In a historic move, Georgia has become the first US state to introduce a bill addressing Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry, aiming to formally recognize and counter hate crimes targeting the Hindu community.

The proposed Senate Bill 375, introduced in the Georgia Senate, aims to amend the state’s penal code to define Hinduphobia as a “set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards Hinduism.”

The bill, if passed, would also direct state and local law enforcement to factor in Hinduphobia while implementing anti-discrimination and hate crime laws.

The legislation has bipartisan support, with Republican Senators Shawn Still and Clint Dixon, and Democratic Senators Jason Esteves and Emanuel D. Jones sponsoring the proposal.

Indian-American community welcomes move

Indian-origin advocacy group Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) praised the development, calling it a milestone for the Hindu community in the US. “We are proud to work closely with Senator Shawn Still on this important bill,” CoHNA said, while thanking all supporting lawmakers for “recognizing the needs of the Hindu community in Georgia and the United States.”

The bill is especially significant for the Indian-American population, many of whom identify as Hindu. Georgia alone is home to over 40,000 Hindus, primarily in the Atlanta metropolitan area, while the broader Hindu population in the US is about 2.5 million, according to a Pew Research Center study.

This legislative step builds on Georgia’s 2023 resolution that officially condemned Hinduphobia and acknowledged Hinduism as one of the world’s oldest religions. The resolution, led by Republican Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones, also celebrated Hindu contributions to American society and condemned hate speech and violence against Hindus.

That resolution was especially relevant to Forsyth County, which has one of the largest Indian-American and Hindu communities in the state.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Saturday, April 12, 2025, that it has issued notices to take possession of immovable properties valued at ₹661 crore, previously attached in a money laundering investigation involving the Congress-controlled Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

The probe, known as the National Herald case, names former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi among the accused.

The federal agency stated that on Friday, it affixed notices at three key locations: Herald House at ITO in Delhi, an AJL building on Bisheshwar Nath Road in Lucknow, and premises in Mumbai’s Bandra area. The notices demand the vacation of the Delhi and Lucknow properties, while offering the Mumbai property’s occupants the option to transfer rent payments to the ED, according to PTI.

This action follows provisions under Section 8 and Rule 5(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which outline the process for seizing assets attached by the ED and confirmed by the PMLA Adjudicating Authority. The properties in question were first attached in November 2023 as part of the ongoing investigation.

The ED’s case targets AJL, which publishes the National Herald newspaper, and its holding company, Young Indian Private Limited. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders in Young Indian, each holding 38 percent of the shares. The agency alleges that these entities were used to generate illicit proceeds, including “bogus donations worth ₹18 crore, bogus advance rent of ₹38 crore, and bogus advertisements amounting to ₹29 crore.”

The National Herald case originated from a complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of “criminal misappropriation.” The allegations center on Young Indian’s acquisition of AJL’s properties, valued at over ₹5,000 crore, in 2010, which Swamy claimed was executed through questionable financial maneuvers.

New details have emerged from the 1,600-page chargesheet filed by Mumbai’s Bandra Police in connection with the January 16 knife attack on actor Saif Ali Khan, revealing a harrowing timeline involving his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, their children, and domestic staff.

According to Kareena’s statement, the incident occurred around 2 am when her younger son Jehangir’s nanny, Junu, ran into the room screaming about a man in Jeh’s room with a knife, demanding money.

Saif and Kareena rushed to the scene. Saif confronted the intruder — later identified as Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national — and tried to overpower him. The actor was then stabbed in the neck, back, and hands. Their other nanny, Geeta, was also injured while attempting to help.

Kareena told police she immediately instructed the staff to evacuate the children. Along with her sons Jeh and Taimur and the nanny, she moved to another floor in their apartment complex in Bandra’s Satguru Sharan building.

Saif, bleeding heavily, joined them minutes later. Kareena urged him to focus on getting medical help, and their staff hailed an autorickshaw to transport him and Taimur to Lilavati Hospital. Saif was operated on to remove a knife fragment lodged near his spine, and discharged five days later.

Kareena also contacted her sister Karisma Kapoor and manager Poonam Damania, whose husband Tejas later informed the police.

Forensic evidence confirms weapon match

Police told the court that three matching knife fragments — including one removed from Saif’s body confirmed the weapon used in the attack. The chargesheet also includes forensic evidence, including fingerprints from the crime scene that match the accused.

Police have opposed bail for Shariful Islam, citing strong forensic links and the violent nature of the attack.