16-03-2021 The Asian Independent

10 16-03-2021 to 31-03-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NIA RAIDS 11 locations
across India in terror probe
Batla House case: Court awards
death penalty to Ariz Khan
New Delhi : Tightening its noose
around the Islamic State (IS) operatives
in India, the National Investigation
Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out
searches at 11 locations in Kerala,
Karnataka and Delhi, including the
premises of Mohammed Ameen aka Abu
Yahya, whose group had identified several
people in Kerala and Karnataka for
"targeted killing".
An NIA spokesperson said that the
anti-terror probe agency carried out
searches at 11 locations, including eight
locations in Kerala spread over the districts
of Kannur, Mallapuram, Kollam
and Kasargod, two locations in
Bengaluru and one location in Delhi in a
case pertaining to terrorist activities of a
group led by Ameen, a resident of
Kerala. The official said that the group
has been running various IS propaganda
channels on different social media platforms
such as Telegram, Hoop and
Instagram for propagating the violent
Jihadi ideology of ISIS and radicalising
and recruiting new members for the IS
module. The NIA had registered a case
on March 5 this year against seven
known and other unknown accused persons
under several sections of the Indian
Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act (UAPA).
The official said that the searches
were preceded by extensive verification
carried out jointly by the NIA, the
Special Cell of Delhi Police, and the
ATS of Kerala Police.
The official said, "The group of radicalised
individuals under the leadership
of Ameen owning allegiance to proscribed
terrorist organisation IS had
identified certain individuals in Kerala
and Karnataka for targeted killing."
They had also planned to undertake
'Hijrat' (religious migration) to Jammu
and Kashmir for engaging in terrorist
acts. The official said, "Ameen had travelled
to Jammu and Kashmir immediately
after his return to India from Bahrain
in March last year and had been camping
in Delhi for the last two months for
establishing connection with J&K based
operatives having allegiance to IS."
The official adde that the searches
were conducted at the premises of
Ameen and his associates, who were
members of various groups or channels
on encrypted chat platforms.
The official said that during the
searches, several digital devices including
laptops, mobiles, hard disks, pen
drives, multiple SIM cards of different
service providers and incriminating documents
were seized.
The official said that the exhibits are
being scrutinised and will be sent for
forensic examination.
New Delhi : Thirteen years after the
Batla House encounter, a Delhi Court
on Monday sentenced Ariz Khan, who
was convicted of the murder of inspector
Mohan Chand Sharma and other
offences, to death. Additional Sessions
Judge Sandeep Yadav called it a 'rarest
of rare case' while awarding the death
penalty. The prosecution had sought
death penalty for Khan in the case,
while the counsel for the convict
sought leniency on the ground of his
young age. On March 8, the court had
convicted Khan in the case, noting that
he murdered encounter specialist and
inspector Mohan Chand Sharma.
The Additional Sessions Judge had
said that Khan, along with his associates,
intentionally and voluntarily
caused the murder of Sharma by the
use of gun shot. Ariz Khan was convicted
under Sections 186 (obstructing
public servant in discharge of public
functions), 333 (voluntarily causes
grievous hurt), 353 (Assault or criminal
force to deter public servant) and
302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
He has also been held guilty under
Sections 307 (attempt to murder),
174(a) (non-appearance in response to
a proclamation) and 34 (criminal intention)
of the IPC and Section 27 (using
any prohibited weapons) of the Arms
Act. On September 19 in 2008, the
Special Cell of Delhi Police had carried
out an encounter at the Batla House in
Jamia Nagar, in which two suspected
Indian Mujahideen terrorists and
inspector Sharma were killeed.
Ariz Khan had fled from the spot
and was declared a proclaimed offender.
He was arrested on February 14,
2018. Ariz Khan is allegedly associated
with the terror outfit Indian
Mujahideen. The police claimed that he
was present at the Batla House during
the encounter and had managed to give
the police a slip.
In July 2013, a trial court had sentenced
Indian Mujahideen terrorist
Shahzad Ahmed to life imprisonment
in connection with the case.
Himalayan BODHISATTVAS at the
centre of upcoming Met exhibition
New Delhi : Bringing together a
group of paintings, sculptures, ritual
objects, and illustrated manuscripts
from the 11th-18th centuries, made
primarily for Nepal and Tibet's
monastic institutions, an upcoming
exhibition at New York-based museum
"The Met" will spotlight the
Himalayan Bodhisattva tradition.
The exhibition titled 'Bodhisattvas
of Wisdom, Compassion, and Power'
will run from March 27 this year to
October 16, 2022.
Within the Buddhist traditions of
the Himalayas, three bodhisattvas
emerge as personifications of
Buddhist ideals. Manjushri, who cuts
through ignorance and personifies
correct knowledge; Avalokiteshvara,
a compassionate protector of the
devout that helps reveal the true
nature of reality; and Vajrapani as the
embodiment of the energy of enlightenment,
said "The Met".
It added: "Focusing on dramatic
images, a worshipper could first
evoke the subtle knowledge that
Manjushri personifies, then with
Avalokiteshvara's aid, it is possible to
proceed in a way free from selfimposed
delusions, while Vajrapani's
transcendent power aids in destroying
jealousy and hatred that stand in
the way of enlightenment. Venerating
these three bodhisattvas together has
a long history, and they play an
essential role in the introduction of
Buddhism to Tibet."
Beautifully cast sculptures and
accessible paintings showing peaceful
manifestations of the bodhisattvas
intended for the public are juxtaposed
with complex tantric images of
the highest quality done in portable
media made for monastic elites.
This exhibition presents some of
the sublime representations of these
three bodhisattvas at the centre of
this great devotional tradition
embraced across the Himalayas.
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