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Mehdi Masroor Biswas sent to judicial custody

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Mehdi Masroor Biswas

Bengaluru: A special court Friday sent ISIS Twitter handler Mehdi Masroor Biswas to 14 day judicial custody after his 15-day police custody expired, a top police official said.

“Our probe team has collected sufficient evidence from him (Mehdi) on his pro-ISIS propaganda for the banned terrorist outfit (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) during his police custody over the last two weeks,” city Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi told reporters here.

The 24-year-old executive in a private firm was arrested Dec 14 and a case was registered against him under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act for waging war against a friendly country.

“With the help of social media experts, we have so far analysed about 12,000 messages Mehdi tweeted/posted on his Facebook account, in which he encouraged youth to join ISIS though it is difficult to establish if recruitment took place,” Reddi said.

British News Channel 4 Dec 11 unmasked Mehdi as a radical supporter of ISIS through social media and Twitter handler @ShamiWitness where he was regularly tweeting from here on the group’s unlawful activities in Iraq and Syria.

“Investigation so far has revealed that Mehdi is a propagandist of ISIS ideology and has been instrumental in influencing minds against our friendly countries and against whom the terror group is at war,” Reddi said.

Mehdi, who hails from Gopalpur town in West Bengal’s Nadia district, is employed in the foods division of the Kolkata-based ITC Ltd here.

“We know Mehdi was in touch with one combatant in Iraq and was of some help to him, informing him of movement of forces and availability of passages. He is a highly radicalised person and has deep knowledge of what he was doing,” Reddi said.

Mehdi confessed to the investigation team that he had been operating the Twitter account after he got interested in the developments of the Levantine region comprising Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza Strip, Egypt and Libya.

He has about 17,000 Twitter followers and used to aggressively tweet by collecting information and watching developments in the desert region.

Mehdi’s Twitter handler was shut Dec 12 after the news channel revealed his identity and reported about the terror activities he was carrying in the virtual world beyond office hours.

(IANS)

Racial slurs against Northeast people will be a criminal offence

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North East Racism

New Delhi: Racial slurs against the people of India’s northeast will soon be a criminal offence as the central government plans to insert new sections in the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Announcing that the government has accepted the recommendations of the Bezbaruah Committee, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in the capital that new sections, 153C and 509A, will be added to the IPC.

“The Indian Penal Code will be amended for insertion of new sections of 153C and 509A as recommended by the committee,” the home minister said Friday, adding that the law ministry has agreed to it.

“The government is committed (to the) safety and security of the people from the northeast region living in Delhi and other metropolitan cities,” he said.

The committee headed by M.P. Bezbaruah, a member of the North Eastern Council, was set up in February 2014 after 19-year-old Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, died here after he was thrashed by local shopkeepers.

The panel was formed to look into the concerns of the people of the northeast living in other parts of the country and suggest suitable remedial measures.

“As part of legal assistance, a panel of seven lawyers, including five women lawyers, has been constituted by the Delhi State Legal Service Authority for providing legal assistance to the needy people from the northeast,” he said.

Rajnath Singh said the Delhi government would also provide monetary assistance to the victims of any violence in the city.

“The Delhi government will also be providing compensation and monetary assistance to the northeast people under Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme 2011.”

“Recommendations made by the committee regarding special police initiatives and additional steps to be taken by various state police forces and Delhi Police have been accepted for immediate implementation,” the minister said.

Over two lakh people of eight northeastern states are living in Delhi.

A development of northeastern region ministry official said 86 percent of the people from northeast living in Delhi have faced some sort of racial discrimination.

According to reports, many citizens from the northeast have complained that they have been stereotyped by such characterisations as ‘Chinky’, ‘Hakka’, ‘Nepali’, ‘Chinese’ and ‘Chow Mein’ by the people in metro cities with reference to their facial features.

In 2007, the North East Support Centre and Helpline was started with the determined object of increasing awareness of prejudices and attacks against people from the northeast.

(IANS)

Bengaluru: 3 children injured in gelatin stick blast in Sai Baba School

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Representational image. Photo: AP/File

Representational image. Photo: AP/File

Bengaluru: In a freak incident, three students of a private school suffered ‘minor’ injuries today when gelatin sticks they took from a waste dump exploded in their classroom, police said.

The children studying in the Sai Baba School at Madiwala had found the gelatin sticks lying in a waste dump while they were playing and carried them to their classroom, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar said.

The explosion occurred as soon as they switched on the electric panel into which they had stuffed the gelatin sticks, he said.

The injured children have been admitted to ESI Hospital and are undergoing treatment for minor injuries, he said.

(PTI)

'PK' becomes Bollywood's highest grossing film

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pk

Mumbai: As protests against the film continued, the producers of Aamir Khan-starrer ‘PK’ today said the film has broken ‘Dhoom 3’ record to become the biggest earner in Bollywood by collecting Rs 278.52 crores since its release on December 19.

The film has faced criticism by right-wing organisations who said the Rajkumar Hirani-directed film disrespects Hindu religion, an allegation rejected by its makers.

Hirani, 52, said the film’s word-of-mouth performance has been overwhelming.

“I had never in my wildest dreams thought this film will cross these numbers. It reinforces faith that content is king. We can continue making films we believe in. The messages I get are overwhelming. People are watching the film over and over again. It’s humbling,” the director said in a statement.

‘PK’ with its Rs 278.52 crores at the box office is the second film by both Aamir and Hirani after ‘3 Idiots’ (Rs 202 crores) to be a part of the highest earning films’ club.

Aamir-starrer ‘Dhoom 3’ is second biggest earner with Rs 271.82 crores followed by Salman Khan starrer ‘Kick’ (Rs 244 crores) and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chennai Express’ (Rs 228 crores).

The film has done well in overseas markets as well by contributing Rs 124 crores at the box office.

(IANS)

Boat, allegedly from Pakistan, intercepted, explodes, sinks

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coastguard

New Delhi: A suspicious Pakistani fishing boat intercepted by the Coast Guard and navy in the Arabian sea exploded and sank after its crew set fire to it, the Indian government said Friday.

The boat had set off from Keti Bunder near Karachi and was planning ‘some illicit transaction’ in the Arabian Sea, a defence ministry statement said.

Indian Coast Guard ships and navy aircraft tried to intercept the boat near the India-Pakistan maritime boundary, about 365 km from Porbander in Gujarat, on the night of Dec 31-Jan 1.

A Coast Guard ship warned the boat to stop for investigation of the crew and cargo. But the vessel increased speed and tried to get away.

‘(A) hot pursuit continued for nearly one hour, and the Coast Guard ship managed to stop the fishing boat after firing warning shots,’ the statement said.

‘Four persons were seen on the boat who disregarded all warnings by the Coast Guard ship to stop and cooperate with investigation.’

The suspicious crew then hid themselves below the deck and set the vessel on fire, resulting in an explosion and a major fire.

‘Due to darkness, bad weather and strong winds, the boat and persons on board could not be saved or recovered. The boat burnt and sank in the same position in early hours of Jan 1,’ the statement said.

(IANS)

Minor girl gang-raped by two cops in police station in Uttar Pradesh

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rape-case

Uttar Pradesh: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by two constables inside a police station here in Uttar Pradesh, prompting the authorities to suspend the accused who are absconding.

The girl was allegedly abducted from her house on December 31 by constables Veer Pal Singh Yadav and Avnish Yadav, police said on Friday.

She was taken to Musajhag Police Station and allegedly raped there, Superintendent of Police (City) Lallan Singh said.

An FIR was registered after the victim’s mother lodged a complaint against the two policemen, who are absconding.

The two cops have been suspended and police were trying to trace their trace them.

Congress leader Ranjita Yadav urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to order the arrest of two police constables.

“It’s shameful that a policeman, who is supposed to protect us, rapes a girl. We appeal to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to arrest the culprits, book them under appropriate sections of law and punish them,” she said.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has reportedly asked for serious disciplinary action to be taken against the two constables.

According to reports, the girl’s family has alleged that two constables dragged her to a car and raped her.

This incident comes just a year after two minor girls were mysteriously found hanging from a tree in Badaun.

(PTI)

Muslim quota row: MIM to launch stir on January 6

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asaduddin-owaisi

Mumbai: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) will launch an agitation against Maharashtra government’s decision to scrap job reservations for Muslims.

The party will hold a rally in Beed on January 6, to be addressed by party President Asaduddin Owaisi. MIM MLA from Aurangabad, Imtiaz Jaleel and Byculla MLA Waris Pahan will also be addressing the gathering which will be attended by party workers from across the state.

The party has asked all MIM units to submit a memorandum to respective district collectors or tehsildars on January 6 to register their protest against the state government’s indifferent attitude towards reservation for Muslims, Jaleel said.

“The state government has brought a bill in the Nagpur state legislative assembly session in December that will enable 16 per cent reservations for Marathas while refusing to bring an ordinance for continuing reservations for Muslims,” he said.

The matter related to reservations for Muslims and Marathas is scheduled to be heard in the Bombay High Court, after the Supreme Court refused to entertain the petition of the state government.

(PTI)

After skullcaps, Gujarat Police make ‘dummy terrorists’ shout Islamic slogans during mock drill

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gujarat-police-mock-drill

Ahmedabad: A video of police mock drill showing dummy militants shouting pro-Islamic slogan emerged on Thursday in Gujarat, a day after controversy erupted over men, playing the part of terrorists, being made to wear skullcaps in a similar exercise in Surat.

Reacting to the Surat episode that came to light on Wednesday, Chief Minister Anandi Patel admitted it as a “mistake” to show people posing as terrorists in the drill in skullcaps.

The latest video is of another anti-terror mock drill at Narmada dam site in Kevadia area of Narmada district. It shows policemen holding two dummy terrorists who were shouting “take our lives, if you want. Islam Zindabad (long live Islam)”.

When contacted by PTI, Narmada Superintendent of Police Jaypalsinh Rathore said an inquiry will be conducted into the issue.

“I came to know about this incident (of projecting terrorists as Muslims) through media. If such an incident has happened, we will conduct an inquiry and take necessary actions against those responsible,” he said.

“The mock drill was a routine police exercise which was conducted a week ago in Kevadia area,” Rathore added.

As the Surat episode generated controversy and invited criticism from several quarters, including from the chief of Gujarat BJP Minority Cell, Patel told a TV channel it is wrong to link religion with terrorism.

“It’s wrong to link religion with terrorism. The issue has been resolved and the matter should be put to rest now. The mistake has been rectified,” she said.

The anti-terror drills were conducted ahead of the two high-profile events being held in the state – Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (January 7 to 9) and Vibrant Gujarat Investors Summit (January 11 to 13) – both in Gandhinagar.

(PTI)

Modi government scraps rape crisis centres project

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WCD minister Maneka Gandhi had assured that the centres would be open by December. Photo: Hindustan Times

WCD minister Maneka Gandhi had assured that the centres would be open by December. Photo: Hindustan Times

New Delhi: The much talked about “one stop crisis centre” — conceived in the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case and the Justice Verma report — has been scrapped by the NDA government. The project worth about Rs 200 crore was expected to provide medical, legal, police and emergency services to women in distress.

In June this year, the women and child development (WCD) ministry, headed by Maneka Gandhi had announced that one-stop rape crisis centres will be made functional by the year end in all districts of the country.

The centres were supposed to provide medical, legal, and police aid to women who are victims of rape and sexual assault.”These will provide short stay for the women in need and will be equipped with ambulance services which will reach women who need help. Funds, Maneka added, have been allocated for the project, partly from the Nirbhaya fund and the centres will be run by the central government,” The Indian Express had earlier reported.

According to TOI, “the plan has been shot down by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the argument that the scheme was unnecessary and services could be provided through the existing infrastructure like hospitals and women police stations.”

“WCD ministry sources however pointed out that there were many scenarios when women who were stalked, molested, raped or experienced violence and could not or were not willing to go to a police station. “They require only shelter or counseling. The centre promises anonymity to the victim. It would have acted as an overnight shelter while making all the services of a hospital, police station, legal aid cell under one roof,’’ sources said. The cost of a centre was pitched at Rs 36 lakh,” the paper reports.

PDP, BJP may shake hands but hiccups remain

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“PDP’s priority is not to cobble up a majority for the sake of government formation,” party leader Mehbooba Mufti said in Jammu after meeting Governor N.N. Vohra on Wednesday. Photo: The Hindu

“PDP’s priority is not to cobble up a majority for the sake of government formation,” party leader Mehbooba Mufti said in Jammu after meeting Governor N.N. Vohra on Wednesday. Photo: The Hindu

Srinagar/Jammu: The PDP and the BJP, the two largest groups in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, said Thursday they were prepared to form a government amid signs of problems in stitching an alliance.

A day after a Peoples Democratic Party delegation met Governor N.N. Vohra, a BJP team called on him Thursday briefly and then said that it was committed to giving the state a stable government.

A PDP leader told IANS that channels of communication were open between the two parties. “But a structured dialogue is yet to start,” PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar said.

BJP state president Jugul Kishore said earlier that the BJP was committed to forming a stable government in the troubled state.

And he added that formal talks on establishing a coalition with the PDP were set to begin.

The PDP agreed, saying Kashmir needed a stable government to surmount the multiple problems it is facing.

“The talks are going to begun, the talks will be held in a congenial atmosphere,” Jugal Kishore said.

The PDP has 28 members in the 87-member hung house and the BJP 25.

“The priority is a stable government,” Kishore said. “We are not in a hurry to form a government.”

He said any coalition government which takes office will be in power for six years until the next election.

On Wednesday, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav greeted PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti’s laudatory reference to former prime minister and the now ailing BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

PDP insiders said Thursday that there were roadblocks that would have to be removed before starting a structured dialogue on power sharing starts between the PDP and the BJP.

“We are in conformity with the BJP on development, tackling corruption and unemployment, and industry and tourism. But the ideological divergence will have to find some meeting ground,” said the source.

The PDP and the BJP appear to realize that the highly polarized verdict — the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley voted for the former and the overwhelmingly Hindu Jammu region voted for the latter — will have to be reconciled and a common minimum programme unveiled.

PDP insiders admit that allowing the differences to remain unresolved could force a spell of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Neither party has publicly stated what the problems are but sources in both say there are differences over what constitutes the Kashmir problem, as well as whether one party will hold the chief minister’s post for six years or if the post will be shared during the six-year period.

Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state, has always had a Muslim chief minister. If the BJP gets to govern the state, it will get a Hindu chief minister.

(IANS)

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