Shahabaz murder: Chargesheet filed against six students
The police have submitted chargesheet against six suspects in the Shahabaz murder case after a two-month long probe into the incident. The 205-page chargesheet was submitted before the Juvenile Justice Board last week with the detailed statements of 106 witnesses.
The suspected students had already been charged under sections 103 (1), 118 (2), 126 (2), 189 (2), 191 (2), 191 (3) and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Three among the unlicensed riders had also been charged under various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Though the police succeeded in gathering strong incriminating evidence against the six, including CCTV visuals from multiple spots and mobile phone messages, the recovery of deleted messages from various social media platforms was crucial to prove the conspiracy charges. Police sources revealed that they were yet to get any reply from Meta platform to the queries submitted as part of the investigation.
It was on March 1 that the minor student succumbed to the grave head injuries he had sustained during a clash between students at Thamarassery in Kozhikode. The assault stemmed from a minor argument between the students of two schools who used to gather for tuitions at a local training centre at Thamarassery.
The root of the clash was an argument over the stopping of music during a farewell party at the tuition centre attended by students from the Muhammedali Jauhar higher secondary School, Elettil and the Government Higher secondary school, Thamarassery on February 23.
The grave physical assault took place on February 27 near the tuition centre which caused a fatal head injury to Shahabaz. Later, six suspected students were nabbed by the Thamarassery police. The police were also able to gather evidence against the suspects' involvement in an online conspiracy against the victim and the other preparations made to endanger him.
The students who were later sent to the Juvenile Home in Kozhikode city had been denied bail. However, they had been permitted to write the SSLC examinations. Their results which were initially withheld by the Department of Education were released following the intervention of the Kerala High Court.
Their bail application would be considered again by the Kerala High Court on June 1.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
9 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Bodies of woman, two sons found in Pune: family member held for murder
Two days after the bodies of a woman and her two children were found in a partially burnt condition near the Pune- Ahilyanagar Highway in Shirur taluka, the Pune Rural Police Saturday arrested her family member for allegedly murdering them. The woman identified as Swati Keshav Sonawane (25) and her sons Swaraj (2) and Viraj (1) were found murdered around 11 am on May 25 in Ranjangaon town. The arrested accused was identified as Gorakh Popat Bokhare (36), police said, adding that he was in a relationship with the woman. Police said Swati wanted to marry Gorakh, but he allegedly refused and killed her along with two sons. The accused was remanded in police custody till June 11 for further investigation. After the bodies were found on May 25, the initial probe and the autopsy revealed they were murdered before being set on fire to destroy the evidence. Accordingly, an FIR was lodged at the Ranjangaon MIDC police station under sections 103 (1), 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said on the front of the right hand of the woman, there was a tattoo of a heart shape followed by a heartbeat sign in the form of an ECG line, followed by words 'mom' and 'dad' in English. The right hand also had the words 'Jai Bhim' written in Marathi. On the back side of right hand there was a tattoo of the name 'Kartik' in Marathi, in addition to two heart signs with letters 'R' and 'S' written in those hearts and the name 'Rajratan' in English. Also, on her left hand there is a tattoo of a floral design. Seven police teams were formed to identify the deceased and their killer. There was no CCTV close to the spot where the bodies were found. But police checked videos from over 250 CCTVs from Wagholi in Pune to Rahuri in Ahilya Nagar district. Sandeep Singh Gill, Superintendent of Pune rural police, then formed 27 teams coordinated by inspector Avinash Shilimkar of local crime branch and inspector Mahadev Waghmode of Ranjangaon police station for probing this case. Information about missing persons cases was gathered from all districts and cities. Police then came across a missing woman report filed at Majalgaon police station in Beed district on May 9. Police said the description of the missing woman from Beed matched the body found at Ranjangaon. This led the police to identify the deceased woman as Swati Sonawane of Waghora village in Majalgaon, Beed. Investigation revealed that Swati had a dispute with her husband, who worked as a worker at a private place. She left her husband and went to her maternal house in Pune's Alandi along with her sons Swaraj and Viraj. Further probe revealed that Swati and her sons went along with her relative Gorakh Bokhare on a motorcycle around 9 pm on May 23 and then did not return. Police said Swati's parents working as labourers in Alandi were not aware of her location. Police then traced Gorakh, a native of Shrigonda in Ahilyanagar, currently residing at Saradwadi village in Shirur taluka. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted his involvement in the triple murder, police said. Probe revealed that Swati's sister is married to Gorakh's brother. Being family members, they knew each other. Police said when Swati and her husband had quarrels, Gorakh used to mediate and solve it. But in the meantime, Swati and Gorakh developed a relationship. Police said Swati asked Gorakh to marry her. But Gorakh was already married and had two children. So he refused to marry Swati and when she started insisting, he allegedly decided to kill her, police said. Accordingly, on May 23, he allegedly took Swati and her sons with him on a motorcycle from Alandi to Ranjangaon in the night hours. He allegedly murdered Swati and the two boys by strangulation, then stoned their faces and burnt their bodies with petrol for destroying evidence, stated a press release issued on Saturday. 'Gorakh worked as a driver on a private vehicle. He hails from Ahilyanagar, but had shifted to Shirur a few years before,' said Sandeep Singh Gill, during a press conference.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Kota: Principal, hostel warden among 4 booked for MBBS student's alleged suicide
Jaipur: The Kota police in Rajasthan on Saturday lodged a first information report (FIR) against the principal, and hostel warden along with two other students of the Kota Government Medical College in connection with the alleged death by suicide of a 28-year-old medical student on March 5, said officials. The station house officer (SHO) of Mahaveer Nagar police station, Ramesh Kabia, said, 'The FIR was based on a direction by the SC/ST Commission last week. We have lodged the report against the principal of the college, the hostel warden, and two other students for falsely implicating the victim in a case of copying during an exam last year and then barring him from the future exams, which caused significant mental stress on him that led the student to take the extreme step. The victim's family also alleged that it is possible that their son was murdered planfully by the accused. We are probing the matter.' According to the officials, the victim, a native of Jaipur's Bassi, was found dead at his hostel room in the college campus on March 5. 'He was a third-year student in the college at the time of death. A suicide note was also found from his belongings in which he stated that he had no reason to live as he failed to fulfil his parents' dreams.' Kabia further added: 'Prima facie, he was found copying in an exam in 2023 after which the college administration barred him from appearing in the future exams. Despite several requests, the administration declined to withdraw the order. The victim's father, in his primary report on March 19, alleged that his son was falsely accused of copying in the exam. The administration's approach had caused severe mental stress on him but the college still refused to listen to him.' 'His father also alleged that he suspects it could be a planned murder as there were injury marks on his body. However, police have not found anything in the autopsy report so far. We are checking the CCTV footage and will also question the accused regarding the matter,' said Kabia. The latest FIR was lodged against the college principal Sangeeta Saxena, the then-hostel warden Nilesh Jain, and two of the victim's classmates Adarsh Foujdar and Sandeep Man under section 102 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and necessary sections of SC/ST Act. Commenting on the case, Principal Saxena said, 'I have never met the boy and his family before. I had a word with our exam supervisors and members of the academic council who informed me that he was found copying from the phone and was barred from appearing in any exam. He was at home only after that incident. He arrived in the college only four days before his death.' She further added: 'It is surprising how my name appeared in this case. The warden Jain informed me about the suicide incident. I called the police. They recovered the body from the room. It is a suicide case only.' -------------------------------------------------- If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Congress leader Rajesh Soni arrested for Facebook posts on Operation Sindoor, booked under new BNS law
Rajesh Soni, general secretary of Gujarat Congress, was arrested for Facebook posts allegedly undermining India's military morale during Operation Sindoor. The posts featured Prime Minister Modi in a pilot's uniform and claimed the government had surrendered, prompting charges under newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) laws. The police argue the content risked India's sovereignty and soldier morale. Congress leaders strongly opposed the arrest, stating Soni intended to highlight the need for proper recognition of soldiers, not criticise their efforts. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What the police say sparked the arrest Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What the charges actually mean Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Rajesh Soni, a senior Congress leader in Gujarat, was arrested early Friday by the state's Cyber Crime Cell over a pair of Facebook posts that police allege endangered national morale and spread misinformation about a major military posts were related to Operation Sindoor, an ongoing mission by the Indian armed forces targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Soni now faces charges under two sections of the recently enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—sections 152 and 353(1)(a).The FIR, filed by the CID Cyber Crime team on Thursday, cited two Facebook posts made by of them depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing a fighter pilot uniform in a poster-like image. In another, Soni allegedly claimed that 'the Indian government surrendered during the operation,' an accusation the police say could undermine both the mission and the morale of troops deployed on the of Police (CID-Cyber Crime), Bharatsinh Tank, said, 'Soni was accused of breaking defence personnel's morale and putting India's sovereignty in danger through misleading posts on Facebook.'Tank went on to say, 'We arrested Soni for his posts which could break the armed forces' morale and send a wrong message to soldiers that their contribution and sacrifice on the battlefield will go in vain.'Soni has been charged under Section 152 of the BNS, which deals with acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India. This section carries serious consequences, including up to life imprisonment or a minimum of seven years' jail, plus a second charge—Section 353(1)(a)—relates to statements that could incite public mischief. This legal provision, too, has teeth and signals the government's intent to regulate what it views as provocative or destabilising online behaviour, especially during military arrest did not go unnoticed by Soni's party after news broke, several Congress leaders gathered at the CID's office in Gandhinagar in protest. Leading the charge was Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil, who described the police action as disproportionate and politically said, 'He only tried to highlight that soldiers need to get their due credit instead of the govt spending taxpayers' money on publicity.'He also accused the authorities of cracking down on free expression at a time when the nation should be focusing on supporting its armed forces, not silencing Sindoor has become a national talking point in recent weeks. The Indian military launched the mission with the stated goal of eliminating terror infrastructure in Pakistani territory and PoK. It has been projected by the government as a demonstration of India's zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border the operation has also sparked debates over public narrative management. As the conflict plays out on the ground, its portrayal in digital spaces has become sensitive—especially with a politically charged environment and general elections in government's actions suggest it sees misinformation as a direct threat to the morale of soldiers and the success of such operations. At the same time, critics argue that there is a thin line between national interest and political convenience when it comes to controlling arrest under the new BNS framework could mark a pivotal moment in how India enforces online accountability. It raises difficult questions: Where does one draw the line between political critique and disinformation? Who decides whether a post is morale-breaking or simply provocative?For now, Rajesh Soni remains in custody, his party defiant, and the legal system gearing up for what may become a high-profile case on digital speech and national security.(With inputs from TOI)
