Why A 16-Year-Old Boy Refuses To Post Anything On Journalist Jailed In UP

Source: ndtv.com

Meerut: 

A 16-year-old boy was detained by the Uttar Pradesh police in August last year for his Facebook post on the day former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee died. In his post, the teenager had expressed his anger at Mr Vajpayee and alleged that he was involved in the demolition of Babri Masjid. He spent 39 days in custody.

Such is the impact of his time in custody that the boy and family have decided not to post anything on social media over the arrest of journalist Prashant Kanojia that has sparked a huge debate on social media on freedom of expression in the country.

In August 2018, the police went to the boy’s home in a village in Meerut, looking for him. Since he was in Delhi then, his father was taken to the police station in Jewar, 116 km away, near Greater Noida.
The teenager surrendered before the police the next day and his father was released.

“I got to know that my post was viral on many RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological) and the Bajrang Dal pages on Facebook. A day later, I got to know that a case had been registered against me. I also heard that people on social media had said that my post should be reported. I had seen the posts circulating. The Hindu Jagran Manch in Jewar filed the complaint,” the teenager told NDTV.

The police sent him to a juvenile justice home for 39 days. He was charged of “promoting enmity between different groups”, “assertions prejudicial to national integration” and “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings” and under the Information Technology Act.

The boy’s 23-year-old brother too was booked for sharing a different post about Atal Bihari Vajpayee and charged for “disturbing public peace” and defamation. But the elder brother was given anticipatory bail.

The 17-year-old, who aspires to be a doctor, recalls the traumatic days and is worried about his future. “It was a horrible time. I stay in a family where nobody indulges in drugs but those in the jail were drug addicts. The food too wasn’t good. Most kids were dependent on drugs and that was very tough on me. I am doing a coaching for NEET(National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for MBBS. There is a fear because of my documents have been tainted due to the case,” he said.

But the social boycott that he faced is what has broken him the most. “I got a lot of support from my social circle. But my friends in the village reduced. A communal angle came in.They started thinking that because I wrote against Mr Vajpayee, I am a staunch Muslim. That led to a lot of problems. But friends on social media supported then too and continue do so. They say I did nothing wrong,” he said.

“My non-Muslim friends circle completely boycotted me. They don’t talk at all. But among school friends, some talk to me and some don’t,” he added.19 COMMENTS

The student has now made it a rule not to post anything political, no matter how strongly he may feel about them. He said, “There is fear. My father explained to us that we have to stop political posts completely. Since the arrest of Prashant Kanojia, so many of our friends have been sharing posts using various hashtags. But we aren’t writing anything about it even though Mr Kanojia seemed to have been taken without reason. We don’t upload political things anymore.”

Mindtree takeover battle: SEBI urged to probe Nalanda Capital’s conduct

Source: moneycontrol.com

Soon after the announcement of L&T’s open offer for 31 percent stake in Mindtree, a section of the investors’ community has complained to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), fanning the flames of discord between L&T and Mindtree promoters on the proposed transaction. CNBC-TV18 has learnt that a section of the domestic investors has complained to the market regulator about the conduct of Nalanda Capital and has charged it with acting in concert with the promoters of Mindtree.

In a fresh round of charges, minority shareholders of L&T have asked if Nalanda Capital is acting in concert with the Mindtree promoters and a few other investors. If so, their combined shareholding as persons acting in concert (PAC) certainly exceeds the regulatory threshold of 25 percent (as per regulations 3(1) and 4 of SAST regulations) which obliges them to make an open offer, or in this case a competing offer to L&T’s open offer as that got announced first.

According to sources, minority shareholders of L&T, mostly mutual funds, may have urged SEBI “to investigate and take appropriate action against the people involved in this violation of rules meant to safeguard the interest of minority shareholders.”

Mindtree has proposed an astronomical dividend pay-out of Rs 24/share this year, which is much higher than their dividend payout in past many years. This will erode the company of almost half its cash reserves at a time when another company is in the process of acquiring it and their open offer price factors in the cash component as part of the valuation. This may also lure the shareholders to hold on to the stock and not tender shares in the open offer as the record date for the dividend is early July, after the open offer date of June 17 to June 28.

The Daily Fix: To halt Bengal’s spiral of violence, both Trinamool and BJP must dial down tensions

Source: scroll.in

Political tempers are running so high in West Bengal, it does not take much to spark lethal violence. On Saturday, for instance, an argument about party flags exploded into clashes that resulted in the deaths of three people. The quarrel broke out as Trinamool Congress members tried to remove Bharatiya Janata Party banners in Sandeshkhali, around 75 kilometers from Kolkata on the Bangladesh border. It quickly escalated into a gunfight, reported the Telegraph.

Over the past fortnight, 13 people – eight from the BJP and five Trinamool – have been killed, the Economic Times reported. While West Bengalhas a long history of political violence, this ferocity, after the Lok Sabha election has ended, is unusual even by the state’s own standards.

Social cleavages give this political violence the potential to grow into something even more dangerous. For example, much of this post-election violence has been concentrated in North 24 Parganas, the district bordering Bangladesh. The area has communal fault lines that resulted in Hindu-Muslim riots in 2017 and 2010. Ethnic divisions have also come into play, with a senior Trinamool ministerblaming migrants from Bihar and Jharkhand for displacing Bengalis from their homes.

Much of the blame for this violence will have to be shouldered by the Trinamool Congress, given its status as the state’s ruling party and hence responsible for law and order. Mamata Banerjee’s government has actively encouraged the politicisation of the state administration, so it is not a surprise that the police are either unwilling or unable to stop the violence between BJP and Trinamool workers.

However, in Bengal’s highly politicised environment, the strong opposition BJP bears some responsibility too. The party, which had a 40% vote share in the recent elections, wields considerable power on the ground. In some cases, the BJP has indulged in brinkmanship and fanned violence.

On Sunday, for instance, the BJP insisted that it would bring the bodies of its two workers killed in Sandeshkhali to be cremated in Kolkata, three hours away. This was an obvious attempt to mine political capital from the violence. When they were stopped the police, BJP officials threatened to cremate the bodies on the highway. They backed down only after a long standoff.

Political circles in West Bengal are pointing out that the situation is reminiscent of the time the Trinamool challenged the Communists in the early 2000s and how, half a century earlier, the Communists had challenged the Congress. But this tumultuous past does not absolve either party of the responsibility for the present violence. If they really believe that the interests of West Bengal are greater than their own political ambitions, the Trinamool and the BJP will dial down the tension and end the state’s spiral into violence.

11 get life imprisonment in Dumka gang-c case

Source: hindustantimes.com

Dhanbad

A local court in Dumka on Monday sentenced 11 persons to life imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old woman in the district in 2017.

“Pronouncing the punishment on Monday, the court also slapped a fine on each of the convicts of ₹2.97 lakh. It was observed that the amount would be paid to the victim,” said additional public prosecutor Surendra Prasad Sinha.

Last week, district and sessions judge Pawan Kumar had convicted the them under section 376 D (gang-rape) and many other sections under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court awarded life sentence to John Murmu, Marshal Murmu, Albinus Hembrom, Jaiprakash Hembrom, Subhash Hembrom, Shailendra Murmu, Suraj Soren, Daniel Kisku, Suman Soren, Anil Rana and Saddam Ansari. The convicts are aged between 19 to 24 years.

The case involved as many as 16 accused out of which five were minors. The minors are being tried separately in juvenile justice board.

The incident occurred on September 6, 2017, between 8-9 pm when the victim, travelling on a motorcycle along with her boyfriend, was intercepted by a group of five-six young men at Digghi locality. The miscreants dragged the girl to a nearby secluded place, summoned their other friends and raped the girl one by one. One of the them, even made a video of the whole incident.

According to the FIR lodged with the Mofassil police station on the basis of victim’s statement, the girl, along with her boyfriend, had gone to her college on a motorbike. While returning, they were stopped at a place to attend nature’s call. Soon, the miscreants reached there and inquired from her about the purpose of making a halt. They demanded money from the couple saying that they could provide a hideout to them to get physical.

When the victim reacted, the accused assaulted both of them and snatching their mobile phones and money. The accused summoned some of their friends. Soon 15-20 local youths assembled there and dragged the girl to nearby bushes and raped her.

The girl informed that she had heard names of some of the accused while they were outraging her modesty. She disclosed that she could not recall other names as she fell unconscious after resisting for a while. After regaining consciousness, the girl and her friend somehow managed to reach the police station, she had informed.


Patna Diary: Gate dedicated to demonetisation in Bihar

Source: newindianexpress.com

Gate dedicated to demonetisation in Bihar

To symbolise his “unflinching support to demonetisation”, a daily wage labourer has erected a Badhai Gate (congratulatory gate) in the Rohtas district of Bihar. Enthused and encouraged by PM Narendra Modi’s 2016 move, Rajeshwar Thakur (45) of Gharbahdih village built the gate with his own money and donations received from his neighbours in over a year. Thakur said the gate will be inaugurated soon by Bihar’s deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, who had recently visited it during his tour in Rohtas. 

Kissan Chaupals to inform about govt schemes 

Starting from June 10, Kissan Chaupals or farmers’ meets will be organised in Bihar’s 8,405 panchayats in 534 blocks. The state agriculture department has come up with the idea to apprise the farmers of various agriculture schemes launched by the state and the central government. State agriculture minister Prem Kumar said at least 250 farmers besides agriculture officials, including the panchayat Kissan Salahakars (farmers’ advisors), will be involved in the exercise. Details of schemes and subsidies will be made available to the farmers at the chaupal, he added.  It also helps revive the tradition of choupals existing in the ancient times to help farms solve their problems on their own at their place.

8 new units to monitor Bihar’s air

Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi has directed the Bihar State Pollution Control Board to set up eight new air quality monitoring units in Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga under the National Clean Air Programme. Modi, who holds the portfolio of environment, forest and climate change ministry in the state, said the four units will be set up in Patna and one in each of the other cities at the estimated cost of D16.96 crore. The Centre has already provided D10 crore for it.

Now, cards in Bihar buses for smart travel

The Bihar State Road Transport Corporation has introduced Chalo Common Mobility pre-paid travel cards for the residents of Patna. Department secretary Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal said the cards can be recharged by any city bus conductor from D10 to D3,000. The card can be used to pay the fare by swapping it onboard any of the 110 city buses plying on 14 routes.  Daily commuters, especially students, in the city can use it as a monthly smart bus pass. 

Bihari laborer Shahanbaz : A new victim of pellets in Kashmir

Source: siasat.com

SRINAGAR: Police showering pellets on Kashmiri protestors have consumed many lives, blinded many more and left thousands slowly losing their vision. Now pellet firing by armed forces in Kashmir has shattered hopes of a teenage migrant Bihari labourer.

Hailing from north Indian state of Bihar, Shahanbaj, has become the unlikeliest addition to the never-ending horror of pellets in Kashmir. The victim, Mohammad Shahanbaj, 17, a resident of Bihar, was caught in clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in south Kashmir last week, resulting in pellet injuries to his eyes.

The victim has suffered “varying scale of damage” caused by the metallic balls in both his eyes which are going to be operated by doctors. The victim came to Kashmir earlier this month along with three others from his village and they were putting up in a rented room in Bellow village of the restive south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

On May 24, after finishing Friday prayers, Alam was buying ration for dinner when a violent protest erupted against the killing of Zakir Musa, the commander of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind militant group. Running for cover, Alam reached a nearby alleyway a few metres from his rented accommodation.

“I felt scared. I wanted to return to my dwelling,” he said, adding: “When the situation thawed, I stepped on the main road and a shower of pellets fired by security forces penetrated my face,” he told the Wire.

The rampant use of pellets as a crowd control weapon, especially since the 2016 mass uprising in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, has become a focus of public anger in Kashmir.

BPSC Civil Services 2018 Mains Exam to begin from July 12; Know Details here

Source: careers360.com

NEW DELHI, JUNE 10: Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has announced the exam dates of Bihar Civil Services 2018 Mains on June 10, 2019. The mains exam will be held on July 12, 13, 14 & 16, 2019 paper-wise. BPSC Civil services mains exam will be conducted in the afternoon session (1 to 4 pm) across the different exam centres in Bihar.

Candidates who have qualified the preliminary exam are only eligible to appear for the mains exam. According to the exam pattern, BPSC Civil services mains exam will be conducted in offline mode for four papers – General Hindi (compulsory paper), General Studies 1, General Studies 2 and an optional paper. General Hindi consists of 100 marks which is qualifying in nature.

General Studies 1 & General Studies 2 carries 300 marks for individually whereas the total marks of optional paper is equivalent to total marks of honours papers in Graduation. Candidates are given 3 hours to answer each paper.

The examination authority BPSC will issue the admit card for the mains exam 7 days before the examination. To download the admit card, candidates will have to enter the user name and password in the login window.

BPSC conducts Civil Services exam for the recruitment of candidates to various posts like Revenue Officer, Block Panchayat Officer, Assistant Registrars in Cooperative Societies, Bihar Police. A total of 1,395 vacancies have been announced for Bihar Civil Services 64th Combined Competitive Exam.

Bihar: 14 kids die in Muzaffarpur due to Encephalitis, over dozen admitted to hospitals

Source: financialexpress.com

At least 14 children have died in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and over a dozen have been admitted to different city hospitals with high fever and other symptoms of the disease, news agency ANI reported. Sunil Shahi, Superintendent of Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur, confirmed the death toll and number of children admitted to the hospital with symptoms of encephalitis this year.

“We have received 38 patients so far, most of them have a deficiency of glucose in their blood. The overall casualty till now is 14,” he said. Encephalitis is a viral infection which causes fever and headache. It causes a sudden loss in the level of sugar in the body and affects the life-supporting function in a minor’s body. This time, the outbreak has gone beyond the limits of Muzzaffarpur with many children being diagnosed with the syndrome in Vaishali, Sheohar as well as the East and West Champaran districts.

State Health minister Mangal Pandey said that all efforts are underway to bring the situation under control. “All arrangements have been made to check the outbreak of the disease,” he said.

Dr Gopal Sahni, head of Critical Care Unit at SKMCH said that the outbreak is mostly reported just ahead of the arrival of Monsoon when heat and the humidity rise. The humidity level has hovered around 50% in Muzaffarpur for the last few days while thge tempertaure stayed around the 40-degree mark.

Muzaffarpur Civil Surgeon Dr SP Singh said that a team of health department recently visited the SKMCH and held a high-level meeting with doctors on the outbreak.

The epidemic impacts children every year in the north Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh regions. According to UP government’s claim, 187 deaths were reported due to encephalitis in 2018 against 553 such deaths in 2017. In Bihar, it claimed over a dozen lives.

Politics Hots Up After Passengers of Patna-bound Bus Beaten Up in Bengal for Refusing Meal at Eatery

Source: news18.com

Patna: Passengers of a bus coming to Patna from West Bengal were allegedly beaten up in Burdwan district of the adjoining state where a mob attacked them for refusing to halt their journey to have meal at a roadside eatery, police said on Sunday.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi targeted the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal over the incident and questioned the “silence” of opposition political leaders friendly to her like jailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.

The driver, helper and passengers of the bus which brought them here from Kolkata have lodged an FIR alleging that they were stopped by the owner and employees of the eatery and assaulted, Jakkanpur police station SHO Raghunath Prasad said.

“They complained that the attackers, who were drunk, demanded that all the passengers get down, have dinner at the eatery and leave after paying up. When they protested saying they did not want to halt their journey, the mob began assaulting them saying that they are Biharis and they must not expect to have their way in West Bengal,” the SHO said.

They also claimed that that they did not get any help from the local police and hence they were lodging their FIR after reaching Patna, he said adding that investigations were on.

Meanwhile, Sushil Kumar Modi slammed “Didi’s supporters” for keeping mum on the incident. “Didi’s supporters like Lalu Prasad are maintaining silence over the episode. They had invited her to Patna for a dharna against demonetisation and shared the stage with her at a rally in Kolkata recently. They should disclose why they are not talking to her over the attacks on Biharis in West Bengal,” Modi added.

“First Mamata Banerjee attacked the federal structure as envisioned in the Constitution when she prevented a central agency like CBI from functioning, Modi tweeted.

He was referring to the Trinamool Congress chief’s dharna earlier this year when a CBI team had gone to question the city police commissioner in the Saradha chit fund scam.

“Ever since she received a jolt in the recent Lok Sabha polls, there has been a spurt in attacks on Biharis in her state,” claimed Modi who had recently flayed Banerjee for rebuking a group of BJP supporters chanting “Jai Shri Ram” by calling them “outsiders”.

In the general elections, the BJP’s tally soared from only two five years ago to 18, only four less than 22, the number of seats won by the TMC.

Ration snag in Jharkhand? Hunger probe team told of ailment

Source: telegraphindia.com

A three-member government committee on Sunday visited the Jharkhand village where Ramcharan Munda, 65, died last week and starvation was suspected to be the cause of death.

The team of sub-divisional magistrate Jai Prakash Jha, block development officer Priti Kisko and district civil surgeon Shivpujan Sharma spoke to Ramcharan’s family members and other villagers at Lurgumi in Latehar district, over 170km from here.

A villager told The Telegraph that the members were told that Ramcharan did not starve to death, but died of an illness.

The villager, who did not want to be identified, said Ramcharan’s daughter Sheela had told the probe team that her father had been ailing for eight days.

“He was first treated by a local doctor and then taken to a private nursing home, Bhagwati Sewa Sadan, for treatment,” the villager quoted Sheela as having said in the presence of her mother and other villagers, including the mukhiya.

“He was suffering from a liver problem. He had a swollen stomach and was not able to eat properly. The day he died, he had some food to take the medicine prescribed by the doctor. After eating, he slept. We thought we would give him the medicine when he wakes up, but he didn’t,” the villager quoted the daughter as saying.

Civil surgeon Sharma said the team spoke to seven people of the village.

“Out of the seven, four were family members. We came to know that Munda was ailing and was treated at a local nursing home,” Sharma said. “The report will be submitted to the deputy commissioner after two days, after probing some more aspects.”

State food and civil supplies minister Saryu Roy had on Saturday asked the district administration to exhume the body for post-mortem.

The civil surgeon said the body had not been exhumed yet. He did not give any reason why it was not done.

Right to food activists are not convinced that Ramcharan did not die of hunger.

“The government never accepts a case of starvation death and they have lots of ways to deny the fact,” Ranchi-based activist Balram, who uses no surname, told The Telegraph on Sunday. “I do not want to go deep into the matter. I just want the protocol of the investigation required in the case of starvation deaths to be followed properly,” he added.

Asrafi Nand Prasad, state convener of the Right to Food Campaign, said their team had also gone to the village and spoken to residents.

“They said ration was not distributed in the village for over two months. Munda was not physically strong enough to earn a living by working as a daily labourer. He also didn’t have food at home and some villagers helped him by giving him grains at times. His daughter, who lives in a nearby village, also used to help the father, the villagers said,” Prasad said.

“We fail to understand why she (the daughter) said what she did, if she did.”