Page 825 - Law Crime
AJL moves HC challenging Centre's order ending National Herald building lease
Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of National Herald newspaper, Monday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Centre's order ending its 56-year-old lease and asking it to vacate the premises in the press enclave at ITO here. The plea, challenging the October 30 order of the Urban Development Ministry ending the lease and asking it to vacate the premises by November 15, is scheduled to come up for hearing Tuesday before Justice Sunil Gaur. The plea alleged that the Land and Development Office's order was "illegal, unconstitutional, arbitrary, tainted with malafide and without authority and jurisdiction". The petition, filed through advocates Sunil Fernandes and Priyansha Indra Sharma, said that the Centre has warned them of action under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, if they failed to vacate the premises. One of the grounds mentioned in the L&DO order is that no press has been functioning in the premises for last at least
Mumbai: 4 held for robbing man of ornaments worth Rs 1.33 cr
Four persons were arrested for allegedly looting ornaments worth Rs 1.33 crore after throwing chilli powder at a jewellery firm employee, a Crime Branch official said Monday. The incident took place on October 20 at the gates of Mathuradas Mill compound on NM Joshi Road in central Mumbai's Lower Parel area, police said. The victim works at a firm which collects readymade gold and diamond ornaments from manufacturing units, the official said. "Four persons, one of them armed with a knife, threw chilli powder into the eyes of the victim and snatched a bag containing ornaments worth over Rs 1.33 crore," he said. A case was registered with NM Joshi Marg police station and Unit 3 of the Mumbai Police's Crime Branch also started probing the incident, he said. While the robbers ensured CCTV cameras in the vicinity did not manage to capture their images, Crime Branch officials started inquiring about possible suspects and zeroed in on Suresh Doke (36), a Kalachowki resident, who
Pak SC admits NAB appeal against suspension of Sharifs' sentences in Avenfield case
Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday admitted the country's anti-graft watchdog's appeal for hearing over the suspension of the prison sentences of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law in the Avenfield corruption case. On July 6, Sharif was awarded 10 years imprisonment while his daughter Maryam, and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar were given seven and one year jail terms respectively in the Avenfield apartments corruption case. However, on September 19, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended their sentences on the petitions filed by the Sharifs. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, was conducting preliminary hearing of the case. The bench ordered that the defendants' bail in the case would be maintained while the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) plea against the suspension of the sentences would be heard separately, Geo News reported. The apex court said it would see if there was any need to change the bench or ...
Dawood Ibrahim aide Jabir Moti's extradition trial set for March 2019 in UK
Jabir Moti, an alleged "top lieutenant" in underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's organised crime syndicate, will stand trial in March next year in his extradition case on money laundering and extortion charges brought by the US authorities, a Westminster Magistrates' Court judge in London said on Monday. Judge Tan Ikram remanded Pakistani national Jabir Moti, aka Jabir Motiwala and Jabir Siddiq, in further custody to appear for a case management hearing on December 10, before a three-day trial scheduled for March 13-15 in 2019. The 51-year-old appeared before the court via routine procedure of video link from Wandsworth Prison in south-west London on Monday, when a previously set date for the trial in February 2019 was delayed due to scheduling reasons. "Due to non-availability of counsel, the trial will now take place in March. I am mindful of the delay but the delay is very small," said Judge Ikram. Moti, who has made an application to the court to have his name changed on the case ...
Swedish Academy sex scandal: Appeals trial opens for jailed Frenchman
A court in Stockholm opened an appeals trial on Monday for a Frenchman who was jailed in October for rape in a scandal that rocked the prestigious Swedish Academy that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Rakesh Asthana case: Middleman moves HC seeking bail
An accused, arrested in connection with bribery allegations involving CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, approached the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking bail in the case. The plea has been listed for hearing tomorrow before Justice Najmi Waziri. Alleged middleman Manoj Prasad filed the bail plea in the high court following dismissal of his similar application by a trial court here on November 3. The trial court had denied bail to Prasad saying it was not a fit stage to grant him the relief. Prasad, who was arrested by the CBI on October 17, is currently in judicial custody. He, Asthana and CBI's Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar have also filed separate petitions in the high court seeking quashing of the FIR against them which are listed for hearing on Wednesday. In his bail plea before the trial court, Prasad had claimed that he was not required for the custodial interrogation and no purpose will be served by keeping him in further custody. The probe agency had ...
PMLA court sends Choksi's aide to 14-day judicial custody
A special court here Monday remanded Deepak Kulkarni, an executive working for fugitive Mehul Choksi, in judicial custody for 14 days. Kulkarni was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court of judge M S Azmi after his remand ended Monday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Kulkarni last week at the Kolkata airport after he landed from Hong Kong. He was then brought to Mumbai. The agency is probing the money-laundering aspect of the alleged USD 2 billion fraud at Punjab National Bank in which Choksi and his diamantaire nephew Nirav Modi are the main accused and are absconding. According to the ED, Kulkarni was linked to overseas businesses of Choksi, and was a director in a Hong Kong-based 'dummy firm' linked to the latter.
8-year-old sodomised by village barber
An eight-year-old boy was allegedly sodomised by a barber here on Monday, police said. The incident took place in a village in Tarabganj area when the boy had gone to the accused Mohit's shop for a haircut, Superintendent of Police (SP) Lallan Singh said. Mohit was arrested after a first information report was lodged by the victim's family.
Doctor found dead in Delhi
A 65-year-old doctor was found dead at his home here on Monday, police said.
Woman killed for objecting to smoking: NCW seeks report
The National Commission for Women on Monday expressed serious concern over the killing of a woman for objecting to smoking in Uttar Pradesh last week and sought to know what action has been initiated. "The commission is seriously concerned about the brutal crime committed on the woman. Considering the gravity of the matter, it is requested that the commission may be apprised about the action taken in the matter at the earliest," the NCW said in a letter to UP Director General of Police (DGP) O P Singh. On Friday, a 45-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by an inebriated man inside the general coach of the Punjab-Bihar Jallianwala Bagh Express after she objected to his smoking. The deceased and her family were on their way to Bihar for taking part in Chhath puja festivities, police had said.
Gold biscuits worth over Rs 95 lakh seized by BSF in Bengal, one arrested
The Border Security Force on Monday seized gold biscuits worth Rs 95 lakh from the Indo-Bangladesh border area of West Bengal's Nadia district and arrested a gold smuggler, a BSF officer said.
Farm supervisor charged in Australia strawberry tampering
A former strawberry farm supervisor was accused in court Monday of retaliating over a workplace grievance by putting needles into the fruit, sparking recalls that devastated the Australian industry. Magistrate Christine Roney said while prosecutors were alleging My Ut Trinh was "motivated by spite or revenge" she would not consider granting bail for the woman until the reasons for her actions became clearer. While no injuries were reported from the needles, the crisis escalated to six states and neighbouring New Zealand. Australia's multimillion-dollar strawberry industry suffered major financial losses, with fruit recalled from supermarket shelves and destroyed. Major food distributors in New Zealand removed Australian strawberries from stores. State Crime Command Superintendent Jon Wacker told reporters before the court hearing that 230 incidents were reported nationwide, impacting 68 strawberry brands. The scare was concentrated in Queensland state, where 77 incidents were ...
Indonesia to free Bali Nine drug smuggler Lawrence: official
The only female member of the "Bali Nine" heroin-trafficking gang will be freed from an Indonesian prison next week, a corrections official said Monday, after serving 13 years in a case that caused a diplomatic furore. Australian Renae Lawrence, 41, was arrested in 2005 after she was caught with 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin strapped to her body as she tried to fly out of the international airport on the holiday island of Bali. Lawrence was sentenced to life imprisonment, but her sentence was later reduced to 20 years and then further reduced due to good behaviour. "She will be released on November 21," Made Suwendra, head of the Bangli prison on Bali where Lawrence is incarcerated, told AFP. "(Lawrence) is a nice person. Accommodating, easy to work with and be friends with. There have been no problems since she's been here." It is likely that Lawrence will be deported shortly after her prison release. She will be the only member of the Bali Nine to win their freedom so ...
Not possible to use Aadhaar biometrics to identify the dead, UIDAI tells HC
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) told the Delhi High Court on Monday that it was technically not possible to match the fingerprints of an unidentified body with the biometrics of 120 crore people stored in its database. UIDAI submitted before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao that matching of biometrics, including fingerprints and iris, is done on 1:1 basis and Aadhaar number is required for it. The court was hearing a petition filed by social activist Amit Sahni seeking a direction to the Centre and UIDAI to utilise Aadhaar biometrics to identify the unidentified dead bodies. The bench asked the UIDAI to bring on record the details and file its response to the plea, explaining the system as to why it was not possible to match the fingerprints in such cases with the Aadhaar database. It also sought the reply of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on February 5 next year. The petition ..
SC raps Bihar Police for not arresting ex-minister Manju Verma
The Supreme Court on Monday rapped the Bihar Police for its failure in arresting former state minister Manju Verma in a case related to the recovery of ammunition from her house during a raid conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case."We are quite shocked that former Cabinet minister could not be traced by the police for over a month. We would like the police to tell us that how such an important person is not traceable? Director General of Police needs to appear before us," the court said.Coming down heavily on the Bihar Police, Justice Madan B Lokur said, "Fantastic! Cabinet Minister (Manju Verma) on the run, fantastic. How could it happen that the Cabinet Minister is absconding and nobody knows where she is? You realise the seriousness of the issue that the Cabinet minister is not traceable. It's too much." The court has now scheduled the matter for hearing on November 27.Earlier this month, a non-bailable warrant ..
SC dismisses plea seeking recusal of judges hearing Manipur fake encounter case
The Supreme Court bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice UU Lalit on Monday dismissed a plea seeking their recusal from hearing a case on the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur. The petition has been filed by 300 serving Army officers."There is no material to recuse from hearing alleged Manipur fake encounter case," the apex court said.The application has been filed before the bench to recuse the judges from hearing the case as remarks passed by the bench during one of the hearings were prejudicial to the probe and affected the morale of the armed forces.Attorney General K.K. Venugopal had told the bench that the Centre supports the armed forces that face difficult situations in areas like Manipur and have to adopt various methods.Venugopal had said the reported remarks of the bench that these officers were "murderers" had affected the morale of police and armed forces.The separate plea was filed by over 300 serving Army officers against the dilution of Armed Force Special
6 Gauhati High Court judges sworn in
Gauhati High Court Chief Justice A S Bopanna on Monday administered the oath of office to six judges, taking the total strength to 17. The judges who were sworn in are: Justices Manash Ranjan Pathak, Achintya Malla Bujor Barua, Kalyan Rai Surana, Prasanta Kumar Deka, Nelson Sailo and Ajit Borthakur. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by advocates and was held at the premises of the high court. The high court has 17 judges now against the sanctioned strength of 24.
Woman editor comes out in support of Akbar
The Sunday Guardian Editor Joyeeta Basu on Monday put up a strong defence for former Union Minister M.J. Akbar, who has been accused of sexual harassment by several women journalists
India, Morocco sign agreement on combatting crime
India and Morocco on Monday signed an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, a move to strengthen bilateral cooperation and provide strong legal base for extradition of fugitive offenders, a Home Ministry statement said.
Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit: SC rejects plea seeking early hearing
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea seeking an early hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit.The matter was heard by a bench comprising of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul.Barun Sinha, counsel for Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, had mentioned the matter for an urgent hearing.On October 29, the apex court had adjourned the title suit till January 2019 to fix the date of hearing in the matter. The top court adjourned the matter which challenged the Allahabad High Court ruling of 2010. The 2010 verdict had divided the disputed land in Ayodhya into three parts for each of the parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.