Page 11 - Law

Former Trump CFO Weisselberg pleads guilty to perjury in civil fraud case

Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of Donald Trump's company, pleaded guilty Monday in New York to perjury in connection with testimony he gave in the ex-president's civil fraud case. Weisselberg, 76, pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury and will be sentenced to five months in jail which would be his second stint behind bars after 100 days last year in an unrelated tax fraud case. The pleas related to testimony he gave at a July 2020 deposition in New York Attorney General Letitia James' case against Trump, but in court Monday he also admitted, without pleading guilty, to lying on the witness stand at the former president's civil fraud trial last fall. Prosecutors accused Weisselberg of lying under oath in the case about allegations that Trump lied about his wealth on financial statements given to banks and insurance companies. Allen Weisselberg looks forward to putting this situation behind him, his lawyer Seth Rosenberg said in a statement. After The New Y

SC grants AAP time till June 15 to vacate offices at Rouse Avenue

The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Aam Aadmi Party time till June 15, 2024 to vacate its offices at Rouse Avenue here after noting that the land was allotted to the Delhi High Court for expanding judicial infrastructure. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked AAP to approach Land And Development Office for allotment of land for its offices. "We would request the L&DO to process the application and communicate its decision within a period of four weeks," the bench said, adding AAP has no lawful right to continue on the land. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the city's ruling party, submitted that AAP is one of the six national parties in the country. "They are telling us as a national party we get nothing. I'm given Badarpur, while everyone else is in better places," Singhvi said. "In view of the impending general elections, we gant time until June 15, 2024 to vacate the premises so that land allotted to expand

Registration of newspapers, periodicals goes online via Press Sewa Portal

Registration of newspapers and periodicals is now a click away as the new law has replaced the colonial era Press and Registration of Books Act dating back to 1867. The government has notified the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act), 2023, and its Rules in its Gazette and consequently the Act has come into force from March 1, an official statement said. From now on, the registration of periodicals shall be governed by the provisions of the PRP Act and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Rules. According to the notification, the office of the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) shall carry out the functions of the erstwhile Registrar of Newspapers for India. The new Act provides for an online system for facilitating the registration of newspapers and other periodicals in the country. The new system replaces the existing manual, cumbersome processes involving multiple steps and approvals at various stages which were causing unnecessary hardships to the ...

Assam CM tells CAA protestors to approach SC for grievance redressal

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday urged those opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to approach the Supreme Court for redressal of their grievance rather than taking up agitations. While voicing his support for the Act, Sarma said many are opposed to it and there is a need to accommodate both points of view. "In Assam, there are two sections of people, some support the CAA and I am one of them, and there are many who oppose it," Sarma said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here. "We have to accommodate both points of view. We don't have to criticize somebody for opposing or supporting it," he added. Citing the example of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) (IMDT) Act, the CM said, "A large section of people was opposed to it. It got scrapped by the Supreme Court and not by any agitation." Urging those opposed to CAA to seek legal recourse, he said, "It was already taken to the Supreme Court but was not listed as rules

2 Bilkis Bano case convicts move SC to challenge January 8 verdict

Two of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case have moved the Supreme Court contending that its January 8 verdict cancelling remission of their sentence was "in teeth of" a 2002 constitution bench order and sought the issue to be referred to a larger bench for "final" adjudication. Radheyshaym Bhagwandas Shah and Rajubhai Babulal Soni, both lodged in Godhra sub-jail after the apex court verdict, said an "anomalous" situation has arisen wherein two different coordinate benches (benches of same strength) have taken diametrically opposite view on the same issue of premature release as well as on which policy of the state government would be applicable to the petitioners for remission. The plea, filed through advocate Rishi Malhotra, said while one bench on May 13, 2022 categorically ordered the Gujarat government to consider the application of Radheyshaym Shah for premature release in terms of the state government's remission policy of July 9, 1992, the bench that pronounced the verdic

BJP prepares for PM's first Srinagar visit since repeal of Article 370

The BJP is finalising preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kashmir on March 7, with party leaders saying they expect around one lakh people at his first rally in the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Modi would address the rally at Bakshi Stadium here. A meeting of the BJP was held here on Saturday to discuss the preparations and arrangements for the rally. "Discussions took place over the preparations for Modi's rally. Different departments of the party were given different tasks and party leaders were asked to mobilise people," BJP's Jammu and Kashmir spokesman Altaf Thakur told PTI. He said over one lakh people are expected to attend the rally. "It will be a mega rally and people from various parts of Jammu and Kashmir will attend. People will come in droves and flood the venue to listen to the PM," he said. Thakur said that at a meeting here on March 4 BJP general secretary and J-K incharge Tarun Chugh would review the party's preparation

Govt scrapped 1,550 outdated laws that were troubling citizens: Meghwal

The Narendra Modi government has abolished more than 1,550 outdated laws that were troubling citizens, Union Minister Arjun Meghwal said on Saturday. He was speaking at the concluding session of the regional industrial conference underway here. "The Modi government has abolished more than 1,550 unnecessary laws that troubled people and businessmen. Once, there used to be a law to whitewash industrial units to protect workers from diseases. Laws like these that had lost their relevance were scrapped," he said. The Union government has set up separate commercial courts and arbitration centres acting on industry demands, Meghwal added. The Centre has given legal power to arbitrators by making changes in the relevant provisions, the Union law minister said.

Article 21 soul of Constitution, liberty of citizen most important: SC

The Supreme Court has said that Article 21 is the soul of the Constitution as the liberty of a citizen is of paramount importance and the high court not expeditiously adjudicating matters related to it would deprive a person of this precious right. A bench of Justice B R Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta made the observation after noting that the Bombay High Court has granted bail to one Amol Vithal Vahile, a prime accused in the murder of a corporator in Maharashtra, after a nudge from the apex court on January 29. The bench, in its recent order, said it is thus clear that before the order was passed by this court on January 29, 2024, the high court instead of deciding the application for bail on merits shunted it on one or the other ground. "Needless to state that Article 21 of the Constitution of India is the soul of the Constitution as the liberty of a citizen is of paramount importance. Not deciding the matter pertaining to liberty of a citizen expeditiously and shunting away the

Strong medicine

Patanjali ad ban is the right remedy

China broadens legislature on state security to include 'work secrets'

China's top legislative body passed the revised Law on Guarding State Secrets on Tuesday, Xinhua state news agency reported. It will take effect from May 1

He should get 6 years in jail, pay back nothing: Sam Bankman's lawyer

Attorneys for the 31-year-old former crypto mogul made their recommendation to US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in a 98-page memo late Tuesday ahead of his March 28 sentencing

Former SC judge A M Khanwilkar appointed as the Lokpal chairperson

Former Supreme Court judge A M Khanwilkar was appointed as the Lokpal chairperson on Tuesday, according to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Justice Khanwilkar retired from the Supreme Court in July 2022. According to a communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President also appointed former high court judges Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Sanjay Yadav and Ritu Raj Awasthi as judicial members of the Lokpal. Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Tirkey were appointed as non-judicial members of the anti-corruption ombudsman.

MHA to notify CAA rules prior to enforcement of model code of conduct

Following the passage of the CAA by Parliament in December 2019 and its subsequent Presidential assent, significant protests erupted in various parts of the country

UN court proceedings: Majority nations argue Israel violated int'l law

The United Nations' highest court on Monday wrapped up historic proceedings into the legality of Israel's 57-year occupation of lands sought by Palestinians for a future state, with most voices at the hearing arguing against the Israeli government. Over six days, the International Court of Justice heard from an unprecedented number of countries and the majority argued Israel was violating international law and called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The real obstacle to peace is obvious the deepening occupation by Israel of the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and failure to implement the two-state vision, Israel and Palestine living side by side, Turkiye's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Yildiz said. The hearings addressed a request by the UN General Assembly for a non-binding opinion on the legality of Israel's policies. The court says it will issue its opinion in due course. On average, advisory opinions are released six month

Donald Trump appeals $454 million judgment in New York civil fraud case

Donald Trump has appealed his USD 454 million New York civil fraud judgment, challenging a judge's finding that Trump lied about his wealth as he grew the real estate empire that launched him to stardom and the presidency. The former president's lawyers filed a notice of appeal Monday asking the state's mid-level appeals court to overturn Judge Arthur Engoron's February 16 verdict in Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit. Trump's lawyers wrote in court papers that they're asking the appeals court to decide whether Engoron committed errors of law and/or fact and whether he abused his discretion and or his jurisdiction.

CBI court convicts Bank of Baroda manager after 27 years of chargesheet

A special CBI court in Mumbai has convicted a manager of the Bank of Baroda in two separate cases after 27 years of charge sheet for causing a total loss of over Rs 15 crore to the bank, officials said on Monday. The CBI had charge-sheeted Ramchandra Shridhar Joshi, then Chief Manager posted in Walkeshwar Road Branch, Mumbai, in 1996 in two cases -- for causing loss of Rs 10.50 crore and Rs five crore -- by fraudulently diverting bank's money to accused conspirators, the agency said in a statement. The central probe agency had taken over the probe in 1994 and had filed a charge sheet in both cases in 1996, it said. After the completion of the trial, the special CBI court sentenced him to under two years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs three lakh in the first case and one year imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1.37 lakh in the second case. "The case against two charge sheeted accused was abated due to their death during trial while another accused was discharged," a CBI ...

State machinery should help ED find if an offence was committed: SC to TN

The state machinery should help the Enforcement Directorate in finding out if an offence has been committed as there is no harm in it, the Supreme Court told the Tamil Nadu government on Monday. The apex court had last week questioned the Tamil Nadu government for filing a plea in the Madras High Court against the ED for its probe in a money laundering case. The central probe agency had summoned the district collectors of Vellore, Tiruchirappalli, Karur, Thanjavur and Ariyalur in connection with its probe in a money laundering case related to alleged illegal sand mining. The state government along with the bureaucrats had moved the high court that stayed the summons issued by the ED. The probe agency has moved the top court against the high court order. The ED's plea came up for hearing on Monday before a bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal. "State and its officers should help the ED in finding out if there is any offence," the bench observed, adding, "If the state

Made mistake by retweeting video: Kejriwal tells SC in defamation case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday told the Supreme Court that he made a mistake by retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee related to the BJP IT Cell. A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, without issuing notice on a plea of Kejriwal challenging a Delhi High Court order which upheld summons issued to him as an accused in the criminal defamation case, asked the complainant whether he wanted to close the matter in view of the chief minister's apology. The bench also asked the trial court not to take up the defamation case involving Kejriwal till March 11. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, said, "I can say this much that I made a mistake by retweeting." He added that it is a case for retweeting on social media platform 'X' and the complaint filed was immediately followed by recording of pre-summoning evidence. "Thereafter, the complaint was withdrawn. When it was refiled, after nine months

Kovind committee on simultaneous elections holds another progress review

The high-level committee on 'one nation, one election' headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday reviewed the progress made by it since it was set up in September last, an official statement said. The committee at its meeting on Saturday "reviewed its various activities", the statement said. The panel has been reviewing the progress made by it since it was set up in September last year. The committee is mandated to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework. While the ruling BJP and other parties, including the Shiv Sena and the Janata Dal (United), have supported the concept of simultaneous polls, the opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), have rejected the idea.

Pakistan court defers indictment of Imran, Bushra in graft case till Feb 27

A Pakistani accountability court has deferred the indictment of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in a Rs 50 million corruption case till February 27, according to a media report on Saturday. The court on Friday deferred the indictment of Khan and Bushra in the Al-Qadir Trust case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) is set to take up appeals against their conviction in Toshakhana and the Cipher cases on February 26, the Dawn newspaper reported. Judge Nasir Javed Rana was hearing the proceedings of the case in Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala Jail where Khan, the 71-year-old founder of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party is incarcerated. Bushra Bibi, 49, is imprisoned at Khan's Bani Gala residence in Islamabad after an accountability court sentenced the couple to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana corruption case. The Al-Qadir Trust case pertains to the settlement of 190 million pounds, about Rs 50 billio