1. Supreme Court Steps in for Missing UP Law Student Who Accused BJP Leader
The Supreme Court has decided to take up the case of the Uttar Pradesh law student from Shahjahanpur who went missing after accusing BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand Saraswati of threats and harassment. The case, taken up by a bench led by Justice R Banumathi on the court’s motion, will be heard on Friday.
Chinmayanand, who has been a three-time MP, is also a former union minister of state for home affairs.
The young woman’s family has accused the police of soft-pedaling the probe because of the involvement of the BJP leader. The police had registered the case only after a video posted by the woman on Facebook before she went missing made national headlines.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. After War And Peace Question, Judge Says He Knew Tolstoy Book Was Classic
The Bombay High Court on Thursday said it knew that Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' was a literary classic and that it didn't mean to suggest that all the books seized by Pune police in the Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima case were incriminating.
The observation by Justice Sarang Kotwal came a day after media reports said he asked accused Vernon Gonsalves to explain why he kept "objectionable material" like a copy of "War and Peace" at his home.
The purported remarks also stirred up thousands of reactions on Twitter. The hashtag #WarAndPeace has been trending on the social media platform during the day.
(Source: NDTV)
3. SC Seeks Evidence Against Chidambaram, Order on 5 Sep
The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on former finance minister P Chidambaram’s pre-arrest bail petition in the INX Media money-laundering case until 5 September, when it will deliver its verdict, extending the Congress leader’s interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) until then.
A bench of justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna asked the ED to submit within three days the documentary evidence it has relied upon in opposing Chidambaram’s plea in an envelope with an authenticated seal. It clarified that the court would look at the documents only if concludes that it can do so under the law.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. ‘Maybe Babur’s Mansion, Not a Mosque’, Supreme Court Told in Ayodhya Dispute
The Supreme Court bench of five judges, hearing the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, sought on Thursday clarification on three points from one of the Hindu parties arguing against the Allahabad High Court verdict in the case.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, posed the questions to senior advocate PN Mishra, the advocate of the Ram Mandir Revitalisation Committee – whether the existence of a mosque can be negated, whether the structure existing was a mosque and that could a King appoint waqf from the wealth of the state or he would have to buy it first. The bench also comprises justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. ‘Pakistan Should Behave Like Normal Neighbour, Not Push Terrorists’: Centre
The government on Thursday denounced what it called "highly irresponsible statements" by Pakistani leaders and said a Pakistani minister's letter to the UN on Jammu and Kashmir – which became controversial because it referred to comments by Rahul Gandhi and Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar – was "not worth the paper it was written on".
"We condemn the irresponsible remarks and tweets by Pakistani leaders on matters internal to India," said foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, referring to Pakistani ministers making threats following the government's decision to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir and split it into two union territories. Recently, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had talked about nuclear war between the two countries.
(Source: NDTV)
6. Two Days After Trump Thumbs up on Kashmir, US Expresses Concerns Again
Three days after US President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in France and discussed the situation in Kashmir, American officials said they were “concerned” about the continuing communication restrictions and detentions in the Valley.
Trump had said he discussed the Kashmir issue with Modi and that the latter stated he “really feels he has it under control,” and that India and Pakistan could resolve the issue bilaterally.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. IB Sounds Alert: Possibility of Pakistani Marine Commandos Infiltrating Gulf of Kutch
In the wake of heightened tension between India and Pakistan, the Adani Ports and Logistics has issued a security advisory to shipping agents of all vessels parked at the Mundra Port in Kutch regarding possible infiltration by Pakistani marine commandos from the coastal borders of Gujarat.
The advisory comes four days after the Border Security Force (BSF) had found two abandoned mini boats at the ‘Harami Nala’ creek area of Kutch, which might have originated from Pakistan. The coastal borders in Gujarat have been on high alert ever since the union government of India scrapped the special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and turned it into a union territory.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. CBI Seeks Lok Sabha Speaker’s Nod to Prosecute Three Trinamool MPs
The CBI has sought Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s sanction for prosecution of three Trinamool Congress MPs – Sougata Ray, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Prasun Banerjee – and former MP Suvendu Adhikari in the Narada case.
CBI sources said the MPs will be charge-sheeted after the Speaker grants sanction. “Sanction had to be sought against a former MP as well because he was a sitting MP when the offence occurred,” said a CBI officer.
The Narada sting case pertains to some TMC leaders who were purportedly caught on tape accepting money from a person posing as a representative of a private company. TMC leaders had denied any illegality and said the money was received as donation.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Ballia School: DM Orders Probe but Says Prima Facie Caste Bias Allegations False
District Magistrate of Ballia Bhawani Singh on Thursday visited the government primary school in Rampur Udaybhan area and prima facie rejected reports of alleged discrimination of Dalit students by the upper caste students.
He, however, ordered a detailed probe by a Joint Magistrate into the allegation that general category students sit separately from the rest when food is served as part of the mid-day meal scheme.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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