Mumbai: Mustafa Dossa, one of the six convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, has died hours after he was admitted to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai after complaining of chest pain.

The channel quoted Mumbai Police as saying that Dossa succumbed to hypertension and chest pain at around 2.30 pm on Wednesday.

JJ Hospital dean Dr TP Lahane confirmed the news and told Firstpost, “Dossa died of a cardiac arrest. The post-mortem is at underway under the supervision of a three-doctor panel. It is being conducted as per the jail manual. Further details will only emerge after post-mortem is complete.”

Early in the morning, Dossa was admitted to JJ Hospital after he complained of chest pain and hypertension.

“Dossa was admitted to the jail ward of the hospital at 3 am,” Lahane said. Dossa (lodged in Arthur Road Jail) complained of chest pain and had hypertension, diabetes and infection, Lahane added.

Dossa also informed the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court about his heart condition and said he wanted to undergo a bypass surgery. On Tuesday, the CBI sought capital punishment for Dossa, arguing that his role in the blasts was “more severe” than that of hanged convict Yakub Memon.

In fact, the family of the deceased feared for his life after he was convicted by the TADA court. Reacting to the verdict, Dossa’s son, Shahnawaz said, “Everything is over… My dad is not going to come back now.”

Special CBI counsel Deepak Salvi told the special TADA court that Dossa was one of the “brains” behind the conspiracy and that his degree of responsibility towards the commission of the crime was the highest. “If not for him (and other absconding accused), the crime would never have taken place,” Salvi had told the court.

He told the court that first conspiracy meeting held at Dossa’s Dubai residence had sowed the first seeds of the conspiracy. Salvi had argued that Dossa was one of the masterminds and was in a position of authority.

“Dossa was from among the prime conspirators giving instructions to others,” the counsel had told the court. He had argued that Dossa financed for landing of arms and explosives and sending people to Pakistan for arms training etc.

Dossa had the effective control over the incident and he was one of the architects of the blasts, he had said.

“Just like the supreme court had held that Yakub Memon’s deeds cannot be viewed distinct from the act of Tiger Memon (a wanted accused in the blasts case), the same can be attributed to Dossa and other suggestion would be futile and worth discarding at the first glance,” Salvi argued.

He had said Dossa was among the “archers wearing the quiver and releasing arrows and one of the principal perpetrators who got the work done through others.”

“The offence could have been averted had it not been hatched by the absconders (including Dossa) or if he had not initiated it by sending the first consignment of arms,” Salvi said.

The CBI counsel had said that from the execution of the conspiracy, there is a clear instigation by Dossa and he was directly responsible for the blasts as he was one of the brains behind plotting the attacks.

“The crime of terrorism is in itself the aggravating circumstances as it carries a special stigmatisation due to the deliberate form of inhuman treatment it represents and the severity of the pain and suffering inflicted,” Salvi had argued.

He had said Dossa was a known smuggler and has criminal antecedents.

“The crime committed by him is of the utmost gravity, heinous, dastardly, diabolical and demonic with no regard towards the country and her citizens, and was carried out pruriently relishing the act of spilling the blood and slaughtering,” Salvi had argued.

In the second installment of the trial, the court had on 16 June convicted five accused, including Dossa and extradited gangster Abu Salem, under the charges of murder, conspiracy and sections of now repealed TADA, while the sixth accused Riyaz Siddiqui was convicted only under TADA Act.

As many as 257 people were killed in the coordinated blasts that ripped through the city on 12 March, 1993.

The trial of the seven accused — Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum — was separated from the main case as they were arrested at the time of conclusion of the main trial. The court had acquitted Abdul Quayyum of all the charges.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: Senior Journalists, Publishers of Kannada Periodicals Ravi Belagere and Anil Raj have filed a writ petition before Karnataka High Court on Tuesday urging the court to stay the order passed by Karnataka Legislative Assembly speaker KB Koliwad recently. The speaker announced one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 against the duo after recommendations of a legislative committee which found the duo published derogatory content against two assembly members in their respective periodicals.

In his writ petition Ravi Belagere said, the assembly doesn’t has the authority to punish him and the move of the assembly is unconstitutional. Also, the committee didn’t record two journalists’ opinion before announcing one year jail term and fine of Rs 10,000. Advocate representing Ravi Belagere filed the writ in his absence today. Ravi Belagere reportedly admitted to KIMS Hospital in Dharwad following severe health issues.

(Agencies)

Ahmedabad: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday said it has passed a resolution demanding the immediate scrapping of the National Commission for Minorities and the Ministry of Minority Affairs, as they “give credence to a separatist mindset”.

The VHP’s Central Governing Council met in Vadtal in Kheda district of Gujarat between June 24 and 25, where it concurred that minorities “gather sympathy” and carry out “anti-Hindu and anti-national activities” with the help of the minorities commission.

“The National Human Rights Commission is more than enough to take care of the rights of all citizens of the country… The workings of the minorities commission creates a false feeling that the Muslim and Christian community are being persecuted,” reads the resolution.

The VHP also reiterated its demand of enacting a law for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“Iron Man Sardar Patel has already shown us, through the example of Somnath temple, how this can be done. The best tribute to the Iron Man would be if the Ram temple could be built on the lines of the Somnath Temple,” the resolution said.

Freedom fighter and India’s first Home Minister Sardar Patel was born in Kheda district.

The VHP also expressed concern over the imposition of GST on “prasad” of the Tirupati and some other big temples. It asked Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to quash all taxes on Hindu religious items such as agarbatties, dhoop, gods and goddesses’ idols, etc.

It stated that there was a conspiracy to malign the image of “gau rakshaks” (cow vigilantes).

“Gau rakshaks never take law in their own hands and it is police who file false cases against them to hide their own failures,” the VHP resolution said.

(IANS)

London: A Sikh couple in the UK have alleged that they were refused permission to adopt a white child because of their “cultural heritage” and told to adopt a child from India instead.

Sandeep and Reena Mander, British-born business professionals from Berkshire, were quoted by The Times as saying that they were told not to apply to become adoptive parents on the basis that white British or European applicants would be given preference.

The couple, who are of Sikh-Indian heritage, had told Adopt Berkshire adoption agency that they would be delighted to adopt a child of any ethnic background but were rejected as potential parents on the grounds that only white children were available.

The Manders, both in their 30s, claimed they were told to adopt a child from India instead.

Adoption agencies are allowed to prioritise on the basis of race in order to match children to prospective parents of the same ethnic background. But the government has also said that a child’s ethnicity should not be a barrier to adoption.

The Manders, whose cause has been taken up by Prime Minister Theresa May as their local MP, will take their case to court.

They are applying to Slough county court, seeking a declaration that the policy should allow them to adopt. They are being represented by the law firm McAllister Olivarius and their case is supported by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

David Isaac, chair of the EHRC, said, “There are many children who are waiting for a loving family like Sandeep and Reena to help give them a better life. To be denied this because of so-called cultural heritage is wrong.”

The Manders had an assessment and home visit from Adopt Berkshire, an agency run by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), last year.

They were allegedly told that, while in other respects they would be suitable adoptive parents, they could not apply because only white children were available for adoption and therefore white couples would be given priority.

Adopt Berkshire has not commented on the allegations but its website says that it welcomes applicants from different cultural, religious and sexual backgrounds.

Mander, vice-president of sales at Continuum Commerce Solutions, a payments technology company, said that the couple had been trying to conceive for seven years, including 16 sessions of IVF treatment, and decided to adopt.

“Having attended introductory workshops organised by RBWM and Adopt Berkshire, giving an adopted child — no matter what race — the security of a loving home was all we wanted to do,” he told the daily.

“What we didn’t expect was a refusal for us to even apply for adoption, not because of our incapability to adopt, but because our cultural heritage was defined as ‘Indian/Pakistani’,” he said.

The Manders tried at first to get the agency’s decision reversed through the council’s complaints procedure and the Local Government Ombudsman, which is awaiting the outcome of their legal action.

(PTI)

United Nations: India’s population could surpass that of China’s around 2024, two years later than previously estimated, and is projected to touch 1.5 billion in 2030, according to a UN forecast.

The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said that currently China with 1.41 billion inhabitants and India with 1.34 billion remain the two most populous countries, comprising 19 and 18 per cent of the total global population.

“In roughly seven years, or around 2024, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China,” the report said.

The 2017 Revision of World Population Prospects is the 25th round of official UN population estimates and projections.

In its 24th round of estimates released in 2015, it was projected that the population of India will surpass that of China’s by 2022.

The new estimates released here today said that in 2024, India and China are expected to have roughly a population of 1.44 billion each. After that, India s population is projected to continue growing for several decades to around 1.5 billion in 2030 and approaching 1.66 billion in 2050, while the population of China is projected to remain stable until the 2030s, after which it may begin a slow decline.

India s population may eventually see a decline in the half century after 2050 to 1.51 billion by 2100 but it will still be the most populous country in the world.

In India, life expectancy at birth will be 71 years in 2025-2030, growing to 74.2 years in 2045-2050. The under-five mortality rate will decline from 32.3 deaths under age five per 1,000 live births in 2025-2030 to 18.6 in 2045-2050.

The report said the current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100.

“With roughly 83 million people being added to the world s population every year, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue, even assuming that fertility levels will continue to decline, it said.

Ten countries are expected to account collectively for more than half of the world s projected population increase over the period 2017-2050: India, Nigeria, Congo, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the United States, Uganda, Indonesia and Egypt.

Among the ten largest countries worldwide, Nigeria is growing the most rapidly. Consequently, the population of Nigeria, currently the world s 7th largest, is projected to surpass that of the US and become the third largest country in the world shortly before 2050.

Further, large and persistent economic and demographic asymmetries between countries are likely to remain key drivers of international migration for the foreseeable future. Between 2015 and 2050, the top net receivers of international migrants (more than 100,000 annually) are projected to be the US, Germany, Canada, UK, Australia and Russia.

The countries projected to be net senders of more than 100,000 migrants annually include India, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and Indonesia.

The report said that in 2010-2015, around 46 per cent of the world s population lived in intermediate-fertility countries, where women have on average between 2.1 and 5 births over a lifetime.

Intermediate-fertility countries are found in many regions, with the largest being India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mexico and the Philippines.

In 2045-2050, it is expected that slightly less than a third of the world s population will live in countries with fertility in this range. By that time, most of the world’s population will be living in countries with relatively low levels of fertility, where women bear fewer than 2.1 children on average.

The report highlights that a reduction in the fertility level results not only in a slower pace of population growth but also in an older population. Compared to 2017, the number of persons aged 60 or above is expected to more than double by 2050 and to more than triple by 2100, rising from 962 million globally in 2017 to 2.1 billion in 2050 and 3.1 billion in 2100.

“Population ageing is projected to have a profound effect on societies, underscoring the fiscal and political pressures that the health care, old-age pension and social protection systems of many countries are likely to face in the coming decades, it said.

Substantial improvements in life expectancy have occurred in recent years. Globally, life expectancy at birth has risen from 65 years for men and 69 years for women in 2000-2005 to 69 years for men and 73 years for women in 2010-2015.

(PTI)

Bengaluru: The iftar – an evening meal where Muslims break their daily fast after sunset during Ramadan was organized by the Consulate General of Israel in South India at the Shangri-la hotel in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Yael Hashavit, Consul General, Consulate General of Israel in Bengaluru took this initiative of hosting the Iftar party for Muslim community in Bengaluru wherein they can break their fast for Thursday.

The iftar spread was a Middle Eastern combination with special dates from Israel and namaz arrangements being made before the Iftar dinner.

Consul General sought approvals from her foreign ministry in Israel and was personally responsible to create a Middle Eastern buffet keeping in mind the taste of local Bengaluru Muslim population.

Speaking during the occasion, she said “Israel has over a million Muslim citizens and they play such a vital role in all aspects of the society. It is important to me to mention that as we celebrate this year, the 25 year of diplomatic relationship between Israel and India, we cherish the strong and brave bilateral ties between the two countries”

Speaking to young people of various faiths, the President of the All India Imam association, Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi emphasized on the need for greater religious literacy in Indian society to counter prejudice and extremism. “The All India Imam association”is the all India body of Imams in the country

Asif Iqbal, President of the Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO) who recently returned from a successful trip in Israel shared about the hospitality andbenevolence which he experienced over there. He said that the people of Israel were very welcoming and he felt privileged during his stay.

“India being a great friend of Israel and we being the world’s second largest Muslim population of 200 million Muslims can take an initiative in bringing peace to the Middle East. Indian Muslims are highly secular and being in a country which gave 4 religions to the world Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Hinduism ,gives us Indian Muslims an edge to look at things from a Non-Arab perspective which is the real need of the hour.” Said Dr Imam Ilyasi.

Talking about the event, Dr Ilyasisaid “Such events are very important for the Muslims to integrate with Jewish culture and understand more about Israel.

The Muslims members who participated in the event were progressive minded influencers and thinkers from the society, who will contribute to a great extent by educating the ignorant masses about the advantages of developing Jewish-Muslim friendship and it’s abrahamic origins for economic and strategic advantage.

“I have myself visited Israel and it is an amazing country with a history of Islam, Christianity and Judaism blending together. Muslims of India will add lot of value to the peace process of the Middle East” said Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi

Israel and India have cooperation in Defense, Agriculture, IT and Innovation and together have a great future considering their common interests.

Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO) believes that trade and commerce is a great platform for establishing people to people connect. IETO is planning to commemorate the 25 years of celebrating India Israel relations. The prime minister of India Sri Narendra Modi is slated to visit Israel in July, first ever historic one by an Indian Prime minister in 25 years.