Page 1246 - Law Crime
Mallya extradition: UK court asks India to submit video of Mumbai jail cell; next hearing on Sept 12
A UK court today asked the Indian authorities to submit a video within three weeks of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail cell where they plan to keep Vijay Mallya post-extradition, as it set September 12 as the date for closing arguments in his high-profile extradition trial. During a brief hearing today, Judge Emma Arbuthnot said she was not able to hear the case fully and just addressed representations from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), representing the Indian government, and Mallya's defence team on the conditions at Barrack 12 of Mumbai Central Prison. She asked the Indian authorities to submit a "step by step video" of Barrack 12 for "the avoidance of doubt" over the availability of natural light in the cell where the 62-year-old businessman is expected to be detained pre-trial, during trial and in the event he is convicted by the Indian courts. "I would like a video of Barrack 12, to see where the windows are shot maybe at mid-day with no artificial lighting," the judge said, ...
SC overrules its 21-yr-old verdict on tax exemption notification
The Supreme Court has overruled its 21-year-old verdict and held that benefit of any ambiguity in notification related to tax exemptions must be interpreted in favour of the State. In 1997, the apex court had said that in case of any ambiguity in a tax exemption provision or notification, it must be interpreted so as to favour the assessee claiming the benefit of such exemptions. It, however, reiterated that if in the event of ambiguity in a taxation liability statute, the benefit should go to the subject or assessee. A five-judge Constitution bench said that benefit of ambiguity in exemption notification of the government, which is subject to strict interpretation, cannot be claimed by the assessee. The bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the burden of proving applicability of benefit would be on the assessee to show that his case comes within the parameters of the exemption clause or exemption notification. The bench, also comprising justices N V Ramana, R Banumathi, M M ...
Why no action against unauthorised bungalows? HC asks Raigad collector
The Bombay High Court today directed the Raigad collector to explain why no appropriate action was taken against unauthorised private bungalows, including one of fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, constructed along a beach in Alibaug. A bench of justices A S Oka and R I Chagla also directed the sub-divisional officer concerned to file an affidavit stating why he had failed to carry out demolition or other remedial measures against such bungalows, despite a previous order of the high court passed in 2000. The bench was hearing a petition filed by Raigad resident Surendra Dhavale, seeking that the court direct authorities to demolish all unauthorised constructions "within the low and high tide areas" in a number of villages in Alibaug. As per the petition, such constructions had been carried out in violation of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority Rules and the state's land laws. There are around 175 such private residences in coastal regulation zone (CRZ) areas in villages such
Man suffers bullet injury near Army shooting range
A 40-year-old man suffered a minor injury when he was hit by a stray bullet suspected to have been fired from a nearby Army shooting range at suburban Tirusulam, police said today. The man, a hutment dweller of the area, lodged a complaint today, saying the incident occurred yesterday morning, police said adding preliminary investigation was on. "It is a minor injury in the foot and the injured himself removed the bullet," they said quoting the complaint. A senior police officer told PTI that the bullet was suspected to have strayed from the nearby army shooting range which was being used by the Railway Protection Force for the past few days. "We have asked the (RPF) officials to stop the (training) activity temporarily and investigation is on...," he said. An RPF official, when contacted, said as per their information the incident occurred last night when there was no practice session. The practise sessions were held from around 7 am till noon, the official said.
Illegal arms racket busted in Bengal, nine arrested
The Special Task Force of the Kolkata Police seized 60 semi-finished improvised firearms, ammunition and arms making equipment and arrested nine persons during two separate raids, an official said on Tuesday.
HC stays single judge order upholding DUSU prez Tuseed's disqualification
The Delhi High Court today put on hold its single judge order upholding the Delhi University's (DU) decision to disqualify candidature of DUSU president Rocky Tuseed. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar stayed the July 20 order till August 29, the next date of hearing. The court also asked the varsity to produce the original records pertaining to disqualification of Tuseed, whose tenure will end in two weeks. Tuseed was disqualified on September 6, 2017 for not disclosing in his nomination form for Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) polls that disciplinary action was taken against him for assaulting a student in his college. This order, however, was put on hold by the high court during pendency of his plea challenging the varsity decision and he had gone on to become the president of DUSU. In his appeal against the July 20 order, the student leader has claimed that the reasons given by the judge for upholding his disqualification were different from that given by
Extradition case: London court extends Mallya's bail
London's Westminster Court on Tuesday extended the bail of fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya in connection with the extradition case. The matter will be next heard on September 12.Ahead of the hearing, Mallya denied money laundering allegations against him and said, "The allegations of stealing money or money laundering are all completely false. I am in the hands of the court and I hope it will all end."During the course of hearing, prosecution lawyer Mark Summers, who was representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), showed some photographs as the concerns were raised via a publication, released by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), about the state of the prison where Mallya will be kept, if extradited from the UK.Summers said that Mallya will be kept in Barack 12 of the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai which is hygienic and clean. He also informed that the prison has a western toilet and proper washing facilities.The CBI representative further said that the bed which will
New anti-graft law comes into force; bribe givers to get 7-year jail
Bribe givers can now be punished with a jail term of maximum of seven years under a new anti-corruption law that has got assent from President Ram Nath Kovind. Besides, public servants -- politicians, bureaucrats and bankers among others -- have also been given a 'shield' from prosecution in the legislation that makes it mandatory for investigating agencies such as the CBI to take prior approval from a competent authority before conducting any enquiry against them. The president gave approval to the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 1988, recently, an official order said. The central government has decided July 26, 2018, as the date on which the provisions of the Act shall come into force, it said. "No police officer shall conduct any enquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under this Act, where the alleged offence is relatable to any recommendation made or decision taken by such public servant in discharge of his official ..
Charge sheet filed against Azam Khan
A charge sheet was filed on Tuesday against Samajwadi Party leader Mohd Azam Khan for making derogatory remarks against security personnel last year.
HC moots panel to look into issues of sexual violence against women, children
The Delhi High Court today said there was an urgent need to prevent sexual violence against women and children and decided to set up a panel to look into the issue and suggest measures. Hearing pleas filed by two NGOs, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said there cannot be any possible objection to setting up a committee to look into the issue and suggest preventive measures to control such crimes and appropriate sentencing. The court was also of the view that an important aspect related to such crimes was reformation of the persons convicted. "Reformation of the convicts is the real need of society," it said. As regards the panel, the court accepted the names -- Vidya Reddy (TULIR, an organisation working on the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse in India), Vrinda Bhandari (an advocate) and Swagata Raha (Centre for Child and Law, NLSIU) -- suggested by amicus curiae Aparna Chandra and asked the counsel to take instructions from the ...
Money laundering charges 'completely false': Mallya
A defiant Vijay Mallya, the liquor tycoon wanted in India on fraud charges, said today that the allegations of money laundering and stealing money against him are "completely false". Mallya made the comments outside the Westminster Magistrates' Court where he arrived along with his son Siddharth for closing arguments in his high-profile extradition trial. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who has been on bail on an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year, is fighting extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crores. "The allegations of money laundering and stealing money are completely false," Mallya told reporters outside the court. "At the end of the day, the courts will decide," he added. At the last hearing in the case on April 27, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had received a boost in the case as Judge Arbuthnot confirmed that the bulk of the evidence submitted by the Indian authorities ...
2 absconders arrested in J-K
Two absconders were arrested in Kathua and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today. Taking a stringent action against the absconders, a team of police post Hatli arrested the absconder, identified as Gurcharan Singh, in Barnoti belt of Kathua district, they said. The accused was absconding since December 2012, they said, adding that he was declared an absconder in a case of (causing hurt by dangerous weapons)(323/324 RPC) of Kathua police station. In another case, the Rajouri police yesterday arrested an absconder, who was wanted in a case, but was evading his arrest for the last eight years, police said. The absconder has been identified as Mohd Azam of Saim Simit in Thannamandi, they said. He was involved in case of causing hurt with dangerous weapon and wrong restraint (341/323 RPC) of police station Manjakote, police added.
Mallya denies allegations of money laundering
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Tuesday denied money laundering allegations against him on arrival at London's Westminster court for the final hearing in his extradition case."The allegations of stealing money or money laundering are all completely false. I am in the hands of the court and I hope it will all end," the 62-year-old told reporters.Mallya is on bail in an extradition case against him on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crore.While Mallya hoped that the case would get over soon, the Bangalore police through the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 5 submitted a report before Delhi's Patiala House Court stating that they have identified 159 properties of Mallya and United Breweries. The Bangalore police had also sought more time to identify other additional properties.Earlier on June 30, Mallya was summoned by a designated court under Fugitive Economic Offenders to appear before it on August 27. The notice was issued to Mallya and others in ...
6 drug peddlers arrested in J-K
Six people were arrested on charges of drug peddling in two separate incidents in Samba and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, a police official said today. In the first incident, a police party intercepted a car last night at Sunderbani belt in Rajouri district and three people were arrested with 18 grams of brown sugar, he said. The accused were identified as Rahul Sharma, Mohit Baba of Rajouri district and Parwaiz Ahmed of Seri Khawaja in Poonch district, he added. In the second incident, one person was arrested with 20 grams of heroin in Samba district, the police official said, adding that the accused was identified as Surinder Singh. The police, later, arrested his two accomplices -- Abhishek Sharma and Ajay Sharma.
Man kills two sons, attempts suicide after fight with wife
Apparently upset over marital discord, a 28-year-old man allegedly killed his two minor sons by throwing them into a well and later tried to commit suicide, police said today. The incident took place in Bhatachopda village in neighbouring Panchmahal district yesterday, said sub-inspector Rakesh Bharwad. The man, Bhaumik Pagi, consumed pesticide and has been admitted in a hospital at Godhra, he said. He will be arrested on murder charges once he is discharged from the hospital, Bharwad said. Pagi allegedly threw his two sons - aged 4 and 7 - in the well near the village after a heated argument with his wife (28), who suspected him of having an extramarital affair, Bharwad said. Their bodies were later fished out from the well, he added.
Reshma's body repatriated to Barmer
The mortal remains of 65-year-old Reshma, an Indian citizen who died in Pakistan on July 25, arrived at Munabao village in Rajasthan's Barmer district today, an official said. The body was handed over by Pakistan Rangers to the Border Security Force (BSF). Reshma's son Sahib Khan also returned to India with the body, the official said. The body arrived at Munabao in Barmer district from Pakistan via the Khokhrapar-Munabao zero point road route on the Indo-Pak border. Formalities are being completed to hand over the mortal remains to Reshma's family members, an official of the Barmer district administration said. A resident of Agasadi village in Barmer district, Reshma along with her son went to Pakistan on June 30 to meet her sisters. She was scheduled to return home on July 28, but due to an illness she died on July 25. As news broke of Reshma's death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in a tweet had asked Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria to help the family ...
UK foreign secretary met human rights figures on China visit
Britain's new foreign minister Jeremy Hunt met Chinese human rights figures while in Beijing on his first major international trip, the wife of a detained lawyer said today. Visiting leaders often shun meetings with activists or their relatives during trips to China -- a decision which critics say is motivated by fear that scolding Beijing could harm trade prospects. Li Wenzu wrote on Twitter that she met Hunt and British ambassador Barbara Woodward on Monday to discuss her husband Wang Quanzhang, who represented political activists and disappeared in a 2015 police sweep. He has been charged with "subversion of state power". In April Li attempted to march 100 km to a detention facility to highlight her husband's plight. She posted a photo that showed Hunt and Woodward alongside a group of women whose husbands have been detained, as well as human rights lawyer Wang Yu. "I explained the situation of Wang Quanzhang's three-year disappearance and the latest developments in detail to the ..
Man gets 2 life terms for raping mentally-challenged girl
A court here has awarded two life sentences to a 57-year-old man for raping a mentally-challenged minor girl in 2016. District and sessions judge N L Dave yesterday held the accused, Lalji Parmar, guilty of raping the 10-year-old girl in the staff quarters of the city-based M S University, where they both were neighbours. Upholding the government pleader's arguments and considering evidence on record, the judge pronounced the life sentence, while holding Parmar guilty under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. The judge also awarded life imprisonment to him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and said the two sentences will run concurrently. Parmar, who worked as a peon in the university's Faculty of Technology and Engineering, had raped the girl in a room located next to his house on August 28, 2016. The girl's mother had spotted him leaving the room after committing the offence. The victim was immediately
Customs arrests man for smuggling forex worth over Rs 1 cr at Delhi airport
A man has been arrested by the customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle out foreign currency (forex) worth over Rs 1 crore at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here. The accused was intercepted at the departure hall of the airport yesterday. He was to board a flight to Hong Kong, a statement issued by the customs said today. He was carrying USD 1,50,700, equivalent to Rs 1.02 crore, which was kept in a black-coloured bagpack, it said, adding that the passenger was arrested and the currency seized. In another case, a man was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold bars valuing about Rs 86 lakh. The accused was intercepted by the customs after his arrival from Bangkok on Thursday. He was carrying three gold bars, collectively weighing 3 kg, the statement said. The passenger has been arrested and the gold bars were seized, it said.
Two shot dead over land dispute in MP
Two persons were shot dead and as many others injured when armed men opened fire at them while they were returning from a court hearing, said a police official today. The incident, which took place near here last evening, appears to be fallout of a land dispute, he said. Four assailants, armed with pistols and riding two motorcycles, opened fire at the victims, all related to each other, from a close range near a private school on Bhind by-pass road. The attack left two persons, Anil (20) and Radhe (28), dead on the spot, said Rudolf Alvares, Superintendent of Police (SP). The deceased were close relatives and on way to their village Virgavan after a court hearing when they were attacked. Their two close relatives, who were following them, suffered injuries in the incident and referred to Gwalior for treatment, the SP said. Police have formed a team to nab the assailants, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gurukaran Singh. The family members of the deceased ..