Indian Navy carries out anti-ship firings; demonstrates readiness for long-range 'offensive' strikes
New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI): The Indian Navy on Sunday said its warships have successfully carried out multiple anti-ship firings, revalidating their readiness for long-range precision "offensive" strikes.
The demonstration of the Navy's combat prowess came amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
Citing "cross-border linkages" to the horrific attack, India has already promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike that triggered wide-spread outrage within India and abroad.
"Indian Navy ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long range precision offensive strike," the Indian Navy said in a brief statement.
"Indian Navy stands combat ready, credible and future ready in safeguarding the nation's maritime interests anytime, anywhere, anyhow," it said.
The Indian Navy also released videos of the live firings at sea but did not provide details like when the exercise was carried out.
As the tensions between the two countries soared, Pakistani military continued to resort to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control in the areas opposite Tutmari Gali and Rampur Sectors Saturday night, military sources said.
The Pakistan military resorted to similar firings on Thursday and Friday nights as well.
"Our troops responded effectively with appropriate small arms fire," said an Indian official.
The Pahalgam massacre in Kashmir was the worst terror strike on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the "perpetrators and conspirators" of the Pahalgam attack will be "served with the harshest response".
"The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism. I once again assure the affected families that they will get justice, and justice will be done," Modi said in his 'Mann ki Baat' address.
"The perpetrators and conspirators of this attack will be served with the harshest response," he said.
Pakistan military has been put on high alert following India's promise that it will hunt down the terrorists involved in Tuesday's strike.
In the backdrop of the escalating tensions, the Indian Navy's guided missile destroyer INS Surat fired a medium range surface-to-air missile against a "sea skimming" target in the Western Indian Ocean last week.
India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan on Wednesday, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operational land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties in view of cross-border links to the attack.
In response, Pakistan on Thursday shut its airspace to Indian airliners and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries. Pakistan also rejected India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and said any move to stop the flow of water will be seen as an "act of war".
#IndianNavy Ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long range precision offensive strike.#IndianNavy stands #CombatReady #Credible and #FutureReady in safeguarding the nation’s maritime… pic.twitter.com/NWwSITBzKK
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 27, 2025
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Deaf and mute woman breaks 16-year silence, exposes serial sexual abuse, blackmail in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): A deaf and mute woman's complaint about a sexual assault that took place 16 years ago in Mumbai has unmasked a serial predator, revealing a disturbing pattern of abuse and blackmail he perpetrated on several women from the community.
The accused was arrested on December 13 after the survivor broke her silence recently following the suicide attempt by one of the women he allegedly sexually harassed.
Disturbed by the suicide attempt, she confided in her friends during a video call about the assault that occurred in 2009.
According to the police, the survivor, a resident of the western suburbs, communicated in sign language during a video call with her friends and colleagues, who were part of a WhatsApp group, that the accused had drugged and raped her when she was a minor.
She also took her husband into confidence, and with support from Thane Deaf Association president Vaibhav Ghaisis, activist Mohammed Farhan Khan, sign language interpreter Madhu Keni, and a retired officer from the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities Divyangjan, the survivor approached the police.
The survivor, her husband and a few of her friends went to the Kurar police station, where her statement was recorded in camera, with Keni as interpreter, and the accused, Mahesh Pawar, was arrested a few hours later from Virar, a suburb in Palghar district.
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Recalling the trauma she endured 16 years ago, the survivor said that a female friend had invited her to explore the city in July 2009 and took her to Pawar's home in Vakola, Santacruz, an official said.
The accused allegedly offered her samosas and some beverage to celebrate the female friend's birthday. The survivor said she was forced to have the drink, which Pawar had allegedly spiked, and after a while, her friend left her alone with him.
The accused allegedly overpowered and raped her, and later blackmailed her with the recorded video of the assault.
The trauma of assault stayed with her over the years, and the attempted suicide of another woman from the community, allegedly assaulted by Pawar, propelled her to come forward.
A probe has revealed that the accused had similarly drugged and assaulted speech and hearing impaired women and threatened them into silence by blackmailing them with obscene videos, a senior police officer said.
The accused allegedly shot obscene videos of several women, using which he blackmailed them and extorted money, gold and mobile phones, he said.
He allegedly forced women into participating in nude video calls with him and recorded these to threaten them, the official said.
"As per initial investigation so far, we have evidence of his abuse of seven women, but the number can increase to more than 24," the official told PTI.
While Pawar has been remanded in judicial custody, no other woman has come forward with a complaint against him as yet, he said.
Talking to PTI, Keni said all women who have survived abuse and harassment by Pawar want to lodge a complaint against him.
She claimed that the accused had extorted money from one of the women he abused, but did not return the sum even when she needed it for a medical emergency.
