Terror accused Purohit turns hostile, denies meeting Aseemanand

News Network
February 15, 2018

Hyderabad, Feb 15: Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Rao Purohit, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon terror attack case and a National Investigation Agency (NIA) witness in the 2007 Makkah Masjid terror attack case, turned hostile on Wednesday.

Purohit appeared before the fourth additional metropolitan sessions judge-cum-special court for NIA cases amid tight army security. He was cross-examined by the NIA counsel, before the prosecution declared him a "hostile witness".

While deposing before the court, he denied knowledge of the Makkah Masjid blast or any investigating agency recording his statement as a witness in the case. The reinstated officer denied meeting Swami Aseemanand alias Nabakumar Sarkar, the prime accused in the Makkah Masjid blast case, and spoke about Sunil Joshi, who was responsible for the bomb blast at Ajmer Dargah.

Around 1.25pm on May 18, 2007, a bomb blast on the Makkah Masjid premises during Friday prayers had killed nine people and wounded 58.

Prior to handing over the investigation of the Makkah Masjid blast case to NIA in 2007, the CBI, which had filed a chargesheet against the arrested culprits, had cited Purohit as prosecution witness number 106 and said he would prove that Aseemanand had called him on December 29, 2007 and told him that Sunil Joshi was murdered and was "apna banda". NIA had abated the action against Sunil Joshi, since he had died.

Purohit, deposing before the court, said he had served in the counter-intelligence cell of the Indian Army and met several people, but did not have any knowledge about the accused allegedly involved in the Makkah Masjid blast case.

The officer also disowned the 'Abhinav Bharat Trust' and told the court that he never founded it. Purohit, however, said he knew Ajay Rahirkar and Kulkarni, accused in the Malegaon-II bomb blast case.

He told the court that his stand before the Supreme Court was without any prior inquiry he was detained in jail for nine years. In August 2017, the SC had granted Purohit bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

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News Network
November 19,2024

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News Network
November 21,2024

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Prominent NRI community leader SM Syed Khalilur Rehman, fondly known as CA Khalil, passed away in Dubai on Thursday at the age of 86 after a brief illness.

Khalil had been admitted to Aster Hospital in Mankhool on Tuesday after experiencing severe leg weakness. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, he succumbed to a double heart attack that worsened his condition, his son Rais Ahmed confirmed.

The news of his passing has sent waves of grief across communities, particularly in his hometown of Bhatkal, Karnataka, where he was a celebrated figure. Tributes have been pouring in on social media, highlighting his significant contributions to international trade, social service, and education.

A Legacy of Leadership and Service

A chartered accountant by profession, Khalil was a founding member of the Dubai chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), where he served as chairman from 1987 to 1994. His illustrious career included key leadership roles, such as general manager of Khaleej Times, group executive director of the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group, and vice-chairman of the Jashanmal Group of Companies.

He also chaired Maadhyama Communications and Sahil Online, a web-based news platform, and was a director and trustee of several media companies and charitable organisations in Dubai and India.

A Champion for Education and Philanthropy

Khalil’s impact extended far beyond his professional achievements. As president and general secretary of Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen, he played a pivotal role in the development of educational institutions, including schools and colleges in Bhatkal and surrounding areas. His dedication to social upliftment earned him recognition from the Government of Karnataka, which honoured him with a prestigious award for his philanthropic contributions.

A Life Celebrated

The Bhatkal Muslim Khaleej Council (BMKC) recently released a documentary celebrating Khalil’s remarkable life and service to the community—a testament to his enduring legacy.

CA Khalil is survived by his family and countless admirers across the globe. His passing marks the end of an era for Indian expatriates in the UAE and beyond, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, generosity, and commitment to community service.

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News Network
November 21,2024

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Hamas says the Israeli regime’s sole objective lies in “erasing” the entirety of the Palestinian population from across the Palestinian territories.

Khalil al-Hayya, a ranking official with the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance movement, made the remarks to the Palestinian al-Aqsa TV on Wednesday.

“The occupation targets everyone—it strikes hospitals, civil defense, women, children, and the elderly,” he said, adding that the regime sought to “empty Gaza of its residents, and displace the Palestinian people to fulfill its dreams of building a Zionist Jewish state across all of Palestine.”

The remarks came amid the regime’s October 2023-present war of genocide on the coastal sliver that has so far claimed the lives of nearly 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

“This unprecedented aggression in modern times evokes scenes from the dark ages of human history, having crossed all red lines and exceeded every expectation of brutality in the modern era,” the Palestinian official lamented.

He also regretted that the regime had added “systematic and dangerous starvation to its aggression, falsely claiming before the world that it allows 250 [aid] trucks into Gaza daily. In reality, the number of trucks is far fewer.”

Hayya, meanwhile, regretted that “scenes of children torn apart, women screaming over their children, and heart-wrenching destruction have failed to stir enough humanity to stop these crimes.”

He decried the United States for vetoing the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions that are aimed at bringing about a potential ceasefire in the war, saying this indicated Washington’s “partnership in the aggression” and a simultaneous siege that the Israeli regime has been enforcing on Gaza.

Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official asserted that, despite what the Israeli official is after, Hamas would not hand over the regime’s captives “without [the regime’s] stopping the war.”

He called Netanyahu “the main obstacle” in the way of cessation of the aggression, saying the Israeli premier “blocks any progress for political reasons,” and citing his preventing conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in July.

Hayya also warned that the regime sought to expand the war beyond Gaza, but asserted that its goals are “impossible and will never happen.”

“Today, the enemy exposes its true intentions of extermination and displacement, but it will fail,” he stressed.

“The Palestinian people are resilient and will not surrender, as they believe in their humanitarian and political cause. The enemy and its allies will not succeed in achieving their goals. This steadfast people will endure, and the occupation will not prevail against them.”

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