Srinagar, April 05: National Investigation Agency on Tuesday said that it has filed Charge-sheets against Jamaat-e-Islami linked Al-Huda Educational Trust in case related to militancy funding.
In a handout to GNS, the NIA said that JEI was declared an Unlawful Association in 2019. The NIA, which was subsequently mandated to investigate the continued suspicious activities of the banned militant outfit, had registered a case against JEI in September 2022. It filed the chargesheet today in the NIA Special Court, J&K, after extensive investigations and multiple raids in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to spokesman, a Pak-based Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant, Mushtaq Ahmed Mir @ Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, is among the four individuals / entities named in the chargesheet. Others charged in the case are AHET, Md. Amir Shamshi, a ‘rukun’ (primary member) and chairperson of AHET, and Abdul Hamid Ganai @ Abdul Hamid Fayaz r/o Shopian. All four have been charged under various sections of UA(P)Act and IPC.
Investigations have revealed that Md. Amir Shamshi was responsible for the day to day working of AHET, which was formed by JEI with the explicit purpose of mobilising funds to carry on its secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Amir collected funds for JEI, J&K, through the Trust in the form of educational and religious donations. He channelized the funds to his co-accused, Amir-e-Jamaat (Head of JEI J&K) Abdul Hamid Ganai, to further the banned outfit’s anti-India agenda, he said.
Amir Shamshi also conspired with Mushtaq Ahmed Mir, originally a resident of Rajouri. Mushtaq sent funds to Amir from Pakistan through Hawala channels. Amir used these funds to organise propaganda meetings to motivate individuals to engage in secessionist and militant activities, reads the statement.(GNS)
New Delhi: Taking note of violence at a large scale that took place in different parts of the country during the Ram Navami festival, Hindu Front for Justice Trust moved an application in Supreme Court seeking to direct the concerned State governments to determine the loss incurred by the persons who sustained injuries and lost their valuables in the attacks committed by miscreants in observing Ram Navami.
The plea was moved by Hindu front for Justice Trust through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain. The application was filed in the ongoing petition dealing with hate speech.
The applicant mentioned about the large scale violence that took place in different parts of the country, namely, at Howrah and Uttar Dinajpur (West Bengal), Sasaram and Nalanda (Bihar), Hyderabad (Telangana), Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Vadodara (Gujarat) and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand).
“The Muslim mob attacked, committed arsons, damaged the vehicles, pelted stones, assaulted Hindu devotees taking out the religious processions ie Shobha Yatra of Lord Ram,” the applicant said and cited various hate crimes were committed on Ram Navami Day ie March 30.
The applicant mentioned the speech of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and submitted, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had warned the members of Hindu community for taking out any procession from Muslim denominated areas as some area of the State has been earmarked only for Muslims and nobody can enter there.”
The applicant submitted that it is constitutionally permissible for Hindus to take out religious procession maintaining law and order situation through public road, irrespective of the fact as to which community resides in that area. The warning given by Chief Minister shows her partisan attitude in favour of Muslim Community, the applicant said.
Therefore, Hindu front for Justice Trust, sought to direct the the concerned State governments to recover the loss caused to the persons committed in connection with Ram Navami festival from miscreants after due verification, the plea said.
Hindu front for Justice Trust, in the application also sought to direct the State governments to take preventive measures so that in future the incident of attacks or disturbing the Shobha Yatra on Ram Navami festival and other festivals may not take place.
The Trust also sought direction to the State governments to allow Hindu devotees to take out processions in peaceful manner from public road and such request be not rejected only on the ground that area in question is a Muslim dominated area.
The applicant submitted that the members of the Muslim Community in order to create disharmony committed Hate Crimes by pelting stones at procession and also hiring hoodlums to attack the innocent devotees out of sheer hatred against Hindus.
The applicant submitted that the respective State government have failed to maintain law and order position and to protect the people’s right to worship and celebrate religious function in peaceful manner.
It further sought to direct the State governments to provide full protection to the processions taken out on Ram Navami Day or other religious processions by Hindus.
The applicant sought to direct the Chief Secretaries of the concerned State governments to submit report regarding the causes which led to mob attacks and violence committed on Shri Ram Shobha Yatra on March 30, 2023.
The applicant also sought to direct the respective State governments to register FIR into the incidents occurred on March 30 and initiate criminal proceedings against the culprits.
Hindu front for Justice Trust also sought to direct the State governments to comply with the guidelines issued in case of Tehseen Poonawalla vs Union of India to prevent hate crimes.
SRINAGAR: Chairman Trustee of Jammu and Kashmir Dharmarth Trust, Dr Karan Singh appointed Brig. RS Langeh as the new president of the trust.
According to an order issued by Dr Karan Singh, Brig RS Langeh has been appointed as President of the Trust with effect from April 1.
Brig. Langeh said that he was grateful to be part of such a prestigious organization with a long-standing legacy of contributing to society and religion in Jammu and Kashmir. He vowed to provide his best services and full dedication to the trust’s purpose.
Later, the newly appointed president of the trust held a brief introductory meeting with the Trust’s employees.
In addition to the appointment of Brig. R.S Langeh, the Chairman Trustee has also reconstituted the Dharmarth Council for a period of two years, effective April 1, 2023, until March 31, 2025. The new Council members are Vishwamurti Shastri, Sunil Trakroo, S.M Sawhney, and Vishal Abrol.
Ashok Kumar Sharma, along with Additional Secretary Varinder Singh Jamwal and other staff members, welcomed Brig. R.S Langeh by presenting him with a bouquet at the Trust’s central office. Sharma expressed hope that the Trust would achieve new heights under the leadership of Brig. R.S Langeh, who brings a wealth of experience to the organization.
New Delhi: A survey has shown a “high-level” of public support for certain forms of government surveillance like through CCTV cameras even as the poor and groups such as Dalits and Muslims have the “least” trust in the police.
Surveyors from NGO Common Cause and the Lokniti programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies spoke to a total of 9,779 individuals in 12 states and Union Territories before they released the “Status of Policing in India Report 2023: Surveillance and the Question of Privacy” on Friday in the national capital.
“The study also involved focus group discussions with domain experts, in-depth interviews with serving police officials, and an analysis of media coverage of surveillance-related issues,” according to a statement.
The findings of the survey, according to the statement, indicate a “high-level of public support for certain forms of government surveillance, but also a lack of public awareness regarding critical issues such as the Pegasus scandal and the Puttaswamy case.”
While Pegasus refers to the alleged usage of military grade spyware for surveillance, the judgment in the Puttaswamy case formally recognised right to privacy as a fundamental right.
The survey report states that the support for any form of surveillance is “directly proportional” to the respondent’s socio-economic status, i.e. the richer the respondent the more the support, the survey found.
The poor, Adivasis, Dalits, and Muslims trust the police the least, it found.
Some of the key findings of the survey state that “only one in four people strongly feel that CCTVs carry a risk of illegal mass surveillance.”
“Nearly three out of four people strongly believe that CCTVs help monitor and reduce crimes,” it said.
The survey found, according to the press statement, that about half of the respondents supported the collection of biometric details of suspects while Adivasis and Muslims were “most critical” of the police collecting biometric details of all suspects.
More than one out of two people strongly support the use of drones by the armed forces, government, and police. However, farmers and the poorest are most likely to oppose drone usage by government agencies, the survey found.
“One out of two people fully support the use of FRT (facial recognition technology) by the government, and police. People are four times more likely to strongly support the use of FRT by government agencies, compared to its use by private entities,” the survey found.
Nearly two out of three respondents believe that political parties surveil citizens for electoral gains, it said.
The survey also found that large sections of the respondents feel government surveillance by CCTVs (52 per cent), drones (30 per cent) and FRT (25 per cent), etc. to suppress protests and political movements are “justified” to a great extent.
However, it said, the respondents from Punjab are least likely to support government surveillance during protests, while those from Gujarat are most likely to support it.
Retired Uttar Pradesh Police and BSF Director General Prakash Singh said the authorisation for putting up surveillance tools should only be handled by the government.
“In India there are certain agencies that have been authorized to put people under surveillance, but the sanction must come from the Home Ministry. About one lakh sanctions for surveillance are given every year, which works out to about 250 per day. Can there be judicious application of mind with such a large number?”
“There is no liability provision, if it is found that a wrong person has been put under surveillance. Due application of mind is not happening today,” Singh, one of the most prominent faces who worked for police reforms in the country, said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got a first-hand look on Thursday at the toll left by a freight train derailment in Ohio, where toxic chemicals spilled or were burned off, leaving the stench of fresh paint nearly two weeks later.
The EPA’s administrator, Michael Regan, walked along a creek that still reeks of chemicals and sought to reassure skeptical residents that the water was fit for drinking and the air safe to breathe around East Palestine, where just less than 5,000 people live near the Pennsylvania state line.
“I’m asking they trust the government. I know that’s hard. We know there’s a lack of trust,” Regan said. “We’re testing for everything that was on that train.”
Since the derailment, residents have complained about headaches and irritated eyes and finding their cars and lawns covered in soot. The hazardous chemicals that spilled from the train killed thousands of fish and residents have talked about finding dying or sick pets and wildlife.
Residents are frustrated by what they say is incomplete and vague information about the lasting effects from the disaster, which prompted evacuations.
“I have three grandbabies,” said Kathy Dyke, who came with hundreds of her neighbors to a public meeting on Wednesday where representatives of railroad operator Norfolk Southern were conspicuously absent. “Are they going to grow up here in five years and have cancer?”
Regan said on Thursday that anyone who is fearful of being in their home should seek testing from the government.
“People have been unnerved. They’ve been asked to leave their homes,” he said, adding that if he lived there, he would be willing to move his family back into the area as long as the testing shows it’s safe.
Those attending the previous night’s informational session had questions about health hazards and demanded more transparency from Norfolk Southern, whose representatives did not attend, citing concerns about staff safety. Many who had waited in a long line snaking outside the high school gymnasium came away upset that they didn’t hear anything new. Some booed or laughed each time they heard the village mayor or state health director assure them that lingering odors weren’t dangerous.
Residents of East Palestine gather to discuss the train derailment and toxic chemical burn-off on 15 February. Photograph: Alan Freed/Reuters
“They just danced around the questions a lot,” said Danielle Deal, who lives a few miles from the derailment site. “Norfolk needed to be here.”
At least five lawsuits have been filed against the railroad, which announced this week that it is creating a $1m fund to help the community while continuing to remove spilled contaminants from the ground and streams, and monitoring air quality.
“We are here and will stay here for as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive,” Norfolk Southern president and CEO Alan Shaw said in a letter to the community.
Families who evacuated said they wanted assistance figuring out how to get the promised financial help. Beyond that, they wanted to know whether the railroad would be held responsible.
State and federal officials have promised to make sure Norfolk Southern not only pays for the cleanup but also reimburses residents.
The White House said that federal health and emergency response teams and officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will go to East Palestine.
“We understand the residents are concerned – as they should be – and they have questions. That’s all understandable,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “And we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
No one was injured when about 50 cars derailed in a fiery, mangled mess on the outskirts of East Palestine on 3 February. Officials seeking to avoid an uncontrolled blast evacuated the area and opted to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky again.
The Ohio EPA said the latest tests show that five wells supplying the village’s drinking water are free from contaminants.
At least 3,500 fish, mostly small ones such as minnows and darters, have been found dead along more than seven miles (11.2km) of streams, according to the estimates from the Ohio department of natural resources.
Precautions are being taken to ensure that contaminants that reached the Ohio River don’t make it into drinking water, officials said.
There have been anecdotal reports that pets or livestock have been sickened. No related animal deaths have been confirmed and the risk to livestock is low, Ohio officials said, but the state’s agriculture department is testing samples from a beef calf that died a week after the derailment.
The suspected cause of the derailment is a mechanical issue with a rail car axle. The National Transportation Safety Board said it has video appearing to show a wheel bearing overheating just before the derailment. The NTSB expects to issue its preliminary report in about two weeks.
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
New Delhi: In a stinging attack on the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the trust reposed by crores of people was his protective shield which cannot be breached by abuse and allegations from his detractors.
Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha, Modi said the world was looking at India with hope amid instability in some parts of the globe due to the once-in-a-century pandemic and conflicts.
“But some people who are neck deep in frustration refuse to accept India’s growth story. They cannot see the achievements of 140 crore Indians,” Modi said, targeting the Opposition.
The prime minister said people know Modi has come to their help in times of crisis. “How will they agree with your abuses and allegations,” he told the Opposition.
“People trust in Modi not due to newspaper headlines or TV visuals but due to my years of dedication in the service of the people,” Modi said.
BJP members broke into chants of Modi, Modi’ as the prime minister listed out the public welfare initiatives of his government. Opposition members raised the slogan of Adani, Adani’ to counter the BJP members.
Opposition MPs including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had targeted the government while raising the Adani-Hindenburg issue during the debate.
The prime minister said the Opposition had wasted the past nine years in levelling baseless allegations instead of indulging in constructive criticism.
“When you lose elections, blame the EVMs, criticise the Election Commission, if the Supreme Court does not give a favourable verdict, criticise the apex court.
“If corruption is being probed, abuse the investigative agencies. If the Army displays valour, abuse the armed forces, level allegations against them. When there is talk of economic progress, criticise the RBI,” Modi said.
“In the past nine years, compulsive criticism has replaced constructive criticism,” the prime minister said.
He described the 10 years of UPA rule as India’s “lost decade”.
“The decade before 2014 will always be remembered as ‘The Lost Decade’, but the decade of 2030 is India’s decade,” Modi said.
“No one can forget the attacks of 2008. The lack of courage in acting against terrorism led to a bloodbath and the loss of lives of our innocent citizens. It’s synonymous with the UPA’s misrule,” he said.
The prime minister said India was emerging as a manufacturing hub and the world now sees its prosperity in the country’s growth.
He said President Droupadi Murmu’s address to Parliament was an inspiration for everyone.
Raising slogans, members of the BRS, Left parties and some members of the Congress walked out of Lok Sabha in protest as the prime minister was speaking.
Lucknow: A GST consultant has been accused of criminal breach of trust and cheating and duping an agent facilitating the deposit of GST of traders/businessmen in Indira Nagar under the Ghazipur police circle.
As per reports, victim Pradeep Gupta of Neelgiri Complex is in the marketing department of Tax Consultant Accounts and his job is to get the Income Tax return, and GST registration/Return filed by the chartered account office.
In this connection, he had given the GST return work of a businessman, named Shrawan, to a tax consultant Ashutosh Singh.
Gupta said he had given money (paid in the bank account of Ashutosh) as GST for the firm of Shrawan from 2018 to January 2022.
“I paid the money every month since 2018. Ashutosh used to give me a GST return slip and challan receipt which I gave to Shrawan. In due course of time, it surfaced that the receipts and slips were fake and no GST return and tax in the GST account of Shrawan had been deposited since 2018,” he said.
Gupta said Ashutosh did not deposit the GST of his client.
SHO, Ghazipur (Indiranagar), Sunil Kumar, said that an FIR has been lodged while a probe is underway.
The conviction of PC David Carrick for 85 crimes against 12 women, whom he terrorised through violence, abuse, coercion and humiliation, has shaken the Metropolitan police and sent it into a new crisis.
Allegations against him date to before he joined the police in 2001, and despite multiple complaints against him as an officer, he was allowed to continue serving and received promotions within the force.
The Guardian’s Emine Sinmaz tells Nosheen Iqbal about how she spoke to one of Carrick’s victims who ultimately did not proceed as a witness in the case. She describes her relationship with the officer who became ever more possessive and controlling and eventually raped her.
The crime correspondent Vikram Dodd, a veteran of past police scandals, describes his astonishment at the crimes of Carrick and the way they have pitched the Met into a new crisis so soon after the conviction of a serving officer for the murder of Sarah Everard. A culture change is long overdue but it is far from clear how quickly it can be enacted.
Photograph: REX/Shutterstock
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
