Page 21 - Law

ED attaches Rs 24.95 cr worth properties of Hero MotoCorp's Pawan Munjal

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached assets worth Rs 24.95 crore of Hero MotoCorp executive chairperson Pawan Kant Munjal as part of a money laundering investigation against him. Three immovable properties of Munjal located in Delhi have been provisionally attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the central agency said in a statement. Munjal, it said, is the CMD and Chairman of Hero MotoCorp Ltd and the assets are worth about Rs 24.95 crore. The ED had carried out raids against Munjal and his companies in August after filing a PMLA case against him that was filed after taking cognisance of a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) charge sheet that accused him of taking foreign exchange/currency out of India illegally. "The prosecution complaint alleges that foreign currency/foreign exchange equivalent to Rs 54 crore was illegally taken out of India," the ED said.

LIVE: Delhi bans entry of app-based cabs from other states as AQ dips

Catch all the latest updates LIVE from across the globe here

Bihar Cabinet approves proposal to hike quotas to 75% from existing 50%

The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday passed a proposal to raise the quota for SCs, STs, Other Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to a total of 75 per cent from the existing 50 per cent. A bill will be brought in the assembly on the same during the ongoing winter session. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made a statement in this regard while concluding the debate on the Caste Survey report, which was tabled in the assembly on Tuesday. Kumar's announcement comes months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The proposal seeks to hike the reservation of OBCs and EBS to a combined 43 per cent from 30 per cent, 20 per cent for Scheduled Castes (SCs) from 16 per cent and 2 per cent for Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 1 per cent. The quota for EWS will remain at the existing 10 per cent. The Caste Survey report revealed that OBCs (27.13 per cent) and the extremely backward classes sub-group (36 per cent) account for a whopping 63 per cent of the state's t

Chile President Boric calls for referendum on constitution proposal

Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Tuesday received the new Constitution draft and called for a national plebiscite next month so citizens can decide whether the new charter will replace the country's dictatorship-era constitution. Chileans, who in September of last year resoundingly rejected a proposed Constitution that had been written by a left-leaning convention, will decide on December 17 whether to accept the new document that was largely written by conservative councilors. The definitive time for citizens has begun, and now it is their voice and their decision that truly matter, Boric said during a formal ceremony in Congress to formally deliver the document and sign the decree that calls for the vote. After Chileans rejected the proposal for what many characterised as one of the world's most progressive constitutions, they must now decide whether to vote for a document that some warn goes to the other extreme. One of the most controversial articles in the proposed new docum

Judges must retire to enable successors rejig old legal principles: CJI

Judges must retire so the succeeding generations point out errors of the past and rejig legal principles for society to evolve, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said on Saturday. Sharing his perspective on the retirement age of judges at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, Chandrachud said while the American constitution has no age of retirement for judges, in India, judges retire after a particular age. The CJI said it would be "too much of a responsibility" cast on human beings in terms of their own infallibility by postulating that they should not retire from office. "We have followed a model where judges retire. But as someone who has been in the system for 23 years as a judge, I have a different take. In a sense, it is important that judges must retire because its too much of a responsibility to cast on a human being in terms of their own infallibility by postulating that they should not retire from their office. "Judges are human beings prone to errors and societies evolv

Singapore may review past takeovers on grounds of national security

Under the new law, where an entity has acted against Singapore's national security interests, any change in ownership or control of the entity within 2-yrs prior to the act may be reviewed

Russia to face trial in Britain over $60 billion unpaid dues to Yukos Oil

The Wednesday ruling is the latest staging post in a sprawling legal saga that's dragged on for two decades

NewsClick row: Court sends Purkayastha, Chakravarty to judicial custody

The Additional Sessions Judge Dr Hardeep Kaur allowed the Delhi Police application and sent Prabir and Amit Chakravarty to Judicial custody till December 1, 2023

Opaque electoral bonds scheme will destroy democracy: Petitioners to SC

Here's a lowdown on the important cases heard in the Supreme Court

2005 law on RTI will become 'dead letter': SC asks Centre to fill vacancies

Here's a lowdown on the important cases heard in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court today

2020 Delhi riots: Court acquits man of arson, loot, vandalism charges

A court here has acquitted a man accused in a 2020 Delhi riots case of all charges, including arson, vandalism and loot, saying the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a riotous mob was responsible for the incident and that the accused was its part. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing a case against Sandeep Kumar, who was accused of being a part of an unlawful assembly that looted a house and set ablaze household items and a two-wheeler in the Shiv Vihar locality in Karwal Nagar here on February 25, 2020. The prosecution though established the incident of vandalism, loot and setting ablaze of some household articles and a motorcycle, but it failed to prove a mob being responsible for the same and the presence of accused in such a mob, beyond reasonable doubts, ASJ Pramachala said in a judgment dated October 27. The court said while the complainant had not witnessed the incident, there was a discrepancy in the testimonies of two police ...

Suspect in attack on Salman Rushdie scheduled for trial in January 2024

The accused, Hadi Matar is expected to stand trial on January 8, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt

Modi govt tried to 'weaken' 2010 Act meant for protecting monuments: Cong

The Congress on Sunday claimed the Modi government has tried to "weaken" a 2010 law meant for the protection of monuments and archaeological sites and that its determined resistance along with that of other parties has prevented this from happening so far. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X on the National Monuments Authority (NMA) having released draft heritage bylaws for one more centrally protected monument in Bihar - the supposed site of the Palace of Asoka located in the state capital- for conservation and periphery development. He hailed it as great news. In his post, Ramesh said, "The National Monuments Authority (NMA) was set up soon after Parliament passed the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act in March 2010." This was a huge step forward for the protection of "our cultural heritage that is under constant threat", he said. The NMA has so far laid in both Houses of Parliament a total of eigh

'Data law prompting organisations to make investments in right frameworks'

Lucas Salter, GM - Asia Pacific and Japan, Data Protection Solutions at Dell Technologies discusses cybersecurity, data laws, and evolving threats

Extended Safai Karmachari Commission's tenure till March 2025: Centre to SC

The Centre has told the Supreme Court the current tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karmachari (NCSK) has been extended till March 31, 2025 and steps will be taken to fill up the vacant posts in the panel. The top court took note of the affidavit of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment that besides extending the tenure of the panel, the chairman, vice-chairman and one more member have been appointed till March 31, 2025. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta said it has no reason to believe that the central government will not do the needful and disposed of the PIL filed by lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy. As per the counter affidavit filed by the respondents (Centre), the current tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karmachari has been extended till 31.03.2025. It is further informed that Chairman, Vice-Chairman and one more member have been appointed for a period till 31.03.2025 and four post of members are lying vacant due to absence

RBI ombudsman scheme can't be reduced to tantalising promise: Delhi HC

Appalled at the "high-handed approach" of the RBI ombudsman in a complaint against a bank, the Delhi High Court has said the Ombudsman Scheme cannot be reduced to a tantalising promise as it bridges the gap between the regulated entities, such as banks or NBFCs etc, and the consumers "meandering for justice". The court said the scheme seeks to achieve a cost-effective and speedy resolution of the complaints of consumers against regulated entities and the ombudsman is duty bound to pass a reasoned order to foster greater transparency and confidence in the process. The court was hearing a plea by the petitioner who was aggrieved by the manner in which the ombudsman rejected its complaint against a private bank without passing a detailed order. The court noted that under the Reserve Bank- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021, the ombudsman is required to consider the complaint of customers of regulated entities relating to deficiencies in services while adhering to the principle of natur

Police Memorial Day: CM Dhami pays tributes to brave hearts, releases funds

According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office, "Chief Minister Dhami participated in the event held at Police Line in Dehradun on Police Memorial Day."

Delhi excise scam: HC denies bail to Mahendru in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court has denied bail to liquor businessman Sameer Manendru in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying his right to healthcare cannot be allowed to overshadow the pressing need to investigate fairly. The high court observed that Mahendru, whose one of the grounds for seeking bail was his bad medical condition, was not suffering from any life threatening condition or sickness or infirmity which involves danger to his life and for which treatment cannot be provided to the applicant in jail. While the applicant's right to healthcare and medical treatment is a fundamental consideration, it cannot be allowed to overshadow the pressing need to investigate fairly and ensure that due legal processes are followed, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said. Mahendru was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on September 28, 2022, in the money laundering case. The high court said the allegations against the businessman were that he was one of t

BCI approaches HC on direction to process S Korean's enrolment as advocate

Here's a lowdown on the important cases heard in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court today

Will continue struggle on streets, say LGBTQIA+ members on SC ruling

Expressing disappointment with the Supreme Court verdict refusing to accord legal recognition to same-sex marriage, some members of the LGBTQIA+ community on Tuesday vowed to continue their struggle on the streets and to engage with the state on the matter. At a press conference, the National Network of LBI (Lesbian, Bisexual, Intersex) Women and Trans Persons shared the implications of the verdict and outlined its continued commitment to the LGBTQ+ rights movement. A five-judge Constitution bench of the apex court unanimously refused to accord legal recognition to the union of same-sex couples in the country, but recognised equal rights for queer people and their protection. Reacting to the ruling, Chayanika, an LGBTQIA+ community member, said, "We are upset but want to move ahead.... We have no place to be dejected or complacent. We will continue our struggle." "Just leaving us in 2018 (when the Supreme Court decriminalised gay sex) is not what we expected the bench to do. The be