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Zeeshan Siddique on gangster extradited in father’s murder; ED probes Delhi blast funds
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your primetime destination news,
00:07newsmakers, talking points, Tuesday's big talking point. India has just netted one of its most
00:12wanted, Anmol Bishnoyi, brother of Lawrence Bishnoyi, the gangster. We'll tell you in a
00:18moment what his extradition will mean. Also, Bangladesh's foreign minister is joining me
00:25in an exclusive interview. And will Akhlak's killers walk free? The mob lynching 10 years
00:32ago, is the UP government going to let those involved get away? And my special guest will
00:39also include Saurav Ganguly, who joins me on the Eden Gardens pitch row. So we've got plenty
00:45packed in. But first, as always, it's time for the nine headlines at nine tonight. Red
00:52Fort Bomber, Dr. Umar Nabi's pre-blast video emerges where he calls the suicide bombing
00:58a martyrdom operation. Blast probe reveals a Hamas-style drone attack was being plotted in
01:06the national capital.
01:10Top Naksal Commander Madhvi Hidma killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh. Hidma was the
01:18mastermind of 26 armed attacks against security forces and civilians.
01:27Gangster Lawrence Bishnoyi's brother, Anmol Bishnoyi, deported from the U.S. He was wanted
01:33in Baba Siddiqui's murder case. He was also involved in shooting at Salman Khan's residence.
01:38In an exclusive interview with India today, Bangladesh's foreign minister admits that relations
01:47with India have taken a big dip. DIP says it will be an unfriendly act if Sheikh Hasina
01:53is not extradited now.
01:59Ahead of Neetish Kumar's oath-taking ceremony in Patna, BJP and JDU are at log-aheads.
02:05Sources say JDU is adamant on the home ministry portfolio, has refused to bach.
02:17Storm over the SIR exercise being conducted by the election commission intensifies.
02:23Rahul Gandhi slams the election commission, vows to fight SIR legally and politically.
02:28Tamil Nadu revenue employees boycott the SIR.
02:31BLOs in Bengal also stage a protest.
02:35Political controversy erupts after the Palgad lynching accused joins the BJP ahead of local
02:43body polls. Amidst the outcry, the BJP is forced to backtrack, halt his membership.
02:54Saurav, former India team captain Saurav Garguli admits in Eden garden pitch was not good for
03:02test cricket, says team India must start playing on good pitches.
03:08And filmmaker Raja Mowgli faces flack for questioning Lord Hanuman over technical glitches
03:14at the film Varanasi event.
03:15Right-wing group files a complaint accusing him of insulting the Hindu deity.
03:32But the big news that's breaking this evening, the United States has expelled gangster Anmol
03:39Vishnoyi, wanted in several big cases in this country. Sources now telling India today,
03:45Vishnoyi has been put on a flight to New Delhi where he will arrive tomorrow morning.
03:50Vishnoyi likely to be brought to Delhi. Remember, he is the one wanted both in the Salman Khan
03:55shooting that took place as well as the killing of the former Mumbai MLA Baba Siddiqui. Sources
04:01saying NIA may now take custody of Vishnoyi. Vishnoyi, remember, as I said, was wanted in Baba
04:07Siddiqui's murder last year. So that big story coming in, NIA likely to take custody of
04:14Lawrence Vishnoyi's brother, Anmol Siddiqui, one of India's most wanted. At this moment,
04:21I'm joined by Zeeshan Siddiqui. Baba Siddiqui's son is now joining me at the moment. Appreciate
04:27you joining us, Zeeshan. If you can, yes, there you are. Zeeshan is a former MLA. Zeeshan Siddiqui,
04:32what can you tell us? We are hearing that your father's killer is likely to be extradited.
04:38You've been tracking this case. What have you learned?
04:42So from the last few months, my family has actually been in touch with the US authorities.
04:46We mailed them, and we got ourselves registered as the victim's family. So we have been getting
04:52updates of Anmol Vishnoyi as we're the victim's family. And so we were told that he was in the
04:59jail of Iowa, detained by the DHS, the Department Homeland Security. And after which today, we got a
05:06mail from the notification, from the victim notification, that as of today, 18th November
05:142025, the federal government has removed the offender Anmol Vishnoyi from the United States
05:21of America. So this was the mail we got. I have passed on this message to Anruvil Ajit Pahwarji,
05:27Devendra Farnamishji, and the officials. And now that he's no longer in custody of United States
05:33of America, I, you know, I strongly urge and request the central government as well as the state
05:38government to make sure he's extradited back to India, especially back to Mumbai, so that they
05:44can interrogate him and, you know, ask him what made him do this, because there has to be a mastermind
05:49behind this who has asked him to do that, because he had nothing to do with my father. So somebody
05:53has, obviously, he's done it on someone's BS. So it's very important for me and my family and the rest
05:58of India to know what made him do something like this, because he was named in my father's murder.
06:02And he's also a threat to the society on the whole.
06:06But I'm told, I'm told, Zeeshan, that he's already been deported. He's on his way. He's going to land
06:14in Delhi and the NIA is likely to take over the case. You have been informed by the U.S. authorities
06:20that he's no longer on U.S. soil. Am I correct? Therefore, your hope is that the NIA will also hand
06:26him over, possibly to the Mumbai police, because he's wanted in your father's assassination.
06:31Am I correct?
06:33You're correct. The details I've got from the U.S. authorities are that U.S.A. no longer have
06:37him in custody. And he's been removed from the United States by the federal government.
06:41So now, even I'm reading that he's supposed to be coming to India tomorrow. So if that's the case,
06:47I would, you know, I would be hoping that he is transferred back to Mumbai as well and
06:50interrogated and asked thoroughly what made him do this. And, you know, the killers are
06:56obviously in jail, but it's very important for us to know what made Anmol Bishnoyi do
07:01this, who was behind it.
07:02No, so you're saying you believe, Zeeshan, Anmol Bishnoyi was a hired killer? He was someone
07:08who was hired to kill your father?
07:11100% there has to be somebody who has told Anmol Bishnoyi to do this. It's a contract killing.
07:16And to find out who that person is, is very important.
07:20And he's also been reportedly the person who was involved in the targeted attacks on Salman,
07:26or the firing outside Salman Khan's residence. So clearly, Anmol Bishnoyi is someone who is
07:31really one of India's most wanted at the moment. We hope, Zeeshan, that you get justice for your
07:37father's killing that took place last year. And we'll keep tracking this story.
07:42Zeeshan Siddiqui, son of Baba Siddiqui, joining me there on that big story that's breaking.
07:47Anmol Bishnoyi is going to be deported to India, should be arriving in the country tomorrow morning.
07:54Now, all of this, of course, brings us back to another case, this time involving terror.
07:59The top developments in the Red Ford Blast Probe.
08:02The latest big story coming, of course, today is a new video of the alleged Delhi bomber,
08:07Umar Nabi, that has emerged. In this undated clip, Umar can be heard justifying the suicide bombings,
08:13terming them as an act of martyrdom. His fluent English and calm demeanor reveals to the extent
08:18to which he was radicalized despite being a doctor. Just listen in for a moment.
08:22One of the very misunderstood concepts is concert of what has been labelled as suicide bombing.
08:33It is martyrdom operationers.
08:41Probe agencies have got hold of multiple videos while examining digital devices seized from the
08:46alleged bomber Umar Nabi. Sources say Umar made multiple practice videos after several members of
08:52his terror module oppose the idea of a suicide bomb.
08:57A Delhi court has sent Jaseer Bilal, an alleged co-conspirator in the Delhi Blast case,
09:02to a 10-day NIA custody. Court remarks that due to the preliminary stage of the investigation,
09:08remand of the accused is necessary to unearth the entire conspiracy.
09:14The NIA is claiming that there is a Hamas link to the Red Ford case.
09:18The NIA probe has claimed that terrorists planned a Hamas-like attack.
09:22Probe agency is telling through sources that the plan was to launch drone and rocket strikes,
09:28an investigation suggesting that the Red Ford attack module was linked to global terror outfits,
09:33including the Jesh in Pakistan.
09:35There has also been a crackdown on the Al-Fala University again.
09:40Enforcement directorates today conducted searches at 25 locations across the national capital region,
09:47including the university's headquarters.
09:49The probe agency is investigating financial irregularities by the university.
09:54Now, while the Red Ford probe blast continues,
10:02it's been five days since the blast at the Naugam police station in Srinagar killed nine people.
10:08But till now, what is not clear is how the explosives seized from Faridabad
10:14went off in a crowded locality near the police station.
10:18Families of the victims are awaiting answers,
10:21and there are serious questions over who will be held accountable for the lapse in Naugam.
10:27Tonight's first ground report is by my colleague Meer Fareed in Srinagar.
10:40Naugam police station reduced to rubble in an explosion on Friday night.
10:45The JNK police have called the blast that killed nine people an accidental explosion.
10:53It took place when 360 kilos of ammonium nitrate seized from the Faridabad terror module
10:58behind the Delhi Red Ford blast was being sampled by the forensic team of the JNK police.
11:07Days later, multiple agencies are still investigating what exactly triggered the blast
11:12and whether there were lapses on part of the JNK police
11:15in following guidelines on dealing with explosives.
11:19The Naugam police station blast radius, the zone,
11:23has been sealed by the JNK police because it's now a crime scene.
11:28And in fact, as far as multiple teams who are probing the cause of this blast,
11:33what really led to this huge quantity of ammonium nitrate exploding
11:37are at the location you had, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory.
11:42And now, more importantly, the NSG, the National Security Guard,
11:45its bomb disposal squad has been camping in this area from the last two days.
11:50They're scanning for explosives, for samples.
11:55Among the blast victims was Muzaffar Ahmed.
11:58The last week was special.
11:59The Naib Tehsildar had bought a cake for his child's birthday,
12:02but he could not take part in the celebrations
12:04after the explosives were brought to Naugam.
12:06The Naib Tehsildar had been in the last two days.
12:36They called me and said,
12:38if I can't hear my children, I won't come.
12:40I can't even sleep at night.
12:41The Naib Tehsildar had been in the last two days.
12:43Yes, the last two days.
12:45It was Friday night.
12:51Then, the last one, he cut a phone immediately.
12:53They said, I was very quickly.
12:56Muzaffar's family claims the Tehsildar appeared concerned about the explosives.
13:00The Naib Tehsildar had been coming in the first two days.
13:07They said, I was scared.
13:09I tried to run it for me.
13:13That was close to the flame.
13:14They said, I don't know where it was.
13:16No room was not.
13:17Neither did a person.
13:18Neither did a personal preview.
13:20Neither did a personal protection.
13:20Well, while at night, they practiced this.
13:23The locals say they had wanted the police station to be shifted.
13:48The locals say they had wanted the police station to go to the police station to go to the police station.
14:18The police station said they had wanted the police station to go to the police station.
14:25After the blast, the residents of Nogam wonder what was the need to transport such a huge
14:32amount of explosives from Faridabad to Nogam.
14:35Why wasn't an area away from civilian population selected for storing the explosives?
14:41And why has no accountability been fixed?
14:43There are many questions, but no answers are forthcoming yet.
14:48With Meir Farid, Bureau Report, India Today.
14:52The Nogam blast, even four days later, no clarity over what caused that blast or any sense of
15:02accountability of who will be held responsible for what went wrong inside a police station.
15:09Let me turn from there to our top international story for a moment because an uneasy calm now prevails in Bangladesh,
15:16a nation shaken by protests and clashes after the country's International Crimes Tribunal handed a death sentence yesterday to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
15:25Hasina has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh last August, was found guilty of crimes against humanity, charged with ordering violence, failing to prevent atrocities during the student protests of July 2024.
15:39Security forces have now taken control of most major centers in Bangladesh after at least two people lost their lives overnight in deadly violence.
15:48The Hammami League, Hasina's party, has called for a nationwide shutdown in defiance of the verdict.
15:54Remember, from exile, Sheikh Hasina has called the tribunal's judgment rigged by an unelected Yusuf-led government, denying that she had been given a fair chance to defend herself.
16:05Meanwhile, Dhaka has also formally requested New Delhi once again to hand over Hasina under the bilateral extradition treaty.
16:13India has so far not committed to extraditing Hasina.
16:20And joining us now from Dhaka is a very special guest, joined by Mohamed Tawheed Hussain.
16:25He is advisor to the government of Bangladesh on foreign affairs, de facto the foreign minister of Bangladesh.
16:32Appreciate your joining us, Tawheed Hussain sahab.
16:35I want to ask you at the very outset, there is a lot of disquiet after this judgment that was passed, imposing the death penalty on Sheikh Hasina for her alleged role during the unrest that took place in Bangladesh last year.
16:51She and her aides are calling it rigging, a fixed court, a kangaroo court.
16:57How does the government of Bangladesh respond when your former prime minister is using such strong words against this verdict?
17:06Thank you, Rajdeep.
17:08Thank you, Rajdeep.
17:09Actually, this is a pertinent question.
17:13This perhaps is some sort of a tradition when a judgment doesn't go in your favor, you just say that it was not fair.
17:23The thing is that the trial has followed the legal process that is in force in the country and the court that has tried and given the judgment was in fact sort of revived by her when she was prime minister.
17:45And the due process has been followed. Her followers, of course, will find that this is not okay.
17:53But Mr. Minister, if I may intervene, it's not just her followers. Human Rights Watch, other groups like Amnesty International have said also that justice for victims of the 2024 massacre is not being served by this death sentence.
18:09They've questioned the manner in which the court was set up. And therefore, it's not just Sheikh Hasina, but there are serious questions being raised across the world at the manner in which this has been done.
18:21They claim or Hasina claim political vendetta, but even these bodies are questioning the manner in which this entire judgment was delivered.
18:30If I could just correct the perspective, one organization that had been very closely involved is the OACHR.
18:43And you have seen its report, I hope, which says that this judgment has actually brought solace to the people whose family members were massacred by her government in the last few weeks.
19:03And there are mixed reactions, I'm sure. But then the fact remains that the process was just as per the laws of the land. And because she was not present in the in the court.
19:24So as per the law, the court appointed her counsel, had she been present, she could have chosen her own counsel.
19:33That might have given her more satisfaction and and so. But under the given circumstances, the best we could do for the defense was done.
19:44But Mr. Minister, if I may ask you, your the Bangladesh government is now formally demanding Sheikh Hasina's extradition from India, describing any refusal as an unfriendly act.
19:56But truth be told, India can legally refuse extradition if it believes the offenses is political in nature or the trial is politically motivated.
20:05How do you respond to this, the fact that you are saying that India must extradite Sheikh Hasina and if they don't, this is an unfriendly act?
20:14Well, I think it ultimately the onus is on India to decide, because whether it was politically motivated or not, the court of Bangladesh has decided on that.
20:26I don't think India as a neighbor should go into that debate.
20:31And as per the agreements that we have with India, they should send her back.
20:37So you're you're demanding that Sheikh Hasina be sent back from India.
20:42The Indian government is saying they are watching the situation carefully.
20:46Do you believe that if India does not extradite Sheikh Hasina, what do you mean when you say you will treat it as an unfriendly act?
20:54Well, it is exactly that what I said, what our statement said, because as a friendly country, they should help us in extraditing a person who has been given sentence.
21:13We did this in the past. Some Indian nationals were here. Of course, the legal process was over and then they were sent back.
21:22I believe that India as a neighbor wanting good relations with Bangladesh should collaborate, cooperate with our judicial system.
21:32Sir, but the truth is that those who are extradited from Bangladesh were terrorists, many of them with militant organizations, clear links.
21:40Here is a politician, one of your longest serving prime minister. In fact, you're calling for her extradition. So it does become a political issue.
21:49You see, I do not think that anyone's position or long acquaintance with power just exonerates her from the judicial process.
22:01And she has committed crimes which has been proven and she has been sentenced by the court.
22:08It is the court who has done it. And if she wants to redress, then she should face the court and go for redress.
22:15But then just saying that it is politically motivated by a country or an organization or an individual doesn't make it so.
22:24The reason for the concern is the Avami League, which is broadly seen, sir, as pro-India, has been repeatedly targeted by the new government.
22:34And the fear is that jihadist elements, Jamaati elements have taken over many of the decision making in Bangladesh.
22:41And this has caused some element of disquiet in India that religious extremism, fundamentalist groups are taking over.
22:47An anti-India sentiment is growing in your country.
22:50If I can be very frank, there is some anti-India sentiment in my country because of the support that the regime of Sheikha Sina had received for years and years when she was actually rigging polls and disregarding the wishes of the people.
23:11People of Bangladesh wish that India, instead of just being a friend of Sheikha Sina, would be a friend of the people of Bangladesh, which people felt, many of the people felt that India did not prove to be so.
23:25This is unfortunate, but this is the reality.
23:28Now, as you speak about the extremist elements, among the followers of every religion in every country, be it the Hindus, Muslims, Christians or Jews, there is a fringe which is extremist.
23:46You mentioned about Jamaat. Jamaat is a formally constituted party, which is in Bangladesh, and you cannot say that it's an extremist organization. It's a transparent political party, just as BJP or Congress is in India.
24:04But Mr. Hussain, you know, the fact is you're telling me on the show today that there's a feeling in Bangladesh that India was supporting Sheikha Sina and not the people of Bangladesh.
24:16The truth of the matter is there are documented instances, for example, of Bangladeshi Hindus who have been targeted in the last year.
24:24This has also caused disquiet here in New Delhi. What kind of assurances are you giving the Indian government of the security of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh?
24:34You want us to extradite Sheikha Sina to your country. What assurances is Bangladesh giving?
24:40I think it's not really a very congenial connection that Sheikha Sina's extradition and the condition of Hindus, alleged atrocities being committed against them.
24:59As I said, there is a fringe element in each and every country, each and every religion, each and every society.
25:05The problem is there in India. There could be some problem in Bangladesh also.
25:10But the Bangladesh government doesn't accelerate any of those and takes action against any atrocities committed against anyone, be it minority or majority.
25:21It doesn't matter. So I don't think it is very fair on your part to insist on this.
25:28You know that in India also there are problems, but we do not say anything about that.
25:33We depend on the Indian government that they will take care.
25:37So I do not think that we need to reassure India about safety of the Hindus.
25:44They are equal citizens of Bangladesh and we look after their interests.
25:48If they are subjected to any problem, they have the judicial process, they have the legal process, they have the government behind them, just as you have in India, I believe.
25:56We are told that the Bangladesh NSA, Mr. Hussain will be in New Delhi next week.
26:02Is that meeting going to be crucial to resolve many of these concerns on both sides?
26:07You have some concerns, we have some concerns.
26:09The relationship, like it or not, has dipped in the last year in particular.
26:14Do you see that meeting now next week to be crucial to resolve some of the contentious issues, including the possible extradition of Sheikh Hasina?
26:25I think the meeting is tomorrow.
26:26The National Security Advisor has or is travelling to India right at this moment.
26:32And, Razib, I really like the tone of this question.
26:36Actually, Bangladesh, India must have a good working mission on which I have been insisting all along.
26:44Well, I am not sure whether there will be any substantive discussion on bilateral issues during the visit of the National Security Advisor.
26:54He is there in a meeting as part of the Colombo process, which is actually not strictly bilateral.
27:02But I shall know it when he comes back, whatever the discussions that have taken.
27:07Right.
27:08Right.
27:09Okay, so there you are, Toit Hussain, the advisor of foreign affairs to the Bangladesh government, breaking his silence on that major issue of Sheikh Hasina's extradition,
27:19suggesting perhaps that India needs to extradite the former Bangladesh Prime Minister or it will be deemed an unfriendly act.
27:27We're getting more breaking news coming in at the moment.
27:30The Alfala University founder, Javed Siddiqui, has been arrested.
27:35The Enforcement Directorate has arrested him as part of the growing investigation into the Red Fort blast probe.
27:42The Alfala founder has now been arrested under the PMLA, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
27:47Financial irregularities have been found allegedly in firms linked to Jawad.
27:51EDI now probing that if the laundered money was used at all for terror activities and terrorists who committed the blast at the Red Fort.
27:59Joining me now is Munish Pandey.
28:03Munish Pandey, does the EDI actually have links of Alfala's founder to the Red Fort blast or is this a wide fishing inquiry which has led them to believe that there was money being laundered?
28:15Is there proof that this money was being used in terror activities or the EDI has no proof of that but proof of alleged money laundering?
28:24Well, Rajdeep, at this point of time, EDI will be probing whether that money was used for terrorist activities or not.
28:31But certainly, EDI claims that they have found evidence of money laundering by the firms linked to Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the founder of Alfala University.
28:41Now, as far as the investigation is concerned, Rajdeep, since day one, Alfala University was under the scanner of the investigative agencies.
28:50NIA, including the, you know, the Haryana police, they had raided the premises of Alfala University.
28:56And today, the searches were conducted by the enforcement director at Alfala, including the residents of the founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui.
29:05What EDI claims that he is linked to nine firms, all those nine companies are shell companies.
29:12And these companies were being used to launder money. More than 48 lakh rupees in cash has been recovered.
29:19And EDI, at this point of time, claims that crores and crores of rupees have been laundered by Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the founder of Alfala University.
29:28Now, whether this money was particularly used for any terrorist activities to fund the terrorist of Delhi Blast, that is certainly what the EDI will be probing.
29:37But as you rightly pointed out, at this point of time, the investigation by all these agencies are getting wider.
29:46The NIA is probing the criminal conspiracy, you know, the terror activities by the terrorists in this case.
29:53But as far as EDI is concerned, they will be doing a crackdown on these, you know, financial irregularities committed by those who are connected to Alfala University.
30:04Okay, Munish Pandey, bringing us those details. As always, appreciate you joining us. Lots of news developing.
30:11I want to take a step back at the moment and press the pause button, apart from that breaking news of the Alfala founder, Javed Siddiqui, who's been arrested.
30:19That's been the big breaking news this evening. I want to turn to a case 10 years ago.
30:2410 years ago, the mob lynching of Mohamed Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh, over suspicion that he had beef at his house, had stunned the country.
30:33The Uttar Pradesh government, though, has moved now this week, moved a court to drop the charges against all those who've been accused in the case.
30:42Many of them linked to the ruling BJP there. The incident had sparked widespread outrage then.
30:49But does the U.P. government's latest move mean that nobody will be punished for the murder of Akhlaq?
30:55Can someone get away with what was a brazen hate crime?
30:59Take a look at the story and then we'll come to our talking point.
31:19Did no one lynch Mohamed Akhlaq?
31:22Ten years on, Uttar Pradesh government moves to drop charges against all accused.
31:29Aave, normalising hate.
31:36One incident ten years ago left the country in shock.
31:41Mohamed Akhlaq was mob lynched in a village in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, on charges of cow slaughter and storing beef.
31:49An incident that glaringly exposed the deepening communal fault lines in the Hindi heartland.
32:00The then home minister, Rajanath Singh, had promised action against those trying to break communal harmony.
32:10A case dragged on for a decade. The 19 accused were out on bail.
32:15Ten years after the brutal lynching of Mohamed Akhlaq, the Uttar Pradesh government has now moved to withdraw all charges against those accused in the case.
32:29On 15 October 2025, the state filed an application under Section 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code, seeking to drop all charges against 19 accused.
32:47The government cited five reasons.
32:54Reason one. The family of Akhlaq, his wife, daughter and son, allegedly changed their testimony.
33:00A charge denied by the family.
33:03Reason two. Investigators reportedly only recovered sticks, iron rods and bricks, not firearms or sharp weapons.
33:10Reason three. The application claims that there was no documented prior hostility between Akhlaq's family and the accused.
33:21Reason four. The state invokes the right to equal protection, arguing that every citizen, both accused and accuser, deserve fairness under the law.
33:30Reason five. The application frames this withdrawal as a step to restore social harmony in a deeply polarizing context.
33:40The matter simmering in political stew for a decade is now on full boil.
34:05On 28 September 2015, Bisada village is now on full boil.
34:08On 28 September 2015, Bisada village is now on full boil.
34:12A mob had dragged Akhlaq and his son Dhanish from their home after a temple announced.
34:16Accusing him of storing beef.
34:17On 28 September 2015, Bisada village of Dadiri, a mob had dragged Akhlaq and his son Dhanish from their home after a temple announced, accusing him of storing beef.
34:31The case caused national uproar then, leading to arrests, media tensions and debates.
34:38Two years later, a forensic report from a lab in Mathura confirmed that the meat seized from Akhlaq's home indeed belonged to a cow or its progeny.
34:45Akhlaq's family, Akhlaq's family, though alleged tampering with samples.
34:58However, as the media spotlight faded, ten years on, Bisada Dadiri is a village torn by communal violence.
35:19Akhlaq's house lies abandoned.
35:24The Hindu-Muslim wedge has cut in so deep to ever mend again.
35:29And now, the state wanting to drop all charges.
35:34The subtext, which is now bolder than the headline.
35:38Are we normalising hate?
35:43I want to raise some big questions, troubling questions.
35:51Will the killers of Muhammad Akhlaq walk free?
35:55Why is there no justice for Akhlaq even a decade later for his family?
36:00Is a hate crime like this being normalised?
36:03Did no one kill Akhlaq?
36:05Is the question I want to raise.
36:07Joining me now, Professor Fahizan Mustafa, former Vice-Chancellor of Nalsar University.
36:11We also hope to be joined shortly by AK Jain, former DGPUP.
36:15But I want to come to you, Professor Mustafa.
36:18Is this a classic case of how the law betrays those who are the victims of hate crime?
36:25Ten years later, we have now an application being moved by the government
36:30to withdraw all the charges in a case where someone was brutally lynched.
36:36What does that suggest about our criminal justice system?
36:40Thank you, Rajdeep.
36:44Criminal law is basically an instrument of a state.
36:49As you know, what becomes a crime or what is decriminalised is decided by the state.
36:57The state prosecutes.
36:59The state fixes the punishment.
37:01What punishment is to be given for a particular crime.
37:06And in criminal law, we should also remember that a state can withdraw prosecution.
37:13Now, as you look at withdrawal of prosecution, it has been happening in number of states for political reasons.
37:21Number of governments, when they came to power, they withdrew cases saying that they were politically motivated.
37:28My big concern is, one, that this whole instant justice which crowds in different cities in India are administering,
37:38these are not, you know, justices according to law.
37:42Due process of law has not been followed.
37:44This instant justice is mob justice.
37:48Lynching is something with which Americans may be familiar, but except the Bengali language with which you must be familiar because of Sagarika,
37:58no other Indian language has an equivalent word for lynching.
38:02So lynching is absolutely un-Indian.
38:05Now, what does lynching signify in the first place?
38:09The state was brought into existence, if you follow the social contract theory of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau,
38:15because people in a state of nature wanted security of their property and their lives.
38:21So if a state fails to give that security, the first failure is of the state.
38:26Two, lynching means that there is a group of people who are telling someone who may be a minority
38:34because of religion or a sexual minority or maybe a transgender or maybe a Dalit.
38:40That law and state cannot protect you.
38:43And therefore, this is something very, very serious.
38:46Now, in this case, the reasons which are cited are interesting.
38:50They are saying that there is no consistency in the statements given by the victim's family.
38:57This happens all the time in criminal cases.
39:00Recently, in the Nithari case, Surinder Kohli has been acquitted by the Supreme Court.
39:07So let the court of law find somebody guilty or not guilty on the basis of appreciation of evidence.
39:16The other reason they are saying is there was no prior enmity.
39:21If you are having a mob lynching, our criminal law since 1860, the old penal code and even the new law called Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
39:32recognizes that if a crime is committed by more than two people, the intention may be developed on the spot.
39:40Then and there, people may develop some kind of intention.
39:43Then they are saying, no, no firearms were found.
39:47Some rods, iron rods were found and sticks were found.
39:51Now, to kill somebody, you don't need a firearm.
39:54An iron stick is good enough.
39:56So I believe that the reasons are not convincing.
40:00The withdrawal of prosecution is absolutely a political decision.
40:05Right.
40:06But this has been happening, you know, in a number of cases.
40:09I'm going to stop you for a moment because you've raised very valid points.
40:14I mean, what shocks me is that we are making these fine distinctions between mob lynching and what really is a murderous assault.
40:21Now, as you rightly said, it's very difficult to define the word mob lynching.
40:26Truth of the matter, a murderous assault that led to the death of Akhlaq and a political decision is taken 10 years later to withdraw the case.
40:33A.K. Jain, former UP DGP joined me.
40:37Mr. Jain, what are we to understand?
40:39That the UP police under the state's instructions 10 years later has chosen to decide to withdraw all charges against Akhlaq's killers.
40:48Did no one kill Akhlaq for God's sake, sir?
40:51No, no, Akhlaq was murdered.
40:54There are no two opinions about it, whether firearms were used or not.
40:59Even iron rod and you can kill a person.
41:03One assault is enough to kill a person if you hit him on the head.
41:09So, I was also reading articles on this that there have been inconsistencies in the statements of the complainant and other witnesses.
41:22And as Mr. Mustafa was saying that some arguments have been… it's in a court of law…
41:31Sir, but Jain, 10 years later, 10 years later, the UP police cannot put together a proper case that it has to withdraw the charges 10 years later.
41:39I mean, prima facie, sir, it seems that this is a political decision being taken and now the UP police is trying to wriggle out of it by suggesting that firearms were not used, iron rods were used, there is inconsistency in the victim statement.
41:54This is a classic example of how the law is an ass.
41:59I don't think this is a statement of police.
42:02Police has submitted charges…
42:04This is the UP government affidavit, sir.
42:06Yes, UP government, UP government affidavit is there but not of UP police.
42:11UP police has not put forward any, any, any, any affidavit and they are not supposed to do it also when the trial is going on and witnesses are being cross-examined.
42:22So, this is, this is what government has proposed.
42:26Now, let us see what the, what decision the court takes.
42:29The court will examine the evidence and they will, they will take a decision.
42:33And in my opinion, it's a case of murder and a trial should go on.
42:40You're saying the trial should go on. A quick response, therefore, Faizan Mustafa, do you see this case actually, therefore, resulting in convictions of those accused?
42:49Or is this the first step towards acquitting those who are involved because of their political connections? A quick response, sir.
42:56Rajti, in criminal law, the benefit of doubt goes to the accused. So, assuming what the UP government is saying that there is inconsistency in the statement of the crucial witnesses, it would have resulted in acquittal.
43:11I don't mind acquittal. I don't mind acquittal in criminal cases. Going by the classical criminal law principle, high rate of conviction means that criminal justice system is bad and regressive.
43:23Now, what I'm trying to say that 2023, we are bringing a new section on lynching in the new criminal law.
43:31But even if that law is not retrospectively applied, as criminal law is not retrospectively applied, it will not apply in this case.
43:38But it is a case, as DGP Sariskaya is saying, clearly covered by the definition of murder under the old penal code under section 300.
43:47What is required? You need to have intent to cause death and you cause such bodily injuries which are likely to cause death or such bodily injuries which are sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death.
44:00Or you do some act which is so imminently dangerous, it will result in somebody's death. All the ingredients of murder are satisfied, exceptions are not available.
44:12On the face of it, it looks like a murder. But generally in such cases, the courts do not say it is murder. They say culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
44:23They may not give death penalty in such cases. But saying that we are withdrawing, we are sending a wrong signal. And why? Because the policy of the government is that we are bringing a law which is victim oriented.
44:37Under the new law, you cannot withdraw prosecution without giving a hearing to the victims.
44:44As you said, the new law cannot operate retrospectively. Will a clerks killers as a result get away is a question that we will keep asking.
44:52These are the real issues of our time and we will continue to raise them here on the news today. We will tell truth to power whichever part of the country.
45:01I appreciate my guests joining us. And speaking of truth to power, I want to shift focus to my home state of Maharashtra.
45:07Where one of the accused in the Palghar lynching case, where sadhus were lynched in 2020, Kailas Chaudhary was, guess what, honoured and inducted into the BJP yesterday in a public event ahead of local body elections.
45:24This sparked off an uproar even within BJP carders and the party has been forced to backtrack and stop his entry into the party.
45:32But what does it say about our political culture?
45:35Ritwik Bhalekar with this report from Palghar.
45:45Five years ago, when two sadhus were lynched in Palghar, the BJP had cornered the Uddhav Thakre government calling it anti-Hindu.
45:54Among those blamed by the Saffron party for the incident was Kashina Chaudhary, a local leader from the NCP Sharath Pawar faction.
46:03The very leader, BJP inducted into the party in Dahano on Sunday.
46:09The event was attended by party MP Hemant Sawara and BJP district president Bharat Rajput.
46:15Kashina Chaudhary's entry into BJP ahead of the local body polls sparked a row.
46:21The BJP initially defended its decision.
46:36The party leader backtracked, putting Kashina Chaudhary's entry on the hold.
46:52Chaudhary claims he played no role in lynching of the sadhus.
46:55MRT
47:00I am nothing to tell my territory and I don't have to say mullga myself.
47:02I have to say mullga, my son will do nothing.
47:08I call me a son.
47:10I was amazed at my son.
47:12My father will give me leave, he'll give me leave.
47:15His father'll give me a raise, he'll give money, then he'll give money.
47:18His father's a job, he'll give me a raise.
47:20Chaudhary induction and suspension, all within a span of three days, has embarrassed the BJP in Maharashtra.
47:34Bureau report, India Today.
47:37Controversy over the Eden Gardens cricket pitch that is still raging.
47:43Two days after India suffered a shock defeat at the hands of South Africa, failing to chase down just 124,
47:49the jury is still out on the quality of the pitch.
47:52While Sunil Gavaska on our show yesterday blamed the batsman and not the pitch for the debacle,
47:58many others are questioning decision-making within the BCCI on the kind of pitches being made,
48:03making batting a lottery and also questioning Indian coach Gautam Gambhir.
48:09Some of these issues have been raised in the context of the Eden Gardens pitch
48:14and I raise them with Saurav Ganguly, who, remember, is the president of the West Bengal Cricket Association.
48:22Listen in to Mr. Ganguly speaking out on the issue as I take leave.
48:26Good night. Goodbye.
48:28Jai Hind. Namaskar.
48:29And let's carry forward that Eden Gardens pitch debate with someone at the centre of it all,
48:41the Cricket Association of Bengal president and the former India captain,
48:45the dada of Bengal and India, Saurav Ganguly joins me.
48:49Saurav Ganguly, appreciate your joining us.
48:51I had Sunil Gavaska on the show last night who said,
48:54forget about the pitch, blame batting, batting, batting.
48:58Your view, do you believe this pitch was just not good enough for a test match at the Eden Gardens?
49:09Well, Rajdeep, all I can say is that India needs to play on better wickets.
49:14It was not the greatest, I'll have to completely admit.
49:19And I think the top-order batting, the middle-order batting, you know,
49:24deserves a better cricketing surface.
49:28It was a full house at Eden Gardens for those three days.
49:31And I completely believe that Gautam Gambhir and his team in India
49:36must play on much better wickets than what they played at Eden Gardens.
49:40So why didn't you give them a good wicket?
49:42You're the CAB president, you're someone who understands cricket better than most.
49:46Why didn't you and the curator give a good wicket?
49:53Yeah, sometimes it is beyond our control
49:57and we try and keep the request of the team and the coach and the captain.
50:03And that is what we do.
50:05So that's what it is.
50:07And you've heard Gautam Gambhir say after the game
50:11that he wanted that sort of a pitch and was given that sort of a pitch.
50:14So, you keep the captain and the coach's request.
50:18No, but you could have refused.
50:19You could have said, sorry,
50:20it is not for the captain or the coach to decide.
50:23The curator will decide.
50:25I mean, it almost seems as if you all press the…
50:29the Indian team pressed the self-destruct button
50:32by allowing such a wicket,
50:33which made batting a bit of a lottery.
50:35Would you agree?
50:35You know, this discussion can keep happening, Rajdeep,
50:43that, you know, you can put your foot down, you don't give.
50:46But the bottom line is that, you know,
50:49the Indian team in India needs to play on much better wickets.
50:54They were in England a few months ago
50:56where I thought they were exceptional.
50:58The fast bowlers bowled exceptionally well.
51:01The batters got tons of runs.
51:03Shubman Gill got 400s in the series.
51:05Rishabh Pant, Raquel Rahul, Yashish V. Jaiswal.
51:08You name one after the other who played exceptionally well.
51:11So, my belief is,
51:12if they play on good pitches,
51:13which they are going to do in Guwahati,
51:15they will win test matches in five days.
51:17Sometimes, because of the World Test Championship,
51:19they panic.
51:20They need the points,
51:22especially at their home ground.
51:23So, they want to win test matches at any cost.
51:26But sometimes, you need to be patient also
51:28and believe that a side which is Bumrah,
51:30a side which has Siraz,
51:32Mohamed Shami in the waiting,
51:33Kuldeep,
51:35you know, Washington Sundar,
51:37Ravindra Jadeja as a bowling unit,
51:39they will get opposition's team out.
51:41I think that needs to go into their head.
51:43Be patient with test cricket
51:44because five days is a long time
51:46and at the end,
51:47they will win test matches.
51:48So, it's just a mindset change.
51:51And as I said,
51:52as they won in England in five days,
51:54as they won in other places in five days,
51:56they'll win in India also in five days.
51:58Is that your message in a way
52:00to Gautam Gambhir
52:01and the Indian team leadership
52:02that prepare good wickets
52:04because there is now,
52:05in the aftermath of what's happened,
52:07we've had four losses at home
52:09to Senna countries
52:10and people are saying,
52:11maybe Gambhir should be sacked.
52:13Do you believe that
52:13there is a need for some hard introspection
52:16and hard calls
52:16if this is the way we are going to carry on,
52:19play on bad pitches
52:20and then lose?
52:21No, no.
52:26There's no question of sacking Gautam Gambhir
52:28at this stage,
52:29but I think as a team,
52:31they need to get together
52:32and say to themselves
52:35that we will work hard
52:37to win test matches
52:38because on flat pitches,
52:39it's a lot harder
52:40because the opposition will bat,
52:43there'll be big runs scored
52:44on the first innings of each team
52:46and in India,
52:47surprisingly,
52:47you'll see how the game changes quickly
52:49on day four, day five.
52:50So, they have to be patient on that.
52:52As I said,
52:53they have the bowling attack
52:54to get 20 wickets
52:55as you saw at the Oval
52:56on the last day,
52:57as you saw in Edgbaston
52:59during that series.
53:01So, they can do that as well.
53:02Reverse swing comes into play in India
53:04with the ball getting old.
53:06So, it's just a mindset change
53:08and Gautam as a coach
53:10and Shubman as a captain
53:11did exceptionally well in England
53:13on good batting pitches
53:14and I firmly believe
53:15that they can do well
53:16in India as well.
53:17I want an honest answer.
53:19Were you at any stage consulted?
53:21Former India captain
53:22knows the Eden Gardens
53:24better than anyone.
53:25Were you consulted
53:26at any stage
53:26about the kind of wicket
53:27or you don't get involved at all
53:29or you're not kept in the loop?
53:34No, no, I don't get involved at all.
53:37I know there are curators
53:38from the VCCI
53:39who come and take over
53:41the wickets
53:42four days before the test match.
53:44We have our own curator as well
53:46who's been exceptionally well
53:47for a long period of time.
53:49The requests are made
53:50and you keep the requests.
53:51So, that's what it is.
53:52There's nothing more, nothing less.
53:53You go to Perth,
53:54you see a green pitch.
53:55Obviously, you've been told
53:56to keep enough grass
53:57on that surface.
53:58You played the last test
53:59at Oval
54:00and the first innings
54:01it decked around quite a lot
54:02because it was absolutely green.
54:04So, these sort of things
54:05happen in every part of the world.
54:07It's not that India
54:08is the only one
54:09who asked for turning pitches
54:10or England is the only one
54:11who asked for seeming pitches.
54:13So, these sort of things
54:14happen in every part of the world.
54:16But as a strategy,
54:17as a tactic,
54:18I feel India,
54:20even in India,
54:21should play on good pitches
54:22and take the pitch
54:23out of the system
54:24because they're an absolutely
54:25fantastic cricket team
54:26and there's so much of talent
54:28in this squad
54:29and they will win.
54:31It's just a change
54:32in the mindset.
54:32So, you're actually
54:35moving away
54:36from what Gavaskar told me.
54:37When I asked Mr. Gavaskar this,
54:38he said,
54:39batting, batting, batting,
54:41not pitches, pitches, pitches.
54:42You're saying,
54:43get better pitches,
54:45the batting will
54:45automatically improve.
54:46Am I correct?
54:52Yeah, that's the name
54:53of the game, isn't it?
54:54You play on good pitches,
54:55you bat better.
54:56You know,
54:57this pitch had enough
54:58for the bowlers.
54:59You know,
54:59the fast bowlers
55:00were in the game
55:01even on day 4, day 5
55:02or I would rather say
55:04day 3.
55:05The fast bowlers
55:06were in the game.
55:07I agree with Mr. Gavaskar
55:08that they should have
55:09still got 120
55:10on the third day
55:12of the test.
55:13The loss of Shubhman Gill
55:14hurt them a lot
55:15because they were
55:15one batsman short
55:16and I think with Gill,
55:18his quality as a batsman,
55:21he would have probably
55:22been able to get past
55:23that 120 mark
55:24but it's done.
55:26It's done,
55:26it's dusted,
55:27it's over.
55:28India move on to Guwahati
55:29where as I said
55:31before,
55:31they must play
55:32on good pitches.
55:33They must also
55:34look at the batting order.
55:35They must also
55:36look at the batting order.
55:37I have tremendous
55:38time for Washington Sundar.
55:39I think he's a good
55:40cricketer,
55:41he bowls well,
55:42he bats well
55:42but I'm not too sure
55:43whether number 3
55:44is his spot
55:45to play in test cricket
55:47in the long run
55:48in all conditions.
55:49You know,
55:49the opening,
55:50the number 3,
55:51the number 4,
55:51the number 5,
55:52your 5 batters,
55:53you pick batters
55:55who will bat
55:55in that position
55:56in all conditions
55:57and I'm not sure
55:58whether Washi
55:59is the number 3
55:59for India
56:00in test match cricket
56:01in England
56:01or Australia
56:02or South Africa
56:03or New Zealand.
56:04So that's an area
56:05Gautam needs to look at.
56:06He doesn't need
56:074 spinners in India
56:08because Washi
56:08did not bowl
56:09a single over
56:10in the entire test match.
56:11When it spins
56:12and spinners can bowl
56:1420, 25, 30 overs,
56:15you don't need
56:164 spinners.
56:16So he needs to look
56:17at all this.
56:18There's another test match
56:19to play in a couple
56:20of days time
56:21in Guwahati.
56:22I'm sure he's going
56:22to get it right.
56:23I know Shubman's
56:24not fit.
56:25He's out of the series
56:26so they'll have
56:27a batsman.
56:28My advice to him
56:29that pick your best
56:30top 5 batsman.
56:31There's Jadeja,
56:32there's Washington,
56:33there is Akshar Patel
56:35who can chip in
56:35with the bat
56:36and bowl as well
56:37and then you have
56:37your two outstanding
56:39fast bowlers
56:39in Bumbra and Shiraz.
56:41So he needs to get
56:42that part of his game
56:43right also.
56:44But as I said
56:44at the start
56:45this is a very good
56:46Indian team.
56:47They just need to get
56:48not to panic
56:49because I know
56:50they want to get
56:51to the World Test
56:52Championship final
56:52and that will happen.
56:54That will happen
56:54by playing good cricket,
56:56that will happen
56:56by being patient
56:57and that will happen
56:58by taking the game
56:59to day 5 as well.
57:00So these are small
57:01changes mentally
57:02which they need to do
57:03and I'm sure
57:03with the talent
57:04India has
57:05they'll all be
57:06very good.
57:07I want to leave it there
57:09Saurav Ganguly.
57:10I think you've given us
57:11a rather objective
57:12assessment
57:12of what happened
57:14at the Eden Gardens.
57:15Not often
57:16that someone
57:17who will come out
57:18and speak so openly
57:19and admit
57:20that even your home pitch
57:21this time
57:22was simply
57:23not good enough
57:23for a game
57:24of test cricket.
57:26Thanks very much
57:26Saurav Ganguly
57:27for joining me.
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