Four SC Judges Air Differences With CJI Misra
In an unprecedented act, four senior judges of the Supreme Court on Friday held a press conference and publicly accused Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra of selectively assigning cases to judges of his choice without any rational basis.
Transcending judicial protocol that sitting judges should not interact with the media, Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph — the senior-most judges after the CJI — accused Justice Misra of assigning cases of “far-reaching consequences to the nation” to junior hand-picked judges against the time-tested convention, practice and tradition of the court.
In a letter addressed to the CJI and circulated at the press meet, the four said certain Supreme Court judges arrogated to themselves the “authority to deal with and pronounce upon” cases which ought to be heard by other appropriate Benches. The letter is of October 2017 origin.
(Source: The Hindu)
77 Cases, Just Another Friday
A picture of equanimity that belied the storm rippling through the judicial and political landscape, Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Friday dealt with as many as 77 cases.
The CJI sat through the proceedings with Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud. All courts have a packed schedule on Fridays and Mondays – known as "miscellaneous days" – and this Friday was no exception for Justice Misra.
He was in the courtroom till 3.35 pm, occasionally smiling, disproving the predictions of advocates who hung around on the assumption that he would end the proceedings early and hold a news conference.
The Chief Justice declined requests to address the media. But a source close to him said the Chief Justice was never vindictive, adding: "Justice Misra is more concerned with the merits of the case."
Justice Misra, who enjoys Z-category security, has deep knowledge of the Indian shastras and quotes Shakespeare extensively.
(Source: The Telegraph)
Judicial Crisis: Death of Judge Loya Needs to Be Probed at the Highest Level of SC, Demands Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi called for an independent probe into the death of Judge Loya — who was hearing the Sohrabuddin encounter case in which BJP President Amit Shah was an accused — by the highest bodies of the Supreme Court. The demand on Friday came after top judges from the Supreme Court expressed their discontentment over the handling of the matter in a press conference, and attacked CJI Dipak Misra on the manner of assignment of cases in the top court.
The Congress expressed that the obligations and the accusations levelled by the senior most judges of the Supreme Court against the CJI were very disturbing and have ‘far-reaching effects’ for the Indian democracy.
In a statement to the media, Congress said:
The observations made by the Honourable Judges and the issues raised by them in the Press Conference and in the letter are extremely disturbing and have far-reaching consequences for the values that we hold sacred, safeguarding democracy and preserving the independence of the Judiciary.
(Source: The Indian Express)
Threat of Chemical & Nuclear Weapons Becoming a Reality, Says Army Chief Bipin Rawat
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, in a strict tone, asserted that India is not a weak nation and will not allow its territory to be invaded. Addressing concerns over the incursion of Chinese troops into Indian mainland, the COAS said, “China is a powerful country but we are not a weak nation.” The Army chief also expressed his concerns over the increasing threats of the use of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons and said “it is becoming a reality.”
Amid increasing efforts from Beijing to create an influence in the region, the COAS said that neighbouring countries cannot be allowed to drift away towards China. The four-star General expressed that the time has come for India to shift its focus to the northern border and added that the forces are capable of handling increasing Chinese advances in the region.
(Source: The Indian Express)
Gutka Scam Secret Letter Found in Sasikala's Room in Poes Garden: I-T Dept to HC
The Income Tax department has told the Madras High Court that its confidential letter seeking action against those involved in the gutkha scam in Tamil Nadu was seized from a room occupied by expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala in the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa.
This information was disclosed in an affidavit submitted on Friday by Principal Director of Income Tax, Chennai, Susie Babu Varghese on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by DMK MLA J Anbazhagan for a CBI probe into the alleged scam.
Alleging that a state minister and high-level state and central government officers, including police officials, were involved in the scam to “facilitate” sale of banned ‘gutkha’ (tobacco product), the PIL contended that the CBI alone can conduct a thorough and impartial probe in the matter.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
They Are Forcing People of Kashmir to Pick up Gun, Says Bilal Ahmad Kawa's Family
The family members of Bilal Ahmad Kawa, who was arrested in Delhi in connection with the Red Fort attack case, on Friday termed his arrest illegal and accused police of framing him in a fake case. They also said that he was never absconding and also owns a house in Delhi.
The family and relatives blamed the media for projecting an “innocent civilian” as a “terrorist” and demanded his immediate release. According to his relatives, Ahmad is married and a father to two young daughters. The family members and their relatives demonstrated in the city’s Press Colony on Friday.
They said Bilal Ahmad owns a house near Sadar Bazar, New Delhi, and had gone to the national capital for a medical check-up. “My son went to New Delhi for a check-up as he has a health problem. His brother who lives in Delhi told him to come and he was detained at the airport,’’ said Ahmad’s mother Fatima Begum.
(Source: The Indian Express)
Commuters Clash With Police on Delhi Highway After VIP Convoy Stalls Traffic
Amateur video clips of a confrontation between motorists and policemen over traffic restrictions for the President’s cavalcade on a busy Delhi highway have gone viral on social media. At the last count on Friday, one of the videos was viewed more than 2.8 million times and shared by more than 50,000 users.
The video shows motorists threatening to drive past the security barriers as they got into heated exchange with the policemen on duty.
The police tried to reason out with the commuters before one of them allegedly hit a dentist who was leading the agitated motorists.
The incident highlights growing public anger over the capital’s frequent traffic snarls which leave people stranded in their vehicles, sometimes for long periods during rush hours.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
No 'Padmavat' in Gujarat and MP but UP Gives Green Signal
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Even as the BJP-ruled states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on Friday said they would continue their ban on 'Padmavat' despite the Censor Board's nod, the Yogi Adityanath government said it would not stop the film's release in Uttar Pradesh. The Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government had already said that theatres in the state would not screen the film.
The Deepika Padukone-starrer is slated for release on 25 January.
Large-scale protests and violence by fringe outfits, led by the Karni Sena, for allegedly "distorting Rajput history", had stopped the movie's release.
Highly-placed sources in the UP government said the film won't be banned in the state after the modifications and changes in the film on the CBFC's directions. "Now that the filmmaker has incorporated the changes suggested by the Censor Board, I see no reason why the release of the film should be stopped," a top government official told TOI on Friday.
(Source: Times of India)
Just 1 Valid Bid for Installing 1.4 Lakh CCTVs in Public Places
The Delhi government's ambitious plan to install 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras has been further delayed. The PWD, which had floated tenders in November 2016 for the Rs 350 crore project, has had to float another tender as only two bids were received and only one was valid.
"We had received bids from two companies, but only one met the eligibility criteria. We have recalled the tender. We have diluted the criteria so that more companies can participate," said Sarvagya Srivastava, engineer-in-chief, Delhi PWD.
The government had initially allocated Rs 130 crore for the project. Later, it increased it to Rs 350 crore as it decided to install 2,000 cameras per assembly constituency.
(Source: Times of India)
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