Page 475 - Law Crime
Maldives ex-president appears in court on laundering charges
Former Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has appeared in court to answer money laundering charges. Yameen appeared in criminal court in Male, the capital, on Monday afternoon after the country's top prosecutor charged him last week with money laundering. Prosecutors say police investigations found $1 million allegedly linked to a shady tourist resort development deal in his bank account. Yameen lost his bid for re-election last year in a surprise upset by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who campaigned on a promise to investigate allegations of corruption by his predecessor's government. Solih has also suspended two of his Cabinet ministers over money allegedly found in their accounts from the same deal.
Eight cows found dead in Amritsar
Eight cows and a bull were found dead under mysterious circumstances at different locations in the city on Monday, police said. According to sources, the bovines were apparently given some poisonous substance. Commissioner of Police S S Srivastava said an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of death. He said none will be spared if found guilty.
Manipur student activist booked for sedition, approaches Delhi HC; to be heard today
A student activist from Manipur approached the Delhi High Court Monday challenging his arrest and transit remand order of a magistrate here in a sedition case lodged against him for making remarks over the citizenship bill on social media. Veewon Thokchom, who was arrested by Manipur police in Delhi on February 15, has filed the petition through his brother seeking quashing of the transit remand claiming it to be defective. Justice Mukta Gupta, before whom the matter came up for hearing, transferred the petition to another bench for hearing it today itself due to some technical issues. Senior advocate Collin Gonsalves, appearing for Thokchom, claimed that the 23-year-old youth's arrest is illegal and after going through the FIR, no criminal offence is being made out. Thokchom was arrested and charged with sedition for a Facebook post critical of the citizenship amendment bill. The petition has made state of Manipur and Delhi Police as parties. The offence of sedition entails a maximum
NGT junks plea challenging permission to petrol pump in Ghaziabad
The National Green Tribunal Monday junked a plea challenging permission granted to a petrol pump by Ghaziabad Development Authority in a green belt area allegedly in violation to the provisions of the Master Plan-2021. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore dismissed the petition after noting that none was present on behalf of the applicant. The petitioner had on February 13 sought adjournment citing personal reasons. The tribunal had earlier rapped the GDA for granting permission to the petrol pump in the green belt area. "How can you give permission to a petrol pump in green belt? You have given no objection certificate under what law, we want to know? Give us a provision in law, let us see how have you granted the permission. "These activities have repercussions on the environment. Tomorrow every authority will give permission in this manner. You have to take care that environment is protected else there would be no green area in the future," the bench had said. The ...
Supreme Court revokes NGT order to reopen Vedanta smelter
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Monday set aside an order by an environmental court which had cleared the way for reopening Vedanta's south Indian copper smelter, in a blow to the company's plans to begin operations.
Jussie Smollet's case goes to grand jury
Actor Jussie Smollet's case of homophobic attack will now come before a grand jury next week.
Guj: PAAS quota leader Kathiriya held in 2015 sedition case
Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Alpesh Kathiriya was Monday arrested in a 2015 sedition case registered at Amroli police station here, an official said. Kathiriya was held from Velanja village near here, R R Sarvaiya, Surat Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) said. The case pertains to the quota agitation organised by the PAAS in 2015 demanding reservations for the Patidar community in government jobs and educational institutions. A Surat court had, on January 15, cancelled his bail in this sedition case after police told court that he had violated bail conditions by abusing police over a parking row. Kathiriya's petition against cancellation of bail is pending in Gujarat High Court. Police said Kathiriya was in the village to attend a friend's marriage when he was held.
Shahbaz Sharif indicted in corruption case
Pakistan's Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif was indicted by an accountability court on Monday for corruption in a Rs 1,400 crore housing project. Shehbaz, 67, the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was indicted along with nine others in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing scam case. He along with other suspects appeared before the accountability court in Lahore as Judge Syed Najamul Hassan heard the case, Dawn reported. Judge Hassan then framed charges against Shehbaz and the nine other suspects, including former principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad. Shehbaz and the other suspects rejected the charges and decided to contest the allegations. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had taken Shehbaz, the brother of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, into custody on October 5. He is accused of allegedly misusing his authority by cancelling the contract of a successful bidder in the scheme and awarding the same to his favourite firm when he was the chief .
Bombay HC free to decide question of sanctions for terror charges to prosecute Col Purohit: SC
The Supreme Court on Monday said that the Bombay High Court is free to decide on the question of sanctions for terror charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to prosecute Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, one of the accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case.A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that it never fixed a time schedule for the same and any questions on the case shall be dealt with by the Bombay High Court.Purohit was arrested for allegedly masterminding the blasts in Malegaon in 2008.After spending nine years in jail, Purohit was granted conditional bail by the top court in August 2017.Six people were killed while more than a hundred got injured in the blast that took place on September 29, 2008, in the Muslim majority town of Malegaon.In November 2008, the ATS arrested 11 people in this connection.The investigation was transferred to the NIA in 2011.
Court extends Chidambarams' interim protection from arrest
A Delhi court on Monday extended former Minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram's interim protection from arrest till March 8 in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
Sex abuse survivors to meet with Vatican summit organisers
Organisers of Pope Francis' summit on preventing clergy sex abuse will meet this week with a dozen survivor-activists who have come to Rome to protest the Catholic Church's response to date and demand an end to decades of cover-up by church leaders. These survivors will not be addressing the summit of church leaders itself. Rather, they will meet Wednesday with the four-member organising committee to convey their complaints. The larger summit of 180 presidents of bishops conferences from around the world begins Thursday. Chilean survivor Juan Carlos Cruz, who is coordinating the survivor meeting, told The Associated Press he hopes for a "constructive and open dialogue" and for summit committee members to convey the survivors' demand that bishops stop pleading ignorance about abuse. "This has to stop," Cruz said. "Raping a child or a vulnerable person and abusing them has been wrong since the 1st century, the Middle Ages and now." Francis called the summit in September after he himself
FERA case: SC stays trial court proceedings against TTV Dhinakaran
The Supreme Court Monday stayed the proceedings of a Chennai court relating to the 1996 Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) case lodged against AMMK leader TV Dhinakaran. A bench headed by Chief Justice issued notice to Dhinakaran and sought his reply on the petition filed by ED challenging the Madras High Court order of June 25, 2018. The bench, also comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna, was not in agreement with the Enforcement Directorate that the trial should continue during the pendency of the appeal before the apex court. The probe agency had filed an appeal against the high court order by which lower court was directed to order the ED to provide copies of the documents of the case to Dhinakaran. The high court had also dispensed with the appearance of Dhinakaran except when ordered by the trial court. The case against Dhinakaran was that he allegedly acquired USD 1,04,93,313 in foreign exchange without obtaining permission from the Reserve Bank of India and deposited it in the ..
Two Nepalese women held for possessing drugs
Two Nepalese women were arrested by the police after cannabis worth about Rs 2 crore was recovered from their possession in Rupaideeha area along the India-Nepal border, police said Monday. Mayadevi (40) and Sirkumari Kami (28) were arrested on Sunday after SSB personnel stopped them and found drugs in their possession, Superintendent of Police Gaurav Grover said. Both of them have been sent to jail.
SC refuses to entertain plea on usage of word 'dalit' by media
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea filed by a group of people challenging a media advisory issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ban the usage of the word 'Dalit' by media in public debates.The petitioners said that the Ministry, by erasing the term 'Dalit' from public debate, is creating a false impression that the term itself is derogatory.The plea filed by some 'Dalits' objected to the Ministry's order saying it has violated the rights of the Scheduled Castes to determine and express their own identity.A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi allowed the petitioners to approach the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, adding that if aggrieved, they can move the Supreme Court again.An advisory was issued to the media on August 7 last year asking them to stop using the term 'Dalit' when referring to members of the Scheduled Castes.This came after the Bombay High Court in June asked the Ministry to consider issuing a directive in this ...
Depp fights to stop ex-lawyers from obtaining medical records
Actor Johnny Depp has demanded a judge stop his medical records from being given to his former lawyers as their bitter legal battle continues.
Thane theme park: Probe into excess money paid to contractor
The Thane Municipal Corporation has ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the construction of a theme park in the city. In an official statement, the civic body said the 'Old Thane-New Thane Theme Park' was to be constructed at a cost of Rs 16.35 crore. The contractor was paid Rs 11.67 crore for the work but a recent audit by a committee headed by the civic body's additional municipal commissioner had shown that this work was worth only Rs 10.96 crore. This meant the contractor had been paid excess of Rs 71 lakh, the statement said. The TMC statement said the excess amount would be recovered and penalties will be imposed on the contractor if necessary. It said Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal had also ordered freezing of the contractor's bank guarantee and security deposit. Erring civic officials will also be probed, it said. The theme park, situated in the city's Patlipada Junction, was inaugurated in March last year and had replicas of old monuments ..
WB BJP leader held for allegedly abducting his daughter
The West Bengal police on Monday arrested a BJP leader along with two others for their alleged involvement in the abduction of the leader's daughter, police said.Speaking to media here, Bolpur Additional Superintendent of Police Tanmoy Sarkar said, "We got a tip-off, following which our team of Birbhum and north Dinajpur district police rushed to the station and found her."The 22-year-old woman was allegedly kidnapped by two armed youths on Thursday. She was rescued from the railway station in North Dinajpur district on Sunday.Giving out more details about the same, Sarkar said "Apart from the two men involved in the abduction, we have arrested the girl's father as there was prima facie evidence of her link with the kidnapping. The motive behind the act could be political expediency. As per the preliminary investigation, a major chunk of the people from the BJP apart from the accused have been found guilty for fanning violence in the region.
HC asks accused in molestation case to plant 50 trees, grants anticipatory bail
A man facing prosecution in a molestation case has been asked by the Delhi High Court to plant 50 trees in a government school here while granting him anticipatory bail. Justice Sunil Gaur said the principal of the school shall ensure that the tree plantation drive takes place and the investigating officer will file a compliance report in the court. The man approached the high court seeking anticipatory bail in the criminal case for the alleged offences of molestation, wrongful restraint and mischief under the IPC. He sought parity with a co-accused who has already been granted regular bail by the trial court. The FIR was lodged at Connaught Place Police Station last year. The high court noted that the man, through his counsel, voluntarily submitted that he will plant 25 'neem' trees and 25 'peepal' trees in the nearly government school in east Delhi's Chander Nagar within two weeks. "Let it be so done. The principal of the said school shall ensure that the plantation of these trees ..
Aircel-Maxis case: Protection from arrest to Chidambaram, Karti extended till March 8
A Delhi court Monday extended till March 8 the interim protection from arrest granted to former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti in the Aircel-Maxis scam cases filed by the CBI and the ED. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) told Special Judge O P Saini that Karti Chidambaram has been asked by the agency to appear before it on March 5, 6, 7 and 12 for questioning in the cases. The probe agency said Karti was appearing before the probe agency as per the Supreme Court's directions. The apex court had on January 30 asked Karti to appear before the ED on March 5, 6, 7 and 12 for questioning in connection with the INX Media and Aircel Maxis cases. "Let the matter be fixed after March 12, since he has to appear on March 5,6,7,12, it said," ED, through Special Public Prosecutors N K Matta and Nitesh Rana, told the court. P Chidambaram, who was present in the court, opposed the ED's request to adjourn the matter, saying it was delaying the case. "Requesting both parties to expedite
Chopped body parts of child found near rail track in Thane
Chopped body parts suspected to be of a child have been found near a railway track in Thane district of Maharashtra, a police official said on Monday. A message was received by Kalyan police on Sunday evening about some body parts lying in bushes adjoining the railway track in Titwala area, he said. The police rushed to the spot and seized the highly decomposed head and legs, believed to be of a child around 10 to 12 years of age whose gender was yet to be ascertained, the official at Kalyan police station said. The other body parts were still missing, he said, adding that a gunny bag was also found near the spot. The official said they suspect that the culprit killed the child, chopped the body into pieces, packed them in the bag and threw it from a running train. Efforts were on to identify the deceased, he said. A case was registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and a search for the killer was on, ..