AAP supporters during their 'Walk for Kejriwal' walkathon, in New Delhi, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (PTI Photo)Arvind Kejriwal SC Hearing Highlights (May 10): The Supreme Court Friday granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until June 1 in the excise policy case. The apex court also said it will soon pass a detailed order. The Enforcement Directorate had filed an affidavit yesterday opposing the bail saying that the “right to campaign in polls was neither fundamental nor constitutional”.
In a related case, the Delhi High Court on Friday sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in BRS leader K Kavitha’s bail petition in the money laundering case being probed by the ED. The matter is now listed to be heard on May 24. The central agency is probing the matter in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. She challenged the trial court’s May 6 order dismissing her bail application.
How is the weather today? According to the IMD report, Delhi will experience strong surface winds during the daytime with chances of light drizzle during the night on Friday, with temperatures ranging from a high of 39 degrees Celsius to a low of 28 degrees Celsius.
AAP cancels all meetings, campaigns; calls leaders to HQ
AAP has cancelled all the events including meeting and campaigns scheduled for today. All party leaders and workers have been asked to reach the party headquarters.
Brij Bhushan sexual harassment allegations: Delhi court to pass order on framing charges today
A Delhi Court on Friday will pass an order on framing of charges against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the case wherein allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against him by six women wrestlers.
Supreme Court grants interim bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case
The Supreme Court Friday granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until June 1 in the excise policy case. The Enforcement Directorate had filed an affidavit yesterday opposing the bail saying that the “right to campaign in polls was neither fundamental nor constitutional”.
Would rather quit politics than leave BJP again: Arvinder Singh Lovely
Days after his surprise entry into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for the second time, former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely said he would rather quit politics altogether than leave the party’s fold again.
He, along with other former Delhi Congress leaders, including ex-minister Raj Kumar Chauhan and former MLAs Naseeb Singh, Neeraj Basoya as well as Amit Malik, who headed the Delhi Youth Congress in the past, joined the BJP after leaving its fold within a few days of each other last week.
Read more.
Sex racket busted in Gurgaon; Bangladeshi, Uzbek women among 10 arrested
The Gurgaon Police on Tuesday busted a sex racket and arrested 10 people, including foreign women, from a hotel in Sector 57, officials said.
According to the police, the district police and CM Flying Squad, an independent force under the Haryana government, jointly raided Hotel Rao Estate through a decoy customer who negotiated with the manager to arrange the women.
Reports ENS.
Order transferring case from one court to another may mar judge’s career for life: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court recently said that an order transferring a case from one court to another may on occasion “mar the career of the judicial officer for life” and cast aspersions on the officer’s integrity and so must not ordinarily be resorted to.
The high court said this as it dismissed a plea seeking the transfer of a lawsuit pending before a district judge of a commercial court to any other commercial court in the same district.
Read full report.
ED is making contradictory statements, says Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj in relation to Kejriwal arrest
“I believe, ED is making contradictory statements. Two weeks ago, the Delhi High Court put a stay on BJP leader Dilip Ray's punishment, who was accused of a Coal scam, saying that if it did not do that then irreparable damage may occur. However, it's not same for a CM (Arvind Kejriwal) whose crime hasn’t been proven,” Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said to PTI.
Delhi excise policy case: HC seeks ED’s response in K Kavitha’s bail plea
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the Enforcement Directorate’s response to the bail plea of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator K Kavitha. She is accused of paying Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders in return for liquor licences, in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
A single-judge bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the ED permitting the agency to file a response and listed the matter on May 24.
Read full report by Malavika Prasad.
Delhi excise policy: Delhi HC seeks ED response in K Kavitha's bail plea
The Delhi HC on Friday sought the Enforcement Directorate's response in the bail plea of BRS legislator K Kavitha in the money laundering case pertaining to the now scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma has issued notice to the ED and listed the matter on May 24.
Kejriwal’s bail plea in SC, here’s why the Chief Minister’s role is crucial to Delhi’s governance
The Centre Tuesday called Arvind Kejriwal a Chief Minister without a portfolio, as it argued in the Supreme Court that he should not take on official duties even if granted interim bail for the Lok Sabha poll campaign. Be that as it may, the Chief Minister of Delhi, irrespective of whether and how many portfolios he has, is every bit as important given the framework that governs the Capital.
CM Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy case.
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May pass order on interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it “may” pass an order on Friday on whether or not to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy scam case.
“As far as interim order etc. is concerned, we may pass that order on Friday,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna, presiding over a three-judge bench said, as it was winding up the day’s hearing on a batch of petitions challenging provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act.
Continue reading.
UN on Kejriwal Arrest: International concern grows over arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
International concern escalates over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, with the United Nations adding its voice to the debate. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric emphasized the importance of protecting everyone's rights in India amidst elections. This comes amid tensions following Kejriwal's arrest and the freezing of Congress party bank accounts. The US and Germany have also expressed concerns, urging fair legal processes and adherence to democratic principles. In response, India's External Affairs Ministry summoned senior diplomats from both countries to protest against their comments, reiterating that Kejriwal's arrest is an internal matter.
Delhi’s Modern School asks 8 EWS kids to leave for failing exam, parents send legal notice
Eight students of Class 9 at Modern School Barakhamba Road, admitted under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, were issued school leaving certificates after they failed to clear their exams. The parents have now sent a legal notice to the school, urging that the children be granted readmission to the same class and be allowed to continue studying under the EWS category.
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Arvind Kejriwal Bail: No interim relief to Kejriwal, what has happened inside the court so far?
In a significant development regarding the excise policy case and the Capital Politics, the Supreme Court on Tuesday denied bail to the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. No interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as of now in the Delhi Excise Policy case. The Supreme Court is likely to hear the case on Thursday or next week. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently held in Tihar Jail under judicial custody... In this video, we tried to decipher the proceedings that unfolded inside the court.
Watch | All about the Delhi Excise Policy case, allegations against Arvind Kejriwal | Delhi Liquor Scam
Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, following multiple summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The excise policy case involves two investigations, one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and another by the ED, focusing on alleged money laundering related to the excise policy. Here's all about the case and the allegations levelled against him.
New focus for AAP campaign: Traders, women, Purvanchali & rural population
The Aam Aadmi Party’s Lok Sabha campaign, which has so far been about highlighting the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will shift focus on four key groups in the city — traders, rural population, women and the Purvanchali population.
According to the party’s Delhi in-charge Gopal Rai, the final stage of the campaign will begin on May 12 and will be about work done by Kejriwal for various segments of the society. “We will be doing a series of Trade Town Hall meetings, Gramin Panchayats, Mahila Samvad and Purvanchal Samagam in all the seats where AAP candidates are contesting, starting from East Delhi, West Delhi, New Delhi and South Delhi constituencies respectively,” said Rai, adding that these four social segments have a very vital role in Delhi’s political scenario.
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Punjab CM Mann to hold roadshows for AAP in East, South Delhi tomorrow
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will hold roadshows in East and South Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies on May 11, to campaign for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates.
AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar is up against BJP candidate Harsh Malhotra from the East Delhi seat this Lok Sabha elections. Gurjar leader Sahi Ram Pahalwan will go against BJP’s Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from the South Delhi constituency.
The AAP and the Congress — INDIA bloc partners this time — have agreed to a 4:3 seat-sharing formula for Delhi to put up a joint fight in the Lok Sabha polls.
Read full ENS report.
20 joint meets daily, padyatras: AAP, Congress scale up poll campaign in Delhi
Several coordination meetings have been held between the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress to ensure that the election campaign continues smoothly over the next two weeks. It has not been easy for the workers of these two parties, which have joined hands as part of the INDIA bloc, to come together for the campaign because of the differences the two have had over the years.
Senior AAP leaders, however, said that efforts have been made to clear political differences.
Read more of Gayathri Mani's report.
More on Delhi weather | Respite for Delhiites: Cloudy skies, light rain on the cards this weekend
Delhi residents are likely to experience some respite from the heat as cloudy skies and light rainfall are likely on the cards over the weekend, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
While strong winds and a drizzle towards the night are on the IMD forecast for Friday, very light rain is likely to bring down the temperatures in the city on Saturday. Light rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds (30 to 40 kmph) are on the cards for Sunday, predicted the IMD.
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Watch | Congress North West Delhi candidate Udit Raj hits out Mani Shankar Aiyar
On recent statement of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Pakistan, Congress candidate from North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, Udit Raj says, "...Mani Shankar Aiyar doesn't hold an official position. So, whatever he says is his personal opinion. Congress has no such stand. Congress is not speaking anything on it."
Watch | Saurabh Bharadwaj, others walk to Kalkaji Temple
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj along with devotees took part in a padyatra towards Kalkaji Temple, earlier today.
Supreme Court likely to pass order on Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail plea today
The Supreme Court is expected to pass an order on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail plea today. The Enforcement Directorate had filed an affidavit yesterday opposing the bail saying that the “right to campaign in polls was neither fundamental nor constitutional”.
Delh excise polic: Delhi HC to hear K Kavitha bail plea today
The Delhi High Court will be hearing BRS leader K Kavitha’s bail petition in the money laundering case being probed by the ED in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. She challenged the trial court’s May 6 order dismissing her bail application. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma is scheduled to hear the matter on Friday.
How is the weather today?
According to the IMD report, Delhi will experience strong surface winds during the daytime with chances of light drizzle during the night on Friday, with temperatures ranging from a high of 39 degrees Celsius to a low of 28 degrees Celsius.
ED charge sheet: AAP slams BJP, alleges its only work is to defame Kejriwal
The AAP on Thursday targeted the BJP saying its only job is to defame Arvind Kejriwal and alleged that it is behind the Enforcement Directorate's charge sheet which is likely to be filed soon in a city court.
The ED is expected to soon file a fresh charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and it may name Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BRS leader K Kavitha and some others as accused, the official sources said.
The Aam Aadmi Party sources alleged that the ED charge sheet is in fact the BJP's charge sheet. The BJP's only work remains to defame Kejriwal, they said.
Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the AAP, was arrested on March 21 by the ED and is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in the money laundering case.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the case is sub judice and any comments can be made only after the agency files the charges sheet.
Earlier in the day, the ED also filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing the grant of interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case, saying the right to campaign in the polls is neither fundamental nor constitutional. (PTI)
162 candidates in fray for May 25 LS polls in Delhi
A total of 162 candidates are in fray for the May 25 Lok Sabha polls in Delhi with the maximum contesting from North East Delhi constituency, according to official data.
May 9 was the last date of withdrawal of nominations. The nomination process had kicked off on April 29 and went on till May 6.
According to data shared by the office of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer, 17 candidates are contesting from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat, which is the least across the seven constituencies. There are 28 candidates in fray from North East Delhi.
There are 25, 20 and 26 candidates in contention from the Chandni Chowk, East Delhi, and Northwest Delhi constituencies.
From West Delhi, 24 candidates are contesting the polls while 20 people are contesting from South Delhi constituency.
The elections are a direct fight between the INDIA bloc and BJP.
Under a seat-sharing arrangement between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the former has fielded candidates from three Lok Sabha seats in Delhi while the latter is contesting from the remaining four.
AAP's Somnath Bharti is pitted against BJP's Bansuri Swaraj from the New Delhi seat while Congress' Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting against Manoj Tiwari from the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. (PTI)
Man, 28, arrested for molesting boy in Delhi
The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the sexual assault on a 16-year-old boy in a moving metro.
The boy had shared his ordeal on X in a series of posts, writing that a co-passenger tried to touch his private parts and also stalked him in the station premises when he changed the trains.
The alleged incident happened on Friday night at Rajiv Chowk Metro Station.
The accused, Jitender Gautam, is a graduate and working in an organisation under the daily wages scheme.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Metro) Dr G Ramgopal Naik, a team of special staff metro led by Inspectors Sameer Srivastava and Tej Dutt Gaur was constituted, who cracked the case.
After scanning CCTV footages of 15 metro stations from Rajiv Chowk to Jahangir Puri, police found that Gautam alighted the train at Jahangir Puri Metro Station. (PTI)
Delhi's maximum temperature settles at 38.8 degrees C; Light rains predicted tomorrow
The maximum temperature in Delhi on Thursday settled at 38.8 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The relative humidity oscillated between 44 and 59 per cent during the day, it said.
The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky on Friday with the possibility of drizzle toward night, along with strong surface winds during the day.
The maximum and minimum temperatures likely to settle at 40 and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) has improved as it shifted from "very poor" to "poor" and "poor" to "moderate" categories in the last two days, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. (PTI)
Delhi Ridge: SC asks Centre, others to respond to CEC report
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre, the Delhi government and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to file their responses to a "shocking" report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) which said five per cent area of the Ridge in the national capital was under encroachment.
The Ridge is an extension of the Aravalli hill range in Delhi and is a rocky, hilly and forested area. It has been divided into four zones- south, south-central, central and north- for administrative reasons. These four zones make up a total area of around 7,784 hectares.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, which was hearing the matter, noted that advocate K Parameshwar, who is assisting the top court as an amicus curiae, has placed on record the CEC report.
"The report depicts a very shocking state of affairs," the bench said.
The amicus said the report contains the details of encroachment in the Ridge and the figures are quite shocking.
He said as per the report, the Ridge was being increasingly used for non-forestry purposes. (PTI)
Excise policy case: BRS leader K Kavitha moves Delhi HC seeking bail in money laundering case
BRS leader K Kavitha approached the Delhi High Court on Thursday seeking bail in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma is scheduled to hear the matter on Friday.
Kavitha has challenged the trial court's May 6 order by which her bail application was dismissed in the money laundering case.
The trial court had also rejected her bail plea in the corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the "scam".
The alleged scam pertains to the claimed corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped. Kavitha is in judicial custody in the two cases lodged by the CBI and the ED, respectively.
The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15. The CBI arrested the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader when she was already under judicial custody in the ED case. (PTI)
2020 Delhi riots: Court grants bail to ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain
A court in Delhi has granted bail to former AAP councillor Tahir Husain in one of the 2020 Delhi riots cases, saying his role in it was "remote in nature" and he has already spent over three years in custody.
Hussain will, however, continue to be behind bars as he is an accused in other rioting cases, including the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal conflagration and a money laundering case related to funding it.
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing Hussain's bail plea in a case registered at Khajuri Khas police station, where a riotous mob had vandalised and set ablaze a shop on February 25, 2020.
"In the present case, the role of the applicant (Hussain) is alleged to be of instigator and conspirator. He is admittedly not shown as part of the mob, which attacked the shop in question. Thus, the role attributed to the applicant is remote in nature as compared to the role attributed to co-accused persons," the court said. (PTI)
Delhi voters can avail a free of charge ride from the polling booths to their home with Rapido on May 25
Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi, P. Krishnamurthy, today announced a strategic partnership with Rapido, a bike ride-sharing company, as reported by ANI. As per the arrangement decided with Rapido, eligible voters in Delhi will be provided with an option to avail a free of charge ride from the polling booths to their home on the day of voting on 25th May.
SC summons DG CPWD, DDA VC over tree felling in Delhi's Ridge area, orders status quo
The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned the director general of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and DDA vice-chairperson on a contempt petition against government officials for felling of trees in Delhi's Ridge area in violation of its orders.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the two authorities to maintain status quo in the area and issued notices to them and the Director General of Forest and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest.
"If we are satisfied, we will direct them to replant the trees and restore the area," the bench said.
The top court was hearing a contempt plea contending that the ridge is the only forested place left in the national capital, and a large number of trees have been felled there by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to construct an approach road between Chhattarpur Road and SAARC University near Maidan Garhi.
The apex court had on March 4 refused permission to DDA to fell 1,051 trees, saying their application was very vague.
It had said the DDA being an instrumentality of the State, it is its duty to first make an attempt to protect the environment by picking only those trees felling which is absolutely necessary. (PTI)
Delhi HC asks Google, Microsoft to seek review of ruling on removal of non-consensual intimate images
The Delhi High Court on Monday asked Microsoft, which owns 'Bing', and Google to seek a review of an order by a single judge directing them to identify and de-index non-consensual intimate images without requesting for their specific URLs, after the search engine giants filed an appeal against the ruling.
The senior counsel for the appellants said unlike in cases of child sexual abuse material, non-consensual intimate images cannot be detected by their current technology and therefore it was not possible for them to comply with the order passed by the single judge in April 2023.
They said the search engines do not "host" any content, and once an objectionable content has been removed from the site hosting it, it will not appear in search results as well.
Stating that "no one can ask you to do the impossible", a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan asked them to approach the single judge to reconsider his directions.
In an order passed on April 26, 2023, the single judge had said it was the responsibility of the search engines to immediately cease access to any offending content and the victim cannot be made to face humiliation or harassment by having to approach the authorities again seeking the same relief. The ruling came on a petition by a woman who sought blocking of certain sites exhibiting her intimate images. (PTI)
ED files affidavit in Supreme Court opposing interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit in Supreme Court opposing interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today. 'Right to campaign in polls neither fundamental nor constitutional,' ED told the Supreme Court(SC) and also said that no political leader was ever granted interim bail for his own campaigning if in custody. Earlier today SC said that it may pass an order on Friday on whether or not to grant interim bail to Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the ED in connection with the excise policy scam case. In its earlier hearing, the court had said that it would not want Kejriwal to perform his official duties as CM if it grants interim bail in view of the Lok Sabha elections.
Light rains predicted in Delhi tomorrow: IMD
IMD has predicted light drizzle in Delhi towards night tomorrow and strong surface winds are expected through the day. Light rains are forecasted in Delhi-NCR region from May 10 to May 14.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to campaign in parts of Delhi on May 11
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will campaign in east and south Delhi on May 11. He will hold road shows in both constituencies. The Lok Sabha elections in Delhi will be held on May 25 during the sixth phase of elections.
Noida police arrest two men in encounter for abducting, killing 15-year-old boy
The Greater Noida police arrested two men after a gunfight late Wednesday night in connection with the alleged murder of a 15-year-old boy whose body was recovered from a canal in Bulandshahr.
The accused have been identified as Kunal Bhati, a resident of Dadha Village, Gautam Buddha Nagar; and Himanshu, a resident of Agauta village in Bulandshahr. Officials said one of them was injured in a retaliatory firing.
The victim, Kunal Sharma, was a resident of Mayana Village in Rabupura. He was allegedly abducted on May 1 and his body was recovered on May 5.
2 ‘share market brokers’ dupe Delhi man of Rs 32 lakh, arrested
The Delhi Police have arrested two online fraudsters who allegedly duped a man of Rs 32 lakh on the pretext of making him invest in the stock market, promising huge returns, the police said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the complaint lodged by the victim, Arvind Sood, a resident of south west Delhi, he ended up losing over Rs 32 lakh through various transactions last October after he fell into the trap of the arrested men – Dharmik Modi, 29, and his accomplice Arunji Thakur, 22.
Police said the two men were part of a large network of investment fraud.
Watch | BJP candidates from North East Delhi holds a roadshow
Sex racket busted in Gurgaon; Bangladeshi, Uzbek women among 10 arrested
The Gurgaon Police on Tuesday busted a sex racket and arrested 10 people, including foreign women, from a hotel in Sector 57, officials said.
According to the police, the district police and CM Flying Squad, an independent force under the Haryana government, jointly raided Hotel Rao Estate through a decoy customer who negotiated with the manager to arrange the women.
“After he paid the money, the decoy informed the police team that reached the spot and made the arrests. Among the six women, two each were from Bangladesh and Uzbekistan,” said Inspector Harish of CM Flying Squad.
Punjab CM and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann to campaign in east and south Delhi on May 11
Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann will be campaigning in east and south Delhi on May 11. He will hold road shows in both constituencies.