Page 16 - Law

Court to rule Friday on making ASI survey report on Gyanvapi mosque public

A Varanasi court would decide Friday whether to open the sealed ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex and provide copies to the Hindu and Muslim sides. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had on Wednesday urged the court not to make its report public for at least four more weeks, according to the lawyer for the Hindu side, Madan Mohan Yadav. Varanasi district court judge A K Vishvesh then adjourned the matter till Thursday. However, on Thursday, he could not take up the matter as he was engaged at an event, his office said and added that the matter was then posted for Friday.

Case involving Indians in Qatar: Legal team has 60 days to appeal, says MEA

The legal team of eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel was given 60 days to appeal against the ruling by Qatar's court of appeal, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Last month, the Court of Appeal in Qatar commuted the death sentence handed down to the Indians and sentenced them to prison for varying durations. The verdict came weeks after the family members of the Indians filed an appeal against the earlier order by another court. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance. Sixty days' time has been given to file an appeal against the order at Qatar's highest court, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.

Court extends Senthil Balaji's remand till Jan 11 in money laundering case

A sessions court here on Thursday extended Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji's remand till January 11. The DMK leader, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14, 2023 in a money laundering case, is presently lodged at the Puzhal prison here. Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom Balaji was produced by the prosecution through video-conferencing from the prison, extended his judicial custody. Balaji was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during an earlier AIADMK regime. Soon after his arrest, he underwent a bypass surgery at a private hospital. Later, the ED took him into custody for interrogation and following that he was remanded in judicial custody. His remand was periodically extended by the court.

Courts must refrain from summoning govt officials as first resort: SC

Courts must refrain from summoning government officials as "first resort" as asking them frequently to appear without a just cause is not permissible, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday and framed standard operating procedure for courts across the country to follow while seeking their presence. Constantly summoning officials of the government instead of relying on the law officers representing the government runs contrary to the scheme envisaged by the Constitution, it said. "The appearance of government officials before courts must not be reduced to a routine measure in cases where the government is a party and can only be resorted to in limited circumstances. The use of the power to summon the presence of government officials must not be used as a tool to pressurize the government, particularly, under the threat of contempt," a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said. The verdict came on an appeal of the Uttar Pradesh ...

Harvard Prez Claudine Gay resigns amid backlash over antisemitism testimony

Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned on Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school's conduct policy. Gay announced her departure, which came just months into her tenure, in a letter to the Harvard community. She and the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania came under fire last month for their lawyerly answers to a line of questioning from New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the colleges' code of conduct. The three presidents had been called before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce to answer accusations that universities were failing to protect Jewish students amid rising fears of antisemitism worldwide and fallout from Israel's intensifying war in Gaza, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting ...

Gunman arrested after shooting into Colorado SC that ruled against Trump

A man leaving the scene of a car wreck on Tuesday shot his way into the Colorado Supreme Court building and inflicted extensive damage to the building before being arrested by police, authorities said, adding the incident seems unrelated to the court's recent ruling banning former President Donald Trump from the ballot. Colorado's justices have received threats ever since they ruled 4-3 last month that a rarely-used constitutional provision barring from office those who engaged in insurrection applies to Trump. Authorities, however, said Tuesday's incident appears unrelated to that case. Trump is expected to appeal that ruling to the US Supreme Court later Tuesday. The CSP and DPD are treating this incident seriously, but at this time, it is believed that this is not associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court Justices, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement said, using the acronyms for the state patrol and Denver Police Department. The car wreck occurred .

Govt assures discussion on new law, urges drivers to end protest: AIMTC

Truckers' body All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) on Tuesday said the government has assured that new laws concerning hit-and-run cases will be implemented after discussion with its members and urged truck drivers to call off their strike. A government source said that the issue has been resolved after the meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Tuesday evening. "The issue has been resolved," the source said, while stressing that the new provisions under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) have not been implemented yet. AIMTC representatives met Union Home Secretary in the evening to discuss the new law on hit-and-run cases that proposes stringent up to 10 years jail term and Rs 7 lakh fine. The meeting was held against the background of some truck, bus and tanker operators beginning a three-day strike on Monday against the stringent jail and fine regulations under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for hit-and-run cases. The punishment in such cases was 2 years in the

Adani Group-Hindenburg row: SC will pronounce judgement on January 3

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra reserved its verdict on the order on various aspects related to the Hindenburg report in November 2023

Truckers call off strike in Maha's Nashik after assurance from officials

Truck drivers protesting against a provision in the new penal law on hit-and-run road accidents, called off their strike in Nashik district of Maharashtra on Tuesday after the local authorities assured to look into their demands. The agitation by truck drivers, which was launched in several states in the country on Monday, continued on the second day, leading to non-delivery of petroleum products at depots and people rushing to petrol pumps amid the fear of fuel shortage. In Maharashtra, the truck drivers have been staging protests at various places, including capital Mumbai, Nagpur, Solapur, Dharashiv, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Nagpur, Beed, Hingoli, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Gadchiroli and Wardha. In Nashik, the fuel transporters started the agitation at Panewadi near Manmad on Monday. More than 1,000 trucks and tankers were parked in Panewadi area as part of the nationwide protest. Panewadi village near Manmad town in Nandgaon taluka of the district has fuel depots of ...

Israel says it will counter genocide allegations at international court

Israel says it will defend itself against genocide accusations filed by South Africa with the world court. Eylon Levy, an official in the Israeli prime minister's office, on Tuesday accused South Africa of giving political and legal cover to Hamas' October 7 attack that triggered Israel's war against the militant group. The state of Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at the Hague to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel, Levy said. South Africa launched the case Friday at the U.N.'s top court, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and asking the court to order Israel to halt its attacks. Israel dismisses international cases against it as unfair and biased and rarely cooperates. The Israeli response signals the government is taking the case seriously.

Ayodhya case judges unanimously decided to keep verdict anonymous: CJI

More than four years after the historic Ayodhya verdict of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday said the five-judges, who ruled in favour of construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site, had unanimously decided there will be no authorship ascribed to the judgement. On November 9, 2019, settling a fractious issue that went back more than a century, a five-judge bench headed by the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi had paved the way for construction of the temple and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot will be found for a mosque in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh. In an exclusive interview with PTI, CJI Chandrachud, who was part of the constitution bench, candidly spoke on the issue of anonymity and said, when the judges sat together, as they do before a pronouncement, it was unanimously decided that this will be a "judgement of the court". He was replying to the query as to why the name of the author judge was not made public. "When the five-jud

Not appropriate to respond to criticism on my judgement: CJI on Article 370

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday refused to respond to criticism of the unanimous five-judge bench verdict of the Supreme Court upholding scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution, saying the judges decide a case "according to the Constitution and the law". In an exclusive interview to PTI, the CJI said the judges speak their mind through their judgement which becomes public property after the pronouncement and people in a free society can always make their opinion about it. "So far as we are concerned we decide according to the Constitution and the law. I don't think it will be appropriate for me either to respond to the criticism or mount a defence to my judgement. What we have said in my judgement is reflected in the reason present in the signed judgement and I must leave it at that," Justice Chandrachud said. The response came to a query seeking his views on recent criticism by some jurists, including a former judge, on the Article 370 verdict, which upheld the

Govt issues draft rules to make railways accessible for differently abled

The government has released draft guidelines on accessibility of railway stations, facilities there and in trains for people with disabilities, highlighting the need for integrating technology-enabled features such as text-to-speech and user-friendly pictograms. The Department of the People with Disabilities (PwDs) has asked stakeholders and the public to give their comments, objections and suggestions by January 29 on the proposed guidelines to create a more user-friendly environment. The proposed guidelines also highlight the need for dedicated website features catering to "divyangjans", ensuring a flexible and accessible interface design. These features will follow universal design principles and World Wide Web Consortium guidelines, integrating technology-enabled accessibility features such as text-to-speech and user-friendly pictograms, the draft guidelines state. The draft includes the development of a dedicated mobile app and a one-click template for people with disabilities

Blast near Israel embassy: Police register FIR against 'unknown' persons

Days after a low-intensity blast took place near the Israeli embassy here, Delhi Police have registered an FIR against "unknown" persons, officials said on Saturday. The FIR has been registered under Section 3 (punishment for causing an explosion likely to endanger life or property) of the Explosive Substances Act at Tughlak Road police station based on a complaint lodged by a police officer, they said. The blast occurred on Tuesday evening in the area between the boundary walls of a house on plot number 4 -- Nanda's House -- and the Central Hindi Training Institute on plot number 2A on Prithviraj Road. The area has bushes, plants and trees and no CCTV camera. It is behind the Israeli embassy on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, running parallel to Prithviraj Road. No one was injured in the blast. Police had found an "abusive" letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador near the blast site.

No need for a second trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried: Prosecutors

A second trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on charges not in the cryptocurrency fraud case presented to a jury that convicted him in November is not necessary, prosecutors told a judge Friday. Prosecutors told US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in a letter that evidence at a second trial would duplicate evidence already shown to a jury. They also said it would ignore the "strong public interest in a prompt resolution" of the case, particularly because victims would not benefit from forfeiture or restitution orders if sentencing is delayed. They said the judge can consider the evidence that would be used at a second trial when he sentences Bankman-Fried on March 28 for defrauding customers and investors of at least USD 10 billion. Bankman-Fried, 31, who has been incarcerated since several weeks before his trial, was convicted in early November of seven counts, including wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and three conspiracy charges. He could face decades in prison. Last spring,

Elon Musk's X fails to block US content moderation law on disclosure

In an eight-page ruling Thursday, a federal judge in Sacramento rejected arguments by the company formerly known as Twitter that the measure violates the free-speech rights of social media platforms

Jurists point to disastrous consequences of new criminal justice laws: Cong

The Congress on Monday said many jurists have pointed out the "disastrous consequences" of the three criminal justice laws which were "bulldozed" through Parliament aided by the "deliberate suspension" of over 140 INDIA bloc MPs. President Droupadi Murmu Monday gave assent to the criminal justice bills, turning them into laws. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act will replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The three criminal justice bills bulldozed through Parliament last week, aided by the deliberate suspension of 146 INDIA MPs, have now received Presidential assent." "Many eminent lawyers and jurists have already pointed out its disastrous consequences, especially for the most marginalised sections of the society," he said. On a lighter note, the most widely known Section 420 of the ..

Newsclick row: Portal's HR head moves Delhi court seeking to turn approver

NewsClick's human resources department head Amit Chakravarty has moved a Delhi court seeking its permission to turn an approver in the case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda, court sources said. Chakravarty moved the application before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur last week, seeking pardon in the case and claiming he had material information that he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, which is investigating the matter. The judge has posted the matter before a magisterial court for recording Chakravarty's statement. According to police sources, the agency will take a decision on whether to support his application before the court after going through his statement. The Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Chakravarty and news portal's founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha on October 3. They are currently in judicial custody. According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the

China to provide consular assistance to Vivo employees arrested in India

India's financial crime-fighting agency last week arrested two senior employees of Vivo's India unit, a move the company vowed to challenge legally

All schemes of previous govt will continue, says Rajasthan CM Sharma

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Monday said none of the welfare schemes launched by the previous Congress government in the state will be discontinued. He was speaking at a function organised by the BJP to mark Good Governance Day on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Reacting to the allegations by the Congress that his government would discontinue the public welfare schemes launched by the previous government, Sharma said, "Congress people are saying our work, our schemes... I want to tell you that we will not stop any of the schemes". The chief minister said free medicines will continue to be made available at the government hospitals and the number of essential drugs would also be increased. Vajyapee made schemes for the welfare of the poor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the initiative forward, Sharma said. BJP stalwart Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, and died on August 16, 2018. Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari a