A Delhi court on Tuesday acquitted ex-Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda in a case of abetment of suicide of air hostess Geetika Sharma. Special Judge Vikas Dhull also acquitted co-accused Aruna Chadha in the case, saying the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond all reasonable doubts. The accused were facing charges under various sections, including 306 (abetment of suicide), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 466 (forgery). The trial court had also framed charges of rape (376) and 377 (unnatural sex) against Kanda. The Delhi High Court, however, later quashed the charges under 376 and 377 of the IPC. Sharma, who was earlier employed with Kanda's MLDR airlines, was found dead on August 5, 2012 at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi. In her August 4 suicide note, Sharma had said she was ending her life due to harassment by Kanda and Chadha. Kanda was forced to resign from his post of minister of state for
Allegations of sexual harassment against outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh were "serious" but no purpose will be served by taking him in custody at this stage, a Delhi court order released on Friday said. The court on Thursday granted regular bail to Singh, a six-time BJP MP, and also allowed the bail application of suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal made the observations in his nine-page order passed on Thursday, which was made available on Friday. In the order, the judge said, In the instant case, the allegations are serious. In my view, the seriousness of the allegations, no doubt, is one of the relevant considerations while considering bail applications but it is not the only test or the factor to decide the same. When the undertrial prisoners are detained in jail for an indefinite period, Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution is ...
A Delhi court will deliver its verdict on July 25 in the case of abetment of suicide of former air hostess Geetika Sharma in which controversial former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda is an accused. Special Judge Vikas Dhull, who was scheduled to pass the order on Thursday, adjourned the matter for July 25. Sharma, a former air hostess with Kanda's MLDR airlines, who was later elevated as a director of one of his companies, was found dead on August 5, 2012 at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi. In her August 4 suicide note, she had said she was ending her life due to harassment by Kanda, 46, and another person. Kanda, an influential politician and businessman, was a minister in the erstwhile Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government. He was forced to resign as minister of state for home following the registration of the case. Kanda is facing charges under various sections on IPC, including 306 (abetment of suicide), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (distruction o
A Delhi court on Thursday granted regular bail to outgoing WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a case of sexual harassment of women wrestlers. The court also allowed the bail application of suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. I am granting bail on a bond of Rs 25,000 each with certain conditions, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal said. The metropolitan court directed the accused not to leave the country without its prior permission and not offer any inducement to witnesses in the case. The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court had earlier in the day reserved its order on the bail applications of Singh and Tomar. The judge reserved the order after hearing ...
A Delhi court on Thursday reserved for later in the day the order on regular bail application of outgoing WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a case of sexual harassment of women wrestlers. The judge reserved the order after hearing arguments from the counsel appearing for the accused, the prosecution as well as the complainants. Will pass order at 4 PM, the judge said. During the hearing, the public prosecutor, representing Delhi Police, asked the court to try the accused as per law and impose certain conditions if relief was granted. When the court asked the prosecutor if he was opposing the bail application, he said, I am neither opposing nor supporting. Application should be dealt as per law and the order passed by the Supreme Court, he told the court. The counsel, appearing for the complainants, opposed the application, saying the accused was very influential. Bail should not be granted. If at all it is granted, strict conditions must be imposed. Witnesses hav
A Delhi court on Thursday reserved for later in the day the order on regular bail application of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the women wrestlers sexual harassment case. The judge reserved order after hearing arguments from counsel appearing for the accused and the prosecution, as well as the complainants. Will pass order at 4 pm," the judge said.
A Delhi court on Wednesday directed officials to provide AAP leader Manish Sisodia the May 23 CCTV footage of its premises when he was allegedly manhandled by security personnel. The judge noted that following an earlier court order, the official concerned of Rouse Avenue District Courts premises had brought the CCTV footage of May 23 pertaining to production of Sisodia before the court in the case. "As some allegations of manhandling against lockup officials were levelled on behalf of the accused earlier, the said footage has been directed to be preserved and produced... Let an extra copy of the above footage in a separate pen drive be also provided by the Assistant Engineer (Electrical), PWD to Reader of the court before next date and the same be supplied to counsel representing the said accused," the judge said. Special judge M K Nagpal listed the matter for August 25. Sisodia was produced physically before the court for Wednesday's proceedings. The court had on July 6 ordered
A Delhi court on Thursday convicted seven accused, including former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and ex-coal secretary H C Gupta in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. In the 13th conviction in the coal scam, the scandal which rocked the erstwhile Manmohan Singh government, Special Judge Sanjay Bansal also convicted Darda's son Devender Darda, two senior public servants K S Kropha and K C Samria, M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd and its Director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal. The court held the accused guilty of criminal conspiracy (punishable under Section 120-B of IPC) and cheating (punishable under section 420 of IPC), and under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The judge will hear argument on quantum of punishment on July 18. The court accepted the submissions made by senior Public Prosecutor A P Singh that the CBI was able to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubts. It had on November 20, 2014 refused to accept the
Former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and ex-Coal Secretary H C Gupta were among seven people convicted by a Delhi court on Thursday in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. In the 13th conviction in the coal scam, Special Judge Sanjay Bansal also convicted Darda's son Devender Darda, two senior public servants K S Kropha and K C Samria, M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd and its Director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal. The court held the accused guilty of criminal conspiracy (punishable under 120-B of IPC) and cheating (punishable under section 420 of IPC), and under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. The judge will hear argument on quantum of punishment on July 18. The court accepted the submissions made by senior Public Prosecutor A P Singh, that the CBI was able to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubts. It had on November 20, 2014, refused to accept the CBI's closure report in the case and directed it to conduct further probe
A Delhi court has sought response from the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) on an application moved by real estate tycoon Sushil Ansal, convicted in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire case, to de-seal the cinema premises. Principal District and Sessions Judge Sanjay Garg directed AVUT president Neelam Krishnamoorthy to file a response by July 25, when the court will further hear the matter. During a hearing held on July 7, the court noted the submission made by the CBI counsel, who said he has no objection to the returning of the theatre to the applicant. The application has sought necessary directions for de-sealing of Uphaar cinema premises located at Green Park Extension here. The Supreme Court on April 27 allowed Ansal Theatres and Club Hotels Private Ltd, whose former directors were real estate barons Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal, to move the trial court for de-sealing of Uphaar cinema hall where 59 cinema-goers had lost their lives in a blaze in 1997.
A court here on Tuesday sought a response from the "victim" and complainant on a cancellation report filed by Delhi Police in a case against outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of a minor wrestler, the lawyer for the prosecution said. Additional Sessions Judge Chhavi Kapoor issued notice to the victim/complainant during in-chamber proceedings and directed them to file their response to the police report by August 1, when the court will further hear the matter. Delhi police had on June 15 filed a report before the court seeking cancellation of the case.
A Delhi court Tuesday posted for July 1 the decision on whether to take cognisance of the charge sheet filed against BJP MP and outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a case of alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal said it was a lengthy chargesheet and adjourned the matter. Fresh chargesheet filed. Let it be checked. Since it's a lengthy chargesheet, will keep it for consideration for a couple of days, the judge said.
The female wrestlers, who have accused outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment, moved a Delhi court on Monday seeking copy of the charge sheet filed against him. The city police had filed a charge sheet against Singh, also a BJP MP, under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC on June 15. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal, who is scheduled to take up the charge sheet for consideration tomorrow, directed the lawyer for the complainants to apply for a certified copy at the court's copying agency. The charge sheet also named Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), for offences under sections 109 (abetment of any offence, if the act abetted is committed in consequence, and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 354, 354-A and 506
A Delhi court has denied pre-arrest bail to a man accused of involvement in organised cyber crime, saying anticipatory bail was an extraordinary remedy and is to be given only in extraordinary cases. Vacation Judge Aparna Swami dismissed the application filed by Shivam Kumar, and directed him to join the investigation. Anticipatory bail is an extraordinary remedy and is to be given only in extraordinary cases. The present (case) does not warrant the same and thus, in light of the above discussion, I do not find this to be a fit case for grant of anticipatory bail, the judge said in an order passed on June 12. The court noted the case involved around 600 victims who were cheated of Rs 4.47 crore. The court also noted cyber police of seven states had issued notices for freezing the bank account of the company of the accused. This being an economic offence, it must be dealt with sternly in the matter of bail... For the case to be taken to its logical end, it requires detailed ...
Delhi's Saket Court on Sunday extended the police custody remand of Lawrence Bishnoi for the next three days in an extortion case
A Delhi court on Thursday directed officials to preserve the May 23 CCTV footage of the court premises after AAP leader Manish Sisodia alleged he was manhandled by security personnel that day during his production in a case related to the alleged excise policy scam. The police also moved an application seeking court's permission to produce Sisodia only via video conference (VC), after he levelled the allegation. Police favoured Sisodia's virtual production contending that bringing him to court "creates chaos" due to the presence of Aam Aadmi Party supporters and media in the corridors. Special Judge M K Nagpal, after taking note of both the applications, directed Sisodia's production through video conference pending his decision on the prayers. Sisodia was produced before the court on Thursday via video conference. The AAP leader was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case related to the alleged scam on March 9 from Tihar Jail where he is currently lodged in judicial ...
A Delhi court on Thursday allowed Hyderabad businessman P Sarath Chandra Reddy, accused in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam, to turn approver. Special Judge MK Nagpal granted pardon to Reddy on an application moved by him. In his application, Reddy said, I am ready to make true disclosure voluntarily about the case and want to be an approver in the case." Reddy was recently granted bail by the Delhi High Court on medical grounds. According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Reddy is the head of Hederabad-based Aurobindo Pharma company and was also engaged in liquor business. The ED had earlier told the court it was amply evident that Reddy had actively planned and conspired with various business owners and politicians involved in the alleged scam, and indulged in unfair market practices to gain undue advantage from the Delhi Excise Policy. Reddy was alleged to have led a nexus controlling a huge market share by way of cartelization in clear ...
A Delhi court ordered that former Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia should only be produced via video conferencing during hearings in the ongoing Delhi Excise Policy scam case due to security issues
The ED had arrested Sisodia on March 9, after the CBI arrested him on February 26 this year
A court here on Saturday sent gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to four days' custody of Delhi Police's Special Cell in an illegal arms supply case. The court passed the order on an application moved by Delhi Police seeking Bishnoi's custodial interrogation in a case related to the recovery of 25 pistols from an alleged arms trafficker, Mukund Singh, who supplied weapons and ammunition to the Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Jathedi gang. The police submitted that sustained interrogation of the accused was required to identify his gang members to whom the recovered arms and ammunition were to be supplied and to unearth the conspiracy hatched by the gang to eliminate its rivals and others. Delhi Police also said that Bishnoi needs to be confronted with Singh, who is already in custody in this case.