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Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
2 Samajwadi Party leaders booked over PDA Pathshala, school merger protest
An FIR was registered against Samajwadi Party leader Rachna Singh Gautam on Friday for allegedly conducting an unauthorised 'PDA Pathshala' (classroom) outside a government primary school at Shahampur Garhi village in Bilhaur development block of Kanpur. A PDA Pathshala started by SP in Uttar Pradesh. (SOURCED) Police have also registered a case against a Samajwadi Party leader and a dozen people in Bhadohi for allegedly involving schoolchildren in protest against the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to merge schools with low enrolment, officials said. The 'PDA Pathshala' in Bilhaur violated multiple regulations, including provisions under the IT Act and the Right to Education (RTE) Act, officials said. Gautam supposedly held such 'classes' in other villages as well. Gautam organised the 'pathshala' without prior approval from local authorities, and continued with the programme despite objections from the school administration, according to the complaint of the block education officer (BEO). Children were allegedly taught political slogans and references associated with the SP's PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) campaign in the 'pathshala' held in the vicinity of a government school. BEO Ravi Kumar Singh confirmed that photographs and videos of the event had been submitted to the district administration. In the visuals, students are seen reciting phrases linked to the SP, while some videos also allegedly show incorrect basic educational content being taught. These materials were circulated on social media by Gautam herself, Singh said. The BEO said, 'Running such parallel educational setups without any official recognition or permission is illegal. No arrangement can operate alongside a government institution without due process. What was done here is unauthorised.' Kanpur's additional DCP West Kapil Dev Singh stated that a case had been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act. 'The matter is under investigation,' he said. The FIR includes charges related to misuse of a government facility, spreading misinformation, and political exploitation of children. In a statement, Gautam alleged that the FIR was politically motivated. 'The government is trying to silence voices who are working for marginalised children. I will continue holding such classes. The closure of schools affects the PDA children the most,' she said. In Bhadohi, district magistrate Shailesh Kumar said 40 students of the primary school in Sikandra village under Aurai block were shifted to a vacant anganwadi centre in nearby Pilkhani village -- around 800 metres away -- with the consent of their parents. He said local Samajwadi Party leader Anjani Saroj, along with her supporters, visited the anganwadi centre on Wednesday and distributed pencils, erasers and other items to the children. Later, she allegedly lured the students with toffees, handed them banners and posters and led them in a protest march back to the Sikandra primary school. The matter was probed by the chief development officer and the sub-divisional magistrate, following which the school's headmaster lodged a complaint with the Chauri police station, the DM said. A case was registered against Saroj and others on Thursday evening, officials said. In view of the alleged negligence in the matter, a departmental inquiry has been ordered against Ramakant Singroul, assistant education officer of Aurai, he added. Station house officer of Chauri, Ramesh Kumar, said a case has been lodged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita based on a complaint by headmaster Sabhajit Yadav. (With agencies)
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Living in California, lecturing a billion Indians?': Billionaire shreds millionaire over tweet about India
In a recent tweet, Billionaire Harsh Goenka lashed out at Indian-origin Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia for his post about India. Goenka criticised Bhatia for 'lecturing Indians' while leaving the country and settling in California, USA. Billionaire Harsh Goenka criticised millionaire Sabeer Bhatia on X for his tweet about India. (File Photo) It all started with a post by Bhatia where he claimed that he was being branded as 'anti-national' for sharing posts that criticise India. 'Say India is unsafe for women - you're anti-national. Question inflated economic numbers - you're anti-national. Call out elected leaders' lies - you're anti-national. Mention lost aircraft - you're anti-national. So if truth = anti-national… then who's a national? The one who lies to you?' Harsh Goenka reshared the X post and slammed Bhatia for leaving the country. 'Living in California and lecturing a billion Indians back home? We live here. We vote, work, pay taxes. We love this country- and we'll fix what's broken. India doesn't need sermons from those who packed up and left,' Goenka tweeted. Harsh Goenka's tweet for Sabeer Bhatia. (X/@hvgoenka) How did social media react? The tweet prompted a flurry of mixed reactions. While some sided with Harsh Goenka, others supported Sabeer Bhatia. An individual commented, 'Excellent response... Sabeer is now heading into a dormant phase!' Another questioned, 'Don't we celebrate these same Indians with their achievements in the USA. We are so obsessed that we want to claim. Tulsi Gabbard or Sunita Williams, even. Why this selective outrage against one individual???' A third added, "At least he is supporting the truth.' A fourth wrote, 'Sabeer seems deeply frustrated because of something very personal, otherwise, there's no reason to be so overly emotional, exaggerate every word, and constantly speak ill of your own motherland.' Sabeer Bhatia's response to Harsh Goenka: After being criticised by the Indian billionaire, the US-based millionaire shared a response. He wrote, 'I've been hearing that sob story for more than 30 years now. It's only getting worse because we have fantastic lecturers and no doers. Lots of Chiefs and no Indians…' What is Harsh Goenka's net worth? According to Forbes, the chairman of conglomerate RPG Enterprises has a net worth of $3.8 billion. He ranked 76th on India's 100 Richest 2024 list. What is Sabeer Bhatia's net worth? Sabeer Bhatia is an Indian-American businessman who co-founded Hotmail, which he later sold to Microsoft for $400 million.
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Malegaon blast case rested on shifting sand: Court
MUMBAI: A day after a special Mumbai court acquitted all seven accused in the high-profile, 2008 Malegaon blast case, the 1,034-page judgment, made public on Friday, delivered a sweeping rebuke to both the agencies that had investigated the case. The collection of blast-site debris also occurred without forensic oversight, compromising evidentiary value, the judgement noted (HT Photo) 'I am fully aware of the degree of agony, frustration, and trauma caused to society at large and, more particularly, to the families of the victims by the fact that a heinous crime of this nature has gone unpunished. However, the law does not permit courts to convict an accused solely on the basis of moral conviction or suspicion. No doubt, terrorism has no religion because no religion in the world preaches violence. The court of law is not supposed to proceed on popular or predominant public perceptions about the matter,' the judgement noted. Referring to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that had probed the case, Special Judge AK Lahoti ruled that the case was built on 'suspicion, conjecture, and flawed assumptions', adding that 'suspicion, however grave, cannot take the place of proof'. The acquittal of the seven accused came 17 years after a bomb exploded near a mosque at a crowded intersection in Malegaon, killing six people and injuring 95 others on September 29, 2008. It was alleged to be the result of a right-wing terror plot. Among the accused were former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Major (Retd) Ramesh Shivaji Upadhyay. In its judgement, the special NIA court highlighted serious irregularities, contradictions and procedural misconduct by the ATS and NIA. The accused had been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substances Act and Arms Act. The court found the charges unsustainable due to unreliable witness testimony, inadmissible evidence and irreconcilable differences between the ATS and NIA investigations. At the centre of the case was the prosecution's claim that a right-wing extremist conspiracy, hatched by members of Abhinav Bharat in 2007-08, had led to the blast. The ATS alleged that Purohit had set up Abhinav Bharat to turn India into a 'Hindu Rashtra', procured RDX from Kashmir, and, along with others, planned the attack as 'revenge against Muslims'. They also claimed the motorcycle used in the blast belonged to Thakur. The court found these theories legally untenable and procedurally compromised. A number of key witnesses either retracted their statements or contradicted themselves in court. Among them were Lt Col RK Shrivastava, who had implicated Purohit in inflammatory meetings; Major Ramesh Gadge, who described Abhinav Bharat's activities but later watered down his account; and Bhavesh Patel, Rajendra Shende and Rakesh Dhawde – all considered crucial to establishing the alleged conspiracy. Their reversal under oath proved fatal to the case. 'The NIA, despite having ample opportunity, did not take any steps against the hostile witnesses for giving false evidence before the court. This inaction raises serious questions on the commitment to secure justice,' the court said. It further noted that 'key witnesses pertaining to the conspiracy have not supported the prosecution,' leading the court to conclude that the case rested on 'shifting sand'. The contradictions between the ATS and NIA approaches drew special scrutiny. The ATS had charged the accused under MCOCA, citing continuity with previous blast cases. In contrast, the NIA's 2016 supplementary chargesheet discarded that link, sought discharge for several accused, and altogether withdrew MCOCA. The court held that this internal inconsistency corroded the credibility of the entire case: 'Two parallel investigations cannot proceed on divergent foundational premises. The contradiction between the ATS and NIA approaches creates serious doubt on the prosecution's reliability and coherence.' The court also dismantled the material and forensic evidence. Despite the gravity of the crime, the prosecution presented no fingerprints, DNA or dump-data linking the accused to the crime scene. Crucially, the court found 'nothing on record to show that Purohit had brought the RDX from Kashmir', as alleged by the ATS. Even the motorcycle alleged to belong to Thakur failed to connect her to the crime, with the court noting she had renounced material life two years prior and no longer had control over her possessions. Further procedural lapses were flagged in multiple instances. For accused Sameer Kulkarni, the court noted that his arrest-related paperwork was delayed and falsified: 'Signatures were taken on blank papers and documents were backdated. This is nothing short of manipulation of the criminal justice process'. The collection of blast-site debris also occurred without forensic oversight, compromising evidentiary value, the judgement noted. The court strongly criticised the prosecution for failing to obtain the required sanction under Section 45 of the UAPA from the competent Central government authority. 'No explanation is offered by the prosecution as to why the requisite sanction under Section 45 of UAPA was not obtained,' the court remarked, adding that the absence rendered the entire chargesheet 'void-ab-initio'. Additionally, the court ruled that the acts alleged did not meet the statutory definition of a terrorist act under Section 15 of the UAPA.
