Panchkula Session Court on Thursday dismissed bail application filed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s adopted daughter Honeypreet. She had been arrested for allegedly inciting violence in Panchkula following the arrest of Gurmeet Ram Rahim on August 25 last year.
Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Ram Rahim was convicted and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping two of his female followers on August 25, 2017.
Following the news of his conviction, large-scale incidents of violence was reported from Panchkula, Sirsa, Delhi and Malwa region of Punjab, leaving 38 people dead and more than 250 injured.
Haryana Police on October 3, 2017 arrested Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja. The special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana Police in their chargesheet mentioned that honeypreet had allegedly paid Rs 1.25 crore to a Dera Sacha Sauda member to arrange logistics for inciting violence in Panchkula and in other parts of state on August 25, if the Dera chief was convicted in the rape case.
Honeypreet has been lodged in the Ambala Central Jail since October 23.
Panchkula Session Court Rejects Honeypreet’s Bail Plea
Weather Experts Issue Warning Of Worst Rainfall Since July 26, 2005 In Mumbai
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued weather forecast “heavy to very heavy rainfall” from 7 to 11 June in Maharashtra, especially in the coastal Konkan region and thunderstorms on 11 and 12 June.
According to reports, there is a huge possibility of heavy rainfall in six districts of Maharashtra, including Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts, on 9 June, while there is a similar forecast for the six districts of Konkan region, including Mumbai and surrounding areas on 10 and 11 June.
Government release states, “As per the forecast of the met department, the state calamity relief cell has sounded a high alert at almost all the places in the state especially in the Konkan region. The state calamity relief cell has instructed district administrations to remain on high alert to face any emergency conditions.”
Jatin Singh, CEO at Skymet Weather, posted a tweet saying, “The period between June 6th and June 12, could be the worse spell since 26 July 2005, when Mumbai recorded 900mm in a day.”
According to reports, preparations are made by the civic body:
The Navy has been positioned at Colaba, Worli, Ghatkopar, Trombay and Malad in case the emergency for flood rescue arises
Three teams of National Disaster Response Force have been deployed with walkie-talkies and flood rescue equipment at the Andheri Sports Complex in Eastern Suburbs and at CIDM, Parel.
All possible flooding spots and dewatering pumps will be monitored closely
All Deputy and Assistant Municipal Commissioners and heads of departments will be available at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ward offices and headquarters on 9 and 10 June.
Directions have been given to the control rooms in Mantralaya, divisional commissioner’s office, district collectors’ offices, municipal corporations and tehsildar offices to work round-the-clock in case of any emergency.
People in Mumbai can dial 1916 and those outside Mumbai can dial 1077 in case of emergency.
J&K: Militants Attack Army Patrol Near LoC, 2 Soldiers Injured
Militants on Thursday attack an Army patrol near the Line of Control in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir, injuring two soldiers.
“Terrorists opened fire on a link patrol ahead of the fence at the Line of Control in Keran sector,” a defence spokesman said here.
He said two soldiers were injured in the firing, which was retaliated by Army personnel. The operation was in progress when the reports last came in.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived in J&K on a two-day visit to the state to review the security situation.
Rajnath is scheduled to visit border district of Kupwara on Friday morning.
Abducted Pak Journalist Gul Bukhari Released
A Pakistani journalist and critic Gul Bukhari was released on June 6, hours after her abduction on Sherpao Bridge in Lahore’s Cantonment area at around 11 pm on the night of June 5, the family said.
Bukhari is a dual Pakistani-British national.
Ali Nadir, Bukhari’s husband said, “She was on her way to record a TV programme on 5 June evening on the late-night Waqt news show, her vehicle was intercepted and she was abducted.”
He further confirmed that “She is back and she is absolutely fine.”
Muhammad Gulsher producer on the Waqt news program, while basing her information on the statement given by Bukhari’s driver, who witnessed her abduction said, “a group of pick-up trucks stopped her vehicle and men in plain clothes dragged her way while other men in “army uniforms” stood guard.
“Two persons came out of a double-cabin and asked Bukhari to get into their vehicle. When she refused they bundled her up in the vehicle and sped away,” the driver of the Waqt TV cab told police.
She was later released as her abduction invited massive outrage on social media, especially it became a trending topic on Twitter in the nation, many Pakistani journalists and activists raised concerns over military involvement or intelligence agencies in the same.
“If true, this would be a most audacious attempt to silence a known critic. Is this Pakistan or Kim’s North Korea or Sisi’s Egypt?” tweeted Syed Talat Hussain, a prominent journalist.
Extremely disturbing and worrisome news of Gul Bukhari’s abduction. This is just cruel & worst kind of oppression. A sad day,” tweeted Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former PM Nawaz Sharif.
“The police had reached Bukhari’s house but she refused to record her statement at the moment,” a police official said.
According to reports, the military has outrightly denied playing a role in any abduction or enforced disappearances.
In past few months, Bukhari has penned several articles critical in nature for Pakistan dailies accusing raising concerns over Army’s increasing interference in politics.
Jharkhand: CRPF Commando Killed In Encounter With Naxals
A CoBRA commando of the CRPF on Thursday was killed during an encounter with Naxals in Saraikela area of Jharkhand.
According to police officials, a gunbattle began between the CRPF and Naxals at about 7 am when a joint team of the 209th battalion of the CoBRA (commando battalion for resolute action) and Jharkhand Police was out for operation in the Dalbhaga-Arki area of the Saraikela-Kharsawan district.
A commando has been martyred while a state police personnel has been injured during the encounter, the official added.
Heavy firing is still on and further details are awaited.
J&K Sex Scandal 2006: Court Awards 10 Years Of Jail To Former BSF DIG, 4 Others
A special CBI court on June 6 awarded 10 years jail sentence to five persons, including Mohd Ashrif Mir, a former DSP of J&K Police and an encounter specialist; KC Padhi, former DIG of BSF; Shabbir Ahmad Laway, Shabbir Ahmad Langoo and Masood Ahmad in 2006 Jammu & Kashmir sex scandal case.
All five accused were sentenced to imprisonment under Section 376 (rape) of the Ranbir Penal Code by Additional District and Sessions Judge Gagan Geet Kaur.
The Central Bureau of Investigation court in Chandigarh imposed fine of Rs 1 lakh each on Padhi and Mir and Laway, Langoo and Ahmad were fined Rs 50,000 each.
There were total nine accused in the case out of which two accused Anil Sethi, former Additional Advocate General of Jammu and Kashmir and businessman Mehruj-ud din Malik were acquitted due to benefit of doubt. The other two accused Sabeena and her husband Abdul Hamid Bullah died during the course of the trial.
The case was first registered on 14 March 2006, at the Shaheed Gunj police station in Srinagar, under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, back after the J&K police discovered two pornographic videotapes showing Kashmiri minor girls being sexually exploited.
According to the charge sheet filed, the minor victims were blackmailed and forced into prostitution for Rs 250 to Rs 500.
Judgment reads
The fine amount be applied in the payment to the prosecutrix is as compensation for the loss of her reputation, dignity, mental harm and loss of opportunity of education.
The contention by convicts i.e. not having knowledge of the age of prosecutrix at the time of occurrence has no weight at all and rejected at the very outset.
The manner in which the convict Laway and Ahmad committed rape upon the minor prosecutrix on the same day at same place does not warrant any leniency.
The convict Langoo committed rape upon her twice even when she did not accept his proposal of marriage.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath Steps In, Addresses Patanjali Grievances
A day after Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved announced to shift its proposed food park outside Uttar Pradesh (UP), Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday spoke to Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev and assured them that the formalities will be completed soon.
UP Infrastructure and Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana said, “We will not let Patanjali go from the state. Our CM has talked to Patanjali. The formalities will be completed soon.”
Principal Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi told reporters, “The chief minister has talked to Acharya Balkrishna and heard his grievances. There is no cancellation yet. They have been allotted land and the project is to commence.”
SK Tijarawala, spokesperson of Patanjali, told reporters, “We (Patanjali) trust the assurance given by Yogi Adityanath. CM spoke to Acharya Balkrishan and Baba Ramdev and assured cooperation. We respect the commitment given by Yogiji. We will not let the important food park go out of UP,”
On Tuesday, Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna announced that, “We are cancelling the project as we did not get required clearances from the UP state government. We did not get any cooperation from the state government for this project. We have waited for long time for the clearances but could not get from the state government. Now we have decided to shift the project.”
Karnataka Cabinet Expansion: HD Kumaraswamy Inducts 25 ministers
HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday expanded his cabinet with the induction of 25 new ministers in the Karnataka Government.
Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to Fourteen ministers of Congress, nine of JD(S) and one each of the BSP and the KPJP at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan.
DK Shivakumar, GT Deve Gowda, KJ George and HD Revanna elder brother of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy were among those who took oath as cabinet ministers.
Under the power sharing agreement, Congress will have 22 ministers and the JD(S) 12.
With today’s expansion, the strength of the cabinet has gone up to 27, leaving seven more vacancies to be filled.
Supreme Court Permits Reservation In Promotion To SC/ST Employees
The Supreme Court on June 5 permitted the centre to proceed with reservation in promotion for SC/ST employees in “accordance with law” until the issue is adjudicated by its Constitution bench.
There were separate verdicts by the high courts of Delhi, Bombay and Punjab & Haryana and the Supreme Court had also passed different orders on appeals filed against those judgments, the government said.
“How the promotion is taking place as of now?” the vacation bench comprising justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ashok Bhushan asked.
Responding to the query, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh said, “They are not. It is all standstill. This is the problem”.
“I am the government and I want to give promotion as per constitutional mandate,” said Singh while urging that he was seeking a similar order as passed on May 17.
The bench told ASG Singh, “We will say you (Centre) can go ahead with promotion in accordance with law.”
The centre mentioned the Supreme Court’s 2006 judgment in the M Nagaraj case, which had clearly said that creamy layer cannot be applied to SC/ST for promotions in government jobs.
It is also similar to two other verdicts of 1992 Indra Sawhney and others versus Union of India (popularly called Mandal Commission verdict) and 2005 E V Chinnaiah versus State of Andhra Pradesh, which dealt with the creamy layer in Other Backward Classes category.
Another bench of the apex court had earlier said a five-judge Constitution bench would examine whether the M Nagaraj judgment needs to be reviewed, said Singh.
In April this year Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan has emerged as the government’s key spokesperson on Dalit issues, and said: “The government will move the apex court for the repeal of its directions which have halted the reservation for these communities in promotion.”
“The court has ruled in favour of reservation for SCs and STs in promotion but also introduced several conditions, which have led to non-implementation of quota guidelines, said Paswan.
Indian Army To Reduce 50 Percent Of Supplies From State-Run Ordnance Factories
The Indian Army has decided to reduce its supplies from state-owned ordnance factories from 94 to 50 percent as centre has not granted additional funds in budget 2018-19. The decision is taken to ensure that the money spent on ordnance should be reduced and instead it should be used to procure the adequate stock of critical ammunition and spares for a short intense war.
The move will largely impact the supplies such as clothing (combat dress, berets, belts, shoes) to soldiers.
Army officials while explaining the motive behind the reduction of supplies said, “The Army has no other option but to reduce the supplies from ordnance factories. Of the three projects, only one has begun. The official explained that payment for the emergency procurement for this project has been distributed over the years due to shortage of funds.”
“For remaining payment of the two projects, the Army is contemplating on how it will fund it as the Centre has asked it to spend from its own budget,” the army official said.
