Bengal soil theft case: Abhishek Banerjee’s aide sent to 10 days of police custody

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, recently acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on Sunday claimed that she was tortured for refusing to spread false information during the investigation.

Speaking to the media at Bhopal airport on Sunday, the former Bhopal MP said, “I was asked to spread fake information, which I did not do. That is why I was tortured so much,” she said.

She also targeted former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, calling him unfit to hold public office.

“Paramveer Singh is a bad, the worst kind of person. He is not fit to be an officer,” she said, in a direct and scathing criticism.

Thakur’s comments come in the aftermath of her acquittal by a special NIA court, which found insufficient evidence to support the terror charges against her.

The Malegaon blast in 2008 had killed six people and injured over a hundred, and the case had become a focal point in debates over so-called “saffron terror” in the years that followed.

In her first public statement on Saturday, Thakur delivered a scathing indictment of the investigative process, alleging custodial torture, coercion, and politically motivated targeting by senior police officials.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Thakur claimed she was subjected to 24 days of sustained torture while in custody, naming former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh as the principal perpetrator.

“The atrocities they committed cannot even be described because words have a limit,” she said, adding that she had submitted written complaints naming officers involved.

Thakur alleged that investigators pressured her to implicate prominent figures, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and BJP leaders Ram Madhav and Indresh Kumar.

“They told me, ‘If you name these people, we will stop torturing you.’ Their only purpose was to make me tell lies,” she said.

–IANS

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Bhopal, Sep 11 (IANS) Senior Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Umang Singhar, launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP on Thursday, accusing it of neglecting farmers’ interests and mishandling fertilizer distribution in the state.

Targeting both Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Singhar alleged that despite sufficient stock of fertilizers, farmers in Madhya Pradesh were not receiving supplies due to a “political rift” between the two leaders.

“According to the Centre, there is no shortage of fertilizers. The problem lies in the state’s distribution system. The tussle between Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Mohan Yadav has pushed farmers into crisis,” Singhar said at a press conference in Bhopal.

He also hit out at BJP national president J.P. Nadda, pointing out that despite an annual budget of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore under his ministry’s watch, farmers were being denied fertilizers. “If even Shivraj, Mohan Yadav, and J.P. Nadda together cannot solve farmers’ problems, then it clearly shows the government’s failure and lack of coordination,” he added.

Citing the Centre’s May-June 2025 bulletin, Singhar said the availability of DAP and urea in Madhya Pradesh was higher than consumption, yet farmers were being lathi-charged while demanding supplies. “The issue is not a shortage, but the state government’s failure in planning and management,” he alleged.

Highlighting that agriculture contributes more than 45 per cent to Madhya Pradesh’s economy, Singhar said it was shocking that the state, despite being second in the country in fertilizer demand and consumption, could not ensure timely delivery to farmers.

His attack comes on the eve of a Congress protest in Ujjain, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s home district, to highlight farmers’ grievances.

State Congress chief Jitu Patwari will lead the agitation on Friday, which will also see participation from senior leaders, including former CM Digvijaya Singh, Sajjan Singh Verma, MP in-charge Harish Choudhary, and former Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot.

–IANS

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Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh), Feb 13 (IANS) In a groundbreaking move to combat the escalating drug crisis in Himachal Pradesh, Panchayat representatives in Bilaspur district have taken a firm stance against the deadly drug trade, specifically targeting the smuggling of ‘Chitta (a synthetic drug made from heroin).’

The representatives, alarmed by the increasing number of drug abuse cases, have passed an unprecedented resolution: Families of youth involved in drug trafficking will be stripped of crucial government benefits, including housing schemes and subsidised rations.

The decision was taken during a Gram Sabha meeting in Bari Majherwan under the Ghumarwin subdivision.

These families — whose members are under investigation or facing charges related to drug abuse under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — will now be excluded from Panchayat-provided services, a measure aimed at curbing the illegal drug trade in the area.

Four families have already been affected by the ban, with more likely to follow as additional cases are identified in nearby Panchayats.

Speaking to IANS, Pankaj Chandel, the Pradhan of Bari Majherwan Panchayat in Bilaspur said, “As a Panchayat, we have not received any instructions from the department, government, or from our side to stop anyone’s ration or take such actions against anyone. There is no directive like that.

“The Government of India, the Himachal Pradesh Government, and relevant departments encourage raising awareness through Gram Sabhas, particularly regarding drug abuse, so that our rural youth and schoolchildren stay clear of this harmful practice.

“However, to our knowledge, there has been no proposal from the Panchayat to withhold anyone’s ration. There is no legal provision in our act for this, and neither the government nor the department has issued any such instruction. Even if a child from a family is found involved in drug abuse, it cannot justify depriving the entire family of its entitled benefits.”

Deputy Head of the Dakri Panchayat, Pawan Jamwal, emphasised the importance of the Panchayat’s role in fighting drug abuse, stating that the ban on Panchayat facilities will remain until the court clears the involved individuals. He called for cooperation across other Panchayats to intensify efforts against the narcotic menace.

The District Development and Panchayat Officer, Tilak Raj, defended the decision as part of an ongoing public awareness campaign against drugs. The aim is to empower communities to take charge of their future by eliminating the roots of addiction.

–IANS

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