Page 519 - Law Crime
Two honour killings in a week in Rajasthan
In two separate cases of suspected honour killing in a week, two men were brutally lynched in Sriganganagar and Churu districts of Rajasthan.
Shakti Mills gang-rape: Hearing on convicts' pleas from Feb 20
The Bombay High Court will begin final hearing from February 20 on petitions filed by three convicts in the Shakti Mills gang-rape case, challenging the constitutional validity of a legal provision under which they were sentenced to death in 2014. Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali and Salim Ansari were convicted on April 5, 2014 for raping a city-based photo-journalist in the Shakti Mills complex on August 22, 2013. Noting that the petitions had been pending since 2014, a bench of Justices B P Dharmadhikari and Revati Mohite-Dere on Wednesday rejected the Centre and the Maharashtra government's request for further time. "These petitions have been pending since 2014. Therefore, you (the Union and the state) have had ample time to prepare," the bench said. The court also noted that hearing on confirmation of the death sentences was stayed before another bench of the high court since it depended upon the outcome of the above petitions. It, therefore, said the court will begin the final hearing
Devaswom Board U-turn in SC, supports entry of women into Sabarimala temple
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which runs the historic Sabarimala temple in Kerala, took a U-turn in the Supreme Court on Wednesday by supporting its verdict which had allowed women of all age groups to enter the shrine. The Board, which also comprise the state government nominees, told a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that it is high time that a particular class not be discriminated on the ground of "biological attributes". In the forenoon, the Kerala government took the stand that it was in agreement with the September 28 last year verdict and had urged dismissal of petitions seeking review of the verdict. "Article 25 (1) equally entitles all persons to practice religion," senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for TDB, told the bench which also comprise Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra. The Board had earlier vehemently opposed the PIL by Indian Young Lawyers Association saying that the celibate ...
Over 50,000 cases pending in Central Administrative Tribunal: Govt
Over 50,000 cases are pending in various benches of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), around 4,100 of them for more than five years, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh told Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The tribunal is entrusted with the responsibility of adjudicating dispute and complaints of central government employees. A total of 50,053 cases are pending before 17 benches of CAT situated across the country as on December 31, 2018, according to the written reply given by the minister. Of these, 4,141 are pending for more than five years, 10,263 for between three to five years, 9,006 between two to three years, 10,958 between 1-2 years and 15,685 for less than one year, he said. The highest (10,673) pending cases are with CAT's principal bench here, followed by 5,797 with the Allahabad bench, 4,345 Kolkata bench and 3,957 with the Hyderabad bench. The Central Administrative Tribunal was constituted in 1985 keeping in view the pendency of large number of cases relating
Elgar Parishad case: Sudha Bhardwaj moves HC to seek bail
Human rights activist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj, arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, has moved the Bombay High Court to seek bail. The plea was taken up for hearing on Wednesday by Justice N W Sambre. Bhardwaj, through her lawyer Yug Chaudhary, challenged the decision of a Pune court that had rejected her bail plea in October last year. Chaudhary told the bench that the Pune court, while denying the bail to Bhardwaj, had relied upon four letters produced as incriminating evidence by the Pune Police. However, Chaudhary said he wanted to show to the high court that the letters could not be accepted as admissible evidence under the Indian Evidence Act. The bench is likely to hear the plea in detail on February 18. Bhardwaj was arrested along with several other activists by the Pune Police last year. She and the others were booked following an Elgar Parishad event on December 31, 2017, which, the police alleged, triggered violent clashes the next day at Koregaon- Bhima ...
Andhra Police transfers NRI's murder case to Telangana
The Andhra Pradesh Police on Wednesday transferred the murder case of Florida-based NRI businessman Chigurupati Jayaram to Telangana.
Delhi court extends interim protection from arrest to Vadra's aide till Feb 16
A Delhi court Wednesday extended till February 16 the interim protection from arrest granted to Manoj Arora, a close aide of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, in a money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) requested Special Judge Arvind Kumar that as the next date of hearing in Vadra's case was fixed for February 16, this case too be posted for the same date. The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property -- located at 12, Bryanston Square -- worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
INX Media case: HC allows Chidambaram to place add'l documents on record in anticipatory bail plea
The Delhi High Court Wednesday allowed Congress leader P Chidambaram to place some additional documents on record in his pending anticipatory bail plea in the INX Media case lodged by the CBI. The former finance minister has sought to place on record the printouts of several news articles published on February 3, which state that the Law Ministry has told the Centre that CBI can be granted sanction to prosecute Chidambaram in the case. Justice Sunil Gaur allowed the application and said the additional documents are taken on record. The court has on January 25, reserved the order on Chidambaram's anticipatory bail pleas in the corruption and money laundering cases relating to the INX Media scandal, lodged by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED). In the application filed through advocate Arshdeep Singh and Pramod Dubey, Chidambaram said it was imperative to bring on record these facts to show that the CBI has completed its investigation in the case and has thereafter, sought ...
Ex-Himachal CM Virbhadra to be charged in DA case
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered framing of charges against former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife in a Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case.
Youth escapes from RPF custody in Thane hospital
A youth booked in a theft case by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) escaped from Thane civil hospital while undergoing an age confirmation test, police said Wednesday. A Thane police official said the youth escaped by jumping off the window of a X-ray room of the hospital while the escort personnel waited outside on Tuesday afternoon. The youth, who was booked under section 3 of the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966, was taken to the hospital by the RPF for an ossification test on directions of the juvenile court in Bhiwandi. A case has been registered by Thane Nagar police under section 224 (Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the IPC on a complaint of the RPF team, the official said.
Apple faces lawsuit for forcing users to buy new chargers
A California law firm has filed a new class action lawsuit against Apple for forcing owners of iOS devices to repeatedly buy new chargers by updating the iPhones with new requirements around 2016, the media reported.
3 held for cow slaughter may be shifted to Rewa jail
Three men booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for cow slaughter in Madhya Pradesh were likely to be transferred to Rewa Jail from Khandwa, police said on Wednesday.
BJP attacks Cong over Vadra's ED summons
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday attacked the Congress over the Enforcement Directorate's summons to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra to appear before it in connection with a money laundering case. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Vadra benefited from a petroleum and a defence deal which took place in 2008-09 when the UPA was in power. Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, utilised the money to buy posh properties worth several crore rupees in London. Quoting an e-mail trail, he alleged that Vadra's company received "kickbacks" from a series of companies floated to "turn black money into white". "The 2019 Lok Sabha election is a fight between the gang of corrupt versus transparency of Narendra Modi government," he said. Vadra is expected to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in connection with the money laundering case relating to alleged possession of illegal ...
Philippines announces libel charge against critical journalist
Philippine prosecutors said Wednesday they will file a libel charge carrying up to 12 years in prison against journalist Maria Ressa, who leads a news website that has clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte's administration. The case -- under a controversial cybercrime law penalising online libel -- adds to legal pressure on Ressa and her site Rappler, which has already been hit with tax evasion charges that could shutter the outlet and put her behind bars. Ressa, who was named a Time Magazine "Person of the Year" in 2018 for her journalistic work, slammed the fresh case as a new front of "harassment" intended to silence her website. Rappler has drawn the administration's ire since publishing reports critical of Duterte's signature anti-drug crackdown that has killed thousands of alleged users and pushers since 2016. However, the new case against Ressa and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr stems from a 2012 report written about a businessman's alleged ties to a then-judge on
Two held for Andhra businessman murder
Andhra Pradesh Police has arrested two persons accused in connection with the death of NRI entrepreneur Chigurupati Jayaram.The arrested duo - K Rakesh Reddy and D Srinivas have reportedly confessed to killing the businessman. Police said they used CCTV footage and cell phone signals to nab the accused.Krishna district Superintendent of Police, Sarvashresh Tripathy told ANI: "On February 1 we received information about a dead body lying in a car at Ithavaram area in the limits of Nandigama police station. Immediately the Nandigama police reached the spot and shifted the body to the local government hospital for post mortem examination." The SP said the two were nabbed after a chase and have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.According to police Reddy had loaned huge around Rs 4 crores to Jayaram, after the NRI entrepreneur approached him seeking financial help and was miffed as he did not get it back.Reddy reportedly lured Jayaram to his Bajara Hills ...
JNU sedition case: Delhi court to hear matter on Feb 28
A Delhi court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to urge the Delhi government to expedite the sanction process to prosecute former JNU Student's Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a sedition case.The matter is related to anti-national slogans allegedly raised during a February 2016 event on the campus of JNU. Subsequently, the case was filed against Kumar among others.During the hearing at the Patiala House Court today, the Delhi Police told the court that the sanction is still pending and was hoping to obtain the same very soon.The court also rapped the Delhi government, saying it cannot sit on a file for an indefinite time.Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat adjourned the matter to February 28, granting more time to the Delhi Police for obtaining the sanction for prosecution.On January 24, Delhi Law Minister Kailash Gehlot sent a show-cause notice to Principal Law Secretary AK Mendiratta for clearing without his approval the sanction to prosecute ...
CRPF trooper commits suicide in Jharkhand
A CRPF trooper who was reportedly denied leave committed suicide by shooting himself in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Wednesday.
Over 7,300 TN cops face action over closure of FIRs
The Madras High Court was informed that the Tamil Nadu Police has initiated disciplinary proceedings against at least 7,324 officers for failing to file final reports within the statutory time limit which resulted in closure of over 2.14 lakh FIRs by trial courts. Filing a counter-affidavit on the interim order passed by Justice M V Muralidharan, the Director General of Police's office magistrate courts were not maintaining registers to enable police to know about cases which were "not taken on file". There were 1,72,602 such cases between 2010 and 2018, according to the counter affidavit, which also claimed that the lower judiciary closed FIRs for not filing of charge sheets by police. It was also brought to the knowledge of the judge that in total between 2009 and 2014, 2,14,901 FIRs had been closed by magistrate courts. The Director General of Police (DGP) office also submitted that disciplinary action is being initiated to issue show cause notices to 7,324 investigating officers ..
Don't delay sanction against Kanhaiya Kumar, Delhi government told
A Delhi court on Wednesday told the Delhi Government not to sit on the file seeking sanction to proceed in a case of sedition against former JNU student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and nine others.
Man from K'taka booked for attempt to murder in Maharashtra
A 45-year-old man from Karnataka has been booked by city police for allegedly attempting to kill a relative in Thane district of Maharashtra, police said on Wednesday. The victim, Dundappa Katti Mani (60), lived along with his family at a construction site on Ghodbunder Road here. His niece was married to the accused, Ashok Harijan, a resident of Bijapur district in Karnataka, a police official said. However, since Harijan used to harass his wife, Mani brought his niece and her three children to Thane around six months back, he said. The accused also came to Mani's place a few days back and demanded that his wife return with him to Karnataka. However, the victim refused to allow his niece to go with the accused following which the two men had a quarrel over it on Tuesday night, he said. Harijan, in a fit of anger, allegedly attacked Mani with a knife, injuring him seriously, the official said. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and a case was registered against ...