National

Three days before Balakot, Arnab told ex-BARC chief ‘something big will happen’

Published

9 months ago

January 17, 2021

New Delhi, Jan 17: Three days before the Indian Air Force’s Balakot strike, Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami told his friend and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) CEO Partho Dasgupta ‘something big will happen’, indicating that he knew about the confidential military action, transcript of WhatsApp messages between the two, which is part of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the Mumbai Police investigating the TRP tampering case reveals.

On February 26 2019, the IAF hit a Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot town. The government claimed that this was in response to the February 14 terrorist attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, where 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed after an explosive-laden car driven by a suicide bomber rammed into their bus.

At 10 p.m. on February 23, three days before the Balakot strike, the conversation begins with Mr. Goswami boasting about Republic TV bagging then Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s first-ever interview after the Pulwama incident.Mr. Goswami during a conversation texted to Mr Dasgupta, ‘On another note something big will happen’. To which Mr. Dasgupta asked, ‘Dawood?’. Mr. Goswami responded, saying, ‘No sir Pakistan.

Something major will be done this time.’ Mr. Dasgupta, in response, said that ‘it’s good for big man in this season’ and that ‘he will sweep polls then.’ The 2019 general election was just a few months away. Mr. Dasgupta pressed for further clarity, asking Mr. Goswami, ‘Strike? Or bigger’. And Mr. Goswami responded, saying that it would be ‘bigger than a normal strike’. Then he went on to add, ‘And also at the same time something major on Kashmir.

On Pakistan the government is confident of striking in a way that people will be elated. Exact words used.’

Congress leaders raise questions

The Congress party, did not hold an official press conference on the issue, but few senior leaders have raised questions on this conversation. Party spokesperson and senior supreme Court lawyer Abshishek Manu Singhvi said, ‘Arnab’s chats dated 23.02.2019 refer to sharing of Intel reaction along the Pak border.

It means someone very senior in Govt is leaking highly confidential info which may endanger the lives of our soldiers and so that mercenary considerations can add to TRPs.’

Party general secretary and Assam in charge Jitendra Singh in a tweet called it a major breach of ‘national security’.

‘Arnab Goswami is not only the mouthpiece of the government but has access to defence secrets as if he was the Chief of Army Staff himself. This is a major breach of national security.

Furthermore ‘people will be elated’ just goes to show the intent of the BJP behind the attacks, he tweeted.

The article was first published in The Hindu

National

AIIMS doctor booked for raping colleague

Published

6 days ago

October 15, 2021

Asian News Hub Webdesk

(Asian News Hub) – Delhi Police on Friday registered a rape case against a senior doctor of All India Institute Of Medical Science in the national capital, ANI reported.

A complaint of alleged sexual harassment was received from AIIMS, Delhi on October 11 at Hauz Khas police station, informed the police.

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The victim is also a doctor at the hospital, who had informed the police that a senior doctor colleague had allegedly raped her when she went to his room for a birthday celebration of one of their colleagues on September 26, as per ANI.

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Based on her statement, the police registered an FIR under sections 376 and 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Hauz Khas police station and an investigation into the matter was taken up.

During the investigation, a statement of the victim was recorded before the Magistrate under section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and raids were conducted at possible hideout places to catch the absconding doctor.

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Technical surveillance has already been mounted to nab the accused and continuous efforts are going on to trace him out at the earliest, said the police.

National

Tollywood actress Anuradha dies by suicide

Published

3 weeks ago

September 30, 2021

Asian News Hub Webdesk

AGENCY

(Asian News Hub) – In a shocking turn of events, actress Anuradha reportedly died by suicide at her residence in Hyderabad’s Film Nagar. She was 22.

According to reports, her neighbours grew suspicious as the junior artiste didn’t come out of her house for the last four days.

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Reportedly, they found her body inside the house and alerted the police. Though the reason behind the death is not known, reports suggest that she was planning to get hitched to her long-time boyfriend Kiran, however, the latter allegedly backed off due to differences in opinions.

International

Soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army transgressed at least 5 kilometres inside Uttarakhand: Report

Published

3 weeks ago

September 28, 2021

Asian News Hub Webdesk

(Asian News Hub) – Around 100 Chinese soldiers entered the Indian territory in Uttarakhand and damaged a bridge in Barahoti area before retreating back to China, said a report published in the Economic Times.

According to the reports, the soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) transgressed at least 5 kilometres inside the Indian territory through the Tunjun-La pass.

They had come on 55 horses, damaged Indian infrastructure, and left before they could be confronted by the Indian troops.

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The ET report, based on sources in the security departments, claimed that the PLA soldiers roamed in Barahoti for around 3 hours.

The transgression by Chinese troops was reported by locals, after which teams from the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were dispatched to verify the report.

In the Central Sector (a 545-km stretch of border with Tibet in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), the dispute between India and China is over 2,000 square km of territory, in eight separate areas.
Barahoti lies on the border with China in the Chamoli district of Uttrakhand, north of the Nanda Devi National Park.

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Back in July 2017, Chinese soldiers had transgressed into Barahoti twice during India’s standoff with China in Bhutan’s Doklam.

An ITBP source had then told the Indian Express that, “On both occasions [on July 15 and July 25] about 15-20 Chinese soldiers transgressed into the territory at Barahoti that India and China lay claim upon. The soldiers stayed there for a while and returned.”

Earlier in July this year, an ANI report claimed, “Recently, a platoon (about 35 soldiers) from the PLA was seen operating around the Barahoti area in Uttarakhand. The Chinese were seen doing some activity in this area after a significant breach.”

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In order to avoid a Ladakh-like situation in Uttarakhand, the Indian Army has increased deployments in the central sector after hightened Chinese activity was noticed.