Page 445 - Law Crime
UK judge orders extradition of businessman in French fraud probe
A British judge on Tuesday ordered the extradition of a Franco-Algerian businessman wanted in France as part of a probe into alleged Libyan financing of former president Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign. Alexandre Djouhri, who has been on conditional bail since his arrest at Heathrow airport in January 2018, said he would appeal the ruling made by London court. French investigators are examining Alexandre Djouhri's alleged involvement in the 2008 sale of a villa in the French Alps valued at 1.3 million euros (almost $1.4 million) at the "inflated price" of around 10 million euros. A Libyan investment fund managed by Bashir Saleh, the ex-chief of staff of Libya's deposed leader Moamer Kadhafi, bought the property, and Djouhri is suspected of being its true owner, the London court ruling stated. Djouhri is also accused of paying 500,000 euros to Sarkozy aide Claude Gueant "so that he would use his position to make various interventions to assist Mr Djouhri in his business ...
Israel ex-minister sentenced to 11 years for spying for Iran
An Israeli ex-minister was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Tuesday for spying for his country's main enemy Iran after a plea bargain in the case, the prosecutor said. Gonen Segev, who served as energy and infrastructure minister from 1995 to 1996, had previously agreed to a plea bargain on charges of serious espionage and transfer of information to the enemy. Court hearings were held in secret due to the nature of the case. Prosecutor Geula Cohen confirmed to journalists outside the Jerusalem court that the judge had accepted the plea bargain and issued the sentence. Segev served in the Labour government of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin after defecting from the far right to cast the decisive vote in favour of the Oslo II peace agreement with the Palestinians. He has previously served prison time on criminal charges. In 2004, he was charged with trying to smuggle 30,000 ecstasy pills into Israel from the Netherlands using a diplomatic passport with a falsified expiry date. The ...
NCLAT dismisses plea of Monnet Power RP over claims of BHEL
The NCLAT Tuesday dismissed a petition of the resolution professional of debt-ridden Monnet Power Company against an NCLT order, which had directed the firm to reconsider claims of its operational creditor state-owned BHEL. A two-member National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya asked the RP to act in accordance with the directions passed by the Mumbai bench of the NCLT on October 12, 2018, directing it to re-examine the claims of BHEL. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai had said RP of Monnet Power Company had "wrongly disallowed the substantial claim in its entirety" of BHEL, an operational creditor of the company. "... we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order dated October 12, 2018 passed by the adjudicating authority (NCLT). The 'Resolution Professional' is directed to act in accordance with the directions of the Adjudicating Authority," the appellate tribunal said. "The appeal is dismissed with aforesaid ...
HC asks runaway couple to take mediclaim policy to secure their future
A runaway couple, who married against the wishes of parents, has been granted protection the Delhi High Court which also asked them to take a joint mediclaim policy of Rs 5 lakh as a precautionary step. Granting protection to the couple, who apprehend danger to their lives, the court said parents or relatives cannot interfere in exercise of the constitutional right of a citizen to choose a life partner. Justice Najmi Waziri noted that the man has undertaken to create an equal share for his wife in all assets which he inherits or would acquire in future. In a recent order, it further said: "Petitioner no 2 (husband) undertakes to subscribe to a mediclaim policy of Rs 5 lakh for himself and his wife-petitioner no 1. The policy shall be kept alive at least for the duration of the marriage." The court was hearing a plea by the couple who have married each other with their own free will but their marriage did not find favour with the woman's parents. They told the court that they apprehend
No trace of missing Bihar shelter home girl, key witness in Muzaffarpur horror case
The police are yet to trace the whereabouts of one of the seven girls who had escaped from a short-stay home in Mokama in Patna district three days ago. The six other inmates were recovered by the police within 24 hours of their escape.
CBI officer probing ponzi scam don't have to appear before Kolkata court as HC sets aside directive
The Calcutta High Court Tuesday set aside the directions of a magistrate court, which asked a CBI officer investigating the Rose Valley ponzi scam to appear before it and produce certain documents related to the investigation. Justice Shivakant Prasad, while hearing a petition by the CBI challenging the Alipore magistrate court's order, said the officer would not have to appear before the lower court or produce documents pertaining to the scam. The high court had on February 13 stayed the order of the Alipore court. A case filed was filed at Ballygunge police station after a few hundred investors of Rose Valley ponzi scheme stormed a south Kolkata hotel, which was run by the chit fund company, demanding their money be returned. Claiming that a CBI inspector was harassing them in connection with the probe, four of these investors had filed a case before the magistrate court at Alipore, which was hearing the matter relating to the hotel rampage. The magistrate court directed the CBI ...
Drug peddler held with 70 kg charas in J-K's Bandipora
An alleged drug peddler was arrested on Tuesday with 70 kg charas (cannabis) in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The accused, identified as Ishtiyaq Sadiq Parray, a resident of Kathpora, was arrested during a drive against those involved in drug peddling in Bandipora, a police spokesman said. A case has been registered against Parray under relevant sections at Hajin police station, he said. As part of the drive, the police have requested people to provide them any information regarding drug peddlers in their neighbourhood.
Muzaffarnagar gets three new family courts
The Uttar Pradesh government has set up three new family courts in the Muzaffarnagar district, officials said Tuesday. The total number of family courts in the district has now gone up to four, officials added. The decision was taken in the wake of Allahabad High Court's notification on creating additional family courts in over 15 districts of the state for early disposal of family disputes. Three additional family courts were established here and their judges have also been appointed, Muzaffarnagar District Judge, Sanjay Kumar Pachori said. According to the high court's notification issued on Saturday, three family courts each will be set up in over 15 districts including Hapur, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Badaun, Lucknow and Unnao among others.
SC directs Kalburgi murder case be transferred to SIT probing Gauri Lankesh murder
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that MM Kalburgi murder case be transferred to the special investigative team (SIT) probing journalist Gauri Lankesh murder, and the probe to be monitored by the Karnataka High Court Dharwad Bench.Umadevi Kalburgi, wife of noted Kannada writer and rationalist Kalburgi, had filed a plea seeking a SIT probe into the killings of her husband.Umadevi claimed in her petition that her husband was shot dead in Dharwad in Karnataka on August 30, 2015.Stating that there was a pattern in the killings, Umadevi also sought from the apex court a coordinated probe into the shooting of her husband as well as of activists Narendra Dhabolkar and Govind Pansare. Umadevi had alleged that shooters from the same organisation were allegedly involved in all the three murders..
Rajasthan govt scraps stamp duty on transfer of immovable property from husband to wife as gift
The Rajasthan government has decided not to charge stamp duty on transfer of immovable property from a husband to his wife as a gift, according to an official statement. Till now, one per cent stamp duty was charged on such transfers. While reviewing the issues related to revenue, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took the decision on Monday, the statement said. Under the present system, 2.5 per cent stamp duty is charged on the market price of the property in case of its transfer in the name of father, mother, son, sister, daughter-in-law, grandson or daughter as a gift. In case of transfer of immovable property in the name of wife and daughter as a gift, one per cent stamp duty on market value of the property or maximum of Rs 1 lakh (whichever is less) was proposed. The chief minister decided not to charge stamp duty if immovable property is transferred by husband to wife as a gift, as per the statement.
French court dismisses rape allegations against Luc Besson
A court here has dismissed rape allegations against French director Luc Besson for lack of evidence after a nine-month investigation.
Belief in conspiracy theories boosts low-level crime: Study
People who believe in conspiracy theories are more likely to accept or engage in everyday criminal activity, scientists say. Belief in conspiracy theories, such as the theory that Princess Diana was murdered by the British establishment, has been previously associated with prejudice, political disengagement and environmental inaction Researchers at the University of Kent and University of Staffordshire in the UK show that such belief also makes people more inclined to actively engage in antisocial behaviour. The findings, published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, shows that people who believed in conspiracy theories were more accepting of everyday crime, such as trying to claim for replacement items, refunds or compensation from a shop when they were not entitled to do so. The study also showed that exposure to conspiracy theories made people more likely to intend to engage in everyday crime in the future, according to a statement. The researchers found that this tendency
Court asks senior ED officials to apprise it of money laundering case against O P Chautala
Not satisfied with the responses of ED, a Delhi court has asked the probe agency's three senior officials to apprise it in person of the details of ongoing investigation in an over Rs 6 crore money laundering case against former Haryana chief minister O P Chautala. Special Judge Kamini Lau sought presence of ED's Joint Director Rajeshwar Singh, Assistant Director D D Negi and Joint Director D S Siddhu before it on March 7 and give details about the status of the investigations, including the role of Chautala's family members, and the manner in which the proceeds of crime were generated and the evidence relating to structuring and layering. The court noted in its recent order that when it asked the ED's special Public Prosecutor and the investigating officer to provide details regarding generation of proceeds of crime, structuring, layering and projection of the alleged proceeds as legal, they were unable to satisfy it. It asked the officers to point out the material or evidence ...
Karnataka SIT to probe Kalburgi murder case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday entrusted the Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) - which is investigating the Gauri Lankesh murder case - to probe into the murder of rationalist M. M. Kalburgi.
Lawyers-Police clash case: HC stays proceedings in lower court
The Madras High Court Tuesday stayed further proceedings in the case relating to the February 2009 clash between lawyers and police here, pending before a lower court. Justice AD Jagdish Chandira stayed the proceedings in the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court for CBI cases, on a petition by 31 advocates, who were summoned recently by the trial court to appear before it and receive the copies of the interim charge sheet filed by the investigating agency. The judge also issued notice to CBI and adjourned the matter for a period of four weeks. The aggrieved advocates sought to quash the interim final report filed by the CBI in the lower court. The petitioners alleged that though the high court has directed the CBI to probe the allegations against both the police and advocates, the central agency has filed charge sheet only against lawyers and the probe against police was still pending. They termed the CBI probe as "tainted, biased, shabby and highly unsatisfactory." On ...
Top Cardinal found guilty of child sexual assault in Australia
Cardinal George Pell, one of the most powerful men in the Roman Catholic Church, has been found guilty of child sexual assault in Australia in a verdict which has sent shockwaves through the Vatican and around the world. Each of the five charges of which he was found guilty carries a maximum 10 year jail term. The 77-year-old Vatican treasurer Cardinal, a trusted advisor of the Pope, was found guilty of orally raping one choirboy and molesting another in Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral 22 years ago. Pell, Australia's most senior Catholic cleric, will be sentenced after the end of a five-week trial in the Victorian County Court and over three days of deliberations by the jury. The Cardinal was Archbishop of Melbourne when he abused the two 13-year-old boys and was managing the church's response to widespread child abuse by priests through the "Melbourne Response", which he designed, The Age reported. One of the victims, now in his 30s, testified against Pell during the trial while ..
R Kelly posts USD 100,000 bail, freed from prison
R Kelly, who has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse, was released from jail after the R&B singer posted USD 100,000 in bail. According to Cook County jail records cited by the New York Times, a woman who described herself as a friend from the Chicago area paid the said amount, the standard 10 per cent bail fee, to secure his release Monday. Kelly pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts of criminal sexual abuse levelled against him at the hearing. He had been in prison since he turned himself in to police authorities Friday night after his indictment earlier that day. The rapper's next hearing is scheduled for March 22. He is, however, due in court on March 6 for a separate hearing, related to his outstanding child-support payments of amounting to USD 160,000.
Ayodhya: SC to pass order on Mar 5 on whether to refer matter to court-appointed mediator
The Supreme Court Tuesday suggested mediation in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, saying it was considering the possibility of "healing relations". The court said it will pass an order on March 5 on whether to refer it to a court-appointed mediator. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that even if one per cent chance of mediation exists in the politically sensitive land dispute matter, it should be done. The bench also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer asked the registry to provide translated copies of all documents within six weeks and said the main matter would be taken up for hearing after eight weeks. It also directed the parties to examine translated copies and raise objections, if any, within eight weeks. The apex court said it wanted to explore the possibility of mediation to utilise the period of eight weeks after which the matter would be heard. While some Muslim parties ..
AgustaWestland case: Court issues warrant against Gautam Khaitan, next hearing on May 9
A Delhi court on Tuesday issued a production warrant against accused Gautam Khaitan in the AgustaWestland case.Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the Patiala House Court that some reports are awaited from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding other accused like Guido Haschke and Carlos Gerosa.Among other accused, Christian Michel, Shivani Saxena, Rajeev Saxena, SP Tyagi and his three brothers were present in the court today.Khaitan, an accused in the AgustaWestland case, was arrested by ED in connection with the case.The court adjourned the hearing for May 9 in the case.
VVIP chopper case: Delhi court extends judicial custody of Christian Michel by one day
A Delhi court Tuesday extended by one day the judicial custody of alleged middleman Christian Michel, who was arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case. Special judge Arvind Kumar extended his custody in the case lodged by CBI. Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 last year. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.