Kargil war veteran case: Three FIRs lodged against retired cop
Rangia (Assam): Three separate FIRs have been lodged against a retired policeman, who had verified the documents and recorded the statement of Mohammad Sanaullah, a former Army officer, declared a "foreigner" and lodged in a detention centre in Assam, officials said on Monday.
The complaints were filed against retired sub-inspector Chandramal Das of the Assam Border Police at the Boko police station by three persons, whose names appeared as witnesses in Sanaullah's statement, they said.
Mohammad Kuran Ali, Suwahan Ali and Ajmal Ali alleged in the FIRs that Das, who was investigating Sanaullah's case, did not call them for giving any statement or sign on any document as witnesses, Officer in-charge of the Boko police station Jogen Barman told PTI.
The three also claimed that they came to know that they were made witnesses to Sanaullah's statement from the social media, he said. The police had registered three cases against Das under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Barman said.
Sanaullah, who had won a president's medal, was declared a "foreigner" by the Foreigners Tribunal, Kamrup, following a case registered in 2008 after his name was listed as a "D" (doubtful) voter.
After the verdict of the tribunal, Sanaullah, a resident of Kolohikash village in Kamrup district, was lodged in a detention camp in Goalpara.
The three persons, in their complaints, also said Sanaullah was a genuine Indian citizen and was being "harassed by the Assam Border Police, which has conspired to declare him a doubtful voter".
Sanaullah's lawyer Aman Wadud said when the Foreigners Tribunal heard the case, the retired Army personnel was deployed in Manipur and had not given any statement in court.
The Kargil war veteran's family members have decided to file a case in the Gauhati High Court against the Assam Border Police and Das for allegedly conspiring to declare Sanaullah a "foreigner".
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Jaishankar holds talks with Russia's Lavrov; trade, geopolitics top agenda
New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held "productive" talks on Wednesday to advance bilateral cooperation in energy and trade amid shifting geopolitical tensions.
Jaishankar met Lavrov, shortly after the Russian foreign minister landed in New Delhi to attend a two-day conclave of the BRICS member states beginning Thursday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and South Africa's Minister for International Relations Ozzy Lamola are among those who already arrived in the national capital for the BRICS foreign ministerial meeting.
Jaishankar and Lavrov are learnt to have deliberated on the West Asia crisis as well as the Ukraine conflict.
In a social media post, the external affairs minister described his talks with his Russian counterpart as "productive exchange of views".
"Our conversation touched upon several aspects of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, including trade and investment, energy and connectivity, science and technology, as well as facilitating mobility of skills and talent," he said.
"Other global and multilateral issues of mutual interest were also discussed," he said.
It is not immediately known if India's procurement of Russian crude oil figured in the talks.
In his televised opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar said India and Russia have a shared interest in strengthening multipolarity and could benefit through greater "de-risking" .
"The last few years have seen a steady and sustained growth in our bilateral partnership. Its economic and energy dimensions have become pronounced. Our political cooperation is even more valuable in an uncertain and volatile global environment," Jaishankar said.
"We have expanded our collaboration in science and technology. The mobility of talents and skills has acquired greater salience and our interest in ensuring better connectivity is deeper," he said.
"The complicated international situation also merits an open exchange of views, especially between two trusted partners," he said.
The external affairs minister said India and Russia have a shared interest in strengthening multipolarity.
Jaishankar also held separate bilateral talks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Vieira South Africa's Ozzy Lamola.
The external affairs minister also met Maldivian Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam.
"Underlined our Neighbourhood First policy and reviewed our bilateral cooperation. Reiterated India's commitment to Maldives' progress and development," he said on X.
India, as the chair of the BRICS, is hosting the conclave of the foreign ministers ahead of the annual summit of the grouping in September.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025.
It has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.
The BRICS meeting will be chaired by Jaishankar.
