
From the Urdu Press: ‘Will Govt compensate Mumbai 7/11 acquitted?', ‘HC's Tablighi Jamaat ruling vindicates community'
Highlighting the Bombay High Court's judgment quashing the 2015 verdict of a special court which had awarded death sentence to five accused and life imprisonment to seven others for the July 11, 2006, Mumbai train blasts – killing 189 commuters and injuring 824 – the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its July 22 editorial, points out that the high court ruled that the prosecution 'utterly failed' to establish the offences against the accused on each count. 'After being booked as accused in their youth, all these Muslim men had been languishing in various prisons for 19 years. Several questions arise after their acquittal. Could the prime years of their lives that they lost in incarceration be returned to these innocent men? They had been convicted for a crime that they did not do,' it says.
The edit underlines that these accused were subjected to physical and mental torture for a long period. 'Will the government rehabilitate or compensate them for the torture inflicted upon them? Will there be any compensation for the agony and hardship that their families went through for such a long time? However, the answers to these questions would be in the negative,' it says, adding that the acquitted men will have to pick up the pieces of their lives and try to put it together themselves, which will be an 'uphill task'.
Questioning whether the accountability of the officers who botched up investigations would be fixed, the daily also asks what happened to the 'real perpetrators' of this terror case. 'Why have the police and investigative agencies not succeeded in nabbing them and have not unearthed the truth? It is a question of their professional skills, credibility and impartiality. These agencies and the authorities concerned could not duck these questions and evade their accountability,' it says, adding that there cannot be a closure in this heinous case unless its perpetrators are brought to justice.
Commenting on the Delhi High Court's verdict quashing charges in 16 FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Delhi Police against 70 Indian citizens for allegedly accommodating foreign attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in mosques and their homes in March 2020 during the Covid pandemic, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its July 19 leader, writes that the court's ruling upheld truth and justice. The Tablighi Jamaat, a leading Muslim religious organisation, had held an international conclave at its Nizamuddin Markaz headquarters during March 13-15, 2020, days before prohibitory orders were issued and lockdown imposed by the government. The Tablighi Jamaat's attendees, including many foreign nationals, were booked by the police under various sections of the IPC, Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act for allegedly spreading Covid and violating the pandemic norms, the editorial notes, adding that the court's ruling has vindicated all the accused.
The daily says this entire episode has exposed a section of the media for propagating that the participants at the Muslim conclave aggravated the pandemic, with right-wing outfits also joining in to demand a crackdown against them. 'However, the accused displayed remarkable patience while facing trial in courts over the last five years,' the editorial states, adding that even Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Kandhlawi was targeted. It notes that the court ruled that no offence is made out against the accused. 'The community got justice but it was delayed. There should be action against the officials who booked so many people under false charges and tried to sensationalise the case,' the edit adds.
Referring to the coming Bihar Assembly polls, Siasat, in its July 19 editorial, says that while the leading contenders are attempting to consolidate their respective vote bases, some new players are also preparing to enter the fray this time, which include the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founded by Prashant Kishor. 'Kishor has already criss-crossed the entire state, planning to contest all the 243 Assembly seats. He had been a poll strategist, who worked with a slew of leading parties to help their campaigns in various elections, ranging from the BJP and Congress to the Nitish-led JD(U), Mamata Banerjee's TMC and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP,' it says, adding that a few years ago he had seemed to be engaged in talks with the Congress for a role, which fell through. 'Kishor then emerged on Bihar's political scene, undertook a statewide yatra, reached out to people, and even tried to lead a students' agitation in Patna. He also floated his party which is now set to make its debut in the Assembly polls.'
Kishor has announced that the JSP would not tie up with any party, the daily notes. 'His plunge into the Bihar polls may impact its outcome — it may benefit some parties or alliance and damage their rivals. He has acknowledged that his opponents call him a 'vote katua' (vote-cutter),' it states, adding that the polls would see a keen battle between the ruling NDA led by the BJP-JD(U) and the Mahagathbandhan led by the RJD-Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also launched his campaign in the state. 'The JSP may hurt the Mahagathbandhan by splitting the anti-NDA votes. After Nitish's 20-year-long tenure, anti-incumbency sentiments seem to be building up in the state. There is a perception in some quarters that Kishor's entry may dent the Opposition alliance's bid to oust the NDA from power,' the editorial says. 'It remains unclear at this stage how the Kishor factor would play out in the polls, but it would have a bearing on the prospects of both camps.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NDTV
11 minutes ago
- NDTV
Focus On Drugs-Free India, Ensure Better Coordination: Amit Shah To Agencies
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Eighth National Security Strategies Conference (NSSC) in New Delhi, marking the conclusion of the two-day meet on Kargil Vijay Diwas. Paying tribute to those who were killed in action in that conflict, the home minister also saluted the efforts of the armed forces and the Border Security Force during Operation Sindoor, calling it a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. The home minister said Operation Sindoor had sent a strong and clear message to the world about India's uncompromising stand against terror. "PM Modi, with his strong political will, once again demonstrated India's firm stance and resolve on the issue of national security," he said. He pointed out that India's economy is in the fourth position globally and, with its emergence as a key player in new and emerging technologies, green energy, and innovation, the security challenges before the nation would also multiply in the years to come. 'Security, Alertness, Coordination' In view of the evolving threats, the home minister called for better coordination among central and state agencies. He directed the formation of homogenous teams to develop, implement, and monitor security strategies effectively. He also stressed the importance of involving young police officers in each state to brainstorm and offer innovative solutions to national challenges. Referring to the three new criminal laws that recently came into force, the minister said the same seriousness with which Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and situations in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir were tackled must be shown in ensuring the effective implementation of these laws and in the fight against narcotics. He asked Directors General of Police across states to focus on the next three years as a mission period for a 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' (Drugs-Free India) and emphasised the need for going after drug cartels, securing the extradition of narco-offenders, and adopt a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach in anti-narcotics efforts. Push For Real-Time Data Sharing Mr Shah called for establishing a reliable ecosystem for real-time data sharing and directed all agencies to integrate databases like NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid), NIDAAN (National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco Offenders), iMoT (Integrated Monitoring of Terrorism) and CBI's fugitive database into their day-to-day operations. He instructed that these tools be made a core part of all police training programmes to ensure better tech-driven enforcement on the ground. Highlighting the role of police stations as the first point of intelligence gathering, he called for a platform to enable real-time information sharing up to the station level. Maritime Security Mr Shah also stressed the need for all-round development in LWE-affected areas and urged police forces to coordinate with state administrations to ensure the timely implementation of over 300 central and state schemes at the grassroots level. On maritime security, the home minister flagged concerns over infiltration and smuggling along India's long coastal borders and emphasised the capacity building of state police forces to secure smaller seaports and prevent illegal activity. 'Excellence And Competition' Calling the internal security situation dynamic due to India's complex geopolitical neighbourhood, the home minister said the motto of " Suraksha, Sajagta, Samanvay" (Security, Alertness, Coordination) must become the guiding principle of all agencies. He urged the police leadership to strive for excellence, protect the life, property and dignity of every citizen, and nurture healthy competition in addressing internal security challenges. Mr Shah said the next five to ten years would be critical for India's security and development, and underlined that the Modi government has already resolved numerous issues scattered across states. He ended his address with a call for habitual alertness and a security-first mindset, saying these must now become an integral part of India's policing framework.


Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
MACT orders 1.8 cr payout to accident victims' kin
Mumbai: A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has ordered a payout of over Rs 1.4 crore to the family of Mulund-based marketing manager Mehul Thakkar, who died in a car crash in June 2019. The family of another deceased victim, Harshida Davda, will receive around Rs 38 lakh, and Davda's husband, Bharat Davda, was also awarded compensation of around Rs 4.5 lakh for the injuries suffered in the same accident. MACT ruled that Bhauben Thakkar, owner of the vehicle involved, and her insurance company, Reliance General Ins Co Ltd, must jointly pay the compensation. Mehul's wife, who was in the car too, deposed before the tribunal. A criminal case was also registered against the driver for causing death by negligence. The company initially disputed the claim, arguing that the accident didn't happen as described, and that the driver wasn't negligent or didn't have a valid license. "The company has not challenged the chargesheet and there is no substance in the contention raised by the company proving that the driver of the offending vehicle was rash driving at a high speed and was solely responsible for the accident." the tribunal said. Considering the victims' age at the time of death, MACT included their potential future earnings and the family's financial losses due to untimely death for compensation. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai


News18
36 minutes ago
- News18
MoS Margherita says India, South Africa relations based on mutual trust
Last Updated: Johannesburg, Jul 26 (PTI) 'Relations between India and South Africa are based on shared history, mutual trust and goodwill," said Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita in South Africa on Saturday. 'India's engagement with Africa, including South Africa, is guided by the principles of Prime Minister Modi. Our engagement with Africa is not transitional; it is transformational," he said while addressing a gathering of Assamese expatriates and Indian-origin South Africans here. Margherita said that India regards its diaspora as one of its greatest assets while seeking their support 'to strengthen the India-South Africa relationships." He urged the diaspora to continue to launch new ventures, initiate joint projects, create more jobs and explore new markets together in India, South Africa and beyond. Margherita wrapped up his 10-day visit to three southern African countries–Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa–on Saturday and left for Dubai. Earlier this week, Margherita participated in the 4th meeting of the G20 Development Working Group, held in the iconic Kruger National Park, hosted by South Africa, which currently holds the G20 Presidency. PTI FH RD RD RD Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.