Page 1342 - Law Crime
SC restrains release of accused in Soumya Vishwanathan murder case till Friday
The Supreme Court today directed that an accused facing trial in the sensational murder case of TV journalist Soumya Viswanathan should not be released from jail till Friday following the Delhi High Court's order granting him bail. A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan passed the order after the Delhi Police said the accused, Ravi Kapoor, who was also convicted in the 2009 business executive Jigisha Ghosh murder case, has been granted bail and parole by the high court in three separate cases lodged against him. Kapoor was awarded death sentence by a trial court here in connection with the Jigisha Ghosh murder case but the capital punishment was later commuted to life term by the high court earlier this year. The trial in the 2008 Soumya Viswanathan murder case is pending before a trial court here. Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home in her car from office in the wee hours. The police had earlier claimed robbery as the motive behind the ...
Four drug peddlers held, heroin seized
Four alleged drug peddlers were arrested today in two separate operations in Haryana's Sirsa and over 1 kg of heroin was seized from them, police said. The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Dabwali intercepted a car at a bridge on Hisar road and during its checking seized 1 kg of heroin from Parveen Kumar, a police spokesman said. In another case, the CIA arrested three persons after 63 grams of heroin was seized from their car near Panniwala bus stand in Sirsa, he said. They were identified as Rajinder Kumar, Sandeep Kumar and Satish Kumar, all from Mandi Dabwali, the police spokesman added. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) was registered against the accused at City police station, Sirsa. All the accused would be taken on remand by producing them in a court, he said.
ISRO espionage case: SC reserves verdict on ex-scientist's plea
The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on a plea by a former ISRO scientist, who was discharged in an espionage case, seeking action against former Kerala DGP Siby Mathews and others who had probed the matter. 76-year-old Nambi Narayanan had approached the apex court against the judgement of the Kerala High Court which had said that no action was required to be taken against the former DGP and two retired Superintendents of Police, K K Joshua and S Vijayan, who were later held responsible by the CBI for the scientist's illegal arrest The CBI today told a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud that it was ready for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the allegations by Narayanan. "Arguments completed. Judgment reserved. Counsel for the parties are at liberty to file written notes of submissions within a week hence," the bench said. Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee, appearing for the CBI, maintained ...
Switzerland says Najib not a target in 1MDB probe
A Swiss probe into bribery and fraud centred on Malaysian state fund 1MDB is investigating six people, but former prime minister Najib Razak is not one of them, the country's attorney general said today. The banking haven is looking into claims its financial system was used to launder money siphoned off from the multi-billion dollar fund, which investigators say was raided to buy everything from US real estate to artworks. A total of USD 4.5 billion was misappropriated by high-level officials of 1MDB and their associates, according to civil lawsuits filed by the US Department of Justice. Najib, who set up 1MDB in 2009 and served as chairman of its advisory board, was charged in Malaysia last week with corruption linked to the scandal. He denied all four charges and is currently on bail. Shortly after he was booted from office in May, raids on properties linked to Najib and his family netted USD 273 million dollars' worth of cash, jewellery and luxury handbags. "At this stage of the ...
Rajinikanth's wife to face trial over alleged non-payment of dues, SC sets aside HC's order
Superstar Rajinikanth's wife Latha Rajinikanth will face trial over alleged non-payment of dues to an advertisment agency with the Supreme Court today setting aside a Karnataka High Court order quashing criminal proceedings against her. Observing that the matter is a case which should have gone for trial following a complaint by the advertising agency, the apex court said Latha can apply for discharge at an appropriate stage. The advertisment agency had alleged in its private complaint that they had ventured in the post-production of the 2014 film 'Kochadaiiyaan', which was produced by Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd, on Latha's personal guarantee and had funded Rs 10 crore for it. She was a director of the production company. A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the high court was "not justified" in quashing the proceedings against Latha, which were initiated following a trial court's order on the complaint by the advertising agency, AD-Bureau Advertising Pvt Ltd. "This is .
Probe into Ashram in Pali district has revealed irregularities: Suman Sharma
The Pali district administration has found several irregularities in the ashram being run by self-styled godman Daati Maharaj, Rajasthan State Commission for Women Chairperson Suman Sharma claimed today. We will receive the probe report of Pali district administration in a couple of days. It is in the final stages. Irregularities have been revealed during the investigation, Sharma told PTI. On June 21, a team of the Rajasthan State Commission for Women had carried out an inspection at the Aashwashan Bal Gram Sansthan, Alawas, in Pali district where a school, college and hostel were being operated. The institution management could not produce an NOC from government for running the educational institute and hostel. Against the entry of 153 girls in a register, the team found 253 girls there, the commission report said. Names of students did not tally with the parents' names in the various government documents submitted at the time of admission. In some cases, the dates of birth of girls
Burari deaths: Doctors 'haven't found any foul play' yet
The mystery surrounding the deaths of 11 members of a family in the city's Burari area seems to be inching towards a suicide as doctors haven't found any foul play in their post mortem reports, according to a police source."Police are expecting six post mortems today and rest post mortems tomorrow. They are saying so far the doctors are indicating that they haven't found any foul play," the source said.Meanwhile, the source shared that the police have also found four persons, who have been mentioned in the registers, which were recovered during the investigation."These notes by Lalit (the eldest son of the family) have been written during his trans. Whatever he wanted to say he would say in the trans phase only," the source said."The four people are Sajjan Singh (Tina's father), Hira (Priyanka's father), Dayanand and Ganga Devi (Sujata Nagpal's father-in-law and mother-in-law)," the source added.The bodies of seven women and four men were found in a house in Burari area on July ...
If enacted, Section 377 'won't withstand the test of constitutionality'
As the Constitution Bench of Supreme Court continues to hear the pleas seeking scrapping of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalises homosexuality, advocate Arvind Dattar said if enacted the law "won't withstand the test of constitutionality."While appearing for one of the petitioners, Dattar submitted to the five-judge constitution bench of the Court that 1860 Code was imposed on India and it did not represent even the will of the British Parliament."If Section 377 was enacted today, it won't withstand the test of constitutionality," Dattar said.However, in response, the Constitutional Bench asked Dattar to convince the star that "if a law like this was made now, it won't be sustainable."Dattar added: "If a person has a different sexual orientation, it can't be treated as a crime. This can't be treated as against the order of nature."Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the Centre, told the apex court that the government will .
Freedom fighter from Haryana finally gets justice nearly 18 yrs after his death
A freedom fighter from Haryana finally got justice but it came a trifle too late as he passed away 18 years ago. The petitioner, Nobat Singh, had alleged that he was "harassed" after an excise department official sought "illegal gratification" of Rs 200 from him in 1969. Singh moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1991 after a recovery of excise duty arrears was slapped on him. A division bench of the high court ruled that no recovery of arrears of over Rs 1.6 lakh would be effected from the legal heirs of the petitioner who died on December 12, 2000. In his petition before the high court in 1991, Singh had said that he was a freedom fighter who was in prison for about seven-and-a-half years during the freedom struggle. He mentioned that in 1969, he started the business of curing of tobacco leaves but it had to be closed within about a year because of "constant and uncalled for interference and demands of illegal gratification by officials of the Central Excise ...
Minor girl gang-raped twice; five held
A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped twice in a span of 24 hours here, police said today. Five men have been arrested in the case. The girl left her house on the evening of July 6, and when she did not return, a complaint was lodged at the Kundipura Police Station the next day, said Additional Superintendent of Police Niraj Soni. Police found the girl wandering in a disoriented state in Mahua Tola area here on July 8, he said. She told police that one Mohit Bharadwaj (22) persuaded her to go with him on his motorbike to the house of Rahul Bhonde (24), where both of them raped her, the ASP said. The duo let her go the next day. When she was returning home, three more men, identified as Bunty Bhalavi (23), Ankit Raghuvanshi (25) and Amit Vishwakarma (21) accosted her, took her back to Bhonde's house, and allegedly raped her, he said. Police formed a special team to search for the accused which nabbed all five of them, the ASP said. The accused have been booked under .
FIR lodged for alleged sexual harassment of Nalanda minor girl, 1 arrested
Police today said it has arrested one person and is looking for three others for alleged sexual harassment of a minor girl in Bihar's Nalanda district, after a video of her molestation went viral. Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Porika said that one person was arrested yesterday in connection with the sordid incident while raids are being conducted to nab three others named in the FIR. This is the second instance within a month of such videos going viral about an incident in Nalanda, the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In the FIR, the 15-year-old girl has alleged that one of her acquaintances took her to a dilapidated and deserted house at Usmanpur village where the four accused molested her and recorded their act. When the girl resisted, they threatened to circulate the video on social media, the police said, adding that the incident took place two-three days ago. The girl somehow managed to escape, after which the accused circulated the video on social media, the
Rajinikanth's wife to face criminal proceedings, SC sets aside HC's order
The Supreme Court today paved the way for criminal proceedings against superstar Rajinikanth's wife Latha Rajinikanth, on a complaint by an advertising agency, by setting aside a Karnataka High Court order quashing the process. The agency had alleged in its private complaint that they had ventured in the post-production of the 2014 film 'Kochadaiiyaan', which was produced by Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd, on Latha's personal guarantee and had funded Rs 10 crore for it. She was a director of the production company. A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the high court was "not justified" in quashing the proceedings against Latha, which were initiated following a trial court's order on the complaint by the advertising agency, AD-Bureau Advertising Pvt Ltd. "This is a case which should have gone for trial. You (Latha) can apply for discharge at an appropriate stage," the bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and Navin Sinha, said. The court's order came on a plea filed by .
Police arrests differently abled for driving stolen bus
Police today arrested a differently abled man in Balasore district for driving a bus which was allegedly stolen from bus stand, a police officer said. The bus was allegedly stolen Balasore bus stand late last night, the officer said. The staff of the toll plaza at Sergarh on NH 16 informed police about a man driving an empty bus in a suspicious manner. The police intercepted the bus and arrested the driver after he failed to show relevant papers, he said. The accused has been identified as Gauranga Sahu (20) from Mulisanga village in Jagatsingpur district, the officer added.
HC dismisses Nalini Chidambaram's appeal against ED summons
The Madras High Court today dismissed an appeal by former union minister P Chidambaram's wife Nalini against a single judge's order rejecting her plea challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons in the Saradha chit fund scam case. In its order, a bench of justices M M Sundresh and Anand Venkatesh also directed the ED to issue fresh summons. In her appeal, Nalini, a senior lawyer, has challenged the April 24 order of Justice S M Subramaniam rejecting her petition against the ED's summons asking her to appear as a witness in its money laundering probe in the Saradha chit fund scam case. The bench had reserved orders on the appeal on June 19 and exempted Nalini from appearing before the ED till it delivered the judgement. The ED had issued the first summons on September 7, 2016, asking Nalini to appear before it in its Kolkata office. It subsequently issued fresh summons after the single judge's order. She was allegedly paid a legal fee of Rs 1 crore by the Saradha group for ...
Trafficked domestic help moves HC against acquittal of placement agency owner
A domestic help, who was allegedly assaulted and illegally confined by her employer, today moved the Delhi High Court challenging the acquittal of a placement agency owner, whom she had accused of trafficking her from Jharkhand to Delhi. While the employer woman Vandana Dhir was held guilty of voluntarily causing hurt to the victim by dangerous weapons or means, the placement agency owner Dorothi was acquitted under the Bonded Labour Act by the trial court in February this year. Today, Justice Mukta Gupta sought response of the State and Dorothi on the plea of victim, a resident of Jharkhand, in which she has claimed that the acquittal had resulted in grave injustice to her as she had been a victim of trafficking by Dorothi when she was a minor and would set a dangerous precedent. The court listed the matter for further hearing on January 7 next year. The victim was 15 years old when she was allegedly trafficked and brought to Delhi. She was 18 years old when she was rescued by a ...
Soumya Viswanathan death: SC stays order granting bail to accused
The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the order granting bail to accused Ravi Kapoor in connection with journalist Soumya Viswanathan death case.Ravi Kapoor was earlier granted bail by the Delhi High Court.Soumya was found shot dead in her car on September 30, 2008 in south Delhi while returning home after work at around 3.30 a.m.Kapoor is also a convict in a 2009 murder case of an IT executive Jigisha Ghosh. The court awarded life sentence to Ravi Kapoor.Jigisha (28) was working with the Hewitt Associate Pvt Ltd as an operations manager. She was abducted and killed on March 18, 2009 after she was dropped near her home in Vasant Vihar area of South Delhi by her official cab around 4 a.m.The court had framed charges against the accused under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act, dealing with murder, criminal conspiracy, abduction, robbery, forgery and using firearms. The recovery of the weapon allegedly used in the murder of Jigisha also led to the cracking of the Soumya murder ..
Delhi LG, Chief Secy meet Union Home Secy
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash today had a meeting with Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba amid the continuing tussle with Arvind Kejriwal government on the matters related to 'services.' During the 30-minute meeting at the Home Ministry, Baijal, Prakash and Gauba are believed to have discussed the issues related to services in the wake of Supreme Court judgement on the powers of the Delhi government, a home ministry official said. Baijal refused to divulge the details of the meeting. When insisted whether the issue of services was discussed at the meeting, the LG said: "All is well between me and Kejriwal". The meeting came a day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the Lt Governor wondering how he can be "selective" in accepting the Supreme Court judgement on power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre. In his response, Baijal had said he was "selectively" quoted and "erroneously" charged of "selective acceptance" of the ..
Money laundering scam: Zardari slapped with FIA notice
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday issued notices to former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in connection to a money laundering scam.The siblings have been summoned to record their statements in the case and asked them to appear before FIA's State Bank Circle in Karachi, Geo TV quoted a source.The notices were issued by FIA Inspector Muhammad Ali, the source added.The FIA registered a case of laundering scam worth (Pakistani) Rs. 35 billion in Karachi last week. In the scam, many people are allegedly involved including politicians, businessmen and bankers.On Monday, the names of Zardari and Talpur have been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) on the orders of Pakistan's Supreme Court, Geo TV quoted sources.FIA has also constituted a seven-member joint investigation team to probe into the matter. The investigation team will be headed by FIA's Additional Director-General (DG) Najaf Mirza.On July 6, the FIA arrested Stock Exchange of ...
Trump's personal driver sues for unpaid overtime wages
Donlad Trump's personal chauffeur for over 20 years has filed a lawsuit against him, alleging that the US President owes him a whopping USD 200,000 in unpaid overtime wages. Noel Cintron, 59, claims in a Manhattan Supreme Court suit filed yesterday that "in an utterly callous display of unwarranted privilege and entitlement" Trump "exploited and denied significant wages to his own longstanding personal driver". According to court papers, Cintron served as President Trump's personal driver for more than 20 years until mid-2016, when the real estate tycoon became the Republican presidential nominee and the Secret Service took over. In his suit, Cintron says he would start at 7 am and stay on duty until the Trump family no longer needed him in the evening. That added up to at least 50 hours a week, 'The Washington Post' reported. Trump's longtime personal driver filed a lawsuit against his company yesterday alleging that Trump owes him more than USD 200,000 in unpaid overtime wages, it ..
Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill to be introduced in monsoon session of Parliament
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, 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 beginning July 18, officials said today. The amendment bill, 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 another woman in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. The Home Ministry has prepared the draft Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill and the Union Cabinet is expected to give its nod to the draft bill soon, a Home Ministry official said. The proposed 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, the official said. The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous