Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena has sanctioned prosecution of novelist Arundhati Roy and former International Law Professor in Central University of Kashmir Professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain in regards to a case related to their comments on Kashmir in 2010, sources from the Raj Niwas said on October 10.
Sources added an FIR in this matter was registered at the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi. The case was also registered under Section 13 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
“Mr. Saxena noted that a prima facie case is made out against Ms. Roy and Dr. Hussain, former Professor, International Law, Central University of Kashmir for commission of offence under sections 153A, 153B and 505 of Indian Penal Code for their speeches at a public function in the National Capital.”
Sections 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) stands for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, 153B (IPC) for imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration and 505 (IPC) for statements conducing to public mischief.
Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, a Kashmiri separatist leader and Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani, a Delhi University lecturer, the two other accused in the case have died during the proceedings of the case.
Delhi Police, in view of the directions of the Supreme Court, had said that the decision on request for grant of prosecution sanction for offence under Section 124A (Sedition) of IPC may not be taken at present, Raj Niwas sources added.
A social activist from Kashmir, Sushil Pandit had filed a complaint on October 28, 2010 against various speakers involved in a public conference organised by the ’Committee for release of Political Prisoners’ for making provocative speeches. It was alleged that the speeches jeopardised public peace and security due to being provocative in nature. The complainant had alleged that the issue discussed and propagated was “Separation of Kashmir from India”.
1,500 bodies of Hamas militants found around Gaza strip, says Israel Army
Around 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants have been found in Israel around the Gaza Strip, the army said Tuesday, as it pummelled the Palestinian enclave with air strikes.
“Approximately 1,500 bodies of Hamas (fighters) were found in Israel around the Gaza Strip,” military spokesman Richard Hecht told reporters, adding that security forces had “more or less restored control over the border” with Gaza.
“Since last night we know that no one came in...but infiltrations can still happen.”
The army had “nearly completed” evacuation of all the communities around the border, he added. Hecht said the military had deployed 35 battalions to the border area.
“We are building infrastructure for future operations,” he said. Israel is reeling under a deadly attack by Hamas militants who stormed the border fence under a barrage of rocket fire on Saturday morning and killed more than 900 people inside Israel. In response Israel is carrying out a massive air and artillery bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip that has so far killed at least 687 people in the coastal enclave.
Before dawn on Tuesday, the Israeli military struck what it said were Hamas targets in Gaza, especially in the Rimal neighbourhood and in the southern city of Khan Yunis.
Follow live updates of the Israel-Hamas war, day 4
NewsClick row | Prabir Purkayastha, Amit Chakravarty sent to 10-day judicial custody
A Delhi court on October 10 sent to 10-day judicial custody NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty, arrested in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda.
The two were produced before Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur around 2:50 pm. The prosecution sought 10 days judicial custody for the duo, which was firmly opposed by Purkayastha’s counsel, who asserted that “prima facie” no case was made out against his client.
“What terrorist act have I committed? How can I as a journalist commit such an act? What is the allegation in the FIR? That we have done critical reporting of (government’s) Covid policy and farmers protest. Is that terrorism?” the lawyer said.
The counsel said if there was even an iota of doubt about their guilt, sending them to judicial custody will be a “travesty of justice”.
The counsel for Chakravarty argued he was not a journalist nor had he received any payment. “There is no such allegation that there is a map of India, published by Newsclick, that shows India without Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.
Countering the arguments, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Atul Shrivastava said the case was at a stage when evidence was still being collected, and the prosecution has sought judicial custody for the accused in all “fairness”.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Purkayastha and Chakravarty on October 3. Police also sealed NewsClick’s office in Delhi. According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal came from China to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and cause disaffection against the country.
It also alleged Purkayastha conspired with a group – People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3 on the suspects named in the FIR and those that surfaced in the analysis of data, police said. Around 300 electronic gadgets were also seized from the offices of NewsClick and residences of the journalists who were examined. Following the raids, 46 individuals, including nine female journalists, were questioned by the Special Cell in Delhi and NCR.
The Delhi High Court Monday reserved its order on pleas by Purkayastha and Chakravarty challenging their arrest and the subsequent 7-day police remand.
Caste census an X-ray to find out problems of OBCs: Rahul Gandhi
Caste-based census is like an X-ray that will detect the problems of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalits and tribals of the country and how much representation they should get, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday at a public rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.
Just a day after the announcement of election dates by the Election Commission, Gandhi, campaigning in the BJP stronghold Vindhya region, made it clear that the Congress is going to centre its poll campaign around the caste-based survey and OBC rights plank.
Addressing the gathering at Beohari in Shahdol district, Gandhi said, “OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis are getting injured. Let’s find out the injury by conducting the X-ray. We want to find out how many OBCs are there and how much representation they should get.”
The Congress leader alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to “hide this truth”. “He talks about Pakistan, Afghanistan and what not. But he can’t talk about caste census because the remote control is with [Gautam] Adani,” the Congress MP charged.
Gandhi, on his second visit to Madhya Pradesh in the poll season, claimed that the Adivasi and OBC youth were unemployed because there were not enough top government officials from the community to make decisions for them. “There are about 90 officers that run the Government of India in New Delhi who make decisions for the country. The BJP’s MPs don’t run the government. But there are only five OBCs among these 90 officers,” he said.
Claiming that the Adivasi representation was even less, Gandhi said, “If the government spends ₹100, OBC officers take decisions of ₹5 but officers from the Adivasi community only take decisions for barely 10 paisa.”
“You are unemployed because your people are not making decisions in the government,” the Congress leader told the youth in the crowd. Reiterating his party’s promise, Gandhi said the Congress’s first job in the State would be to conduct a caste-based survey if it comes to power. “We will create so much pressure on the Central government that they will have to get a caste census conducted,” he said.
Gandhi also remembered July’s Sidhu urination incident in which a local BJP leader was allegedly caught on camera while peeing on a tribal labourer. “[BJP veteran L.K.] Advani ji had written in his book that Madhya Pradesh was the real laboratory of the RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] and the BJP,” the Congress leader said, alleging, “In the BJP’s laboratory in Madhya Pradesh, dead people are treated and their money is stolen, three farmers kill themselves every day, and BJP leaders urinate on tribals.”
“This is what Advani ji meant,” Gandhi added.
The Congress leader also launched a scathing attack at the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over allegations of corruption in various projects such as the Mahakal Mahalok temple corridor project, Vyapam scam, MBBS seat selling scam among others.
“In Madhya Pradesh, theft is done from Lord Shiv in Mahakali corridor. This does not happen in any other State,” he said, in an attempt to dent the BJP’s Hindutva vote bank. Gandhi also said that Modi had to start using the term ‘Adivasi’ after he called him out.
“He used to earlier say the term ‘Vanvasi’ but I called him out and now he does not use this word,” Gandhi said, claiming that by calling the tribals ‘Vanvasi’, the BJP wants to keep them in forests and believes that they do not have any right over the land.
Accusing the BJP of cancelling about 3.5 lakh pattas given to tribals and taking away their land, he said, “It was the Congress which had brought PESA [Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996] and the Forest Rights Act and gave the power to Gram Sabhas to decide on giving the land.”
“The BJP took that power away. But I guarantee you that we will give that power back to you along with what belongs to you,” the Congress leader said.
In Brief:
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has taken possession of 15 immovable properties allegedly owned by DMK MP A. Raja in the name of a benami company M/s Kovai Shelters Promoters India Pvt. Ltd. The central investigation agency invoked provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in a disproportionate assets case against the former Union Minister and took possession of the assets. ED investigation revealed that Raja, during his tenure as the Union Minister of Environment and Forests (2004-07), had granted Environmental Clearances to a real estate company, one of the largest firms in the country and also listed on BSE, based out of Gurugram.
Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
