Latest news with #Saqib
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
M'nagar police arrest 4 wanted criminals in 3 encounters within 12 hrs
Agra: In a major crackdown on criminal activity, Muzaffarnagar police carried out three encounters within 12 hours on Friday, resulting in the arrest of four wanted criminals, all found in possession of illegal firearms. "These three encounters in Civil Line, Titavi, and Chhapar have led to the arrest of criminals involved in robbery, smuggling, and murder," said SSP Sanjay Kumar Verma. "The recovery of stolen goods, including a woman's looted phone, is especially encouraging for us and reassuring for the public." The first encounter took place on Friday evening in the Civil Lines area, where police confronted two mobile snatchers. Vijay Malik, the main accused in a recent phone-snatching case involving a woman, was shot and injured during the exchange. His accomplice, Amit Titavi, initially fled but was relentlessly tracked. A third encounter occurred in the Chhapar police station area, following a tip-off about two suspects trying to escape. One of them, Saqib, was wanted for the April murder of a man named Salman and carried a reward of Rs 10,000. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software Esseps Learn More Undo When stopped on Kanwar Marg, Saqib and his associate Aman opened fire at the police. In retaliation, Saqib was shot and injured, while Aman was arrested on the spot. In total, four illegal pistols, three motorcycles, a looted mobile phone, and ammunition were seized during Friday's operations. Police said the accused have prior cases of loot, theft, and murder registered across multiple police stations. Further investigation into their criminal backgrounds is underway. The cops also confirmed that these incidents are part of a sustained crackdown on crime. Since Monday alone, Muzaffarnagar has witnessed 14 encounters between police and criminals.
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Scroll.in
How case against Muslim teen accused of ‘love jihad' fell apart in UP court
On the night of December 14, 2020, Mohammad Saqib's life was upended. He had stepped out of his friend's home in Nasirpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district after a birthday party. Outside, he saw a girl on a bicycle surrounded by a few men. When he walked up to the group to find out what was going on, the men attacked him. Saqib, a 16-year-old daily wager, did not return home in Kirar Kheri village that night. The next morning, his parents learnt that he had been arrested. The girl was also 16 and a Dalit. On December 15, her father lodged a first information report against Saqib at the Dhampur police station. Saqib was 16 too. He was accused of kidnapping and 'compelling' the minor 'for marriage'. He was also booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020, better known as the state's 'love jihad' law. 'Love jihad' is a conspiracy theory that accuses Muslim men of being part of an organised plot to trick unsuspecting Hindu women into romantic relationships to ultimately convert them to Islam. Saqib was one of the first men to be booked under the law, 18 days after it was brought in as an ordinance by the Adityanath government. Five years later, on May 21, a special court in Bijnor acquitted Mohammad Saqib, now 21, of all charges. 'This is the first case where a Muslim man in UP has been acquitted of charges under the anti-conversion law after a trial,' said Bijnor-based advocate Mashruf Kamaal, Saqib's counsel. In other cases, the Uttar Pradesh police has dropped charges against individuals after preliminary investigations, or they have been quashed by the courts. At least three cases that have ended in acquittals in Amroha, Bareilly and Azamgarh districts had tried mostly Dalit men for illegally converting others to Christianity. Saqib's case went through 74 hearings over five years. During the trial, the court found contradictions in the state's case and said that it could not prove its charges beyond reasonable doubt. 'The prosecution has failed to establish the basic facts,' said additional district and sessions judge Kalpana Pandey's judgement. The case The FIR against Saqib made serious claims. It invoked sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act involving sexual assault and accused him of luring a minor for illicit intercourse under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complaint alleged that Saqib regularly spoke to the Dalit girl while pretending that he was a Hindu man named Sonu. Around 11 pm on December 14, 2020, he lured and abducted the girl from her house in Berkhara Chauhan village with the intention of marrying and converting her, it alleged. When she found out that he was Muslim, she escaped and returned home and narrated the ordeal to her parents. All offences in the complaint were non-bailable. On December 17, Saqib was sent to judicial custody. He spent six months in prison before the Allahabad High Court granted him bail on June 15, 2021. In submissions before the sessions court, Saqib said that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated because of a local dispute. The young man told Scroll that he worked as an understudy to a welder in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and had returned to his home in Bijnor days before the incident. He added that he did not know the girl and had never met or spoken to her before the night of December 14. Days after the FIR, the minor's father, the complainant in the FIR, told the Indian Express that the matter had been 'politicised' by the village pradhan, against whom he was going to contest in the panchayat polls in April 2021. 'This is all politics. They made videos of my daughter and falsely claimed that this was a case of love jihad,' he was quoted as saying, adding that his FIR was dictated by police officials. Poking holes Arif, Saqib's elder brother, told Scroll that the girl's village, Berkhara Chauhan, is a few hundred metres from his family village of Kirar Kheri. Saqib is the youngest of three brothers. 'Our father passed away in 2016,' Arif said. 'When Saqib was young, we sent him to school for a few months. But he could not adjust, so we took him out and put him to work.' During the trial, the minor's cross-examination by the defence counsel poked several holes in the FIR complaint. Three aspects of the prosecution's case were called into question: the location of the incident, the account of the complainant, and the claims of religious conversion. In her statement before the magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the girl had said that Saqib had lured her to a village called Nasirpur. When she asked his name, he said Saqib and revealed that he was Muslim. Then he tried to molest her. The girl added that she pushed him away and started running. She raised an alarm which led the residents of Nasirpur to catch Saqib. The court noted that according to the statement of her father, a witness, his wife had told him that their daughter had gone missing from their home after she went to the washroom on the night of December 14. The girl returned shortly after and recounted her ordeal to her parents, he said. However, the girl's mother, also a witness in the case, had a different version. She told the court that her daughter had gone missing after going to the washroom that night, but she only returned the next morning to recount her ordeal. Moreover, in her cross-examination, the mother said that her daughter had not told her anything about the incident that night. The girl's cross-examination gave yet another account. She said that she had gone to the washroom at her friend's house when Saqib took her to Nasirpur. The girl's statement was inconsistent in other aspects, the court noted. During her medical examination, she claimed that she had been abducted on the night of December 13 by three men while using the washroom in her home. The men threw her into a van and brought her to Nasirpur, she had said. They forced themselves on her but could not sexually assault her. She eventually escaped after locals intervened. The second problem in the prosecution's case was the father's account. In his court statement, he had alleged that on December 14, when the girl did not return home, he searched for her until she came back herself later that night. But during his cross-examination, the father said that he did not search for the girl after she went missing. He was instead informed about her whereabouts by a police official at the Nehtaur police station over a phone call. He added that the police handed over the minor to him the next morning. Third, and most importantly, the claim of conversion also fell apart during the cross-examination. The girl told the court that Saqib had not asked her to convert to Islam. She added that, contrary to her father's claim in court, she was not present in the police station when he had written out the FIR. Judge Pandey observed that these contradictions in the statements of the victim and her parents 'did not provide much benefit to the prosecution as they are contrary to the prosecution's story'. 'Doubtful evidence' The court found glaring weaknesses in the statements of circle officer Ajay Kumar Agarwal, who was the investigating officer in the case. For one, during his cross-examination, Agarwal could not recall where Saqib had allegedly taken the girl after kidnapping her, and where he had allegedly proceeded to molest her. This was a problem because he had drawn the map of the alleged scene of crime himself. 'He does not remember in which direction of the village is the site of the incident,' said the court. 'How many rooms were there in the location where he made the map? He does not remember. He does not remember what was east of the incident site. He said that the map only shows where the victim went; not where the incident took place…this makes the evidence doubtful.' The court also examined the doctor who conducted a medical examination of the minor on December 16. The doctor told the court that she found 'no external injuries on the victim's body'. She had also examined whether the minor was sexually assaulted, despite her claim that she was not. But Agarwal did not demand a supplementary report on sexual assault from the doctor. 'We prepare the supplementary report only when the investigating officer asks for it,' added the doctor. Taking these inconsistencies into account, judge Pandey ruled that the prosecution 'has failed to establish basic facts' since the statements of the victim, her father, her mother and the investigating officer are 'full of contradictions and hence not reliable'. 'The prosecution has failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt,' the judge said. The special court acquitted Saqib of all charges. 'Most cases result in acquittals' The UP anti-conversion became a law on March 5, 2021, and was amended with harsher punishments on August 6, 2024. Between November 2020 and July 2024, the UP police registered 835 cases under the law, with 1,682 arrests. However, lawyers said that convictions under the law have been few. Advocate Ramesh Kumar, who represented Saqib during his bail hearing in Allahabad High Court, told Scroll that it is difficult to prove charges under Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law during a trial because it is a bad law to begin with 'Mostly, these cases are applied under pressure from Hindu right-wing groups, who force a woman and their family to give false statements,' he said. 'But as the pressure eases with time and the trial goes on, the same people contradict their older statements in courts.' Kumar added that the hardest part is to prove a malafide intent of the person accused of illegal conversion. 'This is why most cases under this law result in acquittals,' he said. 'Mostly, there is no intent. Cases are filed because of the ruling party and its cadre's attempt to magnify anti-Muslim prejudices for political gain.' In July 2024, while acquitting two two men charged with sections of the anti-conversion law, a court in Bareilly directed 'appropriate legal action' against police officials for lodging the case 'under some pressure' and on the basis of a 'baseless, unfounded, fabricated and fantastical' story. In March 2024, the Supreme Court had remarked that parts of Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law may seem violative of Article 25 of the Constitution, which protects freedom of conscience and the free profession, practice, and propagation of religion. 'The case ruined us' Soon after he was granted bail in 2021, Saqib returned to Dehradun and resumed his welding job. 'I used to make Rs 7,000 a month when I got the job and today I make Rs 10,000,' he said. 'Most of that money was spent in fighting the case. Sometimes, I had to travel to Bijnor four times a month for hearings. I have not been able to save any money.' His brother, Arif, added that he and other family members had to pitch in when Saqib ran out of money. 'Hum toh bekaar ho gaye is case ki wajah se,' he said. The case ruined us. While the acquittal came as a relief to him, the trial has taken a toll. 'The case happened when I was 16. That is the age when others play and have fun,' said Saqib. 'The case is like a stain on me and my family. In Bijnor, some still believe that I did it.' Arif added that people in his village still look down on the family because of the trial. 'None of our ancestors ever went near a police station,' he said. 'But this [case] changed everything.'
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Pakistan plans bitcoin reserve but govt says crypto still banned at home
In a high-profile presentation at the Bitcoin Vegas 2025 Conference, Pakistan took the global cryptocurrency community by surprise with an announcement to establish a state-backed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, described as a symbolic step toward long-term engagement with decentralised finance. The declaration came from Bilal Bin Saqib, recently appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Crypto and Blockchain with the status of a Minister of State. Saqib, also serving as CEO of the newly created Pakistan Crypto Council, made the announcement after delivering a keynote address attended by influential figures including US Vice President JD Vance, Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. 'We want to thank the US because we are getting inspired from them,' Saqib said, directly tying Pakistan's crypto strategy to US President Donald Trump's pro-crypto stance. Is cryptocurrency legal in Pakistan? Government says no On May 30, Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal clarified before the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue that cryptocurrency is not recognised as legal tender, citing guidance from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). 'There will be a legal framework only when the government formally takes a decision,' Bosal said, confirming that existing crypto activities remain unlawful pending legislative changes. Pakistan proposes national Bitcoin wallet and crypto mining plan Saqib had revealed plans for a national bitcoin wallet to hold digital assets 'already in state custody,' framed not as speculative investments but as part of a 'sovereign reserve' to signal Pakistan's commitment to digital finance. In a bid to attract international crypto capital and technology firms, Saqib also announced the allocation of 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity in the initiative's first phase. This power will support bitcoin mining and AI data centres, opening what Saqib described as a 'new digital frontier' to global investors, sovereign miners, and clean energy partners. 'Pakistan is no longer defined by its past. It is being reborn as a forward-looking hub of digital innovation,' Saqib said in a statement from his office. 'If you're building something real, come build it in Pakistan.' What is the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority and what will it do? Although parallel to Saqib's overseas campaign, the Pakistani government moved to create the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) on May 22, to regulate and formalise crypto and blockchain technologies. According to official statements, PDAA aims to develop a FATF-compliant regulatory framework, oversee virtual asset service providers (VASPs), and integrate blockchain in land records, finance, and governance systems. The Finance Division said the broader strategy was designed to monetise surplus electricity, create high-tech jobs, attract billions in foreign direct investment, and generate substantial revenue for the state. Economists warn against speculative crypto strategy and public risk While the government pitches crypto as an avenue for digital growth and foreign investment, several Pakistani economists are expressing alarm at what they view as a risky pivot toward fictitious assets. While some of these moves appear geared toward influence-building in Washington—especially with figures close to the Trump administration taking an active interest in Pakistan's crypto developments—economists argue that when crypto is positioned as a serious business proposition by the government, it becomes dangerous because the resources being put at risk are public. One concern is the speculative nature of sovereign crypto holdings. Economists noted that suggestions to invest part of Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves in crypto mirror tactics used by speculative brokers, highlighting bitcoin's historic price rises without mentioning its extreme volatility. Bitcoin mining in Pakistan: Why are electricity subsidies raising questions? The government's allocation of 2,000 MW for bitcoin mining has also sparked scrutiny. Economists question why crypto miners should receive electricity at subsidised rates per unit, far below the rate paid by households and industry, calling the move 'puzzling and opaque.' Crypto, unlike traditional assets such as money or gold, remains largely a speculative construct with limited liquidity and broader systemic risks. Experts have likened it to previous financial bubbles built on fictitious assets, from plot file scams to the collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) that precipitated the 2008 global financial crisis.
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First Post
3 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Trump's crypto firm silent over shady talks with Pakistan as Islamabad looks to overcome 'bad PR'
The sheer silence of World Liberty Financial Inc (WLFI) over its communications with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has fuelled concerns regarding the Trump family using political ties for business gains read more Pakistan Crypto Council CEO Bilal Bin Saqib admitted that the country's recent crypto-friendly moves are purely political and aimed at overcoming what he termed as 'bad PR'. Meanwhile, the sheer silence of World Liberty Financial Inc (WLFI) over its communications with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has fuelled concerns regarding the Donald Trump family using political ties for business gains Notably, the WLFI in April inked a deal with the Pakistan Crypto Council following communications with PM Sharif. Now, a US Senate subcommittee has asked the firm, in which the majority of the stakes are owned by the Trump family, about its communication with the Pakistani government that led to the deal. However, the firm has maintained silence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan draws parallel between crypto, Islamabad's 'bad PR' Meanwhile, Saqib, a top crypto official in Pakistan, has indicated that the country's crypto dealings with the US are aimed at boosting Islamabad's PR. Simply put, he said the moves are more political than economic in nature. 'Both Pakistan and Bitcoin have suffered from bad PR. We are looked at as being dangerous, risky and unstable. But once we look beyond these headlines, we can see a lot of potential, resources and talent. So Pakistan is looking for allies,' he said at the annual gathering of the global cryptocurrency community in Las Vegas. Saqib last month held a meeting with Chief of Army staff Asim Munir, who has now been promoted to the rank of field marshal following standoff with India, to spell out the ambitions of the country's crypto industry. Pakistan's newfound love for crypto Many see Islamabad's newfound interest in crypto as a way to grow close business ties with the family of US President Donald Trump. Saqib himself admitted that Pakistan's crypto move was inspired by the US. 'We want to thank the US because we are getting inspired from them,' Bilal said. It's to be noted that Trump, in March, had signed an executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve. Moreover, the association of top political figures of the US, deemed close to the president, in crypto business has raised eyebrows. Trump's sons Donald junior and Eric as well as grandson Barron are part of the WLFI team as 'Web3 Ambassador'. Web3 wallets allow access to apps and store cryptocurrencies. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff's son Zach Witkoff is one of WLFI's co-founders. On April 27, Zach wrote on social media that the crypto deal will 'bring diversity and financial inclusion to the next generation in Pakistan and beyond.' Within days as the standoff escalated between India and Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Trump claimed that he helped broker a ceasefire between the two nations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan too has endorsed Trump's narrative, whereas India has disputed it, saying the understanding was reached strictly on bilateral terms and the US had a limited role to play.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Spotlight on Trump-backed WLFI's crypto deal with Pakistan
Good morning, Could this be the year the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) break the jinx and bring home the elusive IPL trophy? After a red-hot performance against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), RCB have stormed into the finals — their fourth in IPL history. It was the bowlers who set the tone, dismantling PBKS in just 14.1 overs. RCB's batters chased it down in nearly four overs less and with eight wickets still in hand. They have won every single away game this season, becoming the only franchise to ever do so in 18 editions of the tournament. The fans are daring to hope! The expectation is that RCB can maintain this momentum at the final battle set in Ahmedabad. On that note, let's get to today's edition. Bilal bin Saqib is no ordinary CEO. As the head of the Pakistan Crypto Council, Saqib is spearheading a bold financial rebrand for the cash-strapped country. At the annual gathering of the global cryptocurrency community in Las Vegas yesterday, Saqib drew parallels between Pakistan and Bitcoin. He called them 'victims of bad PR'. Last week, he met with Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir to outline the future of Pakistan's digital economy. The deal: On April 26, Pakistan inked an agreement with World Liberty Financial Inc (WLFI), a crypto firm majority-owned by US President Donald Trump and his family. While the agreement's details are yet to emerge, it includes grand plans to use blockchain technology to boost financial inclusion and facilitate remittances. Red lines: As of May 6, when India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the WLFI was sitting on a Senate panel's request, seeking details of its dealings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Four days later, Trump declared that he had brokered a ceasefire between Pakistan and India. Sources say the message to Islamabad was clear: clean up Pakistan's image to fit the aspirations of a new financial order. Trump's dual role — as WLFI promoter and the self-proclaimed political broker — has raised concerns over conflict of interest. (The New York Times delves deep into the moral grey area of Trump's crypto-ventures as President of the US.) A warning: As Pakistan turns to crypto to solve its economic woes, contributing editor C Raja Mohan warns India must pay close attention. Deregulated assets could be used to fund terrorist activities. More importantly, it may be time for India to reflect on its crypto strategy. Asia's biggest slum, Dharavi, is due for a makeover. The Maharashtra government approved a master plan for the Dharavi redevelopment project earlier this week. This would entail the construction of as many as 58,532 residential units and 13,468 commercial and industrial units to rehab eligible tenants within the existing Dharavi area. My colleague Vallabh Ozarkar, who got a copy of the master plan, has more details. Cloak & dagger: The National Investigation Agency had arrested an assistant sub-inspector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Moti Ram Jat, earlier this week. A probe into the matter has found that Jat was sharing sensitive information, including the movement of CRPF troops and suspected terrorist locations, with Pakistani intelligence officers, who were posing as journalists. Jat regularly received payment for disclosing this information. Alarm bells: A new AIIMS study has flagged a worrying trend: adolescent school students in Delhi are suffering from abdominal obesity and hypertension. Both of these can be risk factors for diabetes and heart disease in their adult years. The climb: American military strategist and thinker Herman Kahn has defined a 44-step 'escalation ladder', with each rung denoting a rising level of conflict. When reframed in this context, India's Operation Sindoor reached rung nine of Kahn's ladder, ending at 'Dramatic Military Confrontations' before a ceasefire was announced. My colleague Shubhajit Roy deciphers the nature of escalation and what lies ahead for New Delhi, politically, diplomatically and militarily. Speaking of: Recently, actor Kamal Haasan set off a political storm with his remarks that Kannada 'was born out of Tamil.' Assertions of the dominance of one language over another do little for the cause of Dravidian heritage. Columnist Rohan Manoj sheds light on a far more interesting truth about Kannada, Tamil, and their linguistic kinship. Fit for gods: The development of Mathura's Banke Bihari temple on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has brought Uttar Pradesh's Department of Religious Affairs under the scanner. Once revived by the Samajwadi Party government, party chief Akhilesh Yadav has accused the Yogi Adityanath government of using the department as a 'bid to control temples'. Delve into this political wrangle. When a Liberia-registered ship sank off the coast of Kerala, the government warned of hazardous contents spilling into the sea. Now, a lone, battered shipping container has washed up on the beach in Paravur, a small fishing hamlet between Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. What's inside? Your guess is as good as mine. But for the residents of Paravur, where the water has turned white and foamy, the curiosity has set off a chain of conspiracy theories. It is also keeping people away from buying fish, a daily staple for most households in these parts. That's all for today, folks! Happy weekend-ing! Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
