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Land-for-job case: Lalu, Tejashwi, Rabri Yadav get regular bail

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ANI
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Land-for-job case: Lalu, Tejashwi, Rabri Yadav get regular bail 2

The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Wednesday granted bail to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Rabri Devi and others in relation to a fresh chargesheet in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam case.

The Special Judge Geetanjali Goel while granted bail noted that no accused was arrested in the matter by the CBI, and even the CBI not opposed their bail petition.

Meanwhile, the Court also directed the CBI to serve the fresh chargesheet copy to all accused in the case.

Earlier, the Court had taken cognizance of a chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and issued summons against all accused.

According to the CBI, this is the second chargesheet in the Designated Court against 17 accused including the then Union Minister of Railways, his wife, son, then GM of West Central Railways(WCR), then two CPOs of WCR, private persons, private company etc. in a case related to Land for Job Scam.

Recently, the CBI has filed a chargesheet in Land for Job alleged scam case against former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav including Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others.

CBI registered a case on May 18, 2022, against the then Union Minister of Railways and others including his wife, two daughters and unknown public servants and private persons.

It was alleged that the then Union Minister of Railways during the period 2004-2009 had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members etc.

in lieu of appointment of Substitutes in Group “D” Post in different Zones of Railways. It was further alleged that in lieu of the substitutes, who were residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold & gifted their land situated at Patna in favour of the family members of said Minister and a private company controlled by his family members, which was also involved in transfer of such immovable properties in the name of said family members.

It was also alleged that no advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointments of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as Substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur.

Searches were earlier conducted at multiple places including in Delhi and Bihar etc, said CBI.

During the investigation, it was found that the then Union Minister of Railways with intent to acquire the land parcels situated at the places where his family already owned land parcels or the places that were already connected to him allegedly entered into conspiracy with associates & family members and allegedly derived a design to grab the land of various land owners by offering/providing group D employment in Railways, CBI said.

The accused had allegedly collected applications and documents of such candidates through associates and then sent those to West Central Railway for processing and providing jobs in Railways and the General Managers of West Central Railways under the influence /control of the accused accorded approval for the engagement of candidates.

For providing jobs in Railways, they allegedly devised an indirect way wherein the candidates were engaged firstly as Substitutes and subsequently, were regularized.

A hard disk containing lists of candidates (who were engaged) was also recovered during searches. It was further alleged that a land parcel was purchased in the name of a private company at Rs.10.83 Lakh in 2007 and subsequently, the said land along with some other land parcels purchased by the said company, were brought into the ownership/control of his wife & son of then Union Minister of Railways by way of transfer of shares at Rs 1 lakh only.

At the time of transfer, the company allegedly owned land parcels purchased at a total cost of Rs1.77 crore(approx) and it was transferred for a mere Rs.1 Lakh(approx) only, however, the market value of the lands was much more.

Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on October 7, 2022, against 16 accused and the investigation is underway, CBI informed the Court.

NewsClick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha, HR Amit Chakravarty sent to 7-day police remand

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ANI
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NewsClick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha, HR Amit Chakravarty sent to 7-day police remand 4

A day after the arrest of two people, including the founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, and Human Resources Head Amit Chakravarty, they were sent to seven days of police remand on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Delhi Police arrested two persons, including founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha, after quizzing them in their offices following raids at his premises under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections, the police officials said.

According to the Delhi Police, a total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at the premises, and nine female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay.

“Regarding the search, seizure, and detentions carried out today in connection with a UAPA case registered with Special Cell, so far, two accused, Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty, have been arrested. A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at the premises, and nine female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay,” the police said.

It is further said that the digital devices, documents, etc. have been seized and collected for examination.

The Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought to the special cell offices in the national capital as part of the investigation as Delhi Police launched a crackdown against NewsClick and its journalists earlier this morning in connection with an FIR registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell sealed the office of the online news portal in the national capital on Tuesday afternoon.

The raids were carried out at more than 30 locations in connection with a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between two groups) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Earlier, on August 10, a report in the New York Times alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network that receives funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham.

Singham is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes and is at the center of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda.

Singham is also said to have close ties with the Chinese government’s media machine.

PM Modi attacks Rahul Gandhi over ‘Jitni Abadi Utna Haq’ slogan

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Web Team
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narendra modi, modi, rahul gandhi, gandhi, bjp, bastar, chattisgarh,
PM Modi attacks Rahul Gandhi over 'Jitni Abadi Utna Haq' slogan 6

PM Narendra Modi, while addressing his rally at Jagdalpur, Bastar, said, “Congress leaders have been clamouring for “Jitni Abadi Utna Haq.” He pointed out that this stands in contrast with former PM Manmohan Singh’s stand, who used to “advocate that the minority community should hold the primary claim to the nation’s resources.”

“Does this imply that they (Congress) intend to diminish the rights of the minority? Consequently, should the Hindu population, being the largest, step forward to assert all their rights?” The PM said, adding that for him, the welfare of the poor is the ultimate goal.

Rahul Gandhi’s “Jitni abadi utna haq” call raises controversy, while his demand for a caste census is an attempt to find the answer. But the caste census is just cold data and only one part of the information puzzle about India’s social inequality. Almost 70 per cent of the Indian population is from the OBC/SC/ST castes, 15 per cent are Muslims, and 15 per cent are ‘upper caste’. This does not automatically mean that every occupation should or will also reflect these numbers proportionally. That is, we cannot expect the proportion of people in, say, banking and sports to be 70 per cent OBC/SC/ST, 15 per cent Muslims, and 15 per cent upper caste. Why is it that 94 per cent of senior officers in the government are upper caste while 80 per cent of the MGNREGA labourers are OBC/SC/ST? These are legitimate questions that any society should challenge and answer.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth Rs 26,000 crore in Chhatisgarh’s Jagdalpur, including a Rs 23,800-crore steel plant and several rail and road projects. This is the PM’s fourth visit to the Congress-ruled state since August. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress party in the poll-bound state said Sunday that it was calling for a bandh in Bastar on Tuesday as a mark of protest against the privatisation of the Nagarnar steel plant.

Turkey detains dozens of PKK suspects in raids following suicide bomb attack

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ANI
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Turkey detains dozens of PKK suspects in raids following suicide bomb attack 8

Police detained at least 67 people across Turkey on Tuesday in a sweep targeting people with alleged links to Kurdish militants, days after a suicide bomb attack in the Turkish capital.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said police carried out raids in 16 Turkish provinces, detaining 55 people suspected of being part of the “intelligence structure” of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. At least 12 other suspected PKK members were rounded up in a separate operation in five provinces, Yerlikaya wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The PKK has led a decades-long insurgency in Turkey and is considered a terror organization by the United States and the European Union. Tens of thousands of people have died since the start of the conflict in 1984.

On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near an entrance to the Interior Ministry hours before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was set to address Parliament as it returned from its summer recess. A second would-be bomber was killed in a shootout with police.

Two police officers were slightly wounded in the attack. The suspects arrived at the scene inside a vehicle they seized from a veterinarian in the central Turkish of Kayseri after shooting him in the head, officials said.

The PKK claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a news website close to the group, while Turkish authorities identified one of the assailants as a PKK militant. Hours later, Turkey’s Air Force carried out airstrikes on suspected PKK sites in northern Iraq, where the group’s leadership is based. The Defence Ministry said a large number of PKK militants were “neutralized” in the strikes.

Yerlikaya did not clarify whether the people rounded up on Tuesday were suspected of direct involvement in Sunday’s attack.

SC rejects IPS Sanjiv Bhatt’s three plea, slaps 1 lakh fine for each

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ANI
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SC rejects IPS Sanjiv Bhatt's three plea, slaps 1 lakh fine for each 10

The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down three petitions moved by ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in connection with a drug seizure case and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for each petition. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Rajesh Bindal observed that the petitioner is repeatedly approaching the courts.

The court directed the petitioner to deposit the fine amount of Rs 3 lakh total with the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association. One of the petitions by Bhatt has sought to transfer the trial of the matter to another court alleging the concerned trial court judge was dealing with the matter unfairly.

On earlier occasions too, the Supreme Court rejected the plea filed by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt challenging a Gujarat High Court direction setting a timeline for a drug seizure case and slapped him with a fine of Rs 10,000. Then Bhatt challenged the Gujarat High Court order which issued a direction of completion of trial in a drug case against him within the stipulated time.

A Gujarat court in June 2019 sentenced former Sanjiv Bhatt to life imprisonment in another custodial death case dating back to 1990. Earlier, The Supreme Court on May 10 declined the plea filed by ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt seeking to adduce additional evidence in the appeal he filed in the Gujarat High Court challenging his conviction in a custodial death case.

A bench of justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar dismissed the plea filed by Sanjiv Bhatt. Bhatt’s lawyer has taken the top court through the deposition of three witnesses who were doctors. The court observed that it is required to be noted that, as such, the deposition of the said witnesses was as such considered by the trial court after all those three witnesses were thoroughly cross-examined. Now the deposition of the 3 witnesses is to be considered and re-appreciated by the High Court at the time of deciding the Appeal, it said.

“Having gone through the impugned order passed by the High Court, we see no reason to interfere with the same in the exercise of powers under Article 136 of the Constitution of India,” the top court said. “Any observations by this Court on the deposition of the aforesaid 3 witnesses may ultimately affect the case of either party in the Appeal, which is yet to be considered by the High Court. Therefore, the Special Leave Petition stands dismissed”, the order stated.

Delhi Police raid NewsClick’s office, journalists’ houses for alleged reports of Chinese funding

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Web Team
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Delhi Police raid NewsClick's office, journalists' houses for alleged reports of Chinese funding 12

Delhi Police’s Special Cell conducted raids at the premises of online portal NewsClick and its journalists on Tuesday morning, triggering outrage among scribes. The Special Cell has registered a new case and started an investigation, officials said. 

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier conducted raids at the firm’s premises, probing its sources of funding. The Special Cell is now raiding the media firm on the basis of inputs provided by the central agency. Officials in the know said police have recovered the dump data from laptops and mobile phones of some journalists of NewsClick.

Some journalists have been brought to the Lodhi Road Special Cell office, but no one has been arrested so far, they said.

Abhisar Sharma, a senior journalist, wrote on X, ”Delhi police landed at my home. Taking away my laptop and phone.” Another journalist, Bhasha Singh, wrote on X, ”Finally last tweet from this phone. Delhi police seizure (sic) my phone.”

The Press Club of India on X said it is deeply concerned about raids on the houses of journalists and writers associated with NewsClick. 

”The Press Club of India is deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with #Newsclick. We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement. ”The PCI stands in solidarity with the journalists and demands the government to come out with details,” it said.

In August, the Delhi High Court sought the stand of NewsClick Founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha on a plea by the city police seeking vacation of an earlier order granting him interim protection from arrest in an unlawful foreign funding case. 

The website recently hit the headlines for allegedly receiving money from US millionaire Neville Roy Singham for pro-China propaganda in India. Citing an investigation by The New York Times, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur too recently claimed that NewsClick’s money trail revealed an ”anti-India agenda.”

Maharashtra became emotional for Chhatrapati Shivaji’s Tiger claws

By
Vaidehi Taman
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wagh nakh, shivaji, nakh, chhatrapati shivaji maharaj, shivaji maharaj
Maharashtra became emotional for Chhatrapati Shivaji's Tiger claws 14

In a significant development, the UK government has agreed to return to the Maharashtra government the iconic wagh nakh, a dagger shaped like tiger claws used by Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This weapon has historical significance because it was used by Shivaji Maharaj in 1659 to assassinate Afzal Khan, the general of the Bijapur Sultanate.

According to historical accounts, Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan with “wagh nakh” (tiger claws). Wagh nakh is a type of Indian weapon that consists of four or five curved blades attached to a crossbar or glove that is worn on the hand like a knuckle-duster. There are conflicting reports of the time period in which the bagh nakh first appeared. Poisoned “wagh nakh” (tiger claws) had been used by the Rajput clans for assassinations. The most well-known usage of the weapon was by the first Maratha leader, Shivaji Maharaj, who used a bichua and bagh nakh to kill the Bijapur general, Afzal Khan.

In 1659, Shivaji Maharaj needed to have a truce meeting with Afzal Khan; hence, he invited him over. There were negotiations about how many men each could have and, of course, no weapons to be carried. As both hugged, Afzal Khan grabbed Chhatrapati Shivaji’s neck in one arm, took out a dagger from the other, and tried to stab Chhatrapati Shivaji. But Chhatrapati Shivaji, surprisingly, was already wearing armor underneath his clothes. Then Chhatrapati Shivaji took out his tiger claws and disemboweled Afzal Khan.

Afzal Khan and most Mughal Emperors or Wazirs were treacherous and if Shivaji returned the same treachery, it’s a very valid reason; after all, while on pursuit to capture Shivaji, Afzal Khan on purpose was desecrating temples, killing innocents to provoke Chhatrapati Shivaji further. So, to bring an end to such evil, Shivaji Maharaj tore him apart. Then Shivaji somehow freed his right hand and left his arm, deep into Afzal Khan’s back, and removed the saber from the waist and pushed it into his flank! With this sudden attack, Krukkarma was shocked and backed away by screaming.

His bodyguards rushed in and tried to take him away, but Shivaji’s bodyguards were killed and then a Maratha cut Afzal Khan’s head with Vijay Ghosh. Ransinghe rang, and the Marathas hiding here and there broke out on the Bijapuri army. Unaware of this unexpected attack, the Bijapuri army did not even get a chance to handle it. How many were killed and then whoever got the chance escaped.

When the Bijapur news reached, mourning prevailed there, and even in his dreams, that ‘hill rat’ came and started scaring him. November 10, 1659, was the day to kill Afzal Khan and acquaint all the heretics, including Bijapur, with the power of the Marathas. That day, the idol of Goddess Tulja Bhavani smiled at the slaughter of that wicked one. That day, the courtyard of every temple smiled, which was defiled by that Kaliyugi Mahishasura.

Ashish of Jagadamba had given Lal of Bhavanii another Vijayashree. And the head of that Mahishasura-like Afzal was sent to the feet of Mata Jijabai and then Raje ordered her to bury her head at the Sinhgadwar in Rajgarh. The demon who defiled Raje’s Kuldevi Tulja Bhavani’s idol was killed by that son of Asura Bhavani! This battle in history is called the battle of Pratapgarh.

This year marks the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The tiger claw weapon would be brought back from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum for a three-year exhibition to commemorate the occasion. Some historians have also stated that whether the weapon that’s in the London Museum is the same weapon used to kill Bijapur general Afzal Khan is subject to verification. However, the Maharashtra government claimed that the tiger claws, which will be brought back to the country, were used by Shivaji Maharaj to kill Afzal Khan. The wagh nakh is expected to be housed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum in south Mumbai.

The Maratha victory at the Battle of Pratapgad in 1659 was a turning point in Chhatrapati Shivaji’s campaign to establish the Maratha Empire. Despite being outnumbered, the Marathas defeated the Adilshahi forces led by Afzal Khan, boosting Chhatrapati Shivaji’s reputation as a brilliant military strategist.

Chhatrapati Shivaji killed Afzal Khan at the foot of Pratapgarh fort in present-day Satara district in Maharashtra. This episode has since become a part of folklore, symbolizing Chhatrapati Shivaji’s bravery and cunning in defeating a much larger and more powerful enemy. The authenticity of the ‘wagh nakh’ is under debate in Maharashtra. History expert Inderjit Sawant has pointed out that the Victoria and Albert Museum website states that Chhatrapati Shivaji did not use the weapon.

Lured by good returns on bitcoin trading, Thane man loses over Rs 77 lakh

By
PTI
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Lured by good returns on bitcoin trading, Thane man loses over Rs 77 lakh 16

A 36-year-old man from Thane district has been cheated of more than Rs 77 lakh by a person after being assured of good returns by getting into bitcoin trading, police said on Monday.

The Kalwa police on Sunday registered a case against the unidentified accused under Indian Penal Code Section 420 (cheating), an official from the Kalwa police station said.

The accused lured the victim between April 2 and 8 this year, asking him to indulge in bitcoin trading for good returns, the official said, quoting the victim’s complaint. The victim invested a total sum of Rs 77,91,090 from time-to-time but did not get any return and also lost the invested amount, he said. The man then filed a police complaint against the unidentified fraudster, the official added.

TT at Asian Games: Sutirtha and Ayhika sign off with bronze medal after losing to Korea

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PTI
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TT at Asian Games: Sutirtha and Ayhika sign off with bronze medal after losing to Korea 18

Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee’s giant-slaying run ended with a bronze medal at the Asian Games after the Indian duo lost the closely-fought women’s doubles semifinal 3-4 to Korea on Monday.

Sutirtha and Ayhika brought the match on even-keel after trailing 2-3 but the Koreans Sugyong Pak and Suyog Cha outgunned the Indians in the decider, winning 7-11 11-8 7-11 11-8 11-9 5-11 11-2 in 60 minutes.

The match ended when Sutirtha’s forehand crashed on the net.

Sutirtha and Ayhika had shocked the reigning world champion Chinese pair of Chen Meng and Yidi Wang in the quarterfinals.

With this defeat in the women’s doubles, India’s table tennis campaign ended at the Games. This is the only TT medal that India won at this edition of the Games.

School teacher arrested under POSCO Act for molesting minor girl in Bihar’s Gaya

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ANI
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Image for Representational Purpose

A school teacher was arrested for allegedly molesting a student in Bihar’s Gaya, police said on Monday. According to Sub-Divisional Police Officer Gulshan Kumar, the accused has been identified as Subhash Manjhi.

“The molestation incident that took place on September 30 came to light after the minor girl’s uncle lodged an FIR at the Paraiya police station in Gaya,” said the official. According to the information received, the student, a resident of a village in the Paraiya police station area, had gone to school on Saturday like every other day.

During lunch, the school teacher took the minor girl to the rooftop of the school and molested her. Somehow, the student escaped from the accused teacher and ran back to her classroom, stated the official.

An FIR was lodged by the uncle of the victim, after which the police took immediate action and arrested the accused teacher. A case was registered against the accused under the POSCO ACT, said the official.

Earlier on September 29, a man was arrested for allegedly molesting a student on the Garib Rath Express Train, en route to Bihar’s Saharsa, police said. The accused was identified as Saurabh Kumar, a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Agra.

According to police, the student was travelling with her friend on the train. The accused, who works as a sweeper on the Garib Rath Express asked her for her phone number and also touched the girl inappropriately, police added. After the student raised a hue and cry passengers caught the accused and informed the control room about the incident.

Muzaffarpur Railway Station was informed and the accused was arrested at the Muzaffarpur junction and taken to the police station for further investigation.

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