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

    Ahead Of Budget Session, Government Reaches Out To Opposition

    Ahead Of Budget Session, Government Reaches Out To Opposition
    A day ahead of the session, Modi, at an all-party meeting, assured leaders that issues raised would be discussed according to their importance.

    Ahead Of Budget Session, Government Reaches Out To Opposition

    Mufti Mohammad Sayeed To Be Jammu And Kashmir CM As PDP, BJP Reach Agreement

    Mufti Mohammad Sayeed To Be Jammu And Kashmir CM As PDP, BJP Reach Agreement
    PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed will be the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir two months after the assembly elections, as his party and the BJP finally arrived at an agreement on forming an alliance government in the state.

    Mufti Mohammad Sayeed To Be Jammu And Kashmir CM As PDP, BJP Reach Agreement

    '660 Million Indians Losing Three Years Of Life Due To Air Pollution'

    '660 Million Indians Losing Three Years Of Life Due To Air Pollution'
      If India can refine its goals to meet air standards, 660 million people would add about 3.2 years into their lives, a significant research has found, adding that compliance with Indian air quality standards would save 2.1 billion life-years.

    '660 Million Indians Losing Three Years Of Life Due To Air Pollution'

    Amartya Sen Quits Nalanda University, Says Government Doesn't Want Me

    Amartya Sen Quits Nalanda University, Says Government Doesn't Want Me
    Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has withdrawn his candidature as chancellor of Nalanda University, alleging that the government does not want him to continue to head the prestigious multi-country initiative

    Amartya Sen Quits Nalanda University, Says Government Doesn't Want Me

    Narendra Modi's Famous 'Name-Striped' Suit Auctioned For Rs.4.31 Crore

    Narendra Modi's Famous 'Name-Striped' Suit Auctioned For Rs.4.31 Crore
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi's famous 'name-striped' suit went under the hammer for a staggering Rs.4.31 crore at a charity auction here Friday, officials said.

    Narendra Modi's Famous 'Name-Striped' Suit Auctioned For Rs.4.31 Crore

    Manjhi quits, Nitish to be next Bihar CM

    Manjhi quits, Nitish to be next Bihar CM
    JD-U leader Nitish Kumar will take oath as the new chief minister of Bihar Feb 22 after Jitan Ram Manjhi resigned Friday, less than an hour before a confidence vote in the state assembly.

    Manjhi quits, Nitish to be next Bihar CM