1. Chief Justice Sets Up Bench to Hear Petition on His Removal
The Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, has constituted a bench of five judges to hear a challenge from two Congress Rajya Sabha members of Parliament against Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s rejection of a notice of a motion seeking his (the Chief Justice’s) removal.
The bench doesn’t include the four senior-most judges of the court after Justice Misra; these judges had publicly aired in January their grievances over how the Chief Justice was running the court and allocating cases.
The five-judge bench is led by Justice AK Sikri and has Justices SA Bobde, NV Ramana, Arun Mishra and AK Goel on it.
On 23 April, Kapil Sibal, who is widely seen as the moving force behind the notice, had termed Naidu’s order as “unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty” and asserted that the party would challenge it in the Supreme Court.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Kathua Case Transferred to Pathankot
The Supreme Court on Monday, 7 May, transferred the Kathua gang-rape and murder case outside Jammu and Kashmir to Pathankot in Punjab, even as it ruled out a CBI probe.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra ordered an in-camera hearing of the case and said the trial should be conducted on a day-to-day basis to avoid delay.
The Jammu and Kashmir government was given the liberty to appoint its own public prosecutor to conduct the trial.
The SC ordered the district and sessions judge to personally undertake trial proceedings and not assign it to any other judge. It directed there should be no break between examination and cross-examination of the witnesses, who will be provided police protection by state government when they travel to Pathankot. The bench also ruled that the top court would monitor the case and that no court, except the SC, will hear any petition related to it.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Chennai Tourist Injured in Stone-Pelting Dies in Srinagar Hospital
A tourist from Chennai died after being hit by a stone during a protest on Srinagar-Gulmarg road in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, 7 May, a day after five militants and as many civilians were killed in the restive state.
Officials identified the tourist as 21-year-old Thirumani, who was hit in his head in the morning and was taken to Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, where he died due to his injuries.
Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid said: “Some two-three vehicles had come under a bout of stone-pelting in which the tourist from Chennai died.”
The man was travelling in a group of 40 people towards the ski resort of Gulmarg when they were targeted by stone-pelters, according to reports. A local woman too was injured in the stone-pelting.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Late-Night Dust Storm Hits Delhi, Schools Partially Closed Tuesday After MeT Alert
A dust storm hit Delhi and nearby areas of NCR on the night of Monday, 7 May, hours after a weather forecast that parts of northern and eastern India were likely to witness a thunderstorm, accompanied by squall and hail on Tuesday.
Strong winds hit several parts of the national capital, with power cuts and uprooted trees being reported from across Delhi and NCR. Gurugram residents also reported a strong dust storm that affected visibility.
The storm, with a wind speed of 70 kilometres per hour, hit Delhi around 11.20pm.
Authorities issued a list of dos and don’ts and shut evening shifts at all schools in the wake of the weather department warning. Schools were also closed in Ghaziabad and some parts of Noida.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. CM Siddaramaiah Sends Legal Notice to PM Modi, Amit Shah Over Corruption Allegations
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sent a legal notice for criminal and civil defamation to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and BS Yeddyurappa, over allegations of corruption levelled against the Congress leader.
In the notice, Siddaramaiah's lawyer cited instances of political advertisements published by the BJP and speeches delivered by PM Modi during election rallies, and accused the saffron party of promoting a "false" and "defamatory" propaganda against his client.
The notice contained excerpts and phrases from PM Modi's speeches delivered during the election rallies and said that the PM has intentionally and unabatedly made several "defamatory" and "untrue" statements against the Karnataka chief minister.
"Advertisements are being published only for the purpose of harming the image of my client and the Indian National Congress Party," the notice read.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. Alliance With SP Is On for LS Polls, Says Mayawati
In a major boost to Opposition unity in Uttar Pradesh, BSP chief Mayawati said her party’s alliance with Samajwadi Party was on for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and a formal announcement would be made once the seat-sharing arrangement was finalised.
“A declaration has to be made and it will be done once we work out the seat-sharing arrangement. There is still time for Lok Sabha elections and we will work it out closer to the polls,” she told NDTV. Mayawati added that people were already aware of the SP-BSP alliance though no formal announcement had been made yet.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the combined vote share of SP and BSP was 41.8 percent, while BJP and its ally Apna Dal got 43.3 percent and won 73 out of 80 seats in UP.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Modi’s Economic Policies Disastrous, Says Manmohan Singh
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, 7 May, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the state of India’s economy, saying the country was facing crises that were avoidable.
“Our nation today is experiencing difficult times. Our farmers are facing an acute crisis, our aspirational youth are not finding opportunities, and the economy is growing below its potential. The unfortunate truth is that each of these crises was entirely avoidable,” he said, addressing a press conference in Bengaluru ahead of the 12 May state polls.
Singh said it pained him to see the government stifle dissent when deficiencies were pointed out, rather than stand up to challenges.
The former prime minister said it was important to pay careful attention to policy making as it affected people’s lives, and, hence, it was crucial to not act on “mere whims and fancies.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. West Delhi Nightclub DJ Stabs Man to Death After Argument Over Songs
A brawl in a west Delhi nightclub late on Sunday, 6 May, over the choice of songs being played ended in the DJ stabbing a gym owner to death and smashing a beer bottle on the head of a woman, leaving her injured. The 25-year-old DJ was arrested from the spot.
It all started three hours into the birthday party that the deceased man, Vijaydeep (34), and eight of his friends were attending in Raftaar, the nightclub in Punjabi Bagh.
At 11.45 pm, DJ Yuri alias Deepak Bisht announced the next song would be the last of the night. Hearing this, Rajinder, one of those partying with Vijaydeep, signalled the DJ to play another track. Getting no response, Rajinder entered the DJ’s console and repeated his request.
After a scuffle broke out, the DJ reportedly rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and stabbed the victim.
(Source: The Times of India)
9. 27-Year-Old Jaipur Woman Accused of Killing Man She Lured on Tinder
When a 29-year-old man from Jaipur swiped right on the profile of a woman on Tinder, he would not have expected to end up dead days later – chopped up into pieces and stuffed in a suitcase.
The man, Dushyant Sharma, was held captive by 27-year-old Priya Seth, her boyfriend and a friend at a rented flat in Bajaj Nagar last week with the motive to extort money, according to the police.
On 2 May, Seth allegedly invited Sharma to her flat and asked him to pay Rs 10 lakh. With the help of Dikshant Kamra (20) and Lakshya Walia (21), Seth also robbed Sharma of his ATM card after tying him up with wires and calling his father for a ransom.
“The father said he did not have the said amount and agreed to deposit Rs 3 lakh into his son’s bank account,” Jhotwara station house officer Gur Bhupendra Singh said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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