Now, Delhi Police attempts to link pro-farmer activists to man with ISI connections

Agencies
February 15, 2021

The Delhi Police today appeared to link activists Disha Ravi, Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Mallick, who are being investigated in the toolkit case, with a foreigner under Indian agencies' radar for his connections with the ISI claiming that his name figured in the document they prepared in support of farmers' protest.

Under fire from the Opposition parties for "targeting" the youth activists, police also claimed that Nikita and Shantanu, who have given the investigators the slip so far, had a Zoom meeting on January 11 with pro-Khalistani outfit Poetic Justice Foundation when modalities for creating the toolkit for farmers' protest was finalised.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell) Prem Nath told reporters that Disha, who was arrested from Bengaluru, lawyer Nikita and an engineer Mallick "collaborated" to create the toolkit, which was an online guide on how to support the ongoing protest. The collaborative document was owned by Shantanu's email id.

Manishi Chandra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell), said the toolkit was a "carefully crafted" document, meant for circulation among a few people to guide them on which hashtag to be used on a particular day and who is to be followed.

"The document has a list to be followed, which included media houses, established fact-checkers and NGOs among others. There was one Peter Frederick also in the list. This person was under the Indian agencies' radar since 2006 for his links with Bhajan Singh Bhinder alias Iqbal Choudhary, a leading propagandist of K-2 desk (Kashmir desk of ISI)," Chandra said.

He said it is a matter of investigation whether the three people were in contact with Frederick. "Disha will tell us about this. We want to check why Frederick was put as a resource person and whether they have any direct connection with Bhinder," he said.

Prem Nath said search warrants were issued against Nikita on February 9 and two days later, searches were conducted at her residence in Mumbai. Two laptops and an iPhone were seized from her and a written undertaking was taken from her that she will join investigations the next day.

However, on February 12, he said, she fled from her house. Shantanu also could not be located at his residence in Maharashtra's Beed.

"We then acted against Disha, who had deleted a WhatsApp group meant to distribute the toolkit. She was arrested in the presence of her mother and the local Station House Officer. Due procedure was followed," Prem Nath said.

A senior Delhi Police official said Disha shared the document with Greta Thunberg through Telegram. There were hyperlinks in the toolkit and it was a private document to be distributed among select people. 

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News Network
November 26,2024

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Mangaluru: The coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are witnessing a fascinating weather pattern, with chilly early mornings giving way to dry, sweltering afternoons. Over the past two days, dense fog blanketed the rural landscapes, while urban centers like Mangaluru felt the stark contrast of brisk mornings and peak afternoon heat.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted that in rural areas, the morning chill caused temperatures to dip by one to two degrees Celsius below the seasonal norm, intensifying the fog. Monday saw Mangaluru recording a maximum temperature of 33.3°C and a minimum of 22.6°C, reflective of the sharp day-night variation.

While mornings painted a serene picture with mist-covered trees and a cool ambiance, the afternoons proved relentless, with temperatures soaring between 11 am and 3 pm, offering little respite. Currently, there are no signs of rainfall, with forecasts predicting the continuation of this dual weather pattern for the coming days.

Local residents have mixed feelings about this weather trend. Farmers in rural areas appreciate the cool mornings that ease early chores but express concerns over the dry afternoons, which may affect crop irrigation if the dry spell prolongs. In contrast, urban dwellers are enjoying the foggy mornings but brace for the scorching afternoons.

Meteorologists attribute the sudden chill to shifts in atmospheric pressure along the coast, a precursor to possible weather transitions in December. Whether this pattern persists or leads to unexpected changes remains to be seen, but the twin districts are clearly caught in nature's dramatic play of contrasts.

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News Network
November 14,2024

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday backed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his claim that the BJP had offered Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs in an attempt to "topple" the state government.

Addressing reporters here, Shivakumar, also the Congress state president, said, “The BJP indeed lured 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each.”

He defended Siddaramaiah’s statement and said the Congress MLAs were briefed about the BJP’s alleged 'Operation Lotus', a term used to describe the BJP's attempts to destabilise ruling governments through horse-trading.

“Some of our MLAs informed the Chief Minister about this matter, and he, in turn, shared it with the media,” Shivakumar said.

At an event in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah reiterated the claim that "none of the Congress MLAs had accepted the offer".

He also accused the BJP of filing false cases against him in a bid to "remove him and overthrow his government".

The BJP has yet to respond to the allegations.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement says its fighters have killed at least 20 Israeli soldiers in northern parts of the besieged Gaza Strip in just two days, in retaliation for the occupying regime’s genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.

In a statement on Monday evening, Hamas said that fighters of its military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, “killed at least five occupation soldiers” in northern parts of the coastal territory earlier in the day.

It added that Hamas fighters also killed 15 Israeli soldiers in the war-ravaged region on Sunday.

The resistance movement’s “qualitative operation … confirms once again the failure of the criminal Zionist entity to suppress and eradicate the Palestinian resistance, which continues to direct qualitative strikes against its terrorist soldiers,” Hamas further said on its Telegram channel.

Palestinians have increased their resistance operations in the face of intensified Israeli aggression in northern Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 over the past weeks.

“Our valiant resistance is waging a war of attrition with the criminal enemy, inflicting daily losses on its soldiers and vehicles, and all of [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s bets and dreams of achieving any of his goals are failing,” the Gaza-based resistance movement added.

Hamas also vowed that Israel’s ongoing crimes and aggression against Gaza would be met with increased resistance and painful strikes, which will continue until the aggression against Palestinians ends and the regime fully withdraws from the blockaded territory.

As the war in Gaza enters its 14th month, the Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks have killed at least 43,603 Palestinians and wounded 102,929 others.

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