Dadri like incident near Shimla

Suspected Bajrang Dal activists lynched a man from Uttar Pradesh at a village near Shimla because they suspected he was smuggling cattle, his relative has alleged. A seriously injured Noman was found by Himachal Pradesh Police on Wednesday morning inside a truck at Sarahan village near Nahan, and rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His relative Imran Asgar, who was travelling with him, said Noman was severely beaten up by Bajrang Dal activists after they stopped the truck carrying cattle. The four other occupants of the truck were booked under the Himachal Pradesh Cow Slaughter Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act after police found the truck was carrying cattle. Police also registered a case of murder under section 302 of the IPC and are investigating whether Bajrang Dal activists were behind the attack. The incident came three weeks after a 55-year-old man was lynched in Bisada village of Uttar Pradesh over rumours that he had slaughtered a cow on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

Row erupts over Haryana CM''s remark on Muslims and beef

A political row erupted today over Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's reported comments that Muslims can live in the country but will have to give up eating beef with Congress calling it unconstitutional and a "sad day" for India's democracy. As the remarks sparked an outrage, BJP dissociated itself from Khattar's views, calling it "wrong" and asserted this was not the party's stand while AAP demanded sacking of the Chief Minister. Khattar on his part sought to do damage control, saying his words have been distorted but he was ready to express regret if he has hurt the sentiments of people. "My words have been distorted. I never made such a statement. But if the sentiments of anyone have been hurt with my words, I am ready to express my regret," Khattar said. The Chief Minister's Advisor Jawahar Yadav said that Khattar never made such a statement in the interview given to Indian Express. "The Chief Minister has himself denied that he made such a statement. He did not say what has been published by a newspaper," he said. The newspaper later released an audio tape of Khattar's interview in which he's heard making the controversial statement. In the interview carried by the newspaper, Khattar had said, "Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef" because "cow is an article of faith here". Coming close on the heels of controversial statements made by a few BJP leaders over the lynching of a Muslim by villagers in Dadri over rumours that he had eaten and stored beef, Khattar's reported comments invited a backlash from the opposition parties. "Sad day for India's democracy! CM Khattarji will now decide qualifications for Indian citizenship. Is this new model of governance Modiji?" Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked, taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav attacked BJP, saying its leaders keep taunting Muslims and ask them to go to Pakistan but what will they do with people in northeast where beef is eaten? "They will have to understand that India is not Europe or China. It is a diverse country," he said. Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said Khattar's comments were unconstitutional and he had no right to continue as the chief minister. "The views expressed by Khattar are not that of the party. I will talk to him and will advise him. It is wrong to say like that," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told PTI, adding that it is not correct to link anyone's eating habits to religion. "This is not the BJP's position.... It is not correct to link eating habits to religion. People have to keep in mind the sentiments of others and eating is a personal choice of people," he said. Jawahar Yadav said the Chief Minister has himself denied that he made such a statement. "He did not say what has been published by a newspaper. The CM has said cow is a subject of faith for crores of people in the country. "Khattar had given an example of his recent visit to Mewat where Gau Shalas are being run by Muslims and where some people expressed views that Muslims should avoid eating beef," he said.

Nigerian arrested for fraud

A Nigerian national was arrested from Delhi for allegedly cheating a city-based man of Rs 75 lakh for delivering solvents (chemicals) which was used for washing "black" US Dollar currency notes, Cyberabad Police said today. Cyber Crime Police of Cyberabad arrested Nigerian national David Fletcher from Delhi on October 13 and brought him to Hyderabad on transit warrant, they said. David, along with other accused, allegedly cheated the complainant to deposit money of around Rs 75 lakhs in various bank accounts for the sale of solvents used in cleaning defaced US currency notes, a release from Cyberabad Police said. The victim lodged a complaint with police recently stating that in November 2013 he got an email and later a phone call from Delhi that there was a consignment to be delivered to his address. "The victim immediately went to Delhi to obtain the delivery of the consignment, a metal container, wherein it was stated that it contained USD 1 lakh and the victim paid Rs 1 lakh and brought the same to his home," police said. "He (victim) met one Mark in Delhi, who later met him in Hyderabad, and opened the container but found black bundles of papers. Mark informed him that they were not papers but USD currency notes," police said. "Mark later washed three notes with some solution and they appeared to be genuine US Dollar notes. He further promised the victim that he will send cleaning solution for 'De-blackening' of all the notes," police said. Later on the pretext of cleaning the defaced currency notes and several other reasons, including claiming to be FBI and police officers, the accused made the victim come to Delhi, Mumbai and Nagpur, and also made him deposit a sum of Rs 75 lakh in various bank accounts over the past few years, police said. After this, the victim's family members burnt all the black papers/defaced USD notes and boycotted him from his family. Later he lodged a complaint with police and during the course of investigation one Nigerian allegedly involved in the crime was arrested on October 13, the police release said. Further probe is on, police added.

WB youth arrested for terror plot in Hyderabad

A 28-year-old man from West Bengal has been arrested in Hyderabad for allegedly conspiring with a Pakistani national to start a madrasa for imparting terror training, Hyderabad Police said. The arrest yesterday of Alim-Ul-Islam Mandal, a labourer and native from Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal, follows the nabbing on August 14 this year of one Mohammed Nasir, a Pakistani national with alleged links to banned terror outfits HuJI and Indian Mujahideen (IM). Nasir allegedly was involved in facilitating illegal immigration from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Mandal's arrest comes amidst the continuation of the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Hyderabad Police in connection with the case of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar fraudulently obtaining Indian passports in Hyderabad, they said. As part of investigations, a team was deputed to Cherlapally jail here at regular intervals to keep a close vigil on persons coming to meet those arrested (during Mulaquaths) in this case as well as in other cases, police said. A SIT team at Cherlapally jail then apprehended Mandal when he came to the facility to meet Nasir, they said. Nasir and Mandal both worked at a blanket factory in Panipat and, along with some others, had decided to start a madrasa to impart jihadi training, police claimed. In a release here, Hyderabad Police stated that during interrogation, Nasir had said he, along with Mandal and another person, had conspired to open a madrasa to impart jihadi training. Mandal, therefore, came to Hyderabad to meet Nasir in order to chart out further plans for their unlawful activities, the release added. Police said that, earlier, along with Nasir, two Bangladeshis, one Myanmar national and two local agents -- Sohail Parvez Khan and Masood Ali Khan -- were also arrested. On August 20, four policemen were also suspended in connection with the case, they said. According to Hyderabad police, one Shaik Noor, a Bangladesh national and a wanted accused in the case was arrested from Delhi on August 21. Also, a native of Myanmar living in Zaheerabad town of Medak district in Telangana, Hashim alias Shaik Ameer, was picked up from Lingampally railway station here at around the same time in connection with the investigations.

Asad Owaisi responds on Haryana CMs controversial remark about beef : India is not RSS property. The country belongs to everyone living here.

'Modiji' losing Bihar, says Kejriwal

As the second phase of Bihar polls was underway, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today anticipated a victory for Nitish Kumar and claimed that the BJP, led by Narendra Modi, was all set to "badly" lose the elections. The AAP convenor said that incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will get another shot at power. Kejriwal has openly endorsed Kumar's candidature. "As per my information, Modiji is losing Bihar elections badly. Nitishji is winning the polls," Kejriwal tweeted. Kejriwal had extended full support to his Bihar counterpart's candidature at a conclave organised by the Delhi government in the capital in August. However, he did not campaign for the JD(U) in the ongoing polls. Making common cause against Modi, the duo also attacked him for announcing a Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for the election-bound state. AAP has had to walk a tightrope in supporting Nitish as his party JD(U) is part of a grand alliance of which Lalu Prasad-led RJD is also a part.

Pak family refused accommodation in Mumbai

A Pakistani family which arrived in Mumbai to visit the Haji Ali 'dargah' to pray for their mentally challenged son was refused accommodation by several hotels in the city following which they spent the night on a pavement. A sub-inspector of Railway Police Force (RPF) provided some succour to the family of around five members after they reached the Mumbai Central Railway Station on Wednesday but the family failed to find accommodation in any hotel or lodge, its senior inspector R K Arya said. On October 4, the Pakistani family had arrived in India on a 40-day visa. On Wednesday afternoon, they reached Mumbai Central Railway Station by Suryanagri Express from Jodhpur. Their ordeal began soon as they were refused accommodation by several lodges and hotels which they approached in South Mumbai. "The only reason for refusal by lodges and hotels was that they (hotels) didn't want to complete the formality of filling 'Form-C', which is to be submitted to a government department if people from outside the country come to the city on visa and stay in their lodges and hotels," said RPF sub-inspector Mahesh Chauhan, who helped the family in their time of distress. "They also said that the owners of the lodges and hotels told them that they were very small establishments and have no manpower to do the extra work of filling and submitting the Form-C," he said. After checking and verifying the family's documents, Chauhan took them to a cabin at Mumbai Central Police Station, located just outside the railway station, and told them to rest for sometime, besides offering them tea and snacks, Arya said. The family stayed near the police cabin till around 1-1.30 AM yesterday, Chauhan said. They spent rest of the time sitting on a pavement outside the railway station before heading back to Jodhpur. Due to their experience in the city, the family cut short its trip and left yesterday. The family members told Chauhan that they had arrived in the city to visit the Haji Ali dargah to pray for their 12-year-old son who was mentally challenged. They visited the dargah yesterday and later left for Jodhpur via Loksatti Express (from Bandra Terminus) by cancelling their earlier return tickets for October 18, the sub-inspector said.