Shelter home rape case: Key accused's plea rejected
Patna, Sep 1 : A special court on Saturday rejected the plea of the shelter home rape key accused to shift him from the high-security cell of the Muzaffarpur Central Jail to the general prisoner ward on the ground of security threat to him.
Brajesh Thakur on Saturday appeared before the special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court in Muzaffarpur via videoconference.
The accused informed the court that neither anyone can approach him nor can he talk to anyone in his high-security cell.
The court citing security threat to him rejected his plea. Last month Thakur had told the authorities about a threat to his life as he was currently lodged with Maoist rebels.
Thakur has been lodged in the Muzaffarpur Central Jail since June 2. He was shifted to the prisoners ward from the hospital ward barely two weeks ago.
The Patna High Court is monitoring the CBI probe into the case.
The Muzaffarpur rape case came to light when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupt Microsoft's 50th anniversary party over Israel contract
Washington, Apr 5 (AP): A pro-Palestinian protest by Microsoft employees interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration Friday, the latest backlash over the tech industry's work to supply artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military.
The protest happened as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was presenting product updates and a long-term vision for the company's AI assistant product, Copilot, to an audience that included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer.
“Mustafa, shame on you,” shouted Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad as she walked toward the stage and Suleyman paused his speech. “You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”
“Thank you for your protest, I hear you,” Suleyman said. Aboussad continued, shouting that he and “all of Microsoft” had blood on their hands. She also threw onto the stage a keffiyeh scarf, which has become a symbol of support for Palestinian people, before being escorted out of the event.
A second protester, Microsoft employee Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted another part of the celebration during which Gates, Ballmer and current CEO Satya Nadella were on stage — the first public gathering since 2014 of the three men who have been Microsoft's CEO.
An investigation by The Associated Press revealed earlier this year that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI had been used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during the recent wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The story also contained details of an errant Israeli airstrike in 2023 that struck a vehicle carrying members of a Lebanese family, killing three young girls and their grandmother.
In February, five Microsoft employees were ejected from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella for protesting the contracts. While the February event was an internal meeting, Friday's protest was far more public — a livestreamed showcase of the company's past and future.
“We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard," said a statement from the company Friday. “Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards.”
Microsoft declined to say whether it would take further action.
An employee disrupted Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI.
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) April 4, 2025
“Shame on you,” said Microsoft worker Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in… pic.twitter.com/cfub3OJuRv
