"He Doesn't Remember Anything": Lawyer Of Sacked Railway Cop Who Killed 4

Sacked Railway Protection Force constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who is accused of shooting dead his colleague and three passengers on board a train last month, does not remember anything "about the incident, his arrest or custody", his lawyer said on Thursday.

Lawyer Amit Mishra, who met his client in jail in neighbouring Thane during the day to discuss the case, told PTI the latter did not answer any of his questions.

"He has said he does not remember anything about the incident, his arrest or his custody," mr Mishra said, adding that Chaudhary's "mental condition is bad" due to which personnel "monitoring and protecting him in jail custody are also worried".

The personnel accompanying Chaudhary have said his behaviour is "very unusual and he is in deep shock" and that he just eats "occasionally", the lawyer claimed.

Responding to a question, the accused said he does not know about his caste but only that his name was Chetan and that he was Hindu, Mr Mishra informed.

On July 31, Chaudhary allegedly shot dead his superior Tikaram Meena and three passengers, identified as Abdul Kadar Mohamed Hussain Bhanpurawala, Sayyad Saifuddin and Asgar Abbas Shaikh, on board the Jaipur Mumbai Central Superfast Express near Palghar station.

Chaudhary was caught with the weapon allegedly used in the crime and was charged with murder, kidnapping as well as Indian Penal Code section 153A for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion etc.

On Monday, he was dismissed from service through an order issued by the RPF's senior divisional security commissioner.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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KCR's Daughter Takes "1,000 Mice" Dig At Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra

Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC K Kavitha on Wednesday said his Bharat Jodo Yatra was like "a cat that killed 1,000 mice going on a pilgrimage".

Ms Kavitha, who spoke at a party meeting in Bhodan, also took a dig at the Congress and said it ruled the country for 62 years, during which the "poor remained poor" despite the party's ''Garibi Hatao' slogan.

This is Ms Kavitha's first visit to Nizamabad Lok Sabha Constituency after she publicly announced that she would be contesting from here in the 2024 General Elections. BRS cadres held a huge rally to welcome her.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) took out a foot-march -- Bharat Jodo Yatra. You know how I feel (about that yatra?) A cat that killed 1,000 mice goes on a pilgrimage. That is how Rahul Gandhiji (acted)," the BRS leader said.

"The Congress Party ruled for 62 years after the country gained independence. What have you done for Muslims? You (the Congress Party) kept on saying 'Garibi Hatao'. What have you done for the poor? You removed poor people, but not poverty," she added.

Mas Kavitha, who is the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), asked the BRS party cadres to go to every household and mosque in the constituency and meet maulanas (Muslim men who are revered for their religious knowledge) to explain to them why one should not vote for the Congress.

"No one could bring the revolution in Telangana that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been able to usher in the last 10 years in the state. Our minority brothers should think about whether one should vote for the Congress," she said.

She claimed that there has been no development in the country despite the rule of Congress leaders for generations.

According to her, Telangana Muslims are not thinking of anything other than "Car and Sarcar (government)". Car is the poll symbol of the BRS Party.

During the past 10 years under KCR's rule, there has been no communal violence in the state, Ms Kavitha said.

The MLC added that Rahul Gandhi says that the Constitution and democracy are under threat, but the truth is that Telangana has a powerful leader and a powerful democracy, and the Constitution is thriving under the leadership of CM KCR.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Japanese Man Dances To Tamannaah's 'Kaavaalaa' From The Film 'Jailer', Video Viral

The song 'Kaavaalaa' from the movie 'Jailer', starring Tamannaah Bhatia and Rajinikanth, has become a superhit, captivating the hearts of fans around the world.The dance moves featured in the song are being replicated in dance studios as both the film and the song continue to gain immense popularity.

Tamannaah's appearance in the song is truly stunning, leaving a lasting impression. Numerous influencers on social media have shared videos of themselves dancing to this catchy tune.

Now a new dance video related to this trending song has captured the attention of social media. In this video, a Japanese digital creator who goes by the name "kaketaku" has skillfully replicated Tamannaah's dance moves from the song.

Kaketaku, who according to his Instagram bio is a dancer and choreographer, shared the video on Instagram with a caption that reads, "Kaavaalaa from Japan."

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A post shared by KAKETAKU🕺 (@kaketaku.japan)

He went to great lengths to imitate the same dance steps that Tamannaah Bhatia performed in the movie.

The dance clip was posted a week ago, and it received an overwhelmingly positive response from the internet, with many expressing their admiration for his performance.

The video has garnered an impressive view count of nearly 200,000 on social media platforms.

Since being posted, it has been liked more than 29,000 times, and the numbers are only increasing.

Several users left interesting comments on the dance video.

"Myyy Gooodddd, Soooo Smooth, I Love Your Moves Bro, Keep Rocking, Lot's Of Love From Tamil Nadu," commented a user.

"Superb and killing moves," wrote another user.

"Totally different from real choreography," commented a third user.

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Alia Bhatt In A New Pic With Her "Happy Place" Husband Ranbir Kapoor

Alia Bhatt, who is basking in the success of her recent release Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, took some time off her busy schedule to interact with her fans on Instagram. It so happened that the Gangubai Kathiawadi actress conducted an Ask AMA session on the photo-sharing app on Wednesday and was hounded by questions on obviously her husband Ranbir Kapoor among other things. On being asked about the best thing about her husband, the 30-year-old actress replied by sharing an adorable picture of the two with a text that read, "He's my happy place cause I can be my truest, most authentic self with him."

Take a look at the lovely post below:

Earlier in the session, Alia Bhatt also revealed that the best photographer in her life is her husband, Ranbir Kapoor. Alia Bhatt was asked by a fan, "Did Ranbir click the picture that is your current display?" The actress replied sharing another shot of herself, "Yes...Even this one... He's my most fav photographer...Ever."A question about daughter Raha also popped up when one fellow fan asked, How's your baby Raha? Replying to the question, Alia wrote, "Raha is 9 months now and she is pure joy ."

Take a look at some of the questions answered by Alia Bhatt:

Notably, this comes at a time when the Brahmastra couple is trending big, thanks to a video that Alia Bhatt posted for Vogue India. In the clip, Alia can be seen wiping off the lipstick as she explains that she does so because her husband and actor Ranbir Kapoor would ask her to "wipe off" her lipstick back when they were dating. After all, he liked her natural lip shade. This however did not sit well with a section of the media who began slamming the actor.  While one user termed it as "misogyny," another jokingly said, "Alia: Please blink if you're in danger.”

Check out the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine)

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have been married since 2022 and they are parents to a daughter named Raha.

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Mobs Vandalise 4 Churches In Pakistan Over Blasphemy Allegations

At least four churches and some buildings around them have been ransacked over blasphemy allegations in Pakistan's Punjab today. The mobs also demolished the house of a Christian cleaner who was accused of carrying out a blasphemous act. 

The Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan alleged that Bibles were desecrated and "Christians were tortured" during the attack, which took place in Faisalabad district's Jaranwala tehsil. In view of the “vulnerable” law-and-order situation, the commissioner of the district has requested the deployment of two companies of the Pakistan Rangers.

The Salvation Army Church, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church and Shehroonwala Church situated in the Isa Nagri area were ransacked, Imran Bhatti, the pastor of Jaranwala, was quoted as saying by Dawn.com 

The incident comes two months after a 22-year-old Christian man was sentenced to death for having blasphemous images on his cellphone.

Videos from the spot showed mobs of over 100 people, some of whom were armed with sticks, ransacking two churches and setting some materials ablaze outside them. Other videos, which were shot from a distance, showed smoke rising from the area.

"There are narrow lanes [in the area] in which small churches are located and there is one main church ... they have vandalised portions of the churches," the police chief of Pakistan's Punjab, Usman Anwar, told Dawn.com. 

Mr Anwar said the area had been cordoned off and its assistant commissioner, a member of the Christian community, had also been evacuated after the people turned against him. 

In a letter to the additional secretary (internal security) of Pakistan's Punjab, the Faisalabad commissioner has flagged the "vulnerable" law-and-order situation in Jeranwala and requested the deployment of two companies of the Pakistan Rangers. 

"Despite the Police' best efforts, the law & order situation standstills too sensitive and vulnerable. Thus, you are, requested to deploy two companies of Rangers/sufficient armed force urgently to check the turmoiling Law & Order situation at Tehsil Jaranwala District Faisalabad (sic)," the letter states. 

Azad Marshall, who is the Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan, posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been tortured and harrased (sic) having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran."

Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been… pic.twitter.com/xruE83NPXL

— Bishop Azad Marshall (@BishopAzadM) August 16, 2023

Appealing to the police and other law enforcement agencies to take action, the Bishop added, "We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom." 

In June, a court in Pakistan's Bahawalpur had sentenced a  22-year-old Christian man, Noman Masih, to death for having blasphemous images on his phone. The verdict was condemned by human rights organisations. 

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"Sheer Ignorance": Manipur Tribal Body Sorry For Disrespect To National Flag

A Kuki civil society group has apologised for wrong display of the national flag in violation of the Flag Code of India, 2002, during a march in Manipur's Churachandpur on Tuesday.

Tribal groups had organised an Independence Day event in Kuki-majority Churachandpur, 65 km from the state capital Imphal, where young people in military battledress holding replica assault rifles had marched on a ground.

The national flag was dipped to the side several times during the parade, which violated the Flag Code.

"It has come to our notice that violation of the Flag Code of India, 2002 or commission of an offence under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 may have occurred as alleged across various social media platforms, whereby dipping the Indian national flag in salute to any person or thing took place," the Zomi Council Steering Committee said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The said alleged dipping of the Indian national flag was never intended to demean or insult the national flag; the same had happened out of sheer ignorance of the Flag Code on our part and we sincerely regretted that it has hurt the sentiments of our fellow citizens," the Kuki organisation said.

The marches in Churachandpur was criticised on social media over the alleged disrespect shown to the national flag. In one of the videos of the event, the national flag is seen installed at an angle, with the stick jutting out quite a bit, giving it the appearance of a flag flown in half-mast.

In another video, a guerilla uniformed man in a group of marchers, instead of holding the national flag upright as mandated by the Flag Code of India, 2002, is seen dipping it to the side when he approaches some people standing on a podium, which is a violation of the law that says, "The flag shall not be dipped in salute to any person or thing".

The optics of the Churachandpur event that indicated the participation of 'armed' men, however, sparked a massive controversy in Manipur amid a tensed environment after the ethnic clashes that lasted three months. Sporadic fights continue to be reported every day.

Kuki civil society groups said the assault rifles carried by the parade participants were not real.

Over 180 have died since ethnic violence between the hill-majority Kukis and the valley-majority Meiteis broke out on May 3 over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. Thousands have been internally displaced and are living in relief camps.

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In This Manipur District, I-Day Event With "Replica Guns" And 'Uri' Screening

The Kuki-Zo-Chin tribes' civil society groups did not join the Manipur government's call for celebration of the 77th Independence Day on Tuesday, and organised their own celebration in Kuki-majority Churachandpur, 65 km from the state capital Imphal.

"By these celebrations, we have shown that we are separate from the Manipur government and that we can rule and govern ourselves. We want to show the rest of India we would like to be a separate entity under the Indian Union," Chinkhenpau from the Zomi Council Steering Committee said.

Visuals of the event show young people marching in military battledress holding 'assault rifles'. They wore the shoulder or chest patch of the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), a Kuki insurgent group with whom the Manipur government ended the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement in March this year, two months before violence broke out between the hill-majority Kukis and the valley-majority Meiteis over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.

Kuki civil society groups, however, claimed the men in battledress who participated in the march were "village defence volunteers" and the guns were not real.

The optics of the Churachandpur event that indicated the participation of 'armed' men, however, has sparked a massive controversy in Manipur amid a tensed environment after the ethnic clashes that lasted three months. Sporadic fights continue to be reported every day.

The marches in Churachandpur has been criticised on social media over alleged disrespect shown to the national flag. In one of the videos of the event, the national flag is seen installed at an angle, with the stick jutting out quite a bit, giving it the appearance of a flag flown in half-mast.

In another video, a guerilla uniformed man in a group of marchers, instead of holding the national flag upright as mandated by the Flag Code of India, 2002, is seen dipping it to the side when he approaches some people standing on a podium, which is a violation of the law that says, "The flag shall not be dipped in salute to any person or thing".

"What has the unified command done about this open display of deadly weapons - toy gun as Kuki claims? If others too form such militia, will they be also allowed to display their illegal might in national parades? Will we allow 'Ranbir Sena' or 'Bhim Army' etc to do similar act?" Lieutenant General L Nishikanta Singh (retired) posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"... Only security forces display weapons on parade. Kukis sending a message - can get away with anything," said Lt General Singh, who also headed the Intelligence Corps of the Indian Army before retiring in 2018, after 40 years of service.

What has the unified command done about this open display of deadly weapons - toy gun as Kuki claims? If others too form such militia, will they be also allowed to display their illegal might in national parades? Will we allow 'Ranbir Sena' or 'Bhim Army' etc to do similar act. https://t.co/kg7P952IET

— Lt Gen L Nishikanta Singh (R) (@VeteranLNSingh) August 15, 2023

The Kuki civil society groups have claimed they are not secessionist, though they have been demanding a separate administration. They did not want to be a part of the Independence Day celebrations under the aegis of the Manipur government, sources said. The Kukis have some 25 insurgent groups that have signed the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the centre, military and the state government. The SoO insurgents live in designated camps and claim they have kept their weapons under lock, being monitored by the authorities regularly.

The Kukis also screened the Vicky Kaushal-starrer 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' in Churachandpur, billed as the first public screening of a Hindi movie in Manipur since 2000, when a valley-based insurgent group banned Bollywood films in the state.

However, many pointed out Hindi movies have been screened in Manipur in relative safety, the most recent being Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Pathaan' at a theatre in March this year in Ukhrul district.

The Hmar Students Association said it screened the film to express its opposition to the ban on Hindi movies imposed by the Revolutionary People's Front, the political wing of the valley-based insurgent group People's Liberation Army.

"It has been over two decades since a movie was screened in our town. The Meiteis have banned Hindi movies for a long time. Today's move is to defy the anti-national policies of the Meitei groups and to show our love for India," Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson of the Kuki civil society group Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), said in a statement.

Vicky Kaushal-starrer 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' was screened in Manipur's Churachandpur

Champion boxer from Manipur Mary Kom's own biopic was also not released in her home state.

Meiteis on social media, however, condemned the coining of their entire community with valley-based legacy insurgent groups whose support base no longer exists. They pointed out that though no public screening of Bollywood movies has been held due to fear of the insurgents' diktat, they said Hindi movies and music made a comeback in a big way in cable TV and other media from the mid-2000s and people have been openly consuming Bollywood content, except through public screening.

Over 180 have died in the Manipur ethnic clashes that started on May 3. Thousands more have been internally displaced.

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