GRAP is a set of emergency measures that kick in to prevent further deterioration of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the Delhi-NCR region. (File photo)Delhi News Highlights (October 6): With Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping down to the ‘poor’ category on Friday, stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been imposed in Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. This includes a complete ban on the use of coal and firewood, ensuring that diesel generator sets are not used as a regular source of power supply, enforcing the use of anti smog guns and mechanised sweeping as dust control measures.
In other news, the Delhi High Court today said that it would continue its hearing on the plea challenging the arrest of NewsClick’s founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha on Monday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Special Cell, Delhi police, had urged the court to list the matter October 9. However, Kapil Sibal, counsel for the defense, had been pressing for Purkayastha’s release, stating that no grounds of arrest had been mentioned in the remand application or communicated to him. “They know I’m the counsel yet they don’t inform me,” he added.
The HC issued notice to police on pleas challenging the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also sought the response of the city police on the applications seeking interim release of Purkayastha and Chakravarty till pendency of their petition, news agency PTI reported. Both have been arrested in a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case following allegations that the news portal was given money to spread pro-China propaganda.
The ED had alleged Singh was well aware of the activities and antecedents of Sukesh Chandrashekhar and was helping him in money laundering. (File)
A trial court's order remanding NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty in police custody in a case lodged under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Friday came under scanner in the Delhi High Court which said there appeared to be something missing as the order was apparently passed without hearing their counsel.
The high court asked the investigating officer to produce the case diary before it on Monday and ensure the medical condition of Chakravarty, who is differently-abled, is not compromised. PTI
The BJP Mahila Morcha on Friday held demonstrations to demand the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following the arrest of AAP leaders in connection with the alleged liquor scam. Carrying placards bearing slogans against the AAP and its national convenor Kejriwal, activists of the Mahila Morcha's Delhi unit held demonstrations at major intersections of the national capital. PTI
The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to police on pleas challenging the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also sought the response of the city police on the applications seeking interim release of Purkayastha and Chakravarty till pendency of their petition. The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 9.
Purkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Tuesday. Police have sealed the NewsClick's office in Delhi. The portal has been accused of receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda. The duo is currently in police custody. PTI
While appearing for NewsClick founder Purkayastha, Kapil Sibal said that no grounds of arrest had been provided to him. He said that the magistrate has to ask the accused whether they would want to consult a counsel and the High Court rules state that post 24 hours in custody, a temporary remand must be issued so that the counsel can appear. However, Sibal said that no such order had been passed. The counsel for the defense further added that in a similar provision with respect to Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Supreme Court had said that grounds of arrest need to be communicated and handed over in writing. "If you look at the remand application no mention of grounds of arrest being communicated being mentioned at all," he said. "They know I'm the counsel yet they dont inform me," he added.
News portal NewsClick's human resources department head Amit Chakravarty’s plea has been listed before Justice Tushar Rao Gedela of the Delhi High Court.
Founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha’s plea is yet to be listed
Reacting to AAP MP Sanjay Singh's arrest, Delhi CM and party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, "From across the country, we can see examples of false cases being filed against Opposition leaders in an attempt to make the opposition inactive, to intimidate it… Some leaders are being forced to break ranks with their parties and forced into the BJP. This is not good for democracy".
"Not just Opposition leaders, even businessmen across the country are being targeted. It’s unfortunate that over the last 5-6 years, 12 to 13 lakh high net worth individuals who used to invest in the country, operate industries and businesses, provided thousands of jobs gave up their Indian citizenship for some other country’s. They have left India and shut their business here.
"They too had were pursued by the ED, income tax department and CBI…this atmosphere of fear which has been created in the country — not only when it comes to its politics but also in business, commerce and industry — is not good for the country.
"At this rate, how can we compete with China which has an industry functioning from every home? Here, they are not even letting the biggest of industries operate; everyone has agencies pursuing them. This agency-agency game will not let the country prosper.
"We need to take all the steps possible to ensure that business, commerce and industry prosper as much as possible; this atmosphere of fear should come to an end, only then will the nation move forward," he said.
The Delhi High Court allowed the listing of a plea challenging news portal NewsClick’s founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha’s arrest by the Delhi Police Special Cell today, along with NewsClick’s human resources department head Amit Chakravarty’s plea. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal had mentioned the urgent listing of the plea, and said that the arrest was “illegal”. Purkayastha has moved the Court challenging the Delhi Police’s FIR and his arrest, as well as the remand order. Chakravarty has also made similar prayers in his plea.
In what might further exacerbate the tensions between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, both constituents of the INDIA alliance, Congress Delhi in-charge Deepak Babaria has said he could not say for sure if the arrest of AAP MP Sanjay Singh was based on “genuine facts” or was an example of “misuse of investigative agencies”.
Talking to The Indian Express Thursday, Babaria said the party is looking at Singh’s arrest from two angles. “One is that the promises that the AAP has made in the past nine years... most of them have been proven as jumlebaazi (fibs). And its credibility is completely down, because of which, two of its (former) ministers have been in jail for a long time. The courts are also not giving them relief. And now the name of a third senior leader has come to light. Kanoon apni karwai karta hai... toh agar aur usme sachai hai (The law takes its own course... and if there is any truth to it)... Nobody is above the law,” he said. Read More
The Supreme Court Thursday, while hearing the bail petition of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is in judicial custody over his alleged involvement in the excise policy scam case, asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) whether there was any evidence to connect the proceeds of the alleged money laundering activity with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader.
“How will you establish money laundering by Sisodia factually and legally?… He may be aware it may be used, as per your case, but he never came in actual physical possession,” a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said, according to Bar and Bench. Read More
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at Sanjay Singh’s house came a day after two accused, including one considered close to him, in the money laundering probe the central agency had launched on the Delhi Government’s now-scrapped liquor policy, turned approvers. Singh, according to investigating agencies, was close to Dinesh Arora and had introduced him to former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Arora, an accused in the excise policy case, had earlier turned approver in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case as well.
Singh has been part of the meetings of the INDIA alliance along with party and Rajya Sabha colleague Raghav Chadha, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He has also been at the forefront of the AAP’s political attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past several months. From meeting Opposition leaders and chief ministers and holding the fort in Rajya Sabha to taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi head-on, Singh has been a constant presence next to party chief Kejriwal since before the AAP came into being in 2012. Read More
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and leaders gathered outside the party headquarters in New Delhi Thursday, protesting MP Sanjay Singh’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
While the AAP workers intended to march towards the BJP headquarters nearby, they were stopped by police barricades that were raised on Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg ahead of the protest. The road was closed to traffic with security forces and police standing at the barricades. Some leaders and workers attempted to climb the barricades and later sat near them in protest but they eventually retreated after the police began to drag a few protesters away from the barricades. The protest site was cleared and party workers headed to the AAP office. The police detained a group of around five people. Read More
The Delhi Police has questioned journalists Urmilesh and Abhisar Sharma for a second time this week in connection with alleged funding to the NewsClick portal from China to peddle fake narrative about the central government, officials said.
They reached the Delhi Police Special Cell's office at Lodhi Colony and joined the investigation this afternoon, the officials said, adding their questioning was underway. This comes two days after the Special Cell arrested NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty in connection with the case. (PTI)
The Rouse Avenue court on Thursday sent AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate till October 10 over his alleged involvement in the Delhi excise policy scam case. Earlier in the day, AAP leaders and workers had taken to the streets to protest against the arrest.
Countering the statements of the central probe agency, the defence appearing for AAP MP Sanjay Singh said: “Interrogation for others never required custody. In his case... there's separate agenda. This court is also a part of society and can read between the lines. They had the information from 9.5 months...Where do we cry hoarse? I ask myself what is further investigation? The ED kept statements in their pockets and use it when they want. They pull out old statements”
As AAP MP Sanjay Singh was produced before the Rouse Avenue court, the ED, while seeking 10 days of custody, said that transactions worth Rs 2 crore was linked to the senior leader. “They said "money" was delivered to Singh's residence. Dinesh Arora got it confirmed. Dinesh Arora has given Re 2 crore cash at Sanjay Singh's house on two occasions. He has revealed that he also picked up cash Rs 1 crore from Indospirit office. For the investigation, the phone has been seized and data will be extracted.”
The Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers have taken to the streets today to protest against the arrest of the party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. Singh was produced before the Rouse Avenue court in the afternoon by the Enforcement Directorate.
At AAP stir against Sanjay Singh's arrest, protesters try to jump barricades to reach Delhi BJP headquarters. Police try stop the protesters and drag them away.
Echoing Atishi, AAP MLA Dilip Pandey said: "This is fear ahead of the 2024 elections. There is no money trail, no proof. If the BJP has the ED and CBI on their side, the people of the country are coming together against this."
Delhi education minister and senior AAP leader says: "The BJP is scared about losing the Lok Sabha elections. This is the fear of losing, and that is why they are using all sorts of weapons like the ED, CBI and the police. The public is not foolish, they are watching. The people who oppose them (the BJP) are being jailed. The journalists who were raided, how were they corrupt?"
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut visits the residence of AAP MP Sanjay Singh in Delhi, day after the latter's arrest by the ED in connection with Delhi excise policy case.
AAP leaders Dilip Pandey, Durgesh Pathak among those trying to jump the barricades put up by Delhi Police to stall the protest march from reaching Delhi BJP headquarters.
"You all know how on the directions of the BJP and the Prime Minister, the ED raided Sanjay Singh's house. Till evening, they raided his home, but they didn't find anything. Why did they arrest him then?" asked senior AAP leader Gopal Rai.a Singh was arrested on Wednesday soon after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at his residence earlier in the morning. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called it a “desperate attempt ahead of elections”.
Protesters say they want to march to the BJP headquarters but the police have barricaded the road.
Meanwhile, the BJP MPs and MLAs have gathered for a prayer meet at Delhi's Rajghat. They are praying for Delhi to rid of its current “corrupt government”, says Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva.
"We have gathered today at the Samadhi of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to tell people that Delhi is always to break free from the corrupt rule of the Arvind Kejriwal government. Arvind Kejriwal, while starting out with his Aam Aadmi Party began all his nautanki (drama) from Rajghat…Mahatma Gandhi used to say that alcohol destroys the body and soul. But Arvind Kejriwal allowed it to destroy not only his soul but also the character of the AAP. The people of Delhi know that Arvind Kejriwal is the main protagonist of the excise scam. The people of Delhi will continue their struggle to rid themselves of his corrupt rule," he added.”
Hundreds of AAP workers on the streets now as they raise their voices against the BJP government in the Centre over the arrest of party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
The Delhi Police Thursday opposed the applications demanding a copy of the FIR by NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty, arrested in a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case following allegations that the news portal was given money to spread pro-China propaganda. While a Delhi court had allowed the remand papers to be given to the accused, it was hearing arguments on granting the FIR copy.
"These are testing times. AAP will rise stronger," AAP MP Sandeep Pathak says on Sanjay Singh's arrest.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today will produce AAP MP Sanjay Singh in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, the Bar and Bench reported.
AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak said, "Sanjay Singh is a strong voice of the opposition and he was exposing the Modi government on every front. This is just the beginning and I feel that by the 2024 elections, there will be more such arrests...We have faith in the judiciary and soon we will get justice and Sanjay Singh will come out...''
Reacting on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh's arrest, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said: 'Since the date of BJP's departure (from power) is nearing, such arrests are taking place and in the coming time, many more opposition leaders will be arrested.'
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