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The Wire takes down videos ‘explaining’ Meta and Tek Fog stories, but video claiming ‘Md Zubair was targeted using Tek Fog’ remains

OpIndia Staff
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The Wire takes down videos ‘explaining’ Meta and Tek Fog stories, but video claiming ‘Md Zubair was targeted using Tek Fog’ remains

After retracting the Meta and Tek Fog stories after they were proven to be fake and fictious, now left-wing propaganda portal The Wire has also removed several videos related to these stories. The Wire had particularly published several videos on Tek Fog, where their editorial and technical team had discussed and ‘explained’ how they ‘exposed’ the so-called Tek Fog app and how ‘BJP was using this super app to manipulate social media’.

The portal had also hosted discussions with panellists from outside on the two issues, where everyone had agreed to slam the Modi government based on the fake claims made by The Wire in their fictious stories about BJP having superpowers on social media. However, now all the videos, originally uploaded on YouTube, are no longer available for the public. While the videos have not been deleted, they have been marked as private, which means the general public can’t watch them.

Among the videos that have been retracted now by Wire, one was an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session conducted on Reddit and YouTube. In this AMA, Ayushman Kaul and Devesh Kumar, the authors of the Tek Fog fiction, went live with Wire’s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan, where  Kaul and Kumar answered ‘technical questions’, and Vardarajan answered ‘non-technical, editorial policy’ related questions as he is not a ‘tech person’. However, now the video is not available on YouTube as it has been made private.

While publishing the Tek Fog story, had also hosted a video where they explained their claims about the ‘app’. In the discussion titled “Tek Fog: An App With BJP Footprints for Cyber Troops to Automate Hate, Manipulate Trends”, Sumedha Pal, Siddharth Varadarajan, Devesh Kumar and Ayushman Kaul discussed the findings of their ‘investigation’ which they claimed went on for two years, and also ‘explained’ how the app worked. This video also has been made private on YouTube. However, for some reason, it is still available on Facebook.

The Wire had also hosted a panel discussion on the Tek Fog story in January, where Sophie Zhang, Billy Perrigo, Robert Baptiste, Tarunima Prabhakar, V. Anand and Sagarika Ghose had joined with The Wire team to agree on how dangerous the Tek Fog app was, based on claims made by the portal. That video also has been made private on YouTube. But like the above-mentioned video, this video is also still available on the Facebook page of The Wire at the time of publishing this report.

Similarly, the Wire had done an explainer on Meta story also, where the portal had alleged that BJP’s Amit Malviya has been given powers to remove content on Instagram as per his wishes. That video is also no longer available now.

While the portal has removed all YouTube videos on their Tek Fog story, a video where they had claimed that this ‘app’ was used to target Mohammad Zubair of Alt News, is still there on the platform. They had claimed this in a report published after Zubair was arrested following riots triggered by his tweets on Nupur Sharma.

The Wire had claimed that the “arrest of India’s most prominent fact-checker, Mohammed Zubair, is the product of a long-running campaign by a network of accounts linked to the ruling BJP”. It had further claimed, “One of the weapons they used was Tek Fog – a secretive app that targets government critics and subverts public discourse on a massive scale”.

Screenshot of Wire video claiming the use of Tek Fog to target Md. Zubair

Based on the fact that several Twitter users had criticised Zubair, and had called for his arrest for hurting religious feelings of Hindus, Wire had concluded that it was part of a well planned conspiracy to target him, and the Tweets came from Tek Fog. The portal claimed that there were hundreds of bots operated by Tek Fog that posted hashtags and tweets calling for arrest of Zubai. By this, the Wire tried to claim that the case was Zubair was arrested because hashtags calling for his arrest were trending on Twitter.

The existence of Tek Fog has been debunked now, and The Wire has been forced to retract its stories. The claims that a super app like Tek Fog is needed to engineer trending hashtags also have been debunked thoroughly by many experts, as these are actually organic mass campaigns where thousands of supporters participate.

Another interesting point is that after The Wire has retracted its Tek Fog story and removed all its videos from YouTube, another leftist portal Newslaundry has pulled down an interview they did with The Wire ‘tech experts’ on Tek Fog. The interview titled ‘NL Interview: Tek Fog exposé writers on BJP IT cell’ has been removed from the website, and the title of the webpage now says ‘NL Interview: The interview with Devesh Kumar and Ayushman Kaul on ‘Tek Fog exposé’ has been pulled down’. While the video of the interview is no longer available, snippets of the same which were posted on Facebook are still there.

UK’s ‘morgue monster’ David Fuller pleads guilty: All you need to know about the Necrophiliac killer who murdered two women and abused over 100 corpses

OpIndia Staff
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UK’s ‘morgue monster’ David Fuller pleads guilty: All you need to know about the Necrophiliac killer who murdered two women and abused over 100 corpses

David Fuller, a British necrophiliac killer who is serving life in jail for the murder of two people and sexual assaults on 78 corpses, has pleaded guilty to abusing the bodies of another 23 women over a 13-year period. He admitted to committing 16 sexual offences against 23 deceased women in mortuaries between 2007 and 2020. Fuller will be sentenced at the Old Bailey during the week commencing 5 December, UK’s Kent police informed on Twitter.

Prior to this, Fuller had pleaded guilty to sexual offences against 78 deceased females. Now with this latest confession, the number of dead bodies Fuller has sexually abused has gone up to 101.

While appearing in Croydon Crown court by video-link from HMP Frankland, Fuller reportedly admitted 12 counts of sexual penetration of a corpse and four counts of possession of extreme pornography between 2007 and 2020.

Following an investigation that revealed evidence of 101 victims in the mortuaries, Fuller was charged with further offences relating to the remaining 23 victims, according to Kent Police.

Thirteen of the 23 more victims, all of whom were adult women, have been formally identified, but police have been unable to identify ten of them.

David Fuller admitted to sexual offences against 78 deceased and murder of two women

Fuller had earlier pleaded guilty to sexual offences against 78 deceased females at mortuaries in Tunbridge Wells Hospital and at the former Kent and Sussex Hospital between 2008 and 2020.

In December 2021, Fuller received two life sentences after admitting to the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in 1987. According to reports, Fuller had beaten and strangled Wendy Knell (25) and Caroline Pierce (20) to death before sexually assaulting them in two separate attacks in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

The murders of Knell and Pierce, known as “the bedsit murders”, had remained unsolved for more than three decades until advanced DNA techniques identified Fuller as the killer.

Wendy Knell, who was killed by David Fuller in an attack in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, source: Gaurdian
Caroline Pierce, who was killed by David Fuller in 1987, source Gaurdian

Moreover, Fuller was also sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexual assaults on 78 dead women and girls between 2008 and 2020. Fuller, purportedly, filmed himself abusing corpses in the now-closed Kent and Sussex hospital and Tunbridge Wells hospital, in Pembury.

Fuller worked in electrical maintenance at hospitals since 1989 and was at the Kent and Sussex Hospital until it closed in September 2011. He was transferred to the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury, where the offences continued until his arrest.

Police said that Fuller used his job as a hospital electrician to enter the mortuary of two Tunbridge Wells hospitals, where from 2008 to 2020 he sexually abused 102 dead bodies. There was no CCTV where the attacks took place.

Image source; Sky News

Investigators said Fuller, known as the “morgue monster”, would go into the morgues when other staff had left, often “visiting the same bodies repeatedly”.

UK govt initiates independent inquiry

Meanwhile, the government has called for an independent investigation into how Fuller was able to continue to commit the crimes for so long.

Fuller stalked and murdered two young women in Kent in 1987, and for 33 years appeared to have gotten away with it before confessing during a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

DNA breakthrough led to the arrest of David Fuller

A DNA breakthrough led to him being identified as the prime suspect. When authorities raided his home in December 2020, they discovered hard drives full of his attacks on the dead and files downloaded from the internet revealing horrific pornography, including child rape.

Justice Cheema-Grubb, who handed down a life sentence at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday, stated expressly that she intended for Fuller to die in prison.

Court calls David Fuller a ‘vulture’, says would die in prison

“Having killed two young women who were full of the promise of life, you became a vulture, picking your victims from among the dead, within the hidden world of hospital mortuaries which you were left free to inhabit, simply because you had a swipecard,” she said.

“The depravity of what you did reveals that your conscience is seared; callused over. The sentence I am about to pass means you will spend every day of the rest of your life in prison”, the judge added.

Fuller claimed not to have had sexual pleasure in interviews following his arrests. He documented the abuse by filming and photographing it, then categorising it according to the type of attack. Some recordings bore the names of victims, and one folder was labelled “best yet.”

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan suffers injury on his leg during firing at his ‘Azadi rally’, shooter arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan suffers injury on his leg during firing at his ‘Azadi rally’, shooter arrested

On Thursday, November 3, former Pakistan PM and Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has reportedly been injured as shots were fired near his ‘Azadi march’ container in Zafar Ali Khan chowk in Wazirabad, Pakistan, news agency ANI quoted Pakistan media as reporting. Imran Khan has reportedly been shot in the leg. Doctors have said that Khan’s condition is stable.

The firing reportedly happened when Imran Khan’s container was anchored at Wazirabad on Thursday afternoon. The attacker has been arrested.

As per reports, Imran Khan has been shot in the leg. Videos have emerged on social media, wherein Imran Khan is seen being taken away on a stretcher to a hospital with a heavy security cordon surrounding him.

Another video that has emerged shows Imran Khan being escorted to his car after allegedly receiving the bullet injury.

As per reports, besides the PTI chief, one person was killed and four other officials of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, including a senior aide to PTI chief Senator Faisal Javaid, Ahmad Chattha, and Imran Yousaf, were also injured in the gunshot attack.

Furthermore, the firing caused panic among the marchers which triggered a stampede in which many people also got injured.

The police has said that the police have arrested two people in connection with the firing on PTI’s long march container.

Notably, only on Sunday, Imran Khan announced that he was calling off the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’. The decision came after a female journalist died on October 30 after being crushed under his container. The deceased was identified as local news house Channel 5 reporter Sadaf Naeem.

Geo News reported that Sadaf was hit by the container carrying Khan but it was not confirmed.

As per latest report, the person who had opened fire at Imran Khan’s rally has been shot dead.

After the tragic incident, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Tweeted, “We are ending today’s march due to an accident. We have decided to stop here.”

On 28th October 2022, Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan commenced his Azadi March from Lahore to Islamabad. In a video message posted on Twitter before the march, the former cricketer who is now a politician explained that the goal of the rally was to prevent “foreign puppets” from running Pakistan, not to advance “personal or political” goals.

The PTI leader’s long-standing demand that the current government call early elections is considered the impetus behind the march. The 70-year-old leader is leading this rally for the second time. A similar march that Khan had organized earlier in May ended violently and in bloodshed after police and PTI protesters battled in numerous places.

Uttar Pradesh: Taj Mohammad of Shahjahanpur burns Quran in a mosque, says it wasn’t him but his soul that did it

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Taj Mohammad of Shahjahanpur burns Quran in a mosque, says it wasn’t him but his soul that did it

On Thursday, 3rd November 2022, the Shahjahanpur police in Uttar Pradesh arrested one Taj Mohammad for burning Quran in a local mosque on Wednesday night. When questioned, Taj Mohammad said it wasn’t him but his soul that committed this act.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered as soon as the news of the religious book getting burnt spread in the city. Angry Muslims burnt BJP posters on the road demanding immediate arrests. They also raised slogans against the police administration. As the situation worsened, the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. A heavy police force was later deployed at the spot.

Quran was burnt in a mosque in Shahjahanpur

Syed Shah Fakhre Alam Mian Mosque is located in Mohalla Bavujai of Chowk Kotwali area of Shahjahanpur city. On Wednesday evening, two youths barged into the mosque and burnt the Quran kept there. When Imam Hafiz Nadeem and others arrived for evening prayers, seeing the burnt pages of the Quran, they informed the Imam of the mosque. Around 8 pm, a sizeable crowd gathered in the area. After this, some youths tore up the BJP posters there and set them on fire.

CCTV footage of the mosque surroundings also surfaced in which the suspect could be seen. Based on this, the police arrested the accused. Taj Mohammad alias Munna lives in the Badjui area which is located at a distance of 3 kilometers from the mosque. This area comes under the Sadar Bazar police station of Shahjahanpur.

There is only one entrance to the mosque. After walking about 15 to 20 steps inside the mosque from the entry gate, there is a common carpet laid down for offering Namaz. Copies of the Quran are also kept on one side there. The Muslims who want to read the Quran after the prayers may read them. The Quran was lying burnt inside the mosque at a distance of 25 to 30 steps from the gate.

‘My soul burnt the Quran’, says accused Taj Mohammad

Taj Mohammad said in his confession, “I don’t do any work. I’m always roaming around being jobless. My family is not getting me married. This keeps me upset.” On being asked why did he burn the religious text, accused Taj Mohammad said, “It is not me but my soul that has burnt it.” On Thursday morning, the District Magistrate took stock of the area. He appealed to everyone not to pay heed to rumours.

Hafiz Haseeb, the plaintiff in the case, said, “Tension prevailed in the area after the incident. Despite this, morning prayers were offered. But, the number of people attending the morning prayers was far less than the regular. This is the first such incident in Shahjahanpur. Police should take strict action in the matter.”

The Wire’s ‘tech expert’ Devesh Kumar appears before Delhi Police Crime Branch in Meta controversy

OpIndia Staff
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The Wire’s ‘tech expert’ Devesh Kumar appears before Delhi Police Crime Branch in Meta controversy

Devesh Kumar, The Wire’s technical specialist who played a major role in the Tek Fog and Meta articles that were brought down when they were discovered to be based on forged documents, arrived today at the Delhi crime branch office for interrogation.

This comes after Amit Malviya filed a case with Delhi Police on October 29 against The Wire, its editors, and reporters, alleging that they published a series of pieces with the goal to harm his image. Devesh Kumar was not named in the complaint by Malviya but was named in a separate complaint filed by The Wire.

Based on his allegation, an FIR was filed under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery with the aim to cheat), 469 (forgery to injure reputation), 471 (using forged document), 500 (defamation), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention).

The Wire files complaint against its former employee

On October 29, The Wire filed a complaint at the Economic Offence Wing of the Delhi Police against its former employee and so-called ‘researcher’ Devesh Kumar, claiming he provided forged documents with “an intent to malign The Wire’s reputation.”

Furthermore, it was noted by The Wire in its complaint that Devesh named Philip Chua, APAC Head of Public Policy at Instagram as the person who provided him with a ‘Post Incident Review Report’ that had pointed fingers at Bharatiya Janata Party’s Amit Malviya as the person responsible for the post takedown.

Devesh seemed ‘highly disturbed mentally’, claims The Wire, Devesh denies

The Wire said in their complaint that when they tried to contact Devesh following an internal investigation and evaluation of his work by “reputed” outside sources, he did not answer. However, he called The Wire’s Product and Business Head Mithun Kidambi on October 27 and “confessed to fabricating all the material” that The Wire used in its Meta stories. “The impression Kidambi gathered was that Devesh Kumar seemed highly disturbed mentally,” claimed The Wire. However, Devesh Kumar has denied he is not mentally disturbed and said he did not appreciate the kind of language used for him by The Wire.

Australia: Queensland govt announces AUD 1 million reward for information on Rajwinder Singh, wanted in a woman’s murder case

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: Queensland govt announces AUD 1 million reward for information on Rajwinder Singh, wanted in a woman’s murder case

On Thursday, the Australian Police announced a monetary reward of one million Australian dollars (about Rs 5.31 crore) to anyone who would provide information leading to the location and arrest of an Indian national named Rajwinder Singh. Singh is wanted by the Australian Police in the murder case of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley.

According to the reports, Cordingley was allegedly murdered by 38-year-old Singh in October 2018. The victim had gone missing on October 21, 2018, and her dead body was found the following morning at Wangetti Beach, Queensland. Singh lived in Queensland but originally belongs to the Buttar Kalan area of Punjab in India.

The Queensland Police has sought public assistance for information leading to the arrest of the accused who is believed to be in India. The High Commission of India issued a statement on Thursday to reveal that three officers of the Australian Federal Police are working with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi to nab the accused.

The Queensland government’s reward will aid Indian authorities in their efforts to find and apprehend Rajwinder, the Australian High Commission added in the statement. Notably, the monetary reward has been approved by Police Minister Mark Ryan as confirmed by the Queensland Police.

Rajwinder Singh was born in Buttar Kalan, Moga district, and is considered to be in India, though his exact location is unknown. On October 23, 2018, he was on his way to board a flight to India, leaving behind his wife and children, according to police. His brother had previously admitted that Rajwinder had arrived at Amritsar airport and was in psychological anguish due to work-related concerns. Since then, little is known about him.

Officers fluent in Hindi and Punjabi have been assigned to investigate the murder, which occurred while Cordingley was walking her dog. Her dead body was discovered by her father the next day at Wangetti Beach, Queensland.

“We know that people know this person, they know where this person is and we’re asking those people to do the right thing. This person is accused of a very heinous crime; a crime which has ripped a family apart”, said Police Minister Mark Ryan. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Sonia Smith who is in charge of the case believes that there are people in Australia and overseas who can share information about the murder suspect.

“A dedicated team of detectives from Cairns, Far North and the Homicide Investigation Unit has continued to work tirelessly towards ensuring justice for Cordingley and her family. This is most definitely the time to come forward and tell us what you know”, she appealed. She further said that investigations into Toyah’s death, including bringing the person responsible to justice, remains a priority for the Queensland Police Service.

According to the local police, this is the first time a one-million-dollar reward has been announced to capture the attention of an international audience in order to find an accused. The Police have released his images at the airport and have said that anyone who has information about the accused can share it with the police via WhatsApp as well. Otherwise, people with information in India can contact the Australian Federal Police at the Australian High Commission at +91 11 4122 0972, the police noted.

UK: Dobby the house elf’s ‘grave’ at a beach in Wales allowed to stay, as long as Harry Potter fans stop giving him socks

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Dobby the house elf’s ‘grave’ at a beach in Wales allowed to stay, as long as Harry Potter fans stop giving him socks

For Harry Potter fans, the scene in the Deathly Hallows book where Dobby the house elf gets stabbed by an enchanted knife while saving the lives of Harry and his friends is one moment of deep sorrow, almost as shocking as Dumbledore’s death in the previous book.

The scene afterward, when Dobby dies in Harry’s arms at a beautiful beach, and Harry tries to deal with his grief by digging a grave for Dobby with his hands, without using magic, was one of the most touching and profound moments in the entire series. As it turns out, Dobby’s fictional grave that Harry was seen digging in the Deathly Hallows movie has been maintained at the Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the UK.

The site of the fictional grave at the beautiful beach has been maintained all these years by numerous Harry Potter fans who visit the site and leave messages for the beloved character. They also leave Dobby socks, a lot of them.

Dobby’s grave has been marked with decorated pebbles, endearing messages, and dozens of mismatched socks, just as the house elf loved them. Thousands of Potterheads, as Harry Potter fans call themselves, visit the grave every year.

As per reports, the local environment officials were worried that the popular site of Dobby’s fictional grave at the Freshwater West beach was becoming dirty as fans continued to leave socks and other gifts for Dobby.

After an 8-month-long review, during which the proposal to tear down the memorial for Dobby the house elf was considered by The National Trust Wales, it has now been decided that the popular memorial can stay, as long as fans stop leaving socks and other tributes for Dobby. They have asked fans to just visit the place and not leave anything on the beach.

‘Dobby is a free elf’, and a beloved Harry Potter character

For those who have not read the books or have not watched the movies, Dobby was an enslaved house elf of the Malfoy family where he was tortured. He was set free by Harry potter when Harry tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving a dirty sock to Dobby. As per the laws binding the house elves, they gain their freedom when they are presented with any item of clothing.

Dobby, a free, proud, and rebellious house elf who loved Harry, remains an endearing character throughout the series and gets paid to work at Harry’s school. As a mark of his freedom, he wears bright colors, and mismatched socks always. He even wears a tall headgear of badly made wool hats, which Hermione sewed to set other house elves free.

In the Deathly Hallows book, when Harry, Hermione, Ron, and a group of their friends, including Ollivander the wand maker are trapped inside the Malfoy Manor by Voldemort’s servants, Dobby appears to help them escape. Dobby manages to bring them to safety by apparition, but just when he was about to disappear, he gets stabbed by a magic knife thrown by the evil Bellatrix Lestrange.

After arriving safely at Shell Cottage, the beachside home of Ron’s brother, Harry realizes that Dobby has been mortally wounded. Dobby dies a free elf, in the arms of his favorite person, Harry. His last words were, “What a wonderful place to be with friends”.

‘Fear regime in Kerala under Pinarayi Vijayan’: Governor Arif Mohammad Khan

OpIndia Staff
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‘Fear regime in Kerala under Pinarayi Vijayan’: Governor Arif Mohammad Khan

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan described the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government as a fear regime on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Khan stated that there is a fear regime in the state, with the state administration arresting anyone wearing a black shirt and attending a program under the guise of putting an end to protests.

Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, who has been opposing the appointment of Vice Chancellors of Universities in Kerala, stated that he is not doing this for personal gain or to push RSS people into the system and that if the Kerala CM proves this is correct, he will resign, and if he fails to prove, the CM should resign.

“He is saying I am doing this to bring RSS people. If I have nominated even one person, not just of RSS, any person, using my authority, then I will resign. Will he be able to resign if he is not able to prove it?” the governor asked.

On October 23, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan demanded the vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of nine state institutions to resign, claiming that procedures were breached during their nomination. Khan highlighted the issue of the appointment of vice-chancellors to numerous institutions in Kerala, alleging that the Supreme Court had earlier indicated that the Governor was responsible for the selection of vice-chancellors and not the state government.

He claimed that the state government has no involvement in it and that any law approved by the government must adhere to the terms of the University Grants Commission (UGC) rules.

After the Supreme Court ordered on October 21 that the appointment of a university vice-chancellor would be illegal if the search committee offered only one candidate rather than three to five, as required by the UGC regulations of 2013, the governor requested that the VCs resign.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan previously remarked that the state was replacing Punjab as the “capital of drugs,” and that he was humiliated that the southern state’s two largest revenue streams were lottery and alcohol. Governor Khan, who is in conflict with the Left government on a number of topics, including university appointments, asserted that while the rest of the country was fighting against alcohol use, Kerala was supporting it.

“Here, we’ve decided that the lottery and alcohol are sufficient for our development. What a disgrace for a state with a literacy rate of 100%. I am ashamed to be the head of state. What exactly is the lottery? You are robbing people. You are causing your people to become alcohol addicts. Do you know what the position is today? Kerala is replacing Punjab as the capital of drugs. Everyone does anti-alcohol campaigns, yet here, alcohol intake is encouraged. What a shame?” Khan stated at a book launch event.

Air pollution worsens in Delhi with increasing stubble burning, demand to shut down schools grows as average AQI nears 500

OpIndia Staff
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Air pollution worsens in Delhi with increasing stubble burning, demand to shut down schools grows as average AQI nears 500

On Thursday, 3rd November 2022, residents of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) complained of suffocating and “eyes scorching” as a result of smog and severe air pollution, which left many gasping for oxygen. At 7 am, the national capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was 408 (in the “Severe” category), and at 8 am, it was 364 (in the “Very Poor” category).

Later in the day, the AQI level went up in almost all zones in the city-state, with many places registering AQI above 500. The AQI was 700 at Punjabi Bagh and 605 in Pooh Khurd, according to aqicn.org live data. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. AQI above 500 is hazardous, and today, the air quality is marked as poor to hazardous in various places in the entire city. Among the pollutants, PM2.5 and PM10 are at dangerously high levels, reaching levels above 700, and even nearing 1000 in some places.

AQI levels in Delhi at 2 PM on 3/11/2022

According to a report by ANI, people are holding stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana responsible for the worsening air pollution in the national capital. However, some people are also complaining about the excessive fireworks in Delhi during Diwali despite a blanket ban by the Arvind Kejriwal government.

Noida resident Arjun Prajapati said that despite the government’s ban, there were allegedly massive sales of crackers throughout the Delhi and NCR region. He said, “Despite the government’s ban, so many firecrackers were sold leading to this condition post-Diwali. There is so much difficulty in breathing that I cannot even breathe. There is burning in the eyes. Pollution is increasing. The government should take cognizance of it.” However, Diwali was over a week ago, and stubble burning in Punjab has seen a massive rise in the last week.

In addition to this, as the city is wracked by pollution, elderly people are complaining of breathing problems. A senior citizen said, “Amid the baseload of pollution, we suffer difficulty in breathing, burning in the nose. When we came here for a morning walk, the whole area was covered in smog.”

Increased air pollution causes various health issues

According to data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) India, the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced poor air quality. Noida, which is a part of the NCR, dropped to an AQI of 393, placing it in the “very poor” category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 318 and remained in the “very poor category.”

Another resident of the NCR also woke up to a thick layer of smog in the morning. He said, “When I came for a morning walk suffered from eye-itching and throat infection. The neighboring states are failing to stop the farm fires. As of now, we are entering into the winter season which is contributing to the pollution.” Another person, however, blamed the stubble burning and said, “We should hold ourselves accountable, along with the politicians. People are suffering due to stubble burning too.”

Demands to close the school due to pollution

The school management was unanimously urged by the students to close the doors until everything was back to normal. Divyansh, a student at Gyan Ganga Siksha Niketan School in Haldoni, mentioned pollution coming from private automobiles’ exhausts. He said, “The schools should also be shut down, apart from this government should close factories and offices, so that people do not use private vehicles.”

Data from SAFAR show that Dhirpur in Model Town fell to an AQI of 457, which is a threshold at which even healthy individuals might become unwell. The AQI in the vicinity of IGI Airport (T3) was 346, which is considered to be “Very Poor.” The local AQI reading on Wednesday was 350.

The national capital’s air quality getting worse, and Delhi officials stopped all construction and demolition until further instructions. The Delhi government has been requested by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to close schools till the air quality is better.

Spike in stubble burning incidents in Punjab

As per the data available, the stubble-burning incidents increased by 33.5% between September 15 and November 1 compared to last year. Last year there were 15,065 incidents reported. In 2022, 17,846 such incidents were reported. According to ET, in 2021, 1796 incidents of stubble burning were reported on November 1. In 2022, it increased to 1,846 incidents. Notably, 40% of the crop in Punjab has not been harvested yet, and more such incidents are expected to get recorded in the coming weeks.

Data suggests that 70% of the farm fires were reported in Amritsar, Sangrur, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Patiala and Tarn Taran districts. These districts were red-flagged in 2021 as well.

Haryana and UP recorded a decline in stubble-burning incidents

Data shows that Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are working extensively to reduce stubble-burning incidents. In 2021, Haryana reported 3,038 stubble-burning incidents. However, this year only 2,083 such incidents were reported marking a decline of 24%. In UP’s region around NCR, 53 stubble-burning incidents were reported in 2021, which has been reduced to 33 this year.

2000 Red Fort attack: SC rejects review petition of convicted LeT terrorist Mohammad Arif, upholds death penalty

OpIndia Staff
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2000 Red Fort attack: SC rejects review petition of convicted LeT terrorist Mohammad Arif, upholds death penalty

On Thursday, November 3, the Supreme Court of India rejected a review petition filed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq, upholding the death penalty awarded to him in the deadly terrorist attack carried out on the military shelter in the Red Fort in the year 2000. The attack had left two soldiers and a civilian guard dead. Arif was convicted by the trial court in 2005 and was awarded the death penalty, and the penalty was confirmed by the Delhi High Court and then the Supreme Court.

Mohammad Arif had filed a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold his death penalty, but the apex court has rejected that plea now. A two-judge bench of Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi said, “We have accepted the prayers that electronic records must be placed in consideration. His guilt is proved. We affirm the view taken by this court and reject the review petition”.

Arif, who is reportedly the prime accused in the deadly attack, originally from Pakistan’s Abbottabad, came to India and married Rehmana Yousuf Farooqui, a girl of Indian origin. Rehmana was also arrested as she was reportedly in full knowledge of Ashfaq’s plan and assisted him. Arif was convicted of murder, criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. Arif alias Ashfaq Ahmed has been lodged at Tihar jail since 2000.

A trial court on October 31, 2005, convicted seven accused LeT terrorists including Mohammad Arif and awarded him the death penalty in the case. The Delhi High Court confirmed his death sentence in September 2007. After that, the Supreme Court upheld the decision in 2011. However, the SC stayed his execution in 2014.

On December 22, 2000, LeT terrorists broke into the Red Fort under the guise of attending a light-and-sound show retelling the history of the ancient landmark. According to reports, six militants entered the Red Fort at about 7 pm through the Lahore Gate, the historic structure’s main entrance, with their weapons concealed inside leather jackets. They made their way to the 7:30 pm concert.

At around 9 pm, the Pakistan-backed terrorists sneaked into military shelters under the cover of darkness and fog, and opened fire on the guards of the seventh battalion of the Rajputana Rifles, killing two soldiers and a civilian guard. The terrorists then fled via the back wall of the Fort.

According to reports published then, the conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan and funded by top LeT operatives. The funds were reportedly transferred to terrorists through a Delhi-based hawala account operator, who was later nabbed by the Delhi police.

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