NEWS DIGEST, MID-DAY
22 April 2018:05 Shaban 1439:Vol:10, No:04
INDIA
President approves ordinance seeking death penalty for rape of girls below 12
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/president-nod-to-ordinance-providing-death-penalty-for-rape-of-girls-below-12/article23634652.ece?homepage=true
President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday promulgated an ordinance to pave way for providing stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping girls under 12 years.New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018.It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, officials said quoting the ordinance.The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, they said. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict’s “natural life".The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials said.Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence, they said. There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under16 years.PTI
President Kovind signs ordinance to allow death penalty for those who rape girls below 12
https://scroll.in/latest/876502/president-ram-nath-kovind-signs-ordinance-to-allow-death-penalty-for-child-rapists
Kathua rape-murder case: Forensic lab confirms girl subjected to sexual assault by accused'
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/kathua-rape-murder-case-vaginal-swabs-match-with-accused-says-forensic-lab-5145827/
Delhi Forensic Science Laboratory, which was contacted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police probing the gangrape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Kathua, has analysed 14 samples, including hair strands and clothes, of the girl.“One of the parcels we were sent had two hair strands with roots. The fact that the hair strands had roots was important as DNA identification requires the root. One of the hair strand pins the accused, the second matched with that of the girl. Also, a spot of blood was found on the frill of her frock. They had destroyed the cloth by washing it with detergent, but a droplet was there. That was an incidental discovery. We received the first lot of evidences on March 1 and the second on March 14. Around 14 parcels were received in total,” said a senior Home Dept official. Delhi lab examined 14 packets of evidence — containing vaginal smear, hair strands, blood samples of 4 accused, viscera of the girl, the girl’s frock and salwar, simple clay, and bloodstained clay.indianexpress
Kathua gangrape victim's post-mortem reveals shocking brutality
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kathua-gangrape-victim-s-post-mortem-reveals-shocking-brutality-1216372-2018-04-20
Kathua, Unnao rapes part of a pattern of targeted attacks against minorities, academics tell Modi
https://scroll.in/latest/876459/kathua-unnao-rapes-part-of-a-pattern-of-targeted-attacks-against-minorities-academics-tell-modi
In the backdrop of two rape incidents in J&K’s Kathua and UP’s Unnao, hundreds of academics and independent scholars from India and abroad on Saturday wrote an open letter to PM Narendra Modi, saying there was an undeniable link between the ruling dispensation and violence against minorities. They also said they endorsed the opinion expressed by 49 ex-civil servants who held Modi responsible “more than anyone else” for the “terrifying state of affairs” in the country.“We wish to express our deep anger and anguish over the events in Kathua and Unnao and the aftermath of these events,” letter, which has been signed by 637 academics and scholars, read. “[We wish to express our deep anger and anguish] over efforts, in both cases, of those administering the relevant states to protect the alleged perpetrators of these monstrous crimes;over the subsequent profoundly distasteful efforts of rationalisation, deflection and diversion that have been so much in evidence in the reactions of your party’s spokespersons in the media; and finally over your own prolonged [and by now familiar] silence that was broken only recently with wholly inadequate, platitudinous, and non-specific assurances of justice for the victims.”The signatories include Noam Chomsky, Amiya Kumar Bagchi, (Emeritus), Institute for Development Studies, Kolkata, Arindam Banerjee of Delhi’s Ambedkar University, Sibaji Bandyopadhyay, retired professor of Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, Ira Bhaskar, JNU, New Delhi, Paula Chakravartty, New York University, New York, and Jean Dreze of Ranchi University, among others.scroll.in
Kerala Police arrest ex-RSS worker, 4 others for hoax call for shutdown against Kathua rape
https://scroll.in/latest/876489/kerala-police-arrest-former-rss-worker-four-others-for-hoax-call-for-shutdown-against-kathua-rape
The police in Kerala arrested 5 people, including a former worker of RSS, on Saturday in connection with a shutdown in the state on April 16 against the rape and murder in Kathua district, Mathrubhumi reported. The shutdown had led to several incidents of violence across Kerala.Ex-RSS worker, 19-year-old Amarnath Baiju, was the key conspirator, according to the police. After being expelled from the RSS in 2017, Thenmala resident had started criticising the organisation on social media and earned a significant following, Malappuram DSP Jaleel Thottathil said.Baiju allegedly formed two WhatsApp groups – “Voice of Truth” and “Justice for Sisters” – after the Kathua rape and murder and asked people to stay away from work on April 16 in protest. Members of the Muslim outfit PFI, its political arm SDPI, CPI (M) and the Congress had supported the call for the shutdown, The Hindu reported.The police said SDPI had spread the message further, but outfit has denied the charge.“After receiving overwhelming response to their call for a hartal [strike], the team created district-level WhatsApp groups across Kerala and launched an aggressive campaign,” Thottathil said, according to TOI.As the call spread further, Baiju and his team developed cold feet and tried to alert the media, the police said.Violence was reported from the districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur, Kasaragode and Wayanad during the strike. The police have arrested more than a thousand people since then.BJP said neither the party nor RSS had any role in the call for the shutdown. Earlier, the party had blamed Muslim outfits for the call for the shutdown and had sought an inquiry by NIA.scroll.in
WhatsApp hartal: 5, including main conspirator, arrested
http://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/whatsapp-hartal-five-including-main-conspirator-arrested-1.2756844
Opposition going public on removal notice against CJI Misra violates rules, say officials
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/opposition-going-public-with-removal-notice-against-cji-dipak-misra-violates-rules-say-officials/story-5Biq52oZMspctgDJSmlSBI.html
New Delhi:The press conference by leaders of the Congress and other parties on Friday and making public the contents of their notice of impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra is a clear violation of provisions of the handbook for members of the Rajya Sabha, parliament officials said on Saturday.The Congress and six other opposition parties on Friday submitted the notice of an impeachment motion for the removal of the CJI on 5 grounds of “misbehaviour”.Besides the Congress, those who signed the notice include members of Samajwadi Party, BSP, CPI-Marxist, or CPI (M), CPI, NCP and the IUML.After submitting the notice to Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu at his residence, senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal, flanked by CPI’s D Raja and NCP’s Vandana Chavan, addressed a news conference in the national capital.While the leaders did not circulate the copies of the notice, a four-page press statement listing out the reasons along with five charges against the CJI was distributed among the journalists.HT
CJI Dipak Misra impeachment: RS Secretariat looks at rule which bars publicity till House takes up notice
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/cji-dipak-misra-impeachment-rs-secretariat-looks-at-rule-which-bars-publicity-till-house-takes-up-notice-5146893/
A horribly black day: Fali Nariman on Opposition move to impeach CJI Dipak Misra
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/a-horribly-black-day-fali-nariman-on-opposition-move-to-impeach-cji-dipak-misra-5146892/
New Delhi:The Opposition move to impeach CJI Dipak Misra is “a horribly black day in the history of the Supreme Court” and will not only diminish the public’s faith in the judiciary, but will open the door for the ruling party to move against a judge if it doesn’t like a particular judgment, senior jurist Fali Nariman has said. “This is a horribly black day…The blackest possible day. I’ve never seen a day like this. In my 67 years, I’ve never seen a day like this,” Nariman said in an interview to The Sunday Express.Nariman pointed out that the charges brought by the Congress-led Opposition were not in line with what the four most senior judges — Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan Lokur —stated in their press conference on January 12. “One of the (Opposition’s) charges is forgery. But… the 4 judges didn’t subscribe to this charge. You have to be conscious that this is a serious charge against the Chief Justice of India. This is a very serious move, you have to have cogent evidence. You have to have something to prove,” Nariman said.indianexpress
Govt to seize properties of ‘fugitive economic offenders’; ordinance cleared
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-to-seize-properties-of-fugitive-economic-offenders-ordinance-cleared-5146883/
New Delhi; Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to promulgate the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance 2018 that provides for confiscating properties and assets of economic offenders like loan defaulters who flee the country, officials said.Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 12 but could not be passed due to the logjam in Parliament. It seeks to confiscate properties of economic offenders, like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, who have left the country to avoid facing criminal prosecution. While the ordinance will come into effect after the President’s assent, it will have to be approved by Parliament within six weeks of its reassembly, or else it will cease to exist.indianexpress
Yashwant Sinha quits BJP, says democracy under threat
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/politics/yashwant-sinha-quits-bjp-says-democracy-under-threat-2554099.html
Former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who has been severely critical of the Narendra Modi Government's policies and style of functioning, today quit the BJP, alleging that democracy was under threat and key institutions were being undermined in the country. The 80-year-old leader, who held finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but was sidelined in the party after Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came at the helm, made it clear that he would not join any other political party, saying he was taking 'sanyas' (retirement) from party politics and will now work for "saving democracy in the country".Sinha made the annoucement in the presence of dissident BJP MP from Patna Saheb Shatrughan Sinha and opposition leaders like Congress' Renuka Chowdhary, TMC' Dinesh Trivedi, rebel JD(U) leader Uday Narain Choudhary and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh.Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav, who attended the function, compared Yashwant Sinha with Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan (JP) and urged him to take up a role similar to the one the socialist leader had played during Emergency to protect the country and Constitution."I am announcing from the land of Patna that I would no longer be the part of any 'party-politics' as I am taking retirement from it. And I am not going to join any party," Yashwant Sinha said while addressing a meeting of his newly launched apolitical outfit "Rashtra Manch" (National Forum)."I took retirment from electoral politics four years ago... I am severing all my ties with BJP...I will not be the contender for any post in future," Sinha said and added in lighter vein that Shatrughan Sinha always says that those who have stature don't aspire for any post.PTI
Issues Yashwant Sinha raised against Modi, Centre while ending who association with party
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/eight-complaints-yashwant-sinha-has-against-centre/story-nb9DOIUnqMaAHXSfZijVYP.html
Gorakhpur doctor writes from jail: Made scapegoat for administrative failure
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gorakhpur-doctor-writes-from-jail-made-scapegoat-for-administrative-failure-5146890/
New Delhi:Lodged in a Gorakhpur jail since Sept.2, 2017, after several children died in a short span at the city’s BRD Medical College Hospital in August last year, Dr Kafeel Khan has alleged that he and others are being made “scapegoats” for an “administrative failure” at a higher level.In a letter from jail,dated April 18 and released to the media by Khan’s wife Shabista at the Press Club of India, he wrote that he was on sanctioned leave on Aug.10, 2017, when news reached him about the deaths, and he “rushed” to the hospital.“The moment I got that WhatsApp message on that fateful night, I did everything a doctor, a father, a responsible citizen of India would/should do… I tried to save each and every life which was in danger due to sudden stoppage of liquid oxygen,” he wrote. Khan claimed, “Guilty are DM Gorakhpur, DGME, principal secretary health education for not taking any action against 14 reminders sent by Pushpa Sales for its Rs 68 lakh dues. It was a total administrative failure at higher level, they did not realise the gravity and just to save themselves, they made us scapegoat and put us behind the bars…”He claims that his life “turned upside down” when UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited him the following day.At the press conference, Shabista said, “My husband has done no crime. If he wanted, he could have stayed home (during the emergency last August). On many occasions he has himself paid for supplies such as masks, gloves and sanitisers. Deaths were a result of administrative failure…”Ravi Nair, executive director of South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, who also addressed the press conference, said all offences Khan and others were charged with are bailable.indianexpress
Can Muzaffarnagar Riot Cases Be Withdrawn While Victims Await Justice?
http://caravandaily.com/portal/can-muzaffarnagar-riot-cases-be-withdrawn-without-delivering-justice/
Muzaffarnagar:22-year-old Asif Saifi’s voice quivers when he narrates the narrow escape that his family had while fleeing from their house during the Muzzafarnagar riots. Old wounds open up to show that the pain of witnessing his mother Waqeela being killed during the riot is still fresh. The remorse of being unable to bring her dead body to offer the perfect burial still haunts Asif, the youngest son of Waqeela, who now makes a living by making window and doors of iron in Jidana village of Uttar Pradesh. His home in Lisarh village, which had been looted and set ablaze by the rioters, only had painful memories, so the family sold it off at a minimal price, with a resolve of never returning back to their village.Asif is not the only one to have suffered. There were many like him, to have suffered from personal losses, four and half years back when Muzaffarnagar and Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh witnessed communal riots in September 2013, that left at least 62 persons killed and over 50,000 displaced. Majority of the victims belonged to the Muslim community.Following the violence, a total of 503 cases had been registered against 1,455 people by the then Samajwadi Party govt. Most of the cases registered were serious crimes such as murder, attempt to murder, rape, arson and damage of properties and promoting enmity on religious grounds. The trauma of the riots was so intense that none of the Muslim family that fled to save their lives returned to its old houses. The memory of losing their loved ones there, while their houses were torched and looted lies fresh in their mind. Post displacement the victims had to live for a long time in relief camps. Despite having grievance, they were hopeful of getting justice. But the recent decision of state’s BJP govt to withdraw 131 riot cases, citing them as fake or politically motivated, including those in which the prime accused were BJP leaders, shows a travesty of justice for them.Caravan Daily
Jharkhand: Koderma village gradually recovers mob attack over ‘banned meat’ in reception
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/jharkhand-village-limps-to-normalcy-after-mob-attack-over-banned-meat-in-reception-5146902/
Koderma:Days after a mob attacked a Muslim family’s home in Nawadih village in Jharkhand’s Koderma district on the suspicion that they served bovine meat at a wedding reception, the area is limping back to normalcy. Prohibitory orders, however, continue to be in force as police said investigation into the incident is at an early stage.The mob attack came a day after the wedding reception of Nayeem Ansari, 22, on April 16. The next morning, the mob reached their home and alleged that they had served “banned meat”. In the violence that followed, Nayeem’s father Jumman Miyan, a tailor, was injured and their home vandalised. More than a dozen other houses were vandalised and motorcycles and some four-wheelers damaged. 7 people have been arrested and police said report of the forensic examination on the “hooves” recovered from the spot is awaited. Jumman Miyan, it was learnt, is recuperating at Sadar Hospital. indianexpress
CRPF becomes pawn in dispute between Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Waqf Board
http://www.dnaindia.com/delhi/report-crpf-becomes-pawn-in-dispute-between-delhi-development-authority-delhi-waqf-board-2607381
It was 5 am when Nafisa Begum and her family woke up to the sound of police vans, trucks and then steps approaching towards her house. As she came out, she saw around 5,000 policemen along with some CRPF personnel encircling the area and even sealing all the roads approaching them."We felt like we were trapped. The cops suddenly started covering half of the area, they used tin to separate it. We were left helpless. It was an act of intrusion," said Begum, whose family has been living near Lal Masjid for over 100 years now.Like Begum, there are 4 more families residing in Lal Masjid area, which belong to the Delhi Waqf Board. According to the residents, the CRPF has illegally grabbed the land while the matter is still pending with the Delhi High Court."The court has not yet given the final order but the agencies encroached upon the land. They have also razed the graves," said Beghum. A historical mosque in Nizamuddin area of Delhi, known as Lal masjid, was constructed almost 200 years ago. Sources in the Delhi Waqf Board said there are 128 such properties in the Capital which are under dispute. The claim to these properties is made by both -- Waqf board and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that comes under the Urban Development Ministry. However, the CRPF has a different story to tell. According to the agency, the land was alloted to them by the MHA in June last year.According to the sources, Lal Masjid, situated near the CBI HQRS, where the whole area known as CGO complex, is said to be built on the waqf lands. The area houses a host of central ministry offices. The Sachar Report also mentioned the CGO complex as waqf property under "adverse possession".dnaindia
NEET Allows Hijab, other Customary Dresses,With a Rider
http://caravandaily.com/portal/neet-allows-hijab-other-customary-dresses-with-a-rider/
Candidates in customary dresses including Hijab will also be allowed to enter the exam centers for the NEET 2018 on 6th May.CBSE, which conducts NEET for admission to MBBS/BDS courses, granted the permission – but with a rider.60-page Information Bulletin for NEET 2018-19 has a chapter on Barred Items and Dress Code. Like the past, the general dress code asks candidates to wear “(a) Light clothes with half sleeves not having big buttons, brooch/badge, flower etc. with Salwar/Trouser. (b) Slippers, sandals with low heels and not the shoes.” But unlike the past, this section has one extra paragraph that grants permission for customary dress but asks such candidates to report one hour before last reporting time.“In case, candidates are coming in customary dress for appearing in the examination, they should report at least an hour before the last reporting time i.e. 9.30 AM, so that they could be frisked properly,”reads CBSE bulletin.caravandaily
Wary of Decline in Muslim Votes, TMC Asks EC to Hold Panchayat Polls Before Ramzan
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/wary-of-decline-in-muslim-votes-trinamool-congress-asks-ec-to-hold-panchayat-polls-before-ramzan-1725361.html
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress leaders on Saturday met West Bengal Election Commissioner AK Singh and requested him to conclude the Panchayat Polls before Ramzan, saying Muslims may find it difficult to votes due to fasting.TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee and leader Subrata Bakshi met Election Commissioner AK Singh around 2 pm on Saturday to make the request.This comes after the Calcutta High Court asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to extend the deadline for panchayat poll candidates. They also appraised him about the extreme heat across the state and how this could cause more problems for voters if the poll process is further delayed, Chatterjee said.The HC decision requires the SEC to reschedule panchayat elections that were earlier to be held on May 1, 3 and 5 and could push the poll dates to the Ramzan period. Chatterjee, said, “Today, we met Election Commissioner and shared our issues related to poll. We told him that TMC don’t want Panchayat poll during the Ramzan period.” It is likely that SEC will now announce the fresh polling/filing of nomination dates on Monday.News18
RSS ties doesn't make one communal: Masjid blast case judge
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/rss-ties-doesnt-make-one-communal-mecca-judge/articleshow/63864179.cms
Hyderabad: Hours before he made his sensational decision to resign after acquitting 5 accused in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case, special court judge K Ravinder Reddy dismissed contentions made by National Investigation Agency, especially evidence put forth before him by CBI, which had earlier investigated the case, as “untrustworthy”. Ravinder Reddy , IV additional metropolitan sessions judgecum-special judge for NIA cases, observed “any person associated with RSS is not communal and not anti-social”.The judge, while discussing the NIA charge, questioned whether the prosecution proved beyond doubt that Devender Gupta was communal for just being a pracharak of RSS?``RSS is not proscribed outfit. If any person works in it, it does not give any scope that he is a communal,’’ judge said in his 140-page judgement.TOI
NIA yet to decide on Mecca Masjid case
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nia-yet-to-decide-on-mecca-masjid-case/article23630937.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi: NIA has said that it had received a copy of the judgment in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case and was getting it transported to its Delhi headquarters to decide on the next course of action.A special NIA court in Hyderabad acquitted five accused, including former RSS member Aseemanand, on April 16.Officials said there was a delay in getting a copy of the judgment as the judge was making some corrections in the order. “We will examine the order when we get a copy and can decide the next course of action only then,” an NIA official said.On March 8, 2017, a special court in Jaipur acquitted Aseemanand and six others in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case. 3 others were convicted. NIA did not challenge the acquittals.On allegations that the NIA’s public prosecutor, N. Harinath, was chosen for his political affiliation, the official said he was selected through the due process of empanelment. “The previous prosecutor, S.K. Ramarao, was on deputation to the NIA from the AP govt. He had been on deputation from June 2011 to June 2014.” Harinath, a former ABVP member, was engaged by the NIA in 2015. He had no experience in representing terror cases, but had appeared for CBI and the ED in cases of financial fraud. Aseemanand, who appeared in a Panchkula court on Saturday, told presspersons that he was “a victim of political vendetta.” He is now facing trial in 2007 Samjhauta train blast. The train was on its way to Lahore from Delhi. Aseemanand and five others have been chargesheeted by the NIA in the case. He was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High court in August 2014, months after the NDA government came to power.thehindu
Hyderabad: Massive protest against Makkah Masjid blast judgment and rape incidents
https://www.siasat.com/news/hyderabad-massive-protest-against-makkah-masjid-blast-judgment-and-rape-incidents-1345435/
Hyderabad: Massive protest was staged in several parts of the twin cities Hyderabad and Secunderabad against government’s silence on Makkah Masjid blast judgment and rape incidents. Despite opposition for public bandh by the political leaders, people voluntarily observed bandh. The peaceful protest jittered various political and religious leaders. Banners and posters were put up in various places.18 rallies reached Charminar from various places after Friday prayers. They demanded the execution of accused in the rape case. They shouted slogans against injustice in Makkah Masjid case.siasat
Linking bank accounts with Aadhaar mandatory if the Centre gives a deadline, says RBI
https://scroll.in/latest/876506/linking-bank-accounts-with-aadhaar-mandatory-if-the-centre-gives-a-deadline-says-rbi
RBI has made it mandatory to link bank accounts with Aadhaar if the Centre gives a deadline to do so. The central bank made the announcement in a circular with updated Know-Your-Customer norms on Friday.On March 13, the Supreme Court had indefinitely extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with bank accounts. The deadline was to expire on March 31. A five-judge Constitution bench extended the deadline until it pronounces its judgement on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the biometric identification system.In its circular, RBI said if a customer does not submit their Aadhaar and PAN to the bank before a deadline given by the Centre, the account will stop being operational till the account-holder does so. Banks will give customers at least two notices to comply with the deadline.scroll.in
Bahujan Azad Party: Meet Former IITians Who Have Entered Politics to Uplift Dalits
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/bahujan-azad-party-former-iitians-who-entered-politics-to-uplift-scs-sts-and-obcs-1724977.html
New Delhi: A group of former IITians have formed a political outfit, Bahujan Azad Party, dominated by members of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class category. Party members say that they aim to uplift the marginalised community in a manner that no other political party could. As they await the nod from Election Commission of India, 3 of Bahujan Azad Party’s members spoke to News18.My name is Naveen Kumar, a B.Tech graduate from IIT Delhi. SCs don’t want soap and oil, give them their rights and quota. My Name is Vikrant Vatsal, a B.Tech in Biochemical Engineering from IIT Delhi, and I demand 60% quota for OBCs. My name is Sampath Kumar Banoth, M.Tech from IIT Kharagpur and PhD from IIT Roorkee. STs are an asset and not liability to the nation.news18
Allahabad HC asks govt to reply in ‘fake encounter’ case
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/allahabad-hc-asks-up-govt-to-reply-in-fake-encounter-case-5146861/
Allahabad High Court has directed the UP govt to file a reply to allegations of a fake encounter by the family of a man killed last year in Muzaffarnagar. Justice J J Munir’s order delivered on Wednesday, but published Saturday, directed the UP govt to issue notices to 15 policemen allegedly involved in the Oct 22 “encounter” in which Budhana resident Furqan was killed.
WORLD
Palestinian scholar killed in Kuala Lumpur,Mossad blamed
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/palestinian-scholar-fadi-al-batsh-killed-kuala-lumpur-family-blames-mossad-180421084317423.html
A Palestinian scholar has been shot dead by two assailants in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers, according to local police.Fadi al-Batsh, a 35-year-old Palestinian academic and member of Hamas, was instantly killed by the unknown attackers in a residential neighbourhood of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.Al-Batsh's father told Al Jazeera that he accuses Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, of being behind his son's killing and called on the Malaysian authorities to look into who carried out the "assassination" as soon as possible. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Malaysia's deputy prime minister, said the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency, according to Bernama.According to police chief Datuk Seri Mansor Lazim, the two attackers had waited for al-Batsh in front of a residential building in Setapak district for almost 20 minutes, and fired at least 10 bullets, four of which instantly killed him.Al-Batsh was shot in the "body and head", the police said, adding that they are investigating all angles including "terrorism".aljazeera
Malaysian police: Killing of Palestinian academic an 'international issue'
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/kuala-lumpur-police-killing-fadi-al-batsh-international-issue-180422052143326.html
Kuala Lumpur's chief of police says the killing of a Palestinian academic in the Malaysian capital is an "international issue" that is being investigated from all angles.Malaysian authorities said an autopsy was carried out Sunday morning on the body of Hamas member Fadi al-Batsh, a day after the drive-by shooting that Hamas and the victim's family blamed on Israel."We are investigating all angles. I have to investigate very carefully and deeply. This is an international issue," police chief Mazlan Lazim said.Hamas said al-Batsh was an important member of the organisation, accusing Israel's Mossad intelligence agency of being behind killing.aljazeera
Israeli minister warns of resuming targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180421-israeli-minister-warns-of-resuming-targeted-assassinations-of-hamas-leaders/
Israeli Minister Israel Katz warned of resuming targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported on Friday.On Twitter, Katz wrote: “Hamas has to know that any attack on Israeli army commanders on the borders of Gaza would renew the targeted killing of Hamas leaders.”He added: “The warning of Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine to open fire by snipers from Gaza at army commanders is a red line.”Since March 30, which marks Palestine Land Day, the Palestinians have been peacefully staging protests along the eastern Gaza borders, calling for the implementation of the UN Resolution 194 which stipulates the return of Palestine refugees to their homes, as well as to lift the 11-year-old Israeli blockade in Gaza.middleeastmonitor
Palestine calls for UN probe into Israeli killings in Gaza
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/palestine-calls-probe-israel-killings-gaza-180421064035675.html
Palestine's ambassador to the UN has called on the UNSC to form an independent commission tasked with looking into Israel's "crimes" including the killing and wounding of Palestinian protesters in the besieged Gaza Strip.Riyad Mansour said on Friday evening that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is set to submit a list of complaints in the coming days to UN Human Rights Council, with the intention of establishing an investigative committee or a fact-finding mission."It seems that the Israeli occupying forces are not restraining themselves, they're not listening to anyone and they are continuing with this massacre," Mansour told reporters in New York.aljazeera
Israel control of Palestinian water supply hits farmers
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/israel-control-palestinian-water-supply-hits-farmers-180421144230553.html
Israel has controlled water supplies in the occupied West Bank since seizing the territory during 1967 war. Palestinians have long complained about not getting their agreed share and now rights groups believe Israel is deliberately limiting the water supply to farmers in an attempt to force them out.aljazeera
Israel has controlled water supplies in the occupied West Bank since seizing the territory during 1967 war. Palestinians have long complained about not getting their agreed share and now rights groups believe Israel is deliberately limiting the water supply to farmers in an attempt to force them out.aljazeera
Ex- Israeli diplomat confirms Saudi official visited Israel
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180421-former-israeli-diplomat-confirms-saudi-official-visited-israel/
Former Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Dore Gold has said that Israeli mutual relations with many Arab countries, mainly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are developing, citing a secret visit of Saudi official Anwar Eshki to Israel, Alarab.qa reported on Friday.In an interview with the Jerusalem Institute for the Study of State and General Affairs, an Israeli organisation, Gold revealed a series of meetings with the Saudi official, noting that the latter asked him to make the meetings overt. “I can say that Eshki visited Israel,” Gold said.“Israel’s relations with the UAE are a different story,” he said. “There is an international organisation working in the field of renewable energy and it adopts a system almost similar to that of the US and several countries are members in this organisation, which has its headquarters in Abu-Dhabi.”middleeastmonitor
Abbas cuts salaries of Gaza prisoners inside Israeli jails
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180421-abbas-cuts-salaries-of-gaza-prisoners-inside-israeli-jails/
Along with the Palestinian public employees in Gaza, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas cut the salaries of the Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip held inside Israeli jails, Quds Press reported on Friday.Sources told Quds Press that they had contacted the head of the PLO’s Committee of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqe, noting that he claimed this was a result of a “technical error” that would be amended soon.The sources also reported that senior Fatah leader, Marwan al-Barghouti, imprisoned in Israeli prisons since 2002, was angry with Abbas’s decision to cut the salaries of Palestinian prisoners from Gaza, noting that it “undermines one of the main principles of the Palestinian cause.”MEMO
US city becomes first to ban police from training with Israel forces
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/4/20/us-city-bans-police-from-training-with-israel-forces?utm_campaign=sf&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral
A city in the US has banned its police force from training with the Israeli military after lobbying from community organisations, making it the first in the country to take such a measure.The city council in Durham, North Carolina, adopted the ban after a unanimous vote on Monday to prohibit police from receiving "international military-style training", local media reported."The council opposes international exchanges with any country in which Durham officers receive military-style training," a statement from the council said."Such exchanges do not support the kind of policing we want here in City of Durham," it added.The move came after a coalition of diverse activist groups under banner of "Demilitarize from Durham2Palestine" petitioned authorities ban police from receiving training on controversial methods used by Israel against Palestinians."City of Durham is leading the way in declaring that safety for all means de-militarising the police force," said Jewish Voice for Peace, one of the groups in the coalition.alaraby
Saudi-led coalition air raid kills 20 Yemeni civilians:report
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/saudi-led-coalition-air-raid-kills-20-yemeni-civilians-residents-180421141208316.html
20 people have been killed in an air strike by a Saudi-led military coalition in southwestern Yemen, residents said.The attack on Friday hit a car transporting 20 passengers in the south of Taiz province, locals told Reuters news agency.Six bodies had been identified but the rest were charred beyond recognition, the residents added.A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said it would investigate the report, but declined to comment further."We take this report very seriously," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.The coalition intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 against Houthi rebels who overthrew the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.aljazeera
Deaths in attack on ID registration centre in Kabul
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/afghanistan-deaths-attack-id-voter-registration-centre-kabul-180422063114761.html
A suicide bombing near a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul has killed at least 4 people, health officials said.Kabul's acting police chief, Mohammad Daoud Amin, said the assailant detonated his explosives outside the ID distribution centre in the capital at 10am. aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
This Muslim IPS officer could have averted Naroda Patiya massacre, but he didn’t: Aleem Faizee, ummid.com
http://www.ummid.com/news/2018/April/21.04.2018/khursheed-ahmed-ips-who-could-have-averted-naroda-patiya-massacre.html
India would have been a dump for crackpot science had Modi not Nehru been its first leader:PERVEZ HOODBHOY
https://theprint.in/opinion/india-would-have-been-a-dump-for-crackpot-science-had-modi-been-its-first-prime-minister/51521/
Aakar Patel: Majoritarianism—the curse of the Indian subcontinent:Aakar Patel
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/aakar-patel-column-majoritarianism-the-curse-of-indian-subcontinent
MEET TALIB HUSSAIN: Barkha Dutt
https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2018/04/20/hindu-ekta-manch-was-formed-to-save-rapists-not-hindus.html
The Unnao Story: Rape. Trauma, Murder, Fear With the Girl and Her Mother Now Living in Abject Terror
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/13596/The-Unnao-Story-Rape-Trauma-Murder-Fear--With-the-Girl-and-Her-Mother-Now-Living-in-Abject-Terror
“We Write So That Callousness and Cowardice Draws the Line At the Broken Body of a Little Girl...”Academics
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/13595/We-Write-So-That-Callousness-and-Cowardice-Draws-the-Line-At-the-Broken-Body-of-a-Little-Girl--
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 1:26 PM)
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