Archives for 2022

New Delhi: A court here has framed charges against nine accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for propagating the ideology of ISIS even though it observed that mere possession of non-prohibited jihadi literature would not amount to an offence.

The court was hearing a case registered by the National Investigating Agency under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA.

“Let the charges be framed against the eight accused — Mushab Anwar, Rhees Rasheed, Deepthi Marla, Mohammad Waqar Lone, Mizha Siddeeque, Shifa Haris, Madesh Shanker, and Ammar Abdul Rahiman — under the relevant provisions of the IPC and the UAPA,” Principal District and Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma said in a recent order.

The court framed charges against the accused under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC read with Section 2 (o) (Unlawful activity) read with Section 13 (Punishment for indulging in unlawful activities) along with Sections 38 (Offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (Offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA.

The court said all the eight accused were accessing highly provocative jihadi material and subscribing to the ideology of ISIS, besides actively disseminating such material and seeking support from like-minded people.

They were also enticing gullible Muslim youths to follow ISIS policies and professing to be self-styled operatives of ISIS, thus, making all efforts to further the cause of the banned organisation.

The court, meanwhile, discharged an accused, Muzamil Hassan Bhat, from all the charges, saying there was no evidence to establish that he professed to be a member of ISIS or that he did anything to further the activities of the banned organisation.

The court also framed charges against another accused, Obaid Hamid Matta, under Section 2 (o) read with Section 13 of the UAPA for indulging in the commission of unlawful activities.

It also said that merely because Matta was accessing and reading certain hardcore Islamic literature, he did not commit any offence.

The court, however, discharged all the accused for several offences, including those under Sections 17 (Punishment for raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (punishment for conspiracy etc.), 18B (recruiting any person or persons for commission of a terrorist act ), 20 (Punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation) and 40 (Offence of raising fund for a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA and Section 121A ( Conspiring to commit certain offences against the State) of the IPC.

It said that the prosecution had failed to prima facie establish that the accused people were members of any terrorist organisation and that mere possession of jihadi literature was not an offence.

“Further, to hold that mere possession of jihadi literature having a particular religious philosophy would amount to an offence, though such literature is not expressly or specifically banned under any provision of law, is not fathomable in law unless and until there is material about the execution of such philosophy so as to do terrorist acts,” the court said.

Such a proposition was contrary to the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the court said.

“Even if they (the accused) were impressed by the said philosophy and ideology, still they cannot be said to be members much less such members as would attract the penal liability – of the said organisation (ISIS),” the court said.

The court said that none of the accused committed any “terrorist act” within the scope of the relevant sections of the UAPA or conspired to wage war against the government.

“The material gathered by the investigation agency at best demonstrates that almost all the accused except Accused 11 (Bhat) were ISIS sympathisers and accessing highly radicalised jihadi material from the web world but there is no iota of material to suggest any of the accused individually or in association committed or planned any terrorist act,” the court said.

The court said that there was no evidence to establish that any of the accused was entrusted with the task of soliciting details of like-minded people, conducting interviews, taking money or facilitating their onward journey to ISIS-controlled territories.

None of the accused had conducted any recruitment process nor was any fund transferred to ISIS, the court said.

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday released what he claimed to be clinching ‘evidence’ in the alleged poaching attempt of four TRS MLAs by the BJP and disclosed that he had sent the same to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Supreme Court judges and CJs and others judges of high courts as well as presidents of all parties and CMs of all States.

Speaking at a press conference at Pragathi Bhavan, soon after the Munugode bypoll concluded, Rao implored the Judiciary to discuss the ‘evidence’ and take steps as per law to save democracy. He said that they had submitted three-hour-long video footage containing the discussion of the accused with TRS MLAs, to the high court.

“We have obtained the call data of the brokers from 2015 and also retrieved the data from their laptops, which runs into 70,000 to 80,000 pages,” Rao said.

The TRS supremo said that he sent the ‘evidence’ to all the agencies like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Central Vigilance Commission, DGPs of all states and all prominent news agencies in the country and media houses.

‘Shah’s name mentioned 20 times, Modi’s twice’

Playing excerpts of the video footage for the media, Rao alleged that the accused claimed that they dethroned governments in eight States and were planning to pull down the governments in Delhi, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

He alleged that the accused took the name of Union Home Minister Amit Shah 20 times and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name twice during their attempts to poach the TRS MLAs.

Finding fault with the BJP for toppling the State governments ruled by the Opposition parties, Rao recalled that the PM had told the public in West Bengal that around 40 Trinamool Congress MLAs were in touch with him.

He recalled that Jayaprakash Narayan started a movement across the country when Indira Gandhi made the mistake of imposing an Emergency, which then led to the defeat of ‘invincible Indira’. Another such movement would be started across the country soon, he said.

The TRS supremo termed the ‘purchasing of MLAs’ and pulling down of the popular State governments as “organised crime”.The CM said that the accused claimed that they had a 24-member gang and even explained how they transported MLAs in Karnataka. He also released the fake ID cards of the accused. The Chief Minister alleged that the accused had multiple driving licences, and Aadhaar and PAN cards.

“This type of undemocratic (practices) is unhealthy and (such) undesirable acts should not continue in the country,” he said.  The BJP was in the hands of ‘anti-Constitutional forces’, he alleged. “I will not keep quiet when they are saying that they will topple my government,” Rao thundered.The CM also alleged that the accused even mentioned Tushar, BJP’s candidate against Rahul Gandhi from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, and explained how they were going to pay money to TRS MLAs.

Towards the end of the presser, he urged the PM to do good for the people. “Modi Ji, I am also holding a constitutional position and became the Chief Minister in the same way you became the Prime minister. Please respect democracy.

It may be recalled here that Telangana police arrested three persons — Ramachadra Bharati, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji — when they allegedly tried to lure four TRS MLAs into BJP on October 26.

Rao is insecure: Kishan

Reacting to the CM’s press conference, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said KCR’s ‘insecurity and intolerance’ was evident in his media address, which ‘stemmed from people of Telangana losing faith in the CM’s family’. Kishan reiterated that the BJP had nothing to do with the alleged poaching case, and that it was a lie scripted by some paid artistes and the TRS MLAs involved, which the CM was trying to put forward.

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Parmesh S Jain

The Vidhana Soudha police on Saturday arrested a 41-year-old software engineer for making repeated hoax call to Chief Secretary office on Friday .

Based on the complaint,the Vidhana Soudha police with the help of electronic city sub-division officials track down Prashanth at his house in Hebbagodi and arrested him within few hours.

Even though the police suspected it to be a hoax call they carried a combing operations in and around the Vidhana Soudha premises to ensure safety.

Probe reveal that Prashanth had upset over two break ups and made a call to the Chief Secretary’s office thrice out of frustration.

A native of Tamil Nadu Prashanth was working in an IT company and living in a rented house in Hebbagodi .

He was had a relationship twice and broke up eventually.Since then he was disturbed,a police officer,said .

The police produced Prashanth before the court and taken him into custody for further investigations.

Parmesh S Jain

The West Division police of Kengeri police on Friday claimed to have solved the 2016 murder of a 70-year-old woman with the arrests of her daughter and grandson,whom they traced to Kolhapur in Maharashtra with help of Know Your Customer details submitted to a bank there,and an accomplice.

The accused has been identified as,Sanjay Srivasudeva Rao and Shashikala.

Senior officer told reporters in a recent crime review meeting which was conducted by Commissioner of Police CH Pratap Reddy,while crime review meeting after analysing reports of pending cases in West Division the commissioner reviewed about the Kengeri murder case which took place five years ago the murder shocked the city.

Commissioner of police CH Pratap Reddy directed Addl CP West Sandeep Patil to form a special team to crack the case.

Based on instructions Sandeep Patil led a special team under the leadership of DCP West Laxman B Nimbargi ACP T Kodandarama and team headed by PI,Vasanth and team swung into action.

Based on the complaint filed by the owner of the house, the police registered a case of murder and kept a tab on the accused for five years until the police realized that the accused were operating their bank account from Kolhapur where they had started living in an apartment with different identities.

During investigation the duo confessed the crime and it was revealed that the accused Sanjay Srivasudeva Rao has bludgeoned his 70-year-old grandmother over a trivial row and buried her body in a closet of the house for six months before fleeing.

The accused told the police that his grandmother Shanthkumari was very traditional and had a fight with Sanjay for getting the food from outside as roadside on the fateful day of May 5 2017.

In the melee Sanjay took the rolling pin and bludgeoned her to death.The son and his mother unable to take the body outside, buried the deadbody in a closet of their house situated in Kengeri satellite town and lived in the house for six months.The duo escaped after foul smell started emanating from the house.

The duo was brought to the city,produced before the court and taken into custody for further investigation.

Finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner,CH Pratap Reddy has appreciated Addl CP West,Sandeep Patil,DCP West,Laxman B Nimbargi,ACP T Kodandarama,PI,Vasanth C,PSI,Nagaraj N,ASI,Shivhucchaiah,and crime staff as,Ravi PL,Hanumathappa Chikkanavar,Ms.Nagaveni, Ningappa Kengningappanavar,and others has been appreciated for the exemplary and meticulous and tremendous job done by them who kept a tab on the murder case and after getting a vital clue and evidence the team zeroed in on them in Kolhapur Maharashtra Bus stand and for the exemplary and excellent work done by them a suitable reward will be given to whole team he added.

Bijnor {UP}: A man allegedly set his two children on fire following a quarrel with his wife, police said on Tuesday.

The children sustained burn injuries on their faces and they have been admitted to the hospital, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Praveen Ranjan Singh said.

The accused father Arun has been arrested, police said.

In a complaint filed by the mother of the children, Vandana, she accused her in-laws of torturing her for dowry after her marriage.

She said after an argument on Monday night her husband Arun threw petrol on her and his children Aarav (4) and Urvashi (2) and set them on fire, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Praveen Ranjan Singh said.

According to the complaint, Vandana somehow saved herself but both the children got burnt.

A case has been registered against Arun, Deepak, Ajay and Kuntesh Devi, Singh said.