India News
Babri Masjid demolition case: Spl judge moves SC seeking more time to complete trial
A special judge holding trial in Babri Masjid demolition case today (Monday, July 15) moved the Supreme Court seeking six months more time to conclude trial of the case in which BJP leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti are accused.
The special judge had earlier in May written to the Supreme Court informing he is due to superannuate on September 30, 2019.
Hearing the matter today, a bench headed by Justice RF Nariman asked the Uttar Pradesh government to apprise it by July 19 about a mechanism by which the tenure of the special judge could be extended till he delivers the verdict in the high profile case.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has scheduled a hearing on Friday.
On April 19, 2017, the top court bench of Justices PC Ghose and RF Narimanhad ordered day-to-day trial to be concluded in two years in the politically sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, allowing an appeal filed by the CBI against the discharge given by the Allahabad High Court to Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharati and 13 other BJP leaders and restoring the conspiracy charges against them.
However, the top court had said Kalyan Singh, who is currently the Governor of Rajasthan and during whose tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh the disputed structure was razed, is entitled to immunity under Constitution as long as he remained in gubernatorial position.
Besides the three leaders, the accused, against whom the conspiracy charge was invoked, were Vinay Katiar, SadhviRitambara, Vishnu Hari Dalmia, who were being tried at Rae Bareilly.
Invoking its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the bench also transferred the pending separate trial in a Rae Bareilly Magistrate court and clubbed it with criminal proceedings in the Lucknow CBI Court. It had evoked the maxim — “Let justice be done though the heavens fall” — to flex its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to bring the cases to justice.
In 2017, the top court extolled its “power, nay, the duty to do complete justice in a case when found necessary”.
It said in a 40-page judgment: “In the present case, crimes which shake the secular fabric of the Constitution of India have allegedly been committed almost 25 years ago.”
The court had come down heavily on the CBI for the delay of 25 years in the trial and said, “The accused persons have not been brought to book largely because of the conduct of the CBI in not pursuing the prosecution of the aforesaid alleged offenders in a joint trial, and because of technical defects which were easily curable, but which were not cured by the State Government.”
Issuing a slew of directions, it had said that “the proceedings (against Advani and five others) in the court of the Special Judicial Magistrate at Rae Bareilly will stand transferred to the Court of Additional Sessions Judge (Ayodhya Matters) at Lucknow.”
The court ordered the Lucknow CBI court judge to hold day to day trial and pronounce the judgment in two years. It forbade the transfer of the judge and also adjournments. Any grievances, the Bench said, should directly be addressed to the Supreme Court. Its directions had to be complied with in letter and in spirit, it cautioned.
The Rae Bareilly case accuses the BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders of having given speeches to promote enmity and threatened national integration.
The Lucknow case, investigated by the CBI, is against “lakhs of unknown karsevaks” and deals with the actual act of demolition and violence. With the clubbing of the cases and revival of the conspiracy charge, the accused political leaders would be tried under the composite charge sheet filed by the CBI on October 5, 1993.
The Bench agreed with the CBI charge sheet’s finding in 1993 that both the criminal conspiracy by the political leaders and the actual demolition by karsevaks were part of the “same transaction” and warranted a joint trial.
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Besides Advani, Joshi and Bharti, the court had ordered the Lucknow Court to frame the conspiracy charge against Vinay Katiyar, SadhviRitambara, Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Champat Rai Bansal, Satish Pradhan, Dharam Das, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahamadleshwar Jagdish Muni, Ram Bilas Vadanti, Vaikunth Lal Sharma and Satish Chandra Nagar. All were named as accused in the 1993 CBI charge sheet.
If convicted, the accused would face punishment of three to five years. This would mean that they would be barred from contesting elections for the six years following the completion of their sentence.
India News
Kabaddi player Hardeep Singh shot dead in Punjab, chopped body parts thrown outside his house
The incident gained attention when the athlete’s chopped-up body parts were found in front of the murdered Kabaddi player’s house.
A shocking incident has been reported from Punjab’s Kapurthala district where a kabaddi player Hardeep Singh was reportedly shot dead a few days ago. The incident gained attention when the athlete’s chopped-up body parts were found in front of the murdered Kabaddi player’s house, as per the reports.
The shocking incident has caused Sukhbir Singh Badal, the leader of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), to express sharp disapproval. The SAD leader slammed the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government, alleging that there is a ‘jungle raj’ in Punjab.
Badal asked CM Mann to step down following the incident.
SAD chief Bada took to X, formerly Twitter and hit out at the Maan government. He said it is shocked to learn about the brutal killing of a young Kabaddi player at Vill Dhilwan in Kapurthala. Badal said looking at the level of fearlessness of the murderers, they knocked at the door and told the parents “Aah maar ditta tuhada Sher putt”. This isn’t an isolated incident. There is a complete Jungle Raj prevailing in Punjab, where murders, loot, snatchings and robberies are becoming an everyday affair, the SAD chief said in a tweet.
He further added that it’s a proven fact that CM Mann is unable to handle the situation. He should step down without any further delay.
As per the reports, there is no arrests have been made in the case so far.
On Thursday, Sukhbir Singh Badal met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and talked about the India-Canada conflict. During their meeting, Badal expressed hope to Home Minister Amit Shah for a quick resolution to the disputes between the two countries. Badal highlighted that many Punjabis reside in the affected areas and the deteriorating relations are causing them anxiety and distress.
Badal stated to reporters that it is distressing to hear about the problems faced by Punjabis, including many Sikhs, due to the deteriorating relations between the two countries
India News
Maharashtra: Severe waterlogging in Nagpur, central forces deployed for rescue operations
The National Disaster Response Force carried out flood water rescue operations and safely evacuated six people in the Ambajhari Lake area in the city.
Maharashtra’s Nagpur city witnessed severe waterlogging after incessant rains in the area. Heavy rains lashed Nagpur city from Friday midnight, inundating low-lying areas and prompting measures to shift people from these pockets to safer places.
Many areas such as Canal Road Ramdaspeth, Ambajhari Lake area witnessed severe waterlogging. As per the weather department, Nagpur airport recorded 106 mm of rainfall till 5.30 am.
The National Disaster Response Force also carried out flood water rescue operations and safely evacuated six people in the Ambajhari Lake area in the city. According to reports, after overnight heavy rains, the administration declared a holiday for schools as a precautionary measure.
In addition, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has also issued helpline numbers for citizens and advised people not to step out of their homes unless for important work. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, took to X, formerly Twitter to share that he is continuously monitoring the rain situation in the city.
Devendra Fadnavis asserted that Ambazari lake has overflowed due to heavy rains in Nagpur last night and water has entered some areas. He added that the collector informed him that there was more than 100 mm of rain in just 4 hours. He further affirmed that Nagpur Collector, Municipal Commissioner have reached the spot and necessary measures are being taken immediately.
The Deputy Chief Minister continued that instructions have been given that the citizens stuck in the low-lying areas should be helped first. He noted that one team of NDRF and two teams of SDRF have been deployed for rescue operations. He also affirmed that they are constantly in touch with the administration and are monitoring the situation.
The Nagpur centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted severe and moderate thunderstorms with lightning which will likely continue at isolated places in Nagpur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. It noted that there is also a possibility of intense rain at isolated places in these areas.
The weather department underlined that light to moderate rainfall is expected to take place at multiple places in Wardha and some parts of Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. Furthermore, light rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places over Amravati, Yavatmal and Gadchiroli, it added.
India News
Mumbai: Teenager steals family ornaments worth Rs 7.40 lakh and sells them to have fun with his friends
According to reports the boy’s father Selvin Armadurai (48) is a businessman based in Andheri East. Selvin lives with his wife Jaba. The couple have two children. Selvin’s son Edin Joy is 16 years old. He goes to the 11th grade at Shriniwas Bagraga College. His daughter is 14 years old and studies in Class 9.
A teenager stole family ornaments and sold them for enjoyment with his friends in Andheri (East). After his father came to know about the theft the teenager’s father lodged a complaint against his son for allegedly stealing the gold ornaments. According to the police the ornaments were worth Rs 7.40 lakh. Sahar police have arrested the sixteen year old under section 380 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Act. A case has been registered.
According to reports the boy’s father Selvin Armadurai (48) is a businessman based in Andheri East. Selvin lives with his wife Jaba. The couple have two children. Selvin’s son Edin Joy is 16 years old. He goes to the 11th grade at Shriniwas Bagraga College. His daughter is 14 years old and studies in Class 9. Selvin married again after his first wife passed away. His daughter and Edin Joy are from his first marriage. Afterwards Selvin married Jaba.
Selvin had given the ornament that belonged to his first wife and Children to his sister. When his sister was getting ready to visit her hometown in Tamil Nadu, She gave these gold ornaments to Selvin. Selvin placed the gold ornaments in his bed. He kept the gold ornaments in a plastic pouch for protection. Selvin’s wife and sister knew where he had kept the gold ornaments.
The matter came known on September 11, when Selvin’s daughter wanted to wear the gold ornaments. He couldn’t find the pouch containing them. Both of them told Selvin quickly about it. When Selvin asked his son he confessed to taking the gold ornaments. He said he sold them to have fun with his friends. The stolen gold ornaments are valued at Rs 7.40 lakh. The ornaments includes two chains, two bracelets, six rings, a pair of earings, two bangles and two chains.
