Crime
Raja Singh sent to jail as police invoke Preventive Detention Act
Suspended BJP MLA T. Raja Singh Lodh was sent to jail on Thursday after Hyderabad Police arrested him and invoked Preventive Detention (PD) Act.
Police took the MLA into custody from his residence in Mangalhat amid tight security and continuing protests for his re-arrest for allegedly making derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad.
Raja Singh, who has been arrested for second time in three days, was later shifted to Cherlapally Jail on the city outskirts.
The police announced that it has invoked PD Act against Raja Singh, a rowdy sheeter of Mangalhat Police Station, on the orders of Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand.
According to the police, Raja Singh has been habitually delivering provocative and inflammatory speeches and driving a wedge between communities leading to public disorder.
A total of 101 criminal cases registered against him since 2004. He was involved in 18 communal offences in the limits of different police stations in Hyderabad.
Raja Singh on August 22 posted online an offensive video against Prophet Mohammad with an intention to provoke all sections of people and thereby cause breach of peace and public tranquility, said the police statement.
When he was being taken into custody from his residence on August 23, Raja Singh stated that police are making efforts to remove his video from YouTube but that will not deter him from posting his further speeches and videos on this issue.
“Any venomous hate speech has the potential of provoking individuals to commit acts of riot, indiscriminate violence, terrorism etc. Offensive speech has real and devastating effects on people’s lives and risks their health and safety and severely affects fraternity, dignity of individuals, unity and national integration and also offends the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India,” said police.
“When the video went viral protests have erupted in different parts of Hyderabad City and others parts of Telangana state and drove a wedge between communities and disturbed the peaceful nature of Hyderabad and Telangana state,” it added.
Sensing danger to the life and properties in the hands of the protesters, people got panicky and closed their shops and establishments. The entire population of the city and the state went into grip of fear and shock by his activity, police said.
According to police, by his blasphemous utterances, Raja Singh has been continuously creating hatred and ill-will between major communities resulting in widespread unrest among the people in Hyderabad and the state, thereby adversely affecting the maintenance of public order.
He has been continuously causing widespread fear, unrest and panic among general public for a long period of time by committing such offences and acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order apart from disturbing the peace, tranquility and communal harmony in the society.
A few minutes before his arrest, the MLA released a video blaming Telangana minister K.T. Rama Rao for communally tense situation in Hyderabad by allowing comedian Munawar Faruqui to perform in Hyderabad.
Raja Singh was arrested hours after issuing him noticed in two old cases.
The controversial MLA was arrested a couple of hours after police officers from Shaninayathgunj and Mangalhat police station issued the notices under Section 41-A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Both the notices were issued in connection with the old cases.
Mangalhat police issued notice with regard to a complaint booked in February for threatening voters of Uttar Pradesh through a video which had gone viral during assembly elections in that state.
A case was registered against him on the direction of the Election Commission of India.
Shahinayathgunj police issued notice with regard to a case of making provocative speeches at Begum Bazar in April.
Following massive protests over his offensive remarks against the Prophet, the police had arrested Raja Singh on Tuesday. He, however, was granted bail by a city court the same day.
Meanwhile, police tightened the security in Mangalhat and surrounding areas following Raja Singh’s arrest.
Traders in some areas downed shutters to protest against his arrest.
Additional police forces were deployed in sensitive areas to maintain law and order.
Crime
Three Khalistani terrorists who bombed Punjab Police posts killed in encounter in UP
Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 23: Three criminals accused of hurling a grenade at police posts in Punjab’s Gurdaspur were killed in an encounter with police in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit early Monday morning, a senior police officer said.
Punjab Police DGP Gaurav Yadav, while sharing details on social media platform X, stated, “In a major breakthrough against a Pak-sponsored Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terror module, a joint operation by UP Police and Punjab Police led to an encounter with three module members who fired at the police party. This terror module is involved in grenade attacks at police establishments in border areas of Punjab.”
He said that the three suspects were involved in the grenade attack on a police post in Gurdaspur.
Pilibhit Superintendent of Police (SP) Avinash Pandey reported that the gunfight occurred in the Puranpur police station area between the suspected Khalistani terrorists and a joint team of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Police.
The injured suspects, identified as Gurvinder Singh, Virendra Singh, and Jasanpreet Singh, sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Authorities recovered two AK-series rifles, two Glock pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition from the scene.
“Early this morning, a team from Punjab Police informed Puranpur police station that suspects in a grenade attack on a police post by alleged Khalistani terrorists might be hiding in the area,” SP Pandey said.
Upon receiving this information, police teams immediately launched a blockade and searched the area. They later received a tip-off about three suspicious young men on a motorcycle, riding dangerously and carrying potentially harmful items, heading toward Pilibhit.
“Both Punjab Police and Puranpur police station staff chased the suspects. Meanwhile, Gajrola and Madhav Thanda police stations were alerted about possible escape routes. At a canal track near an under-construction bridge, the suspects opened fire when challenged by the police. In the retaliatory firing, all three were injured and subsequently sent to CSC Puranpur for treatment,” Pandey said.
However, they later succumbed to the injuries.
Recently, multiple explosions targeted police posts in Gurdaspur. On Thursday, a grenade was hurled at the closed Bakshiwal police post.
A day later, another explosion occurred at the closed Wadala Bangar police post, which had also recently shut down due to staff shortages.
Residents in nearby areas reported being shaken by the blasts. At Wadala Bangar, frightened locals emerged from their homes at night only to discover the sound originated from the police station. Following the explosion, police vehicles patrolled the area throughout the night, with sirens blaring.
Crime
At least 18 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
Gaza, Dec 21: At least 18 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the central and northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources.
Local sources and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes targeted an apartment in the multi-story “Yaffa” tower in the al-Nuseirat camp, located in central Gaza.
A statement from Al-Awda Hospital in the camp confirmed that eight people were killed and 14 others injured, some seriously, in the attack.
In northern Gaza, Israeli shelling struck a house belonging to the “Khilla” family in Jabalia Al-Balad, killing 10 people and injuring several others, according to the Gaza Strip’s Civil Defence.
The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents.
Also on Friday, the military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that one of its fighters had carried out a suicide attack targeting an Israeli force of six soldiers in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza.
The Israeli army has not issued a comment on this incident.
Earlier on Thursday at least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombings in northern Gaza, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday night and some others injured when the Israeli aircraft bombed the house of the Al-Najjar family in the town of Jabalia, WAFA said.
Six more people were killed due to Israeli bombing on the house of the Al-Zaytouniya family near the Al-Tabi’in School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City, it added.
The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken.
As of Friday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 45,206, according to Gaza-based health authorities.
Crime
Maharashtra: Govt Employee Accused Of Attacking Marathi-Speaking Family In Kalyan Surrenders Before Cops
The Maharashtra government employee accused of attacking a Marathi-speaking family at Kalyan in Thane district surrendered before police on Friday, a senior officer said.
Akhilesh Shukla (48), an employee of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), his wife Geeta (45) and others have been named in an FIR related to the alleged attack on the family, their neighbour, on December 18 after an argument.
Akhilesh Shukla surrendered before the Khadakpada police, senior inspector Aamarnath Waghmode said.
“We will trace the other accused,” said the police.
Meanwhile, before surrendering, Shukla posted a video on social media in which he claimed his wife was beaten up by family members of the victims.
The police have registered a case against Shukla and his wife Geeta (45) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 189 (2) (3) and (5) (unlawful assembly) and others.
According to police, the attack took place around 8.45 pm on December 18, and the accused as well as the victims live on the same floor of a building in Kalyan.
As per the FIR, the victim saw Shukla quarrelling with one of their neighbours over lighting of an incense stick. The victim asked Shukla to maintain peace and not to abuse and insult the entire Marathi-speaking community.
The accused couple got angry on hearing this and beat up the victim and his wife with the help of eight to ten others. They attacked the male victim using some sharp weapon, iron rod, pipes and wooden sticks, and inflicted wounds on his arms, legs and face. The accused also molested his wife and threatened the couple, it added.
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