Tag: Kerala

NIA Conducts Search In Srinagar In ISIS Kerala Module Case

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SRINAGAR: National Investigation Agency on Monday said that it carried out raids at Srinagar and Kerala in connection with ISIS Module case.
In a statement issued to media, NIA spokerperson said, “In 2021, the National Investigation Agency had started investigations into Mohammed Ameen @ Abu Yahya, resident of Kadannamanna, district Mallapuram (Kerala), who had been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms, such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram.”
“Through these channels, he was propagating violent ideologies of ISIS and was radicalizing and recruiting new members to this ISIS module. He and his associates had even identified certain individuals for targeted killings and had made plans to undertake Hijrah to Jammu and Kashmir for engaging in terrorist acts and had raised funds from various sources for this trip,” the spokesperson said.
During the probe, it was found that Mohammad Ameen was in touch with Deepthi Marla of Kerala, a converted Muslim, married to Anas Abdul Rahiman of Mangalore.
“In 2015, she had gone to Dubai to pursue studies where she met another woman, Mizha Siddeeque and both women developed an inclination towards ISIS. In 2019, they tried to do Hijrah to Khorasan and reached Tehran, Iran. After reaching Tehran, their contact with ISIS operatives based in Khorasan could not be established,” he further said.
They both returned to India, and Deepthi got in touch with Ameen, Obaid Hamid Matta, Madesh Shankar and others and made plans to undertake Hijrah to ISIS administered territory.
In January 2020, she went to Srinagar to meet Obaid to plan the Hijrah and stayed in Srinagar for one week, he said.
“One of the common contacts between Deepthi and Obaid, Uzair Azhar Bhat, who is suspected to have been part of the conspiracy, was raided today. NIA conducted search at Bhat’s house in Karfali Mohalla, Srinagar and seized digital devices. The devices are being examined and further investigations are in progress,” reads the statement. (GNS)

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#NIA #Conducts #Search #Srinagar #ISIS #Kerala #Module #Case
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 13, 2023
Amit Shah sounds LS poll bugle in Kerala, targets CM on corruption

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Thrissur: Taking on Kerala’s CPI(M)-led Left government on alleged corruption in the Life Mission project, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to shed his silence on the matter.
Shah, while addressing a BJP rally here, also alleged that Communists were keeping mum on the alleged gold smuggling scam and said they will be forced to answer the public in 2024 Parliamentary elections.
“The communists are immersed in the Life Mission corruption. The Chief Minister’s former Principal Secretary, M Sivasankar, was arrested in this case. I urge the chief minister to answer the people on that matter,” Shah said.
Referring to the government action against the Popular Front of Indi (PFI), the Union Home Minister said the outfit has been completely banned in the country and thus helped Kerala to get rid of violence.
“This step was not welcomed by either the Congress or by the Communists,” he said.
In a rally, marking the launch of BJP’s election campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shah said the people of Kerala, for a long time, have given opportunity to the Congress and Communists to rule the state.
“Communists have been rejected by the world and the country has rejected the Congress party…Kerala is passionate about bringing change under the leadership of Narendra Modi,” Shah said.

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#Amit #Shah #sounds #poll #bugle #Kerala #targets #corruption
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 12, 2023
MP: Kerala students attacked by staff in IGNTU; CM Vijayan condemns

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Students of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) hailing from Kerala were reportedly attacked by the varsity’s security staff for clicking pictures from a restricted area on the campus.
According to Maktoob Media, the incident took place on March 10 in Madhya Pradesh. The students had gone to a water tank near the main gate, which, apparently is a restricted area.
While they were descending, a security vehicle with staff reached the spot and started shouting and beating them, without any warning.
There was no signboard that said the area was restricted, said a student who spoke to Maktoob Media.
The victims – Nasheel KT, Abhishek R, Adnan, and Adil Rashif – did not expect an attack from the security side.
Following the attack, the Kerala Fraternity, a student collective on the campus has demanded action against the security personnel involved in the attack. They also urged the university administration to ensure student safety.
CM Vijayan condemns:
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday condemned the reported assault and said the growing hostility towards individuals based on their identities should be resisted.
“Attacks on Keralite students at @IGNTU are appalling & highlight the need to resist the growing hostility towards individuals based on their identities in our country. The university must take prompt action against the culprits & ensure the safety of all the students on campus,” Vijayan tweeted from his official Twitter page.

Attacks on Keralite students at @IGNTU are appalling & highlight the need to resist the growing hostility towards individuals based on their identities in our country. The university must take prompt action against the culprits & ensure the safety of all the students on campus.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) March 12, 2023
Rajya Sabha MP and Left leader John Brittas also sought strong action with regard to the incident and wrote a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“Premeditated attacks on Kerala students at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University highlights the need to address organised hostility against Keralite students based on their regional, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds. Urgent action is needed to ensure their safety on campus,” Brittas tweeted.
Pre-meditated attacks on Kerala students at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University highlights the need to address organized hostility against Keralite students based on their regional, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds. Urgent action is needed to ensure their safety on campus. pic.twitter.com/1IFsxl7XHm
— John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) March 12, 2023
(With inputs from PTI)

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#Kerala #students #attacked #staff #IGNTU #Vijayan #condemns
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 12, 2023
Kerala hand chopping case: Rs 10L reward announced on prime accused

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Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for providing information on the whereabouts of one Sawad — the prime accused in the 2010 Kerala hand-chopping case, an official said on Saturday.
Sawad is a resident of the Ernakulam district in Kerala.
The case pertains to the chopping of a professor, T.J. Joseph’s right hand in July 2010 by the activists of the now-banned organisation, Popular Front of India. Joseph was attacked while he was on his way to home from Church along with his mother and sister.
The attackers told him that he was being punished for the alleged sacrilegious undertone of one of the questions he had framed during an exam at the college where he was teaching.
The case was later investigated by the NIA.
A special NIA court in 2015 convicted 13 people owing allegiance to the PFI.
However, the key accused in the case, Sawad, continues to be on the run since then.

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#Kerala #hand #chopping #case #10L #reward #announced #prime #accused
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 11, 2023
Kerala govt to undertake health survey around Brahmapuram waste plant

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Thiruvananthapuram:The Kerala government on Friday decided to conduct a health survey in the areas around Brahmapuram to assess the health-related problems caused by the smoke pollution emanating from the smouldering waste plant there.
Health Minister Veena George said the survey will include people who are immediately affected and also those who live in the surrounding areas.
“We have taken this decision in a high-level meeting today. Our community medicine experts will prepare a questionnaire. The district team will prioritise the places and our field staff will be trained to do the house-to-house survey, in order to analyse what is the real situation on the ground,” George told reporters here.
The minister said the health department has also earmarked a ‘smoke casualty’ in hospitals and has earmarked 100 beds in General Hospital, Ernakulam, and 20 beds in Taluk Hospital, Tripunithura for patients coming from the affected areas.
She said health staff has been working on the field from March 3 onwards. The minister said the health department is also conducting special medical camps in Kochi for those affected by the smoke pollution.
She said the whole focus of the government is now to overcome the crisis and after that the government, with the cooperation of all the departments concerned, would be implementing a scientific solution to permanently address this issue.
The fire broke out at the Kochi city corporation-run waste treatment plant on March 2 and the district administration of Ernakulam declared a holiday on March 6 for children in all schools in areas under Kochi corporation and the nearby municipalities and gram panchayats, as thick clouds of toxic smoke billowing from the site engulfed the city.

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#Kerala #govt #undertake #health #survey #Brahmapuram #waste #plant
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 10, 2023
Kerala HC quashes ‘underwear’ case against Minister Antony Raju

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Kochi: The Kerala High Court (HC) on Friday quashed the case of an alleged ‘underwear’ evidence tampering against State Transport Minister Antony Raju.
The court gave the verdict on a plea moved by Raju to quash the case against him.
The case dates back to the year 1990 when Raju was a junior lawyer representing an Australian citizen Andrew Salvatore Cervelli, who was accused of smuggling hashish by concealing it in his underwear.
When Cervelli approached the HC in appeal against his conviction by a trial court more than 30 years ago, the underwear in question was found to have mysteriously shrunk in size, leading the HC to acquit Cervelli of all charges.
A few years later, the investigating officer in the smuggling case, approached the HC seeking a probe into the alleged evidence tampering.
Later, an FIR was registered against Raju in 1994 on a complaint filed by an official of the Sessions Court, Thiruvananthapuram.
After 12 years of investigation, in 2006, the Assistant Commissioner of Police filed a charge- sheet before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Thiruvananthapuram, alleging offences under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property and causing disappearance of evidence of offence.
It was Raju’s argument that the crucial piece of “underwear evidence” was in the custody of the trial court while it was allegedly tampered with and, therefore, it should have been the court in question that initiated the proceedings to look into the case.

But in this case, the proceedings were initiated on the complaint of the police.
His plea pointed out that the court took cognisance of the case upon a charge-sheet by the police and the police have no authority to conduct an investigation in such cases.
The police also cannot file a charge-sheet before the court and the proceedings pending before the court is ‘non-est’ (one that can be ignored altogether) in the eye of law.
Expressing happiness over the verdict, Raju said he was targeted politically by the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and a State Minister who was later defeated by him by going ahead with the case.
“I knew I had done no wrong and now I am cleared and at this time I forgive those who worked against me,” said Raju.
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#Kerala #quashes #underwear #case #Minister #Antony #Raju
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 10, 2023
Kerala Muslim remarriage: Police step up vigil around couple’s house

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Kasaragod: Kerala police on Thursday said it intensified surveillance around the house of a Muslim lawyer, who remarried his wife under the Special Marriage Act to ensure their daughters’ financial security.
The vigil has been stepped in the area of advocate-actor C Shukkur’s house in Kanhangad here in the wake of news reports on threats by some outfits against the man and his family, a senior police officer told PTI.
Shukkur, on Wednesday, remarried his wife Sheena, the former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, under the Special Marriage Act (SMA) in the presence of their three daughters at a Sub-Registrar’s office at Kanhangad in Hosdurg taluk.
The couple decided to get remarried under the SMA as under the Muslim personal laws, which also govern inheritance of property, daughters will only get two-thirds of their father’s property and the rest will go to his brothers in the absence of a male heir.
“As of now, there is nothing like personal protection. There is no full-time security for the family or the house. But, we have strengthened the vigil around the premises of their house,” the officer said.
When asked whether there was any intelligence input on any possible attack against the advocate, he replied in the negative.
“The media has extensively reported on the remarriage incident in the last two days. Today, some newspapers have carried reports about an alleged fatwa issued by certain religious institutions against the family,” he said.
Though the state police have no first-hand information regarding the threat, a decision has been taken to intensify the surveillance in the area based on media reports, the officer added.

The Muslim couple’s remarriage has received both criticism and approval on social media.
A prominent Sunni higher education institute in Kerala had opined that the couple’s decision was an attempt to disrespect Muslim personal laws and Islam.
It said that the remarriage was a “drama” and an indication of “narrow-minded thinking” that Shukkur’s brothers should not get the one-third share of his property after his death.
While the institute was of the view that every believer would strongly oppose the couple’s decision, Shukkur had reacted to it on his Facebook page by saying that the educational institution would be responsible for any physical attack on him.
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#Kerala #Muslim #remarriage #Police #step #vigil #couples #house
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 9, 2023
Kerala HC orders police to protect Asianet offices

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Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the police to provide adequate protection to offices of prominent Malayalam news channel Asianet.
The direction to the State Police by Justice N Nagaresh came on the channel’s plea claiming it apprehends “further violence and threats” from pro-Left student organisation SFI and CPI(M) youth wing DYFI and seeking protection against the same.
In its petition, the channel alleged that on March 3 around 30 SFI activists forcefully trespassed into its Kochi office and intimidated the staff there with dire consequences.
It has also alleged that work there was interrupted and was stopped for nearly an hour by the miscreants who also “wrongfully confined” the staff for nearly an hour.
“The 8th respondent (DYFI) through public platforms and social media has declared they will launch all Kerala protest against the petitioner news channel.
“Barging into a media office is illegal and is a blatant attack on the freedom of press. The fundamental right to seek and disseminate information through an independent press is under attack,” the channel has said in its petition.
Disposing of the plea, the High Court directed that protection be provided to the Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur offices of channel.
It also ordered that in case of a possibility of conflict or violence, sufficient numbers of police have to be deployed.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, recently in the state assembly, had said that SFI activists had organised a protest march to the channel’s office against the making of an allegedly fake video, using a minor girl.
The video content amounted to spreading the misapprehension that government schools in the state were in the grip of drugs, the CM had said.
He had also said that on the channel’s complaint a case was registered and eight persons arrested in connection with the trespass into its Kochi office.
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#Kerala #orders #police #protect #Asianet #offices
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 8, 2023
Kerala Muslim couple to re-marry after 29 years so their girls can inherit

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Thiruvananthapuram: On International Women’s Day on March 8, a unique “marriage” will be seen in Kerala’s Kasargod district where a couple married for nearly 29 years will solemnise their union again – for sake of their three daughters.
Present at the marriage at the Hosdurg sub-registrar office will be their three girls besides their family members and friends.
C. Shukkur, an eminent lawyer from Kasargod, married Dr Sheena in October 1994 and their wedding was conducted by Indian Union Muslim League’s supreme leader Panakkad Syed Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal.
However, the marriage was under the Sharia law and according to Muslim Personal Law, daughters get only two-thirds of the share of their father’s property, with the rest going to his brothers.
The couple, in order to ensure that their hard-earned property should go to their children only, will marry again under the Special Marriage Act which states that the succession to the property of any person solemnised under it will be governed by the Indian Succession Act.
Sheena is a former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Kottayam-headquartered Mahatma Gandhi University.
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#Kerala #Muslim #couple #remarry #years #girls #inherit
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 6, 2023
Kerala: Journalists’ bodies condemn SFI activists’ barging into Asianet office

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New Delhi: A day after a group of SFI activists allegedly barged into the Kochi office of Asianet News and intimidated channel staff over a news report, journalists’ bodies condemned the incident and called it yet another example of growing attacks against media and scribes.
Barging into media offices is “illegal” and should be considered as “an attack on press freedom”, the Press Club of India, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists said in a joint statement.
“We expect the Kerala government to take strict action against those who attacked Asianet,” they said.
A group of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists allegedly trespassed into the office of Malayalam news channel Asianet News in Kochi on Friday and intimidated the staff over a report about the sexual assault of a girl, according to Kerala Police.
A case was later registered against 30 SFI activists, the students’ wing of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, on the basis of a complaint lodged by the channel.
Condemning the incident, the journalists’ bodies said, “We protest the attack on the TV channel Asianet News’ office in Kochi by the activists of the Students Federation of India.”
“This is yet another example of the growing attacks against media organisations and journalists in the country.”
The journalists’ bodies said Asianet News had used “a mock video” to bring out the issue of drug and sexual abuse of a young girl in Kerala.

“Stamping such a programme as fake news suggests ignorance of the professional ways used by news organisations to protect the identity of victims of sexual assault,” they said, adding, “There are methods and platforms to raise complaints against any news item in a legal manner.”
The journalists’ bodies noted that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made it clear in the Assembly that the police were looking into a complaint against the news report in question.
“Barging into media offices is illegal and should be considered as an attack on press freedom. We expect the Kerala government to take strict action against those who attacked Asianet,” they said.
“We condemn the attempts by certain political outfits, organisations and social media influencers in Kerala to instill media phobia by labelling all news and views as fake if they disagree with it,” they said, adding, “Demonising or undermining the media often protects vested interests.”
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#Kerala #Journalists #bodies #condemn #SFI #activists #barging #Asianet #office
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 5, 2023