Indore Congress leader asks councillor named in 'love jihad' finance case to surrender
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Koppal gears up for bandh following youth's murder
Koppal: A large-scale protest is scheduled in the city on Aug 8, condemning the murder of 26-yr-old Gavisiddappa Nayak, reportedly killed for being in love with a Muslim woman. The demonstration aims to be secular and non-partisan in its approach. All Karnataka Valmiki Nayak Mahasabha district committee held a preliminary meeting at Valmiki Bhavan on Wednesday to plan the protest. They decided to ensure large-scale participation from the community across district while maintaining a firm secular stance. Former minister B Sriramulu has been invited to join the protest, who confirmed his attendance during the meeting. He urged supporters to join the event, emphasising its importance in sending a clear message for justice. He promised support until those responsible for the murder face appropriate legal consequences and advocated measures to prevent future incidents of this nature. Several Hindu organisations have expressed solidarity with the Valmiki community's initiative, strongly denouncing the murder and declaring support for a district-wide bandh on Aug 8 (Friday). Meanwhile, progressive group leaders have appealed for calm and warned against actions that could escalate communal tension. Prof Allaprabhu Bettadur emphasised the need for compensation and land allocation to Gavisiddappa's family, citing their lack of land ownership. While advocating a thorough investigation—including the involvement of the young woman—Bettadur recommended avoiding narratives that might disrupt social harmony. SP Ram L Arasiddi said that police detained four individuals connected to the murder, including the primary suspect, Sadik Kolkar. "The other individuals arrested are Gesudaraj Patel, Nizamuddin, and Mehboob Sikkalgar. The investigation is ongoing," he stated. Tangadagi meeting District minister Shivaraj Tangadagi convened a meeting on Wednesday with Koppal MLA K Raghavendra Hitnal to review the situation. He assured justice for Nayak's family and visited them to express condolences. He described the incident tragic and stressed the govt's commitment to taking swift and serious action. The minister noted that key suspects were arrested and pledged full accountability. While addressing calls for protests, he reiterated the need to prioritise support for the grieving family. Tangadagi also stated that the woman allegedly involved would be questioned if required, and assured that there has been no political interference in the investigation thus far. Responding to local concerns over reports of prime accused Sadiq's alleged ganja consumption, Tangadagi directed police to crack down on such drug-related issues in Gangavathi and Koppal. As part of govt relief efforts, Tangadagi provided an initial compensation of Rs 4,12,500 to Gavisiddppa's parents under the SC/ST social welfare provisions. He confirmed that the total relief package would amount to Rs 8,25,000.
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Fighting hate and other poisons
The Karnataka government has issued a 25-point Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in response to two alarming cases of water poisoning in government schools, one in Belagavi and another in Shivamogga. While both incidents raise grave concerns about child safety, the Belagavi incident is particularly sinister. Here, several students were hospitalised after a drinking water tank was poisoned in a communal plot to malign the school's Muslim headmaster and engineer his transfer. The three accused, including Sri Ram Sene leader Sagar Patil, have been remanded to judicial fact that children were targeted to further a hate-driven agenda exposes the grotesque extremes of religious fundamentalism. That the perpetrators believed they could act with such brazenness speaks of a deeper malaise: the normalisation of bigotry in politics. It is indeed concerning that when political ideologies turn into blind hatred, even innocent children are not spared. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has rightly questioned if Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik or BJP leaders like B Y Vijayendra and R Ashoka would take responsibility for the incident. Yet, the BJP's silence has been deafening – no condemnation, no demand for a probe, no outrage. When children's lives are endangered, selective outrage is not just hypocrisy; it is government's SOP is a welcome and necessary step. Headmasters are now required to inspect school premises before classes begin, check for contamination or odour in water, and ensure water tanks are locked. Lavatories must be kept clean, first-aid kits must be maintained, and inspection details updated daily on the Students' Achievement Tracking System (SATS) portal. The Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), Block Education Officers (BEOs), and nodal officers are required to conduct regular checks. But this is not enough; the SOP will remain only on paper unless senior officers face consequences for lapses. Children should never be collateral damage in someone else's war; their lives should not be compromised, whether by poisoning, prejudice, or poor hygiene. However, the larger battle is against the ideological poison that has enabled this crime. The Belagavi incident cannot be seen as merely criminal. The accused should be prosecuted under the harshest laws. But beyond the courtroom, society must confront the hatred that fuels such violence. Politicians who stoke division, fringe groups that act with impunity, and citizens who remain indifferent are all to blame. The choice before us is clear: stand together and resist this toxic agenda or remain passive as hatred corrodes the very fabric of our society.
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Quranic justice is restorative, not retributive
The case of the Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen has spotlighted the legal and moral complexities of retributive justice in Muslim countries. Nimisha has been in prison since 2017 for the murder of her business associate, Talal Abdo Mahdi. While the Houthi Supreme Political Council dismissed her appeal in November 2023, the appeal court left open a path to clemency through the payment of blood money (diyah) to the victim's family, as provided for under Shariah law. The concept of diyah finds mention in verse 4:92 of the Quran, which states that in cases when a believer kills another believer by mistake (khata'an), then, as compensation, the killer must free a believing slave, and also pay blood-money (diyah) to the family of the slain. The Quran also talks about legal retribution (qisaas) for murder and violent assault as a life-preserving deterrent (lakum fil qisaasi hayaatun) to curb criminal behaviour. (2:178-179 & 194, 5:45) Restorative approach It is essential to recognise that many of the Quranic injunctions concerning homicide and bodily harm were not retributive — they were fundamentally restorative. Legal retribution (lex talionis) and compensation for murder and bodily harm had existed centuries before the advent of Islam. The Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible upheld capital punishment for intentional murder, exile for unintentional homicide, and either financial compensation or retaliatory injury for physical harm (Exodus 21:12-36). Similar provisions are found in even earlier laws, such as the Sumerian and Babylonian codes. In Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, Martha Roth cites an edict from the Hittite Kingdom (1650–1180 BCE), which stipulates that in cases of murder, the decision regarding the offender's fate rested solely with the victim's heir. The Quran made a reformative switch from this sort of retributive punishment to restorative justice, inviting all those impacted by an offence to jointly determine how best to address its consequences and shape future relations. In 2:178, it asked the legal heirs of the victim to pardon (faman ufiya lahu) the killer, even while instructing the killer to offer fair compensation to the family out of sincere gratitude. The same message is repeated in 5:45 with a compassionate appeal to the victim's family: 'If anyone remits the retaliation by way of generosity, it would be an act of atonement (kaffaara) for him.' What is remarkable about this exhortation is its paradigm shift from retribution to the spiritual healing of the aggrieved party. It introduces a mechanism that not only fosters genuine remorse in the offender but also promotes social harmony and quiet dignity among all parties involved. This is in keeping with the Quran's moral dictum (in 64:14) that God is forgiving and merciful to those who 'pardon, overlook and forgive' (in ta'fu wa tasfahu was taghfiru). The prophet echoed this in a hadith found in Abu Dawud, encouraging Muslims to practice mercy on 'earth' so that mercy may be shown to them from 'the heavens'. Implications for Nimisha It may be noted that the Quran's appeal to give up retaliation pertains to intentional murder. For non-premeditated killing without malice aforethought (qatl khata'), the Quran prescribes only blood money, not a retaliatory death penalty, as stated in 4:92 above. This carries serious implications for Nimisha. If, as reported, she did not sedate Mahdi with the intent to kill him — and this can be proven — then, under the Quranic injunctions in 4:92, his family would not have the right to demand the death penalty. Media reports suggest that Nimisha administered the sedative only to retrieve her passport, which Mahdi had allegedly confiscated unlawfully, and that his death was the result of an accidental overdose. Besides, if Mahdi had previously served time for criminal offences, as alleged, the claim of his complete innocence is open to challenge. Therefore, for justice to be served in Nimisha's case, the Quranic law must prevail. However, what reigns in most Muslim societies in its name is sectarian jurisprudence, which views Islam not as a moral order in which justice and rational logic are intrinsic, but a dogmatic 'religion' defined and dominated by male authority. This internal subversion coincided with the rise of post-Prophetic schools of religious thought during the height of Muslim imperial expansion, when a convenient alliance developed between theologians and the ruling elite: rulers sought religious legitimacy for their authoritarian regimes, while theologians wanted the latitude to impose patriarchal structures. It was the consolidation of this power dynamic that brought about Islam's shift from Quranic deen — a rational, justice-oriented ethical framework — to mazhab - a rigid, clerically dominated theology. Consequently, Islam ceased to be what is plainly stated in the Arabic text of the Quran and the Prophetic understanding of it. This structural transformation remains one of the most significant and unresolved crises in Muslim history, reshaping the course of Islamic thought. Nowhere is this more evident than in criminal law, which often paints Islam as a harsh faith. If Muslim theologians truly believe in the Quran's opening statement that the Islamic god is 'most Gracious' (Al-Rahman) and 'most Merciful' (Al-Raheem), then they must allow the merciful deen of Islam to prevail over their rigid juristic schools. A. Faizur Rahman is Secretary-General of the Chennai-based Islamic Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought. E-mail: themoderates2020@ X: @FaizEngineer
