Fence is eating crop here!
Who should we hold responsible for the violence laden situation in the country today? Should we hold the police department responsible for being unable to contain the communal elements from spreading unrest in the country? Their role is evident in increasing number of communal cases and massacres that are spreading like wildfire across the nation. Another glaring reason is that the communal minds have been accommodated inside police department since long. Hence the primary duty now is to set the minds on path of correction over maintaining law and order. Only after that, does the department have any moral right to punish goondas or law breakers spreading communal violence.
IPS officer of Beed district in Maharashtra, Bhagyashree Navtake has been caught on candid video that went viral on social media on how they were filing false cases against the Dalits and Muslims, and thus safeguarding the Maratha people. She was boasting on this in the video without a hint of regret. Soon as video went viral, action was initiated against her. What was the penalization that was awarded to her? A mere transfer. How did this change the officer at all? This is as good as putting the crime instigator who has a nexus with criminals from one place to another. This is nothing more than a hogwash and the pattern of this is a predictable one. This is a stunt to silence the public for the time being. In the next few months, she'd be reinstated rather stealthily. The nexus between the police and rowdies is well know by now.
Mob lynching is increasing in the country owing to concurrence by the police. Rowdies kill people and then the police will watch it rather silently. Later when the pressure increases to act against such crimes, they file weak cases to ensure the powerful culprits are let off. This has a long history. And this fact reveals how the police department is laden and corrupted with the ideology of the ruling party. If we consider the Khairlanji incident that occurred in 2006 to the Bhima Koregaon violence in the recent times, the anti Dalit mindset of police is well evident. A case has been registered in Bombay High court on the inaction of police in cases involving destruction of properties and assets belonging to Dalits at the violence that erupted to weaken the atrocities act of 1989 that was drafted for the protection of Dalits, through silent morchas that were taken out by the Maratha communities.
In the last few years, the Uttar Pradesh police are famous enough to be either proactive or inactive based purely on the religion of the perpetrators or victims. They humiliate the Hindu Muslim lovers in the name of anti Romeo squad, or probe into people's lives in the name of Love Jehad carrying out misinformation campaign against them, and killing innocents accusing them of cow theft are all part of the bigger design. They had taken out black tape silent March to protest action against their colleague who killed an innocent unarmed official recently.
This state is witness to the verdict given by Delhi High court on the case of Hashimpur as well. About 42 muslim dead bodies were found discarded in a canal in Hashimpur and investigation had revealed that the police from Regional Armed Police had killed them and thrown them into the canal. The court concluded this hearing 31 years after the incident occurred. In the verdict, the court observed how violence and prejudice was institutionalised and this had found deeper roots in police department as well. No state governments have taken enough care to implement any progressive steps to improve conditions within the police department. Many committees starting from the police committee or 1978, to the PIL filed by former DIG of UP (still being heard) in Supreme Court in 1995, the Julius Ribero committee in 1998, Padmanabhaiah and subsequently the Malimath committee followers by Soli Sorabji committee have been making recommendations to improve the morale and mkrs of the department. Supreme Court has issued six directives in 2006. The fourth recommendation was particularly about designing training programmes on creating sensitivity among the police about the duty they need to perform in a society that is as plural as out nation.
In case of men and women officers who were part of targeting communities that they have an axe to grind against, and the discrimination they exhibit, the training such as the one mentioned above has clearly failed. A miniscule level of improvement is seen in states that have implemented model police conduct code. But a comprehensive improvement is a pipe dream and unless that happens, an ideal police department is a far cry. Discrimination and prejudices take a long time to get uprooted from the alleys of the society since they have been around for ages. Today the police need these trainings and dialogue about creating a fair and better society much more than ever before.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
US SEC summons Gautam Adani, nephew Sagar in bribery case
New York (PTI): Adani group founder and chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar have been summoned to explain their stand on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allegation of paying USD 265 million (Rs 2,200 crore) in bribes to secure lucrative solar power contracts.
Summons have been sent to Adani's Shantivan Farm residence in Ahmedabad and his nephew Sagar's Bodakdev residence in the same city for a reply to SEC within 21 days.
"Within 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it)...you must serve on the plaintiff (SEC) an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure," said a November 21 notice sent through the New York Eastern District Court.
"If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. You also must file your answer or motion with the court," it added.
Gautam Adani, 62, and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, allegedly agreed to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years, according to an indictment unsealed in a New York court on Wednesday.
Separate from the indictment brought by the US Department of Justice, the US SEC has also charged the two and Cyril Cabanes, an executive of Azure Power Global, for "conduct arising out of a massive bribery scheme".
The ports-to-energy conglomerate has denied the allegations and said it will seek all possible legal resources.
"The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation fully compliant with all laws."
An indictment in the US is basically a formal written allegation originating with a prosecutor and issued by a grand jury against a party charged with a crime. A person indicted is given formal notice to reply.
That person or persons can then hire a defence lawyer to defend.
Prosecutors said the investigation started in 2022 and found the inquiry obstructed.
They also allege that the Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies, as well as reports of the bribery probe.
"As alleged, the defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and... lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from U.S. and international investors," US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement announcing the charges on Wednesday.
"My office is committed to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace and protecting investors from those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the integrity of our financial markets."
