Salman Rushdie attacker found guilty of attempted murder, assault
New York: Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old from New Jersey, has been found guilty of attempted murder and assault for the stabbing attack on British-Indian author Salman Rushdie. The verdict was delivered by a jury in Chautauqua County Court, New York, after a two-week trial.
The attack, which took place in August 2022 during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, left Rushdie with severe injuries, including damage to his liver, permanent vision loss in one eye, and paralysis in one hand due to nerve damage. Matar also injured interviewer Henry Reese, who sustained a minor head injury during the assault.
Matar now faces over 30 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for April 23, 2025. In addition to state charges, he faces federal accusations of providing material support to Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organization by multiple countries.
Rushdie, 77, testified during the trial, recalling the terrifying moment when Matar charged at him. He described the attack as targeted and relentless, with 15 stab wounds inflicted across his body, including his eye, neck, chest, and thigh.
The attack comes more than three decades after Rushdie faced a death fatwa from Iran’s Supreme Leader over his novel The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims considered blasphemous. Though Rushdie believed threats against him had diminished in recent years, the incident proved otherwise.
Matar, who pleaded not guilty, declined to testify during the trial. His defense argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove intent to kill. However, prosecutors presented slow-motion video footage of the attack, emphasizing the deliberate nature of the assault.
Matar, born in Fairview, New Jersey, to Lebanese immigrant parents, had previously expressed admiration for Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini and claimed to have read only a few pages of The Satanic Verses.
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Man smashes wife's head with stone suspecting her fidelity
Ramanagara (Karnataka) (PTI): A 21-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her husband, who smashed her head with a stone suspecting her fidelity, police said on Saturday.
According to police, the incident took place in Kullegowdanapalya under the limits of Kaggalipura police station.
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The deceased has been identified as Sinchana (21). The accused is her husband Renukaiah, police said.
Renukaiah frequently quarrelled with his wife suspecting her fidelity.
"On Friday after consuming alcohol, he picked up a quarrel with her. In a fit of rage, he brought a stone lying in front of the house and smashed it on her head, killing her on the spot," police said.
Police said the accused fled the scene immediately after the incident.
"On receiving information, Kaggalipura police visited the spot, conducted an inspection and shifted the body for post-mortem.
A case has been registered and efforts are under way to trace and arrest the accused," police added.
