Model Aneesha Singh Sharma alleges Jalota threatened to kill her if she went to the cops

A copy of the police complaint filed by model and singer Aneesha Singh Sharma who has accused Bhajan King Anup Jalota of molestation and cheating was viewed by IndiaScoops.com on Wednesday.

In her complaint filed by her lawyer, the aspiring model and singer has alleged that she did not approach the police for the last month or so, because she feared for her life. 

In her complaint which was accessed by IndiaScoops.com she has stated that Jalota threatened to kill her if she went to the cops. She has claimed that she had nobody in Mumbai and lived alone and hence was scared to approach the police.

“Jalota was in touch with a lot of top politicians. He has a very good equation with a lot of BJP netas in Delhi and visits their official residences very often, where there are private shows and girls perform. He threatened me that the cops would not touch him and I would disappear without a trace, she alleged in her statement.

She stated she had approached a publicist friend who told her to collect evidence in the form of Whats App messages and take screenshots of them as evidence. However, since she shifted to the USA in August, the matter was left unresolved, she claimed.

The police are investigating the matter and have sent letters to Jalota’s residence and even to the Bigg Boss house, asking the Bhajan maestro to join the investigation and appear before the investigating officer in person to record his statement (Read Here)

Aneesha Singh Sharma told IndiaScoops.com on phone that she had a fight with Jalota in the first week of August. She confronted him and asked him to fulfill his promises.

“He had promised to marry me and take me into the Bigg Boss house as his ‘jodi’ or partner. When I asked him about it, he got furious and threatened to kill me. He was in a very violent mood and pushed me. I fell to the ground and fearing that he would hit me, I somehow managed to leave the place,” Aneesha told IndiaScoops.com. 

Aneesha maybe new to filmdom, but she  is definitely not new to controversy.

She was in the news months ago, when her intimate images were leaked by a fake casting director who allegedly claimed to be a film director and producer (Read Here). She was the talk of the town on social media when her n*de images went viral on Facebook (See pics here).

She also claimed on her Facebook wall that she was having a live-in affair with popular Bollywood and film publicist Flynn Remedios, who has rubbished all her allegations. She later apologized to Remedios and reversed her allegations, when Remedios sent her a legal notice, stating thereafter that the duo were ‘just good friends’. Remedios had told media persons then that Aneesha was going thru a bad patch and was mentally unstable.

Jalota was in the news last week after the aspiring model and singer Aneesha Singh Sharma accused him of cheating. Aneesha alleged she was in an off-and-on relationship with the Bhajan maestro for almost six months.

In a statement to IndiaScoops.com, Aneesha had said, “Jalota promised to get me into Bigg Boss 12 and told me that I would be his ‘jodi’ on the popular reality show. We even had sex twice in the last six months,” further adding that, “She did not mind having sex with Jalota as he professed his love for her and said he wanted to settle down with her. He promised me marriage,” Aneesha told IndiaScoops.com.

Aneesha has filed a written complaint with the police who have decided to summon the Bhajan King. Speaking to IndiaScoops.com, she stated she has demanded that Jalota be arrested and the police carry out custodial interrogation of the accused who had sex with her twice under the false pretext of getting her a role in the popular reality show Bigg Boss hosted by Salman Khan.

Her lawyer Sabina Khan has sent a separate complaint letter to the police, addressed to the Mumbai police commissioner, sources told IndiaScoops.com.

Kandivali teenager accuses BJP leader of molestation during ‘Dahi Handi’, Police say ‘No Evidence’ 

A 19-year-old teenager residing at Kandivali West in suburban Mumbai has accused a local BJP leader Vinod Shelar of allegedly touching her inappropriately during the Dahi Handi function at Malad.

Vinod Shelar is the elder brother of Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar and is in-charge of the the Mumbai North district. He was unavailable for comment, but sources close to him denied the incident, claiming that it never happened. This is a fake case, his aide told IndiaScoops.com.

According to the victim girl Manisha (name changed to protect identity), she was standing at a Dahi Handi gathering at Malad, when the accused leader got down from the stage and rushed towards his vehicle. She was directly in his path and she was violently pushed from behind and the accused leader’s hand allegedly touched her backside forcefully pushing her away.

The police have recorded her statement, but have not registered an FIR. According to police sources, there were several persons along with the BJP leader and it is not clear if the victim girl was pushed or touched by the leader himself or by one of the people along with him. The victim turned around after she was pushed and saw several people behind her. It would be incorrect to blame one person in the absence of any eye-witnesses, the police said.

“It is a known fact, that people accompanying political personalities during such festivities or their bodyguards have to use some minimal force to push the crowds away and make way for the leaders to pass. There is also a security issue. It is possible that the victim girl must have been pushed away by one of the bodyguards or karyakartas accompanying the leader. There is no evidence. We have called for video footage as well as for CCTV footage from the area and also asked the organizers to provide us with video footage to see if we can get some evidence of what happened. If we get some evidence we will register an FIR,” a police official told IndiaScoops.com.

However, the victim’s family have accused the police of trying to protect the politician and not acting on time. They have decided to fight until they get justice.

Maha CM instructed State ATS to go slow and soft on Hindutva Terror Suspects, alleges ATS official

According to a senior Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) official, the Maha CM Devendra Phadnavis has instructed the ATS to go slow and soft on the arrests of Hindutva hardliners. So far 5-6 persons have been arrested by the ATS in the arms and explosives seizure case.

Sources in the ATS told IndiaScoops.com the orders have come from Delhi and PM Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the case on a day to day basis. While the Modi Government does not want to be seen as supporting any terror activity, they do not want to be seen as anti-Hindu or against Hindutva.

The Devendra Phadnavis government was openly criticized by far-right Hindutva proponents after the arrests. The Sanatan Sanstha and its allied organisations have got very active behind the scenes to protect the interests of their own people.

The Government at the Center is afraid some big names may tumble out. While the persons arrested so far can be considered as “small fry” the government does not want any links to Ministers or other senior RSS and VHP functionaries tumbling out.

The ATS official who spoke to IndiaScoops.com on condition of anonymity said the ATS head has been told in clear terms to get clearance from the CM’s office before making any more arrests.

CM Devendra Phadnavis was unavailable for comment and several attempts to contact the CM or the CM’s office for a quote on the issue went unanswered. The CM is trying to do a balancing act – between the Hindutva hardliners and others who condemn terror in all hues and colors.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) three days ago arrested another suspect in connection with the Nalasopara Explosive haul. The accused, Ganesh Kapale, a DTP operator, is a friend of the accused former Shiv Sena corporator Shrikant Pangarkar and is considered close to several top RSS leaders.

Kapale’s name cropped up during the investigation of Pangarkar and he was picked up for questioning from his residence in Shani Mandir Chowk last Wednesday.

Kapale, a DTP operator, owns a Xerox shop in Jalna and was very close to Pangarkar. The ATS had suspected that Kapale was working with Pangarkar. The latter can be a part of the terror plot hatched by the right-wing terror outfits. This suspicion of the ATS was confirmed after they scoured through Kapale’s computer and recovered certain e-mails. The said e-mails were sent to Kapale by Pangarkar in connection with the bomb blasts, based on which the arrests were made.

The Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad’s (ATS) interrogation report in the arms case involving sympathisers of the right-wing spiritual group Sanatan Sanstha once again mentions a certain MD Murali as the mastermind behind all killings and terror plots involving the group’s members or sympathisers.

Hindustan Times reported on September 5 that officers of the ATS were investigating the role of Murali. HT has has reviewed the interrogation report (IR) of the five individuals arrested by the ATS in August 2018.

To be sure, there is no other evidence other than the IR to even show that Murali, who is described as an elusive figure, exists. Still, the report names him as the brain behind several bomb blasts and the murders of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar in Pune, social activist and writer Govind Pansare in Kolhapur, Kannada writer and academic Dr MM Kalburgi in Dharwad and Bengaluru-based activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh.

The IR also adds that he is the chief recruiter for a shadowy organisation spanning Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa that spread terror. The IR was filed in arms cases involving Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar, Sudhanva Gondhalekar, Shrikant Pangarkar and Avinash Pawar.

All five were arrested from different parts of Maharashtra last month for allegedly plotting terror activities in various parts of the country, and are currently in judicial custody. Bombs, detonators, and guns were recovered during the operation.

According to the report, Murali headed the unit responsible for the blasts and the killings. Amol Kale, a 37-year-old engineer from Pune who was arrested for murdering Lankesh was his deputy. Virendrasinh Tawde, accused of murdering of Dr Dabholkar, reported to Kale

The report mentions a 2014 meeting of right-wing organisations in Goa hosted by the Sanatan Sanstha which is headquartered in the state as one of the important milestones in the terror organisation built by Murali.

It was here, it claims, that he met Raut and eight others, some of whom have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder of Lankesh.

According to the report, Raut speaks of Murali as an inspirational figure who incited his recruits by highlighting alleged atrocities perpetrated by Muslims on Hindus.

The report describes the entire indoctrination and training process: a training session with air guns soon after the 2014 meeting; indoctrination meetings at Belagavi, Aurangabad, Mumbai and Jalna, during which the recruits were shown inflammatory videos; another training session with air guns at Belagavi (and a subsequent session on making Molotov cocktails); a training session with pistols at the Aravalli Hills near Udaipur; and a final training session with pistols at a farm near Ahmedabad .

It isn’t clear how Murali communicated with the recruits.

The report claims that all the accused got to know each other really well during these sessions. The recruits chose Ganesh festivities to test their skills with the explosives at Pangarkar’s farmhouse in Jalna, as they could couch it as crackers being burst.

The IR adds that Murali, who was aware of the growing number of police-monitored closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in major cities, asked each of the recruits to wear caps and sunglasses to protect their identity.

Under Murali’s instructions, Raut and Pawar conducted reconnaissance in Mumbai earlier this year to target a person (HT has withheld the individual’s identity due to security concerns).

The reconnaissance was to be done in stages of three days each. After each stage, they would lie low for a fortnight before resuming the surveillance.

However, before Raut and Pawar could execute the hit, the Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Lankesh’s murder arrested Kale. After Kale’s arrest, Murali asked his recruits to go into hiding.

The IR states that the recruits were given pseudonyms, and expected to address each other only by that name at all times, including phone conversations.

with inputs from Hindustan Times and Agencies

Sanatan Sanstha Knew All About It’s Foot Soldiers’ Activities, Claims Gauri Lankesh Probe SIT

BENGALURU:  (PTI) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka police probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case is hunting for at least five more people.

Also Read: Terror Suspects Planned to Bomb Mahim Dargah, Bandra Fair at Mount Mary’s Church and Pune Sunburn Festival

The SIT insists the leadership of Hindu right wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha was fully aware of the activities of its “foot soldiers” in the killing of some rationalists.

Also Read: Shiv Sena leaders including Uddhav Thackeray were fully aware of Shrikant Pangarkar’s terror links, ‘explosions’, ‘bomb blasts’ plot?

The five men are based out of Goa and Maharashtra adjoining the Karnataka border, an SIT official said, adding that they had taken part in the crimes.

As the SIT started cracking the murder case of Gauri Lankesh, a journalist-activist with strong anti-Hindutva views, leading to the arrest of key players in the killing of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi, it discovered the wide network of operatives of the gang involved in these incidents.

Also Read: Shrikant Pangarkar assembled bombs, funded purchase of explosives and boasted of ‘explosions’ and ‘bomb blasts’ to MoS Arjun Khotkar

“The leadership of Goa-headquartered Sanatan Sanstha was aware of the activities of its foot soldiers and lower rung cadre. We cannot subscribe to this statement that the leadership was not aware of it. They definitely knew about these plots,” the official claimed.

Also Read: Nikhil Wagle, Shyam Manav, Mukta Dabholkar, Ritu Raj, Jitendra Awhad and others on the hit-list of far-right terrorists

He, however, said it was “tricky” to say the outfit had morphed into a terrorist organisation.

The official, however, said there were sufficient reasons to invoke the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA) against the gang members.

Also Read: Hindutva hardliners Raut, Gondhalekar and Kalaskar planned to blow up 6 theaters, Ganapati mandaps in Maharashtra

KCOCA is the Karnataka version of the law in place in Maharashtra to curb underworld activities, often dubbed as draconian by civil rights groups.

Several people with alleged links to the Sanatan Sanstha have been arrested in connection with these killings, but the outfit has insisted they were not its members.

Also Read: 150 pistols, 100 bombs, 3000 bullets were on the shopping list of arrested hardliners

Sanatan Sanstha spokesman Chetan Rajhans recently said some people with so-called “progressive mindset” and political parties like the Congress and the Left were trying to put the organisation in the dock without providing evidence of any wrongdoing.

Also Read: Ex-Sanatan Sanstha seeker alleges “members hypnotized, made into killing machines and human bombs ready for mass murder or genocide”

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had said on Tuesday the state police was yet to establish the role of Sanatan Sanstha in the killing of Gauri Lankesh, an outspoken critic of pro-Hindutva ideology, who was shot dead outside her residence on September 5 last year.

Source: PTI

Net Toon Sensation Savita Bhabhi To Live Again As Mrs Savita Sharma aka Tandoori Bhabhi

Thanks to the Indian government’s double standards and hypocrisy, the porn-toon Savita Bhabhi died a premature death.

But for all Savita Bhabhi fans, there is some good news. The internet sensation is set to live again – this time in a web series.

An entertainment gossip site released images and sketches of the new look (see here) of  Savita Bhabhi which will soon be made into a web series and is expected to go live by the end of September.

So what’s the fuss all about? Thanks to Savita Bhabhi’s ever-increasing popularity as an online cartoon and its implications vis-a-vis pornography, the sensational website where the buxom Bhabhi showed off her wild side got banned,  many moons ago.

Ram Gopal Varma tried to recreate the sensational character on film, but we do not know what happened to it.

Now seems that producer / director Maneesh Singh of Vrindaavan Films is enchanted by the craze of Savita Bhabhi’s physical magnetism and her mass popularity.

Singh we hear, is interested in making a hot-sex-comedy web series based on the controversial character.

If sources are to be believed, the makers of the original show based on a spoof on Shilpa Shinde’s character Angoori Bhabhi, Spectra Multimedia have teamed up with director Maneesh Singh and Vrindaavan Films to revive the project, claims a media report, but with a few changes.

While the ‘tandoori bhabhi’ tag remains, the show will no longer be a spoof on Shilpa Shinde’s ‘Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai‘.

It will be a different show completely with new inputs and creatives, director Maneesh Singh told this news portal.

Actor Neha Shah will now play the red hot Tandoori Bhabhi, it is learnt.

The characters have also changed.

Now the lead role of ‘tandoori bhabhi’ aka Mrs Savita Bhabhi aka Mrs Savita Sharma will be played by Neha Shah, Singh told us.

Neha Shah’s character is called Tandoori Bhabhi – a slang she has earned in the vicinity of her residence due to her penchant for wearing figure-hugging, transparent saris.

Earlier, producer Amrit Kumar Shah had said the web series was a spoof on the by-now immensely popular Bhabhiji show thanks to Bigg Boss winner Shilpa Shinde.

The main lead plays the role of a sexy Bhabhi with a twist – this Bhabhi always wears a multicolored bikini under her sari and more often than not ends up accidentally revealing parts of her bikini.

While all this remains in the re-designed series, there will be a sprinkling of some ‘inspirational scenes’ from the internationally famous comic character Savita Bhabhi as well.

This will make the show hotter, director Maneesh Singh revealed, adding that this time the character draws more inspiration from Gulfam Kali, rather than Angoori Bhabhi.

All the male residents of Golla Nagar, the men, women and children included – the nukkad where Tandoori Bhabhi lives are big fans of Tandoori Bhabhi and never miss an opportunity to meet up with the sexy Bhabhi.

The lecherous part of the series doesn’t end here. Much like Vibhuti Narayan Mishra aka Nalla from the TV show played by Aashif Sheikh), all the male residents of this fictitious society are always hungry to have a rendezvous with the Bhabhi and do crazy things to catch up with Bhabhi.

What is Savita Bhabhi?

First created by UK-based businessman Puneet Agarwal (also known as Deshmukh) in March 2008, Savita Bhabhi gained popularity as India’s favourite porn cartoon character.

The comic strip which was available online had an an attractive housewife as the lead character. She was promiscuous because she was ignored by her husband and indulged in sexual escapdes with any man she could lay her hands on, including the milkman and the postman, characters very common in rural and semi-urban India.

Her character engaged in sexual adventures with different people which were showcased in a comic strip on a website. But later, the site was banned and since then Savita Bhabhi has been converted into a subscription-based comic strip owned by another online portal.

Nikhil Wagle, Shyam Manav, Mukta Dabholkar, Ritu Raj, Jitendra Awhad and others on the hit-list of far-right terrorists

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday while seeking the extension of right wing activist, Avinash Pawar, came up with names of the people who were on the hit list of the accused as the accused believed that they were Anti-Hindu.

Also Read: 150 pistols, 100 bombs, 3000 bullets were on the shopping list of arrested hardliners

Sources in the Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) told IndiaScoops.com that Amol Kale who was the leader of the fringe group responsible for the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh told his interrogators that the Maharashtra unit or cell of the far-right terror group was planning to plant bombs at the very popular “Bandra Fair” at the Mount Mary Church at Bandra, which attracts thousands of devotees in September.

Also Read: Terror Suspects Planned to Bomb Mahim Dargah, Bandra Fair at Mount Mary’s Church and Pune Sunburn Festival

The Maharashtra ATS claimed that activists like Shyam Manav, Mukta Dabholkar, Ritu Raj, Jitendra Awhad and several others were allegedly on their radar.

“They also had plans to set off bombs at some Ganpati Mandals across Maharashtra, the Mahim dargah during Muharram as well as the Mount Mary Church during the peak festive season starting in September. The bombs would be of low-intensity, which were meant to create a scare and fear psychosis in the mind of the people,” the SIT official told IndiaScoops.com.

Also Read: Journalist Nikhil Wagle was No 2 on the hit list of Maha Terror Suspects

The court however did not appreciate the fact that the ATS has not come up with concrete new investigation from the police custody of accused Pawar, which was granted a week back.

Also Read: Hindutva hardliners Raut, Gondhalekar and Kalaskar planned to blow up 6 theaters, Ganapati mandaps in Maharashtra

The court however considered ATS’s plea and granted Pawar’s custody till September 4.

The ATS till now have arrested five alleged right wing activists for allegedly trying to attack the city.

Also Read: Shrikant Pangarkar assembled bombs, funded purchase of explosives and boasted of ‘explosions’ and ‘bomb blasts’ to MoS Arjun Khotkar

The accused allegedly have already bombed two movie theaters, one in Kalyan and other in Belgaum which had released the film ‘Padmavat’, the court was told.

Also Read: Shiv Sena leaders including Uddhav Thackeray were fully aware of Shrikant Pangarkar’s terror links, ‘explosions’, ‘bomb blasts’ plot?

These men had allegedly also tried to attack and bomb the Sunburn music festival in Pune on the ground that it was a ‘western culture and an anti-Hindu activity,’but as the bomb plot was shelved at the last moment, it was an unsuccessful attempt.”

Also Read: Ex-Sanatan Sanstha seeker alleges “members hypnotized, made into killing machines and human bombs ready for mass murder or genocide”

ATS officials claimed in court that two of the accused – Gondhalekar and Raut – planned to attack the music festival scheduled in Pune for December 2017 because they felt it was “against Hindu culture”.

Sunburn was held in Goa until 2015, and shifted to Pune in 2016.

Terror Suspects Planned to Bomb Mahim Dargah, Bandra Fair at Mount Mary’s Church and Pune Sunburn Festival

According to a Hindustan Times report, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tuesday claimed in a special court that the five recently arrested sympathizers of the Hindu right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha (the group has distanced itself from the accused and said they are not its members) planned to plant explosives at last year’s edition of Sunburn, an annual electronic dance music festival in Pune.

Also Read: Shiv Sena leaders including Uddhav Thackeray were fully aware of Shrikant Pangarkar’s terror links, ‘explosions’, ‘bomb blasts’ plot?

All five were arrested earlier this month from Nalla Sopara, Pune and Jalna in connection with an arms case, and were remanded to ATS custody.

Meanwhile, sources in the Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) told IndiaScoops.com that Amol Kale who was the leader of the fringe group responsible for the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh told his interrogators that the Maharashtra unit or cell of the far-right terror group was planning to plant bombs at the very popular “Bandra Fair” at the Mount Mary Church at Bandra, which attracts thousands of devotees in September.

Also Read: Shrikant Pangarkar assembled bombs, funded purchase of explosives and boasted of ‘explosions’ and ‘bomb blasts’ to MoS Arjun Khotkar

There were 6-7 locations in Mumbai alone and about 20 different locations all over Maharashtra which were being considered by the terror suspects, Kale is understood to have told his interrogators.

“They also had plans to set off bombs at some Ganpati Mandals across Maharashtra, the Mahim dargah during Muharram as well as the Mount Mary Church during the peak festive season starting in September. The bombs would be of low-intensity, which were meant to create a scare and fear psychosis in the mind of the people,” the SIT official told IndiaScoops.com.

Also Read:  With nearly 16-18 bomb blasts across the State, Sharad Kalaskar’s group plotted to rain terror and chaos in Maharashtra during Eid and Ganpati festivals

ATS officials claimed in court that two of the accused – Gondhalekar and Raut – planned to attack the music festival scheduled in Pune for December 2017 because they felt it was “against Hindu culture”.

Sunburn was held in Goa until 2015, and shifted to Pune in 2016.

Also Read: Hindutva hardliners Raut, Gondhalekar and Kalaskar planned to blow up 6 theaters, Ganapati mandaps in Maharashtra

Prosecutors appearing for the ATS made these assertions before a special court constituted to try Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act cases. On Tuesday, four of the five accused – Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar, Sudhanva Gondhalekar and Shrikant Pangarkar – were produced in court, with prosecutors seeking an extension of their custody.

Special court judge Sameer Adkar extended their custody by seven days. The fifth accused, Avinash Pawar, will be produced in court on August 31, reports Hindustan Times.

Also Read: 150 pistols, 100 bombs, 3000 bullets were on the shopping list of arrested hardliners

ATS also claimed that the five accused were involved in throwing petrol bombs outside cinema halls in Kalyan (a city in Thane district, 50 km north-east of Mumbai), and Belagavi (earlier known as Belgaum) in Karnataka for screening the Hindi movie ‘Padmaavat’, Hindustan Times reported.

Also Read: Sanatan Sanstha’s bank account was used to channel funds for Gauri Lankesh murder, pay off killers

ATS further claimed that the accused planned to attack individuals who they thought were propagating or engaging in activity that was “against the Hindu religion”.

Atulchandra Kulkarni, Maharashtra ATS chief, said he could not “confirm the names because it will pose a security threat to the individuals.”

Also Read: Ex-Sanatan Sanstha seeker alleges “members hypnotized, made into killing machines and human bombs ready for mass murder or genocide”

The individuals include an author-historian; a former Marathi newspaper editor and three Marathi authors and playrights, ATS officials said on condition of anonymity. Hindustan Times did not name them because of the perceived security threat to the individuals.

The ATS officials also said they had recovered three motorcycles, including one from Nalla Sopara and two from Pune, and claimed one of three bikes, allegedly owned by Kalaskar, may have been used in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru in September 2017.

Also Read: Maha Govt Protected and Shielded Right-Wing Murder-Accused for Four Years, Gauri Lankesh Probe Forced Mah Govt to make Arrests

In their raids, ATS officials claimed to have recovered 10 pistols, one air pistol, one country-made revolver, 10 pistol barrels, six pistol bodies, six magazines, three handmade magazines, one half-prepared country-made revolver, and seven hand-made pistols from Gondhalekar.

Also Read: Journalist Nikhil Wagle was No 2 on the hit list of Maha Terror Suspects

Sunil Gonsalves, the public prosecutor appearing for ATS, told the court that the weapons used by the accused had been dismantled and were thrown away at different places to avoid detection, and that they needed to be recovered. He didn’t elaborate.

with inputs from Hindustan Times

BJP will be wiped out in 2019; won’t allow NRC in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Launching a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Centre, West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise will not be allowed in the state. She added that the BJP will be wiped out in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“We will not allow NRC exercise in Bengal. They (BJP leaders) are challenging us. If we are challenged, we will give them a fitting reply,” she said.

Referring to the recent panchayat polls in the state, she alleged that the party is resorting to politics of killing in the state.

“The BJP won just a few seats in erstwhile Maoist hotbed of Jangalmahal by resorting to politics of killing. The former CPI(M) goons are now working for them,” she said at a rally here on the occasion of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (students’ wing) foundation day.

The chief minister also said that she would not “tolerate” if a citizen is wrongfully tagged a foreigner here.

“We are Bengal tigers, we will not tolerate if an Indian citizen is dubbed a foreigner,” she asserted.

Banerjee has been a vocal critic on Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft, calling it an attempt to isolate Bengalis, Biharis and Hindus out of the state.

“West Bengal will suffer because of this. There will be huge ramifications of this (Assam NRC). Where will these 40 lakh displaced persons stay? Bangladesh won’t take them back,” Banerjee had said after the release of the historic Assam NRC document, that had names of 40.07 lakh applicants missing.

Source: Zee News

Will Teach Modi Government A Lesson: MK Stalin After Taking Charge Of DMK

CHENNAI: MK Stalin stepped into his father M Karunanidhi’s shoes today, formally taking over as the chief of the DMK, with a call to arms for his party men. “My dream is to oppose who give a religious colour to everything… We will teach a lesson to the Narendra Modi government,” said the new party chief.

The 65-year-old, who has been handling the party for more than a year, also set a closer target. “Let’s throw away the corrupt government in Tamil Nadu,” said the leader, who took charge three weeks after his father’s death.

The ceremony took place at the DMK headquarters, where black-and-red party flags and drumbeats brought a festive air for the first time since Mr Karunanidhi’s health took a turn for the worse more than a month ago. After the meeting, Mr Stalin visited his father’s memorial on Chennai’s Marina Beach to seek his blessings.

Looking back at the 49 years of Karunanidhi’s leadership, Mr Stalin said, “I never dreamt that I would lead the party. It is a huge responsibility… I don’t say I would lead. Let’s do it together. Let’s question all including ourselves if we go wrong”.

The DMK — which has taken turns with arch-rival J Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK to share power in the state for decades — has now set its sight on national politics. Over the last months, Mr Stalin has been a vocal part of the opposition that’s trying to cobble together a front to take on the BJP in the national elections next year.

“Today’s political situation has come as a grave challenge. Education, art, literature, religion are under attack by authoritative and communal forces. The Union government is trying to destabilise judiciary, selection of governors. All this has dealt a blow to the secular principles,” Mr Stalin said. Under the BJP, even the rights of state governments were being trampled upon, he added.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders including Mamata Banerjee congratulated Mr Stalin on his elevation. “Congratulations to Shri M K Stalin on being elected President of the DMK. I wish him happiness & success as he begins a new chapter in his political journey,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Source: NDTV

PM Modi assassination plot: Pune police arrest revolutionary writer Varavara Rao from Hyderabad

Pune: Maharashtra police on Tuesday raided the homes of prominent Left-wing activists in several states and arrested at least four of them for suspected Maoist links, sparking a chorus of outraged protests from human rights defenders.

The raids were carried out as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and the upper caste Peshwas at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune after an event called Elgar Parishad, or conclave, on December 31, 2017.

The arrests are “a dangerous sign of a government that fears it is losing its mandate and is falling into panic. That lawyers, poets, writers, Dalit rights activists and intellectuals are being arrested on ludicrous charges,” award-winning author Arundhati Roy told PTI.

Near simultaneous searches were carried out at the residences of prominent Telugu poet Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, activists Vernon Gonzalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, trade union activist Sudha Bhardwaj in Faridabad, and civil liberties activist Gautam Navalakha in New Delhi, a senior police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Subsequently, Rao, Bhardwaj and Ferreira were arrested.

“They have been arrested under the relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged naxal activities,” said the police official, without elaborating.

Although Navalakha was also arrested, the Delhi High Court ordered police not to take him out of the national capital at least until Wednesday. The high court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of Navalakha by his advocate Warisha Farasat after he was picked up from his Delhi home this afternoon by the Maharashtra police.

According to unconfirmed reports, others whose residences were raided are Susan Abraham, Kranthi Tekula, Father Stan Swamy in Ranchi and Anand Teltumbde in Goa.

Koregaon-Bhima occupies a central place in Dalit history — it witnessed a major battle in which the Peshwa rulers were defeated on January 1, 1818 by the British army, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers.

Every year, the anniversary of the battle is marked by thousands of Dalits assembling in Pune and marching to Koregaon-Bhima to a war memorial.

Police say the speeches made at the conclave on December 31, a day before the 200th anniversary of the battle, were one of the triggers for the violence.

Today’s events mirrored simultaneous raids conducted in June when five activists were arrested in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence.

Rao’s name had figured in a letter which the Pune police claimed to have seized during searches at the premises of one of the five people arrested in June in connection with the Elgar Parishad.

The five were accused of having close Maoist links, according to an FIR registered at the Vishrambaug Police Station after the event.

Rao was arrested from his residence at Gandhi Nagar in Hyderabad by a Pune police team, which earlier searched the residences of his two daughters.

A senior police official said the team conducted searches at the residences of Rao’s two daughters and a journalist, among others, before arresting him.

“Pune police sought our assistance. We have provided them with local force to assist in conducting searches and making the arrest. He (Rao) … will be produced in a court and taken to Pune on transit warrant,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) Viswa Prasad told PTI.

Civil Liberties Committee president Gaddam Laxman accused the BJP Government of “attacking intellectuals physically and mentally torturing them.”

“We are consulting legal experts. We will fight legally … His arrest is a gross violation of human rights,” Laxman told reporters.

In June, Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale was arrested from his home in Mumbai, while lawyer Surendra Gadling, activist Mahesh Raut and Shoma Sen were picked up from Nagpur and Rona Wilson was arrested from his flat in Munirka in Delhi in simultaneous raids.

“During our investigation in connection with the Elgar Parishad event, some evidence came to light about members of a proscribed organisation, following which the police carried out raids in Chhattisgarh, Mumbai and Hyderabad” today, the police official said.

The searches were conducted at homes of people having Maoist links and those directly or indirectly connected with the five arrested people, the official said.

The police claimed to have recovered “some incriminating documents” during the searches.

“We are also checking the financial transactions of these people, their modes of communication and also trying to gather technical evidence,” the police official said.

However, outgoing joint commissioner of Pune police Ravindra Kadam, had said on August 2, that no Maoist links were found in the Koregaon-Bhima violence.

He had, however, said an anti-fascist front, formed by the Maoists to oppose the policies of the current government, was behind the Elgar Parishad.

Today’s arrests were condemned widely.

“Fascist fangs are now openly bared,” tweeted lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

“It is a clear declaration of emergency. They are going after anyone who has spoken against the government on rights issues. They are against any dissent,” Bhushan said.

Noted historian Ramachandra Guha called the action “absolutely chilling” and demanded the intervention of the Supreme Court to stop this “persecution and harassment” of independent voices.

“Sudha Bharadwaj is as far from violence and illegality,” tweeted Guha.

Source: Deccan Chronicle