Page 2007 - Law Crime
Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to face French judge
Prominent Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan will face a French investigating magistrate today after two days of questioning over claims by two women that he raped them in French hotel rooms in 2009 and 2012. The judge may then formally charge the 55-year-old Oxford professor over the allegations which emerged in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, a judicial source told AFP. Ramadan, a Swiss citizen whose grandfather founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement, was taken into custody Wednesday as part of a preliminary enquiry in Paris into the rape and assault allegations. A regular face on French television, he is the most prominent figure to be held in France over the sexual assault and harassment claims that have rippled around the world as a result of the "Me Too" campaign. Ramadan has denied the separate accusations from the two women. The first was made by Henda Ayari, a feminist activist who previously practised a conservative strain of Islam. She had described .
SC refers 'jallikattu' matter to Constitution bench
The Supreme Court today referred the pleas related to 'jallikattu' to a five-judge Constitution bench which would decide if the bull-taming sport fell under cultural rights or perpetuated cruelty to animals. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice R F Nariman said the petitions challenging the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017, needed to be decided by a larger bench since they involved substantial questions relating to interpretation of the Constitution. The bench framed five questions to be adjudicated upon by the larger bench and said the papers be placed before the chief justice to constitute a bench of five judges. The petitions, including one filed by animal rights body PETA, have challenged the state law that allowed the bull- taming sport in Tamil Nadu. Framing the questions for the larger bench, the two-judge bench said it needed to be tested if the amendment Act "perpetuates cruelty to animals" and "can it, therefore, be .
Bofors: CBI challenges quashing of case after 12 years in SC
The CBI today filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging a 2005 order of the Delhi High Court quashing all charges against accused persons in the politically-sensitive Bofors pay-off case. The filing of the appeal assumes significance as Attorney General K K Venugopal had recently advised the agency against moving a petition against the high court verdict after a delay of 12 years. Sources, however, said that after consultations, law officers were in favour of the appeal as the CBI came out with "some important documents and evidence" to challenge the high court order. The agency swung into action after the Attorney General orally gave it a go ahead to file the appeal in the case in which it has cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Michael Hershman, who alleged that the then Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government had sabotaged his investigation. Hershman, who is the president of the US-based private detective firm Fairfax, had claimed in television
London mosque attacker jailed for 43 years
A man who drove a van into a crowd of Muslims near a London mosque last year, killing one man, was on Friday sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 43 years behind bars.
Bombay HC rejects anticipatory bail plea of Hindutva leader
The Bombay High Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail plea filed by Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote, a key accused charged with inciting the casteist riots of January 1 in Pune.
Minor, suspected to have been sexually assaulted, dies in hospital
A six-year-old girl, suspected to have been sexually assaulted a few days ago, died at a city hospital due to septic shock and multi-organ dysfunction early on Friday, said hospital officials.
RJD has set up jail tourism cell after Lalu's arrest: Sushil
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today took potshots at the opposition RJD saying the party has set up a "jail tourism cell" following imprisonment of its chief Lalu Prasad in fodder scam cases. Sushil Modi's caustic remark came in the backdrop of RJD leaders visiting Ranchi jail to meet Prasad and its vice president Shivanand Tiwari making a trip to Saharsa jail today to meet mafia don-turned-politician Anand Mohan. "After the arrest of Lalu Prasad, the RJD seems to have set up a jail tourism cell", the senior BJP leader said in a tweet. The RJD supremo is in Ranchi Birsa Munda jail since December 23 in connection with a multi-crore fodder scam case. After meeting Mohan, who is serving life sentence for the murder of an IAS officer in the early 1990s, Tiwary had said the former Sheohar MP was "a nice man who has been framed in a criminal case" and their meeting was a "courtesy call". The Bihar Deputy CM remarked in a sarcastic tweet "some people are in a ...
CBI files special leave petition in Bofors case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the 2005 Delhi High Court's order which quashed charges against the accused in the Bofors pay-off scam.The probe agency has filed the plea as some new facts have surfaced in the case that needed to be investigated.Earlier apex court lawyer Ajay Aggarwal, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, had filed a plea in the top court seeking an early hearing in Rs. 64-crore Bofors case. He had also challenged the High Court's order.The CBI wanted to approach the top court in 2005 after the High Court's order, but it was reportedly denied permission by the then UPA government.The scam, relating to alleged payment of kickbacks in the procurement of howitzer artillery guns, dates back to 1980s and 1990s when the Congress was in power with Rajiv Gandhi as the prime minister.The then central government had signed a 1.4-billion dollar defence deal with Swedish arms manufacturer ...
Odisha: 2 arrested with fake currency notes
Rasgovindpur Police on Friday arrested two people and recovered fake currency with face value of Rs two lakh in denomination of 2000 in Odisha's Mayurbhanj.The arrested accused has been identified as Tarun Kumar Jena and Sk. Kalimudin.During interrogation, both confessed of possessing the moneyA case has been registered under Section 420/489(B)/489(C) 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Telangana police officer probing sensational murders goes 'missing'
A police official probing two sensational murder cases has gone "missing" in Telangana's Nalgonda town on Friday, police said.
Nassar sentencing hearing halted as father lunges at disgraced
The father of a sexual abuse victim lunged at Larry Nassar in court today, bringing USA Gymnastics doctor's final sentencing hearing to an abrupt halt. Randal Margraves suddenly lunged towards Nassar after his two daughters had testified to their abuse at the hands of the doctor. He was tackled by three sheriff's deputies. "I want that son of a bitch!" Margraves yelled as he was being handcuffed.
UP: 2 criminals, as many cops injured in encounter
Two suspected criminals and as many policemen, including a station house officer, were injured in an encounter here this morning, police said. The incident took place when Maneesh Yadav and Manoj Yadav were escaping after threatening a village head, they said. Police said that a team was rushed to the spot after the victim informed that he had been threatened by two people. In the encounter, Station House Officer, Khorabar, Sudhir Kumar, and Sub-Inspector, Jhangha, Sunil Kumar Singh, suffered minor injuries, they said. The police have seized a 32 bore pistol, a 12 bore gun, bullets and the motorcycle on which they were escaping. The criminals, who were subsequently arrested and admitted to BRD Medical College, have also confessed to their involvement in the murder of businessman Dinesh Gupta of Nai Bazaar, Jhangha, on Sunday. The zonal IG had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 on each of them.
Karti Chidambaram refuses to appear before ED
Karti Chidamabaram, son of Congress leader P. Chidambaram, on Friday refused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate saying his intercolutory application challenging the ED's action against him was pending in the Supreme Court and that the ED must await orders in the case.
BJP corporator caught while allegedly taking bribe
The Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta Police today caught a BJP corporator while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a plumber. Inspector Santosh Jamra said that Kalpana Patel, the corporator, was caught red-handed at her office at home when accepting the bribe from the plumber to settle a complaint against him. The plumber is registered with the Sagar Municipal Corporation. The corporator had lodged a complaint against him that he issued a no-objection-certificate for installing a water tap connection for money. The Corporation had issued a show-cause notice to the plumber. When Patel demanded Rs 10,000 to 'settle' the matter, he approached the Lokayukta police who laid a trap and caught her.
Togadia seeks details of his aide's "questioning" by cops
VHP leader Pravin Togadia today sought details of the crime branch police officers who, he claimed, took his aide's statement "at gun-point" last month. Togadia has written to the city crime branch over the "questioning" of his associate Ghanshyam Charandas on January 16, a day after the the VHP leader was said to have gone missing. In a letter addressed to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) J K Bhatt, the VHP international working president alleged Charandas was forced to record a statement against his wishes. Apart from seeking the names of officers who took his statement, Togadia also sought a CD of CCTV footage of the crime branch office, situated in Gaekwad Haveli area, of that day. "I came to know a team of crime branch forcibly took my friend Ghanshyambhai to your office at 12:30 am on January 16 and let him go at 4:30 am after taking his statement. "I request you to provide the footage of those CCTVs which had captured his entry and exit," Togadia wrote in the
SC dismisses plea for making rape law gender-neutral
The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea for declaring the offences of rape, sexual assault, outraging of modesty, voyeurism and stalking in the Indian Penal Code as gender-neutral, saying law was open for change by Parliament. The plea by a lawyer said the crime of rape should be gender neutral, making a woman also punishable for the offence. Rejecting the plea, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said that it is an "imaginative situation" and Parliament can deal with it as per social needs. It also said that law is open for change by Parliament and it cannot interfere with it. Advocate Rishi Malhotra, who appeared as petitioner-in- person, said that law cannot be discriminatory against a man and that only he can be punished for the offences of rape and sexual assault. "Crime has no gender and neither the law should be gender-specific. The words 'any man' used in the IPC should be removed. The law does not distinguish ...
Restore practice of consultation over judges' appntmt: TMC MP
A Trinamool Congress member in the Rajya Sabha today expressed concern over the practice of judges appointing judges and sought that the earlier exercise of consultation between the judiciary and the government should be resumed. Moving a private member's bill on the issue of judges' appointment, senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray also indirectly referred to the recent press conference by four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court and said "I want this debate to continue and the matter discussed again and again and the issue kept alive. "This government must intervene to address the problem because it has already come to the surface," he asserted. "A press conference was held recently and something is being held which is not very healthy for our democracy," Ray said while moving his Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (amendment of article 366) for consideration and passage. Apparently opposing the practice of Collegium system for appointing judges, he said "India ..
Odisha CM again writes to PM on Mahanadi water issue
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today once again urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask the Union Ministry of Water Resources to instruct neighbouring Chhattishgarh to stop construction work of projects on the upstream of river Mahanadi immediately. The chief minister also urged the prime minister to implement the order of the Supreme Court by constituting a tribunal immediately. "... pending the constitution and functioning of the tribunal, I would be grateful, if you could kindly instruct the Water Resources ministry to issue necessary administrative direction ... to Chhattishgarh to stop the construction work of the ongoing projects, particularly the ongoing six barrages across river Mahanadi," Patnaik wrote to the prime minister. If the construction of these ongoing work is not stopped immediately, Patnaik said: "then my government would be forced to meet a situation of fait accompli frustrating the adjudication under the provision of the Act of 1956 enacted .
Parsvnath Buildwell case: money not distributed to buyers
The Supreme Court on Friday observed that a sum of Rs 5.19 crore was deposited, but not distributed to its home buyers on pro-rata basis in Parsvnath Buildwell Private Limited case.Last year in September, Supreme Court had directed Parsvnath Developers to deposit Rs.12 crores with the court's registry in four weeks in a case related to delay in possession of flats in the Parsvnath Exotica project in Ghaziabad.Around 70 home buyers had sought a refund after the company failed to deliver possession of the flats on schedule.In May 2017, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) had asked Parsvnath Developers to refund the amount paid by 70 home buyers in its Parsvnath Exotica project in Ghaziabad with 12 percent interest for delaying the project.Parsvnath Developers had moved the apex court against the apex consumer commission's order asking it to refund the money to 70 buyers along with interest. A bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and C. Nagappan also declined to pass
Case against Railway Claims Tribunal member referred to CJI:
The railways has handed over a case against a member of the Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) regarding the fraudulent disbursement of compensation to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Parliament was informed today. Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said this in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha. The case, senior railway ministry officials say, pertains to alleged irregularities in the disbursement of around Rs 50 crore between 2015 and 2017, according to an internal probe by the tribunal's principal bench in Delhi. "This case has been referred to the Chief Justice of India for his orders as to holding an enquiry into the matter and nomination of a judge of Supreme Court for conducting an enquiry into the allegation. The names of five lawyers of Patna have been mentioned in the report," Gohain said. In a letter to the railway ministry last month, the principal bench's chairman, Justice (retired) K Kannan, recommended a probe by the CBI against the ...