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Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Monsoon mayhem in Mumbai
Good morning, Yesterday, we discussed the monsoon onset in Maharashtra, which occurred two weeks ahead of schedule and was the earliest in at least 75 years. My colleague Nayonika Bose dug deeper and discovered that a phenomenon called the 'Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)' is one of the reasons behind this early onset. Zoom in: MJO is a complex, moving system of winds, clouds, and pressure originating in the Indian Ocean. These wind bands can travel around the world in 30 to 60 days, influencing weather patterns along the way. When they move over India, they can amplify monsoon rainfall. This time, they were accompanied by a strong cross-equatorial flow that added extra moisture. This early monsoon isn't limited to Maharashtra. It reached Kerala on May 24—eight days ahead of schedule—marking an early onset across the subcontinent. Anjali Marar breaks down the complete picture of what led to this rare event. Rain fury: The first deluge brought 200 mm of rainfall to parts of the maximum city. The infrastructure crumbled under the heavy downpour, severely waterlogging roads and at an underground metro station. Walls collapsed and trees fell across the city, disrupting everyday life. The weather department has issued a red alert warning of extremely heavy rainfall for Mumbai and neighbouring Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri districts. What went wrong? The monsoon's premature arrival caught Mumbai off guard. The deadline for completing essential pre-monsoon tasks, including road repairs and drain cleaning, is usually June 1, meaning they were unfinished when the monsoon arrived. My colleague Pratip Acharya points to the key factors that paralysed Mumbai: non-functional dewatering pumps, incomplete desilting work, and dug-up roads. Mind the enemy: In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian defence forces launched a meticulously planned mission, Operation Sindoor, that broke new ground on several fronts. All three services came together for a coordinated strike deep inside Pakistan for the first time. However, the real game-changer lay in the planning, featuring a new strategic approach called 'red teaming.' This involves bringing in a select group of experts who think like the enemy. They critically analyse the plan and simulate enemy reactions, stress-testing every detail. Intrigued? Read on. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his cabinet have decided to meet at a resort in Pahalgam, the site of the April 22 terror attack. They aim to instil confidence and encourage tourists to return to Kashmir. Order, order: In five murder cases linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, the police relied heavily on the chats from a WhatsApp group, Kattar Hindu Ekta, to file chargesheets against 12 accused. On Monday, a Delhi court ruled that WhatsApp chats cannot be 'substantive evidence.' Housing woes: BSP supremo Mayawati has vacated her Lutyens' Delhi bungalow, citing security concerns. While the top leadership has remained tight-lipped on the matter, a senior party functionary stated that vehicles needed for Mayawati's security were causing inconvenience for a nearby school. Linked: Mizoram has become the fourth Northeastern state with its capital, Aizawl, connected to the national railway network. Earlier this month, Indian Railways completed a successful trial run for the new Bairabi-Sairang line. Boundaries: Former Chief of Army Staff, V P Malik, reflects on the parallels between India's Operation Vijay during the 1999 Kargil War and the recent Operation Sindoor. He writes about how India remained composed in both instances and made its point without escalation. Prison break: Nothing could have prepared the Jaipur Police for what they witnessed after receiving a tip-off about a 'jail break.' The scenes unfolded in a city hotel, where some policemen lounged in the lobby while jail inmates met their spouses and partners in the rooms above. These inmates, facing serious charges ranging from sexual assault to murder, were allowed to roam freely around the city. While two of them were found in hotel rooms, two others were discovered eating poha. Wild, right? My colleague Parul Kulshrestha has more details. She's witty, formidable, and the OG roastmaster of Indian television! I leave you with this refreshing take on Maya Sarabhai, the cutthroat matriarch of the hit TV series, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, and why Gen Z has claimed her as one of their own. This is the first article from our latest venture, 'Fresh Take', which puts the lens on pop culture, digging deeper and asking pertinent questions. Watch this space for more! 🎧 Before you go, tune in to today's episode of the '3 Things' podcast, where we discuss the rebalancing of troops at the border, the floods in Bengaluru and the removal of a High Court judge. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Indian Express
WhatsApp chats can't be substantive evidence: Court in 5 murder cases linked to 2020 Delhi riots
WhatsApp chats cannot be 'substantive evidence', a Delhi court has ruled in five murder cases lodged during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. It ruled that these chats can at best be used as 'a corroborative piece of evidence'. In all five cases, where the 12 accused are common, the prosecution had relied heavily on WhatsApp chats as evidence. These are among nine cases filed in connection with the murder of nine men, whose bodies were recovered a week after the riots. Of the remaining four cases, one has ended in acquittal, and three are at the stage of final arguments and statements of the accused. A total of 53 people died and over 500 were injured in the riots. In all five cases, the Delhi Police primarily relied on the chats of a WhatsApp group named 'Kattar Hindu Ekta'; multiple chargesheets filed by the police also named this group. According to the chargesheet, one of the accused, Lokesh Solanki, allegedly wrote on the WhatsApp group: 'Your brother has killed 2 Muslim men at 9 o'clock.' Solanki's questioning had led to the arrest of other persons, who were eventually accused of the nine murders. Acquitting the accused, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Court noted in all five orders: 'Such posts may be put in the group solely with the intention of becoming a hero in the estimation of other members of the group. It could be a boast, without truth. Therefore, the relied upon chats cannot be substantive evidence to show that the accused… had actually killed two Muslim persons. These chats at the most could be used as a corroborative piece of evidence.' The police relied on the same chats in all nine murder cases. While acquitting the accused, the court also pointed to the lack of reliable witnesses. In a case filed in connection with the murder of Hashim Ali, the court in its April 30 judgment said there were no eyewitnesses and acquitted the 12 accused. 'They (WhatsApp chats) cannot form the sole basis for conviction due to their inherent weaknesses and they must be supported by independent, reliable evidence,' the court noted, adding that, except for one witness, no one else claimed to have seen the incident. In another judgment, pronounced on March 28, the court noted that it was 'sure about the murder of Amin, but not sure about the incident of his murder.' In this case, too, all but one witness had turned hostile. In another judgment pronounced on March 28 regarding the murder of Bhure Ali, the court noted that 'none of the witnesses vouched to have seen the incident of assault and murder on Bhure'. In another judgment dated March 27, the court noted that it was not 'sure about the incident wherein Hamza (a riot victim) was killed.' It added: '… and when there is no clarity from the evidence as to which mob had killed Hamza, then it is only a formality to say that there is no evidence on the record to show that any of the accused was a member of the culprit mob.' All witnesses in the case had turned hostile. In a judgement passed on May 13, the court of ASJ Pramachala acquitted all accused persons of murder, but convicted Solanki on charges of making statements conducing public mischief and promoting enmity. 'It is also well apparent that the intent of the messages posted by accused Lokesh was to instigate the others against Muslim persons. This act was in fact like spreading hatred for Muslim persons and to instigate others to resort to violence against them,' the court said. According to the court orders, 109 judgments have been passed in the 700 FIRs related to the rioting, arson and murder cases lodged by the Northeast Delhi police from February 2020 to February 2025. While 90 have resulted in acquittals (82%), 19 have ended in convictions (18%). In 51 of the 90 (57%) acquittals, witnesses have turned hostile.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi court acquits 12 men in 2020 riots murder case, cites lack of evidence
A Delhi court has acquitted 12 men accused of murdering a man during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, citing the prosecution's failure to identify the perpetrators or establish their role in the killing. The accused were tried for the murder of Aamir Khan, whose body was recovered from the Bhagirathi drain in Gokulpuri on 27 February 2020. A postmortem examination had revealed 25 injuries on his body. In a detailed order delivered on May 13, additional sessions judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala of the Karkardooma courts held that the prosecution had failed to prove that the accused were part of the mob that killed Khan. 'Unless it is shown that there was a mob, which killed Aamir, and unless the identity of members of the culprit mob is established, vicarious liability cannot be fastened upon anyone else,' the court observed. The judge also noted that no concrete evidence was presented to suggest that those identified as part of a mob at another time or location were involved in Khan's murder. 'In the absence of any concrete evidence, it cannot be presumed that some people who were identified as part of a mob at some place at some other time, would also have been part of the mob which killed Aamir,' he said. However, the court convicted one of the accused, Lokesh Solanki, under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, or place of birth) for circulating inflammatory content online. 'The intent of the messages posted by accused (Lokesh), was to instigate others against Muslim persons,' the court said, adding, 'This act was in fact alike spreading hatred for Muslim persons and to instigate others to resort to violence against them.' The case is one of nine murders investigated by the Delhi Police in which the 12 accused stood trial for allegedly attacking victims with lathis, swords, and firearms after confirming their religious identity. The police said the accused were members of a WhatsApp group named Kattar Hindu Ekta, allegedly formed on 25 February 2020 to coordinate attacks on Muslims during the riots. The prosecution had claimed that the group was used to mobilise men, circulate hate messages, and coordinate acts of violence. Several of the accused were arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on the basis of their mobile IP addresses and WhatsApp chats recovered during the investigation. So far, the 12 men have been acquitted in five of the nine murder cases, with the court repeatedly flagging gaps in the police probe, including contradictions in eyewitness accounts and inconsistencies in the timeline of events. Just two weeks earlier, on April 30, judge Pramachala had acquitted the same group of accused in the murder of Aamir's brother, Hashim. According to the prosecution, the two brothers were travelling together on a motorcycle when they were allegedly stopped and attacked by a mob. The burnt remains of the bike were later recovered from the same drain where the brothers' bodies were found. The vehicle was registered in the name of their mother. In March, the judge had also acquitted the group in two other cases involving the deaths of Bhure Lal and Aamin, holding that WhatsApp conversations allegedly confessing to the murders did not amount to substantive evidence. The 2020 Delhi riots, which followed violent clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, left 53 people dead and over 500 injured. More than 2,000 individuals were arrested in the aftermath of the violence, with charges ranging from rioting and promoting enmity to murder.
The Print
06-05-2025
- The Print
Delhi riots acquittals: Hostile witnesses, unanswered questions & a ‘Kattar Hindu Ekta' WhatsApp group
The nine cases lodged in the Gokulpuri Police Station have the same set of accused, except one additional accused in one case and two more in another case. Investigation revealed this group had discussed how Muslims need to be taught a 'lesson'. Some of the group's members and their WhatsApp chats—in which they have boasted about 'killing Muslims'—formed the basis of the prosecution case in the murders of nine Muslim men who were allegedly intercepted by a mob, beaten up with sticks and iron rods, stoned and also attacked with swords. Their bodies were dumped in the Bhagirathi Vihar drain. New Delhi: 'Aane do, in m**** ka s*** bna denge (let these Muslims come, will thrash and reduce them to pigs); 'Tumhare Bhai ne abhi 9 bje k krib m 2 m**** mare hai (your brother killed two Muslims around 9 O'clock in Bhagirathi Vihar)'; 'Pistol hai humare paas (we have pistols)'—these are some of the messages posted on the WhatsApp group 'Kattar Hindu Ekta' created on 25 February, 2020, during the peak of the Northeast Delhi riots that left at least 53 dead and scores of others injured. In three of these nine murder cases, all 12 Hindu men accused were acquitted by a Delhi court on 30 April, with the judge citing lack of substantive evidence, eyewitnesses and unanswered questions on the incidents. Judgments in the six remaining cases are awaited. While acquitting the 12 men, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala said the chats in the WhatsApp group cannot be substantive evidence to establish their guilt. The court also said witness statements were confusing and there was a lack of eyewitnesses to the murders, or the identification of the accused. There was no evidence to say where the victims were intercepted and no clarity on which mob targeted them. Among the victims is Babu Khan's son Hashim, who was 19. Hashim and his brother Aamir were allegedly killed by a mob and their bodies dumped in the Bhagirathi Vihar drain on 26 February, 2020. Their bodies were found the next day. According to the prosecution case, a mob screaming 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Jai Sri Ram' had intercepted them while they were on their way home on their 'Apache' motorbike and killed them. The judgment in Aamir's case is awaited, in which 14 Hindu men are accused. Then there are the cases of Bhure Ali and Aamin. A series of acquittals and discharges has taken place in the Delhi riots cases and courts have repeatedly pulled up the Delhi Police over shoddy probes and erroneous chargesheets. In one of the murder cases, one Arif Khan was accused by the Delhi Police of being part of a Hindu mob that allegedly killed three Muslim men. Khan was discharged and later acquitted of rioting charges. Four Hindu accused were also acquitted of murder charges. ThePrint had earlier reported last year that out of the 757 cases lodged in connection with the Delhi riots, there have been 183 acquittals and 75 discharges; 53 murder cases were transferred to the Crime Branch, out of which 14 remain unsolved. Also read: 4 yrs after Delhi riots, why 'larger conspiracy' case against Umar Khalid & others is still in limbo 'It could be a boast, without truth' ASJ Pramachala noted in one of the acquittal orders that such social media messages and posts 'may be put in the group solely with the intention of becoming heroes in the estimation of other members of the group and it could be a boast also, without truth'. The court also observed that merely mentioning the killing of two Muslim men by the accused, Lokesh, does not constitute substantive evidence that he actually committed the murders. At least three witnesses in the case were members of the WhatsApp group, and all of them turned hostile. Another key prosecution witness, Narrottam Singh—a resident of Bhagirathi Vihar, where the rioting and murders occurred—was declared hostile in all three cases with regard to identifying the accused. The testimony of another key witness, Nisar Ahmed, was also found to be 'worthless' as he claimed he saw the accused in the mob at a different time than the time of the murders. He also didn't vouch to have seen the murders. Ahmed was declared hostile on the aspect of identification of some of the accused. The ASJ also noted that while the court is certain the murders took place, some aspects of the incident remain unclear—including the exact time and location of the killings, and where the victims were intercepted. 'Hence, it also becomes difficult to assume as to at what particular place and time such an incident had taken place. Whether it was a mob consisting of 5 or more persons (which could be termed as unlawful assembly), or otherwise. Such questions have remained unanswered in the evidence of this case,' the court noted in one of the orders. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Who killed Mehtab, Jakir, Ashfaq & Jameel — 4 yrs since Delhi riots, acquittals & unsolved murders
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- The Hindu
North-east Delhi riots: 12 acquitted in murder case as ‘prosecution could share only fragments, pieces of evidence'
A sessions court last week acquitted 12 people accused of murdering a man named Hashim Ali during the February 2020 north-east Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala observed in the acquittal order dated April 30 that in the name of circumstantial evidence, the 'prosecution could show only fragments and pieces of evidence'. The case stems from the recovery of three bodies from a drain in north-east Delhi's Gokalpuri on February 27, 2020. One of them was identified as Ali, who had been reported missing at the Gokalpuri police station. An eyewitness reported seeing the 12 carrying stones, sticks, swords, and iron rods and shouting religious slogans. The prosecution had accused Lokesh Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Jatin Sharma, Himanshu Thakur, Vivek Panchal, Rishabh Chaudhary, Sumit Chaudhary, Tinku Arora, Sandeep, and Sahil of killing nine Muslim persons after ascertaining their identities. The court noted that the evidence shared by the prosecution did not support its theory that Ali was intercepted by Mr. Solanki and others. It also rejected the evidence in the form of WhatsApp chats of a group named 'Kattar Hindu Ekta', of which Mr. Solanki and the others were members, noting that the police had relied on the same chats in cases pertaining to the nine other killings. 'The prosecution also relied on the recovery of a stick each from Himanshu, Jatin and Vivek in other cases. Those sticks were sent to the GTB Hospital Forensics Department. The board of doctors were of the opinion that the injuries on the body of Hashim could be caused by those sticks. However, at the same time, nothing more was found on any of those sticks, so as to say that the same sticks were used to inflict the injuries,' the judge added.
