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Madhya Pradesh Police detain 21 people over PFI links
The Madhya Pradesh Police have detained 21 people from eight districts of the state over links with the Popular Front of India (PFI), state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday. Four people each were apprehended from Indore, Ujjain and Neemuch, three from Rajgarh, two each from Shajapur and Sheopur and one each from Bhopal and Guna, Mishra told reporters in Ujjain. Earlier on September 22, a multi-agency operation spearheaded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had led to the arrest of 106 leaders and activists of the radical Islamic outfit in near simultaneous raids in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country, officials. Also Read: 30 linked to Popular Front of India detained in Delhi; police say suspects planning to hold violent protests Following the arrests last week from Indore and Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, the state police have detained 21 people over connection with the PFI from eight districts of the state, said Mishra, who is the MP government's spokesperson. These people were detained on the basis of interrogation of the PFI activists arrested last week, he said. Last Thursday, four PFI activists were arrested from Madhya Pradesh in a multi-agency operation led by the NIA, officials earlier said. Formed in 2006, the PFI claims to strive for a neo-social movement ostensibly for the empowerment of marginalised sections of India. It is, however, often accused by law enforcement agencies of promoting radical Islam. The organisation was formed in Kerala and is headquartered in Delhi. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 03:18 PM IST | Bhopal/Ujjain | PTI
SC reserves verdict on pleas challenging Centre's 10 per cent EWS quota
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections (EWS) persons in admissions and government jobs. Also Read: Supreme Court live-streams constitution bench proceedings A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit reserved the verdict on the legal question of whether the EWS quota violated the basic structure of the constitution after hearing a battery of senior lawyers including Attorney General K K Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the marathon hearing that lasted for six-and-half-day. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 03:16 PM IST | New Delhi | PTI
President gives assent to Haryana law declaring child marriages void
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to a legislation of Haryana under which every child marriage that has been solemnised will be considered as "void ab initio" (having no legal effect from inception), thus making a marital relationship between a man and a girl aged between 15 and 18 years illegal. The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2020 was enacted following a Supreme Court ruling. The apex court had declared that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, being a special law, prevails over the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and sex with a minor wife aged between 15 and 18 years, in accordance with the prevailing exception 2 of section 375 of the IPC, is arbitrary and violative of the Constitution. Accordingly, the apex court invalidated the existing exception 2 of section 375 of the IPC, under which sexual intercourse between a man and his wife aged between 15 and 18 years does not amount to the offence of rape as defined under section 375. But according to the provisions of section 6 of the POCSO Act, this falls within the definition of rape. Also Read: Ankita Bhandari case: SIT recovers 2 vehicles used in crime, says DIG The Supreme Court has also observed that it would be wise for all the state legislatures to adopt the route taken by Karnataka to make child marriages void and thereby, ensure that sexual intercourse between a minor girl and her husband is a punishable offence under the POCSO Act and the IPC. "Accordingly, the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2020 was enacted and the legislation has now received the presidential assent," a home ministry official said. The president has also given her assent to the Registration (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill, 2021 to further amend the Registration Act, 1908 to prevent registration of forged documents and impersonation and to cancel registrations done on the basis of forged documents. Following the enactment of the Bill, the registrar could issue a show-cause notice asking why a registration shall not be cancelled and on a consideration of the reply, may cancel the registration and enter the cancellation in the relevant books and indices. It has another provision that allows any person aggrieved by an order of the registrar to file an appeal with the inspector-general within 30 days of cancellation. Currently, the provisions of the Registration Act, 1908 (Central Act XVI of 1908) do not empower the registering officer or any other authority to cancel a document once registered, even on the grounds of fraud and impersonation, causing grave hardship to those who have been cheated. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 03:08 PM IST | New Delhi | PTI
Kerala HC dismisses PIL to regulate Bharat Jodo Yatra
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which sought a direction to the state government and the police to ensure the Congress party's ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' does not create traffic jams by taking over the entire road. A bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly rejected the PIL after the Kerala government said the foot march was going on peacefully and action had been taken where any illegal activity was found. In view of the state's submissions, the court said that the petitioner, an advocate, was unable to prove his allegation that the march was causing traffic jams. The state also told the bench that police instructed the yatra organisers to ensure it is conducted peacefully. Also Read: Sonia, Priyanka Gandhi to participate in 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka The plea, by advocate Vijayan K, had sought to ensure that the yatra, led by Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, only takes up half of the road and leaves the rest for free flow of vehicles. Besides regulating the march, which began from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and intends to cover 3,570 km in 150 days to reach Kashmir, the PIL had also sought directions to recover from the Congress the expenses incurred in the deployment of the huge police force along the yatra route. It had also arrayed as parties the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, KPCC president K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan. It had alleged the three Congress leaders "are having no respect to the law enacted by the central and state governments and the law laid down by the court". This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 02:57 PM IST | Kochi | PTI
30 linked to Popular Front of India detained in Delhi
Delhi Police conducted overnight joint coordinated raids at multiple locations in the national capital and arrested 30 people linked with the Popular Front of India, police said. The raids were conducted in coordination along with the central investigative agency at several places including in Shaheen bagh, Nizamuddin, Rohini district and in the northeast district areas, officials said. A total of 30 members of the group were put under preventive arrest after the police action. According to Delhi Police, the suspects were planning a violent protest on a large scale across the city as well as a nationwide protest. Electronic devices were also seized from these locations. Delhi Police has also imposed Section 144 with effect from September 19 after receiving information that some people/groups may indulge in activities prejudicial to the maintenance of peace in the jurisdiction of the South-East District. Information has also been received that such activities may seriously endanger life and property of the citizens and maintenance of law and order in the jurisdiction of South East District, police said. Delhi Police has prohibited the carrying of 'mashaals' (live flame torch) or live fire candles or live fire in any form in processions, rallies, or functions, in the entire jurisdiction of Sub-Division New Friends Colony, South East District. The order that came into force with effect from September 19 will remain in force for a period of 60 days up to November 17 this year, the Delhi Police said stating that any person contravening this order shall be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. Also Read: All India Imam Council's Maharashtra chief arrested in raids on PFI "Joint raids by a Central agency and Delhi Police are underway at places related to PFI in different parts of the national capital including Nizamuddin, Shaheen Bagh area. 30 people were put under preventive arrest while some others were detained," said the Delhi Police. According to the input of the central agency, the raids were also conducted in the northeast district including the Rohini district. In Zone 1 of Delhi Police, around 18 persons were put on preventive arrest while in Zone 2, nearly 12 people were put on preventive arrest. "Information has been received that some people/groups may indulge in activities prejudicial to the maintenance of peace in the jurisdiction of South-East District. And where information has also been received that such activities may seriously endanger the life and property of the citizens and maintenance of law and order in the jurisdiction of South East District," said the police. This order came into force on September 19 and shall remain in force for a period of 60 days up to November 17. Any person contravening this order shall be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. In statewide raids in Karnataka, more than 75 PFI its political wing Social Democratic Party of India workers and leaders were taken into preventive custody, informed a police official. "Over 75 PFI and SDPI workers and leaders have been taken into preventive custody, including the SDPI Yadgiri district president. The police raids are underway across the state. The cases have been booked under sections 108, 151 CrPC," said Alok Kumar, ADGP Law and Order, Bengaluru. The police conducted raids in Devanahalli, Bengaluru rural, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Raichur, Hassan, Bellary, Bagalkot, Koppal and other districts in the state. Mohmad Ismail, Raichur district ex-President of PFI was also arrested and sent to judicial custody. Three PFI leaders have been taken into custody in Mysore while two leaders have been taken into custody in Chamarajanagar. Eight PFI leaders have been taken into custody, including the district president in Mangalore. Four people from Hoskote, three from Chickaballapur and nine from Bengaluru rural have been taken into custody. Also Read: PFI raids: Mumbai court extends ATS custody of five accused till Oct 3 In Uttar Pradesh, the state's ATS and UP Special Task Force took more than a dozen PFI leaders into custody in raids across the state, informed the police sources. Crackdown on the Popular Front of India continued in Maharashtra as the ATS and local police conducted raids in various parts of the state and arrested various persons linked with the organisation. "Raids by ATS and local police are underway on people associated with PFI in many parts of the state," said the ATS. The Thane Police informed that its crime branch has arrested four people associated with PFI. The Nashik Police also arrested two persons liked with the organisation. Both the arrested persons will be produced before the court later today. One of the two persons, identified as Mohammed Irfan who, according to the Nashik police, was earlier booked for holding an illegal rally in May this year. According to local police, there were inputs against some persons, who are connected to PFI, were involved in illegal activities. Raids are underway in Malegaon town also. This comes in continuation of the crackdown started by the NIA and ED against the PFI on September 22. The NIA had arrested over 106 members of the PFI during its largest-ever raids spread across 15 states. The PFI was launched in Kerala in 2006 after merging three Muslim organizations floated after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 - the National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasari of Tamil Nadu. After the demolition of the Babri mosque, many fringe outfits had surfaced in south India and PFI was formed after merging some of them. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 02:47 PM IST | New Delhi | ANI
Shashi Tharoor to file nomination for post of Congress president on Sept 30
Amid suspense over who could take on Shashi Tharoor in the Congress president polls, party's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Tuesday said AICC treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal has got nomination forms collected, adding that it may be for someone else. Mistry also said a representative of Tharoor has informed his office that he will file nomination for the post of president on September 30 at 11 AM. Speaking with reporters at his office at the AICC headquarters here, Mistry said he met party chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence on Tuesday and handed over her voter's ID card. Also read: Congress prez Poll: You will see the support I enjoy when I submit my nomination paper, says Tharoor He also briefed Gandhi about the process so far as to how many people have collected the nomination forms and about the delegates. Mistry said Bansal got the nomination forms collected from his office on Monday and it may be "as a supporter" of someone. When pressed further as to whether Bansal may have collected the forms for himself or someone else, Mistry said he cannot say for whom he has collected as it is not the procedure to ask for whom forms are being collected as any delegate can collect the forms. According to a notification issued by the party, the process for filing nominations for the election will be held from September 24 to 30. The date for scrutiny of the nomination papers is October 1, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8. The final list of candidates will be published at 5 pm on October 8. The polling, if needed, will be held on October 17. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 02:18 PM IST | New Delhi | PTI
Ankita Bhandari case: SIT recovers 2 vehicles used in crime, says DIG
The Uttarakhand Police probing the horrific Ankita Bhandari murder case said Tuesday that the SIT had recovered two vehicles allegedly used in the crime from a resort where Ankita worked in Rishikesh. DIG P Renuka Devi said the SIT will now record the statements of the women employees of the Vantara Resort, owned by the main accused Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya. "We are analysing all the evidence. A post-mortem report has been received. We will record the statements of women who worked at the resort. Two motorcycles used in the crime have been found. We will apply for police custody of the accused for interrogation, including Ishita, in the resort of the main accused Pulkit Arya," the DIG told ANI. The body of Ankita Bhandari, 19, was recovered from the Chilla Canal in Rishikesh on September 24. "It has been found from the CCTV footage that these two vehicles were used by the accused for going to Chilla barrage and coming back," the DIG said. Also Read: Punjab CM Mann moves confidence motion in state Assembly The murder case has sparked massive outrage and protests were reported from various parts of the state. Angry locals even set on fire the resort where Ankita worked. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami then ordered officials to ensure law and order in the state. Authorities had demolished parts of the resort, saying the structures were illegally constructed. But this action had raised fears that crucial evidence relating to the case may have been compromised. The police, however, assured that a forensic team had collected evidence before the demolition. Besides Pulkit Arya, two more people have been arrested after they confessed to having pushed Ankita into the canal after an altercation. Previously, the SIT told ANI that Ankita Bhandari's WhatsApp chats were being scanned to find more leads.
27 September,2022 02:01 PM IST | Dehradun | PTI
All India Imam Council's Maharashtra chief arrested in raids on PFI
As the raids against the Popular Front of India are underway in various states of the country, including Maharashtra, the Nashik Police Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested the All India Imam Council's state chief Maulana Irfan Daulat Nadvi along with a member of the organisation. The raids are underway by the central agency and state anti-terror squad at various locations in the state including Thane, Nashik and Malegaon. "All India Imams Council state chief Maulana Irfan Daulat Nadvi and PFI member Rashid Shahdain Shaheed Iqbal taken into custody by Nashik Police Crime Branch u/s 151 late last night," said Police Inspector Hemant Patil on Tuesday. Also read: PFI raids: Maharashtra ATS makes one more arrest "Around 40 people linked to PFI have been detained from Aurangabad, Solapur, Amravati, Pune, Thane and Mumbai so far. This entire operation has been carried out by the state's local police with inputs from a Central Agency. All inquiries are underway," said Maharashtra Police. Pune Police officials informed that the police detained six persons with links to SDPI and PFI from the Kondhwa area today morning. Further details are awaited. The raids are also being conducted in five other states and Union Territories which include Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. As many as 25 PFI leaders and members have been arrested so far in the raids in Assam's Kamrup Rural (5), Goalpara (10), Karimganj (1), Udalguri (1), Darrang (1), Dhubri (3), Barpeta (2), Baksa (2). Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the operation against the organisation will be intensified. "Today in Assam, we have picked up 25 PFI people. This operation will be intensified," he said. Earlier today, in state-wide raids in Karnataka, about 80 to 90 PFI workers of its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and leaders were taken into preventive custody, informed a police official. "About 80 to 90 PFI and SDPI workers and leaders have been taken into preventive custody, including the SDPI Yadgiri district president. The police raids are underway across the state. The cases have been booked under sections 108, 151 CrPC," said Alok Kumar, ADGP Law and Order, Bengaluru. According to the Kolar Police, seven PFI and SDPI members and office bearers have been picked up in the early morning raids and will be produced before the executive magistrate under 107 CrPC. The arrested persons have been identified as Imtiaz Ahmed, PFI district president, Siddiq Pasha, Vasim Pasha, AllaBakash, Nayaz Pasha, Shahabaz Pasha and Noor Pasha. Speaking to ANI, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, "Police have caught 21 people (associated with PFI) from 8 districts. Links about them were found after the people who were arrested last week were interrogated". Today's raids were in continuation of the crackdown started by the NIA and ED against the PFI on September 22. The NIA had arrested over 106 members of the PFI during its largest-ever raids spread across 15 states. Searches were conducted at multiple locations in the largest ever investigation process till date.The operation started late in the night around 1 am and learnt to be concluded by 5 am involving over 1,500 personnel of state police, Central Armed Police Forces and officers of NIA and ED. Several incriminating documents, more than 100 mobile phones, laptops and other materials have been seized by the raiding teams. These searches were conducted at the residential and official premises of persons involved in "funding terrorism, organising training camps and radicalising people to join proscribed organisations". The PFI was launched in Kerala in 2006 after merging three Muslim organizations floated after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 - the National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasari of Tamil Nadu. After the demolition of the Babri mosque, many fringe outfits had surfaced in south India and PFI was formed after merging some of them. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 01:53 PM IST | Malegaon | ANI
Punjab CM Mann moves confidence motion in state Assembly
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday moved a confidence motion in the state assembly. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday gave his nod to convene the House on September 27 after days of squabble between the Raj Bhavan and AAP government over holding a session of the Assembly. Also Read: MACT awards Rs 4.5 lakh compensation to boy injured in car accident The CM tabled the Motion of Confidence, but two BJP MLAs -- Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan -- had earlier walked out of the House after Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan announced that Mann would move the confidence motion. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 01:41 PM IST | Chandigarh | PTI
MP: Student killed, 8 others injured as school bus overturns in Sagar
A 15-year-old student was killed and eight others injured after a bus ferrying them to a private school overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Tuesday morning, officials said. The bus, carrying nearly 40 students, met with the accident around 8 am near Chandrakar village on Rahatgarh-Khurai road, Superintendent of Police Tarun Nayak said. The bus went out of control and overturned, he said. Also Read: Imposition of section 144 in Jamia Nagar not related to action against PFI' A student of Class 9 was killed in the accident, the official said. District Collector Deepak Arya said eight students were injured and they were undergoing treatment in different hospitals. A case has been registered against the bus owner and the driver, the police official said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 12:44 PM IST | Sagar | PTI
Delhi
'Imposition of section 144 in Jamia Nagar not related to action against PFI'
Delhi Police on Tuesday said that the imposition of section 144 in the city's Jamia Nagar was not related to the coordinated action being taken against the Popular Front of India (PFI). "It is not related to the action against PFI. The order is 10 days old," Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa clarified to IANS. Notably, an order signed by the Chief Proctor of Jamia Millia Islamia University informing the students about the imposition of section 144 was doing rounds on social media since Monday. On early Tuesday, when the central agencies along with the Delhi Police began conducting raids at multiple locations in the national capital, the notice went viral on social media, with several media houses connecting it with ongoing crackdown against PFI. In the notice, the chief proctor said that he was informed by SHO, Jamia Nagar police station, that section 144 of the CrPc has been imposed for 60 days in the entire Okhla-Jamia Nagar area and subsequently, the teaching and non-teaching staff along with students were advised not to assemble in groups, march, dharna, agitations and meetings in and outside the campus. Also read: PM Modi attends former Japanese PM Abe's state funeral in Tokyo Actually, Assistant Commissioner of Police (southeast) Sanjay Kumar Singh had on September 19, issued an order prohibiting the carrying of MASHAL, i.e, torch carrying live flames or live fire candles or live fire in any form in processions, rallies, functions in the entire jurisdiction of sub-division New Friends Colony, south east Delhi. The ACP, in the order, had mentioned that it was being issued as the police had received information that some people or groups may indulge in activities prejudicial to the maintenance of peace in south east Delhi. "Information has also been received that such activities may seriously endanger life and property of the citizens and the maintenance of law and order in the jurisdiction of south east district," ACP Singh had said in the order. Since Tuesday morning, the police have so far detained 30 people during raids at multiple locations in the city. Apart from Delhi, raids are also being conducted at locations linked to the PFI in eight states. Sources said that the raids, which began early morning, were going on in Aurangabad, Jalana, Parbhani districts of Maharashtra; Simoga, Bidar, Ballari, Hubli, Kalburgi districts of Karnataka; Nagarbera of Assam; Bulandshahr's Kasba Syana, Sarurpur and Lisari Gate area of Meerut in Western Uttar Pradesh. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2022 12:10 PM IST | New Delhi | IANS