1. Special Court Acquits 36 Accused in Gulbarg Massacre Case
A special court in Ahmedabad pronounced its verdict in the 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre case where 69 people were killed, including Congress Parliamentarian Ehsan Jafri. Out of the 66 accused, the court convicted 24 and acquitted 36. Five of the accused died during the 14-year long trial and one is still missing.
Out of the 24 convicted, 11 were charged with murder while the rest were convicted under charges of arson, trespassing, rioting, unlawful assembly, loot, etc.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, Zakia Jafri, widow of Ehsan Jafri, said they would appeal in a higher court.
It was a big society with 15-20 bungalows and 10 apartments with 400-500 occupants. So how can 24 people loot and burn the entire society for 24 hours and kill so many people in such a brutal manner? We will appeal the judgement in a higher court.
While a Viashwa Hindu Parishad member Atil Vaid was convicted, the following walked away:
- BJP corporator Bipin Patel
- KG Erda, the only police inspector accused in the case.
- Meghsinh Chaudhari, Congress corporator
The quantum of punishment will be announced on 6 June.
2. IIT-ian Mainak Sarkar Identified as UCLA Shooter
Los Angeles police on Thursday identified the gunman who killed a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, before taking his own life, as Mainak Sarkar, an engineering student at the school.
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) spokesperson Jane Kim confirmed that the gunman had been identified as Sarkar, but declined to provide other details. Sarkar had been a doctoral candidate at the school, The Los Angeles Times reported, citing information obtained from police.
The shooting prompted the sprawling urban campus to close for about two hours on Wednesday as police confirmed that Sarkar and his victim, 39-year-old engineering professor William Klug, were the only people involved in the incident.
The LAPD also suspect that Sarkar, who had a “kill list”, had also killed a woman in Minnesota state, reports The Hindustan Times.
Mainak Sarkar, 38, had also planned to kill a second professor in addition to Klug, at a small office on the campus, police said.
Read The Quint’s report
3. States Plan to Fix Taxi Prices, Ending Surge Pricing Permanently
The Road Transport Ministry is in the process of introducing an ‘intermediaries’ category under the Motor Vehicles Act to bring taxi aggregators under its ambit, reports The Hindustan Times.
This may portend the end of surge pricing, as taxi service providers will have to abide by fares fixed by respective states, in that case.
To make a final decision on the “taxi and other automobile aggregation policy”, transport ministers of eight states will meet on 12-13 June in Dharmsala, Himachal Pradesh.
This development, if it happens, will also bring cab services under the purview of Information Technology Act, 2000.
4. Ajit Jogi Threatens To Quit Congress If Rahul Becomes Party Chief
Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister has threatened to quit the party to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s “impending” elevation as the party’s president. He will form his own party, he told the media on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the media circuit was abuzz with speculation that Sonia Gandhi may pass on the baton to her son. However, she remained tightlipped.
A meeting of the Congress Working Committee will be held this month to discuss the loss in four Assembly elections this year and the way forward for the party.
Read The Quint’s report.
5. Maharashtra CM Meets PM Modi, Amit Shah Over Khadse Issue
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday and said that they have discussed the controversy regarding Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse. Fadnavis also met the Prime Minister in Delhi on the matter.
He reportedly handed over a report to Shah and said that the party will take further steps to deal with the matter, based on the report.
While the Congress has unequivocally demanded the removal of Khadse, members of the BJP are divided in their opinion.
One of BJP’s closest allies, the Shiv Sena also demanded the termination of Khadse’s term as Maharashtra Revenue Minister.
However, The Hindustan Times reports:
...despite the clamour, Shah is unlikely to immediately sack Khadse, whose support is crucial for Maharashtra legislative council polls on 10 June.
6. Two Police Officers Killed in Mathura by Bose Cult
Station Officer of Farah Police station Santosh Yadav and SP (City) Mathura Mukul Dwivedi
were killed on Thursday as violence erupted during a police land-eviction operation against activists of religious group ‘Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi’ (ABVVKS).
While five other policemen were injured, The Times of India reports that 100 people were injured in the violence.
Police used teargas to deal with the violent protesters in the Jawahar Bagh area in UP, where clashes continued. Two years ago, activists of the group Baba Jai Gurudeo claimed to be members of ABVVKS and occupied government land under the pretext of a ‘dharna’.
Their demands included cancelling elections for the President and Prime Minister of India, replacing existing currency with ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ currency, and the sale of diesel at the rate of 60 litres for one rupee and petrol at the rate of 40 litres for one rupee.
Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Read The Quint’s report.
7. Govt Approves Advisory to Avoid “Misuse” of Matrimonial Sites
IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has approved an advisory on matrimonial websites, which says that the sites have to confirm the ‘user’s intent to enter into a matrimonial alliance.’
Service providers should make a declaration that the matrimonial website is strictly for matrimonial purpose only, and not a dating website and should not be used for posting obscene material.IT and Telecom Ministry Advisory
According to the advisory, the government will make it mandatory for matrimonial websites to save the users’ IP address records and ensure the website isn’t “misused,” reports Livemint.
Prasad also said:
Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi was actively pursuing the matter. Since it was related to IT Act, our ministry approved this today [Thursday].
8. India Applies for NSG Membership Ahead of Modi’s US Visit
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, the government has applied for a membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), reports The Economic Times.
India “quietly submitted” its application on 12 May, almost a week ahead of Pakistan. China, which is already a member of the NSG, is batting for the latter country.
Modi himself has been reaching out to various heads of countries to make the seven-year long talks fruitful, the report claims.
The first test will be the closed-door NSG meet in Vienna, to be held on 9 and 10 June.
Also Read: India’s NSG Membership Is Not About Arms: US Tells Pakistan
9. The Beard Truth: Army Wants Soldiers to Have a Clean Shave
Maktumhusen (34), a Muslim sepoy in the Army Medical Corps since 2001, was sacked for keeping a beard on religious grounds, reports The Hindu.
After a legal battle with the Army, the jawan was termed as “an undesirable soldier” before being dismissed.
The Commanding Officer who had allowed the sepoy to grow a beard, after he made a formal application, revoked the permission after he discovered “amendments to Regulation No. 665 of the Defence Services Regulations and the Ministry of Defence (Army) letter, 1991”.
Kochi Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) upheld his dismissal saying:
The Army is a disciplined force and denominational differences among its members based on religion, caste etc. cannot be permitted. Practice of wearing a beard claimed on the basis of religion by the applicant which goes against Regulation 665 of the Defence Service Regulations, is not conducive to the discipline of the Force.