India Archive

On Thursday (27th June), a Muslim woman was subjected to a brutal attack in Ruidanga village in the Matha Bhanga-II block in Coochbehar district of West Bengal. She was "stripped, dragged for 1 km by her hair and thrashed for over an hour" by a group of individuals. This grievous assault was reportedly due to her political affiliation as a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On Thursday (27th June), 'The Times of India' implied that Indian army officers had requested sexual favors from the wives of soldiers who were killed during the Kargil War of 1999. This controversial assertion was prominently featured in a headline that read, ‘We Kargil widows “were easy targets for officers to satisfy lust”.’

Distinguished Supreme Court lawyer and writer, J Sai Deepak, raised concerns about anti-Brahmin sentiments within certain groups subscribing to Hindutva ideology during the launch of Vamsee Juluri’s book, "Rearming Hinduism: Nature, Hinduphobia, and the Return of Indian Intelligence". His remarks came during an event captured and shared on the Sangam Talks YouTube channel on June 27. Deepak emphasized that such demonization of Brahmins is not isolated but often escalates into broader hostility against Hinduism itself, pulling individuals towards Abrahamic faiths, particularly in states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. He cautioned that these actions are making Hindus more vulnerable to external threats.

The issue of reservation for the Maratha community in Maharashtra continues with minimal resolution to date. The protests led by 'Maratha activist' Manoj Jarange Patil are persistent. Since October 2023, Patil has been striking, demanding reservations for Marathas from the backward quota. The protests have turned violent, damaging public property and vehicles in several districts such as Jalna, Pune, Beed, and Dharashiv. Additionally, demonstrators have set fire to the homes of several NCP politicians and chanted the slogan 'Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha'.

In an exciting turn of events, the ongoing restoration efforts at the mausoleum of the notable Raje Lakhujirao Jadhav in Buldhana district have led to a significant archaeological find. On June 20, a team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), operating under the Nagpur circle, made a groundbreaking discovery during an excavation near this historical site.

An in-depth investigation into the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate examination has uncovered signs of paper leaks and other irregularities, pointing to a complex scheme orchestrated at an exam center in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. It appears this operation was part of a larger education mafia, allegedly led by a figure known as Sanjeev Mukhiya.

In a shocking revelation in the Renukaswamy death case, Kannada superstar Darshan Thoogudeepa has, as per the remand note, confessed to paying Rs 30 lakh to co-accused Pradosh. Darshan paid this amount to Pradosh to "manage" the police and lawyers and to pay those people surrendering before the police, claiming to have murdered Darshan’s fan Renukaswamy.

On 20 June 2024, Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Sinha made a significant announcement, linking the former Deputy CM and RJD leader, Tejashwi Yadav, to the NEET-UG paper leak case. During a press conference, Sinha explicitly stated that a room in a government guest house was provided to Sikandar Kumar Yadavendu, an accused in the NEET UG paper leak case, at the request of Pritam Kumar, who is the personal secretary to Tejashwi Yadav. Additionally, Sikandar Yadavendu, along with three others, has been arrested in connection with this case.

On a rather unusual Tuesday (18th June), the Allahabad High Court made a decision allowing the National Testing Agency (NTA) to initiate legal proceedings against a NEET aspirant, Ayushi Patel. Patel had earlier lodged a complaint through her petition claiming that the NTA had unjustly failed to release her exam results and that her OMR answer sheet was mysteriously torn. However, this tale took a twist as it surfaced that the documents provided by her were forged.