Page 1737 - Law Crime
Kathua rape-murder case: Crime Branch files charge sheet against 7 of 8 accused
The Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police probing the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl today filed a charge sheet against seven of the eight accused in the case at a court in Kathua, amid protest by local lawyers. The charge sheet against seven of the eight accused in the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kathua, a senior police officer told PTI. Accompanied by the accused, a team of crime branch faced stiff resistance from the members of Kathua Bar Association who chanted go back crime branch slogans during filing of the charge sheet. The charge sheet has been filed against seven of the eight accused, while a separate charge sheet is being filed against the other shortly, the officer said, declining to comment on the protest by the lawyers. However, the Kathua bar association claimed that the crime branch was compelled to leave the premises without filing the charge sheet. The body of the girl, from the ...
Naroda Gam: Defence says call records destroyed as part of conspiracy
Arguing for arraignment of former IPS officer Rahul Sharma in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots case, defence lawyer Chetan Shah today said call records of top officials in the case went missing as part of a conspiracy against the accused. Shah told special SIT judge M K Dave that the CD went missing because it contained call details of some of the top officials in the case and could have served as vital evidence in support of those accused in the case. He said the CD was destroyed as part of a conspiracy hatched against the accused by the then UPA government, adding that the duplicate CD did not have call details of top officials. The matter will be heard further on April 11. Shah was earlier asked by the court to prove how Sharma destroyed the CD, in order for the latter to be made an accused for destruction of evidence, after Shah moved an application alleging that Sharma had misplaced the original CD. He had told the court that the CD containing important call details of state ...
More transparency needed in collegium meetings: Justice Chelameswar
Batting for more transparency in collegium meetings, the second senior most judge of the apex court, Justice J Chelameswar today said a proper performance assessment of high court judges for elevation to the top court was hardly done. The judge was speaking during a panel discussion titled 'The Indian Higher Judiciary: Issues and Prospects'. He said the authorities involved in the process of selection must place their assessment on record to eliminate further problems. "What exactly goes on in collegium meetings and what is the nature of assessment undertaken at the time of choosing a particular name is required to be a little more transparent. "An assessment of performance of a high court judge, I am talking about elevation to the Supreme Court, is hardly done. Generally the assessment goes by impression," Justice Chelameswar said. During a discussion on reforms required in the apex court, the judge on a lighter note said with the sanctioned strength of the top court being 31 judges,
Minor girl molested by police head constable in Sikkim
A minor girl was allegedly molested by a police head constable in Sikkim's East district, police said today. The 11-year-old girl had two days back gone to the house of the head constable at Noapgaon locality of the district to deliver curd when she was allegedly molested by the cop, they said. After molesting her, the accused had given her Rs 50 for the curd and another Rs 50 to buy sweets in a bid to buy her silence, the police said. The girl reported the incident to the police which after preliminary probe lodged an FIR under different sections of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the head constable, ADGP (Law and Order) Sudhakar Rao said. The accused head constable has been arrested and suspended from service, the ADGP said.
6, including 3 women, held for honey trapping and extortion
Six people, including three women, have been arrested in Keshavpuram area of the city for allegedly honey trapping their victims and extorting money from them, the police said today. Joint Commissioner (Crime) of Police Alok Kumar said the gang used to lure people from different parts of Delhi and other cities through online dating sites and WhatsApp, and extort money after honey trapping them. A written complaint was received by police from a computer professional that he was honey-trapped and thrashed by four men posing as policemen and a mediaperson to extort Rs 25,000 from him at a flat in Keshavpuram on April 1. Acting on the complaint, a team of crime branch officials raided the flat on April 7 after deploying a decoy customer and nabbed three women. They also arrested one Sameer Siddiqui and Sanjay, the officer said. Another member of the gang, Suraj, was arrested later. Of the six accused, five were presented in a court yesterday which sent the three women in judicial custody .
Man opens fire at his father, relative
A 22-year-old man today shot at his father and a relative with a country-made gun injuring them after an argument allegedly over scolding his mother at a family function at Kinchuru, about 100 kms from here, police said. The injured were admitted to a hospital and their condition was not serious, police said, adding, a search was on to nab the accused, P Balaji. Balaji's father Pothuraju had invited his relatives for the function. Angry over not enough soft drinks being served to the invitees, Pothuraju scolded his wife in front of the relatives, police said. Apparently upset over his mother being "insulted" before the invitees, Balaji entered into a heated argument with his father and his relative Sanyasi Babu and in a fit anger, fired at them, police said. A case was registered against Balaji, who is absconding after the incident, under various sections of IPC, police said.
37 convicted in fodder scam case
A special CBI court today convicted 37 persons in a fodder scam case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 34.92 crore between 1991-92 and 1995-96 from Dumka treasury. Judge Shiv Pal Singh found the 37 persons guilty in the case under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Five persons were acquitted in the case. Former officials of the animal husbandry department and treasury, and fodder suppliers were among the convicted persons. The argument on their sentence will commence from tomorrow. A charge-sheet against 72 persons was filed in 2001 in the court of a special judge at Patna. Upon bifurcation of the state in 2000, the trial of the case was transferred to the special judge's court at Ranchi. Seventeen of the accused expired during trial, while one was discharged by the high court. Five accused persons turned approvers during the course of the trial. Two other accused also expired after being convicted and five are still absconding.
Two Guj cops suspended for protest at Athawale's Surat presser
An inspector and a constable of Umra police station were today suspended for negligence for Sunday's incident where three Dalit men barged in and protested at a press conference of Union Minister Ramdas Athawale. "I have suspended Umra police station inspector S B Bharwad and a police constable. A departmental inquiry has been initiated against them," Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said. The three, identified as Kunal Sonawane, Manoj Paide and Dipak Sathave, were arrested after Sonawane went around the dais where Athawale was sitting, and placed a black cloth on his shoulder as a mark of protest. "Prima facie there is a case of negligence on the part of the two policemen. They were responsible for security and should have been around the minister. They should have kept an eye on everybody at the press conference," Sharma said. Sonawane, an activist, had told reporters that he was upset about Athawale keeping mum on the "atrocities" against the community despite ...
After 45 years, SC acquits 4 in brutal murder case
After 45 years, the Supreme Court today acquitted four persons in a "brutal" murder case giving them the benefit of doubt, while holding one guilty of the ghastly crime. The top court upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of a village "strongman" for the murder in which the dead body was cut into two pieces and thrown at different places. A bench comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi and Mohan M Shantanagoudar said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against convict Kameshwar Singh. It, however, gave benefit of doubt to Tarkeshwar Singh, Bahadur Ram Kahar, Bikarma Dusadh and Nagina Koiri and ordered their release. The apex court was hearing an appeal filed against Patna High Court order which had confirmed the life imprisonment granted by a trial court to all the five convicts. On October 14, 1973, seven accused persons killed one Gupteshwar Singh at around midnight in Sasaram district of Bihar. The police had later recovered the dead body cut into two pieces, ...
Couple pose as car dealer executives to steal vehicles, arrested
A couple has been arrested from west Delhi for allegedly impersonating executives of an authorised car dealer in the city and stealing vehicles on the pretext of car servicing, police said today. On March 6, Tilak Vihar police post received a complaint from Hardev Singh who alleged that he was contacted by a woman on phone claiming to be an executive of DD Motors, DCP (West) Vijay Kumar said. She told him that his car's servicing was due. A man came to his house on March 4, and Singh handed him his car, Kumar said. Later, when he tried calling back on the phone number used by the woman, it was switched off. When he contacted the authorised dealer, he learnt that no call was made to him for the servicing of his car. A case was registered and probe launched during which technical surveillance and inputs led the police to Devendra, 24, and Bhawna, 22. They were arrested from Ring Road near Khayala drain on April 7 and the stolen car was also recovered, said the officer. During ...
Finland's first terror trial opens over 2017 stabbings
A rare terror trial opened today in Finland in the case of a Moroccan asylum-seeker and alleged Islamic State sympathizer charged with fatally stabbing two people and wounding eight others. Abderrahman Bouanane was led handcuffed into a makeshift courtroom set up inside a prison in Turku, the southwestern Finnish city where the August 18, 2017 attack took place. Some of the victims were present in court. The stabbing rampage at Turku's main market square lasted some three minutes and left two women dead and six women and two men wounded, some of them seriously. State Prosecutor Hannu Koistinen has charged Bouanane with two counts of terror-related murder and eight counts of attempted murder with a terror-related motive, the first terror-related charges issued in Finland. Prosecutors allege that Bouanane, who was born in 1994, wanted to spread fear among citizens and likely wished to be shot by police and die as a martyr. "We find that Bouanane's intention was to carry out a terror ...
Charge-sheet presented against 7 in Kathua rape case
The Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch on Monday presented in the court of Kathua's Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) a charge-sheet against seven people accused of raping and murdering an eight-year old 'Bakerwal' (Nomadic) girl.
SC grants protection to Teesta Setalvad, her husband from arrest till May 31
The Supreme Court on Monday extended, till May 31, the interim protection from arrest ti social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand in a case relating to fund embezzlement.
Tejpal case: SC asks Goa court to complete trial in a year
The Supreme Court on Monday directed a Goa court to complete, within a year, the trial against Tehelka's former editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, charged with raping a junior colleague in Goa in 2013.
Couple who duped car owners arrested in Delhi
Police have arrested a couple who robbed car owners by pretending to be executives of an automobile dealer.
SC asks Centre to file Cauvery mgmt scheme by May 3
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to frame a draft Cauvery management scheme and file it by May 3 for implementation of its judgement on distribution of water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments to ensure that peace prevails till it finalises the Cauvery management scheme for implementation of its judgment on water distribution. The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, was critical of the fact that despite a specific direction on the setting up of the scheme within six weeks, the Centre has been unable to do so. It said the court had considered the award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) while deciding the water share of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry in its judgement. Concurring with the grievances of Tamil Nadu, it said the entire judgment has to be complied with by all the stakeholders. It said once the Centre places ...
NCRB to prepare annual database on crime against journalists
The National Crime Records Bureau will now collect data on crime against journalists on an annual basis, including that of murder, attempt to murder, assault and intimidation, starting this year, a statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs said. In a communication to the Press Club of India (PCI), the ministry said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has so far been collecting data on attacks on media persons through monthly crime statistics, including the cases registered and persons arrested. "In addition, the bureau would now be collecting data on crime against journalists on annual basis for murder, attempt to murder, assault, intimidation etc through a revised proforma which would include cases registered, persons arrested and disposal of cases. "Accordingly, a database for above cases will be created from 2018 onwards," said the MHA's letter to PCI chief Gautam Lahiri. The decision comes after a delegation of journalists placed such a demand in front of Home Minister ...
Unnao rape case: BJP MLA refuses to resign
Bhartiya Janata Party Unnao MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on Monday refuses to resign from his post following the allegations of rape against him.Speaking to the media, Sengar said, "If somebody's name crops up into some issue does not mean that he shall resign".He further went on to dismiss the entire incident by saying that the allegations are completely wrong.Earlier on Monday, six police personnel were suspended and four accused were arrested for allegedly beating up the victim's father in the jail who had passed away earlier on the same day after suffering from abdominal pain and vomiting.The deceased's family members had alleged his murder while he was in the police custody.On April 8 a woman along with her family members tried to commit suicide in front of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath 's residence in Lucknow, alleging that she was raped by Senger and his fellow accomplices. Later the victim's father was arrested from the location.The family had filed an FIR in the ...
SC reserves order on plea for specialised benches, composition of benches
The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its order on a plea seeking the framing of Rules for constituting benches including the composition of constitution benches and the creation of subject centric benches.
DTO arrested for involvement in APSC cash-for-job scam
The District Transport Officer (DTO) of Sonitpur was arrested today on the charge of being involvement in the APSC cash-for-job scam, police said. It has been alleged that the DTO, Prasenjit Kumar Ghosh, had got his job through unfair means during the tenure of former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Paul who has been arrested in 2016. Ghosh was taken into custody while he was returning from an official conference at the Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner's office here, Additional Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta said. He was arrested and sent to the custody of Guwahati Special Investigation Branch, Mahatta said. Ghosh, who was earlier posted as Kamrup (Metro) District Transport Officer (Enforcement), was transferred as Sonitpur DTO on March 11 after his name had cropped up in connection with the scam. Former APSC chairman Rakesh Paul was arrested on November 4, 2016 on charges of accepting money in exchange of jobs to those taking examinations ...