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If Pak govt does not agree to our demands, our fighters will wage jihad in entire country: TTP

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 The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) commonly known as Pakistan Taliban has accused Islamabad of sabotaging the ongoing peace negotiations. The proscribed group also warned that if its demands were not met, it would be forced to call off the indefinite ceasefire.

“If the Pakistan government wants to flee from meaningful negotiations, then we have no problem. We will wage a countrywide jihad,” the TTP said in a statement. The group also refused to hold talks under the framework of the Pakistani constitution, as it was not based on Sharia law.

“Our Mujahideen will have the opportunity to wage jihad in the country since freedom and sovereignty are our rights as are practicing our religious and national values” says the statement . It added that “TTP members will never give up arms and surrender.”

The TTP leaders also made it clear that their demand for reversal of FATA merger is non-negotiable and it was made clear to the negotiators of the Pakistani security establishment.

“They (Pakistan army) had assured us in the beginning of the fresh talks that demerger of the FATA region will be done and we will be free to implement Sharia laws in our land but if they want to back off, we will have no other option but to fight them off but we will never surrender or disarm and will continue to fight Pakistani security forces in case of no agreement.” In 2018, the Imran Khan government merged the FATA, a lawless tribal area into the more tightly administered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, curbing TTP’s free movement in the area.

The Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has termed the demands of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) pertaining to the reversal of FATA merger and military withdrawal from tribal areas bordering Afghanistan as against the constitution, saying that “talks are possible with only those who are willing to surrender their arms”.

Referring to the Taliban’s Interior Minister and the “patron” of the TTP, Sirajuddin Haqqani’s participation in the ongoing talks, Sanaullah told the Pakistani army leadership that if “Afghanistan’s political leaders are participating in the talks, then politicians from our side will also take part in the negotiation.”

It may be recalled that the Pakistani establishment started the secret negotiations with the TTP on the assurances given by the Interior Minister of Taliban regime, Sirajuddin Haqqani that he would be using all his power to make the talks successful. However, it has been a month and the two sides have yet to find common ground on the main demands.

Earlier on Wednesday, the top military brass had briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led civilian government and had assured the political leadership that no extra-constitutional concessions would be given to the militants and any deal arrived at would be subject to parliamentary approval. The meeting, the first of its kind since the coalition government came to power, was called after the many coalition partners including PPP protested that the civilian leadership was being sidelined in the ongoing negotiations with the militants.

According to sources, the former ISI chief and the Corp Commander of Peshawar Faiz Hameed who is the chief negotiator from the army side was questioned about the “secret” talks by the government. He was told that there is no question of “pardoning” the hardcore militants of the TTP who have been sentenced to death or lifer by the Pakistani courts.

Pakistani watchers say the latest statements by the TTP are nothing but attempts at gaining time to regroup their cadres.

“Talks with TTP are destined to fail as militants are openly declaring to not submit to the constitution. Even today, TTP is threatening to attack Pakistan and the Pakistani army is silent. It is very shameful.” said Rana Shabbir Hussain, a Pakistani analyst.

Some Pakistani watchers believe that the Pakistani security establishment has been committing blunder after blunder in its approach to deal with the TTP.

“They (Pakistan army) have been refusing to learn from its past mistakes. They have been relying too much on Afghanistan and Allah. Do not know about Allah, but too much reliance on Afghanistan (The Taliban) will backfire.”

Crime

Parents of Kolkata law college rape victim should be ready for long battle like us: RG Kar victim’s parents

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Kolkata, June 28: In the midst of the outrage and politics over the rape of a woman in a Kolkata law college, the parents of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder victim stated on Saturday that the law student’s parents should also be ready to fight a protracted legal battle.

Their comments came days after a Kolkata-based law college student became a victim of rape within the college premises on June 25 evening.

They stated that the woman’s parents should also be ready for a long battle considering the influential backing enjoyed by the three accused in the case.

The mother of the junior doctor who became a victim of a ghastly rape and murder in August last year, expressed apprehension that like the case of her daughter, there might be attempts to protect the accused in the law college rape case also in the due course.

Hence, they feel that what is required now is a mass movement exactly in line with what happened after the heinous crime with their daughter.

“What is even more shocking is that even after the tragedy with my daughter, there was not enough initiative to ensure the safety of women within educational institutions where they study. The administration and ruling party are now trying to shy away from their responsibilities over the crime in the law college rape. It is natural. But the reality is that the influential backing that the accused persons enjoyed gave them the courage to conduct such a heinous crime within the college premises,” the R.G Kar victim’s mother said.

The father of the R.G. Kar victim said that he fears that like the case of his daughter, there might be attempts by influential people and even a section within the administration to protect the accused.

“So I also feel that the parents of the victim in the law college case should also be prepared for a long battle like us. They should understand that the administration will not do anything and they will have to fight their own battle as we have been doing. What the victim’s parents need now is the spontaneous public support which we have received,” he said.

All the three accused in the case, namely Monojit Mishra, Zaib Ahmed, and Pramit Mukhopadhyay were linked to Trinamool Congress’ students’ wing Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP).

Pictures of Mishra with different top and heavyweight Trinamool Congress leaders have already flooded social media. While Mishra is a former student of the same law college, the other two are existing students.

All three of them, on Friday, were remanded to police custody till July 1.

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Crime

25 prison officials in Punjab suspended in crackdown against drug networks

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Chandigarh, June 28: In a major action against corruption and drug networks in prisons, the Punjab government on Saturday said it has suspended 25 officials, including three Deputy Superintendents and two Assistant Superintendents.

The government said the action is part of the drive to root out corruption and dismantle drug networks operating inside prisons.

“Following reports of irregularities and drug-related activities within jails, the government said the action was to end corruption and drug networks. The big action was taken as per information received about corruption and drug networks in jails,” the government said in a statement.

In March, the government shifted notorious jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria from the high-security Bathinda Central Jail to Silchar Jail in Assam as authorities suspected that detained gangsters were running drug syndicates from Punjab’s prisons.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had arrested Bhagwanpuria, also an accused in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (PIT NDPS) Act.

Bhagwanpuria, against whom 128 FIRs have been registered in Punjab and other states, was arrested in a murder case in 2015 and, since then, has been lodged in several jails, previously in Punjab.

In the singer Moosewala’s murder case, it was Bhagwanpuria and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi who had hatched a conspiracy to kill him.

However, later, both fell apart. Bhagwanpuria, a native of Gurdaspur district, is considered the most dreaded gangster of Punjab after Bishnoi and has more than five cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for hatching conspiracies to disturb communal harmony in Punjab.

Bhagwanpuria is facing 15 cases of arms and drug smuggling. On his shifting to Assam, the NCB had said then that Bhagwanpuria was moved out of Punjab as he had “established linkages” with international operatives in Canada, the US and Pakistan. His relocation was a must to disrupt the ecosystem, facilitating continued criminal activities, it added.

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Mere recovery of blood-stained weapon matching deceased’s blood group not sufficient to prove murder: SC

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suprim court

New Delhi, June 27: Upholding the acquittal of an accused, the Supreme Court has ruled that mere recovery of a blood-stained weapon bearing the same blood group as that of the deceased would not be sufficient to prove the charge of murder.

A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and P.B. Varale was dealing with a criminal appeal filed by the Rajasthan government challenging a judgment of the Rajasthan High Court, which had acquitted the respondent-accused of the offence of murder.

In its impugned order, a division bench set aside the judgment passed by the Additional Sessions Judge in December 2008, which had convicted the respondent for the offence punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 100, and in default of payment of fine, to further undergo 3 months simple imprisonment.

During the trial, the respondent was charged with the murder of Chotu Lal, which took place on the intervening night of March 1 and 2, 2007.

Initially, an FIR was filed against unknown assailants, and at a later stage, the respondent was arraigned in the case on the basis of suspicion and circumstantial evidence.

The prosecution led circumstantial evidence in the form of motive, alleging the respondent was having an evil eye on the wife of the deceased; recovery of the weapon of offence and the FSL report indicating that the blood group on the weapon matched with the blood group of the deceased (B +ve).

Contrary to the findings of the trial court, the Rajasthan High Court opined that the prosecution could not prove the complete chain of circumstances required to bring home the guilt of the accused in the case, which was based entirely on circumstantial evidence, and proceeded to acquit the respondent.

Concurring with the view taken by the Rajasthan HC, the Justice Mehta-led Bench said: “We find that the incriminating circumstances relied upon by the prosecution, i.e., the motive and the recovery of the blood stained weapon, even taken in conjunction cannot constitute the complete chain of incriminating circumstances required to bring home the charges against the accused.”

“The High Court seems to have overlooked the FSL report, which fact was stressed upon by learned counsel for the appellant (state government). However, in our view, even if the FSL report is taken into account, then also, other than the fact that the weapon recovered at the instance of the accused tested positive for the same blood group as that of the deceased (B +ve), nothing much turns on the said report,” it added.

The apex court, relying upon a previous judgment of the apex court, opined that mere recovery of a blood-stained weapon even bearing the same blood group of the victim would not be sufficient to prove the charge of murder.

It discarded the theory of motive, saying the evidence in that regard seems to be very vague and vacillating.

The Justice Mehta-led Bench added that the law is well settled by a catena of apex court decisions that in an appeal against acquittal, interference can only be made if the only possible view based on the evidence points to the guilt of the accused and rules out his innocence.

Dismissing the appeal of the state government, the Supreme Court said: “In the present case, we are duly satisfied that the prosecution failed to lead clinching evidence to bring home the charges. The only possible view is the one taken by the High Court, i.e., the innocence of the accused.”

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