India

‘Stop misusing ED and CBI’: AAP MPs protest Kejriwal’s arrest on Parliament premises

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AAP MP says President and Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise voices

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 11:21 AM


‘Stop misusing ED and CBI’: AAP MPs protest Kejriwal’s arrest on Parliament premises

AAP leader Sanjay Singh along with other party leaders protests against the Central Government over the alleged misuse of CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the Parliament House complex, in New Delhi. — Photo:PTI

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MPs held a protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, on Parliament premises ahead of President Droupadi Murmu‘s address on Thursday.

The party MPs were seen holding placards that read, “Stop misusing ED and CBI“, and “Dictatorship will not work”. AAP leader Sandeep Pathak also said that the party MPs would boycott the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

This will be the first Presidential address after the formation of the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Following the President’s address, a motion of thanks will be moved in both Houses of Parliament, which will be discussed by the members.

Pathak said that the President and the Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise voices. “Today we will protest in the Rajya Sabha against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and we will boycott the President’s address. The President and the Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise our voices,” he said.

When asked whether other parties of the I.N.D.I.A bloc will also protest in the Rajya Sabha, Pathak said, “We did not have a discussion with the remaining parties of the I.N.D.I.A alliance regarding this but our party will boycott the President’s address”.

Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Wednesday sent Kejriwal to three days CBI remand in connection with the Excise policy case. Vacation Judge Amitabh Rawat after taking note of all the submissions of both sides, allowed Arvind Kejriwal to be on CBI remand till June 29, 2024.

During the remand period, the court allowed Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to meet him for 30 minutes and his lawyer to meet him every day for 30 minutes. The court has also allowed him to carry his prescribed medicines during the remand period.

During the hearing, Arvind Kejriwal himself addressed the court and said, “CBI is claiming that I have made a statement against Manish Sisodia, which is completely false. Manish Sisodia Nirdosh hai, Aam Aadmi Party Nirdosh hai. Main bhi nirdosh hun. Iss Tarah ke statements hamme media me badnam Karne ke liye diye ja rahe hai (Manish Sisodia is innocent, Aam Aadmi Party is innocent. I am also innocent. statements are being given in the media to defame us.)”

India

Kaziranga National Park fully prepared to tackle flood situation

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Park authorities put vehicular speed sensor cameras on the National Highway – 37 to control the vehicles speed

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 11:33 AM


Kaziranga National Park fully prepared to tackle flood situation

Kaziranga National Park — File picture

Guwahati: The authority of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam is fully prepared to tackle any kind of situation during the flood and to ensure the safety and security of the animals of the national park.

The park authorities have put vehicular speed sensor cameras on the National Highway – 37 to control the vehicles speed which is passed through the national park and the park authorities have used various technologies.

Along with the male frontline staff around 150 women frontline staff are also engaged in Kaziranga National Park to protect wild animals. Sonali Ghosh, field director of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve said that, “The park authorities have made all preparedness to ensure safety and security of wild animals of the park during flood season.”

“In Kaziranga, the flood is a very important aspect because a good flood is also helpful for Kaziranga landscape. But at the same time, the migration of wild animals has also happened from Kaziranga to higher grounds in Karbi Anglong. For this year also, we are prepared. There are nine designated corridors from where the animals are regularly crossing,” Sonali Ghosh said.

“We have put additional frontline staff there. We have used technologies including vehicular speed sensor cameras on the National Highway – 37 so that we can minimize road accidents with wild animals. Our frontline staff are continuously engaged in anti-poaching activities and doing their duties round the clock. We have provided them country boats, life jackets, raincoats and whatever is required,” Sonali Ghosh added.

She further said that, on June 15, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma came to Kaziranga and he held an inter-departmental review meeting on flood preparedness and he had given a lot many directions.

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Sunita Kejriwal slams PM, says “the dictators should be destroyed”

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Launches scathing attack against the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over her husband’s arrest

Updated On – 27 June 2024, 11:50 AM


Sunita Kejriwal slams PM, says “the dictators should be destroyed”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal‘s wife Sunita Kejriwal on Thursday launched a scathing attack against the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over her husband’s arrest by CBI saying that she has started praying that the dictators must be destroyed.

Taking to the social media platform X, she said, “Till now the prayer has always been that God should give wisdom to everyone. But now the prayer will be that the dictator should be destroyed.”

 

Meanwhile, the Aam Admi Party is boycotting the address of the President to both houses of Parliament alleging a conspiracy behind the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the CBI.

Earlier, the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Wednesday sent Kejriwal to three days CBI remand in connection with the Excise policy case. Vacation Judge Amitabh Rawat after taking note of all the submissions of both sides, allowed Arvind Kejriwal to be on CBI remand till June 29, 2024.

During the remand period, the court allowed Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to meet him for 30 minutes and his lawyer to meet him every day for 30 minutes. The court has also allowed him to carry his prescribed medicines during the remand period.

During the hearing, Arvind Kejriwal himself addressed the court and said, “CBI is claiming that I have made a statement against Manish Sisodia, which is completely false. Manish Sisodia Nirdosh hai, Aam Aadmi Party Nirdosh hai. Main bhi nirdosh hun. Iss Tarah ke statements hamme media me badnam Karne ke liye diye ja rahe hai (Manish Sisodia is innocent, Aam Aadmi Party is innocent. I am also innocent. statements are being given in the media to defame us.)”

He also added “CBI sources ke hawale se media me hamme badnam kar rahe rahe hai. Inka plan hai ki media front page ye chala de ki Kejriwal ne sara thikra Manish Sisodia pe daal diya. (They are tarnishing our image in the media by using unnamed sources. They plan to make it headline news that Kejriwal has shifted all the blame to Manish Sisodia.)”

However, the court said, “I have read your statement… you have not said this.” The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of Section 45 of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order.

India

Historic steps will be taken in upcoming Budget, says President Murmu in Parliament

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Says the Budget that will be presented by the government in the next Parliament session will be a document of its futuristic vision

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 12:03 PM


Historic steps will be taken in upcoming Budget, says President Murmu in Parliament

President Droupadi Murmu addresses the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, in New Delhi, Thursday.

New Delhi: Many historic steps and major economic decisions will be taken in the upcoming Budget, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday as she addressed a joint sitting of Parliament.

The Budget that will be presented by the government in the next Parliament session will be a document of its futuristic vision, the President said in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.

“The Budget will have major economic and social decisions and many historic steps will be taken. The speed of reforms will be increased to fulfil the aspirations of people,” she said.

She said her government believes there should be healthy competition between states for investment. “This is in the spirit of competitive-cooperative federalism,” she added.

Murmu further said, “India has become the world’s fifth-largest economy. There has been an average 8 per cent growth in the last 10 years, even though these were not normal times.”

“This growth rate has been achieved despite a global pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world. This is the result of the reforms of the last 10 years. India alone is contributing 15 per cent to global growth. My government is working to make India the world’s third-largest economy,” she said.

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Chhattisgarh: Civil services aspirant blackmails couple with their private video, held

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The accused went to the couple’s house with the intention of burglary, but instead of stealing anything, he recorded their intimate moments

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 12:21 PM


Chhattisgarh: Civil services aspirant blackmails couple with their private video, held

Representational Image

Durg: A 28-year-old man, who aspired to get a government job but failed to clear any civil services exams despite multiple attempts, tried to extort Rs 10 lakh from a couple after he happened to shoot their intimate video at their place in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The accused, Vinay Kumar Sahu, had gone to the couple’s house early last month with the intention of burglary, but instead of stealing anything, he recorded the couple’s intimate moments using his mobile phone and demanded money from them for not making their video public, they said.

The accused was arrested on June 25 based on the complaint lodged by the couple, residents of Ahiwara village located in the Nandini police station area, Sub Divisional Officer of Police (Dhamdha) Sanjay Pundhir said.

“On June 17, the male victim complained to the police that he received a video clip on their WhatsApp from an unknown number that showed him and his wife in an intimate moment. The man also told the police that some unidentified person called him and demanded Rs 10 lakh for not releasing the clip on social media,” he said.

A joint team of Nandini police and Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit (ACCU) was constituted to probe the matter. Police zeroed in on the accused based on technical evidence and CCTV footage, and arrested him, he said.

“During his interrogation, Sahu told the police that he had burgled the couple’s house twice earlier and he had sneaked in again on May 5 with the same intention. But instead of stealing something, he allegedly recorded the intimate moments of the couple on his phone. A few days later, he sent the video to the couple and started blackmailing them by demanding Rs 10 lakh for not making it viral,” the official said.

Three mobile phones and as many SIM cards were recovered from the possession of the accused, he said. Sahu is a resident of Ahiwara. After completing his bachelors in engineering, he was preparing for civil services. He tried to secure a government job and appeared for various exams, including state Public Service Commission, but failed to clear it every time, Pundhir said.

To meet his needs, Sahu started stealing mobile phones and other articles in his own locality, he added. The accused was booked under section 384 (punishment for extortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the SDOP said, adding that further probe is underway.

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Centre will investigate recent paper leaks, guilty will be punished, says Murmu

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Says government working to create environment to enable youth of the country dream big and achieve them

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 12:32 PM


Centre will investigate recent paper leaks, guilty will be punished, says Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: The Centre is fully committed to investigating the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished, President Droupadi Murmu said in her address to a joint sitting of Parliament.

Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, the President said her government is working to create an environment to enable youth of the country dream big and achieve them.

As she mentioned steps taken by the government on the education front, some opposition members were heard shouting ‘NEET‘.

“If due to any reason there is obstruction in examinations it is not appropriate. Sanctity, transparency are a must in government recruitments and examinations,” she said.

“The government is committed to conduct fair investigation and ensure the most stringent punishment to those guilty in the recent incidents of paper leak,” she said.

There were incidents of paper leaks in some States earlier as well, the President said, stressing that there is need to rise above partisan politics and take strong steps at the national level.

The President added that Parliament has also made a strong law against paper leaks.

She added that the government is working to bring reforms in the examination process.

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Air India to operate wide-body A350 aircraft on Delhi-London route

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The flights will mark the introduction of the plane on the international long-haul route

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 12:33 PM


Air India to operate wide-body A350 aircraft on Delhi-London route

Air India started inducting the A350 planes this year and are being used for domestic flights as well.

New Delhi: Air India will start operating its wide-body A350-900 aircraft on the Delhi–London route with two daily flights from September 1.

The flights will mark the introduction of the plane on the international long-haul route, as Air India revamps and expands its operations to strengthen presence in international and domestic segments.

“The A350-900 will replace the currently deployed Boeing 777-300 ER and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on 14 of 17 weekly flights. As a result, an additional 336 seats will be available on the Delhi-London Heathrow route each week,” the airline said in a release on Thursday.

Besides, the airline will introduce premium economy class seats in the A350-900 planes operating on the Delhi-London Heathrow route. Air India will operate two daily flights between the national capital and London Heathrow with the A350-900 aircraft starting from September 1.

The airline started operating the A350-900 plane on the international route from May 1 with services between Delhi and Dubai. The Tata Group-owned airline operates 31 weekly flights to London Heathrow — 17 from Delhi and 14 from Mumbai. It also flies from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Goa and Kochi to London Gatwick. There are 17 weekly flights on this route.

Besides, the carrier operates 6 weekly flights to Birmingham from Delhi and Amritsar. Air India started inducting the A350 planes this year and are being used for domestic flights as well. The airline has placed an order for 40 A350 planes and 6 of them are in its fleet.

“The deployment of our flagship A350s and the B777s with upgraded cabin interiors to London Heathrow marks a significant milestone for Air India,” Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said.

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AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s suspension from Rajya Sabha ends

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Expresses happiness as permission has been obtained to enter Parliament after almost a year of suspension

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 01:25 PM


AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s suspension from Rajya Sabha ends

AAP MP Sanjay SIngh

New Delhi: Aam Admi Party MP Sanjay Singh received a major relief as his suspension from the Rajya Sabha ended on Thursday. He expressed happiness as permission has been obtained to enter Parliament after almost a year of suspension.

Expressing gratitude, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar for withdrawing my suspension. Today the proceedings of the House will also begin in Rajya Sabha and President Droupadi Murmu is inaugurating the session.”

He said, “You all know what is happening to us, how the elected CM has been kept in jail and how he was arrested by CBI yesterday…We will definitely boycott the President’s address because this is not the President’s own statement, rather she reads the government’s statement. She reads the written speeches of the government. So that is why we will boycott the President’s address…”

Notably, after obtaining permission to enter the Parliament, Sanjay Singh along with other Aam Aadmi Party MPs held a protest against the arrest of Delhi CM and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, in Parliament premises ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s address on Thursday.

The party MPs were seen holding placards that read, “Stop misusing ED and CBI”, and “Dictatorship will not work”. Earlier, the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Wednesday sent Kejriwal to three days CBI remand in connection with the Excise policy case.

Vacation Judge Amitabh Rawat after taking note of all the submissions of both sides, allowed Arvind Kejriwal to be on CBI remand till June 29, 2024.

During the remand period, the court allowed Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to meet him for 30 minutes and his lawyer to meet him every day for 30 minutes. The court has also allowed him to carry his prescribed medicines during the remand period.

India

PIL in SC against implementation of three new criminal laws

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Fresh plea, filed through advocate Sanjeev Malhotra, seeks directions to immediately constitute an expert committee to assess, identify the viability of the laws

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 01:59 PM


PIL in SC against implementation of three new criminal laws

File Photo

New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court against the implementation of the new criminal laws abolishing the colonial-era IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act.

It may be recalled that the top court in May had refused to entertain a similar PIL saying that the plea was liable to be dismissed.

The fresh plea, filed through advocate Sanjeev Malhotra, seeks directions to immediately constitute an expert committee to assess, identify the viability of the three criminal laws namely, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

It said, The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita retains most offences from the Indian Penal Code, 1860. It adds community service as a form of punishment. Sedition is no longer an offence. Instead, there is a new offence for acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita adds terrorism as an offence. “The PIL said the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, allows up to 15 days of police custody, which can be authorised in parts during the initial 40 or 60 days of the 60 or 90 days” period of judicial custody.

“This may lead to denial of bail for the entire period if the police have not exhausted the 15 days custody and the provision could be misused since people, particularly those hailing from marginalised backgrounds, may be subjected to extreme custodial violence,” it added.

Further, the plea said that there remains irregularity in the passing of laws in the Parliament as many members of Parliament were suspended with very less people participating in the passing of the three Bills.

It referred to the speech made by former Chief Justice of India NV Ramana expressing his concern regarding enacting laws without debate in the Parliament as it leaves ambiguity in legislation and leads to a lot of litigation.

“The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 retains most provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 including those on confessions, relevancy of facts, and burden of proof,” the PIL said.

In a press statement, the Bar Council of India (BCI) on Wednesday urged all Bar associations across the country to refrain from any form of agitation or protest against the introduction of new criminal laws and said that it will initiate discussions with the Union Government to convey the concerns of the legal fraternity.

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Meghalaya: Single mother brutally thrashed in public for having affair, 6 arrested

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She was dragged by her hair by four men, beaten with sticks in front of a mob that watched

Updated On – 27 June 2024, 02:19 PM


Meghalaya: Single mother brutally thrashed in public for having affair, 6 arrested

Photo: X

Shillong: A woman was publicly thrashed by her relatives for having an affair and a video of the incident, which happened in Meghalaya‘s West Garo Hills district, went viral on social media, police said on Thursday.

Six people were arrested in connection with the incident that happened in Lower Teksagre village in Dadenggre sub-division on Tuesday, they said.

The woman, a single mother in her mid-20s, was asked to appear before a kangaroo court in her village. Later, she was dragged by her hair by four men and thrashed with sticks in front of a mob that watched, they added.

The entire episode was captured in a video that went viral on social media, triggering a furore.

Superintendent of Police Abraham T Sangma said six persons, all her close relatives, were arrested on Wednesday within hours of the video going viral.

“While two people were picked up by the police from the village, the rest surrendered. They have been brought back to the district headquarters town,” he said.

The State Women’s Commission has also taken suo-moto cognisance of the incident and has sent a team to meet the victim, officials said.