NIA denies phone call facilities to Tahawwur Rana
The development came after the deputy inspector general (DIG) of Delhi Prisons, in a status report filed before special judge (NIA) Chanderjit Singh on Saturday, submitted that the federal agency refused a no-objection certificate (NOC) on Rana being allowed to speak to his family once every month on a regular basis, citing a security threat. HT has seen a copy of the report.
The court listed the matter for hearing on August 1, when it is likely to take a call on whether to accept NIA's contentions against the phone calls or not.
Earlier this month, Rana, the 64-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman, through his legal-aid counsel Piyush Sachdeva, moved an application, seeking a regular phone call facility from jail.
The plea said Rana wanted to speak to his family in Canada as part of his fundamental right as an undertrial. It also argued that the phone call facility would allow Rana to consult his family on the further legal course in the case.
On June 9, special judge Singh of the Patiala House court permitted Rana to make a one-time phone call from Tihar jail to speak to his family, under the condition that it be conducted strictly in accordance with Tihar's jail manual and rules.
Notably, the court also sought Tihar jail's stand on granting Rana monthly phone call access and directed the jail administration to submit a detailed report on the feasibility and conditions of such access within 10 days.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Gangster takes credit for killing associate of singer Fazilpuria in Gurugram
A day after a close aide of Haryanvi pop singer Rahul Yadav, also known as Fazilpuria, was gunned down in Gurugram, gangster Sunil Sardhaniya, believed to be operating from abroad, claimed responsibility for the murder in a social media post. The victim Rohit Shokeen, 40. According to police, Sardhaniya, who hails from Rohtak and is allegedly linked to the Himanshu Bhau gang, warned that more bloodshed would follow if the singer failed to repay an alleged ₹5 crore loan. Police, however, suspect there could be other motives, including gang rivalry, and said that the social media post might have been made to mislead investigators. 'We are investigating all the facts, including the claims circulating on social media platforms,' a senior police official said, requesting anonymity. 'We are also probing the murder from the angle of rivalry of gangsters active in Delhi-NCR.' The victim, identified as Rohit Shokeen, 40, a resident of Kamaruddin Nagar in Delhi, was allegedly a financier of the singer and had three criminal cases registered against him in the national capital, police said. According to officials, two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants, dressed as delivery executives, opened fire at Shokeen opposite Palm Hills society in Sector 77 around 8.45pm. A patrol team reached the spot minutes later and rushed Shokeen to the Sector-10A civil hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Police said the attackers fired 20-25 rounds, and Shokeen sustained at least 14 bullet injuries to his head, neck, chest, abdomen, forearms and buttocks. Three .30 caliber pellets (or bullets) (shells are the spent cartridges ejected soon after firing) were recovered from his body during the autopsy, which was conducted by a medical board on Tuesday. ACP (Manesar) Virender Saini confirmed that multiple teams from the district police and crime branch have been constituted to trace the assailants and the conspirators. 'We are trying to nab the assailants as soon as possible,' he said, adding that all leads are being pursued, including the financial dispute angle. Incidentally, Sardhaniya had previously claimed responsibility for the firing incident on Fazilpuria on the night of July 14 in Sector 71. The singer had escaped unhurt, but a threatening post later surfaced online, warning him to return ₹5 crore or face consequences. Following that incident, Gurugram police provided Yadav with round-the-clock security, including two armed police personnel. A senior police official said that they were gathering details of criminal antecedents of the gangster Sardhaniya including the number of cases in which he is booked across Haryana and other states. Speaking to HT, Vijay Shokeen, elder brother of the deceased, said their father had filed a complaint with Delhi Police nearly a year ago stating that Rohit was facing threats to his life. 'I don't know much of the details of what happened afterwards,' he said. 'He was into the real estate and rental business. I was unaware if he had recently received any threat or was in contact with any gangster.' In his FIR, Vijay alleged that Rohit had borrowed his Delhi-registered Maruti Fronx to travel to Noida. 'However, I received a phone call at 8:57pm that Rohit was shot in Gurugram, following which I rushed there with other family members,' he stated. As of Tuesday evening, no arrests had been made. Police officials maintained that efforts are ongoing to verify the social media claims and ascertain the motive behind the attack. Multiple calls were made to the singer but he could not be approached for a comment.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Gallows room mystery: An execution chamber to hang freedom fighters or tiffin room delivery lift? Delhi Assembly debates the martyr's memorial
In what may as well be the script of a historical documentary on an OTT platform – or more likely political satire – the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday found itself wrapped in an unusually spirited debate: was a section of its century-old building once a gallows chamber for hanging freedom fighters, or simply a rope-operated lift room meant to deliver tiffins? A room with pulleys, which was at the centre of the discussion. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO) The bizarre discussion unfolded on Tuesday as members across party lines offered clashing versions of history, invoked AI tools like ChatGPT for validation, and accused each other of rewriting the colonial past – all while a British parliamentary delegation led by House of Commons deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani watched on from the visitors' gallery. Speaker Vijender Gupta set the tone early in the day by questioning the historical accuracy of the 'fansi ghar' (gallows room) that was inaugurated with much fanfare by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and then speaker Ram Niwas Goel three years ago. The space was unveiled on August 9, 2022, to commemorate 75 years of Indian Independence and was dedicated to 'unknown martyrs who were hanged here', according to the plaque installed there. 'There is no history of any such space. There was never an execution room here,' Speaker Gupta told the House. 'We went through national archives, consulted experts, and what has been presented as gallows is actually a lift room. A rope-operated lift used to bring up tiffin boxes for members. There are two such lift shafts in the building – one on each side.' He added, 'It is being shown to foreign delegates as a gallows room. One must wonder – is this a fansi ghar or a lunchbox delivery system?' The section in question was revamped in 2022 into a memorial space spread across two floors. It features murals of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, a symbolic hanging rope, red-brick-style heritage walls, and glass partitions. There is a plaque crediting then CM Kejriwal and speaker Goel, and a memorial board that claims: 'Innumerable unknown freedom fighters have been hanged here.' The upper floor shows a pulley mechanism, and the ground floor has a wooden platform beneath the shaft, further fuelling the symbolic interpretation. 'Lift not a noose' But the BJP, which controls the Assembly, said fiction was dressed up as patriotism. The party's chief whip Abhay Kumar Verma said, 'In the 2020-25 assembly period, the former speaker said that they found gallows. He also said that there was a tunnel which went from assembly to Red Fort… but maps from 1911 show that this was simply a tiffin room. It used a rope and pulley to deliver food. No hangings happened here. A similar structure exists symmetrically on the other side of the building.' He said that other parts of the Assembly also had clearly defined uses on record – the current speaker's office was once a library, and the deputy speaker's room was earlier marked as the Viceroy's room. 'They even had a smoking room. Every part is documented. This so-called gallows was never meant for executions. It was just a tiffin room.' PWD minister Parvesh Verma went one step further, saying: 'Without any inquiry, they named it phansi ghar. They found some ropes and old shoes – which probably belonged to construction workers. They misled the public. We will now portray the site as it truly was.' Later in the day, Verma visited the site and said the materials placed there would be removed and corrected to reflect the accurate historical context. ChatGPT weighs in In yet another twist, ChatGPT also entered the debate. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jarnail Singh said the AI tool 'confirmed' the AAP's version. 'In front of the British delegation, the black deeds and crimes of colonial rules are being whitewashed. I asked ChatGPT if there was an execution room in the complex. It clearly says that one room used a gallows room,' Singh said. BJP's Karnail Singh responded with deadpan sarcasm, 'Even ChatGPT is developed by the West. Of course, it will say that.' Verma then said he asked ChatGPT a different question: 'who first claimed there was a fansi ghar'; and said the chatbot pointed to former Speaker Goel. Speaker Gupta interjected, clarifying that 'ChatGPT is not a reliable source — it collects data already on the internet, including false claims. That's not evidence.' The speaker also dismissed previous claims of a tunnel connecting the Assembly to the Red Fort, saying that such features were probably underground ventilation ducts, common in colonial-era architecture. Then, BJP MLA Kulwant Rana gave it a paranormal twist. 'If so many hangings happened here, there must be ghosts too! They've turned this place into a bhoot ghar (house of ghosts),' he said to laughter in the House. AAP responds cautiously AAP MLAs, on the backfoot, pushed for due process. MLA Virender Kadian said, 'There must have been some documents or justification behind this decision. If there has been a mistake, we can rectify it. But don't target individuals without evidence. The former speaker isn't even here to defend himself.' Leader of the opposition and former Delhi CM Atishi responded by stating that 'Delhi has a large number of problems but such matters were being discussed.' In a statement, Atishi said: 'What is the point of discussion in the Assembly today? Running a session of the Delhi Assembly costs lakhs of rupees every hour. This is the hard-earned money of Delhi's people—of taxpayers—money we earn through our labour and give to the government. And yet, you won't allow a discussion on jhuggis, on schools, on the shortage of medicines in hospitals, or the worsening law and order situation. Instead, the only thing BJP wants to talk about is 'hanging room'? Is that what this Assembly has been reduced to? They just want to waste the House's precious time.' Speaker Gupta clarified that his remarks were aimed at correcting public misinformation, not individuals: 'We respect the former speaker. This was a government decision. CM Kejriwal inaugurated it. But it's time to review the facts. I direct AAP MLAs to present their documents tomorrow.' The Delhi Assembly building, constructed in 1912, originally hosted the Imperial Legislative Council. The Rowlatt Act of 1919 – a law that allowed detention without trial – was passed here. Leaders like Motilal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Madan Mohan Malaviya debated in its chambers. Mahatma Gandhi visited twice to observe sessions. It remained a key legislative venue until the Parliament House was inaugurated in 1927. The disputed room lies in the heart of this historic structure — a building that has seen laws written, freedoms debated, and now, debates over tiffin boxes and nooses.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in Dublin in apparent hate crime
An Indian-origin taxi driver based in Ireland for over 23 years has become the latest to be targeted in an unprovoked attack in the capital Dublin, with local police (Gardai) launching an investigation into the violent assault. A 'Stand Against Racism' protest was also held by the local community in condemnation of what was described as a 'vicious racist attack' and to express solidarity with migrants. Lakhvir Singh, in his 40s, told local media that he picked up two young men in their 20s on Friday night and dropped them at Poppintree, in the Ballymun suburb of Dublin. Upon arriving at the destination, the men are said to have opened the vehicle door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. As the suspects fled, they reportedly shouted: 'Go back to your own country'. 'In 10 years I've never seen anything like this happen,' Singh said. 'I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared,' he said. A Dublin police spokesperson said Singh was taken to the city's Beaumont Hospital with injuries determined as not life-threatening. 'Gardaí are investigating the assault,' the spokesperson said. The incident followed an Indian Embassy advisory, also issued on Friday, expressing safety concerns following recent attacks in and around the capital Dublin and urging Indian citizens to take safety precautions. 'There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,' states the advisory. 'The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours,' the statement reads, adding emergency embassy contact details as 0899423734 and It came in the wake of a brutal attack on a 40-year-old Indian man at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin on July 19, described as 'mindless, racist violence' by Gardai had opened an investigation into the case and Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra was among those who took to social media to express shock over the attack. A 'Stand Against Racism' protest was also held by the local community in condemnation of what was described as a 'vicious racist attack' and to express solidarity with migrants. Last week, Dr Santosh Yadav took to LinkedIn to post details of a 'brutal, unprovoked racist attack'. The entrepreneur and AI expert stressed that it was not an isolated incident and called for 'concrete measures' from the governments of Ireland and India to ensure Indians feel safe to walk the streets of Dublin. His post revealed that a group of six teenagers attacked him from behind as he walked to his apartment in Dublin.
