Page 1762 - Law Crime
Settlement close in suit accusing NYPD of spying on Muslims
A lawsuit accusing the New York Police Department of illegally spying on Muslim groups in New Jersey after the September 11 attacks appears close to being settled. A federal judge said in an order filed last month that the parties had notified him that they had reached an agreement. He gave them 60 days to formalize it. Lawyers for the plaintiffs scheduled an announcement about the case Thursday. The suit followed reports by The Associated Press that revealed how the NYPD infiltrated Muslim student groups and put informants in mosques as part of a broad effort to prevent terrorist attacks. Last year, another judge approved a settlement in a suit making similar allegations by Muslim groups in New York City that their civil rights were being violated.
Main accused in morphing of women's photos taken into custody
A photo studio employee, the main accused in a case of alleged morphing ofphotographs of women at weddings and otherceremonies in and around Vadakara, about 50 km from here, was taken into custody today, police said. Bibish, the photo editor of the studio, was taken into custody from Idukki this morning,Circle Inspector of Vadakara, Madhusudhan, the Investigating Officer in the case, said. He was booked under Sections 66D (punishment for cheating by impersonation by using computer resources) and 67 (punishment for publishing and transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act and the relevant section of the Indian Penal Code, he said. Bibish has been accused of morphing pictures takenat ceremonies for circulation online for pornographic purposes. The studio owner and photographer were arrested a few days back, police said. The Kerala state Women's Commission had initiated a suo motu case and directed the District Police Chief to form a .
Centre revises pay scales of prosecutors in Delhi: HC told
The Centre today told the Delhi High Court that it had revised pay scales of prosecutors in the national capital, whose salaries were way below their counterparts in other states, with effect from yesterday. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the Centre to file a compliance report of its September 2015 order by which it had directed that the Delhi government's cabinet decision to increase pay scales of public prosecutors be implemented without any delay. Advocate Meera Bhatia, appearing for the Centre, informed the court that a three-member committee from three different ministries was constituted for taking the decision and the Home Ministry had agreed to give higher pay scale to the public prosecutors with effect from April 3, 2018. The contempt petition filed by Delhi Prosecutors Welfare Association has alleged "deliberate and willful disobedience" on the part of the Centre and the city government in complying with the court's 2015 ...
Businessman's driver held for faking Rs 14 lakh robbery
A businessman's driver has been arrested for faking a robbery in which he claimed Rs 14 lakh was snatched from him by unidentified bikers here, police said on Wednesday.
RJD leader blames "distorted" media report for contempt notice issued by Ranchi court
RJD national general secretary Bhola Yadav today blamed "distorted" media reports on his views on party chief Lalu Prasad's latest conviction in a fodder scam case for a Ranchi court's contempt notice issued yesterday to him. In a statement issued here, Yadav, who is an RJD MLA and Prasad's close confidant, said, "It has been the RJD's stand all through that Lalu is not getting justice because of the biased investigation by the CBI. I had made a statement to this effect while leaving for Delhi last month." "Since I was in Delhi by the side of Prasad, who is ill and undergoing treatment at AIIMS, I could not notice how my opinion was presented in the media. The Hindi newspaper report cited by the court is a distorted one and I urge the newspaper to publish a corrigendum," Yadav said. Special CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh has summoned Yadav on April 19, taking note of a report which had appeared on March 29 in a multi-edition Hindi daily. While issuing the notice, the judge said that the RJD
Naxal arrested in Gadchiroli district
The Gadchiroli police in Maharashtra have arrested a Naxal who, alongwith his associates, was allegedly planning an attack at a weekly market at Murumgaon in Dhanora teshil of the district. Police had received a tip-off about the presence of four or five Naxals at the weekly market yesterday, said a press release from the Gadchiroli superintendent of police. When a police team spotted them, the Naxals opened fire, it said. But the police managed to nab Harish alias Santosh Potavi (24), resident of Markegaon in Dhanora tehsil, the release said, adding that other Naxals fled. They were planning an attack at the weekly market, it claimed. Potavi is a member of the Tipagad Dalam of the Naxals, and was carrying a reward of Rs two lakh on his head, it said. Meanwhile, Gadchiroli police have identified the third Naxal, a woman, who was killed in an encounter in Sirkonda jungle in the district yesterday. She was identified as Vandana Kausi, resident of Mand, Pankhunjur in the ...
Paswan accuses Mayawati of double standards on support to Dalit protests
BJP ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan today accused BSP chief Mayawati of "double standards" over her support to the protests by Dalits against a Supreme Court order on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, saying she as Uttar Pradesh chief minister had ordered against its misuse as well. Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader from Bihar, said the erstwhile Mayawati government had issued a guideline in October 2007 against the misuse of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and said that police should register a case only after probing a complaint made under this law. "She has been exposed. On the one hand she as chief minister asked police not to register a case without probe and weakened the law and on the other she offers support to Dalit youths protesting against the Supreme Court order. It shows her double standards. She has no moral right to say so," the Lok Janshakti Party chief said. He said Mayawati was "misleading" Dalits and her BSP was
Brazil's Supreme Court to rule on prison for Lula
Brazil's supreme court is to rule today on whether former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva should start a 12 year prison sentence for corruption, potentially upending this year's presidential election. The court showdown in the capital Brasilia is a key battle for Brazil's deeply polarised electorate ahead of the October polls, in which Lula is currently the heavy favourite, despite his legal problems. Late yesterday, up to 20,000 people demonstrated in Brazil's biggest city, Sao Paulo, to demand Lula go to prison and be barred from the election. More protests -- for and against Lula -- were planned in Brasilia today, with demonstrators separated by a metal barrier and heavy police presence. The head of the army, General Eduardo Villas Boas, tweeted that the military shared Brazilians' "desire for the repudiation of impunity." The comment, likely to be seen as backing prison for Lula, was a rare foray into politics by a general in a country that was under military dictatorship for .
Kashmir unrest: Satisfied with probe, SC quashes contempt against top J&K police officers
Top police officers of Jammu and Kashmir have been exonerated from contempt charges by the Supreme Court which accepted the probe findings of the state police that a 26-year-old youth was killed by pellet injuries in 2016 and not shot at point-blank during massive protests as alleged by his father. The top court said that the report of autopsy conducted on the body of Shabir Ahmad Mir after exhuming it, has found that "the fired lead pellets correspond to the shot from a standard shotgun cartridge" and "the CFSL report also established recovery of pellets from the dead body, which rules out the use of pistol as alleged". A bench of justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul quashed the contempt proceedings initiated against SSP, Srinagar and the IGP, Jammu & Kashmir and said that even the father, mother and sister of the deceased have retracted from their version in statements recorded before the magistrate. The bench said Jammu and Kashmir Police has concluded the ...
Woman killed, 3 injured as car mows them down in Kota
A 35-year-old woman was killed and three others severely injured when they were hit from behind by a speeding vehicle near Jhalipura village here, police said. Four women, identified as Dharmabai Bhand (35), Mamtabai Bhand (35), Sheelabai (35) and Pappdibai Bhand (25), all residents of the Borekheda area here, were hit by a speeding car when they were walking back to home, ASI Rambharose Metha said. All four women belong to a tribal community and earn their livelihood by singing songs to truck drivers and roadside shopkeepers, the ASI said. They were rushed to the Maharao Bhim Singh (MBS) hospital after the accident. Dharmabai succumbed to injuries during treatment, he said, adding that the others were severely injured and undergoing treatment. The victim's body was handed over to her family members after postmortem, Mehta said. A case under sections 337, 279 and 304 (A) of IPC was lodged against the driver of the unidentified car, the ASI said, adding that further investigation was ..
Mayawati's U-turn: As CM had favoured curbing misuse of SC/ST Act
BSP president Mayawati supported Monday's 'Bharat bandh' organised by Dalit outfits against what they claimed was "dilution" of the SC/ST Act by a Supreme Court order, but as Uttar Pradesh chief minister she had herself initiated steps to check the misuse of the law. Mayawati said she supported the protests against the changes in the SC/ST law but condemned the violence that took place blaming anti-social elements for it. Various Dalit organisations had called for a nation-wide shutdown or a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the apex court ruling. The court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. BSP backed the bandh but in in 2007 when it was in power, as chief minister, Mayawati had issued two orders to safeguard against the misuse of the Act or false implication of innocent people. In an order issued on October 29, 2007, by then UP chief secretary Prashant ...
Govt plans to have more NCLT benches
The government plans to have more benches of the National Company Law Tribunal on the basis of case load, a senior official said today amid rising number of insolvency cases coming up before the NCLT. Currently, there are 11 NCLT benches in different parts of the country, including two in the national capital. Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas said the strength of the NCLT would be doubled shortly. According to him, around 16,000 cases have been disposed of by the tribunal in the last one-and-a-half years. "Based on case load, there is a definite plan to have new benches and new courts," he said. Matters related to companies law as well as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) come up before the tribunal. A case is admitted for resolution under the Code only after approval from the NCLT. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) Chairman M S Sahoo said more than 650 corporate debtors have been admitted into resolution. Out of them, around 90 have exited either by ...
Setalvad, Anand move Bombay HC for pre-arrest bail
Social activist Teesta Setalvad and her associate Javed Anand today moved the Bombay High Court, seeking 'transit anticipatory bail' in a case of alleged misappropriation of Central government's funds by them. After a brief hearing on the plea, a bench of Revati Mohite-Dere said she would pass appropriate order on the plea tomorrow. The case was registered by Ahmedabad Crime Branch last week, on a complaint accusing Setalvad and Anand of 'fraudulently' securing grants of Rs 1.4 crore from the Union government through their NGO Sabrang Trust between 2008 and 2013. As per the Gujarat police, the funds had been ostensibly obtained to help the victims of the 2002 post-Godhra Gujarat riots, but were misappropriated or used for other purposes. The complaint was registered under sections 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) of the Indian Penal Code. Senior counsel ...
Court grants anticipatory bail to Karti's CA in INX Media case
A Delhi court today granted anticipatory bail to Karti Chidambaram's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman in the CBI's INX Media case, and directed him to cooperate in the investigation. Special Judge Sunil Rana granted the relief to Bhaskararaman, noting that the main accused, Karti Chidambaram, had already been granted bail by the Delhi High Court in the case on March 23. "Applicant (Bhaskararaman) was earlier granted bail in the case of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 13 subject to certain terms and conditions and in compliance with one of the conditions, he had already surrendered his passport with the ED. "In these circumstances, it can be said that there is no apprehension that the applicant is at a flight risk and there is no material to suggest that applicant will tamper with the evidence, as he had already handed over the documents to the CBI which were in his possession and knowledge," the court said. It further said that for the purpose of interrogating the ...
DNA test confirms J&K nomad minor rape victim kept inside temple
DNA tests of the nomadic girl raped and murdered in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district in January this year have confirmed that she was held captive inside a temple before being murder, police officials said on Wednesday.
UK pensioner arrested for murder after burglar stabbed to death
British police arrested a pensioner on suspicion of murder today after a suspected burglar at his home in southeast London was fatally stabbed to death. Officers detained the 78-year-old homeowner after responding to his call reporting a burglary in progress in the early hours of Wednesday and finding a man, aged 38, with a stab wound nearby, police said. "The 78-year-old resident found two males inside the address," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. One suspect, armed with a screwdriver, forced the elderly man into his kitchen when he discovered them inside his home in the Hither Green area, while the other suspect went upstairs, the force added. A struggle ensued between the homeowner and one of the men. "The man, aged 38, sustained a stab wound to the upper body," the statement said. The stabbing victim was found collapsed in a nearby road by paramedics, who took him to a central London hospital where he later died, police said. The pensioner suffered bruising to his ...
Ex-PNB manager sentenced to 7 years RI in disproportionate assets case
A CBI court today sentenced a former branch manager of Punjab National Bank to seven years rigorous imprisonment for amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The special court convicted Sh Bora Satya Rao, former branch manager, PNB, R P Road Branch, Secunderabad, and sentenced him for the offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, a CBI release said. A fine of Rs 25 lakh was also imposed on him. The court also ordered forfeiting an amount of Rs 1,34,56,644 to the government coffers and ordered sale of immovable properties in case Rao failed to deposit the amount, it said. The court ordered appropriating the fine amount of Rs 25 lakh out of surplus money realised on sale of assets. On July 5, 2011, the CBI registered a case against Rao based on information that he had amassed assets disproportionate to known sources of income to the tune of Rs 30,36,151 during April 2005-January 2008. During investigation, the CBI unearthed large number of movable assets ...
J&K: Criminal investigation, magisterial probe ordered in Ganderbal youth's death
A criminal investigation as well as a departmental inquiry has been launched into the death of a youth in Ganderbal district earlier this week by the Jammu and Kashmir police which has also placed a constable under suspension, a senior official said. Besides, a magisterial probe has also been ordered into the incident. Deputy Inspector General V K Birdi has been asked to complete a departmental inquiry into the case involving the death of Kangan-resident Gowhar Ahmed Rather, the official added. According to initial police reports, Rather had fallen in a drain when the police were chasing an irate mob in Kangan on Monday. The mob, according to the reports, was indulging in stone pelting to protest killing of 13 militants in Shopian. As Gowhar's condition worsened, he was shifted to hospital in Srinagar where he succumbed to injuries last evening. The doctors, who conducted the post-mortem, found a piece of metal in his head which was sent to a forensic laboratory for examination, the ..
Serbia sentences seven for Syria-related 'terrorism'
A Belgrade court sentenced today seven people to up to 11-year jail terms for joining jihadist groups and recruiting fighters for the Syrian war, in the first such trial in Serbia. The defendants were "found guilty of terrorism charges as well as financing terrorism and recruiting and training fighters" to go to Syria, the special tribunal for organised crime said in a statement. They were accused of fundraising money in the Balkans region and western Europe to finance, recruit and train a number of Serbian citizens for the Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front groups in Syria. Four defendants denied charges. Another three were tried and sentenced in absentia. According to local media, they are believed to have been killed in Syria. The men received jail sentences ranging from seven to 11 years. The defence attorneys said they would appeal the verdict. Around 1,000 people from the western Balkans are estimated to have left to fight in Syria and Iraq since 2012. However official figures ...
226 arrested for Bandh violence in MP
Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested 226 people in connection with the Bharat Bandh violence, said a senior police official on Wednesday.Addressing a press conference here, Makrand Deuskar, IG, Law and Order, Madhya Pradesh, said that these arrests have been made from three districts of the state: Gwalior, Bhind, Morena."We have arrested 75 people from Gwalior, 50 from Bhind and 111 from Morena in connection with Bharat Bandh violence," Deuskar said.He, however, admitted that police have not been able to arrest Raja Chauhan as yet.Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against 'Raja Chouhan' - allegedly the man seen firing shots at a mob in Gwalior during Monday's bandh.He has been booked under IPC Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).The death toll in Madhya Pradesh due to violent protests during the nationwide bandh called by several Dalit organisations has reached seven after one more person succumbed to injuries on Tuesday.Police foiled an attempt to storm the residence of