Month: December 2020

With people dropping guard ever since the festive season began, Surat police in Gujarat have now taken to the streets to spread awareness about the COVID norms, even as night curfew is in place in the city.

The police have collaborated with a group of theatre artists to spread awareness about following the COVID-19 protocols through street plays.

Surat City Commissioner of Police Ajay Tomar said that the city is already under night curfew to curb the spread of the coronavirus but people could still be seen not wearing masks and violating social distancing norms.

“So, we thought of doing something different. Due to the curfew in the city, all theatrical performances are halted. So we are bringing entertainment on the streets, along with spreading the message of not letting one’s guard down against the COVID. We contacted some people and they finalised a script and now we are taking the important message to the streets,” Tomar said, adding people have taken the initiative very positively.

Director of the street play, Devang Jagirdaar said performing arts like plays have the power to bring a social revolution.

“If a thought can’t penetrate the society through conventional mediums, then it could be done through performing arts. So, we are using street plays to educate people about the importance of following the COVID protocols,” said Jagirdaar, founding trustee and treasurer of Surat Performing Artists’ Association, which has collaborated with the police for the initiative.

He added that the people of Surat are taking the COVID-19 pandemic casually since the festival season.

“We thought it was a good time to remind the people to let go of their casual approach towards the COVID-19 and once again be strict with their social distancing and other norms,” Jagirdaar said.

According to Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department, the state had 14,027 active cases as of Wednesday, with 1,318 new cases, 1,550 discharges, and 13 deaths reported in the preceding 24 hours. (ANI)

Maharashtra Cabinet has approved draft bills for strengthening the law on prevention of atrocities against women, children while “Shakti Act” which envisages death sentence for rape, acid attack and child abuse and the period of investigation in these heinous crimes has been reduced to 15 working days.

The bills- the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2020 and the Special Court and Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020- will be introduced in both houses during the winter session of Maharashtra legislative assembly and council.

Threats and defamation of women on social media, filing fake complaints regarding rape, molestation and acid attack, non-cooperation of social media, internet and mobile service providers with the investigators or the public servants, and not following restrictions on publicising the names of rape/molestation/acid attack victims, are the new offences included in the proposed Shakti Act.

The act has also proposed the death penalty for rapes, acid attacks and child abuse, while the punishment period is also enhanced some specific crimes against women and children.

In acid attack cases, a fine is also proposed and the amount will be used for treatment costs of the victims.

To ensure strict implementation of all these proposals in new bills, certain changes in the Criminal Procedure Code is also proposed. According to the proposal, investigation period has been cut down from two months to 15 working days, the trial period slashed from two months to 30 working days, and the appeal period reduced from six months to 45 days.

The Shakti Act also proposed to establish 36 special courts with a special Public prosecutor for cases of heinous crimes against women and children.

It also proposed that a special squad with at least one woman officer in every commissionerate or district to investigate crime against women and children.

The law also plans to notify some organisations to help and assist in the rehabilitation of the victims of these cases.

After Andhra Pradesh passed the Disha act, a committee was formed to study the law of Andhra Pradesh and the possibility of Implementation it in Maharashtra.

A committee led by Home minister Anil Deshmukh had visited Andhra Pradesh to study the law. After the committee submitted its report, another committee led by Director Police training college Nashik, IPS Aswathi Dorje was given the task to prepare a draft for the Act. (ANI)

With the fifth phase of polling for the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir underway, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday alleged that security forces have cordoned off Matribugh village in Shopian and are not allowing people to come out to vote.

“Security forces have cordoned off Matribugh in Shopian and are not allowing people to come out to vote on the pretext of inputs about the presence of militants. In a brazen display of power, armed forces are being used to rig this election and favour a particular party,” tweeted Mufti.

Earlier on Wednesday, the former chief minister alleged that she has been illegally detained at her Gupkar residence by the Union Territory administration.

“Illegally detained today for the third time in less than a fortnight. Too much democracy indeed. If my movements are curbed due to “security concerns” then why are BJP ministers allowed to campaign freely in Kashmir while I’ve been asked to wait until the culmination of DDC elections?” Mufti tweeted.

The polls are underway in 37 constituencies, 20 in Jammu and 17 in Kashmir divisions. Besides, voting is also being held for 58 sarpanch and 218 panch seats.

In 17 DDC constituencies of the Kashmir division, 155 candidates are in the fray, including 30 women, whereas in Jammu, 144 candidates are in the fray, including 40 women.

The DDC election is being held in eight phases and will continue till December 19. The counting of votes will take place on December 22. (ANI)

Ahead of the two Senate runoff elections in the state, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday slammed China for stealing research and intellectual property from Chinese students studying in American colleges.

During a speech at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta, Pompeo termed China’s Communist Party as the “central threat of our time”, while highlighting efforts by Chinese security services to pressure and recruit Chinese academics and students as spies, reported The Hill.

The Secretary of State further alleged that China was targeting Chinese students studying in the US, threatening them over perceived criticism of the communist nation, and pressuring or threatening their families in China in exchange for information on democratic activists and dissidents, The Hill reported.

“Americans must know how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is poisoning the well of our higher education institutions for its own ends and how those actions degrade our freedoms and American national security… If we don’t educate ourselves, if we’re not honest about what’s taking place, we’ll get schooled by Beijing,” he said.

Attacking ‘left-leaning’ institutions as the prime targets of the CCP, he also called for greater protections for Chinese students on college campuses, speaking out against Beijing, and maintaining vigilance against efforts of theft of academic and research materials.

Pompeo’s remarks come after US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Tuesday chided China for not complying with the international trade rules and called Beijing a principal military and economic threat in the Asian region.

“China continues to be both the largest potential market and the principal military and economic threat in the region,” Ross said.

China and the US are at loggerheads since President Donald Trump took office over many issues including trade, Indo-Pacific, coronavirus and treatment of Uyghur Muslims. The tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent times.

Earlier this month, Pompeo, announced sanctions against 14 vice-chairpersons of the National People’s Congress over the controversial national security law imposed on Hong Kong, and also designated China in its list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ (CPC) for violations of religious freedom.

Prior to that, John Ratcliffe, US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), in an opinion piece on The Wall Street Journal, wrote: “If I could communicate one thing to the American people from this unique vantage point, it is that the People’s Republic of China poses the greatest threat to America today and the greatest threat to democracy and freedom worldwide since World War II.” (ANI)

A judicial magistrate on Wednesday ordered the purported husband of Arzoo Raja – a teenage Christian girl who was abducted before being forcefully converted and married – to be tried for rape under the Sindh government’s underage marriage act.

The judge ordered the registration of a case against Syed Ali Azhar, Arzoo’s purported husband, as well as against cleric Qazi Abdul Rasool Naqshbandi, the justice of peace and facilitators and witnesses under Section 3 of the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013, Dawn reported.

The magistrate also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the absconding suspects, while sending the matter to the district and sessions’ judge for initiating a trial.

In his 20-page order, the judge noted that from the perusal of the material available on record, it appeared that the ‘ingredients’ of Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 3 of the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013 (SCMRA) were “attracting” against the main suspect Syed Ali Azhar.

Similarly, the judge said that “ingredients” of Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) of the PPC also “attracted” against Azhar, reported Dawn.

The 13-year-old Christian girl, Arzoo Raja, was forcibly abducted allegedly by Ali Azhar, a 44-year-old man in Karachi. Various human rights organizations have demanded justice for Arzoo Raja.

Police had booked Syed Ali Azhar, the girl’s alleged husband, and arrested his brothers, Syed Shariq Ali, Syed Mohsin Ali, and a friend, Danish, for allegedly abducting the underage girl, purportedly forcibly converting her and marrying her to a Muslim man.

Regarding the case, the magistrate also took cognisance under Section 4 of the SCMRA, 2013 against the cleric Qazi Abdul Rasool Naqshbandi, Justice of Peace Muhammad Azharuddin, and witnesses Muhammad Danish, Habib, Mahmood Hassan and Junaid Ali Siddiqui. However, the judge noted that since no evidence for initiating trial is available against the suspects Syed Shariq Ali and Danish, both were discharged from the case accordingly for the time being.

According to the first information report of the case registered on his complaint, Arzoo’s father Raja stated that on October 13, he and his wife went to work while their son Shahbaz had gone to school. The complainant said his three daughters, including Arzoo, were present at their home in Railway Colony when he received a call from a relative, who told him that Arzoo was missing from the house, Dawn reported.

“The rascal who abducted her has prepared fake papers to show that she is 18-years-old,” said her mother.

Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said the minority girls, particularly the Christians and Hindus, are forcefully converted to Islam and get married to Muslim men.

“The same day’s abduction, conversion and marrying is a common practice in such cases and it has happened with Arzoo also in the same sequence,” said Naveed. (ANI)

Covaxin, a vaccine for COVID-19, will be available in the first quarter of next year, said Suchitra Ella, joint managing director of Bharat Biotech on Wednesday.

“With safety and efficacy data, Covaxin will be available in the first quarter of next year to the categories and the first responders according to the plan that govt of India is embarking upon for phased vaccination,” Ella told ANI.

A team of foreign heads of missions in India had visited leading biotech companies in Hyderabad involved in COVID-19 vaccine development.

The Indian arm of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech have applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) seeking emergency use authorisation (EUA) for their COVID-19 vaccines.

Meanwhile, Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked for more safety and efficacy data from Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech for their COVID-19 vaccines.

According to government sources, an SEC meeting was held on Wednesday to review the application submitted by the pharma majors for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for their vaccine candidates.

The application submitted by the Pfizer was not discussed at the SEC meeting as the company has requested for more time for giving its presentation, sources said. (ANI)

The number of cases of ‘mystery illness’, which gripped Eluru in West Godavari district, has decreased to 49 from 77, according to the government hospital official on Wednesday.

“The number of patients on the bed at Eluru where people fell sick, came down to 49. The situation is fully under control,” Eluru Government Hospital Superintendent Dr AVR Mohan said.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Health Minister and MLA from Eluru constituency Alla Kalikrishna Srinivas visited the areas in the city. He interacted with people, listened to their grievances and assured to resolve them.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday spoke to the concerned officials on the cases of illness in Eluru and directed them to find out the exact cause for the outbreak.

During a video conference with the authorities, doctors and experts from World Health Organisation (WHO), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, National Institute of Nutrition, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), the Chief Minister said that corrective measures will be taken based on the final outcome of investigations and urged the experts to find an actual reason behind the illness.

He told the authorities to focus on whether the illness was due to water contamination or due to some other cause and asked to conduct a detailed investigation.

The officials informed that the presence of lead and nickel in the patient bodies might have caused the illness, which could have happened due to excessive use of pesticides, adding that the number of cases have been declining and the patients are getting recovered within three-four hours. “The actual cause of the illness will soon be identified after running a few more tests and thorough analysis.”

Meanwhile, experts from the WHO said that they are surveying the areas of the people fallen sick and are taking health details including the food they have taken. On the other hand, experts suspect that bleaching and chlorine used in sanitation programmes as part of Covid-19 prevention measures may also be the cause.

Doctors and experts from AIIMS, Delhi said that comprehensive tests are yet to be done, but the primary investigations revealed that lead and nickel appears to be high in the blood of those who were ill. “As Indians do have nickel in their bodies, the presence of lead might have caused the illness. Also, it was found that there is a significant drop in the level of lead in the bodies of patients after 24 hours of becoming sick. The process of recycling batteries or due to the dumping of broken batteries, or when fired may also lead to the current situation. We also test drinking water and milk samples and come to a definite conclusion on the reasons as soon as possible,” they said.

Experts from AIIMS, Mangalagiri said that pesticides might have contaminated the organic chlorides, which is just a primary finding, where accurate conclusions on this are yet to come.

Expert team from NIN, Hyderabad said that they have examined the food, water, milk, urine and blood samples from the families of the sick and also taken samples of vegetables and essentials from the market. “We are conducting comprehensive tests, so far, there are no signs of danger. We shall submit a report on water, food, milk, urine and blood samples.”

Similarly, experts from IICT and CCMB are also investigating the cause of illness and are conducting various tests for an accurate diagnosis. (ANI)

By Ujjwal Roy

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Wednesday said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stopped reporting number of crimes against women to the National Crime Records Bureau and even refused to report the number of COVID-19 cases to the Centre.

During his two-day visit to Kolkata, Nadda lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Nadda, while addressing party workers said, “Bengal has the highest number of female domestic crime, human trafficking and rape cases. Mamata Didi has stopped reporting numbers to National Crime Records Bureau and is even refusing to provide number of COVID-19 cases reported in the state.

Nadda said Mamata Banerjee’s government has kept people from joining the mainstream for their political gains.

The BJP president virtually inaugurated nine state party offices in the election-bound state. These new offices will have facilities like e-library, video conferencing facilities and meeting halls.

“I am happy that nine offices have been dedicated here. Thirty eight more offices will be built in the state. The Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the BJP have a special relationship. Bharatiya Jana Sangh had got two national presidents from West Bengal in the initial period, he said.

He also said, “BJP will win 200 seats in the upcoming Assembly election 2021 election. The people of Bengal are with BJP and with Modi ji.”

Nadda’s visit to West Bengal is part of his 120-day nationwide tour.

West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in 2021. With 294 seats, a keen contest awaits the state as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tries to wrest power from Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. (ANI)