Bisht used the fake profiles to connect with women aged between 18 and 30 years on various onlione dating platforms.

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor is on a defensive during his hunger strike in Patna, after critics pointed at his plush van.

Mr Kishor is on a hunger strike in support of the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) preliminary examination candidates, who alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exams.

Mr Kishor’s white caravan is a modified minibus with standard caravan fittings installed.

During his fast, his rivals pointed at the plush vehicle and questioned him if he was sincere in his protest.

Mr Kishor shot back at them. He told reporters he needed the van to avoid the press and rivals from making false allegations of breaking the hunger strike if he went home to use the washroom, as they could say he had gone to eat meals.

“If I don’t go to the bus, people ask if others use the van. Well, if it’s someone else’s house, they can go, they’re not on hunger strike, they can use the bathroom, they can go to the restroom. But I’m on a hunger strike, and if I go home to use the bathroom, journalists will say I went to eat or sleep,” Mr Kishor told reporters.

“Some even said the van costs Rs 4 crore, and rented at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. If that is so, give me that rent. I will use it. How foolish can people be?” he said.

Patna, Bihar: Jan Suraaj Party founder, Prashant Kishor says, “If I don’t go to the bus, people ask if other people use the van. Well, it’s someone else’s house, they can go, they’re not on a hunger strike, they can use the bathroom, they can go to the restroom. But I’m on a… https://t.co/XRvBFNtWOc pic.twitter.com/peYxOsLY4U

— IANS (@ians_india) January 4, 2025

His supporters posted visuals of the protest at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, with a sea of people shouting slogans amid the winter chill.

The Patna district administration today said it is considering action against Mr Kishor for the protest at what it called an “unauthorised location”. Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh in a statement said Mr Kishor’s sit-in protest at Gandhi Maidan violated rules.

“As per a 2015 Patna High Court ruling, Gardanibagh is the designated location for protests, provided prior permission is obtained from the district administration. Gandhi Maidan, a public space primarily used for recreational activities like morning and evening walks, is not authorised for protests or sit-ins. Even political rallies at Gandhi Maidan require administrative approval,” Mr Singh said.

Mr Kishor, who was an election strategist before he plunged into politics full-time, has been actively supporting the protesting BPSC candidates, further bringing attention to their demands for a retest of the entire 70th preliminary examination.

Mr Kishor defended his choice of Gandhi Maidan as a protest site. He referred to the large-scale farmer protests in Delhi, and questioned whether those protests were seen as illegal and whether Delhi authorities were uninformed about the rules.

“If the district administration uses force to remove us and detains me, I will return and continue my Dharna after being released,” he said.

With inputs from IANS

The wife and in-laws of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash have been granted bail by a Bengaluru court today in the abetment of suicide case against them. Atul Subhash died by suicide on December 9 after alleging harassment by his wife and her family.

Subhash’s wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania and brother Anurag Singhania had approached the session court in Bengaluru for bail in the case.

They had earlier appealed to the Karnataka High Court to direct the session court to dispose of their bail Petition. The High Court directed the session court to dispose of the petition today.

On December 14, Nikita Singhania was arrested from Gurugram while her mother and brother Anurag were picked up from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

The 34-year-old had left behind a video and note detailing his marital issues, harassment and attempts of extortion by his estranged wife, her relatives and an Uttar Pradesh-based judge. He accused his wife and her relatives of driving him to suicide through “false” cases and “persistent torture”. He had also accused his wife of demanding Rs 3 crore to settle the case

Subhash and Singhania got married in 2019. They had a son in 2020.

The parents of the techie have sought the custody of their four-year-old grandson, claiming they do not know his whereabouts. 

“My son was broken from inside… Even after torture by his wife and in-laws, he didn’t tell anyone about it. His suicide note also mentioned that his parents be given custody of his child,” said Pawan Kumar, the father of Subhash.

“We are waiting for the January 7 hearing in the Supreme Court in this regard,” he added.

He also claimed that Ms Singhania treated her son as an “ATM”. “My grandson was ATM to her. She got money on the pretext of taking care of him. She approached the High Court demanding Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000. She went on to appeal for Rs 80,000. Even after this, she went on demanding more money. Hence, we have approached the Supreme Court for the custody of the child as he is safe with us,” he said.

Earlier, the counsel for Atul Subhash had argued that the accused wife should not be allowed to use the child as a tool to get bail.

“Our stand was that the crime, which they have committed is very heinous, additionally we have filed a habeas corpus petition before the Supreme Court where the court has passed directions to the three states UP, Karnataka and Haryana for ascertaining the whereabouts of the kid and once the child is found, accordingly will pass directions for considering the custody of the kid,” said the techie’s lawyer Akash Jindal.