Mondays with Manjul, July 26

Gujarat BJP Minority Morcha echoes Modi’s Mann Ki Baat

Modi and Muslims usually don’t go well together. The PM’s populist politics is accused of creating and elevating a Hindu majority out of a socially diverse population. This sort of nationalism often led to sidelining of Muslims and fueling communal hatred. In a twist of the tale, the Muslim community of Gujarat has a different […]

Four police officials and personnel were suspended in Chikhli custodial death

Four police officials and personal were suspended by the District Superintendent of Police, Navsari Hrishikesh Upadhyay in connection with custodial death of two 19-year-old vehicle theft suspects who died by suicide in Chikhli police Station premises during early morning hours of 22nd July 2021. Among the suspended are Inspector AR Wala of Chikhli Police station, Sub […]

Vastrapur professional gets duped of Rs 1.38 lacs via a matrimonial site

Riddhi (name changed to protect her identity), a 28-year-old professional working in a private company located in the Vastrapur area of the city as an administration officer, had her name registered on a matrimonial site, shaadi.com. On May 29, she got a call from one Vihan Mehta, who identified himself as a dentist practising in Amsterdam […]

Gujarat’s coastline: a haven for smugglers

In the entire country, especially the Western Coast, Gujarat was famous for its commercial activities. The coastline constituted the cream of the trade. The coastal region of Gujarat had a flourishing maritime trade that extended from Dwarka in the North, all the way to Chaul in the South. The porous border through Kutch and Saurashtra […]

Presence of Over 60 Women in Leaked List Highlights ‘Bodily Violation’ Posed by Spyware

 The telephone numbers of more than 60 women – homemakers, lawyers and school teachers, journalists, scientists, civil servants and even friends of politicians – figure in the leaked database of probable surveillance targets selected by an Indian agency that uses Pegasus spyware, a count by The Wire has established. The names of some of these women have […]

Minitruck bangs into five vehicles, seriously injuring a couple in Khokhra, Ahmedabad

In a freak accident which took place at about 9.15 am on July 25, that is Sunday morning a minitruck driver lost control over his vehicle while trying to save an old woman crossing Hatkeshwar Bridge in Khokhra area of the city and dashed against five vehicles. Sources said a couple commuting on a bike […]

Policemen and officials to face the law for flouting rules in Gujarat

The Gujarat traffic police division has issued a notification warning its own policemen and police officials to abide by the traffic norms. The traffic notification apparently mentions that it has come to their knowledge that some police personnel and officials are roaming on their vehicles without wearing helmets and without an HSRP number plate. The […]

Sweety murdered by police inspector husband Ajay Desai

In the case of the disappearance of Sweety Patel, 37, wife of Vadodara police inspector Ajay Desai. Ahmedabad Crime Branch revealed that it was Ajay Desai who killed his wife. The Crime Branch has solved the Sweety Patel case in a matter of few days. PI Desai was already a suspect in the case as […]

‘Somebody Has to Do the Dirty Work’: NSO Founders Defend Pegasus Spyware

It was a proposition that would change everything. Two 20-something Israeli entrepreneurs who had been running a small customer service start-up for mobile phones were at a client meeting in Europe in 2009 when they received a visit from law enforcement officials. The entrepreneurs’ first instinct was fear. Maybe they had done something wrong that […]

Two Covid waves later, govt caps price for 5 medical devices for affordable care

After nearly a year and half into the pandemic, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has capped the trade margin for five medical devices up to 70% on Price to Distributor (PTD) level.The trade margin has been capped on pulse oximeter, blood pressure monitoring machine, nebulizer digital thermometer and glucometer. The revised price has been […]

Heavy rainfall expected for next five days in Gujarat

The Gujarat Weather Forecast Department has forecast rains in different parts of Gujarat for the next 4 days from today. Normal to heavy rainfall is expected from 24 July to 27 July across state. In addition to rain, winds will blow in the Arabian Sea at a speed of 5-60 kmph so fishermen have been […]

Ravi Pujari turns don instead of cricketer

The Crime Branch inquiry has found that, recently arrested Don Ravi Pujari had a dream of becoming a cricketer since his childhood, but he took the path of crime going forward. According to the investigation, at the age of around 16, Ravi was caught into a husstle for playing cricket. At that time, a criminal […]

CBI conduct searches at 40 locations

CBI is today conducting searches at around 40 locations including at Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Rajouri, Anantnag, Baramullaa, Delhi at the official & residential premises of then public servants(including IAS Officers), around 20 Gun Houses etc. in an ongoing investigation of a case related to Arms licence racket. CBI had registered two cases on the request […]

1142 kg of marijuana from Orissa seized in Gujarat

The Special Operation Group of Gujarat Police seized 1142 kg of marijuana worth Rs. 1.14 crore without pass-permit from Palsana of Surat on Saturday. The name of the prime accused is Bikas Gowda, aged 19 and is arrested. Three other wanted accused from Orissa, other than Bikas, were also involved in the conspiracy. The above […]

Gujarat model of snooping, now replicated in the nation: Mahua Moitra

TMC MP Mahua Moitra today minced no words in slaying the Gujarat Model. With reference to Pegasus, the TMC MP said, “Snooping is Gujarat Model’s gift to India. In 2008-09 when Amit Shah was Home Minister, he called all the IPS officers to demonstrate spyware. This ‘Gujarat snooping model’, and now this Saheb wala snooping […]

Kashmir’s abandoned babies hit the headlines again

Late marriages and the lower status of girl children contribute to the problem, say experts On June 20, the two-minute video of famous Kashmiri Singer Ishfaq Kawa stormed the Internet. In the video, Kawa narrated the incident, filmed by his friend.   “We were walking on the banks of the Jhelum when we noticed something unusual. […]

A Conversation with UN Women’s Lopa Banerjee on Generation Equality

Generation Equality Forum Raises $40 billion – the Highest Ever for #GenderEquality On June 30, 40,000 people logged online to watch the three-day Generation Equality Forum in Paris, France. The global forum, a celebration of 25 years since the Beijing Declaration, has already managed to raise 40 billion – the highest ever for gender equality. […]

Sopore Encounter: Top LeT commander among 2 terrorists killed

Acting on specific information generated by Srinagar Police about the presence of terrorists in the village Warpora area of Sopore, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 22RR, and CRPF in the said area. During the search operation as the presence of terrorists got ascertained they were given repeated opportunities to surrender. […]

Top Cop Rakesh Asthana and Ex-CBI chief Alok Verma latest on the ‘snoop list’

New Delhi: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi acted to oust Alok Verma from his post as head of the Central Bureau of Investigation at midnight on October 23, 2018, an unidentified Indian agency known to be a user of Pegasus spyware made a note of three telephone numbers registered in his name. For India’s […]