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Mizoram agrees to record biometric details of 34,000 Myanmar refugees, awaits MHA directions

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Aizawl/Imphal, June 19 (IANS) The Mizoram government has agreed to record biometric details of around 34,000 Myanmar refugees sheltered in the northeastern state for over three years, but is waiting for the necessary instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), officials said in Aizawl on Wednesday.

A senior Mizoram Home Department official said that a new biometric enrollment portal has already been prepared by the department but the process would start after getting the detailed directions from the MHA.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma recently said that the state government in principle decided to record biometric details of the Myanmar refugees and a portal was ready for collecting this data.

After the military junta seized power in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, around 34,000 people including women, elderly people and children, from the neighbouring country took shelter in 11 districts of Mizoram. At least 10,550 Myanmarese are staying in 111 relief camps in six districts while 9,300 others live in relatives or friends’ houses as well as in rented accommodation, a Home Department official told IANS.

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Similarly, at least 8,000 Myanmarese have taken shelter in neighbouring Manipur’s Tengnoupal, Chandel, Churachandpur, and Kamjong districts and the state government has already recorded the biometric details of the majority of the refugees.

A Manipur Home Department official said that the state government, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and central security forces, has so far deported 115 Myanmar nationals, including women and children, in three phases since March 8.

The Myanmar immigrants have been deported through the Moreh border in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district.

Mizoram and Manipur have 518 km and 400 km of unfenced borders, respectively, with Myanmar.

The MHA earlier in 2022 asked both the Manipur and Mizoram governments to undertake the recording of biometric and biographic data of all the Myanmar refugees.

Though the BJP-led government in Manipur immediately started the process, the then Mizoram government, led by the Mizo National Front (MNF), refused, claiming that the Myanmarese are “brothers and sisters of Mizos and such an initiative would discriminate against them”. After the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) led by Lalduhoma came to power, defeating the MNF, in the November 7, 2023 Assembly elections, the new state government, after initial hesitation, in principle, agreed to start the process of collecting the data.

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The Manipur government was keen to repatriate the Myanmar refugees but the Mizoram government urged the Center to provide financial assistance to provide them relief and accord the “refugee” status to Myanmarese.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that although India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, it has given shelter and aid to those fleeing the crisis in Myanmar on humanitarian grounds.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)

–IANS

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Bolpur tragedy: Two persons arrested, extra-marital affair emerges

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Kolkata, July 6 (IANS) The police have arrested two persons, including a woman, in connection with the carnage at Bolpur in West Bengal’s Birbhum district which killed three members of the same family.

The woman who has been arrested in this connection is Smirti Bibi, who is the wife of Sheikh Ratan, the younger brother of Sheikh Tuta, 40, who was killed in the carnage.

Besides, Sheikh Tuta, his wife Rumpa Bibi, 30, and son Ayan Sheikh, 94, were also killed in the carnage.

Sheikh Safiqul, a quack residing in an adjacent village, with whom Smirti Bibi allegedly had an extra-marital affair, had also been arrested in connection with the incident.

Based on the complaint lodged by other members of the family, there were often quarrels in the family over an alleged extra-marital affair.

The family members as well as the neighbours of the family have informed the police that since Sheikh Tuta was vocal against this extra-marital affair, both Smirti Bibi and her paramour had developed a grudge over the deceased person.

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On early Friday morning, the room where the three deceased individuals were sleeping was set on fire.

While Rumpa Bibi and Ayan Sheikh died on Friday only after they were brought to the hospital, Sheikh Tuta died early Saturday morning.

The local police have started an investigation into the matter.

Sources said that based on statements of different persons as well as some circumstantial evidence, the two persons were arrested on Saturday.

–IANS

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Rowdy elements should be afraid of the police, says K’taka CM

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Bengaluru, June 6 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that rowdy elements should be afraid of the police, adding that it is a shame that some policemen do not even know that the e-beat system is in place.

“Why are you given guns? Why are rowdies not afraid of it,” Siddaramaiah questioned the state police while speaking after the inauguration of the 2024 Senior Police Officers Conference at the police headquarters here.

He also released a new software on the occasion.

“Who are the drug dealers? The respective station officials know who the rowdies and real estate agents are.” He asked why it was not stopping.

He congratulated Home Minister G. Parameshwara and the Karnataka Police for maintaining law and order without communal riots in the state in the last one year.

The CM gave a clear instruction that it is mandatory for every SP-DCP-IG to visit and inspect every station in their jurisdiction as per the police manual.

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–IANS

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PM Modi congratulates Iran's new President Pezeshkian

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New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Masoud Pezeshkian for his election as Iran’s new President.

“Looking forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship for the benefit of our people and the region,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

India-Iran partnership in various sectors, including connectivity, has expanded tremendously in recent times, especially during the tenure of Iran’s late President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi who passed away in a helicopter crash in May this year.

India had also observed a day’s state mourning as a mark of respect to the late Iranian President and other eight people, including the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who lost their lives in the tragic accident.

It was also under India’s presidency that Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Both countries have fast-tracked infrastructure cooperation, focusing especially on the Chabahar project and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – the 7,200 km-long multimodal trade corridor linking Russia with India via the ports of Iran.

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–IANS

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Another BRS MLA defects to Congress in Telangana

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Hyderabad, July 6 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received another jolt when its MLA joined the Congress on Saturday, just a day after six of its Members in the Legislative Council crossed over to the ruling party.

Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, the MLA from Gadwal constituency, joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

The Chief Minister welcomed the MLA into the party.

Krishna Mohan represents the Gadwal constituency in Revanth Reddy’s home district of Mahabubnagar.

Krishna Mohan is the seventh MLA to switch to the ruling party since BRS lost power in December 2023.

BRS’ strength in the 119-member Assembly has come down to 31. It also lost the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly by-election to Congress.

The tally of Congress party has now gone up to 72.

The main opposition party has lost several senior leaders to Congress during the last seven months.

–IANS

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Pune shocker: Drunk tries to set ablaze traffic cop near police station, held

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Pune (Maharashtra), July 6 (IANS) In another shocking incident in Pune, a drunken man allegedly poured petrol and attempted to set ablaze a woman traffic police officer who had stopped him during a drunk-and-drive combing operation, an official said here on Saturday.

The incident happened at around 8 P.M. on Friday night when the traffic police officer, API Shailaja Jankar, along with other colleagues, was on duty at Laxmi Road in the jurisdiction of the Faraskhana Traffic Police Station.

The traffic police team stopped one person riding a motorcycle but finding his attitude suspicious, they asked him to get down and accompany them to the nearby traffic police station.

Apparently furious at being stopped, the man Sanjay F Salve, 32, fled from the spot but returned an hour later with some petrol.

Sanjay F Salve suddenly lunged at the woman officer and poured petrol on her, whipped out a lighter and tried to set her on fire, but her colleagues pinned him down.

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“Fortunately, the police officer is unharmed. The other police personnel on duty rushed to her help and caught the accused, and further investigations are on,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Rohidas Pawar, told IANS.

The accused Sanjay F Salve is a resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad.

The Vishrambaugh Police Station, Senior Police Inspector Deepali Bhujbal told mediapersons on Saturday that they registered a case against Sanjay F Salve on various charges, including attempt to murder, drinking-and-driving, obstructing a public servant, etc. and arrested him. A further probe in underway.

Following a series of driving-related offences, starting with the Porsche drunken driving and hit-and-run case of May 19, the Pune Traffic Police stepped up vigil on roads against such offenders, and a check post was organised at Laxmi Road from 5.-8 P.M. on Friday.

–IANS

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