Page 1959 - Law Crime
Judge rejects new Assange bid to cancel UK arrest warrant
A British judge today rejected a second attempt by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to overturn a warrant that means he would be arrested if he stepped outside his refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy. Judge Emma Arbuthnot rejected his lawyers' argument that it was no longer in the public interest to uphold the warrant issued in 2012, when he broke his bail conditions during a battle against extradition to Sweden.
Patkar records statement in defamation case against KVIC chief
NBA activist Medha Patkar today recorded her statement before a Delhi court in a defamation complaint filed by her against Khadi Village and Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman V K Saxena. Patkar told Metropolitan Magistrate Nishant Garg that she was defamed by an advertisement published by Saxena in November 2000 and the imputations made in the publication affected her reputation and fame and caused her immense harm. The court posted the matter for April 9 for when the Saxena will cross examination Patkar. Patkar and Saxena have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2000 after she filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). Saxena, in turn, had filed two cases against her for making derogatory and defamatory statements. During the proceedings today, she claimed that the advertisement had alleged that there was an exchange of some confidential documents, while terming them as "absolutely false". "All this ...
Pak anti-terror court indicts man for rape, murders of 8 girls
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court today indicted an alleged serial killer who is accused of abducting, raping and murdering eight minor girls in Punjab province, including seven-year-old Zainab. The Lahore ATC charged Imran Ali, 23, in the high profile rape and murder case of Zainab apart from seven other girls. A total of 36 witnesses testified against him yesterday and today at the court of Judge Sajjad Ahmad in Kot Lakhpat jail. Since it is a high profile case, the trial is being held in the jail keeping in view security issues. Zainab was found raped and murdered early last month in Kasur, some 50 kms from Lahore, a crime that shook the nation. She was kidnapped on January 5 while going for Quran class. Her body was recovered on January 9 from a heap of garbage in the city. The police had arrested the suspect with the help of a DNA test. After her alleged murderer was caught, it emerged that he was also the killer of seven other girls in Kasur. Police have built their case on DNA ..
Bring file on selection process for NCPCR: HC to Centre
The Delhi High Court today told the Centre it wants to see the file relating to the selection process for vacancies in the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which is functioning below its full capacity for the past two years. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar directed the Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure that the file is produced before the court on the next date of hearing on February 19. The court called for the information after observing that the ministry had given no reasons for not filling up the three vacancies, existing for more than two years, in the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). It also noted that no explanation has been given for "abandoning" an earlier selection process, carried out at the expense of the public exchequer, and initiating a fresh one. The court observed that if the commission is functioning below its administrative capacity, "it would be ...
Is govt not entitled to seek ID proof from citizens, asks SC
The Supreme Court today posed whether the government was not entitled to seek proof of identity from citizens if their entitlement to certain benefits were dependent upon their identities. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also said that idea behind the Aadhaar scheme could be the reason that people should have one ID card. "If your entitlement depends on who you are, then can the government not require proof on that count? Is it not a reasonable condition," a bench, which also comprised Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, asked. The bench, hearing pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar scheme and the enabling 2016 law, said, "even if entitlement is beyond dispute, there has to be minimal way of proving who you are". "A condition is unconstitutional if it requires you to relinquish a constitutional right," the bench said. The observations came after it was argued that the primary status of a ...
NGT acting Chairperson Justice U D Salvi retires
Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi, the acting chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) retired from the post today after completing a five-year tenure. A full bench reference was organised at the NGT in court number 1 on the occasion. The green panel is facing a severe staff shortage. The panel has a sanctioned strength of a maximum of 20 judicial members and minimum 20 expert members in addition to a full time Chairperson. But currently, there is no Chairperson in the NGT. Justice Salvi enrolled as an advocate in March 1977 and worked as Additional Public Prosecutor in Thane. He was also a Member Secretary, District Legal Aid and Advice Committee. He was appointed as City Civil and Additional Sessions Judge, Mumbai in August 1993. Justice Salvi was elevated as a judge of the Bombay High Court in 2009 and appointed as a Judicial Member of the National Green Tribunal on February 14, 2013. During his tenure, he was part of bench along with former NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter .
Legal, forensic experts call for transforming DNA into courtroom evidence
A compelling debate on 'Building DNA Casework in India to Strengthen Investigations in Sexual Assault and Rape Cases' was witnessed on the second day of the 24th All India Forensic Science Conference in Ahmedabad.Highlighting a sense of urgency to address lacking demand for DNA casework in India, the forum drew attention to examples like that of Italy, where DNA evidence is effectively used to solve crime even in the absence of a database!The panel, therefore, recommended greater investment in implementation of DNA casework in India, and optimising existing forensic infrastructure to yield better results, improve conviction rate, and reduce backlogs.The specialist group from forensics, law enforcement, victim advocacy, and policy and legislation, were of the view that even in cases where DNA was collected, samples were either irrelevant or DNA yields turned out to be poor.Apart from education and training of first responders and officials involved throughout the chain of custody of ...
Political conspiracy behind sealing drive in Delhi: Meenakshi Lekhi
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday suggested that there is a political conspiracy behind the ongoing sealing drive in parts of national capital Delhi.Taking part in a question and answer session at the ANI-organised India Infracon 2018 here, Lekhi said, "There is a bigger conspiracy and that is a political conspiracy because Delhi people or traders do not know that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is being represented by the Delhi government in the court and they (Delhi Govt.) are running a deceptive game."She said nobody in Delhi knows that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is only an implementing agency and "the person who represents Delhi people in the Supreme Court is actually a lawyer appointed by the Delhi government".Lekhi also alleged that the sealing drive has not happened in a single residential area which has got converted into commercial without a law enforced."The duplicity is exposed by the fact that the Supreme Court-appointed ...
IDA plots allotment case: Lokayukta Police books BJP leader
The Lokayukta Police in Madhya Pradesh has booked senior BJP leader Madhu Verma and 14 others in a 2009 case of alleged irregularity in allotment of plots by the Indore Development Authority (IDA) and launched investigation against them. "The alleged scam was executed in year 2009 in collusion with the state government officials," Superintendent of Police (Lokayukta) Dilip Soni said today. During that period, Verma was the chairman of the Indore Development Authority (IDA). "The then IDA officers had allotted four plots to Faizal Ibrahim, a member of Chhatrapati Griha Nirman Sahkari Sanstha, in contravention of rules. "Ibrahim's wife Amira was also given a permission for construction of a building on these plots under the mixed-use (residential-cum-commercial) category by the Indore Municipal Corporation in violation of rules," the officer said. For alleged irregularities in allotment of the plots, a case was registered against Verma, Ibrahim and Amira, CB Singh, the ...
SC cites 26/11 Mumbai attack to count on benefits of CCTV in courts
The Supreme Court today cited the ghastly 26/11 Mumbai attack and 2016 Patiala House court violence in Delhi to count on the benefits of installations of CCTV cameras in courts and tribunals, saying it wanted to bring discipline, security and oversight in judicial proceedings. The top court, while referring to the CCTV grab of convict Ajmal Kasab at Victoria Terminus railway station, said it had proved detrimental for him during the trial. Similarly, the bench also cited case of Swapnil alias Pintu Shirke, who was lynched inside district court premises in Nagpur on February 11, 2002, saying there was no CCTV evidence and despite the murder having taken before hundreds of people, no one came forward. A bench of Justices Adarsh Goel and U U Lalit lauded the government for the "good work" done in installations of CCTV cameras in several tribunals, including the National Green Tribunal, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and National Company Law Tribunal. "Like 26/11 Mumbai attacks where CCTV .
Congress leader killed in bomb blast in Jharkhand
A Congress leader was killed in a bomb blast in Jharkhand's Koderma district on Tuesday evening, police said.
Woman tout arrested for conducting gender test, sent to jail
A 50-year-old woman tout was arrested for allegedly conducting a sex determination test in the Vigyan Nagar area here, officials said today. She was today produced before a court which sent her to judicial custody till February 27. Shanti Rani, a resident of the Indira colony slum area in Vigyan Nagar, was last evening arrested outside a sonography and diagnostic centre, circle in-charge of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT) bureau of investigation Sita Ram said. An amount of Rs 24,000 that the woman tout charged for carrying out the test was also recovered from her possession, he said. The accused worked as a midwife. The role of the doctor, who carried out the sonography test at the sonography and diagnostic centre, is also suspected. However, his involvement in primary interrogation and inquiry has not been proved so far, Ram said. The active tracker device attached with the sonograpy machine is yet to be examined to ascertain the ...
Ben Stokes to join England in New Zealand after court appearance
Ben Stokes will join the England squad in New Zealand after the star all-rounder pleaded not guilty today to a charge of affray over a nightclub incident that forced him out of the Ashes tour. The 26-year-old all-rounder appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court in the southwest of England along with two other men and will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on March 12. The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement shortly after Stokes's first court appearance confirming his travel plans but he is not expected to make an immediate return after nearly five months out of the side. "Having entered his plea at Bristol Magistrates' Court today, Ben Stokes will now travel to New Zealand to join the England squad," said an ECB spokesman. "He departs tomorrow, Wednesday 14 February, and will arrive on Friday 16 February, ready to train with England team-mates in Hamilton." The statement said any decision to include him in upcoming matches would be made by the England management team. He
Fresh production warrant issued against Abu Salem
A Delhi Court on Tuesday issued fresh production warrant against gangster Abu Salem in 2002 Delhi extortion case.The court will next hear the case on February 16 for final arguments.On January 16, Salem claimed that the prosecution did not have enough evidence against him in the case.Through his lawyer, the gangster also claimed that his trial in the case violated an order by which he was extradited to India from Portugal in 2005.Salem is facing trial for allegedly demanding Rs. 5 crores as protection money from Delhi businessman Ashok Gupta in 2002.He has already been granted bail regarding the case; however, he continues to be in jail in various other cases, including the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
Man kills minor in Delhi over grudge against parents
A 27-year-old man has been arrested here for killing a minor boy over a grudge against his parents, police said on Tuesday.
Justice Khanwilkar recuses himself from hearing Bofors case
Supreme Court judge Justice A.M. Khanwilkar on Tuesday recused himself from hearing the case of alleged corruption in the purchase of Bofors 155 mm howitzers guns.
MP land registry official caught for accepting bribe
A sub-registrar posted in the land registry office here was today caught by the Lokayukta police for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 3,000 in return for registering a property document. Acting on a complaint, sub-registrar Rajendra Mandloi was caught in his office when he accepted money from the complainant to register a gift deed, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta, Praveen Singh Baghel said. A case under sections 7, 13-1(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Mandloi and further investigation was on, he added.
Court frames charges against Yasin Bhatkal in 2008 Delhi serial blasts case
A Delhi court today framed conspiracy and other terror charges against Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his associate in a case related to the September 2008 serial blasts in Delhi that claimed 26 lives and left 135 people injured. Additional Sessions Judge Siddharth Sharma put Bhatkal and his associate Asadullah Akhtar on trial for various offences punishable under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Explosive Substances Act. The present case relates to the twin explosions at Greater Kailash-I in South Delhi where nine people were injured in the twin blasts at the M-block market. The charges framed by the court include criminal conspiracy (120B) punishable under Indian Penal Code, various sections UAPA, including conspiracy for committing terror act (section 18) and being member of a terror organisation. The court posted the matter for further hearing on February 28. The accused persons, represented by advocate M S ...
C'garh entitled for choice of chopper, says SC; finds no wrong doing
In a relief to Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh, the Supreme Court today said the state government was entitled to make a choice to purchase an AgustaWestland helicopter for VVIP use and there was no record to show that it could have been procured at a lesser price. The top court also gave clean chit to Abhishak Singh, son of the Chief Minister, saying there was no material to prima facie hold that he was a beneficiary of the transaction and it was not necessary to go into the allegations of procedural irregularities. "It cannot be disputed that the State Government was entitled to make a choice to purchase the helicopter in question. There is nothing on record to show that the helicopter could have been procured for a lesser price. No person claiming to give a better deal has come forward," a bench of Justices Adarsh Goel and U U Lalit said. It said that in the absence of clear evidence that loss was caused to the public exchequer by way of commission payment to a firm, Sharp .
Stockholm truck attacker Rakhmat Akilov pleads guilty to terror charges
An Uzbek asylum seeker who confessed to wanting to mow down "infidels" in last year's Stockholm truck attack that killed five people has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges as his trial opened.Rakhmat Akilov appeared in the Stockholm courtroom, handcuffed amid tight security, wearing green prison clothes and with a shaved head and a beard, accompanied by his lawyer Johan Eriksson, several media reports stated.Akilov, whose Swedish asylum application had been rejected in 2016, had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) on the eve of his assault in one of Europe's safest cities, though the jihadist group never claimed responsibility.Akilov, who arrived in Sweden in 2014 and went underground after his request to stay in the country was rejected, was arrested in Marsta north of Stockholm hours after the attack.The 39-year-old suspect had previously admitted to carrying out the fatal attack and had been remanded in pre-trial detention since the incident.On the afternoon of Friday 7 ...