Conspiracy to deny justice
BJP leaders have created a massive controversy around the words CM Kumaraswamy has said to the police officer who called to inform him regarding the murder of a JDS leader who was close to the CM, in Maddur of Mandya district recently. Kumaraswamy has already clarified his words and the emotions behind those. But using these words as a pretext, leader of opposition BS Yeddyurappa of the BJP is trying to ensure HDK is being seen as a culprit in the whole episode. But would it not be better if the BJP leaders had one look at their own national leaders?
It is rather significant to note that BJP national president Amit Shah and the other 22 accomplices went scot free in the fake encounter case in 2005 of Sohrabuddin, his wife Kausar Bi and their associate Tulsiram Prajapati. The investigation that took place around this 13 year old incident is ridden with doubts. Justice S J Sharma who heard this case had expressed deep dissatisfaction over the inability of the CBI to prove the charges against the accused. Among the 210 witnesses, about 92 turned hostile. Justice Sharma in his verdict noted that three lives were lost, but nothing can be proved in the court without evidence and that he'd offer consolation to the families of Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram. The helplessness of the justice is clearly visible in this.
Evidences have been wiped out in this case of Sohrabuddin fake encounter, his wife Kausar Bi's rape and murder along with Tulsiram's murder as well. Investigation hasn't followed proper procedure purposefully so that the court can be misled. Even the justice himself noted this aspect. In all, this case put the judge in a helpless space where he'd be forced to declare all the accused free owing to shoddy work by both the police and CBI.
Amit Shah was the home minister of Gujarat when Sohrabuddin fake encounter happened. About 38 people including Shah were accused and chargesheeted of planning and executing this murder. Supreme Court had instructed the CBI to conduct an inquiry into the matter. But even before the inquiry started, 16 people were declared innocent including Vanzara and Amit Shah. CBI Court was shifted to Mumbai owing to safety concerns. Amit Shah was absent on many occasions when the case was being heard. Judge of CBI special court JT Utpat had to issue a strict directive demanding Amit Shah's presence in the court on June 24, 2014. But then Utpat was transferred on June 25, immediately a day before this date. Justice Loya died under mysterious circumstances on December 1 in Nagpur. New justice was named on December 15. The case was heard again on December 17 and the verdict was out in December 30. About 16 people including Amit Shah were acquitted.
One aspect is very clear from this. Gujarat police didn't investigate the matter well. Crucial evidences and witnesses were destroyed. Tapes of conversation between higher police officers and between Shah and Vanzara went missing or were destroyed. In the meantime BJP assumed power in 2014 at the centre. CBI then lost interest in the case. It never appealed to the court against the acquittal of Shah and others. Witnesses were not provided with any security. System kneeled down before the powerful. Former DIG DG Vanzara is saying in the open that had Sohrabuddin and Prajapati not been killed, they would have posed a threat to the lives of Shah and Modi. This is the law and order situation in this nation.
Gujarat is a landmine of encounter deaths. The numbers are big. Former minister Garden Pandya was killed in his car when he was out for a walk on a morning. He was privy to very significant information regarding Gujarat massacre. He fell prey to mysterious bullets fired by unknown persons. When crime sits on the throne such loss of lives becomes the order of the day. Those who are sitting in the chairs of power have destroyed the autonomy and sanctity of democratic institutions. They have illegally jailed those who have spoken against them. Our administration is being used for such personal vendetta.
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Women journalists face doubling of online abuse since 2020, AI intensifies harassment: report
New Delhi: Incidents of online violence against women journalists have doubled since 2020, with growing use of artificial intelligence intensifying the scale and impact of abuse, according to a new report released ahead of World Press Freedom Day.
The study is titled “Tipping point: Online violence impacts, manifestations and redress in the AI age.” It is published by UN Women and its partners and highlights how digital harassment has become more invasive and technologically sophisticated.
The study is based on a 2025 global survey covering 641 respondents across 119 countries. The report found that women journalists and media workers are increasingly resorting to self-censorship due to online abuse. Around 45 per cent said they avoid expressing themselves on social media, which is a sharp rise from 2020. Nearly 22 per cent reported limiting their professional work for similar reasons.
The findings also indicate that 12 per cent of respondents have experienced non-consensual sharing of personal images, including intimate content, and six per cent reported being targeted by AI-generated “deepfakes.” One in three said they had received unsolicited sexual advances online.
The report highlights the psychological toll of such harassment, noting that nearly a quarter of women journalists surveyed had been diagnosed with anxiety or depression, while about 13 per cent reported post-traumatic stress disorder.
An environmental journalist from India, quoted in the report, described how coordinated online attacks and misinformation campaigns had led to fear and withdrawal from investigative reporting, and the repercussions extending to family members.
However, as the abuse has increased, so too has the number of women journalists reporting such incidents. The percentage of women journalists approaching law enforcement agencies has doubled from 11 per cent to 22 per cent in 2025 compared with 2020. The report also shows an increase in legal action against perpetrators, technology platforms, and employers.
However, the report points to significant gaps in legal protection. It presents data that fewer than 40 per cent of countries have laws addressing cyber harassment or stalking. Kalliopi Mingerou, who leads efforts to end violence against women at UN Women, said emerging technologies are amplifying existing threats. “AI is making abuse easier and more damaging,” she said, warning that the trend risks undermining democratic participation and hard-won rights.
The report can be accessed at https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2026/04/tipping-point-online-violence-impacts-manifestations-and-redress-in-the-ai-age
