Raipur police registered FIR over offensive posts targeting social activist, family on social media

RAIPUR: In a prompt action, the Raipur police lodged an FIR over a complaint of persistent mental distress caused by a series of offensive posts targeting a social activist for over a year through a social media platform X (earlier Twitter) created on a purported fictitious name. A resident of Raipur Kunal Shukla in his police complaint cited that a 55-year-old Nilesh Raichura has been routinely targeting him, his wife and daughter with disturbing filthy posts and offensive remarks. I initially ignored him. But he persisted in using abusive disgusting comments and began threatening me. I was scared as his unending aggression caused a long-drawn-out mental harassment. I was very concerned about the safety of my 11-year-old daughter. Left with no option, I had to approach the Raipur senior superintendent of police with my complaint seeking justice. I requested that the public decency and morality should be upheld. The police inquired into my grievances and after verification found it to be true, Shukla, who is also an RTI activist, said. Raichura, who resides in the neighbouring Dhamtari district, has created his profile X- handle in the name of Kathiawadi'. The Raipur police registered a case against Raichura under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 296 (performing obscene acts, comments or songs in public). Several social activists and netizens appreciated the move citing that the police having registered the case can set a good precedent for inculcating a sense of accountability for users on digital platforms.

Chhattisgarh urban body polls: Congress fields more Muslim candidates than BJP

RAIPUR: The participation of minorities in the electoral process are not usually seen as encouraging despite their assumed role in playing unspecified determining, may be small, in the fortune of political parties. Chhattisgarh is yet again into the season of polls after the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. And the poll-battle in the upcoming urban body is likely to be bipolar with a direct fight between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress across the state. The political parties are seen in the middle of the campaign after the distribution of tickets in which the minorities apparently got a better share from Congress than the BJP. Out of the 542 wards going to polls for electing the Corporations in the Chhattisgarh urban bodies, the Congress has given tickets to 40 Muslim candidates while only four from the community get tickets of the saffron party. The urban body elections in 10 municipal corporations, 49 municipalities, and 114 nagar panchayats are scheduled for 11th February, with the counting of votes set for 15th February. In Raipur municipal corporation, among the 70 wards, the BJP has not given any ticket to Muslim while the opposition has selected five seats for Muslims. Overall, the Congress has given tickets to nine candidates in Bilaspur, five in Raipur, seven in Ambikapur, two in Chirmiri, two in Durg, three in Jagdalpur, three in Rajnandgaon, two in Raigarh and one in Dhamtari. The BJP has fielded one candidate belonging to Muslim community each in Bilaspur, Durg, Ambikapur and Raigarh to contest for election for a Corporator. The Congress has given 7.38 per cent of its tickets to Muslim candidates and the BJPs share for Muslim faces is 0.73 per cent. It remains to be seen how the caste and winnability factors of the Muslim candidates as calculated by respective parties are going to turn the table on their rivals with allegations and appeals. BJP's manifesto titles 'Atal Vishwas Patra' was recently released by the Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai while the Congress president Deepak Baij unveiled the partys 34 promises in its manifesto, titled Jan Ghoshna Patra.

Three boys killed, one injured as tractor overturns in Chhattisgarh

Boys skipped school for tractor ride; accident occurred in Dhamtari district

Chhattisgarh urban body polls: Congress announces candidates for all 10 mayoral seats

Congress state unit in-charge general secretary (organisation and administration) Malkeet Singh Gaindu is the party's candidate for the mayor's post in Jagdalpur, Nikhil Dwivedi in Rajnandgaon and Vijay Golchha in Dhamtari

Chhattisgarh encounter: 12 of 16 slain Naxalites identified, carried total bounty of Rs 3.13 crore

RAIPUR: Twelve of the 16 Naxalites killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district have been identified as dreaded ultras carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 3.13 crore, including a central committee member of the outlawed movement, a police official said on Thursday. Prime among them was Chalpathi alias Jairam, a member of the central committee and Odisha state committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), who had a collective bounty of Rs 90 lakh on his head in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, he said. It was the first time someone from the central committee, the main governing body of the proscribed outfit, has been eliminated in an encounter in Chhattisgarh, the official added. As many as 16 Naxalites, including six women, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in a forest under Mainpur police station limits (Gariaband) along Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. The three-day operation involving personnel belonging to E-30 (a Gariaband district police unit), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and Odisha police's Special Operation Group (SOG) concluded on Wednesday. Maoist leader carrying Rs 1 crore bounty among 14 killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband Of the killed cadres, 12 have been identified. These 12 cadres carried a cumulative reward of Rs 3.13 crore in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Chalpathi, also known as Ramchandran, Pratap Reddy, Appa Rao and Ravi, was a resident of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. He carried a reward of Rs 40 lakh, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 25 lakh in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, said Inspector General of Police (Raipur Range) Amresh Mishra. Two other key cadres were identified as Jairam alias Guddu (50), member of Odisha state committee and secretary of Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada (DGN) division of Maoists, and Satyam Gavde (43), chief of DGN division, both natives of Chhattisgarh who carried cumulative reward of Rs 65 lakh each in three states, the IG informed. Alok alias Munna, a divisional committee member, and Mannu, member of military company no.1 in Maad area, carried a bounty of Rs 18 lakh and Rs 14 lakh, respectively, in three states. Four slain ultras have been identified as Maoist area committee members Shankar, Kalmu Deve alias Kalla, Manju and Rinki. They carried a collective reward of Rs 13 lakh each, he said. Three deceased cadres have been identified as Sukhram, a party member, Rame Oyam (28) and Jaini (24), both members of Mainpur LGS (local guerilla squad), the IG said, adding they carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh each on their heads. Efforts are on to ascertain the identity of four other deceased cadres, Mishra said. At least 17 automatic and other firearms, including an AK-47 rifle and one Self Loading Rifle (SLR), were recovered from the encounter site. Besides, more than two dozen improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by Naxalites were neutralized by security forces during the operation, he informed. At least 42 Naxalites have been killed in separate gunfights in Chhattisgarh this year. Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh liquor 'scam': Ex-minister Lakhma 'utilised' proceeds of crime in cash, claims ED

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday claimed it has gathered evidence showing that Chhattisgarh Congress MLA and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma utilised in cash proceeds of crime generated from the alleged liquor scam. The federal agency had raided the premises of Lakhma and his son Harish Lakhma on December 28 in Raipur, Sukma and Dhamtari districts of the state as part of a money laundering investigation. The ED said in a statement that the search operation was carried at the residential premises of Lakhma, who allegedly was the main recipient of the proceeds of crime in cash, during his regime as excise minister. As a result of the search operation, ED has been able to gather evidence pertaining to utilization of proceeds of crime in cash by Kawasi Lakhma during the relevant period of scam, the agency said. The search also led to the seizure of multiple digital devices elieved to be containing incriminating records. Lakhma, as per the ED, used to receive substantial amount in cash on monthly basis out of the proceeds of crime generated from liquor scam. Lakhma, 71, is a six-time MLA from Konta and has served as the excise minister in the previous Congress government. Harish Lakhma is stated to be a panchayat president in his district. Earlier, the Chhattisgarh Congress had alleged that the raids were part of a conspiracy by the BJP to harass the opposition party's leaders ahead of urban body and panchayat polls. The alleged liquor scam in the state, as per the ED, was orchestrated between 2019-22 when Chhattisgarh was ruled by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. The Chhattisgarh liquor scam resulted in massive loss to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate with more than Rs 2,100 crore illegal proceeds of crime, the agency had claimed earlier.

Districts affected by left-wing extremism down to 38 in 2024 from 126 in 2013: Home Ministry

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the geographical spread of violence induced by left-wing extremism (LWE) in the country has fallen to 38 districts across nine states in 2024 from 126 districts across 10 states in 2013. In a written reply to a question in the House, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, To address the LWE menace holistically, the government approved the National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE in 2015. The policy envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities. The MoS (Home) said, The geographical spread of LWE violence has constricted substantially with reduction of LWE-affected districts from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to only 38 districts across nine states in 2024 (with effect from April-2024). He went on to add that the resolute implementation of the policy has resulted in consistent decline in violence and constriction of geographical spread. The LWE violence incidents have reduced by 73 percent from the high level of LWE violence incidents in 2010. The resultant deaths (civilians and security forces) have reduced by 86 percent from all time high of 1,005 in 2010 to 138 in 2023. In the current year (up to November 15, 2024), there has been a sharp reduction of 25 percent in LWE perpetrated incidents, the minister said, adding that the number of police stations reporting LWE related violence has also significantly reduced from 465 in 2010 to 171 in 2023. Rai said that during the past five years between 2019-20 and 2023-24, Rs 4350.78 crore have been released for capacity building of the LWE-affected states under the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), Security Related Expenditure (SRE) and Special Central Assistance (SCA) schemes. Further, Rs 560.22 crore have been given to Central Agencies during the same period for helicopters and addressing critical infrastructure in security camps in LWE-affected areas, under Assistance to Central Agencies for LWE Management (ACALWEM) Scheme, he added. List of districts affected by LWE: 38 Andhra Pradesh: Alluri Sitaramraju Chhattisgarh: Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Gariyaband, Kanker, Kondagaon, Mahasamund, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Mohalla-Manpur- Ambagarh chowki, Khairgarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai, Sukma, Kabirdham, Mungeli Jharkhand: Giridih, Gumla, Latehar, Lohardaga, West Singhbhum Kerala: Wayanad, Kannur Madhya Pradesh: Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori Maharashtra: Gadchiroli, Gondia Odisha: Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Nuapada, Rayagada Telangana: Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Mulugu West Bengal: Jhargram Specific developmental initiatives in LWE-affected areas: Road network: 14,469 km roads have been constructed Telecom connectivity: 6,567 mobile towers have been commissioned Financial inclusion: 5,731 Post Offices, 1,007 Bank Branches and 937 ATMs have been opened Skill development: 46 ITIs and 49 Skill Development Centers (SDCs) have been made functional Quality education: 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have been made functional

Chhattisgarh man ends life after alleging forced conversion; four held

Dhamtari: A 30-year-old man committed suicide, alleging in a social media post that his wife and in-laws were forcing him to undergo religious conversion, police said on Monday. The police have arrested four persons, including the man's wife, in connection with the death, they said. Linesh Sahu was found hanging from the ceiling at his house in Potiadih village under Arjuni police station limits on the morning of December 7, an official said. Investigations revealed that Sahu had updated his status on WhatsApp before committing suicide and had written he was disturbed because of his wife and in-laws as they were forcing him to undergo religious conversion, he said. Sahu had also shared the status message with his brother-in-law at 3.43 am on December 7, he said. I am fed up with my wife. She harassed me a lot to change my religion. When I got to my in-law's place, her mother and two sisters also harassed me to change my religion, saying they would later convince my mother and father (to change their religion), the man wrote on his WhatsApp status. According to the police, Sahu married his wife Karuna, a resident of Raipur, in September last year. The official said the police have arrested Karuna (27), her parents Rajkumar (54) and Gauri Sahu (48), her sister Kiran Sahu (31) for abetment of suicide. Efforts are on to trace Karuna's younger sister, Kanishka Sahu, he said, adding that further investigation is underway.