1. All Five Unnao Cases Transferred to Delhi
The Supreme Court on Thursday, 1 August, ordered the transfer to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh of all five cases linked to the 2017 Unnao gang-rape, in which legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar is the main accused, and ruled that the trials be completed within 45 days of commencement.
“The trial judge (Delhi) to whom the cases have been earmarked, will commence the trial forthwith on a day-to day basis and will ensure completion of trial of all the five cases within 45 days from commencement of the trial,” the court ruled. It named Dharmesh Sharma, district judge (west) at Delhi’s Tis Hazari courts, to oversee the proceedings.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also directed the CBI to complete within seven days its probe of Sunday’s road crash that left the woman and her lawyer battling for life and two of her aunts dead.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Pakistan Offers Consular Access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, India Says Reviewing Proposal
Pakistan has offered consular access to former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is sentenced to death on espionage charges, on Friday, 2 August. The development comes two weeks after the International Court of Justice ruled in favour of India on the issue of consular access.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India is evaluating the proposal by Pakistan in the light of the ICJ verdict. “We will maintain communication with Pakistan in this matter through diplomatic channels,” he told reporters.
The Pakistan foreign ministry had earlier said that Islamabad will grant consular access to Jadhav “according to Pakistani laws”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. SC to Go Through Ayodhya Mediation Panel Report Today
The three-member mediation panel looking into the Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid dispute has been unable to get the various parties involved in it to come to an agreement, one of the people involved said on condition of anonymity.
The committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope on Thursday, 1 August, drawing the curtain on almost four-and-a-half month-long negotiations between Hindu and Muslim litigants to explore the possibility of an out-of-court settlement to the decades-long Ayodhya land dispute.
A five-judge Constitution bench will on Friday, 2 August, go through the panel’s report and decide on the future course of action in the contentious case.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Assam Releases List of People out of NRC in Each District
Flying in the face of the Supreme Court’s directions to the State NRC Coordinator almost a year ago, the Assam government on Thursday, 1 August, revealed district-wise figures of people left out from the National Register of Citizens.
The state government said in districts close to the Bangladesh border – where the share of Muslims in the population is high – the exclusion percentage was lower, while in other districts it was comparatively higher.
The government used this data to argue that the process was flawed and several BJP MLAs slammed the court-mandated coordinator Prateek Hajela.
On 16 August last year, the Supreme Court had asked Hajela “to file in Court, in a sealed cover, the percentage of the population in each district (district-wise) who have been left out of the final draft NRC.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Ex-Maldives Vice-President Reaches TN Port, MEA Says Not Allowed Entry
Former Maldives Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor (37) was detained off the coast of Thoothukudi on Thursday, 1 August, after he reached the southern port on board a tug vessel. The Ministry of External Affairs said he was denied entry as he did not possess “valid travel documents”.
Police sources said he was being questioned by Central government agencies including the Coast Guard, Customs and intelligence agencies. Official sources said they were unable to ascertain if his intention was to seek asylum in India.
The ship, Virgo 9, was initially denied clearance to berth at the Thoothukudi old port. Official sources said the ship with nine crew members – an Indian and eight Indonesians – had left for Indonesia on 11 July. After unloading its cargo, it started the return journey on 27 July.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. Cell to Deradicalise Terror Accused to Come up at Tihar
The Intelligence Bureau (IB), Tihar jail authorities and the Delhi Police’s special cell are working together on a de-radicalisation programme for prisoners, a government official familiar with the project confirmed.
The programme will also focus on ensuring that prisoners booked in terror cases do not succeed in radicalising other prisoners.
Senior prison officials, who did not wish to be named, said that in the past few weeks, they have held a series of meetings with the Intelligence Bureau and the special cell.
The officials said that though the idea was first proposed by the home ministry about two years ago, the work on the project gained momentum after senior BJP leader Amit Shah took over as the home minister three months ago.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
7. India Slips to 7th Largest Economy in 2018: World Bank
India has been pushed to the seventh place in the global GDP rankings in 2018 with the UK and France forging ahead to the fifth and sixth spots, data compiled by the World Bank showed.
In 2017, India had emerged as the sixth largest economy, while France was pushed to the seventh place in the global GDP league table.
The US remains the top economy with a GDP of $20.5 trillion in 2018. China was the second largest economy with $13.6 trillion, while Japan took the third place with $5 trillion. India’s GDP was at $2.7 trillion in 2018, while UK and France were at $2.8 trillion.
Economists said India taking the seventh largest global economy tag in 2018 was largely due to the currency fluctuations and slowdown in growth.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. Death for Child Abusers as POCSO Bill Gets Lok Sabha Nod
Stricter norms to check sexual assault against children, including death penalty for aggravated assault, became a reality after Lok Sabha on Thursday, 1 August, passed an amendment bill already cleared by the upper House.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, seeks to make offences against children gender-neutral and defines child pornography while also making it punishable.
The bill, moved by women and child development minister Smriti Irani, received support from all parties, witnessing a debate lasting around four hours.
Some MPs demanded that the bill be referred to a Select Committee in view of the provision of death penalty for certain offences. Irani said the bill would provide added legal protection to 39 percent of population or 43 crore children, irrespective of their gender.
(Source: The Times of India)
9. Top US Official to Visit India Amid ‘Grave Concerns’ over Aid to Pakistan
India will host US deputy secretary of state John Sullivan this month for what will be the first high-level bilateral visit from either side since US President Donald Trump’s controversial comments on the J&K issue during Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s recent visit to the US and the reported resumption of US military assistance to Pakistan.
Pakistan is likely to figure prominently in Sullivan's meeting with foreign minister S Jaishankar. India on Thursday, 1 August, said it had strongly protested both here and in Washington US military assistance to Pakistan.
Sources said the US envoy was summoned for the purpose. “We have expressed grave concern over it. The US side has told us that the proposed sale does not indicate any change in the US policy of maintaining a freeze in military assistance to Pakistan,’’ said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.
(Source: The Times of India)