A Delhi court on Monday sent three people arrested in a case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board recruitment, also involving AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, to the ED custody till Nov 16.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar sent the accused persons — Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Immam Siddiqui — to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate on an application moved by the central probe agency.
The application was opposed by Advocate Nitesh Rana, appearing for the accused, who claimed that their arrest was illegal. PTI.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the Election Commission on a PIL seeking voting rights for non-resident Indians (NRIs) in polls here.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices J K Maheshwari and Hima Kohli took note of the PIL filed by the Kerala Pravasi Association that the NRIs be given the voting rights.
The top court issued notices and ordered the tagging of the PIL with pending ones on the issue.PTI
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs raise many constitutional questions which require consideration by a larger bench.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana directed the parties to formulate issues which require examination by a larger bench by July 27.
“After hearing the counsels it has been agreed that some issues may, if necessary, be referred to a larger bench also. Keeping in mind the same, to enable the parties to frame the issues, let them file the same preferably by next Wednesday,” the bench also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli said.
The matter will now be heard on August 1.
The bench also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli was hearing five pending peas about the recent political crisis in Maharashtra that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state.
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to ascertain the feasibility of enacting a stringent population control law to secure fundamental rights for citizens.
The plea filed by spiritual orator Devkinandan Thakur said there is a need to control the population explosion to secure the basic rights of the citizens as this is the root cause of all the problems.
“The facts constituting the cause of action accrued on December 10, 2020, when the Centre said that it is against the forcing of family planning and won’t take coercion action. Centre passed its obligation though ‘Population Control & Family Planning’ is mentioned in the concurrent list. Hence Centre can make laws and regulation policies to control population explosion, which is the biggest menace to democracy and socio-economic development. It has not even drafted a Bill till date.
“The injury caused to citizens, particularly women, is extremely large. The perils of population explosion on the economy and its ramifications are often discussed. But, the impact that repeated childbearing has on women are seldom highlighted outside the niche areas. Incidence of grand multiparity, which is defined as more than 4 viable births, in developing countries like India is 20 per cent while it is only 2 per cent in developed countries,” the plea filed through advocate Ashutosh Dubey said.
The plea has submitted that the right to clean air, drinking water, health, and livelihood guaranteed under Articles 21-21A, can’t be secured to all citizens without effective population control.
It has also sought directions to the Law Commission of India to examine the population control laws and population control policies of the developed countries and suggest steps in order to secure the fundamental rights.
The Centre in another petition had earlier told the top court that India is unequivocally against forcing family planning on its people and any coercion to have a certain number of children is counter-productive and leads to demographic distortions.
In an affidavit filed in the top court, the health ministry had said that the family welfare programme in the country is voluntary in nature, which enables couples to decide the size of their family and adopt family planning methods best suited to them, according to their choice and without any compulsion.
The submission was made in response to a PIL filed by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay challenging a Delhi High Court order that dismissed a plea seeking certain steps, including the two-child norm, to control the country’s growing population.
AAP complains against alleged sexual harrassment by Dr. Manoj Patel at Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle
Writes letters to the Dean of Nanavati Hospital and Santacruz Police Station demanding immediate inquiry and action
The Aam Aadmi Party today submitted letters of complaint to the Dean of Nanavati hospital, Vile Parle, and the Santacruz Police Station, in response to reports of alleged sexual harassment by a doctor of Nanavati Hospital on 31st March 2022. Dr. Manoj Patel, a practitioner under General Medicine has allegedly molested a girl during what was a routine health check-up. What makes this incident even more appalling, is that when the victim rushed out of Dr. Manoj Patel’s ward and publically called out the doctor’s misbehaviour; the hospital staff acted as mere bystanders, and did nothing to support the victim.
“This is a condemnable offence of an extremely grave nature, and must be met with the strictest action against the perpetrator, if the allegations of misbehaviour are found to be true. We demand that the authorities take immediate cognizance of this incident, and initiate an inquiry. It is extremely important that the sanctity of the medical profession is maintained, and no such act is ever repeated.” said Preeti Sharma Menon, National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday denied bail to the prime accused in the 2017 actress assault case in which actor Dileep is also an accused.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan denied the relief to Sunil N S also known as ‘Pulsar Suni’, who is the main accused in the case.
The court dismissed his plea for regular bail, saying it cannot be granted at this stage.
The detailed order is not yet available.
The actress-victim, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by some persons who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later escaped in a busy area. The entire act was filmed by those persons to blackmail the actress.
There are 10 accused in the 2017 case and police have arrested seven. Dileep was arrested subsequently and released on bail.
Petrol prices in the national capital as well as most state capitals crossed Rs 100 a litre mark as its rates on Tuesday were hiked by 80 paise a litre and that of diesel by 70 paise, taking the total increase since last week to Rs 4.80 per litre.
Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 100.21 per litre against Rs 99.41 previously, while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 90.77 per litre to Rs 91.47, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers.
Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state, depending upon the incidence of local taxation.
Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata already had petrol prices of over Rs 100 per litre, and most state capitals now have rates higher than that.
Petrol price in the national capital had last crossed Rs 100 a litre mark on July 7, 2021, and went on to touch an all-time high of Rs 110.04 before the Modi government on November 4 reduced excise duty on auto fuels. Most states matched that cut with a reduction in local sales tax or VAT.
Post that daily rate revisions were put on hold as elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, approached.
But, the cost of raw materials during this period climbed from USD 82 per barrel to close to USD 140 before retracting. It is around USD 112 per barrel on Tuesday.
This is the seventh increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22. On the first four occasions, prices were increased by 80 paise a litre – the steepest single-day rise since the daily price revision was introduced in June 2017. On the following days, petrol price went up by 50 paise and 30 paise a litre, while diesel rose by 55 paise and 35 paise a litre.
In all, petrol and diesel prices have gone up by Rs 4.80 per litre – the steepest increase in any eight days since the daily price revision was implemented in June 2017.
In Mumbai, petrol comes for Rs 115.04 a litre, while in Chennai, it is priced at Rs 105.94 and in Kolkata at Rs 109.68.
Diesel is priced at Rs 99.25 a litre in Mumbai, Rs 96 in Chennai and Rs 94.62 in Kolkata.
Rajasthan’s Ganganagar district on the border with Pakistan has the costliest fuel in the country at Rs 117.14 per litre for petrol and Rs 99.96 for diesel.
Besides local taxes, rates are also dependent on freight.
Moody’s Investors Services last week stated that state retailers together lost around USD 2.25 billion (Rs 19,000 crore) in revenue for keeping petrol and diesel prices on hold during the election period.
Oil companies “will need to raise diesel prices by Rs 13.1-24.9 per litre and Rs 10.6-22.3 a litre on gasoline (petrol) at an underlying crude price of USD 100-120 per barrel,” according to Kotak Institutional Equities.
CRISIL Research said a Rs 9-12 per litre increase in retail price will be required for a full pass-through of an average USD 100 per barrel crude oil and Rs 15-20 a litre hike if the average crude oil price rises to USD 110-120.
India is 85 per cent dependent on imports for meeting its oil needs and so retail rates adjust accordingly to the global movement.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday embarked on a visit to China to attend a regional meeting on war-torn Afghanistan.
The third meeting of ‘Foreign Ministers of Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan’ is being held on March 29 to 31, according to the Pakistan Foreign Office (FO). The meeting will be held in Tunxi, central China’s Anhui province.
“Besides attending the Neighbouring Countries Ministerial meeting, the Foreign Minister will interact with counterparts from participating countries,” said the FO.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to host a dialogue between the foreign ministers and the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan’s interim government, Amir Khan Muttaqi, on the sidelines of the meeting.
Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Qatar have been invited to the meeting as “guests”.
Pakistan had initiated the ‘Neighbouring Countries’ format in September 2021 with a view to evolving a regional approach on the situation in Afghanistan after the hardline Taliban seized power in Kabul in August last year.
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has not been recognised by the international community amidst severe economic and humanitarian problems faced by the country.
Pakistan hosted the first meeting on September 8, 2021.
The FO said Pakistan fully supports a regional approach on Afghanistan for promoting durable peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan will continue to support the international community’s efforts to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous and connected Afghanistan, said the FO.
Qureshi has been invited by State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang.
AAP Leader Preeti Sharma Menon wrote to the Honourable Chief Justice of India to draw his attention to the remarks made by Honourable Chief Justice of Bombay in PIL 401 of 2022.
The Aam Aadmi Party has been at the forefront of exposing blatant corruption amongst politicians, bureaucrats and senior police officers in the state of Maharashtra. With many scandals involving senior most police officials rocking the state, all concerned citizens have followed with interest PIL No 401 of 2022 filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the appointment of the highest police officer in the state, the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra.
The AAP feels that this PIL is blatantly politically motivated and it is disturbing that the Bombay High Court has not only allowed an untenable case but has passed unwarranted remarks in the same.
Preeti Sharma Menon pointed out in her letter that the Honourable Courts of India have maintained that PILs in service matters are not maintainable, then how was this case allowed to progress? The Telangana High Court judgement has passed an explicit order to this effect, yet Bombay High Court has allowed this case to progress.
In fact it was surprising that the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court seemed to be in an inordinate rush to pass orders in this case within two days of hearing, without allowing the affected party, acting DGP Shri Sanjay Pandey to be heard or intervene until Mr. Pandey’s lawyer pressed for the same.
We are in a state of shock to read the remarks attributed to the Chief Justice in the last hearing. The media has reported that the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court said that Sanjay Pandey happens to be the blue-eyed officer of the State Government. He declared that ‘Once he is appointed as the DGP, he will not be in a position to discharge his duty… There would be a give and take. The state has gone out of its way to change his ratings… such an officer should never be appointed as DGP.”
We are truly appalled by these unprecedented, highly personal and seemingly unwarranted statements that seem to suggest that the Chief Justice is approaching the case with prejudice.
Firstly the remarks are erroneous because the state government has not shown any bias in favour of Shri Sanjay Pandey. On the contrary they were trying to bypass him and he had to publicly fight for the post which was rightfully his. The AAP too had made a statement on how that state government was being unfair to Sanjay Pandey by superseding him.
Secondly IPS Sanjay Pandey has a track record of being upright and unbiased and the Honourable Chief Justice has no proof to allege that there is any evidence of “give and take” in his entire career.
Preeti Sharma Menon wrote, “As a citizen of this country who has fought corruption and political nexuses, I urge you to please take cognizance of this strange case that is attacking the very foundations of bi-partisan standards upheld by all the courts of India. One cannot even begin to measure the impact it must have on the morale of our police force which has become a pawn of political interests.”
We hope that CJI takes cognizance of this unacceptable conduct and prevents Bombay High Court from becoming an arena for political rivalry at the cost of the safety and security of our state
As far as Ansal brothers are concerned, I am rejecting their application, said Justice Subramonium Prasad.
Last year, Ansals and former court staff Dinesh Chand Sharma and two others — P P Batra and Anoop Singh Karayat – were awarded seven-year jail term by a trial court and the sessions court had refused to suspend the sentence and release them on bail.
While dismissing the Ansals’ plea for suspension of sentence till the appeal against the conviction by magisterial court is decided, the sessions court had said that the case was one of the gravest of its kind and the offence appeared to be the outcome of a calculated design on the part of the convicts to interfere with the course of justice.
Before the high court, the Ansal brother had sought suspension of sentence on several grounds including their old age.
The plea was opposed by the Delhi Police and Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT).
The tampering was detected for the first time on July 20, 2002, and when it was unearthed, a departmental enquiry was initiated against Sharma and he was suspended.
Later an inquiry was conducted and he was terminated from services on June 25, 2004.
The magisterial court had also imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 crore each on the Ansals apart from imposing a seven-year-term in the case.
The case was lodged on the direction of the Delhi High Court while hearing a petition by AVUT chairperson Neelam Krishnamoorthy.
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