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SC dismisses J’khand govt’s plea against quashing of FIR against Nishikant Dubey, 28 others

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Ranchi/New Delhi, Jan 27: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the High Court’s decision to quash an FIR lodged against 28 BJP leaders, including BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, former Jharkhand Chief Ministers Babulal Marandi and Raghubar Das, former Union Minister Arjun Munda, and BJP MP Sanjay Seth, in the Jharkhand Secretariat siege case.

The apex court dismissed the Jharkhand government’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the High Court’s ruling.

During the hearing, a Bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan criticised the frequent use of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to curb protests.

The court remarked: “It has become a common trend to invoke Section 144 whenever a protest takes place. This sends a wrong message. If someone wants to protest, what is the need to impose Section 144? This constitutes a misuse of the provision.”

The case arises from an FIR registered on April 11, 2023, following the BJP’s call for a secretariat siege to protest against the alleged failures of the Hemant Soren-led government.

Anticipating the protest, the police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in the Jharkhand Secretariat area and deployed water cannons, tear gas, even as the cops resorted to lathi charge to disperse the demonstrators.

The protest turned violent at Ranchi’s Dhurva Chowk, which turned into a battlefield for over two hours, leaving more than 60 people injured.

The FIR, filed on the statement of Upendra Kumar, Executive Magistrate of the Ranchi District Administration, accused the BJP leaders and unnamed activists of rioting, inciting violence, obstructing government work, violating government instructions, and causing harm to others.

The FIR stated that the accused incited the crowd, removed barricades, pelted stones, and threw bottles at the police, leading to injuries to police personnel, including SDO Deepak Kumar Dubey, Dhurva SHO Vimal Nandan Sinha, and Constables, as well as journalists covering the event.

Among the 41 individuals named in the FIR were prominent BJP leaders such as MPs Arjun Munda, Sanjay Seth, Nishikant Dubey, Samir Oraon, Sunil Kumar Singh, former Chief Minister Raghubar Das, and MLAs Babulal Marandi and Viranchi Narayan Singh.

Following the filing of the FIR, 28 of the accused approached the High Court to seek its cancellation. On August 14, 2024, the High Court quashed the FIR, a decision subsequently challenged by the Jharkhand government in the Supreme Court.

National News

Dawoodi Bohra community met PM Modi, said thank you for the Waqf law

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Delhi News: A delegation of the Dawoodi Bohra community met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (April 17). During this, the Dawoodi Bohra community expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recently passing the Waqf Amendment Act 2025. The community described the Waqf Amendment Act as a long-pending demand. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju was also present with the Prime Minister during this meeting.

The delegation of the Dawoodi Bohra community, who came to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that this law was being demanded for a long time through the Dawoodi Bohra community, which has now been fulfilled by the government. The delegation said that this has strengthened the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’.

PM Modi gave this assurance
The delegation of the Dawoodi Bohra community met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed its full faith in the policy of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’. He said that the decisions taken by the government promote the inclusion and progress of all sections. The delegation appreciated the positive changes taking place under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and thanked him for his efforts. The Prime Minister also interacted with the representatives of the community and appreciated their contribution and assured that the government is committed to the equal development of all communities.

Who is the Dawoodi Bohra community
The Dawoodi Bohra community belongs to the Muslim sect, which is mainly from West India and whose members are settled in more than 40 countries of the world. The Dawoodi Bohra community connects its heritage to the Fatimi Imams, direct descendants of Prophet Muhammad in Egypt. Dawoodi Bohras around the world are guided by their leader Al-Dai al-Mutlaq (unrestricted preacher), who earlier operated from Yemen and has been operating from India for the last 450 years.

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Crime

Put under house arrest again, says Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

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Srinagar, April 18: Senior religious and Huriyat Conference (HC) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said on Friday that authorities have placed him under house arrest, thereby denying him the right to offer congregational prayers during the day.

Mirwaiz Farooq said on X, “Every Friday I am put under arbitrary house arrest ! Putting pressure on me not to speak up, the ban also aims to weaken the centrality of Muslim institutions of the valley-the Jama Masjid, office of the Mirwaiz, and cause collective grief to Muslims and all those who oppose this authoritarian and sectarian outlook. My house detention case is still pending in court, where I am seeking relief from the Hon’ble High Court, but In such times patience remains our only strength.”

Mirwaiz traditionally delivers the Friday sermon at the Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of old Srinagar city. He also heads the Anjuman-e-Nusratul Islam, a religious organisation that runs some educational institutions in Kashmir, including the Islamia High School in Rajouri Kadal area of Srinagar.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last month declared the Mirwaiz-headed Awami Action Committee (ACC) a banned organisation for five years. The ACC was formed in 1963 during the Holy Relic agitation by Mirwaiz Maulana Mohammad Farooq. After the elder Mirwaiz was assassinated in 1990 by the terrorists, the ACC came to be headed by his son, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The MHA order said that the ACC has been encouraging youth to violence and is acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the state.

Mirwaiz Farooq, who is the chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, has witnessed the desertion of several affiliates. As many as 12 Hurriyat-linked organisations have broken off from secessionism, reposing trust in the Constitution of India.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that “separatism has become history in Kashmir”, and the unifying policies of the Modi government have eliminated separatism in J&K. He has also said this is a victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

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Crime

Harpreet Singh, responsible for terror attacks in Punjab, arrested by FBI

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Chandigarh, April 18: National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge-sheeted Harpreet Singh, accused of carrying out terror attacks in Punjab, has been arrested by the US security agencies – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Enforcement and Removal Operations in California’s Sacramento.

The FBI said on Friday that Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, entered the US illegally and used burner phones to evade capture.

Hailing from Passia village in Ajnala, the terrorist has been linked to at least 16 grenade attacks in Punjab, targeting police posts, religious sites, and residences.

On March 23, the NIA chargesheeted four terror operatives of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist organisation in the 2024 Chandigarh grenade attack case.

The chargesheeted accused include Pakistan-based designated individual terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, and US-based Happy Passia.

Sandhu and Passia were the primary handlers and conspirators behind the attack. They had provided logistical support, terror funds, weapons, and ammunition to India-based on-ground operatives in Chandigarh for executing the grenade attack, said the NIA.

The September 2024 attack was intended to target a retired officer of the Punjab Police, whom the assailants believed to be the occupant of the house.

NIA investigations revealed that Rinda, along with Passia, had orchestrated the conspiracy to strike terror among law enforcement officials and the public through the grenade attack, as part of the broader aim to promote BKI’s terrorist agenda.

They had recruited local operatives, Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih, who were tasked with carrying out the attack on their direct instructions.

Rinda and Passia directed the other accused, Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih, to conduct reconnaissance on the target twice before hurling the grenade, investigations revealed.

In the chargesheet filed before the Special NIA Court in Chandigarh, all four accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act, and other related provisions, for their roles in planning and supporting the attack.

Investigations in the case are continuing, and the NIA is trying to track down other members of the BKI terror group and dismantle its network in India.

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