Page 1973 - Law Crime
SC seeks ideas to enforce anti-sexual harassment law at workplace
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the NGO Initiative for Inclusion Foundation (IIF) to give suggestions for effective implementation of a law to curb sexual harassment of women at workplaces, particularly in the private sector.
Pvt entities asked to implement anti-sexual harassment law:
The Centre today informed the Supreme Court that besides the government sector, it has urged leading business associations like ASSOCHAM and FICCI to ensure effective implementation of the law on prevention of sexual harassment at workplace among their entities. It said that all the states and union territories have been asked to organise workshops and awareness programmes regarding the law in each and every industry, business house and private sector under their jurisdiction. The top court asked all the states to file their reply on a plea for protection of women from sexual harassment at workplace, cases of which an NGO claimed were on the rise. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said that states should file their reply in two weeks while the petitioner NGO should file the suggestions, if any, for ensuring compliance of the Sexual Harassment At Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition) Act. The Centre in its affidavit told the
Maha opposes PILs seeking probe into B H Loya's death in SC
The Maharashtra government today opposed in the Supreme Court the pleas seeking an independent probe of the death of special CBI judge B H Loya, terming them as "motivated" and based on "yellow journalism". Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, had died allegedly of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014 when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter. "This hearing must come to an end after four judicial officers have recorded their statements. Either these judges will have to be believed or this court will have to say that they all are lying," senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Maharashtra, told a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud. Rohatgi objected to the submissions of senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for former Navy chief Laxminarayan Ramdas, and said that a person, who is seeking to intervene in the case, cannot be allowed to argue ..
SC seeks AG's help on plea for live streaming of important cases
The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Attorney General's assistance in the hearing of a plea seeking live streaming of important cases being heard by its regular benches, including by the constitution bench.
Ker girl claims father facing death threats from CPI(M)
A video of a 16-year-old girl alleging that her father was facing death threats from local CPI(M) workers after he joined BJP has gone viral in social media even as police filed a case against four persons. The class XI student, hailing from Kinannur Karinthalam panchayat in this northernmost district, stated that after her father C K Sukumaran joined BJP recently, he was being threatened by local Marxist party workers. She said her father was not a member of any party earlier. "It is very painful that just because he joined the BJP, they are threatening him," she alleged. A top district police official told PTI that Sukumaran has filed a police complaint and based on which a case had been registered against four persons for allegedly threatening and wrongful restraint. In the video, the girl claimed that it was in her presence that five CPI(M) workers, who are her neighbours, had threatened her father saying he would be killed. The incident took place when her father had .
Kathua girl killing: Tarigami demands fast track probe
The CPIM MLA M Y Tarigami today demanded a fast track probe in the kidnapping and killing of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district last month. Tarigami moved a calling attention notice in the Assembly to demand the status of the investigation ordered into the case and demanded a fast track probe into the incident. In his notice, Tarigami alleged that some anti-social elements are trying to politicize the issue and halt the investigation to derive political mileage. The killing of the minor, whose body was recovered from the Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses, had repeatedly rocked the House with the opposition raising questions and demanding action against the culprits. While replying to the notice, the Minister for parliamentary Affairs A R Veeri said that the government has already stated that the case has been transferred to Crime Branch which has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The SIT had arrested a .
SC seeks Centre's response on implementation of its orders on acid sale
The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Centre's response on a PIL that contended that the top court's directions in 2013 to ban over-the-counter sale of acid at retail outlets was not being followed in its true spirit.
Need to take holistic view of people's right to protest: SC
The Supreme Court today said it needs to take a holistic view of protecting the fundamental rights of citizens to protest, as well as protection of environment and rights of commuters, while earmarking the space for agitations in Delhi. The Centre today sought time from the apex court saying deliberations are on to earmark a particular place in Delhi, where the citizens can exercise their right to protest. A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan granted two weeks time to the Centre to file a comprehensive reply after taking a holistic view of the situation and posted the matter for further hearing on March 5. The counsel appearing for the Centre said that deliberations are being held at the ministry level for arriving at a solution after taking a holistic view and earmark a space in Delhi, where citizens can stage their protest. On December 4 last year, the apex court had said that proper guidelines should be framed on the issue of right to protest so as to ...
Punjab Police hints at Dera connection in Maur Mandi blast
Just over a year after a powerful blast in a car in Maur Mandi town left seven persons dead, Punjab Police was said to be close to cracking the case and hinted at a connection with controversial Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
'Angel Investor' Mahesh Murthy arrested for sexual harassment
Veteran 'angel investor' and start-up guru Mahesh Murthy was arrested here on Friday following a complaint of sexual harassment lodged by a Delhi woman, police said.
HC allows police to lead additional evidence in Batla House
The Delhi High Court today allowed the police to lead additional evidence before the trial court in the 2008 Batla House encounter case in which suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist Shahzad Ahmed was sentenced to life imprisonment. Nearly five years after Ahmed appealed in the high court against his conviction, the prosecution sought permission to bring in additional evidence to bolster its case. A bench of justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta allowed a Delhi Police application, filed last month, "in interest of justice". It, however, imposed strict conditions on the police and the trial court regarding the recording of additional evidence in the case. The bench directed the prosecution not seek any adjournment on any ground and be ready with its additional witnesses for being examined on a day-to-day basis before the trial court. "The right of the appellant (convict) to cross-examine the said witnesses will be permitted in accordance with law," it said, noting ...
Pak HC orders return of abducted minor Christian girl to her
A Pakistani high court today handed over the custody of a minor Christian girl, who was abducted, converted to Islam and forced into a married by a Muslim man, to her parents. Hearing a plea of the parents of a 12-year-old girl, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) said, he was not convinced that the minor accepted Islam by free will. He said it seems to be under "inducement and compulsion". "I am constrained to observe that this sort of act of abduction and taking shelter of Islam is totally uncalled for and unacceptable," the judge said, adding that Muslims, Christians and all other citizens were equal when it comes to constitutional guarantees. The judge handed over the custody of the minor girl to her parents after she expressed her willingness to go with them, when she was asked by the court. Justice Siddiqui also warned the parents against any sort of torture or harm to the girl, but did not dissolve the marriage, saying for it the proper
Calcutta HC acquits 2 death row convicts in youth murder case
The Calcutta High Court today acquitted two death row inmates and commuted the capital sentence of six others to jail terms in connection with the murder of a youth in North 24 Parganas district in 2014. Rejecting the prosecution's plea to uphold the capital sentence, awarded by a trial court in 2016, a division bench comprising Justice Nadira Patherya and Justice D P Dey acquitted Suman Sarkar and Amal Barui. The bench also commuted the death sentence of Shyamal Karmakar to 30 years in prison and that of Ratan Samaddar, Tarak Das, Tapas Biswas, Somnath Sardar and Suman Das to life imprisonment. The court, however, upheld the lower court's decision to award five-year prison term of two others, who were found guilty of harbouring the eight accused in the case. A resident of Bamangachi in North 24 Parganas district, Sourav Chowdury (21), was abducted and murdered on July 5, 2014, after he protested against liquor consumption in public places. All 10 accused were arrested ..
French national arrested for sexually harassing minor
A French national on Wednesday was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a minor girl in Puducherry.The arrest came after the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) registered a complaint in the regard.The culprit has been identified as Thierry Gagner, who also happens to be the Director of a NGO namely Hopigo & Missions Humanitaries.The complaint was made against Gagner to CWC by one of the French volunteers of the NGO, which later reached Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi's office.The accused has been booked under Section 10 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.Gagner claimed that he had adopted the child, even as the victim's mother denied the claim.A team of the Child Welfare Committee too stated that the 12-year-old girl confessed to have been kissed by him in her private parts.The accused is also believed to have exposed himself naked before the child.
Ex-Maldives President Gayyoom shifted to Maafushi Prison
After spending two days at Dhoonidhoo Detention Centre, former Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom was on Thursday night transferred to Maafushi Prison, an hour away from Male.The half-brother of President Abdulla Yameen, who is charged with bribing lawmakers, exerting undue influence on the judiciary, conspiring to illegally stage a coup, and inciting violence and calling the security forces to revolt against the government, was arrested on February 2, Maldives Times reported.The former President has denied all the charges.His lawyer and former Deputy Prosecutor General Hussein Shameem said he was informed of the transfer but the reason was not specified. The prison only supports basic medical care.Gayyoom was arrested from his home in Male shortly after the President on Tuesday night declared a state of emergency for 15-days.His son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem was also arrested along with Gayyoom who served the country between 1978 and 2008.His son Dhiggaru MP Faris Maumoon was also
LeT terrorist gets 7-year-jail in Karnataka
A member of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been sentenced to seven years of jail by a local court here in a terror financing and money laundering case.A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court of Judge Shivshankar Amarannavar on Thursday sentenced LeT terrorist Bilal Ahmed Quta alias Imran Jalal to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 50,000.In case, of failure to pay the penalty amount, he will be liable to further imprisonment of six months.He was operating from Karnataka and was found guilty of entering into a conspiracy with others during 2001 to 2007 to wage war against India.He was arrested in 2007 and a chargesheet was filed against him in 2008. He was tried and convicted by a local court.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) later booked Quta under the criminal provisions of the PMLA in 2009, taking cognisance of the police charges and his subsequent conviction.
Opposition MPs meet President, demand probe in Judge Loya's death
Leaders Congress and some other opposition parties on Friday met President Ram Nath Kovind and demanded a thorough investigation by an independent agency into "suspicious" death of Justice B.H. Loya.
Aarushi case:Ex-CBI judge moves SC against his criticism by HC
The Supreme Court today sought responses from the Uttar Pradesh government and the CBI on a plea of the special judge, who convicted Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Tawar in the Aarushi murder case in 2013, against his criticism in the Allahabad High Court verdict. Special CBI judge Shyam Lal, now retired, alleged that the high court while acquitting the Talwars in the case on October 12, 2017, made "disparaging remarks" and "unwarranted comments" and sought their expunction. A bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, the CBI and the Allahabad High Court and sought their response in four weeks. Senior advocate S R Singh, appearing for the retired judge, said that the strictures passed against him are ultimately going to affect his reputation as an impartial and transparent judge and should be expuncted. Singh said that the remarks in the judgement were neither warranted nor were in conformity with the settled law of apex ...
Obstructing monitoring panel will invite contempt: SC on
The Supreme Court today gave a stern warning to those obstructing the ongoing sealing drive in Delhi and said that any interference in the functioning of court-mandated Monitoring Committee would amount to contempt. Observing that "rule of law must be enforced", the court took a strong note of the committee's report, which said that during the sealing process, BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma and municipal councillor Gunjan Gupta, along with others, had prevented officials from doing their duties. A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta issued show cause notice to Sharma and Gupta, asking them to explain why contempt of court proceedings be not initiated against them. It also asked both of them to remain personally present before the court on March 6. The committee, in its status report on inspection carried out on February 5, said that this incident had happened when sealing process of premises where commercial activities were being carried out in violation of the .
Engineer caught in MP for accepting bribe from contractor
An executive engineer posted with the Public Works Department (PWD) was today nabbed for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a contractor. The Lokayukta's Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) H P Choudhry told reporters that executive engineer Mohan Singh Daheria of the PWD's Project Implementation Unit was caught during a trap at Daheria's office when he accepted Rs 50,000 from contractor Rakesh Duggal. The official said that the bribe was in return for passing Duggal's pending bills of Rs 1.5 lakh. A case under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Daheria and further probe was on, he added.