Aftab Poonawala faces threat from Lawrence Bishnoi gang; Tihar jail on high alert
Mumbai: Maharashtra police investigating the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique have uncovered new details linking Shubham Lonkar, the mastermind and a wanted suspect in the case, to allegedly planning a murder plot targeting Aftab Poonawala in Delhi. Lonkar is allegedly associated with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Poonawala, who was arrested by Delhi police on November 12, 2022, is facing charges for the murder of his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar. He is accused of killing Shraddha, dismembering her body and stashing the remains in a refrigerator. Poonawala has been lodged in Tihar central jail since the arrest.
In a related development, Delhi police increased security measures for Poonawala on Friday after receiving information about a death threat against him. According to police, the threat is believed to be linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
A senior police officer mentioned that they received an update from different security agencies that the shooters behind Baba Siddique’s murder also wanted to target Poonawala in jail. “We are not sure of the authenticity of the threat, but it is being said that the shooters were conspiring with jailed gangsters to attack Poonawala. Since he is in Tihar jail, we have sent updates to jail officials,” the officer was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
An officer from Tihar stated that security has been beefed up and two night guards have been asked to check on him.
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Dissident BJP leader Sandeep Varier joins Congress ahead of Palakkad bypoll in Kerala
Palakkad: Dissident BJP leader Sandeep G Varier joined the Congress party on Saturday, ahead of the Palakkad Assembly bypoll scheduled for November 20. He was welcomed by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan at the Congress office in Palakkad.
Speaking at a press conference, Varier criticised the BJP's state leadership, accusing state president K Surendran of being responsible for his exit. He expressed disappointment with the BJP’s functioning, stating, "The mistake I made was expecting support and love from an organisation that has consistently fostered only hate."
Varier alleged that the BJP leadership had compromised with the ruling CPI(M) government, particularly Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and claimed he was sidelined for opposing the Karuvannur co-operative bank scam.
Labelling the Congress as "the shop of love," Varier highlighted his disillusionment with the BJP and affirmed his alignment with the Congress's ideology, calling it "the idea of India."
The BJP, which had finished second in Palakkad in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections, dismissed the impact of Varier's defection. State president K Surendran stated that his departure would not affect the party.
The Palakkad bypoll, initially scheduled for November 13, was postponed to November 20 due to the Kalpathi Ratholsavam festival. The election was necessitated after Congress MLA Shafi Parambil vacated the seat upon his election to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency.
In the 2021 election, BJP’s candidate, ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan, narrowly lost to Shafi Parambil by 3,859 votes. The upcoming bypoll is expected to be closely contested.
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