Page 963 - Law Crime
PIL in Madras HC against triple talaq ordinance
A PIL has been filed in the Madras High Court against the ordinance that makes the practice of instant 'triple talaq' a punishable offence, contending that it violated the Constitution and was discriminatory. When the public interest litigation petition by Hussain Afroze, an advocate of the high court, came up for hearing, a bench comprising justices S Manikumar and P T Asha directed the counsel, who appeared for the Centre, to get instructions and posted it to October 22. The petitioner challenged clauses 4-7 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, promulgated on September 19, and sought to declare the ordinance as ultra vires. He also sought an interim injunction on the ordinance. Already, the Kerala-based Muslim organisation Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama has moved the Supreme Court challenging the ordinance. Instant triple talaq, also known as talaq-e-biddat, is an instant divorce whereby a Muslim man can divorce his wife by pronouncing 'talaq' three ..
Nigerian drug-peddler fleeing from cops 'falls' to death
A 28-year-old Nigerian, suspected to be involved in a drug racket, died after allegedly falling down from a residential building here while fleeing a raid, police said Friday. On noticing the raiding police team, Patrick William O tried to escape by sliding through a sewage pipe from the third floor of the flat, but was injured as it broke. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but died without responding to treatment, city Commissioner of Police Anjani Kumar told reporters. The commissioner said the police raided the building Thursday night on information about a drug racket and arrested three Nigerians allegedly possessing 20 gm of cocaine. Interrogation of the three led to suspicion that there would be more people involved in the crime, prompting police to return to the flat again and spotted William. The Nigerian had earlier been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for possessing 15 gm of cocaine, the commissioner said. In .
Delhi govt officers complain against colleague over plum posting
A forum of Delhi government officers have complained to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against a fellow officer questioning his plum posting in Dwarka despite facing corruption charges. The United Forum of Delhi Government Officers Against Corruption alleged that the officer, who was posted in the Revenue Department, was earlier arrested in connection with a case of corruption. Copies of the complaint signed by six officers affiliated to forum were also sent to higher authorities and media outlets. The officer under fire from his own colleagues was not available for any comment.
Court directs ED to hand over documents to ex-HP CM Virbhadra Singh in DA case
A special court Friday directed the Enforcement Directorate to hand over certain documents to former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and others in a money laundering case against him. Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj passed the directions on pleas filed by 83-year-old Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh (62) and his son Vikramaditya Singh, all three accused in the case, along with the others. Special public prosecutors N K Matta and Nitesh Rana, appearing for the ED, told the court that most of the documents, including copies of the charge sheet and the papers filed along with it, have already been handed over to the accused persons and the remaining will be given soon. The court has now posted the matter for November 2. The charge sheet, filed by advocates Samvedna Verma and A R Aditya, also name LIC agent Anand Chauhan, Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan and two others -- Prem Raj and Lawan Kumar Roach -- as accused. The case also involves Managing Director of .
SC/ST Act: Apex court gives time to petitioner to collect data on FIRs lodged
The Supreme Court Friday granted four weeks to an organisation, which has filed a petition seeking a direction that the original Schedule Castes and Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 be "maintained", to collect data on the number of FIRs lodged in India under this law. On August 9, new amendments to the SC/ST Act were passed by Parliament which overturned the March 20 verdict of the apex court. In its March 20 verdict, the court had held that there will be no immediate arrest on any complaint filed under the law. It had also passed a slew of directions, and said that a public servant can be arrested in cases lodged under the SC/ST Act only after prior approval by the competent authority. The Centre had earlier filed a plea in the top court seeking review of its judgement after several states were rocked by violence and clashes on April 2 following a 'Bharat Bandh' call given by several SC/ST organisations protesting against the verdict. The matter came up for ...
Vietnam jails 5 activists over attempted subversion
A court in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City sentenced five activists to up to 15 years in prison on Friday after finding them guilty of running a political group that worked to overthrow the country's one-party Communist rule. The official Vietnam News Agency said group leader Luu Van Vinh was convicted of attempting to overthrow the "people's administration" and sentenced to 15 years in prison in the one-day trial. It said four others received sentences of eight to 13 years on the same charges. They were also given three years of house arrest after their release from prison. The agency said Vinh was leader of a "reactionary organisation called the Vietnam National Coalition" that criticised, tarnished and distorted the policies of the Communist Party and state with the intent of abolishing the party's leadership and overthrowing the government. It said the group was formed in October 2016, and the five were arrested three weeks later at its official launch. "The defendants' acts directly ..
Minor girl kidnapped from Srinagar rescued in Kathua
A 17-year old girl kidnapped from Srinagar was rescued in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Friday, police said. Sajad Ahmad Kandoo of Shanpora-Habak in Srinagar had kidnapped the minor girl on Wednesday, following which a case was registered and an investigation initiated, they said. Police had activated special check points to nab the accused, officials said. Kandoo was apprehended in Kathua Friday while he was trying to flee from the state and subsequently, the girl rescued, they said. The minor girl will be handed over to her family members after completion of legal formalities, officials added.
SC seeks Centre's response on faulty hip implants by Johnson & Johnson
The Supreme Court Friday sought the Centre's response on a plea alleging that "faulty" and "deadly" hip implants, made by US-based pharma major Johnson and Johnson, have been fitted into the bodies of 14,525 Indian patients. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph asked the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to apprise it within two months about the actions, if any, taken after an expert committee found the pharma firms guilty of "medical negligence". Senior lawyer Salman Khurshid and advocate Vivek Narayan Sharma referred to the fact that the central government had in 2017 set up a committee, headed by Arun Agarwal, to look into the aftermath of the disaster caused by the faulty Hip Implant produced and distributed by the US firm, its Indian subsidiary and Depuy Orthopaedics INC collectively. "The Committee has found Johnson and Johnson guilty of medical negligence, however, till date nothing has been done to discover vast number of
Chronology of events in Anju Ilyasi murder case
Following is the chronology of events in which the Delhi High Court Friday acquitted Suhaib Ilyasi, former TV anchor and producer of the show 'India's Most Wanted', in his wife's murder case: *Jan 11, 2000: Anju Ilyasi dies following multiple stab wounds received at her home. *Jan 18 : Panel of doctors at AIIMS says injuries on the victim appear self-inflicted and suicidal. *Mar 28 : Ilyasi arrested on charges of dowry harassment and murder levelled by sister-in-law and mother- in-law. *Oct, 2002: Charge sheet filed against Ilyasi for dowry death. *Mar 29, 2003: Trial court frames charges under Section 498A and 304B of the IPC against Ilyasi. *Jul 17: Prosecutor files application in trial court for adding murder charge. *Feb 3, 2004: Trial court dismisses application. *Jul 12, 2005: Victim's mother moves application for fresh investigation. *Aug 4: Application dismissed. *Aug 19, 2010: Plea to add murder charge filed again. *Feb 19, 2011: Trial court rejects the plea. Ilyasi's ...
J&K opposes in SC challenge to Dilbag Singh's appointment as acting DGP
The Jammu and Kashmir government Friday opposed in the Supreme Court a plea filed by a serving senior IPS officer who has raised the issue of appointment of Dilbag Singh as the acting Director General of Police (DGP) of the state. IPS officer S K Mishra has moved the apex court against the May 16 judgement of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court which had dismissed his petition. He had alleged that he was "illegally superseded" by former DGP S P Vaid, who was junior to him. Vaid, who was the DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, was replaced by acting DGP Dilbag Singh. Mishra's plea came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and A M Khanwilkar. The counsel representing Mishra told the bench that there was "gross violation" of the apex court's earlier verdict in appointment of Singh, as the top court had said that no police officer should be appointed as the acting DGP by the states and union territories. He said that Vaid was asked to leave from the post of DGP and the state has ...
NCDRC asks Maruti Suzuki to pay Rs 1 lakh to customer for selling defective car
The apex consumer commission has asked Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and one of its dealers to pay Rs one lakh to a customer for selling a defective car. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), has asked the automobile major and dealer Chowgule Industries to pay jointly and severally the compensation to Goa resident Shivanand S Harapanahalli within 45 days. It modified the Goa State Commission's order and reduced the amount of compensation awarded by the lower fora to the complainant. It was alleged by the complainant that the clutch of his Maruti Swift was malfunctioning from the beginning. The defect continued after every service and even after its replacement. The bench presided by member Prem Narain said, "It is clear that the vehicle has run about more than 80,000 kilometre, if not more than 1,00,000 kilometre as observed by the State Commission. It is obvious that the complainant (Harapanahalli) could not reap the benefit of new car and had to carry on with a ...
Court summons Cong IT cell member in sexual harassment case
A Delhi court has summoned a member of the Congress IT cell in a sexual harassment case lodged by his former colleague. Metropolitan Magistrate Vijeta Singh Rawat took cognisance of the charge sheet, filed by Delhi police, and directed the accused -- Chirag Patnaik -- to appear before her on February 2, 2019. Patnaik was arrested in July on the complaint and released on bail. In its charge sheet, the police has booked the accused under sections of 354-A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "Patnaik on many occasions had made me (the complainant) uncomfortable at the office with his frequent violation of my personal space and immoral behaviour. "Between April 4, 2018 and May 23, 2018, on many occasions, under the pretext of checking tweets, Patnaik violated my personal space by coming too close to me, while I was busy busy concentrating on my computer screen, Patnaik encircled me from behind in a ...
Court grants bail to Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in castration case
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, serving a jail term in two rape cases, was Friday granted bail in a case related to the alleged castration of 400 of his followers. However, Ram Rahim Singh would remain in jail as he is serving sentence for raping two of his women followers, for which he was convicted by a Panchkula court in August last year. In August this year, his bail application in the castration case was rejected by a court in Panchkula after which he had challenged the order and moved an application before a special CBI judge, who accepted his bail plea Friday. Earlier, the Panchkula CBI court had framed charges including those pertaining to voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, cheating and criminal intimidation against Ram Rahim Singh. Besides, charges pertaining to criminal conspiracy were also framed against the 51-year-old Dera chief and two others. Earlier this year, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against Ram Rahim Singh and two .
Pak anti-graft body arrests Shahbaz Sharif in two corruption cases
Pakistan's anti-graft body on Friday arrested PML-N president and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for his alleged involvement in two corruption cases. Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz, 67, is the younger brother of ousted prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. "Shahbaz Sharif on Friday appeared before an investigation team of the National Accountability Bureau Lahore. He was arrested after he failed to satisfy the investigator for his alleged role in awarding contracts to his favourite firm in violations of rules in the Ashiana Housing scheme and Punjab Saaf Pani Company," NAB spokesperson Nawazish Ali Asim told PTI. He said Shahbaz will be presented before an accountability court for a physical remand.
France opens probe into missing Chinese head of Interpol
French police have opened an investigation into the reported disappearance last week of Meng Hongwei, the Chinese head of the international police organisation Interpol, a source close to the inquiry said. Meng was last seen leaving for China from Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, southeast France, in late September, the source said. His wife reported him missing. "He did not disappear in France," the source told AFP. Europe reported that he left the country on September 29. Before being elected head of Interpol in November 2016, Meng was vice minister of public security in China, which critics say gave him control over the secret police. He was the first Chinese leader of Interpol, which connects the law enforcement agencies of its 192 member countries. It does not have agents of its own with powers of arrest. Beijing saw Meng's election as a chance to enlist more international help in tracking down alleged economic criminals, including corrupt officials, targeted by President Xi ...
Delhi govt appoints 2 special public prosecutors for trial in Ankit Saxena murder case
The Delhi government has appointed two special public prosecutors to conduct the trial in the murder case of photographer Ankit Saxena in West Delhi's Khyala area in February. "The government has appointed senior lawyers Rebecca Mammen John and Vishal Gosain as special public prosecutors in the Ankit Saxena murder case," an official said. In February, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had assured Saxena's family of all possible help from the AAP government. The 23-year-old photographer was allegedly killed by family members of a woman with whom he was in a relationship. The woman's family had opposed her relationship with Saxena as the two belonged to different communities. The woman's father, mother and uncle were arrested in connection with the killing, while her minor brother was apprehended.
Lanka's Supreme Court rejects firebrand Buddhist monk's appeal against six-year jail
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Friday rejected firebrand Buddhist monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara's appeal against his six years imprisonment in a contempt of court case. A magistrate court in August had handed a six-year jail term to the Buddhist monk accused of inciting violence against Muslims, holding him guilty of contempt just months after he was convicted of intimidating the wife of a missing journalist. Gnanasara was sentenced to 19 years of rigorous imprisonment, to be completed within 6 years, over a 2016 incident when he interrupted a court hearing on the abduction of the journalist in which military intelligence officials were accused. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the magistrate court's decision by refusing to grant leave to proceed with the case. The monk leads the hardline Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or Buddhist Power Force which has been accused of stirring up violence against Muslims and Christians, allegations he has denied. Gnanasara was notorious for his anti-Muslim action
Charred body of AAP leader found in Ghaziabad
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Naveen Das was found charred to death here in Uttar Pradesh inside a burnt down car, police said on Friday.
Pak Supreme Court rejects petition seeking police officers bail suspension
Pakistan's Supreme Court Friday dismissed a petition seeking the suspension of bail granted to two senior police officers accused in the aasasination case of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Bhutto, who had served twice as prime minister in the 1990s, was killed in a gun and bomb attack on December 27, 2007 in Rawalpindi, the garrison city neighbouring the capital, after she finished addressing a political rally. A two-member bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa heard the petitions against the high court's decision to grant bails to former City Police Officer (CPO) Saud Aziz and former Superintendent of Police (SP) Khurram Shahzad in the case. After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court rejected the petition and upheld the bails granted to the two senior police officers. No reason has been found to interfere in the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench August 2017 order to grant bail, the Express Tribune quoted the order passed by the bench as saying. On August 31, 2017, an ..
7 held with 2 country-made pistol and stolen vehicle in Bihar
Seven criminals of an inter-district gang were arrested, and two country-made pistols and a stolen four-wheeler were seized from them in Bihar's Bhojpur district, police said on Friday. The criminals, involved in various incidents of loot, were arrested on Thursday evening from Kachnath Mor area under the jurisdiction of Prio police station, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Bhojpur district, B Aditya Kumar, said. They were arrested minutes before they were about to execute another incident of loot, the SP said. Five mobile phones were also seized from them, he said.