Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Ever seen those videos of celebrities stepping out of a cafe on a regular day while the paparazzi would go crazy with their cameras, snapping pictures at speeds that you wouldn’t think were possible? Just last week, asteroids that were similarly going about their business got some celebrity-treatment from <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword>. Not one, but two large asteroids, zoomed past Earth in a rare double flyby. Thankfully, neither <keyword id="22300580" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="2024-MK" source="keywords">2024 MK</keyword> nor <keyword id="22204401" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="2011-UL21" source="keywords">2011 UL21</keyword> posed any threat, but they did give scientists a chance to snap some incredible close-up images. By studying these images, researchers can learn more about the makeup of these space rocks, which is crucial for planning how to deal with any future asteroids that might be a little too enthusiastic about visiting our planet. Our solar system is vast and mostly empty, but every now and then, an <keyword id="19982899" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asteroid" source="keywords">asteroid</keyword> or comet swings by on its cosmic journey. Most of these are harmless, but some get flagged as "potentially hazardous" if they get too close or are big enough. That's because even if their current path is safe, a future bump with another space object could send them on a collision course with Earth. It's unlikely, but hey, better safe than sorry! Luckily for us, both 2024 MK and 2011 UL21 came in peace and were more than happy to be papped. 2011 UL21 cruised by on June 27th at a comfortable distance of 17 times the Earth-Moon distance. Then, just two days later, 2024 MK made its appearance, getting a bit closer at about three-quarters of the Earth-Moon distance. Related: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/2-potentially-hazardous-asteroids-will-streak-by-earth-this-week-one-as-big-as-a-mountain-you-can-watch-it-live-/articleshow/111295916.cms">2 'potentially hazardous' asteroids will streak by Earth this week, one as big as a mountain</a> Capturing clear images of these celestial visitors is no easy feat. Even though they're considered "large" asteroids, they're still relatively small and faint in the grand scheme of space. That's where NASA's awesome radar telescope comes in. It beams radio waves out into space, and by analysing the bounced-back signal, scientists can create detailed images. Since 2024 MK buzzed by much closer (these close encounters only happen every few decades or so), we were able to get a much more detailed look. The images revealed a 500-foot-long, elongated asteroid with a bumpy, ridged surface. It even tumbles as it travels through space! <div type="twitter" handle="NASAJPL" handlename="NASAJPL" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1808525680940065085"></div>This rock was only discovered on June 16, and Earth's gravity actually nudged its orbit a bit. Studying these observations will help scientists predict 2024 MK's future path, and good news – it looks like it'll stay safely out of our way for the foreseeable future. Astronomer Lance Benner of NASA's <keyword id="20235549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jet-Propulsion-Laboratory" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Jet Propulsion Laboratory" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Jet Propulsion Laboratory">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</keyword> thinks that this was an amazing opportunity to get up close and personal with a near-Earth asteroid. While the images of 2011 UL21 weren't quite as detailed due to the distance, they did hold a bit of a surprise – a tiny moon orbiting the 1.5-kilometer-wide asteroid! This isn't the first time we've spotted a miniature moon companion with a large asteroid. In fact, it seems to be happening more and more often as our observation technology improves. This is fantastic news for both planetary defence and understanding how our solar system formed. "It is thought that about two-thirds of asteroids of this size are binary systems," Benner explains, "and their discovery is particularly important because we can use measurements of their relative positions to estimate their mutual orbits, masses, and densities, which provide key information about how they may have formed." Also Read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/nasa-simulated-an-incoming-asteroid-impact-and-the-biggest-roadblock-to-action-was-penny-pinchers-in-congress/articleshow/111348115.cms">NASA simulated an incoming asteroid impact, and the biggest roadblock to action was penny pinching</a>

Last week, an asteroid pair came dangerously close to Earth, posed for some pictures and left!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>On Thursday and Saturday, two different <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-threat-of-meteor-crashing-into-earth-is-bigger-than-you-think-2019-5">"potentially hazardous" asteroids</a> will fly by Earth.</li><li>The first is as big as a mountain, and the second will be one of the brightest in recent history.</li></ul>Two rare <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-visit-psyche-asteroid-worth-more-than-entire-world-economy-2023-10">asteroids</a> will zoom past Earth at close range this week, within just 42 hours of each other.Due to their size and trajectory, both of these space rocks are labeled "potentially hazardous." But that doesn't mean they pose an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/adam-driver-asks-nasa-save-earth-from-world-ending-asteroids-2023-3">immediate threat to Earth</a>.In fact, both of them will safely fly by at thousands of miles per hour. There's a zero percent chance that either will collide with our planet, according to the European Space Agency.Neither of these asteroids will be visible to the naked eye, but you may be able to spot them with a telescope or binoculars, Gianluca Masi, astrophysicist and founder of The Virtual Telescope Project, told Business Insider over email.Or, you can watch them via livestreams hosted by The Virtual Telescope Project:<ul><li>Use <a target="_blank" href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/">this link</a> to watch Asteroid (415029) 2011 UL21 streak past Earth on Thursday, June 27, starting at 4:00 p.m. ET.</li><li>And <a target="_blank" href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2024/06/20/potentially-hazardous-asteroid-2024-mk-very-close-encounter-online-observation-29-june-2024/">this link</a> to watch Asteroid 2024 MK fly by on Saturday, June 29, starting at 5:00 p.m. ET.</li></ul><h2 id="f7d4c781-e54b-4539-9212-0b088e744ec7">Mountain-sized Asteroid (415029) 2011 UL21</h2><div type="image" title="ESA infographic about Asteroid (415029) 2011 UL21 and it's close approach on June 27 2024." height="1080" width="1920" msid="111295552" hostid="261"></div>Asteroid (415029) 2011 UL21 is one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/details-from-the-chelyabinsk-meteor-2013-11">largest asteroids</a> to have recently passed near Earth, Masi wrote in a press statement.With an estimated diameter of roughly 1.4 miles, this mountain-sized space rock is larger than 99% of all known <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-moon-asteroid-orbiting-sun-alongside-earth-astronomers-discover-2023-6">near-Earth objects</a>, according to the European Space Agency.Asteroid 2011 UL21 falls into a class of space rocks known as "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-plan-alert-public-world-asteroid-strike-2024-2">planet killers</a>," which are at least 1.2 miles wide. If one crashed into Earth, it would cause damage on a continental scale, and potentially kick up enough dust to trigger significant climactic changes for many years, LiveScience <a target="_blank" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/mountain-size-planet-killer-asteroid-will-make-a-close-approach-to-earth-this-week-and-you-can-watch-it-live">reported</a>.The Chicxulub asteroid, for example, credited with the dinosaurs' demise was about 6.5 miles across and triggered global warming for an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aap8525?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D71187586662918797870423820668119382806%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1719416200">estimated</a> 100,000 years after impact.<div type="image" title="An artist's illustration of a massive asteroid colliding with Earth" height="1414" width="2121" msid="111295553" hostid="261"></div>Luckily, 2011 UL21 won't be coming close enough to cause any concern on Thursday. It'll sneak by Earth at a safe distance of more than 4 million miles, which is 17 times farther than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-moon-distance-edge-of-outer-space-2018-5">the distance between Earth and the moon</a>, Masi wrote.But this fly-by is noteworthy because 2011 UL21 will be among the top 10 largest asteroids to pass by Earth at close range in the last 125 years, he added.<h2 id="789dcbe3-2c95-457e-9dcd-ad0ac66ffd8e">Newly discovered Asteroid 2024 MK</h2><div type="image" title="ESA infographic about Asteroid 2024 MK and its close approach on June 29, 2024." height="1080" width="1920" msid="111295549" hostid="261"></div>Asteroid 2024 MK was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-sent-spaceship-near-dinkinesh-asteroid-discovered-second-baby-one-2023-11">first discovered</a> earlier this month, just 13 days before it will pass by Earth at remarkably close range, according to the European Space Agency.It's much smaller than 2011 UL21, with an estimated diameter between 390 and 885 feet. That's roughly the length of one to 2.5 football fields.<div type="image" title="Gif map of Asteroid 2024 MK's close approach with Earth" height="669" width="800" msid="111295551" hostid="261"></div>But what this asteroid lacks in size, it should make up for in brightness. It will come within 184,000 miles of Earth, which is about 77% of the average distance between the Earth and the moon, Masi wrote.It's close proximity will make it one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amateur-astronomer-video-jupiter-bright-fireball-comet-asteroid-impact-2023-9">brightest objects</a> of its kind observed in recent history, he added.

2 'potentially hazardous' asteroids will streak by Earth this week, one as big as a mountain. You can watch it live.

<keyword id="498141" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="record-books" source="Orion">Record books</keyword> underwent a major re-writing as Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell smashed a historic double century that helped Aussies script a miraculous win over Afghanistan in their ICC Cricket World Cup match at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 201* in 128 balls, with 21 fours and 10 sixes. He struck at a strike rate of over 157. This is <keyword id="6355478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="australia" source="Orion">Australia</keyword>'s first-ever ODI double century and overall the 11th instance of a double hundred in 50-over cricket. Maxwell overtook Shane Watson's 185* against Bangladesh in 2011. This is also the highest individual score in an ODI run-chase. Here, Maxwell toppled Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman, who smashed 193 against South Africa in 2021. Maxwell's <keyword id="19425191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="double-ton" source="Orion">double ton</keyword> has surpassed Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry's 194 against Bangladesh in 2009 as the highest score by a non-opener in ODI cricket history. Maxwell's 201* is only the third instance of a double hundred in ODI Cricket World Cups, with Chris Gayle (215 against Zimbabwe in 2015 for West Indies) and Martin Guptill (237 against West Indies in 2015 for New Zealand) being the other two instances. The partnership of 202 runs between Maxwell and skipper Pat Cummins (12*) is the highest-ever partnership for seventh wicket or below in ODIs. It has overtaken the 177-run stand between Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid of England against New Zealand in 2015 for seventh wicket. Maxwell reached his double ton in just 128 balls, making it the second-fastest double century in ODIs. India's Ishan Kishan has the fastest double century of all time, in just 126 balls against Bangladesh last year. With 10 sixes smashed in the match, Maxwell has 33 sixes in his World Cup career and is now in third place among players with the most WC sixes. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma (45) and West Indies legend Chris Gayle (49) are above him. Coming to the match, Afghanistan opted to bat first. Zadran held one end steady while Rahmat Shah (30), skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (26), Azmatullah Omarzai (22) made valuable contributions to take Afghanistan near the 230-run mark. Then in the final few overs, Zadran accelerated while Rashid Khan (35* in 18 balls, with two fours and three sixes) played a cameo to take Afghanistan to 291/5 in 50 overs. Josh Hazlewood (2/39) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia. Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell took a wicket each. In the chase of 292, Australia was once in a spot of huge bother at 91/7, but then Glenn Maxwell joined forces with skipper Pat Cummins for a historic double-century stand. Maxwell battled heat and cramps to smash Australia's first-ever ODI double century, ending at 201* in just 128 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes. Pat Cummins finished at 12*. Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq and Azhmatullah Omarzai got two wickets each. Now with six wins in eight games and 12 points, Australia is in semis along with India and South Africa. Afghanistan have a game to go against South Africa and a win there will keep their hopes of semis alive. Maxwell won the 'Player of the Match' award.

ICC CWC: Glenn Maxwell rewrites record books with memorable double ton against Afghanistan

<ul><li>The <keyword id="9126209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="biggest-asteroid-of-2020">biggest asteroid of 2020</keyword> — Asteroid 52768 (1998 OR2) — didn’t get the memo that Earth is under lockdown.</li><li>It will be zooming past the planet on April 29.</li><li>It will be 6.3 million kilometres from Earth, which is the closest that it’s come to the planet since it was discovered in 1998.</li></ul>The <keyword id="9126211" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="biggest-asteroid-of-the-year">biggest asteroid of the year</keyword> — Asteroid 52768 (1998 OR2) — is expected to fly past the planet April 29. Earth may be in lockdown but the asteroid is ensuring that its taking the necessary precautions as it slowly edges closer. According to astronomers at the <keyword id="2838422" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="arecibo-observatory">Arecibo Observatory</keyword> in Puerto Rico, the asteroid 'looks like' its wearing a mask due the mountains and ridges on its surface. And, it will remain 6.3 million kilometres away— 16 times further away than the Moon — at its closest approach to Earth. The asteroid has been classified as ‘potentially hazardous’ by the Centre of Near-Earth Object Studies (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/the-10-biggest-asteroids-that-pose-a-threat-to-earth-in-2020/articleshow/73054066.cms">CNEOS</a>). This is because it’s bigger than 140 meters in size and will be under 8 million kilometres from Earth, which is enough to cause ‘global effects’ if it were to crash into the planet. <div type="twitter" handle="esaoperations" handlename="ESA Operations" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/882544568805273600/AUXk6tLR_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1301" retweetcount="455" status="Wow. Asteroid 1998 OR2 tumbling through space seen by the Arecibo observatory.They confirm the space rock is ~ 2… https://t.co/FftLbcbqbe" createdat="1587731201000" id="1253661639896956928"></div> However, an analysis by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Asteroid Watch shows it has no plans of actually breaching the Earth’s atmosphere. <div type="twitter" handle="AsteroidWatch" handlename="NASA Asteroid Watch" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/509040235900964864/EmVTcmUe_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="3977" retweetcount="1226" status="Have you been hearing about asteroid 1998 OR2’s close approach on April 29? Rest assured that this asteroid will sa… https://t.co/VspuLPMqJU" createdat="1586888870000" id="1250128648360931332"></div> “The small-scale topographic features such as hills and ridges on one end of <keyword id="9126210" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="asteroid-1998-OR2">asteroid 1998 OR2</keyword> are fascinating scientifically. But since we are all thinking about COVID-19 these features make it look like 1998 OR2 remembered to wear a mask,” said <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/news/asteroid-visiting-earths-neighborhood-brings-its-own-face-mask/">Anne Virkki</a>, head of Planetary Radar at the observatory. <div type="twitter" handle="AreciboRadar" handlename="Arecibo Radar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/764109379868033024/pZFALCH9_normal.jpg" favoritecount="593" retweetcount="248" status="#TeamRadar and the @NAICobservatory staff are taking the proper safety measures as we continue observations. This w… https://t.co/GtlWyHbg2H" createdat="1587248883000" id="1251638650682650630"></div> The asteroid’s visit on April 29 will be the closest that it has been to the planet since its discovery on 24 July 1988 by NEAT at Haleakala. The only time that it will be any close will be on 16 April 2079, according to NASA’s <a href="https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=52768;old=0;orb=0;cov=0;log=0;cad=1#cad">estimates</a>. “In 2079, asteroid 1998 OR2 will pass Earth about 3.5 times closer than it will this year, so it is important to know its orbit precisely,” said Flaviane Venditti, another research scientists at the Arecibo Observatory. “Although this asteroid is not projected to impact Earth, it is important to understand the characteristics of these types of objects to improve impact-risk mitigation technologies,” Virkki added. Until the Apophis or 'God of Chaos' asteroid comes around on 2029 or Asteroid 2011 UL 21 passes by in 2024, the upcoming trip of 1998 OR 2 will be the most significant of the decade. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/the-10-biggest-asteroids-that-pose-a-threat-to-earth-in-2020/articleshow/73054066.cms">The 10 biggest asteroids that pose a threat to Earth in 2020</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/there-are-19-interstellar-asteroids-between-jupiter-and-neptune-and-even-computers-cant-predict-where-they-are-headed/articleshow/75350530.cms">There are 19 interstellar asteroids between Jupiter and Neptune ⁠— and even computers can’t predict where they are headed</a>

The biggest asteroid of 2020 will zoom past Earth on April 29 — adhering to 'social distancing' and even wearing a mask

On April 16th, a special anti-terrorism court in Hyderabad acquitted all five people that were accused of orchestrating a bomb blast at the city’s <keyword id="147259" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mecca-Masjid">Mecca Masjid</keyword> in May 2007 owing to a lack of evidence. All of the accused had ties to Hindu right-wing organisations, including alleged mastermind Swami Aseemanand (pictured), a former <keyword id="42498" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="RSS">RSS</keyword> member and godman who has been linked to three other terror attacks. Another one, Devendra Gupta, had been sentenced to life last year for his role in the Ajmer Sharif <keyword id="6449" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bomb-Blasts">bomb blasts</keyword> in October 2007. Nine people were killed and 58 were seriously injured in the Mecca Masjid blast, in which a improvised explosive device (IED) was triggered by a cellphone. In the ensuing frenzy after the blast, another five people were killed as a result of police firing. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had originally charged 10 people in the case. One, Sunil Joshi, a former RSS leader, was murdered, another two- Sandeep V. Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra, also RSS activists, - are absconding while the investigation against two others, Tejram Parmar and Amith Chowhan, is ongoing. Over the course of the trial, 226 witnesses were interviewed and over 400 documents were examined, but the NIA and the prosecuting authorities were unable to prove the charges against the accused. In a questionable turn of events, the judge who pronounced the verdict, Ravinder Reddy, submitted his resignation soon after, citing personal reasons. The verdict, while unfortunate, is not surprising. The case has been plagued by misdirection, questionable decision-making and interference from the outset. Here are the reasons why it fell apart:- The police initially went after the wrong people In the aftermath of the blast, the Hyderabad police suspected that a Pakistan-based terror outfit, Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI), was behind the attack. Why a Muslim group would target a mosque was apparently beyond them. Given that terrorists were generally assumed to be Muslims up until that point, the narrative gained traction in the media. The police rounded up and interrogated as many as 200 people with supposed links to the HuJI, and eventually charged 21 of them. They were acquitted by a criminal court in Nampally, Hyderabad at the beginning of 2009 due to the lack of any credible evidence against them. The responsibility for investigating the case was transferred not once, but twice After the Muslim men were acquitted in January 2009, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case. The agency spent two years investigating the bombings, pointing out the possible participation of right-wing Hindu extremist groups like Abhinav Bharat, which were said to also be responsible for three other attacks on Muslims between 2006 and 2008 - a spate of blasts in Malegaon in September 2006 that led to 37 deaths, the bombing of the Samjhauta Express in February 2007, which killed 68 Pakistanis and the Ajmer Sharif blast that killed three people. The CBI filed charges against three people in the case - Devender Gupta, a RSS worker, Lokesh Sharma, a property dealer and right-wing activist, and Sunil Joshi, a RSS leader, who was deceased by then. In 2011, the case was transferred to the NIA, which was tasked with investigating all the attacks that were allegedly executed by Hindutva organisations. While the NIA extended the probe to include Swami Aseemanand and six others, one can’t help thinking about all the pieces of evidence that were overlooked, or communication lapses that took place as a result of the handing over of the cases. For example, a crucial piece of evidence never even reached the NIA. A <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/mecca-masjid-blast-case-mystery-red-shirt-found-with-unexploded-ied-at-site-never-reached-nia-aseemanand-5140195/">red shirt</a>, which was found at the blast site and suspected to belong to one of the coordinators of the attack, reportedly disappeared amid the handover. The repeated handover of the case brings to the mind the 2008 case on the murder of Arushi Talwar. The Noida police initiated the investigation, after which the Delhi police got involved. Following a lack of confidence in the police’s investigation, the government handed over the case to the CBI. After the CBI team was accused of extracting a confession under duress, the investigation was handed to a new unit in 2009, which suggested that the case be closed due to lack of evidence. An exhaustive confession from the main accused was rescinded After being arrested by the CBI in November 2010, Swami Aseemanand lodged<a href="http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename=Ne150111Coverstory.asp"> a 42-page confession </a>in Tis Hazari Court in Delhi the following December. He confirmed the fact that he and some other Hindutva leaders like Indresh Kumar, a national executive member of the RSS, planned the aforementioned bombings as a part of a “bomb for bomb” response to attacks coordinated by Muslim terrorists. Aseemanand’s testimony, which included details of the plannings and incriminated Sunil Joshi, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra, was legally admissible and threatened to have serious implications for Hindutva groups, as it was the first direct piece of evidence pointing to their involvement. However, in March 2011, Swami Aseemanand <a href="http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDExLzAzLzMxI0FyMDEzMDI=">retracted his statements</a>, explaining that they were made to investigators under duress. His counsel would also argue later that the statement was coerced by CBI officials as part of ploy to legitimise the concept of “saffron terror” and implicate the RSS. Another of key accused, Sunil Joshi, who was named as a suspect in 2010, was murdered in December 2007 in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly by his own people for <a href="http://www.rediff.com/news/report/sunil-joshi-the-rss-leader-who-knew-too-much/20131209.htm">“knowing too much</a>”. Joshi had reportedly been planning to make a confession. A lot of witnesses turned hostile Like Swami Aseemanand, a number of witnesses turned hostile and/or retracted their statements against the accused. In fact, out of the 226 witnesses in the trial, <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hostile-witnesses-hurt-prosecution-in-mecca-masjid-blast-case/story-PDCmLR1M4OXTJvixfEYNlK.html">66 turned hostile.</a> As is expected in a trial that takes forever to conclude, a number of witnesses feared for their lives. In November 2016, for example, four key witnesses backtracked on earlier statements, which said that the accused had contacted each other <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Four-witnesses-turn-hostile-in-Mecca-Masjid-blast-case/articleshow/55447999.cms">using their mobile phones</a>. A number of important cases in India have been derailed due to witnesses turning hostile. The ongoing trial for the alleged encounter killings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide, Tulsiram Prajapati, at the hands of the Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorist Squad has seen 45 out of 66 witnesses change their statements or profess their inability to recollect events accurately. Possible interference in the NIA’s investigation The NIA has routinely been criticised for its protracted and shoddy investigation of cases involving Hindu extremist outfits, which was perceived to be a sign of compliance with orders from the BJP-led government. In June 2015, Rohini Salian, a prosecutor for another bomb blast case in Malegaon in September 2008, said that she had been told by the NIA to <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/since-this-new-govt-came-i-have-been-told-to-go-soft-on-accused-hindu-extremists-special-public-prosecutor/">“go soft”</a> on the accused. The case, which is still pending, was subsequently transferred to another special court. In August 2015, the NIA chose <a href="https://thewire.in/politics/nia-not-to-challenge-bail-for-aseemanand-in-supreme-court-govt">not to challenge the bail order </a>granted to Swami Aseemanand in the Samjhauta Express blast case as well as two others who were accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case- Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma. In April 2016, the NIA also shifted gears by deciding to probe the possible participation of <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Samjhauta-blasts-NIA-seeks-details-of-LeT-financier-Qasmani%E2%80%99s-role-from-US/article14240593.ece">a Pakistani terror outfit</a>, Lashkar-e-Taiba, in the Samjhauta case - an attack in which 68 Pakistanis were killed on Indian soil. Criminal investigations in India are regularly influenced by politics. In December 2017, a local court dismissed non-bailable warrants against a number of BJP leaders in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case, likely at the behest of the Yogi Adityanath government. Last month, the Uttar Pradesh government moved to withdraw all 131 pending cases in the riots. What now? Following the not-guilty verdict for the accused in the Mecca Masjid case, the NIA said that it would assess the court’s decision before pursuing any further action. The verdict marks another reason to lose faith in the agency after it refused to appeal against the acquittals of seven people, including Swami Aseemanand, in the Ajmer Sharif case in March last year. However, Swami Aseemanand isn’t completely in the clear. He is still being tried in the Samjhauta Express blast case. However, the trial has much the same makings of the Mecca Masjid one. As many as 42 witnesses, out of 209 deposed, have turned hostile. The NIA is currently seeking the statements of 13 Pakistani witnesses. A guilty verdict, while welcome, is unlikely. Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, an Islamic party in Telangana, summed up the nation’s reaction to the acquittals in the Mecca Masjid blast. "Our fight against <keyword id="6358165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="terrorism">terrorism</keyword> is weakened after today's acquittals," he said in a statement to media outlets.

You Searched For "2011 UL21" and got 5 results

Last week, an asteroid pair came dangerously close to Earth, posed for some pictures and left!

Ashmita Gupta

2 'potentially hazardous' asteroids will streak by Earth this week, one as big as a mountain. You can watch it live.

Ellyn Lapointe

ICC CWC: Glenn Maxwell rewrites record books with memorable double ton against Afghanistan

ANI

The biggest asteroid of 2020 will zoom past Earth on April 29 — adhering to 'social distancing' and even wearing a mask

Prabhjote Gill

Here’s why no one was convicted for planning a blast that killed 9 and injured 58 people

Dilsher Dhillon

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides