The Manipur government has extended the “disturbed area” provision of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in the state for one more year, but spared municipal areas of capital city Imphal. It was extended with retrospective effect from December 1, 2021. The decision was taken when there’s a renewed call to repeal the controversial law and amid heightened political activities in the state that goes to the polls in two phases on February 27 and March 3. A notification was issued by the state home department on December 8, said the governor. He said due to “violent activities of various extremist/insurgent groups, the entire state is in such a disturbed condition” that the government will need the help of armed forces when necessary. Areas declared “disturbed” under the provisions of the 1958 law is amended from time to time, he said. The call to repeal AFSPA gained momentum in the northeast following the killing of 14 civilians by security forces in Nagaland in a botched counter-insurgency operation on December 4.
Chhattisgarh cops arrest IPS officer in Delhi
The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested in Delhi ADG Gurjinder Pal Singh, a 1994-batch IPS officer, who is under suspension and has been charged with corruption, sedition and promoting enmity. The Supreme Court had recently turned down his plea for a stay on his arrest and the investigation. He was suspended last July following ACB and EOW raids on his residence and other premises. Singh had earlier headed the same agencies. Assets worth £ 1 million and Rs 16,00,000 in cash were recovered, along with several documents, the agencies had said. Later, CM Bhupesh Baghel said the sedition case and the other charges were registered based on documents seized by the ACB.
Editors Guild slams trolling of women journos
The Editors Guild of India condemned the continued online harassment and organised trolling of women journalists and demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe, and urgent government action to dismantle such “misogynistic and abusive” digital ecosystems. Claiming that most attacks were targeted at outspoken critics of the government and the ruling party, the EGI asked the Supreme Court to order a probe into the use of the ‘Tek Fog’ app to harass women journalists with abusive tweets. “This is a travesty of all democratic norms, and in violation of law,” the Guild said commenting on the latest instances of “organised trolling and harassment”.
Chhattisgarh royal booked in ‘rape’ case
The heir apparent of the erstwhile Sakti royal family in Chhattisgarh, Kunwar Dharmendra Singh, has been booked for rape after a relative alleged that he barged into her home on the night of January 9 and had unnatural sex with her. Dharmendra is the adopted son of Surendra Bahadur Singh, Raja of the erstwhile state of Sakti in Janjgir Champa district. The family came into pubic glare recently when the raja announced the ‘crowning ceremony’ of Kunwar Dharmendra Singh, declaring him as the “heir to his throne”.
Nod for coastal highway in Gujarat
The Gujarat cabinet sanctioned a sum of £244 million for developing a coastal highway which will ensure better connectivity to places of tourist interest along the coastline. State minister Jitu Vaghani, said that a new road will be constructed from the Statue of Unity (SoU) to Shabri Dham in South Gujarat at a cost of £157 million. Providing information, the education minister, said that the135-km long coastal highway will connect Ubhrat, Titha and Chorwad. He added that a new link will be set up from Khambhat to Ambli to ease traffic movement between Saurashtra and South Gujarat. Vaghani said that another major highway project connecting Shabri Dham in Dang district to the Statue of Unity in Narmada district will be taken up at a cost of £157 million. “Existing roads will be widened and new roads will be constructed along the 218 km stretch of road to connect the two sites of SoU and Shabri Dham. Tourism will get a huge boost with the completion of this project,” Vaghani said.
Blasts hit Manipur ahead of elections
A grenade and an IED exploded near two Congress politicians’ homes in separate localities in Imphal recently, signaling sharp political divisions ahead of the state’s assembly polls on February 27 and March 3. No one was wounded and no group has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Police registered a case, but no arrest has been made yet. The first attack was at 2. 20 am when a grenade went off at the gates of former MLA Salam Joy Singh’s home at Samurou Naorem Chakpram under Wangoi assembly seat in Imphal West. About 30 minutes later, an IED exploded at the gate of Khuraijam Ratankumar Singh’s house at Kanglasangomsang under Khurai seat in Imphal East district.
