Udupi Police under fire for not registering case against Rashmi Samant's false claims
Police have booked YouTube channel, one user for spreading fake news on Udupi incident
Udupi: The District Police is facing criticism for not registering a case against self-proclaimed Hindu rights activist Rashmi Samant for spreading fake news related to the viral video of a student in a Udupi college restroom.
The Malpe Police sub-inspector has taken the initiative and filed an FIR against the administration of Nethra Jyothi Paramedical College and three students allegedly involved in the incident. Additionally, cases have been registered against One India YouTube Channel for disseminating fake news, as well as against one social media user who shared it. However, Rashmi Samant has not been booked in the case, prompting questions from the public about the reason behind this omission.
ALSO READ: Fact Check: How self-proclaimed Hindu rights activist is spreading false claims on Udupi incident
Rashmi had tweeted on her account that the three accused students, who were Muslims, had placed hidden cameras in female restrooms at their college to record hundreds of unsuspecting Hindu girls. She further claimed that the recorded videos and photos were circulated within community WhatsApp groups by the perpetrators.
Let me tell you, many of the girls who were featured in the videos are depressed and disturbed to the extent that they are contemplating self-harm/suicide. Yet, this issue is not being condemned with the severity it deserves.
— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) July 23, 2023
If you have one last bone of conscience left in you, talk about what happened to the Hindu girls in Udupi so that they don't dare to mess with our girls again.
— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) July 23, 2023
In response, Udupi SP Hakay Akshay Macchindra called a press conference to address the case and declared Rashmi's claims as false. He clarified that the accused students and the student in the restroom were acquaintances and that the video was filmed as a prank. The police found no evidence of hidden cameras in the restroom, refuting Rashmi's claim.
As the incident gained communal undertones due to Rashmi's tweets, the police debunked this notion as well. SP Macchindra emphasized that the student in question was neither harassed nor blackmailed by the accused or anyone else. Furthermore, the claim made by Rashmi regarding the mental state of several girls due to similar incidents was contradicted by the local police, who stated that the incident was isolated and involved only one girl. The college chairperson also confirmed that no such incident had occurred before in the college, labeling Rashmi's claims as baseless.
Rashmi Samant, a native of Udupi district, had faced previous controversies due to her social media posts being labeled anti-Semitic, racist, and transphobic. Consequently, she was forced to resign from her position as President of the Oxford University Students Union within just five days of her election in 2021.
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B'desh: Lawyer killed in clash between security personnel, followers of Hindu leader
Dhaka, Nov 26: A lawyer was killed on Tuesday during clashes between the security personnel and followers of a Hindu community leader, who was denied bail and sent to jail by a Bangladesh court, according to local media reports.
The victim was identified as Saiful Islam, a 35-year-old assistant public prosecutor and a member of the Chattogram District Bar Association, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
Citing Dr Nibedita Ghosh, a duty doctor at the emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the paper said that six others were injured in the clashes that erupted after Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate court denied bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, arrested on sedition charges.
Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, president of the Chittagong Lawyers' Association, said that protesters dragged a lawyer from beneath his chamber and hacked him to death.
As Das was being taken away in a police van, he addressed the crowd through a hand mike, urging them to remain calm.
Around 3 pm, the law enforcement agencies resorted to sound grenades, tear gas shells, and baton charges, dispersing the protesters.
Deputy Commissioner of City Police Liaquat Ali confirmed one death but said they were still investigating the cause.
The Daily Star newspaper reported that at least 10 people, including journalists, were injured during the clash.
