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Sarpanch’s murder: Oppn slams police for ordering 5 beds in Beed station where Karad is under arrest

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Mumbai, Jan 2: The NCP-SP and Congress on Thursday took a swipe at Beed police asking whether five new beds have been ordered for the comfort of Walmik Karad, a close associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde from Beed, who was wanted in an extortion case linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, who surrendered before the CID in Pune on Tuesday.

An extortion case has been registered against Karad who has been remanded in police custody for 14 days by Kej court in Beed district.

The police administration subsequently clarified that they were cots for the staff.

NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar in his post on X said, “There are reports of five new beds being ordered at the police station. Although the administration has clarified that new cots have been ordered for the staff, there are many questions like, how come the beds were suddenly ordered today? If new beds have been ordered for the staff, the same level of promptness should be shown for the staff in all police stations across the state.

“In addition, consideration should be given to whether mattresses, pillows, fans, and ACs can also be installed.”

On the other hand, senior Congress legislator Vijay Wadettiwar took a dig at the MahaYuti government asking whether the five cots ordered for the Beed police station were for Walmik Karad being covered under the ‘Ladli Aaropi Yojana (beloved accused scheme)’.

“There are not so many coincidences in the movies also as are witnessed in the police administration’s move to order five beds when Walmik Karad has been sentenced to 14 days’ police custody.

“This is the beginning of pampering the accused. Gradually he will get everything like TV, AC, and food from a five-star hotel,” remarked Wadettiwar.

“Does this government want to take fair action against Walmik Karad? If it wants to, then the investigation should be conducted outside Beed district. Will it investigate the person who has kept the police in its grip till now or will it be a service? The government should either stop pretending to take action against Karad and if it wants to take action, it should be done seriously,” said Wadettiwar.

“Whether it is the murder of Santosh Deshmukh or a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), no case has been registered in Karad yet, which raises questions about this investigation,” he commented.

The state government on Wednesday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IPS officer Basavaraj Teli to investigate the brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Beed district which took place in December last year.

Teli is the head of the Economic Offences Wing of the CID. All the officers in the SIT are from Beed district.

The current investigating officer DYSP Anil Gujar will also be in the probe team.

Apart from Gujar, the other members of the SIT include Vijay Singh Shivlal Jonwal, assistant police inspector, Local Crime Branch, Beed, Mahesh Vighne, sub inspector, Local Crime Branch, Beed, Anand Shankar Shinde, sub inspector Kej, Tulshiram Jagtap, assistant sub inspector, Manoj Rajendra Wagh, police constable, Chandrakant S Kalkute, police naik, Balasaheb Devidas Akhabare, police naik and Santosh Bhagwanrao Gitte, police constable.

The Santosh Deshmukh murder case is currently being investigated by the CID and so far more than 150 people have been questioned in this case.

The investigation is being conducted in connection with the links between the extortion of Rs 2 crore and the CID team is checking all the call records, CDRs on a war footing.

Crime

‘Rise against your govt, army for encouraging terrorism,’ Sunni cleric’s appeal to Pakistanis

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Lucknow, April 24: In a strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, senior Sunni cleric and Imam of Aishbagh Eidgah, Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, on Thursday called on the people of Pakistan to rise against their government and military for facilitating acts of terror on Indian soil.

The remarks come after 26 people, most of them tourists, were gunned down in a brutal targeted terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam on Tuesday.

The Resistance Front, a Pakistan-based terror outfit and offshoot of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba, is suspected to be behind the massacre.

Speaking to Media, Firangi Mahali said, “The people of Pakistan should understand that no one will support such activities. They should raise their voices against their own government and army, which are encouraging these acts of terrorism.”

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced a series of stringent measures in response to the attack.

These include the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, expulsion of Pakistan’s military attaches from New Delhi and a reduction in diplomatic staff at both High Commissions.

Calling these actions “necessary and timely,” Firangi Mahali stated, “The horrific incident of terrorism in Pahalgam has been condemned in the harshest terms. This tragic event has shaken the entire country. The steps taken by the Government of India — whether on the water agreement, diplomatic expulsions, or visa cancellations — are absolutely appropriate.”

Appealing for national unity, he urged political parties to come together on a single platform in support of the government’s decisions.

“This is not the time for political division. All parties must stand united so that a positive image of national solidarity is conveyed internationally,” he said.

The cleric also warned against communalising the tragedy. “My appeal to fellow Indians is not to view this terror incident through a religious lens. No religion condones violence or terrorism,” he said.

“Some of the posts circulating on social media are sending out a very negative message. In this hour of crisis, every Indian — regardless of religion or political affiliation — must stand together,” he added.

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Crime

Security forces release sketches, photos of terrorists who carried out Pahalgam attack

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Srinagar, April 23: Security forces on Wednesday released a photograph and sketches of terrorists suspected to be responsible for the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed and several others were injured on Tuesday.

Three terrorists suspected to have carried out the dastardly attack have been identified as Asif Fuji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha.

The attackers, believed to be members of The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), opened fire on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam area, 6 kms away from Pahalgam town.

Security forces said at least five to six terrorists, wearing camouflage outfits and kurta pyjamas, came to Baisaran meadow from the dense pine forest surrounding the Baisaran meadow and opened fire with AK-47 rifles.

The group included Pakistani terrorists, who infiltrated the Valley just days before the attack, Intelligence sources said.

Intelligence agencies have identified Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, a top LeT commander, as the mastermind behind the massacre.

Security forces have launched a massive anti-terror operation and deployed helicopters to spot the terrorists who took advantage of the forest cover to flee the spot.

Preliminary forensic analysis and testimonies of survivors indicate that the terrorists used military grade weapons and advanced communication devices, which indicates definite external logistical support.

The probe also found that the terrorists wore body cams and helmet-mounted cameras to record the entire sequence of events.

The attackers came with full preparation and had stocked up dry fruits and medicines.

Sources said the terrorists also did a recce of Pahalgam with the help of some locals.

Eyewitnesses said that while two terrorists spoke in Pashto (indicating Pakistani origin), two of them were locals (Adil and Asif). The local terrorists are from Bijbhera and Tral.

The precision and planning of the attack also points to the involvement of trained handlers and not local amateurs.

According to Intelligence sources, digital footprints of the attackers were traced to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, strengthening cross-border terror link evidence.

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Crime

WBSSC recruitment: Calcutta HC to hear contempt petition against Bengal govt today

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Kolkata, April 23: The Calcutta High Court will hear the contempt petition against the West Bengal government in connection with the cash for job case on Wednesday.

The Calcutta High Court’s divisional bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi will hear the contempt petition against the state government for failing to implement the Supreme Court’s order.

The state government is supposed to tell the court why it is taking so long to implement the Supreme Court’s order.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also supposed to clarify to the same division bench on why their investigating officials have not yet completed the process of interrogation of those candidates who have already been identified as “tainted”.

Notably, the job losers’ protest in front of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) office continued for the third day on Wednesday. They are seeking the publication of lists segregating “genuine” and “tainted” candidates.

In a major development, the protesters allowed WBSSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar, stuck in his office for the last 45 hours as all the entry and exit gates of the commission’s office were blocked since the beginning of their protests, to leave the office on Wednesday morning.

Last year, the bench had cancelled 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs, which is the entire panel of WBSSC for 2016. The state government approached the Supreme Court challenging the order.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court division bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld the order of the Calcutta High Court last year and also accepted the observation that the entire panel had to be cancelled because of the state government and the commission’s failure to segregate the “genuine” candidates from the “tainted” ones.

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