Latest news with #Poonawalla
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC halts probe in lynching case after cops invoke lesser murder charge
1 2 Meerut: Allahabad high court has halted the ongoing police investigation into a mob lynching case, observing that police had booked it under a "general murder clause" instead of the more stringent BNS Section 103(2) which specifically addresses "mob violence motivated by hate". The court directed Uttar Pradesh govt to file a more comprehensive compliance affidavit aligned with the Supreme Court's 2018 Tehseen S Poonawalla guidelines. A bench of Justice Siddharth and Justice Avinash Saxena passed the order on Thursday while hearing a criminal public interest litigation filed by Mohammad Alam, elder brother of the deceased, Shahedeen Qureshi, 37, who was beaten to death by self-styled cow vigilantes on Dec 30 last year. The Poonawalla judgment by Supreme Court laid down binding guidelines for handling mob lynching cases, focusing on prevention, accountability and victim support. It directed states to appoint nodal officers in each district, register FIRs without delay, provide interim compensation to victims or their families, ensure time-bound charge-sheeting and trial, and take departmental action against officials found negligent. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en Glew (ver precio) Verisure Más información Undo by Taboola by Taboola The court noted that circumstances of the assault on Shahedeen — carried out by a group allegedly driven by communal hate — fulfilled the conditions for action under BNS section 103(2), which criminalises mob violence by five or more individuals when motivated by identity-based hate. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug 5. Around 3am on Dec 30, Shahedeen — a former bodybuilder who had been unwell for several months and was working as a cart-puller — was assaulted inside the Mandi Samiti premises in Moradabad. He was admitted to hospital with serious injuries and later died during treatment. A video surfaced online showing a group of men beating him. Although one person was detained on cow slaughter charges, no arrests have yet been made in connection with the lynching. The petition alleged that police shielded the attackers and failed in their duty to prevent the crime, also claiming that Shahedeen's signature on the FIR had been taken under pressure. It demanded a court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), cited gaps in the police response, and sought Rs 50 lakh in compensation for the family. Though the investigating officer submitted a counter affidavit, the HC observed that the state govt had not demonstrated compliance with the Poonawalla ruling. The court gave three weeks for a fresh affidavit and emphasised the need for specific steps as per the norms. Petitioner's counsel Syed Ali Murtaza told the court that strong documentary and digital evidence — including videography, photographs, postmortem and medical findings, FIR copy, and eyewitness testimonies — had already been placed on record. He argued that a probe by an SIT or an independent agency was essential to ensure impartiality and credibility. The court said the matter required a more focused and legally correct investigation, which could only be ensured by shifting the case under Section 103(2) and applying the binding Supreme Court guidelines. Courts in Karnataka, Mangaluru and other states have followed similar principles in recent lynching cases to strengthen legal action. Shahedeen's family welcomed the court's intervention. "We were holding on to hope, and now, with this order giving new direction to the probe, the family feels some relief. Our brother is gone, but justice must prevail," his brother and petitioner Mohammad Alam told TOI.
India Gazette
05-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Wherever Congress sees land, it grabs that through corruption": BJP's Poonawalla over National Herald Case
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla launched a scathing attack on the Congress party over the National Herald case, alleging it exemplifies the party's involvement in land-related corruption. Speaking to ANI, Poonawalla claimed, 'The National Herald scam is proof of how the Congress party is connected to the land. Wherever Congress sees land, be it the Jija ji scam, MUDA scam, or National Herald scam, it grabs that land through corruption.' Poonawalla further alleged that properties worth Rs 2,000 crore, which he claimed belonged to freedom fighters and the people of the country, were acquired by Congress through a special purpose vehicle named Young Indians for a mere Rs 50 lakh. 'In the case of National Herald, property worth two thousand crores, which belonged to the freedom fighters, belonged to the people of the country. By creating a special purpose vehicle named Young Indians and paying Rs 50 lakh, the entire property worth two thousand crores was taken. Now, when the looters are being asked to return, these people are playing the victim card...,' he added. On July 2, Delhi's Rouse Avenue court raised certain queries to the ED about the shareholding of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and whether the Congress party was a victim, as It had given a loan to AJL. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju submitted that there was a conspiracy to siphon off the assets of AJL, a company with assets worth Rs 2000 crore, a fact known to Congress leaders. Special Judge Vishal Gogne heard the arguments at length for nearly three hours and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3. The ED filed a prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against seven persons: Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, Young Indian, Dotex, and Sunil Bhandari. The Congress provided a loan of Rs. 90.25 crore to AJL, which had no means to repay despite holding assets worth Rs. 2000 crores, ASG Raju submitted. Raju alleged that the accused aimed to usurp AJL, with its Rs. 2000 crore assets, by creating Young Indian, a company controlled by the Gandhis. The ED argued that Young Indian acquired AJL for just Rs. 50 lakh in exchange for the Rs. 90 crore loan provided by the Congress. The ED further stated that the accused firm, Dotex, gave a Rs. 1 crore loan to Young Indian, out of which Rs 50 lakh was paid to the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Consequently, Young Indian became the owner of AJL for Rs 50 lakh. ASG Raju argued that a company with an asset value of even Rs 5 lakh became the owner of a company with Rs 2000 crore in assets, emphasising the absurdity of the transaction. Despite AJL's Rs 2,000 crore in assets, it struggled to manage its daily affairs. Raju argued that any prudent person would have sold assets to repay the Rs 90 crore loan, which was insignificant compared to the company's asset value. The ASG alleged that the AICC conspired to usurp AJL's assets through Young Indian, created to siphon off Rs 2000 crore in exchange for the Rs 90 crore loan. The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju questioned why the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had given another loan to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) when the company was unable to repay the earlier loan, asking why a prudent person would do so. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi wanted to take over AJL, a company with assets worth Rs. 2000 crores. (ANI)
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Business Standard
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Exercise done to ensure integrity: BJP on Bihar electoral roll revision
BJP National Spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla on Thursday criticised the Congress for questioning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar and said that the exercise is being done to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. "...When the same ECI conducts elections in Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, and Congress wins there, then they raise no questions. However, this same party raises questions about the electoral process in Maharashtra and Haryana. Those who are specialised in booth capturing are questioning the electoral revision, which is being done to ensure the integrity of the electoral process...," Poonawalla told ANI. A delegation of INDIA bloc leaders from 11 political parties met with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the national capital on Wednesday to register their opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in Bihar, calling it the "worst attack on the basic structure of the Constitution." Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, part of the delegation that met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, questioned the timing of the SIR exercise, noting that it is being carried out only months before the upcoming Assembly elections. "Firstly, the last revision was in 2003. For 22 years, more than four of five Bihar elections have happened. Were all those elections faulty?... Secondly the Special Intensive Revision which was held in 2003, was held one year before the Lok Sabha Elections, two years before the Assembly election. Today you are having in July, a maximum period of one or two months for an electoral revision exercise of the second most largest electoral populated state in India, want to have it in one and a half to two months," the Congress leader told reporters after the meeting. Representatives of the Communist Party of India, CPI (Marxist-Leninist), Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and other parties were present. The ECI has claimed that the SIR is only meant to verify voters and to identify any 'ineligible voters' ahead of the Assembly elections which are expected to be held later this year in Bihar. However, multiple political parties part of the Opposition, including Congress and Bihar's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have raised objections to the exercise, claiming that it will be used to deny people their constitutional rights. The Bihar Legislative Assembly elections are expected to be held later this year, however no official date has been announced by the ECI as of yet.
India Gazette
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Congress wants 'tukde tukde' of Bharat": Poonawalla slams Ajoy Kumar for calling Sikkim a "neighbouring Country"
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday sharply criticised Congress leader Ajoy Kumar for referring to Sikkim as a foreign nation. Poonawalla alleged that the Congress advocates for 'tukde-tukde' (division) of India. Poonawalla described Kumar's remarks as an insult to Sikkim and the entire Northeast region. He accused Congress of longstanding hostility toward the Northeast. 'Today, the statement made by Ajoy Kumar that Sikkim is not an integral part of India and is, in fact, a neighbouring nation, shows how he has insulted not just Sikkim but the entire northeast. Congress has always been against the Northeast. We have seen they have bombed one of the states in the Northeast. They have said bye-bye to Assam in the 1960s,' Poonawalla told ANI. Taking a jibe at Congress, the BJP spokesperson said that they follow the 'footsteps of Jinnah.' 'Congress is following the footsteps of Jinnah. It is a 'Jinnahwadi' party. Just like Jinnah wanted that there should be an Islamic state and division of India, the Congress party advocates for a Sharia Islamic state in some parts, and it wants the 'tukde tukde' of Bharat,' Shehzad Poonawalla said. The row began when addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Ajoy Kumar named Sikkim as one of the 'neighbouring nations' alongside Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, with whom India's relations have been spoiled. Meanwhile, Kumar shared an X post and apologised for his statement, calling it a slip of the tongue. Ajoy Kumar wrote, 'Yesterday in my press conference on 'SAIL 400 crore scam', when I was speaking on the deteriorating relations with our neighbouring countries, I accidentally took name of a state. For which I sincerely apologise as it was just a slip of tongue.' Further, he targeted the BJP and asked them to hold a press conference on the 'atrocities' in 'Amrit Kaal' rather than his 'human error'. 'I heard from a journalist friend that @BJP4India is planning to organise a press conference on this small human error. I want to ask BJP; 1. Why don't they do a press conference on the atrocities happening in this 'AmritKaal'? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference,' the X post read. He questioned the BJP over the alleged SAIL scam of Rs 400 crore. '2. Why don't they do a press conference on SAIL's Rs 400 crore scam? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference. 3. Why don't they do a press conference on what is the relation between Ekta Aggarwal, the promoter of VIPPL company, which was the main cause of SAIL's loss of Rs 400 crore, with BJP? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference,' Kumar added. '4. Why don't they do a press conference on the BJP MLA who beat up a passenger in the Vande Bharat train and the BJP MLA who slapped the SDM? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference. BJP will never do a press conference on the major issues the country is going through, but instead looks out for small mistakes of the opposition leaders,' the X post read. (ANI)
India Today
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Meet Natasha Poonawalla: The Indian Billionaire at Bezos and Sanchez's Wedding
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Natasha Poonawalla has arrived in Venice, Italy, to attend the highly-anticipated wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his bride-to-be, media personality Lauren of the glitzy wedding, Poonawalla gave her followers a peek into her pre-wedding look in a video shared on video, "Celebrating Love," with hashtag #Vanice, features Poonawalla's stunning outfit for the celebrations. Lauren Sanchez reacted with a heart emoticon, whereas Indian actress Sonam Kapoor left behind a fire emoticon in admiration. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Natasha Poonawalla (@ Before the main event, Poonawalla was part of an exclusive bachelorette celebration hosted for all-girls gathering featured several A-list guests, including Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner, and Eva Longoria. The private event reportedly featured luxurious experiences as part of the multi-day to reports, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are set to tie the knot in a lavish ceremony, which is expected to host around 200 guests. The couple's wedding has garnered international attention, thanks to the celebrity-studded guest list and picturesque venue.A MEANINGFUL GESTURE FROM THE COUPLE In a thoughtful move, Bezos and Sanchez have requested guests not to bring wedding gifts. Instead, they are making charitable contributions on behalf of their guests. According to the wedding invitation, donations are being made to the UNESCO Venice Office, CORILA (for lagoon restoration), and other initiatives aimed at preserving Venice's cultural and environmental hope that through these efforts and by you joining us, Venice will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come,' read the heartfelt message in the IS NATASHA POONAWALLA? Natasha Poonawalla is the Chairperson of the Villoo Poonawalla Foundation and Executive Director at the Serum Institute of India. A graduate of the London School of Economics, she is known for her philanthropy, business acumen, and distinctive fashion presence at major international events.- EndsMust Watch
