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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Odisha GRP arrests 3 from Rajasthan for looting gold ornaments
Berhampur (PTI): The Government Railway Police (GRP) in Odisha on Monday arrested three persons from Rajasthan for allegedly looting gold ornaments from a trader near Berhampur railway station while posing as CBI officers.
Gold ornaments weighing 88 gm, valued at around Rs 14.80 lakh, were seized from their possession, an officer said.
At least two unidentified persons intercepted the victim, Husmukh Jain (43) of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, when he and another man were leaving Berhampur railway station after deboarding the Konark Express around 9.30 pm on February 25, the officer said.
“We have identified some more accused persons involved in the loot. They are from outside the state and will be arrested soon,” said Jagannath Mallick, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), GRP (Khurda).
The accused allegedly posed as CBI officers and forcibly took away his bag on the pretext of an enquiry.
The bag contained two mobile phones, 33 gold ornaments weighing around 862.5 gm, among other items, the officer said.
Based on the trader’s complaint, a case was registered at GRP Berhampur on February 26.
A joint team of GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel conducted raids at multiple locations in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan during the investigation, leading to the arrest of three persons, Mallick said.
