Page 141 - Law Crime
PMLA case: ED to verify medical reports filed by Robert Vadra
Robert Vadra, who is an accused in a money laundering case and has sought permission to travel abroad for health reasons, on Friday placed his medical records before a Delhi Court which allowed Enforcement Directorate to verify them. The reports were filed by Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, before Special Judge Arvind Kumar who asked the probe agency to verify them by May 29, the next date of hearing. The court will hear the ED's stand as to whether it has any objection on the plea by Vadra seeking permission to travel to United Kingdom and two other countries. Vadra has pleaded that the contents of his application and his medical report should not be made public. ED's counsel D P Singh wanted time to verify the reports before arguing on the application. The court directed the probe agency not to make public the reports and the details of itinerary after senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for Vadra, requested it to ensure that the details are not shared ..
Woman's body found in bag in Kota
The body of a woman, who was partially clothed and tied with wires, was found in a bag behind the backyard of a government school here on Friday, police said. The matter was reported to the police after locals noticed the body that was apparently lying in the area from around three days and was emanating foul odour, Sub-Inspector (SI) Vigyan Nagar police station Hajari Lal said. It bore a deep cut under abdomen and prima facie it appeared the woman, in her 20s, was murdered and then packed in the bag, he said. The body has been kept in MBS hospital here and efforts are being made to ascertain her identity, the SI said. A case of murder has been registered and further investigation is underway, police said.
Tis Hazari court launches e-filing facility for arbitration matters
Litigants and advocates will now be able to file their cases anytime from anywhere as the district court at Tis Hazari Courts Complex launched an e-filing facility Friday for arbitration matters. A new homepage for the court's website and a new software for its mediation centre was also launched. The new e-filing feature would help lawyers or litigants to file cases online and keep a track of the already filed ones. The arbitration cases can be filed online at anytime at the web portal www.efiling-dl.ecourts.gov.in. The online portal was launched by District and Sessions judge (HQ) Talwant Singh and District and Sessions Judge (west) Yashwant Kumar and it was also attended by Dharmesh Singh, principal judge, family courts and G R Raghwendra, joint secretary of Department of Justice. A statement released on behalf of Tis Hazari court said the new web page will work on the same domain name. Family courts judge and chairman of the Centralised Computer Committee V K Bansal said the new ...
NIA files charge sheet in Sikh militancy case
The National Investigation Agency Friday filed a charge sheet in a case related to alleged attempts for revival of Sikh militancy with the ultimate objective of creating a separate 'Khalistan State'. The Maharashtra ATS had registered a case in this regard in December last year, following which one Harpal Singh Naik from Pune was arrested, the NIA said in a press note. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) found a firearm and five bullets from Naik. His interrogation led to the arrest of Mohiuddin Siddiqui a few days later and the case was subsequently taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), it said. Investigations revealed Singh, Siddiqui and wanted accused Gurjeet Singh Nijjar entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist act for the formation 'Khalistan State'. They, thereby, threatened the security, integrity and sovereignty of India and have been making attempts to revive Sikh militancy, the investigating agency said. The accused used to post adulatory videos ..
Municipal commissioner, councillor arrested for taking bribe in Rajasthan
A commissioner of Jhunjhunu municipality and a councillor were arrested on Friday for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 1 lakh, an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official said. According to the ACB, municipal commissioner Vinay Pal had demanded bribe of Rs 4 lakh from complainant Arif Mohammad through councillor Manoj Kumawat in lieu of granting permission for land conversion. He said that the complaint was verified in February when Kumawat accepted Rs 50,000. The accused were caught red-handed on Friday when the commissioner accepted bribe of Rs 1 lakh through the councillor. A case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and further investigation in the matter is on, the ACB official said.
Saradha scam: SC declines Rajeev Kumar's plea for extension of protection from arrest
Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar Friday failed to get any relief from the Supreme Court which declined to entertain his petition seeking extension of protection from arrest in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam. He was granted protection from arrest on May 17 by the apex court for seven days which was ending today and he had filed a fresh petition seeking to restrain the CBI from taking any coercive action against him. However, a vacation bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said Kumar's plea was not "maintainable" as a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had already passed an order in the matter on May 17 and the IPS officer should not have filed a fresh writ petition. The bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, said that Kumar can personally approach the Calcutta High Court or the trial court there for seeking relief in the case. "A petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India cannot be said to be maintainable as the ...
ED moves HC seeking to cancel Robert Vadra's bail
The Enforcement Directorate has moved the Delhi High Court seeking to cancel the bail plea of Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in a money laundering case.
Customs Superintendent at airport arrested
A Customs Superintendent at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport was arrested here Friday for allegedly helping gold smugglers early this month. Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence arrested Radhakrishnan, suspecting that he had prior knowledge of an attempt by two people from Oman to smuggle in gold. The two, who arrived here from Oman earlier this month, were nabbed for an attempt to smuggle in 25 kg gold worth over Rs eight crore. "The arrested official was on duty on the day the smuggling attempt happened. It is suspected that he had prior knowledge about the attempt," a top DRI official told PTI. Radhakrishnan was produced before the special court for trying economic offences in Ernakulam and remanded to judicial custody. The DRI officials are on the look out for an advocate, who is suspected to be part of the gang. Since the lawyer is absconding, the officials are questioning his wife.
SC defers hearing on plea on EWS PG medical admission quota in Maharashtra
The Supreme Court on Friday deferred till May 27 the hearing on a writ petition seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government not to implement the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota in post-graduate medical admissions in the state.The petition, filed by Janhit Abhiyan, had come up before a vacation bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and Surya Kant.
Four new SC judges administered oath of office taking total to full strength of 31
Four new judges of the Supreme Court were administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Friday, taking their overall number to 31 -- the full sanctioned strength of the top court. Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Aniruddha Bose and A S Bopanna were administered the oath of office by the CJI in court no.1 in the presence of several other sitting apex court judges. Among the 31 judges, the apex court has three women judges -- Justices R Banumathi, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee. Justices Malhotra and Banerjee were recently part of the three members in-house panel headed by Justice S A Bobde, which gave clean chit to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi after holding inquiry into the sexual harassment allegation levelled by a former apex court woman staffer against him. The apex court, which was functioning with 27 judges including the CJI has now reached its full strength for the first time since 2008 when Parliament had increased their number from 26 to ...
CBI files charge sheet in Pollacchi sexual assault case
The CBI has filed a charge sheet against five suspects in a case of alleged sexual assault of a woman in Tamil Nadu's Pollacchi, officials said Friday. CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said the charge sheet has been filed against Sabarirajan alias Riswanth, K Thirunavukkarasau, M Sathish, T Vasanth Kumar and T Vasanth Kumar in a special court in Coimbatore, less than a month of taking over the FIR for investigation. All the five accused are in judicial custody in Coimbatore jail, he said. The agency has alleged that they were acting as an "organised criminal gang" and were in regular touch with each other. Citing the need for specialised attention, dedicated investigation with technical expertise and the extremely serious nature of the crime, the Tamil Nadu government had given its consent to transferring the harassment and a related assault case from the state's CB-CID to the CBI. A gang of four men had on February 12 allegedly tried to strip the woman inside a car near Pollachi, over
Consider allowing FIRs via SMS, email, WhatsApp in cases of missing people: HC to police
The Delhi High Court has directed the police to consider allowing lodging of FIRs through SMS, email and WhatsApp in case of missing persons to prevent loss of time and ensure speedy investigation. The recent order by a bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal came while hearing a PIL initiated by the court on its own on a woman's complaint alleging inaction by police when she informed it about the alleged abduction of her husband. The bench in an earlier order had noted that the police got activated only after the woman had moved the high court. The woman in her letter to the high court had claimed that her husband was abducted on August 4 last year by one Matru and some of his associates. Despite the woman sending representations all the way up to the Commissioner of Police regarding the abduction of her husband, an FIR was only lodged on December 28 last, the bench had also noted in its earlier order. Disappointed by the "gross inaction" of police which led to "loss of
ED moves HC seeking cancellation of Vadra's anticipatory bail in money laundering case
The ED Friday moved the Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Robert Vadra in a money laundering case, claiming that he was non-cooperative and evasive during the probe and may tamper with the evidence. It sought quashing of the trial court's April 1 order by which Vadra was granted anticipatory bail, saying the special judge failed to consider the settled position of law that bail should not be "granted in a routine manner". Filed through ED prosecutor D P Singh, the plea said the protection granted to Vadra -- brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi -- would be detrimental to investigation in the case on certain crucial aspects, including ascertaining the exact source of the alleged tainted money and the end use of the funds involved in the case. The Enforcement Directorate's plea is likely to be listed for hearing on Monday. Besides Vadra, the agency has also challenged the anticipatory bail granted to Manoj Arora, an employee of Vadra's ...
Japan appeals court upholds 'Black Widow' death sentence
A Japanese court on Friday upheld the death sentence for a woman dubbed the "Black Widow", who used cyanide to kill a string of elderly and rich lovers and pocketed millions in insurance payouts and inheritance. The Osaka High Court rejected an appeal by Chisako Kakehi, 72, to overturn her sentence of death by hanging for the murder of three men -- including a husband -- and the attempted murder of another, in a case that gripped Japan. Kakehi became notorious after using poison to dispatch a number of elderly men she was involved with, drawing comparisons with the spider that kills its mate after copulation. The court "turned down the appeal" made by defence lawyers, according to a spokesman. Her lawyers launched a final appeal, according to local news agency Jiji Press. Handing down the death sentence in 2017, presiding judge Ayako Nakagawa said the murders were "cunning and malicious" and Kakehi made her victims drink cyanide "with a murderous intention." The judge rejected defence
SC turns down ex-Kolkata commissioner's plea seeking extension of protection from arrest
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar seeking an extension of the seven-day period granted to him to approach a competent court for protection from arrest in connection with Saradha chit fund scam case.A vacation bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai and Surya Kant while disposing of the petition, said, "You (Kumar) can go to the Calcutta High Court or trial courts in Bengal. The courts are functional and all the judges are sitting. There is no vacation there. Seek appropriate remedy."Kumar had approached the apex court seeking the extension of the protection from arrest, claiming that he was not able to access the legal remedies in West Bengal since lawyers in the state were on strike.He had submitted that the chances of his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the Saradha case, were imminent after the apex court withdrew the shield on May 17.While vacating its order, a bench ...
Customs official held for role in smuggling of gold
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials on Friday arrested a customs official in Kerala over his alleged role in facilitating smuggling of gold.
Harvey Weinstein and accusers reach USD 44m deal to settle civil lawsuits
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, his company and former associates, have reached a deal to settle the civil lawsuits against them that were filed by women over his alleged sexual misconduct. According to CNN, the producer's lawyers said he has agreed to the settlement and will compensate his alleged victims with USD 44 million. Over 15 lawsuits have been filed accusing Weinstein and his erstwhile company, The Weinstein Company of misconduct. The settlement would cover many of them, including a class action by alleged victims and a suit by the New York attorney general. Adam Harris, the attorney for Bob Weinstein, told Judge Mary Walrath of the US Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, said that an "economic agreement" has been reached, the outlet reported. Insurance policies would cover the USD 44 million amount, if the agreement is finalised. He still faced criminal charges, including one relating to rape, brought by two victims and is set to stand trial in New York in June.
NGT orders inspection of banquet halls in West Delhi
The National Green Tribunal has ordered fresh inspection of banquet halls in West Delhi and sought a report after a plea alleged that they were operating without requisite permissions. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to inspect the banquet and marriage halls in Punjabi Bagh here. The tribunal had earlier sought an action taken report in the matter from a joint committee comprising CPCB, DPCC, Punjabi Bagh District Magistrate and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. The report mentioned that only eight banquet halls were inspected, though there are many others in the area, NGT noted. "They could not produce building plans/maps. None of them have authorised parking arrangement. All had borewells but could not produce permission. Other deficiencies are also mentioned. The report filed by the DPCC is that three of the banquet halls was operating without consent to operate,"
50 children saved as global paedophile ring exposed
At least 50 children were saved after the Interpol uncovered an international paedophile ring that was sharing child abuse images on the dark web, the media reported on Friday.
Russian woman arrested by customs at Delhi airport for smuggling 'growth hormone'
A Russian woman was arrested by the customs officials at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country growth hormone medicines worth Rs 32 lakh, according to a statement issued Friday. The accused was intercepted after her arrival from Hongkong on Thursday, it said. A detailed personal and baggage search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of Zptropin anSomatropin medicines having total market value of Rs 32.16 lakh, the statement issued by the customs department said. The passenger is married to an Indian man. The duo run a chain of gyms in Haryana, mainly in Gurgaon. On enquiry, she revealed that her husband was waiting outside the airport to collect the medicines. "Based on her input, her husband was also apprehended from outside the Delhi airport," a senior customs official said. The duo were arrested and the medicines were seized. The medicines, which act as growth hormone, were smuggled into India for its further illegal sale to their gym members, the