Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
India

Maulana Azad-Najma Photo-morphing Case Posted For August 26

Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 Apr, 2015 10:45 AM
    The Delhi High Court on Thursday posted for August 26 a plea over alleged morphing of a photo of India's first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and union Minister Najma Heptulla.
     
    Justice Rajiv Shakdher posted the matter for August 26 after advocate appearing for the government told the court that the additional solicitor general was not present in the court and sought adjournment.
     
    After the court posted the matter for August 26, the advocate appearing for petitioner sought short date, but the court turned down the plea, saying that "the matter can wait, there is no fire in the matter."
     
    The court was hearing a plea by Azad's grand-nephew Firoz Bakht Ahmed, seeking to bring to a logical end the preliminary inquiries into the alleged morphing of a photo of Maulana Azad and Najma Heptulla.
     
    Firoz Bakht Ahmed had moved the court alleging that the photo morphing was done at Heptulla's instance when she headed the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
     
    Heptulla is the minority affairs minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet. She is also a grand-niece of Maulana Azad.
     
    An intervention application has also been filed in the case by Indian Foreign Service officer Madhup Mohta, who conducted the administrative inquiry in the matter in 2005. He said morphing was done at the instance of Heptulla, who was the president of the ICCR at that time.
     
    The court earlier asked the CBI to produce the relevant records for the court's perusal to show prima facie what steps were taken to inquire into the photo morphing incident.
     
    Mohta moved the court, saying he was posted as director of the ICCR during the year 2005, when the ICCR published the book containing the allegedly morphed photo.
     
    Saying he was the whistle-blower who first detected the morphing of the photo, Mohta said he conducted a part administrative inquiry on the issue within the ICCR (the other part of the said inquiry was conducted by the director general of the ICCR).
     
    "For this purpose, Mohta had examined certain witnesses, recorded their statements and had collected relevant documents/photographs used for morphing. At that time it was found that there was sufficient evidence to show that the morphing of the photograph had been done at the instance of Najma Heptulla," advocate Ashok Dhamija told court, appearing for Mohta.
     
    The alleged morphed photograph was published in a book titled "Journey of a Legend: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad 1888-1958" by the ICCR in 2005 and showed Azad seating with Heptulla after her graduation.
     
    The publication was later withdrawn by the ICCR.
     
    Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for Firoz Bakht Ahmed, told the court that it was a morphed photograph as Heptulla graduated in May 1958, whereas Maulana Azad passed away on February 22, 1958.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Lights, Camera, Action! Bollywood-themed Eateries Trend Pan-India

    Lights, Camera, Action! Bollywood-themed Eateries Trend Pan-India
    Imagine gorging on 'Anda Apna Apna' or 'Chicken Tussi Great Ho" at a restaurant with walls splashed with Bollywood posters, dialogues and film memorabilia. Special-themed eateries across India are cashing in on the craze for everything Bollywood - films, songs and stars.

    Lights, Camera, Action! Bollywood-themed Eateries Trend Pan-India

    Minor Girl Raped In Delhi

    Minor Girl Raped In Delhi
    The girl was hospitalised after the incident in east Delhi's Preet Vihar on Saturday. The man took the girl from her house by telling her parents that he wants to feed "kanyas" (young girls) on the occasion of Hindu religious event Ram Navami, which marks the end of the nine-day Navaratri festival.

    Minor Girl Raped In Delhi

    Unseasonal Rain Kills Seven Across India; Damages Crops

    Unseasonal Rain Kills Seven Across India; Damages Crops
    The fury of unseasonal rain in different states of north and east India since Sunday evening has left at least seven people dead and damaged standing crops in thousands of hectares, officials said on Monday.

    Unseasonal Rain Kills Seven Across India; Damages Crops

    Bharat Ratna, Padma Awards Conferred On Prominent People

    Bharat Ratna, Padma Awards Conferred On Prominent People
    Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, was bestowed posthumously on freedom fighter and eminent educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya at an investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday evening.

    Bharat Ratna, Padma Awards Conferred On Prominent People

    17 Die As Floods Ravage Kashmir

    17 Die As Floods Ravage Kashmir
    Up to 16 people were killed on Monday as a devastating flood in the Kashmir Valley forced thousands to flee to safer places as rain-fed streams rushed down the mountains, flooding parts of Srinagar. A man was washed away by a swollen river in Jammu region.

    17 Die As Floods Ravage Kashmir

    Canada Offers Expertise In Smart City Development To Telangana, Andhra

    Canada Offers Expertise In Smart City Development To Telangana, Andhra
    Consul General in Bengaluru Sidney Frank, who is leading a business delegation on a two-day visit to the two states, made the remarks at meeting here. 

    Canada Offers Expertise In Smart City Development To Telangana, Andhra