Top Stories on 25th April in a capsule

India continues to worsen on Press Freedom Index, placed at 138th

The global watchdog of journalism, Reporters Without Borders realeased their list, the Press Freedom Index on Wednesday only to have India slip two points below its rank since last year. Dropping from 136 to 138 the report mentioned that the targeting the media through sharing of hate speeches and ‘trolls on social media’ and the rising violence, are the reasons for the low rank. While India worsened, the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden continued to maintain their ‘press friendly culture' at first and second rank, respectively. The United Kingdom and the USA also saw a decline placed at 40th and 45th, while the report went on to pose the big powers of Russia, China and the US as a ‘threat to democracy.’

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PDP Leader Ghulam Nabi Patel shot dead in Jammu-Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Ghulam Nabi Patel was killed, and two policemen were injured, in a militant attack in Pulwama district on Wednesday. Security forces have cordoned off the area and a hunt has been launched to nab the attackers, confirmed officials. Patel, a resident of Shadimarg area, succumbed to injuries while being taken to hospital. The Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack saying, “Such cowardly acts achieve nothing but leave one more family devastated.”
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Over 5,000 Gujarat farmers seek 'right to die' over land acquisition 

Over 5,00 farmers in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar, whose lands have been forcibly taken by bodies under the state government sought the permission to die, media reports quoting local farmers organisation said on Wednesday. “A total of 5,259 people, including farmers and their family members want to take their own lives in ‘iccha mrityu’ (right to die) as the land they cultivate in is being forcibly snatched by the state government and Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL),” claimed a member of Gujarat Khedut Samaj. Confirming the news, the district collector of Bhavnagar, said the letters signed by the farmers have been addressed to the President of India, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

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Mumbai hawala king arrested for Rs 20,000 scam

Mohammad Farooq alias Farooq Shaikh who operated one of the biggest hawala system in the city of Mumbai was arrested on Wednesday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in a Rs 2,253 amounted case of money laundering. Shaikh, a wanted criminal since 2014, who allegedly has ties with the underworld, has over 13 ‘fictitious’ companies with fake officials like an auto rickshaw driver posing as director for one of his companies. The companies remitted about Rs 2,2,53 core to foreign destinations by submitting fake documents to banks, during the 2015-16 period, while the actual bills of entry mentioned goods over worth Rs 24.6 crore.

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Call ‘full court’ to discuss future: 2 judges write to CJI

Two senior court judges on Wednesday asked Chief Justice Misra to call 'full court' to discuss the future of the court. The letter was submitted on Sunday, two days after a motion to impeach the CJI was submitted in Parliament. A full court is usually called by the Chief Justice is when all Supreme Court judges gather over a subject of public importance relating to the judiciary. Justice Gogoi had also raised the subject of a full court during traditional morning tea of Supreme Court judges on Monday. The CJI has not yet responded to their letter. Earlier, in a rare press conference called in January, 4 judges criticized the allocation of sensitive cases to junior judges. They also said that without an independent judiciary, "democracy wouldn't survive". Since then, the differences within the apex court has surfaced repeatedly.
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Mumbai woman who pushed man in front of train arrested

The Kurla Railway police arrested a man and woman who allegedly pushed an elderly businessman, Deepak Chamanlal Patwa in front of a running train on Tuesday. The man told the police that he did not know the woman Manisha Khakadiya, 38. The incident took place on Saturday when Khakadiya, a resident of Mahul village in Chembur, was on her way home. The CCTV recordings show the man had seen the train approaching when he pushed Patwa off the platform. Patwa was run over by the train and died on the spot.” Officers said that after the incident, Khakadiya took the stairs and ran away from the crowd. After a complaint by Patwa’s relatives, the police scanned the CCTV and recorded statements of passers-by, who confirmed Patwa was killed.

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Doctor in Gorakhpur encephalitis deaths case gets bail

After spending 7 months in Jail, Dr. Kafeel Ahmed, prime accused in the death of dozens of children in Gorakhpur was granted bail by Allahabad high court on Wednesday. Since the chargesheet has already been filed in the court, there is no need for custody, the judge said. Dr Khan’s family had applied for bail on six times in the past seven months. Dr. Kafeel was sought as a hero when he had used his own money to buy oxygen cylinders to the BRD hospital in the UP village during the crisis hour. However, he was later arrested and held responsible for the deaths. Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) was a major cause of the deaths. Till 29 August 2017, 175 children had died because of encephalitis, including 77 in August alone.
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Rape Victim’s father relieved after Asaram Bapu’s life sentence

The father of victim in Asaram Bapu rape case thanked the judiciary and media for the verdict said that he was happy to get justice. “For the past four months, our family members had not been coming out (of our house)... it is satisfying that the verdict has gone against him... We were living in constant terror, our business was adversely hit,” he added. The principal of the school the victim studied is also happy with the verdict. Followers of the self-styled Godman were putting a lot of pressure on the school to change the date of birth of the victim, to make it look like she was not a minor. The District Commissioner of Police of Jodhpur thanked everyone for the verdict and said "I can say that hard work from everyone has finally paid off. I need media's support to get the correct version out there to the supporters of Asaram”.

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2 people arrested for pulling model’s skirt in Indore deny accusation

Police arrested 2 men on Tuesday for allegedly harassing a woman model on Sunday in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. In a series of tweets, the woman had alleged that two persons had tried to pull her skirt and asked her to show "what lies underneath"? The accused have been identified as Lucky and Bunty and didn’t have any criminal background. The police said that both the accused accepted that their motorcycle collided with the girl’s scooty, but denied trying to pull her skirt, as claimed by the woman. "Police arrested the accused on the basis of the footage of a CCTV camera. However, police have not yet come across the footage showing that the two tried to pull the skirt of the woman," the DIG said. Police had registered a case against unidentified persons yesterday and set up a five-member special team, headed by a city superintendent of police (CSP), to investigate the matter.

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Around 16 killed in a Nigerian Church Attack

At least 16 people, including two Catholic priests, were killed after gunmen opened fire on a church congregation on Tuesday in the Mbalom area of central Nigeria’s Benue state. However some reports suggest the toll might of around 19 deaths. The state of Benue has been plagued by clashes between the Fulani herdsmen – who are mostly Muslims – and farmers, predominantly Christians. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack and described it as “vile and satanic” and that it aimed to stoke religious conflict. Earlier in January, at least 72 people died in the communal clashes in Benue.
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