Page 883 - Law Crime
After Pune court rejects bail, 2 rights activists re-arrested
A Special Court here rejected the bail plea filed by three human rights and civil liberties activists, accused of involvement in the Elgaar Parishad and the Koregaon-Bhima caste riots of January 1, following which two of them were re-arrested on Friday.
Spl CBI Director Rakesh Asthana moves SC against Centre's decision to divest him of duties
Special Director Rakesh Asthana, embroiled in an unprecedented feud with CBI Chief Alok Verma, moved the Supreme Court on Friday challenging the Centre's decision to divest him of duties and sending him on leave and claimed that he was a "whistle-blower". In his petition, Asthana has also sought the removal of the CBI director from his post. When a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph was hearing Verma's petition, the counsel appearing for Asthana drew the attention to the plea filed by him. However, the bench said that it cannot grant any hearing on the oral submission as Asthana's petition was not before it. "We cannot hear something which is not before us," the bench said. Senior advocate and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Asthana, submitted that the petition has been filed before the Registry and sought that it be listed on October 29. "We will see," the bench said. Rohatgi further said that Asthana has also been ...
Russian woman allegedly raped in Manali
A 30-year-old Russian woman has alleged she was raped by two unknown persons in Manali, police said Friday. The incident occurred when the woman was passing through an isolated area after having dinner Thursday night, Kullu Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said. On her complaint, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Manali police station, Agnihotri said. The victim's medical examination has been conducted, spot verification is being done and the matter investigated by Manali Station House Officer Inspector Anil Kumar, she added.
HC raps Kerala govt on arrest of Ayyappa devotees
The Kerala High Court Friday warned that a heavy price would have to be paid if innocent persons are arrested, as it rapped the state government on the arrest of Ayyappa devotees who had allegedly engaged in violent protests against the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups into the Sabarimala shrine. Taking stringent action against the protesters, police have arrested more than 1,400 people in connection with the protests all over the state and registered 450 cases over the past few days. "Don't play to the gallery," a division bench, comprising justices P R Ramachandra Menon and Devan Ramachandran, said. Considering a plea challenging the "massive" arrest of Ayyappa devotees, the bench directed that the arrest should be made only after properly investigating such persons' participation in the alleged violent protests. The court also directed police to investigate whether it was true devotees who had reached the temple for offering prayers during the recent monthly ...
ED files fresh charge sheet against journalist Upender Rai before Court
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed supplementary charge sheet before a Delhi court against journalist Upendra Rai, accusing him of laundering around Rs 23 crore. The supplementary charge sheet, filed before Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal, against Rai and four others, has sought their prosecution for money laundering. The court put the final report, filed by ED's special public prosecutors N K Matta and Nitesh Rana, for consideration tomorrow. In an earlier charge sheet in the case, the ED had alleged that Rai projected properties, worth over Rs 29 crore, which he generated through "blackmail" and "extortion" as a scribe, as untainted. The Delhi-based journalist was arrested by the agency for alleged money laundering, punishable under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It had said that Rai was a journalist, who crafted leverage out of his access to government offices as a mediaperson. The agency further said Rai used the "ill-gotten" money to acquire ...
Normal life hit in Konark as BJP calls bandh over 'inaction'
Normal life was disrupted on Friday at Konark town in Odisha's Puri district due to a 12-hour bandh called by BJP's Mahila Morcha, alleging police inaction in a gang-rape case of a woman from neighbouring West Bengal, an official said. A 25-year-old woman from West Bengal was allegedly held captive at a market complex in Puri and gangraped over a period of 10 days. She was rescued by the police on October 17 after raising an alarm from the roof of the building, where she was apparently detained for over a week. "As the shops remained shut and vehicles were off the roads, tourists failed to visit Sun Temple at Konark on Friday. Local people, too mostly confined themselves at home," the official said. Claiming that the police did not take "adequate action" in the case due to political pressure, BJP Mahila Morcha state president Prabhati Parida said the "main accused had links with the ruling BJD". "We demand that Konark be declared a safe place for women. The police did ..
Khashoggi's fiancee demands punishment for all involved in 'savagery'
The Turkish fiancee of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Friday called for all those responsible for his murder to be brought to justice. "I demand that all those involved in this savagery from the highest to the lowest levels are punished and brought to justice," Hatice Cengiz told the Haber Turk television station.
History-sheeter arrested in Haryana
A history-sheeter was Friday arrested with six illegal pistols and five magazines from Jind district, police said. Sunil Tarkhan, a close aide of hardcore criminal Satbir alias Jhabbal, was arrested from the Jind Court premises by detective team sleuths based on a tip-off, a spokesperson of the State Police Department said here. "It was revealed in the preliminary interrogation that the accused was a member of Satbir alias Jhabbal gang," the spokesperson said The illegal weapons seized from him were brought from Madhya Pradesh at the behest of Jhabbal to supply them to his other aides who were plotting to execute an incident of crime in the city, he said. Thirty-six cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, robbery and under the provisions of the Arms Act are registered against Tarkhan across various districts of Haryana and Rajasthan, the spokesperson said.
Meghalaya court acquits B'desh ex-minister in trespassing case
A court here on Friday acquitted former Bangladesh minister Salahuddin Ahmed who was arrested three years ago for allegedly tresspassing into Indian territory. The trial in the case had concluded in August in the court of Judicial Magistrate D G Kharshiing, who reserved October 26 as the date for pronouncement of the judgment. "My client has been acquitted of all charges as the prosecution failed to provide any evidence against him," Ahmed's legal counsel S P Mahanta told PTI. The court has also directed the Meghalaya Police to deport Ahmed to his "country of origin", but the process will take some time, he said. Altogether 11 witnesses, including police officers, were examined during the course of the trial, which lasted for over three years. Bangladesh National Party (BNP) leader, Ahmed, was found loitering at Golflinks area of Shillong on May 11, 2015, reportedly two months after he went missing in Dhaka. The police arrested him on the charge of trespassing into the country without
Indian national arrested in Lanka prez assassination plot sent to mental hospital
An Indian national arrested for possible links to an alleged plot to assassinate Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has been sent to a mental hospital, police said here on Friday. Marceli Thomas has been put under the care of doctors at a hospital of mental care near Colombo, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. "On court orders he was seen by the judicial medical officer. He in turn asked Thomas be seen by a psychiatrist. After the psychiatrist's examination he was sent to the Mulleriyawa hospital," Gunasekera said. Thomas was arrested late last month following a complaint by Namal Kumara, who claimed to be representing the "Anti-Corruption Force", and who had alleged there was a plot to assassinate Sirisena and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former top defence ministry bureaucrat and brother of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Thomas told a court on Wednesday that he is innocent alleging that the police are trying to frame him in the case. Kumara also claimed that the senior ...
31 arrested for running 'call centre' that duped US citizens: Noida Police
Thirty-one people, including two main accused, were arrested for running a fake call centre here that duped US citizens by assuring tax benefits, police said Friday. A team of officials from the Crime Branch, the cyber cell and local police had Thursday busted the fake call centre operating in city's Sector-63 area. The "co-directors" of the fake call centre, identified as Rajendra Khalsa and Abhishek Bharadwaj, both Class 12 pass and natives of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, have been held, Superintendent of Police (Crime) Ashok Kumar Singh said. "Twenty-nine other men including 28 from the Northeast and one from Maharashtra, who were working in the call centre were arrested," he told reporters. He said as many as 34 computer systems and other electronic gadgets besides 21 debit/credit cards were seized during the raid. The main accused, Khalsa and Bharadwaj, are in their late 20s, while others are all adults and under 35 years of age, police said. Of the 29 workers, most of them hail from ...
Woman held with bullet at Sikandarpur metro station
A woman was apprehended at a Delhi Metro station in Haryana on Friday for allegedly carrying a live bullet round in her bag, officials said. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel apprehended the unidentified woman, a resident of West Bengal, at the Sikandarpur station near here after the X-ray baggage scanner detected the ammunition in her bag, they said. The woman, who works in a salon in the Green Park area of the national capital, was handed over to the Haryana Police by the CISF personnel for further investigation, officials said. Carrying of arms and ammunition is banned in the Delhi metro.
Court order on Mallya plea against ED proceedings likely on Oct 30
A city court is likely to pass its orders on October 30 on a plea filed by businessman Vijay Mallya, seeking a stay on the proceedings initiated by the ED to declare him a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO). The special court heard extensive arguments on Friday from Mallya's lawyer as well as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) counsel before reserving its order for October 30. The ED has sought that Mallya, who is currently in the UK, be declared an FEO and his properties be confiscated and brought under the control of the Union government as per provisions of the new FEO Act. Mallya's counsel Amit Desai, however, urged the court, set up under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), to refrain from hearing the ED's plea at least till November 26. Desai told the court that earlier this month, the appellate tribunal against money laundering had directed the ED to maintain status quo with regard to properties of the beleaguered businessman till November 26, the next date of hearing ...
Sharif objects to 'back to jail' comments of Pak info minister
Pakistan's deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif's lawyers on Friday urged an accountability court to take notice of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry's statement claiming the PML-N party supremo will "definitely go to prison again". A top Pakistani court last month suspended the jail sentences of Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar in the Avenfield corruption case, one of the three corruption cases faced by the three-time prime minister. The trio were released from a jail following the court order. Sharif's lawyers Khawaja Haris and Zubair Khalid asked Accountability Judge Arshad Malik to take cognizance of Chaudhry's remarks on the Hill Metal Establishment case, in which the minister had stated that the former premier would go to prison again, Dawn newspaper reported. Haris said that the court should take action against "the minister giving statements about you [the court] and Nawaz Sharif's arrest. This falls in your jurisdiction and you ...
Engineer shot dead by gunmen in Palamau district
An engineer working with the Palamau district rural development agency, was shot dead Friday by unknown gunmen at Belvatika Chowk in the district, a senior police officer said. The engineer, Sudhir Kumar Roshan was on morning walk when the assailants fired at him, Superintendent of Police Inderjeet Mahata said. The SP said Roshan was rushed to a hospital where he died during treatment. Prima facie, the incident appeared to be land dispute, the SP said, adding the gunmen were caught in the CCTV and search is on to nab them.
CBI books 'godman' Daati Maharaj for rape
The CBI has registered a case against self-styled godman Daati Maharaj on charges of raping and having unnatural sex with an inmate of his ashram, the agency said on Friday.
CCTNS facilitating easy police verification for passport, hiring of driver, domestic help
Pan-India database on crime and criminals CCTNS has started facilitating online services such as police verification for issuance of passport, hiring of driver, tenant and domestic help besides registration of complaints of car theft and others. Deputy Director in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Prashun Gupta said the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) is facilitating pan-India search on complete national crime and criminal database that is accessible to the investigating officers throughout the country. "The CCTNS is facilitating online services such as police verification for issuance of passport, hiring of driver, tenant and domestic help besides registration of complaints of car theft, obtaining copy of FIR, status of FIR besides others," he told reporters here. The CCTNS, which was conceptualised in 2009 by the then Home Minister P Chidambaram in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been implemented in 14,710 police stations and 6,000 ...
Middleman moves HC for quashing of FIR in bribery case against him, Asthana
An accused, arrested in connection with bribery allegations involving CBI's Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Friday approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him. The petition filed by businessman and middleman Manoj Prasad is likely to come up for hearing on Monday, when the court will also hear two separate but similar pleas of Asthana and the agency's Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, who was also arrested by the CBI on October 22. Prasad, who is in CBI custody till October 30, sought quashing of the FIR lodged on October 15 and to stay the investigation by the agency till disposal of the petition. Prasad, a resident of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, has made the CBI, its chief Alok Kumar Verma, Superintendent of Police S S Gurm, Deputy Superintendent Ajay Kumar Bassi as respondents in the matter. He has also arrayed as a respondent the Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, on whose complaint the FIR was lodged. Prasad's sister has
Hearing on Salman's poaching case deferred to Dec 18
Hearing on two appeals pertaining to two poaching cases against Bollywood actor Salman Khan were deferred to December 18 by a sessions court here on Friday due to lack of time.
Man arrested for attempted theft of Magna Carta
A man was arrested on Friday after he tried to steal an original copy of the Magna Carta, the UK's oldest charter of civil rights signed in 1215, from Salisbury Cathedral, the police said.