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From courts to politicians, bulldozer under attack in Assam, Tripura

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Besides other parts of the country, the BJP’s bulldozer politics has also drawn severe criticism both from the political spectrum and the courts in the northeastern states specially in Assam and Tripura.

During his recent three-day (May 8-10) visit to Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that 10,700 bighas encroached upon by infiltrators have been freed.

The Assam government has also cleared over 3,800 hectares of forest land of encroachments during the past few years.

Before Assam’s BJP led government’s eviction drive, the saffron party led Tripura government after coming to power in March 2018 bulldozed a large number of opposition party offices across Tripura.

The Assam government had last year undertaken eviction drives in different districts to free government land encroached by hundreds of people for years. Various opposition parties including the Congress had criticised the BJP government for evicting the people without making alternate settlements.

In one of the violent eviction drive, two persons, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed while 20 others were injured after a mob clashed with the police in Darrang district on September 23 last year.

A video of the clashes, which went viral, also showed a photographer engaged by the Darrang district administration stomping on the body of a man shot by the police.

The eviction drive was launched by the police and the district administration to vacate 4,500 bighas (602.40 hectares) of government land, allegedly encroached upon by several hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslim families in Darrang district.

Hearing a public interest litigation filed by Debabrata Saikia, Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, the division bench of the Gauhati High Court headed by the then Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia (who was recently elevated to the Supreme Court) had termed the Darrang district incident as “a big tragedy and very unfortunate” and directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.

“This was a big tragedy, very unfortunate. Those who are guilty, if at all, must be punished, no doubt about that. Khoon zameen par gir gaya (blood has been spilt),” the Chief Justice had remarked.

The court wanted to know whether the National Rehabilitation Policy is applicable in Assam, and directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit in the entire matter within three weeks.

The Assam government had ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Assam government officials said that around 800 families of Bengali-speaking Muslims were unlawfully occupying about 4,500 bighas (602.40 hectares) of government land for many years and the government recently decided to use the land for agricultural purposes by removing the settlers.

Besides various opposition parties including the Congress and the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the All Minority Organisations Coordination Committee, which includes the All Assam Minority Students Union and the Jamiat-e-Ulema, among others, had organised a series of agitations against the eviction drive.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier claimed that the Popular Front of India (PFI) was involved in the Darrang violence.

Besides Sarma, other BJP leaders accused the migrant Muslims of encroaching upon a huge area in Assam.

Muslims comprise 34.22 per cent of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which 4 per cent are indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Muslim votes are the determining factor in at least 30 to 35 seats out of Assam’s total 126 Assembly seats.

Of Assam’s 34 districts, 19 districts have 12 per cent or more Muslim population, and in six districts (out of these 19 districts), the Muslim population constitutes 50 per cent or more.

In Tripura, after the BJP government wrested power from the Left parties defeating the CPI-M led Left Front, it bulldozed 185 CPI-M party and Left trade union offices across the state alleging that all these party offices were set up on government land.

The BJP government had also demolished eight Congress party offices in different districts.

CPI-M central committee member Jitendra Chaudhury said that BJP governments across the country tried to enforce one party rule.

“The BJP not only bulldozed the physical structures of the opposition parties, they also bulldozing the society, mindset of the people, communal harmony and the democratic structures of the country. They are not maintaining the demarcation between the party and the government,” Chaudhury told IANS.

Supporting the BJP government’s stand and action, the party’s Rajya Sabha member Manik Saha said that the government has been doing its work as per the law.

“If any party or individual occupying the government lands and properties, these should be vacated by the law enforcing agencies. A few of our party offices were also removed in Tripura,” Saha, who is also the president of the BJP Tripura unit, told IANS.

After coming to power in the politically important Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), the civic body led by Dipak Majumder evicted many hawkers from shops in the capital city.

Almost all opposition parties and civil society activists criticized the AMC’s action.

They argued that without making alternate arrangements and rehabilitation of the hawkers, the authority should not do this unilaterally.

Crime

Thane Shocker: Young Woman’s Body Found Stuffed Inside Suitcase Under Desai Khadi Bridge On Kalyan–Shil Road; Police Launch Murder Probe

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Kalyan, Nov 24: A shocking incident has come to light after the body of a young woman was discovered inside a suitcase under the Desai Khadi bridge on the Kalyan–Shil Road on Monday. The gruesome finding has triggered panic and concern throughout the area, as it clearly indicates a cold-blooded murder.

According to police sources, the age of the deceased woman is estimated to be between 25 and 30 years. The body was packed inside a medium-sized suitcase and dumped beneath the bridge, suggesting that the killers deliberately chose a secluded spot to dispose of the evidence.

Prima facie, officers believe the woman was murdered before being stuffed into the suitcase and abandoned. However, the exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem examination.

The identity of the victim remains unknown at this stage. The police have begun checking missing women complaints from Kalyan, Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Mumbai and surrounding regions.

Forensic experts have been called to examine the suitcase and surrounding area for fingerprints, blood traces, or any other clues that may help identify the perpetrators.

CCTV footage from nearby locations, toll plazas, and road junctions along the Kalyan–Shil corridor is also being collected and analyzed to trace the vehicle or individuals who might have transported the suitcase.

The Dyghar Police have officially launched a murder investigation and formed a special team to trace the identity of the woman and hunt down those responsible. Police have appealed to the public to contact them immediately if they have information about a missing woman matching the victim’s description.

The brutal killing has sent a wave of shock across the city, raising serious concerns about safety. Police say they are treating the case with utmost urgency and are confident of making a breakthrough soon.

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Crime

J&K: ED attaches property valued at Rs 1 crore in money laundering case

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Jammu, Nov 24: The Jammu Sub-Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jammu and Kashmir said on Monday that the agency has attached immovable property worth Rs 1 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

A press statement by the ED said, “The Jammu Sub-Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable property worth nearly Rs 1 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

“The provisionally attached property comprises industrial land at Panipat, Haryana, of M/s Vidit Healthcare Private Ltd., Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, the ED initiated investigation in respect of case registered by the Jammu NCB against M/s Vidit Healthcare (Managing Partner, Neeraj Bhatia) Niket Kansal and others for illegal diversion of a codeine-based cough syrup (CBCS), “Cocrex”, for misuse as intoxicant/drug, from manufacturer, M/s Vidit Healthcare,” the statement added.

“ED investigation revealed that M/s Vidit Healthcare supplied CBCS to entities viz. M/s S.S. Industries, M/s Kansal Industries, M/s Nouveta Pharma, M/s Kansal Pharmaceuticals and N.K Pharmaceuticals (all operated and controlled by Niket Kansal r/o Delhi) during 2018-24, to the tune of about Rs 16.74 crore. Part of such illegally diverted CBCS was supplied to Raees Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Srinagar, from whom large quantities of CBCS was seized on January 14, 2024 by NCB.”

“ED investigation further revealed that M/s Vidit Healthcare earned gross profit estimated to be nearly Rs 2.92 crore as proceeds of crime from the sale of codeine-based cough syrup (CBCS) to entities operated by Niket Kansal viz. M/s S.S. Industries, M/s Kansal Industries, M/s Nouveta Pharma, M/s Kansal Pharmaceuticals and N.K Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in this case, ED has conducted search at the premises of Neeraj Bhatia and Niket Kansal on February 13, 2025, resulting in seizure of cash amounting to Rs 32 lakh and jewellery valued at Rs 1.61 crore from the residential premises of Neeraj Bhatia and in furtherance of investigations, ED has further attached immovable property in the form of land at Panipat of M/s Vidit Healthcare, worth nearly Rs one crore.”

“Further investigation is underway,” the statement said.

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Crime

Delhi Police arrests thief who stole jewellery from relative’s house; gold items recovered

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New Delhi, Nov 24: Delhi Police on Monday arrested a thief who stole jewellery from his own relative’s house. The Bindapur Police Station team of the Dwarka district recovered the stolen gold items following the arrest.

According to a statement released by the Dwarka Police, the team recovered one gold chain with a locket, another gold chain, one pair of gold chains, one pair of gold earrings, two gold rings, and a 20-gram gold biscuit at the instance of the accused.

On November 9, an online e-FIR (No. 80106448/25) under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was received at Bindapur Police Station. The police team reached the location and met the complainant, Manjinder Kaur, wife of Aslam Saleem and a resident of Arya Samaj Road, Uttam Nagar, Delhi. She reported that unknown persons had stolen jewellery from her residence. Based on her complaint, the aforementioned e-FIR was lodged.

Maintaining a zero-tolerance approach as directed by the DCP of Dwarka District, a dedicated crack team from Bindapur Police Station was formed to solve the case and apprehend the culprit. The team comprised Head Constable Neeraj, Head Constable Ashok, Constable Rajesh Dagar, and Constable Ashish, under the supervision of Inspector Naresh Sangwan, Station House Officer, and overall supervision of Rajkumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dabri.

In pursuit of the investigation, the team visited the crime spot and examined CCTV footage from the house and surrounding areas. Notably, there were no signs of forced entry, no locks or doors had been broken leading the police to suspect involvement by someone familiar with the house or residing in the same building.

During the enquiry, it came to light that a cousin of the complainant had visited and stayed at the house for three days. Police questioned the cousin, identified as Parmjeet Singh, a resident of GTB Nagar, Lalhedi Road, Ludhiana, Punjab. When questioned, Parmjeet initially introduced himself as Sub-Inspector Parmveer Singh. However, he failed to produce any identity card and could not give a satisfactory answer regarding his alleged posting.

As his statements appeared suspicious, police conducted a more thorough interrogation. During sustained questioning, Parmjeet admitted that he worked as a commission agent dealing in old cars and ultimately confessed to committing the theft at the house of the complainant, who is the daughter of his maternal aunt.

He further revealed that he had hidden the stolen jewellery at his maternal grandfather’s house in Ambota, Himachal Pradesh, concealing it inside a bed. Based on his disclosure, Parmjeet was arrested, produced before the court, and placed under police remand. A police team accompanied him to Himachal Pradesh, where the stolen items were successfully recovered.

Further investigation is underway.

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