, are now questioning the woman.Amritpal has been on the run since March 18 when Punjab Police launched a crackdown on him and his outfit, Waris Punjab De.Intelligence agencies have also found CCTV footage from March 21, from Sai Chowk in Madhu Vihar, that purportedly shows Amritpal and his aide walking on the streets after leaving her house. In the footage, a man who is purportedly Amritpal is seen sporting a different look — his hair hanging loose, with no turban and his face covered with a mask. The man is wearing a jacket and glasses and is walking ahead of another man who is wearing a turban, glasses and mask.Sources told The Indian Express that the woman allegedly met Papalpreet during the farmers’ protest in Delhi and he had visited her house twice earlier. They said she is from an area near his village.“The woman told police during her questioning that on March 20, around 8.20 pm, the two men, in disguise, reached her house. She had never met Amritpal before, and Papalpreet requested her to provide them shelter for a night. She offered them food and they slept at her house,” a source said.Officers said they left after lunch on March 21. “Intelligence agencies got to know about this input, and they have verified the same after coordinating with the Delhi Police. Punjab police were also informed; they are questioning the woman before taking legal action against her,” a source said.Meanwhile, the Punjab government Tuesday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that they were coordinating with several agencies and were close to catching Amritpal, the assertion coming after the pro-Khalistan preacher’s counsel claimed he was being held in illegal custody. The HC took up for hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Advocate Imaan Singh Khara, which claimed that Amritpal was in “illegal custody” of Punjab Police.Punjab Advocate General Vinod Ghai, however, told the court that Amritpal has not been arrested yet and they were coordinating with multiple agencies to nab him. Upon this, the bench of Justice NS Shekhawat asked Khara to file an affidavit to produce evidence that Amritpal was in police custody and pointed out that the state’s stand was that the preacher had not been arrested. If provided evidence, Justice Shekhawat said, the court would direct the relevant officials to conduct a raid and provide relief to the petitioner.The court, while fixing March 29 as the next date of hearing in the case, directed the Punjab government to file an affidavit, through the Inspector General of Police concerned. 

'Amritpal, his aide were in Delhi, stayed with DU student in her flat’
Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, 9 others acquitted in 2017 rally case
The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | |
The Indian Express
12 hours ago | |

The Mehsana district and sessions court on Wednesday acquitted Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani and nine others in a case related to a rally they held from Mehsana town in July 2017 without police permission. The court termed the prosecution’s case “baseless” after a magistrate court had sentenced the 10 accused to three months imprisonment and Rs 1,000 fine each for unlawful assembly.Among those acquitted is former NCP member and now AAP Gujarat spokesperson Reshma Patel.Additional District Judge C M Pawar pronounced the verdict endorsing the right to deliberate discuss and debate in a democracy.  Two appeals were filed at the district and sessions court after the magisterial court’s verdict convicting Mevani and 9 others in May 2022. One appeal was filed by the state seeking enhancement of punishment and another appeal was filed by the 10 accused who were held guilty, challenging their conviction.The court of ADJ Pawar held that no harm was caused, no police were harmed and no Section 144 under CrPC was in force at the time of the said offence.On July 12, 2017, to mark one year of the infamous public flogging of some Dalits in Una that had led to a large-scale agitation in the state, Mevani and his associates had led an ‘Azadi Kooch’ from Mehsana to Dhanera of neighbouring Banaskantha district.One of Mevani’s associates, Kaushik Parmar, had sought permission for the rally under the banner of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, an organisation founded by Mevani, from the Mehsana executive magistrate. Initially, the permission was granted but it was subsequently revoked by the authority.  The rally was still carried out by the organisers.

Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, 9 others acquitted in 2017 rally case
‘I was fed up with their violent behaviour’: UP girl drugs parents, axes them to death
The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | |
The Indian Express
12 hours ago | |

Nearly a fortnight after a couple was found axed to death outside their residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, the police on Tuesday detained their 15-year-old daughter who confessed to the double murder, officials said.The couple was found dead on March 15. The teenager told the police that she hated the atmosphere at home and “was fed up with the violent behaviour” of her parents towards her. She said that her mother would frequently beat her up and also had an illicit relationship with a man.“On questioning, the girl confessed to murdering her parents with an axe after lacing their food with a heavy dose of sleeping pills,” said Shlok Kumar, Bulandshahr SSP.The police have also arrested the youth who arranged the pills and the shop owner, who sold the pills, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.“It was a difficult case to crack as there were no clues. While checking the mobile phone of a family member, we could find that the minor girl had a communication with a man in December asking him to arrange sleeping pills and he refused,” the officer said.The police said that two days prior to the double murder, she had arranged a pack of 20 sleeping pills. “The girl mixed five tablets in the tea she prepared for her mother and 10 tablets in the milk for her 50-year-old father. The couple used to sleep outside their house while the accused and her younger sister had their beds inside the house,” said the officer.The police said that on the fateful night, the teen girl scaled the roof of a neighbour with the help of a ladder and came to the front of her house where she killed her parents by repeatedly hitting the axe on their heads. They died on the spot and she went back to bed, they said.The girl was sent to the juvenile home in Bulandshahr, while the two men were sent to jail after being produced in a local court. “We have also recovered the axe used for the killings. The weapon was hidden in the heap of fodder in the house,” said the SSP.She told the police that her mother had illicit relations with a man who, according to her, would instigate her mother to beat her regularly so that she either goes out or leaves the house forever.She also told the police that her father’s brother had killed his wife and two daughters in 2021 by hitting them with an axe on their head which, she claimed “gave her the clue” as to how to get rid of her parents.

‘I was fed up with their violent behaviour’: UP girl drugs parents, axes them to death
Banking mistake leaves man richer by over Rs 1 lakh — & in jail 2 years later
The Indian Express | 1 day ago | |
The Indian Express
1 day ago | |

A bank account with over Rs 1 lakh that was ‘mistakenly’ linked to his Aadhaar number two years ago has cost Jeetrai Samant his freedom.The 42-year-old beedi worker, from Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, has been arrested by the state police for allegedly withdrawing the money that belonged to a woman, whose bank account was linked to his Aadhaar number erroneously.Samant came to know of the money two years ago, as Covid cast its shadow across the nation, through a Common Service Centre. The centres serve as access points for delivery of essential public services, welfare schemes, etc in rural and remote areas of the country. According to sources familiar with the probe, the CSC also had a bank representative to help withdraw money that a beneficiary might have in his or her account.But the law caught up with Samant last September, when the manager of Jharkhand Rajya Gramin Bank received a complaint from an account holder named Shrimati Laguri regarding money disappearing from her account. The manager wrote to the authorities and, on discovering the error that had taken place, asked Samant to return the money. Since he was unable to do so, an FIR was lodged against him in October under IPC section 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) in the district’s Muffasil police station.Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar told The Indian Express: “Samant was arrested on March 24. There was a mistake and his Aadhaar got linked to someone else’s account, but he did not return the amount. He allegedly paid a bribe at the CSC point so no one else would get to know. (When police issued a notice about the issue) he wrote a letter to us saying he believed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent him money.”Bank manager Manish Kumar told The Indian Express: “Earlier, Bank of India used to sponsor the Gramin Bank, and now SBI does it. So the entire data was merged with SBI in April 2019, and it was during this process that Samant’s Aadhaar number got accidentally linked with someone else’s bank account. The woman did not complain earlier, else we could have stopped it.” He said it was “difficult” to pin blame on a single bank official.A UIDAI official, requesting anonymity, said: “This is clearly the bank’s mistake. The UIDAI has no role in it.”From October to March, Samant received three notices to appear before the police under CrPC section 41 A, under which police can arrest a person without a warrant in case he fails to appear before the court or the police since he is an accused.The Indian Express had spoken to Samant in December, before his arrest. At the time, he claimed: “During the first lockdown, everyone in the village was checking the amount in their Aadhaar-linked account numbers as it was announced that people would receive something. I put my thumb on the reading machine and it showed a balance as Rs 1,12,000. I rushed to the Gramin Bank, but could not find any money having been credited there. When I asked them about it, they told me the government would have sent the amount.”Police have claimed he withdrew Rs 2 lakh.Samant, a father of six children, said he kept withdrawing the money during the lockdown since he was in financial distress and believed it had come from the government.In response to one of the police notices, Samant had written to Superintendent of Police, Chaibasa, Ashutosh Shekhar in December. He claimed: “During the lockdown, there was a talk in the village that the Modi government is giving money in the account. My Aadhaar-based account showed Rs 1 lakh. The bank manager said I could withdraw the money. Now a case has been registered against me. I am not at fault. Without my knowledge, my Aadhaar was linked to someone else’s bank account. For the last two years, the bank did not even inform me.”Sub-inspector Ratu Oraon of Pandrasali observation point told The Indian Express: “After receiving the first notice, Samant did come to the police station, but he did not commit to returning the amount. Obviously there was a mistake when his Aadhaar got linked with Shrimati Laguri’s account number, but it was his moral responsibility not to withdraw the amount.”Asked why the arrest was not made earlier, Oraon said: “This was not an urgent case.”He added that Samant’s account originally had only Rs 650, but he kept withdrawing amounts ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000. “Even during withdrawals, the name of the account holder must have appeared, but he chose to ignore that.”

Banking mistake leaves man richer by over Rs 1 lakh — & in jail 2 years later
Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda acquitted in 2008 Nayagarh attack case
The Indian Express | 1 day ago | |
The Indian Express
1 day ago | |

The district court in Odisha’s Nayagarh Monday (March 27) acquitted former Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda in connection with an attack on the district reserve police in 2008.Panda, 55, who was arrested by Odisha Police in July 2014 from Berhampur town in Ganjam district, has been in judicial custody since then. Around 800 gm of gold ornaments, a revolver, multiple mobile phones with sim cards, a laptop and Maoist literature were seized from his possession on the day of his arrest.Panda was once marked as one of the most-wanted Maoist leaders in Odisha and allegedly involved in some of the high-profile crimes, including the killing of Hindu seer Laxamananda Saraswati and four of his disciples in Kandhamal district in 2008 that triggered communal violence in the region.In 2012, he was involved in the abduction of two Italian tourists in the Kandhamal district. While one of them, Claudio Colangelo, was set free, the other, Paolo Bosusco, was released after 29 days in captivity.Police sources said 134 cases were pending against Panda in different police stations in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Nayagarh districts. Panda has been acquitted in 57 cases.According to a lawyer, panda and two of his aides have been acquitted in the case from 2008 because of lack of evidence.Over 100 Maoists, including women cadres with firearms, attacked the police training school, the district armoury and a police station in Daspalla in Nayagarh district on February 15, 2008. As many as 14 people — 13 security personnel and a civilian — were killed in the incident and ten others sustained injuries.The Maoists also took away a huge cache of arms and ammunition in two vehicles. Panda was alleged to be the mastermind of the attack as the case was assigned to the crime branch for investigation.In May 2019, the additional sessions judge in Berhampur in Ganjam convicted and sentenced Panda, who was the founder-leader of Odisha Maobadi Party, to life imprisonment under Section 121 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for waging war against the government or abetting the waging of such war. He has been lodged in the Berhampur jail.

Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda acquitted in 2008 Nayagarh attack case
Giving fallen soldiers’ families their due
The Indian Express | 1 day ago | |
The Indian Express
1 day ago | |

Our brave soldiers serve the nation with commitment and conviction, often leaving their families behind. They sacrifice their lives and it is only because of their “shahadat” (martyrdom) that we are safe in our homes today. It is not enough for the government to just give compensation packages and say that it has fulfilled its duty — rules regarding compensation should also be tweaked with time and on a case-to-case basis.As of July 2022, a total of 307 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) personnel sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in the five preceding years. As many as 156 army men and three IAF personnel were killed in terrorist attacks as well as counter-terror operations in the last five years. In the same period, 819 armed forces personnel committed suicide, with the Army reporting the maximum number of such cases at 642. These figures are an indication of the conditions — including staying away for long from their families — under which our soldiers perform their duties, which often results in mental health issues as well.The recent protests by the widows of Pulwama martyrs in Rajasthan are a grim reminder of the challenges faced by the families of soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice. It is heart-wrenching to see them struggle to claim the benefits due to them, and running from pillar to post. The government should go out of its way, if needed, and ensure that the rules meant for the welfare of those who survive soldiers should not become a tool for denying them their legitimate demands. The protesting veeranganas (wives of jawans) were detained by the police and treated unjustly. They wanted certain demands to be fulfilled, which would require some amendments in the rules governing the welfare measures meant for families of martyrs.Consider some of the global practices when it comes to the welfare of the families of martyrs: The US provides financial assistance through the police department or local government to help families of fallen officers cover immediate expenses such as funeral costs, housing, and other expenses. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund provides financial assistance, scholarships, and other support to the families of officers who have died in the line of duty. Similarly, the Fraternal Order of Police provides financial assistance and other support to its members and their families. The UK has schemes like the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to provide compensation to military personnel who have been injured, are ill or have died as a result of service and War Disablement Pension schemes to provide tax-free financial assistance to military personnel who were disabled in the discharge of their duty.As a country which takes pride in its soldiers, we should listen to the legitimate demands of the veeranganas. The issues they have raised relate to the sentiments of the common man and are above any political considerations.Three major concerns must be addressed. The first is the demand for flexibility in the rules for providing jobs on compassionate grounds. This is a major bone of contention between the government and the veeranganas. The latter have demanded that not just the children of martyrs, but other members of the family, including brothers-in-law, should be given government jobs on compassionate grounds. The government’s argument that if the rules are altered for one case, then the future of all the children of the martyrs will be compromised, is technically sound. If the rules are amended to include distant family relations then they can also be used as a tool to blackmail the widows and pressure them for jobs, shunning them in case they fail to do so.It is argued that if the children are not academically brilliant or are unable to complete their education due to health issues, accidents etc., then having a job reserved for the family will secure the future of the child. The government should be liberal and amend the rules to remove any kind of restriction on the number of children of a martyr who are entitled to jobs on compassionate grounds. One child getting the job and his or her sibling being denied the same is unfair because the loss is equal for both.Second, there is a demand for the construction of multiple statues of martyrs. If other public figures have the privilege of having statues erected in different parts of the country, why can’t we have the same provision for martyrs? The government should amend the rules and a provision can be added that in case of more than one statue, it can involve local bodies like panchayat and municipal administration, local MLAs, NGOs and bhamashah (philanthropists) who can make matching contributions to the extent of 50 per cent for the construction of memorials or statues of martyrs. The government can also utilise corporate social responsibility funds for the same. These statues are not just brick-and-mortar structures, they are symbols of the sacrifice of our martyrs which will inspire the generations to come.Third, a department of welfare for the families of the martyrs, both at the central and state level, should be set up in order to facilitate social security benefits for them. The department should be allocated funds to provide housing grants to the families of the martyrs; marriage grants for their children; financial aid in the form of education, medical care and housing; in addition to offering counselling services to assist them in coping with their loss. By making these additional resources available to the families of those who have been martyred, we can demonstrate our support for them.The department should also work on providing benefits/concessions on utilities, free transportation via air, rail and bus, and benefits for the purchase of prescription medication and other healthcare services to the families of the martyrs. The issue of the welfare of the families of the martyrs is one that goes beyond politics and the solution has to be rooted in a rights-based approach.It is important to bear in mind that these families take pride in their sacrifice. Given the current state of affairs and the apathy of the administration, there is an urgent need for the sensitisation of not only the bureaucracy but also political leaders while dealing with these issues.The writer is Congress MLA from Osian (Rajasthan)

Giving fallen soldiers’ families their due
Woman Who Tried To Bribe Amruta Fadnavis Granted Bail By Mumbai Court
Ndtv | 2 days ago | |
Ndtv
2 days ago | |

The designer is also accused of demanding Rs 10 crore from the Amruta Fadnavis. (File)Mumbai: A court in Mumbai on Monday granted bail to designer Anishka Jaisinghani, arrested for allegedly offering a bribe to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta for intervening in a criminal case and attempting to extort Rs 10 crore from her.Anishka Jaisinghani's bail plea was allowed by Additional Sessions Judge DD Almale.She was arrested by the police on March 16 after a case was filed at the Malabar Hill police station in south Mumbai on February 20 on a complaint of Amruta Fadnavis.The designer is also accused of demanding Rs 10 crore from the latter, according to the police.Anishka Jaisinghani has denied all the charges.In the bail plea, she had claimed the FIR (first information report) against her was based on "concocted and fictitious facts" to falsely implicate her.The arrest and consequent remand of the applicant to the police custody was in total violation of the tenets of the Constitution and the procedure of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc), said the bail application filed through advocate Manan Sanghai.Based on Amruta Fadnavis's complaint, the police had registered a case against Aniksha and her father Anil Jaisinghani, a suspected bookie.They have been booked under IPC sections related to conspiracy, extortion and also provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThe police have claimed 17 cases were pending against Anil Jaisinghani, who was arrested from Gujarat and was currently in judicial custody.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Woman Who Tried To Bribe Amruta Fadnavis Granted Bail By Mumbai Court
  • Accused in Amruta Fadnavis case sent to prison
  • Times of India

  • Woman Who Tried To Bribe Amruta Fadnavis Sent To 14-Day Judicial Custody
  • Ndtv

    The police produced Aniksha before sessions court judge DD Almale at the end of her previous remand.Mumbai: A court in Mumbai on Friday sent Aniksha Jaisinghani, arrested for allegedly offering a bribe to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta and also threatening her, to 14-day judicial custody, turning down the cops' plea to extend her police remand.Aniksha was arrested by the city police on March 16 based on a case filed at Malabar Hill police station on February 20 on the complaint of Amruta Fadnavis. She is also accused of demanding extortion of Rs 10 crore from the latter.The police produced Aniksha before sessions court judge DD Almale at the end of her previous remand.The police, represented by special public prosecutor Ajay Misar, sought her custody for three more days to confront her with a witness.Aniksha's lawyer Manan Sanghai submitted that no new ground was made out for extending the police remand.The court, after hearing both sides, rejected the investigators' plea and remanded the accused in judicial custody.Police have also arrested her father and suspected bookie Anil Jaisinghani and their relative Nirmal Jaisinghani in connection with the case. The duo are in police custody till March 27. They have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections for conspiracy and extortion and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.As per the FIR, Aniksha was in touch with Amruta Fadnavis for the past 16 months and also visited her residence.In her statement to the police, Ms Fadnavis said she first met Aniksha in November 2021. Aniksha claimed that she was a designer of clothes, jewellery and footwear and requested the BJP leader's wife to wear them at public events saying it would help her promote the products, the police have said.After gaining Amruta's trust, Aniksha offered to provide her with information on some bookies through which, she claimed, they could make money. She then directly offered Amruta Rs 1 crore to get her father off the hook in a police case, as per the FIR.Ms Fadnavis also told the police that she was upset by Aniksha's behaviour and blocked her number, the police said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThe woman then allegedly sent Amruta video clips, voice notes and many messages from an unknown number. She and her father indirectly threatened and conspired against Ms Fadnavis, said the official citing the FIR. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

'Kahe ka dar' asks gangster Atiq Ahmed as his convoy halts in MP
The Indian Express | 2 days ago | |
The Indian Express
2 days ago | |

The convoy of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed being escorted by the Uttar Pradesh police halted briefly in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh on early Monday morning before entering Jhansi on its way to Prayagraj, a police official said.As the convoy halted briefly at Kharai in Shivpuri district and Ahmed, wearing a white turban, got down from the police van to attend nature’s call, reporters asked him whether he was “afraid”, to which he replied by saying “kahe ka dar” (what fear) before police personnel whisked him away.Notably, after stepping out of Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening, Ahmed expressed fear that he might be murdered.“Hatya, hatya (murder, murder),” Ahmed had told reporters outside the prison while being whisked away in a police vehicle by security personnel.Earlier, the carcade, which started from Ahmedabad on Sunday evening, entered Madhya Pradesh from the Rajasthan border in the morning, a police official said.“It halted briefly at Kharai in Shivpuri district at around 7 AM to enable Ahmed to attend nature’s call,” said local police officer Manish Kumar Jadoun.Another police official said Ahmed’s convoy left Shivpuri district after a brief halt and entered Jhansi district of UP at around 9 AM.The gangster is being taken to Prayagraj from Sabarmati central jail by the Uttar Pradesh police for a court case.Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP, has been lodged in the Sabarmati central jail since June 2019. He was shifted there following a Supreme Court after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault on real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in prison in UP.He is named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, police had said.BJP Lok Sabha MP Subrat Pathak had said he would not be surprised if mafia Atiq Ahmed’s vehicle overturns like that of gangster Vikas Dubey.Dubey was gunned down in July 2020 by the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh police shortly after a police SUV in which he was being brought to Kanpur from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh overturned under mysterious circumstances on a highway. Police claimed that he had tried to flee.

'Kahe ka dar' asks gangster Atiq Ahmed as his convoy halts in MP
Woman, trapped by 'traffickers' in Oman, not allowed to board flight back to India by embassy staff
The Indian Express | 2 days ago | |
The Indian Express
2 days ago | |

Rajya Sabha member and environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal has sought the intervention of external affairs ministry to evacuate a woman from Punjab who has been allegedly stuck in Oman since December 2022 after she moved to the Gulf nation for a better paying job, but eventually found herself trapped by ‘traffickers’. In this case, a travel agent has been trying to sell her.A non-refundable ticket was booked for March 16, 2023, from Muscat to Delhi for the woman in question (Swaranjit Kaur) by Baba Seechewal, but the unprofessional attitude of some staff members at Indian embassy in Oman led to Swaranjit Kaur missing her flight. The ticket was sent to her on the instructions of some staff of a shelter home associated with Indian embassy there.Seechewal has handed over a letter to the ministry of external affairs and urged the MEA to help evacuate the woman from the Gulf country.Seechewal took up the matter after Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Godhewala, Moga district, Punjab, approached a representative of the environmentalist seeking help to bring his wife (Swaranjit Kaur) back from Oman.Kuldeep Singh told the representative that his wife had gone to Oman for work on December 27, 2022, by Go First flight from Mumbai to Muscat. On her arrival there, an agent named Arman received her and instead of giving her the promised household work, he tried to sell/traffick her on various occasions.There are many other women detained by the agent for sexual exploitation as per the allegations of Kuldeep Singh. Kuldeep Singh also provided a video footage to substantiate his allegations. The video was attached with the letter submitted to the MEA.Kuldeep Singh said that in the first week of January 2023, he received a call from Arman asking him to get a ticket booked for Swaranjit Kaur if he wants to evacuate her. Kuldeep Singh, being a daily wager, asked some social workers to help him book a ticket for his wife. A ticket was booked from Muscat to Mumbai for January 11, 2023, for Swaranjit Kaur, but she was not sent back to India by the said agent. A copy of the ticket was also submitted along with the letter.In the first week of March 2023, Kuldeep Singh approached the representative of Seechewal and asked for help. The police were approached which called up Arman on his Oman contact.“He (agent) informed the police that he was going to leave all the women detained by him at the Indian embassy in Muscat. On March 13, 2023, Swaranjit Kaur and other women were left at the Indian embassy by Arman. On March 14, 2023, a voice note was received from Swaranjit Kaur from a mobile phone asking to book a ticket for her from Muscat to Amritsar. A WhatsApp call was also received by the representative of the Seechewal from the same number. From the other side a woman named Rita informed that she is the warden of a shelter home of Indian embassy and asked to book a ticket for Swaranjit Kaur,” the letter stated.The representative of Seechewal also asked if the tickets are also required to be booked for the rest of the women. Rita answered in the negative. She also informed that a woman official from the Indian embassy in Oman named Udhaya has instructed her to say so. “The voice note along with screenshot of the call is attached herewith,” the letter stated.The letter further stated that on March 15, 2023, the representative continuously tried to contact Rita on her number to get the details of the ticket but to no avail. A message was also left at 09.54 am on her number to contact but to no avail. Thereafter, from 04.30 pm onwards, voice notes were continuously received from the same number in the voice of Swaranjit Kaur to book the ticket immediately for her. She was informed that the ticket could not be booked for March 15, 2023, at short notice. Therefore that will be booked for March 16, 2023, only. Voice notes are attached, the letter stated.On March 16, 2023, the representative received a call from Kuldeep Singh to book ticket for his wife. A voice note was also received from the number of Rita in the voice of Swaranjit Kaur asking for the ticket. Therefore a non-refundable ticket was booked for March 16, 2023, from Muscat to Delhi for Swaranjit Kaur by Baba Seechewal.But immediately after sending the ticket on Rita’s number and on one more mobile number provided by Swaranjit Kaur, a voice note was received from both the numbers, including one in the voice of Swaranjit Kaur and one in the voice of some other woman, that the ticket should have been booked for March 15, 2023, as some senior woman official is not allowing Swaranjit Kaur to board the flight on March 16, 2023. One more number 0096879964455 of someone by the name Rasha was provided to have a talk.The personal secretary of Seechewal called that number and Rasha informed that Swaranjit Kaur could not be sent on March 16, 2023. Voice notes and screenshots of calls were attached with the letter.“The sole purpose of writing to the ministry is to locate Swaranjit Kaur. If she is in Indian embassy, Oman, then her immediate evacuation can be planned. The embassy officials are also required to be trained professionally so that futile exercises like above can be avoided in future. Your timely action is highly solicited in this matter,” said Seechewal in the letter.

Woman, trapped by 'traffickers' in Oman, not allowed to board flight back to India by embassy staff
Two wounded in gurudwara shooting in California's Sacramento
The Indian Express | 2 days ago | |
The Indian Express
2 days ago | |

Two people were wounded in a shooting that took place outside a gurudwara in California’s Sacramento County on Sunday afternoon, reported local media. The wounded have been hospitalised and the police have said that the incident is not related to a hate crime.The Sikh society said that it was “unfortunate that a few misguided people” tried to ruin the Nagar Kirtan parade that was being held. “We hope the culprit(s) is punished to the fullest extent of the law,” it said in a statement.County-based The Sacramento Bee reported that the shooting took place on Sunday afternoon at around 2.30 pm local time (3 am IST on Monday) at the Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society. At 3.30 pm, police officials were seen taking away two men from the parade, though their involvement in the shooting is yet to be confirmed.Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi told local media that a fistfight had broken out between two men on the temple premises, which escalated to a shooting. He told Sacramento-based TV station KCRA-TV that one of the suspects was immediately taken into custody, while the second — an “East Indian man in his 20s or 30s” — was initially said to be at large. He was later taken into custody at around 8.30 pm local time (9 am IST on Monday).“The individuals involved all seemed to know each other. It seemed very targeted in the fact that it wasn’t some random thing that posed any danger to the other patrons other than the shooting,” he told KCRA-TV, which said that there were around 10,000 people present.“One suspect during that fight shot a friend of the other suspect,” Gandhi told local Fox40 news. “Once the other suspect, who didn’t get shot, gathered himself, he shot at the original shooter and then our second shooter ran off.” He added that the situation “looks very contained,” ruling out any further threats to the area or the parade.As per the Fox40 report, one of the wounded is likely to be arrested for his involvement in the shooting.“It puts a small stain on this peaceful, very joyous day,” Sgt. Gandhi told The Sacramento Bee. The Gurdwara was celebrating its first Nagar Kirtan Sikh Parade when the incident occurred. The US | “Two people shot at a Gurudwara in Sacramento County, California. The shooting is not related to a hate crime, it is a shootout between two men who knew each other,” says Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. pic.twitter.com/zKWY58yWOY— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2023Sikh society respondsThe Bradshaw Sikh Society termed the incident “unfortunate” and said that the culprits were not a part of the parade and showed up hours after the parade left.The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office says two people were shot at a Sikh temple in the Sacramento area. This happened during a huge celebration here today. pic.twitter.com/JLvOT6oPUI— Lysée Mitri (@LyseeMitri) March 26, 2023In a statement on Facebook, the society said: “The Bradshaw Sikh Society hosted its first Sikh Parade with thousands of congregants from the region. The parade was peaceful and a celebration of faith. It is unfortunate that a few misguided people tried to ruin a cultural and religious event.”“A shooting occurred at the Gurdwara while the parade was in procession. We hope the culprit(s) is punished to the fullest extent of the law. They were not a part of the parade and showed up after the parade left hours earlier. These displays of violence go against our Sikh faith. We regret any inconvenience and fear this may have caused. We are strong and resilient together,” it said.Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society treasurer Sardara Kalotia told KCRA-TV that the leaders of the gurudwara are hurt and in disbelief over the events, and are looking into measures to avoid a repetition in future. “Everyone here was enjoying themselves, and it was going great,” he said, adding, “The committee is humbled and sorry to all the people who showed up, and this happened.”“We will come together and find our way and come out of the current situation we’re in and move forward with our heads held high,” Kalotia told KCRA-TV. “Two bad people are not going to ruin what we have going for us and the community.”

Two wounded in gurudwara shooting in California's Sacramento
Army pulls recruiting ads after Jonathan Majors’ arrest
The Indian Express | 2 days ago | |
The Indian Express
2 days ago | |

The arrest of actor Jonathan Majors has upended the Army’s newly launched advertising campaign that was aimed at reviving the service’s struggling recruiting numbers. Majors, who authorities said was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, was the narrator of two ads at the heart of a broader media campaign that kicked off at the start of the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament.Army leaders were hopeful that the popularity of the star of the recently released Creed III and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, would help them reach the youth audience.In a statement Sunday, the Army’s Enterprise Marketing Office said that the Army was aware of Majors’ arrest and was “deeply concerned by the allegations.” It added that while Majors “is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.”New York City police said the actor was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. “The victim informed police she was assaulted,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.A lawyer for Majors, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement Sunday there was evidence clearing Majors and that the actor “is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.”The Army ads, titled Overcoming Obstacles and Pushing Tomorrow, are part of the plan to revive the Army’s “Be All You Can be” motto. They highlighted the history of the Army and some of the many professions that recruits can pursue.The “Be All You Can Be” slogan dominated its recruiting ads for two decades starting in 1981. A nearly two-minute preview video, made available before the campaign rollout in early March, featured soldiers jumping out of airplanes, working on helicopters, climbing obstacle courses and diving underwater. A voiceover said: “We bring out the best in the people who serve, because America calls for nothing less.”In the Army’s worst recruiting year in recent history, the service fell 25% short of its goal to enlist 60,000 recruits in 2022. The new ads were a key element in the Army’s drive to find creative new ways to attract recruits and ensure that the service has the troops it needs to help defend the nation.Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the Army has set a difficult goal for this year: aiming to bring in 65,000 recruits, which would be 20,000 more than in 2022.

Army pulls recruiting ads after Jonathan Majors’ arrest
Before Amritpal, another hot chasePremium Story
The Indian Express | 3 days ago | |
The Indian Express
3 days ago | |

As the police began its crackdown on Waris Punjab De and its chief Amritpal Singh in Punjab last week, many sought to draw parallels between the present situation in the state and that of the early 1980s. But nothing could further from the truth. Those were very different times. But then, like now, there was a chase of sorts.It was in September 1981 that the Punjab Police decided to arrest Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, head of the Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal, for his alleged role in the conspiracy to assassinate Lala Jagat Narain, a Member of Parliament, and chief editor and proprietor of the Jalandhar-based Hind Samachar Group of papers, who was shot dead on September 9.The arrest warrants were issued on September 12, and a team of the Punjab Police led by DIG D S Mangat was sent to Chando Kalan in Hisar, Haryana, where Bhindranwale was camping, to arrest him. But Bhindranwale, who got wind of the impending action, managed to rush back to his headquarters at Chowk Mehta in Amritsar, overnight, without being stopped anywhere by the Haryana Police. The free run for 200 km also gave rise to the speculation that the Harayana Police deliberately let him go because they didn’t want any trouble in their state.Prof Jagroop Singh Sekhon, a political observer with a long academic career at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, remembers how Bhindranwale’s eventual arrest took place against the backdrop of the battle of political one-upmanship between then Union home minster Giani Zail Singh and Punjab chief minister Darbara Singh, both from the Congress party. The latter negotiated with Bhindranwale for his surrender, who put up a list of preconditions.In his book, Turmoil in Punjab, Ramesh Inder Singh, who was then deputy commissioner of Amritsar in 1984, wrote how Bhindranwale refused to have anything to do with DIG J S Anand, who was first sent by the state government for a dialogue on his arrest, just because he had trimmed his beard and was hence not a ‘pure’ Sikh. The state government acceded to his demands, and sent an SP-rank officer who met Bhindranwale’s standards and got him to agree to surrender on September 20. That day also saw what is arguably the first case of indiscriminate firing by militants at Jalandhar in which four persons were killed.The preacher declared that he wanted to be taken to the Golden Temple to pay his obeisance and take a dip in the holy sarovar before he is arrested.Accordingly, a senior DIG-rank police officer drove him to the temple and back before daybreak on September 20. By then, a mammoth crowd had gathered at Chowk Mehta near Amritsar, headquarters of the Damdami Taksal, and leaders cutting across party lines gave fiery speeches lauding Bhindranwale.Upon his arrest, the crowd, already fired up by the speeches, turned violent and clashed with the police, which opened fire, killing eight persons.Ramesh Inder Singh writes that then CM Darbara Singh, apprehending trouble, had requested for Army help, both from the Centre and the Western Command, but did not get it.High drama surrounded Bhindranwale’s imprisonment as well. In his book, Living a Life, Ravi Sawhney, a former Punjab bureaucrat, recounts the state’s flip-flop on the plans laid out to make a it a smooth affair. Since the news got out that he would be held in the Ludhiana district jail, a large number of people turned out to welcome him. There was an air of festivity with welcome arches at the entrance of the city.Sawhney, who was then deputy commissioner of Ludhiana, says he decided that they would divert Bhindranwale’s car from the convoy bringing him to Ludhiana and hold him in a secluded guesthouse. But this plan was shelved half an hour before Bhindranwale’s arrival when he was told by the then SSP that there were orders from the state police chief to let the preacher’s car enter Ludhiana along with a convoy of police vehicles. Sawhney writes how he called up the CM, who, in turn, told him that the orders had come from none other than Giani Zail Singh. As expected, the convoy turned into a procession as people followed it in various modes of transport and pro-Bhindranwale slogans filled the air.As demanded by him, Bhindranwale was escorted by Gurdaspur SSP Chahal, who came with a list of instructions given by the preacher. Sawhney writes, “Bhindranwale was still sitting in the Ambassador car with two companions when Chahal came across to where the Deputy Inspector General, Police, Patiala Range, SSP Bhatti and I were discussing security arrangements to convey the conditions Bhindranwale had attached to his surrender.”In his book, Sawhney then goes on to list Bhindranwale’s conditions:1. Two companions, his cook and his sewak, would stay with him2. When he is interrogated, it must be only by a gursikh (a Sikh who observes all five tenets of Sikhism)3. When he is interrogated, he should be sitting at the same level or higher but not lower than the interrogator and4. If he chooses not to answer any question, no third degree method should be used.“I listened aghast and quipped to Chahal, ‘Who is under arrest, Bhindranwale or the Punjab government?,’” wrote Sawhney.Later, the police failed to find any evidence against Bhindranwale and he was set free on October 15, 1981. The state, however, continued its descent to violence that consumed it for over a decade.

Before Amritpal, another hot chasePremium Story
  • Message from Rahul disqualification: Oppn, watch what you sayPremium Story
  • The Indian Express

    The political import of Rahul Gandhi’s two-year conviction in a defamation case is not merely for Rahul himself. The story of his disqualification from Parliament is about the further shrinking of the the Opposition space — and, ironically, under “due process” of law.In the run-up to the 2019 elections, Rahul had said, “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi…how come they all have Modi as common surname. How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname?”The BJP says Rahul needs to be punished for his tendency to get carried away and that the law must follow its course. Rahul has gone over the top in his political formulations on more than one occasion rather than make nuanced observations.Yet, the fact is that a lot is said in poll heat. A maximum punishment of two years that disqualifies an MP has huge political consequences in a democratic set-up. Especially in a cacophonous democracy like ours, where politicians get carried away during an election campaign.And if individuals and parties take legal recourse in every instance, there will be no end to those who get disqualified from the legislature to which they were elected by the people of India.The disqualification is a setback to Rahul and the Congress party but, even more important, it is a message to all Opposition leaders to carefully vet their words before speaking – or some judge in some part of India can take note and can end their membership of Parliament or Assembly.As it is, worryingly, FIRs have recently been lodged against two printers in Delhi for printing anti-Modi posters with the tagline, “Modi hatao, desh bachao”. Could the Surat verdict now send its own message to printers in small town, and big town, India: “Opposition ka poster mat chhapo” or else there will be trouble.It is unclear what political advantage accrues to the BJP from Rahul’s disqualification in the last year before general elections. Even though his Bharat Jodo Yatra had traction, it’s not as if he was set to dethrone Narendra Modi in 2024, who, as things stand, seems set to come back.Rahul is no VP Singh who dethroned his father Rajiv Gandhi in 1989 to replace him as PM.The disqualification of Rahul — unless the Surat verdict and the sentence get stayed or reduced —could paradoxically make it easier for the Opposition parties to make common cause. Some, who are not dependent on the Congress to run their governments in the states, like Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, or K Chandrashekhar Rao’s BRS, have chafed against working under the leadership of the Gandhis.It used to be said that the only way the impasse within the Opposition to dissolve was for Rahul to take a back seat. This has now happened.Within hours of Rahul’s conviction, Arvind Kejriwal was the first to lend his support to a beleaguered Rahul. This signals a break from the past; for there has been no love lost between the Congress and AAP which has grown at the Congress’s expense in both Delhi and Punjab. The Congress had not come to Manish Sisodia’s rescue when he was arrested in the excise scam and is in jail.Other Opposition leaders have followed Kejriwal in supporting Rahul. Among them is Akhilesh Yadav who had only the other day threatened that this time in 2024 the Samajawadi party would field candidates against the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareilly, two Nehru-Gandhi family fiefdoms. How does Opposition politics pan out in the absence of Rahul in the lead role, will evolve in the weeks to come.Besides being targeted by the ED and the CBI, Opposition leaders are now a worried lot for another reason. They are asking if they are being jailed and disqualified in BJP’s second term, what will happen to them in its third term in office?Can the Surat judgement create a sense of sympathy for Rahul? His disqualification comes on the heels of a relentless demand by BJP leaders that he be disqualified—unless he apologises for his UK remarks about the undoing of democracy in India. Though it is early days, the more relevant question is this: even if sympathy is generated for Rahul, does the Congress have the will and the wherewithal to take advantage of it?Indira Gandhi, Rahul’s grandmother had also been disqualified from Parliament in December 1978 for breach of privilege. Her MPship was undone within a month of her being elected to the Lok Sabha from Chikamagalur in a bypoll. Her six-day jail term marked her political turnaround, and she said later that when the sentries in Tihar jail started to salute her, she realised the mood in the country was undergoing a change.Can Rahul do a 1978 in 2023?That’s a very tall order. In 1978, within hours of Indira’s arrest, lakhs had come out on the streets and courted arrest. A pan-Indian party like the Congress should have been able to mobilise protests against the Surat judgement against Rahul. “But,” as a Congress leader lamented, “it has become a party on Twitter.”Congressmen are also questioning why the party did not approach the Supreme Court the moment Rahul’s conviction came. After all, within two hours, Pawan Khera got relief from the Supreme Court. In 1978, the Government, led by Morarji Desai was a weak and a faction-ridden entity; in 2023 the Modi government is a monolith.Nor is the Congress the same as it was in 1978. Nor is the rest of the Opposition the united entity it had become in 1977 sinking their differences to oust Indira Gandhi of the Emergency years. Nor for that matter is the Indian voter what she was. And yet political parties should not forget that history shows the worm can turn — and what bestirs it is arrogance of power.(Neerja Chowdhury, Contributing Editor, The Indian Express, has covered the last 10 Lok Sabha elections)

  • The hunt for Amritpal Singh in Punjab: A contest of perceptionsPremium Story
  • The Indian Express

    With the advantage of hindsight, it is easy to say that Amritpal Singh should have been arrested at the earliest possible stage after his return to India in August 2022. His transgressions commenced almost immediately thereafter, even as his support base appeared to grow. Worse, both in political and administrative statements and in media projections, a larger-than-life image was being built up, far out of proportion with his actual significance. And while the state and its agencies must certainly be called to account for their failures, much of the irresponsible myth-making was the doing of the uncritical and sensation-seeking media. “Bhindranwale 2.0”, the purported return to the 1980s, the incessant coverage of his obviously attention-seeking antics, and a series of fawning interviews — these and other exaggerations and distortions in reportage enormously inflated Amritpal Singh’s actions, providing him with the very platform he would otherwise have struggled to occupy.These processes have not ended. Hysterical and sweeping reports, tying Amritpal Singh with gun-running, narcotics smuggling, drone intrusions from Pakistan and almost every ill in Punjab continue, even as the manhunt to put him where he belongs — in jail — is ongoing. That there is, yet, little evidence to tie Amritpal Singh with these many trends and offences, all of which have a history that long precedes his arrival on the stage, appears to elude the notice of the many anchors and commentators on the subject, and consequently, the impression that this narrative is being orchestrated can hardly be avoided. These matters, moreover, are for the enforcement and intelligence agencies to deal with and should not be the subject of ignorant and frenetic media speculation.While there are many, and clear failures on the part of both the state and central government agencies, it is important to recognise, first, that ideal solutions exist only in an ideal world. Second, and crucially, this entire issue is, above all, a contest of perceptions, not of power. Managing perceptions in a calibrated political campaign is a very different challenge.It is important to recognise that, by intent or omission, the state has now established the upper hand in the narrative around Amritpal Singh. Before his return and usurpation of the Waris Punjab De banner – another element that the commentary largely ignores is that Deep Sidhu’s Waris Punjab De still exists and is headed by his long-time associate Sanjeev Uppal — Amritpal was an unknown entity. The very rapid rise of his profile in Punjab and the quick support that he received from conservative elements in the Sikh community, including the implicit support of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), as well as the open support of the radical SAD-Amritsar headed by Simranjit Singh Mann, made it difficult to predict the possible consequences of any action against him. Nevertheless, delay only allowed the myth around him to grow, making state action potentially even more costly.Nevertheless, over the past months, Amritpal has clearly overplayed his hand. Each of his prominent actions will have alienated much of the population base that he seeks to mobilise. In particular, the fracas at Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Jalandhar on December 13, 2022, and the burning of chairs and benches meant for elderly devotees, may have secured some publicity, but would certainly have alienated the devout Sikh. That this is the case is substantially borne out by the commentary on the subject in print, TV and social media. Thereafter, there was much adverse commentary on the issue of the abduction and assault on Varinder Singh, which led to the arrest of Amritpal’s associate, Lovepreet Singh aka Toofan, and subsequently to the Ajnala fiasco. Amritpal’s effort to project his personal animus against Varinder as a Sikh issue attracted significant criticism. Further, the siege on the Ajnala Police Station, and Amritpal’s visible efforts to shield himself behind the motorised Palki on which the Guru Granth Sahib was being carried, even while his associates broke through the police barricades, have not gone unnoticed by the larger Sikh community. This was, at once, an act of beadbi (sacrilege) and cowardice. And finally, after all his brave declarations challenging the police to arrest him, his abandonment of his supporters and flight in the face of actual arrest — as well as multiple social media clips demonstrating panic and desperation, both on his part and on part of his supporters — is likely to take a great deal of the sheen off his image.The absence of any significant protests and demonstrations in the wake of the eventual action against Amritpal tends to bear out his loss of credibility, though this has occurred under a massive police and internet clampdown. The coming days will confirm or negate these arguments. What will be crucial, however, particularly for the state and the media to remember, is that what is currently playing out in Punjab is, overwhelmingly, a contest of perceptions, and it is far from over.While the state and its agencies appear to dominate the present narrative, it remains to be seen how they will handle evolving themes. Amritpal is likely to be arrested in the near future or may reappear abroad. In the latter case, he will merely join the minor ensemble of frustrated extremists in the Sikh diaspora, to rant ineffectually against India. If, on the other hand, he is arrested, the state and the political leadership will again be tested; and not just the Aam Aadmi Party, but also the various political groupings it has marginalised in the recent assembly elections. The Shiromani Akali Dal has already sought to communalise the police action, condemning the supposed “undeclared emergency and reign of repression and terror”, and the targeting, especially, of “innocent Amritdhari youth”. While the Congress and the BJP currently support the police action, it is uncertain when the default setting of polarising politics will be restored. These, and not so much the Khalistanis, are the critical threats to peace and security in Punjab.The writer is Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management & South Asia Terrorism Portal

'Upma for newborn?' Alert public helps police rescue kidnapped toddler
The Indian Express | 3 days ago | |
The Indian Express
3 days ago | |

The Bengaluru police Saturday rescued a 40-day-old toddler and handed her over to family members hours after a woman kidnapped her from her house at Kalasipalya.The police identified the accused as Nandini alias Ayesha, a resident of Shivajinagar and a native of Kolar’s Mulbagal.The toddler’s mother Farheen Begum said in the complaint to the Kalasipalya that she had come to her mother’s house for delivery and was staying there. She said she had slept off in the hall after feeding the baby in the morning and when she woke up, the baby was missing.After the family approached them in the afternoon, the police alerted the control room, which flashed the message across all police stations in Bengaluru.Meanwhile, a woman on the street noticed Nandini with the child, and she was unable to handle the crying toddler. The woman asked Nandini what she had fed the baby, to which she replied upma and milk. The woman got suspicious as no mother would give upma to her newborn baby and alerted the neighbours, who informed the police control room.The police took custody of Nandini and discovered that she had kidnapped the baby from the Durgamma temple street in Kalasipalya. The baby was handed over to her mother within a few hours of her kidnap. In between, another woman in the area had breastfed the baby as she was hungry.The Kalasipalya police approached the Magadi Road police and took custody of the accused and the baby. The Kalasipalya police contacted the complainant and handed the baby to her mother.The police said that as Begum’s house’s main door was open, Nandini easily entered and kidnapped the baby around 7.30 am. She also stole a mobile phone from the house, the police added.Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Laxman B Nimbargi appreciated the efforts of citizens Balu Subramanian, Bhoopal, Vishnu, Nagamma, and Hemanth, who helped find the kidnapped baby.

'Upma for newborn?' Alert public helps police rescue kidnapped toddler
  • ‘Upma for newborn?’ Alert public helps police rescue 40-day-old toddler kidnapped in Bengaluru
  • The Indian Express

    The Bengaluru police Saturday rescued a 40-day-old toddler and handed her over to family members hours after a woman kidnapped her from her house at Kalasipalya.The police identified the accused as Nandini alias Ayesha, a resident of Shivajinagar and a native of Kolar’s Mulbagal.The toddler’s mother Farheen Begum said in the complaint to the Kalasipalya that she had come to her mother’s house for delivery and was staying there. She said she had slept off in the hall after feeding the baby in the morning and when she woke up, the baby was missing.After the family approached them in the afternoon, the police alerted the control room, which flashed the message across all police stations in Bengaluru.Meanwhile, a woman on the street noticed Nandini with the child, and she was unable to handle the crying toddler. The woman asked Nandini what she had fed the baby, to which she replied upma and milk. The woman got suspicious as no mother would give upma to her newborn baby and alerted the neighbours, who informed the police control room.The police took custody of Nandini and discovered that she had kidnapped the baby from the Durgamma temple street in Kalasipalya. The baby was handed over to her mother within a few hours of her kidnap. In between, another woman in the area had breastfed the baby as she was hungry.The Kalasipalya police approached the Magadi Road police and took custody of the accused and the baby. The Kalasipalya police contacted the complainant and handed the baby to her mother.The police said that as Begum’s house’s main door was open, Nandini easily entered and kidnapped the baby around 7.30 am. She also stole a mobile phone from the house, the police added.Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Laxman B Nimbargi appreciated the efforts of citizens Balu Subramanian, Bhoopal, Vishnu, Nagamma, and Hemanth, who helped find the kidnapped baby.

As Amritpal manhunt continues, Akalis make a play for Panthic support
The Indian Express | 3 days ago | |
The Indian Express
3 days ago | |

Beset by electoral setbacks and legal troubles, the police crackdown in Punjab in the wake of the Amritpal Singh episode has provided the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Badals an opportunity to regain its lost ground in Panthic politics, something that had made the party a strong political force starting in the 1990s.The SAD has been pushed to the margins of state politics since the debacles in the Assembly elections in 2017 and last year, with its tally plummeting to a record low of three constituencies. The party’s decline, in part, is a result of the erosion of its Panthic vote base that occurred because of the way it handled the sacrilege cases.The third incident of sacrilege on October 12, 2015, led to massive protests followed by heavy-handed police action that has remained a political issue in the state ever since. Police firing that day in Kotkapura alone left around 60 people injured, including over 30 police officials. The Badals, who were in power at the time, are still dealing with the legal fallout of the case. On March 16, a court in Faridkot declined the anticipatory bail plea of former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal but granted it to his father and former CM Parkash Singh Badal. Sukhbir then secured interim bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 22.Amid these troubles for the SAD, came the police crackdown and manhunt for Sikh preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh. The police detained more than 200 people, but have started releasing some of them. On Friday, the police released 44 youngsters held under preventive detention and handed them over to their families. This came a day after Punjab Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill announced that 177 of the 207 people detained would be let off with a warning and action would be taken against 30 involved in “substantive criminal activities”.But the police action has drawn criticism from the SAD, which announced earlier this week that it would set up a legal cell to help the young men arrested by the police and those charged under the National Security Act (NSA). Former Akali Dal MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra told The Indian Express on Saturday, “The party decided to help young, innocent youth after discussions among the senior leaders that Akali Dal, being the regional party representing the Sikh community, should come forward at his juncture where the youth in their early twenties were detained without any reason. Apart from the Sikh community, the issue also concerns human rights and freedom of speech and expression.”On Tuesday, announcing the move to provide legal help for the youths arrested Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “It is shocking that scores of youth are being arrested indiscriminately merely on suspicion.”“Many Sikh youths are being implicated in fake cases,” Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali said in the Assembly on Wednesday. “Over the years Punjab has gone through tough times. Sikhs in Punjab are being made to feel like slaves by invocation of the NSA.” Ayali’s party colleague Virsa Singh Valtoha has said the Amritpal episode is “an ordinary law-and-order situation” and condemned the use of the NSA.On Thursday, Parkash Singh Badal expressed concern over the “sequence of recent events in Punjab” and called for “an end to the ongoing wave of repression against innocents”. He also called for “maximum vigil” to preserve the hard-earned atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in the state. “This is a critical hour and it calls for an exercise of optimum restraint, sagacity and far-sightedness by those in power,” said Badal.Course correctionThe SAD’s statements and actions in the wake of the Amritpal episode illustrate its attempts to re-establish itself as the pre-eminent political party representing the interests of the Sikh community. But these actions have not come about in a vacuum but are part of a strategy the party adopted following a review conducted last year after its poll debacle. Among other recommendations, the review committee suggested a course correction and an overhaul in the functioning of the party to win back Panthic support.In November, Sukhbir attended the wedding of the grandson of Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in the Golden Temple in the Army’s Operation Bluestar in 1984. Then, in the first week of January, Sukhbir attended two events within days that signalled a shift in the party’s strategy. On January 1, the former Deputy CM visited the house of Satwant Singh, one of Indira Gandhi’s assassins, in Gurdaspur district’s Agwan village and also went to a local gurdwara constructed in Singh’s memory. Five days later, Sukhbir became the first Akali Dal president to visit the Golden Temple on January 6, which is the death anniversary of Satwant and another of Indira’s assassins, Kehar Singh.Professor Jagrup Singh Sekhon, a former head of the Department of Political Science at Guru Nanak Dev University, is sceptical about the political mileage the Akali Dal can derive from offering legal assistance to the arrested Sikh youth.“The Akali leadership has lost political sense. First, they condemned Amritpal on the Ajnala incident, then they initially kept mum after the police crackdown and later announced the offer of legal assistance to the arrested men. The Akali leadership appears to be cut off from the grassroots realities. Everyone is against the idea of Khalistan. The villagers who were the main support base of the Akali Dal were the ones who suffered the most during the days of militancy and terrorism. The (AAP-led state) government has said it will release 177 of the 207 detained and will proceed legally against 30 hardcore criminals. Who will the Akali Dal help? The ones involved in heinous crimes?”

As Amritpal manhunt continues, Akalis make a play for Panthic support
Rahul Gandhi disqualification: Congress calls off protest in Ahmedabad after police deny permission, leaders detained
The Indian Express | 3 days ago | |
The Indian Express
3 days ago | |

The Congress Sunday called off its sit-in protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification at Lal Darwaza in Ahmedabad after the police denied it permission. The police detained several Congress leaders on the spot.“The protest had to be called off as the police arrived at the spot and tried to stop us, stating there was no permission,” said Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Manish Doshi.The Congress planned to hold a day-long protest called ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ from 10 am to 5 pm in front of Gandhi statues at all states and district headquarters to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a member of Lok Sabha.Congress leaders detained at the police headquarters include state president Jagdish Thakor; leader of the Congress legislative party in the Gujarat Assembly Amit Chavda; Danilimda MLA Shailesh Parmar; former GPCC president Bharatsinh Solanki, Himmatsinh Patel; Indravijaysinh Gohil; Jitubhai Patel; Jamalpur Khadia MLA Imran Khedawala; Amrut Thakor, Jeniben Thummar, Gitaben Patel; Leader of Opposition at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Shehzad Khan Pathan; C M Rajput, former MLA Lakhabhai Bharvad; Hitendra Pithadia, among others.On the police permission, Doshi said, “We were allowed yesterday night verbally by the police who told us that we can hold a peaceful protest with 200-250 persons.”However, ten minutes before the protest was set to begin and the sloganeering started, the police denied the permission, he added.

Rahul Gandhi disqualification: Congress calls off protest in Ahmedabad after police deny permission, leaders detained
Creed III star Jonathan Majors arrested on assault charge in New York
The Indian Express | 3 days ago | |
The Indian Express
3 days ago | |

Actor Jonathan Majors was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, authorities said. New York City police said that Majors, star of the recently released Creed III and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman.Police responded around 11 a.m. to a 911 call inside an apartment in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea. “The victim informed police she was assaulted,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement.“Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident. The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition.” He was no longer in police custody as of Saturday night, the NYPD spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press.A representative for Majors denied any wrongdoing by the actor. “He has done nothing wrong,” the representative said in an email to the AP on Saturday. “We look forward to clearing his name and clearing this up.”Majors is one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood. After breaking through in 2019′s “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” Majors has starred in “Da 5 Bloods,” “The Harder They Fall” and last year’s “Devotion.” He also stars in the recent Sundance Film Festival entry “Magazine Dreams,” which Searchlight Pictures is to release in December.

Creed III star Jonathan Majors arrested on assault charge in New York
4 People Posing As Anti-Drugs Officers, Staffers Arrested In Maharashtra
Ndtv | 3 days ago | |
Ndtv
3 days ago | |

Investigation into the case is underway, said the police. (Representational)Akola, Maharashtra: Police have arrested four persons for allegedly posing as Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officers and its employees in Akola district of Maharashtra and seized their car bearing the national emblem, the anti-drug agency logo and fitted with amber beacon light, an official said on Saturday.They were arrested on Thursday night from Dahihanda village in the district, where the accused were acting against the 'paan' shop owners and other vendors since the last one month, he said.The main accused in the case, who posed as an officer, is a native of Akola and is an MTech degree holder, the police said.Dahihanda police station inspector Surendra Raut said, "We had received information that some persons were posing as NCB officers and employees and operating here since the past one month. We were told that through their fake identity, they were acting against 'paan' shop owners and others." Some local people grew suspicious about their activities and informed the police, he said."The police detained the four persons. They were found using a private vehicle bearing the national emblem on the front and rear sides as well as on the number plate with 'Deputy Zonal Director- NCB' written on it. An amber beacon light was fitted atop the vehicle. They were also found possessing fake letterheads, visiting cards and stamps," Surendra Raut said."Following their detention, the Dahihanda police mailed the NCB office in Mumbai to verify their identity. The agency confirmed that they are not its employees. NCB officer from Mumbai Amol More then lodged a complaint against them," he said, adding that the accused were later placed under arrest and their vehicle was seized.Based on his complaint, a case was registered against them on Friday under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 170 (personating a public servant), 171 (wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent), 417, 419 and 420 (all related to cheating), 465 and 468 (forgery), and 34 (common intention).PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comInvestigation into the case is underway, Surendra Raut added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

4 People Posing As Anti-Drugs Officers, Staffers Arrested In Maharashtra
Hours after being held by CBI in graft case, DGFT joint director dies by suicide in Rajkot
The Indian Express | 4 days ago | |
The Indian Express
4 days ago | |

Hours after being arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh, Jawri Mal Bishnoi, a joint director in the Rajkot office of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), died by suicide on Saturday, the police said.“He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries,” Raju Bhargav, Rajkot commissioner of police (CP), told The Indian Express.The police said the incident took place at around 10 am at the DGFT office opposite the Rajkot Rural superintendent of police office near Girnar Talkies on Race Course Ring Road. The CBI was searching the DGFT office premises as well as Bishnoi’s residences at Rajkot and his native place following his arrest on Friday evening, the police added.“He was rushed to the Rajkot civil hospital where he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment,” an officer of the Pradyuman Nagar police station said, adding that Bishnoi was pronounced dead at 10.28 am.The 44-year-old officer was arrested by the CBI late on Friday evening after he was allegedly caught “red-handed” while accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from an exporter. The CBI had laid a trap after registering a case on the basis of a complaint filed by a businessman involved in the food can export business, officials said. According to the CBI, the businessman had submitted six files to the DGFT with documents pertaining to the periodical exports of food cans. However, Bishnoi allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 9 lakh from the exporter to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the complainant.The CBI said the complainant needed the DGFT NOC for getting his bank guarantee worth Rs 50 lakh released. “It was also alleged that the accused demanded an amount of Rs 5 lakh towards first instalment and asked the complainant to deliver remaining amount at the time of handing over of NOC,” the CBI had said in a release on Friday.

Hours after being held by CBI in graft case, DGFT joint director dies by suicide in Rajkot
Veteran Gujarat CMO official quits, admits son’s links with conman in J&K
The Indian Express | 4 days ago | |
The Indian Express
4 days ago | |

A SENIOR official in the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office resigned Friday over links between his son, who is a businessman associated with the BJP, and “conman” Kiran Patel, who is in J&K custody for posing as an official of the Prime Minister’s Office.Hitesh Pandya, additional public relations officer in the Gujarat CMO, submitted his resignation Friday evening after nearly 22 years in the office where he served under five chief ministers, including Keshubhai Patel, Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani and Bhupendra Patel.Speaking to The Indian Express, 73-year-old Pandya said, “I have tendered my resignation to the Chief Minister (Bhupendra Patel). Nobody asked me to resign. I felt I should resign. I will wind up my pending work by March 31 and be relieved from the office.”Earlier, speaking to this newspaper hours before his resignation, Pandya acknowledged that his 43-year-old son Amit had visited J&K this month along with Kiran Patel “for business purpose” with his consent. Amit and another man identified as Jay Sitapara were accompanying Kiran Patel when he was arrested in J&K earlier this month. Amit and Sitapara have been called by J&K police for questioning in the case.According to Pandya, Amit is “innocent” and “a witness” in the case against Kiran Patel. Asked about his son’s current location, Pandya said, “He is in Kashmir indeed. And I have been saying from day one that he had been called (by J&K police) to record his statement as a witness.”According to Pandya, his son deals in home security appliances like CCTV cameras through his firm Safe Solution. He also said that Amit has been associated with the BJP and was convener of the party’s social media cell in Gujarat’s North Zone.“As part of party reshuffle, he was relieved of his responsibilities as convener of the party’s social media cell’s north zone in January this year,” Pandya said. When contacted, the cell’s state convenor Manan Dani confirmed that Amit was the convenor for North Zone till January 2023.Pandya, meanwhile, denied any knowledge of Kiran Patel having any links to the CMO. But he acknowledged that in 2011, Patel was associated with a private organisation floated by him called Nation First Foundation (NFF).“I started it in 2011 to propagate Modi saheb’s ideas. I am the founder of the organisation…Our work was only related to serving the nation. Then we had done a Bharat Jago Abhiyan to create awareness among people towards the BJP government’s works and projects… He (Kiran Patel) came into contact because he was with Amit. And he joined NFF,” Pandya said.Asked specifically about Amit’s association with Kiran Patel, Pandya said, “They were working in a publicity company in 2004. And I know him as Amit’s friend… But in 2011 itself, I realised that he (Kiran) was not a person to be kept with us. So, I relieved him and all the people with him (from NFF)…I did not find his dealings and billing proper…Then, he (Kiran Patel) started his own organisation”.Asked why he didn’t warn his son about Kiran Patel, Pandya said, “As a friend he can be with anyone. Secondly, he is a businessman. If you think that a person can get you business, why would you break the relationship? He was keeping him away without snapping the relationship.”This, Pandya said, changed after Amit suffered a “rare heart condition”. “In September last year, Amit’s heart had stopped… and he still survived. I had written a story about that in some newspapers. He (Kiran) read it and reached the hospital to see Amit. After that, he increased his contact with Amit. Then, he told Amit that he has lot of work in Kashmir and he can go with him.”According to Pandya, Amit left for J&K with Kiran Patel “after asking me”. “He had gone for business purpose…He wanted to put forward a business proposal related to CCTVs,” he said.“After Kiran’s arrest, Amit and Jay were kept in a hotel and their statements recorded. Then, they were let go and told that they will have to come whenever called…His statement was recorded as a witness,” he said.According to Pandya, “After getting to know about the case (from Amit), I immediately informed the Chief Minister (Bhupendra Patel) and others who I felt needed to be informed.”Pandya has had one of the longest tenures in the Gujarat CMO, having been posted there since 2001 initially as assistant PRO in a lateral appointment. He was earlier employed with Life Corporation of India, and had also worked with Rajkot daily “Phulchhab”.

Veteran Gujarat CMO official quits, admits son’s links with conman in J&K
Amritpal boarded bus from Ambala, driver tells cops
The Indian Express | 4 days ago | |
The Indian Express
4 days ago | |

Wanted Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh allegedly boarded a Haryana roadways bus from Ambala and got down at Kurukshetra’s Pipli, a roadways bus driver at Kashmere Gate told the Delhi and Punjab Police who are on the lookout for Singh.Sources in the Delhi Police said that several units of the Special Cell have been assisting Punjab Police in ascertaining Amritpal’s whereabouts in the capital.“We found a driver of a Haryana roadways bus in Kashmere Gate bus terminal and he informed us that Singh boarded his bus from Haryana’s Ambala and got down at Kurukshetra’s Pipli. Suspecting that Singh might have fled to Delhi, Punjabi Police had informed Delhi Police regarding the same, sources said.A senior officer said both the driver and the conductor are being examined. “We are scanning CCTV footage around Kashmere Gate…we suspect that Singh was accompanied by an aide,” said the officer.A lookout circular and a non-bailable warrant has been issued against Singh, an alleged pro-Khalistan leader who has been changing his hideouts and vehicles to evade arrest by the Punjab Police. Police had since March 18 launched a crackdown on Singh and his associates.The police had earlier arrested a 30-year-old woman, Baljeet Kaur, from Haryana for allegedly providing shelter to Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet at her house in Kurukshetra’s Shahabad for a day where Amritpal changed his clothes.

Amritpal boarded bus from Ambala, driver tells cops