Teesta Setalvad releases ‘Then They Came for Me’, slams UAP Act

[email protected] (CD Network)
March 28, 2015

Kozhikode, Mar 28: A documentary film ‘Then They Came for Me’ directed by rights activist and documentary film-maker Gopal Menon and produced by the Solidarity Youth Movement, the youth wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Kerala was premiered in the city recently.

Teesta release

The film based on the cases and lives of people who had been arrested from Kerala under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) was formally released by noted civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad at a formal function organized by the producers.

Prominent Malayalam critic, KEN Kunjahammed received the copy of the film. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Setalvad said she was targeted and harassed for talking for the unprivileged and voiceless.

“BJP-led Gujarat government charged six cases against me including five criminal cases. Even anticipatory bail is being denied,” she said.

She said that BJP govt is using UAPA to suppress the voice of the voiceless. Though governments are changing, such draconian laws are not dropped. The laws are tried against the dalits, backward classes, farmers and minorities of the country who stand against the government.

“This is obviously transgression over the freedom of citizens,” she said expressing lamentation over the silence of media over this issue. But, until the people refuse to remain silent, human right struggles will continue, she said.

Presiding over the meeting State president of the movement T. Mohammed Velom said that the film was also a resistance against the ongoing moves from the government to torture and silence the young and reacting minds in the pretext of crackdown on Maoists.

The film throws light on the ‘shocking’ incidents of misuse of acts such as UAPA against innocent members of marginalised sections, including Dalits and Muslims to silence and stop them from protesting against the injustices, he said. GP Ramachandran, Gopal Menon, CM Sherif and others also spoke.

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News Network
March 28,2024

An Indian expatriate, hailing from Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, who was detained in Jeddah jail in an alleged cyber case, was set free recently. He is allowed to continue his work in the same company. 

The 49-year-old Mangalurean, has been working for a Maintenance company in Jeddah for more than 13 years. He is known for his efficiency and sincerity in the company with good experience in his field of work. 

His company usually assigned him on duty in Jeddah sea port to take the delivery of the goods consigned to his company. As a part of his duty, he normally takes pictures of the goods before the transportation. He did the same in February 2023 too. 

The security personnel informed the police about his act that amounts to be a violation of the port security rule. He was unaware of the rule as he was doing it normally in the port during the release of the goods. Since then, he was detained by the police on the charge of photographing inside the port premises. After more than 6 months detention, he was released and allowed to work in the same company. 

The detainee’s brother based in Jeddah was constantly pursuing the case.

P A Hameed Padubidri, a pro-bono NRI lawyer and social worker based in Riyadh, extended his socio-humanitarian help in this case upon the request of his family and relatives. 

He actively involved trying to set him free from the jail on humanitarian grounds with the coordination and help of the Consulate General of India (CGI) Jeddah. The CGI keenly followed up the case with the concerned Saudi authorities. He was released from the jail recently and shared his happiness with his family and thanked good samaritans. 

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News Network
March 22,2024

Tejaswi.jpg

Bengaluru, Mar 22: An FIR has been registered against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya over a provocative hate post on social media, Election Commission officials said on Friday.

The move comes after a complaint filed by officials of the poll body and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) that the Bengaluru South MP, who is also the President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, had in a post apparently targeted a minority and spread enmity between two communities.

He also made a similar post on March 19 on X and YouTube which went viral. He has 1.3 million followers on X, thereby influencing the voters and disturbing the communal harmony between the communities, it further alleged.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Halasuru Gate police station on March 20 under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act, the officials said.

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News Network
March 28,2024

fire.jpg

Mangaluru, Mar 28: A fish meal factory in the Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru was gutted in a fire incident on Thursday, officials said.

The factory is owned by the company 'Shihar Enterprises', they said.

According to the locals, the fire was first noticed at 4.45 am today, which was immediately reported to the fire department.

The fire engines reached the spot and tried to douse the fire, but it had already spread to other parts of the factory. After almost four hours of fire-fighting operation, the blaze was completely doused, officials.

The reason for the blaze is still being probed, the fire department officials said, adding that they suspect an electric short circuit could have triggered it.

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