Page 487 - Law Crime
HC stays construction of unauthorised building in Munnar
The Kerala High Court Wednesday stayed the construction of an unauthorised building at Munnar in Idukki district, over which a local MLA had publicly slandered a woman sub-collector for issuing a stop memo notice. The division bench, headed by the Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy, gave the interim stay on a plea filed by former Munnar panchayat president and CPI leader M Y Ousepp. The bench said it was clear that there was no permission for construction of the building. The high court also noted that the panchayat had ignored the stop memo issued by the revenue department. The construction has already stirred up a controversy after local MLA S Rajendran publicly slandered Devikulam Sub-collector Renu Raj on Sunday for issuing the stop memo against the construction. The government counsel also submitted that the construction continued even after a stop memo was issued by the sub-collector. The petitioner's counsel pointed out that the construction was going on at the stretch of land given .
VVIP chopper: Court to pronounce order on Rajiv Saxena's bail plea after perusing his medical report
A Delhi court Wednesday said it would pronounce its order on the bail plea of Rajiv Saxena, arrested in the AgustaWestland money-laundering case, on Thursday after perusing his medical report. Special judge Arvind Kumar directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to file a report on Saxena's medical condition. The court also asked Tihar jail authorities to comply with the court's February 12 order in which it had directed the authorities to allow Saxena his necessary medicines and sleep apnea machine. "The Director/Medical superintendent, AIIMS, is again directed to file report in respect of medical condition of accused Rajiv Saxena," the court said in its order. Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for Saxena, submitted that the Tihar jail authorities did not permit the accused to have sleep apnea machine and medicines, after which the court asked the authorities to strictly comply with the previous order or to face consequences. "The jail is directed to comply with the ..
SC gives no relief to Bhima-Koregaon clash accused, sets aside HC order
The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave no relief to five activists named in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case, as it set aside a Bombay High Court order not allowing another 90 days to the Maharashtra Police to file the charge sheet against the accused.
Ludhiana gang rape incident rocks Punjab Assembly
The Ludhiana gang rape incident rocked the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday with opposition AAP and LIP trying to corner the Congress government over "deteriorating" law and order situation. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told the House he will take up the matter with the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High court for ensuring speedy justice. The cane charge on protesting teachers, including women, by police in Patiala on Sunday also echoed in the Assembly with opposition AAP and SAD-BJP staging a walk out of the House after their adjournment motion on "police atrocity" on teachers were not allowed by the Speaker. During Zero Hour on the second day of the Budget Session, AAP legislator from Jagraon Sarabjit Kaur Manuke raised the issue of Ludhiana gang rape incident and alleged that the law and order machinery had "completely failed" in the state. She alleged that crime against women had been rising in the state. Intervening in the matter, Dakha MLA H S Phoolka drew the attention of ..
Spain prosecutor accuses Catalan separatists of using 'human shields'
A Spanish public prosecutor on Wednesday accused Catalan separatist leaders of trying to use "human shields" to block police during their failed secession bid in 2017. On the second day of the separatist leaders' trial, Supreme Court prosecutor Fidel Cadena also rejected arguments by defence lawyers who said the trial was politically motivated, saying "anyone can have the ideas they want". "What is penalised... is behaviour carried out over time which aimed... at the subversion and rupture of the constitutional order, calling for violent methods through the use of the masses as human shields" against police, he said. Twelve Catalan separatist politicians and activists face years behind bars if they are convicted of rebellion or other charges for pushing an independence referendum in October 2017, in defiance of a court ban, and a brief declaration of independence. Under Spanish law, rebellion is defined as "rising up in a violent and public manner". But the key, divisive question is ..
GFSU signs MoUs with police training institutes of 3 countries
The Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU), the world's first university dedicated to forensic and allied sciences, Wednesday signed MoUs with police training institutes of three central Asian countries. The MoUs were signed with Karaganda Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, and Law Enforcement University of Mongolia, the GFSU said in a press release. "The MoUs were inked during the 8th annual conference of the International Association of Police Academies (INTERPA) being held at the Gandhinagar-based university. They are aimed at strengthening the criminal justice delivery system and maximising the use of the knowledge of forensic science and cyber security," it said. Senior police officials from 36 member countries of INTERPA are attending the meet. The university said the MoUs pertain to collaborations in areas of training, consultancy, research and academics in the fields of ...
CBI files supplemntary chargesheet against 2 shooters in Dabholkar murder case
The CBI on Wednesday filed a supplementary chargesheet against shooters Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar in connection with its probe into the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, officials said.
Cop gets four years' RI for taking Rs 5,000 bribe
A local court in Madhya Pradesh Wednesday sentenced an assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI) to four years' rigorous imprisonment for accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a man booked in a theft case in 2013. Additional district and sessions court judge A C Tiwari convicted ASI Mohanlal Shukla under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and handed him the sentence, district public prosecutor office spokesman Naveen Kumar Verma said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on the policeman. As per the prosecution, Shukla had demanded Rs 5,000 from complainant Viran Sahu who was booked by him in a theft case in 2013. Sahu lodged a complaint with Lokayukta police on May 4, 2013, stating that Shukla was threatening to impose additional sections of the IPC and delay filing of the charge sheet if he was not paid the bribe, the court was told. Shukla was arrested when he was accepting the money from the complainant.
65-yr-old found dead in Samba
A 65-years-old man was found dead on the side of Pathankot Highway in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Wednesday, police said. "The deceased Ghulam Ali Bhat, a resident of Bhadarwah, was a former block development officer. He was found dead in the morning near Dera Gandotra in Vijaypur area," they added. Bhat was currently living in Bhatindi area of Jammu and was reported missing by his family on Tuesday evening, officials said. Preliminary investigation suggests the former government official had died after being hit by a speeding vehicle, they said. A case has been registered and investigation is on to nab the culprits.
CBI lets Kolkata police chief go after five days consecutive questioning
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday allowed Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to leave Shillong after questioning him in the Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams for five consecutive days.
World court rules Iran bid to recover funds frozen in US can proceed
The International Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that Iran can proceed with a bid to recover billions of dollars in frozen assets the United States says must go to victims of attacks blamed on Tehran. Judges rejected US claims that the case should be thrown out because Iran had "unclean hands" due to alleged links to terrorism, and that the tribunal in The Hague did not have jurisdiction in the lawsuit.
SC hears PIL on custodial torture entire day after ex-Law minister said he was not heard
The Supreme Court Wednesday accorded a day-long hearing to a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre to frame a law on custodial torture and inhuman treatment as India was a signatory to the United Nations' convention on torture after petitioner and former Law Minister Ashwini Kumar submitted that he has not been heard. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the submission of the senior lawyer Kumar and said that today it will only hear him and reminded him that the apex court has to deal with the grievances of "1.3 billion people which is half of the population of the world". "Everybody seems to say this that they are not being heard. Let us discharge the board today and hear only this. We have been on that side and now on this side. We know the compulsions. We know how many cases are begging for our attention. "Please do not remind us of Supreme Courts (of other countries) that have ten cases before them. With the population and the numbers we are dealing, the ...
Philippine agents arrest journalist critical of president
The award-winning head of a Philippine online news site that has aggressively covered President Rodrigo Duterte's administration was arrested Wednesday by government agents in a libel case. Maria Ressa, who was selected by Time magazine as one of its Persons of the Year last year, was arrested over a libel complaint from a businessman which Amnesty International condemned as "brazenly politically motivated." Duterte's government said the arrest was a normal step in response to the complaint. Duterte has openly lambasted journalists who write unfavorable stories about him, including his anti-drug campaign that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead. Rappler Inc, the news site which Ressa heads, said National Bureau of Investigation agents served the warrant late Wednesday afternoon, making it difficult for Ressa to apply for bail, and escorted her from the Rappler office to NBI headquarters. "We are not intimidated. No amount of legal cases, black propaganda, and lies can ...
Man gets life sentence for murdering brother
A local court Wednesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his brother over a land dispute nearly four years ago. The court of Principal District Judge Kumar Kamal awarded life sentence to Rajendra Kandulana for killing his brother, Chullu, who was sleeping, with a sharp weapon in August 2015. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.
Indian national on Lanka assassination plot further remanded in custody
An Indian national arrested for possible links to an alleged plot to assassinate Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena was on Wednesday further remanded in custody until February 27. Marceli Thomas was arrested in October following a complaint by Namal Kumara, a police informant, who had alleged a plot to assassinate Sirisena and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former top defence ministry bureaucrat and brother of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Kumara also claimed that the senior police officer in charge of the police's counter terrorism division Nalaka Silva had masterminded the plot. Silva has since been interdicted and questioned extensively by the police CID. The police maintained although no details had emerged on the alleged plot to kill Sirisena, Silva had been arrested for plotting the murder of a police officer. Thomas, said to be from Kerala, appeared before a court on Wednesday. Sirisena in late October sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe triggering an unprecedented ..
Indrani Mukerjea says she is ready to face lie-detector test
Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, told a special CBI court here on Wednesday that she was ready to undergo a lie-detector test. She submitted a handwritten application before special judge J C Jagdale, conveying her willingness to undergo a polygraph (commonly known as lie detector) test. In 2015, Indrani had refused to give her consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to subject her to a lie-detector test. According to the law, an accused cannot be made to undergo such tests without his or her consent. "In October 2015, I had not given consent...because I was under tremendous pressure not to undergo the test," she said in the application. She succumbed to the pressure as she was in a "state of shock", was "mentally disturbed" and "vulnerable and physically unwell", she said. Now she was "emotionally more settled", Indrani added. "I realise that I should have never succumbed to such pressure. It is only right and proper in the name of ...
MHRC directs DGP to inquire assault of Excise dept official by
The Meghalaya Human Rights Commission Wednesday directed the DGP to inquire the assault and abuse of an Excise department official by police personnel in West Garo Hills district. The commission directed the DGP to submit the report, to be prepared by an officer not less than a Deputy Inspector General of Police rank, within 30 days, the MHRC secretary Aldous Mawlong said. Acting on a complaint lodged by one Mancheng D Marak, an employee of the Excise department the Commission issued notice to the DGP, he said. Marak in his complaint had alleged that police personnel on December 7 last year barged into his house and assaulted him with blows and batons. He further had alleged that the police team took him to the police station and forcefully made him sign a false fabricated seizure list threatening him with dire consequences if he refuses. The police team had accused Marak of being a bootlegger.
Case registered against cop for assault bid on girl in train
A manhunt is on to trace a police officer who allegedly attempted to sexually assault a 17-year-old girl on a moving train in Kerala, railway police said Wednesday. The accused, identified as Dinshad, an officer under the Vigilance department of the state police, has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on the complaint of the girl, they said. As per the complaint, the 38-year-old accused had tried to sexually harass her near Sasthamkotta while travelling in a Thiruvananthapuram-bound train two weeks ago, the police said. A case was registered soon after she had registered a complaint with the railway police here. "The accused, who was immediately suspended from service, is absconding now," a police officer said.
VVIP Chopper case: Court reserves order on Michel's bail for Feb 16 as ED, CBI oppose plea
A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its order on the bail plea of Christian Michel, arrested in connection with an alleged scam in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, for February 16. Special judge Arvind Kumar, after hearing both the parties, directed them to file short written arguments in the case by February 15. During the hearing, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED opposed Michel's bail plea, saying the court has already taken cognisance of the chargesheet in the case and the accused cannot seek bail at this juncture. Advocate D P Singh, appearing for the agency, said no question of default bail arises under Section 167 and the investigation in this case was at a very crucial stage. The counsel appearing for Michel sought bail on the ground that the chargesheet against him was not filed within the stipulated 60-day period under section 167 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). "The submission made by the CBI is that they are at a crucial point
Earlier applications invalid, all need to apply afresh for becoming chief, members of Lokpal: Govt
Earlier applications received in response to a 2014 advertisement for the posts of chairman and members of Lokpal have become invalid as the term of the previous search committee has ended and all aspirants need to apply again, officials said. A decision in this regard was taken during the second meeting of the Lokpal search committee held here on Wednesday. "The committee also took note of earlier applications received during the term of previous search committee and decided that as the term of the earlier committee had ended, these applications are not valid. Interested persons may apply afresh if they are eligible," a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said. The panel has decided to hold its next meeting on February 25, 2019. The government had in January 2014 sought the applications for the appointments of chairman and members of Lokpal. However, the process was later stalled due to some legal infirmities, the officials said. After forming the search panel afresh in ...