Dawoodi Bohras in the media

The one and only free public forum for Bohras. The focus of this forum is the reform movement, the Dawoodi Bohra faith and, of course, the corrupt priesthood. But the discussion is in no way restricted to the Bohras alone.
Crater Lake
Posts: 362
Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:46 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#181

Unread post by Crater Lake » Sun Sep 14, 2014 9:36 pm

Mkenya wrote:.

Is this a fair or unfair' price?
Are these intelligent people or 'bobos?
:cry: They are bobos then, I am sorry to say. Sorry was that a rhetorical question? :D

shabbir4u
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:46 pm

Truth exposed

#182

Unread post by shabbir4u » Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:52 pm

Jyoti Punwani - dubious Credentials exposed

Recd a email but cannot able to copy and paste. Its very Valueable from both side topic.

Cannot able to post.

UnhappyBohra
Posts: 607
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:23 pm

Re: Truth exposed

#183

Unread post by UnhappyBohra » Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:59 pm

shabbir4u wrote:Jyoti Punwani - dubious Credentials exposed

Recd a email but cannot able to copy and paste. Its very Valueable from both side topic.

Cannot able to post.
:roll:

everest
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:02 am

Re: Truth exposed

#184

Unread post by everest » Tue Sep 16, 2014 6:12 pm

I could care less about the Mumbai Mirror article. What was more enlightening is the reaction and the comments from community members. MS side is totally brainwashed and very much abusive. And it was heartening to see other people opening their eyes to the tamasha in the name of religion. Hope people get the strength to take some action against the injustices

zinger
Posts: 2201
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:40 am

Re: Truth exposed

#185

Unread post by zinger » Tue Sep 16, 2014 11:56 pm

shabbir4u wrote:Jyoti Punwani - dubious Credentials exposed

Recd a email but cannot able to copy and paste. Its very Valueable from both side topic.

Cannot able to post.

try copy pasting just the content. dont see how hard that can be

simple
Posts: 62
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:24 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#186

Unread post by simple » Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:41 am

IMG-20140916-WA0005.jpg
In gujarati media

bohrabhai
Posts: 401
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 11:16 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#187

Unread post by bohrabhai » Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:31 am

http://allafrica.com/stories/201409160761.html

anzania: Spiritual Leader Pledges Economic Support




DAWOODI Bohra community spiritual leader has pledged reinforce ties with Tanzania by taking dynamic role in the growth and development of the country's economy.

The 53rd Dawoodi Bohra Community spiritual leader, Syedna Aaliqadar Mufaddal Saifuddin (TUS) made the commitment at the meeting with President Jakaya Kikwete in Dar es Salaam at the weekend.

During the meeting, President Kikwete expressed deep satisfaction over the good relations that the Dawoodi Bohra community has had with the Tanzania people.

"Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin's visit to the President demonstrates a significant tie; signing an agreement that focuses on economic development and human welfare," Mr Zainuddin Adamjee, the Dawoodi Bohra Community spokesperson.

He added, "Dawoodi Bohra Community will play an active role in the development of various sectors such tourism, agriculture, industry, health and community development," He said Syedna urged the Tanzanian Bohrans to take part in community development by involving themselves in several charity events and services as he considers the country as his second home.

The relationship between Tanzania and Bohra community has existed for over 200 years. He said Syedna heads about a million Muslims community settled throughout the world and he is the 53rd incumbent to the office of al-Dai-al-Mutlaq established by Fatimi imams who ruled over a large part of the Islamic empire in the 10th and 12th centuries CE.

He said Syedna succeeded his father, the late spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community and 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq, His Holiness Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb RA who passed away in January this year at the age of 102.

[b]Due to the passionate on the wildlife, he said most of the time spent by the late spiritual leader in his visits to Tanzania was touring National Parks and Game Reserves.[/b]

The Dawoodi Bohra community is spread over in five continents with the largest number of Bohras found in India and Pakistan, although there are also significant communities existing in the Middle East, Yemen, East Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, North America, France and the United Kingdom.

haqniwaat
Posts: 516
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:06 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#188

Unread post by haqniwaat » Wed Sep 17, 2014 2:24 pm

If he keeps pledging money to every country he travels to, soon he'll run out and then, finally, the goons will abandon him and run away!

Ozdundee
Posts: 892
Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:57 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#189

Unread post by Ozdundee » Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:35 am

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/what- ... -uk-2014-8

This is not a small issue to ignore. Being on the offside of mainstream media will hurt the community image in the long run. Pretending non Bohras have limited knowledge or fall for the kothar publicity is no longer the case. Expert media monitors can read between lines when Bohras sponsor media releases all in praise and no structure constructive criticism .

SMS does not have the personal intellectual capacity to fix the negative image, SKQ could have but his team too is too short sighted.

Being in the bad books of western authorities and tabloids means no amount of bribery will fix the situation .

The media article above clearly display and describes who we are and how to identify us from the attire . In the media works the first strike leaves a long lasting impression whether good or bad.

One method is a leadership change but that is unlikely. It will only get worse before it gets better.

anajmi
Posts: 13506
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2001 5:01 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#190

Unread post by anajmi » Sat Sep 20, 2014 10:56 am

From the article.

The New Republic recently reported that two young men who joined the conflict from the U.K. this May purchased “Islam for Dummies” and “The Koran for Dummies” before leaving.

Tells you about the kind of people joining the murderers.

bohrabhai
Posts: 401
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 11:16 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#191

Unread post by bohrabhai » Sun Oct 05, 2014 8:49 pm

Dawoodi bohra denied for burial space
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities ... ictimised/

bohrabhai
Posts: 401
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 11:16 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#192

Unread post by bohrabhai » Sun Oct 05, 2014 8:56 pm

IMG-20141005-WA0005.jpg
IMG-20141005-WA0005.jpg
IMG-20141005-WA0005.jpg
Attachments
IMG-20141006-WA0006.jpg
IMG-20141005-WA0004.jpg

rational_guy
Posts: 205
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:21 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#193

Unread post by rational_guy » Mon Oct 06, 2014 12:21 am

http://indianexpress.com/article/cities ... ictimised/
‘Denied’ burial space for Bohra man, relatives say ‘being victimised’
Express News Service | Mumbai | Posted: October 6, 2014 12:56 am
A south Mumbai-based Dawoodi Bohra family has alleged that they were forced to bury their dead in faraway Kausa, Mumbra — 46 km from their home — by community officials purportedly because they are supporters of a rival claimant on the spiritual leadership of the community. The incident has brought to light the increasing difficulty that Mumbai’s minority communities face in burying their dead in space starved city as existing burial grounds fill up.
Juzar Najeed, 57, passed away on September 27 after battling cancer for two years at Jupiter Hospital in Thane. On Sunday morning, the body was brought back home at Crawford Market for the burial ceremony.
“We approached the Hizbul Huda office in Bhendi Bazaar where the formalities for the burial are undertaken. We were first refused space and told that we support the opposing faction,” alleged a relative of Najeed, who did not wish to be named. The Najeed family, they claimed, are seen as supporters of Khuzaima Qutbuddin who is embroiled in a legal tussle with his nephew Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as a rival claimant for the leadership of the community.
In January, following the death of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, his son Mufaddal Burhanuddin had taken over as the 53rd Syedna amidst protests by his uncle Khuzaima Qutbuddin. The fight has been taken to court and has created a rift within the community.
Members of the Najeed family who are supporters of Qutbuddin claim that they were “being victimised for their beliefs” and were “initially refused burial space.” Najeed’s father, mother and grandfather were buried in Charni Road cemetery when the former Syedna was alive, according to his family. The family claims that they even offered to bury his body in Mazgaon or Wadala or any other Bohra cemetery with the city limits. They allege that all their requests were turned down.
“We stayed there for two hours and told them that they could not deny our right of burial. Inspite of being residents of south Mumbai and the fact that our relatives are buried here we were allotted a place in faraway Kausa,” the family member claimed. Community members aligned with Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, however, point out that they are facing a severe space crunch in their graveyards.
The city currently has six Bohra cemeteries in Charni Road, Nariyalwadi (Mazgaon), Wadala Kurla, Sewree and Bandra East.
When Newsline approached the cemetery in Mazgaon, it found out that a burial had taken place the same day (September 28) when Najeed was declined burial space. In Charni Road cemetery, a burial had taken place on September 26. The Charni Road cemetry also had 8 burials in August alone. In Kurla’s cemetery, the official in-charge confirmed that there is enough burial space with them, when Newsline enquired.
Reformists within the community have, however, pointed out that such ‘tactics’ have been used in the past against all those who are alleged to have ‘deviated from the path’. “This has happened even with us on several occasions. We have been denied proper burial rites because we went against their (the Dai’s) opinion,” Saifuddin Insaf, a reformist who has raised objections with the Dawoodi Bohra customs, alleged.
Officials from the Dai’s public relations office refused to come on record and did not reply to a detailed questionnaire sent to them via e-mail. They were also approached in person and through phone calls, but they refused to comment on the incident.
Another reformist, Yunus Baluwala, claimed, “All these cemeteries come under BMC’s property. They have been given to Bohra trust for management. Ideally, the trust cannot refuse burial but even my father and brother have been denied space when the previous Syedna was there.”

ghulam muhammed
Posts: 11653
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#194

Unread post by ghulam muhammed » Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:21 pm

Very recently, burial was refused in Naryalwadi and Charni Road qabrastan even to a family member of Arsiwala and Kopti family who are supposed to be SKQ followers. They were granted space in faraway Kausa qabrastan. Even after granting burial space in faraway Kausa, Saifuddin Kopti and his son were prevented from entering the grave of his father for final burial rituals by one Imtiaz Khairullah who is Muffy's chamcha and who surprisingly is also related to Saifuddin Kopti.

It is surprising that the well educated members of the above mentioned family didn't approach the Police or court of law as legally Muffy cannot prevent Bohras from burying their deceased family members as the Qabrastan land is given FREE OF COST by the Indian Government and neither can the clergy stop the burials or take money for burial.

MMH
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:22 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#195

Unread post by MMH » Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:39 pm

ghulam muhammed wrote:Very recently, burial was refused in Naryalwadi and Charni Road qabrastan even to a family member of Arsiwala and Kopti family who are supposed to be SKQ followers. They were granted space in faraway Kausa qabrastan. Even after granting burial space in faraway Kausa, Saifuddin Kopti and his son were prevented from entering the grave of his father for final burial rituals by one Imtiaz Khairullah who is Muffy's chamcha and who surprisingly is also related to Saifuddin Kopti.

It is surprising that the well educated members of the above mentioned family didn't approach the Police or court of law as legally Muffy cannot prevent Bohras from burying their deceased family members as the Qabrastan land is given FREE OF COST by the Indian Government and neither can the clergy stop the burials or take money for burial.

I did not know that burial land is free of cost... :shock:

bohrabhai
Posts: 401
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 11:16 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#196

Unread post by bohrabhai » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:45 am

IMG-20141007-WA0002.jpg
IMG-20141007-WA0002.jpg
Great thing he might not have money for poor mumin. But he donates our hard earned money with his name.
Attachments
IMG-20141007-WA0001.jpg

dal-chaval-palidu
Posts: 762
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 12:46 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#197

Unread post by dal-chaval-palidu » Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:56 pm

rational_guy wrote:http://indianexpress.com/article/cities ... ictimised/
‘Denied’ burial space for Bohra man, relatives say ‘being victimised’
Express News Service | Mumbai | Posted: October 6, 2014 12:56 am
A south Mumbai-based Dawoodi Bohra family has alleged that they were forced to bury their dead in faraway Kausa, Mumbra — 46 km from their home — by community officials purportedly because they are supporters of a rival claimant on the spiritual leadership of the community. The incident has brought to light the increasing difficulty that Mumbai’s minority communities face in burying their dead in space starved city as existing burial grounds fill up.
Juzar Najeed, 57, passed away on September 27 after battling cancer for two years at Jupiter Hospital in Thane. On Sunday morning, the body was brought back home at Crawford Market for the burial ceremony.
“We approached the Hizbul Huda office in Bhendi Bazaar where the formalities for the burial are undertaken. We were first refused space and told that we support the opposing faction,” alleged a relative of Najeed, who did not wish to be named. The Najeed family, they claimed, are seen as supporters of Khuzaima Qutbuddin who is embroiled in a legal tussle with his nephew Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as a rival claimant for the leadership of the community.
In January, following the death of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, his son Mufaddal Burhanuddin had taken over as the 53rd Syedna amidst protests by his uncle Khuzaima Qutbuddin. The fight has been taken to court and has created a rift within the community.
Members of the Najeed family who are supporters of Qutbuddin claim that they were “being victimised for their beliefs” and were “initially refused burial space.” Najeed’s father, mother and grandfather were buried in Charni Road cemetery when the former Syedna was alive, according to his family. The family claims that they even offered to bury his body in Mazgaon or Wadala or any other Bohra cemetery with the city limits. They allege that all their requests were turned down.
“We stayed there for two hours and told them that they could not deny our right of burial. Inspite of being residents of south Mumbai and the fact that our relatives are buried here we were allotted a place in faraway Kausa,” the family member claimed. Community members aligned with Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, however, point out that they are facing a severe space crunch in their graveyards.
The city currently has six Bohra cemeteries in Charni Road, Nariyalwadi (Mazgaon), Wadala Kurla, Sewree and Bandra East.
When Newsline approached the cemetery in Mazgaon, it found out that a burial had taken place the same day (September 28) when Najeed was declined burial space. In Charni Road cemetery, a burial had taken place on September 26. The Charni Road cemetry also had 8 burials in August alone. In Kurla’s cemetery, the official in-charge confirmed that there is enough burial space with them, when Newsline enquired.
Reformists within the community have, however, pointed out that such ‘tactics’ have been used in the past against all those who are alleged to have ‘deviated from the path’. “This has happened even with us on several occasions. We have been denied proper burial rites because we went against their (the Dai’s) opinion,” Saifuddin Insaf, a reformist who has raised objections with the Dawoodi Bohra customs, alleged.
Officials from the Dai’s public relations office refused to come on record and did not reply to a detailed questionnaire sent to them via e-mail. They were also approached in person and through phone calls, but they refused to comment on the incident.
Another reformist, Yunus Baluwala, claimed, “All these cemeteries come under BMC’s property. They have been given to Bohra trust for management. Ideally, the trust cannot refuse burial but even my father and brother have been denied space when the previous Syedna was there.”

can't something be done legally? Approach the courts and get an order that they cannot prevent anyone from burial? As the land is given by the govt., they should have a say in it.
I mean, it is just tragic and unnecessary that families which have lost a loved one have to go thru additional stress at such a sad time.
Last edited by dal-chaval-palidu on Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

Truth-Prevails
Posts: 146
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2014 1:02 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#198

Unread post by Truth-Prevails » Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:06 am

Article in The Times of India (Mumbai) Page 9
Title : Syedna, uncle told to reply on `nass'
Article Date : 10/08/2014


The 53rd Syedna and his uncle will have to prove they were rightfully conferred with nass or the official anointment to head Dawood Bohra community, the Bombay HC said on Tuesday. Justice Gautam Patel will decide on a suit filed by Khuzema Qutbuddin, uncle of Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin, to declare him Dai-al-Mutlaq or spiritual head. Qutbuddin claims he was privately anointed by his half-brother, the late Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, in 1965, and asked to reveal it at an appropriate time. The HC said both will have to reply if nass once conferred can be revoked.

thesource
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2014 2:26 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#199

Unread post by thesource » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:57 am

MMH wrote:
ghulam muhammed wrote:Very recently, burial was refused in Naryalwadi and Charni Road qabrastan even to a family member of Arsiwala and Kopti family who are supposed to be SKQ followers. They were granted space in faraway Kausa qabrastan. Even after granting burial space in faraway Kausa, Saifuddin Kopti and his son were prevented from entering the grave of his father for final burial rituals by one Imtiaz Khairullah who is Muffy's chamcha and who surprisingly is also related to Saifuddin Kopti.

It is surprising that the well educated members of the above mentioned family didn't approach the Police or court of law as legally Muffy cannot prevent Bohras from burying their deceased family members as the Qabrastan land is given FREE OF COST by the Indian Government and neither can the clergy stop the burials or take money for burial.

Yes that is true. I know of someone who was there at the burial in the faraway Kausa Kabrastan and who happens to knows Mr. Imtiaz Kheyrulla personally. He stays above Kailash Parbat at Colaba, Mumbai.
I do not know the Koptis but a friend who knows the family narrated the whole incident to me. It was shocking! A man who served the community for his entire life was given such a tough farewell.
First when the amils (there are 2) of Badri Mahal were informed upon immediately about the death, they did not seem to bother and delayed the final journey by 4-5 HOURS!
Second they were denied burial space in Narial Wadi (Mazgoan) and in Charni Road. The burial space was allotted faraway at Kausa Kabrastan.
Third the immediate family that is the deceased's son Saifuddin Kopti and grandson Husain Kopti were not allowed to even take Taaziyat (condolences) from others in the Masjid at NariyalWadi where the Janaza Namaaz took place.
Fourth They were denied to enter the grave of their father and not allowed in the Sipara at Badri Mahal by Mr. Imtiaz Kheyrulla.

Let me tell you something about Mr. Imtiaz Kheyrulla, he has made a lot of money in Badri Mahal as he was treasurer and had done a scam of a few crores a few years back. His business is "THE STOCK MARKET" whereas MS says its haram. He is the man involved in providing special services (women) to these bhaisahebs who the Abdes think are the ones taking them to heaven.

I urge all of you to spread and share such information and take down such hypocrites like Mr. Imtiaz Kheyrulla.
These are the real hypocrites! How can one stop or deny permission for a burial. This is no religion.

thesource
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2014 2:26 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#200

Unread post by thesource » Wed Oct 08, 2014 3:53 pm


KaizarKuwait
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:30 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#201

Unread post by KaizarKuwait » Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:48 am


Ozdundee
Posts: 892
Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:57 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#202

Unread post by Ozdundee » Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:01 am

Well done priya rathord for taking up the fight against this evil machinery.

Deerseye
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:30 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#203

Unread post by Deerseye » Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:31 am

Is anybody here getting a looser type feeling.?. So complacent and so nice. It takes the guts of a non dawoodi bohra, so called weaker sex
,PRIYA RATHOD to file a PIL.what stuff are such women made of.? Where were we dawoodi bohras when GOD was doling out grit. In our famous thaal?.

Ozdundee
Posts: 892
Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:57 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#204

Unread post by Ozdundee » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:07 am

Deerseye wrote:Is anybody here getting a looser type feeling.?. So complacent and so nice. It takes the guts of a non dawoodi bohra, so called weaker sex
,PRIYA RATHOD to file a PIL.what stuff are such women made of.? Where were we dawoodi bohras when GOD was doling out grit. In our famous thaal?.
Our women are mainly good at knitting, making rotis , finding colours for the next rida and finding the best nurse to perform FGM on their daughters for their lords happiness !

Did I press the right button to stir up a revolt any reaction from the better gender ? :?

rational_guy
Posts: 205
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:21 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#205

Unread post by rational_guy » Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:58 am

http://indiablooms.com/ibns_new/news-de ... probe.html

Bhendi Bazaar: PIL filed in SC demanding CBI probe
India Blooms News Service
Mumbai, Oct 14 (IBNS): Mumbai-based social activist Priya Rathod has moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court demanding a thorough Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the city’s biggest redevelopment project Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) in Bhendi Bazaar.
In her petition, she has alleged that the underworld is playing a key role by threatening the residents as well as shopkeepers to vacate their place.

“The SBUT has hired the underworld to forcefully vacate both the residential and commercial establishments to pave way for the redevelopment work,” claimed Priya Rathod.

Earlier this year, the Bombay High Court had dismissed her petition on the grounds of lack of evidence to back the allegation.

“This time, we are prepared and that, we have strong evidences in this matter, including the names of some former ministers from the Prithviraj Chavan government as well as few seating legislators,” she informed.

The Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment scheme involves nine clusters in an area of 16.5 acres; each of these will have two or three towers.

Of the 17 buildings planned, 12 will be reserved for about 20,000 tenants. The revamp, which has been undertaken by SBUT, is one of the two clusters under the state’s 2008 policy aimed at a holistic development of city’s old congested localities.

The project, embodies the redevelopment of old and rundown houses in Bhendi Bazaar which stretches from the JJ flyover junction at Byculla to Minara Masjid on the south, is to be completed in phases by 2020.

According to her lawyer, K T Thomas, the tenants in Bhendi Bazaar fear eviction by the underworld without being provided alternative accommodation.

“My client (Priya Rathod) is seeking for a thorough CBI probe into the matter and thereby, provide justice to the people of Bhendi Bazaar,” he said.

Priya Rathod, a resident of Bhendi Bazaar, claimed that the whole Bhendi Bazaar project by SBUT is nothing but an eye-wash as there is no clear road map.

“The cost projections, the total sum of capital involved, source of funding, the final price of flats when they will be sold, the promises made to existing tenants, the prices paid for purchasing the same, the sizes of flats which will be given in compensation to those who will be dislocated, where and how they will be re-located, etc, all these important facts are being deliberately kept vague,” she pointed out.

The 38-year-old Priya Rathod said that majority of people in Bhendi Bazaar do not have the resources and money to approach authorities and court.

“On behest of the people’s benefit I have approached India’s highest appellate court demanding a CBI investigation to unearth the nexus between the previous government and SBUT,” she concluded.

ponga bhori
Posts: 410
Joined: Tue May 14, 2002 4:01 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#206

Unread post by ponga bhori » Sat Oct 18, 2014 11:40 am

A-G Goolam Vahanvati's son-in-law fined by UK regulator

By Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Jyotirmoy Chaudhuri

Goolamhussein Essaji Vahanvati, the 13th and current Attorney General of India, will probably go down in history as the most controversial chief legal officer of the Union government. After allegations of impropriety, misconduct and conflicts of interest were levelled against him in various cases, including the 2G spectrum and Coalgate scandals, the AG is back in the news for the wrong reasons.

His son-in-law was recently fined by a regulatory authority in the United Kingdom and barred from offering financial services after he and his business associates were accused of attempting to manipulate the market prices of global depository receipts (GDRs) issued by Reliance Industries Ltd and Gazprom, the Russian hydrocarbons conglomerate which is the planet's biggest gas extractor and one of the largest companies in the world.

Whereas information on the episode relating to Vahanvati's British son-in-law Tariq Carrimjee has been in the public domain for some weeks now, much of the mainstream media in India has chosen to ignore the story.

PTI
Goolamhussein Essaji Vahanvati. PTI

What has been more widely reported are the allegations against the AG that were made by Gurudas Dasgupta, member of Parliament belonging to the Communist Party of India, in a letter to the Prime Minister dated 9 August. On 24 August, a legal notice was sent to the MP by a firm of lawyers acting on behalf of Vahanvati claiming that the allegations made by him in his 'confidential' letter to the PM were false and baseless.

Four days later, Dasgupta approached the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar, with a notice requesting her to initiate breach of privilege and contempt of Parliament proceedings against the AG for allegedly seeking to prevent him from discharging his duties as an MP.

Speaker Kumar has confirmed that she had received the notice. Dasgupta told Firstpost on 13 September that she had said the matter was still under her consideration.

First, the episode relating to Carrimjee, a British citizen who is married to the AG's daughter Sholeen, who is also a British citizen. The UK’s financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), announced on 8 August through a press statement that Tariq Carrimjee of Somerset Asset Management would be fined £89,004.

The statement added that he would also be banned from providing ‘financial services’, including brokerage services, for ‘recklessly assisting’ Rameshkumar Goenka, a Dubai-based private investor, in his plan to ‘manipulate Gazprom and Reliance securities’ in October 2010. (See the statement here).

A ‘decision notice’ which lays down the facts of the case and the FCA’s reading of it, was thereafter issued. This notice was sent by the FCA’s predecessor – the Financial Services Authority (FSA) -‑ on 26 March 2013, five months prior to the release of the press statement on 8 August.

Besides Carrimjee, two others who had advised Goenka in the “manipulation of securities traded on the London Stock Exchange” were also indicted, the FCA stated in a separate communication issued on 8 August. In this case, David Davis, senior partner and compliance officer of Paul E Schweder Miller and Co was fined £70,258 and Vandana Parikh, a broker in the same firm, was fined £45,673 (read here).

Nearly two years earlier, in October 2011, Goenka had himself been penalised $ 9.1 million for market abuse by the UK market regulator, in what was termed by the Financial Times as one of ‘the largest fines imposed by the FSA on an individual’ (see here).

This story goes back to April 2010 when Goenka reportedly put together a plan to manipulate and secure the closing prices of GDRs of two companies, the Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom and Reliance’s Industries. (Incidentally, a GDR or a global depository receipt is a financial instrument through which money can be raised globally by a company through issuance of bank certificates in one country and against shares in a foreign company.)

In April 2010, Carrimjee introduced Goenka to Vandana Parikh or ‘broker B’ (as named in the FCA's Decision Notice) and a series of conference calls took place. Carrimjee had apparently known Parikh for close to 10 years and his firm, Somerset, had an account with the brokerage firm, Schweder Miller.

Targetting the GDRs of Gazprom first, Goenka wanted to know if the closing price of the company’s GDRs could be raised by placing strategic orders – he explored the steps necessary for increasing the closing price and the latest time at which an order could be placed. Parikh explained the closing auction process, specifically the likely price movements that could result from placing orders of various sizes. They also agreed on some trial runs. (See Decision Notice of the FCA in UK in the attachment.)

The plan by Goenka, Parikh, Davis and Carrimjee to allegedly rig the prices of GDRs issued by Gazprom had to be dropped after Vladimir Putin (the then Prime Minister of Russia) announced a proposal to merge Gazprom and Ukranian gas major Naftogaz, which drove down the share prices of the Russian company.

Goenka, it seems, used the information gained from this exposure later in the year in October and successfully manipulated the closing price of Reliance shares, saving some $3.1 million on a structured product he held. The ‘final notice’ by the FCA to Goenka dated 17 October 2011 revealed that he had bought close to 770,000 GDRs of Reliance, whose prices had gone up artificially by around 1.7 percent above the ‘knock-in price’, a few moments before the closing bell was rung to announce the end of trading that day.

According to the 8 August statement of the FCA, it was in the course of the manipulation of the GDRs that Parikh informed Davis that ‘she had concerns’ about the ensuing trading.

Among the few Indian publications which reacted to the FCA’s censure and imposition of a penalty on Carrimjee, the Delhi-based weekend newspaper, the Sunday Guardian (on 7 September) confirmed the imposition of the fine through the press office of the FCA and quoted the Decision Report in detail. There were no responses from Vahanvati and Carrimjee to queries raised by the newspaper.

The Delhi-based daily Millenium Post on 11 September quoted Dasgupta’s three-page letter to the Prime Minister which alleged that Vahanvati had illegally maintained a foreign bank account in the Union Bank of Switzerland at its Singapore branch since 1997. The letter also provided details of the account number, secret code name and number and details of the beneficiary of the foreign bank account that was allegedly in the name of Vahanvati. The MP asked the Prime Minister to enquire and verify the information he had provided (read here).

Thereafter, a legal notice was issued to Dasgupta on behalf of Vahanvati by Karanjawala and Company, a firm of advocates headed its managing partner, prominent lawyer Raian N Karanjawala. The legal notice accused the CPI MP of acting at the instance of motivated persons hostile to the AG, and for having made no effort to ascertain the veracity of the information. The notice asked Dasgupta to furnish material proof to substantiate his allegations. Responding to this notice, the MP complained of breach of privilege to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Dasgupta's letter to the Prime Minister urged him to direct the government's law-enforcing agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate to verify the authenticity of a slew of the allegations. Whereas the contents of what purports to be the MP's letter to the PM have been circulated widely across the internet, these are not being reproduced here for want of verification.

Incidentally, the name of Carrimjee, who is at the centre of this web of four alleged market manipulators, features in a list of holders of accounts in tax havens that was published earlier this year by the International Centre of Investigative Journalists. A search of the database of the Centre shows that Carrimjee operates an offshore company called Fast Tycoon Limited with a banking link in the British Virgin Islands. (Click here)

The story does not rest here. Carrimjee will reportedly be contesting the enforcement notice of the FCA at the Upper Tribunal, a superior court of record in the UK.

fiate2000
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2014 7:35 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#207

Unread post by fiate2000 » Fri Oct 31, 2014 6:42 am

Muffy and Modi collaboration strengthens
Dawoodi Bohra head praises PM Modi in Muharaam speech -
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ ... JRUDq.dpuf
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ ... am-speech/

dawedaar
Posts: 844
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2014 4:40 pm

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#208

Unread post by dawedaar » Mon Nov 17, 2014 4:52 am

modi.PNG

Ibrat
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 6:38 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#209

Unread post by Ibrat » Wed Nov 19, 2014 12:42 am

A Historic event for Sydney jamaat, the Indian Media CNN-IBN and Aaj Tak had come to our masjid to share the views of our community on the historic visit of PM Narendra Modi to Australia.
Attachments
2014-11-19_08-41_A Historic event for Sydney.jpg

zinger
Posts: 2201
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:40 am

Re: Dawoodi Bohras in the media

#210

Unread post by zinger » Wed Nov 19, 2014 12:54 am

Surprised to see you are still around!