Page 184 - Law Crime
Collegium recommends names for appointment as chief justices of 4 HCs
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended names of four high court judges for their appointment as chief justices of the high courts of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana. As per May 10 resolutions uploaded on the apex court website, a three-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, recommended to the Centre the name of Justice D N Patel for his appointment as the chief justice of Delhi High Court. Similarly, the Collegium has recommended names of Justices A A Kureshi, V Ramasubramanian and R S Chauhan for their appointment as chief justices of high courts of Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana respectively. "Office of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court would be falling vacant very shortly, consequent upon retirement of Justice Rajendra Menon, chief justice of that high court. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made," the Collegium, also comprising Justices S A Bobde and N V Ramana, said. "Justice D N ..
There cannot be any reservation in qualifying examinations, says SC
"For qualifying examinations there cannot be any reservation," the Supreme Court clarified on Monday while hearing a plea seeking 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker section in Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET)-2019. A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna said that reservation of any class comes into play only during admissions. "For qualifying examinations there cannot be any reservations. This is wholly misconceived. This (CTET) is merely a qualifying examination. The issue of reservation will come up only at the time of admission," the bench said. When the counsel appearing for petitioner Rajneesh Kumar Pandey and others referred to the notification for CTET examination which is to be held on July 7, the bench shot back, "The notification for the examination does not give any reservation to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe either." The bench, which dismissed the plea after making the observations, later agreed to hear it on May 16 after ...
Iranian British Council employee sentenced 10 years for 'spying': judiciary
An Iranian woman who worked for the British Council was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "spying", the judiciary's news website Mizan Online reported Monday, sparking concern in London. "An Iranian citizen in charge of the Iran desk at the... British Council was cooperating with English spying agencies," Mizan reported, quoting judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. He did not identify the suspect, but said she had been sentenced recently after she "made a straightforward confession". Esmaili added that the suspect, who had been tasked with drawing up and managing cultural "infiltration" projects, had been arrested by Iranian intelligence and security agencies "more than a year ago". The United Kingdom's foreign ministry voiced concern over the sentence. "We are very concerned by reports that an Iranian British Council employee has been sentenced to jail on charges of espionage," a spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office told AFP. "British Embassy officials in ...
2G case: Shahid Balwa and three others have planted 500 trees each, HC told
The Delhi High Court was informed on Monday by Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa and three others, whose acquittals in the 2G spectrum allocation case were challenged by the CBI and the ED, that they had planted 500 trees each in pursuance to its earlier direction. The court had in February directed Swan Telecom Pvt. Ltd. (STPL) promoter Balwa, former Telecom minister A Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, director of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt. Ltd. Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal to plant 500 trees each here as penalty for seeking more time to file their responses to the appeal of CBI challenging their acquittal. The counsel for Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) sought time to file an affidavit to see whether the court's earlier has been complied with in its letter and spirit. Justice A K Chawla said let the affidavit be filed by the DCF in two weeks before the next date of hearing, that is, October 24. In separate applications, filed through advocates ...
SC pulls up Bihar govt for delay in appeal, says authorities can't approach court as they please
The Supreme Court has "strongly deprecated" the "casual manner" in which Bihar has filed an appeal before it after a delay of over 700 days and said a clear signal has to be sent to the government authorities that they cannot approach the court as and when they please. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Indira Banerjee dismissed the appeal filed by the Bihar government in a service matter and imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 on the state, saying it was a "complete wastage" of judicial time. The apex court noted that an appeal against the division bench order of the Patna High Court was filed before it after a delay of 728 days and the state sought condonation of this "extraordinary" delay stating that it took time to obtain all the sanction from the respective departments and receive the affidavit. "We are of the view that a clear signal has to be sent to the government authorities that they cannot approach the court as and when they please, on account of gross incompetence
2 killed as car falls in ditch in Shahjahanpur
Two persons were killed after the car they were travelling in fell in a ditch in Sehramau area here on Monday, police said. The deceased were identified as Anwar, 42, and Shagufta, 35, they said. The bodies of the victims were later taken out with the help of locals and sent for post-mortem. A probe is on in the matter.
Sweden to re-open rape investigation against Julian Assange
Sweden will re-open an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, prosecutors said on Monday.47-year old Assange was arrested last month from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in a British prison for skipping bail to avoid being sent to Sweden.Today's announcement by Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutors, Eva-Marie Persson, means that Assange now faces likely extradition from Britain, reported Al Jazeera."My assessment is there is still probably cause [to investigate] rape and a lesser offence," Persson told media here."My intention is to submit to the district court today to appoint a public defender. It is also my intention in the near future [to ask] that the district court order Mr Assange remanded in absentia," she added.The Australian whistleblower has denied the allegations against him, asserting that they were politically motivated.It should be recalled here that the United States, too, has requested the
In first for Somalia, DNA used to convict rapists
Somalia has for the first time used DNA evidence to obtain a criminal conviction, sentencing three men to death Sunday for the gang-rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, the Bureau of Forensic Science said. The country got its first-ever forensic laboratory in 2017 in the semiautonomous state of Puntland, seeking to tackle widespread sexual violence in a country where two decades of conflict and turmoil have put justice out of reach for most. The bureau said in a statement that Somalia had "joined, for the first time, the rest of the world in utilising science to solve a heinous criminal case". In February, the kidnapping of 12-year-old Aisha Ilyas Adan -- who was gang-raped and tortured to death, her body dumped outside her parents home -- sparked outrage and protests in the region. Human Rights Watch has described rape as "normal" in Somalia, with police often failing to take cases seriously. The Puntland state government enacted a Sexual Offences Act in 2016, which criminalised ..
SC to hear on May 17 plea against Delhi HC order on IAS, IPS officers' cadre allocation
The Supreme Court on Monday decided to hear on Friday a plea challenging the order of the Delhi High Court quashing cadre allocation of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Services (IPS) officers of 2018 batch.The matter was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna which agreed to hear the petition filed by the Union of India (UoI) challenging the high court's verdict.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told the vacation bench that the high court has asked the government to carry out the entire allocation afresh.He contended that the recruits have already undergone training and were to join their respective cadres from May 10.The high court's order had come on four petitions filed by the officers of the 2018 batch challenging the Centre's notification allocating cadres to candidates of the Indian Police Service on the basis of the results of the Civil Services Examination, 2017.The petitioners had contended .
German police start autopsies in mystery crossbow deaths
German forensic investigators were performing autopsies Monday on three people found dead in a hotel room with crossbow bolts in their heads and chests, police said. Detectives were hoping for clues to the mysterious deaths of one man and two women in the Bavarian town of Passau near the Austrian border. The corpses, all of German citizens, were discovered by hotel staff Saturday around noon, alongside two crossbows. A third crossbow was later found packed inside a bag, police said. The three were a 33-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man from Rhineland-Palatinate state and a 30-year-old woman from Lower Saxony, who had arrived Friday. "There are currently no indications that other persons were involved," said police spokesman Stefan Gaisbauer. Local media reported that the man and the 33-year-old woman were found dead in the bed, holding hands, with bolts in their heads and chests, while the 30-year-old woman was found lying on the floor with a bolt in her chest. Reports said the ...
Mumbai airport: Tanzanian woman held with US dollars worth Rs 10 lakh
A Tanzanian woman was Monday apprehended by the CISF at the airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle out US dollars worth over Rs 10 lakh, a senior official of the force said. He said N Sabihaabdi was intercepted by a woman sub-officer of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) around 4 am at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport when she was being frisked before taking a flight to Dubai. A total of 14,330 US dollars were recovered from under the clothes of the woman, holding a passport of Tanzania, and also from her handbag, the officer said. The foreign currency is worth about Rs 10.05 lakh and the woman was handed over to Customs officials at the airport for further investigation about the source of the money, he said.
Iranian British Council worker sentenced to 10 years for 'spying': Judiciary
An Iranian woman who worked for the British Council was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "spying", the judiciary's news website Mizan Online reported Monday. "An Iranian citizen in charge of the Iran desk at the English cultural council called British Council was cooperating with English spying agencies," it said quoting judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. He said the sentence was handed down recently and did not identify the suspect who "had made a straightforward confession and was sentenced to 10 years by the court". Esmaili added that the suspect, who had been tasked with drawing up and managing cultural "infiltration" projects, had been arrested by Iranian intelligence and security agencies "more than a year ago". The British Council is a cultural and educational organisation overseas but according to its website it is not "physically present" in Iran. Iranian authorities shut down the British Council more than a decade ago for what Esmaili described as "illegal ...
Court posts questioning of Sasikala in FERA case to May 28 citing inadequate facilities
An Economic Offences Court here on Monday posted to May 28 the questioning of former AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala in a decades old FERA case, citing inadequate facilities as on date to record her answers. When the case came up before the Economic Offences (EO) Court, days after the Madras High Court allowed Sasikala to appear for questioning through video conference from a Bengaluru prison, Judge S Malarmathi posted the matter for hearing to May 28. Sasikala, a former AIADMK leader and aide of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, is serving sentence in a disproportionate assets case in the Parapana Agrahara Central Prison at Bengaluru. Special Public Prosecutor (Enforcement Directorate) G Hema told reporters, "due to inadequate facilities like non-availability of a stenographer," as on date, the questioning has been posted by the court to the last week of the month. Following Sasikala's questioning through video conference under section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ...
Teenagar, youth held for sexual assault in separate cases
A 17-year old boy and a 22-year old man have been arrested in separate cases of alleged sexual assault on girls, police said Monday. The boy, who is a relative of a eight-year-old girl allegedly sexually assaulted her when she visited his house, the police said. When the girl reported the abuse to her parents, they lodged a police complaint and a probe disclosed that the 17-year-old had sexually assaulted her. He was arrested and sent to a government home, police said. M Azaruddin (22) allegedly sexually assaulted a 17-year old girl after taking her out on a trip. He had allegedly befriended the girl when she visited a mobile phone retail outlet, police said adding he has been lodged in the Puzhal prison after producing him in a court. Both the teenager and the man have been arrested under the POCSO Act.
14-yr-old boy held for raping minor girl in Maha
A teen-aged boy was detained for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl at the Shirdi temple town in Maharashtra's Ahmedanagar district, police said on Monday. The boy, aged 14 years, took the girl to an isolated spot at Nimgaon village, located around three km from here, where he allegedly raped her on Sunday evening, Shirdi police station in-charge Anil Katake said. The girl later informed about the incident to her parents who approached the police, he said. A medical checkup of the boy and the girl was conducted at the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital following which the accused was detained and sent to an observation home, the police official said. A case was registered against the boy under Indian Penal Code Section 376 (rape) and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said.
SC collegium recommends Justice V Ramasubramanian as CJ of Himachal HC
Justice V Ramasubramanian, the senior-most judge of the Madras High Court, has been elevated as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, according to a resolution passed by the Supreme Court collegium. The collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, passed the resolution on May 10. In its resolution, the Supreme Court collegium said, "The office of the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court would be falling vacant, very shortly consequent upon elevation of Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of that High Court, to the Supreme Court, in terms of a recommendation made by the collegium on May 8." Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made, the SC said. Justice V Ramasubramanian, the senior-most Judge from Madras High Court, is functioning on transfer in Telangana High Court. Having regard to all relevant factors, the collegium is of the considered view that Justice V Ramasubramanian is suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief
Raj CM says govt will take steps to improve police functioning; to appoint DSP (women-safety)
Facing flak over the Alwar gang-rape case, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Monday said his government will take steps to improve the functioning and efficiency of the police so it becomes a model for the country. A new post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (women-safety) is being created in districts for monitoring cases of crime against women, Gehlot said at a press conference. He said several actions were taken when the Alwar gang-rape case was brought to light and new changes in the system were being made so that the complainant is heard and her grievance redressed. "We want that if a complainant goes to police station, she is heard and well treated. If the complaint is not lodged at the police station then it has to be registered at the SP office," he said. Besides, he said, Superintendent of Police (SPs) and Inspector-General of Police (IGs) will forward confidential reports about their subordinates to the government and the chief minister will do a review once in every ..
Gang-raped, sold, turned away by police; widow sets herself on fire
A widow in Muradabad set herself on fire last month after she was gang-raped and sold for Rs 10,000 by her parents and later allegedly turned away by Hapur Police. With more than 80 per cent burns, the victim is struggling for life at a hospital in Delhi.The victim has been identified as a resident of a village under Babugarh police jurisdiction in Hapur. She was allegedly gang-raped in 2016.Disgruntled after Babugarh Police allegedly refused to pay heed to her complaints, the woman shifted to Muraradabad city out of shame, and set her ablaze last month, the police said.An FIR was registered against 16 people on Sunday and the matter is being investigated after a video clip of her allegations went viral on social media."The woman set herself on fire in Civil Lines area of Muradabad. Investigating officer Arun Giri has been directed to record the statement of the victim and the villagers. We will take further action based on the report," Hapur's Superintendent of Police, Yadhvir Singh .
Woman who accused Monserratte of rape goes missing
The woman who lodged a rape case against former Goa minister and Congress' Panaji bypoll nominee Atanasio Monserratte has gone missing from a rehabilitation facility here, police said on Monday. Verna police inspector Sandesh Chodankar said the woman, who charged Monserratte with drugging and raping her in 2016 when she was a minor, was undergoing rehabilitation at a facility in South Goa district from where she went missing on April 28. Last month, a missing person complaint was lodged and later on May 10, the police registered an FIR for offence of abduction against an unknown person, Chodankar said, adding that efforts were on to trace the woman. Monserratte, who is contesting the upcoming Panaji Assembly bypoll on Congress' ticket, was booked in May 2016 for allegedly raping the woman in March that year, when she was 17 years' old. A charge sheet was later filed against him by the police in the district court of North Goa. Auda Viegas, director of a South Goa-based ..
Demand intensifies for tougher law to deal with rapists
Muslim clerics and leaders have endorsed the demand of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to implement the Shariah in view of the rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora.Muslim cleric Sajid Rashidi said: "In Sharia law, there are two punishments for rape -- a married man has a different punishment as compared to an unmarried man. Sharia law says, a married man should be stoned to death in public for a rape. An unmarried man should be belted 100 times publicly."A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a local boy in Bandipora district. Police have arrested the accused, identified as Tahir Ahmad Mir (20)."In India, there was a heinous gangrape case in 2012 and that was a precursor for a tough law. Rapes have not yet stopped. I'm not saying that Sharia law should be imposed but there should definitely be a stricter law for crimes like rape," he said.Mehbooba had earlier tweeted where she expressed horror at the morbidity of the event that took place in ...