MM Akbar remanded in 5-day police custody

News Network
February 27, 2018

Kochi, Feb 27: Multi-religion scholar and educationist MM Akbar, who was arrested at Hyderabad airport on Sunday morning after he arrived from Australia, is now being grilled by Kerala police, who suspect that he tried to effect “conversions” through his organisation.

The managing director of Peace Education Foundation, was on Monday produced before the Ernakulam Judicial Magistrate Court which remanded him in police custody for five days though the investigation officers asked for seven days. “He was slapped with charges under 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language).

During interrogation, we’ll quiz him on all angles, including suspected links with terror agencies,” said investigation officer and assistant commissioner of police (Ernakulam) K. Laljy.

“We will try to find out whether the classes in his schools were focusing more on religion and what was taught in the school,” he said.

The case was registered in October 2016 based on a complaint by the district education officer that the school was teaching textbooks propagating communal hatred.

A probe by the education department found the school wasn’t teaching from texts recommended by the NCERT, CBSE or SCERT, but followed textbooks compiled by a Mumbai-based Islamic educational institution.

Portions of a class 2 optional textbook were leaked, in which there were objective type questions on what the students would do “if their friend wanted to convert to Islam,”  “how to deal with non-Muslims” and “how many of you are willing to die for Islam? Think, think think.” The textbook was immediate withdrawn. Akbar had clarified that it was just an optional textbook. Besides the textbook was published by a Mumbai based publishing house.

Cops collected religious texts and study materials from the school during an inspection held afterwards following suspicion that Merin, a teacher with the school, had allegedly joined the Islamic State. However, M M Akbar has delivered several speeches against terrorism and warned youth against joining terror outfits like Islamic State, which according to him is defaming Islam.

In December 2016, three Mumbai-based publishers were arrested for printing the textbooks with objectionable content. In January last, the state government ordered closure of the Kochi-based Peace School based on a report submitted by the district collector and the district education officer.

Akbar was held from Hyderabad airport by immigration officials based on a lookout notice issued by the Kochi police earlier. He was on his way from Australia to Qatar via Malaysia and landed in Hyderabad for a brief stopover.

A four-member squad led by Vipin Das, sub-inspector of police, Ernakulam North, soon left for Hyderabad and recorded his arrest at11.30 am on Sunday. The team brought him back to Kochi later in the day.

Abkar’s arrest, however, was questioned by several quarters. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government was behaving like Modi, persecuting Muslims on trumped-up charges.

Also Read: M M Akbar arrested in Hyderabad en-route to Qatar; likely to be grilled by Kerala police

Comments

Ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 28 Feb 2018

When People of the Society become AWARE of their CREATOR(True God), The people in ruling or who run the society will never want PEOPLE to know the TRUTH of the ONENESS of GOD...They use their own Pappu MEDIA to demonize the individual like MM Akbar, ZN, who convey the message of oneness of God and they want the society to know the REALITY of the ONENESS of GOD and to dependent on him ALONE rather than getting decieved by the religious tekedar in disguise of fake swamis and others even in muslim community they have such fake babas. Everything happens with the will of ALLAH.. have patience. I REQUEST those who look for the TRUTH to listen to lectures of MM AKBAR and Zakir Naik and YOU JUDGE if they promote terrorism.... Allah has made HUMAN being BEST of his CREATION, Use YOUR GOD given INTELLECT and YOu will RECOGNIZE the REALITY of this kind of DECEPTION goin on since 911. God is with those who r TRUTHFUL....and Successful are those who recognize the TRUE GOD. May ALLAH guide us to the TRUTH.

brother you don't know nothing.  pleas don't comment for anything which you have no knowledge.  If your hatred is against Muslims thats your problem.  But we muslims love every religion that exists on this earth.  what is MM Akbar, What is Dr. Zakir Naik, we know about them.  If you utter something baseless comments with communal intensity, thats not our problem.  Try to acquire knowledge, be a peace lover, be a human and understand what is humanity. May God bless you.

The said book was published by one of mumbai publication and taught  by many institution , he may aware contents of books written on it .. but he may not aware , these kind of hues and cries may arise or probably he might not guess , some people may find very dangerous philosophy on that book.... to my knowledge , purticular book is not banned , still under court observation... peace school stopped teaching that book... 

 

until now , no compaint is lodged against school or school director M.M Akber by any school staffs or parents of students... govt voluntarily want to stop 3 schools out 13 schools managed by peace school management .. but court stayed govt intention  .. school still run smoothly... people of kerala still under confusion , on what basis govt of kerala send look out notice and arrested him..?

Abdullah
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

The real Terrorists are out of jail and they can do, tell anything. Innocents are inside the jail.

 

Danish
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

I read that question and answer choices. Total stupidity. It will make kids to think differently. It will distort kids mind and will create stupid mindset.

 

Atleast they can give good intention choices.

 

"Suppose your friend Adam/Suzanne has decided to become a Muslim, among the choices what advice will you give?"

The choices given are:

 

a. he/she has to change her name to Ahmed/Sara immediately

 

b. he/she is wearing a chain and will need to remove it

 

c. learn the shahada

 

d. runaway from home as parents are not Muslims 

 

e. eat halal chicken

 

Anybody can tell that lie.. he didnt aware of that content mean pure negligence.. Being the MD of peace school he should  check everything or atleast there should be people to do that. MM Akbar knows it better that easy to spread hatred thought through children. He should be punish properly

Mohammed
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

Hidden agenda behind this arrest. He already rubbishes the allegation of text book. he dont have any role in that and he told he didnt aware of that controversial content

Unknown
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

He should be punished.. He tried to spread hatred through text books among innocent children.

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News Network
March 4,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 4: The Karnataka High Court has issued a notice to the state government in connection with the denial of retirement benefits to a retired deputy commissioner of commercial taxes who had fought against the illegal iron ore lobby.

Justice G Narendra also directed the state to respond to the notice before March 9, stating the reasons for withholding the officer’s retirement benefits.

Advocate Ramananda, appearing for the retired officer Josephat Andrews, explained that the single-judge bench also warned the government of stringent action.

Petitioner Josephat Andrews said his retirement benefits amounting to Rs 25.88 lakh were being withheld since 2014.

In 2009, Andrews detected a huge scam involving Vijaya Leasing, a company associated with former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy. Immediately he wrote to his higher officials explaining to them how the department was owed Rs 1,400 crore in taxes by the company. Immediately after that, Andrews was transferred to Bengaluru.

The media exposed the scam in 2012. Thereafter, to harass the officer, Andrews was served notice for allegedly not conducting an inspection of M/s Vijaya Leasing, which was controlled by the family of then tourism minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, on July 11, 2012.  He was discharged by a full departmental enquiry.

The petitioner was issued a second show cause notice on Jan 29, 2014 on the same charges. Before his retirement, he was docked two increments, denied promotional benefits and his pension was reduced without following due process.

He was served yet another notice with charges that he did not inspect goods vehicles, and an order was passed on April 30, 2019 reducing his pension by 5 per cent, an unprecedented punitive action.

This order was quashed by the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT), which also ordered payment of retirement benefits to Andrews within five months. However, the benefits were not released to him.  

“Rule 214 of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules (KCSR) make it clear that no enquiry can be held four years after an officer’s retirement.  Belying all statutory rules and precedents of the Supreme Court, Josephat Andrews’ retirement benefits were withheld for five years. Andrews therefore approached the High Court,” advocate Ramananda explained.

Josephat Andrews recalled to Deccan Chronicle that although mining activity was in full swing in 2008, the commercial tax department maintained that it had nothing to do with mining. “I travelled to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bellary to investigate. I found tax evasion of thousands of crores. When I visited M/s the Vijaya Leasing facility – it was operating from an old oil mill premises–within 20 minutes I got calls from Ali, a person claiming to be the personal assistant of Gali Janardhan Reddy. He told me to get out of the premises as it belonged to his boss. Then calls came from minister Sreeramulu and MLA Nagendra. 

Within minutes 200-300 rowdies gathered around the building and my superior asked me to come back. Instead of filing a police complaint and forming a special team to deal with the situation, the department transferred me to Bengaluru,” he explained.

Talking about the High Court directive, Josephat Andrews said, “I have suffered a lot. Instead of getting a reward for increasing revenues by Rs 2,000 crore, I was punished.”

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News Network
January 28,2020

Chikkamagaluru, Jan 28: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Public Works Govind Karjol on Tuesday said that he is ready to quit if the post asks him to do so to pave way for smooth expansion of the Cabinet.

Responding to a question from media persons on the issue here, he said he was ready to quit his post any time.

“If the party asks me to resign now, I will send back my official car and return by bus”, he added.

Further, he opined that there should not be efforts to seek a berth in the Cabinet based on caste.

“Putting pressure on the party based on caste is not right. The party will consider those who worked for the party and also take district-wise representation into account while filling up the vacancies”, he added.

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News Network
August 7,2020

Madikeri, Aug 7: Two days after massive landslides triggered by heavy downpour in Kodagu, five people including a priest are still missing. 

The landslide, which originating at Brahmagiri Hills in Talacauvery, swept away two houses on Wednesday night.

This missing people are: Talacauvery temple chief Narayana Achar (70), his wife Shantha (70), brother Ananda Theertha Swami (87) and two assistants — Ravi Kiran (26) and Srinivas (30). Achar’s neighbour had shifted out of Bhagamandala earlier, fearing a landslide. 

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had to stop rescue operations due to bad weather. The operations resumed today. 

“There are many minor landslides on the way to the spot,” said Kodagu Deputy Commissioner C Annies K Joy, adding that the flood situation at Bhagamandala was not permitting earthmovers to reach the spot. Heavy rain between Wednesday and Thursday triggered landslides. 

Bhagamandala Panchayat Development Officer Ashok said a notice was issued to the priest’s family to shift out of the house, but they chose to stay back. 

On Thursday morning, when the Talacauvery temple staff went to check on Narayana Achar, as he had not reached the temple for the daily puja, they found levelled land and debris where Achar’s house stood. Utensils, puja material and clothes were found nearly 2 km away at Cherangala. 

As rains continued over the last few days, many rivers are flowing above the danger levels, forcing people to move to safer places.

 Responding to the situation, which is turning grimmer by the day, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is currently undergoing treatment in a private hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, directed ministers to visit rain-hit areas and supervise relief efforts. He has also assured of providing required financial assistance for those affected.

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