Crime
SP MP Ziaur Rehman Barq appears before judicial commission over Sambhal violence

New Delhi, April 16: Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ziaur Rehman Barq on Wednesday appeared before the three-member judicial commission in Lucknow, which is probing the violence that erupted in UP’s Sambhal on November 24, last year.
The violence took place during a court-mandated ASI survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, and Barq has been accused of delivering an inflammatory speech that allegedly incited unrest.
Speaking ahead of his appearance, Barq maintained his innocence and expressed faith in the judiciary.
“Today, I am appearing before the committee. I hope we will get justice,” the SP MP said. “I will answer the questions they will ask. And I am going with the hope that we will get justice,” he added.
Barq has consistently denied the allegations, calling them unfounded and politically motivated.
Former high court judge Justice DK Arora, former chief secretary Amit Mohan Prasad and ex-DGP Arvind Kumar Jain are the members of judicial commission, constituted by the state government on November 28, last year.
Barq had previously appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 8 in connection with the same case.
The judicial commission is currently recording statements from key individuals to determine the causes of the unrest and the roles, if any, played by public representatives.
The commission is also expected to record statements of Jama Masjid managing committee chairman Zafar Ali, currently lodged in Moradabad prison. He was arrested by the Sambhal police for allegedly orchestrating violence in the district during ASI survey of the mosque.
The incident in question dates back to November 24, 2023, when clashes broke out during a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Several individuals were booked in connection with the violence.
Crime
DRI seizes 2 leopard skins, wild boar horn; two suspects apprehended

Bhopal, May 6: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Nagpur unit, under the Mumbai Zonal jurisdiction, successfully apprehended two individuals engaged in illegal trade and possession of leopard skins.
Following the seizure, the confiscated wildlife articles and the detained individuals were handed over to the District Forest Division of Ujjain for further investigation in accordance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The operation, conducted in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, resulted in the seizure of two leopard skins with heads, along with an ivory (wild boar horn), from the suspects.
Acting on specific Intelligence regarding attempts to sell these prohibited wildlife items, the DRI team intervened at a hotel in Ujjain on the morning of May 4 leading to the suspects’ capture.
The seized leopard skins and ivory were confiscated under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which strictly prohibits the trade, purchase, or possession of leopard skins or any part of the animal, as leopards are listed under Schedule I of the Act.
The agency is active in various wildlife enforcement actions, including a recent operation in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district, where it seized two leopard hides and 18 leopard nails, leading to the arrest of five individuals.
In March 2024, another mission in Vizag city resulted in the seizure of a leopard skin and the apprehension of four traffickers.
Additionally, DRI’s Pune unit intercepted a leopard skin in Akola, Maharashtra, leading to the arrest of three persons.
This operation is part of DRI’s ongoing efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.
Earlier in January 2025, the Nagpur unit intercepted three individuals in Maharashtra’s Akola district and recovered one leopard skin.
These successful missions reaffirm DRI’s steadfast commitment to curbing illegal wildlife trade and safeguarding India’s biodiversity.
Employing its Intelligence-based approach and enforcement capabilities, the DRI continues to dismantle trafficking networks and enforce wildlife protection laws in collaboration with other agencies.
Crime
12 more militants apprehended in Manipur, large cache of arms recovered

Imphal, May 6: Security forces have arrested 12 more militants, including a woman cadre, of different outfits and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in Manipur during the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.
A police spokesman said that of the 12 militants apprehended, 11 belong to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) outfit and one to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) group.
The militants, including a woman cadre, were arrested from four districts — eight from Imphal East, one from Imphal West, two from Thoubal, and one from Kakching.
A large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK series/A1/M4/self-loading rifles, .303 rifles, pistols, camouflage uniforms, mobile phones, various electronic devices, incriminating documents and various other materials were recovered from the militants.
These extremists were involved in kidnapping, threatening people, various types of crimes, forcible collection of money from government employees, contractors, traders and common people.
The security forces, comprising Central and state forces, arrest militants of different outfits almost every day.
Meanwhile, police, during the past 24 hours, have recovered six more stolen vehicles in a special drive conducted for the recovery of stolen/snatched vehicles from anti-social elements/ miscreants.
Amid the ethnic violence in Manipur, widespread theft of cars and two-wheelers was reported, and 151 stolen cars and 30 two-wheelers have been recovered since April 16 from different places in the state when a special drive for the recovery of stolen/snatched vehicles was launched.
Combined security forces have continued search operations and area domination in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. Manipur has two National Highways — the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) and the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2), both very crucial to bring in foodgrains, various essentials and useful items, medicines, transport fuels, construction materials, machineries, and numerous other commodities from outside the state. To prevent any attack or any untoward incident, the security forces provide escorts to all kinds of vehicles when they move through the National Highways.
Crime
ED raids 10 locations in Ahmedabad linked to Rs 100 crore Waqf Board fraud

Ahmedabad, May 6: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 10 locations in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in connection with a Rs 100 crore fraud involving Salim Jummakhan Pathan, who is accused of illegally posing as a Waqf Board trustee and siphoning off rent from Waqf properties.
The action follows an FIR registered by the Gaekwad Haveli police, where five individuals were earlier arrested for allegedly misrepresenting themselves as trustees of the Waqf Board.
The group is accused of illegally collecting rent from properties associated with the Waqf Board, including the historic Kaanch Ni Masjid (Glass Mosque) and Shah Bada Qasam Trust in the Jamalpur area.
According to police investigations, the accused were never officially appointed as trustees by the Gujarat State Waqf Board.
Despite this, they allegedly posed as authorised representatives to extract rent from tenants occupying Waqf-owned properties and commercial establishments built on land leased to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
A key revelation in the investigation points to a plot originally allotted by the Waqf Board to AMC for constructing a school.
The school building was damaged during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. In 2009, the accused allegedly demolished the remaining structure and began renting out the land. One of the main accused, Salim Pathan, is said to have set up an office — Sodagar Construction — in one of the shops, while leasing out the rest. Neither the rent collected was deposited in the Waqf trust’s official account nor reported to the municipal body, leading to a misappropriation of public and religious assets.
The ED’s raids are part of a broader probe into the alleged financial misdeeds and money laundering linked to this case.
Further investigations are ongoing, and more details are awaited.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, enacted on April 8, introduces significant reforms to the governance of waqf properties in the country, aiming to enhance transparency, inclusivity, and administrative efficiency.
The Act mandates the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards, allowing for broader representation. Specifically, it permits up to 12 out of 22 members in the Central Waqf Council and 7 out of 11 members in State Waqf Boards to be non-Muslims. Additionally, it requires at least two Muslim women to be part of these bodies, promoting gender inclusivity.
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