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Supreme Court orders CBI probe into all Bihar shelter home cases

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SUPREME-COURT

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Supreme Court today (Wednesday, November 28) transferred to the CBI probe into the “gamut of allegations” involving 17 Bihar shelter homes for children, destitute women, beggars and senior citizens.

Yesterday the court had expressed unhappiness at finding that FIRs so far registered in these cases mention only petty offences and none of the serious offences find mention in the FIRs so far lodged in cases of abuse and torture in the 17 shelter homes. It had given the State government 24 hours to repair the situation or hand over the case to the CBI.

The CBI is already investigating the case of sexual abuse of children in a Muzaffarpur shelter home in the State as per apex court orders.

The apex court slammed the Nitish Kumar government in the presence of the Bihar Chief Secretary for “not doing its job properly.”

The State, represented by advocates Gopal Singh and Manish Kumar, repeatedly urged the court to not transfer the cases to the CBI, but the court remained firm.

“If the State government had done its job properly, these cases would not have gone to the CBI. You had enough time, yet you did not do your job properly,” Justice Madan B Lokur told the Bihar government.

The last straw was when the court realised that FIRs so far registered in these cases mention only petty offences. None of the serious offences alleged find mention in the 11 FIRs so far lodged in cases of abuse and torture in the 17 shelter homes. Yesterday the court had given the State government 24 hours to repair the situation or hand over the case to the CBI.

The court called the state government’s behaviour “shameful” and “inhuman” for not invoking more stringent sections of Indian law (when local police filed FIRs). In the Muzaffarpur shelter home, girls were regularly raped, beaten and terrorised, according to a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

“It’s very shameful,” Justice Lokur said. “If a child is being sodomised and you say it’s nothing. How can you do this? It’s inhuman.”

The court said yesterday that it may hand over the investigation of the cases to the CBI, which was earlier probing only one – the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.

On Wednesday, the Bihar side came up with a “communication” from a police higher-up to the investigation officer, blandly asking the latter to include some serious offences in the FIRs.

The “communication” had been meant to be a last resort for the State to retain the investigation with the State Police, but the court refused to even take note of the letter. Bihar government then pleaded with the court to give it a week’s time to file a status report before transferring the case to the CBI.

“When do you want to give the status report? Take one or two months, but we will transfer the investigation to the CBI today,” Justice Lokur snubbed the State’s plea.

The CBI, however, seemed reluctant initially to take up the investigation into the 17 shelter homes. Acting CBI Director, M Nageshwar Rao, through the agency counsel, informed the Bench about a bar imposed on him by the Supreme Court to not take any major or policy decisions.

Rao had been earlier ordered by the Supreme Court to restrict his official decisions to only routine tasks until the cloud over the removal of his former boss, exiled CBI chief Alok Verma, was cleared by the court.

“So, all investigations should stop then? What is this? That bar has nothing to do with this case” Justice Lokur reacted, asking the CBI counsel to ring up Rao and get his confirmation over phone about taking up the probe into the 17 homes.

The agency counsel was back shortly and conveyed Rao’s “in-principle” agreement to conduct the probe.

The court directed the Bihar government to fulfill any request from the CBI team for additional manpower or infrastructure. It ordered that no officer in the team should be transferred during the pendency of the probe. The probe team would be led by senior CBI officer, AK Sharma. The court asked the CBI to file a status report in February on the progress of the investigation till January 31, 2019.

The CBI, already probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, told the court the agency is expected to file a chargesheet by December 7.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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