Jiah's Mom

Entire Trial Was A Mockery Of Judiciary System: Jiah’s Mom

Days after actor Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted of abatement charges in Jiah Khan’s death case by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai, Jiah’s mother Rabia Khan reacted to the decision, describing the entire trial as a “mockery of the judiciary system.”

Rabia Khan in a statement said, “This case was on the wrong track from the very beginning all the evidence were pointing to homicidal death. Sooraj Pancholi was accused of the wrong crime to start with. How can it be possible that police accused him of the crime when they had no evidence? All the evidence that I had given to CBI like forensic experts reports that pointed to murder was simply ignored and was never produced before the honourable court by the prosecution.”
She added, “The entire trial was a mockery of the judiciary system. The court was following a higher court order, pre-trial, the path they predetermined for the trial court to follow to give an acquittal to the accused only to close the case. In long ten years both the agencies of India- the police and CBI did not find one single piece of legally relevant evidence for suicide, it requires convincing evidence of an accused having directly driven the victim to commit suicide immediately before the act, and prove any abetment of suicide allegations against the accused Sooraj Pancholi. The burden of proof was so high, all the parties involved must have known the outcome but none of it made legally or rationally any sense.”

The statement also stated, “During the trial it was soon obvious to me that CBI and the prosecution had been compromised, because they never established the actual cause of death. Let me repeat this: The actual cause of Jiah’s death was never established. No evidence were sent for forensic analysis by the court, Instead, the CBI simply used the preliminary finding of the police appointed post-mortem report as the cause of death “due to asphyxia.”

Rabia said that Sooraj “lied through his teeth.”

“Sooraj was an accused and he lied through his teeth and both the agencies throughout honoured his lies for reasons best known to them. My daughter Jiah who is no more to speak for self was blamed, because that was very convenient for both agencies to blame the dead. Not only as mother but as a woman I feel disappointed that yet again the system that we expect to protect us and serve us justice has failed us and made a mockery of its own system,” she continued.

Jiah’s mother also called out Sooraj for celebrating the trial win.

She said, “The fact that he handed out sweets outside the courtroom illustrates this and sums up his mercilessness. Sooraj will one day have to grapple with the demons that he walks with. I have made peace with the loss of my daughter and I leave to God to administer justice on whoever murdered my daughter.”

The 25-year-old ‘Nishabd’ actor was found dead at her Juhu home in Mumbai on June 3, 2013. Police later arrested Sooraj on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by Jiah, and booked him for abetment to suicide.

Sooraj was in an alleged relationship with Jiah.

Rabia alleged that her daughter was murdered. In October 2013, she moved Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe in the case, alleging that her daughter had been murdered.

On the order of the Bombay High Court, the CBI took over the probe from the Maharashtra Police in July 2014. Rabia claimed that her daughter was in an abusive relationship with Sooraj, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab.

However, on April 28, Sooraj was finally cleared of all the charges by the CBI court in Mumbai. (ANI)

Read More: lokmarg.com

Karnataka Assembly polls

Karnataka : 52.18% Voter Turnout Till 3 pm

A voter turnout of 52.18 per cent was recorded in the ongoing Karnataka Assembly polls till 3 pm, the Election Commission informed on Wednesday.

At 63.36 per cent, Ramanagaram recorded the highest voter turnout at 3 pm while the B.B.M.P (South) recorded the lowest voter turnout at 40.28 per cent.
The overall voter turnout till 1 pm was recorded at 37.25 per cent, a significant uptick from 20.99 per cent at 11 am.

Polling for 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka began at 7 am on Wednesday. After a slow start, the turnout picked up as the day wore on.

The ongoing Assembly polls would decide the electoral fates of 2,615 candidates across parties.

In what turned out to be a high-decibel campaign phase, the incumbent BJP, Congress and the JDS went at each other and pulled out all stops and their heavyweights to woo voters.

After the controversy around its manifesto, which included a promise to ban the Bajrang Dal, the Congress tried to redirect its campaign focus back to the bread-and-butter issues and the alleged corruption on the watch of the incumbent BJP government.

However, the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, went big on the pledge to ban the Bajrang Dal and alleged faux pas by the party’s designated translator at a campaign rally addressed by Sonia Gandhi.

In this year’s Karnataka polls, the Congress (supported by the CPI), and JDS are contesting on their own, aiming to form their government with a full majority.

In the previous state polls, the Congress and JDS had contested as partners.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Central recorded 29.41 per cent voter turnout till 1 pm while it was 29.90 per cent in BBMP (North).

BBMP (South) saw a voting percentage of 30.68 per cent, Bagalkot 40.87 per cent, Bangalore Rural 40.16 per cent, Bangalore Urban 31.54 per cent, Belgaum 37.48 and Bellary 39.74 per cent till 1 pm.

Dakshina Kannada recorded 44.17 per cent voter turnout, Bijapur 36.55 per cent, Davanagere 38.64 per cent, Uttara Kannada 42.43 per cent and Tumkur 40.60 per cent.

The counting of votes will take place on May 13. (ANI)

Read More: lokmarg.com

Narendra Modi

Rajasthan: Modi Rescues Gehlot When He’s Unable To Chant Amid ‘Modi, Modi’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to the rescue of incumbent Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot when he was unable to speak due to continuous chants of “Modi Modi” on Wednesday.

During the inauguration of development projects in Nathdwara, Gehlot started speaking, but a spirited crowd of people started raising continuous Modi-Modi chants.
It was PM Modi’s intervention that stopped people. Not only did PM Modi ask people to stop but he also asked CP Joshi to instruct people to let Gehlot speak.

PM Modi shared the dais with former chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple development projects worth more than Rs 5,500 crore in Rajasthan on Wednesday. He also addressed a public rally organised by the party at Abu Road in the Sirohi district. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot was also in attendance.

After landing in Rajasthan’s Nathdwara, PM Modi stopped at the Shrinathji temple and offered prayers before launching the multi-crore projects.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the focus of the projects will be on bolstering infrastructure and connectivity in the region. The PMO added that the road and railway works will facilitate the movement of goods and services, boosting trade and commerce and improving the socio-economic conditions of the people in the region. (ANI)

DK Shivakumar

Will Not Form Alliance With JD(S): Shivakumar

Karnataka Congress DK Shivakumar on Wednesday dismissed a post-poll alliance with Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) expressing confidence that his party will get an absolute majority in the 224-seat assembly.

“Here the issue is price rise, corruption, good governance and development. There are no chances of alliance with JD(S). We will form the government on our own,” Shivakumar told reporters after casting his vote here in elections to Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Earlier in the day, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah too expressed confidence that the Congress will secure an absolute majority, saying it could get 130-150 seats.

Shivakumar further appealed to the people of Karnataka to consider “inflation” in the BJP-ruled state and come out and vote.

“I am appealing to everyone, please cast a vote by looking at our gas cylinders. I have advised all my leaders to put a gas cylinder outside the booth and put a garland on it,”Shivakumar said.

The Karnataka Congress chief had a day ago performed aarti of a gas cylinder., a video of which was posted on the Congress Party handle.

The Karnataka Congress president also urged young voters to vote for a “change” in the State and expressed confidence that the people of Karnataka will give Congress 141 seats.

“Today young voters have a great opportunity, they will vote for a change. They know about the price rise and corruption in the state and I’m sure that they will go for a change and give us 141 seats,” he said.

Shivakumar was also seen driving an autorickshaw in his constituency Kanakapura after casting his vote.

The Congress party has a stronghold in Kanakapura where Shivakumar is a seven-time MLA.

In the 2018 Karnataka Assembly Election, he won the seat defeating Janata Dal (Secular) – JD(S) candidate – by a huge margin of 79,909 votes.

Usha Shivakumar, wife of DK Shivakumar asserted that she is “100 per cent confident” about his win in the Karnataka Assembly Elections.

“I am 100 per cent confident about my husband’s win. Congress government will come, it (The Kerala Story) will not have any effect in Karnataka. I appeal to people to vote for Congress,” said Usha Shivakumar.

The Congress conducted high-decibel campaigning with high promises with top leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress which is working hard to wrest power from the BJP that is striving to break the 38-year-old pattern of alternating governments and retain its power in the state faced criticism over its manifesto which mentions banning Bajrang Dal if it is elected to power.

The Congress manifesto said the party is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion.

However, controversy over the issue forced Shivakumar to promise a “huge” temple of Hindu Lord Hanuman.

Congress in its manifesto also promised to bring back the Muslim quota, higher reservations for various classes, cash handouts and freebies.

Voting is currently underway for 224 assembly constituencies in Karnataka with 2,615 candidates in the fray.

According to the Election Commission of India, the majority mark to form the government is 113 seats.

A total of 42,48,028 new voters have been registered to vote for the assembly elections.

Some of the key constituencies which will make a major mark in the polls are Varuna, Kanakapura, Shiggaon, Hubli-Darwad, Channapatna, Shikaripura, Chittapur, Ramanagara, and Chikmagalur. (ANI)

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Denied Permission, Imran’s Legal Team Allowed To Meet

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s legal team has been granted permission to meet the former prime minister ahead of his case hearing in Islamabad.

Earlier today, Imran’s legal team and his party leaders were denied access to meet him.
“We were stopped from meeting our client,” Babar Awan, a part of Khan’s legal team, told Geo News.

At NUST University Chowk, Imran’s legal team was stopped and PTI leaders Babar Awan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Asad Umar were also denied access to the police lines.

Imran Khan was arrested outside Islamabad High Court by Pakistan Rangers on a warrant issued by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The NAB had initiated an investigation against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and others for the alleged gain of hundreds of canals of land in the name of Al Qadir University Trust, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

On the directives of the NAB, an independent anti-graft organisation, the former prime minister was detained by Rangers on Tuesday in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case. He was then moved to its headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi for questioning.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) later stated that the detention was valid and reserved its decision regarding it; as a result, Khan’s legal team plans to contest the arrest in the Supreme Court today.

According to the charges, Imran Khan and others accused allegedly adjusted 50 billion — 190 million pounds at the time sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government. Former PM Imran Khan registered Trust for Al-Qadir University Project on December 26, 2019, Geo News reported. (ANI)

Voting

Voting Underway For Suar, Chhanbey Seats: UP

Voting in bypolls to Suar and Chhanbey Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh began at 7 am on Wednesday.

The ruling coalition partner Apna Dal (Sonelal) is contesting both seats. Suar assembly seat in Rampur district was declared vacant on February 13 after a Moradabad court sentenced Abdullah Azam Khan, the son of senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case.
Anuradha Chauhan is contesting from this seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket while Shafeek Ahmed Ansari is contesting on Apna Dal (Sonelal) ticket.

In May, the Supreme Court asked Uttar Pradesh Government to file a counter affidavit on Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan’s plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order which rejected his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a matter related to protest case. Recently the Allahabad High Court has refused to stay the conviction of Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan in connection with a 2008 protest case, which led to his disqualification as an MLA from the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

The Supreme Court had earlier requested the Allahabad High Court to decide at the earliest Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan’s plea seeking a stay of his conviction in a matter related to the protest. Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan claiming that he was a juvenile as of the date of the incident, has challenged the Allahabad High Court order dated March 17.

Abdullah Azam Khan was disqualified from the UP Legislative Assembly after he was convicted and sentenced to two-year imprisonment in a 15-year-old case. Abdulla Azam Khan was representing Suar in Rampur district in the Assembly.

Abdullah Azam Khan, and his father, were convicted by a local court in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a matter pertaining to a dharna on a state highway in January 2008. Abdullah Azam Khan moved Allahabad High Court against a trial court order seeking suspension of his sentence.

Meanwhile, people lined up outside a polling station in Mirzapur to cast their votes.

The Chhanbey Assembly seat in Mirzapur fell vacant after the death of Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA Rahul Prakash Kol in February this year.

The party has fielded Koi’s wife Rinki Kol who is pitted against Kirti Kol who is contesting as a Samajwadi Party candidate. (ANI)

Manipur Curfew Relaxed

Manipur: People Throng Markets To Buy Essentials As Curfew Relaxed

With curfew being relaxed in Imphal city on Wednesday, people were seen thronging markets in large numbers to purchase essential items. The city’s Ima market saw a big crowd.

Long queues were seen outside petrol pumps in the city with limited fuel being allowed to buyers. People were seen queuing up since 6 am.
A curfew, which was imposed on May 3, after violent clashes erupted across the State, was relaxed in city after police reported an improvement in law and order situation.

The curfew has been relaxed from 5 am to 11 am today.

People are allowed to come out for buying essential commodities during the curfew relaxation period, said authorities advising them not to gather for any other purpose.

Manipur government on Tuesday relaxed curfew in the Imphal Valley for three hours from 7 am to 10 am. Visuals from a market in Imphal Valley showed people turning up in big numbers.

According to Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, around 60 people have lost their lives in the violence in parts of the State.

Singh on Monday urged people to maintain peace while informing them that a high-level inquiry will be conducted to hold those responsible for the violence to account and also act on those who failed to discharge their responsibilities in containing the unrest.

In his first public reaction to the ethnic clashes that have put the Northeast state on the boil, the Manipur chief minister also thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for monitoring the situation and sending central forces to restore normality at the earliest.

He assured media persons that those stranded in the ongoing violence were being provided with the best possible care.

The Manipur CM added, “Around 60 people have lost their lives so far while 231 have suffered injuries in the violence. Also, about 1,700 houses were burned down in the unfortunate incidents (rioting) on May 3. I appeal to the people to restore peace and calm to the state.”He also appealed to the people not to block or obstruct the movement of public transport.

Under the initiative of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), KSO, Churachandpur District Administration and 9 sector Assam Rifles evacuated 518 stranded people including medical students and shifted them to Imphal on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey convened a security review meeting at Imphal over the violence in the State.

Clashes erupted in the Northeast state a week ago after the high court directed the state government to consider including the majority community of Manipur in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). (ANI)

J'khand Polls

Karnataka Polls: 7.89% Voting Recorded Till 9 am

Karnataka, where voting began at 7 am on Wednesday in Assembly elections recorded an approximate voter turnout of 7.83 per cent till 9 am, according to the Election Commission.

The polls would seal the electoral fates of 2,615 candidates across parties in the State.
The highest voter turnout was recorded at 12.47 per cent in Dakshina Kannada till 9 am today.

Voting is being held for 224 assembly constituencies in Karnataka with 2,615 candidates in the fray.

As per the Election Commission, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)Central recorded a 7.89 per cent of voter turnout while BBMP (North) at 7.55 per cent, BBMP (South) at 8.22 per cent, Bagalkot at 8.52 per cent, Bangalore Rural at 7.72 per cent, Bangalore Urban at 9.11 per cent, Belgaum at 7.47 am and Bellary at 8.84 per cent till 9 am.

These assembly elections, are a critical test for the ruling BJP that’s hoping to beat precedent and return to power as well as for the Congress looking for electoral revival.

Several key leaders including Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, State Minister K Sudhakar, and Congress state President DK Shivakumar were among early voters. (ANI)

‘We Must Find Other Ways to Counter Propaganda Films Than Banning’

Vidhu Vincent, a film director, writer and theatre activist from Kerala, recalls how propaganda films played a big role in the rise and growth of Nazism in Germany. Her views:

The Kerala Story, released recently has sparked off a controversy for its subject and treatment. There has been a widespread demand to ban the film as it promotes hatred against one community. The West Bengal government has banned it while BJP-ruled states have exempted from tax. In my opinion, it is not right to demand that the film should be banned. In that sense, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, who has made yet another meaningful film called Afwah on the contradictions and tensions in contemporary India, is right: that no film should be banned and that there should be space for all opinions and perspectives in the cinema narrative – good or bad.

Mishra was talking about The Kashmir Files, where although he does not seem to agree with the content of the film, he would not seek a ban on it. Indeed, there should be reasonable debate and discussion about the film and let the audience watch it and make their observations about the film, however good or bad it might be.

Certainly, the right to freedom of expression is a constitutional right guaranteed in our pluralist and secular democracy, and everyone has every right to enjoy it. However, such propaganda films with apparently little regard for reality or facts, and with an ulterior motive to polarize or spread bad faith, needs to be countered in another way.

ALSO READ: ‘Kashmir Files A Political Ploy To Demonize Muslims’

We have to make real stories, big and small films, dramas, documentaries, literary works, refined and meaningful creations in arts, cinema and literature. We should write stories and poems etc., and show it in the public domain. Undoubtedly, this would be a strenuous and painstaking counter-action, but let the people decide what the real story is and what the reality is on the ground.

Vincent’s movie Manhole (left) won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Director

Film critics have largely trashed The Kerala Story, with a prominentvoice describing it as “a poorly-made, poorly-acted rant which is not interested in interrogating the social complexities of Kerala, an India state proud of its multi-religious, multi-ethnic identity”. The quick change of the controversial film’s propaganda tag, to three women — from almost 30,000 women of Kerala who were allegedly converted to ISIS etc. — clearly shows how the film has been made up of lies. Now, everyone has been convinced of this lie because they had to correct it, during the judicial process where it was challenged.

It is historically well-known that the during the Nazi regime in Germany and the Holocaust that followed in parts of Europe, path-breaking filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler’s favourite film director, made propaganda films like Triumph of the Will and Berlin Olympics, in a gigantic scale. In those times, these motion\documentary pictures were generally recognized as an epical and innovative work of propaganda film-making. The film took Riefenstahl’s career to a new level and gave her further international recognition. Not only in Germany, these films have also been screened in other parts of the world.

These propaganda films had played a big role in the rise and growth of Nazism in Germany. Hence, there is no doubt that these propaganda films will work at some level during certain times. Hence, it is all the more important to counter it with a new, mainstream and parallel cinematic and artistic narrative, and defend this narrative using the tools of art, culture and aesthetics.

The narrator made her feature film debut with the Malayalam film Manhole, which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Director. The film also won two awards at the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala, including the Best Debutant Director Award

As told to Amit Sengupta

Pakistan Elections

Mayhem On Pakistan Streets; Imran Supporters Attack Army Assets

Several violent protests erupted across Pakistan including at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and the residence of the Corps Commander in Lahore, which was once the house of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday afternoon.

People have taken to the streets, resorted to violence, arson and even raised many slogans to register their resentment against the arrest of ex-PM of Pakistan and PTI chief Imran Khan, across Pakistan including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Karachi, Quetta, Mardan, Bannu, and Chilas.
The protesting mob resorted to stone pelting on houses, offices and vehicles, burning banners and tyres and blocking roads.

Several videos surfacing on social media platforms show groups of men, some with their faces covered, entering gated premises of GHQ with sticks, which they later were seen using to hit the walls.

Such violent protests are an aberration in the history of Pakistan, where citizens are seen vandalising the Pak Army GHQ and the residence of the Corps Commander, which has controlled the nation since its independence, showing the growing popularity of Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, in Faisalabad, a mob pelted stones on Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s house.

Prominent journalist Talat Hussain said that those PTI protestors at GHQ in Rawalpindi and at the residence of Corps Commander Lahore can be seen vandalising the CC residence.

Talat cautioned, “After the attacks on GHQ and Corps Commander’s Lahore house, anything can happen now. The first target is to deal with the rioters, perpetrators and those who spread them. Time is short and conditions are very bad.”

Lahore remains no exception, serving as the hub of the PTI leader’s operations ever since a no-confidence vote forced him out of the prime minister’s office in April of last year. A larger number of party members have stopped traffic on major highways including Canal Road, and some have reportedly infiltrated the Lahore Cantonment area.

Videos shared on social media show several demonstrators entering the Lahore Commander’s home while brandishing batons. There are also some army men visible loitering on the building’s grounds.

Meanwhile, the PTI also released a video purporting to show protests being held in Multan Cantt against the “abduction” of their leader.

Unconfirmed footage making the rounds on social media suggest that more protestors have assembled in front of the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, while another video depicts individuals going in the direction of Rah Wali Cantt in Gujranwala.

The PTI Chairman was taken into custody while on the grounds of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), where he was there for biometric verification in two cases.

Five police officers have been injured in the protests while 43 protesters have been arrested.

In the wake of these protests, section-144 has been implemented in Islamabad and in Peshawar.

Khan has been detained in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case, according to NAB, which has confirmed the development. According to the report, the NAB head issued the arrest warrants for him on May 1. (ANI)