Page 1269 - Law Crime
RS passes Economic Offenders Bill
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 that provides for measures to deter absconding economic outlaws from evading prosecution by staying outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts.
SVO books forest guard on graft charges in J&K's Rajouri
A forest guard was today booked for acquiring property disproportionate to his known sources of income in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) spokesman said. Rakesh Sabharwal, a resident of Chainpur village in Kalakote, was booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, he said. The spokesman said the case was registered after preliminary verification of allegations that he had acquired a number of moveable and immovable property disproportionate to his known sources of income. During the verification process, it surfaced that the suspect has accumulated assets in the form of land at Kalakote, land and house at Jammu and vehicles, he said. The accused also made huge investments in insurance policies in the name of his family members, the spokesman said. Following prima-facie establishment of allegations and registration of the case, SVO sleuths conducted a raid with the help of the local police and magistrates at Sabharwal's ...
HC orders trial of Maran brothers in illegal telephone exchange case
The Madras High Court on Wednesday remitted back the illegal telephone exchange case against former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his elder brother and Sun TV group head Kalanithi Maran to a CBI special court here and ordered framing of charges against all the accused.
Retd Captain moves HC against 7 yrs rigorous jail in 2006 Navy War Room leak case
Captain (retd) Salam Singh Rathore, sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment in an offshoot of the 2006 Navy War Room leak case, today approached the Delhi High Court challenging his conviction. Justice Najmi Waziri called for trial court records and said the court would further hear the matter on August 9. While the 63-year-old Rathore was convicted for spying under the Official Secrets Act, the other accused in the case -- Commander (retd) Jarnail Singh Kalra -- was acquitted by the trial court. Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Rathore, challenged the trial court's verdict, saying the co-accused has already been acquitted and there's not evidence against the retired captain. The trial court had sentenced Rathore on July 11, observing that he does not deserve any leniency as he had committed an offence against national security and the documents found in his possession belonged to the Defence Ministry and were "directly or indirectly useful to the enemy in one way or the
One cop killed, another injured in attack by accused, his kin
A 40-year-old policeman was killed and another one injured in an attack by an absconding accused and his relatives in Jamunia Jeth village in the district early today, police said. The incident prompted the opposition Congress to slam the BJP-led government in the state saying that "anti-social elements, mafia and scamsters have no fear left" and the "rule of law has ceased to exist" in MP. The attack took place when the policemen went to nab Jouhar Singh (30), against whom a permanent arrest warrant had been issued in connection with an assault case, police said. The deceased was identified as Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Devchandra Nagle, police said adding that eight accused, including Singh and three women, were arrested for the assault. "The incident took place around 6 am when Nagle and some other policemen went to catch Jouhar Singh, an absconding accused against whom a permanent arrest warrant had been issued in an assault case. The policemen approached his ...
INX Media case: HC grants Chidambaram interim protection from arrest
Granting an interim protection to former union minister P Chidambaram from arrest, the Delhi High Court today directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) not to take any coercive step till August 1 against him in the INX Media money laundering case. Justice A K Pathak, however, directed Chidambaram to cooperate with the ED's investigation as and when required and not to leave the country without the court's prior permission. The court also sought ED's response on the senior Congress leader's anticipatory bail plea which was opposed by the investigating agency on the point of maintainability. The senior Congress leader's role had come under the scanner of various investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore. It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 government that clearances from the FIPB were given to the two ventures. In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15 last year, alleging ...
Graft charges against OPS: HC directs DVAC to complete probe 'expeditiously'
Spelling trouble for O Panneerselvam, the Madras High Court directed today an anti-graft body to complete a preliminary probe "as expeditiously as possible" into a complaint lodged against Graft charges against the Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister for amassing wealth above his known sources of income. The matter pertains to a complaint lodged by DMK MP R S Bharathi with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in March, on behalf of his party. When the matter came up before Justice Jayachandran, Advocate General Vijay Narayan, who appeared on behalf of the state government, said as per a circular dated July 18, a preliminary inquiry has been ordered based on the information furnished by Bharathi. Justice G Jayachandran disposed of petitions filed by Bharathi and another one by an organisation named 'Arappor Iyakkam' represented by Jairam Venkatesh seeking a direction to the DVAC to probe the complaint. "...the inquiry has to be completed as expeditiously as ...
Woman shot at by husband in Rohini
A 25-year-old woman was allegedly shot at by her husband in south Rohini, police said today. The woman, Sonia Sharma, had come to Delhi to see her relatives when her husband shot at her abdomen around 10.30 pm yesterday. The couple has been living separately since 2016, they said. The woman has been hospitalised and recuperating, they said.
BJP MLA demands release of cow vigilantes arrested in Alwar lynching case
BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja today demanded the release of three persons arrested for allegedly lynching 28-year old Rakbar Khan on suspicion of the victim's involvement in smuggling cows. Ahuja made the demand after state Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria ordered a judicial inquiry considering Khan's demise a case of 'custodial death'. The home minister has acknowledged that Akbar alias Rakbar Khan, who was accused of cow smuggling, died in police custody. It was repeatedly said by the MLA that he was not killed by the people and he died in police custody. When the home minister has admitted the fact of the custodial death, why innocent cow vigilantes and villagers are being made accused? a statement issued by Ahuja's office said. They should be released with immediate effect. It is also demanded that the second accused of cow smuggling Aslam be arrested immediately, the statement said. Akbar and Aslam were taking two cows from Alwar to their village in Haryana on Friday-Saturday night ...
Appoint persons with legal background to pollution control boards and local bodies: NGT
The National Green Tribunal has expressed concern over the "unsatisfactory" operation of state pollution control boards and suggested that people having a legal background should be appointed to the boards to deal with the issues that require judicial knowledge. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said while technical functions can be performed by other technically qualified persons, legal and judicial functions such as grant of consent, hearing of appeals, taking action for noncompliance can certainly be undertaken by the person having a legal background. The green panel said that competent, honest and independent persons of outstanding ability and high reputation, who enjoy the confidence of the people, must man the public services including the pollution control boards. "Accordingly, we suggest that the Centre as well as state governments may appoint persons with judicial background to deal with the issues which may require the knowledge of legal and ...
Indian student killed in Australia
A 25-year-old Indian student in Australia has been killed after meeting a teenage girl he had met through a dating site. Maulin Rathod, an accounting student, died last night at a local hospital, after he was found critically injured at the girl's house on Monday night. Rathod had visited a 19-year-old girl's house in Sunbury suburb in west Melbourne about 9 pm (local time) on Monday. According to media reports, emergency services were called to the scene and Rathod was found with life-threatening injuries. The teenager, who lived alone, has been arrested and charged with intentionally causing serious injury. The reports said her charges will be reviewed following his death and upgraded to manslaughter or murder. The girl faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court last night and was remanded in custody to appear again. According to Rathod's friend Lovepreet Singh, he was the only child and had moved to Australian four years ago for studying. "His parents are in shock," he said. "He was a ..
Shelter home rapes: Patna HC takes suo motu cognisance
The Patna High Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the rape of over 20 minor girls in a shelter home in Muzaffarpur and asked the state government to be ready with its explanation when the case comes up for hearing on Thursday.
Church sex scandal: HC grants conditional bail to priest
The Kerala High Court today granted conditional bail to Job Mathew, a Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church priest, arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a 34-year old married woman. Granting the bail, Justice V Rajavijaya Raghavan directed the priest to appear before the investigating officer twice a week and not to influence the witnesses or tamper with the evidence. Mathew, the second accused among the four priests in the case, was arrested after he surrendered before the police in Thiruvalla on June 12. He has been accused of sexually assaulting the woman since 2009 by misusing her confession. Mathew, a vicar of a local church, was also directed not to leave the country. The Crime Branch wing of the state Police had on July 2 registered a case against the four priests. It was on the basis of statement given by a woman belonging to the same Church accusing them of sexually assaulting her on many occasions. The high court had earlier granted bail to another priest and third ...
Six get life term for Bajrang Dal leader & his aide's murder
A local court has sentenced six persons to life imprisonment for the murder of a Bajrang Dal leader and his associate in 2014 here. Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Singh found the six persons guilty of killing Bajrang Dal leader Kapil Rathore and his associate Pukhraj, and sentenced them to life imprisonment, public prosecutor Prakash Rao Pawar said today. Three accused, identified as Hyder Shairani, Rizwan Shairani and Musaif Shairani, were convicted under IPC sections pertaining to murder, attempt to murder and section 27 of the Arms Act and were awarded life imprisonment. Another accused, Nasir Ali, was found guilty under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and section 25 of the Arms Act and sentenced to life imprisonment. Two others- Jahid and Yahya Khan Sherani - were found guilty under IPC section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and were also given a life term, he said. One of the accused, Musa Khan, was found guilty under section 201 and sentenced for five years jail
Scheme to compensate victims of sexual assaults should also include children: SC
The Supreme Court today said that a scheme proposed by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for compensating victims of sexual assault and acid attack should be modified to "some extent" to make it applicable to child victims of such assaults. A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said that slight modifications could be done in the 'Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/Other Crimes-2018' to also include child victims. "The scheme can be implemented with slight modifications in case of children. Please have a look at it and give us a composite note for women as well as children," the bench told senior advocate Indira Jaising, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter. One of the lawyers told the bench that the NALSA's scheme should also focus on child victims of sexual assaults. Jaising said the scheme has been approved by the top court and its purpose was to support women victims of sexual assaults and acid attacks .
LDF govt to wind up Munnar Special Tribunal
The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala today decided to wind up the functioning of the Munnar Special Tribunal, set up for adjudication on land disputes in high range Munnar area in Idukki district. A cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan took the decision to stop the activities of the panel, constituted by the previous LDF government headed by Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan in 2011. The meeting also decided to issue later detailed procedural guidelines on handing over and disposal of existing cases with the tribunal, an official release said here. Though the panel had started functioning in 2011, only a few cases were settled by it, it said. According to a report by the Kerala High Court Registrar, only 42 cases have been disposed of by the panel. A subject committee of the state Assembly has recommended winding up of the tribunal as its mode of functioning was not adequate to achieve its founding goal, the release added.
22-year-old lynched in Barmer over alleged affair with married woman: police
A 22-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death on the suspicion of him being in an illicit relationship with a married woman in Rajasthan's Barmer district following which the prime accused was arrested today, police said. The prime accused, Amar Khan,was arrested today, they said. "Two other accused, Pathai Khan and Anwar Khan, were arrested yesterday and sent to seven days in police remand by a court. The others accused of lynching the 22-year-old youth Khetaram Bheel on suspicions of illicit relationship will be arrested soon," Barmer SP Rameshwar Lal Meghwal said. He said the prime accused Amar Khan allegedly strangulated Bheel after beating him. Bheel, resident of Bhinde-ka-Paar village, was allegedly beaten to death, his hands and legs tied, by nearly a dozen men on the night of July 20 and his body was found the next day around 500 meters from the spot, another police official said. DSP, Chautan, Surendra Kumar Prajapat said Bheel had allegedly entered into an illicit affair ..
Indonesian Christian jailed for anti-Islam Facebook post
An Indonesian Christian has been sentenced to four years in prison for a derogatory Facebook post about the prophet in the latest conviction under a controversial hate-speech law. The Medan District court yesterday ordered the 21-year-old university student, Martinus Gulo, to pay a fine of one billion rupiah (USD 70,000) or spend an additional six months in jail. "Finding the defendant guilty of misusing information by offending believers through his Facebook account, I sentence him to four years," said presiding judge Saidin Bagariang. Gulo was convicted under Indonesia's electronic information and transactions law, which makes it a crime to spread "hatred or animosity" against an individual or group based on their race or religion. The law has been criticised for being unnecessarily vague and giving powerful individuals the ability to criminalise critics and minorities. He was arrested in March after the militant Islamic Defenders Front reported his online post to police. Gulo, who .
Par passes Economic Offenders Bill
Parliament today passed a bill that seeks to prevent big economic offenders like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi from fleeing the country and evading the legal process. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote today. The Lok Sabha had cleared the measure on July 19. Finance MInister Piyush Goyal said instances of people running away and evading legal legal process was increasing, which needed to be stopped as the current laws do not allow dealing with the "severity of the problem". "Criminal law does not allow us to impound their property," he added. "This bill is an effective, expeditious and constitutional way to stop these offenders from running away. Legislative changes or a new law must be in place to confiscate assets of such absconders till they don't present themselves in front of the courts. We will also work out what has to be done with the confiscated assets," Goyal said. While replying to the debate, he said there
Boy suffers facial burns in acid attack in MP
A 13-year-old boy suffered burn injuries in an acid attack in his village on the outskirts of the city today, police said. The incident took place around 2.30 pm outside the victim's house in Bairagarh Kala village, they said. "The boy was standing outside his house when some unidentified persons came in a car and threw acid at him. He suffered burn injuries on the face," Khajuri police station in-charge Harishankar Pandey said. The attackers fled from the spot, he said adding that the boy was rushed to a hospital and is said to be out of danger. "We are probing the incident. The motive behind the acid attack is yet to be known and a search has been launched to nab the accused," he said.