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‘Forcibly entered into the temple-like body of the girl’: UP POCSO Court awards death sentence to ‘vampires’ Haleem and Rizwan for the brutal rape of a minor

OpIndia Staff
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‘Forcibly entered into the temple-like body of the girl’: UP POCSO Court awards death sentence to ‘vampires’ Haleem and Rizwan for the brutal rape of a minor

On Wednesday, November 2, a POCSO court in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district awarded death sentences to two convicts- Haleem and Rizwan for the kidnapping and brutal rape of a minor girl. Court noted that Haleem and Rizwan not only gang-raped the minor but also intentionally caused such injuries that made her physically and mentally handicapped.

Additional District Sessions Judge of the POCSO Court Pankaj Kumar Srivastava also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on the accused Haleem, an auto mechanic and Rizwan, who is a tailor by profession.

While pronouncing the verdict the court referred to the accused as ‘male vampires’ and observed that they not only forcibly entered into the temple-like body of the minor girl but also tried to demolish the same.

Pankaj Kumar Srivastava, Additional District and Session Judge/Rape and POCSO Court Judge, found them guilty on October 21 after concluding that the case fell into the rarest of rare categories because the accused not only gang-raped the minor girl but also injured her by selectively damaging her body parts.

The convicts were found to have injured the victim on her head, face, and legs following the gang rape, and the injuries were such that her face was distorted, she lost her left eye, and her legs were fractured. Following that, the inmates abandoned the victim along railway lines.

Appalled at the heinous nature of the crime, the court said, “It appears that the accused considered the victim an animal. The brutal cowardly act that the accused committed with the victim and the way they treated her afterwards, no one even treats an animal in such manner.”

Court added, “People treat animals with respect but in the present case, the accused did not even consider the victim worthy that other than rape, no such physical harm should be done to her so that her life would be ruined and she would be scared of looking at her own face in the mirror”.

“It is a strange irony that in our country where Durga is worshipped in the form of Shakti, Maa Saraswati is worshipped for education and Maa Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth, in such a county, an incident like this happens. This puts a question mark on the whole of society…If these cruel lustful persons are not punished severely in society, then every parent will cry when a daughter is born to them and even if they somehow manage to bring her up, they will be in constant fear that at any moment such a lustful monster can make their daughter his victim,” the court observed.

As a result, given the horrific nature of the offence, the court sentenced the accused under Sections 5 (g)/6 of the POCSO Act (death penalty) rather than Section 376 DA of the IPC. The court observed that because the accused’s crime was punishable under both Sections but the sentence under Section 376DA, IPC was less severe, the prisoners deserved to be punished under Section 42, POCSO Act.

According to Joint Director of Prosecution Havaldar Singh, the girl’s brother filed a complaint against unknown persons in Nawabganj police station on December 30, 2021, alleging that his sister went to the village shop on December 27 when the accused kidnapped her and took her to the nearby railway track, where they raped her.

According to the FIR, the accused hit the minor girl on the head, breaking the head bone The accused also stabbed her in the eye, inflicting blindness, and left her unconscious on the railway track and fled. Her leg had also been broken.

She was taken to Kalakankar Community Health Center, where doctors referred her to SRN Medical College hospital due to her critical condition.

Five days later, when the victim regained consciousness, she named her three culprits: Aman alias Qasim, Rizwan, and Haleem.

Joint Director of Prosecution Havaldar Singh went on to say that police had filed a case against the accused under relevant provisions and had given the charge sheet in court. Since Aman was found to be a minor, his case was referred to a juvenile court.

Meanwhile, after hearing the arguments of both sides, the court found the two accused guilty on the basis of evidence and sentenced Haleem alias Kharbar and Rizwan to death.

 

Meet former journalist Isudan Gadhvi, the Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate for Gujarat assembly elections

Pallav
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Meet former journalist Isudan Gadhvi, the Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate for Gujarat assembly elections

The Chief Ministerial candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Gujarat Assembly Elections, which begin on December 1, is Isudan Gadhvi. Gadhvi is a member of the National Executive and the National Joint General Secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party. He received more than 73% of the vote in an AAP survey to determine a Gujarat CM face.

Immediately following the announcement of the Gujarat Assembly election poll dates on Thursday, the AAP said that their chief ministerial candidate would be announced on Friday. And accordingly, the party declared that Isudan Gadhvi is their CM candidate in Gujarat.

40-year-old Isudan Gadhvi formerly worked in the media. He served as the host of the renowned news programme “Mahamanthan” on VTV Gujarati. He is from a prosperous farming family in Saurashtra.

Gadhvi is well-liked in Gujarat and is regarded as a public figure. He belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), which account for 48% of Gujarat’s populace.

Media to politics

Isudan Gadhvi began his journalism career with Doordarshan’s renowned show ‘Yojana.’ From 2007 until 2011, he worked as an on-field journalist for ETV Gujarati in Porbandar. He became the youngest channel head in Gujarati media when he joined VTV Gujarati in 2015. His show was well received in rural Gujarat, especially amongst farmers.

Gadhvi stepped down from his post at the pinnacle of his journalistic career. Gopal Italia, another AAP leader, persuaded Gadhvi to join the party at that point. In June 2021, Gadhvi joined the AAP owing to Arvind Kejriwal, who had travelled to Ahmedabad to inaugurate the AAP’s state headquarters.

Allegations of being drunk and creating ruckus

Gadhvi was among the AAP workers who demonstrated against the state administration at the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar on December 20 in response to the leaked examination paper. Shradhha Rajput, a BJP worker, said that Gadhvi misbehaved and sexually assaulted her while inebriated during the demonstration.

Gadhvi, she said, misbehaved with her and her coworkers. They allegedly continued to misbehave after they were told to maintain decorum. She further said that Aam Aadmi Party women workers attacked them and struck them with sticks. Rajput further said that when the crowd dispersed, Gopal Italia and Isudan Gadhvi misbehaved with her, and she filed a complaint about that as well. Gadhvi was subjected to a medical examination in response to her accusation, as Gujarat is a dry state.

Gandhinagar Police booked Gadhvi on January 1 under the Prohibition Act. According to a police statement, Gadhvi’s medical report dated December 20 reportedly indicated 0.0545 per cent alcohol content in his blood.

Support for anti-Gujarat ‘activists’ Medha Patkar and Teesta Setalvad

On August 30, Isudan Gadhvi took to Twitter to support a video that showed the anti-Gujarat ‘activist’ Medha Patkar and the self-proclaimed ‘activist’ Teesta Setalvad in a positive light. Teesta Setalvad is currently in custody in a case of forgery and falsifying information about the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Gadhvi retweeted a message from AAP politician Sanjay Singh. Sanjay Singh’s tweet featured a video that aimed to depict anti-Gujarat ‘activists’ Medha Patkar and Teesta Setalvad favourably while denigrating Delhi LG Vinay Kumar Saxena.

Gujarat state assembly elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Gujarat Assembly Elections on Thursday. The ECI stated that the elections in the state will be held in two stages on December 1 and December 5, with the results being announced on December 8.

As per the electoral roll, over 4.9 crore electors are registered in the state of Gujarat, out of which 4.04 lakh are PwD electors. However, the number of senior citizen voters is over 9.8 lakh and 4.61 lakh are first-time voters. The commission said that around 51,782 polling stations would be set up across 182 Assembly Constituencies to ensure a hassle-free comfortable voting experience during the polls.

The term of the Gujarat legislature expires on February 18, 2023. Notably, the competition for Gujarat has heated up, with the BJP and the AAP emerging as the frontrunners. The BJP won 99 of the 182 seats in 2017, while the Congress won 77. In the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the ruling party is vying for a sixth consecutive term.

‘Proceeds of crime used for riots’: Court frames charges against Tahir Hussain in money laundering case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots

OpIndia Staff
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‘Proceeds of crime used for riots’: Court frames charges against Tahir Hussain in money laundering case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots

On Thursday, November 3, Delhi Court framed charges against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councillor Tahir Hussain in the money laundering case related to the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots, reports Live Law.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat filed charges against Tahir Hussain under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, which is punishable under Section 4.

The court has also denied statutory bail to Hussain in the case.

In the order passed yesterday, the court asserted, “In view of the statutory provisions and the law discussed above, the transactions of Tahir Hussain, as detailed above, in a conspiracy to fraudulently withdraw money from the accounts of certain companies owned or controlled by him through bogus and malafide transactions with bogus entry operators on the strength of fake bills with him being the beneficiary and with intent putting it to use towards riots, then accused Tahir Hussain would be set to be deriving or obtaining property as a result of criminal activity associated with/relatable to scheduled offence as the proceeds of crime and will be guilty of money laundering.”

Basically, after reviewing the contents of the complaint, associated papers, and witness statements, the court concluded that Tahir Hussain committed money laundering while operating in the conspiracy and the proceeds of crime created by the conspiracy were used to fuel disturbances, said the judge.

“In view of the above discussion, I am of the view that there is sufficient material on record, prima facie, creating grave suspicion against the accused for framing charge against him and to proceed further with the trial of the case,” the court added.

The court has now listed the matter for hearing on November 14, when the formal charges would be framed against the former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain.

Notably, the court has taken cognisance of the matter in 2020 after the Enforcement Directorate had filed a complaint against Tahir Hussain under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 for the commission of the offence of money laundering.

In August 2020, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) released a statement informing about the arrest of radical Islamist and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

The investigation is being conducted by the ED under the PMLA on the basis of First Information Reports (FIRs) that have been filed by the Delhi Police, Crime Branch, and Dayalpur Police Station that had pressed charges against Tahir Hussain under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 385 (creating fear for extortion), which are cognizable offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Tahir Hussain transferred funds from his companies to fuel riots

The ED in its statement has revealed that Tahir Hussain had transferred large sums of money to fraudulent operators via companies that are either owned or controlled by him and his relatives. The operators had then returned the funds to him in cash, which was then utilised to fuel violence during the Anti-Hindu riots of Delhi in February this year. Moreover, a probe into his companies by the ED has unearthed money laundering scams by Hussain in the past.

ED recovers fake invoices; grills Hussain in jail

In its statement, the Enforcement Directorate informed that on June 23 they conducted raids at several residential and business holdings of the former AAP councillor and his associates in Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida. During the search, the central investigative agency recovered ‘incriminating documents’ and evidence including fake invoices. According to the ED, fake invoices were used to transfer money fraudulently. Recently, Hussain has been questioned in Tihar jail by the ED while he was in the custody of the Delhi Police.

The role of Tahir Hussain in Delhi Anti-CAA riots

Tahir Hussain in his confession during the interrogation of Delhi Police said that Khalid Saifi, who is very close to him, planned the riots with him. He once told him that his political position and money should be used against Hindus and for the community. He promised Saifi that he will always be ready to take any step. After the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Ram Lalla Virajman and the Indian government passed Citizen Amendment Act tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah, Tahir and Khalid met and decided that this was the time they have to act.

The charge sheet pertaining to FIR 114 states that Tahir played a vital role in burning several Hindu shops in the Khajuri Khas area along with his accomplices. During the investigation, police found out that he had instigated a mob during the riots of 24th and 25th February 2020 saying that Hindus have killed many Muslims and had set their shops on fire on Sherpur Chowk. The charge sheet says, “Only 64 live cartridges and 22 empty cartridges were recovered at his instance. During interrogation, he could not give an account of the remaining 14 live cartridges and 22 empty/fired cartridges, when and where the same were fired/used.”

Tihar Jail DG Sandeep Goel transferred days after conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged paying ₹10 crore to AAP minister for protection in the prison

OpIndia Staff
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Tihar Jail DG Sandeep Goel transferred days after conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged paying ₹10 crore to AAP minister for protection in the prison

Sandeep Goel, the Director General of Prisons, has been transferred from the Tihar Jail in the national capital, only days after imprisoned conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged that he had paid protection money to Delhi minister Satyendar Jain. The 1989 batch AGMUT cadre officer has been transferred from Tihar Jail and instructed to report to PHQ for further orders, according to a formal order issued on Friday, November 4.

1989 batch IPS officer Sanjay Beniwal has been appointed as the new DG (Prisons). The AGMUT cadre officer was posted as Special Police Commissioner of the Perception Management and Media Cell in-charge in Delhi Police.

In a letter to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar made the accusation that AAP leader and Delhi cabinet minister Satyendar Jain extorted Rs 10 crore from him in 2019 to secure his safety in jail. The shocking charges against the AAP leader were made in a letter that Chandrashekhar addressed to the L-G on October 8 through his attorney Ashok K Singh. Sukesh Chandrashekhar is now being held in Mandoli jail in connection with a case involving the money laundering of Rs 200 crore.

According to the letter, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received more than Rs 50 crore with the understanding that they would offer Chandrashekhar a key position in the South Zone of the party and support his nomination to the Rajya Sabha. Chandrashekhar also claimed that Jain paid him a visit while he was being held in Tihar jail as a result of his detention in 2017 for the two-leaf symbol corruption case.

Tihar Jail is run by the Department of Delhi Prisons under the Government of Delhi. Satyendar Jain held the portfolio of the jail ministry. Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged that the minister asked him if he had disclosed anything to the probe agency related to his contribution to the AAP.

Chandrashekhar wrote in his letter, “In 2019 again I was visited by Satyendar Jain and his secretary and his close friend Sushil in jail, asking me to pay Rs 2 crore every month to him as protection money to live safely in jail, and to get even basic facilities. Jain asked me to pay Rs 1.50 crore to DG prison Sandeep Goel, who, he said, was a loyal associate of his. He forced me to pay and an amount of Rs 10 crore was extorted from me through constant pressure in a matter of two-three months.” Additionally, he said that Jain’s colleagues in Kolkata were employed to collect the money.

Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged that a total amount of Rs 10 crore was paid to Satyendar Jain, and Rs 12.50 crore to DG prison Sandeep Goel. He also made it clear that he has already given this information to the Enforcement Directorate.

Chandrashekhar was transferred from Tihar jail to Mandoli jail in Delhi in August of this year, after requesting multiple transfers. He claimed he had received death threats from inside the Tihar jail.

This month, he petitioned the Supreme Court for his release from Mandoli jail. However, the Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.

Sukesh Chandrashekhar is being investigated by the Delhi Police in connection with an alleged Rs 215 crore criminal conspiracy, embezzlement, and extortion case. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police had previously filed an FIR against Chandrasekhar for allegedly defrauding the spouses of erstwhile Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of Rs 215 crore.

‘Let football take center stage’: FIFA urges World Cup teams to focus on the game instead of politics and ideologies

OpIndia Staff
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‘Let football take center stage’: FIFA urges World Cup teams to focus on the game instead of politics and ideologies

Soccer’s top official authorities urged the 32 teams preparing for the most political World Cup in recent times to focus on the game and avert handing out lessons on morality in Qatar. FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura sent a letter to the teams urging them to ‘let football take center stage’ ahead of the intense media coverage on coaches and players when World Cup squads are announced next week.

“Please, let’s now focus on the football. We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world. Do not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists”, the letter by Infantino and Samoura read.

The letter, however, did not respond to a request by England and Wales and six other European nations who had requested that their captains be allowed to wear ‘One Love’ multicoloured wristbands at the World Cup which are a response to concerns about Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

“At FIFA, we try to respect all opinions and beliefs, without handing out moral lessons to the rest of the world. One of the great strengths of the world is indeed its very diversity, and if inclusion means anything, it means having respect for that diversity. No one people or culture or nation is ‘better’ than any other”, the letter read.

“This principle is the very foundation stone of mutual respect and non-discrimination. And this is also one of the core values of football. So, please let’s all remember that and let football take centre stage”, it added. Infantino meanwhile also said that everybody would be welcome in Qatar regardless of origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality.

Qatar’s selection as World Cup host in 2010 sparked criticism for its treatment of low-wage migrant workers needed to build projects worth tens of billions of dollars, as well as its laws criminalizing same-sex relationships. Eight European teams have agreed to have their captains wear heart-shaped armbands to support an anti-discrimination campaign, in violation of FIFA rules.

Several coaches and federations meanwhile have supported calls to establish a compensation fund for the families of migrant workers. Denmark’s team this time is wearing a black jersey as a sign of ‘mourning’ for those who died in Qatar. Iran has also faced calls to be removed from the World Cup before its match against England on Nov 21 in a group that also includes the United States.

Iranian fan groups want the federation to be suspended for discriminating against women, and Ukrainian soccer officials have asked FIFA to kick Iran out of the World Cup for human rights violations and supplying weapons to the Russian military. About 1.2 million international visitors are expected in Qatar during the Nov 20- Dec 18 tournament.

Amritsar: Shiv Sena Taksali’s Sudhir Suri shot dead outside temple amid protests over broken idols of Hindu Gods found in the garbage dump

OpIndia Staff
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Amritsar: Shiv Sena Taksali’s Sudhir Suri shot dead outside temple amid protests over broken idols of Hindu Gods found in the garbage dump

Sudhir Suri, a Shiv Sena leader, was shot dead in broad daylight in Amritsar, Punjab. According to reports, the shooting took place outside a temple while Shiv Sena leaders (Taksali) were protesting against the temple’s authorities after some broken idols were found in the garbage outside the temple premises. Suri was shot by a person in the crowd. Following this, two people were detained by police. The Shiv Sena leader was shot with an A.30 pistol.

The attack on the Shiv Sena leader raised concerns about the already deteriorating law and order in the state under the AAP government.

BJP leader Tajinder Bagga reacting to the incident took to Twitter and wrote, “Law and order collapsed in Punjab, Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri injured in firing in Amritsar.”

The location of the bullet is said to be a residential area. According to sources, the attacker has been apprehended by police. The Shiv Sena leader was attacked while speaking with a police official.

Suri was reportedly on a hit list, and he was already having guards to protect him. The suspected attacker was apprehended by the crowd and later taken into custody by police. Sandeep Singh has been identified as the suspected attacker.

Sudhir Suri was arrested in July on suspicion of using offensive language against a specific community and inciting religious sentiments.

The Shiv Sena chief had shared a video on social media in which he and some of his associates were allegedly heard making derogatory remarks about the community. Notably, there are more than 15 Shiv Senas active in Punjab.

An eyewitness of the assassination described the attack against the Shiv Sena leader. “There were two guys who attacked him. They were both Sardars (Sikhs),” he said.

Azamgarh: ‘Pakistan zindabad’ slogans raised during BSP civic poll body campaign rally, local candidate Pappu Khan and aide detained

OpIndia Staff
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Azamgarh: ‘Pakistan zindabad’ slogans raised during BSP civic poll body campaign rally, local candidate Pappu Khan and aide detained

The Azamgarh police in Uttar Pradesh have detained one Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate for local body elections Pappu Khan and his aide Khursheed Ahmed for allegedly raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans during a campaign for the polls in the Jahanaganj area. Azamgarh police took cognisance after the video of the said BSP campaign rally went viral on social media.

According to Azamgarh SP Anurag Arya, based on the video of the incident that went viral on social media, BSP candidate Pappu Khan, for whom the campaigning was taking place, and his associate Khursheed Ahmed, who is accused of raising pro-Pakiatsn slogans, have been taken into custody by the Jahanaganj police and a case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the IPC.

Their cell phones have also been seized, and the viral video is being sent for forensic examination. Since Section 144 is in effect in the area, the police are also examining if the required permit was sought for the campaign rally, and if not, additional related provisions of the IPC will be added to the FIR, added the Azamgarh SP.

According to media reports, several BSP leaders and workers, including former Mubarakpur MLA Guddu Jamali, were campaigning in the region following a party meeting when the alleged slogans were raised.

In April this year, the Jharkhand police arrested three people after videos of pro-Pakistan slogans being raised during a procession in the state went viral on social media. The viral video is said to be from April 20, Wednesday, during nomination filing for the Panchayat election under the Gandey PS area in Jharkhand’s Giridih district.

The arrested people include Md Shakir Hussian who is contesting elections for the Mukhiya from the Dokodih panchayat. Reports suggest that it was his procession during which the pro-Pakistan slogans had been raised. Along with him, his two aides, namely, Asif and Sohaib were also booked for spreading hatred and violating the model code of conduct.

Photojournalists from some media houses not allowed to attend joint press conference of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann

OpIndia Staff
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Photojournalists from some media houses not allowed to attend joint press conference of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann

On 4th November 2022, Delhi’s chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s convenor Arvind Kejriwal held a joint press conference with Punjab’s chief minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann. The press conference in Delhi was about the stubble burning issue in Punjab that is causing severe air pollution in the national capital. But the conference became controversial after several photojournalists were not allowed to cover it.

Photojournalists from certain media houses were not allowed in the Aam Aadmi Party’s press conference. The news websites include The Print headed by Shekhar Gupta, The New Indian Express, and The Morning Standard. It is notable that The Morning Standard and The New Indian Express belong to the same group of media that also owns the Sunday Standard.

Swatantra Bhattacharya heading the group wrote a series of tweets to share this information. She tagged Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, and AAP Delhi in her tweet. She also speculated that it was because these news websites covered the irregularities and alleged corruption by the AAP governments in the allotment of liquor-selling permits.

She wrote in her tweet, “AAP goes down censorship route. Photojournalists from The New Indian Express and The Morning Standard were disallowed from the Kejriwal-Bhagwat Mann presser. Why throw out photojournalists? Is the extra hospitality bcoz of our Liquorgate and Hawalagate reports?”

She further wrote, “The same treatment was meted out to the photographer from a prominent news website. For reasons best known to AAP.” She tagged Pravin Jain in this tweet who is the national photo editor of ‘The Print’.

Both these tweets were shared at around 11:45 am on November 4. After a brief wait for the response, Swatantra Bhattacharya added one more tweet to the thread in which she wrote, “No answer yet on why The New Indian Express, The Morning Standard, and The Print photographers were made to stay out of the AAP presser.” In this tweet she also added that photographer from The Print was also not allowed at the press conference.

Pravin Jain – the photo editor of ‘The Print’ – replied to this tweet. He wrote in this tweet, “This is not fair by AAP Party. Photographers are not involved in any politics. Their job is to only take photos. When Anna Hazare quit India movement was going on visual media extensively documented it.”

In this press conference, the AAP government in Punjab took the responsibility for the stubble burning in Punjab and the subsequent air pollution in Delhi. However, both Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann failed to provide a concrete plan of how they are going to address this issue in the upcoming year as they claimed that by the next November, there will be a significant reduction in the stubble burning and air pollution problem.

Twitter user accuses journalist Sucheta Dalal of derailing #MeToo investigation, Sucheta Dalal posts a detailed response

OpIndia Staff
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Twitter user accuses journalist Sucheta Dalal of derailing #MeToo investigation, Sucheta Dalal posts a detailed response

On Friday (November 4), a Twitter user ‘Archive of Cringetopia (@cringeactivist)’ accused journalist Sucheta Dalal of ratting out the ‘source’, who was investigating the #MeToo accusations against The Wire in 2019.

He had shared screenshots wherein Dalal was allegedly threatening the source with legal action and discrediting him as a journalist for allegedly seeking information about MeToo allegations.

“When Sucheta Dalal tried to block our source’s investigation into #Metoo media. But terribly failed! Hi Sucheta Dalal, did you read The Wire #MeToo papers?” the Twitter handle remarked.

‘Archive of Cringetopia’ claimed how Sucheta Dalal and other journalists falsely accused the source of blackmail and tried to intimidate him into silence.

“Ah, she CC-ed it to Shekhar Gupta, Sheela Bhatt and Editor’s Guild, which promotes The Wire’s fraudulent reportage!”, it tweeted. The Twitter handle applauded how its source had vowed to take media outfits to the cleaners, which have shielded sexual offenders.

‘Archive of Cringetopia’ emphasised how Sucheta Dalal tried to ‘blacklist’ its source but praised his firm resolve, in the face of intimidation.

“He never regretted pursuing #Metoo. He knew it could cost him dearly. And it did. Sometimes you need to make the ultimate sacrifice, he tells Archive of Cringetopia,” it added.

What Sucheta Dalal said

While covering the allegations by @cringeactivist, OpIndia had written that Sucheta Dalal had been accused of derailing the investigation into the allegations against The Wire’s Vinod Dua. That, however, was an error in reporting. @cringeactivist had alleged that Sucheta Dalal had derailed the investigation into his source, trying to find out if there were any #MeToo allegations that had surfaced in MoneyLife.

Responding to this, Sucheta Dalal took to Twitter to offer clarification as to what had happened. She said that she had never met Vinod Dua in her life and that the emails pertained to the source trying to find out if there were any such allegations in MoneyLife. Dalal also said that there were no #MeToo allegations at MoneyLife in the past 16 years.

She shared the email exchange from 2019 saying that this “source” who had got in touch with her had no proof and was simply fishing for information. She further claimed that this individual was simultaneously asking for a job at MoneyLife, something that he would not do if he was convinced of wrongdoing.

#MeToo allegations against The Wire’s Vinod Dua

On November 3, ‘Archive of Cringetopia (@cringeactivist)’ shared a set of documents revealing what happened behind the scenes at The Wire concerning the sexual harassment allegations against its former anchor Vinod Dua.

The documents revealed how an internal committee was formed and dissolved later without reaching any conclusion. So much so that the victim who had raised a complaint against Dua was not informed that the committee was prematurely dissolved without concluding anything.

In the note about the documents, Cringearchivist revealed that they (one of the members of the groups) and Babool are friends in real life.

Notably, Cringearchivist was not aware Babool had access to the documents, and Babool was not aware his friend was one of the persons running Cringearchivist on Instagram and Twitter.

As per the note, Babool got his hands on the documents during an in-depth investigation into Me Too allegations. Because of his investigation, he was allegedly boycotted by the Indian newsrooms.

Later, he left journalism. Cringearchivist said in the note that The Wire neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the documents.

Disclaimer: Though the leaked papers contain the victim’s name and the victim has revealed the source’s identity on Twitter, OpIndia has decided not to use the victim’s or source’s name.

We have used Kiran and Babool as pseudo-names for the victim and source, respectively. Cringearchivist gave the name Babool to the source in the documents.

OpIndia got access to the documents via a public link of a Proton drive shared by Cringearchivist on Twitter. We neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of these documents. At the moment, we cannot independently confirm if the information provided in the documents is real.

Editors note: An earlier version of this article had claimed that @cringeactivist had alleged that Sucheta Dalal had tried to derail the investigation into the MeToo allegations against The Wire’s Vinod Dua. That was an error and the article has been updated to reflect the factual position, including what Sucheta Dalal has said. We regret the error that was made inadvertently.

Settling the ‘teleprompter’ issue once and for all – whether PM Modi uses one or not is immaterial. Here is why

Virender Kapoor
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Settling the ‘teleprompter’ issue once and for all – whether PM Modi uses one or not is immaterial. Here is why

When you can’t find any fault in someone, you get into nitpicking – you may look at his shoelaces to find a fault. Off late I have observed people ‘criticizing’ PM Modi for using a teleprompter for his speeches. They say he uses it for several of his speeches. Recently when PM Modi delivered a brilliant speech giving such details of Baba Mahakal and the history of Ujjain, which was music to the ears of all Hindus across the world while inaugurating a ‘mandir’ at Ujjain, a local Hindi newspaper in Indore on 12 October said that he was ‘accused’ by the opposition of using a teleprompter! What an accusation. The alleged user of the teleprompter; as if it is a crime.

Let me set the record straight, this is a technology used the world over by political leaders and even professional speakers. I have been a professional speaker myself for over two decades, I don’t use a teleprompter as I don’t have one and I am more comfortable with my notes on the lectern. One could watch a spectacular long speech on Republic TV delivered by Shri Gurumurthi who had his notes on his lectern. The art is to use any of these methods/devices smartly, and affectively to deliver your lecture impact fully- from your heart and reach out to your audience- to each his own.

Barack Obama is a brilliant speaker and has perfected the art of using a teleprompter. Most US presidents use it. So what is the big deal? Before Obama, Bush was the President and after him, it was Donald Trump, they sure had Teleprompters but were they or could they be as impressive an orator as Obama? No, not at all.

Did you know Marlon Brando used a script written on paper and pasted it to his clothes while shooting for Godfather? Yet you feel he is doing a crutchless brilliant performance. Winston Churchill was the greatest speaker of his time and used handwritten notes wherever he spoke.

A different look- It is in every field

Let me put this differently. Major Dhyan Chand was a Hockey wizard- and not his hockey stick. As stories go, people thought he had a magnet sort of thing in his Hockey stick! Impressed by Dhyan Chand’s skill, the British press called him a ‘hockey wizard’ and a ‘human eel’. Legend has it that the Queen told Dhyan Chand to play with her umbrella using the handle as a stick, and he still scored goals.

Ok, let me turn the argument on its head. If I gave you the same typewriter or a computer used by Douglas Stuart the winner of the booker prize for his debut novel Shuggie Bain will you be able to churn out a booker prize worthy novel? Can you produce a Harry Potter with the instruments used by J.K. Rowling? If I give you the most expensive Ping golf set will you be able to beat Tiger Woods at a golf tournament? I give you the best oil paints, will you be able to draw as well as Pablo Picasso? The best parker pen and the most expensive one cannot improve your handwriting!

If you had watched some western movies there is a guy who is called the fastest draw. By the way, Bob Munden was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “The Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived”. One journalist reckoned that if Munden had been at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, on October 26, 1881, the gunfight would have been over in 5 to 10 seconds.

In a formula race the car is important but the man on the steering lifts the trophy.

My personal experience with enigma called Shri Narendra Modi

I had the privilege of receiving him in my MBA institute at Symbiosis University when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. At that time I had known very little about him.

He came, he spoke and he conquered. As we ushered him to the stage, he was calm and composed and our students in the audience were not expecting a five-star oratory treat that they were about to taste, including me. Since it was our stage, our auditorium I can say very clearly that there was no teleprompter. He didn’t have even a shred of paper in his hand or which he pulled out of his pocket.

He spoke for a pretty long time (I don’t remember the exact length of his talk) – but it was from his heart, emotional and convincing. He had facts and figures on his fingertips- not a word here or there, not a stutter, absolutely flawless well-articulated to the point a mesmerizing speech was like a brilliant performance. I have been a speaker myself and have heard great orators in the past- but no one could match up or come even close to his style and substance.

I was commissioned by Rupa publishers to write a book on the oratory skills of PM Modi titled (Speaking the Modi Way, now in Hindi too) and during my research, I must have heard and written down hundreds of his speeches in a notebook to get the content right and that is the time I realized the depth, commitment and knowledge of this man who is nothing short of a national asset today.

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