Page 1304 - Law Crime
Turkey keeps American pastor in jail, defying US pressure
A Turkish court today ordered an American pastor held for almost two years on terror charges to remain in prison, defying growing pressure from the US authorities for his release. The case of Andrew Brunson, who ran a protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir and was first detained in October 2016, has become a major sticking point in improving relations between Ankara and Washington. This is the third time his release has been refused -- the court had in both previous hearings on April 16 and May 7 denied requests by the defence for Brunson to be set free. The judge said the next hearing would be on October 12. "We are disappointed in the result of today's hearing," said Philip Kosnett, the US charge d'affaires in Ankara who attended today's session. "I have read the indictment, I have attended 3 hearings I don't believe there is any indication that pastor Brunson is guilty of any sort of criminal or terrorist activity," he added. Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted
Cancel Lalu's provisional bail, demands Bihar Deputy CM
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday demanded the cancellation of the provisional bail granted by the Jharkhand High Court to RJD chief Lalu Prasad for "violating the bail's terms and conditions".
HC asks Centre to take PIL on petrol price as representation
The Delhi High Court on Wenesday directed the Centre to treat as a representation a PIL seeking the sale of petrol and diesel at reasonable prices instead of letting the oil companies increase the rates exorbitantly.
Bill on death for raping children below 12 to be presented soon: Cabinet
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to present a bill in the Parliament, proposing death sentence for rapists of children below the age of 12.
19 more officers arrested in Assam's cash-for-job scam
Assam Police on Wednesday arrested 19 government officers for their alleged involvement in the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam, taking the number of total arrests in the case to 55.
No stopping of sealing or demolition of illegal construction in Delhi: SC
The Supreme Court today directed that there would be "no stopping of sealing or demolition" of unauthorised constructions in Delhi after the Centre said it had not given any instructions to the civic bodies to go slow or stop the sealing drive against offending structures. A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta passed a slew of directions in the matter and said that construction activity be stopped with "immediate effect" wherever any unauthorised construction was noticed or booked by authorities concerned in the national capital. The court also directed the Centre to contemplate framing rules for "blacklisting" builders, contractors and architects who were found responsible for coming up of illegal constructions here. It asked the Special Task Force (STF), constituted on April 25 following the court's order to oversee enforcement of laws on illegal constructions here, to explore the feasibility of "digital mapping" of Delhi with assistance from National Informatics Centre
SC seeks guidelines on blacklisting corrupt realtors
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Union of India to come up with proper guidelines within two weeks to blacklist builders, contractors and architects who are found to have constructed buildings against the sanctioned plan.The apex court further stated that the sealing and demolition of unauthorised constructions in the national capital will continue.The court passed the verdict after the Centre said that it had not asked authorities in Delhi to stop the sealing drive against illegal constructions.A division bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur and also comprising Justice Deepak Gupta, told the Centre that hereafter, owners of illegal or encroached constructions would be given only 48 hours show cause notice as to why the building should not be sealed or demolished.The apex court was apprised today that Municipal Councillor, Mukesh Suryan, Chairman of Najafgarh wards committee, had allegedly prevented officers from carrying out sealing drives in the .
Fourth accused arrested in Sambhal gang rape-murder case, one still absconding
Another person accused of burning a woman alive after allegedly raping her in Sambhal district's Rajpura area has been arrested, the police said today. The woman was allegedly burnt alive inside the premises of a temple after she was raped by five people in her house on Saturday. This is the fourth arrest made in the case so far. "The fourth accused in the case has been arrested. One accused is still absconding and will be arrested soon," Superintendent of Police (SP) Yamuna Prasad said. He added that he had visited the spot and the case will be worked out soon. Earlier, Circle Officer of Gunnaur, Aqil Ahmad, had said the accused were relatives of the victim, who was in her 30s. According to a complaint lodged by the victim's husband, the incident took place on Saturday around 2.30 am when the woman was in her house with her daughter. Five people barged into the house and raped her, police officials said. In his complaint, the victim's husband alleged that after she was gang raped, ...
Girl booked for trying to poison entire school: Police
The police in Deoria district have booked a class 7 girl after her school accused her of trying to poison the midday meal to take revenge for her brother's murder, allegedly by a fellow student. The school in Baulia village under Bankata police station alleged that she put a poisonous substance into the lentils being cooked there yesterday. The poisoning attempt was detected before anybody ate that food. Villagers surrounded the school and beat up the girl's mother, police said. The girl's alleged motive was to kill all students at the school for the murder on April 2 of her brother who studied in class 3. A class 5 child from the same school was accused of that murder and is now in a juvenile home. Bankata SHO Devendra Singh Yadav said a case under IPC section 328, which relates to causing hurt by means of poison, has been registered against the girl. "Preparations are being made to send her to a juvenile home," he said. The case was registered on a written complaint by the ...
NGT directs Delhi CS to hold meeting on rainwater harvesting in buildings
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi chief secretary to convene a meeting of all deputy commissioners for installation of rainwater harvesting systems in residential and commercial buildings on plots of 100 square metres and above within a month. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed all the deputy commissioners to ensure that rainwater harvesting systems are duly installed in every building and ensure that an effective mechanism is put in place. "The Chief Secretary of Delhi may convene a meeting of all deputy commissioners on the focused issue of implementation of the guidelines for installation of rainwater harvesting systems in all the buildings where the area is more than 100 square metres, within one month from today. "The steps already taken or proposed to be taken may be discussed in the said meeting so as to make the installation of rainwater harvesting system a reality on the ground. After the systems are installed, the same
Greater Noida building collapse: Four people arrested, DM set up magisterial inquiry
At least four people have been arrested in Greater Noida building collapse incident and the District Magistrate has set up a magisterial inquiry under the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) executive to probe the matter.Talking to media, District Magistrate BN Singh said, "Four people have been arrested and an investigation is underway. Both criminal and administrative aspects will be investigated. I have set up a magisterial inquiry under ADM executive and have given them the time of 15 days."This comes after soon after the mishap, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and asked the District Magistrate to follow up with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and Police for relief measures and to ensure immediate rescue.Meanwhile, calling the incident unfortunate, Noida MLA Pankaj Singh on Wednesday said that illegal construction should stop with immediate effect, and demanded strict action against those responsible.Speaking to ANI, Singh said that
BJP MP's daughter among 19 officers arrested in APSC cash-for-job scam
Nineteen Assam government officers, including the daughter of BJP MP R P Sharma, were arrested today as their handwriting did not match with that in their answer sheets in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examination held in 2016, police said. The Dibrugarh Police, which is probing the cash-for-job scam in the APSC, had summoned the 19 officers of the Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS) and allied services of the 2016 batch to appear for handwriting tests after forensic examinations of their answer sheets indicated anomalies. Superintendent of Police, Dibrugarh, Gautam Bora said the handwriting of the 19 officers did not match with their answer sheets that were found to be fake earlier during forensic tests. The officers were arrested in Guwahati, he said. The 19 officers were selected in the examination conducted by the APSC when Rakesh Pal was its chairman. Pal and three other officials of the commission were arrested in 2016 for their alleged ...
No arrests in Agnivesh attack yet; he alleges incident a conspiracy of Jharkhand govt
A day after the mob attack on Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand, no arrests were made by the police yet, as the social activist alleged today that the incident was a "pre-planned conspiracy" of the BJP government in the state. The 79-year-old activist also demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of the Jharkhand High Court. Agnivesh, who was attacked in Pakur town yesterday by a mob, which, he said belonged to BJP-affiliated youth groups, meanwhile, said he failed to get an audience with Governor Draupadi Murmu today. He later returned to Delhi. The attack also echoed in the state Assembly. The Opposition parties staged a noisy protest, forcing adjournment of the House twice. Leader of the Opposition Hemant Soren demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. The state Urban Development Minister C P Singh alleged that the social activist was a "fraud" and a "foreign agent". Singh alleged that Agnivesh wore saffron robes to deceive people and that he had conspired to get himself attacked to gain .
Law panel examining scope of sedition law: Government
The Law Commission is considering the scope and ambit of the law on sedition, in order to ascertain under what circumstances it can legitimately be invoked, parliament was told on Wednesday.
Class 9 student commits suicide in hostel room; father alleges foul play
A ninth class student of a school here allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with a towel in his hostel room, police said today. The incident took place yesterday at the hostel of a school near the Kurukshetra University campus here, they said. According to police, Jatin, aged around 14, and a resident of Majri village in Jhajjar district, did not go to his hostel mess last evening for dinner. When his other roommates were away, he hanged himself with a towel by tying it to a window. By the time the students returned, Jatin had died, police said. Jatin's father, who reached here today, alleged foul play and demanded that a murder case be registered. Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Kuldeep Singh, who is the investigating officer in the case, said the footage of CCTV cameras installed in the hostel was being checked. The body was handed over to the deceased's father after postmortem.
Law Commission examining sedition law: Govt
The Law Commission is examining a law on sedition and its usage to ascertain under what circumstances it can legitimately be invoked and to suggest amendments, if any, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. Union minister of state for home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said that the Home Ministry had written to the Ministry of Law and Justice to request the Law Commission of India to study the usage of the provisions of Section 124 A (Sedition) of IPC and suggest amendments, if any. "The Law Commission has undertaken the examination of Section 124 A and is considering the scope and ambit of the law on sedition, in order to ascertain under what circumstances it can legitimately be invoked," he said in a written reply to a query. Ahir said a draft report on the subject has been prepared and discussed in the Law Commission's meeting held on June 26, 2018 and, as decided, the same is being reviewed. "The report is yet to be finalised by the Law Commission," he said.
Cabinet nod to introduce bill in Parliament providing for death penalty for rape of girl below 12 years
A bill, which provides for stringent punishment including death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years, will be introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which began today. The decision was taken today at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, once approved by Parliament, will replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21 following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of a woman in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. The Cabinet gave its approval to the draft bill prepared by the Home Ministry, Prasad said. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, an official said. The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has ...
Defence counsel in Kathua case appointed AAG; PDP, NC criticise decision
Jammu and Kashmir government has appointed Aseem Sawhney, one of the defence lawyers in the Kathua rape and murder case , as an additional advocate general of the state, drawing criticism from former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. In an order issued yesterday, the state government appointed 31 advocates as additional advocates general, deputy advocates general and government advocates, with 15 in the Kashmir wing of the high court and 16 in the Jammu wing. One the 16 names of law officers for the Jammu wing is Aseem Sawhney - one of the defence lawyers in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old nomad girl in Kathua. Sawhney has been appointed as an additional advocate general. The appointment has raised eye-brows. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti called it a shocking violation of the spirit of justice and alleged that it will encourage "rape culture". She also voiced hope that the Governor will intervene in the issue. NC leader Omar Abdullah said the decision was both
Pak Cabinet okays open trial of Sharif in remaining two graft cases
Pakistan's caretaker government today approved the open trial of jailed premier Nawaz Sharif in the remaining two graft cases against him, withdrawing an earlier notification about his jail trial. Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar are serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London. The former prime minister has two more pending corruption cases -- the Al-Azizia steel mills and Flagship -- against him. The Cabinet, led by interim Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk, approved the open trial of Sharif in the remaining two cases lodged against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). "It has been decided to let the accountability court hear the remaining two cases against Sharif to ensure his fair trial under Article 10 of the constitution," law minister Ali Zafar .
A primary class student killed, another injured as school gate falls on them
A seven-year-old boy was killed and a five-year-old one injured when the gate of their primary school fell on them in a village near here today, the police said. Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Shivaji Shukla said the incident took place today morning in Govindpur village under Lalganj police station. The Additional SP identified the victims as primary school students Raj Saroj (7) and Aman (5). The two children were playing near the school gate when it fell on them, killing Raj on the spot and seriously injuring Aman, said Shukla. Aman was rushed to a hospital for treatment and Raj's body was sent for autopsy, the official said. A case has been registered in the matter and the police are investigating, he added.