TN CM Stalin confers state communal harmony award on fact-checker Mohammed Zubair
Chennai (PTI): Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday presented the state government's award for promotion of communal harmony to fact-checker Mohammed Zubair "in recognition of his contribution in prevention of violence" by debunking claims in social media that migrant workers were under attack in Tamil Nadu.
Co-founder of AltNews, Zubair was presented the award by Stalin at the 75th Republic Day celebrations here. The government said in March 2023, claims were made in social media that "migrant workers were being attacked in Tamil Nadu."
After verifying the authenticity of the video clips that made such claims, Zubair made it amply clear in AltNews that such claims were false and such attacks did not take place in Tamil Nadu at all.
"Thus, he stopped the spread of rumours against Tamil Nadu and acted to prevent violence caused by caste, religion, race and language," in the state, the government said in the citation.
"In appreciation of the services rendered by him in maintenance of communal harmony, Thiru Mohammed Zubair is presented with the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award for the year 2024."
Further, the government said that he has been "rendering various services to promote communal harmony."
The Tamil Nadu government instituted the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award in the year 2000 for nurturing communal harmony.
It is being given to a person belonging to the state in recognition of outstanding services in building harmony. The award carries a medal, a cash component of Rs 25,000 and a certificate honouring the services. The government said Zubair is a resident of Denkanikottai taluka of Krishnagiri district.
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Nightclub fire: Goa court remands Luthra brothers in police custody for five days
Panaji (PTI): A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, in police custody for five days.
The brothers, brought to Goa from Delhi after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 blaze that killed 25, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Mapusa Puja Sardesai remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for “special consideration” claiming poor health.
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“We said they should not be given any extra relaxation,” he said, adding that the court has taken cognisance of the fact that this is about the death of “25 people in the form of mass genocide”.
“But since they kept pressing for medical check-up, the court ordered reexamination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don’t require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up like a good mattress, which the court refused,” said Joshi.
A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am.
The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were then taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa.
After their health assessment, the two were brought to the court.
The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital.
Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who ordered the five-day police custody of the accused.
After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.
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The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.
They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.
Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.
