Page 1303 - Law Crime
Ishrat was LeT operative, Vanzara's lawyer tells court
Countering a plea filed by the mother of Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter, former IPS official D G Vanzara's lawyer today cited US national David Headley's testimony to claim that Jahan had links with terrorists. Special CBI judge J K Pandya was hearing discharge applications of Vanzara and another retired Gujarat Police officer, N K Amin, in the Ishrat alleged fake encounter case. Vanzara's lawyer advocate V D Gajjar contended that Ishrat was not innocent as claimed by her mother Shamima Kauser. Kauser moved the special CBI court yesterday, opposing the discharge applications of Vanzara and Amin. After hearing the arguments today, the judge said he would pass an order on the discharge applications on August 4. Kauser claimed in her application that there is a "clinching evidence" against both the accused. Evidence showed that Vanzara and Amin were on the spot when Jahan and three others were shot dead in 2004, she claimed. Vanzara's lawyer raked up the ...
Baghel says got call from man claiming to be top Maoist
Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel today said that a person, claiming to be top Maoist leader Ganpathy, called him to inform that the rebels wanted to support the Congress in the coming elections. This could be a conspiracy to implicate him, he alleged. "Last evening I got a call from a person who identified himself as Ganpathy, General Secretary of CPI (Maoist)," he said at a press conference here. "When I said how could I believe that he was Ganpathy, he said had anyone ever called you in the past posing as Ganpathy, to which I replied in negative," Baghel said. "The person further said they (Maoists) had influence in 37 Assembly seats and wanted to support the Congress in this election, the way they had supported the BJP in the last two elections," he said. "He asked me when I am going to meet him. I cut the call without replying," Baghel said. The MLA from Patan in Durg district said he told a colleague about the call, who traced it, through a mobile ...
SC irked with Centre, states' lethargic approach on pending criminal appeals
The Supreme Court on Wednesday was irked with Centre and state governments for their "lethargic approach" in dealing with large number of pending criminal appeals and failure to appoint ad-hoc judges.
Court summons Mohammed Shami in cheque bounce case filed by wife
A court here has summoned Indian pacer Mohammed Shami in connection with the alleged dishonour of a cheque given to his estranged wife Hasin Jahan, her lawyer said here today. Hasin Jahan had filed a case under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act for alleged dishonour of cheque before the chief judicial magistrate's court at Alipore here. The CJM Alipore issued summons on Shami to appear before the court on September 20, Jahan's lawyer Zakir Hussain said. The lawyer said Shami had allegedly stopped payment of a cheque given to his estranged wife Hasin Jahan as maintenance, which led to the cheque being dishonoured when submitted in a bank's branch. Shami and Hasin Jahan had entered into a public spat following her allegations of moral turpitude against him earlier this year. The couple, who have a daughter, are living separately since then.
Centre dissolves 28-yr-old Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT), constituted on June 2, 1990, has been dissolved by the Centre as it stated that all the disputes over sharing of the river water among states had reached a "finality" and the panel was no longer needed. The tribunal was constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 for the adjudication of the water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Kerala and Puducherry were the other two states party to the dispute. The Supreme Court had in February hiked Karnataka's share of Cauvery water by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's quantum by an equal amount in its verdict to resolve the decades-old dispute. Tamil Nadu was, however, compensated by the court which allowed the state to extract 10 tmcft ground water from the river basin. In May, the Centre presented a draft of the Cauvery Management Scheme for smooth distribution of water among four southern riparian states---Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry---, saying the ..
Man gets 20 years rigorous imprisonment for raping nine-year-old
A district court here today sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a nine-year-old girl in 2016. Additional Sessions Judge Varsha Sharma also imposed a fine of Rs 11,000 on the convict Sapan Das (32), who hails from West Bengal. The court held Das guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act and under IPC sections 376 (rape) and others. A prosecution officer said that it was proved beyond doubt that on May 13, 2016, the accused forcibly entered the house of the minor and raped her. He said Das committed the crime when the victim was alone with her younger sister as their parents had stepped out for some work. When the girl's mother returned home, Das escaped from the spot. However, police arrested him later.
SC restrains NCLAT from finalising bids on Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd without its nod
The Supreme Court has restrained the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) from taking a final decision on bids for the debt-stricken Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd (BPSL) without its permission. A bench of justices R F Nariman and Indu Malhotra sought response from the Centre and others on a plea filed by BPSL chairman and managing director Sanjay Singal while tagging the matter with a batch of similar cases for joint hearing. "Issue notice... In the meantime, the bids will not be finalised by the National Company Law Tribunal without the leave of this court," the bench said. The order came while hearing a petition by BPSL chairman and managing director Sanjay Singal challenging various sections of the code including Section 29A, which disqualifies defaulting promoters and connected entities from bidding for their own companies. According to the plea, insolvency and bankruptcy code is an "imbalanced economic provision" which is "metamorphosing into a takeover or a liquidation .
Three Indians held for smuggling gold in Nepal
Three Indians were arrested today from Nepal's Tribhuvan International airport here for smuggling around 500 grams of gold, worth Rs 2.77 million, the police said. Faijan Khan, Adil and Saiyad Mohammad arrived here this morning from Sharjah in an Air Arabia plane. They were arrested after they crossed the customs checking counter, they said, adding the three were hiding 552 grams of the yellow metal, in the shape of buttons, in their mouth under the tongue. During the investigation, they told police that they had smuggled the gold to make profit. They have been taken into custody and further investigation is on, the police said.
Three sisters sexually abused for months; city-based man held,
Three teenage girls from Mysuru were allegedly sexually abused for several months by five men, one of whom, suspected to be the main accused, has been arrested, police said today. The arrested man has been identified as Aban (30) from Mangaluru, police sources said, adding, they were on the lookout for four of his accomplices from Bhatkal, Mangaluru and Bengaluru. The three siblings, aged 16, 17 and 18, belonging to Udayagiri in Mysuru, were allegedly sexually abused at different places including Mandya, Bengaluru and Mangaluru, they said. The incident came to light following investigations by Mysuru-based social organisation Odanadi Seva Samasthe (OSS) after the girls' mother filed a complant with the NGO. Samasthes investigations revealed that the girls were also allegedly forced into prostitution during the period. OSS directors M L Parashuram and K V Stanley said the girls were from an economically backward family. A man in their neighbourhood befriended the girls and
Two arrested for kidnapping K'tka based trader
A Karnataka-based trader was called to Rajasthan by a gang using a fake profile of a girl on a social media platform following which the unsuspecting man was kidnapped and released only after a ransom of Rs 5 lakh was paid, police said here today. The police claimed to have unravelled the plot after arresting two men, Mangi Lal Bishnoi (22) and his aide Subhash Bishnoi, yesterday night following a complaint lodged by the alleged victim at the Dhorimanna police station in Barmer district, they said. Vasant Kumar Jain of Bellary in Karnataka, had befriended a girl 'Pooja' on a social media platform nearly a month ago and the accused through that fake profile called him to Dhorimanna in Barmer district on July 7 for a meeting, Deputy SP Ram Niwas Sunda said. The victim hails Balotara in Barmer district and runs a business in Karnataka, he added. Jain was kidnapped by 8-10 people after he reached Dhorimanna and robbed of Rs 13,000 cash, the official said. Later, they demanded Rs 5 lakh ..
Give counselling to minor rape victim in 24 hours, Madras HC
The Madras High Court today directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide counselling within 24 hours to a 11-year-old hearing impaired girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by 17 men here. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P T Asha gave the direction when a mention was made about the incident and also the alleged rape of a Russian tourist. When advocate Suryaprakasam and Padam Narayanan of NGO Change India made the mention, the chief justice observed that the incidents were unfortunate. Noting that the police have registered a case and are investigating it, she directed the DLSA to give counselling to the minor girl through the District Child Welfare Committee within 24 hours. Narayanan submitted that according to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police should have intimated the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) within 24 hours of the crime against the girl and filing of FIR. But, even after four ...
Air hostess suicide: Whatsapp chats reveal death declaration
A day after Mayank Singhvi, the husband of the air hostess who committed suicide here, was arrested, the victim's lawyer, Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, has revealed messages which prove that the victim's life was under threat.'He has locked me up. I need you to call the police. Please come if you can," read a screenshot of her chat with a friend.'I am going to kill myself because Mayank has driven me to it,' was her last message.Speaking to ANI, Ishkaran Singh said, "A few minutes before her death, she messaged that her door has been locked by her husband. She was terrified and helpless. She was trying to reach out to people to help her and call the police. It was her dying declaration."He further said that the victim's father had filed a complaint on June 27 regarding a threat to his daughter's life. However, the police paid no heed to it, Singh noted."They did not summon the accused, because if they had, we wouldn't have had to see this day," said Singh."Her messages which she sent just .
SC rejects CJAR's plea against Rs 25 lakh cost imposed on it
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea which sought the recall of its order imposing cost of Rs 25 lakh on NGO CJAR while junking a plea for court-monitored SIT probe into the allegation of graft involving a retired judge of Orissa High Court.
Delhi sealing: Are officials sleeping or keeping their eyes closed, asks SC
The Supreme Court today blasted the authorities for letting rampant illegal constructions and encroachments to go on in Delhi and asked whether the officers were "sleeping" or "keeping their eyes closed". A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said this after Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, informed that 1,130 applications were received by the authorities in Delhi for de-sealing of premises against whom action was taken for having unauthorised constructions. Venugopal said that after considering these applications, 405 structures were de-sealed. "What your officers are doing? You are saying that in 405 cases, no unauthorised constructions were found. What about the rest 700 cases? Are your officers sleeping," the bench asked. The bench referred to an affidavit filed by the Special Task Force (STF), which was constituted on April 25 following the court's order to oversee enforcement of laws on illegal constructions here, and said that encroachment .
ED files charge sheets in seven coal scam cases
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed in a Delhi court charge sheets in seven coal scam cases, accusing multiple firms and individuals of money laundering. The charge sheets filed before Special Judge Bharat Parashar, named Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL), Gondwana Ispat Ltd (GIL), Jayaswal Neco Industries Ltd (JNIL), B S Ispat Ltd (BSIL), Prakash Industries Ltd (PIL), Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL) and Pawanjay Steel and Power Ltd (PSPL) as accused. The court has now put up the charge sheets, filed through the ED's special public prosecutor N K Matta and advocate Tarannum Cheema under sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), for consideration and further action on August 18. The agency has attached various properties of the firms and individuals accused in the case. Besides the firms, the agency has also named various individuals as accused in these cases, including GIL director Ashok Daga, KSSPL managing director (MD) Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia, ...
Goyal moves fugitive economic offenders bill in Lok Sabha
Finance Minister Piyush Goyal today moved the fugitive economic offenders bill in Lok Sabha to give authorities power to attach and confiscate the proceeds of crime and properties of fraudsters and loan defaulters who flee the country. The bill will replace the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance which was promulgated by the President in April. "This is the first time in the last 70 years after independence that such a strict measure has been taken against the fugitive economic offenders," Goyal said while moving the bill. The bill provides for measures to deter fugitives from evading the law in India by staying outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. It was moved amid objections by the Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and RSP member NK Premachandran. Goyal said there is a provision in the bill that the economic offenders who flee from the country would be brought back, prosecuted and their properties would be confiscated. It seeks to quickly recover losses to the exchequer or
Visually impaired elderly man beaten by wife in Rajasthan's Jalore
A visually-impaired man, aged around 70, was allegedly slapped and pushed by his wife for not going inside their house in Jalore district of Rajasthan, police said today. A video of the incident that took place in Jalore's Gondaji locality went viral last night, following which the district administration today warned the family against misbehaving with the man in future. "I sent a woman sub-inspector to the house of Moti Ram Prajapat, aged around 70 years, today but he was not willing for any action, so his wife and son were warned against misbehaving with him," Rajendra Singh, SDM, Jalore, told PTI, adding that the family members were asked to take care of the man. In the video allegedly shot by a neighbour, the wife can be seen slapping Prajapat, who was sitting on a platform outside the house. She also pulled him by hair and entered the house while slamming the doors. His son can also be seen showing aggression and was sent inside by his mother before she slapped her ...
Six held for sexually assaulting Russian tourist in TN: Police
Six people have been detained for the alleged sexual assault on a 21-year-old Russian tourist here, police said today. The woman was found unconscious in a service apartment on Monday and was taken to a hospital by one of the six men who are being questioned. On examination, the doctors found injuries on her body, including bite marks, and alerted police. The service apartment where the Russian stayed was sealed today since it did not have permission for running a lodging facility, and the requisite security features like CCTV cameras, a senior district police official said. When asked about the progress of the probe and the possibility of arrests, the official told PTI that the alleged victim has so far not recorded her statement. Investigation, he said, was on. "We are questioning the detained men. So far we have not arrested anybody," he said. Police suspect that the foreign national lost consciousness under the influence of some drug. The type of drug used was not ...
Four-year-old girl raped and brutalised in Damoh
A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped and brutalised by an unidentified man near Damoh railway station in the wee hours today, police said. Prima facie, police suspect involvement of one person in the crime, a senior officer said. The accused inflicted injuries on the private parts as well as on rest of the body of the minor girl, who is stated to be in critical but stable condition, he said. The girl was spotted near the railway station by a Railways employee who informed the police, the officer said. "The girl was raped by an unidentified accused in the wee hours today. She is in critical condition. We have formed teams to trace the accused," Superintendent of Police Vivek Agrawal said. Police have registered a case under section 376 (Punishment for rape) of the IPC and under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The SP said the condition of the girl has been improved but she was shifted to Jabalpur for better ...
Tantrik held for duping woman
A self-styled 'tantrik' has been arrested for allegedly cheating a woman of her gold and cash while he pretended to free her husband from ghosts, police said on Wednesday.