Month: May 2022

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to Yasin Malik, a separatist leader from Jammu and Kashmir, in a terror funding case.

The NIA court while sentencing life imprisonment to Malik also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment twice (one for waging war against the nation and one in UAPA sec 17 raising fund for terror act).

NIA had sought the death penalty for the separatist leader who was convicted on May 19.

On May 10, Malik had told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that including Section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act) and 20 (being a member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the IPC. (ANI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to the United Kingdom, and especially his meeting with British Labour Party leader and MP Jeremy Corbyn in London came under the scanner after his controversial statements. Top sources in the government have revealed that the Congress MP skipped the due procedure, and had not sought political clearance for his visit.

Top sources informed ANI that another Member of Parliament, Professor Manoj Jha from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, who also went for a function in which Rahul Gandhi was participating in London, had all due permission including – the due political clearance.
Jha also spoke at the Cambridge University, a day ahead of Rahul Gandhi.

On Tuesday, Gandhi posed a picture with UK Labour party leader and known India-baiter Jeremy Corbyn, which sparked off a war of words between the Congress and the BJP.

While the Congress Wayanad MP spoke at the ‘Ideas for India’ conclave, Gandhi said that democracy is in danger and the Constitution of India is under attack.

Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of remaining silent ‘deliberately’ on every issue.

Heated words were also exchanged between Rahul Gandhi and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Twitter.

Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks concerning “complete change” in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Jaishankar said that the change is not called “arrogance” but “confidence and defending national interest”.

The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi said at an event in London that he had been told by bureaucrats in Europe that IFS has changed and the officers are “arrogant”.

Jaishankar said in a tweet that the IFS officers follow the orders of the government and protect national interests while countering the arguments of others.

“Yes, the Indian Foreign Service has changed. Yes, they follow the orders of the Government. Yes, they counter the arguments of others. No, it’s not called Arrogance. It is called Confidence. And it is called defending National Interest,” Jaishankar said.

He also attached a clip of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks. In his remarks at the ‘Ideas for India’ conference in London, Gandhi said he had been told that IFS officers do not listen to anything, they were just getting orders from the government and there is no conversation. (ANI)

Deepening the crisis in Congress further, Kapil Sibal, a prominent face of the G-23 group of the dissenting leaders, has resigned from the party and filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections as an independent on Wednesday in Lucknow backed by the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Sibal filed his nomination papers from Uttar Pradesh in the presence of the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and other party leaders in Lucknow. Sibal is retiring from the Rajya Sabha on July 4.
“I had tendered my resignation from the Congress party on May 16,” he said after filing the nomination.

“I have filed nomination as an independent candidate. I have always wanted to be an independent voice in the country. While staying in Opposition, we want to create an alliance so that we can oppose the Modi government,” he added.

Sibal is likely to get elected to the Upper House as the SP has 111 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

Notably, Sibal had been critical of Congress high command on various issues and has been demanding sweeping reforms in the party, including elections for the post of the Congress president.

Sibal had made “ghar ki Congress” remark during an interview in which he had also said that he was not surprised by results in five state elections and that the leadership should have worked out a plan for the party’s rejuvenation. (ANI)

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday urged the court to give the death penalty to Yasin Malik, a separatist leader from Jammu and Kashmir while the latter said that will not beg for anything and left the decision on court.

The lawyer who attended the court proceeding said, in the courtroom, “Yasin said that if I have been involved in any terrorist activity or violence in 28 years, if Indian Intelligence proves this, then I will also retire from politics. I will accept the hanging. With seven Prime Ministers, I have worked.”
On the demand by NIA for the death penalty to the separatist leader, he said, “I will not beg for anything. The case is before this court and I left on the court to decide it.”

NIA SPP (Special Public Prosecutor) told the court that Yasin Malik is responsible, in part, for the Kashmiri exodus.

The court which is set to pronounce the quantum of punishment said, “let’s not go into all this. Stick to the facts. This is a terror funding case.”

The court on the last date had convicted him in the matter. Malik recently had pleaded guilty in the terror funding case.

The lawyer representing NIA on Wednesday sought maximum punishment against Malik. However, Advocate Akhand Pratap Singh (court-appointed amicus) sought minimum punishment (life imprisonment).

Meanwhile, Yasin Malik on sentence point said “I have already given me words in the court and now it is on the court discretion”

The Special NIA Judge Praveen Singh said we will pass the judgement at 3:30 pm today.

Earlier the court asked NIA to give an affidavit on the socio-economic status of convict Yasin Malik after taking the help of local authorities. Malik is also directed to file an affidavit disclosing all sources of his income and assets (movable and immovable).

Malik had told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him.

While the court convicted had said, in view of the plea of the guilt, accused Mohd. Yasin Malik alias Aslam is hereby convicted for the offences punishable under sections 120B IPC, 121 IPC, 121A IPC, 13 UAPA r/w 120B IPC, 15 UAPA r/w 120B IPC, 17 UAPA, 18 UAPA, 20 UAPA, 38 UAPA and 39 UAPA.

Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, Md Yusuf Shah, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Md Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Abdul Rashid Sheikh and Naval Kishore Kapoor earlier formally signed the court order copy and said they are ready to face trial in the case.

NIA Judge, while passing the order said, “The analysis reflects that the statements of witnesses and documentary evidence have connected almost all the accused with each other and to a common object of secession, to the commonality of means they were to use, their close association to terrorist/ terrorist organizations under the guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment.”

On March 16, the NIA Court had ordered the framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of UAPA in a case pertaining to the terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

The court had also ordered the framing of charges against Kashmiri politician and former MLA Rashid Engineer, Businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others under various sections of IPC and UAPA including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, unlawful activities, etc.

The Court noted that, during the course of arguments, none of the accused argued that individually they do not have a secessionist ideology or agenda or that they have not worked for secession or advocated for the secession of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir from Union of India.

Witnesses after witnesses have deposed that APHC, its factions after division and JRL had only one object and that was the secession of J&K from the Union of India. Witnesses have connected accused Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate to APHC and JRL. Another witness has connected Er. Rashid to Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali who in turn is closely intertwined with APHC and Pakistani establishment/ agencies, the court noted.

However, the court also clarified that whatever has been expressed in the order is a prima facie opinion although, a detailed discussion of the evidence had to be done because the arguments were advanced by both sides in much detail.

According to the NIA various terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) etc., with the support of ISI of Pakistan, perpetrated violence in the valley by attacking civilians and security forces. It was further alleged that in the year 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to give a political front to secessionist activities.

The NIA charge sheet submitted that the Central Government received credible information that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Amir of Jammat-ud-Dawah and the secessionist and separatist leaders including the members of Hurriyat Conference have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organizations like HM, LeT etc. for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels including hawala.

The NIA also stated before the court that this has been done for funding separatist and terrorist activities in J&K and as such, they have entered into a larger conspiracy for causing disruption in the valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning schools, damage to public property and waging war against India.

On this information, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the NIA to register a case. Accordingly, the present case was registered by NIA for offences under sections 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of UAPA.

The NIA further added that during the investigation it was also revealed that APHC and other secessionists instigate the general public, especially the youth, to observe strikes and to resort to violence especially stone pelting on the security forces. This was done to create disaffection amongst the people of Jammu and Kashmir towards the Government of India.

It also submitted that the investigation has revealed that the secessionists were mobilizing funds from all possible sources to fuel unrest and support the ongoing secessionist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The secessionists were getting funds from Pakistan, funds from Pakistan based terrorist organizations and from local donations. (ANI)

On the 17th death anniversary of his father Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt shared a throwback photo of the late actor, on his social media account, on Wednesday.

Taking to his Instagram handle, the ‘Munna Bhai MBBS ‘ actor, dropped a throwback snap of himself with his father and also wrote an emotional message for his father.

Sharing the picture Sanjay wrote, “Through thick and thin, you were always there to guide and protect me. You were my strength, inspiration and support in every need… the best a son could ask for. You will always be in my heart Dad, I miss you!”

Sanjay Dutt’s wife Maanayata Dutt also dropped two red heart emoticons in the comment section along with other fans and admirers.

Sunil Dutt, a filmmaker, actor and politician died of a heart attack on May 25, 2005, at his Mumbai home.

We all know that Sanjay had a close relationship with his father and was his constant support in all aspects of his life. Indeed, the ‘Kalank’ actor must be missing his father terribly today, as evidenced by his post.

Sanjay Dutt was most recently seen as the antagonist Adheera in ‘KGF Chapter 2’, in which Yash played the lead. He was praised for his performance in the blockbuster film, which broke box office records. ‘Shamshera’, ‘Ghudchadi’, and ‘Prithiviraj’ are among his upcoming films. (ANI)

Pakistan is staring at an unprecedented wheat crisis amid the ongoing political and economic instability as the harvest is expected to be over two metric tonnes less this year.

The wheat shortage has shot up the prices in a further blow to the country’s slumping economy. The wheat crisis is being attributed to incessant heatwaves in the country.
Pakistan is expected to reap only 26.9 million tonnes of wheat this season against a target of 28.9 metric tonnes. An unexpected, early heatwave in mid-March shrivelled wheat grains, while poor application of fertilizer (both DAP and urea), either due to unavailability or higher costs, as well as a severe shortage of water also depleted crops, Dawn reported.

The government has withdrawn the massive fuel and electricity subsidies that have haemorrhaged tens of billions from the treasury, as the nation struggles to finance its rapidly expanding current account deficit.

According to Dawn, it is estimated that the country needs around 30.8 metric tonnes to meet its requirements until the next harvest. With about a million tonnes of wheat available in carryover stock, the gap between the total requirement and expected supply (26.9m tonnes) reduces to about 3.0m tonnes. That number is bound to be a headache for the foreign exchange-starved government.

Pakistan, however, prefers to import its wheat from Ukraine, the fifth-largest wheat supplier in the world with 19m tonnes of exports in 2021-22, However, exports from Ukraine have been hampered since the blockading of the Black Sea region by Russia.

The Black Sea region is responsible for exporting about 60 million tonnes of wheat.

These factors, coupled with higher fertiliser costs and weather worries, are compounding disruptions in the global supply chain and bringing grain prices further under pressure.

Khaleeque Arshad, a member of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association, said the private sector will not be importing wheat this year because of the extraordinary cost of the commodity in international markets. He urged the government to make import arrangements before wheat prices rise further

The private sector (the flour milling industry) has already made it clear it is not ready to share the government’s import burden and is instead looking to federal authorities to import the wheat and ensure it is supplied onward to the industry at subsidised rates.

Apart from the acute economic crisis, Pakistan is also grappling with climate change in the country which has led to an acute wheat shortage accompanied by food and water scarcity. (ANI)

Over a dozen gunmen went on a shooting spree in the Mexican city of Celaya on Tuesday, killing 11 people, including eight women at a hotel and its two bars. More than 50 shots were fired in the ambush which lasted lesser than a minute.

The shooting is being linked to cartel warfare, reported the New York Post.
Some of the 15 gunmen, who were hooded threw Molotov cocktails in the bars, badly burning one of the establishments. Graphic photos of the crime scene have emerged on social media which revealed women heaped in pools of blood between tables while another body was seen on the sidewalk.

Seven women and three men were pronounced dead on the spot itself after they were shot dead. The eleventh victim, a woman, passed away, later in the hospital, security and government officials reported. Five other people were injured in the shooting, reported New York Post.

Photos posted on social media suggested the killers belonged to the Santa Rosa de Lima gang seemingly accusing the bars’ owners of supporting the rival Jalisco cartel, according to The Associated Press.

The bloodbath came just hours after three dismembered bodies were found nearby in plastic bags — also containing warning messages left on cardboard.

Pieces of cardboard with messages “alluding to a criminal group” were also found at the crime scene, reported New York Post. According to security officials, Mexico’s National Guard, and the Defense Ministry, alongside Guanajuato state security forces were in search of the gunmen.

Reportedly, the city of Guanajuato has turned out to be one of the most violent areas of Mexico in recent years as drug trafficking gangs continue to fight for control.

Government data reveals 933 homicides recorded in the first four months of 2022 in Guanajuato. In the month of March, seven charred bodies were recovered. The dead bodies were found abandoned in a pick-up truck in Celaya. (ANI)

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday sought the death penalty for Yasin Malik, a separatist leader from Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the NIA court reserved the order and will pass judgment on sentencing today itself at 3:30 pm
He was convicted by the NIA Court on May 19.

On May 10, Malik had told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that including Section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act) and 20 (being a member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the IPC.

Meanwhile, the Court formally framed the charges against other Kashmiri separatist leaders who are accused in the case, including Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, Md Yusuf Shah, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Md Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Abdul Rashid Sheikh and Naval Kishore Kapoor.

On March 16, the NIA Court had ordered the framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of UAPA in a case pertaining to the terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

The court had also ordered the framing of charges against Kashmiri politician and former MLA Rashid Engineer, Businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others under various sections of IPC and UAPA including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, unlawful activities, etc.

According to the NIA various terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) etc., with the support of ISI of Pakistan, perpetrated violence in the valley by attacking civilians and security forces. It was further alleged that in the year 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to give a political front to secessionist activities.

The NIA also stated before the court that this has been done for funding separatist and terrorist activities in J&K and as such, they have entered into a larger conspiracy for causing disruption in the valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning schools, damage to public property and waging war against India.

On this information, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the NIA to register a case. Accordingly, the present case was registered by NIA for offences u/s 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of UAPA.

The NIA further added that during the investigation it was also revealed that APHC and other secessionists instigate the general public, especially the youth, to observe strikes and to resort to violence especially stone pelting on the security forces. This was done to create disaffection amongst the people of Jammu and Kashmir towards the Government of India.

It also submitted that the investigation has revealed that the secessionists were mobilizing funds from all possible sources to fuel unrest and support the ongoing secessionist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The secessionists were getting funds from Pakistan, funds from Pakistan based terrorist organizations and from local donations. (ANI)

The All India Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) has called for a Bharat Bandh today demanding a caste-based census.

The strike has been called as a mark of protest against the Centre for not conducting a caste-based census for the Other Backward Classes (OBC). The Federation is also demanding reservations for the SC/ST/OBC communities in the private sector.
Besides, BAMCEF is also protesting against the use of EVMs during elections and the issue of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR).

The other key demands include the implementation of a separate electorate in OBC reservation in Panchayat polls in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, resumption of the old pension scheme, protection of labour rights and no displacement of tribal people.

BAMCEF also demanded a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for farmers.

Several parties including BJP’s ally Janata Dal-United have been demanding a caste-based census in the country. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that a caste-based census would enable the government to work for the development of various sections of the society.

“We will start it soon and will also ensure it is implemented properly. Once the caste-based Census is done, the government can work for their development,” he said.

Earlier, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had said that the Government of India has decided as a matter of policy “not to enumerate caste-wise populations other than SCs and STs in the census”. (ANI)

An 18-year-old gunman killed 14 children and 1 teacher in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The shooter also died.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that an elementary school shooter is an 18-year-old male from Uvalde.
“It’s believed that he abandoned his vehicle and entered into the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun and he may have also had a rifle, but that is not yet confirmed according to my most recent report,” Abbott said as quoted by CNN.

The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD) in Texas said they are cancelling all school activities after the shooting at Robb Elementary School.

“All district and campus activities, after-school programs, and events are cancelled,” the district tweeted.

The district also announced that they will soon hold a news conference.

According to UCISD, the shooter on Tuesday was at Robb Elementary School at 12:17 pm (US time) and law enforcement was on site.

This is the deadliest attack since the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed, according to CNN.

Upon this incident, White House new press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the school shooting in Texas.

“President Biden has been briefed on the horrific news of the elementary school shooting in Texas and will continue to be briefed regularly as information becomes available,” she tweeted.

“His prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event, and he will speak this evening when he arrives back at the White House,” Jean-Pierre added.

Local police had previously said that a suspect was taken into custody, following the attack in Texas. (ANI)