Centre bans PFI, and 8 other associates for alleged terror activities, this comes after massive crackdown by NIA

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September 28, 2022

pfi, popular front of india, terror, nia, isis, ban on pfi, activities — Image: Agency

The Popular Front of India, which has allegedly been involved in a series of violence and has ”links” with global terror groups like ISIS, has been banned by the Centre along with its several associates for five years following the second round of crackdown against its leaders.

The organisations which were also declared banned under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CF), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

More than 150 people allegedly linked with PFI were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday, five days after a similar pan-India crackdown against the 16-year-old group had led to the arrest of over a hundred of its activities and seizure of several dozen properties.

In a late Tuesday night notification, the Union Home Ministry said some of the PFI’s founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.

It said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase the radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the notification claimed.

”Whereas, the Central government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of the firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts association outlawed with immediate effect, and accordingly, in the exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, declares it as outlawed,” it said.

The Home Ministry said Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat governments had also recommended a ban on PFI.

It claimed that PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been involved in violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state.

The PFI, the notification alleged, is encouraging and trying to enforce a terror-based regressive regime, continue to propagate anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society to create disaffection against the country, aggravating activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.

The home ministry claimed investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts.

It said Rehab India Foundation collects funds through PFI members. Some PFI members are also members of Campus Front of India, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala. The activities of Junior Front, All India Imams Council. National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation and National Women’s Front are monitored/coordinated by the PFI leaders, the notification claimed PFI created these associates or affiliates or fronts to enhance its reach among different sections of the society such as the youth, students, women, Imams, lawyers or weaker sections of the society with the sole objective of expanding its membership, influence and fund-raising capacity, it said.

The Centre, through another notification, empowered the state governments to take action against these groups which were affiliated with the PFI and the possible action against them could be seizure of places and arrest of their members.

The home ministry said these associates or affiliates or fronts have a ‘hub and spoke’ relationship.

PFI acts as the hub and utilises the mass outreach and fund-raising capacity of its associates or affiliates or fronts to strengthen its capability for unlawful activities and these associates or affiliates or fronts function as ”roots and capillaries through which the PFI is fed and strengthened”, the ministry claimed.

The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as socio-economic educational and political organisations. But they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society, working towards undermining the concept of democracy and showing sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional setup of the country, it alleged.

Investigations in various cases have revealed that the PFI and its cadres have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts, the ministry claimed.

Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping off the limbs of a college professor, cold-blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property, it said.

The notification also mentioned the names of several people who were alleged victims of the PFI’s ”brutal” violence and most of them belong to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The home ministry said there had been many instances of PFI’s linkages with global terrorist groups and some activists of its PFI have joined ISIS and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of these PFI cadres were killed in these conflict theatres and some have been arrested by state police and central agencies, the Centre claimed.

The home ministry claimed the office bearers and cadre of PFI along with others are conspiring and raising funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, hawala and donations among others as part of a ”well-crafted criminal conspiracy”, and then transferring, layering and integrating these funds through multiple accounts to project them as legitimate and eventually using these for various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India.

The sources of deposits on behalf of PFI with respect to its several bank accounts were not supported by the financial profiles of the account holders and the activities of PFI were not being carried out as per their declared objectives. Therefore, the Income Tax Department cancelled the registration granted to PFI under section 12A or 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), it said.

The Income Tax Department also cancelled the registration of Rehab India Foundation.

Tug-of-war between two Sena factions over bow-and-arrow

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Web Team

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September 28, 2022

shiv sena, sena, thackeray, shinde, eknath shinde, uddhav thackeray, eci, election commission of inda, election commission, sc, supreme court, kapil sibal, sanghvi, abhishek manu sanghvi, shiv sena symbol, sena, sena symbol, dhanush ban — Tug-of-war between two Sena factions over bow-and-arrow 3

The Supreme Court dismissed the plea of the Uddhav Thackeray faction and allowed the Election Commission of India to hear the claim over the Shiv Sena party and its symbol of bow and arrow filed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction. It was a daylong hearing in the Supreme court where both factions made their argument.

The five-judge bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud comprising other Justices Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narsimha has decided not to allow a stay on being the ‘Real Shiv Sena’ as the Shinde faction and Thackeray were claiming to be real Shiv Sena.

In the hearing of the court senior advocate, Neeraj Kishan Kaul appeared for the Shinde faction. In contrast, Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had appeared for the Thackeray group said they are also taking the goodwill of the Shiv Sena party.

When asked Shiv Sena leaders about the decision of the supreme court and their opinion if the Election Commission of India is deciding on the matter of the ‘Real Shiv Sena’ claim, Anil Kokil from the Thackeray faction told Afternoon Voice, “There is a set of rules and regulation been followed by the constitution and every party has to abide by it and Uddhav Thackeray camp has complete confidence as we will be giving all the required documents to the Election Commission before its decision.”

Member of the Parliament Rajan Vichare of the Thackeray faction said, “Though the decision of the bow and arrow symbol has gone to the Election Commission, ‘we are not scared of it’ and ‘we believe in law and order.”

Legislative Council Manisha Kayande said, “We have full faith in the judiciary and we hope the election commission will do the justice to us and we will cross the bridge when it comes to any kind of situation in future as such.”

Dada Bhuse, a member of the Legislative Assembly from the Shinde faction said, “We trust the law and order and We will submit all the documents and based on that the decision will be taken. Also, the decision will be taken based on all the evidence submitted to the Election Commission.”

Centre ban PFI and its associates for alleged terror activities

By

PTI

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September 28, 2022

Popular front India, Centre, Ban on PFI — Image: PTI | Image for representative purpose

The Centre has imposed a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and several of its associates for their alleged terror activities.

The organisations which were also declared banned under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CF), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

The action of the Central government came days after a countrywide crackdown on the 16-year-old PFI, arrest of over a hundred of its activities and seizure of several dozen properties.

In a late Tuesday night notification, the Union Home Ministry said some of the PFI’s founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.

It said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase the radicalization of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the notification claimed.

“Whereas, the Central Government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of the firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts association outlawed with immediate effect, and accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, declares it as outlawed,” it said.

Palghar police ask NHAI and other department to fill potholes on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway within next three week

By

PTI

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September 28, 2022

Potholes representative image — Image: PTI / Image for representative purpose

Palghar police have asked the National Highway Authorities India (NHAI) and other departments concerned to fill potholes on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway within the next three weeks in the wake of a number of accidents on the busy route in the recent past.

During a meeting on Tuesday with NHAI officials, highway maintenance contractors and Public Works Department officials, Palghar Rural Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil directed them to put up necessary instruction boards on the highway, rumblers to limit vehicle speed, install cat eyes for motorists, put up delineators and fill potholes.

He asked them to carry out these measures within the next three weeks.

In the meeting, officials informed that there were 15 black spots on the highway in Palghar district limits.

Patil said it has been observed that ambulances are not available on the highway to take injured people to hospital. He directed the officials concerned to ensure the availability of ambulances at four locations on the highway.

He also directed them to provide cranes to remove accident-affected vehicles out of the highway lanes.

Patil said a fire fighting team will also be made available on the highway.

Transport authority permits e-rickshaw trials at Matheran hill station on trial basis

By

PTI

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September 28, 2022

Maharashtra, E- Rickshaw, Trail, Hill Station, — Image: Indiamart

The transport authority has granted permission on an experimental basis for conducting trials of e-rickshaws at Matheran hill station located in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, a Regional Transport Office (RTO) officer said on Tuesday.

He said the Supreme Court had earlier this year given a directive to conduct trials of e-rickshaws at the hill station to check their feasibility.

“The one-time permission was granted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) for conducting trials on an experimental basis as a special case. Badge-holder auto drivers will run these seven e-rickshaws,” he said.

Presently, no other motorised vehicles, except ambulances, are allowed to ply at Matheran, located 100 km from Mumbai, beyond the Dasturi point, the entry point on the hill station’s plateau.

Beyond the Dasturi Point, tourists and locals have to rely on horses or dolis, apart from the famous narrow-gauge mini toy train between Neral and Matheran stations.

Because of the extensive damage to the train tracks at several locations in the monsoon of 2019, the mini train service is available only between Aman Lodge (Near Dasturi) and Matheran.

Ankita Bhandari case: Girl who refused to get sold, murdered

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 27, 2022

ankita bhandari, bhandar, Pulkit Arya, pushkar singh dhami, bjp — Ankita Bhandari case: Girl who refused to get sold, murdered 8

Young girl Ankita Bhandari was reported to be missing on September 18. If the police have to be believed then as per their statements, she went to Rishikesh that night around 8 o’clock with BJP leader’s son Pulkit Arya, resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar, and another accused named Ankit, alias Pulkit Gupta. While on their way back, they took a break to drink by a canal along Chila Road and Ankita waited for them. After some time, an argument took place between the three and the girl. The girl accused the three men of carrying out unlawful activities at the resort owned by Pulkit Arya and warned them to go public. The argument soured to such a level that the guys decided to teach her a lesson.

Those three men pushed the girl into the canal. Hours before her murder, Ankita had called the chef of the resort; Manveer Singh Chauhan sobbing Ankita had called Manveer and had asked him to bring her bag. But when one of the staff went with the bag, he couldn’t find Ankita. She was last seen on September 18 around 3 pm at the resort. Based on the missing complaint, an FIR was registered three days later, on September 21. While investigating the whole case, police grabbed the resort owner and his associates.

Initially, the accused tried to mislead police but they confessed to the crime when they were given the third degree. The father of the girl alleged that the girl was molested by the accused and the audio of the incident had been recorded. -Ankita reportedly told one of her close friends that the owner and managers of the resort where she worked were mounting pressure on her to provide ‘special services’ to clients. She told her friend on WhatsApp that though she is poor, she wouldn’t sell herself for Rs 10,000.

Ankita Bhandari’s autopsy report revealed that she died due to drowning. Here’s what we know so far. Law will never take its course; culprits will roam scot-free in just a matter of days. As usual like any other murder and rape this time Uttarakhand’s Pauri district has sparked massive outrage across the country. The developments have led to a spate of protests and agitations in the state. Central party leaders are worried over protests and agitation against Dhami. It is also being said that the state has not seen such protests since the agitation seeking separation from Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, BJP-ruled states have failed on Modi’s favourite slogan “Beti Bachao”. Ankita also told her friend how one of the resort guests hugged her in a drunken state. The victim was however intimidated into silence by one of the co-accused Ankit Gupta, who worked as the assistant of Pulkit Arya.

The mother of Ankita has claimed her daughter was hastily cremated, and she never got to see her body. She has accused the administration of tricking her into going to a hospital on the pretext of taking her to her daughter. News reports had earlier said the mother was admitted to a hospital as she was unwell. However, a video has now surfaced where she has claimed she was fine and was ferried to a hospital on a false pretext. She said she kept asking where they were taking her, and they reassured her, saying they were taking her to her daughter.

Narrating her ordeal, she said four-five people had come to her and said they would take her to the cremation site. They tricked her into going there. She was sitting at the civic body’s office. That was just for camera purposes; finally, she got betrayed by the authorities. The teen receptionist was cremated amid massive protests against the police for alleged slow action. The family had also raised questions about the government’s action in the case.

The family and protestors had initially refused to cremate the body, questioning the demolition of the resort where she worked. They said it was an attempt to destroy evidence in the case, in which the son of a senior BJP leader — now expelled — is the prime accused.

In the meantime, Uttarakhand CM Dhami is also under fire over charges of corruption and irregularities in government recruitments. Demanding action against him, his detractors have also registered complaints against him with the central leadership. Allegations of corruption have been levelled against the state government in the recruitment and allocation of contracts.

Bank of Baroda has written off loans worth Rs 44,482 crore from 144 big borrowers

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 27, 2022

vivek velankar, rti, right to information, bank of baroda, bob, rti, crores, loan — Bank of Baroda has written off loans worth Rs 44,482 crore from 144 big borrowers 10

Bank of Baroda has written off loans worth Rs 44,482 crore of 144 big borrowers with over Rs 100 crore over the past ten years, of which only 25% has been recovered to date, but refused to disclose the names of these big defaulters. There was a lot of uproar over the technical write-off of bank loans, and it was said that technical write-off does not mean loan waiver, recovery of technically written-off loans continues. RTI activist Vivek Velankar requested for the following information from the Bank of Baroda under Right to Information.

1. List of loan takers’ names whose loans above 100 crores are technically written off during each financial year from 2013-14 till 2021-22, along with a write-off amount.

2. For each of the above-mentioned loan accounts, how much recovery was made till 31st March 2022 even though they were technically written off from books.

3. Total amount of write-offs done of the loan takers whose loans above 100 crores are technically written off during each financial year from 2013-14 till 2021-22.

4. How much recovery was made of the above-mentioned loans till 31st March 2022 every year even though they were technically written off from books?

5. Total amount of write-offs done of the loan takers whose loans below one crore are technically written off during each financial year from 2013-14 till 2021-22.

6. How much recovery was made of the above-mentioned loans till 31st March 2022 every year even though they were technically written off from books?

Some of the information provided by the bank shows that Bank of Baroda has written off loans worth Rs 44482 crore of 144 large borrowers with over Rs 100 crore outstanding in the last ten years, of which only Rs 11124 crore (25%) has been recovered till date. The bank has refused to disclose the names of defaulters on the pretext of personal information. In response to how many defaulters with less than Rs 1 crore were written off, the bank has informed us that it has not written off the loans of any such small defaulters. The bank is not giving the same justice to the big defaulters and the small defaulters.

It is unfortunate that despite the implementation of strict laws including NCLT for a long time, recovery of large defaulters is nominal.

RTI activist, Vivek Velankar of Sajjan Nagarik Manch said, “It is unfathomable that a bank that publishes an advertisement in the newspaper to auction off the property of a common man if he defaults on a loan of a few lakhs remembers the privacy of the names of those whose loans have been written off and whose loans are over 100 crores.”

Mumbai: loudspeakers allowed till midnight for last 3 days during Navratri Celebration

By

ANI

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September 27, 2022

As streets echoed with zeal during the Navratri celebrations, the Maharashtra state government gave an exemption for the use of loudspeakers till midnight.

The exemption will continue on October 1, 3 and 4 and came only after thorough discussions between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

“In order to celebrate the Navratri festival with enthusiasm this year, on 1st October the use of loudspeakers has been exempted from 6 am to 12 pm for Navratri festival. Apart from Monday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 4, Saturday, will be available as an additional day for this year’s Navratri festival in Mumbai,” read a statement.

Earlier DY CM Fadvanis also stressed his recommendation to give exemptions for the use of loudspeakers till 12 pm at night for three days instead of two.

Under the Environment and Climate Change Department’s Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Revised Rules, 2017, the concerned Collectors have been authorized to announce exemptions for the use of loudspeakers from 6 am to 12 pm by fixing a total of 15 days in a year.

As per norms, generally, 13 days are fixed by the Collector concerned. Also, two days are reserved for exemption according to local conditions in the district.

Dawood Ibrahim’s alleged aide Riyaz Bhati sent to custody till October 1 in extortion case.

By

ANI

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September 27, 2022

Riyaz Bhati, alleged aide of fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, was on Tuesday sent to police custody till October 1 by the Esplanade Court here.

The remand application of the Mumbai Police had sought for a 14-day custody of the underworld don’s aide. However, hearing all sides, the court granted a four-day custody and sent Bhati to police custody till October 1.

Earlier on Monday, the Mumbai Crime Branch had informed that Riyaz was arrested by the Anti-Extortion Cell of Mumbai Crime Branch from the Andheri area in connection with an extortion case. Bhati has been wanted in the extortion case filed at Mumbai’s Versova Police Station.

After the registration of the case at Versova police station, the matter was investigated by the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Crime Branch.

According to the police, Riyaz Bhati and Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, a relative of Chhota Shakeel, had allegedly extorted a costly vehicle and more than Rs 7 lakh by threatening to kill a businessman of Andheri. Dawood Ibrahim’s close aide Chhota Shakeel’s relative Salim Fruit was also named in the FIR.

Following the secret information, the crime branch’s AEC team laid the trap and arrested the accused from the Andheri area.

The Crime Branch has also filed a petition in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court seeking the custody of Salim Fruit. A case of extortion was also registered against Riyaz Bhati at Goregaon Police Station in Mumbai.

Bhati is, reportedly, an accused, along with former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh, in an extortion case lodged at Mumbai’s Goregaon police station.

After the registration of the case, Bhati had earlier also approached the court, but the court also rejected the anticipatory bail petition at that time.

The case is being investigated further.

being lonely, having restless sleep or feeling unhappy increases aging more than smoking: study

By

ANI

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September 27, 2022

lonely representative — Representative Image by PTI

The accumulation of molecular damage contributes to the development of ageing-related frailty and serious diseases. These molecular processes are more intense in some people than in others, a condition known as accelerated ageing.

Fortunately, the increased pace of aging may be detected before its disastrous consequences manifest by using digital models of ageing (ageing clocks). Such models can also be used to derive anti-ageing therapies on individual and population levels.

According to the latest article published in Aging-US, any anti-ageing therapy needs to focus on one’s mental health as much as on one’s physical health. An international collaboration led by Deep Longevity with US and Chinese scientists have measured the effects of being lonely, having restless sleep, or feeling unhappy on the pace of aging and found it to be significant.

The article features a new aging clock trained and verified with blood and biometric data of 11,914 Chinese adults. This is the first aging clock to be trained exclusively on a Chinese cohort of such volume.

Aging acceleration was detected in people with a history of stroke, liver and lung diseases, smokers, and most interestingly, people in a vulnerable mental state. In fact, feeling hopeless, unhappy, and lonely was shown to increase one’s biological age more than smoking. Other factors linked to aging acceleration include being single and living in a rural area (due to the low availability of medical services).

The authors of the article concluded that the psychological aspect of aging should not be neglected either in research or in practical anti-aging applications. According to Manuel Faria from Stanford University: “Mental and psychosocial states are some of the most robust predictors of health outcomes — and quality of life — yet they have largely been omitted from modern healthcare”.

Alex Zhavoronkov, the CEO of Insilico Medicine, points out that the study provides a course of action to “slow down or even reverse psychological aging on a national scale.

Earlier this year, Deep Longevity released an AI-guided mental health web service FuturSelf.AI that is based on a preceding publication in Aging-US. The service offers a free psychological assessment that is processed by an AI and provides a comprehensive report on a user’s psychological age as well as current and future mental well-being. Deepankar Nayak, the CEO of Deep longevity affirms, “FuturSelf.AI, in combination with the study of older Chinese adults, positions Deep Longevity at the forefront of biogerontological research”.